Monday Monday - a bit of this and that

Not as much got done today as I hoped. I did get up and go for a walk. The weather was forecasting rain all day, but luckily it held off until after we had got done. I did go and do a little food shop. I haven't meal planned. I didn't want to do it when we got back last night so I wanted to pick up enough for a couple of meals. The rest will be whatever we have on hand. I plan on doing a somewhat meal plan tomorrow. I did a couple of loads of wash but need to do some more. We didn't do any while we were at daughter's house. It was just easier to wait until we got back. I still have some bits to put away. I brought back the rest of what I'd left at daughter's and a few other bits. They have to be found a new home tomorrow, so that's on the list. 

I ended up dyeing my hair today. It has been a LONG time since I had done it. I thought about letting it go grey, but it's a horribly steaky colour, that looks horrible. I didn't like it. I did it myself and I really like it. I took a photograph of the packet, so I remember the colour. Usually, I end up going too dark and it doesn't look right. I have dark hair naturally, but it also gets a lot lighter in the sun. I went a bit lighter, and it blended lovely. I think it looks really natural. 

Also tomorrow, I need to drop off my camera in the mail. Sigh. Unfortunately, while I was away, the bit where one of the straps attach broke. Luckily, I did not drop the camera so nothing else was damaged. There was an issue with this part on this particular camera, but I thought (not a smart move!) that because I hadn't got my camera right away mine wouldn't be affected. I checked and apparently my model of camera is on the recall list. I have registered it and have a prepaid mailing label to attach to get it repaired. I'm hoping it doesn't take long! I didn't get rid of the last one I had so I'm using that. I am realising now that I have been spoiled. My mirrorless camera (the one that needs to be repaired) is really silent as it takes photos, the old one (not mirrorless) sounds really loud in comparison!

Today was Baby A's first day of daycare. Daughter goes back to work next week - how time has flown! - and she wanted to get her started a bit early, so they get into a routine. Apparently, Baby A got a bit teary-eyed when they first entered as it was quite loud. She did settle, took lots of naps, drank her milk and was tired out when daughter picked her up! The daycare sent daughter lots of updates which she sent me, lol.

I have been taking all my Phone Photos - Things That Make Me Smile daily project, but a lot of them last week were of Baby A, so I shall be starting up again from today. 

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Back to my walk. It made me smile to see how green everything has got in one week away!

Normal Service to Resume

We're back from Minnesota. It was rather sad to leave Baby A. She is getting so big. She is cooing and ahing and yesterday she learned to fake cough. Daughter has had a cough the last week or so and Baby A has picked up on it, mimicking a false cough. It is so obviously fake, and she smiles afterwards. She really is delightful. She is copying sticking out tongues and such. She loves trying to sit up though she isn't quite strong enough to do it by herself right now. 

Tomorrow, I have lots of catching up to do, lots of washing to do and then it's back to making lists for the coming weeks ahead. I really enjoyed my time away and it really makes me want to work towards husband retiring so we can do more of this kind of thing. Lots to think about and plans to make. 

I wanted to share this fun video. I drove quite a lot to the Wildlife Drive at the local Refuge. Basically, it's just a huge area of green space. There is a seven mile drive where you can wander along (drive, walk or bike) to look at the local wildlife. There are other areas with trails and such. Anyway, as I was going along the drive I came across a Cockerel! It was there several days. Not sure where it came from. It always seemed to be in the same spot. 

Back tomorrow. I'll be (hopefully) catching up with blogs. 

Quick Check-in From Minnesota

Having a lovely time. It's amazing how much Baby A has grown in just a few weeks. She is smiling and babbling away. She's trying to grab things too. She is drooling away and trying to shove anything she can into her mouth. She does sleep really well at night, but in the daytime 30 minute naps are all she seems to manage. She does not like to go to sleep during the daytime. It would be rather funny if it wasn't frustrating as she gets really tired if she hasn't napped. She doesn't like laying down when you hold her. I think she then thinks you're trying to get her to sleep! She'd rather sit up though she can't sit up alone yet. She does hold her head up pretty well though. 

I'll obviously have to play catch-up when I get back. I'm enjoying spending the time with daughter and baby and enjoying trips to the wildlife refuge. The computer and daily life will still be there when I return lol. 

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A beautiful Sunrise

Be Back Soon!

Off to Daughter's House

We're off early in the morning to visit daughter and her family and to get much needed cuddles from Baby A. I'm debating whether to take the computer or not. I will try to check in, but I really want to just enjoy baby A and spend time with the little family. I can't wait!

