Rolling Around to Friday Again

The middle of March. Already. Wow. Yesterday was another productive day. Today, meh, not so much. Yesterday my hairdresser texted and asked if I could manage to go for an appointment today 12.30. She had to cancel the one last week as she wasn't feeling good. I said yes. I had to keep reminding myself today that I had the hair appointment. I don't generally do one on a Friday. I also had to keep checking the time to make sure I was going to message sister at the right time! Our clocks changed and hers haven't! We are now four hours behind instead of the five. Both things, little as they are, knocked me a bit off kilter for the day. 

Before the hair appointment, I made the mistake of popping into my local Joann's crafting shop. They are going out of business - all the shops are closing. It's been such a part of my crafting life since I moved to this area. It was a little sad to see the shelves so bare. I did pick up just a couple of items. Even though I'm trying not to buy craft items I'm a little sad to see it shut. We do have a Michaels and a Hobby Lobby (which is becoming more a decorating shop than a craft shop and, for personal reasons, I try not to shop there) but other than that even the little independents all seem to be closed. I suppose with online shopping people aren't shopping in them so much anymore. I remember back when MIL was quilting and the sales were on the queues used to be halfway around the shop! Now it seems mostly empty when I'm in there. Sigh. 

Didn't manage to get a lot done. Husband got off work early (he put in all his hours this week) so he took 2 boxes and 1 bag of donations to the charity shop. I had a good message time with sister, though the time change really put a crimp in dinner time lol. After, I even did a little video call with daughter and Baby A. 

I suppose, all in all, not a bad couple of days.

Plans for the weekend? Honestly not too much. I'll be going for a walk in the morning, weather permitting, and then I plan on doing a little crafting. I worked on getting the desk mostly clear, so I have a space to work on. On Sunday the temperature drops from of 71f /22c to 39f /5c high on Sunday. We'll be going out somewhere, just not sure where yet. 

What are your plans for the weekend? 

Sunrise from this morning

Productive Day

I feel as though I've had quite the productive day and I spent no money at all! I went for my morning walk first. It was quite chilly this morning. Below freezing when I went out, so I was well bundled up back in the winter gear including hand warmers! Even though it was cold I could definitely tell that Spring was still in the air. There were lots of geese and swans around making lots of noise. Not too many people, which was nice. 

I had made a list and started work on it right away when I got home. I marked off everything and then some! I did go up in the craft room for a bit. It was more of looking around, seeing the mess and leaving again. I did manage to add a few things from there to the donate box. At some point I am going to have to make those hard decisions as to which projects I want to do and those I will actually do. For now, though, I'm going to mainly concentrate on bits of the house I can actually get done. That way at least something will leave the house. I don't want to get ultra-focused on one thing that I end up giving up on and getting nothing done. 

Plans for tomorrow, another walk and another (little bit longer list). There are a couple of small bits I want to get done that I've been putting off. 

Hope everyone is having a good week

Everything is looking quite bare but at least the ice has gone from the trails! There was mud but this morning it was just frozen. 

It's Beginning to Feel a Lot Like Spring

It's been a beautiful start to the weekend, sunshine and quite mild temperatures. I even had my windows open for a little while yesterday! It was lovely to get some fresh air in the house after the long winter of being shut up. The ice on the trails have melted, but it's turned a bit muddy. The ice on Asylum Lake is slowly melting, less and less of it each day and more sounds of Spring! The geese have been squawking and flapping, the ducks are returning, and several swans have popped in and then out again! The Sandhill Cranes, Ducks and Geese have all been mating so perhaps there will be lots of babies about in the summer!

It's so nice to have plentiful sunshine and warmer temperatures. Having the sun shining certainly picks up my mood. I've been making lists and getting things done. The piles in the living room are going down - not nearly enough but they are getting there. I have some organisation to do, downstairs mainly. I feel as though if I get that sorted, I can have things more in order and cleared out from up here. The ultimate goal is to get rid of things but that, I think, is going to take a while. I did look at some of the things downstairs. Eeek I have a storage container or more of yarn that I don't think I'll use. I'm almost ready to let it go just to have the spare tubs and get things a bit more organised. Almost. 

I do need to get moving though. Once May comes, we'll be a lot busier, and I'll want to be outside more so I need to move faster now.  I feel as though once the living areas and the front porch are done, I will feel a lot happier. I feel like I need a plan of attack!

The last post had a snowy photo, things have all changed so here's a nice sunrise. 

Weekend

It hasn't been a bad weekend. Yesterday morning we woke to a bit more snow. It was actually quite pretty. It had settled on the trees and a little on the ground. 

I got out for a little bit of a walk but not a lot and the rest of the day I really didn't do much. It really was a lazy sort of day. 

Our clocks went forward this morning. Ugh. It was quite dark this morning and, of course, quite light this evening. I'm not sure I like it so much! 

I went out today for a drive along the lakeshore. Not far. Husband overslept so I left him and went by myself. I wasn't about to wake him. I had planned on us going up the lakeshore a bit and working our way down stopping at some little parks and seeing the last of the ice. Temperatures are warming up and are supposed to be 73f/23C by the end of the week! What a change! Even today was vastly different from the cold of yesterday. Today we got up to 55F/13C - really a warm-up from what we've been having. 

It was lovely out. There were quite a few people out and about enjoying the sunshine. I couldn't believe some of the idiots people out on the ice. I cringed as a couple took a toddler up to the top of an ice mountain. At this temperature they are melting, and bits break off. It's also quite deceiving as it may look like solid ice, but on the other side it could be hollowed out! I ended up meandering down to another park where I knew there wouldn't be too many people.  There were a few people about on the beach at this other park, but they were searching for different stones along the shore. It was all quite relaxing. 

Some ice chunks

There were some green bits poking through!

It was another lazy day when I got home. Mind you, it was later in the afternoon when I did get back. I did stop to pick up a few food bits on my way home. I have my menus planned for the week and picked up the first half of what I need so I won't have to go out tomorrow. I'm writing a list for tomorrow and will get back to the sorting and cleaning after my walk tomorrow. I picked up a couple of boxes while I was out today as I need more to put books in. My plan is to finish the bookcase downstairs this week and then take another look at one of the ones in the living room. It seems every time I look through them I am able to let a few more books go. 

