Too cold

I got up about 7:50. My nightgown was too hot and the heat kept waking me up. I swished and read by the HappyLight. I made changes to the Wednesday detox and printed out a new copy. I exercised and drybrushed. I listened to an audio on imagining money as a person and making a good relationship with that virtual person. After juicing, I was going to pack and go to the sauna but it was really cold outside. I created a sauna in the basement with PVC and blankets. I had to move a bunch of stuff around. But when I sat inside in the bathing suit, I discovered that the heater down there turns on really hot and then turns off for awhile. Both on the low setting and on high. So there is no way to have a constant temp. I tried to imagine creating a warm space with multiple strands of Christmas lights, but nothing feasible came up. I read e-mail. I brought in the snail mail. I tried to do yardwork but the cold was too much. I put more layers on the kale. I could see why our choir director announced practice tonight with a clause for cold. I check e-mail again. I listened to audio interviews. I played love songs from the 60's and 70's and sang along. I looked up remedies for SAD: one is going to a sunnier climate. (with a dr's prescription, would the insurance pay for it?) I looked up sunrise and sunset in Honduras. They are having an hour and 17 minutes more daylight than here in Alabama. I finished Walter's pants and give him a call. He said he'd pick them up Monday. I looked through a Pinterest page that I had flagged. I found more songs to sing with. When Chris got home, I Skyped with him. On weather.com it said Huntsville was 11 degrees, with -6 wind chill. I am looking forward to Honduras and some tropical weather. After Chris hung up, I sang more old songs. They just don't write 'em like they used to. 

*  For some reason, a huge flock of birds visited my front yard today.  *

Love songs

I got up at 8. I laid on the guest bed to bask in the sunshine. That lasted longer than I had planned. I turned on the router and checked e-mail. I swished, exercised and juiced. Then I took my bag of something to do (it has been so long that I don't remember what exactly it is) and went to quilting. Jane gave me the instructions for one of the quilts they are doing this year. I sat with Beverly She was finishing the binding on her t-shirt quilt. We talked until Jane was ready to close up. Then we talked in the parking lot. She agreed to take me to the airport next week. From there I went to the Asian store for sprouts and kimbap. The lady told me that the usual person can no longer make kimbap, so the substitute makes it now. I still bought it. While I was driving toward home, Beverly called to invite me to stay at her house the night before my trip to the airport. I told her I needed to think about that. I had decided not to stop at the bank on the way home because I had to go, but at the last minute I turned onto the road in front of Walmart and went up Airport road. There was an accident near the bank so traffic was congested. But when I came out, it had been resolved and I had no trouble getting to Whitesburg. When I got home, I went to the bathroom and then got out some kimchi to eat with the kimbap. I usually pull out the pieces of dakon radish, but this time it was in slivers, harder to identify and remove. I ate it as best as I could, reading e-mail. Our agent sent pics, one of more water in the basement. Sigh. I brought in the mail. I worked with my odds and ends of PVC to fabricate a cold frame. I placed it over the kale and went looking for plastic. I could not find the sheet from last year. So I used two thinner ones. I placed the string of lights under it where the rain hopefully can't reach it. I put on some Christmas music. I wanted to take the Christmas tree down, but it's box was ruined the last time this basement flooded. I had another box that I planned to put it in, but it had the doll in it. So I looked for another box for the doll. I could not find one that was empty. So I repaired the tree box. I disassembled the the tree and put it in the box. I put the newer tree in it's box, but it didn't really fit. I repacked the lights and ornaments in a new box, and put the Christmas boxes in stacks. Then I made breakfast, and ate it while reading e-mail. I got a call from Cecily. Then I skyped with Chris. I asked him to sing me love songs and he did, with a little help from Youtube. After he hung up, I played songs on Youtube and cried. I wrote my blog to a mix of Bee Gee's songs and went to bed.
*  These are the pieces I cut yesterday, which I still need to sew together  *

