Too Much Glass

There was a fair amount of organization that happened today in my room.  Someday, maybe I will live like a normal person, whatever that is.  Until then, I will do what I can to get closer.  Most of the happy things for today revolve around productivity:

• Bel installed the shelf for me and I promptly filled it up.  I tried to wipe down most of the things as I placed them on the shelf.  Only one got broken during this process.  I'll probably try to fix it.

• I moved around enough things in my room that I have floor space again!  Not just the walking area that was there.  I could probably put my yoga mat down and do some stretching.
• I've been participating with some online friends and friends of friends doing some exercises.  This month we've been doing squats.  Next month there are other exercises, one of them is the burpee.  I don't like the burpee.  That is just background though.  Because of this group I am considering some shenanigans that I hope will be fun.  Creative ideas.  I hope to share more about it another day.  
• It is very makeshift, but I changed my room up a bit and my computer can be a standing computer now.  So far I like it.  Since it is a little bit put together with things I already had, it also wobbles a little.  I'm hoping it will be harder for me to fall asleep at the keyboard now.  😊

☮

Currently reading: The Burgess Book of Nature Lore, by Thornton W. Burgess.

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan.

Stay safe.

Bells

 My mom had a small collection of bells.  Today as I emptied the box of what were mostly her nicknacks I was torn between the what-am-I-going-to-do-with-these and why-do-I-want-to-keep-them questions in my head.  There has been a shelf downstairs that was waiting for a wall to be mounted on.  Ideally that shelf would have gone up today, over my bookshelf, but I had errands to run and it didn't happen.  Since my bookshelf was cleared off to make room for the shelf installation I put the breakables from the box onto the emptied bookshelf.  Then I played the bells.  Some have a lovely sound, some seem a little dull.  

A few months ago I was looking for relaxing sounds to help me sleep.  I came across some Tibetan healing sounds that incorporated bells and chimes with the music.  It was beautiful.  To help me sleep I ended up finding guided sleep meditations to listen to instead.  I appreciate the Tibetan music.  For some reason, ringing the bells that had belonged to my mother reminded me of this music.  It also brought a surge of joy to my heart.  Maybe there will be a poem...

Other happy things for today:

• Errands happened so my Post Office box was renewed and I was in the car long enough to listen to a bunch of my audiobook.
• Driving by Lake Massabesic in Auburn, NH I wanted to take pictures, but didn't want to stop.  I did the one hand on the wheel, one on the phone and eyes on the road thing.  Here are two pictures that weren't mostly the door. 

• Leaving the grocery store tonight I noticed the full moon rising (technically the full moon is at 3:17 AM on Feb.27, 2021).  It wasn't dark yet and I tried to take some pictures on the ride home using the same procedure as above.

• When I got home I was excited to try to see the moon in the back rising.  I didn't think I would have to go far to see it.  I did.  Because of the hill, the moon was not where I thought it might be.  It was a nice short walk of almost a half mile.

Sunset.

The witch tree.

That little dot of light through the trees is the moon.

• I still wanted to see the moon.  I went outside twice after the walk, barefoot.  It was worth it.

Sunset.

Feet.

Moon through the tree.

Moon.

☮

Currently listening to Quiet, by Susan Cain.

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan.

Currently reading: The Burgess Book of Nature Lore, by Thornton W. Burgess.

Stay safe.

Commedia dell'Arte Day

 Knowing the best way to do something and doing it are two different things.  My walk this morning was along the side of the road.  This meant that I could listen to the audiobook I have through one of the library apps.  Making the time to listen to a book is good, making the time to pay attention to nature is probably better for helping me relax.  Still, the walk and exercise were good.

This swamp/pond has snowmobile tracks on it.
I wonder if it is the same people who rode on our property.

The view from the road.

Other happy things from today:

• The box I went through for my Lent challenge today was supposed to be easy.  Then I found more papers!  Another pile of things to be burned.  The box took me longer than I had hoped, but I feel so much better now that I have gone through this one.  Maybe I'm just a little crazy?  😜
• I just finished watching the i Sebastiani show: "The Old Twins".  This was quite enjoyable and can be viewed here.  
• Yesterday I added water to some of the seed starters I have and today I added some seeds.  I went through my list of seeds and when they should be planted and chose some that really need the extra time indoors and some that I want to get an early start on.  Next week the geranium seeds should come in the mail and I will plant them too.  These went onto the other heating pad I got and there is still room for more.  I'm already getting ideas for next year.  
• The cats are cute-especially when they aren't fighting.

