Some progress being made!

Julie came over this morning (yes, I mean the real morning, not after 12 noon) to help me with the family room.  We are making good progress.  Sometime this week, I am to go downstairs and start separate the books that I want from the ones that I don't.  I can do this.  There are a lot books down there.  I also found some nice Disney ornaments that I am putting on the tree this year and those that don't fit on the tree will be used next week.  This year, I am going to have the little one upstairs, but next year, I will put the little one on the fireplace or the sewing table and then buy a new, bigger tree for the living room.  In the spring we will go up to the attic and pull down what is up there and go through it.  I know there are a lot of Christmas boxes up there as well as two trees that I don't think are in good shape.  I could be wrong, but I won't know until we look at them next spring.  So we have designated some stuff to go to Kathy (2 boxes full of games for the kids, 2 that have never even been opened) and then some for donation in general as well as stuff to toss.  We have space on the floor that we haven't had in a long time.  I am very excited about that.  Once the books are out of the way and I know what I am keeping, then we will bring the bookshelf in the living room back downstairs where I like it.  the little bookshelf that was in the family room will go in the living room for the games.  i also found some Christmas Beanie Babies I didn't remember i had as well as this beautiful precious moment statue.  It is of Joseph as a shepherd.  It is wonderful.  We also found a Bambi Christmas Snow globe.  Lots of treasures found today.  It was very exciting.  I now can't wait to decorate the tree.  If they have time on Saturday, Ross and Julie will come over and then we can take some of the bar stools to the donation place.  I don't want them and I tried to sell them, but no one wanted them so that is okay, I will donate them.  They are in very good condition.  We also have craft and sewing things on the shelf unit on the round table side.  That is the craft room.  It is so nice to see the crafts and materials on the shelves.  It makes me smile because our room is getting back to normal and that is good.  The only thing I need to do in the family room with the lamps is see about getting new lampshades.  The old was are ripped a bit from childhood so that needs to be fixed.  We are starting with the family room, the working our way up the stairs.  Some of the dining room will be taken care of because the DVDs and the books will be going back downstairs where I like them as well as the tools that are sitting behind me.  I now have a tool box to put them in again.  I am very glad about that.

I am really exhausted tonight.  I will be heading to bed rather early with hopes that I will actually sleep.  I didn't sleep very well last night at all.  I don't know why, but I couldn't sleep and then I had nightmares in the morning before I woke up.  I hope tonight is not a repeat.  I don't think it will be, but I will pray that I won't anyways.  A little pray certainly can't hurt the situation.  One little chuckle we had this morning.  Julie found my etiquette book (one of several) and she opened to a page that said what to do in a certain situation, well I have a relative who is in that situation and I found it funny because Miss Manners says to avoid this situation at all costs!  We both chuckled at that one.  It was pretty funny.  I bought the books so I would be up on proper etiquette for email, messaging, and things like that.  I wanted my employees to be well mannered so that we all could get through any situation that arose.  It didn't actually always work, but I did get some of my points across.  A couple I bought because they were humorous books about etiquette, called "The Etiquette Grls" with the i purposely missing.  They were really funny and very helpful.  Mom and I enjoyed them.

I do hope you are having a good day.  The progress we made was wonderful although I should point out Julie did most of the work as I can't stand very well or go up and down stairs very well, not too mention walk very far.  I so appreciate her help with this project.

Monday 11-28

November is almost over.  It is almost December and with that comes Christmas!  It is weird to think that again I will be celebrating Christmas without Mom here with me.  It seems like a bad missing Mom day.  I have them from time to time and I probably will for a long time.  I dreamed about her last night for a bit and then I woke up.  It seemed so real to see her and hear her but it will be a while before I actually get to talk to her again.  It is just one of those days.

