Sunday, February 25, 2024

Share 4 Somethings ~ February

 


Loved ~ 
There were lots of things I loved this month. The one I will highlight was our trip to the Cincinnati Zoo. My husband and I were in Cincinnati with my daughter for my daughter's audition for the Joffrey Ballet Summer Intensive (and yes, she got in and will be dancing in NYC this summer, as well as a few other places) and decided to do something fun before hitting the road for a five hour drive home. The zoo was the perfect event. 

The tiger really loved me and wanted to "talk" to me through the glass. 


The highlight was seeing the giraffes. They are hands down my favorite non-domesticated animal. The were so close and an absolute delight. 



Accomplished ~ 
We managed to get all the kids that still live at home out on a family event once this month. It is hard coordinating this crew of young adults (two special needs) and getting time together out and about, but I see how important it is and keep striving to make it happen at least once a month. This month we went to a city about an hour away and had lunch at Red Robin and then went to Dave and Busters for lots of games. My kids found that the claw machine had many free plays and became somewhat obsessed with getting rubber ducks. My purse was overflowing by the end! It was a fun outing. 

My husband is such a character and adds so much laughter to our sometimes stressful household.

Improved ~
Our washer and dryer have been dying for a few months now. The washer finally died completely at the beginning of the month. We decided to replace both of them and upgrade our dark 1950's basement laundry room with a fresh coat of paint. My son painted it white and it feels so much brighter and clean. I also, put all of the laundry supplies in mostly thrifted containers and labeled everything. It is a much more pleasant place to work now. 




Noticed ~ 
My son has chronic low level depression that has been worse than usual in the last few months. He is between jobs; his therapist left practice; and he is just overall having a hard time maintaining a routine that would benefit his mental health. He has been doing "rent projects" for me each month. This month I decided to have him burn lots and lots of branches from two fallen trees. He seems so much calmer and happier after being outdoors and managing this peaceful activity. He has done it three times so far this month, and I will probably continue it next month since our property has plenty of wood to clear. 

I am linking to Overflowing With Thankfulness
Blessings, Dawn

Friday, February 2, 2024

January 2024 Was Hard

Rebekah playing around in the pool at the hotel in Nashville

January is notoriously difficult in our family. We anticipate complications. It is a family joke to see which appliance will gasp its last breath or which car will refuse to move until it is tenderly cared for. In past Januaries, we have struggled through illness, hospitalizations, my Father's death and so many household breakdowns. You would think we would be used to it. This January was one of the hardest we have walked through and I am glad it is over. 

The month started with the furnace going out. We discovered that there was water in the biofuel tank. However, we couldn't find anyone who was willing to take the water off the fuel, so we would  be able to use our freshly filled tank. The oil companies who had the technology to help us didn't want to, because we had biofuel. They didn't want it to mix with their oil, even though they can mix together. Mind you, those same companies are happy to sell us oil when biofuel isn't available. Our very clever heating man finally came up with a solution and ran a new fuel line to the top of the tank and cut the old fuel line. Since oil/biofuel floats, we can skim oil off the top. This will hopefully get us through the rest of the winter. We will be decommisioning our tank in the spring and going to a brand new all electric heating system at the tune of 10 to 15 grand (which is the discounted rate  if we patiently wait for our one man company heating guy to get to us). On the upside, we did pretty well with no central heat for nine days. We used space heaters, the newly repaired wood burning fireplace and lots of humidifiers. Most rooms held steady at a chilly but not dangerous 61 degrees. 

While the heating was causing tons of trouble, the dishwasher (which hasn't been used in four years) started leaking. We found that there was no emergency shutoff valve and spent a week or two sucking the water out every night with a shop vac. Finally, we bought a new dishwasher and had our trusty plumber come and disconnect the old dishwasher and install the new one. Sounds easy, right? Wrong... The first new dishwasher was horribly dented and had to be rejected at the curb. The replacement one arrived, and we discovered that the plumbing was worse than we thought. Also, the electricity to connect it was a disaster. The plumbing and electricity to the dishwasher were breaking three city codes! Several thousand dollars later and over five visits from workmen, I have a really lovely dishwasher. I do feel very blessed to have it, but the cost was astounding.

