Friday

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

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

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

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

How are your Christmas preparations coming? 

Things that made me smile today:

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

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

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

Midweek

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

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

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

They certainly make me smile!

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

I think winter has arrived. 

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

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

What has made you smile this week? 

Sunday

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

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

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

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

A couple of phone photos

Some ice was beginning to form in the channel!

Blazing a trail through the snow!

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

Hope everyone had a good Sunday!

Getting Back on Track

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

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

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

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

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

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

The little tree in the garden covered in snow

Hope everyone has a good weekend and are staying warm!

Snowy Days

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

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

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

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

Children really are a delight. 

Days Drifting Along

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

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

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

The Beaver Lodge 

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

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

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

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

The Colours are Beginning to Fade

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

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

The Beavers' Lodge

The field was looking rather dull today. 

Fallen leaves along the trail

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

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

Thursday

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

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

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

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

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

Snowy Days

We've had a couple days of snow. It's sticking to the grass and a little to the roads, but nothing too bad yet. I have managed to get out for some walks. It's been quite cold so there haven't been many people around. I really enjoy days like that even though my hands and feet don't always like it! I had to break out the handwarmers yesterday and today. Luckily, I had a couple pairs left over from last year. I have ordered some more. I consider them money well spent. I thought about not going out but I really need the time in nature right now, enjoying the calm and not thinking about life. 

Mother-in-law is not doing well. She has mostly been asleep when we've been going by. Yesterday, she didn't wake up at all. Today she woke for a while, but most of the day she's been asleep. I did ask her if she was comfortable and pain-free and she said yes, so that's good. It's just hard to see her fading away. I'm glad she's not in pain. The place she is in seems like such a lovely place, providing a calm, dignified space. There isn't a lot of noise, or moving around and everything (machines, bags etc) are tucked away. 

There really isn't a lot else to say. The rest of every day going ons don't really seem to matter right now. We are just plodding through life, trying to support MIL as best as we can. 

I have blogs to catch up on. I have that planned for tomorrow. 

Weekend and the Dreaded S Word

The weekend didn't quite go as planned. I did get a few things done but nowhere near as much as I had hoped. The time just seemed to have flown by! I have worked out my menu for the week so that's good. I still have to write the shopping list though. Not so good. I sort of sorted through the pile I wanted to. It's slightly smaller but not as sorted as I had hoped!

As for the dreaded S word, yes it did snow. Not too much, but enough to stick to things. The roads - touch wood - seem clear for now as the ground is still too warm. We're supposed to have snow showers until Tuesday. I am hoping roads will be clear enough that I can get out for a walk in the morning. It's going to be cold though 20F/-7C. I'm not quite ready for it!

The photos were taken with my phone so they seem quite dark!

In the Garden

Husband built a mini snowman while we were out lol. It was rather dark and dingy all day. I would have liked it better with a bit of light! I am not liking these darker days. 

End of the Week

It's been a busy week. I feel as though I'm running behind on everything. Hopefully over the weekend I'll get a bit more on track. Usually, I take the weekends to just relax a bit but there are some things I want to get done so that I can start off next week on good footing. I will do some relaxing and fun things. 

On Thursday night I attended a Zoning Commission Meeting for our city. Not something I've ever been to before. To cut a really long story short, at one end of the place where I walk is a plot of land that the owner wants to get rezoned to commercial to (potentially) put a carwash there. The local community doesn't want it and The Asylum Lake board that I'm on has been trying to help rally people to write and attend the various meetings. The Zoning meeting was a big one. It was really well attended. The main room was filled including standing room, the overflow room was full and there were people in the hallway. When it came time for comments the queue was around the room and out of the door! The meeting started at 7pm and got done around midnight! It took that long for everyone to be heard. I couldn't stay longer than 9pm but watched the rest on the Youtube channel. 

The Zoning Commission voted unanimously to deny the zoning request but unfortunately that's not the end of it. It has to go to another committee that can (stupidly!) be able to overturn their decision. It really seems to me that these people who work for us really don't want to listen to what we say. This is the third time he's applied for rezoning within the last 4 years! People were quite angry. 

I'm really glad I went! The next meeting isn't until December 1st, so we've got a couple weeks to plan. 

It's such a beautiful place. Lots of people spoke of how walking there has got them through some tough times. It certainly helped me when Mum was ill and after she died and walking there helps me now. It's lovely to walk and enjoy nature and not think about all the bad things in life. 

Not sure of other plans for the weekend - apart from playing catch up - the weather forecast is calling for the dreaded S word. I hope they are wrong. 

Do you have plans for the weekend?

Back...Again

Took a longer break than I intended. Life. It happens that way sometimes. 