Hope everyone had a good weekend. 

And Before I Can Blink It's Friday!

I'm not sure where the week has gone. I had good intentions posting and I look and haven't done it since Tuesday. Mind you, not a lot has happened between then and now. I've been plodding along with the lists and getting things done. 

I did something new this week too. I had joined a small group within my online photography group, and we had our first Zoom meeting together. It may not seem like a big deal, but it was (not an exaggeration) absolutely terrifying for me. I don't know how to describe it otherwise. I get so anxious. I got through it though, managed to even talk! Now that I've met them, I know the next time will be a little easier. I'll still be nervous but nowhere near as terrified as this time. It seems really silly when I think about it, but it's just not something I find easy. I'm glad that I did it though. 

It got me thinking about introverts too. There's this man at the Asylum meeting I go to who says he's an introvert and he has no problem getting up and talking in front of people, he's in lots of community groups, he leads certain things. He doesn't seem like an introvert. It got me thinking so I looked it up. There are, apparently, different types of introverts. He must be a social one. I am definitely an anxious one lol.  

I also had that Asylum Lake meeting this week. I've definitely reached my limit of social interaction for the week. I was actually glad my friend wasn't walking this morning. I needed a bit of alone time in nature. 

I did get the boxes of books to the library on Wednesday. Four boxes! I've already filled another one. It's definitely getting a bit easier with the books. I had plans to do a bit more sorting today, but after I got back home, I ended up sitting down and falling asleep for a bit. Not like me, but I haven't been sleeping too well. Perhaps the not sleeping has changed once again to being tired all the time lol. I did message with sister today, had a good catch-up and a bit later daughter and Baby A did a video call. She is so delightful and growing up far too quickly!

Photos for today - there were so many Red-winged Blackbirds around today singing their hearts out. It was lovely to hear. The day started off chilly, but bright. At the end of the day it was snowing again. Sigh

Rainy Tuesday

It rained most of the day today. I suppose it makes a change from snow, but it made the trails at Asylum Lake rather slippery! I did manage to get in a visit to the beaver lodge before the rains (or rather in between the rains). They were out and about in the bit of water open to them. I had the place mostly to myself. It was lovely. I was likely the only one crazy enough to brave the ice and the rain. Once the rain started in again, I went back home. 

I feel as though I got quite a bit done today. All the things checked off my list and then some! I did a bit more sorting but find myself struggling. Arrggg! 

Example - why do I struggle to get rid of these? 

They are adorable, they have lovely colour yarn on them. Do I need them? No. Could I use them for something. Probably. Do I want to keep them? YES!! Did I? No. I put them in the donate box. Shaking my head. I really don't understand the struggle, but I shall keeping plodding onwards. 

It's supposed to rain tomorrow. Or maybe not. It depends on which forecast you look at. Lol. If it doesn't rain, I'm doing a quick jaunt down to the beavers' lodge. The trails will likely still be icy, and I've decided that I'm not walking far until it's all cleared up. I just don't find it enjoyable. I'm not 'into' doing x number of steps per day (my walking friend is). I like going to walk around getting a bit of exercise and looking at all the wonderful nature I can see. Seeing the beavers fulfills my need for a bit of nature magic. 

I have a bunch of things to do tomorrow. I am hoping to get some boxes of books to the library bookshop for donation tomorrow. They accept donations from 11-1. Fingers crossed I'll make it down there! I need to get them out of the house. Husband is taking the other boxes to the charity shop on Friday. I have a current box that is half full so I'm hoping to fill it with donations before it takes it away. A good goal to have!

Sunday/Monday - Lake Michigan Ice

Had a lovely day out yesterday. It wasn't particularly warm (about freezing), but the sun was shining and that did make me feel better. The ice at one place we stopped at was amazing. It was like mountains and mountains all along the shore. What wild winds there must have been in this spot to make it like that! I'm inserting a little video at the end. Even husband was impressed! He even got out and walked with me at a couple of places and managed not to have many coughing fits. 

I only had a small list for yesterday and I did manage to tick off everything. One of the items was creating a meal plan for the week. I then made a shopping list of items needed to complete the meal plan. Doing a food shop was an item on my list for today! I managed to pick up everything in one place (for once). Spent more than I wanted to, sigh, but I think that's just going to be how things are. I have to admit that I rethought a couple of items I was going to buy as they were more than I was willing to pay and worked out an alternative. 

I felt quite productive the rest of the day. I took care of one area that I've been meaning to sort out so one less pile in the living room! I did go up in the craft room and sorted through one tub. I didn't get rid of a lot. At this stage, I think it's good to at least look through what I have so I can think about what areas of the crafting room I do want to tackle and let go of. This will be - probably - a slow ongoing project. I want to at least get to a point where I can feel creative in there, so I am able to use some of the too-many craft things I do have! 

Tomorrow and Wednesday the weather doesn't look great so I'm not sure about a walk. Not sure I want to lol. The trails were a bit of a mess today, really icy in spots and clear in others so iffy as to whether I want to chance my Yaktrax. I wish they were easy to whip on and off so I could take them along with me and just put on as needed lol. I'm sure if it rains things will be even worse!

In case it does rain, I have a list planned so I'll keep busy. I won't be going out anywhere if I don't go for a walk.

Hope everyone had a good start to the week. 

While I was looking through a pile I found this

Made me smile

Here's the ice video

March 1st - Saturday

Thank you for the lovely comments on the last post. We'll see how much I can get rid of this month!

March 1st. Wow. After yesterday's mild temperatures, the cold returned. Really cold. The wind was blowing too. It was so bitter I couldn't walk for long. I ended up coming home again pretty soon and husband and I decided to go to the Amish shop, stopping at a small park on our way. There are several eagles in the area. It didn't disappoint! I didn't get any great photos, but I saw plenty of eagles. The water was mostly frozen with only a few small open areas where the eagles were fishing. I had to have seen more than ten of them! Quite unusual for our area. 

I made a small list today, but nothing too significant. I checked off all I had on there, including going up in the craft room. I pulled out a few items I'm ready to get rid of...maybe...sort of. Sigh. The craft room has become my new nemesis. I'm hoping at some point it will become easier to get rid of things. I'm reallly struggling there. Maybe, at some point it will become like the books (had a problem with letting go of them) and something will click, and it will be easier. I have to keep in mind that the goal is to have a relaxing house and to think about what I'd really like to take with me to that dream small cabin lol. 

