What doesn't kill you....

I must be getting stronger in some way, shape, or form considering that this is day seven fighting a virus that I can't seem to lick. The coughing and fatigue (from coughing, or any other exertion) are not letting up and I am just so tired of both – yeah, I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. 😏 Getting sick like this is not like me at all. It is also strange that neither of my guys have caught it, even though they are both shoveling down the holiday sweets from clients and family that keep appearing in our house.

I'm not getting much accomplished other than twice-daily barn chores, occasionally turning the horses out to let off steam, keeping the fire going, and doing a little cleaning. I did open, spin and ply the last two Advent fiber snacks:

We opened our gifts Christmas Eve:

Poppy was happy to get an empty box to shred

And I turned out the horses then rode Stella when my guys went to the family dinner on Christmas Day. When they returned, Brian and I got out the Lego set my sister gave us for Christmas and put it together. Believe it or not, this was the first Legos I've ever played with!

We stayed in the arena because we could hear four-wheelers

On Friday Rick had me meet him at the Verizon store to get my Christmas present from him, a new iPhone. The salesman couldn't get the data to transfer; after numerous attempts over more than two hours, we gave up and he sent me home to try to do it here. I've lost count of how many times I've tried and been foiled here over the last two days, so I'm going to go back tomorrow and demand a different new iPhone; this one has got to be faulty. (Maybe IT caught my virus???) Hopefully the Verizon salesman will resolve things quickly because wearing an N95 mask is another seriously fatiguing experience; it's a struggle to get enough air.

A couple of my blogpals have already shared their 2025 reading lists. Knowing how long it took me to copy my Libby records into a post for last year's reading list, I thought about splitting my posts into half-year reading lists, but obviously didn't. So coming up soon will be one looooonng post listing all the audiobooks I've listened to this year – long, because rarely a day goes by when I'm not listening to something via the Libby app on my phone. And thanks to the new AirPods my guys got me for Christmas, it will be even nicer to listen going forward!

That's it for now from . . .

Not the post I started

Things have been rather fluid here – in the way that white-water rapids are 'fluid.' I think the stress of it all weakened my immune system, because the headache I began Monday with was quickly joined by aches, chills, and hypersensitive skin, exactly the symptoms I get from a flu or Covid shot. Great. Today was more of the same, so I suspect I'll be staying home from the family Christmas dinner to avoid sharing whatever I've got.

 I will admit to keeping my Monday afternoon appointment with the pain management practice for my sciatica/bulging disk, though. We discussed the various options and settled on trying Gabapentin for  nerve pain, which the doctor deemed much safer that the daily Aleve I've been taking. He also cautioned against lifting more than 15 pounds unless I want risk more injury to the bulging disk, so I will have to recruit more help from my guys.

We did get our Christmas tree cut, put up, and decorated Sunday. Rick had no Christmas spirit so Brian and I (mostly Brian, bless his heart) took the initiative, then Rick joined in.

And here's a beautiful photo of my mom with son-in-law and grandson at ZooLights in Lincoln that my sister sent me.

Still keeping up with my daily fiber snacks; these have all been spun and plied:

Merry Christmas from . . .

Adages I grew up with

So much for the 12 days of Christmas; at this point we may not even get that tree up.

This whole year has been challenging on several fronts. I thought we might have a quiet stroll to the end after Rick got back from his ConEd trip, but a brewing problem blew up into a crisis yesterday so I guess not. "No rest for the weary," I remember hearing as a child; ain't that the truth!

I actually bought one package of Christmas cards Monday after several years of being stymied by melancholy over our son's life choices. Yesterday I delivered cards and gifts to two close friends and hope to mail the rest of the cards today ("better late than never"). I have a few presents for Rick and Brian to wrap, and as yet undetermined contributions to a extended family Christmas dinner to make, and that may be it for the holidays. For an undetermined period, I will be keeping my "nose to the grindstone" with limited time at home. So here are some parting shots of what usually keeps me centered and sane. I'll keep repeating what my mom told my younger self often: "Happiness is a decision." Remember, "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger"!

This will NOT be done by the end of the year, but all the little fiber snacks are being spun and plied.

The birthday girl; Poppy turned six years old yesterday.

Here's to making your own good decisions from . . .

Giving thanks

'Tis the season. I hope all of you, no matter where you are or who you're with, take some quiet moments to count your blessings. All the problems, craziness, and sorrow will still be there when you're done counting, but it does help to think about more positive things for awhile . . . every day.  😉

Our Thanksgiving plans were late in the making (such are the complications of blended families), but in the end we gathered at my MIL's house for dinner yesterday. My contributions were homemade crescent rolls (a perennial request), one of Costco's giant pumpkin pies, and a rather impressive, if I do say so myself, salad of homegrown butternut, radicchio and escarole from a neighbor's garden, toasted walnuts, dried cranberries, and feta. I took my knitting along for any down-time, but didn't work on it until we returned home. My short-term goal to get through the colorwork yoke before the calendar turns to December, and I think I'll make it. The horses have been revealed; I'm pretty tickled with it!

before the fancy salad bowl

Last Saturday night we were blessed by our son's thoughtful and generous joint birthday gift, tickets for all three of us to a Straight No Chaser concert at the Elsinore Theatre in Salem. I've been singing scraps of songs and grinning on and off ever since; it was fabulous, great fun as always. And I love that they encourage taking and posting photos and videos, so here you go:

I am thankful for getting some more medical stuff taken care of this year, since after my knee replacements my out-of-pocket obligations have been met. After five weeks of PT for my sciatica without resolving my symptoms, I was referred for a lumbar MRI and was able to get in for that right away. Now I'm trying to get into a pain management practice for a consultation (at least) and possible treatment (likely an injection) before the end of the year.

I am thankful for beauty. The sensory feast of fall is abating, but it is still lovely to me in its more muted phase.

entrance color, before the 'fall'

HUGE, beautiful mushrooms just up the hill, seen on a walk with Poppy

Mt. Hood, across the Willamette Valley, taken from horseback

all of these are from just one changing sunrise

I'm not counting blessings that haven't happened yet, but I'm encouraged by an email exchange with someone interested in buying three ewes. That would be a boon in several ways, including being able to merge the 'barn ewes' with the bigger group, and easing the demand on our too-meager hay supply.

Speaking of sheep, I've been swapping out tight coats for bigger ones as I can. The other night Bitta got a fresh coat, and even though it was after dark I snapped photos of her and Bauble mid-side. Considering that Bitta is black and Bauble is a black gulmoget, the photos turned out surprising well!

Thankful for the readers of this blog from . . .