WHATCHA DOING TODAY?

[snapshotmiki]

Congratulations on your win, Kappy!  Great prize!  

Glad you got your outside lights set up!  Is the inside already done?

 

I got my tree up, lit and garlanded.  That's it for this year for the tree.  I believe that the concrete blocks in the gift wrapped box that the tree stand is in, may be enough to stabilize the tree.  Updates to come!

[snapshotmiki]

When it warms up a little, will go for walk and walk dogs.
Making "What to do with my mushy pickles Relish" later.
Oven dehydrate sweet potato slices for dogs.
Grill some pork chops for future breakfasts.
Decorate front porch for Christmas.

Edited November 27, 2021 by snapshotmiki

[Mt_Rider]

Rested a lot today.  But did take dog for a walk......or she  took me for one.  LOL  Getting better.  Part of each walk back, I take hold of the body harness handle.  We practice her "assisting" me.  Her speed needs to come down a notch while assisting.  Might be good if I was hurrying back to house to use the restroom or something....    But she got some time to ruffle thru the weeds and grass and bushes at the end of our property.  Her nose is endlessly curious.  Wants to smell EVERYTHING!   Sweet thing! 

 

This morning we saw a mood we haven't seen before:  She was tense.  Kept going from window to window.  Likely smelled a bear or ......MtLion?  Or even elk ...if she's not familiar with that.  Learning to communicate with each other....

 

Meals are easy right now.....LOTS of leftover turkey. 

 

Kappy...I'll bet all the kids will love to drive by your house!     What fun!  What do your animals think of all that? 

 

MtRider 

[snapshotmiki]

First this morning is Church and Sunday School.
Walk dogs.
Finish decorating front porch for Christmas.
Honestly, that is about it. Hope to watch a Christmas movie and I'm sure other tasks will present themselves.

[Annarchy]

Home from TX. 
 

Nice visit.

Thanksgiving dinner turned out well.

Storm had an issue with his low back, at 2 in the morning!  Screaming and biting! Stayed up with him the rest of the night & day.  He screamed every time I touched his legs.  Saturday morning he seemed fine.    (Not).  Vet time….

Set up her Christmas decorations.

Awful headwinds on the way home, normally I get 28 mpg, only got 23-24 mpg.  

[Mother]

Glad you are home safe, Annarchy.  👍

[Mt_Rider]

Wow, Annarchy.  Glad your time with MIL was good but   for Storm.  SO very hard when they can't tell us!!!    Need a doggie chiro .....or something more?

 

Sounds like you'll need some down time after all that and a tense drive home.   

 

MtRider 

[snapshotmiki]

Praying for Storm, Annarchy!  Please update us when you can!

 

Will walk first.
Start laundry.
Turkey broth cooked overnight and is cooling now.
Will pressure can later today.
Maybe finally finish decorating front porch so I am done with decorating.

[Annarchy]

Storm is acting like nothing ever happened.  The wood floor in the bedroom are slick.  We are thinking he slipped.  IDK.  

[Littlesister]

 Annarchy, glad Storm is doing better now and that you had a safe trip and home safe again. 

 

Kappy and chainsaw Mary, glad to see you have got your decorations done. You guys are on the ball.  

 

Got back from DD house last night and GD and her DH has now moved in with me. They are at apt. now trying to finish everything up and get apt. cleaned up and ready to turn in keys. 

I am trying to get Christmas cards done and got gifts ordered for the children that are on west coast.  Still got to finish cards and getting the rest of gifts done. Trying to figure out where I can put a tree and some decorating done as stuff is everywhere around here right now. Kids have stuff all over the house right now but it will get put away and organized before long. 

I will have to come back when I have time to catch up on everything.  Very much chaotic around here right now. But it will get better hopefully by next weekend.  Need to get the Christmas flowers on DH's graveside by this weekend as well.  So much to get done. Just been a hard year but hoping next year after all the construction on house is over things will get much better. 