Nanni is the grey/brown tabby and
Winston is the orange Tabby.

☮

Currently listening to Quiet, by Susan Cain.

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan.

Currently reading: The Burgess Book of Nature Lore, by Thornton W. Burgess.

Stay safe.

Fresh Air

 There were surprisingly few animal footprints when I walked out back today.  There were a few deer tracks and something small like a mouse.  I could hear chickadees in the trees and saw a few morning doves.  The new tracks today were that of a snowmobile and the footprints of the rider.  My guess is that something happened with their machine, they walked home and then got another person to help them out.  Since I haven't been out there in over a week, I can only guess that this happened yesterday or the day before by the way the snow on their trails were a little melted, but not really covered.  

The walk was difficult, but very rejuvenating.  The temperatures soared into the 40's today so my winter jacket was perhaps too much as I moved slowly along on snowshoes.  I think I am getting better at using the snowshoes.  At least I didn't fall this time.  The fresh air and bird song was what I needed to get out of yesterday's miserable headspace.  I also took the time to notice the very beginnings of buds on some trees.  Signs of spring help warm my heart.

Deer prints.

Itty bitty leaf bud.

The Witch Tree still stands.

Other happy things today:

• My aunt got in touch with Keziah about borrowing some knitting needles.  Next thing I knew we were driving to meet her and then go on to her grandson's house that they are building.  He planned for a house for just him, and then he fell in love.  Thankfully there is room for two in the 30' X 30' house on a hill he is building.  

View from what will be the kitchen window.

Sunset.

• My cousin came by too.  Her dog, Daisy, is always looking for attention.  Daisy got so many cuddles and scritches as she went between Bel and I and anyone else in the room.

Isn't she adorable?

• While the sun was shining, the front room heated way up.  Winston loves it out there.

Winston, watching the wildlife out the front room window.

February 25th is Commedia dell'Arte Day.  There will be a Zoom performance from i Sebastiani: The Greatest Commedia dell'Arte Troupe in the Entire World, at 7 PM at this link.

☮

Currently reading: The Burgess Book of Nature Lore, by Thornton W. Burgess.

Stay safe.

Depression

Sometimes the thing to do is just cry.  Shoveling was my downfall today.  We might have had three inches of wet, sticky, and heavy snow.  The snow thrower didn't want to throw.  Sleeping in this morning seemed wonderful.  Upon awakening I felt almost refreshed and I was ready for the day.  At some point while clearing snow that shifted and I was in pain and angry.  I followed this up with stretching out on my bed and trying to recuperate with tears.  I seem to remember a week or two ago saying that I was in a funk and that it wasn't the bottom.  Really hoping that today was the bottom, because then there is nowhere to go but up, right?  Depression is hard.  Pandemics are hard.  Snow is heavy.  

Another hard thing was forcing myself to continue with going through a box.  One box a day is all I am aiming for so I did it.  There was a box within a box, so I only did one of them.  I decided to start by doing a little flip onto my bed.  This helped to cheer me a little.  Eventually, I was deep  into old papers that were my mom's and that got my head in a different space.  The good news is that I found quite a few things to get rid of in this box, and not just paper.  Other happy things include:

• We watched Star Trek Next Generation tonight and I really enjoyed the episode-Parallels.  What I think I liked about it was how the realities were shifting.
• One of the things I found in the box was a banner from when I was in Campfire Girls in the 1970's.  We all chose alternate names and made a patch for the banner.  My mom was most likely the leader or someone else would have the banner-I come from good-almost hoarder-stock.  It is a cycle I am trying to break.

I don't remember who is who here.
Mine might be the one on the middle right side?
I feel like this is not politically correct, but it is part of my history.
We were trying to learn about other cultures.
If felt burns well, this will eventually feed a fire.

• This gave me a chuckle...

I don't know who the people are.
The sign reads: Head on Parking.

• Despite not being in the best of moods most of the day I still accomplished my step goal, did 50 squats, and went through a box--I even laughed and smiled some.
• To the reader: Thank you for checking out my little blog.  It is not much, but trying to come up with things that made me happy during the day has meant so much to me.  I considered not writing it anymore.  Times are hard right now and this is helping me.  I hope that sometimes, it brings a smile to your face too.  Much love and appreciation.

☮

Currently listening to Quiet, by Susan Cain.

Stay safe.