I stayed away from sorting anything today. I really didn't have time. I had a couple of stops to make, some washing to do and then some packing. I didn't hear from the opticians, so I decided to stop in and ask about the glasses. They were there. They said they had texted. I told them I hadn't received one. They weren't sure why I hadn't. While I was picking up the glasses someone came out and asked whether I had left a message. Apparently, the messages left are transcribed. I don't know if it's my accent, but the transcription bore absolutely no resemblance to the message I left. We had a good laugh about it. The glasses will take a bit of getting used to. I'm afraid I'm going to trip over my feet. I wore them a while, but they gave me a bit of a headache. Hopefully, it won't be long until I get used to them!

I'm off to bed so I can get up early, early in the morning. Night!

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Things are starting to look a lot greener. I wonder how much will change in just a week!

Slow and Steady

It's not been a bad week. I've been making lists and checking things off. I have added another...ta da...30 books to the donate pile! I have another 2 boxes of items ready to go to the charity shop. I've absolutely smashed the book donation total I wanted to meet this month. It feels good though there are still many more to go. I'm finding it a little easier to let go of them. The craft room is still a mess, but I'm slowly sorting through things and letting go of some of them. I wish I found this a little easier! I am trying to keep focus on what I want the house to look like and just keep chipping away at bits until it might, someday, get that way!

I've been getting out for walks each morning. It's been warmer this week, so it's been lovely to get out. Some storms came through this afternoon, but that was well after I'd got the outdoors things done for the day. We're heading to daughter's for a week-long visit on Friday so I'm trying to get a few things finished up before we leave. It will be nice to have a little break from the house stuff and hopefully I'll come back full of energy and raring to go! 

Tomorrow, I have to go pick up some snacks for the road trip, fill up the car so we can leave early on Friday, do some washing and pack. I'm also messaging with my sister tomorrow instead of Friday. I want to go check on my glasses. They haven't come in yet. Husband got his second pair yesterday and, when he asked, they said mine were in and I would be getting a text today. I heard nothing. I tried ringing them but they didn't answer so I left a message. When I ordered them I was told it would be 7-10 business days. It's been well over that now. Sigh. 

Things That Make Me Smile - all outside ones. The weather has been glorious. The sunrise yesterday was lovely and today it was the clouds that made me smile 

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Back tomorrow. 

Sunday Adventure

It was such a beautiful day yesterday. A lovely burst of almost summer-like weather. The sun was shining brightly and the temperature reached 76F/24C!!!! We decided to go for a walk on the beach at Michigan City, Indiana and then down to Indiana Dunes National Park. I really like visiting there. There were a lot of people walking the trails, but we found one that wasn't too bad. It was really lovely being outside. 

The trees are still mostly bare, but you can see the beginnings of leaves and some of the blossom is now blooming. There weren't too many birds around, but we could hear the spring peepers (frogs) making lots of noise. There were a few early ground flowers if you looked closely. 

Later, when we were home, middle son and his girlfriend stopped by. They had gone with our other son (the older one who lives with us) to a Comic Con that was in town. They stayed for a little while before heading back to their respective houses. All-in-all it was a pretty good day. 

Some phone photos from our adventure

They are starting to get the beaches ready for the summer season. This means evening out the sand.

This made me smile today (105). Somebody had left their mark in the sand!

The trail that we walked along

Lovely sunny skies!

Saturday

The sun was shining this morning. Really lovely. I got out early and sat and watched the beavers for a while and then had a nice walk. There was a fisherman right by the beavers' lodge, but he moved soon after I arrived and then the beavers came out. I'm not sure why they fish right there as the sticks and tree logs line the bottom of the lake. It seems there are other, clearer areas where the fishing would be better, but what do I know? 

Anyway, it was very relaxing. After watching the beavers, I took a walk. I heard lots of bird sounds. Up in the field the Tree Swallows and the Blue Birds were competing over who would get to occupy the two bird houses. A little Chickadee even took a lot in one of the houses while the Tree Swallows and Blue Birds were flying around.

A little later husband and I went out to do a bit of shopping and to take a look around for poly greenhouses (not sure that's the right term). We don't want anything too big, but something that would protect plants from the deer. It has to be able to be taken down and stored in winter. We think we've found one, but we want to do more research as to what else (food) we can grow there in pots. 

I did actually do a bit of sorting today too. I'm on a roll! No books today but I was up in the craft room. Some hard decisions will have to be made. Sigh.

Question - how long should an item be kept if it's not been used so far? 

Question - when decluttering, is the price you paid for something a consideration in whether you get rid of it or not? Or do you just chalk it up to a purchasing error and - hopefully - going forward you avoid that error? 

