Boxing Day

 One of the things that TF succeeds in bringing into her life is whimsy.  She is able to create it or recognize it when often I don't.  With whimsy in mind I did some online searching and found this article, 8 Ways to Keep Your Whimsy.  After that I came up with my own list of ideas for me to help bring whimsy or some happiness.  So far that list is 39 items long. Here are a few other happy things from today:

• It snowed last night.  Everything looked fresh when I took Aesop out for a quick yard walk.

• For Christmas, Gideon got a video game for his Switch for exercising.  After watching Gideon, I played for a little bit too.  It was fun and I hope to play it again sometime.

• A freind came over and visited for a little bit so Keziah could help her make a gown for SCA things.
• The Aesop late evening walk was also made more lovely by the addition of new snow.

☮

Currently reading: The Middle Ages: A Graphic History, by Eleanor Janega and Neil Max Emmanuel. 

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.     

Happy Christmas Eve

 It is 3:30 AM on Christmas morning and I am just going to bed and writing my Christmas Eve Day blog.  Ah, the sleepless times of a Ms Claus.  After Gideon, Zed's mom, and I played at being members of the Claus family (we filled the stockings) I set out to clean the kitchen and wrap one last gift.  Here are some happy things from today:

• My big reason for cleaning the kitchen was to mop the floor.  It was time, but more importantly I purchased one of those mats that is supposed to make it easier to stand and I wanted to put it in front of the sink.  It obviously needed to go onto a clean surface.  Hopefully the family likes it when they wake up in the morning.
• I did work, but it was slow again so I left a little after nine this morning.  That gave me a little over an eight hour day instead of the eleven I was scheduled for.  Next week, when I get paid, I will not be happy, but this week I am glad I was able to leave early. 
• Christmas shopping is where I went after work.  There were just a few last minute ideas I had, including a new mop.  The store was not overly crowded and I didn't have to wait in line.  It was a rather pleasant trip for the day before Christmas.
• TF and I were able to have a nice long conversation about her son and his recent passing.  Tears, laughter, and love.  I remember when we met at a park in Texas.  We had just moved to the area and I had used the internet to find a homeschool park day for my kids.  I knew if I waited, I would procrastinate and not meet new people and then be miserable.  More importantly, my kids wouldn't meet new friends and they would be miserable.  So instead of unpacking, we went to the park.  Keziah and TF's son were almost the same age and Bel and her daughter were almost the same age.  They all got along great.  We only lived there a year and lost touch for a while after, I am so thankful that we didn't completely lose touch and our friendship is strong.  When the kids were little, TF's son and Keziah were almost a 'thing', but they were rather young, around eight years old at the time.  Keziah and her son turned 31 this year.
• We have a Christmas Eve tradition of giving Christmas books on Christmas Eve.  When my kids were little it was the one gift they could open before Christmas morning.  Keziah and Zed have continued this and so I got a new book.  

• The stockings are filled.  As a last minute thing I added some fairy lights.  I think it makes a nice touch.

☮

Currently listening to: The Autobiography of Santa Claus, as told to Jeff Guinn.

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Veteran's Day

 There is a list at work for people who want to volunteer to go home early.  I added my name and only worked about an hour and a half.  I wanted to be able to visit with my friends before they left today.  As I walked into the parking lot I saw my chance to take a photo of the trees that line it.  They are a lovely color that the camera didn't quite capture.

When I got home I was going to try to write, instead I got almost four more hours of sleep!  That sleep helped me be more refreshed during the day.  Other happy things for today:

• My aunt came up from Massachusetts for a short visit.  It was great to see her.  Unfortunately I couldn't remember the mental list of family questions I have, maybe next time.
• We got the tour of the RV before our friends, Kimberly and Dennis, left with their son and his partner.  Tomorrow they board a train and head south.  

Milling about...

• Keziah and I had a nice walk with Aesop just after dark.  I'm happy he behaved well.  The last few walks I've had treats to help out and forgot them tonight.

☮

Thank you Veterans.

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead Seasonal Planner, by Ann Larkin Hansen.