 

[Midnightmom]

7 hours ago, Littlesister said:

 Need to get the Christmas flowers on DH's graveside by this weekend as well.  So much to get done.

 

Found this on FB. Thought I'd pass it on. 

Quote

 

Hi. This is your late loved one speaking. I don’t have long, so listen up because I have a lot I want to tell you.

First off, I get it.

Ever since I left this world you have missed me, and I know you’re bracing for the holidays without me. No matter what anyone says, this year’s festivities are going to be really tough.

In fact, let’s be honest, this festive season will probably suck pondwater. But then, Thanksgiving and Christmas are tough holidays for a lot of people. You’re not alone.

See, the misconception about the holidays is that they are one big party. That’s what every song on the radio claims. Each television commercial you see shows happy families clad in gaudy Old Navy sweaters, carving up poultry, smiling their perfect Hollywood teeth at the camera. But that’s not exactly reality.

In reality, fifty-eight percent of Americans admit to feeling severely depressed and anxious during November and December. In reality many folks will cry throughout the “most wonderful time of the year.”

Well, guess what? Nobody is crying up here in heaven. This place is unreal. There is, literally, too much beauty to take in. Way too much.

For starters—get this—time doesn’t even exist anymore. Which I’m still getting used to.

Right now, for all I know, the calendar year down on Earth could be 1728, 4045, 1991, or 12 BC. It really wouldn’t matter up here. This is a realm where there is no ticking clock, no schedule. Up here there is only this present moment. This. Here. Now. That’s all there has ever been. And there is real comfort in this.

I know this all seems hard to grasp, but if you were here you’d get it.

Also, for the first time I’m pain free. I feel like a teenager again in my body. You probably don’t realize how long I’ve lived with pain because I never talked about it, I kept my problems to myself because I was your loved one, and you needed me to be brave.

But pain is a devious thing. It creeps up on even the strongest person, little by little, bit by bit. Until pretty soon, pain becomes a central feature of life.

Sometimes my pain would get so bad it was all I thought about. No, I’m not saying that my life was miserable—far from it. I loved being on earth. It’s just that simply waking up each morning was getting exhausting.

But, you know what? Not anymore. In this new place, I am wholly and thoroughly happy.

But enough about me. I don’t have room to describe all the terrific things I’m experiencing, and you don’t need to hear them. Right now, you’re grieving, and what you need is a hug.

Which is why I’m writing to you. This is my hug to you. Because you’ve lost sight of me. And in fact, you’ve lost sight of several important things lately.

Death has a way of blinding us. It reorganizes the way you think, it changes you. You will never be the same after you lose someone. It messes with your inner physiology. It reorganizes you’re neurons.

But then, there’s one teensy little thing you’re forgetting:

I’m still around.

Yes, you read that correctly, I’m right here with you. No, you can’t see me. No, you can’t reach out and hold me. But did you know that one of the things I’m allowed to do as a heavenly being is hang out with you?

It’s true. I’m never far away. I’m in the room with you now, along with a big cloud of ancestors, saints, and witnesses. I’m shooting the breeze alongside you, watching you live your life, watching you raise your kids, watching your private moments of sorrow.

Here, in this new realm, I am in the perfect position to help you learn things. Which is what I vow to spend the rest of your earthly life doing, teaching you little lessons, lending you a hand when you least expect it, and desperately trying to make you smile. Actually, I’ve already been doing this stuff, you just don’t realize it.

What, you don’t believe me?

Well, wake up, pal. You know that tingle you get in your spine whenever you think of me? That’s me.

You know how, just yesterday, you had a beautiful memory when you were driving and it made you cry so hard that it actually felt good and you began to laugh through tears? Also me.

You know how sometimes when you’re all alone, preoccupied with something else, suddenly you get this faint feeling that someone is standing in the room with you? Hello? Me.