Besides all that, the washer and dryer are truly on their last legs. I have been struggling with them for a year, but they are done. Right now, I can't even get the washer to do a forced spin or a normal spin. I might well be off to the laundromat with a load of soaking wet clothes soon. I think the washer and dryer are probably going to the top of the Need List . Also, we had the minivan in for new brakes, and they found a ton wrong on the underside of the van that will need to be addressed in the next few months. I will be getting a second opinion, even though we trust this mechanic. My husband has some major dental work that is coming up in April. The upside is that, although our savings has taken a dent, we haven't gone into any debt and we have some time to plan and adjust to the coming bills. 

 It is a lot...but nothing compares to the devastating news we got in January.

A very close family member that doesn't live in our immediate household lost her 11 month old baby to an unknown death. There is an investigation underway. Since we are not in contact with this family member (by her choice), we are left to get little bits of information from indirect sources and the local news. It is devastating from every angle. There just aren't words...

As is often the case, there are happy and sad times going on simultaneously. Every weekend in January was an audition weekend for Rebekah, which meant travel for the both of us. These little trips ended up being little pops of fun and relief for both of us. My husband and boys stayed home but were not as disturbed by all the goings on (work on the house-wise), because that responsibility fell on Rebekah and me during the daytime. Our first trip was to Raleigh for the Carolina Ballet audition. We took her friend along who was also auditioning. We had a fun time wandering a huge mall and going to our favorite store, Lush Cosmetics, for bath bombs. We ate out, laughed with her friend and watched cable tv. It was a nice break. 

The second weekend found us in Nashville. This time it was only Rebekah and me. We drove in the night before and stayed at the lovely Homewood Suites. I got a special deal on it and the room was truly lovely and a real luxury for us. She had a late day audition the next day so we spent the morning visiting The Hermitage (President Andrew Jackson's home) and then went to the Parthenon of Nashville. We fully enjoyed visiting both sites. Rebekah's audition didn't let out until evening and by then it was snowing hard. We decided to try to out drive the storm, because we both really needed to get home for my mother's next-day surgery and Rebekah's school. It was a rough drive for the first 100 miles, but it finally cleared up and we got ahead of the storm. 


The Parthenon

These pictures just don't do Athena justice. The scale is incredible.

She (Athena) is gilded in eight pounds of gold.

The third weekend found us in Charlotte, NC. This was just a day trip, but we made the most of our hours there. We had lunch at Amelie's French Bakery. It was a really cool place with delightful food and fun chandeliers that were all different. Some were made out of pans and others out of musical instruments. After Rebekah's audition we went to Ikea with one of her friends and her friend's dad. We had a delicious Ikea dinner and wandered around. We got a few things and then headed home. 






The last weekend of January found us at home. Rebekah had auditions right here in town, so we didn't have to leave. I finished Elijah's rent project with him. I still need to do a bit of touch up at a later date, but for now it is good. He dismantled the broken hardware, repaired walls, painted and put up a new utility organizer in the utility stairwell. He absolutely hates to paint but loves color, so I let him pick the color which made the torture of painting less. It is a vast improvement!


Elijah and his Dad also added a cat door to his bedroom door so that his cat can come and go during the night and stop waking him up. 


Elijah had his second job interview today with Panera Bread. We hope this one works out and is a good fit for him. He thought everyone was friendly. They said they would get back to him soon.

Rebekah is starting to hear back from all of the auditions. We should know her plans for the summer very soon. 
Eve

Hug your family,  embrace joy and count your blessings. 

Blessings, Dawn

Wednesday, January 10, 2024

2024 Goals

 These are my 24 goals for 2024. I write goals so that I can keep the things I wish to accomplish in focus. I don't expect to complete everything on this list. However, I am a "check off the list" person, so I like to have lots of long-term goals. 

