Today

 It was really frosty this morning. On the weekends husband usually comes for a walk with me, but he's been working overtime this week so I left him at home to relax while I went out. It was a nice walk despite being cold. The sun was actually shining! There have been several cloudy days this week so seeing the sun certainly made me smile. I think I might have walked a little too much as my foot has been hurting since this morning. It has been quite painful to walk on. I'm hoping it will heal overnight so we can go out for a walk tomorrow. It isn't supposed to be a bad day tomorrow either so it would be nice to go just a little further. It's been a while since we have been to Warren Dunes State Park and I was hoping to see how the beach has been weathering the autumn winds. 

I Skyped with Mum today. She seemed quite upbeat. Skype worked well today and it was really good to have a nice chat. I wasn't going to send a box this year as post is so expensive and I thought to order something to be delivered to her, but I think I'm going to spend the money and put together a box that I hope will make her smile. I think that will be money well spent. 

This afternoon I did some cross stitching and watched some Vera. I must have seen them all a handful of times, but I love the show and as I've seen them before I can catch up if I get distracted by the cross stitch lol.

Phone photo of the frosty morning at the lake, sitting on a (wet) downed (by a beaver) tree. 

A card I made for husband's aunt's birthday. I hope she likes it!

Checking in

 Usually this week would have included a family get-together with lots of food, some laughs and lots of leftovers! It was Thanksgiving here in the US here on Thursday. Usually we go over to MILs but this year we all thought it was best if we stayed home. Both my husband and son have been working throughout the pandemic and there have been several 'scares' at their work (they both work for the same company - though in different areas). I cooked a small Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday as my other son (who lives alone and has been working from home) had the day off and could come to eat. We enjoyed the food but it was certainly different than the norm! I am thankful that both my husband and all the 'kids' have worked throughout (middle son and daughter work from their homes) and other son (he's an industrial insulator) does work inside buildings owned by Pfizer (who is making one of the vaccines). I suppose that's Kalamazoo's claim to fame right now - the place where one of the vaccines is being made. 

I have been getting some of my Christmas projects well under way. Unfortunately when I started some of the photo projects I realised that I couldn't find the prints or hadn't got enough. For now I will work around the photos and try to get the projects done. I didn't go out shopping today. I had to pop for some bird food, but I ordered it online and picked it up through the drive through. I'm glad I did as the car park was packed! As I drove home everywhere looked busy rather as if there was nothing going on in the world. I did do some online shopping and anything I need from the physical shops I shall wait and get until it isn't so busy. I love a bargain but I'm willing to pay a few dollars more to avoid the crowds! At least this year. 

On my last post I shared some photos I took of the beavers. They have been hard at work this week and felled two more trees! There is only one left on the point now and they have started on that as of this morning!

I'm now on tree watch to see how long that one takes to fall. It's really interesting to watch.

I hope everyone has a good weekend. I have some reading of blogs to do. Perfect for a relaxing Friday night. 

Ack...I did it again

 The whole week has passed and I've barely written a thing. There have been a few times when I've sat down and thought about it...and there it ended. In life I've just been plodding along. I had plans to take some books to the library bookshop but found out it has closed! The library is closed for the time being due to rising cases of Covid again. I had received notice that my library card will be expiring at the end of the month (who knew such a thing!) and that I would have to go in person to renew. Ack. I haven't been going to the actual library but I have been borrowing books for my Kindle and without the library membership I wouldn't be able to do that! I contacted the library and they said they have extended all expiring memberships so hopefully it will all be okay.

I've been out walking each day. I was going to go to some different places, but I've been hooked by beavers who has been chomping down the trees at my favourite walking spot so I've been going each day to watch their progress. The photos below have all been taken with my phone. 

This is their lodge. They have just started building this one which is probably why they are chomping down all the trees. It's strange really as it is right by the foot path. The second photo is the tree I'm waiting to fall. Each day there's a little more chomping done!

This is another view of the same lodge. All the trees below on the other side of the lake. So they have been busy everywhere!

I have seen two beavers (they were swimming together) while I was walking with my friend. I managed to take a couple of photos with my camera.

I am really enjoying watching their progress. There are some people on the Facebook page dedicated to this nature preserve who aren't happy that the beavers are downing all the trees on 'The Point' but I am of the thought that this is their home and we're just visitors. 

I really do need to get working on those Christmas projects! I did get daughter's calendar finished so I suppose that is progression. 