You’re not alone on this earth. You never were. You never will be. So during this holiday season, when cheerful families are getting together and making merry, and taking shots of eggnog, I’m going to be clinging to your shoulder, helping you muddle through somehow.

I’ll be making your spinal column tingle a lot, and I’ll be sending plenty of signs. Each of these signs—every single one—is code for “I love you.” So start paying attention to these hints.

Because this was one

 

[dogmom4]

Thanks for this Midnightmom. My moms remains were interred this morning and it was a hard day. 

[Midnightmom]

40 minutes ago, dogmom4 said:

Thanks for this Midnightmom. My moms remains were interred this morning and it was a hard day. 

 

[Mt_Rider]

  for LittleSister and Dogmom!!!!

 

My dad's taken a turn for the worse this weekend.  My mom said he was better today but still in bed.  Similar to what happened in May.  If DH's back can hold up  [cuz he will be traveling on Wed and Fri for work] ...maybe we can slip in town to see him??     In bed, not sure he can reach the phone...regular desk type.  He wouldn't remember how to use a cell phone at this stage of things.

 

MtRider   

[Andrea]

Dogmom - I'm so very sorry for your loss.  (((HUGS)))

 

I've been very, very busy.  We had a great Thanksgiving - full house - all vaxxed and boosted.  It's been a very long while since we've had overnight guests so the two weeks before Thanksgiving were spent cleaning and organizing.  Everything thing went well and we got to meet the parents of dd's long-term boyfriend. (Finally after five years)

 

Today I returned from the post office (had to mail my Mom's phone charger cord to her that she left) to find that the neighbor's tree trimming service had cut my Mulberry down to the ground.  Not happy and not a darn thing I can do about it.  I don't think we'll be staying in this house long enough for another Mulberry to mature to fruit.  The tree guy pointed to the cement mow strip and told me that he was supposed to cut everything back on that side of the mow strip.  I pointed to the correct mow strip that divides our two yards.  We have a privet problem here - the stuff grows like weeds and the neighbor asked him to cut down all of the privet.  Not sure how you mix up a mulberry and a privet.  I was furious and told him to keep away from my Bay Tree.  

 

He did offer to replace it but I simply can't deal with it right now.  Grinding out the stump will chew up the sprinkler pipes which dh doesn't have time to fix and why spend money on a tree that I will most likely not ever enjoy the fruits of? So much for my mulberry liquor.  My last batch is in the back of my fridge.  I probably won't share as much this year.  

 

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

 

 

[Mt_Rider]

Oye!  Rotten misunderstanding/carelessness, Andrea!    Grown trees can't just be replaced! 

 

Well we did get in town to see my dad.  Today he was sitting in his chair.  Still in hospital type gown...sox/shoes so he doesn't slip and fall on the floor again.   Looked pale.  Very sore left arm - bruised from falling while getting out of bed X2.  They've padded the metal edges of the bed.   He knew who we were.....remembered we have a new black dog.  Didn't remember that my mom had visited on Sat and Sun.  No real rhyme or reason to what he remembers and doesn't.  Glad to see us.

 

Went to grocery to get DH's 'scripts and some fresh veggies, etc.  I stayed in car with HappyDog.  She is like Koa....likes coming along and look at people.  Naps in car while we then went to see my mom.  My mom was having severe back pain since last nite.  She gets this now and then.  She hadn't eaten so we got sandwiches delivered.  At least she'd eaten something besides breakfast. 

 

Then I did some of the Honey-Do things she needs done.  It took me quite a while to fix two of those $1 flashlights.  Simple devices but it still took me a bit.....cuz she'd tried to replace batteries and didn't notice the various small parts that fell out.  Fortunately I had a working one for reference.  We also watched one of the more glorious sunsets we've seen.  Wow!  Colors were deep and all across the west. 

