Quiet Saturday

It was quite cold this morning and the wind was blowing so it wasn't a fun walk this morning. I actually wish I'd stayed in bed! Even though the temp said differently, I honestly thought it was the coldest day this week! It didn't help that it was snowing a bit too. I spent the rest of the day trying to warm up! Not good. Nothing I did seemed to help. I think it's what's known as cold to the bone! It certainly felt like it. 

I was supposed to go to a couple of places after the walk, but the snow on the roads made me feel a bit uncomfortable so I asked husband to drive me. He was happy to do so. He and son had been out for a bit but when they saw the roads they knew I probably wouldn't drive on them, so they headed back. I'm so thankful that none of my children have a fear (like I do) of driving in winter. I suppose it's because they've grown up with it.

I was glad when I got back home, but like I said, I did spend the rest of the day trying to warm up. I took a bath (which usually works), drank some cup a soup, bundled up with a blanket and finally got out my oversized snuggie. I'm not overly hot now, but I'm finally comfortable. Needless to say, I didn't get as much done as I'd hoped to today. Some days, I suppose, are just like that!

I used a bird mug for my cup. It's pretty and though not classically Christmas-y, the colours remind me of the season.

Husband and son went out for a while and picked me up some lunch where they went. It was a vegan wrap with spicy cauliflower and chickpeas. It definitely was a little spicy (at least for me) and not something I'd usually pick, but it was pretty tasty. 

Tomorrow we might, or might not, go on a Sunday Adventure. There might, or might not, be snow tonight. We're under a Winter Advisory but who knows what will actually happen!

Hope you're having a good weekend!

Friday

This week has gone quite quickly. I have been getting out for walks, but they haven't been that enjoyable lately. The trails have thick packed snow and ice. It's not easy to walk on them. I think it should count as double distance lol. There haven't been that many people around walking, only the regulars who walk in any weather. Hey, I think I might be one of those!

I haven't got any extra done around the house this week. I've been slacking on the lists, and it shows! I am determined to get back on the list wagon next week so I can be more productive. I feel as though I have to work errands around the weather right now, so I'll allow a little bit of leeway. 

This weekend looks to be quite cold. Our highs are going to be 22F/-5C and 21F /-6C and the lows 6F/-14C and 5F /-15C. That doesn't include wind chills that make things feel even colder. It could be worse though. Daughter in Minnesota is having a lot colder temps. Hopefully we'll get a break next week mid-week when temps should be above freezing! Sadly, on the trails that means more of a mess. Being British that does mean I have to at least mention the weather a bit lol. 

I think I'm a bit behind - that's being generous, as in reality I've not got a lot done - in the Christmas shopping area. We haven't decided what we're doing. In all honesty, I don't feel like doing a lot of anything. I know we should celebrate a little family get-together, but we're missing a huge part of the celebration and it's still so new. An ideal situation would be everybody jetting away to spend time with Baby A who brings us all such joy but it's not a reality. Hopefully, we'll get to see her on video calls to cheer us all up!

How are your Christmas preparations coming? 

Things that made me smile today:

* Messaging with sister. It always brings me joy and lots of memories from home

* A burst of sunrise this morning. It only lasted, at most, three minutes, but it was beautiful. Sadly, it was the only bit of sun I saw all day!

*Being able to drive myself without much trouble as the main roads at least are clear of snow!

Midweek

The week is plodding along and so am I. I was going to post yesterday (my goal is to post every other day) but come about seven o'clock I was already dozing while sitting in my chair. At 9pm I decided to just go to bed. I've been waking up at silly o'clock, thinking about things and then I can't get back to sleep again. Sigh. I suppose it's because I have a lot on my mind. At times like that, I just try to go with the flow. 