Update on Life

I did go to daughter's. Had a lovely time. Baby A is getting so big and saying all kinds of words. She is really just delightful!

She dressed up as Bluey for Halloween and had a lot of fun. Daughter lives in a really small town and a few of the shops were open for Trick or Treat. She had a lot of fun walking from shop to shop and getting treats. There weren't that many of them, but just enough for her! Later in the evening, she went to a couple of neighbours' houses. Daughter and SIL have a lot of children coming by and Baby A helped hand out the sweets to the other children. She was really quite good at it and had a lot of fun. 

Update on MIL - not so good news. She ended up getting an infection around the feeding tube and was taken back to hospital. She decided to opt not to get another one. She has been moved to Hospice Care, end-of-life care. She is just tired and has had enough. It's a difficult time. We are visiting her daily and taking photos and videos of Baby A as well as video calling. The place she is in now is lovely. She seems quite comfortable. 

I have blogs to catch up on. Lots of them. It will probably take me days!

Rain, Rain Go Away - Long Post - Life

It has rained all day today and it looks to continue on into tomorrow. I didn't go for a walk at all. I did get a few things done around here that needed to be done. It's been pretty chilly and I'm about ready to give in and turn on the main heat. I haven't done it so far. This evening I'm snuggled under a blanket and have a little heater on that I use to heat up the living room. 

We had a large tree come down in the garden today. Well, I'm not sure when it started to come home, but I went out to go do a food shop and when I got back one tree was at a funny angle. A little later I heard a crack, and it went down a bit more.  Later I looked again and it was down most of the way. We were really lucky as it didn't hit the neighbour's garage (they are at the bottom of our garden) and it didn't hit the other neighbour's fence (backed up along the side). It fell in a spot where there are only other trees. It will have to be sawed up and taken care of, but it hasn't done any damage to anyone's property (phew). The falling down of the tree caused me a little stress. Husband could do nothing as he was out of town. I think he's said he's added it to the list of things he needs to do! I think, because of the way it's fallen and the size, he might have to actually ring someone to come take care of it!

As husband was late back from work, he didn't visit MIL today. Son and I went together. She was quite tired, so we didn't stay long. We chatted for a while and, although she struggled to stay away, we could tell she was tired so told her to go to sleep if she wanted and we would leave if she fell asleep. So that's what we did. 

I'm supposed to go to visit daughter and Baby A on Friday. It's a planned trip. I booked it before MIL had the stroke. I planned on flying down and then on Halloween husband and oldest son would be driving down to stay the weekend and then we'd all drive back. Not sure what's happening now. I feel a little guilty about going, but I'm not sure I'm really helping by staying here. MIL is sort of in a stable situation, and I really do want to go visit. I was hoping she was going to be on the road to recovery and sending her videos and being able to chat would give her motivation, but she's not in that place right now. Son is definitely not coming with husband if we do stick to other plans. He wants to make sure somebody is still around to keep us updated. 

My FIL is not reliable to keep in touch. He had told us he was keeping both his other son (husband's brother) and his half-sister (husband's aunt) updated, but they have both contacted us telling us they can't get hold of him and he isn't telling them anything. I really don't think he can hear anything of what's being said to him and talking to him is really a struggle. I tried to have a conversation with him, and he said he couldn't understand me at all! He blamed it on my accent. My poor husband had to repeat everything I said. I told my MIL and that did make her laugh as usually (before the stroke) he was always saying that he couldn't hear her because it was the way she was talking. 

I did actually get up into the craft room today. I'm putting together a photo presentation for a public meeting my Asylum Lake group is having. I volunteered to put together a couple of photo boards. I wasn't about to volunteer to do any public speaking lol. So, I was up there working on them. Hopefully, I'll have some photos to share (if I get them done in time for tomorrow's meeting lol). 

Photo for today - it's a quote I downloaded that I liked, something I might add to a commonplace book. 

Tuesday Already - a bit of this and that and mostly babbling

I just realised that I hadn't replied to any comments for at least a couple of posts. Sorry. My brain seems to be mush lately. I am blaming that on totally getting the wrong day for my dentist appointment. I was working my way up to (and dreading) going tomorrow and I missed it as it was today. I feel so stupid! Now I have to reschedule, and I can't get in until December though I am on the call list. Something else to have to worry/think about. Sigh. I have NEVER missed an appointment before but for some reason I had it in my head that it was tomorrow, even the date and everything. Sigh. Shaking my head. 

It feels really funny writing about MIL. She usually reads my blog, so I don't write much about her. She isn't reading it right now. Sigh. I really don't know how she's going to get on. It's a worry. I still don't know what to say when we go to visit so I usually babble. A lot. 