 

Then I changed a light bulb in one of the bathrooms....so it was me climbing on the sink to reach it.....not my mom.  Then there was the closing mechanism to a pantry door.  A spring and steel ball mechanism but the ball is only supposed to come out part-way and roll into it's 'parking spot' so the door stays shut.  Brass 'containment ring' had enlarged so the ball popped out completely.  I bent the ring slightly so just the top portion is pushed up with the spring and screwed it down in place.     Had to call my brother and brag that the LADIES FIGURED IT OUT AND FIXED IT!     He and I both inherited the mechanical reasoning gene from our dad.  My mom.....she's just always handed tools to whoever is doing the fixin' !!! 

 

DH was resting on the couch after the driving around.  But he looked at my mom's back and gave some advice on Take Nuprin / Tylenol to get thru the night.  Then Call Your Doc and get in tomorrow.  He believes an infection is returning and causing the referred pain.  Needs antibiotics again.  Then we went home.  

 

MtRider   

[dogmom4]

Thanks Andrea. It’s good seeing you here. MtRider, praying for your mom and dad.

 

We had a quiet Thanksgiving...just me and hubs. I really wouldn’t have been good company if we had gone to my mother in laws. I’ve been dealing with neck pain that causes my thumb to go numb...hopefully just a pinched nerve. Had to get X-rays this morning because my doctor wants to make sure it’s nothing worse. It is a real pain trying not to use my left arm to allow it to rest. 
This has put a hitch in my winter garden plans. The cold foggy weather is making my shoulder hurt worse. ...so I haven’t really been able to get anything in except some broccoli. I might just throw some pea seeds out and hope they get going. Still haven’t cleaned up my summer garden...so I’m still picking tomatoes, tomatillos and peppers. Really late in the year even for my area...but I’m just picking what I can.  🤷🏽‍♀️

[Jeepers]

Will read through the comments a little later. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I babysat 'you-know-who' three times. I was exhausted. LOL

 

What I want to report in on was my trip back home before I forget. Whomever said the trucks aren't running in this country weren't traveling on the IN/OH toll road. When I go between my house in Ohio and my house in Indiana it is about 99% on the I-80/90 Turnpike. Aka toll road.

 

First off was Wed. Nov. 24, 2021. I thought there would be more traffic since it was the day before Thanksgiving. I guess most people were already at their destination. Traffic was like any other weekday. One thing that caught my attention was a flatbed carrying a cargo container. It said "CHINA" in big letters with some Chinese writing on it. It was going west about an hour and a half from Chicago. There may have been more of these trucks but I wasn't looking for them and only noticed that one because I was passing it.

 

Coming home to Ohio was a different story. It was Nov. 30, 2021 between the hours of Noon - 6:00pm. There were trucks everywhere! Nearly all of the road is divided by a grassy median only, so you can easily see the opposite traffic. There was at least four times as many trucks as cars. I only saw 3-4 Wal-Mart trucks. About the same amount of Amazon Prime until I got closer to Cleveland. Then I remembered Cleveland has a big new Amazon distribution center so then I started seeing a lot more Amazon Prime semi trucks. A whole lot more. There were only a hand full of UPS trucks. Maybe 4-5.  BUT the Fed/Ex trucks were everywhere!!! I know I saw over 100 of them. No typo. And every single one of them was pulling 2-3 trailers. I was amazed. I only wish I knew what they were hauling.

 

Next was a truck I've never seen before. It has a big red circle outlined in black with a big orange 'E' in the circle. There were almost as many of them as the Fed/Ex trucks. And they were all pulling 2 and sometimes 3 trailers. I just looked them up They are called Estes. Their website says something about non-dock deliveries. They don't deliver to docks but perhaps they were there picking up freight to be delivered to stores? I have never seen that truck before. You can't miss the truck with that big E on the side of it. There were a lot of them!  

 

Another line of trucks I saw were X-Logistics. I don't remember seeing those trucks before either. They were everywhere! All of them were hauling 3 trailers. I just looked them up too. Seems like they are based in the UK. They do air, land and sea deliveries and warehousing.  

