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

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I am babysitting - which has been good fun the last few days. It was really tough for a little while, but I think I have figured out how to manage Bruce, finally!

He does not like his diaper changed and will not be potty trained. I'm going to let his parents deal with that. For the diaper, though, I ask him REALLY often if I should change his diaper and have taught him to say "no." When it really needs changing, I sweep him up and tell him, while I make him laugh. We are getting through the diapers with minimal tantrums.

When I arrive, I bring a bag of toys he only gets to play with when I am here. He loves finger puppets and I am the only one who gets to bring them.

He is a terror to feed, so I let him pick his food. He doesn't eat much of it, but that's okay. Today, though, I had made a somewhat spicy chili for the grown ups. He loved it. He had a bite of his dad's and kept saying "mo, mo." we gave him TONS. He is so happy.

I stay at my son's when I am babysitting and we pick a movie every night. We have a lovely time. I cook their meals while I am here, clean and do dishes. My daughter-in-law is so grateful. It means she can play with Bruce when she gets home. Steven, too, gets to spend time with Bruce instead of fixing his lunch and cooking. They are the sweetest couple.

I love it.
 
Monday and the week begins. I am feeling a little low in spirits today. I overwhelmed myself today to start and elected to not go to my exercise class, which was probably my first mistake. I have a chiropractor appointment at 11, someone coming at 2 to scrap a 2023 calendar for her million cousins (one of whom is my daughter-in-law), then at 6 I am having dinner with a friend who is moving out of state.

I did get up early and put a few hours into my Bible Study. We have decided to bypass the balance of this study on Romans because we are not crazy about the book and move onto Elijah. Of course, the minute we decided to wrap it up next week, the first thing I read in the book is "But if we stopped our study of Romans at this point, we would be left with just enough vertical theology to make us horizontally irresponsible." I took that as a sign that I should wrap up the study by myself. I have a couple more chapters to do.

It is ten days until I pick up Mark in Illinois. I have booked my ticket and hotel room, so I am all set to go. Today we have to mail his outtake clothing. I need to call and see if we can mail a backpack with a spare set of clothing. I intend to only take a backpack on this trip, since it is only three days and it complicates matters if I have to carry spare clothes for Mark also.

I hope all is well with everyone. It is very quiet here.
 
Happy Monday, all! Spent all morning in a very, very long staff meeting. If I were a video game character, I would lose life points for every minute spent in these staff meetings. I need coffee to help restore my energy. LOL. I MAY have to report for jury duty this week… didn’t have to report today, but I’ll have to call in tonight to see if my group is needed tomorrow. Other than that, I’m juggling lots of programs at work. Looking forward to our state fair in a few weeks! We have tickets to see the comedian “Fluffy” and we always enjoy that! :). Hope everyone is having a great day!
 
Having said I had too much to do today, my calendar friend canceled, so now I just have one thing tonight :) I am so happy.

Shana, I am so glad I no longer have to have meetings! Now, if I have one, it is important.
 
Hello everyone! How were your weekends?

Since dropping Eren off at college last week, I am feeling in a funk. I thought I would cry about it, but so far I haven't. I just feel kind of numb, which is probably worse for me, considering my history of depression. Being an empty nester is hard! It is so quiet around here and I am so lonely. I didn't think I would be, but there it is. Part of me wants to be as busy as you, Lynnie, and part of me (the introvert) just wants to stay home. I'll think I should get a job, but I haven't had one since 1994. Sigh. I'm hoping this gets better with time. Those of you who are empty nesters, does it get better with time?
 
Ane, We are new empty nesters with our youngest just moving out of province a few months ago. It sure is quiet here but I am so busy with Mom (she just moved to a PCH after some health issues) so that has consumed most of my free time. I think it will get better with time so allow yourself to feel sad but know that you have done a wonderful job in raising Eren and she is off to live her dream...and connecting while they are away helps. Hugs!!
 
Ane, if you don't want to go the job route, are their any organizations where you could volunteer? I know that when I volunteer for groups I support, it always makes me feel better! :) HUGS!
 
