So far, So Good!

August is off to an extraordinary start! The first week went just so well. tAt this point, I'm only expecting more great things from August. 

Most of my positive feelings about how August is shaping up so far is because we got confirmation that our second grandbaby is due in February of next year!

Am I a little excited?  That would be a complete and total understatement. I don't think I could be anymore excited. 

I adore my grandson so much.  Being Oma is one of my very favorite things ever. And finally, after ten years, I'm going to have twice the love to share!

I accomplished all of the goals I set for the first week of August. That's always a good feeling and sets a nice tone for the rest of the month. And I'm ready to conquer a few more goals this week!

• Write 3 blog posts
• Add 4 new listings to Etsy shop
• Photograph more new cloths for Etsy shop
• Ship open orders
• Sort 1 box of inventory for Etsy shop

How is your August going so far?

It Didn't Go As Planned

 Last week did not go as planned.

The Man of the House was out of town for a work thing, and I expected to use this time to accomplish some of the goals I had for myself this month.  But I had one or two unexpected (but not unpleasant) things come up that took precedence over what I had originally planned. So, a whole lot of things didn't get marked off my to-do list.

Life is just like that sometimes. When it happens, you have two choices:

1. You can get stressed out.  

Sure, I could have made myself crazy trying to complete my list and enjoy the unexpected all at the same time.  I could have gotten frustrated that my plans were changed.  Or I could beat myself up over all the goals not checked off this week.

But, honestly, what good would any of those things do?  None.

2. You can go with the flow.

Enjoy the unexpected. Make the most of it. The goals will probably still be there when you are able to get to them. If not, maybe they weren't that important to begin with. 🤷

Now, I can't say that I don't hope that this week goes smoothly and I can get everything completed that I need and want to do. But, if it doesn't go as planned, hopefully I will accept that will grace and joy.

Goals for this week:

• Complete 2 new items for Etsy shop
• Photograph 3 new items for Etsy shop
• Write 3 blog posts
• Separate cotton yarn
• Rearrange and Spring clean living room

That is Just About Enough!

When is enough, enough? Because I am pretty sure that I have had just about enough! Since the beginning of February it has felt like one thing after another. Let's recap, shall we?

Our well pump and pressure tank went on the fritz, requiring a lot of expensive plumbing work.

My dad was back in the hospital for another episode of angina.

My husband broke his foot. 

I caught Covid.

Our son also caught Covid.

I had to have a root canal.

The root canal couldn't be completed because the tooth had too much decay, so now I am scheduled for an extraction and implant.

The same tooth had a chunk break off a.week and a half ago.

I had to have follow-up images done after my mammogram showed changes.

I have had a flair up of carpal tunnel, putting me in a wrist brace for a couple of weeks..

My oven went on the fritz two days before Easter. 

Now, fortunately these things are either minor inconveniences, were easily  and/or well resolved, or both. But when things just keep coming at me like this , it still starts to just feel as if I can't catch a break! 

Do you know what I mean? 

There are so many things in life that we just can't control, no matter how much we try to take care and prepare. Sometimes all we can do is a lot of praying and focus on the things we can control. 

My lists of monthly and weekly goals help some.  They give me some sense of order when life is crazy.

Goals for this week:

• Finish and ship open Etsy orders
• Update listings for dish cloths and washcloths
• Take pictures of new dish cloth sets for Etsy shop
• Write 3 blog posts
• Purge and reorganize shoes

What's on your list for this week?

One Thing After Another

If it wasn't one thing over these last ten days or so, it was another! It was definitely one of those "when it rains, it pours" sort of situations. 

Things started off ok. The husband and I went to the Biltmore Estate for an overnight getaway on the Thursday and Friday before Valentine's day. We ate delicious food, drank an abundance of wine, and visited the Van Gogh alive exhibit. It was lovey.

Then...

Saturday afternoon we made a trip to the county recycling center to drop off our recyclables and some household trash. While lifting a bag into the dumpster, the Man of the House took an awkward, off balance step sideways into a dip/hole and hurt his foot badly enough to send us to urgent care for an exam and xrays. They diagnosed a break, put him in a walking boot and referred him to an orthopedic doctor. He has that appointment today.

