Everyday Chatting & Waffling {2022} Let's get to know each other!

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Thanks for starting a new thread, Lynnie! :)

I survived the week without my family, though they got home later than they planned, due to covid problems with the original flight crew. I have a lingering cold that won't go away- it's been about 10 days. But otherwise I am doing well and am glad my family is home safe and sound.
 
Glad everyone is home safe, Ane. I have a headcold and feeling a bit sorry for myself, haha.
 
Happy New Year, Everyone! I saw last year's thread, and thought it was this years, and posted on it. LOL!

Our family was all together at Thanksgiving and we celebrated Christmas with most of the grand kids then. We enjoyed Christmas Day with some cousins and a couple grand kids here in town and my Dad. New Years Eve we played games and and watched a movie, and New Years Day, we celebrated my grandson's 9th birhtday.

I am looking forward to a new year, and getting to know people here better. I hope you all have a wonderful year full of joy and love.

Joy
 
New year, new thread for chatting! I'm resting a lot these last few days with my back arthritis strain but it is slowly feeling better. I have been lying down and binge watching lots of shows. Did get a bit of scrapping done today. Life is quiet and boring right now and I am ok with that.
 
I think I need to chat more! I have been sitting here all morning looking for things to do that are creative OTHER than work LOL!

I hope you all had a really good Christmas and New Years. I did. Our Christmas was a little boring since Tyler's brother went to Florida and we didn't have Tyler's son. So we had a low key Christmas. New Years Eve was better and I even managed to stay up till Midnight! Usually I'm in bed by 9pm. We had Tyson and we all toasted 2022 with a glass of sparkling cider.

I've been feeling really creative for the last few days. Wanting to make lots of layouts. So I've been doing some CT work for our designers. I've been having a lot of fun doing it, too.
 
Thanks for starting us off again Lynnie!

Back to work for me today. Kids are back in school too! A little gloomy here. I wish I'd see sun. It's tough to feel motivated when it's gloomy all around you, but I persevere! LOL

Have a great day all!
 
We had a great Christmas and New Year's. We even got good news from the doctor yesterday. Since taking my husband off some meds and putting him on only one that raised the blood pressure, he is doing great. Last January both the doctor and I thought he would not make it through the year. He is now saying he could live 5-10 more years. His health is much better. I am so grateful for that. I wish everyone here a better year than last year and things may go well for each of you.
 
Thank you Lynnie for starting and looking after this thread each year.

Happy New Year to everyone and for those suffering with coughs and colds, I hope you recover quickly and well.

Katherine, that is great news about your husband. I hope he continues to do well.

As some of you possibly already know our Christmas was a little different with it being the first time Ken and I were on our own Christmas day in our 29 years of marriage. On Christmas Eve about an hour before we were leaving to travel to my daughter, they phoned to ask us not to come. They had a friend stay earlier in the week who phoned from his parents where he had travelled onto, saying he had covid symptoms. My son-in-law ended up unwell and middle granddaughter and daughter eventually had mild symptoms. They are all well now. Maybe next month we will get together so I can give them all their Christmas gifts.

With this start of the New Year , I am doing lots of sorting and getting rid of things around the house and very much so in my craft/computer room. I want to make room here for a single bed for when the grandchildren come to stay as they are all growing up and may not want to share the fold out lounge. With all this sorting and I have eased up on particpating in digi sites you may not see much of me this month. I am doing the Month of Challenges at another site as I always enjoy that each year.

I have started a new thread of the Spicy Motivators which you can find HERE
Come and join us as I have added to the list of things you might like to be motivated in, that anyone is welcome to share a layout problem they may be having and need help with.
 
My heart is heavy early this year. One of my neighbors (I didn't know him; only exchanged texts with him once) had organized a neighborhood entrance in November and worked hard to make it happen with a group of neighbors. He wished everyone a Merry Christmas on the 25th, shot fireworks on New Year's eve for their cul-de-sac, and everyone had a good time. Then on New Year's Day around noon he shot his wife and two daughters and himself. The mom and older daughter (around age 10 or 11) survived and are in stable condition, but he died and so did the little girl (about age 7). I can't get it out of my mind; my heart just hurts for them.

