End of November

It's the end of November and all the Fall and Thanksgiving stuff must be packed away.  But I woke up today stiffer and as sore, both arms, as the day I fell.  Took a hot shower, an antihistamine to deal with my cough----I literally coughed all night---and spent some quality couch time and I'm feeling a bit better.  My arms are less stiff, but I'm still coughing enough to make it into the final act of Camille.
Mac brought me down a tub that I store most of the stuff in and I'm on my way, whisking about doing my imitation of a one-armed paper hanger.
Christmas is coming and I must not be stopped or slowed by mere human frailty.

One-Handed Package Wrapping

We're getting our Christmas tree later this week and I want to have packages to put under it.  I've wrapped some, but I need to do more.  My right arm is feeling almost normal and my left one has come a long way, but the right one is going to have to carry the load.  I can see it now:  cut, fold, stick tape dispenser under left arm to hold it, pull with right hand, tape and hope for the best.  Wish me luck.


Addendum


I always knew that I threaded my sewing machine needle with my left hand, but I thought that was it, that the rest of the time it was just along for the ride.  Not true.


Things I didn't know that I did with my left hand:

Turns out I tear off tape with my left hand
I do the button on my jeans with my left hand
I wrap the scrunchie around  my pony tail with my left hand
I tear open packets with my left hand
I hold my book or Kindle in my left hand when I'm reading.
My left hand helps sweep the floor
I hold pans with my left hand while stirring
I unscrew the toothpaste with my left hand
I squeeze the toothpaste with my left hand


And may I point out, don't do any of these things with a sore left arm, it hurts like the dickens.

The Best Laid Plans

We were supposed to be going to New York City for Thanksgiving, but the Tuesday before the holiday I took a tumble while we were out walking.  Stepped on a stick that rolled and took me with it.  Hurt both arms, banged my head, a laceration on my right thumb.  Mac and another gentleman helped me up and because of hitting my head it was decided that I should go to our local Urgent Care.  They were wonderful, got me right in, looked at my head, x-rayed my left arm and said there was no breaks, but I wretched both wrists and elbows and everything in between.  My right arm is mostly back to normal, but my left, the one that took the brunt of the fall, is going to take a while.
In addition to that Mac and I are both having a massive allergy attacks and are coughing our heads off.
So the decision was made to postpone the trip till after the first of the year.  Instead we had a very quiet Thanksgiving at home.
This is the first day that I've felt like typing more than a word or two.
Hoping to feel better soon so we can get a Christmas tree.  I'm the decorator and I'm not capable of that yet.

Friday, But No Five

Amy is not hosting Five on Friday for awhile as much is going on in her life, I wish her well and hope she's back soon.
Update on our friend the Mockingbird, more research shows that he is territorial and will defend his space against all invaders.  We have berry bushes around our garage and I guess he considers them his.  So yesterday Mac caught him in the garage pecking at his reflection in the side of Mac's car.  No damage done thankfully.  Also found out that though they're primarily bug eaters they will eat raisins and sunflower seeds, both of which we have, and we're going to put some out to lure him away from the garage.
Now for something completely different.  Mac gave me a surprise gift this week, new luggage tags.  It's Gudetama again.  Hope he's not to apathetic to take care of my bags.
Each summer Miss Kitty lays around getting her 18-24 hours of sleep a day and I ponder that she is getting older and slowing down like the rest of us.  Then Fall comes and she's like a kitten again.  Into everything, playing with all her toys and bugging us to go outside.  She's standing on my desk right now kicking stuff off, trying to annoy me enough that I'll take her out.  I'll throw her out of the room, but not take her out, she's already been and ate grass, barfed and did all those really great cat things.
Hope you're having as beautiful a day as we are, it's picture perfect here, though colder weather is coming.

Same Song, Different Verse

Yesterday the Mocking bird snuck into the garage while Mac was on his treadmill and did his dirty work before Mac could shoo him out.  Garage door closed, windows flown into numerous times---didn't Einstein say that doing the same thing over and over while hoping for a different result is a sign of insanity?  If so, then our bird is crazy.

Mac tried keeping him away from the windows by putting moth balls around them.  The bird didn't care.  He put birdseed out for him, but the bird didn't care, Mockingbirds are bug eaters.

So the windows are closed, the blinds are down, the door is closed and except for a bird with what should be a sore head, all should be well.

NO!  Tired of attacking the windows he moved on to the garage door and splattered it as well, as I said before, he is a pooh head.

A Pooh Tale and It's Not About Winnie

We are lucky enough to have a large garage and we park both of our cars in it to protect them from the elements.  During the day the door is usually open as Mac works outside a lot and is in and out of the garage frequently.
Lately there has been a problem.  A Mockingbird has decided the garage is his.  He flies in sits on the car mirrors and poohs all over the place including the top of Mac's car which is a convertible.  So now we keep the door closed.  But this has not deterred him.  We have 2 windows in the garage and he has tried flying into them, with a thud.  So we've closed the blinds so they won't look open.  This makes for a very dark garage.
We have checked the garage to make sure the bird didn't have a nest in there that it was trying to get to, wouldn't want that to happen.  But there is no nest in there, we just have a bird who is a real pooh head.

Autumn

We're having the most beautiful Autumn.  Cool, almost cold, crisp nights and warm, around 70º, days.  Could definitely use some rain, have had virtually none since Matthew, Mac has had to water many of the plants which is almost unheard of here, we should be getting rain a couple of times a week.  In northern Georgia the drought is so bad they're having forest fires.
But here it's nice.  While out shopping on Sunday we went to a plant center and picked up more Chrysanthemums, they were very reasonable $2.99 and so big!  We bought about 7 of them.
Enjoy the colors.