Tomorrow it's supposed to be a little warmer. We aren't talking heatwave. It might reach freezing. I think the winds are supposed to be lighter. We're going out for our usual Sunday Adventure, but I'm not sure where yet. Definitely somewhere near Lake Michigan. There is still some ice around, but this is probably the last weekend. 

Photo for today - the beginnings of Spring. Once the snow had started to melt in the woods the tops of daffodils began to peek up through the leaves. 

Drum Roll Please...February Decluttering Totals

I am really pleased with what I got done this month. Some days I don't feel as though I've done a lot of anything but looking at the list, I'm quite pleased with all the things that have left the house. I am going to keep going. I can't say all months will be this way BUT every little thing that goes is one less thing in the house. 

I've been doing well with the lists, but I haven't made as much progress with the small piles of things that seem to have gathered around the house. I need to add at least one to the list each day, so things are put where they are supposed to be. It's all too easy to just put something somewhere 'for now' and then neglect to move it. Mind you, I'm not the only one in the house that does this. 

I must admit that I'm a little embarrassed to post some of the totals, especially the books, as it just goes to show how many books I actually have. The sad thing is that there are so many more to go through and sort out. It does seem to be easier letting them go. I wish the same could be said for the crafting items! 

CRAFT ITEMS 54

MISC.  21

MAGAZINES 57

BOOKS 142

I am really pleased with the magazine total AND the fact that I haven't brought any more into the house. I was really, really tempted to stop at my local Barnes and Noble Bookshop and pick up the latest Outdoor Photography magazine they had. I resisted. Instead, when I got home, I looked on Pocketmags on my Kindle and purchased the new edition for 1/3 of the price! So, it cost me less AND I didn't bring a physical magazine into the house. I'd call that a win, at least it was for me. 

Me, peeking out cautiously, embarrassed by my book hoard 

What Day is It?

I definitely must be losing my mind. I keep forgetting what day it is now too! I'm not sure what's making me feel all over the place! I'm also not sure what happened to the day either. I don't feel as though I got anything done. I don't think it's helping that I haven't made lists the last couple of days, so I have written myself one for tomorrow and one for Thursday. Hopefully that helps! 

I'm feeling a little hemmed in by stuff again. I've got boxes sitting to go to donation, stuff I need to get listed somewhere for sale and other stuff I need to look through. Aarrrggghh! Hopefully the list will help me work through this and get things back to where I want them, or at least well on the way! 

I did go for a quick walk today. It was super icy at Asylum Lake. The temperature dropped today and everything that had started to melt yesterday froze again today. It wasn't fun so I decided not to walk far. I did see a beaver pop up in a small open space of water AND (drum roll please) I heard my first Red-winged Blackbird - a spring bird - of the season! Does that mean winter is coming to an end? 

What's the first sign of Spring you look for or listen for? 

A painted stone on my walk :)

I Must Be Losing My Mind

I was so sure that I posted on Saturday. I must have just imagined it, or thought about it and meant to do it as I obviously haven't posted since Friday! Yikes!

It wasn't a bad weekend. I did get out for a few walks. Saturday was definitely the nicer of the days, but we went out both days. Husband mostly sat in the car as he's still struggling a bit. He had a little walk, enough that he started coughing again. 

It was nice to get out though. The ice at South Haven was beautiful on Saturday. It was still quite chilly so there weren't many people about at all. Just the way I like it ha ha. 

The temperatures are rising this week so all that ice will start to melt!

I didn't get as much done on Saturday as I had hoped. My middle son came over to do some washing and ended up staying for quite a while! It was nice to have a chat, but all the things I was planning to get done ended up not getting done. Sigh. Hopefully some things will get done this week! It is the last week of February - yikes - so I need to add to the declutter totals!

End of the Week

I haven't posted for a couple days. Just having a few blah moments. I think I'm just feeling the mid-winter blues. Even the decluttering hasn't been happening the last couple of days. Winter really seems to be dragging on. There seems to be some relief in the forecast though with temperatures getting above freezing. The downsize to that is that the snow will just become an icy mess again at Asylum Lake. I think I might try walking a couple of different places as long as the roads stay clear. 

Something that made me smile this week - a video daughter sent me of Baby A helping to unload the dishwasher. It was so cute! She picked up huge plates and handed them to son-in-law. He always makes these exaggerated noises when he picks up something (to demonstrate to her) and she copies him right back. Really cute. Daughter says that when either one of them is doing it she wants to help. I think she'll be helping daughter cook at some point!

I am looking forward to the weekend. Husband is taking me to South Haven tomorrow morning. As the temperatures have been really cold this week the ice along the lakeshore has returned with a vengeance. I'm hoping to find inspiration to take a few photos. In the afternoon he and older son are going to husband's friends for a get-together. I'm going to go up in the craft room and see if I can get rid of a few more things up there. Ha ha. 

On Sunday we are planning a trip up to Muskegon. Another lakeshore town. It has two lighthouses and a channel of water that is generally kept free of ice so lots of ducks stay there. I'm hoping for a bit of photography there too!

Photo for today - A Blue Jay in the garden this week. Calling out to warn the other birds in the area of a circling hawk or trying to scare other birds away from the feeders? Could be either. They can be so dramatic!

Brr it's cold outside

I didn't go for a walk today. To be honest, it was just so cold I couldn't be bothered. It was about 1F/-17C with wind chills colder than that. It just didn't sound appealing. I almost changed my mind when I looked out the back window and saw the sunrise over the trees. I don't get a great view, but the skies over our big trees at the end of the back garden turn a nice colour some mornings. 

As it was so cold I did decide to give frozen bubbles a try. I wish I had a clearer view to take photos, but I gave it a go. Not sure how the camera photos turned out. 

A phone photo. It's fun to try...and a little frustrating!

I did end up getting quite a bit done. I'm pleased with crossing everything off my list and then some! The book donation pile is coming along nicely. I'm hoping that, by next week, the weather will be a bit better, and I can drive some boxes - yes, boxes - of books down to the library bookshop for donation. 