The next morning I woke up with a headache, sinus congestion and pain, a sore throat and cough. Something compelled me to take an at home Covid test, even though I thought I was probably just being paranoid. The test said I was not being paranoid. Fortunately I was able to immediately schedule an appointment for a lab test, which confirmed those results by noon on Monday. Needless to say, I was not happy about this development.

The Man of the House and the male offspring scheduled tests for a few days later to be safe. But by Tuesday evening the male offspring was already showing some symptoms and on Wednesday he also tested positive. 

The Man of the House continues to be symptom free and has tested negative with both a home test and a lab test. How? I have no idea! He's got some sort of miracle immunity or something going on.

In my opinion, the worst part of the whole Covid experience was the isolation. I would have loved to ask the Man of the House to rub my back or my feet. But noooo... I had to stay distanced in order to avoid spreading my Covid cooties around. 

I am starting to feel better. The sinus congestion has lessened and that burning pain in my nasal cavities is gone. The headache is still there, but is more manageable. I still have a cough, although it was never terribly bad. And while I have some energy now, I get worn out quickly. 

I didn't get much of anything done last week.  Ok. Nothing. I did nothing except sleep, take nyquil, read a little, sleep, watch some tv, eat, and then sleep some more. There was a lot of sleeping that took place.

Of course this means that I accomplished nothing from my to do list last week. Now I have an extra long list of goals for this week.  But I am trying to keep things in perspective and give myself some grace until I am feeling completely better. 

Let me know how are you feeling this week in the comments!

Other Plans

Last week did not go according to the plans I had made for myself. I started off strong. The plumber came out Monday to give us an estimate on a lot of work that we need to have done and we got that scheduled for this week.  I took care of some cleaning I wanted to get done in the kitchen. Got some orders shipped out. Had lunch with my dad and his wife and ran some errands. 

On Thursday morning, I woke up with a horrendous headache, some sinus congestion, body aches, and chills.  I was definitely sick.  And not at all happy about this development. I had things I planned to knock off my to-do list on the last two days of the week and now I didn't feel like doing any of it.

My top priority now was to find somewhere that I could get scheduled for a Covid test.  Not as simple as it sounds since cases of omicron are sky-high where I live.  Fortunately, I was able to get a drive-thru test at CVS on Friday morning.  I received my results on Saturday which were negative. Thank goodness!  I dodged that bullet (this time) I was also negative for both strains of flu.   

I'm still not feeling super great thanks to this cold or sinus infection, or whatever it is. I'm sad because we were supposed to go over to our daughter's house to celebrate the grandkid's birthday on Sunday.  That didn't seem like a great idea under the circumstances.  I don't need to be taking any germs over to them.  But, I also feel fortunate that it's not Covid and that a few more days of rest and fluids should take care of that. 

I can't help but think of the old expression: "We plan; God laughs".  Sometimes, life gives us a minor illness that forces us to rest when we would rather be checking items off our to-do list.  

Hopefully, I'll be feeling 100% better and ready to tackle my goals for this week.

• File sales tax for Etsy shop
• Complete and ship open orders
• Finish 2 Easter items for the shop
• Write 3 blog posts
• Clean our linen closet

What are your plans for this week?

Monday Musings: Last Week

Some weeks things are just out of your control. All you can do is sit back and ride it out.

Last week started with a snow storm on Sunday.  We were buried under about 10 inches of the white stuff. Plus a thin layer of ice. This pretty much affected the direction my entire week took.

The Man of the House and the male offspring were both home from work on Monday.  This always throws me off and leaves me constantly having to think about and remember what day it actually is for the rest of the week. 

We were supposed to have a plumber come out on Tuesday.  We've been having an issue with the pressure pump in the house. Their van wasn't able to get up our road that day, so we had to be rescheduled for this week. Fortunately, we aren't in a dire situation. We have water. But I have been selective about laundry and running the dishwasher - just in case it decided to shut down entirely. 

The grandkid's school went remote for the week due to snow and ice-covered roads in their area.  I got to watch him while his parents were at work. I'll never complain about any reason for spending more time with him! 

As you can see, the week was a play it by ear, day to day planning kind of a week. I am behind on laundry and a few other chores.  But, I did get caught up on Etsy orders, put out my Valentine's decor, and did some extra reading.  Which was nice.