Monday is a busy day with lessons again.  I am very glad about that.  I actually cannot add anymore to that day, it is booked.  If I have anymore, it will overdo me and that would be bad.  I am looking forward to the concert on Sunday.  So far, all the students seem to be ready.  Two of my girls switched one of their Christmas Songs for a song they already know because they just switched to me (their teacher retired) so I said they could.  The other Christmas song for each of them was just not quite ready enough for them to feel comfortable performing.  Bob switched his 2nd Christmas song today from the Christmas Song to Winter Wonderland.  He plays both well, so it is not a problem.

I am freezing a bit tonight.  I am not sure why.  I keep the house at 73 degrees and yet I am still rather cold.  I have a sweatshirt on and everything.  If I need to, I have a hoodie handy to put on.

I bought some mini lights for the tree.  They are multi color but the ones that are on the bottom half of the tree are clear so I went back to the store and then didn't have any clear ones.  I have to try another store before Friday as on Friday I am hoping my friend, Heather B-T will be able to put them on the tree.  I am not sure when I am decorating the tree, but I would like the lights on to be ready.  I don't think it will be this weekend as the concert is on Sunday and I have some work to do for it on Saturday.  I have to create the program, which is a lot of fun to do.  I already told Aggie she will be near the end as she is one of the advanced students.  Brooke will be near the end too.  I try to put all my little ones first and then my middle ones, and then the advanced ones.  I also like to alternate between voice and piano with a tenor saxophone thrown in there too.  I have to buy a package of cookies this week for the concert too.  I will get some nice decorated Christmas ones.  They will work perfect.  I don't have time to make any this year plus I find I eat too many when I make them.  It is super annoying about that but I do it without even thinking.

My lovely neighbor/friend, Barbara Jean sent her 2 boys over to take care of my recycle bins.  For some reason, I have 2 of them.  Mom somehow got another one a few years ago.  One day, it just appeared so now I have 2 and they are super full.  I have boxes at my front door that need to go to recycling next week.  That should bring me up to date with my recycling.  Right now both my bins are at the end of driveway.  It is so nice to have the little car in the garage.  I get a thrill every time I open or close it when I am either leaving or coming home.  It is just so exciting.

Julie is coming on Wednesday to help me re-organizing my family room.  There are several things that are going to be donated or sold.  I only want the elliptical exercise machine.  I don't want the rest.  There is an old TV that still works with the new type boxes that will be donated along with its TV stand.  Then again, I am debating between keeping the smaller one and getting rid of the bigger one.  Julie and I will discuss this and see what is best.  I am anxious to have a sewing/craft room as well as the library/TV room.  I have a DVD player downstairs already as well as a VCR but I am donating the VCR because I don't need it anymore because I am giving all my videos to one of my friends.  I have many DVDs of the videos that I have so I don't need the videos anymore.  I am going to be saving for a Blue Ray player in the future.  It seems that some of the newer movies are not coming out on DVDs but as combo packs of DVDs and Blue Ray.  I don't know why, but that is the way it is.  I am glad that the Blue Ray players play DVDs too because to re-buy everything that I have on DVD would be so upsetting and not doable at all so I am glad they play.  I want the DVD/Blue Ray combo pack of the Harry Potter movie from target.  I plan to purchase it next week since I will be able to this month.  It is planned in the budget.

