I was a slacker this week. I did nothing of value for anybody, just read books and drank hot chocolate and vegged. Well, I did a little furniture moving but not enough. So today, I am working. As soon as I have some breakfast.
What did you work on this week?
I worked on the owner’s suite. I assembled two baker’s racks and two storage racks and created a more kitcheny space.
My kitchen, sort of.
I also tidied-up my office.
I like the way you have Jenny’s home page showing on your monitor for this picture. Very crafty,
I took the picture to a) add to my blog and b) post here from my blog, so Jenny’s page was open waiting for the link. The pictures were part of an update to Home Moanership XV.
Also, free advertising for Jenny.
Looking good!
Resourceful!
I worked at work. I’m gradually dusting off my bookselling muscles, and reforging the neural pathways, after almost fifteen years out of the paid workforce. At least this time around, I know what I don’t know, and I know what it’ll take to fill in the gaps in my knowledge – patience, time, and getting as hands-on as possible with the books.
I continued to work on my Halloween quilt top. The local guild has a fundraising option called “holiday blocks”. Kits for blocks are sold in October and November, and the blocks are returned in December. Then a name is drawn, and the winner gets all of the blocks for that particular quilt. My little group decided to sponsor a quilt, using my idea from a book of quilt patterns. We cut out the individual blocks and kitted them up in preparation. My official job is to write up the instructions, but I thought we’d get more interest if folks could see what they were buying into – so I made the blocks. My plan is to put them together this coming weekend, and maybe have a quilt finished before our meeting. Here are the blocks:
https://www.instagram.com/nancileigh_42/?img_index=1
The one weird candy corn block was my attempt at something different from the pattern – a bag with candy corn falling out of it. For me, it will work.
Other than that, I did quilt a couple of tops last Friday, and I’m almost done with putting the binding on one of them. Two more of those to go.
And work work has been pretty intense.
Ooh, I like the candy corn! It has all the Fall nostalgia without any of the calories or cavities.
See, I couldn’t have the candy corn around. I’d get hungry every time I looked at it. Not necessarily FOR candy corn, but for something.
I’ve taken most of the week off sick, so all I’ve done is get through my backlog of membership magazines (National Trust & Ramblers), and read a few more of various kinds on my iPad. Did a bit of dead-heading yesterday. Today I’m changing my sheets – airing the duvet & underblanket on the line – and typing up my notes on how best to research lost rights of way.
Hoping to get my energy back soon, and go back to experimenting with writing. The forecast’s promising for the weekend, so really hope I’m up to a gardening blitz.
Rest is important.
I think I managed to write ten pages. The sad part is that’s more than I’ve done on the novel in months. (I was working on a nonfiction book for part of that, but I finished that a week or two ago.) Covid broke my brain. Twice. Sigh.
I also didn’t get anything done in the garden, although I did manage to go see former resident cat Luna and her mama Kate, and run a few errands. Oh, and I got my Covid booster, which didn’t hit me as hard as on previous times, but did eat a couple of days. So I’m going to say that’s my excuse for this week.
I forgot that my witchy gang got together on Sunday for a belated autumn equinox celebration (Covid in one household and RSV in another the week before) and made fun crafty witchy hats for Samhain/Halloween. Mind you, this was the day after I got my booster, so I was pretty out of it, and decorated the back of my hat instead of the front… (mine is the one on the right). Still, people online seemed to like them, and at least we were together.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cx32wncOZlv/
I am working on cleaning up my house. Between the rounds of summer yard sale shopping and work related weariness/depression, it has gotten totally out of hand everywhere and is really starting to bother me. And it takes so long to truly set even a small space to rights. But the payoff is good. So I am also working on not getting that low again. It wasn’t pretty. Of course, someone just resigned so I am getting a lot of her responsibilities and training her replacement once the current trainee I have graduates… argh. At least I have a long vacation coming in another two weeks.
How long is a long vacation? It sounds like you need it.
A week. It is mandatory in banking in the US to take at least 7 consecutive days per year, which is nice. I probably wouldn’t have done it otherwise, saving days for emergencies but I do feel like I am losing my mind.
I hope that seven days helps you find it, again!
I have been trying to organize a new surgery-this one to remove a facial spot where the biopsy came back indeterminate— and prepare for my upcoming gum surgery. Also got my Covid and flu shots yesterday so today may be unproductive. Or I may do a lot of day job reading
But I have a list of the next house chores I will tackle when DH leaves tomorrow for his next work trip.
