Its Not Exactly Capistrano...

 Greetings, friends! I apologize for the long recess, but my, hasn't time flown! Or, maybe it hasn't. Whichever it is, spring has sprung, flowers have popped up (and been eaten by rabbits and deer!), and the grass has been cut several times already. The real pool will be opened sometime this week, and before we know it, we'll be able to jump in and slough off the troubles of the day. Moink can't wait, and neither can I.

About the reference to Capistrano. You've all heard of the famous swallows that return every year to Capistrano on the same day. Well, they've got nothing on Cecil Intermediate! One afternoon, as my friend Sam and I waited to go to our cars, we noticed a robin hopping about near our Principal's car. Then, the fine feathered creature flew up and sat on the mirror. Now, if you've ever watched birds, (my mother-in-law used to have parakeets), they LOVE to kiss the bird in the mirror. Well, let me tell you how much this robin fell in love with this car- so much so, it left several deposits! We couldn't help but laugh, but thought nothing of it as we got in our cars and drove home.

As I pulled into a space the next morning, I noticed the little robin happily making its acquaintance again with the car - pecking at the hood, kissing the mirror... Laughing, I snapped a picture, then sent it to my principal, who was astounded and annoyed that the bird was back. He went out and moved his car, and for the next several days, he parked in several different spaces trying to thwart the little bugger. I started to pull into a space one morning and stopped short - there were two robins standing in the empty space, staring at a black car. When I saw whose car it was, I couldn't help but laugh out loud! They had their little heads cocked to the side as if wondering if that was indeed their friend - and, of course, it was a little disconcerting to see the robin had brought someone else to the party! I considered parking elsewhere, but decided they would figure it out, and my vehicle would be safe.

Later that day, Sam told me the robins had started on his car - again, pecking away at the hood, kissing themselves in the mirrors...and he, too, has started parking in different places in the parking lot. Then, just the other day, we noticed another teacher had parked in a completely different spot than usual. Robins - go figure! I suggested that maybe we need some sort of distraction for the birds, like whirligigs or windmills along the front of the parking lot that might make them stay away from the cars. At least, the cars near the garden toys. I guess the rest of the lot would be up for grabs. Maybe that would be a good art project for the kids next year. Something to think about, anyway!

I don't know if the kind folks in Capistrano have this issue with their swallows, but the robins of Cecil Intermediate are beginning to make a name for themselves, at least among the faculty! Fortunately, here at the Stress Pool, we haven't had bird issues - no crazy nests in odd spaces like we had on Grouse - we used to have a robin every year try to build a nest on top of the outside backyard light fixture! They sometimes pick the worst spots to try to build a nest. And, I can't but believe it was the same robin - there can't be that many misguided birds in the world, right?

So, if you're in the neighborhood, stop on by for a dip in the pool. Bring a towel, grab a snack, and we'll chat about the crazy things that happen around us - after all, that's why we have the Stress Pool!

Poor February!

 Greetings to all my fellow swimmers! My goodness, February has certainly brought us a variety of weather, has it not? First, we'll lay some of the blame at the feet of the groundhog. He hardly ever promises us an early spring, when in reality, we still have "six more weeks of winter", at least according to the calendar.

One of my dear friends has a birthday in February - the very first day - and she'll remind me every year that she absolutely hates this month. Not because of her birthday - she just hates February. It's dull and gray, and often snowy and cold. Just an ugly time of year for us here in the mid-Atlantic. I'm not usually crazy about February, because this is the anniversary month of when Eggbert died. I've made a little peace with it over the years, but as the date approaches, I often become a little more introspective. Poor February!

This is also that time of the school year where you look at the sea of faces in front of you, who are also feeling that we are trudging through time. They are also sick of being inside; of cloudy, gray days, surrounded by Institutional Green walls, or if you're lucky, Buff; of no Ranch dressing for your carrots - only if you're getting a salad; of 'keep your hands to yourself' mantras. Poor February!

Something is trying to poke out of the garden in the front of the house. Since we haven't been here all that long, I'm curious as to what these little shoots are. Tulilps? Dafs? Crocus? We planted some daffodils in the backyard by the end of the forsythia line - but it has been too snowy, and now muddy, to muck out there and see if they're starting to pop out. I'm sort of afraid they will, and we'll get another round of ice and snow. I'm so looking forward to seeing the little mass of yellow - my favorites - and thanks to DiDi for getting them for me. Even more thanks to Big Brother and Ms. Business for planting them! 