I'm not doing overly great in the craft room BUT I am making sure that each time I go up there I pull out a few things for donation. I feel like it's going to take a while, but every little bit is progress. It's better than not tackling it at all! I do feel like every bit I get rid of, makes me feel as though I can get rid of a bit more. Does that make sense? 

Tomorrow, it's still going to be cold in the morning, but we're on a warming trend. Makes me laugh as that still means we're not getting above freezing until Sunday but next week we might hit 41F/5C which is practically a heat wave! There are bound to be people out in shorts. Mind you, we did see a man in shorts at a petrol station on Sunday. He was with a woman and a couple of children (they were well bundled up at least!). Shorts though - brrrr!

Anyway, what I was going to say is that I am going for a walk in the morning. I'll bundle up and just keep on moving. Even if it's not for long I'm going to get out for a walk. 

Sunday Adventure

We did go out Sunday. Husband was feeling well enough to drive, but he didn't get out and walk anywhere. He's still coughing away. Poor guy. 

We stopped at the lighthouse near where son used to live. I took a peaceful walk out there, at least to the part where it wasn't icy. It was quite lovely, though chilly and blowy. For a time, I was the only one out there. There were lots of birds in the water where there wasn't ice and I took a few photos of the ducks. A couple of people took a really quick walk, but didn't stay long!

We then drove down the lakeshore a bit to a state park that we like. Warren Dunes. It's always a great place to visit in the winter. The ice is usually quite good along this stretch. 

The light bit that you can see is where the lake starts and is quite mushy. One idiot person decided it would be a good idea to try to walk across it to get to the ice. They soon worked out that it wasn't a great idea! The ice is obviously not stable. 

It was very windy, I think there was a gale warning, and waves were crashing up over the ice, flinging up new chunks of ice. I was quite mesmorized. 

I took a lot of photos with my camera (that I haven't sorted yet of course!). I was having a good time despite being cold. Then suddenly the weather turned! Snow started to come down and with the wind it was like a blizzard! Husband said he was worried I wouldn't be able to find my way back to the car! I know the park pretty well and had already started heading back as soon as I saw the snow coming in off the lake. 

It was strange as not far outside the park the snow stopped! 

I spent the afternoon trying to get warm. Sigh. 

It's back to Monday now and time to get into the groove of the week. I did drag myself out for a walk. I was tempted to just stay in, to be honest. The wind was still blowing, there had been a little more snow, and the temperature was pretty cold 10F/-12C and with the wind even colder. But I got out as it's supposed to be even colder tomorrow morning! I must admit that I am looking forward to Spring. A warmup cannot come too soon. As I'm writing this, I went to get a drink, looked out the window only to see snow coming down again. Sigh. 

I wasn't terribly productive today, but I did get a few things done that needed to be done. I had forgotten that it was the online camera club meeting today. I hate anything new and meeting people is uncomfortable for me but I've made it a goal to attend the meetings. Maybe one day I'll speak at one lol. It was quite interesting. Later, daughter and Baby A video chatted with me. Also, son called. Quite the social day for me lol. 

I'm not sure about a walk tomorrow. It's up in the air. Today was quite hard going. The ice at Asylum Lake is now covered, but the snow had drifted in places and was almost up to our knees in some places! I have made a list for tomorrow so that's a plus!

Hope everyone is having a good start to the week!

Okay Saturday

It's been an okay sort of day. Nothing spectacular. I woke up this morning and there were a few inches of new wet, heavy snow. The snow ploughs came through on our road fairly early and because we weren't a lot below freezing the salt they dropped cleared off the road by about 11am. I hadn't gone out early. It was grey and dull, one of those days when the sky is a flat colour with no contrast at all. With the extra overnight snow, I didn't fancy trying to trudge through more snow. 

Husband was still coughing but did manage to get out and snowblow the driveway. I had got out yesterday and shovelled a path along the side of the house, to the front porch and around my car but with the extra snowfall and the ploughs coming through (they end up shoving a pile in front of the driveway) it really needed to be done. He was out of breath when it was done. The inhaler he was given seems to help. 

We did get out for a bit. He usually cooks on the weekend and although I had planned quick things I could do instead of him, we decided to treat ourselves to a takeaway from a place in a neighbouring town. I persuaded him to stop at a park there and I took a quick walk even though the snow was quite deep!

It was nice just to get out. I like this park. There are some fairly big hills there and there were people out with their children sledding down the hills. There was even a place you could borrow one! How good is that? 

I had forgotten how much I like this park. There are lots of really interesting trees there. It was actually quite peaceful. I certainly felt better getting out. It was nice to hear the children laughing as they played in the snow. 

There is more snow coming. Maybe. Perhaps. At some time. Lol. It's a running joke with husband and I as the forecast never seems to be right!  We haven't got a lot extra today, but we're still under a Winter Weather Advisory until 7pm tomorrow night so we shall see. We are going out tomorrow. Husband probably won't be walking, but he is up to driving me somewhere. 

Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend!

End of the Week

Thank Goodness this one is over! 

They guys are still fighting the flu. They both went back to work on Thursday. Husband only managed half a day, son managed the whole day. He told the foreman that he wasn't working outside. Thankfully, he's been inside both days. He's really tired now, but he's got the weekend to finish up. Husband managed a full day today. He certainly sounds a lot better and isn't coughing quite as much. I think this the first day he really seems a little more like his normal self. Hopefully, resting up for the weekend will have him well on the mend. He's out of breath when he walks, but I told him that could last weeks (at least it did for me after I've had the flu!)

As for me, I went out for a walk. It was pretty cold this morning. I think it was about 9F/-13C. Brrr. But the wind wasn't blowing. I was bundled up. I walked by myself, and I was glad I did. I took a wander through Asylum Lake. It snowed yesterday (no walk) and the snow was quite deep in places as it had drifted. There wasn't a lot of wildlife or birds around, but I found it quite peaceful as there weren't many people around either!