Self

1) Read 30 Books ~ I read 25 books last year and I already have 29 on my shelf for this year. I really need to stay out of the used book store...lol. 

2) Walk 800 Miles ~ I barely completed this goal last year. I do hope to maybe pass it this year, but we shall see. We have a sidewalk going in on the street right next to ours which will open our world a bit. 

3) Strength and Stretch Rotation ~ I have to keep this goal on the list so that I will do it. Outside of walking, I don't really care to do any exercise. I will keep it up, because there are so many benefits that I see in my daily life. 

4) Take a Continuing Education Class ~  I am thinking of taking a florist class or interior decorating class at the community college sometime this year. I would like to take the class to expand my knowledge and to expand my social groups. 

5) Learn a Little Bit of French ~ We are going to try Babble and see if I can learn some French, despite my significant learning difference in foreign languages. I would like to know a bit of French, because we are hoping to go to French Canada this year. 

6) Widen and Maintain my Friend Group ~ I made one really nice new friend last year. I need to make sure to maintain that new friendship. Also, I am thinking of other ways to expand my friendships. I may host a party or two this year. I also am thinking of what group or organization I might want to join to find more kindred spirits. 

7) Convert My Blog into Books ~ This is another goal from last year. I did not complete this one and I am still several years behind. Maybe this will be the year I'll catch up. 

Home

This house knows I am earning two paychecks now and it fully intends to take every penny ~ LOL! This year's overall goal is to stay out of debt, which we accomplished becoming debt free last year (except for our mortgage). 

8) Renovate the Second Bathroom ~ This was on the list last year to do the floors. We discovered that the entire bathroom was in need of a full gut. The damage and condition of the cabinets, bathtub and floors were just too bad. We have been on a waiting list for six months. Hopefully, our turn will be next month. We are next in line. 

9) Buy and Have a Dishwasher Installed ~ This may sound simple, but it is not. Our house was built in three stages and the 1970's part is a never ending disaster zone. Unfortunately, our kitchen is in that section of the house. I have been without a dishwasher for 4 years and we were going to continue without it because of all the extensive plumbing work we had done last year between the kitchen sink, one bathroom and 20 feet of pipes that had to be replaced outside. However, the pipes behind the dishwasher have given way; and on further inspection, we discovered that the plumbing and electricity were not up to code and that the plumbing was failing and the electricity was dangerous. BIG SURPRISE...NOT. So $2,500 later, I should have a working dishwasher and safer kitchen by next week. Yikes. Can you feel blessed and distraught at the same time?

10) Buy a New Washing Machine ~ Before the dishwasher fiasco, we were planning to replace our washer this month. It is truly on its last leg. I was threatening it last week with a wrench and a  screwdriver.  It decided to behave for a few more weeks. Seriously, it is leaking a bit, the door hates to close (fixed it a bit with the screwdriver) and you have to beg it to start every time. It sometimes takes five attempts before it starts a cycle. Oh, the cycles also sometime last an hour longer than it should. All that said, I hope it survives until March. 

11) Paint the Rest of the Basement ~ Elijah painted the laundry room section of the basement last month. I hope to get the rest of it painted crisp white this year. The improvement is amazing. 

12) Paint the Kitchen Cabinets ~ We are thinking of keeping them blue but a color that would complement the dining room. 

13) Paint the Dining Room ~ We are also hoping to paint the dining room this year. The brown color needs touch up and we are just tired of it. We are thinking of a very light blue. 

14) Paint Stairwell and Add Victorian Dust Corners ~ Yep, I know my house was built between 1955 and 1975. I just don't care. If I am going to live here, I am going to give it as many Victorian and Edwardian touches as I can. I will keep taking the house back to when quality counted and craftsmanship was revered. 

Global Citizen

15) Monthly Charity ~ I want to return to doing monthly charity instead of a whole bunch at Christmastime. This is more fitting to the way I want to give and will allow me to spend more on any given charity than trying to spend all of the money at once. 

16) Compost ~ I am signed up with the city compost program and started doing it a few months ago. We still are struggling to get the scraps delivered to the bins outside the library. It is less than a mile, but it isn't a habit yet. I hope to make it so this year. 