DH has been sort of glued to the house - we're having the first floor bathroom redone. That's been something. As someone who is no stranger to home improvement projects (I joked for a long time how my father's projects lasted a good 15 years!), this one has been interesting, to say the least. It started on January 31st. The room is 42 square feet - tiny! It still isn't done. Probably because we asked for the moon on this one.  It's all going pretty well. The new shower install is in, as well as the new floor. Oh, it was the wrong insert, but that was an error on the original paperwork, and we're okay with what was installed - our original choice instead of the change we made the next day. Oh, and Waste Management took the wrong green bag of trash - they took the one that wasn't quite full, and left the other that is overflowing! I have a sink and a toilet in my living room - unusable, of course. Here's hoping that by the end of the week, I won't have to trudge up the steps or to the basement to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. That's been the worst. Trying not to drink too much water so I won't get up, but with some kidney stone issues, I've got to drink the water! Sigh. The upstairs shower has a hole in the bottom of the tub - something we didn't see during the final walk through when we bought the house. Ms. Business said, "Just keep your foot on the hole." Have you ever played 'Twister' in the shower? I'm really not that flexible...DH said "Use the downstairs shower."

He bought a really dark shower curtain, and I feel like I'm in a cave. No, thank you. Once again, sigh.

So, poor February! Soon we'll have the sunny (and cloudy) spring days brought to us by the month of March, and I'll have crossed another month off of the school calendar, getting ever closer to those happy days of June. Moink looked out the back window one day last week and said, "I can't wait to use the pool again." Amen brother, amen!

If you're in the neighborhood, stop by the Stress Pool and see if we're still swimming, or if we need the help of a floatation device! And, if you're one of those February haters, remember, it is the shortest month, even here in the Stress Pool!

Being a Decent Human

Greetings to all my fellow swimmers! Is anyone else done with winter yet? I shouldn't complain - we need the precipitation in order to have a lush, green spring and summer, and yet...there is something about the grays and whites of winter that while they are calming, can also be downright depressing when it's too cold to go outside to enjoy it!

I believe the term for that is 'cabin fever'! Some call it SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder. When I taught part-time, I was home for two and a half days, and I can remember standing at the picture window in the living room and just despising winter...waiting for the green of spring. Back then, I wasn't a fan of summer, either - now, bring it on! Moink mentioned last night that he can't wait to reopen the pool. Something to look forward to.

DH sent me an article to read written by Tom Nichols, entitled It Might Be Time to Retire 'Jeopardy'.  The article was interesting - Google it and read it if you have a minute. He was a former contestant in the days when the rule was five and done, meaning you could win up to five shows, and then it was someone else's turn. They got rid of it, and now it's become a sort of profession - learning how to beat the game. He mentions that Americans seem to love this Conan the Barbarian approach. We've talked about this a lot at our house - DH and I, anyway. We love to watch British shows. Maybe it's because of the accents, but I believe the real reason is BRITS HAVE MANNERS. You've watched the British Baking Show - we all have! Who can resist the witty repartee between Paul Hollywood and the contestants? (Not to mention his blue eyes...) If you've never noticed before, watch how the contestants react with one another. There is never any back-biting, laughing because someone's soufle` sank, or someone's bread had a soggy bottom (love that description!). They encourage each other. They are sad to see someone go who just didn't have a good bake that day. The show is entertaining without that feeling of aggressiveness. Manners.

Another favorite is 'Escape to the Country', where people choose a county somewhere in the UK ,and the host shows them three different properties that meet their criteria. No matter how difficult the clients are, the hosts (and the clients) always show the height of politeness. They also don't walk into a house and complain about how outdated it is, or make comments on things that can be changed. If the rooms are smaller than they like, they might say that, but for the most part, are happy to continue looking at the house. It might be apparent they don't like the house, but they still look through it, and find something positive to say at the end of the tour. 

We are lacking that here across the pond. It is apparent in our television shows; our news stories; our politics; our schools. Ms. Business thinks it is because we are a consumable society - and we consume everything, including each other.  It's always someone else's fault, we never have anything to do with a situation. How often do we look for something or someone to blame something on, when we know full well that if we'd been more careful, read all the directions, or just used plain old common sense, a situation or accident could have been avoided? We are also a 24/7 society, whereas they appear to be more of a dawn-to-dusk people. If we couldn't go to Walmart at midnight, would that really be such a bad thing? 

