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Last light of 2019. Picture courtesy of Sarah, taken from her yard.
And so, Happy New Year, everyone.
I had planned a quiet night in, and will have that, but first I'll do a Kroger pick-up. I'm out of many things, and the pick-up fee is waived until the end of 2019, and that's now. I got the last 7 pm - 8 pm spot.
In my order will be veggie hot dogs, whole wheat buns, and slaw. Somehow, that just sounds good. Not on the DASH diet, and maybe that's the point. Celebration food.
Ah, last week. A small buddy laying beside me. Begging to be petted, it seems, but not really. Petting is not encouraged and may result in a snarl or a nip. She wants her own terms.
And now Monday and its own kind of quiet. I'm trying to get off the couch, get back to 250 steps every hour at the least. I miss my fitbit and its reminders. Not to mention its phone alerts and texts.
Later today, a trip to the library. I'd love something really good to read. I had two possibilities left from my last trip, but neither was worth a full read. Back they go. I am in awe of President Obama's favorites on his reading list.
There is a house down the street, purchased by a contracting company several years ago, For the past five years, at least, renovation work has been ongoing. A little work, a long time off, a little more work. It looks like they are using things left over from jobs or from the discount building supply. This week they are putting a shiny copper roof on the front. This is not a copper roof kind of neighborhood. My hope is that they will somehow tie everything together in the end, that there is some kind of master plan that has eluded me so far.
After the white car packed with dogs and other things that come with a visit from Winnie and Sarah went up the hill, I went out and got my hair cut. Because, as usual, the house was way too quiet when they leave.
It was a pleasure to get my hair washed, I've pretty much just been throwing water and shampoo at it. And the hair cut - I would have guessed that I last had it cut in October but the stylist said it was July 1.
It was a wonderful Christmas and it went by far too quickly, as it always does. There were good meals, a few outings, a little after-Christmas shopping. What I'll do again - Hallmark gift cards for day-after-Christmas shopping. Those seemed especially appreciated.
Now I am back in my bedroom. It's the larger bedroom on the main floor and quickly fills up with dog beds and other things. One of my favorites is a dog co-sleeper, purchased for the smallest dog but loved by the middle-sized one, who is also small. It puts the dog at bed level. Who knew?
One of the best Christmas gifts was the weather, warm for December, high's usually in the upper 50's. I can remember numerous snowy icy holidays and this was a treat.
The splint has been replaced for a short blue cast. My elbow is free and the big wad on my palm is now replaced by a flatter one.
Despite all that happy stuff, I spent time awake during the night, trying to get comfortable. I'm sure that will get better as I maneuver muscles that had been held rigid. I can tell a big difference from yesterday to today.
There are two best things with the cast. One, I can use the keyboard with both hands easily. I journal Morning Pages on the computer and it was just too much effort to do too much "talking to myself." I've missed it.
And, oh joy, my coat fits over the cast. It wouldn't go over the splint. I avoided going outside because if was just too cold. I still can't get on a long sleeve tee or a fleece, but I'm sure that a trip to TJ will turn up something. Maybe a men's fleece without elastic at the wrist.
And so, today. Journaling. Getting out wrapping paper and doing some wrapping - I can do that now, I'm sure. A trip out to order some baked goods and do a few other errands.
And celebrating the solstice. I can't forget that.
Now hanging in my dining room and making me happy. I had such a good time, back when, finding the Christmas fabrics. Using my new computerized sewing machine. And because I didn't know it couldn't be done, I quilted it with metallic thread.
One reason that quilt is making me happy is because I did some of the piecing and all of the quilting with a cast on my broken wrist, same one that's broken now. Lots of pulling and twisting, good therapy. I didn't need additional therapy afterwards.
There's a dusting of snow again this morning. Streets seem ok. My neighbor brought in my trash cans, early. Usually I'm the one up first.
I have a box of really good ready-to-bake cookies in mt freezer, so, maybe . . .
I could call them Christmas cookies.
This was an after-Christmas purchase last year. About 3 1/2" in diameter. It has been on my desk all year but now in honor of the season I turn on the flashing lights from time to time.
I just dragged in a huge box from my front porch, a gift I ordered. I never could have finagled it into the shopping cart and my car. So, thanks, Fed Ex and Amazon. I'm very excited about this particular gift, although it's practical as can be. Hint: the brand is simplehuman.
More votives to light at church tomorrow. I love this time of year.
