Another Day - books

Eileen - daughter isn't quite sure when she is going home. She has to work on Thursday but brought her work computer with her. She will probably go back after the weekend. I'm really appreciative that her new husband is so supportive of her spending time with me. He knew how tough this year has been for all of us. I know it's not easy to be away from your family in tough times and I'm glad he understands that too. He is such a great guy!

What a horrible dreary day! It started with all kinds of weather - snow, ice, rain and thunderstorms! Sadly there was no sun to follow. It was drizzly, dreary and foggy most of the day. The thunderstorms actually woke me up!

I went for a quick walk before daughter really got moving today. My oldest son is home from work on holiday this week and he was nice enough to look after the dogs while daughter and I went out and had a little look around. We didn't find a lot. I did splurge on some new books. The bookshop had a really good deal on hardcover books. I got some money for Christmas so treated myself. 

One of the books I got was this one. It's quite interesting and has been on my wish list for a while. I am looking forward to reading it. 

Speaking of books I completed my challege of 100 books in 2021! I was sure I wasn't going to complete the challenge. I didn't keep track of a lot of what I read so I'm glad to be have recorded as many books as I did. I am going to participate in the challenge again next year. I like having the books I've read recorded somewhere and Goodreads is really easy to do. 

2021 READING CHALLENGE

2021

READING

CHALLENGE

Congrats!

You have read 108 books of your goal of 100!

108/100 (108%)

View Challenge

 

I think tonight will be an early night. I am quite tired and am having trouble keeping my eyes open!

Boxing Day/A Nature Walk

This morning it was quite chilly. There was a thick frost on my car, and a thick frost in the field at the nature park I usually walk in. I don't generally go there on the weekend, but because of the holiday and daughter visiting I decided to take a walk there before we started our day. It was -4C as I was walking. The field was absolutely beautiful. It wasn't long before I came across a couple of male deer. They seemed a little wary of me, but (weird but true) I talked softly to them enough to take a few photos before leaving them to their breakfast. 

I walked down to The Point where one of the beaver lodges are. By that time the sun was just coming over the horizon. Quite beautiful. Not everyone is happy about the trees the beavers are downing lately, but I find it really interesting to watch. It seems that every morning a new tree has been gnawed upon. This happened last year too until it got too cold for them to do much work. I don't know too much about beavers but it seems to me that they fortify their lodges for winter and put some of the branches they strip off beneath the water, close to their lodges so they can chew on them during the winter. 

There were no beavers this morning, but I saw a muskrat (maybe more than one - who knows whether it was just the same one popping up!).  There was a thin layer of ice on top of part of the lake and I watched as one popped up through. 

Daughter and I didn't end up going far. We took the dogs on a couple of walks around our neighbourhood. I think the drive is catching up with her as she was awfully tired today and took several naps. I know she's been working hard too, so I decided it was more important to let her sleep and rest a while!

Christmas Day

 How you feel at the beginning of the day

How you feel at the end of the day

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas Day.  

I want this post to be a bit more cheerful so I will say that I received lots of thoughtful presents. I was quite spoiled. I did receive the books I really wanted from my oldest son.  A new adventure for 2022

Christmas Eve

 I missed yesterday. I had been trying to post every day this month and have done really well up until now, but last night I was tired. By the time I remembered (for about the tenth time) that I was going to post I was already in bed and, well, to be honest, I just couldn't be bothered to get back out of bed, fire up the computer and write the post.  So no post yesterday, but back on the posting wagon today. 

I managed to buy everything else I needed yesterday so I didn't have to shop at all today! Writing a list really did help. I finished most of the wrapping yesterday with just a couple of stray items that needed wrapping today. I went for a really long walk this morning. It was quite lovely. Quiet for a while early this morning, but by the time I left the car park was full. There were lots of birds around today eating the berries of the trees. I stood on the path and just watched. Nobody at all came along the path. 

I messaged with my sister this afternoon. She, my BIL and her younger daughter S, S's husband and two children went to Felixstowe today and took some flowers and a card to Mum's bench. They took photos to share with me. It was lovely but made me cry. I can't wait to be able to go sit on the bench and just chat with Mum. 