After the walk, I did go a few places. We're under another Winter Weather Advisory and I wanted to get out while I could. I picked up a few bits for the weekend in case husband isn't feeling well enough to drive me. This afternoon I messaged with sister. She sent me lots of photos of the birds she's been seeing on her walks. She lives quite near the Orwell Bridge so can take a walk along the river and see lots of birds. I'm really jealous! We talked over plans for me to visit so I can start planning. It's really something to look forward to! She's off out for the weekend. Her children got her tickets to Hairspray in Norwich and gave a voucher for a meal. She's looking forward to it as she has a busy week ahead with her Grandchildren as it's half term in their area. 

I chatted with Baby A this afternoon. It's amazing how far she's come in just over a month of walking! She now rarely stays still and moves quite steadily on her feet. They shared a video this week of her outside in the snow all bundled up. She looked quite bewildered! 

Thanks for all the comments about the decluttering and how you tackle the amount you paid for something and how to let it go. I'm trying to rethink how I approach this and thinking more of the final goal. 

Photos for today, just snow from my walk today. These are phone photos. It was quiet and peaceful and, well, just snowy. 

Stay Back Horrible Flu!

Husband and son have had another couple of days home with the dreaded bug. Husband finally went to the doctors to get checked out. It is the flu. Apparently, this is a nasty one that isn't covered by any flu vaccination (neither one of them had a flu vaccination but say they will get it next year!). I think it's the first time either of them has had the flu and now they realise just how miserable it can be. So far, I'm doing ok. Maybe it's something I've already had. Fingers crossed. 

I went for a cold, icy and snowy walk. Sigh. It wasn't a great long walk. I think my walking friend (who tracks these things) says it is a little over three miles. It might have been almost four as we did walk a little bit longer than the last couple of days. There is snow forecast and I'm not sure I'll get out tomorrow.  I didn't want to go home after. To be honest, I needed a little alone time. Not good for the budget. I didn't spend a lot. That's all I'm going to say, though it wasn't as bad as it could have been! 

It's snowing as I write this. I'm pretty sure I'll be staying inside. I think husband will be home tomorrow, but son says he is going to try to go to work. He is hoping - and going to ask - that he work inside. If he can't make it through the day, he'll be home at lunch time. 

The plan for tomorrow is to do some more decluttering. I am slowly plodding along. The magazines I wrote about the other day have now mostly been sorted. The craft room is slow going but I will make progress. I might look around to try to find some sort of senior craft group where I can donate some items. I think I would feel a bit better if I knew they were going to good use! There are a few more I'm planning on putting up for sale at least for one cycle. 

When you are decluttering do you think of the price you paid for an item, or do you just donate and chalk it up to a buying mistake? I think a lot of what is holding me back is the waste of money. But then, holding on to the things isn't doing anybody any good and it is holding me back from having the house as I wish it to be. 

No exciting photos today, just a lovely mug of hot Broccoli and Cauliflower Cup-a-Soup out of a mug that always makes me think of Mum as she got me it for Easter one year with a lovely chocolate egg in it. 

 

Sunday, Monday

We did go out yesterday. Poor husband was back to coughing again and not feeling good in general. Son was still sick. Temperature. Coughing. Husband did take me out but sat in the car for the most part. I didn't blame him. It was pretty chilly when the wind blew (temperatures did not get above freezing even without the wind) and the cold wouldn't do him any good. I did manage to take a few photos though I am sorting through them. The silly date/time thing on my camera got changed again and I'm back in 2024 grrrr...it doesn't do good for the photo organising. 

Son stayed home from work today. As my walking friend wasn't walking, I decided to go to the lakeshore (closest easiest bit to drive to) and took a walk along the beach. There wasn't any ice on the sand, but there was plenty of ice in the lake. It was a lovely walk, chilly again, but the sun was shining, and the beach was deserted. 

Husband texted me while I was out telling me he was coming home from work early as he wasn't feeling well either. They both have fevers and coughs. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before I catch the darn thing. Sigh. 

Things on the home front aren't moving forward very well. I've been trying to do some sorting but have stalled. The weather later in the week doesn't look good. We are under a Winter Storm Watch for Wednesday into Thursday so I think that I might spend that time doing some more decluttering. I can't stop, I have to keep going forward. A little progress is better than none, that's what I'm telling myself!

Holes like this one are part of the reason to use caution when walking on ice! I didn't step in it. I stayed firmly on the beach. I don't go out on any ice however sturdy when I'm walking alone. It's not just about going through to water, you can literally break something on bits like this!

Mixed Bag Saturday

Oldest Son woke up feeling quite poorly this morning. His fever was quite high. He made sure to dose up with water and pills. I think most of the morning he rested and drank lots of fluids. Poor guy. He's gone to bed early tonight. Hoping he'll feel better tomorrow so he can go back to work on Monday. We'll see. Apparently, it's really making the rounds here. 

Husband and I did go out. It was cold, grey and dull, but at least we got out. We drove down to the Amish Shop, spent too much money and came home again. We did stop at a little park, but it was bitterly cold and we didn't walk far. We did see 5 eagles out on the ice-covered lake. 

Here are three

None of these are full grown eagles. The ones on the right look like this years' babies and the one on the left is a little older. They don't have completely white heads until about 4 or 5 years old. There were two more up in a tree. I didn't see much open water, so I'm not sure what they were hoping to catch!

I came home and did a bit more sorting. Middle Son had asked to do some washing (sheets and comforter) at our house. I'd said yes before Oldest Son came down sick, so Middle Son just dropped it off and picked it up later! Oldest Son was on the sofa so I went upstairs to do a bit in the craft room. 

I'm really frustrated about it. I'm not sure what I'm willing to get rid of at this time. I was particularly frustrated as I thought I was done sorting out certain magazines only to find I'd tucked more of them away in the craft room!!! Grrrrr... I feel as though I've taken a step backwards. 

I'm not going to let it put me off. I'm going to keep on plodding along. 

Tomorrow, husband and I are back off to the lakeshore. Hopefully, the weather will be good and I'll be able to take some photos. I haven't been doing a lot of photography this week and it's making me feel a little...off. 

How is your weekend going? Do you have plans? 

It's Friday! It's Friday

Well, by the time most people are reading this it will probably be Saturday, but as I write this it's Friday night.

Yesterday. Sigh. Good day not to have to get out for a walk. We had freezing rain overnight on Wednesday into Thursday and the roads were really icy. Schools were closed. Again. I am pleased with what I got done on Thursday. 

