51 thoughts on “Working Wednes–HAPPY NEW YEAR, ARGH PEOPLE!!”

  2. I’m working on leaving the walker behind – doctor’s orders! (I’ll also be working on keeping the subsequent swelling under control.) I’m also going to drive my car for the first time since Halloween. Its gonna be exciting!

    I think today I need to start a new sewing project to welcome myself back to the sewing room.

    Happy New Year! Nothing but good times ahead!

    2. An update. I did drive to the grocery store – walking out to the car, putting the walker in, getting into the driver seat – all of that stuff. After walking around the store, I decided that, while I could drive if I needed too, I’d let DH bring us home. I’m sure it was all of the walking around the store that did me in.

      As a result, I spent the rest of the afternoon icing the ankle, and didn’t get to the sewing room. But there’s always tomorrow! I’m counting this as a successful first day of the year.

  3. https://www.instagram.com/p/B6x8fLbAW46/?igshid=147rvwy2bl8ny. New Year doggo pic. Imagine his eyes closed because that’s where he was snoozing.

    I was home by 1am, abed by 1.30am and reading at 2. But I woke at 6am and got busy cooking.

    Thankfully my diary arrived on Monday and I’d already done the public holidays and birthdays so I just had to print the year plan in A6 size and stick.

    I actually started using it yesterday. I’ve been on a big change that retrospectively seems to have begun in August and kicked into high gear in October. Yesterday isn’t that much different from today. Neither am I. The insights I’ve gained in the last 3 months, though, are worth everything.

  5. I’m making a huge mess in my house as I sort through belongings, donate much, put things that no one wants into a big trash pile, and pack up things we want to keep.

    I’ve also started an Inner Light shawl (Thanks for your help, Jenny!) and I’m really happy with how it’s turning out. I may be able to finish over the weekend. The yarn I’m using is really beautiful. The colors look much better in person. Somehow both more vibrant and yet softer than in the photos. I’m a very poor photographer. I’m almost to the lace section.

    https://www.ravelry.com/projects/diane22/inner-light-2

  6. I’m not working at all today — one of my commitments last year was to take holidays off, and I’m continuing that this year.

    Tomorrow, I get back to work on my fiction-writing. And housework. Ugh.

  7. Good morning and Happy New Year to all, I can’t tell you how freeing it is to wake up and not have to undecorate the house from the holidays. Because we did it yesterday. I know I told you yesterday, damn it is like a fresh start. But it is 2020 almost a month shy of a decade since I retired. It doesn’t feel like it, it seems the time just whizzed by. I don’t make resolutions because I equate that with trying to make a sacrifice during Lent and that never worked out. If it happens it happens. My only goal is to try and keep my BP down, that is a must.

  9. Not starting anything today. I may make a few more granny squares. I do have to reorganize my kitchen. I’ve been putting it off but I need a bigger space of dog stuff and have to get rid of things I never use. But not starting it today.

  10. Today I start my retirement from the day job (not calling it simply “retirement” because I’m not retiring from life and everything else I do!).

    And I’ve decided to read a Yeats poem a day. Among other things that I have time for now.

    Nothing but good time ahead!

    1. Sounds like a perfect plan, Carol. Enjoy it all, and when you’ve reached the end of Yeats, you can start again, or explore all those other wonderful poets out there.

  11. I unravelled the crochet shawl I started, I was enjoying the challenge and I got into the pattern, but the triangle I started with was turning into a diamond shape and it was longer on one side then the other. I need to figure out what I did wrong, before it got worse. I think I added the rows on wrong. Unlike knitting I don’t understand the stitch count. May do some granny squares to pick up the basics. Trying to do a magic ring was painful

    Guess 2020 will be learn to crochet better

  12. When it comes to hobbies, I’m a better “starter” than a “finisher.” My 2020 goal is to celebrate the finish. A prayer shawl that’s been lingering for a while (so close but STILL not done) and an unfinished baby quilt are my January targets.

