Wednesday

Back to Jane's today. I feel as though sometimes we take two steps forward and one step back. There is still so much stuff. I might be repeating myself but we're donating a lot more now and having a limited sale that we can manage. It still seems like a lot of stuff. I really don't know how one person could accumulate so much. It makes me feel a little sad, but also I appreciate all the places Jane saw and all the things she got to experience. I'm just not sure where it will end and I know that both MIL and I are getting weary about going over there and sorting. We both feel - after experiencing this and Jane's house - that we want to do so much in our own homes, but after dealing with Jane's (not just physically, but mentally too) that we struggle. 

I know that we're going to have to do a little research on the prices things are worth and then slash them so that people buy the items. 

Here are a couple of things that caught my eye

Not my style, but I find these quite interesting. Large bowl and several smaller bowls. MIL calls these berry bowls. 

Jane taught school on a military base (Ramstein) in Germany for 10 years and she sent her mother a Hummel plate each year. Again, not my thing, but I find these interesting. 

Phone Photos - Things That Make Me Smile 89/365

Another outdoorsy one. Was supposed, smiling that it wasn't and I managed a walk. 

Another Week

 I've been absent for a couple of days. 

Sunday was the first Mother's Day (UK) without my Mum. It was a tough day. I mostly stayed off any kind of social media just to not spend the whole day in tears. We spent the morning out even though it was well below zero. I don't think husband was too keen, but I needed to get out and not mope all day. 

Later, my sister sent me some photos of the trip her and her family took to Mum's bench where they put some flowers and cards. It was lovely to see them but made me a little teary. I won't share the family photos but here's one of the bench 

My daughter sent me a big box of English goodies and rang to talk to me for quite a while. She knows how difficult I was going to find the day. So thankful for her. 

I can't believe we're in the last week of March! It is feeling like winter again here in Michigan. Since the snow the other day it's been really, really cold. I'm back in my long underwear, double gloves and handwarmers! I'm not sure where spring went. It is supposed to warm up a little tomorrow - and rain - and then drop back down again just in time for - you've guessed it - the weekend. 

Life is plodding along and so am I. I haven't got a lot done this week but, to be fair, it is only Tuesday. 

I'm behind on posting the phone photos - but I have been taking them!

Phone Photos - Things That Make Me Smile 

86/365

It was really cold when we went out on Sunday. Mum would have laughed when I told her about our Sunday Adventure and told me how crazy we were to go out walking when it was so cold. 

87/365

Was so very cold on Monday morning. It was lovely and sunny though and that made me smile. I bundled up and went for a walk anyway. Roll on Spring!

88/365

Seeing this actually made me laugh as the water has froze again! It has been that cold lol. Hopefully a warm-up is on the way. Keep your fingers crossed!

Okay - What Happened to Spring??!!

 Woke up this morning to several inches of snow. Yes, you've read that right - snow! I think Mother Nature is sleeping in and has forgotten that it's supposed to be spring!

I must admit that it was quite beautiful. The snow had stuck to the grass and the trees, but the roads have been too warm for it to lay too much and so those, and the pavements were clear. I did go out. Just to the local park as husband was helping middle son look for a car again. I wanted to at least get out for a little walk, just to break the day up. I'm also doing a Big Project for my online camera club - A Year at Asylum Lake - so I wanted to take some late snow photos for my project. I don't think the snow will stick around for long. It is supposed to be cold tomorrow - some artic thing (don't they always say that now?) - but warmer at the beginning of next week. 

There was hardly anyone around - just two runners, one I recognise from being a regular. So it was lovely and quiet. 

I went to look at the daffodils. Poor things were mostly buried. 

I had to look really hard to see these ones. Most were buried beneath the snow so I hope they survive! They are pretty hardy, I think.

Back home I don't think the birds were too happy about the snow. They were awfully hungry most of the day. 

Don't these photos look like winter, rather than spring?

The rest of the day I stayed inside. I thought about sitting out and enjoying the birds and taking some photos (bundled up of course) but, in reality, I am a little tired of the snow, so I stayed inside. I got (mostly) caught up with my online Camera Club Project. I sorted out a few things. 

Oh, by the way. Son did find a new-to-him car. He bought it today! They did a little... well, a lot of running around, but he has the car and he is so excited! 

