Productivity

 Work was not as I expected this morning.  Things were so slow that they were letting people go home.  Since I am still not back to full health from my cold,

 I volunteered and went home.  Then I got productive.  Here are some happy things from today:

• This year I am trying to give very few gifts.  The ones that are here I wrapped this morning while the rest of the house slept.
• While everyone else slept I put away the clean dishes, loaded the dishwasher again, ran the dishwasher and washed the hand washable dishes.  By the time everyone awoke, the dishwasher had finished.
• It is my laundry day and I got my clothes into the wash before the house awoke.
• I went down to the cellar and did some plant supply organizing.  I set up a little space heater (which got repurposed after people woke up) to try to warm up the area with the plants.  
• When Aesop, the dog, woke up I gave him a short walk around the yard so that he wouldn't wake up the household.  The sun was up, but not over the hill yet.

• AFTER everyone was awake I went with Gideon and Zed's mom to do some Christmas shopping.  The few stores we went to weren't horribly busy on this Thursday morning.  
• Zed's mom has wanted an angel like is described in the Bible.  Keziah made one for her.  My daughter is very talented.

It even lights up!

It was a good and productive day.  

☮

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

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

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

Mal

According to the at-home Covid test, I don't have covid.  Unfortunately, I don't feel well.  I did receive a useful and comfortable birthday gift today.   New sandals from TF!  They are made to massage the feet and they seem to work.  This is my happy thing for today.  I'm hoping a good night's sleep and a few days without work will help me feel better fast.

☮

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

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


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

Yesterday's News

  Last night, after the blog was written, midnight was close, and I was preparing for sleep. I realized that I was about 400 steps away from 20,000 for the day.   That is why I didn't get right to sleep, I paced until I got those last steps in for the day.  Another thing I realized is that all my photos hadn't backed up.  When I think back on my day to write this blog I look over the things I have taken pictures of.  Yesterday I took pictures of a bird so that I could identify it later, then forgot.

The northern flicker.

When I first saw this bird from a distance I thought of a mourning dove, then looked again and decided that it was built almost nothing like a mourning dove.  This bird has brought up some distant memory of my father and a flicker.  I imagine that he was probably pointing one out to me.  Those are happy things that got missed on yesterday's blog.  Here are some happy things for today:

• After mowing more of the lawn today I took some time and pulled out my bottle of spiced sekanjabin.  Here is a recipe for a mint sekanjabin.  This bottle was a gift when I stepped into the role of Baroness over two years ago.  It got misplaced for a little while, then I probably went through a quarter of the bottle, then about half the bottle last summer.  This leaves about a quarter of the bottle that the sugar has crystalized, but it is still delicious.  I tried soaking the bottle in hot water today to loosen it some.  Tomorrow I will just add water since it is a concentrate.

• Earlier in the spring I planted a raspberry bush that has done nothing.  The wild ones on the property seem to be doing alright though.  I expect that the birds will get them before I do, I'm okay with that, this year.  

Little raspberries are growing.

• I was lamenting with Keziah about an exchequer issue I have been having.  She doesn't exchequer.  She claims that spreadsheets break when she looks at them.  This issue though, she understood my frustration and made sure I knew it.  It is nice when my daughter 'gets me.'  It doesn't always happen. 

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan

Thanks for checking in, stay safe.