  13. Our company left, so I had room to clean out the holiday stuff from my room (it’s very small, you have to move stuff out into the living room to sort them out). So I tried on all the jeans in the drawer and dumped about five pair, and went through my other drawers the same way. Which may not sound like much, but it is a breath of fresh air to have all that dark blue and black clear out. And I put some summer clothes away. (I know!)

    Now to finish this book I’m editing and send it back to the author. Then tamales and black eyed peas, and I can start the year, not caught up, but with a clearer deck.

  14. I planning one day at a time because I am not great with long term goals. When they go wonky on me, I use that to sabotage myself.

    Today I am going to finish sanding the molding I shellacked in the west bedroom (1 door frame and a wall’s worth of baseboard) and I will tack and shellac the window in my mini-studio (YES. At last my guy finished rebuilding the window and reinstalled it. He said it was necessary work but the mini-studio I was planning on using this fall has been a work-in-progress for all this time). Then I will make steak au poivre for dinner. And maybe another load of laundry. And a jigsaw puzzle whenever I am on down-time. Tomorrow is the dentist and a new crown so surviving is my goal for tomorrow. I will deal with Friday when it is here.

    1. I have done all this plus I walked a mile. And a while ago when my husband looked over my shoulder at what I was reading (steak au poivre aux raisens sec in Cooking of Southwest France by Paula Wolfort) to see what I was sighing about, and I said if I had some Armagnac I could try this for dinner. I have the other ingredients. He checked to make sure the liquor store was open and got on his bicycle and rode off and bought me some. Nothing but good time ahead.

  15. I needed to recover from New Year’s Eve with rabidly Brexiteer neighbours. They came for a drink at 4; when they were still here at 8.30 I suggested a takeaway, and while we were waiting for that their Brexit enthusiasm and admiration of Boris Johnson emerged. After we’d finished the bottle of damson wine and then an Australian white. So I think we’re not destined to be soulmates, although they are good neighbours.

    I grabbed a couple of hours of sun and dug out the elderly autumn raspberries on the allotment. I’m going to try and work extra tomorrow so I can spend Friday, Saturday and Sunday clearing the plot, before it turns wet again next week.

    Now I’m going to cook my New Year’s Eve supper, 24 hours late.

    1. I wish I had raspberries! Not sure if it’s a wombat or wallaby (both have been sighted) but the canes are eaten off, every last one. They’re usually very productive. Drooping canes supply dogs, we get the more upright ones.
      Also, sorry to hear your neighbours have opposing views. It’s starting to feel a bit like political leanings should be discussed at first meeting so as to avoid getting ones hopes up with new relationships.

      1. Politics has never been so prominent as now. The closest would be the eighties and Thatcherism, but the Brexit referendum and the long-drawn-out mess it’s given rise to – alongside the rising tide of worry about bigger issues such as the climate crisis – have taken things to another level. And, of course, the divisions whipped up by the media and politicians . . .

        You’ve made me thankful for the lack of wombats over here. I can’t think of anything that’d eat raspberry canes.

  16. New Years is a bit grim here. The fires are horrendous, the smoke is challenging health. We’re safe so far, but the conditions are expected to deteriorate again from tomorrow. Am sending the children home today while the weather is favourable.
    I’m not allowed to start anything new craft-wise. The ufo pile is a little embarrassing. Step one will be finishing a rugged ripple throw for my youngest’s 21st birthday in March.

    1. I’m so sorry. I’m really furious at the so-called government and what’s happening. I’m living overseas, but my family is all there, so I’m keeping a close eye. We are in the midst of an unprecedented climate catastrophe in Australia and Scotty doesn’t care. 500 million animals estimated dead. I just…can’t…

      Be safe.