As long as there are no other unforeseen circumstances, this should be a productive week.  My goals include:

• Schedule a vet appointment for Max
• Clean our the linen closet
• Start some blog posts for next month
• Prep facial round samples for the Etsy shop
• Make at least 3 mini baskets for Etsy shop

Tell me what's on your to-do list this week!

Monday Musings: In A Fog

 As I'm writing this post it's almost 4:30 on Sunday afternoon.  I should say as I'm trying to write this. I am dealing with a serious case of foggy brain and the words are not coming easy.  When they come at all.  

It's been like this for the entire past week.  I have what seems to be just a general inability to concentrate on things.  Just getting a simple task accomplished is taking forever because I can't seem to focus on anything at all. 

On paper, I got a lot accomplished last week.  There were several tasks marked off the ol' to-do list.  But it feels like I didn't get much of anything done.  I realize that probably doesn't really make any sense.  It definitely doesn't. 

Perhaps it's because it was the week after the Christmas break.  The guys went back to work and I was at home by myself trying to get back to my "normal" routines.  After over a week of staying up later than usual and having lazy days watching football games and movies.  

Maybe it's because after indulging over the holidays, I am trying to get back to healthier eating and my brain is struggling to adjust to the lack of processed sugars? I also haven't been treating myself to a little caffeine boost in the afternoons. 

Or, there's always the chance that it is my hormones. (or lack thereof) I feel like almost anything can be blamed on perimenopause.  

Whatever it is, I'm hoping that it's on the way out and I'll be able to stay focused and knock out all of my goals for the coming week.  

What are my goals for the week?  Well, I'm glad you asked!

• Clean and organize bedroom
• Clean out fridge
• Write 3 blog posts
• Prep Sunday posts for this quarter
• Ship 3 Etsy orders

What are your goals for the week? 

Monday Musing: The Holiday To-Do List

 I have reached a point in the holidays where one minute I feel as if I am ahead of the to-do list and doing well, but the very next minute I feel overwhelmed by all that still needs to be done.  It's a strange place to be.

In all honestly - I really am on top of things.  Most of the shopping is done.  The decor is all up and looks beautiful.  

I think the issue is that most of the things that I still need to do are the things that feel more like "work".  The wrapping of presents, addressing the Christmas cards, shipping packages, and fulfilling orders for my Etsy shop.  I am looking for ways that I can relax and try to enjoy those tasks.  Maybe brew up a cup of peppermint mocha coffee, put on a Christmas movie or some music, and get things done.  

I'm trying to mark a few things on the list one day, one week at a time so it doesn't pile up on me and leave me rushing to get it all done at once. 

On this week's To-Do list:

• Start addressing Christmas cards
• Finish Christmas shopping
• Complete and ship at least 3 Etsy orders
• Create Sunday graphics for the 1st quarter of 2022
• Blog for 1 hour on 3 days of the week
• Drink at least 64 oz of water per day

How are you doing with your Christmas and holiday preparations?  

Making A List and Checking It Twice

I made a pretty big mistake last week.  I got busy last weekend and didn't prioritize making a list of goals and tasks to do for the week.  And, as a result, I was pretty much all over the place every single day. I couldn't seem to focus or stay on task with anything I tried to accomplish.  

Fortunately, I still managed to get several things, such as completing an order, cleaning and reorganizing the pantry, and cleaning out both freezers. But other things never happened, like writing blog posts or rearranging the dining room.  

I found out the hard way that I really need that visual list of things I want to complete to keep myself on track and accountable.  Without it, I drift through the days without much sense of direction or urgency.  Lesson learned. 

Not only does keeping a weekly (and daily) list of goals and tasks help me to stay focused and organized, but it gives me a nice sense of accomplishment as I check items off the list. Without it, I often find that I feel like I didn't get much done - even though I really did. 

And since we're talking about my list for the week.  Here it is:

• Create and run "Before Black Friday' sale in Etsy shop
• Complete and mail 3 orders
• Rearrange dining room
• Catch up on laundry
• Focus on writing new blog posts

I'll be more intentional about making my lists of goals and tasks from now. Do you keep a regular to-do list?

Monday Musings: Unexpected

"Expect the unexpected"  You've probably heard this saying hundreds - maybe even thousands - of times in your life. This past week has had me thinking about the unexpected. 

