Saturday, September 26: I did not feel well today. This time it's a tooth, a tender-ish tooth, that appeared to be threatening to become infected. However, I had made a promise to Millie that we'd absolutely have our Gramma Date today and I had no intention of letting her down. Tylenol, swish with an antiseptic, employ a natural remedy, pull up the Gramma pants and GO. And that's what I did.
Millie laughed and chatted all the way over to Warner Robins. She'd asked to go to Wendy's and yes, she knew just what she wanted to eat: Chicken Nuggets and fries in a kid's meal with a Dr. Pepper, and a cheeseburger and a Frosty. Since the kid's meal had only four chicken nuggets, and Millie has grown by at least 3 inches in the past 3 months, I thought it likely she might eat the cheeseburger, or at least part of it. And she did eat part of it. She also dipped her fries in her chocolate Mr. Frosty, "Because I've seen people do it on YouTube..." I don't think she much liked it, but she tried it. "Why do they do that?" I told her, "Perhaps because of the contrasts. You know, salty/sweet, hot/cold?" She didn't say much about it after that, but she had the satisfaction of saying she'd tried it.
We went over to Katie's afterwards. As with Isaac, I'd donated money to Millie's bookfair and so I didn't feel inclined to take her shopping. Bella was visiting and she and Millie get along beautifully. Caleb was over the moon to have both his cousin and stepsister to play with and treated them admirably. He has a bit of his Grampa's liking for females and the desire to be a little courtly with them.
They played outdoors in the heat. Children can get sticky and red-faced and still be perfectly happy to be outdoors. I wish I still had that capacity. All I want to do is stay inside in the AC.
I think Millie had a good day. On the way home, she sang "I'm a Hap-py, Happy dog, I'm a happy, happy dog!" She sings very well, but unlike Isaac is not prone to singing. Since the song was consistently sung on the way home, I'd say she was a Happy, happy Girl!
Katie came over this evening. Her purpose was two-fold, or perhaps three-fold. She wanted one on one Mama time. She needed to sit on the porch and absorb the country peace and quiet. And she brought me the pie safe my middle brother built in high school shop class. Mama had tucked it into a closet and left it when she moved out of her house in town. Katie had retrieved and used it in her home for years. And now it's come to live here.
Well, I gave Katie the one-on-one time she wanted and watched a little of the stress of life melt off her shoulders, and let her cry a little too, because as Granny said, "Crying releases steam..." I also sent her home with two or three ready prepared meals that hopefully will help alleviate some of the working mom pressure to have a meal ready at the end of the day. That and listening were my best gifts.
After she left, I moved the pie safe into its new space in my home. I thought about my brother making it in high school shop. He built several pieces of furniture for Mama in shop, and I wondered if he'd be surprised to know this piece is in use now, 50 years after he'd made it. It's not fancy, but a little rustic, sturdy, just like old fashioned pie safes used to be. Chuck has been dead nearly 30 years.
Sunday, September 27: It was in the 50's last night. I went out onto the porch this morning when I got up and sat there in the sunshine and fresh air and had my coffee. I played hooky from church which I'd sort of planned to do. I'd anticipated having another day of my tooth bothering me, but it was better. However, I'd apparently spent the night clenching my jaw and my head and face ached and my teeth felt sore overall but on the other side of my mouth. I'll confess, I felt off in other ways, but I was darned if I could determine exactly what ailed me.
I was not sorry to miss church, though I felt I ought to be. What better church to sit in than a sunny porch on an autumn morning, listening to the birds and the puzzling racket and rustle in the woods just across the yard?
That rustling and racket was a squirrel building a nest. And there was nothing harmonious about it. That squirrel fussed and scolded and chittered at the world all the morning long, at least while the windows were open to air the house and for all I know he kept it up long after the windows were shut. I don't know if they build nests alone or to share, never having bothered to be interested enough to study their habits but I should most certainly say that I hope they find being warm and snug this winter far nicer than the building of the nest!
Sam came over and had a long visit with me this morning. He and I had a bit of catching up to do.