I did a lot of garden cleanup over the weekend, put another 5 titles in wide release, finished chapter 3 of the new novella, wrote 2500 pages of something I was compelled to start after watching an upsetting movie, and got ready to do a day In Office.
That was yesterday, so now I have my typical post-commute allergy thing going on. Between the recirculated office air and the hideousness that is Los Angeles air quality, it’s always an upper-resp hangover post Office. Glad I went, though, had a ton to do and got to make an appearance at a celebration for an attorney who’s just been appointed to the superior court. Never even spoke with the guy (he was a litigator, not a patent dude) but if I had an achievement like that I’d appreciate people showing up for my party. 🙂
btw ‘resting’ is totally an achievement unlocked, especially after the year Jenny’s had. <3
uh, I mean 2500 words. WORDS, not pages. LOL.
Pages did sound a bit excessive, but I pictured you glued to the keyboard from dawn to dusk.
I just thought you were uber productive which was not a surprise to me.
Whew. I was about to develop a serious complex.
LOL Deborah – as if you don’t give the rest of us a complex with all of your Llewelyn productivity & excellent fiction book productivity.
Oh that sounds magnificent! I want a week like that! Sunday was like that. More, more, more! After delivering 3 intense four day trainings in September, I was looking for a break. Now right back to work on an annual international symposium that I have been doing for 17 or so years. Lots of fun. Lots of work. I plan to take the whole month of December OFF. We’ll see how that goes. Never happened before, but it could…
Still working on a big report at work, the only thing missing now are three graphics to be translated into English. Which takes far longer than it should. Argh.
Otherwise I’m internally hyperventilating and stalling on starting the sorting process and the preparations for the BIG MOVE. We’ll have more rooms for the four of us but will have to reduce stuff AND furniture nevertheless.
The prospect of having got rid of stuff is thrilling, the prospect of DOING it is daunting.
In 20+ years in one place, far too much accumulates.
And all four of us are essentially collectors. Arrrrghhh.
I walked nearly every day, used my exercise machine often, finally, and sorted some stuff. I put my Halloween display out in front: lots of skeletons, with a dog and cat faced off, a child holding a mermaid skeleton, and a loooong snake skeleton coming around their chair. Also, as a tribute to Jenny, I found a dachshund skeleton. It’s on the chair next to the child skeleton. Peri and Veronica?
I attended the area High School marching band festival, where my grandson had a sax solo. It was great! It feels good to do things, and especially the workout machine, since I have a flat tire I want to get rid of. It will really cool off, soon, and I can get to my list of yard chores and mowing. Ah, the relaxing life of a retired person!
I also have a dachshund skeleton! A tribute to the dog my grandmother had growing up.
I just get whatever Target has in stock that appeals to me. I couldn’t resist the dachshund! they had small dragon skeletons, too. Maybe next year.
I will not be surprised if the dotter – AKA Goth Mama – acquires a few new skeletons to add to her everyday décor. Autumn/Halloween is just the time of year when her preferences become suddenly more available amongst the mundanes and muggles.
I saw a dog skeleton at the hardware store yesterday which was in the process of chewing on a stuffed squirrel, or maybe ferret. Lots of tail, anyway.
I’ma big fan of slacking off these days. I’m tired and rest is healing.
I’m working a tiny bit on winterizing the house. Only insulating the hose bibs left to do.
I finally got out of TikTok on the Liz Danger Series. https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8M74NVr/
I am walking a little more., Sleeping a lot. And trying to find good book covers for time travel to send to the cover designer. That’s hard. Maybe this time is the second book in my second chances series. I got the rides back from Soul Mate Publishing. But I always hated the cover. Now I get to have a new cover and as I get the other rights back, I will try to match to the new cover.
Rides and rights must sound alike to your dictation assistant. You have a book called Maybe this time? Copy cat!
Great review on TikTok! And now I’m following you.
I’m coming down with something – probably a cold, tested negative for COVID but it’s still early – so I cancelled my calls today, doing non-talky work, trying to get a nap in and generally feeling sorry for myself.
I am glad you are taking good care of yourself! Feel Better!
aww. feel better soon!
I hope you continue to test negative. It is hard to tell early on.
Get well soon, Tammy. And fingers crossed you stay negative.
Hope it turns around & goes away, smartish.
Monday, I changed the curtains in the living room from summer to winter and every year I say I’m going to get a tall person to help and then I go right back and get the step ladder and do it myself. No patience in waiting.
