Tuesday Tidbits

Rain, rain....GO AWAY!  You're better than snow, but still.  Yesterday was such a lovely SUNNY day.  We could do with much more of that here in drab, gray, Pennsylvania.  I am getting to the point in winter when I begin to crave sunlight.

Which brings up a question?  Has the weather in your part of the country changed since you were a kid?  I'm curious because I don't remember it being so continually cloudy here, even in the summer.  The last I had heard, we have more cloudy days than Seattle.  Boo!

We had a very nice weekend here.  I can't say I got any of the chores I needed to accomplish done, but I got to spend loads and loads of time with our newest grandson (and our daughter!).  He and his mama came here right after I got home from work on Friday and hung out until 9:00.

Saturday I picked them up and we went shopping at Target, Burlington, and Sam's Club.  I was on the hunt for a Pack & Play to keep here.  I did eventually find a nice one that didn't break the bank.  I also bought Mommy a few things and a few cute things for Colton besides groceries and such we needed here. We even had lunch at TGIFriday's and he was such a good boy, sleeping through most of it.

And Sunday they were here most of the day so Daddy could get some much needed sleep (he is a midnight shift man).  They came around noon and stayed until close to 8:00!  My little man got to watch some of his first Super Bowl with me.

Hubby worked a little bit on the bathroom.  Can we say this has been a slow process?  He tore the old tub out in October and then the hours he works and sickness have kept it from progressing at anything faster than a snail's pace.

Hubby is having to custom build the shower as our bathroom turned out to be an odd size and we couldn't just pop over to Lowe's and buy one.  Sigh.  It's going to be lovely, though, when it's done.

We are covering the floors and walls of the entire bathroom with tile that looks like wood.  There will be a band of river pebbles on the walls to break it up a bit. the floor of the shower is going to be flat slices of river rock and there is a built in seat and shelf for shampoos and such.  We have to move the toilet over a little so a new one is in order and a new sink and vanity are going in, too.  It's all going to have a sort of rustic, spa look.

It looks like I'm getting or already have another "bug."  The cough returned at the end of last week, but really picked up yesterday.  I started to feel chilled and a little achy yesterday, too.  Then during the night I think I must have spiked a fever...woke up freezing, shivering so bad my teeth were chattering.  I got up took some ibuprofen, fired up the pellet stove, and threw a heavy afghan on the bed.

When the alarm went off this morning I was drenched with sweat, but feeling better.  I thought maybe that meant I was off the hook, but the cough is hanging on and I've felt chilled and a little achy since mid-morning.

Sigh.

That's all for today.  I have to head back to work in just a few minutes and the dogs must go out before I do....it's going to take some convincing to get them out in the rain.

See you tomorrow for the Wednesday Hodgepodge!

Monday Might Be the Best Part of the Weekend

This was the weekend that found me doing nothing exciting.  Again.  The good news is that it wasn't me who was sick.  The bad news is that it was the hubby's turn.  He had been playing around with it all week before finally deciding to go to Med-Express Saturday morning.

It turned out I was right (imagine that) and the man should have gone days before he did.  I wish you could have heard his hacking cough on Saturday...well, maybe not.  It was pretty gross.  The doctor said it was, hands down, the worst cough he'd ever heard.

Anyway, my hubby has acute bronchitis and was probably on his way to pneumonia (no fluid in his lungs, but x-rays showed the lower lobes of both lungs as "shadowed.").  They prescribed a really strong antibiotic, cough medicine with codeine so he could sleep, pills for his cough for when he shouldn't sleep (like this week at work...and yes, he went), and an inhaler.  He still isn't feeling the best, but his cough is much, much, MUCH better.

As for me, I got to do fun things like go to Walmart to have his prescriptions filled.  The flu is hitting this area very hard right now so the whole pharmacy section is absolutely insane.  I dropped the scripts off and did a little shopping to kill time waiting for them.

I bought some grocery items we needed, a new dish pan that we definitely needed because the cheap Sterlite ones keep cracking around the rim (does Rubbermaid still make them?), a couple of long-sleeved tees, a couple of magazines and a book, and I found this on clearance sale for Colton.

I got to give it to him right away because his mommy called while I was at Walmart, so after taking Hubby his meds and getting some of them in him I went and babysat all afternoon so Mommy and Daddy could get a few hours of sleep.  It was a tough job.

He's got the cutest smiles when he's sleeping.

Belly's full, diaper's dry and Mommy's holding me...CONTENTMENT.

I don't like this game, Mommy.

No photos, please?

So, that was pretty much it for fun stuff in my weekend.  I spent the rest of the time catching up on laundry, doing some household chores, reading, playing on the computer, and taking care of the Hubs.

On the bright side, there's no school today because of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday so I have today off, too, and I get to meet up with some friends for lunch.  Yay!

