Daily Ooos: Wednesday, December 29

[tanteva]

Well, hello there, O'Family!

If I overslept yesterday, I sure didn't today. Woke up (from my own snoring LOL) even before Urban's alarm today. Only slept about 5 hrs. But I just couldn't get back to sleep, so I got up and got my morning coffee together with Urban, before he went to work. Probably won't perform any miracles today. But that's fine, I'm in no rush, my house and the mess will still be here tomorrow.

Have picked my theme word for 2022. I wanted a word to symbolize the result, not on what I have to do to get there. I wanted a word that can help me focus on the goal, and not a word that would make it feel like a chore, if you understand what I mean. So ... tada ... my word for 2022 is ... BLOSSOM. I will blossom, my life will blossom, my home will blossom ... heck ... THE WORLD will blossom in 2022!!! I have picked out a kit and an alpha & I will make a layout for one of the January challenges with my theme word.

Made a fantastic dinner yesterday. Surprised myself really, cuz I just improvised, and took what I had home. I made a pasta sauce with cream, creme cheese with garlic flavour, sambal oelek (hot chili paste/sauce), brussel sprouts & bell pepper. Served with fusilli pasta and chopped walnuts. I was amazed how yummy it turned out. Best of all - leftovers! So ... tomorrow we'll have it with spaghetti. Today, I'm gonna serve rice. John wanted rice and chicken nuggets, but I have no idea what me and Urban will have with the rice. We'll see what happens when I get into the kitchen.

Gee ... now I feel how tired I really am. LOL

 

[tanteva]

Before I fall into a coma on the sofa ... here's some personals.

@faerywings Urban said something yesterday, that I'd thought I'd pass on to you. He thought it was a good sign of confidence and trust that Scott read the letters for you guys. A sign that you have a very good family, nurturing & caring & a strong bond. Didn't think of that first, but it's so true. When I broke up with my cheating ex, my mom sorta blamed me. She loved that cheating bastard. She even called Urban by my ex's first name for at least 5 years. "By accident". Or like my friend, who finally kicked out her abusive boyfriend - her parents refused to help her with the rent, cuz if she hadn't kicked out her boyfriend, she would have been able to pay the rent. Not all families are a supportive group. At least recognize this in this sh*tty situation.

@LSlycord Release is a good word for 2022. Good choice!

@sabinaraye Crossing fingers, toes and everything I can cross that the scan will prove that chemo worked. It will be a long wait for the result. Great you've chosen COURAGE - sounds like you need it!

@tjscraps Nice that you've got heating again. You know it's cold if the heater frozes! HEALTH is a good word as well, and you are so right: health is so much more than losing weight. The industry sure has sold us that idea. Here's a really great book, I recommend it:

Amazon.com: The No Need To Diet Book: Become a Diet Rebel and Make Friends with Food eBook : Turner, Pixie: Books

Buy The No Need To Diet Book: Become a Diet Rebel and Make Friends with Food: Read Books Reviews - Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

@BrightEyes Oh, I haven't read a Sandra Brown in years! During the 90s I bought every book. I think I have about 10-15 of her books. Really loved them. I wonder if I'd like them if I read them now. I mean, it's been years, and I hope I evolved some since the 90s. LOL As I remember, it was romance/suspense, right?

@mom2triplets04 I tried Fly Lady when it was fairly new. Not sure how it works now. But back then, she sent out e-mails during the day, to remind you of tasks, what zone it was and things like that. It's a good idea to get reminders, but the problem was that I was in another time zone - I got all the e-mails at the same time, cuz they went out during the night here. So instead of getting one small task, I got a lump of tasks and it was overwhelming. As for meal planning: I have a whiteboard in the kitchen, with a weekly schedule: there I plan the meals. The best with using a whiteboard ... it's so easy to change plans if needed. Just erase and write a new plan ... and no sign of you doing so.

@bcgal00 Let me know what you think of the cook books once you've got them.