Monday was a busy day. I had a dentist appointment (yuck) and then an Asylum Lake meeting. The dentist appointment went just as I thought it would and there are more appointments to follow, but not until well into the new year. I told them I just couldn't do it right now. The Asylum Lake meeting went on for over two hours! It was productive, but long. Husband drove me to it as the side streets are still dodgy and, thankfully, one of the other board members offered me a lift home (she lives pretty close) so husband didn't have to stay awake to come and get me!

It's been quite cold, so cold that Asylum Lake is beginning to freeze over. I have been out and I'm glad I did! Despite being several degrees below zero I'm glad I went as the beavers were out trying to keep a channel of water unfrozen. I find it fascinating to watch them as they try to break the ice. They use their paws and their body weight to break it. 

They certainly make me smile!

Today was a mess outside. The temps got a little bit above freezing - yeah a heatwave! - so the precipitation was rain (at least to start with). The ice on the trails melted a bit (quite thick) so it was a squishy, sticky, slushing mess, not to mention the rain. Sigh. Temps will drop back down tomorrow so everything will freeze again. Our next above freezing temps aren't going to be until next Wednesday. 

I think winter has arrived. 

I video chatted with Baby A yesterday for over an hour. She was very chatty and showing me her dolls and reading me her books. Cheered me up no end. I miss her. 

Something else that made me smile, was the sunrise on Monday morning. It was cold and beautiful and there was barely another crazy soul in sight. 

What has made you smile this week? 

Sunday

Overnight snow changed our Sunday Adventure plans for today. When we went to bed last night the forecast was for less than an inch of snow. When we woke on Sunday morning, we had three inches of snow, and it was still snowing quite heavily! The roads were looking pretty bleak, so we decided to not go as far as planned. Husband is a really confident, good driver in the snow, so we did decide to go to the nearest lakeshore point. We were thinking of even just sitting in the car in the car park and looking out at the lighthouse. I wouldn't have driven on the roads at all, but I'm just a scaredy cat. Husband was quite comfortable so although the roads were pretty horrible the journey wasn't too bad. 

It obviously took us longer than normal, but by the time we had got to the lakeshore the snow had stopped, and the sun was even shining! I did tell husband that was the plan lol. I had looked at the forecast for Sunday, and the snow was supposed to stop, and the sun would shine for a bit. Luckily, this time they were right.

There are a few little shops by the lakeshore that I wouldn't have minded stopping in and looking around, but they weren't open for a while, and the pavements hadn't been plowed yet. Husband didn't want to get back too late as he would have to rake the snow off the roof and clear the driveway of snow before relaxing. Perhaps another time! As we passed by, I could see some Christmasy displays in the windows. 

As it was, we did get out at the lighthouse, but we didn't walk far. There were a couple of fishermen on the pier, but we didn't walk along it. Two fishermen who were sitting at the start of the pier called out to warn us that there was sheer ice under the snow. They were right! We could feel it beneath our feet. I didn't fancy falling over! I took a few photos and then we popped over to the other side of the channel where I couldn't walk at all as the snow was too deep! 

A couple of phone photos

Some ice was beginning to form in the channel!

Blazing a trail through the snow!

The roads were clearing by the time we made our way home. Our street is still very icy as they haven't been through yet but the main roads looked good so I'll just have to hope I can get up our hill in the morning!

Hope everyone had a good Sunday!

Getting Back on Track

We ended up with about 11 inches of snow in all so it was a good thing son-in-law managed to get here before the snow. Baby A was so excited to see him! 

On Monday we said goodbye to mother-in-law. It was quite emotional. It still doesn't seem real that she is gone. Daughter, Baby A and son-in-law left on Tuesday and that made things seem a little lonelier. I hadn't realised quite how much having them here was making me not think of the reality of losing mother-in-law quite so much. The world seems a little less bright without her in it. So hard especially at this time of year when she was such a big part of the celebrations.

Father-in-law is still struggling getting to know about bills and routines and such. Theirs was such a traditional marriage. Husband is trying to help as much as he can and is trying to make sure to get father-in-law out doing some things. Father-in-law is realising how important it is to have things in place and has already taken steps to make sure things are in place if something should happen to him.