I mentioned my sore teeth. He winced and mentioned our former dentist. We both laughed over the little old woman hygienist who used to clean our teeth. To be honest, she was one of the reasons, I dropped routine dental cleanings. She was a tiny little thing but my word she had the strength of Hercules, and she was absolutely convinced that plaque was her personal mountain to flatten and she worked at it hard as she could. She left me sore and aching many a time for days following a cleaning and Sam admitted today that she'd made him feel the same. At any rate, it wasn't the dentist we dreaded, it was his hygienist. Why we didn't go to the other dentist in town is beyond me...
Eventually Sam headed home and I puttered around doing light housework, then I went back to the study and worked on my September memory journal. I have a page or three done, have pictures printed for more pages, but after a few hours, I was just ready to quit and go sit outdoors again.
Sassy is loving having company outdoors and I'm happy to pay attention to her now that the gnats are fewer and there's a somewhat steady breeze to cool down the afternoons. I'm so happy the cooler weather has finally come to Georgia, though it is to be in the 90s most of this week, but the nights and mornings are really cooler and I reckon I can deal with a little Indian Summer before we head back down to the cooler temperatures at the end of the week.
I have tired of drifting through weeks, watching too much television, and reading far too much...I by no means want to return to my previous habit of never having time to read, but I do not want to waste these mild, sunny days when I might accomplish something of the much-needed work outdoors. Nor do I want to run myself in the ground by working too hard. I hope to find a medium place where I get something done and I have time to read each day as well. Predictions are for a rainy autumn/winter. I have painting I should do outdoors prior to another winter. Of course, that means I also need to go buy paint and supplies which means I need to go to a store to get those things because so far, wishing hasn't made them appear. Sigh. It's not really the work I dread. It's all the stuff that is necessary that finally leads to the work being done.
But my point isn't that I need to shop but that I must FOCUS and determine what I need to do the jobs on my list and which are truly important (painting IS) and which are not (digging out flower beds just now) and then doing what is necessary to begin doing.
I have decided that each day must begin with opening the house windows and allowing fresh air in every day. And I need to sit outdoors, once in the morning, once in the afternoon/evening. No phone in the morning prior to drinking my first cup of coffee. That should be quiet time, with Bible reading hopefully, though I've stopped being so darn rigid about morning Bible reading and just make it a point to pick it up at any point in the day and trying to read at least a portion of a chapter each day. So far, so good on that score.
My week will be bookended by Monday and Friday which are my two main housekeeping days. I have three days in between which may be devoted to project work, and that frees my focus Monday and Friday to be solely upon the house, meals, etc. I think that ought to work admirably well. I'm leaving my weekends completely free. That's time for the family and rest and play.
And so I hope in that way to stop drifting aimlessly about, aware of too many things that need doing and never getting to any of them.
Monday, September 28: I must be in a season. I have a tooth bothering me on the other side of my mouth this morning. Sigh. I have an impending dentist appointment in the weeks ahead but I'd very much like to avoid an emergency visit anywhere. Fortunately, I have a good idea of how to deal with the mild irritation I'm experiencing. Fingers crossed, prayers said, it will right itself this week.
It was quite cool this morning, which made me recall that Sam asked if I'd turned on my heating yet. I was a bit aghast at him to be honest. I mean, turn on the heat in September? John used to argue against the heat coming on before November 1! I myself am not a stoic sort but no mere 55F morning is going to get me to turn on the heat now. Mind you all, it has yet to be much less than 68 indoors and since that is where I generally have my thermostat for winter, I'm not going to be turning it on just yet.
However, I was mindful this morning that it won't be long before I shall want my heavier quilt on the bed and a blanket as well. It did feel rather luxurious to snuggle under the covers in a warm nest while I waited for the alarm to ring. It was too cool to just get out of bed right away simply because I woke, which is my summer months way of rising.
I finished the book Wives and Daughters this morning during my coffee time. I wasn't aware that the author had never written the last chapter, dying before she'd completed the series of publications that made up the book. However, her editor added the 'facts' readers most wanted to know: did the heroine get the man she loved? He assured readers that was indeed Mrs. Gaskell's plan all along.