If we could simply go back to basics and use a few more manners, have a thought or care for someone other than ourselves, or even understand for a minute that what someone else believes could be quite legitimate, wouldn't we have a little more patience, feel less stress in our day? I think so. We've stopped watching the evening news. Yes, we still keep up on current events, but the sensationalism isn't part of our day anymore.

Sorry if I've strayed away from the 'Jeopardy' thing, but it's all connected, isn't it? As are we. One person is no more 'right' than the next. What we all need to agree on is human dignity, valuing the person standing next to us in the grocery store, no matter how different they are from us. I hope that's what we've taught our children, and what they will teach their children. We try to stress kindness in school - but if it isn't reinforced at home, it withers and dies on the wind. Be kind, my friends.

That's what's on my mind these days as I float around in the Stress Pool. What's on yours? Please, stop by anytime for a chat and a cup of tea, and we'll put aside all our differences and just enjoy each other's company. Remember, there's always room for you and your favorite floatie in the Stress Pool!

A Nugget of Information

Here we are, a week into the new year...and how is it going for you?

Keeping up with those resolutions? I know I'm trying! I did make it into the studio five different days this past week, and happy to say that each time it was longer than thirty minutes. Of course, I am one of those people who would much rather be arting...or reading...or making music...than just about anything else in the world! 

Then, there is the 'C' word...nasty thing that it is. That also tends to keep us in a little more than we might be used to. Saw a funny thing on Youtube - I like to watch a comedian, Trey Kennedy - he does a lot of little skits, usually by himself, although someone is filming. He did one "If the Variants were People." Funny, for sure, and totally sums up what we're all thinking and feeling these days.

We started taking Christmas down today. We like to leave everything up through Epiphany (when we celebrate the Magi making it to see the Christ child). That's another thing - we always smoosh everything together in a week or less - we know they didn't make it to Bethlehem until he was a toddler. That's why Herod sanctioned the death of all male children two years and under. In any event, they arrive on 'The Twelfth Day of Christmas" which is AFTER the 25th, not before! 

Anyway, the holidays were fun. Little Nugget was a hoot and a holler! Last year, I bought a snowman at Big Lots. It takes batteries, and when you talk to it, the snowman repeats what you say. So, I excitedly got it out to show Little Nugget, and he was less than impressed. In fact, he was downright horrified. When I got the snowman out this year, I figured twelve months might have made a difference - and, I was right! Nugget thought this was the greatest thing since sliced bread! We also learned a little something about Nugget this year.

You know that old saying, "What's mine is yours; what's yours is mine?"

Nugget's is, "What's mine is mine, and what's yours is mine." He wanted to take it home, and we said, "No, leave it here. It will be here the next time you visit." This, of course, brought on a barrage of tears, wailing, and gnashing of teeth. Eventually, he calmed, and continued playing. We should have seen the wheels turning.

When he thought we weren't looking, he picked it up, walked over to the bag Didi uses for diapers and overflow toys, and into the bag it went. Without missing a beat, he kept on walking. I immediately took it out, and boy, did I get a look - but no argument. He knew he'd been caught. We're not sure, but one of the indoor snowballs also might have gone the same route. Didi recently gave me the horses that go to the Fisher Price farm that had been Morticia's from when she was a child. He loves playing with it, and has a newer version of his own at home. However, he nipped the little horses without us knowing! Fortunately, they've found their way back home. I expect he'll be slipping them into his backpack the next time he visits.

Another funny thing he did was snitch pieces of candy. We like to get little foil wrapped chocolate candies at a local candy store and set those out during the holidays. Didn't he just discover them? And, he's learned to work the crowd. First, he asked his mom if he could have one, then he asked Big Brother for the second one. The next one, he went straight to Moink to have him take the foil off - Moink, who really can't even touch milk chocolate because of an allergy! After that, he didn't ask anymore - just took what he wanted. One of those times he came to where I was standing, and had the foil off in seconds flat! Then, he threw the foil on the floor. "Pick that up!" I said. He gave me this little grin, bent down to pick it up, then handed me the foil. We had to put them up high for obvious reasons!

So, the nativity set will be put away for another year (maybe next year we can get out the camels and the elephant!), and the snowmen will come out to play. We have a large set of resin snowmen participating in several winter activities - we all know they start playing when we're not looking, right? It's been ages since we were able to put them out, and they'll be happy to be out of storage for January and February! I'm sure Nugget will be excited to see them, too. As long as he doesn't try to stick one in his backpack!