Several communities in our area suffered from some devastating flash flooding this past week caused by Tropical Storm Fred.  Now, what you have to keep in mind is that I live in the mountains of western North Carolina.  Not exactly a place where you expect to see the destruction caused by a tropical storm.  We've had the remnants of hurricanes and tropical storms sweep through the area before, but the flooding that took place this time around was unprecedented.  (Does anyone else feel like the past 2 years are starting to make us a bit numb to that word - "unprecedented"?)  Floodwaters for one town were even higher than several years ago when we had back-to-back storms come through. 

Also unexpected -  medical news for a family member, which is going to lead to surgery sooner rather than later.  I'm not at liberty to discuss details right now.  Hopefully, we'll know more soon. But in the meantime - any prayers for a speedy resolution and recovery would be most welcome.

Can we ever really be prepared for the unexpected?  Probably not.  But we can try to prepare for how we react when unexpected things come about.  Some we can do something about, some we can't.  Either way, we have to be prepared to make adjustments and continue moving forward with the circumstances where we find ourselves.

All things considered, I did pretty well with my goals for last week. Between the rain and losing power for an entire afternoon due to the storm, I didn't create new listings for my Etsy shop. And I wasn't as consistent with tracking my food as I wanted to be (I can only blame that one on myself).  But otherwise, it was a good week.

My goals for this week:

• Create Sunday posts for the 4th quarter
• Write at least 3 new blog posts
• Set goals for September
• Create at least 5 new listings for the Etsy shop
• Drink at least 64 oz of water per day
• Track food in the iTrackbites app

What are your plans or goals for the week?

Monday Musings: Disney

 Last week was our big family vacation.  A full week at the Walk Disney World resorts. Five days, four parks.  We played hard, ate too much, and walked miles and miles every single day.  It was fun.  It was exhausting.  I may try to share more details by writing a recap for later this week. But you can definitely catch the highlights all week long on my Instagram.  (In fact - I hope people don't start getting sick of all my Disney-related posts!)

I will say that if you have any Star Wars fans in your family - Galaxy's Edge is a must-see!  One of the highlights of our trip for me was to see our grown daughter's face light up like a little kid when she walked into that area of the park and especially when she saw the Millenium Falcon.  Which the entire family had a grand time "piloting" on Smugglers Run.

All the females in our group wore appropriately-themed outfits for each of the parks.  Animal prints for Animal Kingdom, Star Wars for Hollywood Studios, Disney characters for Magic Kingdom, and "World Traveler" t-shirts for Epcot (created for us by my youngest sister).  Were we just too cute?  You better believe it!  

Since I was in vacation mode, I had no goals set for last week except to relax and have fun.  Mission accomplished.  Rest and relaxation are exactly what we need from time to time.  

Now vacation is over and it's time to refocus and get back to my routines.  

Goals for This Week:

• Create Thankful Thursday drafts for next quarter
• Begin selecting Sunday Inspiration quotes for the rest of the year
• Ship open Etsy orders
• Create 5 new listings for the Etsy shop
• Track all food 
• Drink at least 64 oz of water each day

What are your plans and goals for the week?

Monday Musings: Dreams

 Last week was a good week.  Max, fortunately, went right back to his usual sleep habits.  My dad is feeling a lot better and we met for lunch on Thursday.  I got a lot accomplished when it came to my goals for the week.  And we celebrated our daughter's 29th birthday.

One thing from last week that's really sticking with me is a dream I had one night about my maternal grandfather who has been gone for several years.  In the dream, he was still alive but we knew he was going to pass soon.  I was at his home with several other people, all of us wanting to be there with him in his final moments. I'm not sure who they all were - I couldn't really see them.  They were mostly just shadowy figures in the dream. I was sitting beside his chair and singing "You Are My Sunshine" to him.  A song I always identify with him due to a memory of him singing it when I was just a little kid.   Usually, I can only remember bits and pieces of my dreams, or just a feeling that lingers from it.  But this one was incredibly vivid and I can recall so much detail from it.  

Do you typically remember your dreams?

As I said earlier, I did a pretty good job accomplishing all my goals for last week.  I didn't do so great with the daily walking.  And we had to reschedule our planned hike due to a high chance of rain and thunderstorms that day.  But other than those two - I got everything completed that I had prioritized for last week.  

Yay, me!!  Now, let's keep that momentum rolling into this week...