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Work

 The work day today went really well.  Generally things flowed well and I felt 'in the zone.'  I was taught a new skill too.  Sometimes packages are missed in the scanning process and someone has to look for them.  It was like a little work scavenger hunt.  Yes, I'm weird.  Work has something called swag bucks that employees can get for doing things.  I was given some to hand out.  That was cool.  I started working there in June and I have had $10 worth of swag bucks that I have been holding onto, not sure what I wanted.  Today, in just this one day, I was given a total of $12.  I think they are just being a little more proactive in giving them out, but I think it is time I look at the swag a little closer.  Also, when the manager started an announcement with "Okay all guys, gals, and nonbinary pals," I just thought that was awesome.  So, work went well.  Other things I am happy for today:

• We had a consultation with the dog trainer.  She was very helpful and sent us away with homework.  Aesop has some anxiety issues and one of the things we will be doing is making sure he gets a nap/quiet time in his crate every day.  I'm happy we have plans going forward.
• Our friends, Kimberly and Dennis, gave us the outside tour of their RV.  We will have the option of using it while they are out of the country.  I suddenly feel like the world has opened up for me... or at least the country.  Funny thing is, I may not even use it.
•  Kimberly and I had a nice walk.  It is good to be able to catch up with her before they leave for Guatemala.  What an adventure it will be!
• There was rain this morning but it cleared up into a lovely day.

Leaves floating on the breeze.

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead Seasonal Planner, by Ann Larkin Hansen.


Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Sunday!

 Pacing around the house to reach my daily step goal is how I ended my day.  I admit that I really didn't want to, I am tired, but I did it anyway.  Happy things for today are:

• It was a hard-to-get-motivated kind of day.  Talking with TF and getting my goals for the week prepared helped me get moving.  
• There was an SCA meeting today via Google Meet.  The best part?  Seeing friends, even though it is through a screen.
• Helping Keziah and Zed clean out the shed and work towards rebuilding part of the house wall.  Imagining what it must have been like, in or around 1745.''

There is still bark on this stud!

                             

☮

Currently reading: Mount Washington A Guide and Short History, by Peter E. Randall.

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Fern

 Around ten o'clock this evening I realized that I hadn't reached my daily step goal.  After much pacing around the house it was achieved so my thirteen plus month streak is not broken today by forgetfulness.  Other things I am happy for today:

• Keziah and a friend went to an SCA event yesterday and our friend crashed on our couch and not the highway last night.  This meant that she was safe and that we had a lovely visit this morning before she headed home.  
• One of the things that came up in our conversation was how the dog, Aesop, needed a bath.  He is finally out of the cone after being neutered and could use a bath.  After she left and Gideon and I took him outside, Aesop decided that rolling in what was probably turkey poop was a good idea.  Aesop got his bath.  The happy part is that the rest of us got a soft, fluffy, nice smelling dog.
• Prior to picking up Chinese food for dinner, Zed and I took Aesop for a walk near the Audubon Society.  Aesop is much better behaved when he isn't on a sidewalk or by cars.  This trail is very loud from the noises of the highway that it runs by, but that didn't seem to bother him like on a sidewalk.  Anyhow, we had a nice walk and saw a deer when we left.

Leaves are falling, but not an abundance of color yet.

Ferns are changing color.
I love the different shades in this one picture.

A side trail to explore another time.

☮

Currently reading:  Mount Washington A Guide and Short History, by Peter E. Randall.

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Minecraft

 For most people who work full-time, a forty hour work week is the norm.  My week is usually thirty hours scheduled.  Last week and this week my hours were closer to that forty hour mark and I am really tired.  The team I worked with was complimented and told we did a good job of keeping up and working together.  Other happy things for today:

• I actually got a small nap after work.
• Minecraft.  If you are a regular reader you know that Friday is Minecraft day.  My friend, TF, and I try to play every Friday night.  On rare occasions other family members join in, but it is usually just the two of us.  Recently there was an update which means that we might start a new world soon-that depends on the other players.  Anyhow, we are learning new things in this world, where we know the surroundings better.  Tonight, we were trying to build a 4-way rail intersection such as in this video.  We find ourselves frustrated with the videos and from that frustration comes laughter and how we could do it better.  We probably don't know enough about the game, but we could critique the people that do.  That they make things in ideal surroundings (creative mode with endless supplies) and we don't (monsters and we have to mine for resources) is just one small critique.  Ideas can be fun.

Here is our track in progress.
It is mostly done, but I was falling asleep.

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead Seasonal Planner, by Ann Larkin Hansen.