He's a lot of fun, for sure! It's going to be interesting watching him grow up. I'm looking forward to being able to spend more time with him, especially this summer. Until then, work will keep me busy. What keeps you busy these days, especially the long winter days of January and February? Knitting? Reading? Sleeping? (I've always maintained that, as mammals, we should also be hibernating for the winter!) We can always swim in the Stress Pool! It's never too cold to hang out there. Peace.

A Year of Endless Possibilities

Greetings, and Happy New Year! Have you made any resolutions? I did this year. My plan is to spend at least 30 minutes, five times a week, in my studio. This should be able to be accomplished, and will hopefully become a habit. A 'new normal' instead of falling asleep in the recliner after dinner most evenings. And, maybe even get a few paintings out of it! After all, I want to be an artist when I grow up (a.k.a. retire), and there is no time like the present to begin that journey!

I hope you've enjoyed swimming with us. Ms. Business walked in while I was folding my laundry today and said,  "A new year, same old crap."

Well, yes, and yet...

We've dealt with a whole lot of stuff in the last two years, and while things seem to be evening out (sort of), if you're like me, you're tired of the excuse "But, there's a pandemic!"

Yes, there is, and has been, and it will take a long time to sort out a 'new normal'. Seems that is the protocol for most events in life. You grow up - adulting is a new normal. You might be in a relationship, or get a roommate - and getting used to living with another person, whether for life or for the interim - becomes a new normal. You might lose a loved one - a new normal. We are surviving a pandemic - a new normal.

It is now 'normal' to go to the grocery store and find shelves empty. A favorite restaurant has to close a few days a week because they're short- staffed, or a menu has changed because certain food items can no longer be procured. Did you know that Dioxazine Purple paint is hard to come by? Who knew? I'm sure many of you don't even know what that is - but is necessary for an artist's palette! Moink has given up soda pop, and he replaced it with Propel Mandarin Orange flavored water. It has currently become 'unavailable', and he doesn't like the other flavors. Can't say I blame him. 

Students are in and out of school - it's like someone put in a revolving door and they get lost in the turning. It is causing me to rethink my lesson planning for next semester. I'm going to try out some of my new ideas in the next couple of weeks to see how it works, so that students who aren't able to be in school don't miss out on too much.

Thinking of all these things has led me to dub 2022 as 'A Year of Endless Possibilities." In the end, it's how we adapt to the changes in our lives. We can sit in our self-made corners and twiddle our thumbs while waiting for things to 'go back to normal', or we can make our 'new normal.' I, for one, and headed in that direction. With all the purging, packing, and moving we've done this year, there have been many valuable lessons learned in formulating a 'new normal':

    1. Get rid of what doesn't give you joy. You've heard that one before, I'm sure! We often cling to things that don't have meaning, or that we don't particularly like. Ask my colleague who said she'd moved, and after two years put out a few boxes, still taped, to donate to a local charity. She told them she had no idea what was in them, but they were welcome to them. We still have some things to go through. There are many boxes lining the garage walls that still haven't been emptied. One box at a time. At least I finally found the gravy boat, not in time for Thanksgiving, but we had it for Christmas. I'm still going through clothes! Things that I've never worn, and items I haven't worn in a few years that somebody else may truly enjoy wearing. Time to let them go.

    2. Family/Friends are important. Family might drive you crazy now and again, but in the end, they're the ones who truly love you for who you are. Friends, too. I have a pocketful of wonderful people who I wouldn't know what to do without. Our entire family - Morticia and the Doctor, Big Brother, Didi and Little Nugget, Ms. Business, Moink, and BFF were all here for Christmas day. First time in long time, and it was wonderful. I wouldn't have traded it for the world - although DH was a little concerned: he's just not happy with a lot of noise, and said it was all for me. That's love right there, and the best present I could have ever received!

     3. Time is precious. It's something we can never get back, so choose how you spend those minutes wisely. Today, January 1, was the first day through the entire Christmas break that I didn't have somewhere to be; didn't have someone coming to the house; didn't have to go to a doctor; didn't have to get anybody else anywhere. Wow - what a great day! Did I spend it in the studio? No, but I organized our family recipes so they're easier to find! And boy, did we get rid of a lot! How many granola recipes does one need? (Zero, in my estimation!) It's also important to kick back and relax now and again. Our minds need a good book, or a funny show, in order to heal, to grow, to stay healthy.

    4. Adapt. Situations change; people come and go; s**t happens. Learn to let go and move on. A hard lesson, but so necessary. 