Beginning of the Week

 Sunday was wet and very windy. We took a drive over to the lakeshore just to get away for a little bit. I managed to get out at South Haven and and take a few photos but the sand was blowing and stung when it hit my skin. Earlier this year to help try to contain the rising waters they put in barriers that basically consist of barrels filled with sand. Sand has also built up behind them and when the wind blows it just whips up that sand. Once I made it to the other side of the barrels it was better. From there we went down to St Joe to check out the waves but we barely made it out of the car! The rain had started to come down and we were soaked when barely got out of the car. We ended up not walking at all. 

I've started on some photo projects for Christmas. Hopefully I'll get them done in time. I'm trying to do a calendar for daughter and her boyfriend of photos I've taken of the dogs this year. Although I don't see them too often (especially this year) I take a lot of dog photos when I do see them. They enjoyed the one I made for them last week so hopefully they'll like this one too. 

I've been playing around with Photoshop again so I took one of my photos that I took at South Haven and played around with different textures as the sky was quite flat. I kind of like way it turned out. I've printed a few of the ones I've done out and they look quite good. 

Lazy Saturday

 It was quite a lazy day today but I did set an alarm to get up early. We managed to see the sunrise, though it wasn't that good. Then hubby took me to a small lake that he passes sometimes for work where lots of Sandhill Cranes have been gathering for migration. It was a wonderful sight to watch! There were so many of them all making lots of noise. I am going to try to insert a video that I took on my phone. Hope it works!

I Skyped with Mum. She sounded a little down again. I feel so bad. I felt like crying when we were done. I think she is quite lonely.  Sometimes I feel so helpless being stuck here. I'm hoping I can get over to visit soon - I'm trying to be optimistic. Sigh.

I did have a nice smile/laugh on the way home this morning. The car in front of us had a dog inside that was so happy to be along for the ride. It was hanging its head out of the car and was dangling a paw out too! I snapped a photo and sent it to daughter who said she was afraid her dogs would jump out of the car if they did that! It was literally freezing (below) outside but the dog was loving it. 

Hope everyone is having a good weekend. It's supposed to be windy and rainy tomorrow so not quite sure what we will be doing!

Week and Another Cross Stitch Finish

 I've been feeling off and on all week. It's mostly been a headache, the kind that makes you feel like you're going to be sick. I think it might be the changing weather. At the beginning of the week it was warm enough to open your windows and now the heat is back on! 

I have taken the time to start and finish a quick little cross stitch ornament. It was really fun to do. I do have to finish it off - that's the most difficult part for me as I am not a sewer. Hopefully I'll be able to do it. I am going to start on a couple more ornaments. I have lots of stash so plan on sorting through my colours instead of going out to buy more. 

I have actually started some holiday shopping. Just a few bits and pieces for stockings. I know that this year things will be low key but it's always nice to receive a little treat - I think we can all do with a little something to make us smile this year! 

The plan for today is to print out/find patterns for ornaments and pick out the colours. Also to put away the colours I used for the design above. I think it was last year that I did sort through all my threads and have them all labeled and put in small drawers so they are pretty easy to find. It's just a matter of making sure I put them away again when done. 

Weekend

 Didn't go far Saturday. I went out for a walk because the weather was nice. Sunday we decided to take a trip to Kensington Metro Park. It's a couple of hours away. The park is huge and caters to lots of outdoor things - there is a golf course, beach, shooting range, nature walks. We had stopped there earlier in the year on our way back from a camping trip and haven't visited once since. As the weather was so nice we decided to go again. It's a flat walk but quite pretty with lots of bird life and birds to feed. 

I think I might have overdone the walking especially with not drinking any water and it being quite warm. I'm hoping that's all it is as I haven't been feeling too well since we got back yesterday. Feeling icky, sick, achy. I was really thirsty afterwards so hoping that is all this is. I did take a walk today but I stayed away from the shops just to be safe. 

Photo today - wild turkey from yesterday. I do not like turkeys. They actually seem quite mean. I hadn't ever paid much attention to their looks. I didn't realise that they had this uni-horn thing on their heads. How funny is that? I guess I learned something new lol. It's actually called a snood. 