Phone Photos - Things That Make Me Smile 85/365

I'm not liking the snow, but just the peacefulness of my walk made me smile. It's amazing how much joy nature brings me. Even though it's a tough weekend I find joy in the little things. 

Book Declutter - yes or no?

 Did I do it? Have I managed to declutter some books? 

(This is where, if my blog had sounds, there would be a drum roll). 

Yes...some...sort of.

I'm quite pleased with what I've managed. 

To say that I have a lot of books is an understatement. I love books. I have a Kindle, but it's not quite the same thing (not to mention I accidentally stepped on it the other day as it was beside my chair and I cracked the screen - sigh). I enjoy holding a real book in my hands. I like thumbing over the pages. I like bookmarks too - funny ones, inspiring ones, ones I bought at places I've been too. 

BUT enough is enough. I am determined to get rid of some. I managed to get rid of 32 yesterday and over 20 today! I am going to call that a win. These are ones sort-of easily parted with. I have a few series ones that I am going to list on Ebay for a while. If they don't sell I shall be letting them go. I have contacted the local community centre to see if they are accepting books. If they don't they are going to the charity shop along with a few other bits I've decluttered from around the house. I'm also going to check what books on my shelves I do have on my Kindle. If I have duplicates I am letting the 'real' ones go. I tend to buy books on Kindle when they have a deal on them so I probably have duplicates on my bookshelves. 

I want to at least go through the books once before tackling the craft room which will be a project in itself!

Phone Photos - Things That Make Me Smile 83/365

Smiling because it does actually feel good to just let them go!

Phone Photos - Things That Make Me Smile 84/365

It has been raining for days on end. There was a brief moment this afternoon when the sun came through. Then it started raining again...now it has changed over to snow. Sigh. I think Mother Nature has forgotten that it's supposed to be Spring. I know that the saying is 'in like a lion, out like a lamb' but I think it's been mixed up lol.

Plodding Along

 Wednesday again. It rained all day today and I got absolutely drenched on my walk! It was only spitting when we started so we put on our raincoats and decided to walk. Of course, it didn't just stay that way. It absolutely fell down. We were - of course - the only foolish people at the park lol. At least we got out and had a walk, right? Tomorrow doesn't really look a lot better and if it's raining in the morning I think I'll stay home!

Daughter rang yesterday. Not sure if I mentioned this, but she got a promotion at work and started her new position this week. It's a little different for her especially as they are working from home and all training is done via zoom. She cheered me lots yesterday, so I appreciated her calling. This Sunday is UK Mother's Day. Not looking forward to it. It will be my first without Mum. Daughter says she has ordered me some English goodies to cheer me up. Some arrived yesterday and are coming in different packages apparently. I'm so thankful to have such a thoughtful daughter. 

Phone Photos - Things That Make Me Smile 81/365

I got these yesterday from daughter. Yum! Chatting with her made me smile and cheered me up!

Phone Photos - Things That Make Me Smile 82/365

Kind of a rainy, dull day. Not much grabbed my attention to smile at. I did start a new book (above). I love books. I have too many of them. I must admit this hasn't grabbed my attention much. It's an average romance but a light read. I shall finish it and it will be donated so a good thing that another will be leaving my house!

Tomorrow I have some oh-exciting housework to do. I am hoping to get some sorting done, but I seem to be doing lots of that at Jane's house and not so much at mine! 

Hope everyone is having a good week!

Another Week Starting - Monday

 Thanks for all the comments and suggestions on the last post. I'm not quite sure what combination I'm going to try. I just know I want the things to go. 

Yesterday was a lovely sunny day after the rain all day on Saturday. We took a drive to a park quite a way away. It charges a fee to get in and we opted to get a yearly pass as we tend to go there enough times to make it worth our while. The pass also gains you access to some other parks we intend on visiting. The one we went to yesterday has some fantastic trails, beaches, a golf course, shooting range and more. We love the walks around the nature centre - though we haven't done them all. There is always lots to see. We walked for quite a while and were both tired when we got home. I took lots of photos though haven't sorted through them yet. 

Neither one of us was ready for Monday. Another beautiful day. I took my walk and then went over to Jane's. I felt as though we made some progress. We got a lot of the kitchen boxed up and ready for donation. I think it is making things a lot easier now that we are donating a lot more. 