@Cherylndesigns Don't apologize! You've had a great time, and had good company. Just be happy! The O will always be here. Real life comes first.

Now. Sofa. TV. Coma.

 

[Susan - s3js]

I think my word for 2022 will be TRANSCEND. It is time for us to shake off the last 15 years - especially the last 2 - and fly!

 

[faerywings]

hey there! I am going to make an attempt to be social today. Maybe not up to my normal standards (normal?? Was I ever normal? LOL) but I am going to try and not make this all about me today.

I am tired, still not sleeping well and last night I had a dream with Leah in it. They were broken up but she was still in my house and I was being nice to her. I woke out of that more than a little nauseous. My parents came up yesterday to see Scott and he loved getting hugs from them.

Good news! We have three new baby girl rats!! They are 7 weeks old and from the same litter. There are two brown ones, one has white sleeves and her tail is half brown and half white. The third one is this gorgeous silvery grey color. They don't have names just yet. I got to hold them for a while before my parents got here and they are so little and soft. Caitlyn wears a hoodie and turns it so the hood is in front and pops the babies into that. So cute seeing the little noses peeking up. I don't have any pictures yet but hopefully today I will get a few.

I am hoping that I can get some stuff done in the house today. It took me three hours to unload a dishwasher and two days to run one load of laundry that is still sitting in the dryer. At least I haven't had to cook, no one is eating much so we have been able to snack on granola bars, Scott finally ate a couple of bowls of cereal over the course of the day. I still have leftovers from Christmas so at least my fam isn't going to starve, at least not involuntarily
(This is a good sign, my gallows humor is coming back)

I am picking up some groceries this morning. I had to restock some vegan items. Tom's family all has covid so he is staying here for a couple of days until they are clear. The kids were supposed to be going to PA for New Year's today so this is actually a really good thing to have him here. They are going to play Doom together.

haha!! So much for not making this all about me! Whoops!
I am going to do some quick personals in a few

 

[LSlycord]

Good morning. We just returned from our walk with Shaun. He has added Andie...so it's Brian and I with Shaun and Andie. Quite the little parade around our neighborhood.

Didn't accomplish much yesterday. Made sure the guest room was ready, vacuumed, did some extra cleaning in the kitchen. Jeonia flies in at 2:05. It's about 2 hours and 15 minutes to Orlando International so I'm going to leave around 9 and get down there in time to have a leisurely lunch before picking her up. Then we will drive back home and have a nice, slow paced evening. Brian is finished with his work week after today so I think that we are going to spend some time exploring Florida!

I'm working on my Vision Board. I hope that it is done before I leave this morning but you can't rush Vision. LOL

 

[faerywings]

@tanteva I am so impressed by your decluttering. We did quite a bit of decluttering here and dumped it on Leah's steps.
Seriously, though, I know I need to work through my stuff and toss a lot. I used to follow Fly Lady years ago too but the emails piled up too much. Just one more thing to declutter, right?
I haven't read this article yet but it caught my eye and I thought of you. I know that you do a lot with meditations and have ADHD.
Mindfullness
Do you think this would be helpful for Scott? he swears he has ADD, he was tested so many times when he was in school but never had the "right" number of indicators.
LMBO at your dream of getting an RV and driving- or rather, Urban driving you.

@LSlycord I bet you are so excited to see your friend today. 80*! Wow! My BFF is in Disney and has been wearing T-shirts and shorts in a lot of the photos. We are warm for this time in NJ- 37* *sobs*
@tjscraps is laughing at my wimpiness, I am sure

@sabinaraye I am so sorry that I didn't welcome you properly before, but a big welcome to you to the Ooos! SO happy to have you join us here.
Courage is such a good word. Much love and good thoughts to you with the CT scan. It sucks that you have to wait so long for the results

@tjscraps I am shivering just thinking about how cold it is by you. Did you have a nice visit with your Grandpa?
Health-- in the holistic sense that you are using it is such a great goal.
On no, that stinks about DH's infection, is it normal to have it not clear up with the first round? Hope he is feeling better really soon.

