On the Countdown

I leave on Friday for England to visit my sister and family. I'm really nervous this time. The flight I booked originally got changed (the bit from here to Chicago) and now I'm panicking that I don't have enough time between flights. Eeeek! I hate it when I book one time and the airlines change/cancel that flight. Apparently, they cut out flights from Kalamazoo to Chicago and there's only one early in the morning and then the one I'm on. Sigh. To make matters worse, I decided to Google how many times the flight is delayed and the last two days it has been hours late!!!! Definitely panicking. 

Deep Breath. 

What will be will be. That's what I keep telling myself. There are later flights that go to England and I will make it there - in the end. Right? That's all that matters. I'm not nervous about the flying. Once I'm on that plane to England, I'll be ok. 

I'm trying to get things tidied at home. I know husband and older son will be here, but still, I like knowing things are tidy when I leave. Is that just a me thing?

The weather has been strange. It's been cloudy, foggy and even a little drizzly in the morning. It's been hot and humid most days. I have been going out for a walk - just for the exercise - but I'm struggling making myself do it. I know I'll be doing plenty of walking when I get there!

I haven't started packing, but I have started sorting out piles of clothes, the maybes and the definites. I can narrow things down from there. I'll do the actual packing tomorrow night I think and try not to second guess myself lol. 

A few phone photos from my walk

Sunlight through the trees

I love how the bees rest on the milkweed flowers at nighttime. I see them early morning, just perching very still on the plants out by the lake. They do make me smile!

Weekend

It would have been a rather boring day yesterday. Being so grumpy, I really couldn't be bothered to get up and go for a walk. I turned off the alarm and slept in for a bit. It worked out in my favour, as daughter rang about half past eight and said Baby A wanted to chat! Spent over an hour chatting with her. She wanted to chat later in the evening too and so we spent another hour and a half playing together. She brought all her dolls to the camera and we played with them. She's so adorable and has changed even in the few weeks I haven't seen her. 

Chatting with her really cheered me up yesterday and made a rather boring day a little more fun and filled with sunshine. 

This morning husband and I did go out for a walk. It was quite nice first thing, cooler (16c/61c) when I got up about 6am and the humidity wasn't quite as bad (around 60% I think). We didn't go far, but we did have a nice (but buggy walk). I got bit several times (sigh) but nothing that swelled up too much, though there is one on the back of my neck that feels a bit of a large bump. 

This afternoon we went to the cemetery and put some flowers on MIL's spot. It would have been her 85th birthday on the 17th and as I won't be here, we decided to go today. Huband, sons and FIL will go next weekend too. It still doesn't seem real that she's gone. Sigh. 

I did get into the craft room on Saturday. I've been watching a YouTube channel by Septeria's Room and had a quick go at one of her projects. I used the base that she made (with a 6x6 piece of paper) and then made a little (mini) notebook and some random tags. Not sure how I'll use it but it was fun to make. 

I wasn't up there for long as middle son stopped by for a bit, so I went downstairs and chatted with him.

The craft room is still a mess but at least I'm spending time up there!

This evening I chatted with Baby A again. So much fun! 

I'm enjoying a bit of quiet before bed, watching repeats of Shetland and catching up with blogs. It will be a busy week this week. I leave on Friday. 

Hope everyone had a good weekend!

Time Flying By

I've been struggling with the heat this week. It's making me more than a little bit grumpy. I've been having some hot flushes too and that certainly isn't helping. It's been so muggy and humid that even just moving makes me sweat and I'm not usually a sweaty person. If I knew how to insert a big, grumpy face here, there would be one. I have been walking each day though not a lot, to be honest, more of a wander about and just taking time to enjoy nature. 

The week has been filled with a bit more sorting, a bit of crafty stuff, a bit of housey stuff and a bit of photography stuff. Really uneventful just like the title of my blog lol. 

 

Maybe I'm having a case of the summer blues. Is there such a thing? 

Sunday Adventure

It's a bit late - almost mid-week - but life got in the way of posting. We did go out for a bit on Sunday. It was an okay day and a little beach walk. I can't wait until September, when there aren't as many people about at the lakeshore and the parking is free again lol. A lot of the beaches only charge parking per day and I refuse to pay $15 for an hour walk along the beach. We ended up at a state park as we pay about that for a whole year entry to loads of parks in Michigan. Unfortunately, there was construction going on at the state park and the walkway we usually walk along is still closed. It's been closed for over a year now. 

We did manage a lovely walk along the beach. 

There was a tiny bit of the walkway open lol. I was really surprised that there weren't more people at the beach. It was huge and the water really nice and there were very few people around. 

On the way home we stopped at a farm stand and picked up some corn on the cob, a cucumber and some tomatoes. All really reasonably priced and grown at this farm. The corn was delicious. 

Before we ate it, I took a piece and used it to take some photos with my miniature figures. 

Now to get back into the groove of the week....