Tomorrow isn't supposed to be so nice. That's good in a way. I won't have an excuse to procrastinate. I haven't made a meal plan yet, but I need to as I have to go to the shops tomorrow and want the meals planned so I don't have to go again. So, it will be a walk - weather permitting - the shops, housework and some sorting. I am in the mood to let some books go!

Phone Photos - Things That Make Me Smile - 79/365

Yesterday I really wanted to go to see the heron rookery at the park. You can just seem them on the tops of the trees. There are lots of pairs of blue herons, sitting on nests and building them. It's quite a sight to see. There were quite a few photographers there watching and snapping away. It made me smile!

Phone Photos - Things That Make Me Smile - 80/365

What an absolutely beautiful morning this morning! I got to the park before my friend and walked down to enjoy the sunrise by myself. It was so peaceful and a great way to start the day. 

Thinking Out Loud

 Today was rainy, cloudy and just plain yuck. I didn't get out for a walk. I cleaned up something I had been meaning to, I sorted a little, played with photos. Middle son stopped in for a while after car shopping with husband. No luck on the car. They didn't find anything remotely close to what he is looking for. He has a set amount budgeted and used car prices are terrible right now. Hopefully he will find something soon. It was nice to see him. He stayed to watch a film and have something to eat before husband drove him back home. I went along for the ride just to get out of the house for a while!

I did get up in my craft room today. It's part of what the Thinking Out Loud title comes from. I just have too much craft stuff. Way too much. I admit to being a paper hoarder. I need to seriously thin out my craft items. I think that a part of why I haven't been crafting too much is because of the space. I am just too overwhelmed with all that is in it. I'm not sure if this is coming from dealing with Mum and Jane's things, but I just find myself wanting less things and more space, more a feeling of calm. 

My dilemma is this - what do I do with all the items? What would you do with all the items? A lot of them are unused and I'm not swimming in money. I'd love to be able to go to visit my sister this summer and spend the anniversary of Mum's death sitting on her bench and remembering her. Air fares are going up so I will have to budget the money somehow 

Do I...

a) Ebay the items

b) Open an Etsy shop where I can sell some craft supplies as well as finished items

c) do a combination of either a or b and donate some

d) let it go and just donate the lot

I'm tempted to do C. As I said, I could use the money. D would be the easiest. I suppose I could give a limited time to sell some and if it doesn't go then donate it. 

What would you do? 

Phone Photos - Things That Make Me Smile 78/365

Finished up the crafty album. I miss crafting. It was nice to get up in the craft room. 

March 18th - Friday

 Well, it didn't rain this morning. 

It was nice to get out with my friend and walk. I managed to spot the beaver down by the lake again. He wasn't up for long before swimming away. Most of the ice on the lake has defrosted now too. J (friend) and I walked for a while and chatted. It was quite quiet by the lake this morning. 

After the walk I went to the shops to pick up a few things. Ouch. The prices made me cringe, but hopefully we're stocked up for a few days. I am actually pleased that I haven't succumbed and bought material things. I've stayed away from books and, although I was tempted by the free shipping St. Patrick's Day craft sales, I haven't given in. After a while I think it gets a little easier. There are several books I am sorely tempted by BUT I want to get rid of some of mine before I think about purchasing any more. I am still debating whether to put some things on Ebay or just let them go and donate them. Still thinking. 

Tomorrow it is supposed to rain. I haven't got a walk planned if it doesn't. I am tempted to just stay home and sit on the back porch for a while if it doesn't rain. I really need to give my ankle and knee a little more rest. Especially if I want to walk on Sunday - which is supposed to be sunny. 

I checked in for my weekly message with my middle sister today. She told me that her oldest daughter's partner tested positive for Covid as did sister's grandson who she had picked up from school earlier in the week. Sister is hoping they don't catch it again - they had it when Mum got it, but obviously this is a different variant. I hope she doesn't. get it. Please keep them in your thoughts. I know it's not the same now as it was back then - especially with the vaccines - but I still worry. 

I have a couple of days to catch up on phone photos. I'm still plodding along but feeling a little repetitive. Sometimes the same things do make me smile though, sometimes walks provide the most smiles along the way. 