@BrightEyes My fingers are crossed that the snow stays up in the mountains/ Be safe if you have to go out.
I am more than a bit choked up by what you wrote about Scott. Thank you. I know I brag about how special my kids are- I am insufferable. hehe. But hearing how you all see him the same way I do, special, mature, courage- makes this mom's heart feel allll the feels as the kids would say.

@mom2triplets04
Have you heard about this? Bon Jovi Rest Stop
I was cracking up at the article, it is very Jersey LOL
Whew, that must have felt good to get a shower and go back to sleep for a little while. It must be like having a newborn in the house!
Good luck with your planners, you sound very organized.

@bcgal00 How did physio go? I hope it didn't put it into the gets worse before it gets better phase. And how is Jen feeling?
I will try to get some pics in the next few days of the new girls that you can show to Bailey. I forgot how fast little ones move so they will probably be very blurry

@Cherylndesigns hugs to you, I am sure that the houses all feel very quiet.
haha!! Gagged down some rose! That would be me. I bought Leah a bottle of sparkling Moscato but my niece took it home. I would have struggled through drinking it but was happy to see it go to someone who would enjoy it. Rose--not my taste either.
Hope that it was;t too awful getting up so early and you are able to get back to sleep.

Hugs to all of you, such BIG hugs!!! Thank you for being here for me and my family.

 

[LSlycord]

@faerywings I am glad that things are a little better. Just keep making progress bit by bit! And love how Cait wears her hoodie to keep the babies in view!

@Susan - s3js I love TRANSCEND. What a great word. And I am not kidding when I say that if someone ran on a platform to stop the annoying robocalls, I would strongly consider them as my candidate.

@tanteva BLOSSOM is a beautiful word! I love how you are focused on the result! I expect to see a beautiful layout with that word!

@sabinaraye that will be a very long wait to hear what the results are of your scan. Hope that being here can help take your mind off it a bit. The Daily O's is always good for that.

@tjscraps glad that you now have a furnace again. That weather is terrifyingly cold! And a holistic view of health makes that a great word for 2022.

@BrightEyes I hope that you are enjoying your time inside...definitely a little break from the world.

@mom2triplets04 I really need to do a better job with meal planning. I take spells... But I like the way that you kind of know what type of foods you will eat each day. I find that the older I get, the more structure I need to make things happen.

@bcgal00 hope that Jen is doing better. And that the back is feeling better.

@Cherylndesigns that ride home from the airport is going to be long and sad. But we will be glad to have you back here!

 

[tanteva]

I've literally been sitting in the sofa for 6 hrs now, just playing with my coloring book on my tablet & sort of watched tv. Now I really need to come up with some dinner plans.

I didn't realize that stepping in for @faerywings included the insomnia!

 

[faerywings]

I've literally been sitting in the sofa for 6 hrs now, just playing with my coloring book on my tablet & sort of watched tv. Now I really need to come up with some dinner plans.

I didn't realize that stepping in for @faerywings included the insomnia!

Sorry!!! hahahaha!

 

[BrightEyes]

Woke up to snow... on the rooftops and tops of the block fences. It melted on the ground and roads. It is 37*F so not expecting it to accumulate. Going to have one cold front after another until sometime next week so will be hibernating most days. I did a quick run around yesterday. Started on my 'de-cluttering' by donating 10 books to the Senior Citizen Center Library. Then quick stop at Dollar Tree and WalMart to look for nametag holders. All they had were badge holders with lanyards or needing clips. Didn't have the ones with pins on the back so will have to check the office supply places. Don't need them to have them for another month - so plenty of time to find them.

I didn't realize that stepping in for @faerywings included the insomnia!