17) Reduce Plastic Bags ~ We made great gains last year in reducing plastic bags. My quandary is curbside pick up of groceries at Target and the many, many bread bags. I have reduced my Target curbside pick up to once a month, but I don't want to give it up completely. Also, what to do about the bread bags. I will have to keep thinking. 

Travel

18) Visit Another Country ~ We are getting pretty close to making reservations for a trip to Montreal and Quebec City. It is the most likely thing we are doing for Spring Break...but a few things need to fall into place first. 

19) Visit a New to us City or State ~ We don't have any plans right now for travel to a new state or city...but I like to keep them on my wish list. 

20) Visit a Different City or Place at Christmastime ~ I would love to go to Newport, Rhode Island for Christmas, but I am not sure that is in the cards for this year. I love to see how different places decorate and what fun events they have. I am sure we will find somewhere even if it is much closer to home. 

21) Explore, Explore, Explore ~ This one is just a reminder to take advantage of new experiences. Rebekah and I have an annual pass to the Biltmore this year. We hope to go a minimum of once each month. Also, there are just little wonderful things to see, hear and experience all the time. My motto is to do something fun, even when on a trip that is primarily for doctor appointments or auditions. 

Family

22) Do Another Breakout Room ~ This was a huge hit and I want to make sure we do it again. 

23) Go out to Dinner as a Family (monthly) ~ This is one of the best ways to get Elijah out and about with the family. We will be doing this on non-travel months. 

24) Try Some Activities with Arms Around ASD ~ This is an organization in our area that has classes, game nights, health screenings, massages for clients and caregivers and other support services for caregivers of people with autism. I want to see if any of the activities are a good fit for any members of our family.

Happy New Year everyone!

Blessings, Dawn

Monday, January 1, 2024

What I Read in 2023

I read 25 books in 2023. Most of them were great. Some were not so great, and I dragged myself through them. Here is the list:

The Gown By Jennifer Robson ~ I really enjoyed this book. It was a delightful historical novel.

The Light We Carry By Michelle Obama ~ This was an excellent and thought-provoking book. Probably worth a second read someday. 

Call the Midwife By Jennifer Worth ~ I love this PBS show and plan to read all of the books in the series. This was the first one and I really enjoyed it. 

The Coffin Quilt By Ann Rinaldi ~ This middle school book was a gentle way to learn more about the Hatfield and McCoy feud. I wanted to know more but without gruesome details. 

The Mapmaker's Children By Sarah McCay ~ This was a fast read and enjoyable peek into John Brown's life and the Underground Railroad. 

At the Edge of the Orchard By Tracy Chevalier ~ This was not my favorite book by Chevalier. It was more intense and depressing than I had hoped.

The Second Mrs Giaconda By E. L. Konigsburg ~ This was another middle school book about who might have been the woman behind the Mona Lisa. A fun and quick read. 

The Lost Girls of Paris By Pam Jenoff ~ This book kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. It was filled with intrigue and just a bit of suspense. It was interesting to learn about the young women who went behind enemy lines to run the spy radio systems during World War II.

The Address By Fiona Davis ~ This was a wonderful historical novel about the Dakota in New York City. I really enjoyed this one and it was especially interesting, because I had two great-aunts who lived in the building in the 1940's.

Labrador Nurse By B. J. Banfill ~ This book wasn't written well, but the content was interesting. I hung in there because it was so interesting reading about the difficulties of being a nurse in the Canadian wilderness. 

The Lost Jewels  By Krist Manning ~ This was another exciting book about a time period in London that I knew very little about. 

Rules of Civility By Amor Towles~ I enjoyed this fast moving book about people living the high life in  post war New York City. It wasn't as good as A Gentlemen in Moscow by the same author, but I did enjoy it. The book kind of has a Great Gatsby feel. 

Mr. Darcy and The Secret of Becoming a Gentlemen By Maria Hamilton ~ I loved this book. It made Jane Austen's characters come even more alive. A fun updated read on Mr. Darcy and Lizzie's story.