Goals For This Week:

• Schedule Thursday posts for the 4th quarter
• Drink at least 64 oz per day
• Photograph 3 new gift sets for Etsy shop
• Create 5 new listings for the Etsy shop
• File Sales Tax
• Work on the crocheted top I am making for myself 

What's on your To-Do list for this week?

Monday Musings: Tired

 I'm running behind and it's only Monday.  I'm going to blame it on being so incredibly tired.  

Last night, my dachshund Max did not want to go to sleep.  He went in his crate as usual when we went to bed. And then he spent the next hour whining.  I thought, ok.. maybe he needs to go potty. So, I took him out, he did his business, and then right back to the crate.  After another 30 minutes of whining, I started to get worried (since he was so sick recently) so I took him out and went to the living room with him.  Where he wanted to play!!  He squeaked his ball and ran around for a while.  I was not a happy dog mom.  Finally, about a quarter to one when he settled in with his chew bone, I decided enough was enough and if he wanted to gnaw on his chew toy for a while, he could do it in his crate.  Back he went.  He did whine a  couple of times, but then quieted and went to sleep peacefully for the rest of the night.  All I can think is that maybe he didn't get as much activity during the day yesterday as usual, so I am making a point of playing with him more today in hopes that we have a better night tonight.  

I'm already feeling exhausted due to the lack of sleep.  I also have two nasty bug bites on my arm.  When I first got them on Saturday afternoon the whole arm itched like crazy.  It's not that bad now, but I have two huge welts that are both itchy enough to have me taking Benedryl.  Which, of course, only makes me even sleepier. I could really use an iced coffee, but I know if I drink another one now in the middle of the afternoon - I'll have trouble falling asleep tonight.

This lack of energy is going to make it challenging to accomplish my goals for this week, but I'm not letting that stop me from setting them and making a good effort to check them off the list. 

Goals For This Week:

• Take pictures of new items for the Etsy shop
• Create new listings for Etsy shop
• Walk 10 minutes 2x/day
• Create Sunday posts for the 3rd quarter
• Go on a hike with the Man of the House

What are your goals for the week?  May you get enough sleep to give you the energy for all of them!

Monday Musings: Dog Drama

Y'all... the dog drama just keeps on going around here.  And on Sunday morning it really kicked up a notch.

Last Tuesday I started trying to transition him back to his regular food, but we had some more bowel issues.  (I won't get into the gross details for you) So after chatting with the vet - and yes, showing them a picture of the poop - I was told to keep him on the bland diet for a few more days and keep an eye on him.  He's been eating well and his activity level has been normal.  

He seemed to be doing well, and I fully expected to start the slow transition to regular food again today.  Until the bloody diarrhea started.  Yes.  I said it.  Believe me, I was a hundred million trillion times more shocked to see the actual thing than you are to read it.   I started to chat with the vet again, but decided  - Nope!  We took him straight to the ER vet.   

We had to leave him there all Sunday afternoon.  They suspect gastroenteritis, but we had to wait on blood work and a fecal screening to rule out a few other things.  We did finally get to go pick him up Sunday night about 8:30.  He's going to be on some meds and a special prescription food for a few days.  But I'm praying this sorts him out and we can put this behind us.

It's crazy how attached we get to those little furry family members.  I have been so stressed out.  And shed a few tears with worrying and feeling guilty that maybe I could have done something to prevent this or head it off sooner before it got to this point.  

In other news, I made good progress on my goals for last week.  There were a couple of things I didn't get to.  For example, I did clean out the fridge, but I didn't get to the freezer.  I'll do that this week. I also didn't work on my crochet top every day because I got distracted by another project I was working on for the Etsy shop.

Goals for this week:

• Clear out the last few random boxes my home office
• Clean out the freezer
• Set 3rd quarter goals
• Set monthly goals for July
• Take pictures of new listings to Etsy shop
• Write 1 blog post for the shop blog
• Prep Sunday and Thankful Thursday posts for 3rd quarter

What are your goals for this week?

Monday Musings: The Past Weekend

It has been a weekend.  We were dog-sitting for our daughter and things seemed to start off as well as can be expected when you bring three dogs together.  Until about 5 AM on Saturday morning.  That's when our dachshund, Max, started whining at the bedroom door to be let out.  When got up and took him out, he had some bowel issues.  Then on Saturday morning, he was refusing food and had a bout of diarrhea.  I had an online chat with the vet and he was (of course) put on a diet of boiled chicken breast and white rice for the next 2 to 3 days, with orders to call if he got any worse or if he wasn't better by Monday. 