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Flowers

 With autumn on the way I have been thinking about bulbs and perennial flowers.  Last year I planted some tulips and crocus in the driveway triangle.  We were pleased with them, but there weren't enough.  I went onto Amazon and have some more in my cart to buy.  There were rabbit holes involved with this process and I have more research to do before I finalize the purchase.  One of the rabbit holes sent me looking for a blue lily of the valley.  My ex husband's grandmother used to have some in her yard and they were pretty.  Flowers, in general, are a nice happy thing for today.  Other happy things include:

• Talking on the phone with TF about lots of things.  Minecraft, she is feeling better, and flowers were some of the happy topics for today.
• When talking with TF about the flowers she reminded me to check the reviews before ordering.  So happy that I did that!  My $80+ order is half that now.  Again, more research will be good.
• Candy corn--my guilty pleasure for the day.
• The stars were beautiful just before one this morning as I left for work. 

☮

Currently reading: Backpacking: A Hedonist’s Guide, by Rick Greenspan and Hal Kahn.

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Brief

 The first night of the week is generally a tough one, it wasn't too bad today though.  Somehow I was able to fall into a rhythm and it stuck with me.  Not bad considering the amount of sleep I didn't get.  Other happy things for today:

• On the drive to work the crescent moon was rising over a dark field with stars speckled around.  It was lovely but I didn't stop to take a picture.
• Around 5:30 AM there is a break at work and parts of the sky were painted orange.  

The moon was still out!

• I had a brief but pleasant visit with my protege after work.  She came by for my signature and stayed to visit a little.  

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead Seasonal Planner, by Ann Larkin Hansen.


Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Good Dog

Thursdays are long.  After working all night I come home, nap for a bit, and then try to be human in the evening to have family time.  Instead of Star Trek or Doctor Who, we had friends over for a little SCA gathering to talk about the event we are having in a few weeks.  Ideally this will be another step toward the new pandemic normal.  The site tokens will be masks.  Other happy things for today:

• There was another observation of my performance at work today.  The person who did it was very impressed with how I organized in order to sort the packages.  I now have more swag bucks.  Eventually I will look at the things available to buy with the swag bucks to see what I want.

• We had two sets of friends over.  One had their two year old daughter along.  She and Aesop seemed to get along really well.  She decided that his crate was her little play house.  Very cute.

• Aesop loved playing with the other friends too.  

• It rained a little today.  The daylily was speckled with water.

☮

Currently reading: Backpacking A Hedonist’s Guide, by Rick Greenspan and Hal Kahn.
    -This book was published in 1985.  I'm taking my time reading and haven't gotten too far yet.  Some of the information is definitely outdated as advances have been made with lighter weight materials and such.

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Chosen Family

It was another day where I was tired.  Here are some happy things from today:

• The peaches are getting a little bigger.

• Last week I figured out how to get the audio files from my phone to play through the car stereo.  This means I get to listen to Podcasts again (Unlocking Us with Brene Brown) as well as my music mix.  Driving home tonight I was able to sing loudly to classic rock, not so classic rock, and folk music.
• Dinner tonight was at a restaurant with close friends who are chosen family, remembering a part of that chosen family. 
• That the adult children from that chosen family still consider me like another mom is a super special feeling.

❤☮❤

Currently reading: Backpacking A Hedonist’s Guide, by Rick Greenspan and Hal Kahn.

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Where is the rain?

There was supposed to be rain.  I mean, there were torrential downpours last night, but it was supposed to rain today.  There were some sprinkles, but not the rain I expected.  Not the rain that brought me home from the mountains last night instead of today.  I'm glad I wasn't out in the rain last night or in the tent, but I may have been more motivated to walk if I had been in the mountains today.

It has been a long day with lack of motivation and fighting with depression. I'm very thankful for the long conversation with TF today after we did our weekly goal setting. Part of our conversation was about electrolyte drinks and how they may help give me a boost at work.  Here is a website with a medieval recipe for mint sekanjabin.  Adding a little of this to water will add some flavor and electrolytes for when a person is really active to help maintain hydration.  I've had other flavors as well.  My favorite is a cinnamon/nutmeg/clove flavor.  Other happy things for today:

• It took a while to pull myself up enough to take a walk today, but I did.  It has been a little over eleven months now that I have managed to reach my 10,000 steps a day goal.  Just a few more weeks and it will be a year.
• For some reason this year I am noticing that daylilies come in many different colors.  I'm liking this and may find some other colors to add to what we have.  The following pictures are daylilies from a house down the street that I saw on my walk.  