Also today my sister in law had to leave for an out of town funeral, her great granddaughter, just seven months old, died at the babysitter's house. Fell off a bed and was blue and cold when they found her. "FOUND HER? Why the hell weren't you WITH her?" I want to scream. Why wasn't a seven month old sleeping in a crib? It's pure negligence which has broken a lot of hearts. Agencies and authorities are involved.

I'm trying to get back into the swing of things around here after taking some time off for the holidays, and I have lots to do to get there!

While I was typing this my daughter (19) came in here to hug me and say she is going to bed, and we always say 'I love you', but this time I also said, "I'm sure glad I have you in my life. I appreciate you." I'm lucky to be able to do that when other moms are gutted and missing their daughters tonight.

Thanks for sharing all your moments with your kids and family here in your layouts! ❤️
 
KATHERINE!!! That's wonderful news! I'm so happy for you both. Here's to a long and happy 5, 10, 15 years together!!!

OMG, Elizabeth. How horrible for you. Reminds you that you just don't KNOW what's going on in other people's minds and hearts. That poor mother and daughter and YOUR sister-in-law and her son/daughter. Seriously, WHO DOES leave a seven-month-old on a bed?!? What were they thinking... Well, they weren't. In a pinch, you put a baby on the FLOOR, for God's sake! (surrounded by HARD pillows) GEEZ! Okay... I'm ranting now. I'm so sorry.

You're so right, though. Hug those you love now and tell them that you love them while you can!!!
 
Kathrine, great to hear that your husband is doing better. :smile:

Elizabeth, so sorry! How terrible for the family next door and for your family. Just heartbreaking. I will be keeping both families in my prayers.

We are suppose to get a big snowstorm tomorrow here in Tennessee. By "big" it is suppose to be 3 to 4 inches... but everything will come to a stand still. Schools here often close, just at the mention of the possiblity of snow. ;) I love living here, but having lived in NJ, MA and MI, it does kind of crack me up how everything comes to a stand still... add to that, the grocery stores were a mess today... everyone trying to stock up before the big storm arrives. But, I have a grandson, beside himself with excitement about snow. He lived in Ecuador for 2 years, and then 5 years in Florida, so this all new for him.
 
Elizabeth that is just horrible. When my kids were little we were at the pool one morning, ran into acquaintances from some other mommy child things spent the morning with the kids playing and us chatting. Within minutes of walking back into her apartment building, her separated ex killed all three of them. It was so surreal, so rage inducing. Anyone that says a restraining order can work is fooling themselves.

‘’that poor baby. And her family. So sad.
 
Sherri, your deep freeze is worse than ours, but I'm still FREEZING here! Yikes!
I know I shouldn't complain. I hate the summer humidity and I can always put on a sweater. There's only so much you can "take off". lol -7F here right now. Got a fresh batch of snow yesterday. Glad I don't have to go out. But Freddy's got a nasty cold, so the driveway didn't get done and now it's frozen snow. That'll be fun!
 
I did not order a lemon flavoured year, but here we are...

- I'm being evicted. My upstairs neighbour died, and had a life-long contract. As his is broken, the property owners are mortgaging the whole house and my move out date of June 2022 was moved up to April 2022 at absolute latest, but earlier would be better. If they could have had me out by the end of January, they'd be happiest, but having three dogs, finding a place which will allow them, which meets my needs (guestroom, office to work from home) within the area I want to live and the price range I can afford is really difficult. I have a tentative thing in the works, but won't have a concrete answer before January 23rd when I am back from the US.

- My partner's parents both have Covid. They only found out / tested because one of my partner's coworkers ALSO tested positive after they had been in contact, so we have been on high alert anyway. They were supposed to bring us to the airport, so I asked if they could also test to be safe, even though all of ours have been negative.