Last night was my Asylum Lake meeting. I was kind of dreading it. I'm glad I went though. The meeting was productive. There is just one lady who seems to irritate me. Everyone else seems to like her. She is one of those people who seems to know everyone, has done everything and wants to do everything in the group. Sometimes I just want to roll my eyes. Maybe it's just me? 

I did get up this morning and go for a walk. Bit of a mistake. It was even icier than it has been. The beavers' little hole had mostly been iced over and the only good part of it was the lovely sunrise. 

Even with the Yaktrax on it wasn't pleasant. I didn't walk far. I went back home and got quite a bit done today too. 

Husband was off a bit early so he came home and took four boxes to the charity shop. I've already started another box! 

Poor Aurora has been off daycare again. She's had a fever. Oldest son also came home with a fever and cough. I hope he's not coming down with what husband had!

I'm not going for my usual walk tomorrow. Husband is going to drive me down to the covered bridge. Maybe I'll stop and get some photos. Sometimes there are Eagles trying to fish in some open water. Otherwise the bridge sometimes is good for photos. I have tempted him with a promise of a visit to the Amish store down that way. They have some lovely foodie bits down there and it's been a while since we've gone!

Plodding Through the Week

It's been an okay start to the week. The trails on my walk are horrible. Basically ice. If I didn't have my Yaktrax, I wouldn't be walking them at all. Parts of my driveway is like that too! Sigh. We're under a Winter Weather Advisory overnight. It's forecast to be a combination of freezing rain and snow. I'm not going out tomorrow as husband is taking my car to the mechanics to have a check-up. I actually don't feel stressed and anxious about not going for walk. I haven't been particularly enjoying them as it's so icy and chilly and not a lot about. The beavers have opened a really small bit of ice right by the beaver lodge, and one popped up Monday and Tuesday. The rest of the Asylum Lake remains frozen

There isn't a lot more space for them to pop up. Poor things. While sorting through books I came across an interesting diagram in one of the books. 

It definitely makes sense as the food cache is near where they tend to pop up. 

Talking of books, I did take three boxes for donation to the local library bookshop today. Go me! Last minute I added 16 more to the pile. These were ones I had passed over before as I intended to read them, but I have to be more realistic about whether I will read them or not. considering there are still a lot of books in the house and (hanging my head but knowing there could be worse things to be addicted to) over 7000 on my Kindle. I'm not going to run out of books anytime soon!

It's on my list tomorrow to do a re-check of the couple of bookcases in the living room. I'm going to let some more go. 

Speaking of lists, I have been making them and completing all/most of what I'm written down. It needs to be something that I keep up with. 

Happy things - I have video chatted with Baby A several times over the last few days. It's so lovely to see her. She blew me kisses. How adorable! Daughter said today Baby A got hold of her phone and brought it to her saying Na Na (or something close to it!) so they did a video call. How cute! Makes me smile to see her. I am thankful for daughter trying to establish a good relationship between Baby A and myself even though I'm so far away!

Sunday, Monday

We did go out yesterday, but it wasn't great :( It snowed overnight, and the roads were horrible. There was snow on top of a layer of ice. We made it where we had planned, but the drive was pretty lousy. The person behind us on a chunk of the drive was too close. I think he just thought that if he got closer we'd go faster. Husband was driving as conditions dictated. He was following behind traffic but not too close. At one point, the person behind tried to overtake (there were supposed to be two lanes on the motorway but the outside lane was completely covered in chunky ice!) but gave up as the ice was too bad on that side. Ended up back behind us, right up our backside again. Sigh. 

It was foggy where we ended up. Not the nice kind, but a dull kind. The ice was lovely, but the light was terrible to take photos in. 

The good thing was that by the time we drove back the roads were completely clear. 

Today was still very foggy out. I went for a walk and made a couple of stops and then came home. 

Update on the time management - it's not going well - something to definitely work on! I spent too long out walking today. Not because the weather was great and I was enjoying it, but because the trails were icy and slippery and hard going in spots. I've decided that tomorrow I'm having a shorter walk and getting things done. I've made a list (something I haven't done the last few days). Seeing things written down does help keep me on track!

Another video - this one from yesterday. It made me smile to see the swans and ducks on a piece of ice as it floated along. 

I uploaded this one from my computer. Not sure which is better! Can everyone access the Youtube videos or is it better from the computer? 

Hopefully back tomorrow! I'll let you know if I get all my list completed!

It's the Weekend, it's the Weekend

The title makes it sound really exciting. It's not really. Husband and I did go out today, well he drove me. It rained all day yesterday and then the temperature dropped, and it turned to snow. That meant there was ice on the road underneath a layer of snow. Which absolutely messed up my plans. I hate to say it again, but I hate driving in the bad weather. I had planned - as the roads had finally cleared - to drive to South Haven to see some ice. Husband volunteered to drive me. I was glad he did! The roads were definitely icy until we got out of town and then they were fine. 

We got to South Haven and found out that several roads were closed due to a festival. We finally did meander our way down to the beach and I got out to take photos. It was cold, but really quite beautiful and peaceful. The chock-a-block ice that was as far as I could see last week, had broken up and I could see the water again. There was ice too. It looked really peaceful. I haven't sorted through the photos yet but I have a video. 

I could have stayed for ages (despite freezing fingers) but Saturday is usually a day for husband to relax and I was grateful for him driving me, so we went home. 

I can't say I did much the rest of the day. I went up in the craft room, looked around and left again. I took a nice warm bath too as I couldn't seem to get warm. 

It's supposed to snow tomorrow so I'm not sure what sort of Sunday Adventure we'll go on! 

January Decluttering Accountability

*Firstly, let me say that I didn't begin the decluttering until Jan 10th 

I'm actually quite pleased with how the month of decluttering went. It's certainly an ongoing process. There is a box in the corner that I put things in. Sometimes, it's something I see when I'm looking for something else and other times it is more purposeful decluttering. I think it's going to be a matter of getting rid of things AND not bringing a lot of new things into the house. 

* Another disclaimer.  I am a book hoarder. Reformed. Sort of. Mostly. I am really trying not to buy books, but sometimes I slip. There are a LOT of books in my house, tucked away in nooks and crannies and all sorts of places. I have a lot more to get rid of!