Fireplace

 Getting up early to go through a box isn't working.  Well, it is working for the box sorting, it isn't working for the rest of my day.  I'm tired.  I think I say that often.  When I am tired I get distracted easily-it is hard for me to stay on task.  I have turned off my alarms for tomorrow morning.  Today's box was fairly easy, most of it didn't belong to me.  I wanted something easy so I would have time to work on other things.  I didn't, I got distracted.  Monday is my night for dinner.  Thankfully I didn't get so distracted that I burnt the corn chowder.  Other things I am happy about:

• It took a while to upload the video to YouTube.  We are learning.  I expect things will go smoother this week with the editing and filming.  I'm glad this first bit is behind us.

Definitely donating these.

• I miss hugs.  There is the pandemic and we don't get to see each other like we used to.  Because I am blessed with having five other humans in the house I do get some hugs.  For some reason my daughter has been offering hugs up more often today, it is good.
• I took some time and wrote in someone for an award.  It is always hard for me to do, I don't know why, but I did it.  It is good to see someone recognized for the things that they do.
• We have been watching the Marvel movies.  It is Gideon's turn to see some of them.  While I was playing Minecraft the other night, they watched Thor.  Now I am watching Thor to refresh my memory.  
• It is snowing again!  I hope to make the time to walk out back.  It has been days and days!

• Even though the house we live in is way over 200 years old, there isn't a wood burning fireplace.  Perhaps because the house is over 200 years old is a better way to say that the fireplaces are no longer functioning.  Some previous owner put in a propane fireplace in front of where the living room fireplace is.  It is so wonderful to be able to stand by it and take the chill off.  We have used it almost every day this winter.  No wood to haul, no ashes to clean up, just warm coziness.

☮

Currently listening to Quiet, by Susan Cain.

Stay safe.

Peace and Spinach

According to this website, in 1958, on this day in history, the peace symbol was designed.  There is a bunch of information on those two websites.  I came across this information accidently when searching for a holiday for today.  As I close this blog off every day with a peace sign, it seemed fitting to link that information here.  Other things that I am happy about are:

• The spinach is coming up!  I planted it a few weeks ago in a clear plastic tote with a bag of potting soil.  It was placed in an unheated enclosed porch area that gets lots of sun.  We've had a few storms and cloudy days.  When the sun is out the room gets warm, even when the temperatures are freezing.  I was close to losing hope and am so very happy that something has sprouted.

This better be the spinach I planted and not grass
or a weed that came with the dirt!

• The heat pads for the seedlings have arrived.  I set one up and will set the other up when the geranium seeds arrive, hopefully this week.  There are other things I could get started too.  At some point I'll make the time to do more research (more organized research?) on when to start the things I have.  

Hoping that the added warmth will spark these seeds to grow.

• Zed and I are working on the video footage for this weeks downsizing YouTube video.  Other than the exhaustion we are both feeling from taking on this task, we are having fun.  Zed is doing most of the editing.  I am still learning so he goes faster-as does his computer.  It will be posted to my YouTube tomorrow.
• Before dinner I still was only half done with my step count.  After many turns around the house, my step count was reached.  It has been a long day.
• One of the things I found in the box I went through today was a story that Bel started to write many years ago.  It was the life story of their favorite stuffed animal, BunBun.  It was very cute.
• When Zed and I went to edit video footage Nanni was on the office chair.  Zed picked her up and she just wanted to stay in his arms.

☮ 

Stay safe.

String

 There was a bit of excitement today when one of the cat toys was suddenly missing about 6 inches of string.  No humans were in the room when it happened (they were alone for maybe five  minutes) and so we could only speculate as to whether it was Nanni or Winston who was able to achieve this feat.  Keziah and Zed took both the cats to the vet where it was determined that Winston was the culprit.  This is at least the third time that Winston has done something that could have cost him his life.  He has jumped on a gas stove-while lit, got into chocolate, and now swallowed string.  Thankfully each time he has managed to come out the other side just fine.  Other things I am happy about today:

• I got rid of more things and more things were put away.

Some of these things are recycle, some Zed has claimed,
some are things to be returned, and some for donation.

• This morning I got the majority of the driveway cleared of snow.  I was outside for one hour and forty-eight minutes according to my FitBit.  I'm learning how to make the best use of the snow thrower.  The direction I push depends on the best place to throw the snow.  North/south, east/west, diagonal-many steps are had in clearing a driveway of snow.
• Keziah has been working on a scroll for a friend (my protege) and tonight that friend came by to pick it up.  For whatever reason (I don't know why) she wasn't awarded the scroll itself a few years ago when she was awarded the Silver Crescent for service.  I'm not sure I can show the scroll yet, but below is the presentation.