I'm still itching. Thankfully the blisters are all healed up so I'm not scratching myself raw anymore. Maybe it will ease up soon. 

It did rain all day Sunday, so I didn't get out for a walk. It's supposed to rain all day tomorrow too! It might mean I'm a little more productive around here. Let's hope so as not a lot is getting done! I had a good walk yesterday and today so at least I've got out for a couple of walks. 

Random thought - I've been looking at, and thinking about, Commonplace Books. Has anyone kept one? I'm thinking about doing a nature one or maybe a seasonal one. 

This is what Wikipedia says about them

Commonplace books (or commonplaces) are personal notebooks used to compile any information the owner finds interesting or useful. They can variously contain notes, proverbs, adages, aphorisms, maxims, recipes, quotes, letters, poems, tables of weights and measures, prayers, legal formulas, and other professional references. They have been kept from antiquity, and were kept particularly during the Renaissance and in the nineteenth century.

Photo for the day 

It's beginning to look like Autumn at the Beavers' Lodge

A Saturday Walk

 

We managed to get out for a walk between showers. It was quite pretty and unseasonably warm. It was nice to go somewhere different for a little while. I can't say I did much the rest of the day. We visited MIL and I spent the rest of the afternoon just moving things around from one place to another. It was good to have that sort of day though. 

It is supposed to rain all day tomorrow so I'm not planning a walk. I do have to go to the shops in the morning so I'm hoping to have my food shopping list/menu ready so I can combine the trip. We are, at some point going to visit MIL and I have an Asylum Lake meeting in the afternoon. Hoping to be productive tomorrow so that I can have a good walk on Monday!

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend. 

Friday

Today I felt quite productive. Thank goodness. There were a few of those pesky problem areas that 'stuff' had started to accumulate in, so I tackled them today and got them sorted. It felt good! I was going to take before and after photos but completely forget. You probably didn't need to see that mess anyway lol.

MIL update - husband not pleased again. The social worker called and said that she wasn't sure how long the insurance would pay for rehab (she's been there 2 days at this point!) and perhaps she should think about assisted living. Not oversharing, but it's not something they can afford. I feel as though they aren't even giving her a chance! It doesn't help that she is worrying about how this is all going to be paid for. Today she sounded as though she was having trouble breathing so we called in the nurse who checked her oxygen levels, and it was very low. They were giving her an oxygen treatment as we left. Apparently, they had taken another x-ray of her lungs in the morning, but no results yet. I don't think they have the pneumonia taken care of. It's all very frustrating. She should only have to be thinking of getting back on her feet not worried about whether she can pay for treatment. On the plus side, her speech is sounding a bit better. 

I'm still itching. The blisters on my arms have healed, but for some reason I'm itching like crazy. Still. I thought it was because my skin was dry, but I put on some cream (which stung!) but made me itch even worse. I ended up wiping it off! 

The highlight of my day was my morning walk. It's so dark, so late that I don't like that, but I go out just before the sun rises (it's at 8am so I'm not that early lol) and sit and watch the sun rise. There aren't many people around. The geese, gathered on the lake for the night, start making noise just as the sun rises and a chorus of honking sounds as they get ready to take off. This morning, a Blue Heron flew across the lake followed by another, a Cooper's Hawk was making noise up in the tree opposite me and the Sandhill Crane family sounded their takeoff to find breakfast. There wasn't another soul in sight. 

These are my phone photos, bright pink sky. 

And some signs of Autumn. Walking and nature is certainly something that keeps me sane and makes me smile!

Not sure what the weekend will bring. The weather isn't supposed to be great, but the weathermen might be wrong. Hopefully wrong! Hope everyone has a good weekend.

Bit of a Break

I missed a few days blogging again. Just needed a little break. On Sunday MIL had a stomach feeding tube put in. I knew the hospital was sort of pushing for it. My thought was that they wanted to have that done so they could move her out of the hospital and, yes, they did move her on Tuesday to a rehab facility. Sadly, it is the same one Jane was in, so it was a little upsetting for MIL. She is now worrying about how to pay for things and of limited time allowed (by her insurance) in the facility. She wasn't in very good spirits today. It was quite upsetting. I don't know what to say to try to make her feel better or to try to keep her fighting. She says she is tired. I don't know the point to say it's okay to let go or to keep fighting. There has to be a balance somewhere, right? I'm hoping that moving her just took a lot out of her and she needs a couple of days to adjust. 