  17. Happy New Year!!

    Today I’m doing some cleaning and tidying up around the house. The office and the library room/craft room in the basement both need a serious cleaning. Serious cleaning. Like maybe they will suck up my Saturday as well since I’m hoping there will be actual paid work tomorrow and Friday.

    For 2020 my business plan is to be more active and spend less time sitting on my butt in front of the computer. That will be a challenge since my job involves sitting on my butt in front of the computer.

    I’m also going to put aside time for my hobbies and actually finish projects before getting started on new ones in the same hobby.

    We, along with our travel partners, are planning a very large adventure (possibly a trip to Africa or the Galapagos and Antarctica) in 3-4 years (because it’s going to take us that long to save up for it) and, instead of pretending it’s not happening, I’m focusing on taking that time to become fitter and thinner because doing that will make the trip more enjoyable and I’ll actually be able to do things while we are gone. My goal is to lose the equivalent of a pound a week until I’m at my goal. I have extra room in there because weight loss isn’t easy or straightforward. I’m keeping the trip at the forefront of my mind and making my decisions accordingly. I’m aiming for 80% good food choices. This also involves me working on some of my food issues and that might include some therapy again but I can deal with that.

  18. Themes for this year are Create and Wellness, so am Doing The Things today. Not All The Things, but a couple of them.

  19. I made the “best soup ever” yesterday, according to dh. I’m going to cook more this year, healthy meals including more vegetables.

    Sew more and finish the vest for auntie.

      1. First I’d rather read a book than cook. Mother was the best cook as are most of the family. True cooks may be aghast as these are not precise measurements. More handfuls and eyeball the amounts.

        Turkey vegetable soup: a carton of Trader Joe’s turkey broth in a big pot, throw in little white potatoes, cut into chunks. In a pan melt some butter and a swirl of olive oil, toss in chunks of white onion (smallish), several stalks of celery, one big fat carrot cut in chunks, and cook until onions are transparent and veg is slightly cooked. Throw into pot with the potatoes which are just getting soft. Cut up the leftover turkey breast (thaw from frozen). And cut up some cabbage, maybe two cups, smaller pieces, into the pot. Melt good knob of butter in the pan, throw in sliced mushrooms, buttery brown look, throw in the pot. Seasoning is a little of this and that: trader joes 21 seasoning salute, organic seasoning salt, and then I thought to throw in a few shakes of poultry seasoning because turkey needs some sage, etc and a big spoonful of vegetable based boullion. I remembered I had frozen the drippings when I roasted the turkey breast, threw that in as well, still frozen. Added more liquid and let cook for about 40 or so minutes.

        I just throw a bunch of veg and turkey in and whatever catches my eye. Husband wanted the cabbage. I don’t cook the veg for a long time. Still needed a touch of salt at the end.
        DH said it was the best ever. He loves a good soup. And the butter. Butter makes every thing taste yum.

        Our boys and wives are real Foodies and great cooks. It’s in their genes.

        I’ve been watching a lot of the Great British Baking Show. A cooking show is often on in the background while I work. A cook by osmosis.

        1. Sounds yummy, might try this with Chicken, my family don’t eat turkey.

          My mother is an instinctive cook, she couldn’t give me a complete recipe if she tried. I’m the precise measurement person as I lack the ability to improvise. She makes nice food out of whatever’s around and I need to try a recipe a couple of times to get it how it is supposed to be.

  20. I’ve actually been looking at fabrics, because I thought in the shower today that I really want to start making plush toys. I’ve been thinking this on and off for approx 5 years, so perhaps it’s time to do something about it now. Then I thought I should probably do some tryout-sewings from throwaway clothing or something, just to see if it’ll work out. I don’t know yet. I need to buy needles and thread too first anyway.

    We’re also working on feeling better here. We got sick on Boxing Day (jury is still debating if it was gastric influenza or food poisoning [probably the latter]), and we’re still not feeling quite right. Food is not my favourite subject right now. Ugh.