Kale in the vale

My phone was still on mute from church yesterday. So the alarm sounded like a cow mooing for help with some one's hand over its mouth. I grabbed the phone and laid in bed figuring out how to turn the ringer back on. Then I got up to swish and sit with my happylight at the computer. After that, I dressed and took out the garbage. It was very cold outside. I called Parker then 'cause I was afraid she might call after I went to quilting, and then I would not have access to my notes. She said she was just about to call me (I have heard that before). We talked, and then I e-mailed Chris the gist of the call. I exercised, juiced, and made breakfast. I tapped. Then I picked some fabrics to make the Dec and Jan blocks. I rolled my stuff out to Chris' car, surprised how well I remembered how to drive it. I drove to quilting. I saw Alice as she was leaving to visit Virginia. The ladies inside to me that Walter had been there for lunch and looking for me (to pick up his second pair of hemmed pants). I talked to the ladies, caught up on the latest news. Carolyn gave me the bag of blocks from last month. I cut pieces from my pile to make two blocks to go with them. I did not have the cutting instructions for this month's block so could not continue. I stayed until Laurie was ready to go. She would have stayed later, but everyone else had left. I was home by 3:30. I took some pics of the delivered stuff in the carport and my still growing kale (ornamental and Russian Red). I examined the cut leg of Walter's jeans. I decided on a fix and then implemented it. I needed a break to check e-mail. I noticed the encroaching darkness and cold, so I hunted up the Christmas lights from last year and placed them by the kale, and then covered it with a blue drape and plastic. Fixing it up right can wait until tomorrow and full daylight. I searched for a 10 year old document from the purchase of our house but found nothing. What if it is in one of those boxes that were delivered? What if it is still in the garage in Pinehurst? I ate the rest of the piece of fish from last night. I ate the rest of the kidney. I ate some kimchi, and dates with cashews. I tapped and listened to an interview about health hacks. Chris skyped me. He suggested some places to look for the document and I found it. Sadly it wasn't all that helpful. Then I got on the desktop to print out the cutting instructions for the January block. I was musing on how to write a set of directions for it when Denise skyped me. It was her first skype call and she picked me! Ok, she was sick and did not want to spread it. We had a nice chat. Then she hung up to go to bed. I drank some water and did another tapping round. I wrote some very graphic instructions (meaning drawings to accompany the text) for constructing the block. Then I posted to my blog and went to bed.

Blessed with rain water

I got up not knowing what time it was, but the alarm rang while I was in the bathroom so it was perfect timing. I drank some water, then went back to bed (perhaps not my best idea). I searched for the church envelops again. I exercised, and listened to video on ebola and ozone therapy. I sat briefly with the HappyLight and then took a shower, and got dressed. I warmed up my trombone and went to church. I was there by 10:22. The organist and I played all the way through once. I got a bulletin and read the announcements. I watched for her cue to stand up and play. I moved the trombone and the stand out of the way for the service. After the service, I packed up my trombone and sat to listen to the rest of the postlude. It was very good. Several people complimented me on my playing. Jennifer said I should keep growing my hair because it frames my face so well. I found my offering envelops in the box at church. I felt like smacking my head against a wall. Terry told me that the church was giving us credit for the funds raised by the quilt raffle. I drove home and brought in my trombone. I changed to the shoes Faye bought me. I jotted notes for my blog. I grabbed the grocery bags and copied the list from the fridge. Denise called from their vehicle on their way home. We talked rental properties. I went shopping at Publix. I found no chia seed and they couldn't find any either. When I got home, I put away the groceries. I had to lay down to rest. I was already way behind schedule and that did not help. I got up to go to Renegades. I was just in time to help - to help myself to some fabric they were throwing out as they packed up. They had spent the entire day sorting fabric bins and cutting the fabric into strips, strings and squares. One piece had money folded into it. That sounded exciting and I was sorry I wasn't there to see it. I stayed with Lynette until the man came to lock up the church. When I got home, I ate some dates and cashews. They were so good together that I had to force myself to put them away before I finished the container. Then I ate some fish and froze the rest. I sat with my HappyLight again, this time for maybe an hour. I started processing rain water and tapped. I heard the Skype sound and it was from Chris. So we chatted as I finished the rainwater, just barely getting it all into the three big jars. We talked about what activities MWR had for the weeks I will be there in Honduras. They have a lot of movie nights, but the movie titles were not listed. They offer a hammock class, which might be fun if it can be completed in 2 weeks. I ate some cheese and put on some music in the livingroom. Then I laid down again. I thought I would fall asleep, but never quite. I had to get up to change the CD and went back to bed. About 11 I got up to write to my blog so I can go to bed for real. 

*  Here is a quilt from show-n-tell last month  *

Getting ready for tomorrow

Last night I remembered the moving guy unwrapping the treadle machine and setting it up on its feet by himself. Wasn't it too heavy for that? I had to run downstairs to check to see if the machine or the treadle part was missing. Everything seemed to all be there. I also checked the footlocker since I nearly tripped over it. I always remember it being locked, but it wasn't anymore.