And, I feel for you. I felt that way (apathetic) after Chris died, David died, Karen moved to Nashville, James moved to England… all those changes. Oddly enough, I am also somewhat introverted. I know it doesn’t sound like it, but I would rather just stay at home in my little room watching my shows and scrapping. For me, friends made a difference. I am involved in the things I am because of friendships. I walk with a friend, I go out with friends, I do things for friends. If you have a special friend close by, arrange to have lunch with them once a week and see how it goes. Take up a few hobbies you can do at home. If Eren is the writing kind, send a back and forth journal, or scrap letters…. If you are on Facebook, follow Donna Ashworth Words. She is a poet and she wrote a poignant poem about empty nesters. Big hug.
 
THE EMPTY NEST


My nest is as it should be now
empty.


Tidy, ordered, calm.
My babies have grown
beautifully
and flown.
Just the way I taught them to.


And my heart is full of pride
and love
still so full of love.


But oh there is an ache there
a throb, a pang.


I have given of myself in a way
that only a mother can.


So consuming is that gift
there is scarce room
for much else to thrive.


So what now?


My empty nest feels hollow
the echo of my own breath
rings in my ears.
My worries have not flown
with the fledglings,
they linger still
but now without the comfort
of a slumbering head
on a pillow up-stairs.


My imagination tells the tales
I don’t want to see
and my spare time
once so coveted
is now my enemy.


My nest is as it should be now
empty.


But I will not be empty little one.


I will fly, just like you
find my new place in this story.


Play music, bring friends
make noise and laughter
and fill the house with life
so that when you come home
you see nothing to worry about
for that will clip your beautiful little wings.


And you will remember
how nurturing your nest once was.
And you will crave the feeling of it
just once in a while.


This nest will never close
nor will I let it lose its love.


Fly, my loves, fly.


Just remember the way back home.


Donna Ashworth
From ‘LOVE’
 
THANK YOU Karen, Shana, and Lynnie! That poem is perfect. You all gave me great suggestions, and I am definitely going to try those. I am feeling a little better today and did some shopping I needed to do.

Karen, I keep forgetting to tell you my cat's Instagram page! It is lachonker or Sugar the Cat. Eren is running the page with pictures they have taken over the past 2.5 years we've had her.
 
Ane, I went on instagram and followed Sugar :) What fun. I am glad you liked the poem. She is the most amazing poet. I own all of her books. There are three coming out around Christmas and I have pre-ordered them. They are going under the tree for me :)
 
I am still cross about Windows 11 and no thumbnails on folders. They are supposed to bring back a limited version of it, but it is not available yet. It REALLY slows me down, hunting for colours etc when I am scrapping ��
 
Speaking of colors, I need to find a way to better calibrate the colors of my laptop. Sometimes when I'm editing photos, they look great on my laptop. But then when I view them on another device, they have too much of a golden tone. I may start a new thread to see what people use, if anything. :)
 
I know what you mean, Shana, I have trouble with colours, too. It is hard to know which device is showing the correct colour.
 
I will be off to babysit in the morning and won't be back until late Saturday night. Hope everyone is having fun scrapping :)
 
So glad it's Friday. This week seemed to last at least 10 days. Ha. And I live where we have a three-day weekend in front of us. The local sunflower fields are in bloom, so I'm thinking a photo shoot is in order! :)
 
Me to Lynnie...this is so annoying and a waste of my valuable scrapping time!!

FormbyGirl said:
I am still cross about Windows 11 and no thumbnails on folders. They are supposed to bring back a limited version of it, but it is not available yet. It REALLY slows me down, hunting for colours etc when I am scrapping ��
Click to expand...
 
Ane, I went to Sugar's Instagram page...love love and now a follower! I had a white cat when I first moved out when I was 18yo. His name was Casper and we had him for over 10 years but sadly when we moved into our new house he was obsessed with the insulation in the basement. We did not have to money to finish it so he kept ripping the plastic barrier and taking chunks out, a few years later he developed a brain tumor (the vet didn't know the cause but I am convinced chewing on insulation is NOT good for cats) so we had to put him down. :(

AJsRandom said:
THANK YOU Karen, Shana, and Lynnie! That poem is perfect. You all gave me great suggestions, and I am definitely going to try those. I am feeling a little better today and did some shopping I needed to do.