Oh, Eva... you crack me up!!! ROFLOL Glad you are enjoying your coloring pages... they say it is very relaxing. BTW, you are doing a good job subbing for Chris.

@faerywings It is good to see you feeling a bit better. Glad your parents came to see Scott and give him support. Yes, we are here for you and we see what good parents you and Gary are by how Scott is handling this fiasco. Had to laugh over how Cait is caring for the babies by wearing the hoodie backwards and carrying them around. She is such a sweetie 'mama'. Hope having the babies around will give your spirits a bit of a lift when you play with them.

@LSlycord that is a long drive up to Orlando but is worth it to meet your friends. Enjoy the company.

@bcgal00 So sorry your back is acting up again. Know how frustrating it can be when it happens.

@sabinaraye I meant to say Welcome to our crazy little sharing spot here at the "O"... so glad to have you here. Will be keeping you in my thoughts and prayers that the CT scan results are good.

@Susan - s3js What a wonderful word for 2022! I agree... I hate robo calls - especially those that come later in the evening. Thank heavens for Caller ID but they are a PITA anytime.

@Cherylndesigns I know you are sad to see the family leaving after the holiday. Sounds like it was a wonderful visit with them.

@tjscraps I can't imagine how cold it is there!!! So glad they were able to get the heat back on for you. Hope none of the pipes froze while it was down. Sending healing thoughts for your hubby.

@mom2triplets04 I used to do meal planning when the kids were at home but once it was just DH and I that fell by the wayside. I use a white board too... but not for meal planning. Keep my appointments and other dates/events on it. Mine is half white board and half cork board. Keep the calendar pinned on the corkboard. Helps keep me on track.

The robo calls are starting early today... just got one! UGH!!! Had 2 of them around 9PM last night - just as I was falling asleep. Woke me up and I was awake for another hour!!!

Coffee cup is empty and I definitely need another cup. CYL

 

[tanteva]

Sorry!!! hahahaha!

No, you're not. Liar! LOL

 

[bcgal00]

Good morning ladies. I'm popping in for a quick hello, taking Remi out who is pawing at me and climbing up my body to reach my face for kisses LOL and then getting to work for a bit. It's my first day back after having over a week off work. Ugh...not really wanting to work today.

I'll come back to read thru personals later. BFN

 

[Cherylndesigns]

I'm back!! Exhausted, but back. Well, I drug my body out of bed at 5:45 - SHOCKER!! We haven't been home too long, and I'm fighting going back to bed. I really don't want to, but it sure is sleepy in here. I know the depression will set in tomorrow. After I get over my exhaustion, it will hit me! We had such a great time, though! The weather was gorgeous (until today) and we enjoyed being able to get outdoors.

Chris @faerywings you're sounding better today. I'm sure you're "faking it until you make it", but you're trying to push through this, aren't you? Those tiny rats must be keeping your minds a little occupied and how sweet that Cait carries them around in her hood. LOL I can totally picture that it's exactly something that Ava would do. You hit the "wine nail" on the head - Moscato is MY wine! This place we went to yesterday ALWAYS has it and they didn't even have any Reislings, yesterday. NO whites. WHY? I don't get it. Well, I guess Rose' is kinda white, but I did gag it down. I came home and had a glass of "real wine". LOL So glad your parents got to come and console Scott. Grandparents are the best, aren't they?

Thanks to ALL of you for your support while I was busy with family. Family does come first, don't they? Eva @tanteva you're doing a great job and like I said, you're the perfect choice to help out when Chris doesn't feel like posting as much. But, Chris @faerywings it's so good to see you more "chatty" today.

@sabinaraye hugs to you as you wait to get results from your scan. You must be going through the darkest place waiting. It's SO hard to wait - especially for results like this.

Kay @BrightEyes snow? At least it isn't sticking. We're going to have a cold front next week too - probably the same one you're getting. It's been in the mid 70's for a high here and we've been so spoiled.

