Winter Poem

I think this is how a lot of people are feeling.  I can't wait until these cold days and cold winter winds are gone.  It will be so nice when it's finally 45 degrees and the snow begins to melt.  For now, I am very grateful that I don't have to go out, most days, unless I have to.  Today is a good day to be inside.
I did finally head to the basement this morning to do a bit of organizing.  One side of our storage close has shelves.  Those I organized a few weeks ago.  The other side only has one shelf unit and then I have had storage bins stacked on the floor.  So, I moved all of the bins out.  I pulled everything out of the closet in the basement bathroom.  That's another great storage are.  It goes under the stairs.  I was able to move several of the bins from the closet into the bathroom closet. Now there is room to put 2 more shelf units into the storage closet.  Hopefully I'll go to Menards tomorrow and pick those up and get the rest of the things put back.
After that I need to start reorganizing a couple of other closets.  Time to go through some clothes and decide if I save them, or get rid of them.  We shall see.  
Now I am trying to convince myself to go and workout.  I know I will.  Just being very lazy.  
I'm also working on laundry.  Clothes are done and waiting on towels to dry.  
In 10 weeks, if Jeanne can work it out, she will be flying into Cedar Rapids on her Birthday. On Saturday the 29th my sister, Donna, will be flying in.  Last year we decided that we were going to take a sister/Mom trip to Branson, MO.  We have a 2 bedroom/2 bath house rented on a lake. I am praying that we have great weather while we are there.  We will leave on Monday the 31st and spend 4 days there and then head back on Saturday, April 5th.  Can't wait for some fun times!
One week from yesterday, Rachel and Daniel, will be here!  Then one week from today, Kendra will come home after work for a long weekend.
Stay safe and warm!

Motivation

Maybe this is the problem.  I usually tell myself the night before, "I Can Do This".  Maybe, just maybe, I should tell myself in the morning.  That's it, I'm sure.  I have things that I should be doing, but just can't motivate myself to get it done.  I started cleaning and organizing my storage room 2 weeks ago.  And, that's where it ended.  I use to just plow through and finish what I start. But, here the room sits and it's not done.  I need to get it done.  I will get it done.  How hard can it be?
I'm sitting here watching Gilmore Girls and listening to the wind.  I can hardly wait for Spring to arrive.  It's not too far away, is it?  I am so tired of the cold, wind, snow, ice.....
I am looking forward to next week and praying for good weather.  Rachel and Daniel will be traveling to Iowa on Wednesday after she's finished at the Y.  We always love to have them come home for a visit and it's so much fun to see how much Daniel has grown and how many more words he knows.  Kendra will take Friday off from work and come home Thursday evening.
So, I'm guessing I'll at least be motivated at some time to clean before they arrive.  However, most of it will have to be done on Tuesday.  Wednesday is a full day of appointments for Mom and I have one as well.  I'll have to write a list and follow through or nothing will get done.  And, I will. You know how it is.  If company is coming, you can fly through the house and get it done.
Well, that's what I've been doing.  Nothing.  Waiting for motivation.  And, it will happen.
Hope you all are getting more accomplished than me.  Happy Tuesday!

Happy New Year!

Well, I rang in the New Year just where I wanted to be.  In bed, asleep.  Yah, me!  I think I was in bed by 10:30 and asleep soon after.  2014 arrived just fine without me.  LOL
I slept in until about 9:30 and finally crawled out of bed.  I needed to get my pork chops in the crockpot for supper.  Got caught up on Facebook and then decided to head down to ride my bike before the game.  I looked online to see what time it was going to start ~ 12:30.  I got in 50 minutes, came up and Alan said, it started at Noon.  Huh?  So, of course I had to look again.  Yup, read it wrong.  It was 12:03.  Oh, well.  Now we are hoping the Hawkeyes can get a win.

That's about all that's on my schedule for the day.  I may go down for another ride later.  We shall see.  I am hoping to stay on task with eating right and exercising in 2014.

Let's watch ourselves melt and get into shape this year.  I have to learn to be content with the way my body looks without clothes on.  Yes, TMI.  lol  But, because I have gained and lost so much weight in my life, everything sags and is not that appealing.  I do my best to try to think of things to do to firm up.  But, really there is not a lot I can do, other than accept it or have surgery.  And, I don't have the money, so accept it I shall.

I've decided to set 2 Goals for 2014.

1.  Continue to eat healthy and workout.

2.  Smile at everyone I see.  

I am hoping that I can keep these 2 Goals all year long.  I know that I will fall at times with number 1, so I am praying that I can pick myself up and move on when it happens.  Number 2, sometimes I find myself so engrossed in what I am doing, shopping, pumping gas, and I am sure if someone took a picture of me, I would be frowning.  So, I am going to try to think about smiling more.  You never know, it might be just what someone needs to see.

Here we go!  A new year, a new chapter of our lives.  I wonder what is before me this year and What My Story will be.  One day at a time.

Christmas Is Down

Yah!  Christmas is down for another year.  I love having it up, but it's always good to put it away.