My poor lemon tree only managed 3 lemons this year, but I still have some in the freezer from last year.

Just Another Monday

Where does the time go!!  It was just Friday I swear and now it's Monday afternoon.  Did I watch that much football, well I did watch a fair bit.  Watched  a movie, Star Trek: Beyond, not really very good, but a bit of fun and great to look at.  Through in some housework, Skyped with our daughter, grocery shopping, where in a fit of age-related blindness I bought a load of chicken wings instead of chicken thighs, and I don't like wings at all--wonder what I'll do with them, suggestions?
So we're back to Monday, today involves a letter to be notarized, a doctor's visit for Mac, buying popcorn---that's our evening treat--- and buying some chicken thighs.
Have just started the third in the Winston Churchill trilogy, The Last Lion, and like its predecessors it weighs in around 900 pages.
Still cross-stitching, may never finish, but I don't mind, I'm really enjoying it.  That's my Monday.

Veteran's Day

A big thank you to all who have served and those who are serving now.  We enjoy the freedoms we have because of your sacrifices.  For the holidays you didn't get to spend with your families, for the separations and before e-mail, Skype and satellite phones where all there was was snail mail and expensive phone calls we thank you for putting up with it all.  For the lousy pay (Mac made about $163 a month when he was first in) you took for doing such an important job we thank you.  And thanks to the families that supported you leaving family and friends to move with you.
Mac served 21 years in 4 countries and retired as a Master Sergeant.  This is his day.

Just a Few Words

Just a few words and then no more, life will go on as it always does.  The election is over, I did not vote for Trump, but many people I know and respect did.  Good people who thought long and hard about their vote.  Let's stop demonizing them, they aren't evil bigots who suddenly decided they hated minorities, gays, women, etc.  They're people who get up every day, go to work, raise their families and hope for a better future for them.
A good friend who is a minister's wife had said that she couldn't vote for Hillary because she supports abortion, for that she lost friends.
Aren't we allowed to be different and have different opinions any more?
It's time to move on and do the best that we can.
That's my few words.

A Few Words

I knew I should have written Godzilla's name in.  I'll say no more.

Tuesday in the Swamp

Well, I held my nose and did my civic duty today, I didn't write in Godzilla as I'd threatened to, but probably should have.
Autumn is just beautiful here, cool nights, warm days, time to be in the garden, but I haven't been.  Still working full time on my cross stitch.
Did something weird yesterday.  I make bread all the time.  Know the recipe by heart, mix it up and throw it in the bread maker.  So yesterday I made a loaf of our regular honey wheat, turned the machine on and left it.  Two and a half hours later it was done.  Just one problem, the bread was flat, did not rise at all.  It weighed a ton.  Tried to figure out what went wrong and set  up the ingredients  to make another loaf.  Got out the yeast and low and behold what was already sitting on the counter----the yeast I should have put in the last loaf.  Groan!!! I'm definitely getting absent minded, distract me for a minute and I forget whatever I'm doing.  Oh Lord, maybe I did write Godzilla in on my ballot and I just don't remember. Hope he gets a few other votes.

Is this not pitiful?  

I Must Apologize

Yes, I must apologize to the Godzilla in the snow globe.  I forgot to put him in my Five on Friday and his feelings were hurt.  So here he is in all his glory.

Hope you're having a great weekend, we're having lamb steaks and football.

Five on Friday

Busy week, late getting this on.  I've been fascinated by Godzilla since I saw his first movie way back in the 50's, he was the perfect "monster".  And in time he grew to be a helpful monster.  Probably my favorite movie was the one with Godzilla and his son.  I liked them all, except for those made by Hollywood, they were terrible.

Through the years I've gathered a few Godzilla's and for my birthday back in September my  family gave me more, so Godzilla will make up my five.

One:    

This is one of my newest Zillas, our daughter gave hime to me for my birthday in September.  He is articulated and so  cool.

Two:

This is one that she gave me a couple of years ago, he's plush and really quite cuddly.










3.  This is a collection of Godzilla postcards that Mac gave me as part of my birthday present.

4.  This Godzilla has been around for awhile, he use to sit on my desk when I was teaching.  He can be spotted around Christmas time carrying a candy cane that Miss Kitty likes to swipe.

5.  This Godzilla needs a bit of explanation.  The critter on top of him is Gudetama a very unmotivated egg and his lack of motivation effects those around him.  Thus Zilla has become a bit lackadaisical .

That's my five, hope you have a great weekend.  

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Love Made My Home

Hello November

Here's hoping November is cooler than October.  We broke a 50 something year old record yesterday, it was 87º and it's not a whole lot cooler today.  They keep promising cooler weather and I keep hoping for cooler weather, maybe in December.
We had 6 Trick or Treaters last night.  I gave each of them loads of candy and we still have leftovers. I use to give our leftovers to a friend, but he's diabetic not--hope I wasn't the cause of that--so I don't know what we'll do with the leftovers.  This year I intentionally bought candy that I don't like so I'm not even tempted.
We had doctor appointments today, got there a couple of minutes early and were told the doctor wouldn't be in today, family emergency.  Just as happy, didn't know why we were going anyway, usually go every 6 months unless there's a problem.  Anyway, talked it over, they looked through the Doctor's notes and we don't have to go back until our yearly physical in February.  But I did get my B-12 shot which I really needed.
Up in my craft room started work on an Autumn table topper, should have it done tomorrow.  Miss Kitty caught me up there working and wasn't happy that I didn't let her in, she said she could smell puzzle.