TOTALS

54 books

25 craft items

6 miscellaneous items

15 magazines

I'm still really struggling with the craft items. I go up in my craft room, look around, can't think of anything I want to get rid of and leave. Sigh. It's too crowded up there to actually do much crafting so it needs to go. I need to just grow a bit of a spine and GET RID OF IT. Not sure what's holding me back - maybe the thought I might use it on a project, or the money I spent on it. Sigh. Any tips? 

I am finding it a bit easier to get rid of the books and I'm working my way through the magazines. 

All in all, I am pretty pleased :)

FINANCES THIS MONTH

It has been a bit of a spendy month, helping son out with his new place, furniture, cleaning supplies. Sigh. Food bill, too high - I need to do better! I'm doing okay with the hobby spending. I spent about $10 this month on things from the dollar tree, which really isn't bad. 

I am going to have to decide if I want to keep on with the reselling thing. I think that contributes to some of the clutter in the house (definitely not organised) and some of the spending as I buy things to resell. Maybe I should challenge myself to sell x amount before I bring anything else in. It's nice to make a bit extra money and I was hoping to do some of this as husband slides into retirement to help fund the little trips we make. 

I'm giving myself February to see how things go financially. In March I might MIGHT start writing down every spend I make, though I must admit to being a little afraid of what I find. 

PHOTO 

If I was a mini-figure, this would be me, out in the snow with my camera trying to capture a good shot

Wednesday

More replies in the spam folder! Grrrr.... I am thinking that I'll have to check it every time I check any comments! 

Well, we're midway through another week, the last in January. This month has gone quickly. I seem to say that a lot! I've walked every day this week so far. It's been chilly but sunny. Sadly, the beavers are still blocked in by ice though it does seem as though they might be trying to break through in places. I miss seeing them! 

Husband still isn't feeling the greatest. It just seems to be hanging around. We seem to be taking turns sleeping in places other than the bedroom! I spent a night on the sofa (he was snoring, and I could hear though my earplugs), he spent a night in a chair (he was coughing and couldn't stop). I'm hoping he will feel better soon!

Some news on my son's old flat. He got a statement from the management. A little explanation. He paid a security deposit BUT sometimes they not only take all of that, but they can charge for any extra damages they determine aren't 'normal wear and tear'. Son was really worried (he worries a lot!) that they were not only going to take the deposit but charge more. We all spent ages cleaning. Surprisingly, he is getting some money back! They decided to charge for cleaning the carpet (really, after 9 years they don't plan on doing that anyway?) and the oven (spotless, I spent ages cleaning it really, really well). These were two of the things we weren't worried about. He didn't say anything. We're accepting what they have determined and will be glad to get anything back. It's done. Finished. Over. He doesn't have to worry anymore and that is PRICELESS!

I'm plodding on with house-y stuff. I should have a few totals of what I have cleared out since January 10th (when I started with the decluttering again) tomorrow or Friday. I'm somewhat pleased with the things gone. I can still do a lot better. I need to JUST LET IT GO! I think I've said it before, but I don't miss things when they are gone, I just find it really hard to let them go in the first place. 

Perhaps I should have a box of maybes. If I don't open the box in a month, I should let it go. Would that be easier? 

Photo for today a lovely little bluebird. These birds make me smile they are just so lovely and colourful. Some people think they migrate in winter, but some stay all year long. 

Is anyone else decluttering? How are you doing? 

Monday

Note to self - look in the spam folder for comments. Not sure why but even some of my replies are going in the spam folder. Who knows why - sigh.

Today wasn't a bad start to the week. I got out for a nice walk. The sun was shining though it was a little chilly. Over the weekend the snow had been packed down, so it was easier to walk on. I wore my Yaktrax, which help me not slip and slide. The beavers are still buried away but hopefully as it is supposed to get above freezing several days this week, they may be able to punch through the ice depending on the thickness of it.  

I really like the sunshine and shadows in this phone photo. 

After my walk I went and did a food shop. I haven't been for over a week, and we were running low on a few things. I've done the meal planning but there were a couple of items not available at the shop I went to, so I am stopping by another tomorrow. Hopefully that will be it for the week! Less trips to the shops seems to be the way to limit the spending on food. 

Husband is still not feeling well. He came home from work and spent most of the rest of the day in bed. It kind of threw my day off but I did manage to get a few things done. I hope he feels better tomorrow!

Weekend Catch-up

Here it is Sunday again and I haven't posted in a couple of days. I've just been tired at the end of the day and not wanted to do a lot of anything!

Husband and I ended up at son's on Friday. Poor husband was coming down with something but he soldiered on. We got a lot done, but we'd both had enough halfway through the day and decided to start again on Saturday. Saturday morning we were back at it. Older son came with us to help as well. We got a lot done. As much as we could. Older son and husband had plans in the afternoon, so we left around noon and let other son finish up. Today he left the keys. He's done as much as he can. He's glad to be done with it. I'm not sure what will happen from here, but the amount of time we spent there we know we did what we could considering it's an older place, that he's lived in for nine years and there was some fixes they had done that they didn't finish. 

Poor husband still isn't feeling well. He's been coughing most of the weekend. It sounds like something is going around at work. One of his workers had left early on Thursday feeling sick and been off on Friday. Another one has already called in sick for tomorrow. Husband is going to go in, he has to put in the hours for his workers so they can get paid. He's not sure whether he'll stay or not. He'll see how he is. 

He did drive me around today. He sat in the car most of the time but got out at the last spot. We went to the lakeshore so I could take some photos. It was good of him as he wasn't feeling well. I think he felt a little sorry for me as I'd been stuck in the house all week. He did get out at the last little lakeside park to walk out on the ice with me. I won't go by myself. It's thick at the edges, but sometimes part of it is brittle and I wouldn't want to hurt myself and have no-one with me! He said the air felt good for a bit. 

It was beautiful out. Cold, but it was partly sunny. Up on top of the ice was stunning. It's amazing how far out the ice is!

I am standing in the lake as I take this, and all this ice is formed when the waves come up and the lake freezes. Seeing scenes like this is the only good part about winter!