This week I read that sunset is actually a little later each day now. But sunrise is later yet each day so the total amount of daylight continues to be less until the winter solstice, December 21.
This picture of Nora was after her symphonic band concert last night. I cropped out her fellow bassoon player since I didn't ask permission to post a picture of someone else's kid, but you can see that she is a happy girl. I missed this concert but her mom posted an awesome video of the Christmas selection.
The furnace guys were here most of the day installing a new furnace. Very electronic. I will be able to control the thermostat by my phone, should I decide to do that. The new furnace is so quiet.
On the wrist saga, the swelling continues to go down. I can use both hands on the keyboard now for limited periods. I haven't tried sewing yet. Soon.
So, the broken wrist. I met with the surgeon and decided against surgery. I will have a bump on the wrist but I can live with that. Casting will be longer but I can live with that too. The cast will not be over the elbow like the splint I have now. Flexibility should still be good. Pain could go on longer but I have almost none anyway.
I'll get the cast December 20. By then the swelling should be gone. My wrinkles are reappearing daily.
In the Merry Christmas to me category, I am getting a new furnace tomorrow. It wasn't on my list. It wasn't expected. Still, I am grateful for a warm house.
I am also grateful for warmer weather today. My splint doesn't allow for a coat or even a long-sleeved shirt. So, I put mt coat over the other arm and then sling it over my shoulder. Try to not stay outside any longer than necessary. Appreciate the heated seats in the car.
Aaron and his mom after the sixth grade band concert. I love after-concert pictures. I missed the concert but have a video of Jingle Bells. Amazingly well done. Band teachers are miracle workers.
I got up this morning and did the three things most on mt mind. Bath, hair washing, dish washing. Maybe not well, but I feel better. The splint has to stay dry. I have other things I'll do today but those were the first things.
Two packages with Christmas orders came yesterday. I'm glad I didn't procrastinate with shopping. Nora.s birthday is next week, too. We did some birthday shopping earlier but I'm hoping one more thing comes in time. And Aaron's un-birthday gift. I like to give a small un-birthday gift to the one who isn't having a birthday. Something easily done when there are only two grands, and something that makes this grandmother happy.
My view looking down - pajama pants and a splint.
I fell on some ice on Wednesday. It looked like water, and it was, but there was ice under it, I broke my wrist.
For now, I wait for the swelling to go down. The ortho doctor said he was on the fence between casting and surgery. He wants the surgeon to make that call and I see him on Monday. The doctor said that if I weren't active and wanting to sew and quilt they would just cast. And so, we'll see.
In the meantime, I am reminded of what my grand guy and I used to say, "There's always another way'" Or, a slower way. The splint goes over the elbow. Very luckily, though, I'm right-handed and this is my left wrist. It could be so much worse. I can do most things, just differently. And slower. And I slept pretty well last night.
Time for this witch to fly out of my kitchen and be replaced by something more seasonably appropriate.
I finally figured out how to rescan the channels on my tv and I can get the local and educational channels plus others. I feel like a real person again. I hope that moving the channel frequencies doesn't happen again any time soon.
What I learned: buying three Kings Island passes with names and addresses other than my own triggers the fraud alert from the credit card company. All is well again.
Really, I can't imagine not being able to do online shopping, going from store to store and hoping they might have what I'm looking for. I don't have that kind of focus and stamina. I am just not a shopper in any season.
Yesterday I hung my Worship Advent banner and was so dismayed. It did not say what I wanted it to say, at all. I remembered how much I had liked the sparkly blue tulle but it looked bare. And the lighted starts I had put behind it - they were so, so crazy bright. Ok, so maybe I shouldn't have waited until the day before to hang it. I finally decided that good enough was good enough and went on my way.
But then, fussing on it later in the evening, I realized that I must have hung blue fabric under the blue tulle last time. Duh. And so I was at Joann Fabrics when they opened at 9:00 this morning. It was still black Friday weekend and the fabric I wanted was 70% off - score!. I pinned that blue fabric behind the sparkly tulle and it was instantly better. And, except for the ones hanging outside, the stars were much more dim.
And then, I decided to take a different turn and have no lights on this first Advent Sunday. Next Sunday, I'll light them and the ones on the sides will shine, the others dim behind the fabric. Then each Sunday I'll pull out a few more. Not the story I was originally going for, but it will be nice.
My gluten free, nut free bread for communion was very crumbly. But, it worked.
