Pretty Much Sums Things Up

David My Grand Dog 

sums it up pretty well for me

these days.

Bleah

He often rests like this 

in his back yard

in complete surrender.

I refuse to surrender but I am 

very tired of fighting the good fight.

Knowing it will take me twice as long to decorate

this year due to my limitations;

and knowing it's a special holiday with

my brother and SiL coming for first time and also both

significant others coming with kids, I've decided

to start in about a week. 

Will try to remember to show the projects

as they happen.

But first it is yard work.

The guy who helped me last Spring is unavailable

so it's me doing it in 20 minute spurts.

We've past the year mark since the saga

began and I find no cause to celebrate

that damn milestone. 

I think mentally I'm also bogged down in concern

for our country and the state of the world

in general. I remind myself of my grandparents living

through World Wars and ponder how that generation

persevered with far more dignity than we 

are showing. 

Of course the c-pap story continues 

to unfold. I made it 5 1/2 hours last night

with 3 breaks coughing myself awake,

but they still sent me an 

email congratulations badge this morning.

(they monitor me)

Seriously?

This is what adults need today?

Social media has created needy little buggers

needing constant affirmation.

I don't require congratulations.

I need Drs who can figure out what the hell

is wrong and fix it.

Ok I'm not bleah, I'm bitchy.

sorry

Howie Versus Squirrel

The squirrel won

Howie and I just returned from CA.

We spent several days visiting

 with the kids and eating wonderful

meals prepared by Ben.

Lot of laughs, a rousing game of Obama Llama;

hilarious fun, and it was 

Stoddards versus non Stoddards.

We crushed em

Howie somehow scratched his eye again.

Infection set in that I saw at 2 am before 

leaving for LA at 3 am.

Run to Hannah's vet as soon as I arrived.

I'd been up for 36 hours and I was babbling.

$$$$$$

again- sigh

Many discussions about my future, 

and where to live, move and 

when and how to afford.

It's dizzying and distressing. 

I am thrilled they want me there, 

but it's almost a

frozen with fear thing.

Wishing dozens of times 

that my dad was alive to 

advise me. 

Thursday I get my c-pap mask,

or at least an attempt to 

be fitted for one.

I am 0 and 2 so far.

Did you win the 1.6 billion dollars?

We didn't

On My MInd

I'm a skeptical gal until I research something,

or until the facts are right smack in my face.

Last year 34 million Americans got the flu,

900,000 were hospitalized, 

and nearly 80,000 died.

As most of you know, the flu,

 on top of a severe bronchial infection

nearly took me out last December

Several ER runs and stays and

4 Urgent Care visits and 10 months 

later we're still working on the damage.

There were 180 pediatric related deaths,

the majority unvaccinated,

 and many were healthy.

Less than 50 % of pregnant women 

get the shot,

and they do not do well

 if they get the flu and the baby 

can have severe lasting issues.

I never ever got the flu and I never got a flu shot.

I never had my kids get shots.

I WAS WRONG!!!!

Most insurance gets you the shot for free,

and if not, I know there are free places to go 

like health districts.

I had 0 yes, zippo side effects.

I also never got a pneumonia shot.

Pneumonia landed me in ER last Spring also.

Seriously, how WRONG could I be?

Yep, got that shot also.

I just asked kids to get shots, 

I hope they listen.

It takes 2 weeks to receive fullest protection

and the

 BEST TIME TO GET IS

BEFORE NOV 1st

If you are over 65 be sure to get the high dose 

vaccine unless your Dr says otherwise,

and of course consult your Dr to be sure 

you can safely get the shot.

There are some who cannot,

so we should protect them from catching it from us!

I had to go to four places until 

I found one that had the high dose,

it's going fast here. They all offered me the lower dose,

which is wrong for me.

It's your social responsibility to get

vaccinated to protect those around you,

family, friends, co-workers, 

young ones in your life, the elderly in your life

and even those already compromised strangers

that you spend 10 seconds near in Target. 

Ok stepping down from my soap box now.

I know that if I had read this last season 

and listened and believed I

might have avoided a lot of trouble and suffering.

If I keep even one of you healthy

it's worth a yawn of a post,

cause I love you guys.

Z

I Don't Do Spooky

Sunday I was searching for a photo

 for a friend who was over

for the day

and I stumbled across these.

(never did find the other photo I wanted)

I started making advents like these many moons ago.

This happened to be an all day class I taught

maybe 7? years ago and  it was

 a great class. Everyone's 

advent came out unique and pretty,

or as scary as they wished.

It was a long day painting backgrounds, 

cutting and sewing and I'm pretty sure I 

served my classic Halloween chili.

Everything but the spiders and the web

were made by hand,

and each student painted 

their background as they wished.

The house was hand cut and assembled

Everyone who knows me knows I always get a pinwheel in somehow

The bats were on wires so they could bounce (fly)

There is a string garland inside the little painted box

I had forgotten how many pumpkins

 I used to make each season.

They have homes all over the country.

A sampling...

Pumpkins Pumpkins Everywhere

Well not everywhere, but just here and there to remind me

that glorious fall has arrived.

and yes, I made most of them, except for the twig ones.

and have taught them and sold them for many years.

This years version looks like this

I'll be making more, so if you're in the Vegas area

and would like a class just let me know.

Z

More CHCHCHCHanges

Have nothing in your house that you do not know 

to be useful or believe to be beautiful * William Morris

It is easy to do for me, but so many of you struggle

and I get it, I do. Simplifying is more 

of a psychological challenge than time or physical,

though time and physical sure chime in at these moments.

I sold off several more pieces of furniture and have 

at least two more waiting for a buyer.

The dominoes fall and 

swapping and switching occurs.

For example the white chest by the sofa with 

heart dangling from it, was in the family room

for many years. It held candles and dvds and cds.

None of which should be exposed to heat and cold,

which happens on this porch.

So they all had to be relocated somewhere inside

and things inside then came out to porch.

I filled up 2 more boxes for goodwill

in this process alone. I also ended up with more

empty drawers.

The sisal carpet that was on porch for years had

some damage so I swapped for one 

I used in the studio in garage.

It was smaller which meant I had to really 

scrub around exposed areas that had discolored from

under the larger rug. 

All of this took far longer than normal

as I can only work "heavy" in short

bursts and lots of resting.

Two days later VIOLA!

I need to change out that outdoor light

that hasn't worked in years and then 

that lamp I never liked will go also.

Electricity scares me or I would do it myself.

I used to do wiring with my dad 

but it scared me then too.

Lots of folks will be here for Christmas and

this new arrangement will make dining 

much easier. 

You just gotta dive in,

time is flying by, no more some day 

or laters, we owe it to ourselves

we owe it to our families.

Most of what is happening 

around us is insane and frightening.

All the more reason to make a safe refuge

from the storm.

Z

A couple shots of the porch quite a few years ago.

It looked like a store!