Phone Photos - Things That Make Me Smile 75/365

From behind the beaver's lodge. They downed another tree. I was so pleased to be able to see them again since the ice is melting. A great way to start the day and seeing them always brings a smile to my face. 

Phone Photos - Things That Make Me Smile 76/365

Clouds and Reflections in the lake. Lovely to see them again. It's always amazing to me how the views change during the seasons and how my favourite views change during the year. I love seeing the reflections on the lake now that it has defrosted 

Phone Photos - Things That Make Me Smile 77/365

I love diaries/journals. I have a thing for stationary. When I saw this one at 50% off at the beginning of the year I couldn't resist. I am loving it right now. I have been trying to write down what I am seeing each day on my walks so I can remember as I write my year long project on my photography blog. The entries are evolving as I decide what information is relevant for my project. 

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Days Slipping Away - Woody Woodpecker/Pileated Woodpecker

I'm having a funny brain moment. I was pretty sure I posted yesterday but apparently not...lol.  I shall have to catch up on posts tomorrow as I am just about ready for bed. 

It was a lovely sunny day today. Spring was definitely in the air! Won't be for long though - as we are due cooler temps and rain tomorrow and Saturday. I did actually have my windows open today for a little while to air out the house. Gasp! 

I spent a lot of the day walking. Paid for it later with my knee and ankle, but it was really lovely. Tomorrow I just plan on taking a shorter walk and then catching up on housework and some other stuff. Saturday looks to be rainy from the start so I might just spend the day sorting out some of my own things. 

I'll have to catch up with my phone photos tomorrow. Today I'll post a photo of a lovely Pileated Woodpecker that I saw on my walk today. I actually saw two of them! Woody Woodpecker, Looney Toons cartoon character, was based on this woodpecker. It's really quite large and has a distinctive sound. I've included a link to a Youtube video below - hope it works! I love seeing these woodpeckers. 

Youtube video of Woodpecker sound

I just seem to be drained today. I didn't get as much done as I was planning. 

I woke and went for my walk. The paths were a lot clearer today so that was nice. My walking friend and I saw the beaver and some muskrats. As we walked along we heard a lot of crows cawing in the trees. Usually this means there is a predator nearby. We looked up in the nearby trees but saw nothing. As we were walking along I happened to look over and saw a beautiful Cooper's Hawk sitting on a log! He sat there long enough that I was able to take some photos with my camera. Such a treat! He flew off to find breakfast after a little while. 

I stopped at the shops. Did some housework. Took a bath to try to soothe my knee and ankle. And that was that (apart from making food and doing the washing up). I did not get half of what I woke up early in the morning thinking about lol. I don't seem to have a lot of energy. I've been half falling asleep since about 8pm. I am waiting for son to ring me after work (he finished at 10.10pm and then I shall be off to bed. Hopefully I'll have more energy tomorrow. 

Phone Photos - Things That Make Me Smile 74/365

Reflections. This view made me smile as it is the reflection right by the beaver's lodge. I had to watch really carefully to catch sight of him!

Hope everyone had a good day!

Snowy Weekend ... and start of new week

 Sunday was really snowy too... at least in the beginning! Our clocks went forward on Saturday night. I only changed the alarm half an hour so I wasn't too tired. I still fell asleep after we got back from our Sunday advanture lol. 

Sunday morning it was snowing again when I got up and really dull. I had checked the weather forecast the day before and saw that the snow was travelling from southwest to northeast, so we had planned to try to get at the back end of the front. We drove through some snow and ended up in bright sunshine! When we arrived at our destination my FIL called to talk to husband about the blizzard that was blowing outside in our city. Not where we were lol. We actually in sunshine all day and by the time we got home the sunshine had made it that far!

We are going to have to cut down on our trips. Petrol is quite expensive right now, so instead of going out Saturday and Sunday we are going to stay closer to home on Saturdays. 

Because of all the snow the paths at the lake were icy today, far icier than we thought! Neither me or my friend wore our ice things and regretted it - it was really quite slippery!

Phone Photo - Things That Make Me Smile 72/365

One of the two lighthouses at Michigan City. The last time we were here - just a few weeks ago - we couldn't even get to this spot. The snow was far too deep! This time there was hardly any snow left and the ice along the lakeshore was all gone. The blue skies made me smile especially since I knew what the weather would be if we had stayed home!