Fortunately, after a tense day for this dog-mom, he started taking some of the chicken and rice on Saturday evening and seemed to be filling better on Sunday.  He did vomit a little on Sunday, but it was that foamy, yellowish "my tummy is too empty" type of vomit. This makes sense, as he hadn't eaten anything except a quarter cup of chicken and rice and a couple spoonfuls of pumpkin all day on Saturday.  As I write this on Sunday evening, his appetite seems to have returned  He has eaten the bland diet well.  At dinner, on Sunday evening he even gobbled up the chicken rice and was trying to steal his brother's "regular" food! 

Despite all of the dog drama, we did manage to get in some celebrating of the dads over the weekend.  

On Saturday, the Man of the House took lunch over to my father and visited with him for a while. Talked about making plans to go to a baseball game, which we haven't been able to do since about two years ago. (thanks Covid!)  Even picked some blueberries while we were there. Yum!  

After that, we went to the outlets to see if we could find the Man a new pair of work shoes and stopped off at 12 Bones Brewing on the way home for a few beers and a little couple-time.  We didn't eat there, but the barbeque smelled so good, the Man decided that's what he wanted for Father's Day dinner.

Sunday, I made breakfast for the Man of the House. A huge breakfast - eggs, bacon, and pancakes.  Used a few of those fresh blueberries in the pancakes.  And, yes - we did take him to 12 Bones for dinner.  It was my first time eating there and it was just so good y'all!  Recommend. Would eat there again. 

After all this, I didn't leave much time for setting weekly goals.  So, here are a few just off the top of my head...

• Clean out fridge and freezer
• Post new listings to Etsy shop
• Write 2 posts for the shop blog
• Write 3 posts for this blog
• Clean in office 30 minutes per day
• Work on crochet top every day

What are your goals or plans for this week?

Monday Musings: If Dogs Wrote Blogs

As I write this, my dachshund, Max, is in my lap with both of his front paws resting on the edge of the keyboard - looking as if he's more than ready to take over as guest writer for the week. Wouldn't that be something?

I am sure he would probably write all about how he never receives enough treats and only gets fed such a small portion of food twice a day.  Or maybe it would be about how the humans leave the house sometimes and have the nerve to leave him and his brother behind. Or maybe he would thrill you with a description about his love for chewing on throw pillows and blankets, socks, underwear, and shoes.  

It would probably take him a while to type out his posts since he would most likely need to do the hunt and peck typing method having no fingers and all.  Especially when it came to hitting the 

And let's be honest here - if I spent as much time thinking about what I should write as I just did thinking about what Max would write, this would probably be a much more interesting blog post.  

Last week's goals were... well, let's just say - it was another bad week for goals.  I didn't take into account that the grandkid would be with me for 3 days of the week and the effect that would have on my schedule.  I was also still struggling with not feeling especially motivated last week.  Which probably has much more to do with why I didn't complete many goals than having the grandkid did. I did prep my breakfasts for the week and made changes to the "About" page on my Etsy shop. So, it wasn't a total flop.

This week I know that I only get the grandkid two days, so I plan to do some serious goal getting on the days I will be alone.  

Goals for This Week:

• Clear off and organize shipping table in office
• Take donation boxes to Goodwill
• At least 15 minutes of physical activity on 5 days
• Take pictures and video for blog and Etsy shop
• Create a list of ideas for the shop blog
• Ship 4 orders (I'm actually shipping 3 today, so that should be no problem to complete!)
• Clean off 2 shelves in the pantry

What's on your to-do list for this week? Share in the comments!

Monday Musings: Perspective

 Can y'all even believe that it's the last day of May!? Last year, during the pandemic quarantine, April and May felt as if they lasted about three years. This year, they seemed to go by in about three minutes.  That just goes to show - it's all about your perspective!

Speaking of perspective...  My "baby" turned 23 yesterday, which has me feeling especially old right now.  It suddenly seems like it was a lifetime ago that I was 23. I suppose in many ways it was. Twenty-three years ago, I was still in my twenties, with an almost 6 year old and a newborn.  Now, here I am with two very grown offspring and a grandkid. I worked over half those years at a career I loved, and now I run my own Etsy shop and love that.  A lot of living takes place in 23 years!