I'm running out of energy. I don't know if I'm going to go to bed or lay on the couch. I can't believe it's not even noon. It's going to be a long day. LOL

Waving to all.

 

[mom2triplets04]

@tanteva that's an awesome word. I'm using ENOUGH for my word. I am enough, I do enough, I have enough, enough already. Yes the fly lady e-mails were annoying. I quickly stopped that. I also can't shine my sink because my kids are not on the empty sink path so my sink always has dishes in it. I do it a few times a day but come on that's annoying too. I used to have a white board but I took it away. I will have to repurpose that idea for meal plans. I just had my walls painted so not sure where I would put the white board now.

@Susan - s3js that's a great word for the year. I had Breathe for 2021 so I'm now moving into Enough. I struggle with buying too much so I'm hoping to not buy so much product.

@faerywings - covid is all over NJ now. My kids work at target and 5 workers have it now. 9 people at their school have it too. My kids are freaking out. My one daughter wants to be tested even though she has no symptoms. I told her to wait and not go unless she is feeling sick. yes, I heard about the rest stops. I don't go on the parkway at all. Nor do I go onto the turnpike any more. To get to my parents I use the side roads. My family lives by the shore toms river/seaside about an hour away from us.

@LSlycord meal planning has always been an issue for me. I can never stick with it. It doesn't help when the people in the house are so picky. So I just buy the same things over and over again and just rotate the meals. Like for example we always have Tuesday as chop meat day. So we would have meatballs, meatloaf, chili, taco or nachos and just rotate that every tuesday. My new problem is chicken is always a meal and I'm sick of the same things. Also sides are an issue. french fries ugh! Need to come up with new sides. would really like to learn how to use fresh veggies into some type of meal.

Yesterday went food shopping so I got everything for the week. Tonight I'm making a french toast type meal. yup breakfast. Something different with eggs and bread and cheese. Hope it comes out good. new recipe.

I got a new planner 30 commit for 2022 which actually started this Monday so I'm trying to keep track of my digital challenges, bible reading and meals. Hopefully it will keep me on track. If I don't write things down I don't get it done.

jan 1 I am going to start reading the bible again. I joined a bible recap group where they read the bible in one year. I have tried before but I give up after genesis. So I hope the group will help me stick with it longer. Yes, I've read here and there other parts but never in it's entirety.

 

[Susan - s3js]

@mom2triplets04 have you ever tried Bible journaling? There's some beautiful kits available for it. Have a look at Robin Sampson's site http://biblejournalingdigitally.com/ Robin offers freebies on a regular basis and classes, too. Some free, some paid. There are tons of other Bible journaling sites, too, but I came to know about it because she does digital.

@tanteva @faerywings My oldest has severe ADHD and can't take any of the meds. We tried them and, unfortunately, they not only were very bad for him at the time, but they are still bad for him and we ended them in 2003. He lost 20 of his body weight in just no time on the Concerta. So we tried Adderal, couldn't force him to eat, bounced off the walls all night, night terrors when he did sleep, horrible. After 2 1/2 years of trying we took him off all of them and I home schooled him for a year. It's a lie that they don't get addicted. These meds are only one step off meth. The psychological effects are still in play as is the sleep problem.

He has learned to cope and we found caffeine is the best for him. It allows him to focus and he can even sleep pretty well with it in his system, at least when the bad dreams aren't there and it's not too low in his system. When it's too low his mind won't turn off and he can't sleep at all. We did this through middle and high school with him, but at lower levels than now. In middle school and the first 3 years of high school he wasn't allowed to have coffee at school so it wasn't as effective. His senior year he was allowed to have coffee during the day. The energy drinks then didn't have a 300mg option so the coffee helped. He was failing school until then but made up ALL of his credits in 6 weeks once they got it through their heads that this really worked. Now he drinks 2 300mg caffeine energy drinks a day (he likes Reign because it has no sugar and is less expensive than the others, plus it tastes great and has no dyes in it), 3 on a really bad day.