It was quite a long read, but I enjoyed it thoroughly. Now I shall choose another book from the stack I placed by my chair at the end of August. I do believe I have enough time to complete one more!
I've been busy all morning. Menu plans, checking in with the bank to see what has gone through, setting up the page for October bills, tidying, finishing off projects started over the weekend...The day has gone by rather quickly, but I feel productive and happy with all that I've done.
Tuesday, September 29: I was so upset yesterday when I received a notice of my current balance on a credit card. Not their fault but mine. I'd used it and used it and that balance went up and up. I decided then and there my new rule was NOT to spend money I hadn't already set aside. And then I went over my budget sheet, and I HAD set aside money to cover nearly all of those things! Hooray for me! No need to worry about how I'll cover that balance, it's fairly done.
Looking and listening to all the weather forecasts it occurred to me that of all the outdoor tasks I have, the most important ones involve painting while it's dry outdoors. That spurred me to change my project plan of cleaning off the patio (can wait for any day no matter how briefly dry) and get to work on the sheds or porches. I'd become daunted by (a) the size of the jobs and (b) the supplies required. No small thing, since paint is so high as well as the cost of supplies.
I had planned a trip to Lowe's with the intent of getting paint and supplies today, even if only enough to do one shed. Well...I nearly backed out of the whole thing because I felt so rotten. And no it's not my teeth any longer. I just plain don't feel good but can't put a ready finger on WHY. Never mind. Looking at the weather spurred me on. It's meant to rain this weekend and all the first of next week. And the odds of rain are very high indeed. However, the next three days are meant to be dry and it's just the window I need to get started.
So, I went off to Lowe's and chose paint. I was ready to make a change. They will be a dark farmhouse blue-grey with white trim. I wandered around gathering brushes, rollers, etc. while the paint was being mixed. And then I found two one-gallon cans of mis-tinted greys for $15 each. They are two different colors.
You might think I was tempted to change my mind and go for grey. No. I still went with blue-grey for the sheds. But those two cans of paint can be mixed to paint porch floors and saved me about $45 per gallon. I'm glad I spied them.
After the shock of my total (2 gallons of blue, 1 gallon of white for trim, two gallons of grey and sundry brushes, rollers, etc.) I decided it was as well not to even think of looking at mums that I might well not have time to plant any time to plant at the moment.
Since I was in the area and payday is only two days away, I went on to the grocery. I had a free dozen eggs coupon at Kroger I wanted to use before the end of this month. I had my grocery list with me. Not the "what's on sale list" (nothing on my list!) but the list of things I am out of or nearly out of entirely and have not seen a single sale on in ages. I spent about $148 for just plain food, and it was all food I truly needed, not frivolous spending. Every bit of it is meant for October, and restocking the pantry, too. Not for the last two days of September. I was careful not to over purchase fresh produce, which is my greatest temptation. I focused on adding frozen and canned vegetables to the pantry and freezer. All in all, I think it was a good day of spending and being thoughtful about what I was purchasing. But please allow me to say a quiet "Ow," just the same.
I'm looking forward to starting on the shed project. I'm not planning to slay myself, but I think once started I should be able to accomplish a good bit before it gets too hot to work each day. I also have the advantage of having shade to work in part of each morning which will be a help, too. I'm excited to have what's needed to start working on projects. Now if I'll just have the same feeling of excitement tomorrow morning when I wake, lol.
Wednesday, September 30: I've been undecided if I have allergies or a cold. I still don't know. It began as just not feeling well, but with two different teeth troubling me as well, I thought perhaps I was fighting off an infection, and it was just my body reacting to that. Then I woke Tuesday morning with a chesty sort of cough and a little head congestion. My chest does not have the burning sensation I typically have when I'm deep in a chest cold, so I blew it off and went out shopping for paint supplies sand groceries.
I will share that though I was dressed for warmer weather I nearly melted. I so longed to pull off the kimono I put on over my tank top but the tank gaps right under the arms and I was reluctant to have my bra showing. I was so glad to get home t and pull off that kimono and tank top and put on something else.