hmm, 11-27

Some many things are racing through my mind tonight.  I don't know why but they are.  Things I need to do, things I want to do, things I don't want to do, you get the picture.  There is so much I just don't know anymore.  I have so many questions about what to do with my life outside of teaching, that there is no question about.  I was born to teach and I love it.  I can't teach as much as I would like, but I am thankful for what I can do.  I think that is the biggest question.  I had to get up early about 5 days this past week.  I felt a crash and burn coming on with the bad headache that I would wake up with and the overall bad feeling.  Yesterday walking from the car to the movie theatre entrance, then to the ticket booth, then to the snack bar, and finally into our theatre was exhausting and painful.  By the time we sat down my legs and hips were burning.  Fortunately, it didn't last too long, but it was burning.  I think it was all a part of the about to crash and burn again flare.  Since I could feel it coming, I didn't set my alarm to go to church today.  I just couldn't because I really felt like I would have woken up to crash and burn mode and that generally means a ER visit.  I think I avoided it.  There are a couple of openings left for students and then that will be it unless one quits.  Thursdays are full to the rim but I do have one opening on a couple of other days.  I am almost to the limit.  Once i reach there, I will have to call the online company and let them know that until a student quits, I can't take anymore.  In some ways it is a nice feeling to know I am almost full, in other ways it isn't because I used to be able to handle 50 to 60 lessons a week without a problem.  Now I couldn't do it at all.  It is just too exhausting.  I really enjoyed myself this long weekend and I did pace myself as best as I could so I am pleased with that.  I just needed today to really rest and I did that.  I did have 2 lessons, but they were low key students and it was fun but the rest of the day is resting.  I am very glad that I had my students today because they allowed me to have the day off yesterday to be with Kathy and I am glad about that.  It just makes me wonder about a lot of things.  I no longer feel the crash and burn feeling and the headache is the normal headache now but what would have happened if I had gone to church?  I nearly passed out last week too so would I have had that happen this week?  I don't know but I wasn't going to find out either.  I don't know what is going on with this lightheadedness but no one seems to be too worried about it.  It doesn't happen all the time, but every so often.  I hope it goes away soon.

Aggie had her lesson today after not having one for a very long time.  I was happy to see her.  i copied her song on my computer for the concert so I now have it.  I have a copy of Breanna's song too.  I just need to copy it on the computer.  I need to put the concert in order.  I will do that this week.  I will be working on the program during the week but I won't be printing it until Saturday because if I print it earlier, than I always end up needing to print it again, this way, I don't.  i won't be going to church next Sunday because of the concert.  I will need the extra rest in the morning to get through the afternoon.  I know this from previous concerts.  I have about a good 5 to 6 hours a day and that is about it.  Anything after that is very iffy and I can't guarantee that I am with it or able to function.  I have a very limited window and that is just the way this illness leaves me.  I am glad I have that window though because some people I know, don't even have that.  After a couple of hours they are wiped out.  At least I get a good 5 or 6 hours out of it.  Camille also had her lesson today.  She graciously switched from yesterday to today so I could spend the entire day with Kathy and family.  We went over the jingle bells songs that everyone is singing at the end at the end of her lesson.  I think she enjoyed the singing.  Her piano pieces are doing well.  I am very pleased with her progress.  She doesn't want to go to competition this year either.  That leaves Aggie, Katie, and Rebecca for competition this year.  Calli is just too busy and so is Acer so they are planning to go next year.  Hey, what works for them, works for me.

I am going to get some dinner now.  I am kind of hungry.  Then I am going to do a bit of sewing, mostly cutting out the ornaments before I go to bed.  I am very tired tonight.  I foresee going to bed rather early for a change since I am so exhausted.  I am glad I didn't get the crash and burn flare that was coming or at least I hope I missed it by resting more today than usual.  I can always hope.

I do hope you had a good Thanksgiving weekend and are enjoying your day.

Saturday 11-26

I just got a crazy phone number.  Apparently, I qualify for a $125 gift certificate because I use my bank card a lot in the last 6 months.  I don't carry cash as it manages to disappear way too fast.  However, once I got to the "supervisor" he wanted the expiration date of my card, and the actual card number although he called it something else.  I am not giving someone over the phone my card.  It makes me wonder how many will fall for this and give them the number.  It was very scary.  I hung up on him.  I did say, no thank, goodbye.  Really!  I mean oh my gosh!  The scams these people have today.  He kept calling it the legal description (I knew I would remember somehow) to make it sound like he didn't want the number but that is exactly what they wanted.  Wow, that was a clever scam, let me tell you.  It is frightening that many people would fall for this.  It is crazy.

