It has been forever since I posted. We are still alive. We're broke, just like everyone else. We work different shifts, so weekends are our special time. Not getting enough time together gives me something different to complain about. Since complaining makes me happy, I am ecstatic.
There is a winter storm watch for tomorrow into Wednesday afternoon. The weatherman can be wrong and we can get rain. He will be forgiven.
The Christmas shopping has been started but not finished. It is hard to believe Christmas is only a week and a half away. Santa hit the lottery and moved to a tropical island.
Things are quiet here. I have a candle burning. It's a legacy from the sewer issues. There seem to be no sewer smells but I like the scent of this candle. It's Revive from Target.
Some movie is on TV but I can't hear it. The movie is rated G. I didn't know there was such a thing any more.
I'm back trying to do FlyLady ... well, sort of, kind of. I'm trying to be mindful of some of the principals in order to keep the house cleaner. However, I have not subscribed to the emails.
Stupid me! I forgot that I had run out of freezer space and put some frozen vegetables in the fridge. Now, it's a quick batch of broccoli soup and a batch of chicken vegetable (Think the middle of a meat pie). Beef vegetable would be better but we'll use what's on hand.
Later
Soup's done. It's a good thing both dishes are quick.
For the most part, things are pretty much the same here. I am working days. My husband is working nights. Sometimes, I turn the TV on for noise.
With riots over lack of food, a huge earthquake in China, and the typhoon damage/deaths in what was Burma, I feel guilty for enjoying little things and complaining of anything.
On Sunday, there was a party at my parents' home to celebrate Mother's Day and my brother's birthday.
My daughter is expecting her second child in September. She will be having another boy.
We dealt with a sewer back up on Thursday and Friday.
A friend's grandchild is in the hospital. If you could keep her in your prayers, it would be greatly appreciated.
My husband's favorite uncle passed away. We went to Buffalo to say our final farewells. While we were there, we learned that one of his cousins is pregnant. This is a high risk pregnancy, so please pray for her as well.
Things are much better here. My husband is now gainfully employed. He has been working for three to four months. Currently, he is working night shift. This is the third week. I am still adjusting. With very little communication between us, there is a loneliness that has settled over me. My lack of ability to busy myself with outside interests is disappointing. Most evenings are filled with household chores until my energy wanes around 7:00.
I decided to take a vacation day today in order to take care of last minute preparations for Christmas. For Thanksgiving and Christmas, my parents host the family get-together. My mother asked that I bake pumpkin pie.* I thought, "Cool! I have all the ingredients here. I'll buy new pie shells and whip them up quickly. Yes, I use frozen pie shells.
This morning, my stepson stopped by for a few minutes. He surprised me with a bouquet of carnations. It made me cry. I have been so stressed out about finances that his simple gift really touched my heart.
We visited for awhile and later I went to the store to take care of my last minute Christmas preparations. I came home and started on the pumpkin pies. I opened the canned milk that had been in the cupboard for over a year and it was lumpy. Gross! I had to make a second trip to the grocery store. Yuck!
Shortly after the pies began baking, I heard an odd noise, kind of like an explosion. I raced to the kitchen to see if the oven was broken. It appeared to still be baking. Merry Christmas to me if it breaks, I thought. I still have not finished paying for the new fridge.
Well, I think I know what I heard. The cats can't leave flowers alone, so I put them in the bathroom (a room where closing the door is easy). I just discovered the flowers were on the bathroom floor, because I forgot to close the bathroom door the last time I was in there. The bathroom shares a wall with the kitchen. I think I heard the cat knocking the flowers over and just assumed that it had something to do with the oven. Thank heavens it wasn't the oven.
*My secret: Follow the directions on the back of the can of Libby's Pumpkin. Sprinkle the top generously with pumpkin pie spice before baking.
Everything was covered with ice when we awoke Sunday morning. Our lights flickered but never truly went out. Others were not as lucky. There has been much tree damage and many are without power. Some people may have to wait until Wednesday evening to have their power restored.
Today, I put some of the Christmas presents in pretty bags and got them ready for gift giving. Part of bagging gifts includes making sure there is equality in the gifts and that no one has been forgotten. Some gifts are traditional gifts. Every year, the girls each expect a new pair of pajamas. My grandmother used to get my sister and me PJ's for Christmas; so when I became a mother, I carried on the tradition. When the girls were younger, I used to find them cute nightshirts with a little bonus something. Those days are gone. Hills has been out of business for years and no one else seems to carry the nightshirts with the bonus gift. My parents always purchase Hess trucks for us. Do you have a traditional gift you either give or receive?
Things are pretty much the same as they have been. My husband is still not working. His unemployment is exhausted.
The weather was rainy all week. This afternoon, the weather cleared. Winter precipitation, some of which will be ice or sleet as well as snow, is predicted for tomorrow.
My personal life is an existence, where anticipation of positive change is followed by no changes whatsoever.
On a happy note, I like my new position. The people are great. One of my co-workers had some financial concerns but that problem was resolved this afternoon. Of course, his financial concerns upset me, because I think of him as a son.
Name: Gail Martin Home: Central Pennsylvania, United States About Me: This is my space, where I dream out loud. I try to take a few moments to look at the positive things in life, especially if I am having a bad day. I work full-time. I'm a wife, mother, and grandmother. I care about a lot of things and worry about too many things that I can't change. See my complete profile