Keziah came out a little blurry.

• Because my protege is awesome, she also dropped off Christmas gifts.  I got llamafied...

The pens have the llamas on top and the pen is wrapped
in what appears to be a woven band.

• Earlier in the week I ordered seeds and they came in the mail today.  Tomorrow other things I ordered should be here.  Hoping to be able to start plants inside next week.
• Today is National Love Your Pet Day.  I feel that the string incident and getting the cats to the vet in a timely way shows how much these cats are loved.  

Nanni

Winston

☮

Stay safe.

Happy Friday!

 Tomorrow, I hope to sleep in.  As of Wednesday my alarm went off at six and I was out of bed by six-thirty in the morning.  It has only been three days, but I also haven't gotten to sleep before midnight in over a week.  Zed and I have been getting up early to support each other as we try to downsize.  This allows him to find something to get rid of before going to work.  Today he slept in a little, I didn't.  I did empty a medium sized cardboard box.  Some things from the box went into another container, but it is sorted and there will be more craft supplies to put into that container eventually.  Not including what got disposed of, I have five more things for the donate box.  

I also found a box of 3D puzzles that I gave to Gideon.  I did all the puzzles before I gave him them so I am sure I can help him if he needs it.

Other happy things for today:

• I took a nap.
• There were these cute itty bitty hinges that I found with my mom's things.  I don't know why she had them, and I don't know why I want them.  For some reason I feel like there was a project that could use them, but I don't remember what.

• It snowed.  Bel and I combined forces and shoveled as well as used the snow thrower.  So far, shoveling is faster and using the snow thrower is way better for my back.  We will be calling a plow if the snow gets too high.  

☮

Stay safe.

National Hate Florida Day

 On this second day of downsizing I went through more boxes than I originally intended to.  I found a bag of paper to burn that I forgot to burn yesterday and I added to it. Of the four boxes I worked with today, one got empty, one mostly empty and two are now pretty full of filed things. There are only four things that I am getting rid of that aren't trash/burn.  

I put other things away.  I'm recording snippets to put together for YouTube later in the week, probably Sunday.  Other happy things for today are:

• There is an award in the SCA called a Laurel.  There is a website that explains better than me what this all about here.  It is a prestigious award and tonight a friend was presented a writ so that they may consider whether to become one or not.  Keziah and I went to her house and held a sign to congratulate her.

Keziah made the sign.
I should have removed the mask for this picture.

• Not only did we surprise our friend by showing up with a sign, we brought her flowers!  
• I chose to wear garb for the drive by celebration.  It makes me feel good to put garb on now and then.  I'm starting to wonder if I should stop waiting for the excuse of something SCA happening and just wear it around the house occasionally.
• On the way to cheer on our friend we called an aunt in Massachusetts.  It has been far too long since I had actually called her up.  It was great to catch up with what has been going on.  I often have a hard time calling people.  It is good when I can get beyond that and get to talk to someone on the phone.
• Earlier in the day Gideon had a virtual play date with some friends.  They video called and played the game Among Us.  Gideon was so excited he was jumping for joy!  
• We had a delivery to make to another friend and we dropped that off while we were out.  They had things for us too!  I look forward to trying the salted caramel mead I brought home.
• TF had her power restored in Texas today!!  She isn't sure how long it will be on for because the company is supposed to be rolling who gets power and who doesn't.  For now, she has heat again.  Texas is still freezing, but tomorrow it should be a little better.

☮

 I stopped reading: Quiet by Susan Cain. I've decided to put this book down for now. I am on the waiting list to get this as an audio book. I think I'll enjoy more if I can listen.

Title brought to you by:  http://www.holidays-and-observances.com/february-18.html

Stay safe.

I'm super tired and I hope my English make s sense.

Ash Wednesday

 Day one of the downsizing initiative went well.  We woke up early and started early.  Zed got his bag full of papers ready (bills and such) before having to go to work.  I went through one box and had a paper bag full of papers to burn.  When I went to put what was left away I decided to go through three other boxes that had paper stuff as well.  I now have two empty containers and one full of filing things.  I found places to put some things and there was about a half box that still had other things in it once I removed the paper from the top-that is for another day.  I came out of the gate running and possibly did too much.  The last thing I want to do with this endeavor is to burn myself out.  Other things that I am happy about today:

• Keziah and I delivered pancakes to a friend.  A very short visit was had, masked and distanced.  
• We also took the time to drop off the things we had already set aside to donate.  

