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?

Finally a Sunrise... and balmy weather

Well, not balmy. It was above freezing today, which is an improvement on recent weather. Better enjoy it while we can as the temperatures forecast next week are just brutal. We had a lovely sunrise this morning. Despite being cold then it was lovely just to watch the skies burst with colours and the sun stretch above the horizon. I have missed it. 

Some phone photos

What a lovely start to the day! I can't say I achieved much today. Son had asked me to go to some thrift shops to look for some furniture. I can't say I found anything. The only thing I did buy was a lamp. It was 30 % off and I thought it would do for son's bedroom. Tomorrow is the big day - the move! Can't say I'm looking forward to that either lol. He's excited though and I'm excited for him. 

I chatted with sister this afternoon. She shared some photos of our brother-in-law (older sister's husband) as he rang the bell at the cancer ward. He received his last treatment on Monday! What good news. This is his second bout of cancer. He doesn't have to go back for four months. I really hope they have a break. Please keep him in your thoughts. 

I hope everyone has a good weekend!

Wednesday

There were a few snow showers about when I went for a walk this morning. It was very cold though. I was well bundled up, but I still felt it. The poor beavers have given up on their open water and, for now, the whole of Asylum Lake is frozen

The snow from yesterday has covered most of the ice, but there is still a bit uncovered. It is pretty thick ice though and no beavers are popping up from beneath that! Closer to shore (and on another part of the lake) a lone ice fisherman was sitting out on the ice. Rather him than me!

 

I managed to drive to the post office today. The roads weren't that bad. I decided to stop and pick up a few bits too while the roads were good. Back at home I did a little sorting and then remembered that I'd signed up for a Photography Club meeting. I'm not good at Zoom meetings. I'm really not that good at the whole social thing, but this year I've decided to try to participate more in them. I didn't speak but I attended and stayed on camera the whole time. I'm glad I attended. It was interesting. 

Tomorrow there is a chance at some snow, though the temps are supposed to be warmer (closer to freezing) before we plunge into artic temperatures early next week! If it is snowing, I think I'm going to give the walk a miss and concentrate on getting some things done at home. I've started lots of little bits (the evidence of which are currently sitting in various places in the downstairs area) and I need to finish them and put away what I can. A snowy day will be a good one to do this!

I'm actually feeling quite good about the sorting. There are even a couple of empty spots on the bookshelves! Mind you, there are also books tucked about in other places that will come out of the darkness, and either be added to the bookshelves or be donated. Still a lot that I can't seem to let go of BUT each time I give the bookshelves a sort there seems to be more that I'm willing to get rid of. 

I'm off to bed, earlier than usual I think! I've already fallen asleep a couple of times and I think that tells me I'm ready to sleep...maybe...hopefully. 

Tuesday - snow, snow, go away

We went out for a bit on Sunday, but it was snowing so we didn't get out of the car for long. There is ice starting to form along Lake Michigan and with the cold weather we're having I'm sure there will be more building. 

Monday was more of the same - snow. I was hoping the weather was going to be okay as middle son was coming into town and he was going to sign for his new flat/apartment. We checked at a couple of thrift shops for furniture but no luck. He did the signing though and got keys so we will be moving him in next weekend. It wasn't the one he really really wanted (the funky priced one that seemed to change day to day) but it was something similar and he really likes it.  Fingers crossed the weather will cooperate! The snow made me really anxious, but he did okay driving in it and made it back home okay. It was funny, as he said that as soon as he got outside of our town the snow stopped, and he had a clear drive home! It must just have been dumping on us. 

More snow today. I did manage to drive so I could take a quick walk. I didn't stay long. It looked as though the beavers were giving up on trying to keep the water open as there was a layer of ice over the open water. It was snowing quite hard too and I didn't want to get stuck. I took a quick walk around and then went back home and that was where I stayed! I was glad of it. 

When husband got home, he had to rake the snow from the roof again and do the driveway again. It's supposed to be a snow-free day tomorrow - here's hoping!

On the home front, I did get a bit more sorting done. Slow and steady seems to be the way. If I look at the big picture, it is rather overwhelming. I'm trying to focus on what I can get done, rather than on what I can't. I also think that, at some point, I am going to have to take a hard look at what projects I can realistically do and what I need to let go of. For now, I'm still working on letting go of things that I find not difficult at all. As I get rid of things I am keeping a tally that I'll share at the end of the month. 

Lazy Saturday

It was still snowing a bit when I got up this morning, so I had husband drop me off for a walk. He came back home and raked the snow from the roof and then cleared off the driveway and the pavement in front of our house. We are responsible for keeping it clear. It was pretty cold out, but I enjoyed being outside, all bundled up, and seeing a few peeks of blue skies between snow showers. 

The beavers are managing to keep a bit of water open. They were out and about again this morning. It was amazing to watch one as it banged into the edges of the open water to break up the ice. The photos above are about the extent of the blue skies I saw. By the time I left the snow was coming down again. We're in for some more tomorrow. Sigh. 

I was pretty lazy when I got home. I did sort out a few things, put away a few bits that haven't been put away.  And then I just stopped, looked around at the stuff and couldn't work out how to get started decluttering again. I did manage to read through some magazines by my chair. I also managed to sort out 12 books to donate. I suppose that's something. I'll just have to keep trying. Every little helps. 