I have been getting out for walks, but it's still so cold and snowy. Yesterday morning was 6F/-14C and the windchill was even colder! I was glad I went out though as the beavers were out being busy, an eagle stopped by (don't see many of them in my area) and there were some trumpeter swans (another rare visitor) sleeping over at the lake. It was so quiet and peaceful too. Of course, by the time I was done I was frozen, but it was worth it!

I'm going to get back into regular blogging again and hopefully post some photos of things that make me smile, because well, the alternative to smiling is crying and well...

This view makes me smile. This was the really cold morning. So peaceful. 

The little tree in the garden covered in snow

Hope everyone has a good weekend and are staying warm!

Snowy Days

Winter has arrived with a vengeance. We've had some snowy days recently. Son-in-law was supposed to drive up today and spend the weekend and come to MIL's memorial on Monday, but he ended up driving up last night. He stayed for a few hours in a hotel and then drove on, arriving about 7 am this morning. It was a good decision as it started snowing about 11 and hasn't stopped since. The roads are pretty slick. It saved us all a lot of worry that he missed the snowstorm and arrived safely before it. We are under a Winter Storm Warning until tomorrow.  We're supposed to get an additional 3-5 inches of snow. I'm not sure what the total will be but it's more than enough lol. 

I did manage to get out for a walk this morning before the snow. It was cold, but peaceful. 

The skies were very dull, but it was good to have a little walk before returned to the happy chaos of home. 

Last night Baby A made us all laugh out loud. She loves music, has since the day she was born. She was getting a little cranky, so daughter put some music on her phone - Ghostbusters - and she loved it! She was dancing and twirling around. It was absolutely adorable. She makes me smile so much. Her latest thing is saying, after doing something tiring, that she's taking a break. That is all my fault! When we took her out for a walk the other day, she wanted me to carry her, and she is getting quite big, so I had to put her down several times saying Nana needs a break. Now she's saying it! 

Children really are a delight. 

Days Drifting Along

Time seems a bit in limbo right now. Things aren't quite taken care of yet, and proper goodbyes haven't been said and it seems we are all just waiting. Thanksgiving is today. It was MIL's favourite holiday. She was always busy in the kitchen on this day, from early morning put in the turkeys (yes, more than one as she wanted everyone to have leftovers to take home) to making pies from scratch. Even when we told her to slow down and not make so much, she couldn't seem to slow down. 

I was tempted to just skip it. I sort of did. It's never been 'my' holiday, a Brit in America, but I did go along with the celebrations and had (over the years) eventually got the hang of making the from scratch gravy just the way MIL liked it. My daughter R came up just after MIL passed with Baby A to spend time with us and to be able to be here for the goodbyes. She is lucky enough to get a lot of time off work for bereavement. They have been staying with us. Our house is full, and it's taken our minds off things for a little while. Children always seem to make you smile when you don't really feel like smiling. R wanted to do something for Thanksgiving, so she picked up a meal from Costo, just needed to be cooked. It worked for them. It just made me feel really sad. Maybe next year will be a little easier. 

I haven't been out for many walks this week, though being in nature helps me feel a bit brighter. R had to bring the two dogs with her (hence why the house is bursting at the seams!) so I stayed in so she didn't have to bundle up the baby to take the dogs for a walk. It's cold outside. Snow is falling today. Luckily, it's not too bad. Up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan they have got a lot of it. I went out this morning as husband was home and could help with the dogs. It was cold, snowy and blowy but it did feel good to be out for a walk and even have a little cry by myself. 

The Beaver Lodge 

Baby A. She is getting so big and saying so many words. It's really quite fun to watch. 