Saturday - Homey Day

Saturday was quite dull and dreary. The forecast had said it was going to rain all day, so I turned off my alarm, not planning a morning walk. Of course, I didn't wake up a lot later than normal and when I did, there was no rain in sight, though it was awfully dark outside. 

There were showers on and off, a lot less than forecast though. I didn't go for a walk. I didn't feel like it and the light wasn't really the sort I wanted to take photos in. I'm still sorting through some I've taken so I have a lot to keep me busy. 

I decided - after going to the Post Office to drop off a couple of packages - to have a day inside and do some 'me' things. It turned out to be a nice day filled with a bit of crafting (and not stressing about the mess in the craft room!) a bit of reading, a bit of cross stitching (yes, I actually did some!) and even a little Lego set put together. 

I hang onto things far too long. I love this planner/diary and buy one each year. The drawings are so beautiful I have trouble just throwing them away so I'm trying to use a few. 

I used some of the papers for this little waterfall journal that will go inside a larger 'junk' journal. 

Also made this little mini notebook. I've only just learned the 3-hole pamphlet stitch to put these together. 

The Lego I put together. You turn the key at the front and the princess twirls. It was fun but fiddly!

Book I'm reading. I got this on an England trip. I've read a couple of the other books on my Kindle, so it's time to read this one and then let it go!

How was your weekend?

July Decluttering Totals

I'm really pleased with what I accomplished this month in the way of decluttering. Considering I was gone for almost two weeks in total and most of these were decluttered in the last week, well I'm really pleased. This week, for some reason, I just got a bit frustrated with bits hanging around and sorted things so I could put things away. There is still so much to do, but I'm happy with things the way they are before I go away on my three weeks visit home. There is something in me that just likes a tidy house before I leave lol. 

Here are the totals: -

Books - 46

Crafts - 17

Misc. - 44

Clothes - 12

Magazines - 1

TOTAL - 120!

Unfortunately, I didn't take photos. I really should remember to do that! Husband took a big load off to the charity shop yesterday and I was just so glad to see the back of it that I totally forgot. 

Hopefully, I can get a bit more done before I leave. 

Are you decluttering? How is it going? 

It was rainy and dull today, no walk, so here's a photo of a Blue Jay from the garden this week. One of my favourite visitors - rather loud and lets the whole bird life in the garden know when a threat is near!

Just Thoughts on YouTube

It's been an ok week, pretty uneventful. I've been walking most days, doing some house-y stuff and some sorting (more on that next post). I've been reading, listening to some audiobooks, doing a little crafting (YAH) and watching some YouTube videos. 

I was trying to find something new to watch. I think I typed in Over 50 Lifestyle Vlogs and most of what came up were channels where women were buying new clothes to try on, or showing how they do their makeup, how to look trendy when you're getting older, that sort of thing. Not exactly what I was looking for. Clothes have never been something I'm all that interested in. I wear comfortable and loose most of the time lol. I was looking for something homier, taking things easy, enjoying life, that sort of thing. 

Next, I typed in something about simple life, crafts, that sort of thing. What did YouTube spit out this time? Well, there were a lot of younger 'influencers' as they called themselves, talking about less consumerism, living a 'whimsey' (??) lifestyle, that sort of thing. I clicked on one. Listened to a younger woman talk about consumerism, how it's bad, how we should buy less, scroll less AND then, in the middle of the video, she starts talking about (promoting) a mattress that she has on a piece of furniture in her home!!! The video is sponsored by them. I rolled my eyes and turned off. 

I do like watching some YouTube videos, but there are a lot of hauls and showing what they've bought and looking all rather perfect. It's a little bit tiresome. The people I enjoyed watching, seem to be taking 'breaks'. No wonder - it all seems so exhausting!

I like watching craft videos, not the ones that show what they bought, but those that show you how to make things. I enjoy watching people who show the messy and the fails along with all the perfection, though there seems to be less and less of them around. I don't suppose that's what a lot of people want to watch. 

Sorry if this is a little bit of a moan. It's not that I watch a lot of YouTube, but once in a while I like to put it on. 

Do you watch YouTube? Are there certain people you watch? 

Morning View

Getting Back into Daily Stuff - Everyday Life

I have three weeks at here before I go back to England to visit sister and family. I'm so excited! But, for now, I need to try to get back into the groove of household stuff before the trip home. That means trying to get things under control and getting back into daily stuff. 

I've been walking in the mornings with my friend. It's been hot and humid first thing, so we've been trying to get out early to beat the heat. The horrible bitey flies are in full swarm and I've taken to wearing a scarf about my head as they seem to like landing in my hair - yuck! I shouldn't complain too much. When I was at daughter's I managed to go to the wildlife refuge drive a couple of times and they were so bad I couldn't even get out of the car at points! I also had to roll the windows up. A shame really as it was really lovely and I could hear lots of birds singing. I can deal with mosquitoes, but the bitey flies (I think they are called deer flies) aren't deterred by sprays and when they bite, they hurt! I swell up quite a bit with them. It isn't fun! Some mornings it's so bad I wonder why I'm going out at all!