Happy Monday!  Here's hoping we all have a blessed week.

A Frozen Weekend and Bullet Journaling

Good morning from the frozen North....unless you happen to be located north of me!  As far as this girl's concerned I may as well live in an igloo inside the Arctic Circle, because as the song says, "Baby, it's COLD outside!"

It's been frigid since Friday so it was a mostly stay inside kind of weekend for me.  I did venture out to the store for a bit on Saturday for some things we needed.  It felt so good to be out and doing something after being sick all last week that I really enjoyed grocery shopping.  Really.

Speaking of enjoyable things, I got to have my favorite pizza Friday night and my stomach was good with it.  I totally pigged out, but after nothing but broth and some mashed potatoes all week, that first bite was absolutely divine...like heaven came down and landed on my tongue!  In fact, I think I might have heard angels singing.

I got to see my grandson on Saturday when I stopped by my daughter's apartment for a visit.  It gave her and Cody a chance to take down the Christmas tree and other decorations while I held the baby.  Yesterday they stopped by for a bit in the evening so I got baby time in again.  Yay!

The other thing I spent some time on this weekend was finishing up my 2017 bullet journal.  I've shared previous ones here on the blog, but I thought I'd share this one, too.  Bullet journals kind of evolve as you figure out what your needs are and what works for you.  I'm very pleased with this one.

I start with a basic black Moleskine notebook with graph pages.  There are prettier colors, but Barnes & Noble didn't have them and I didn't want to have to order one and wait on it.  I like that it has an elastic band to keep it closed. There is also a pocket on the inside of the back cover to store papers, stamps, etc.

The first page is a simple index of what's in the journal...added to each week.

The next two pages are the legend of symbols I use and a page of goals for the year.

Then comes a savings plan and a record of books to read.

Next is a 2-page spread of special days and events...

followed by a 2-page weight loss spread.

Next comes a page for tracking daily Bible study and a page of daily/weekly/monthly/yearly cleaning chores.

Then we finally get into the meat of the bullet journal.  Each month will begin with a 2-page overview.  The first page is a simple list, numbered according to the number of days in the month.  Here I list important events, appointments, or other things I don't want to forget or may need to quickly reference later on.

The second page has space for monthly goals/tasks and for a review.

Lastly is the 2-page spread I allot for each week.  There is plenty of room for several different things besides the days....weather forecast, meal planning, habit tracking, notes.

I won't lie.  It takes a bit of work to set it all up, but I've found this system works better for me than any other planner I've ever tried.  I think that's because other than the basic "bullet" concept it is totally my creation.  I can play around with it, tweak it, or completely change it from week to week and make it exactly what I need it to be.

If you've never tried bullet journaling and are curious, my advice is to head on over to Pinterest do a search for bullet journals.  You will be overwhelmed by the shear volume of posts, but don't let it scare you away.  Browse through them and save a few that you think might work for you and start there.  You can always change it down the road.

The Simple Woman's Day Book, Jan. 2017

January is upon us, how can the holidays have gone by so quickly?  My year is not off to the best of starts...I have been home since Monday morning with an intestinal virus.  I do believe that maybe it is finally reaching the end of its stay and that I will be heading back to work tomorrow.  I certainly hope so, at any rate, because I am quite bored of snoozing and watching television.  That's why today I thought I'd give blogging a try and get an entry done for The Simple Woman's Daybook.

January Edition

For today:

Looking out my window...the sun is shining (a rarity in this part of Pennsylvania in January), but the wind is howling, ushering in colder weather and later this week, snow.

I am thinking...how very tired I am of being home with this bug...and also a little bit about how hungry I am.  Surely that means I am recovering!

I am thankful...for our new grandson who entered the world December 13 in the middle of a snow storm.  He was nearly two weeks early, but what a joy it was to have him with us when the family gathered together on Christmas Eve day.

One of my favorite things...the way our sweet old hound dog knows when I need some extra love and does just that in his way..."smiling" up at me with his big brown eyes, wagging his tail, snuggling up beside me, resting his chin on me, and just being there to love back.

I am creating...my 2017 bullet journal.  I'd hoped to have it done by now, but life happens and the best of plans get off track.  I love my bullet journals. Having that daily check list helps me keep my focus.  I may still not get everything done (hey, life happens, remember?) but I don't get as easily distracted and it helps me stay organized.

I am wearing...high fashion, let me tell you.  Being that I am sick and no one other than the dogs and my husband have seen me for three days I am rocking the red plaid flannel-lined leggings, a long-sleeve red shirt, and fuzzy gray socks along with my ratty old slippers.

I am reading...The Seventh Plague by James Rollins.  He is one of my favorite fiction writers.  His stories center on an elite and secret government team of former Special Forces troops turned to scientists.  While the stories are fast paced and a little far fetched, the core idea comes from science so they make you think.  In this one the team is investigating strange events that lead to the question, "Can the plagues of Egypt happen again?"