• Back home, Keziah and Bel built a fire outside.  Probably because of the snow, it took a while to get going.  The papers have been burned.  It is quite possible that some are just scorched at the bottom of the fire pit in mud, but they are out of the house.  Yay!

It has been a few days since I have walked back on the property.
It is still there!

Sunset over the fire.

☮

Stay safe.

Shrove Tuesday

It is real.  Zed and I made a short video and it will hopefully be on YouTube soon.  The video is taking forever to upload.  This link may work?  Not sure, it may just go to an empty file (edited to what should be a working link).  We have a rough set of plans for how we will be downsizing, recording, and uploading videos to document our journey of letting things go during Lent.  Ideally the ones we post going forward will be edited.  Part of me wanted to wait until we got started and had progress.  Accountability has become an important part of my thinking and what better way to be accountable than to publicly post what we are doing.  Oddly enough, we used real names in the video and I use pseudonyms here... whatever.  I am very happy that this is something that I am moving forward on.  Other happy things for today:

• My step count and 40 squats are done for the day.
• This morning I purchased things for the garden.  We have decided to plant a bunch of flowers.  There will still be some vegetables. 
• Pancakes for dinner!

Mardi Gras Pancakes.

☮☮☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan.

Also reading: Quiet by Susan Cain.

On another note, TF is one of so many people that are out of power right now in a frozen Texas.  We spoke a little tonight and pipes are frozen and some burst, but she still has her sense of humor.  Sending warm thoughts to cold people.  

STAY SAFE!

Pasta, Pasta!

 It was the kind of day to be in a funk apparently.  Keziah and I were both not feeling great today.  She pulled out of it and cleaned the living room and I, well, after a morning of doing little, I spent the afternoon cleaning the kitchen so I could make pasta and garlic bread balls for dinner.  It has been many years since I made pasta.  I've been around when others have made it and assisted some, but today it was all on me.  I shouldn't have made a double batch.  My arms and hands are achy from all the rolling.  The dough came out extremely stiff.  I'll most likely look into a different recipe if I decide to make pasta again.  Keziah and Bel helped out with the garlic bread balls because it took me so long with the pasta.  It was yummy, but I'm tired and achy.  Things I am happy for today are:

• Dinner took quite some time to make, but everyone enjoyed it.  I'm very thankful for the help in preparing the garlic bread balls so I could finish the pasta and get things ready.
• Music helped me keep going while I made dinner tonight.  Dancing around the kitchen is the best.
• Dinner conversation tonight included planning for Lent.  Some friends of mine are getting rid of something every day during Lent.  Zed and I are planning to do that as well.  I'm hoping that we will be doing a recording of our progress.  Tomorrow I want to prepare for the following forty-six days of downsizing.
• It was a lot of work getting my steps today.  I went around in circles in the house for a good part of the day.  Step goal was achieved and 40 squats were done!

I stayed inside today so the only pictures
I took, are of Winston in the box tower.

☮

Stay safe.

Happy Valentine's Day

 Since the plan today was for some of us to get Gideon out of the house for a little while, I took a walk in the morning.  Much of the day was spent in the car seeing parts of the beautiful state of New Hampshire along state routes.  It was an old fashioned Sunday drive where we were allowed to get lost.  We had hoped to find some covered bridges and stop at some historic markers.  The markers we saw had no easy place to pull over.  It took a little while but we did find one covered bridge.  Squam Bridge was pretty, overlooking a partially ice covered Squam River and Little Squam Lake.  There were fishing shacks and snowmobiles on the lake and a marina along the river.  

Little Squam Lake

Looking through the bridge toward the marina.

Folke and Gideon checking out the view.

Other happy things for today:

• Every year Zed buys leather flowers for Keziah at the Birka SCA event at the end of January.  This year the event was canceled because of the pandemic.  Zed found the merchant that makes the flowers and met them in a parking lot somewhere to buy the flowers for Keziah and gave them to her for Valentine's Day.  How sweet is that?  He got some extra and I got some too.

My room is now brighter and scented with rose oil.

• We played the alphabet game forwards and backwards on the drive.  
• Some rivers were frozen and others were moving too fast to freeze.  We drove by a dam that was part frozen.  No pictures of that.  

Cold river at the bottom of the hill.

I'm not sure where this was, I just thought it pretty.

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan.

Also reading: Quiet by Susan Cain.

Stay safe.