Middle son came up later and I cooked some pizza and nibbles. I was really surprised when someone came in the door - it was daughter and her dogs!!! She has surprised me with a visit home for Christmas. Her husband stayed home but he messaged me to say he hoped I liked the surprise. He is such a good guy. I am so thankful that my daughter has found such a lovely partner to share her life with. I wasn't looking forward to Christmas at all but it will be lovely to spend the time with her. 

I wanted to share a photo of one of the lovely gifts daughter and her husband gave me last week. It was son-in-law's idea to have this made for me. It is a blanket/throw. I am not sure I can bring myself to use it maybe except to wrap myself up in it and try to remember how it felt to get a hug from Mum. The flowers just so say Mum - she loved flowers. 

I hope everyone has a lovely holiday. 

I have been feeling a bit sniffly for the past few days. My nose hasn't stopped running and I'm tired (but haven't been sleeping well either). I decided to take a Covid test just to be sure (have some at home) as I didn't want to chance passing on anything to anyone else. It came back negative so probably just a cold. 

An ornament I brought home from Jane's tree to put on mine. She is missed this Christmas. I always tried to get her genealogy gifts as well as a Barnes and Noble (bookshop) GC. She was such a great reader! She always emailed after Christmas to tell me what books she purchased with her GC. I missed making her a lighthouse calendar this year. 

Lastly, the kindness of strangers. A cookie a lady at husband's work made. It is so beautiful I am almost afraid to eat it. 

Okay, this definitely is lastly. I really want to say a big thank you to all my blogger friends for your comments and support this year. They have really touched my heart and helped me through this difficult year. I hope all of you have a lovely holiday season. 

 It was really cold this morning when I woke up. I went for a really long walk and just about froze. I just needed to not think for a while, enjoy nature and the beauty around and take photos. Snow was falling lightly while I was out. I think that because it was so cold everyone decided to stay away from the park and it was lovely and quiet. It was really quite beautiful. Very cold though. I couldn't find my long undies and my legs were pretty cold when I was done. I came home and looked for them, but I still can't find them. Tomorrow morning is supposed to be just as cold so I will probably wear some leggings under my jeans. 

I managed one store, got quite a few things on my list, but still have to go out tomorrow to buy the rest. If I am not done tomorrow it won't be bought. I am determined not to go out on Friday. It will be crazy. I did get a whole lot of wrapping done today and tidied up some hotspots in the living room and dining room so I'm feeling a little better. Clearing up has made me realise that I have a lot of work to do in my own house next year. I also realise that I feel quite anxious when there is a lot of stuff/clutter around. My house isn't that big but I like space so there are things that will need to go. I think I shall have to be quite brutal about it. But that's for next year!

I kept busy all day.  There were more tears last night rather than today. I left a memory on Mum's memorial page. I am really glad the funeral home set it up. I'm not sure how long it will be there, but when I'm having a particularly difficult day I go on the page and light a candle or leave a thought. I want there to be more days when I try to think of the good times rather than the guilt I feel at not getting there in time. I know it is all on me as she wouldn't want me to feel that way. It's just tough. I can almost hear her telling me I'm being silly and her giving me a hug. 

I'm not going to end this on me being sad and moaning again. 

We got the Christmas tree up. Photos to come. I put up the ornaments I brought back from Jane's house. I have some I brought back from Mum's but they are still in the (unsorted) boxes. Husband put up the little tree. He usually does. Most of the ornaments we end up putting on the tree are handmade.

Tomorrow I'll be taking another walk. I have three shops to go to. One is just a pickup order, the other is for GC and the third for food. I have the last of the wrapping to do, some neglected housework to do and then I am hoping to take a nice relaxing bath before husband and son get home.

How are your preparations coming? Almost done? 

Today's photo is a picture of daughter, her husband (that sounds so strange to say lol), me and hubby at the light festival this weekend. Happy times. 

Happy Solstice!

 I almost titled this Monday, Monday... and then remembered that it is, in fact, Tuesday lol. Anyway, Happy Solstice! I was at the local lake just before sunrise this morning and watching the moon fall on one side of the lake and the sun rise on the other. It was quite cold and for a while there was no one else around. It was just magical. I always like this day as it means the days will finally get longer again. My Mum always laughed and said that it would be quite a while before that happened! It seems such a long way until Spring. We haven't got to the really cold days yet. 

This is one of my phone photos of the moon over the lake, it was reflected in the water below. I think I got better photos with my camera but I will have to check them and I just haven't got around to it yet. 