Yesterday we went grocery shopping. We’re fooling ourselves by shopping every two weeks in thinking the money we spend is ok because it is for two weeks instead of one. I do not know how families with children do it.
Today was wash the sofa pet cover so when the princess decides to look out the window I won’t freak if she sheds. And shed she will according to dust and fur collection in the vacuum cleaner. It seems it has to be emptied every third swing around the downstairs. I also took the cover off her bed and put that in the washing machine and then put it outside to dry in the sun. Luckily, we have had a few sunny days but only till the weekend. And this is only the first half of the week.
Crossing off things on my October to-do list: haircut, meeting tonight and vet tomorrow. I did manage my flu shot in September. Pixie’s fine; this is just a ‘wellness’ check and a couple of shots.
The draft of the bylaws I’ve been working on came back from the Office of Law’s review with some edits, mostly more cut and paste from other county docs. I haven’t felt like doing them so maybe next week after I get today’s meeting minutes done.
And I really have to mow the lawn once more. Maybe next week.
I did put out a few Halloween decorations-a black cat and a spider and a black cat crossing sign. I need a few more. I’ll have to dig a few more out-next week.
Rehearsing for Oklahoma. Did “Oklahoma!” last night.
Finished a purse for my Halloween costume.
Started trying to figure out how to make a loth-cat in crochet since there is one pattern on the Internet and I do not like it.
That’s…kinda about it.
I had to Google ‘loth-cat.’ 🙂
I’ve been working on acquiring fall decorations for the house this week–orange and yellow paper lanterns to hang on the porch, plus many pumpkins from Trader Joe’s. I brought home almost every pumpkin I touched because I didn’t want them to feel rejected. Otherwise, lots of driving my young adult kids around to take care of various things. I enjoy spending the time with them, but the day just disappears. My mom is having a landscaper come clean up our yard as my birthday present, which is a huge delight and relief. The guy is coming on Friday to discuss. Maybe by next spring my immune system will have chilled out a little and I’ll be able to do my own yard work. Fingers crossed. For now, I just desperately need someone to weed and trim. I’m testing low-histamine cake recipes so I can have a birthday cake next week and made a wonderful carrot cake last night–very excited!
Daughter and husband had wonderful birthdays this past Saturday and Monday. Both are happy.
Today I bought plane tickets for the three of us to spend Christmas in Poland with son and daughter-in-law. I also committed to an Airbnb that looks very nice. Daughter’s wheelchair will work (it isn’t easy to find rentals with elevators in Warsaw). Very excited.
Since Sunday I have had four cups of instant coffee with chocolate. Seasonal beverages reminded me I haven’t made chili in a while, so I harvested all the ripe jalapeño and poblano peppers from the gardens and chopped them up, first ingredients in the crock pot. Barely over 130 grams combined, but they’ll spice it up. Added 300 grams of yellow onion and 100 grams of minced garlic, then started adding tomato stuff: tomato paste, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and Rotel diced tomatoes & chili peppers, all “No Salt Added.”
For meat I broke up and browned two pounds of 93% lean ground beef and a pound of Jimmy Dean HOT pork sausage. When I combined the meat and sauce, it looked a bit too liquid, so it got a hundred grams of Panko crumbs and more mixing.
I just consumed 370 grams (3/4 pound) on zero-carb sundried tomato & basil tortillas. (It took four tortillas.) Chili is fabulous when it turns cool or cold. Sadly, I only have 2.9 kilos left. 🙁
😀
I’m working on a presentation that I scheduled to give on Oct. 20th. It will be on the application. My team has been developing for the last three years. I’m Kooi presenting with one of the developers so they can handle the technical parts.
I cleaned out one of the garden beds after harvesting the remaining tomatoes and peppers. I also went grocery shopping and filled the cart. The bill was fairly high, but it had been a couple of weeks since shopping for groceries.
On Saturday by quilted and bound my book nook quilt. You can see it at https://www.instagram.com/p/Cx1fIVIRPE7/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
This happened at work today. A cute cop was working at our library branch. I asked him “Is that your Gladiator?” Yes, it was. I took a picture.
Please elaborate – sounds cute.
Would love to see the picture of the Gladiator and the cute cop. Did you share Lavender’s Blue as a recommended read? 😄
I have a display of Jennifer Crusie books, the Lavender was taken. I didn’t feel comfortable taking his picture but his ears did stick out like Vince’s were described. It was such a coincidence. He also works out of District 3, like Rain. I have been recommending the series to anyone who will listen.