I am now waiting on pins and needles to test Saturday evening to be really really abundantly sure that I can actually get on the plane at 6.30 am Sunday and fly. My family is very understanding about the 'what if' nature of everything right now, but I am not. I am just torn to pieces at the idea of not being able to see them. My partner would rather stay home, but his mother ordered him to go and be a good partner to me.
 
Happy New Year, all. I had a nice couple of weeks off the last part of December, but now I'm back at work and it's been a slamfest. I have a large, state-wide event in a couple of weeks and we're expecting several hundred attendees. Now we are receiving reports that COVID cases are at a higher level now than any other time since the beginning of the pandemic. Oy! So I'm planning a lot of "just in case" actions if we end up having to go hybrid or full digital. On top of that, I'm working on our summer youth programs...and wondering if I'm going to have to require the high school students to have COVID tests and prove that they're negative when they arrive at the check in. My hair is going greyer by the minute! LOL!

I've been trying to walk off the stress. It's been too cold and snowy to walk the neighborhood, so I've been going to the gym. My goal is to walk a minimum of three miles a day. I should be adding weights to the routine, but I'm pretty comfy with just doing cardio. Ha. Hubby bought a small set of free weights for him to use at home. We've had them for over a year, and I don't think they've been used once. He told me last week he wants to buy a machine that he can strap himself in and hang upside down to help his back. Ummm.... no. I can clean around a small set of weights. I'm not going to have him bring in large equipment that will never be used. Maybe he could build himself a man shed for his "stuff" that would be outside the house. Ha.
 
Katherine, I'm so glad your husband has a new lease on life- that's amazing!

Elizabeth, wow, I can't even imagine what it's like for you right now. Sending (((HUGS)))

Carla and Sherri, I'm sending you warm (((HUGS))). It's not that warm here right now, but that will change.

Sylfie, wow, lemon-flavored year indeed! :( Big blows indeed. I hope you find a great new place to live and that your partner's parents' cases are mild. Oh and that you can still fly! (((HUGS)))

Breoni, that sucks about work! Covid is robbing so many people of so many things, it's unreal. (((HUGS)))

I am doing ok. It's nice to have hubby and child back and my cold is almost over. Today school started back up, and I think it should have been virtual but the powers that be have decided it should be in person. Sigh.
 
I put this in the New Years Scrappy plans thread as well.

I would just like to get back to scrapping. I think the last layout I made was for one of the Survivor Challenges last year. What I've done the past week or so is write everything down that has happened since my father's passing and all the house renovations with it's history thrown in there. I can't believe it is 6 pages long! If I scrap that, it will be a book in itself as we've taken soooo many pictures of the whole process.
 
Well, our snow came... not as much as they predicted, but the freezing temps are here, in the single digits tonight. But this is TN, so it will be back up in the 40's next week. LOL!

Sylfie, that is a huge blow. Praying that doors open up for the perfect place, and that you are able to fly.

Breoni, covid stinks and I am so over it. Great goals on walking.

LilyAne, that would be a wonderful book!

Our family moved back to the US from Ecuador 4 years ago, when we lost my mom. Anyway, our whole diets and routines changed, and we have both gradually just put on weight... Hubby went to the doctor for a check-up the end of December, and the doctor told him that all the things he was struggling with could be fixed if he would lose 30 pounds. SO that is one of our goals for this year. We had a gym membership but didn't go, so we canceled it. I found a treadmill that the handle can fold down and it will slide under the bed, and a bike that can fold and be put in the closet. They are in the guest room now, and we are using them. (I have had exercise equipment in the past that was used more to hang clothes on than to exercise, though) Along with working on getting physical activity into our lives we are changing our diet. I have made a chart and I'm marking it off. I felt kind of silly at first, like a kid, needing to be rewarded with a sticker on their chore chart... but it is just encouraging to me to mark off that I exercised and that I made healthy food choices.