I am hoping...that things work out with the possibility of a new job for my husband.  His current job seems to be putting us more and more in the hole (long story) and a change to a company closer to home, or that provides a company vehicle or pays more would make a huge difference in our financial situation.

I am learning...to trust God.  I am doing a Bible study by Beth Moore that is teaches me how to have more faith.  It has 5 major points:

1. God is who He says He is.
2. God can do what He says He can.
3. I am who God says I am.
4. I can do all things through Christ.
5. God's Word is living and active in me.

In my kitchen...there isn't much happening...the whole flu thing.  Once I am back on my feet I am really going to tackle some slow cooker recipes.  I have a ton of them pinned and I also pinned a plan to make the meals ahead of time and freeze then all you have to do is toss them in the slow cooker.  If we are going to eat healthy, homemade meals more often than not this is a must do for me.  Otherwise, I am too tired at the end of the day to do more than throw the quickest of things together or call for take-out.

Board room...I made this amazing twice-baked potato casserole as a side dish for Christmas and it met with rave reviews.  It comes from the casserole board of Taste of Home.

Post Script...Here's a link to an article on the Breast Cancer Site that might be helpful to just about everyone.  12 Signs You Need More Magnesium In Your Diet.  I was surprised at some of the things magnesium does for your body...and how many symptoms I have of needing more!

Shared Quote...

A moment from my day...there's that beautiful outfit I mentioned earlier!

My prayer and hope for all of us is this,

that 2017 is a much kinder year

and that we, too, are kinder and gentler

than this past year proved us to be.

Christmas 2016

Good morning!  Are you all starting to wake up from your Christmas ham/turkey/cookie/whatever-your-family-eats induced coma?  We are, but not too much else is happening yet.  The hubby and I have just been chilling and relaxing so far....something we really needed.

Our family got together on Christmas Eve Day for our Christmas.  Mom and I cooked the dinner and we all went to our daughter's home since she is a brand new mom and all.  We thought it would be easier for her and the baby.  It was a great day....as you can see.

Our daughter and her fiancee lucked into an amazing apartment for their first home and to everyone's amazement (she was a total slob at home) she has decorated it beautifully and keeps it very nice.

That's our daughter and her fiancee opening the gifts for our grandson...who slept through most of the day.

Our son and his family enjoyed their gifts and the day, too.  We are blessed that our son was with us and doing well.  He was in an accident in October that fractured his neck.  The neurosurgeon he saw said if he didn't have such strong bones he very likely would have been killed!

My mom and husband hanging out. I think Mom is watching Home Alone.  It was a first for her and my stepdad and they laughed so hard!

Our grandkids had so much fun playing with the doll we got our granddaughter. She's a veterinarian and came with dogs, cats, an x-ray machine, and everything a vet could need!

Our grandson is a MAJOR teller of stories and near the end of the day he had a captive audience in his grandfather and great-grandfather for one of his epic tales.

Of course, there was plenty of baby holding going on....with Nanny leading the pack!

Hubby and I were home alone for the start of Christmas Day....a first for us, but I think I might get used to it.  It was peaceful, though I didn't get to sleep in (thank you, dogs!).

My mom and stepdad came down (we live on the lot behind my mom's house) to exchange our gifts, which we had decided not to take to our daughter's.  That was all they had planned to do, but they ended up staying and we introduced them to another classic Christmas movie, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.  It was fun to watch with someone who had never seen it...they laughed soooooo hard!  They stayed to eat some leftover lasagna and visit.

Yesterday I took off for Barnes & Noble and bought a ton of stuff....some new Moleskin bullet journals, the new James Rollins book, a new calendar, a datebook for my husband to use at work, a party game, and the bestest thing....The Big Bang Theory edition of Monopoly!

My husband puttered around here.  He sanded the top of a little writing desk I bought last month at an auction for $7 so it can be refinished.  He pulled a cabinet off the wall in the bathroom that's been in the process of being redone for over 2 months at this point.  That was about it because his stomach started bothering him.  I had to really pick at him to get him to admit it actually hurt...which was what was wrong with him last Christmas when we didn't know what was wrong with him and thought he was dying.  More "pushing" brought out the truth that he hasn't been taking his Zantac or Protonix.  Sigh.

My mom invited us to dinner.  She made prime rib and baked potatoes.  Yum! While we were up there visiting, our daughter and her fiancee showed up with the baby for a visit.  The baby was wide awake for a change and we all ate that up!  He's such a stinkin' little cutie.

Today my hubby's already off to see the dentist and I'm just puttering, but I'm heading to the shower and then it's a full day of laundry and putting things back together ahead.

I hope your Christmas was as filled with blessings as ours was.  Have a great week!