Today we were back at Jane's. More work to do. 

Phone Photos - Things That Make Me Smile  73/365

A couple of photos we found at Jane's today made me smile. These are photos of me when I was 18/19. Wow! I looked so very young. I absolutely hate having my photo taken so I was really surprised to see that Jane had photos of me. Quite pleased too. 

Saturday Adventure...and More Snow

 Woke up this morning to another snowy morning. Sigh. It was really cold too. Well below freezing. I thought we were past this. 

We didn't go far. We did have a little drive. One minute we were driving through what seemed to be a blizzard and the next the skies were blue! It's the joy of living where there are bands of lake effect snow. 

The rest of the day was spent doing a little crafting, reading, watching some Miss Marple and sorting some photos on my computer. Sort of a lazy day. I did order a knee brace. I'm hoping this will help my knee when I'm walking. I don't want to give up my walks. 

A couple of phone photos from today. 

There's a road here somewhere, but it was pretty hard to tell where it was ! We were in a state park and there wasn't any traffic around. We decided not to go down this road lol. 

All change - blue skies - still absolutely freezing and snow covered. Nobody had walked here at all! We stopped at this park mainly just to renew my county park pass. 

Phone Photos - Things That Make Me Smile 71/365

I really like this little park. During summer and autumn the reflections on the lake are lovely. It used to be an old mill. Currently most of the lake is still ice covered though there was some open water. There were also geese. They were so funny to watch. A couple of them were trying to get from the water up onto the ice but it was so thin they kept falling through it and having to swim some more! They did not sound happy. 

Week Flown By

This week has seemed to have just flown by. 

It snowed overnight. About 4inches. I thought we were done with it. Sigh. 

I walked a little later today. I waited until the roads had cleared and the sun (finally came out). I didn't do a lot more than that. I've been having trouble with my knee. It's been quite painful. I put some stinky stuff on it and kept off it as much as possible. I don't think I'll be doing a lot of walking this weekend. I think I shall try to keep it to a minimum to give it a rest. 

I have got a few books sorted and a few other items. I also did sit and sort out the papers to be shredded. I have decided to let go of a certain chunk of books. I just have to unearth them and let them go. 

Yesterday it was lovely and quite sunny. Cold. I had a good walk and managed to catch sight of one of the beavers! I was so excited. It would have been my smile of the day yesterday but I only took photos with my camera. 

They are such beautiful animals. 

Phone Photos - Things That Make Me Smile 69/365

Reflections. This is where I stood by the lake and watched the beaver as it swam around. It was so quiet and peaceful. My friend wasn't walking yesterday and I saw absolutely no-one as I watched. I wish it wasn't quite as cold as I could have stood there peacefully longer!

Phone Photos - Things That Make Me Smile 70/365

Ok. This might be cheating a little as technically it is two photos - the top one taken yesterday and the bottom today. Same place. One sunny and clear, the other one snowy. It just sums up life in Michigan in Spring. Made me smile when I thought of the difference. 

Hope everyone has a good weekend!

Wednesday

 Morning walk and back at Jane's house today. 

Even though we have been through the house once we're double-checking rooms, boxing up items MIL or I want and getting rid of more stuff that we realise we just need to let go of. I think we threw away another six big bags today. We finally got hold of an estate sale person - this is a sale of the collectibles and household goods - and we have an appointment tomorrow. Fingers crossed that it works out. 

Tomorrow is a walk and sorting day. There are a few bits I want to get sorted. My goal is to have at least 10 books to leave the house and 5 other items to add to the donation pile. It doesn't seem like a lot but I feel that it is doable and anything leaving the house is a plus!

Phone Photos - Things That Make Me Smile 68/365

It was rather dull this morning, but what made me smile is that the ice on the lake is melting! There is quite an expanse of water. I love this view when there is a reflection in the lake, but it's been frozen for a couple of months and it looks rather dull. Ducks and geese have started to return! I even saw the beaver briefly this morning!

Tuesday

 Sunny walk this morning. There was still a little snow on my walk, but most of the ice has cleared off the paths now. It is nice without having to worry about slipping and sliding. We had a good walk today. We saw lots - among them the following as well as the usual assortment of other birds, squirrels and chipmunks. 