My goals for last week were mostly a giant bust.  The Man of the House and I didn't get back from the beach until about dinner time on Monday.  For some reason, I really struggled to get back on track and settle into my routines for the rest if the week. I think the only goal I marked off the list was ordering our son's birthday present.  Oh well, it is what it is.  All I can do at this point is focus ahead and work to be more efficient this week. 

Goals for This Week:

• Prep breakfasts for the week
• Do some type of movement/physical activity for at least 15 minutes per day
• Take items for donation to Goodwill
• Hang curtains in home office
• Work on "down" command with dogs
• Work on changes to Etsy shop: update About page and listings

Oh!  And, before I forget - today is Memorial Day.  If you are enjoying yourself at the lake, pool, beach, or a backyard barbecue today - don't forget to pause for a few minutes to remember and honor those that have served and lost their lives in defense of our country.  

What's on your calendar for thus week?

Monday Musings: Mockingbird

 We have a mockingbird living around here somewhere.  I can hear it up in the pear tree from time to time.  It may start off singing the song of a cardinal, or a bluebird.  After a few (I don't know what to call them - bars? lines? notes?), it will abruptly switch songs.  I've heard it mimic sparrows, chickadees, finches, and even the call of a hawk.  It has had me thinking about all the different "voices" we use when speaking to different people. Maybe we're not so different from the mockingbird in that way.

Last Monday I got to spend s with the afternoon with the grandkid.  I've missed our days together since his school went back to in-person learning.   School lets out for the summer soon and I'm looking forward to plenty of Oma time this summer!

The Man of the House and I spent this weekend in Charleston.  We were supposed to go last weekend but postponed because of the gas shortages after the Colonial Pipeline shutdown.  A couple of lazy days on the beach was just what I needed to relax and unwind.  We were long overdue for a couple's weekend away!  

When it came to my goals for last week, I think keeping them small and easily accessible was the right move.  I did quite well at marking off the to-do list.

I have about 99% of my yarn stash organized.  And the sewing table is cleared off.  This whole cleaning and organizing project for my home office is taking much longer than I anticipated I began.  Truthfully - much longer than it should.  But now I can see an end in sight. Finally!  

I caught up on the laundry.  But, we all know that's one of those tasks that just about as soon as you get it finished up - you have to start all over again.  So... 🤷‍♀️

I also started teaching the dogs the "Down" command.  Max seems to be catching on much quicker than I expected.  Ziggy - not so much.  He'll finally do it and I think "aha, he's finally catching on!" Then the next time we practice, it's like starting all over again.  I keep reminding myself that this is a process.  

Goals for this week:

• Walk at least 3 times
• Take items for donation to Goodwill
• Hang new curtains in home office
• Order the Male Offspring's birthday present
• Continue daily work on dog training

How was your week?  Any goals for the week ahead?

Monday Musings: A New Beginning

Mondays have sort of a bad reputation. The Monday Blues.  A case of the Mondays.  A certain orange cartoon cat grumbling "Mondays" from under his blanket.  People seem to dread Monday.  Maybe it's the tradition of having to return to the workweek after a few days off.  Perhaps it's having to adjust the natural rhythms and schedules of our bodies to meet the demands of work and/or school life.  Or it could just be that society tells us that Mondays are bad.  

But, I kind of like Mondays.  It's like a fresh start every single week.  Like a mini little New Year's Day.  A new beginning! 

I like to take time on Sunday to set my goals for the coming week and get things off to a good start with a shiny new To-Do list ready and waiting for me on Monday mornings. 

To help kick things off on a positive note, I am going to start sharing a few thoughts each Monday.  A review of the past week.  My goals for the week.  And hopefully, a little motivation to get us through the week ahead.  Let's go!

I started a new online Bible study last week based on Philippians. It was amazing!  The group that met for the Tuesday morning Zoom discussion was lively and thought-provoking and just SO GOOD.  I'm already looking forward to what the meeting tomorrow morning might bring. 

Here in North Carolina, the panic buying of gasoline in response to the Colonial Pipeline shutdown had most stations out of fuel by mid-week.  Fortunately, we had enough gas in our cars to get us through the crisis. Unfortunately, the Man of the House and I had reservations to go to Charleston for the weekend - but we had to put those plans on hold since we weren't sure if we would be able to find gasoline for the drive home. 