I was going to post an update on watching my budget, but I feel that's going to be a bust this month. Son is moving and we said we would help with expenses and some new-to-him furniture. That's obviously going to be a ding in finances, BUT I am going to plod on with watching other areas of spending. Not sure how that's going to go. Sigh. 

Hope everyone is having a good weekend! 

Snowy Friday

Start off with a moan - I don't like driving in the snow (have you heard this enough times now?) It was only snowing lightly when I got up this morning, so I bundled up (lots of clothing layers, hand warmers and yaktrax) and managed to slide  drive through our neighbourhood, cross the main road and hit the other neighbourhood so I could park at the back entrance to Asylum Lake. I've learned that, in winter, this is the best way to go. I can dawdle my way as slow as I feel able along to the end of our area, cross over the main street and dawdle all the way to Asylum Lake. Longer, but I feel more comfortable. 

I only walked down to the beaver lodge. The open water is shrinking. There was only a little bit left today. Some beavers popped up as the snow continued to fall. I saw two dog walkers and that was it. I didn't stay as long as I usually did. The snowfall was making me nervous. I'm glad I went back to the car. The back roads were definitely slick as I made my way home. The main road looked okay though. I had to go to the post office to drop off some Ebay packages. If it was bad I was going to have husband take me after work, but I thought I could make it okay and I did. I drove there, dropped them off and drove straight back home. That was it. For the rest of the day, I watched the snowfall from my house!

For the rest of the day, I did the things I'd put down on my list. I have completed all my tasks. I also had a good catch-up with my sister. She shared some lovely sunrises and sunsets she's had this week and a little bit of snow! I do enjoy our 'chats'. 

I'm slowly sorting my way through the magazine hoard. I have got rid of most of the photography magazines I had. I still have only a few to go. I also have got rid of most of my Landscape magazines. I really enjoy this one. I don't buy it anymore, but I do get it through my Kindle Unlimited subscription. I looked through some Spring ones today. It reminds me that warmer and longer days will come soon. Definitely something to look forward to!

Here in Michigan, we may be covered in snow, but my sister sent me a photo of some Snowdrops she saw this week in Ipswich!

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend. 

Getting Back into the Swing of Things

I haven't yet. Husband and son both went back to work yesterday. It feels like it should be the beginning of the week but it's coming up on the end of the week. I have been putting things away (the house is still a mess) and catching up on housework. On Monday I really need to knuckle down on working towards some goals. 

I haven't made New Year's Resolutions, but I do have things I want to work on this year 

* Time management. This is a big one for me. I struggle to stay on track, and I get easily distracted. The whole day has passed before I even realise it. I am going to make lists each day (these do help a bit) and really try to plan out my day a bit more so I don't dilly dally!

* Organise. Another big one. I am not an organised person. I find it hard to get organised. I can't find things when I need them and it's really frustrating. It's also wasteful as sometimes (confession time) I buy the same thing more than once. 

* Finances. I really want to get on track with finances, making sure I am keeping track on what is spent. Not overspending. Sticking to a food budget. Husband would like to retire in a few years and knowing where our money goes will help us to be able to stay on track with spending when our income is less than what it is now. We are paying off our house this year - YAH!

* Decluttering. This is an ongoing process. I did fairly well towards the middle and end of last year, but I really want to ramp it up this year. I think this goes hand-in-hand with organisation. 

* Crafting. I want to get that horrible, cluttered craft room into a space I can use again! 

It seems a little overwhelming, but I think if I can make lists and learn to stay on track I can get things done! We'll see how that works. I think I might do an accountability post each month. I'm not going to beat myself up if I do slip, but I am going to try my hardest not to slip. 

Have you made goals for the year? 

Photo for today - a snowy one. It's snowy here and more is forecast for tomorrow. It's also cold, though not as cold as Minnesota was! It was definitely lovely to see the sun despite the cold (I think it was about 16F/-9C when I went for a walk). According to my phone weather our next chance of sunshine is next Thursday - let's hope they are wrong!

The beavers are fighting a losing battle keeping a bit of water open!

Back From Minnesota

Thanks for all the comments on the last post!

It's been a week. We had a lovely time visiting Daughter R, Son-in-law S and Baby A. It's a long journey both there and back but luckily (especially at this time of year!) the weather wasn't too bad. We passed by a little freezing rain on the way back when we got to Chicago, but the roads were just wet. It's amazing that we had such a good drive! Still over 600 miles, so there's really no way to make it go a lot quicker lol. 

Baby A is just amazing. She actually remembered me! She gave me a lovely smile when I got there and proceeded to sit on my lap, give me cuddles and generally accept me with no reservations. It seems all that video calling does work! She didn't remember son and husband as much, but she did play with them when they got down on the floor and played. 

She had a lovely birthday party. She had a lot of fun. They got her a personal cake and let her go at it. It was so funny as she was quite dainty with it, just touching her fingers to it. Usually with her food she gets it everywhere! She is taking a few steps but seems to launch herself at people from there - you have to be quick to catch her before she goes splat on her face! Such trust. She really is a lovely little girl and her personality is definitely starting to shine through. 

It was sad to say goodbye, but lovely to have spent the time with her. 

I'll catch up on reading some blogs tomorrow! 

This is a personal little cake (not so little!) that the bakery gave them when they ordered her birthday cake. When they found out it was her first birthday they gave them this one too!