Sadly, my mother-in-law, Nancy, passed away on Monday morning. We miss her terribly but glad she is free from pain. I've been taking a bit of time out, just feeling blah and a bit down. There are always such horror stories about MILs. I was so lucky to have her. She accepted me - sight unseen lol - and welcomed me into the family with loving arms. To our children, she was a really present Grandma in their lives, and they are lucky to have such good memories of her. Back in the day, when the internet was new, she had the first computer and was the 'cool' grandma who had all the games. She was the one who stood out in queues when they had certain things on their Christmas lists. She made them Halloween costumes and even clothes when they were little. She was really glad when my DD came along as she had two boys and her sister had no children. 

MIL was so talented. She was really accomplished at knitting, crocheting, sewing, cross stitch, quilting and beading. She loved doing all these things. She was also great at any kind of baking and cooking. All the pies she made for Thanksgiving were legendary - at times there was almost a pie person as she didn't want anyone to miss out on their favourites! She had so much talent and loved to share all her makes with family and friends. She was a wonderfully generous lady - which explains why most years there were a couple of non-family members at the Thanksgiving and Christmas table. 

She was definitely one of a kind and I am going to miss her!

The Colours are Beginning to Fade

Just a post today about my morning walk. I have been enjoying them alone. My walking friend is off on another holiday. I must admit that I probably wouldn't have been good company this week. The colours at Asylum Lake are beginning to fade. It's still been quite beautiful, but the leaves are starting to fall and soon everything will be grey and dull. Poor husband had cleared the back garden of leaves last weekend but more have fallen so he had to do them again. You couldn't see the grass for all the leaves that had fallen! He just ends up putting them at the very back of the garden. 

It's been rather quiet in the mornings. I'm not sure if it's because (once again) the sunrise is getting quite late or because it has been rather chilly. Either way, I quite like it. There is less interruption to just sitting in my usual spot and listening to the sounds of nature. 

The Beavers' Lodge

The field was looking rather dull today. 

Fallen leaves along the trail

I spent the rest of the day trying to get the house picked up a little bit. It's driving me a little crazy. I really need to do some major sorting but for now I am sticking everything in the craft room. Probably not a good idea in the long run, but for now I just want a clear space where I am. I really haven't felt like crafting at all. 

Today MIL slept the whole time we were there. I'm not sure she can hear us, but husband and I told her about some of the good times we remembered and the holidays he enjoyed as a child and special times. I'm hoping she can hear us and knows that we are there and love her. 

Thursday

The snow is gone - for now. I'm not sure whether that is good for bad. It's pretty dull out there right now. Thank you so much for all the comments and good thoughts. I am still behind though I am trying to keep up. I got onto my blog and started to catch up with the blogs I read and, well, I made comments but apparently, I wasn't logged in and a few of them were anonymous. Sigh. Well, the thought was there!

I am trying to make lists to try to keep a little bit on track with things. For now, the decluttering has been put to the side to be continued at a later date. I'm okay with that right now. 

For the last couple of days MIL has been mostly sleeping. Yesterday, she had a few waking moments and (mostly me) chatted uselessly about things, but today she was mostly sleeping. We let her sleep and spoke a bit when she was awake. I held her hand to let her know I was there. The aide/workers at the place are just lovely. One worker checked in on her while we were there and even though she wasn't assigned to MIL today she fed her ice chips. In passing she mentioned that she just liked to treat all the patients like family as they could be her sister, her mother, her auntie, or even herself. I'm so glad MIL was able to get into the place she is in. 

Getting out for walks is, as always, an escape. I find walking and photography a great way to escape for just a little while. I am not a morning person, but I do get up early in the morning. Asking me to talk to anyone for a couple of hours isn't an option though, but getting out there when no-one else is around and all I can hear are the sounds of nature is just such a wonderful escape. This morning as I sat, the geese were quiet until the sun started to rise and then they started squawking and getting ready to take off, the sound of their flapping wings overhead a chorus to my ears. There were at least four beavers out this morning - two playing, one bringing in large branches for winter food. It was just lovely. 

Bit of another depressing post. I'll have to find something a bit lighter tomorrow. Thanks for the comments, good thoughts and such. I do appreciate them.