 

Fed/Ex, Estes and X-Logistics made up around 80% of the semi trucks in the east bound toll road. All of them were pulling 2-3 trailers. Sort of amazing to see. All within a six hour span. I also noticed a few Uline trucks. Maybe 5-6. 

 

Granted I was looking for trucks or I might have never noticed. 

 

I did see a few more flat bed semis carrying a cargo container. They were pretty easy to spot. Other than the flat bed, the containers were corrugated and painted a solid color. Usually blue or green. Except for the one I saw with "China" written on it. It stuck out like a sore thumb. 

 

That is what I noticed. There are trucks. And they are running. Maybe not enough but more than we are being told about.

 

 

On another note, I was in an Indy Walmart and it looked awful. That was Monday after Thanksgiving. I checked out the Christmas decor and it was nearly all gone. The toys were all picked over and a number of other things too. Food shelves were hit or miss with a lot of empty spaces. I was there for hardware but was just checking things out. I was looking at a jacket and all they had was two different kinds of short jacket like a teen would wear. Plus a couple of sweater type jackets. Luckily I didn't really NEED one. Meijers looked only a little bit better. Target med aisle was nearly empty. 

 

 

[Annarchy]

3 hours ago, Jeepers said:

What I want to report in on was my trip back home before I forget. Whomever said the trucks aren't running in this country weren't traveling on the IN/OH toll road. When I go between my house in Ohio an

Jeepers, the trucks on the road are really increased in numbers!  90% of traffic was trucks.  Yeah..and the news is trying to tell us, the opposite.  Not from what I’ve seen.  And I travel at least once a month!  Humph!

 

People are panicking, buying all the supplies they can, because….  of what the news is saying….   
 

Prepping…. Everyone is starting to ‘prep’, because of all the ‘lack’ the news is saying.  We are seeing and hearing it here, especially from our customers, who used to be “what ever”  attitude. 
 

Sigh.

[Jeepers]

Thanks Annarchy. I knew it wasn't just my imagination. Good to know others out there are seeing it too. We are being told only what 'they' want us to believe. 

 

I heard on the radio coming home that big box stores were going to have to start accounting for all of the empty shelves and price hikes going on. It seems like they are using the trucking supply industry as an excuse to inflate prices. Duh. ya think.  They should have turned the National Guard on Long Beach and got those containers emptied and sent on their way a year ago.  Pffft, I would have turned the Marines loose on them and had those ports emptied out in a week.  Oorah!  

[Mt_Rider]

   We were notified today that my dad's care home is now in another lock-down....due to C0v!d case(s).  VERY thankful DH and I got in to see him YESTERDAY!  But of course we're dousing ourselves on the remote chance we picked up anything while in there.  Don't know if staff or resident has the virus.   

 

MtRider    

[snapshotmiki]

Sorry about your dad's nursing home, but glad you got to visit, Mt Rider!

 

Been a busy couple of days with walking (of course), Doing Walmart stock up and taking DH to doctor appt. Also, went to salvage grocery and got instant yeast- vacuum sealed with an exp date of 2023. I froze it immediately.
Made traditional chex mix and packaged what I didn't take to prayer meeting.

Today, will walk first and walk dogs.
Mail out Christmas cards at Post Office.
Clean baths and wash rugs and dog blankets.
Dust house.
Make sweet and salty chex mix.
Label and put away the 12 quarts of turkey broth.
Grill burgers for dinners for the next few days.

[Annarchy]

Jeepers, my brother is a driver, full USA.  He is trying to get a day off!  Says all the companies are running at 100% and begging for extra drivers.  I’m seeing a LOT of independent trucks on the road too. You can always tell, they drive 75+.  Lol. Companies have “governors” limited speed, to 65 mph, especially for the inexperienced drivers.  
 