• Gideon got a haircut.  He has had shoulder length hair with an undercut for quite a long time.  He decided that it is time for a change.

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan.

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Walking

 This afternoon I made the decision to head home tonight rather than try to find a place to camp.  I ended up sleeping in a rest area last night and it is supposed to rain tomorrow.  It was supposed to rain today too, but all we had was an occasional sprinkle.  That is, until I was about ten minutes from home.  The rain came down hard making it hard to see the roads with all the water on it.  I only felt one small moment of hydroplaning and I was very glad that I wasn't trying to sleep in a tent tonight.  Other happy things for today:

• There was a pay phone at the rest area.  I don't see those very often anymore.

There used to be two payphones here.

• The reason I chose this weekend to go north was to be with some other SCA folk to tour some fair grounds for an event next year.  I didn't have to be there until 11:30 though and I was awake and ready to do other things by eight or so.  Instead I used the Alltrails app and found a short trail nearby.  

The view overlooking Littleton, NH.

• It was great to see people I haven't seen in over a year.  The site the event will be at was pretty cool too.

These little footprints were not very big,
I think they might be squirrel prints.

• After all the business was done I headed for the Mount Prospect Fire Tower.  This is a beautiful stone structure like one might see as part of a castle.

Spectacular views of the mountains.

The house is now a museum commemorating the life
and achievements of John Wingate Weeks.
I learned a lot today.

• There are a few different trails at the State Park and I chose to do the Around the Mountain Trail.

The map.

Lens says that these are flowering raspberries.

Also according to Lens, this is brown knapweed.

The smudge in the top left of this picture is 
a raindrop on the windshield.

☮

I tried starting a different book today, but fell asleep.  

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Good Chores

When I went downstairs this morning I realized that I forgot a happy thing from yesterday.  While I was off visiting friends Keziah and Zed cleaned up the kitchen.  It was nice to come home to that, as well as wake up to it, and I'm surprised I forgot when writing yesterday's blog.   Now on to things I am happy for today:

• One of my chores this morning was cleaning the bathroom and replacing the toilet seat.  I suppose this is a weird happy thing to post publicly, but the last toilet seat didn't like staying put and this slip sliding is no doubt part of why it finally cracked.  It is a nice improvement to the bathroom.
• For quite a few years myself and others have wanted to put together some kind of document that would be helpful to SCA people with running an event.  Today friends came over and we worked toward getting that accomplished.  We also had a nice visit, they brought burgers and hot dogs for a cookout, and of course we got ice cream!  
• In the evening Zed and I went for a walk.  I've hatched a plan to start to complete some of the things on my bucket list.  Zed is a great listener and supporter of many of my crazy ideas.

I noticed this St. John's wort behind
the compost/brush pile.

The hosta is blooming.

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan.

Thank you for reading.  Stay safe.

Embracing the Groundhog...Haha!

 Researching ways to get rid of a groundhog I had a sort of revelation.  I'm letting these animals get the best of me.  Today I have decided that my best plan of action is to embrace the groundhog.  I do not mean literally.  Even the figurative meaning is off a bit.  This year the garden is not going to produce much, again.  Part of the reason is the woodchuck/groundhog family.  Part of the reason is that I started with a bang but ran into things along the way that have derailed my efforts.  My hope is to concentrate on getting the fence where I want it to be to help keep out as many critters as I can while making the garden a place they might not want to be.  I also hope to do more prep work and research about the soil and other conditions and rent a tiller to get rid of some of the weeds.  If I can find a way to plant the things I have already started and keep them protected from the critters that want to eat them, I will.  My mindset needs to shift though.  Anyway, here are other happy things from today:

• Keziah has been helping some friends clean out their storage unit.  In the process, she has brought home a few things.

I'm not sure how long it has been there, but 
I noticed this statue by some of the wild sweet William.

• The bindweed and grapes are holding each other.

I really like the bindweed flower.
They are in the same family as morning glories
which I also like.

• The SCA household that I am a part of had a gathering today.  Six of us were able to attend.  It was so wonderful to see these friends.  I arrived early enough to walk with Anastasia and be greeted by her cat.  One of the friends we haven't seen in a few years and that helped to make the day even more special.  It was really fun getting to catch up with, and hug, this group of people.  I wish I had remembered to take a photo of us.

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan.

Thank you for reading, stay safe.