So besides working on designing new kits for January, clearing out the junk food from the kitchen and working on a healthy menu, and trying to put it all into action has been focus, this week.
 
I will catch up and answer all the individual posts over the weekend. I am struggling a bit with overwhelm - totally my own fault (as always!) I keep a list of commitments to make sure that I don't volunteer for more stuff, then I do. Not only to I volunteer, I think of things to do. I am hoping to learn to kick back more...

COVID- Curses!

One of my dearest friends, has tested positive for COVID and is so sick. Not hospital sick, fortunately, but really ill. She has a gathering of about 20 family members who are all fairly careful (but not paranoid) of catching COVID. One of them must have brought it as an unseen guest. The gathering was on the Sunday before New Year and by the following Wednesday (8 days ago) 100% of them were ill and have since tested positive. One of them is a firefighter, and tested negative when he went to work, but positive when he came home. His whole shift came down with it. Not necessarily from him, one of them left early because his wife had tested positive. I have been shopping and dropping food on my friend's patio. She is a delight and is just feeling so unwell.

Then another friend's daughter is having her son's birthday party on Saturday. She just let everyone know that the party is still on, but her husband has tested positive for COVID. He is quarantining during the party and she is deep cleaning before everyone arrives. I was really looking forward to the party, but we can't go now. My mum would not survive COVID, she is so weak. I do have decorations, etc. for the party that I will need to get to her, but it will be a drop off on the doorstep.

Two members of my Bible Study have also come down with COVID> Fortunately, the study is on Zoom. One of them is on the tail end and was able to attend for a while, the other is too ill. A third member let us know that her son tested positive today.

My son and his wife have been sick. She tested and has been waiting anxiously. It was negative (YAY) and they are just sick. I am so happy.

My mum is not doing very well, though. She is 93 and seems to have given up. She hasn't eaten in four or so days, just drinks hot milk. I have been making her little milk shakes and sneaking in some protein, etc. I hope it helps. She is so fragile. I check on her all the time. She has a button to call if she wants anything, but she never uses it. She sleeps most of the day. I am so anxious for her. Mostly, I just want her to be comfortable.

Anyway, I will catch up with all of you. I just need to get some sleep tonight :)
 
We really need to have a HUG emoji added to the thanks/like buttons. :)

I just wanted to let this group know how much I enjoy "checking in" and seeing what's happening in everyone's lives. Thank you for sharing! :)
 
Thanks for the WARM HUGS, Ane... We can use them. We LOST 10 degrees overnight. It's -17F today.

Syl, I can't even imagine what you're dealing with. I'm so sorry! I hope you find what you need for living arrangements sooner than later and they're exactly what you need. Hope partner's parent's illness is very mild and he follows their advice and comes with you to the states so you GET WHAT YOU NEED and see your family ........... yeah, and me too. lol.

Breoni, GOOD LUCK with your event. WOW! What a whirlwind. Crazy, but you got this!

LilyAnn, what a wonderful SCRAPBOOK/story that would be. We just found the pictures of when mom and dad were building their retirement home at the lake. (the one we have to sell now) The girls had no idea that mom had designed the floorplan and they had so much say in everything that was done.

So sorry about your mum, Lynnie. It's so hard watching our parents grow old. My mom is the same way. I'm just waiting for that day as well. She's 92 and in assisted living. Actually doing quite well, but doesn't get involved in anything and just sits all day. I think she'd feel so much better if she were more active and with more people. She does still have her appetite though.

Good luck with your designs Joy!
 
Happy New Year to all. One of my many goals is to be more active in chatting. Sometimes I just get lost. In December, I downloaded [purchased] an Avast thing to help with my drives and cleaning them up. Well...quite the "coincidence" that my 2 EHD back up drives got lost and not recognized. Called for Avast tech help. They remoted in....couldn't fix. Tried to uninstall, then reinstall....didn't work.
Took the computer et al to Best Buy. Let's just say they couldn't recover either [even after taking the 2 EHD apart.] Let it suffice to say, my computer had a 'sleepover' with the geek guys over New Years.
They cleaned some corruption out of C, added all my internal drives to a new EHD back up and we purchased the happy computer program.
I'm back in business again!!!

m
ps- We slept through the new year. Stayed at home too.
 