 Plodding along through the week. It's been beautiful weather-wise here in Michigan. We're having a slight warm up and both the sunshine and the warmer temperatures have been welcomes. I am enjoying the lighter mornings as I can get out a little earlier and walk. I do enjoy walking with my walking friend, but I also enjoy having a little walk just to myself. For a while there I was getting to the park the same time as she was, but now I'm back to getting there a little earlier so I have time to wake up properly before meeting up with her. The night time - wow - it gets dark so early now! It makes the time between dark and bed time seem so long! It will probably take a while to get used to that. 

I finished the cross stitch piece I've been working on! I was so glad to get the final stitches in. I'm going to do a small Christmas ornament next I think. 

Dinner tonight - I made chicken quesadillas for the guys and cheese ones for me. The guys really like them. They have seasoned chicken in them along with onions and peppers. My tummy was upset though and I didn't eat mine. I shall have them for lunch tomorrow. I had planned on making chili tomorrow but with the weather being as warm as it has been I'm not sure about that now. It seemed like such a good idea when we were having snow on Sunday. I think lots of other people had the same idea as one shop I went to had no seasoning packets at all lol. 

I talked with Mum today. She sounded in good spirits. She said that she had gone into town today as she needed to go to the bank and the lockdown starts tomorrow. I asked if she had looked around but she said there were queues at several shops and she didn't have the patience. I don't think there is a lot extra she needs. My middle sister has been doing her food shopping for her since the beginning of this. Mum has been out a little bit over the summer and picked up other bits. It's nice knowing that my sister is there to help Mum and if there is anything else she wants sister will help order it on the computer. 

BEST THING ABOUT TODAY - I have seen no political ads on tv, have not received one political phone call/text and there are no political ads on my Facebook feed. 

Monday, Monday

 I survived the dentist. I was quite anxious there for a while. I thought at one point I was going to be sick, but I managed to calm myself down. I'm glad it's over with now - at least until next month when I have to go back to have the permanent crown put on. Anything else I will be waiting to have done until my dentist comes back. I always feel a little woozy after the dentist - might be because of the meds or the downslide of no longer being so anxious. Anyway I stopped and took a walk on the way home to clear my head a little. It was chilly but the sun was shining. I ended up doing my Monday jobs, finishing a book I had been reading, doing some crafting and almost finishing my cross stitch. 

The day actually seemed to go quite quickly especially as it got dark so early! I'm not sure I like it though I did like it being lighter in the morning. 

I am trying to do better with the meal planning again. It was one thing I actually liked during the lockdown in Spring - going to the grocery store once a week. I have been limiting the number of times I have been going since but it seems to be creeping up again and that means spending more money. When I was only going once I was putting more thought into what I was actually buying and what we were going to eat. It's time to get back to that again. 

Today's photo is my Daily Page for the day. It's a currently list - quite fun to fill out - though my Watching for the last few weeks has always been Supernatural as husband and I are watching episodes every week night lol. I think we're up to series 13 (yikes!) and there are usually 20+ episodes for each. 

November

 Oh wow. I think October - because it's one of my favourite months for scenery - went really fast! The leaves have all changed colour and with today's wind most of them are falling from the trees. We got our first little snow today. Nothing that stuck but it still has to be counted lol. We took a trip to the lakeshore as the winds were really wild. It was so cold! I shall have to make sure I dig out my long undies. I don't think I'll be needing them this week as we are having quite a warm up towards the end of the week, but I should at least know where they are.

I have a dentist appointment tomorrow - for a crown. I am not looking forward to it. My dentist will be doing tomorrow's appointment but when it comes to putting on the permanent crown in a few weeks it will be a replacement dentist as mine will be having her double mastectomy. I was given the choice of cancelling the whole thing, but I really want to get it done under this year's insurance in case I need more work next year. Although we do have some dental insurance they only pay a portion of the procedure up to a certain amount (not a lot). I opted to get it done and I was able to ask for a particular assistant to the fill in dentist so I won't feel quite as anxious. 

I know I'm worried about it as I had one of my strange stress dreams the day after the dentist called me about the change in plans. I was at the lakeshore with husband and daughter. We parked the car in the car park but by ice that had built along the lakeshore. As we stood there and I was taking photos the ice suddenly broke and washed away. I managed to get in the car but it was floating in the water, surrounded by it. Sigh. Whenever I'm stressed I have a water dream - being stranded or in the middle of water. 

I'm sure all will be well. It's actually the thought of the appointment that has me anxious. 

Today's photo is from our lakeshore trip. The water was coming up quite far along the beach but I managed to find a dry spot. Given my horrible water dreams I am really carefully about making anything close to that reality so I stayed way back.