It's sort of knocking me off balance so not too much is getting done around the house. I really need to make lists to keep myself on track. It would keep me busy and make me get things done! There was no walk today - which usually starts the day off right - as it was raining. I am going to make sure I have a nice long one tomorrow as the weekend isn't looking great either. I suppose it's that time of year. I am certainly not enjoying the darker mornings or the long nights. I would be able to get up later - if I could sleep! I'm still itching, though (fingers crossed) I THINK it might be getting better. I hope so. I am still itching and scratching but a bit less than before! It's been almost three weeks so surely soon it has to get better!

Hopefully, the next post will be a little bit happier

Something that did make me smile was seeing three chipmunks altogether! They are usually quite solitary animals, unless they are chasing one another around so seeing three sitting together was quite fun!

Different Post - Seals from Horsey Gap

A bit of a lighter post.

While I was in England visiting sister, she booked us a long weekend away in Norfolk. We had a lovely time and while we were there, I mentioned hearing about seals being seen on the beaches. We went along to Happisburgh which (although my sister preferred to call it Happys-burgh as it made her feel that way) is pronounced Hazebrur. We only learned that as the car park ticket machine wasn't working and we were talking to a local lady and her husband. We ended up talking to them later about seals and such and she directed us to Horsey Gap which was on our way back to the camp at Hemsby. 

We decided to stop there at the way back to our camp and were delighted when the parking attendant told us there were about a hundred of them out on the beach! It was lovely to see them in their natural habitat. I was really pleased to see people giving them space and just sitting and watching them. It was really lovely. 

Here are a few photos

If anyone is close, I'd definitely recommend it! I would love to visit when they have their pups in winter. There were several swimming in the water, which was lovely to see!

Updates - Wednesday

Thanks for all the tips on the itching. Things help for a little bit but I'm still really itchy! I looked it up and it can apparently last weeks!!!! My poor arms look horrible. Thank goodness it's cooled down a little and I have an excuse for long sleeves. I won't forget this lesson and next time will wear long sleeves. This is the itchiest I have ever been. 

Update on MIL - she is out of the Neuro Intensive Care and is in a 'normal' room. She has pneumonia now too, so they have her on some antibiotics. She can talk a little bit, but I think she has a long road to go. I never know what to say when I go visit her. I won't stop going as just chatting about daily life seems better than leaving her on her own! It's frustrating for her as we can't always understand what she is saying and her words aren't coming out as quickly as her thoughts are forming. She is slowly improving though, so that's good! 

Not a lot has been going on with decluttering and such. I've been knocked a little off-kilter, and I need to get back on track. We did get the gutters replaced on the house today, so they are all sorted out for a winter - a big project done! Yah! I'm hoping it will help with the problem areas where, in winter, water dripped from the gutters and ended up as ice that we could slip on!

Photo - some lovely skies from Monday's walk

Sunday

 Husband and I managed to get out for a beach walk today. The weather was unseasonably warm, but there was a slight breeze at the lakeshore which made things feel a little better. It wasn't a long walk, just getting out for a bit. It's been a while since we've been to the lakeshore - since early August! I can't believe it's been that long. There are certainly signs that the summer season is over. There are already barriers in place on the beaches to stop the sand from drifting too much. 

It certainly seems much to early to see them, but it is October already!

We were pleased to see that work is going to be done on one of the lighthouses at Muskegon. For years it has been in need of repairing. It looks as though it is going to happen!

A sign on the walkway

Hard to see, but the rest of the walkway up to the lighthouse is blocked off and a protective cover has been put over scaffolding at the bottom of the lighthouse. I'm not sure how long it is going to take, but it's about time!

A Little Moan - it's my own fault but last Saturday when I volunteered, I did not wear a long sleeve shirt. Apparently, I must have got into something as a couple of days after that my arms started itching, blistering up and I've been itching on my arms and around my neck ever since. Sigh. I think it was Poison Ivy, Poison Oak or Poison Sumac. Not sure which. It just itches like crazy despite anti itch cream. My arms look a mess. I'm not sure how long it will last. I know it's not an illness as the rash is only on my arms. I just itch like crazy  - GRRRRR! 

Moan over. There are worse things. 

I did start a little cross stitch this afternoon, to keep my hands busy and to stop me itching. It's only a little kit I picked up while in England. 

I got a bit more than this done, but the light was fading, and I wanted tot to take a photo of at least a little bit lol. Hopefully I'll do a bit a day. 

Tomorrow, after work, we're going to visit MIL. Daughter sent me some new Baby A photos and a video to share. I'm hoping it will keep her spirits up. Thanks for all the prayers and good thoughts. 

Hope everyone had a good weekend!

If you have any tips to stop me itching, I'd appreciate it! I'm hoping it doesn't last long but from all I've read it could be up to three weeks!!!!