The house stuff, well, I'm caught up on housework and I'm trying to sort out a few bits. It's not going great, but better than it did last month - so I'll take that! I am limiting what comes into the house too. With prices going up and husband's countdown (2 years) to retirement, I really need to watch what we're spending. I think it all comes down to choices and what we choose to spend our money on. I don't need anything else for hobbies - no matter how pretty the papers are or how cheap they are. I'm really trying to change my mindset and not fall back on old patterns of spending especially if something is on sale, or a bargain, or I feel the 'need' to shop when I'm feeling down. 

I'm back to writing lists and planning menus. The freezer is full, so it's mainly cooking from there with some fresh bits. Things seem to be going up every time I go to the shops! There are some cod fish fingers/sticks I like that (for 15 of them) the price has gone up from 7.99 to 11.99 within a few months. Sadly, I won't be buying them at that price! There are so many things that are out of the price I'll pay for them now. I watch for sales and plan around them and stock up when things are on sale. I need to go back to the recipe books and find some cheap, hearty meals. 

Is there a favourite recipe you use when trying to save money or use up freezer things? 

Photo for the day

Summer Mornings

Camping at Crow Wing State Park

We had a lovely weekend camping in Minnesota. Daughter, Son-in-law and Baby A (and dogs) have a camper, so they had one spot, Son-in-law's Mum and older brother were in the spot next to them and we were a couple of minutes' walk away in a mini cabin. Unfortunately, the cabin had no electricity, and it was really hot, but it had several windows you could open, and we had a couple of solar rechargeable fans which worked really well. We spent most of the time in daughter's campsite and it was (thankfully) shady. The mini cabin was really nice though and was quite secluded. It had a little screened in porch with a couple of chairs on. This is definitely one I'd like to go back to. It would be very relaxing just to hang out and relax at the cabin. 

These are some phone photos I took of the cabin

We had a great time hanging out. There were some really good trails around (we've walked at the park before) but our experience of really, really bad ticks along the river trail (and how hot it was) made us rethink taking those kinds of walks and we mainly walked the dogs through the campground. It is a really beautiful park though and has a nice historic trail. 

This is a little snippet about the park

Crow Wing State Park is a state park of Minnesota, United States, at the confluence of the Mississippi and Crow Wing Rivers. The park interprets the site of Old Crow Wing, one of the most populous towns in Minnesota in the 1850s and 1860s. The entire park was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.  A section of the Red River Trails that passed through Old Crow Wing is also separately listed on the National Register.

I woke up quite early in the mornings (very snorey husband and son!) so I decided to take a little drive to the boat launch and sit there in peace for a little while. Daughter and I had taken a look at it the night before and it looked like a lovely place to see the sunrise and sunset. It overlooked the Mississippi River and I couldn't go to Minnesota without at least taking a photo of the river!

As I drove the short distance from the campground in the park to the boat launch (also in the park) a bear crossed right in front of the car!! I was really excited as it was my first time seeing a bear up close (I had seen one a couple of years ago alongside the road in Minnesota as we drove). I didn't get a photo though.

It was so very peaceful sitting there in the morning. I could hear nothing but the birds. I saw a beaver walk from the shore to the water and start swimming, some herons and some turtles. 

After I had been sitting for a while I spotted something in the water a little up the river. It took me a moment to realise it was another bear! It was crossing from the opposite side of the river and swimming along. 

What a treat to see! I've always wanted to see one. 

The next morning while I was there, I saw another one (a little further away), lots of herons, an eagle and a loon swam right in front of me!

So worth going down there in the morning to get my nature fix - a great way to start the day!

The rest of the time we relaxed with the family and I played with Aurora. She had a great time though she didn't want to go to bed! I hope we can go camping with them again!

It's Been a While

It's been a while since I've posted. 

 Had a lovely time with Baby A. She has so much energy! By the end of the days, I was so tired. It didn't help that I picked up something on the plane. Ugh. 

Husband and Older Son came out on the Thursday night, and we spent last weekend camping. We got back late last Sunday, and I've been catching up since and recovering from the yucky cold thingy. Poor husband ended up catching it too, so he's been struggling all week. I'm finally starting to feel better. 

I loved spending time with Baby A. We read lots of books, played with lots of dolls and had a lot of fun. We couldn't go outside much as it was too hot and there was a lot of smoke from the Canadian Wildfires. I'm so glad that I went out for the week. I know that daughter was glad I had gone out as it made things easier for her. They do have son-in-law's mum to help out, but she doesn't drive and lives about 45 minutes away so daughter would have to wake up, pack up baby A go get her, bring her back, work and then repeat. She doesn't generally stay at the house for some reason. 

Camping was a lot of fun. It was hot and we were in a mini cabin that had no electricity, but we did take a couple of solar powered rechargeable fans and they worked really well. The cabin itself was really nice and private. I would love to go back there. More about camping in the next post!

 Baby A. 

All the babies in a row. 

I've caught up with a few blogs, but have a few more to go!