On Friday morning, I was making a cup of coffee when I glanced out the sliding glass door and something trotting up the road caught my eye.  My first thought was "That's a big cat".  Then - "No, that's not a cat.  A dog?"  Which is also about the time that I realized I was looking at a fox.  Prancing up the road with what might have been a rabbit or squirrel in its mouth.  Now, we get all kinds of wildlife in our neighborhood.  Deer, turkeys, groundhogs, bunnies, opossums, raccoons, and hawks are common visitors.  There's even the occasional bear sighting. And I have heard coyotes howling at night over on the mountain ridge. But this is the first time I have ever spotted a fox!

The excitement didn't end there.  Around lunchtime, someone was pounding at our front door.  Not knocking - pounding.  The Man of the House answered the door to find a young girl - maybe 14 years old - sobbing on our front porch.  She had no shoes on and she was so distraught that it was difficult to understand most of what she was saying, but after she told us that the voices in her head were telling her to kill her mother and that she wasn't supposed to tell us her name and she didn't know where her house was - I quickly ducked inside to call 911 while the Man of the House tried to get her to talk to him and to calm down a little.  That's when she took off running, through our yard, the neighbor's yard, and down the road.  He hopped in his car and went to follow her at a distance, just to keep an eye on her and make sure she was safe until the Sherriff's deputy arrived where she was currently down the road and began talking with her.  After that - well, I guess we'll never know what happened to her.  I can only pray that she was able to get the help she needed.  

The day ended on a more positive note when the Mand and I went out for dinner.  That was our first restaurant dinner in over a year that wasn't delivered or take out.  It was nice to sit and be served while we just relaxed and talked and enjoyed our meal.

Saturday, we went out to run some errands. And I got my first haircut since last July! It really feels as if life is starting to get back to something that resembles "normal" (meaning: pre-pandemic)

My goals for this week are short and simple, meant to be steps that will help me get closer to completing my goals for May:

• Clear off the sewing table in my home office
• Finish organizing yarn
• Catch up on laundry
• Begin teaching dogs the "Down" command

What are your feelings about Mondays?  Do you have any goals for this week? Share in the comments!

Finding the Focus

Emotionally, last week was kind of a tough one.  I was all over the place.  One day I felt as if I was living my best quarantine life - working on stuff for my Etsy shop, binging some Netflix and Hulu shows, reading, and taking as many precautions as possible to prevent any virus germies from entering the house.  Another day has me in tears because I just want to be able to pick out my own produce again.  When this is all over, I will never complain about grocery shopping again.  (ok... I probably will.  But not for a long, long while)

Warning:  Huge sidetrack...   I'm sorry, but I am getting a little tired of seeing posts implying (or out-right saying) that we shouldn't complain about the quarantine.  Do we know that things could be worse?  Yes, of course!  Could the conditions for the quarantine could be much less pleasant?  Yep!  Is the quarantine for our own good?  Sure!  But that doesn't mean that feelings of frustration, isolation,  and discouragement aren't real and valid.  Making people feel petty isn't helping anyone cope.  We don't need to be shamed for how we feel.  We need to be able to express those emotions, work through them and hopefully be able to move on with a little relief and a brighter perspective.

So, yes - somedays I am going to sit on my couch and watch Netflix and eat chocolate and feel sorry for myself .  Somedays I won't.   And that's the end of my  rant for the week.  I'll move on now.

Remember last week when I said that I hadn't set any goals for April.  I still haven't.  BUT - I decided in the middle of my funk this week, that maybe not having any goals for myself right now isn't the best idea.  Perhaps I need a few goals to give me something to make me feel a little bit as if I am in control.  Rather than just focusing on what I can't do, I can focus on the goals I have set for myself.

Sounds good.  Right?  So...

Goals for April 6 - 12, 2020"

• Clean out nightstand
•  Send out some cards and letters
• Order birthday present for sister
• Email wholesale customers 
• Write at least 2 posts for shop blog
• Photograph and list new items for Etsy shop
• Finish crochet blanket for the grand kid
• Write at least 2 future posts for this blog

Are you finding it helpful to set goals for yourself during these days of Stay Home orders?  Or are you enjoying the relaxed pace and just taking things as they come?