Now it's time to get out the Snowmen for the month of January.  Brrrrrr  Feels like we've already experienced January.  
Yesterday Alan and I spent the day painting our bedroom.  I will have pictures soon.  We have always bought Dutch Boy paint from Menards and paint two coats and then go around and touch up a few spots.  We bought from Sherwin Williams because they had the color I wanted.  My neighbor has her living room/kitchen/dining room in this gold color and that's where they got it.  The paint was really thick and after two coats there were a lot more spots than normal to redo.  That's really discouraging.  Especially when it's a vaulted ceiling and the spots all seem to be at the top.   It's done, we like it and all is put back together.  Next up is the laundry room.
Well, I guess if I'm going to get the Snowmen out, I had best get started.  I hope you are all staying warm today.

54 Years

I was standing in line at Walmart last week and I thought, this will be my 54th Christmas.  WOW! Of course many of those I do not even remember.  It would be so much fun to be able to look back in time and watch what it would have been like on Christmas in 1959.  I'll always remember the big bulbs on the Christmas tree with the tin silver stars that would protect the tree branches. And, who could forget putting tinsel on the tree.  The old glass ornaments were so beautiful.
Growing up we would always anxiously wait for the Christmas catalogs to arrive.  Then we would sit down and circle and write down our wish lists.  Dad always came through for Christmas.  We probably got just about everything we wrote down.  And, we always got new underwear, socks and pajamas.  When we opened our gifts we would take turns.  Dad would give Jeanne a gift and she would open it.  Then he'd give one to Bill, then me, then Donna.  One year he told us that there was a paper shortage, so we had to very carefully open each gift, fold the paper and give it Mom. LOL  Pretty sure he was pulling our legs.
Now I 54 Christmas's have gone by.  33 of those with Alan.  Now the girls are grown and celebrate with their own families.  We still blessed to have one with us still.  Just celebrated Christmas number 22 with her.  My dream would be to one day celebrate with all of our girls and their families.
I am going to enjoy the decorations for 3 more nights and then Monday I think it will be time to put it all away again.  It's almost January and at my house, that means it's time for the Snowmen to grace our home.  That's my favorite kind of snow.  Decorations.
I hope that you each had a wonderful season and that you were truly blessed.  It's so easy to get caught up in all of the decorating, presents and baking.  But, without our Lord and Savior being born, there would not be any reason for the season.  Because of Him, we are Blessed.

Oh, Happy Day!

Oh, Happy Day!  My shopping is completed and all packages have been mailed.  Ahead of schedule makes me feel accomplished.  Everything is also wrapped and under the trees.
I really haven't done a lot of baking.  Last weekend Kendra and I made a few sugar cookies, still need to frost those, and we made some Ginger Bread Bars, very yummy and some M&M cookies. She took the bars and the M&M cookies for an exchange at work.  I'm going to make the ring pretzels with the Hershey's Kiss melted in the middle with a green/red M&M in the middle in the next few days.  My plan is to give the neighbors a box of hot chocolate mix and a plate of the pretzel treats for Christmas.  I have the boxes of hot chocolate, now to finish it up.

Mine probably won't look this cute, but it will get the message across.

Alan and I are hoping to leave Saturday morning to go and visit his Mom and brother and sister.  We'll stop in Knoxville on our way to see Alan's Aunt Lova and Uncle Charles.  Charles is not doing well and has cancer.  Just waiting for his time on Earth to end.  We should get to Chariton no later than 1:30.  We'll head back home on Sunday.  So, praying the weather stays stable and that Alan is feeling well.  He's been fighting a bad cold.  I'm also praying I don't get it.

I am so tired of the cold.  Not sure if I'll survive the Winter or not.  But, I'm guessing I will.  LOL

Well, it's time for me to head down to ride my bike.

I hope you are all getting your shopping, baking, whatever you have left done soon.

Good Day

Despite sleeping in until 10 this morning, I still got quite a bit accomplished.  It felt good to sleep after having a sleepless night the night before.
When I heard the winds blowing this morning, I was trying to talk myself out of going grocery shopping and running errands.  Almost had it down to just groceries and then decided that I needed to buck up and get out there.
So, I left just after 11:30 for my busy afternoon.  First stop was Taco Johns to pick up a Taco and some Diet Pepsi.  After enjoying my Taco I went to Best Buy.  Gee, I wonder what I bought there, Rachel.  lol
Made a stop to look at some fashion boots at Sears.  They have some great sales right now.  But, didn't find what I wanted there.  Next on to Payless to return a pair of shoes.  Found a pair of boots there, so did an exchange.
Made a stop at Kohls.  I couldn't believe how many people were shopping today.  But, during the wait in line, had a nice chat with a lady.
I went to Target where I found a few more stocking stuffers and some of my favorite Chick a Boom sweetened popcorn.  And, it was on sale!  So, I bought 3 bags.  YUM!
My last stop was Walmart.  Picked up a couple more stuffers and groceries and headed for home.  I got home about 4:20.
Right now I am watching an old school chick flick and then House Hunters and to bed.
Tomorrow I'll stay home and do some wrapping and figure out if I've got all that I need for everyone.
Alan is still not feeling well.  Praying he's better by the weekend.  We are planning on going to his Mom's on Saturday and then home on Sunday.  So, he needs to be better and no weather advisories.  If either of those, it will be postponed.
I hope you are all staying nice and warm and are ready for more snow by morning.
Night all.