I'm back, I've now read the entire thread. Wowsers...some have really had tough times upon them. My hugs and prayers for all affected by the hardships posted here. I can't fathom them.

Covid has affected members of our family too, although those that tested positive do not live here near us. The rest are ok...

Bill and I took a Thanksgiving cruise, as the older week we could use the voucher from the canceled one of March 2020. It was very nice.

I can't get over all the cold weather around!!!!! Living in Florida, it's difficult to get "it". I'm cold at 60.

My daughter had to work Christmas Day this year. That's tough with a 6 and 9 year old child. But that is the way the hospital works. She did text Santa and he replied. The LO is in my gallery.

Stay safe everyone- and prayers are going up for all dealing with difficult times.
m
 
It's the weekend! It's still pretty cold outside today, but I don't have to go anywhere. So I've done the dishes, got the laundry going, and I'm working on my 2021 layouts. I'm hoping to get the 2021 book wrapped up before we get too much further into 2022. Then I can pick my favorite layouts and print a my 2021 book via Shutterfly.

Our daughter came by this morning (she lives in a town about an hour away). She's bored and just wants to hang with her folks. Ha. Love it. So she and her dad are visiting, and that makes my heart happy.
 
Hello Ladies... Wow looks like we are all having a rough start to the new year... Sending prayers for all of you. My youngest son has been sick all week, and tested positive with covid. I called to check on him today and he is doing better, and so far the rest of his family has not gotten it. I have not been around them for a while so alls good here. I did in up in the ER with Blood pressure issues, but I am doing better and on new meds. So much sadness everywhere these days, breaks my heart, so many lives lost. All we can do is pray for one another and support each other.
This morning I lost everything on my computer... So mad at myself for not backing things up lately, lost a lot of kits. I did go in the shops and redownload what I could. Just so frustrated, some kits I won't be able to get back. And I had a few CT layouts that I will have to remake. Computers can drive you insane... Oh well it is what it is....
Well That's my rant for today! I hope you Ladies have a great weekend. And stay safe and healthy! Will try and pop in again soon! HUGS
 
Hugs Lynnie for you and your family and friends.

I'm still recovering from this latest back strain. It really sucks having so many problems with my back but generally, on most days, I can carry on fairly well but when I strain it, the increased pain is more than I can deal with. I end up on my back, with a heating pad and my legs elevated, on a gym mat on the floor or in bed. When out of bed I've been wearing a back brace and using a metal grabber to pick things up. I think in a few more days I'll be back to what is normal for me and can start stretching and strengthening again. I'm off the painkillers so that is good. So...that is my life this last 9 days.

We've been binging shows every day, today is Roswell, New Mexico. I'm going to make breakfast for dinner...scrambled eggs with onions and peppers (cheese for hubs) and air fried home fries. Yum.

So, hopefully this coming week I'll be feeling better and more productive.
 
Wow, I've been reading the whole thread today, there is a lot going on in so many peoples life. I'm sending hugs to everyone who needs one right now.

Covid sucks, infections are rising so hard now. Our country is in a lockdown since december last year, next Friday we hear if restrictions will be continued. I hope not because it is destroying the economy. There is not much happening right now, there is no place to go with all the restrictions, no yoga class, no gym, but lots of time to scrap :) The weather isn't helping either, rain, rain and rain, not much fun to go for a walk.

I've got shoulder pain for quit a while now, during the day it's ok but I've troubles sleeping. I wake up several times at night having pain. Last week I've had a X-ray and echo, tomorrow I hear what's wrong. So fingers crossed it won't be too bad.
 
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