Juneteenth

 The preparations I have been trying to do for starting the new job have not been going as well as I had hoped.  I know it will all be fine, but I also know I should have tried harder to sleep today.  Most of the day was very restful, and that was good.  I just didn't sleep.  Other things I am happy for today:

• Getting out for a walk with my friend, Amy.  She has been off visiting her daughter's family in Virginia.  
• There were two woodchucks in the garden today.  The happy part of this is that I learned more places that the fence needs to be more fortified.  Where this little critter is, did not seem to be one of them.

Woodchuck/groundhog.

• Lens helped me identify a butterfly on the vetch.

Silver-spotted Skipper.

• The milkweed that I let grow in the yard (shh, don't tell the lawn/weed police) is blooming.  This, as well as the butterfly weed in the front of the house, are supposed to attract monarch butterflies.  

Common milkweed.

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan.

Thank you for reading, stay safe.

Friday at the Park

 Today my early morning was used cleaning my room up a little.  There is more to go, but a few things that I had forgotten were in there cluttering are out.  The best part is that I did this sorting and going up and downstairs without waking anyone else in the house.  Other things I am happy for today:

• Walking with a friend and her grandchild.  We were on the trail a little after eight this morning.  The more leisurely pace with a four year old was just what I needed today.
• There was a small section of trail littered with white flowers.  Looking up, these flowers had fallen from a catalpa tree.  My friend's grandchild carried a flower a little way along our walk.  When I was a young girl, the neighbor's house had a large catalpa tree in the yard that I loved to look at in the spring.

Catalpa tree.

• We sat and rested on one side of Dorr's Pond and I noticed a beaver swimming among the lily pads.

In this picture, look for the ripples from the wake.
The beaver is among the lily pads creating the wake.

• There was a momma duck with three little ones swimming in the stream leaving the pond.  Sometimes it is just wonderful to see these things through the eyes of a child.

The momma is much easier to see than the little ones.  
I'm not sure what causes the orange foam.

• After the park I went and visited with my aunt.  When we saw each other on Monday she had mentioned that there were a lot of paperwhite flowers (Narcissus) in her yard and I asked if I could have some.  She asked me to come down and get them so now I have a clump of bulbs to plant, but maybe not until the end of summer.  

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan.

Thank you for visiting, stay safe.

Firefly

 It was a day full of people.  We hosted a yard sale for SCA people.  This meant that people brought garb that no longer fit them, fabric that they didn't need, swords, feast gear, and the like.  I don't know how well people did with their sales, many people came just to be able to spend time with others.  There were so many wonderful hugs.  The first person that I shared a hug with I hadn't seen in well over a year and I almost cried.  It was so good to see them.  Later, she and I talked and we may start hiking together this summer.  Other happy things for the day:

• It was wonderful to see everyone.  I didn't spend as much time with some of the people as I would have liked.  At the same time, so many people (I don't think there were more than forty people at the same time) that I am not used to being around, was a bit overwhelming.  It was okay though, I made it through.
• When things were winding down Zed noticed the cherry tree was attracting birds and that many of the cherries were close to ripe.  One of the attendees and Zed decided it was time to pick some and the attendee took the ladder and climbed the tree.  He picked quite a few cherries.  I noticed that many were rotting on the tree even though they hadn't become ripe.  Tomorrow we will go through the cherries more closely.  I tried one (one more than last year) that was not quite ripe enough and it was a bit too tart still.  The birds didn't get them all this year though.  Yay!

Up in the Tucker the Cherry Tree.

A sampling of how they look.

• Gideon had many friends to play with today.  He seemed to do a great job of playing with them and keeping them all happy.
• One gentleman brought bracelets that he handed out to people who were vaccinated.  

• A few friends were able to stay late and visit.  Stories and laughter were shared.  
• Eventually a few lightning bugs began to make an appearance.  
• Saying goodbye to friends I noticed the moon low in the sky.  It was the tiniest sliver, though the camera makes that sliver look larger.  The whole circle of the moon could be seen.

The moon phase is a waxing crescent and 
according to the internet, it is at 6.7%.

• After everyone was gone I pulled out the Canon camera in an attempt to get better pictures of the moon.  That didn't happen because I have a hard time being completely still.  I was able to capture some of the fireflies in motion.

I know it is hard to see, but there are three dots on the right corner that is a firefly.

The brighter, moving dots are the fireflies in this picture.

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan.

Thanks for reading, stay safe.