Karen, I keep forgetting to tell you my cat's Instagram page! It is lachonker or Sugar the Cat. Eren is running the page with pictures they have taken over the past 2.5 years we've had her.
Click to expand...
 
As I read all the problems and successes of each person here, I am overwhelmed. We are doing good but my husband's health is getting a little worse each day. For the last several months I thought he was doing better and had good hopes, but the last month has had it's ups and downs. I do not feel sorry for myself or for him as I know the Lord is in charge and will take care of us and our needs. We have great family who help and care for us. I don't want anyone feeling sorry and this is just a stage of getting older. I hope each of you have the help you need in taking care of each of your problems. Keep faith and look for the good each day helps.
 
Katherine, I'm sorry to hear that you're going through these inevitable struggles. Sending you lots of love. I'm inspired by your determination to look for the good in each day. HUGS!
 
Hey all:
I haven't checked in for some time, a week maybe, went back and read to my last post and want to say hugs and positive thoughts to all that need it.

Alexis fell on the night of the 28th I think, and we had to get the EMS and ambulance to come get her and take her to the hospital. Then it turned out that the "minor" care Emergency Area was closed. I have never before seen it closed at night. Ever. EMS dumped us in the main ER area and there we sat for far far too long, it took us over 12 hours to get back home. Turned out she broke her foot. is in an air cast. She has Ehlers Danlos Syndrome a hypermobility joint thing, so things just usually bend and twist lots injur9ing them, this time she broke it.

A few days later we had to go get her some mobility aids, crutches, walker, tub seat, etc etc. exhausted all of us.

Good news austins friend that usually works away in way north alberta is off for a little while, so he is here visiting. gives austin someone to play games with.

I have been exhausted, totally exhausted.

I messed up so much having this happen over month end, I feel so bad for the Gingerscraps CT team, and my designer teams.

The empty nesters .... be happy you have kids that can leave the nest and be independent. I am not sure if my two will ever truly be on their own, and that is a sad and scary prospect. I can just imagine I would miss them like heck if they were flying the nest like yours though.

be safe travelling Lynnie.

Weird stuff going on in Saskatchewan today, we get a multi provincial emergency warning for two people doing multiple stabbings in Saskatchewan but having the alert apply to both alberta and manitoba (Karen did you get it?). My first text was to my sister that teaches on a reserve in Saskatchewan. She is OK and so is her grandbabies family. Then hours later it is released over ten dead, and multiple more injured in various locations. That much damage with knives. Bad day.

It has been hot, for us very hot. Now we are covered in smoke from forest fires, which is making the air unbearable and is keeping the heat down to the ground. so it is hotter and not cooling off at all.

Between the two , I will not be walking tonight.
 
Good morning everyone,

Katherine, You are so positive in light of your hubby's situation and I hope things improve for him. Keep the faith!

Sherri, Yes we got the alert and was totally surprised that there was so many involved, a very sad day for the community. I was equally saddened by the 2 incidents in Banff where my son is now living and my brother was just visiting. I know they were isolated incidents however the news says Banff has not had a homicide in 30 years and now this. Very sad!
So sorry to hear of Alexis's accidental fall...I am wishing her a speedy recovery. Too bad you didn't live closer as I have all those medical aids for sale that were my Mom's when she was in her own place, they are so expensive to purchase, maybe try renting them unless you feel that you would use them long term.

Lynnie, Safe travels!

The weather here is starting to change, one day super hot and the next below seasonal temperatures, you sure can see that summer is at it's end. We did have nice weather yesterday to attend a car show and I was so excited that I won a prize. On Saturday, we went to my in-laws that live out of town an hour away. We really enjoyed the visit and my BIL let me pick through his garden so I have tons of veggies to process. I got 4 red potatoe seeds from a friend and BIL planted them for me... my crop was around 20 pounds! I am interested to cook them as they are red inside, like a beet.

I am finally feeling more myself these days, it has been hard since Mom got ill but she is settled and doing really well in the nursing home. I have been taking her outside and she is so happy when she feels the warm breeze on her face, warms my heart. So...back to work tomorrow with retirement plans following for early next year.