Little House in the Highlands By Melissa Wiley ~ This was a quick read about the strong women who lived before Laura Ingalls Wilder. Enjoyable. A good pick for young ladies. 

Go Set The Watchman By Harper Lee ~ I did like this book, but it was not nearly as good as To Kill a Mockingbird. It felt rushed or underdeveloped. 

Her Heart for a Compass By Sarah, Duchess of York ~ I loved this book. It was intriguing, encouraging and kept me guessing. 

The War That Saved My Life By Kimberly Bradley ~ This was a good book. I liked reading the experiences of World War II through a child's eyes. It was an interesting take and reiterated how even in dark moments sometimes really positive things happen. 

Victoria By Daisy Goodman ~ This was a lovely historical novel about one of England's most influential queens. It was a thick book, but I read it quickly because it was so interesting. 

The Forgotten Garden By Kate Morton ~ This book was filled with mystery and intrigue. I enjoyed it very much. Once again, it kept me guessing until the end. 

The House of Seven Gables By Hawthorne ~ This was not my favorite Hawthorne book, but I did enjoy reading an account of life in the house, since I visited that house a few years ago. 

A Murder is Announced By Agatha Christie ~ I liked this Miss Marple story; it was fun and witty. A perfect Halloween tale. 

Haunted Inns in the Southeast ~ A nice reference book. There were several inns in our area which made it extra fun to read about.

Queen By Right By Ann Easter ~ This was an interesting historical novel about the years leading up to the War of the Roses. I very much enjoyed it.

Christmas Bells By Jennifer Chiaverini ~ This book was about Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and his life leading up to writing the poem, "Christmas Bells". Honestly, I think I would have enjoyed this book more if I hadn't read it at Christmastime. I wanted a happy book, but I stupidly read a book that took place during the Civil War. Also, I didn't know about some of the tragic events that struck this family. It was a bit tough going at times. 

The Autobiography of Santa Claus By Jeff Guinn ~ This was a delightful book and much closer to the cheerful and interesting book I was looking for at this time of year. There is a fair bit of history sprinkled through, too.

I have lots of books already on the shelf for next year. Happy reading!!

Blessings, Dawn

Sunday, December 31, 2023

A Beautiful December

We had a lovely December. I had a wonderful time with my little charge. We learned all about charity. We bought books to place at an angel tree and put food in the food bank train at the mall. I love introducing charity to sweet little ones and guiding their hearts. 





Rebekah and I pooled our Christmas money to buy annual passes to The Biltmore Estate. We are excited to go every month and watch the gardens change. Also, the house really doesn't get old for us. We see something different all the time. The above photos are our favorite trees this year. The middle one is literally dripping in pearls. 






Nutcracker season was spectacular this year. Rebekah's main character role was Arabian. She choreographed her dance and performed it flawlessly. She brought the house down night after night. The lines of little girls wanting their picture taken with her after the show was so adorable. She truly had the role of her dreams and enjoyed every minute of it. She also had the roles of party parent, snow and flowers.


Our pink Christmas tree was a hit again. Eve (cat) lived under the tree but didn't disturb the presents or ornaments at all. 

We had a lovely staycation Christmas week. We played tons of games, read books, slept in and went on a few field trips. 

We went on a field trip to Buc-ee's. It is the largest gas station and they just built the largest Buc-ee's a little over an hour from us. So we visited the largest gas station in the world. We bought tons of snacks. If you haven't been there before, think huge gas station meets a mall food court and mini Walmart. The place is huge and very loud. 

We shared most of the food. The sausage on a stick was huge. 

For another field trip, we visited the Chocolate Factory in our city. It is a very small factory that makes organic "slave" free and sustainable chocolate.  The chocolate was delicious. We already loved their cafe, but we will be buying our chocolate from them more often. I would really like to get away from commercialized chocolate and its dark industry. 

We are looking forward to a new year. January is going to find me traveling almost every weekend. I hope the weather holds. 

Blessings, Dawn