Red-tailed Hawk

Cooper's Hawk (maybe that or another type)

Pileated Woodpecker

2 Sandhill Cranes

Muskrat

8 deer

It was quite lively out at Asylum Lake this morning!

After the walk I did my grocery shopping. Ouch. Expensive. That's all I can say. Thankfully I have enough for the week and will be staying out of the shops. I can honestly say that I am doing better with my low spending on craft items (haven't purchased any in several weeks!) and books (I resisted buying any today). I admitted to being tempted on the books but then I thought of all the ones I have at home and how they are cluttering up my space and making me a little anxious so I resisted. I told myself they will still be around after - if - I ever finish up the ones I have!

I got several jobs done today too so overall a productive day. 

Phone Photos - Things That Make Me Smile 67/365

As you can probably tell, this has been on my bookshelf for a while. I finished it today. I really enjoyed it and it made me smile. It was sad but happy too. A nice story. 

I had a bumpy moment today when my aunt sent me a photo of her at Mum's bench putting some flowers on there. I miss Mum so much. 💗

Another Week

 Temperatures dropped dramatically on Sunday. Today we had snow most of the day. I had a walk but got rained on, iced on and snowed on lol. I ended up a wet mess. 

We had a nice day out yesterday. It was pretty cloudy, windy and chilly. We visited several spots along the lakeshore and I took (probably) my last ice photos of the season. It was particularly interesting to watch as the ice was being pushed to shore by the lake and the waves were such that the ice was splashing up over onto the snow piles. One beach we went to large slabs of ice had been pushed ashore. 

Today while out for my wet snowy walk I checked the places where the first flowers grow and was delighted to see the beginnings of some snowdrops and daffodils! I couldn't believe it! The snow and ice has only just melted and already there is new growth coming. Mother Nature is amazing!

I did manage to get some of the sorting done that I wanted to get done. I have a few boxes ready to go to the charity shop. I sorted out a box of books and have more to go! The living room is looking a little neater and shall be continued tomorrow. I want to get up in the craft room again and sort there but I think I should probably concentrate on the main living area first so I feel a little more relaxed in my house. 

Phone Photos - Things That Make Me Smile 65/365

Some of the slabs of ice. Made me smile yesterday!

Phone Photos - Things That Make Me Smile 66/365

The snow on the trees was quite pretty. 

A Photography Type of Day

 It was a nice relaxing day today. Warm. Sunny. Husband had plans of his own so I went out by myself. I wandered around. Today is the first Saturday of the month and I did my #1day12pics for A Year with my Camera. I decided to use my 50mm lens at the widest aperture. 

Here is my set of 12

Phone Photos - Things That Make Me Smile 64/365

We're going to have a couple of quite warm days (6o+f/19c) for a couple of days so most of this ice will be gone. I've enjoyed it but I am looking forward to spring and the joys that it brings!

Friday

 Went to Jane's this morning. We finished up the basement! So pleased! Husband got done with work early and came over to (with FIL) take all the rubbish, recycle and donate up to the garage. 

We still have a lot to do. I have called and emailed an estate sale company but have yet to hear back from them. The first time I rang and left a message on Wednesday. Today I emailed. We are giving them until Monday and then will choose another. It's sad that, so far, we don't warrant either an email or a phone call reply. If they aren't available, it would be nice to know. Sigh. 

Monday we will be back at Jane's trying to organise things a little better. I think that's going to take a while. We really need to know from estate sale people what more we have to do. Jane kept the boxes for a lot of her collectibles, and it would be nice to know whether we should box them all up (ornaments, musical boxes, lighthouses, castles etc) or not. 

We also still have a lot of medicine to take care of, personal papers to shred, bags of clothes to donate, and cleaning supplies to get rid of.  It does seem like we are finally getting somewhere though.

As for my own house I didn't do any cleaning today. I shall try to do some over the weekend. Bits and pieces. I have organise my own things at some point. I think the easiest thing to work on would be to the least used/read books in the basement so that is where I am starting. My plan is to purge a lot of them, take some from upstairs down there and if I haven't read them within x amount of time, they are donated too. I shall post updates as I do it. I think if I post progress it keeps me on track. 

Phone Photos - Things That Make Me Smile 63/365

Today I got some photos back from having them printed. Doesn't show up the best here, but I was really pleased how they turned out. The colours were spot on. I had received a colour calibration thingy for Christmas and I'm glad to see it is working!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Feeling Overwhelmed

 I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed today.