Have a great week everyone!
 
Hello my darlings I have thought about you all I have just been at my wits end and then some the last couple of months. It feels offensive that I can have a vacation time but also not manage to relax in it but that’s where I’m at frequently. I have had so many legal things and adult red tape paperwork things to take care of I don’t have time for fun things and it’s very annoying.

I am in the US now for two weeks and I promised myself that I would completely disconnect every communication method for work so my only stress should be family related which is kind of where I’m at. Lol. I love them all but trying to get anything done is like herding cats and they all have rabies.

I am hoping to reclaim some of my work life balance in the next few weeks and maybe I will be able to keep that momentum and be checking in on you all more often.
 
Katherine, I feel for you. For a while last spring, I thought my own health was in serious decline. Prayers & best wishes going out to you and your family.

Lynnie, I hope you have a good trip and stay safe!

Sherrie, I'm so sorry to hear about Alexis's fall and the subsequent crud you've had to wade through after it. Prayers to you and yours too!

Karen, that is some wild weather. I've noticed fall tripping in here too. Rainy, with decreased temperatures. It's so nice to finally be cooling off! And congrats on your garden successes! Glad you are feeling better and your mom is doing all right.

Sylfie, glad to see you again! Sorry your vacation hasn't been relaxing. It got to be that way for us when our kids were young, but now that they're gone, we can have fun again. Here's hoping work ignores you and you can finally have some fun!

Me, I had a nice, long weekend. Thursday and Friday I did some volunteering and it felt good! I can see more of that in my future. Saturday was errands and some chores, and in the evening we went to a super-crowded water lantern festival. It was nice but I was glad to go home. Sunday was church and nap and singing (I am in a couple of local choirs). Yesterday we had more errands and more chores. But we got a lot done! Unfortunately our many basil plants have developed a fungus and we have to get rid of them. Our tomato plants have knocked over their cages they are so big! We are getting plenty off of them though, so that's nice. Today I did some reading and an errand, and that's pretty much it, I think. Gonna try to scrap some, do some challenges later. Y'all have a great week! :)
 
Katherine, How lovely to see you back here and chatting. I have read your journaling page and seen your battles with COVID and your husband's help. I can't even imagine how hard it must be. You have been together for such a long time.

Sherrie, I read about Alexis' fall and have been praying for her. You never seem to get a break. Such a big hug to you both.

Karen, Our weather is all over the place. I never know if it will be over 100, raining, thunder, or rough weather. Today started out quite mild and nice, but pretty soon, it was unbearable.

Sylfie, I am glad you are getting a little vacation, I hope you do turn off your work chatter and tune in with the important people (us included) in your life.

Ane, I am jealous of the tomatoes. Sorry about the basil. It sounds as though you are keeping pretty busy, even with Eren gone.

I leave early in the morning to go to Illinois to pick up Mark. I have been really busy this week catching up on my journaling. I am terrible about keeping it up to date; then, I must go back and fill in the blanks. I spent the last few days filling in the bits from my trip to England. I had kept a brief journal, but filled in the blanks through pictures, then checked with my husband. We had fun. I realized I had none of his pictures, so borrowed his phone to download them. It turns out he has almost 8,000 pictures on his phone that have never been backed up. I downloaded them all, sorted them by date, and labeled the folders. I still have quite a bit of journaling, but that is okay; I can do that while waiting to pick up Mark. I slept poorly last night, but I hope to get an early night tonight and be well-rested for the journey.

I may check in on the journey, but probably not. I am taking my iPad, but don't know if I will turn it on much.
 
@Lynnie …. Technically we did get a break, safe travels

@Karen … how did I not know you were into cars? Was it really 30 years ago for the taxi murder in Banff? Seems much sooner. We were referred to the Red Cross for loaners of the mobility aids. Huge help. I had no idea they did that. And yes we went from 31C heat inversion due to forest fire smoke, to 9C in a day and night. Fall is here.

@sylfie sometimes you have to disconnect.

@ anyone I missed. Positive thoughts your way.
 
@everyone, sad news....the Queen has passed to be with her beloved husband! She lived a long and beautiful life!
 
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