the week ahead

Welcome to this week's Happy Homemaker party!

It was a busy week last week, with physical therapy, an art quilt meeting, and my husband's car was hit while he drove to work. Like they say, the best laid plans... the other driver was found at fault so their insurance should pay to repair the car, however it will take almost 2 months to get back.

The other driver's lack of care caused us untold trouble and I hope everyone drives safely today, looking out for the other guy, giving people room, being patient, watching for crazy drivers.

On the way back from PT a driver got mad at me again, for stopping before turning right at a red light!
Honk, honk, honnnnnnnnnnnk! Where does all the aggression come from, and it serves no purpose but causing discontent.

So, this week... now that we've had the car towed twice, and had to pick a different repair place than the dealership suggested (they were going to take 3-6 months to repair!!!) I will look toward Thanksgiving.

We are thankful Drew wasn't hit broadside, the person hit his back right side.
We are thankful for shelter from the cold and snow, for good food, and each other.
Our little family of three.

The weather in Aurora CO
It got cold again, below 20F on Saturday, and sleeted all the livelong day. What a mess it was, too icy to do anything but stay home. It's still icy on sidewalks now, but the sun might handle that today.
I slipped a couple times trying to walk, and my back was hurt even more. Today, sunny and in the 40F for a high but still ice on sidewalks.

As I look around
I've taken to putting things away before going to bed, so I can get up to less chaos. That silly poodle pup drags shoes back here, tears up paper, pulls all his toys out, the quilts are left in a puddle on the floor... I walk around clearing things so that I look at a nicer view while having my coffee.

Outside,  snow from a week ago is mostly melted, and we got a new mat for the season yesterday. Milo has artfully arranged his toys across the back yard, and the pumpkin is still orange and sturdy despite the freezes.

Our flowers, carefully covered each night, have finally given up for the year as the baskets cling together just outside the back door. Need to get rid of those.

Breakfast lunch and dinner
Even though it's just our wee family of three again this year, (think about inviting friends to your gatherings sometime, we'd all appreciate being included).....

We have begun getting the special foods I traditionally make at Thanksgiving. We have a little turkey in the freezer to come out today to thaw. We will have zuccinni casserole, sweet potatoes, ambrosia fruit salad, homemade cranberry sauce (we love this so much on sandwiches after the big meal) stuffing, and I put root vege into the roasting pan with the bird, so we have celergy, carrots, onions, mushrooms and potatoes too)

I usually stand and section the grapefruit and oranges while watching the parade on Thursday, and it's a throwback to my Southern roots: Grapefruit, navel oranges (both sectioned) pineapple, coconut, cherries and bananas.

To-Do
I've been working in Studio 2 to arrange my supplies. I really want to make art again, paint, draw, quilt, bead, etc. I moved most of the boxes and supplies out of the room, so I can position things back in a more organized way. I ordered a great teal shelving unit of 6 fabric boxes from Amazon to hold my knitting but it didn't get put together. I really REALLY want to get this all handled finally so I can relax a little, then set up the guest room.
Maybe I'll try to put together the shelving... as if I can easily understand the directions.

Along with the usual daily to do list, I'd like to make sure I drink a lot of water today... I've been very congested so that might help. I want to put a pan to simmer some apple peels to make the house smell nice, and to look through my library books on felt ornaments. I found my felt at least!

I want  to gather my supplies to try the beaded icicle ornaments I want to make this year. And to send Christmas cards, I need to find the ones I have, somewhere in the guest room.

I'd love dh to take the halloween decorations back down to the basement for me too... They are in a pile in the hall, blocking the door to the basement, which he carefully moves each time he goes down instead of taking them down. Do you do that? Block a passage with stuff that has to go upstairs or downstairs, and your mate steps over it?

I'm kind of looking forward to getting out the Christmas dishes for the season too! I plan to do that day after Thanksgiving! And put a red tablecloth on the kitchen table.
 If I can find them, put my snowbabies on the mantle, again after Thursday.

Reading
I'm finishing up the novel I've been reading about a young woman who chooses to work for a winery in Sonoma instead of a high powered NY firm... it's a hardback and heavy to hold in bed at night!
Next up the next Tea House Mystery by Laura Child. I fall asleep reading and don't get far fast.
 Also, if the library gets in my quilting book, I hope to catch up with the chapters my art group has already read.

Watching
We love ACORN on the Roku... we are nearing the end of the available episodes of 800 words, and Murdoch Mysteries, and in the middle of the Irish law series. Last night I watched a show on women's rights in England... when she said they were given the right to equal pay for equal work in the 1990's I thought, wow how late, then I quickly remembered we STILL don't have that protection  here in the US.

Craft basket
I want to start the icicle ornaments, and a hexi project with some small Christmas squares I purchased. I love to methodically work with my hands at night while watching tv. I need to find my paper hexies though I may just go to Joann and buy some more so I can make stuff.
I was ecstatic to find my marking pens and pencils Saturday while the ice rained down outside. And some of my stencils... I'm on my way!

no picture with snow, these are just breaking open

I want to make an abstract nature quilt with neutrals... on my walks I've been watching the field of cattails with snow on them. The colors are very quiet for me, but I see it finished in my mind's eye, just need to do it.

Tip
I've been labeling my fabric bins, so I can tell from a distance which one I want to grab. I use envelop labels and draw on them with marker. I have somewhere some fancy labels from the container store but who knows where. These are helping me remember where I put things in the new space.

Lessons learned
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time...
I've felt pretty overwhelmed this week with our new financial and logistic struggles from the car accident. My back is so bad I can't ride in cars who's seats may be slightly off... so I have to now drive everywhere we go together (my car seat is set for me, and DH's seat was set, but not the rental) which is stressful. Our trip over Christmas is now off as I doubt we'll have his car back and I'm worried it will be wonky now. I'm worried about a lot of things. I am tired and worried about the future, and if we'll have enough money to retire now that I caused us to move here where it's lots more expensive than it was back East.

I'm trying to take it a step at a time, not think about the overwhelming future, just look ahead a few steps. I'm trying to keep positive about the holidays.  Every time I watch a holiday movie where the actors say family is everything, I cry a little.
One step at a time. We have shelter from the cold, and food to eat, and each other.

I was reminded that connections happen in mundane ways sometimes. Like at the book store yesterday. Milo was with us, and several people talked to us because of him. He brought us connections. We had several really nice conversations, one was with a couple who have grandchildren living in Norway, so we chatted and laughed at dog and children stories. Milo laid down on the woman's feet. I am quite open to these encounters, knowing life is richer for sharing it with others even strangers. 

I hope one day to be wanted and included in holiday gatherings but for now, we are lucky to have each other and our  poodle son. One step at a time, just look to the next step.
Enjoy that step.
We have so much to be thankful for.

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