It didn't help that I didn't sleep well last night. I woke up at 2am and kept thinking about things and then couldn't fall back asleep. It was about 4.15 when I dozed off again only to have a horrible water nightmare (I always have these when stressed or worried about things). It was horrible and so realistic. Husband and I were in a car on a bridge. On one side the water was calm and on the other there were huge waves heading our way. I remember them coming towards us and the next I knew I woke in the car and we were under water and drowning. It was then when I woke up. It was so realistic. I sat up and said 'oh sh**' I had to tell myself that I was awake. It was horrible. 

The day itself was overwhelming. Just little things on top of little things. In the big scheme of things I know it seems really silly, but I just felt so overwhelmed with everything I wanted to cry (well, I did) or bury myself beneath a cave of blankets and ignore everything. The mess in my house is getting to me. I have too much stuff. On days like this I can only imagine how Jane must have felt with all her stuff. My house is nowhere near as bad as hers, but I seem to have an emotional attachment to too many things. I'm not sure where to even start. 

I didn't get everything done today that was on my list. Ack. 

Hopefully tomorrow will be better. 

Phone Photos - Things That Make Me Smile 62/365

Can't say I did a lot of smiling today, but when in doubt chocolate always makes things better so I delved into my British stash and had some chocolate. 

Wednesday

We went to Jane's this morning. We're working on a room in the basement. There were a lot of boxes (for ornaments) and boxes full of boxes that all had to be broken down to be put in the recycle. We also found lots of old paperwork from when she was a teacher (several shelves of it!) and photo albums (that MIL will take home to look through at another time). It was a productive day, but there are lots of bags of rubbish and boxes of recyclables that have to be taken upstairs and to the appropriate bins. I'm hoping that husband will help me with them at the weekend. I can't carry them up the stairs by myself. I managed some of the smaller bags and put them out in the bin as tomorrow is rubbish day. 

I did go for a walk this morning. It was lovely and bright and sunny. A bit chilly and there is still plenty of thick ice on the trails. It was my walking friend's first day back from Florida this morning so we had a nice chat and catch-up. It was a lovely way to spend time before heading off to Jane's house. 

Phone Photos Things That Make Me Smile 61/365

Lovely clouds today!

I can't believe I've actually kept up with something for another month! I put together some collages of the photos from last month. I really enjoy looking for things to make me smile!

What made you smile last month?

I need to remember...

 I need to remember to post in the daytime before I sit down for the evening. I forgot to post last night until the computer was shut down and I was ready for bed. I almost forgot tonight. Shaking my head at myself. I even have a 'plan' written down in my planner, but did I look at it? Obviously, the answer is no lol. 

Monday - I was still feeling a little queasy and husband said he wasn't feeling too well before work so I told MIL and we decided to not go to Jane's. I would hate to get her sick! I did take a Covid test as I've been feeling really tired, but thankfully it was negative. We must all just have a stomach thing. Today was better and I'm almost feeling back to normal. 

Yesterday I went for a walk and then managed to get some things done around the house. I did a little at a time and sat down in between as I found that if I moved too much my stomach started rolling again. I did get a couple of things done that I have been meaning to do so that's a plus!

Yesterday's Phone Photo - Things That Make Me Smile 59/365

Not too exciting. It's from my walk yesterday. It was lovely and sunny, but that's not what made the smile of the day. The snow and ice is melting! There were still - unfortunately - lots of ice, but it's slowly melting. 

Today I took the time to go out and take some photos. Just me. By myself. I took my time, wandered around at the beach and enjoyed the quiet. At the state park I was the only one there! It was so lovely and peaceful. The beach was mostly free of ice, but there was a line of ice formations in the water. I could hear and see the gentle waves. It was really quite lovely. 

Here are a couple of phone photos 

The thing that really made me smile is something quite silly, but here it is. 

Phone Photos - Things That Make Me Smile 60/365

A staircase. The last time I was at this park there was no way down to the beach. There used to be a concrete walkway here, but it was destroyed due to raising Lake Michigan levels. It was blocked off where you can see the fence with caution tape.  The lake has receded a little bit now. I was so excited when I learned that a stairway had been installed.