    5. Be Kind. Not just to a chosen few, but everyone. We're all carrying baggage - be nice. We teach that in school - be kind to each other. However, I sometimes witness colleagues being unkind to another - what sort of lesson is that giving? Nobody is more important than somebody else, and if you think you are, think again. People make mistakes. People are people. Get over it and just be a decent human. And grudges? Get rid of them. Wasted energy.

Endless Possibilities. Think of it - what would you do? Are you ready to get rid of stuff, of grudges, of things that make you 'angry'? Who, in your life, supports you? Who would walk that extra mile with you? Love them. Spend time with them. Make time to do those things that make you happy, that make you feel good, whether it be a hobby or a lifetime passion or career. And, most importantly, adapt, but adapt gladly. Embrace the here and now. If you're reading this, you haven't moved on to your eternal reward quite yet, so there is still time!

The water at the Stress Pool often feels as if it is teaming with sharks, but we've adapted pretty well over the years. You just have to be careful at feeding time. So, hug your loved ones close, stay happy and healthy, make those resolutions (and try to stick with them!), and remember, only you can make those endless possibilities happen! Come by anytime to swim with us in the Stress Pool, and let's compare notes!

Has the Dust Settled?

 Season's Greetings from the Stress Pool! I'm so glad to say that we've all survived the move, although both walls of the garage are still lined with unpacked boxes. Even Simon adjusted well. We wondered how our favorite kitty would take to the new house, and he reacted just like the rest of us - like we've been here forever. One of his favorite things is the kitty opening in the basement door. Why? Because of Little Nugget, that's why!

"Nana! Where's Simon?" Nugget's announcement at the front door is just like the angel Gabriel heralding their arrival. Of course, that really works out for Simon. He makes a mad dash for the kitty door. That doesn't stop Little Nugget - he sticks his entire head through the door and yells for Simon to come upstairs. Which, of course, he doesn't. 

The other thing Simon really likes is the screened-in porch. He's spent his entire time with us trying to get out the door to see the outside world, and did make it out a couple times when we lived on Grouse. Now, we can open the back door and Simon leaps out and onto the table to look at the wide world, and boy, do we have a view from our porch. He also gives us an inviting look as if to say, "Aren't you coming with me? Don't you want to sit out here and look at the view?" DH often accompanies him out to the porch. I don't know, though, how well that will go once the temps dip down a bit lower.

So yes, the dust is settling. It feels like we've been home forever. DH and I have been pulling Christmas decorations out of storage and going through them, finding a place for this, and a place for that, and looking at some and asking, "What about this?"

Often, the answer is, "I'm not married to that. I'm married to you."

We got brave and put out the Nativity set this year. It's Lenox, bone china, all white. Gorgeous, delicate...and, we have a cat. It's out of Little Nugget's reach, but Simon...well, he does like to jump! We're hopeful. 

While we love our new home, the biggest point of contention appears to be the kitchen. Our little kitchen (it is little, with very little counter space) served us well for Thanksgiving. But, nobody was more surprised than my Darling Husband. He worried over it for several weeks before Thanksgiving.

DH said, "We can order pies."

"Didi is coming over the Wednesday before Thanksgiving to learn how to make pies."

I could hear it before he opened his mouth. Then, "That kitchen is too small."

"It will be fine."

He didn't agree.

"So, you don't want me to bake until we remodel the kitchen in a few years? Really, it will be fine"

He gritted his teeth, but didn't argue.

I was sent to order the turkey breast. Every year for probably the past fifteen years I've gotten a turkey breast. Nobody would eat the dark meat, and there was always so much left, we felt it was in our best interests to get a turkey breast. Well, in a moment of insanity, I ordered a boneless turkey breast - for seven people, but realized it before I got home. "I ordered the wrong thing."

"Let's see how big it is when I pick it up," he said. It was small. DH asked, "Should I look for a small turkey?"

"Yes."

The next day he calls me during my lunch. "Giant Eagle sells several already cooked slices - we could get those to supplement."

"Get a small turkey."

"We only need a few more slices."

"Do you want me to make gravy?"

He got a small turkey. 

And, we made pies - 2 pumpkin and one pecan. We made turkey, sausage/vegetable stuffing, and mashed potatoes - all in our little kitchen! It ended up a good thing we had the turkey, because Morticia also came for dinner (she was unexpectedly let go from work early) so there were eight of us. And, surprise-surprise, they were happy to see dark meat. Who knew? We were so glad to have all of the kids and our grandson here for the first Thanksgiving in our new home. We felt truly blessed. However, we did miss having The Doctor with us - since Morticia wasn't going to be home, he made arrangements to spend the day with his family on the other side of town. 