Storm had another episode.  Again.  Our regular vet, won’t see him, he's banned’ 😔. They suggested going to an emergency center, $200. Just for the initial visit plus any tests they do… X-rays… 300. each…. Really!?!  Soooo…. I put him muzzle on him and felt his spine, like a chiropractor.  (Worked for one for 5 years, taught me a LOT about adjustments), anyway, he has a veritable really out, near his hips.  I massaged it & moved it -sorta- into place.  He reacted, thanking God, he had the muzzle on.  He’s walking much better, and calmed down some.  He also got a muscle relaxer, the vet gave us.   We are suspecting, he has hip displaysia  (sp) because of the atrophy in his thighs.   Poor baby.  Not letting him play with Gunner, because they play hard & rough.  

WM went well, most of the shelves were full.  No cranberry sauce, but, that’s seasonal.  
 

Tomorrow, I will make another batch of turkey bone broth.  Oh, and they had a lot of cases of canning jars, lids & rings!  Amen!

[Mt_Rider]

Yeah, Annarchy.  Know about working with 'reactive' dogs.  Muzzle is a big help.  Hope you can continue to give him some relief....poor baby!   

 

Today I seemed to move in SLO-MO!  Had to pack for horse ride....certain stuff out of purse and into hip pack.  WHERE ...O WHERE are my riding boots....and will my sore ankle [don't know why] tolerate wearing them?  Finally found them and wore them and yes, ankle didn't complain. 

 

Shower.  Ate breakfast.  Nearly packed when allegedly this-dog-doesn't-bark.....was barking.  And a good thing too.     Yes, my senior transport was already here.  RUSH AROUND.  Hobble down the stairs and settle in van.  Oye    

 

Had a long wait cuz arrived early.  I watered a peace lily that was drooping nearly flat....near the fireplace in the office.  LOL  K was getting the bookkeeping ready when I mentioned the plant need water.  "What?   You mean that's a real plant?"      "Yeah....don't think they sell plastic ones with yellow leaves, right?"   

 

Anyway, I was less    by the time the other 3 riders arrived.  The day was GORGEOUS!  Warm, sunny, no wind.  Light jacket.  So it was easy ride.  By the time I got home tho.......     .......I could barely keep my eyes open.  I put together sandwiches ...turkey, of course.  DH was finishing up some potato salad.  ATE!!!  THEN I wanted to sleep but we watched another installment of those C-virus videos [ my post in Edge] .  In the middle of the doctor presentation, I was snoring.  Caught the end of it......but DH understands that part way better than I do.   He's been enjoying the data.  Lots more than we knew about going on last year and this one.     

 

Nap helped but wow.....very tired.  Got Hawaiian lesson done.  Catch up on email, news, etc......Laying down with laptop by now.  I think I need to get to sleep EARLIER!   

 

MtRider  

Edited December 3, 2021 by Mt_Rider
cuz wasn't finished!

[Andrea]

I made a huge vat of Chicken Tortilla Soup.  We'll eat it for a few days then it will be packaged into individual servings and put into the freezer.  Soup and salad are our go-to meal.  (I don't can as much since I got my chest freezer. . .) I also finally finished all of the laundry/bedding from having a full house over the Thanksgiving Holiday and did just enough Christmas decorating to make it look festive but I won't be spending a week putting everything away.  

 

Then, I spent three hours sleeping through 1 1/2 movies on the couch.  At the beginning of the pandemic, I came down with an extremely rare autoimmune condition.  In fact, I missed the first six weeks of quarantine because I was either in bed or being driven up to the ER in the middle of the night (when they weren't busy) for IV hydration.  When I over do things, like I did at Thanksgiving and the weeks leading up to it, I have to take a few days off.  Those days are NOW.  The upside is that my disease has finally taught me how to prioritize and to accept that I cannot possibly do everything that I want to.  It's been a humbling experience. 

 

Hope you all are well.