After my walk I picked up MIL and we went to a couple of craft shops. I am pleased to say I bought nothing! MIL picked up a couple of items she needed for a project and then we had a look around at the Christmas items. 

There were quite a few ornaments, statues and things left. Nothing I really needed or honestly wanted, but it was fun to look!

I came home, did the wash from our trip - lots of dog hair lol - and then I actually did a little wrapping! I am behind.

Tomorrow will be five months since Mum died. I've been feeling a knot in my stomach for days. I still miss her so much. Especially at this time of year when everything is about family and a huge, important part of mine is gone. I missed making the calendar for her this year.  It's the first time I haven't done it in twenty plus years. I would always be panicking in case I didn't have it done in time and Mum would always smile or laugh as she knows how I leave things until the last minute. It was always there by the new year though. She would have it up on the wall in her living room and my sisters would always look at the new photos when they came to visit. Sigh. I know my middle sister is having a tough time. Mum would always go over to sister's for Christmas Day and to spend the night. In the morning my BIL would take her to my other sister's. Last year Mum spent both Christmas and Boxing Day with sister. I think we're all struggling with the holidays this year. 

Well, I'm off to bed before I start crying. I can hear the wind howling around outside, so yet another windy night. I hope the power stays on and there are no downed trees. 

Back in Michigan

 It was a long drive back to Michigan, but we made good time. I'm just really tired. It shall be an early night for me. Husband has to go back to work tomorrow and I have lots to do. I need to go for a nice long walk in the morning. I haven't walked for a few days (not a long walk). It will be below freezing here in the morning, but not as cold as where daughter lives. After my walk I am going out with MIL. Then I shall get some washing done, maybe some presents wrapped. I am running out of time!

I heard from my walking friend while I was away. She was leaving on Saturday to visit with her son in California for the holidays. I texted her saying I hope she had a good journey as snow was expected here in Michigan on Saturday. She let me know that she made her plane okay but then they had to sit on the runway for FOUR hours as they couldn't get something in the plane to work properly! She said that wasn't the worst of it though. On Friday while she was trying to get everything ready for the trip she missed the bottom step on her basement spraining her ankle and chipping the bone! So she is back in a boot! I hope she recovers quickly.

Today's photo - one I took a while ago, but I like the bright red cardinal and the snow. I think this would make a nice holiday card. 

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend!

Daughter, Christmas

 Had a good day at daughter's. A few teary moments. There were conversations about mum and aunt Jane.  There were several times this weekend I wished I could tell mum something or share something with her.  I was thinking back on this time last year and how things were just fine,  before mum got sick and her struggles.  Even though we were going through covid and times were tough and we hadn't seen one another we could still chat and things were OK. 

Daughter's husband's mum lost her mom last year so she knows how tough firsts can be. Funny how we bond over the strangest things. 

On a good note,  plus note,  it was lovely to spend the day with daughter on her 28th Birthday. How time has flown! How lucky I am to have her.  She's been a tower of strength this year though I know she's done her own grieving too. She's taken time off work and driven hundreds of miles to spend time with me - when mum got sick with Covid and when Jane passed.  She's called me and talked with me when she knows I've been sad and grieving.  The day after mum passed she spent most of the day on the phone with me though I was in England and she in the states. I'm really glad to have her. 

So today's photo is of me and her.  I hate having my photo taken but I have learned - especially this year - that photos and memories are important.  I can't spend all my time behind the lens however comfortable that may be for me.  I want daughter to have photos and be able to look and remember the good times as I do those of me and my mum. 

Frozen Falls and Light Festival

 We had a pretty quiet day until this afternoon and then we took a trip to Minnehaha Falls. After the falls we went to the Glow Light Festival. Our time to go in was fairly early so parking was easy.  The festival was outside so there was lots of space.  My feet absolutely froze as it was all below freezing. We had a really fun time though - so glad we went!

 

Tomorrow we are doing our Christmas - present exchange and some games. 

Quick Post

 We arrived safely in Minnesota.  The roads were clear so we were really lucky travelling through Northern states in winter! It is snowing here lightly now and very cold. As I write this it is -10c/14f. I am glad I brought warm clothes with me though it is nice and toasty warm in daughter's house.  We made good time on the journey and the rest of our time we've spent catching up and just relaxing. 

Hopefully I'll have a couple photos to share tomorrow. I did take a phone one of Koda as she was in the couch