When everyone had gone and it was just the two of us cleaning up from the day, DH said, "I'm surprised you managed to pull off the whole dinner in that kitchen."

"The kitchen on Grouse wasn't much bigger, and I managed for 35 years."

"True." He put something else away, then said, "It was nice having all of them here."

"Yes, it was."

He turned off the light as we headed for bed. "But, they're all still so loud."

I smiled, the afterglow of the day still warming my heart. "I know."

As Christmas approaches, we here at the Stress Pool wish you the warmest of holidays - and please, make time to appreciate the loudness, the singing, the laughter. It really helps to alleviate the stress, and nobody knows that better than here at the Stress Pool! Come on in, grab a cookie and a glass of eggnog (or something else if you so choose), and let's share a laugh or two. Maybe we'll even make a mess in the little kitchen. After all, it's being together that matters most. Merry Christmas!

Rainy Days and Saturdays

Greetings from the deep end of the Stress Pool! Ahh, Saturday, at last! Not sure if I ever told you the story of the day DH and I were making the bed, and sighing, I said, "Well, another day closer to Saturday."

He came home from work that day and said, "Everyone thought what you said this morning was funny!"

"What did I say?"

Laughing, he answered, "Another day closer to seventy!"

I laughed, then said, "I said 'Saturday', not 'seventy'!"

We still laugh about that. And here I sit, on my second cup of coffee, looking forward to the next, on a rainy Saturday morning, thinking of what needs to be done, and what I have the energy to do. In a nutshell: lots of things to do, zero energy. 

Why am I swimming in the deep end of the pool? Well, we're three weeks from the moving date, and only half the studio is packed. This is birthday month - Ms. Business celebrated hers last week, and Moink's is this week. At least birthdays are highlights! School - well, that's usually a post in and of itself, isn't it? 

This week's fun came with one class: the homeroom teacher brought them in and told me one of the students had been sent to the restroom, because he came back from lunch wearing his socks on his ears! This, of course, meant he had to have done that in the cafeteria. Then, in the same class, two special needs students, who sometimes come without a paraeducator (and, I'm sorry, but if a child is in a life skills class, wouldn't it just make sense to have someone else with them?!), had a small issue. We're painting, and one of them thought it would be okay if he threw a container of water onto the other one! Clean-up in aisle six...  Children who haven't used paint in at least two years who had no clue of how to use it, even after my demonstrating. They say patience is a virtue, and I find myself feeling around the bottom of the patience bag a lot these days, as are many of my colleagues!

Saturday. Not thinking of the stack of paintings I need to look through for assessments...sixth graders whose social skills are more advanced than what they are mentally ready to understand (thanks, in part, to social media platforms)...packing to move to the new house...window treatments...where to put furniture...the list goes on. Another sip of coffee.

DH looked at me recently and asked if I'd considered something about the new house. I don't remember about what, it was something simple, like where to put the dishes. I just looked at him. "You are retired. While you keep busy during the day, you have the luxury of thinking about whatever you want, when you want. I'm grading artwork, loading and unloading the kiln, pulling out supplies for future projects...no, I think it's safe to say there are a lot of things I haven't considered!" I suppose I can now add making sure students don't throw water at each other, or wear their socks on their ears.

Saturday. Floating in the pool instead of treading water. Things I have considered: the Christmas cards have arrived, so I'll be able to prepare them in the next few weeks, ready to send out early so friends and family have the new address. Even the annual Christmas letter is written, ready to be printed out! I know where the furniture for the studio is going, and I've given a lot of thought to how to place furniture in other rooms - but DH will have a lot to say about that, anyway. He's had way more time to think about that than I. The painting is done, but the crown moulding still isn't up - windows have been washed. I need some curtain rods - maybe a trip this week to get those - and get them up before we move the furniture. We're having the bedroom closet enlarged, and electrical work will be done just before we move in. A bathroom remodel is starting in January. It's been busy.

Saturday. Coffee. Our friend Tommy is in town - flew in from Canada just ahead of the storms the other day- and we are so looking forward to catching up with him! It has been almost two years since we've seen him, between Covid and borders closing and all.

Saturday. I hope you are enjoying the weekend, and didn't mind me rambling too much! But, when your arms are tired from swimming and treading...well, you know. Many of you are out there, swimming right along side. So, grab a floatie, a cup of coffee (or tea, or hot chocolate), and let's compare notes from the week. See you all again soon, and keep your head above water!