Oh Yeah! We've got snow!

And lots more promised.  I had wanted to go out this afternoon for the sketching group I walked out on awhile back.  I had been invited back by a couple of the members, and figured I would try it.  I do have to get out as far as Walmart to pick up some pills.  David is out now blowing snow off the driveway, but if there are to be another 15 cm during the day, it won't stay clear long.  He would rather do a small job twice than tackle huge drifts, in any case.

snow

Makes me wonder why we even shoveled last weekend.  I left work early yesterday, and am not even thinking of going back until daylight.  I don't think I could get out of the yard, yet alone find our road in the dark and blowing snow.  The highways are all open, but snow packed and blowing snow.  There were some closed late last night.  Part of me wants to just stay home, but part of me feels guilty that Patty (who lives in town) will have to be at work, maybe by herself.  I'll see how the day goes

Storm warning

All I am hearing on our news is the winter storm warning for Winnipeg and southern Manitoba - are you affected Cathy?   So I shall think of you today and hope you can dig out Ok and be extra careful if out on the streets!  No doubt we shall also be hit soon but I plan to drive to North Bay Thursday to do some shopping for my Christmas list and don't want to be worrying too much about the drive.
Last evening I watched DIE HARD with Bruce Willis.  Mike and his friends get together every Christmas and watch what they call the ultimate Christmas Movie.  Mike was receiving his friends in his new home yesterday and today ( they bring their own army cots to sleep on) So I decided to also watch the movie as something different to do.  Harry could not figure out why it was a Christmas movie?? I have been watching my collection eg The Santa Clause, and Jingle all the way and White Christmas and for him to see me watching Die Hard was a bit of a stretch.  He doesn't watch movies so doesn't really get into it.  It was a fun thing to do and although a really violent type movie, I thought of Mike and his friends enjoying their time together.
Take care today you folks. XX

Frustration

I had a picture of a small quilt top I put together, using a partially done quilt top I discovered, that I started in 2004.  However, for some reason, my computer will not accept a download from my camera today. Darn!!

A Happy outing!

Scooby and I walked downtown at 4:30 pm and stood on the sidewalk with others - children and parents and dogs and strollers etc. And then it happened!  The flashing lights and the sirens and the Christmas music and the lights and the candy throwing and the waves! 
Yes, the annual Sundridge Santa Claus Parade. It is called the Lighting of the Tree Celebrations. The parade travels down the main street and ends at the Arena where there are family events, and then they turn on the lights of a big tree. (I don't go the arena though) Happens every year, and I am at the parade downtown every year!  I couldn't help but smile and wave and have a great time!  It's a wonderful feeling, and I was happy!  XX

Pondering cleaning

I think there's two aspects about cleaning.  First, of course, is the pleasure and release of stress with having exerted physical control over some aspect of the environment in which you live.  We certainly don't all feel the same amount of stress, in relation to clutter or the need to complete routine jobs, but, at some point, the stress moves us to do something.  David has recently taken to watching "Hoarders: Buried Alive", and may be experiencing an increased need to "clean -up", in response to that.  I feel stress, given the clutter, but not always to the extent that I can find the energy to do something about it ( other than walk away).  e.g. I try to keep the kitchen under control, but as long as I can get around, and get the work done, usually I only put in a major effort once, or at most twice a day. ( and occasionally not every day)

The basement studio is another thing all together.  This time, the clean-up, was also energized by acknowledgement, both mentally and emotionally, that there are some things that I will not (can not-or no longer physically capable of??) ever do again in this lifetime.  e.g., I have held onto the cross stitch embroidery for many, many years in hopes that the physical ability would come back.  It was the least physically demanding hand embroidery that I did.

The emotional acknowledgement that I can no longer do things was by far the biggest component of the cleaning frenzy I just went through.  That had to exist in conjunction with the physical ability to perform the task, and a component of that is also emotional,  e.g willingness to perform.

I think that I'm trying to say that this was a "cleansing" in every sense of the word.   Some of it was also symbolic, and that may be at a deeper level than the physical act.

Boy, can you tell that I didn't sleep well last night?  Today, the big thing is the luncheon with my ATC friends.  Of course it's snowing, just to challenge my driving that little bit more.

Sunday Morning

You have both been busy cooking and cleaning!  I really need to get some cleaning done.  I decided to make nothing this year. Not even nuts and bolts.  I feel a bit guilty, especially about the nuts and bolts :) but I really don't need it sitting around.  I still don't know what I am doing Christmas.  Rrain says Sandi told her that they would be coming here for Christmas day, but I haven't heard anything from them.  I guess I better call them.  Especially if I have to "toddler proof" my house.  As usual I have bought no presents yet, and barely thought about it.  Rrain has cancelled her trip to New York.  I know she was so very excited to be going but she says it just wasn't meant to be.  A few others cancelled and that took them below the special group travel rate they had been given.  She was stretched to save the special rate and there was just no way she could make the regular travel costs.  So, instead of money, I guess I have to come up with a gift idea.  I decided not to even try to do all the work expected of me at work and just relax and do what I could.  So what happens?  I easily did over 45 registrations! (of course they were mostly discharges and mortgages..... very quick and easy) My so called target is 60+, but we are protesting that the other offices with more employees than us also have the same targets.  We feel that the goal is unreasonable when we have to pick up all the jobs of the  missing staff person. What gets done gets done.  They did, however,  pick a very poor time to do the employee satisfaction survey :).  I did get some work  done yesterday.  Washing clothes and dishes, scrubbing (really scrubbing!) the bathroom and tidying the kitchen.  It is going to need a real cleaning next.  I usually do the fridge and stove when I do a major kitchen clean and I wasn't going to do that yesterday.  Jim has been blowing snow.  Last week it was 8 above and the next day fog and the next 3 days very heavy, wet snow.  We got well over a foot.  The tree branches are still hanging down with the weight.  It is hard with the snow blower because it plugs up.  And since we have been driving on it it is packed.  And, of course, the fact the storm started with freesing rain it is all ice underneath.  typical winter. Jim is still sleeping right now.  His lungs just can't keep up with the work he wants to get done.  He was pretty beat yesterday.  He wants to do more today, but I am not going to encourage too much more.  Maybe a bit a day will build up his stamina.  I will go out later and shovel the decks.  Don't you just love winter!