I went to bed and committed all my troubles to the angels. I slept well. I woke up and planned to stay in bed until I heard the alarm. A little extra sleep might help the bags under my eyes. But nature intervened. And when I got out to the den it was after 9. I turned on the router and read e-mail. I read a book with my HappyLight while swishing. Dad called to ask how to cook an egg. I got dressed to put the misdelivered mail in the box, knowing I might forget to take a shower later. I exercised and process rainwater (filtering and heating). I juiced all the remaining carrots. I made and ate breakfast. I watched a video on antibiotic resistant infections from the food supply (UTI's). I took a shower, and then played my trombone briefly before packing it up to go to church. I went to practice with the organist. After deciding how to get through 4 verses, she showed me her phone and how she could ask Siri questions. We asked it the whereabouts of car keys and it brought up a list of auto shops in the area. On the way home, I stopped to buy salmon at the fish market. I reviewed love songs from the '80's. I made a list of food on hand: onion, radishes, beef kidney. It sounded like supper to me, so I chopped up the onion and browned it with the radishes, then added chunks of kidney and let it simmer for awhile. How come no one wants to eat at my house? I watched an episode of Lone Gunmen, and packaged it for mailing back. I brought up the sweet potatoes plants in their jars. Two had leaves and the other one hadn't yet decided which end to sprout from. I loaded dishwasher, but ran washing machine. I completed the weekend Sudoku puzzle. I worked on another Amazon order because I forgot to get brazil nuts and a calendar. I did some tapping. I searched for the 2015 church donation envelops, but never found them. I folded laundry, and put it away. I put the suitcases away, too. I mended my glove now that it was washed. I started working on Mom's project when Michele got on Skype. We chatted for a bit and then Chris got on. Mostly it was still Michele and I because Chris was so tired. Michele was smiling at videos of tiny hamster food. Chris hung up first and then I did. I checked the basement and garage for water because it has been raining all day. Then I went to bed.

*  More lack of proper packing, from yesterday   *

pf

Some one's idea of packing and shipping

I got up just before 8, CST I think. I read with my HappyLight. I got dressed and went downstairs to move things from the garage to the carport that would not be affected by water. I was trying to create spaces big enough for the standard moving size boxes I expected. The sweet potatoes were in a tub by the garage window. I threw one out and put the rest back in their individual jars. The moving men arrived in a truck too big to get in the driveway some time after 9. I was presented with a packet of papers so I could check off the numbers of the boxes. Some items arrived unnumbered, more than were accounted for on the sheet. The men rolled the items in on dollies and read me the numbers they could find, putting unnumbered items in a pile. The driver warned me that some of the boxes were falling apart. That was because they were the original boxes which the packers should have re-packed. He was just a delivery guy who picked the stuff up from the warehouse. We had an open bin of stuff with pieces of 2x4 on top which arrived just as open as it was in the shed. The bin had split and the wood was falling out. A headboard came that was not ours, but they insisted since it was with our stuff, it was now. I tried to check on the sheet later to see what was written by its number, and that was when I realized that they hadn't left me any copies of any papers. I e-mailed the rep at the packing company.

After receiving the shipment, I went upstairs. I exercised and did the coffee detox and listened to some audios. I responded to Chris's e-mails and told him the condition of the shipment still packed. What will I find when I open the boxes? I took pictures to show to the moving company if needed, then I e-mailed them, and Parker and the handyman. I skyped MaryAnn. Our call was interrupted by a call from the new agent. He suggested we consider selling the house as is to a contractor to flip. Maryann waited until it was finished and we resumed our call. I sent her a Skype pic that I took of her and Bob. I hung up when Chris called on Skype. I brought in the held mail so I could read him the bills. Some of the mail was for our neighbors (how long has it been there?) I read him the bills: one had no balance because of an unexplained credit of $200, another said we didn't pay last month, so we owe extra this month. Chris hung up to have dinner and go see a movie. I looked up our Netflix queue, and the last Netflix entry in my blog to determine if there should be a disc in the mail. Clues indicated that one came just before I left. I found the disc and laid it where I could see it. I made and ate breakfast even though it was after dark. I read e-mail, and saw this month's Do Good block but the diagram did not seem right so I went looking on the internet for a pic of a finished block. I made up supplements for the week, and started a new batch of coconut milk. I composed an order from Swansons, to make sure I had enough to get through the trip to Honduras. Some things had to come from Amazon. My forehead itched again. It had stopped earlier in the week. I was hoping it would clear up completely while I was out of town.  Chris skyped me, and I found more loose ends to tie up regarding the situation in Pinehurst. I researched e-mails from October to refresh my memory on what happened with that situation. Then I drank some hot salt water, and did some tapping. I tried to think if there was anything else to add to the orders before I placed them. I took a break to write my blog entry for the day. I hope to finish the orders, too, before I go to bed.