    I just read Jenny’s Fabulous Living Plan-post alloud to Sven. He listened, and when I asked him what’d be on his fab-living-plan-list, he said: “French fries is a good idea, I like that.” . . . . .
    2 minutes later he said: “Perhaps we should make a Fabulous living plan list, too.”, so we’ll do that. I’m happy he seems to find it just as good an idea as I do. You’re a genius, Jenny. <3

    Happy 2020, everyone! Let's make it a kickass year with only good times and fabulousness to enjoy!

  22. I want to exercise every day leading up to knee replacement surgery in June. And I want to lose weight.

    And I want to write. If I can’t come up with an imaginative version of the historical 12th century man I want to write about, I can at least put together on all the research I’ve done on him.

  23. I got everything finished in my garden for winter yesterday (I live south of dc). Squeaked under the year end deadline. Besides normal to bed chores, I planted the last hundred or so bulbs. My hands are throbbing. All the years of keyboarding and phone technology have caught up and my hands are weaker. Anyhow, I kept going til everything was in. Sigh. Reading now. Also, immersed With my Viki app watching these fabulous Asian tv shows and movies. Such well done story telling.

  25. My word for 2020 is “gift.” I want to recognize the gifts I have (reasonable health, time, etc.) and enjoy them fully.

    This year I am making a picture book. There, I said it in public. I wrote the copy last year and have been researching and making notes and doodling. Time to do it!

  26. A happy and healthy new year, Argh people!

    Sharing what a friend sent to me:

    May your hair, teeth, face, abs and stocks not fall;
    And may your blood pressure, triglycerides, white blood count and mortgage interest not rise 🙂

  27. I didn’t get out of bed until 3 PM. Ate one jalapeno cheddar brat on a potato roll with hot salsa. Finished The Curse of Chalion – again. 10 PM rolled around and I decided tuna steaks were on the menu. I find that if you follow the cooking destructions on the package (skillet-fry 2-5 minutes per side, medium high heat), you’re going to get medium rare tuna. I ate it, suitably seasoned, but I’ll broil it, next time. The side was a baked potato amply buttered. The beverage was more diet root beer.

    I looked in my fridge for beverage choices. Hey, it’s the Eighth Day of Christmas. Maids a-milkin’, right? Based on my fridge, they were gathered around a tree milkin’ almonds. It’s good stuff, but not with under-cooked tuna and baked potato with leftover butter from Ruby Tuesday rolls.

    I hereby proclaim dinner to be The First Culinary Disaster of 2020. May I survive to make many more.

  28. My first thing to do was check online to see whether the courthouse demands my presence tomorrow — jury summons for January 2. As of this evening, they have no morning cases but jurors are instructed to check again late morning. We can but hope, though since this particular courthouse is on the other side of the county, at least I won’t be in the middle of commuter traffic at the crack of dawn on January 2.

  29. I am ah, making a present for the crush since he got me some very nice gifts and I did nothing because I figured I would frighten him if I did gifts. The shame, y’all.

  30. This summer, I became really, really blue. Not unhappy, exactly, and certainly not suicidal, but completely unmotivated, and completely fearful of every task ahead of me. In late October, I did something to my back (maybe in my sleep) and couldn’t walk more than 10 yards at a time, so I went to the doctor, who prescribed some medications, including something that works for anxiety . . . and my world changed. I set up a proper appointment, started taking an anti-depressant, and my tasks have shrunk back down into just tasks, not horrible monsters waiting to consume me.

    I don’t know what that means for my writing yet. I’ve been so busy tackling long-neglected mundane stuff that I’ve only written two pieces — one bad, and one on the OK side. It could be the medication, but I suspect it’s just bad writing days. (-: I’m very hopeful that 2020 is going to be an exciting year full of new discoveries! And catching up with old friends, as well.

  31. Happy New Year to all! I hope 2020 is better for us. I’m sure though that it will be somewhat of a rocky ride.

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