The weather looks to be better this week. I'm going to make the most of it. Get out for some walks. Replenish the cupboards and freezer. Finish up my monthly decluttering. 

Do you have plans for the week? I can't believe January is almost at an end!

More of the Same

It was very cold again yesterday. No walk. I think that was the coldest morning yet! Today was a little better but snow returned. I did manage to slide the car to the park for a walk. I wish I hadn't. It was snowy and blowy, and it was hard to walk in the deep snow. It kept snowing the whole time I was there. I ended up leaving early so I could slide all the way home. I managed not to slide completely down the hill (we live in the middle of a hill) and into the driveway. And that was where I stayed! Of course, not long after that the snow stopped. Sigh. Well, not completely. It was on and off most of the day.  I think things are supposed to get a bit better from here - at least for a few days!

I have been getting things done around here though so I suppose that's a plus! The little piles are slowly disappearing, and it does feel good. There are a few boxes sitting around that need to be dropped off for donation BUT before we do that we have to finish up with son's old flat. We were going to go round one day after work this week, but the weather and the roads have been so lousy (it's been too cold for anything to melt the snow/ice!) we haven't gone. We still have to pick up a few things and clean. He has a list. It's quite a strict one considering he's been there for nine years, and they haven't done a cosmetic thing in that long. We're going to do the best we can. Anyway, husband decided to take the day off tomorrow. He and I are going to do down, load up the van and start to do a bit of cleaning. We'll all finish up (both sons, husband and I) on Saturday. He has to turn the keys over by Sunday.

I have a feeling we aren't getting any of the security deposit back. They give you a list of things they will charge with if not done to their satisfaction. I'm tempted to just say forget it and let them charge for things I'm pretty sure they will try to ding us on anyway, but I can't do it. So we'll do the best we can. Son is worried (he worries a lot - think it's partly due to his Asperger's) that they will charge even more. I told him we'll deal with it if it happens. I told him to make sure he has all the times he's contacted them about certain problems he's having/had. Maybe I'm worrying too much too!

A few phone photos from my walk today

It's a sighting of a rare creature lol. I absolutely hate this hat, but I lost my other one and it was too cold to do without!

Brr it's Cold

It's been a horribly cold couple of days. I haven't been out for a walk at all. I don't think I'll go out tomorrow morning either. It's supposed to be -3F/-19C in the morning when I would go for a walk, so I don't think I'll be going out. Hopefully it's the last really, really cold day. We are going to be below freezing for a while, but not these ouch ouch ouch temperatures (I don't know how else to describe them!). I imagine the wind chill will make it feel a lot colder. At the time I'm writing this (9.44pm) it is -6F feeling like -25F which is -21C feels like -32C. I am so thankful that I have a warm house to be in tonight. We've had more snow the last couple of days too. Husband said he cleared another 6 inches off the car this morning. He had to clear the roof and driveway when he got home from work. Because it's so cold, the salt isn't working on the roads, and they are in a terrible shape. There have been a lot of accidents. I've been staying inside.

I did pop out to watch the birds and go out to fill the feeders a few times today. I took a few photos and then darted back inside again. It made me appreciate the warmth of the house!

I don't think I'll be going for a walk tomorrow but will be back to it on Thursday when it's a bit more manageable. It's supposed to snow again then though! Sigh. I told husband that next week when our highs are just about freezing, we'll all feel as though we're in a heatwave!

I did get a bit of sorting done today and I listed a few more things on Ebay. I actually went up to the craft room too.  Admittedly, I didn't do a lot. I looked around, got a bit disgusted by all the stuff and turned around and walked out again. I did cross stitch a little today in the afternoon. It's been a while!

I started a new one, so it doesn't look like much of anything right now. Hopefully I'll continue on with it and show some more! 

A photo from Sunday - our visit to the Grand Haven Lighthouse. It was snowing but managed to get a few pictures!

Weekend

The move with son went ok. We still have to get a few bits out. He needs to hand over the keys next Saturday so I'm hoping the weather will cooperate. Luckily, yesterday the roads were good. We loaded and unloaded, and older son and husband built a few pieces of furniture. We were all glad to be done at the end of the day! Middle son (J who was moving) girlfriend came over later with a sofa found at a thrift store and she bought him all new bedding for his bed. He spent his first night there and was a little anxious (I suppose only natural) but both he and the cat managed to have a good night!

We did pop in at the lighthouse before we went to help with the move. I'm glad we did! The sun wasn't shining, and the clouds were quite thick but at least the sky has some definition! The ice is starting to form!

Today the weather was...well, just horrible! I wanted to go up the lakeshore to Grand Haven and Muskegon to go see how the ice there was doing. We made it as far as Grand Haven. The snow was blowing and the roads were horrible! I got out there and took some photos (those aren't sorted yet). The ice was beginning to form. There were a couple of people quite close to the edge - really dodgy! Later I saw a news item on the weather channel where someone had taken a drone video of an adult and two children right on the edge of the ice yesterday! It's just crazy. A chunk of ice broke off right in front of them. I don't know what the adult was thinking! We always see things like that though. I don't understand their thinking. The person today was with a camera trying to take photos at the edge. I had my long lens and took photos safely from the shore. 

We worked our way back down the lakeshore towards home. The drive was quite...nail biting. The snow was quite fluffy and when there was a car in front of us it was just throwing up snow so we couldn't see anything. There were so many people driving without lights too! 

Here's our drive 

When we were safely able to pull over the back of our car looked like this! There was at least three inches of snow on the back (none on the front). 

It was pretty cold today. I think the high was 19F (-7C) wind chill a lot colder as the wind was about 20mph. It's supposed to get really cold tomorrow and Tuesday. We are under a Winter Weather Advisory (until Tuesday 7pm) and a Cold Weather Advisory (until Wednesday 12pm). It might mean a couple of days inside for me! I'll go crazy not being able to get out for a walk, but I think it's a little too cold for a decent one. At least I managed to get out for a little bit this weekend!

There are lots of things that need to be sorted and put away. Why do I always seem to end up with little piles of things? If I feel the urge to get outside, I'll bundle up, stand on the back porch and take some bird photos after filling up bird feeders. I'm pretty sure they will be eating like crazy tomorrow as they try to stay warm in the frigid temps!

What plans do you have for the week?