Flying the friendly skies

I could not find my phone last night. I had planned to set the alarm for 7. I had some trouble getting to sleep last night. I woke up hearing Dad moving around. When I got to the den, it was 20 of 7, so not bad. I put the rest of the fermented coconut milk in my breakfast and stirred. I took my vit C while watching predictions for the coming year on TV. I ate part of my breakfast, then got dressed and moved my suitcases out to the foyer. I called my phone. When I found it, it needed charging, so I plugged it in. I ate some more breakfast, but my stomach was too tense to handle all of it. I watched Tv and checked e-mail. When my phone alarm went off at 8, my phone was mostly charged, so I packed up the cord and put the phone in my purse. I was feeling weepy, so I tapped and cried. I hope Dad didn't notice. I poured some rubbing alcohol on my thumb and put a bandaid on it to protect it from the airport environment. Dad and I got my suitcase in the car. It seemed really heavy but we had no way to weigh it. Then I drove us to the airport. It was an easy drive like the map indicated, with almost no traffic, and one toll. $3. Following signs at the airport, we drove past the departure lane before we came to parking. Is that how traffic normally flows? Anyway, we went into the hourly lane and parked in the North lot. We took the elevator to the second floor and rolled my luggage into the terminal and to the baggage counter. The suitcase weighed in at 38 pounds. Dad watched my stuff while I visited the ladies room. When I came out, I found him listening to classical music coming from the player piano. He walked into the security line with me, then hugged me and we parted. The TSA agent said I was in the wrong line ( I chose the regular one) but then changed his mind when he saw my ticket. He did not explain. I put all my belongings on the conveyor belt and stood in the scanner. Then the lady patted my upper chest because the metal flake design on my shirt might be hiding something. I had to watch the man unzip my laptop case and swab it for residue before retrieving my shoes. He was kind enough to explain about TSA pre-check. Still, I made myself a note to look it up online. I waited in the lobby of my gate, writing notes for my blog. After boarding the plane, I put in my ear plugs. After we took off, I watched the ground for awhile, then played Revolver on my tablet. (That is a Tetris-like game for you TSA agents out there). When I got to Atlanta, I took the earplugs out. Although they were uncomfortable, they did the job. They made it hard to hear announcements, but when my ears are pressurized, I can hardly hear anyway. I walked to the train and then to the end of Concourse C. I saw a vending area that advertised organic food. I stopped at the ladies room and then found a seat near my gate. I ate a few handfuls of pumpkin seeds and raisins. I called Dad to make sure he got home from the airport. I looked for our skype number on my phone, but it wasn't there. I could have sworn I had entered it. So I called Kurt and asked him to e-mail Chris that I had made it to Atlanta. Then I played Freecell on my laptop. It has plenty of battery power now. Chris called as I was shutting it down to board. I must have missed my call for zone 1, because I heard them call for standby passengers, and then I frantically searched for my plane ticket before I got on. It was a shorter flight. We flew over clouds so I watched them. When I got to Huntsville, I called Mary M. I went to baggage claim to join the gathering. My luggage arrived in the same condition it was submitted. I stood outside until Mary drove up. She picked me up and brought me to my house. I offered her gas money but she refused. I went in through the garage so I could leave the clothes in the washer before carrying the suitcases upstairs. I watered the plants. The carrot tops had plenty of water, but they had molded. I turned up the heat. I turned on the desktop computer and wifi and practiced my trombone. I skyped with Chris, during which the moving company called to say they'd be here tomorrow about 9:30 with all the contents of the shed plus the riding mower and grill. I cried at the thought of where to put it all. Then I hung up with Chris to work on the carport. I could make a lot of room by parking his car outside. It started raining while I consolidated items and made makeshift pallets for the new boxes. I moved away the yard work tools that I did not want to get boxed in. I ate a frozen chicken and a jar of tomatoes. I had to ask Chris for our skype number. I watched the last few days of the Jackie Lawson advent calendar on the desktop. I decided to go to bed, but had to unpack first. Then I ate frozen mango chucks, so freezer burnt that I thought I was eating pineapple at first. I wrapped myself in my robe and went to bed. But I couldn't quite sleep. From somewhere came the faint sound like a TV. But I could not find it. I got up to see if Chris was still available for skype. He did not answer. I listened to an audio and played some games while it ran. Then I put my supplements away and realized I was almost out of chia seed. I posted to my blog and tried going back to bed.