This morning, I felt decidedly worse. I was so excited by the idea of painting the shed that I got up anyway. Well, it was foggy as could be. No painting until the fog burned off. I had a leisurely coffee, did my Bible reading, had breakfast, gathered my supplies and then decided to start a crock pot meal for my supper tonight. I made a bit jug of water to go wtih me outdoors. I had a lunch plan and ready food for when I walked back indoors.
With one thing and another and supplies not quite where I thought they were, I ended up not getting outdoors until 12:30. And it was really warm. I had been sweating up a storm indoors. I pushed myself to go outdoors and work anyway though I admit I was feeling more and more awful by the minute.
I started on my shed. I got one side done (except for the cutting in) with two coats of paint and one coat on half of the backside before I called it quits. I really like the color, but it's far greyer than I'd realized. It's called Bungalow Blue but it's more like a deep slate blue. I like it. I really do. And I was pleased that what I got done went far more quickly than I'd anticipated.
I came indoors and it was 1:15, but I knew that was it for me. I cooled off, showered, ate lunch and then lay down in the bed and took a long hard nap of three hours. The sort of deep sleep that you have to fight your way back to the surface from. It was that which convinced me that darn it, I'm sick. I'm beyond just not feeling well. And I'm ready to kick the whole blamed world over it. I had so much I wanted to get done before the rainy weekend ahead!
Then Katie texted me that she's struggling with the same chesty sort of cough and congestion and felt really awful...Dang.
I discovered the Honda has a dead (nearly) battery. Apparently, the seat belt didn't retract and caught on the door jamb. I didn't realize that it had and it kept the door from fully shutting. I'm determined I'm going to TRY to take care of this by myself before I call Sam. At least I can try! There's a world of videos and tutorials on such basic car care as this. I figure my greatest challenge is trying to release the hood latch, something I've never done successfully yet.
But I'm not trying today. No, indeed I am not. I've had my lovely Braised Beef Shank for supper with lots of lovely broth. I'm going to put away the leftovers and no kidding, I'm going to get ready to go back to bed even though it's just past sunset, because that is what I feel most like doing. Cars, paint, sheds...it will all be there tomorrow!
Friday, October 2: This is not the way I planned to greet October...
Yesterday I was determined, despite how I felt to get outdoors and work on the shed again. However, foggy start to the day led me to work on doing laundry, baking bread, cleaning up a little indoors. And by the time the bread had baked, and I could freely go outdoors, I felt so ill and irritable and pitiful that I crawled into my chair and went right to sleep and slept for about 3 hours again. The sort of deep sleep you swim up from the bottom to the surface and try to break through to awaken, only to sink all over again back into deep sleep.
I assured myself later that I could go out in the evening and work on the shed, but no. I did NOT feel at all up to that and so I just puttered around indoors for a few minutes and then crept back to my chair exhausted and ready for bed.
I woke feeling a bit better today though I still have a chesty cough. I did not think I wanted to tackle painting. Instead, I stripped the bed and bath and changed out my warm weather bedding for cooler weather stuff. I puttered around indoors doing various Friday cleaning tasks, slowly, but without too many rest breaks.
I did try to jump off the Honda without any luck. I followed an online tutorial, and I tried two different grounding points, but my battery is really truly dead, or the alternator is shot. I resorted to exactly what I didn't want to do and texted Sam for help. I've looked up information on the car, and I can't find that we've had a new battery in that car in ages, so perhaps I need a new one.
I really wanted to do this myself, but I'd like a second opinion on the battery before I proceed. But hey, I tried and I didn't blow up either car, so there's something.
I'm considering it a bonus that today I've had no nap, and I feel okay without one. I'm not lively but I'm not feeling as weak and worn out as I did. That's progress.
I don't have plans for the weekend, beyond the car battery. I'm not sure I'll be going to church again this week. I'd rather see how this cough is going before I expose folks. My church group is very huggy and hand shaky, which is nice, but they tend to swoop in suddenly on you and don't give you a chance to throw up a back off sign, lol. I would hate to expose anyone to this mess. And here's hoping that this is my last illness for this year. Phooey on all this sick stuff. I'm ready to get busy!