I don't advocate for the drugs at all. I know they work for some, but the bad side effects far outweigh the benefits and last a very long time - we are now 18 years and still counting. I think it's become an excuse. Teachers used to be taught to gear their classes for the child who had the most difficulty learning and all the children would benefit. They are no longer allowed to use methods that work, they must stick to a script and just pass the kids anyway. Justin shouldn't have been a senior who had to make up all those credits. It's just easier for the school if they have a bunch of little zombies not running around. This is not what Laura Bush had in mind with No Child Left Behind. She meant for them all to be taught and classroom methods adjsuted as needed, the way she was taught to teach not the way it is today. MSU has a topnotch, nationally recognized teacher education program and the kids all have the same complaint after graduation - they aren't allowed to TEACH, they are only allowed to INSTRUCT.

I don't think kids are born with ADHD, I think they are made ADHD. They learn differently but have brilliant little minds. When they are not kept constantly engaged and challenged they switch off then can't find the on switch unless something just really engages their minds. Justin only passed psychology and, oddly, flower arranging and pest control - yeah, we live in rural America and it was the only elective left that he could take because he had shop classes. He passed auto shop and welding shop with all A's because he loved them. Except for those subjects Justin learned nothing new after 7th grade. That's when we moved here and the schools were so very far behind Oklahoma schools that there was no new subject matter. This made it even worse.

OK, off my soap box.

 

[tanteva]

@Susan - s3js I would be dead now if it wasn't for my ADHD meds. I would have topped myself years ago without them. Your arguments just PISS me off really, so I better not say anything more, or I will become nasty.

 

[Susan - s3js]

@Susan - s3js I would be dead now if it wasn't for my ADHD meds. I would have topped myself years ago without them. Your arguments just PISS me off really, so I better not say anything more, or I will become nasty.

I'm so sorry that I offended you, Eva! That was not my intention at all and I'm not pointing fingers at anyone. We had a really bad experience with it and my son was little at the time. For you, they were salvation, but with so many misdiagnosed and schools insisting on it in the US, it's not right for everyone. And it doesn't affect teens or adults who go on it the first time in those age groups like it does small children. It should be used with caution, is all I'm saying, in kids, and should not be the first resort, it should be the last until their bodies have developed enough to handle it. For some there is no other answer, and I get that.

I won't mention it again.

 

[tjscraps]

It's been a long day. We laid my dad to rest at the cemetery today - he passed away 2 years ago (Oct, 4, 2019) and mom wasn't ready to put his ashes in the Niche (Columbarium) yet, so we waited. Then with covid my sister couldn't get home until now as the border was closed. In -30'C weather today we were able to put his Urn in the Niche with some special things about him - his personalized license plates, a laminated obituary, pictures, his cap from his business, etc. It was a sad day, but we did a toast to him (Fireball) and told stories about him all day.

@tjscraps Nice that you've got heating again. You know it's cold if the heater frozes! HEALTH is a good word as well, and you are so right: health is so much more than losing weight. The industry sure has sold us that idea. Here's a really great book, I recommend it:

Amazon.com: The No Need To Diet Book: Become a Diet Rebel and Make Friends with Food eBook : Turner, Pixie: Books

Buy The No Need To Diet Book: Become a Diet Rebel and Make Friends with Food: Read Books Reviews - Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

Thanks - I'll check that book out! I also have Christy Harrison's Anti Diet book that I need to read, she is pretty against Bariatric surgery, which I had, so I haven't dived into it yet but I like the overall thought of her Health at Every Size thoughts and Mindful eating.

@LSlycord I bet you are so excited to see your friend today. 80*! Wow! My BFF is in Disney and has been wearing T-shirts and shorts in a lot of the photos. We are warm for this time in NJ- 37* *sobs*

Hahahaha - I don't call anyone a wimp for weather, I could not do the extremely hot temps from other places, and I totally get how so many people can't do this weather.