Some things I really have to think about. I think that second one is holding me back in some areas. 

One of my beaver photos from this week

Some phone photos from my walk today and my Things That Make Me Smile photo

104/366 - it's sunny!

Friday - Sorting and Decluttering

Ugh. Rainy Day. Most of the day. I tried for a walk but got wet so basically did a tiny one. Later in the day it did brighten up a bit, but it was very windy. I kept looking out of the window at one of the trees in the garden. It's a pine of some kind but looks dead. We need to have someone come cut it down but have been procrastinating. We are going to make it a priority once we get back from visiting daughter. I really don't want it to come down in a storm. It's huge and really close to the property line. 

I spent the day doing quite a bit of sorting. There are another 43 books added to the donate pile. WOW! I'm on a roll. I've done way more than the target I expected and am quite pleased with myself. There is still a LOT to go. I can't believe how I can fit this many books in my house. It isn't that big. I also sorted out a two-cube unit that was mostly books and had camera stuff on the top. The books have gone, and the camera stuff is now in the cube unit so it's looking a lot tidier. 

I also went up in the craft room and sorted through a container full of ribbons. I sorted out several that could be donated. There was some spare space, so I put in some other random ribbons that were not put away. 

Husband also took 5 boxes of (not books) donations to the charity shop. So far, I'm quite pleased with what I've managed to get rid of this month. I need to keep plugging along. 

Phone Photos from the quick walk

Just puddles lol. There was lots of water around. 

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A lovely candle that made things a little brighter today. I have a lot of candles and am really trying to actively use them. It smelled lovely!

Week Flying By

 It was another lovely day yesterday. I spent far too much time outside. Good thing too as today it was chucking it down. The rain is supposed to last through tomorrow too! I am not pleased. 

As I said, yesterday I did spend quite a bit of time walking with my friend, then I (finally) had a much-needed haircut, ran a couple of errands and still managed to get a bit done at home. 

101/366 Lovely blue skies for my walk. Everything was so wonderfully calm.  Quite a change from today lol. I certainly made the most of it!

Today I stayed in. I procrastinated quite a bit and got a little distracted by an unusual garden visitor. 

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A Turkey! It was around the garden quite a bit. My neighbour's dog came out for a little while and scared the poor turkey up into one of the large pines at the back of the garden! I did not know that turkeys could fly that high and get up in the trees but apparently, they do!

I did get some house things done 

DRUM ROLL .....

Another 13 books to add to the pile!!!

I also finished sorting through the clothes. I can check that off the list! There is still a long way to go, but I feel as though I'm starting to make progress!

I also had a video chat with daughter and Baby A. She was babbling away and trying to grab the phone! Then I messaged with my sister. We usually do this on Friday but she's off for the weekend as it's her husband's 60th birthday and their family, daughters and grandchildren included are having a weekend away. We'll do the same next week as we are leaving for daughter's house on Friday. 

Hopefully back tomorrow. More rain, probably, so maybe more sorting progress!

Monday and Tuesday

Not a bad start to the week. The weather has been glorious. I've been going out for my morning walks. It's been so nice not to have to be all bundled up. I didn't go anywhere for the eclipse yesterday. In fact, I wasn't even going to watch it, but the weather was so gorgeous I ended up sitting in the garden birdwatching and glancing up at the sun once in a while (through glasses). I hadn't thought to get any glasses - that's how much I wasn't going to watch it - but MIL said she had some extra, so I decided to grab a couple pairs just in case. When husband came home from work, he sat in the garden with me and watched. I'm glad I didn't go anywhere else for it though. I'm not a fan of crowds or people so it was nice just to be in the garden - food, drinks and loo close at hand ha ha. 

Today I spend far too long at the park. It was so beautiful I got distracted. It's supposed to rain both Thursday and Friday, so I'll make up for house time then. 

I did get things done though - I managed to sort out another 16 books. So I have already surpassed my goal for the month. I am going to keep going though as I want to get rid of as many as I can especially since I seem to be on a roll! I also got started sorting through my clothes. I managed to gather a box for donation, and several got thrown away. I still have the hanging clothes to sort, but I'm quite pleased with what I've accomplished. 

Tomorrow I finally have a haircut! I haven't had my hair cut since before I went to daughter's. I have a fringe/bangs that desperately need to be cut. It's really bothering me as I have to keep swiping my hair out of my face to be able to half see anything. Oh, one pair of my glasses have come in so I will be picking them up too. Between the glasses and the haircut I'll finally be able to see again. 

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Made me smile. Husband looking at the eclipse. 

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Beautiful sunrise.