On a better note, I spent mostly the entire day with Kathy and family.  I arrived shortly after noon and then we had lunch, which was so yummy, let me tell you!  Kathy's Mom is a great cook!  So anyways, Kathy, her family, and I chatted away during the lunch.  I think I ate too much, although I did do very well with the choices I made.  I ate lots of vegetables (and I don't mean the mashed potatoes).  The mixed vegetables were particularly yummy and so was the corn on the cob.  The turkey and dressing were very yummy too.  I like dark meat so that is what I had.  After lunch, I helped a bit with the clean up.  I tried to be as helpful as possible.  I collected all the plates and cutlery that were on the table and took them to Kathy who would put them in the dish washer.  Kathy and I chatted a bit while I drooled over his Nook color.  She has some really interesting books on there and she said some were free even!  I do want one.  Now there are 2 things I want, a Blue Ray player and a Nook Color although a regular Nook would be nice too.  I am not that picky.  Kathy and I went to see Breaking Dawn.  Now, I still have not seen Eclipse, but I will watch it this week.  Breaking Dawn was very good.  I was not sure about it because the first 1/2 of the book doesn't have too much action after the wedding, but it was really good.  The downside is that we have to wait another YEAR before part 2 comes out unlike the 2 parts of Harry Potter, which came out 6 months apart.  I wish they would do that with Breaking Dawn, but they aren't.  I will wait as it isn't like I have too much of a choice but to wait.  I know am going to re-read the entire series as soon as I finish the book I am reading right now.

It is such a cool thing to have a car in the garage!  I get a thrill down my spine every time I open or close it.  I am just so happy about putting my baby car in the garage!  (It is amazing how the little things in life can make you happy)  It will be especially nice for Sunday mornings when I have to be at church so early.  No more scraping the car windows in the morning before church.  After church, well, then it doesn't matter if the car is covered in snow.  I want to move the round, card table that is in the garage.  Come this winter it will get awfully dirty being in front of my car so I will move it during the day tomorrow.  I so love that my car is in the garage!  I really do!

I have a bit of a bad headache now.  It is on the right side of my head.  I woke up with it but I wasn't going to let it get me down.  It was better this afternoon after I took my pain pills, but now it is back.  I am resting mostly this evening anyway so it won't interfere with anything that I am doing.

I am going to be starting the sewing tomorrow afternoon in between lessons.  I brought down the material this morning when I came down the stairs.  I will bring up the rest of the material tomorrow afternoon.

I went to go and get my hair washed yesterday but the salon was closed.  It was also closed when I went to check after the movie.  I am going to be brave and try to do it myself.  My shoulder seems to be doing okay this weekend, so i will try.  I usually have the local salon do it because of my shoulder.  It is very difficult to wash my hair and dry my hair with one arm that won't reach but I have noticed that it isn't as difficult to lift these past few weeks.  After my last lesson, Rebecca, I will attempt to wash my hair.  We shall see how well it works!  If it does work, I won't need to go and get it done for me although I will admit that I do like having someone else doing it for me!  It makes me feel important and a queen!  Mom used to do it until about 7 months before she passed away.  It was just one more thing to find another way to do myself or find another person to do it.  When I started getting it done, it was only $3 for the wash and the dry, now it is $10.  I think it is worth it.

The American Girl Place in Chicago commercial is on right now.  I can't wait for Kathy's girls to get into American Girl stuff.  I have been the store in Chicago about 2 or 3 days after it opened.  It was very busy that day but it was worth looking at.  I am hoping that if Kathy ever takes the girls, then I will go with them.  I love the American Girl stuff.  I used to get Samantha and Celia American Girl stuff when they were small.  They are my cousins.  Now they are 22 and 25 years old.  they grew entirely way to fast.  Celia is a parent now.  She has 2 small children, 5 and 3 (around at that age I think).

I forgot to gather the DVDs, books, and games that are going to Kathy.  I am loaning her some books and I am giving her the DVDs and games but I forgot to get them together yesterday.  I will give them to her at Christmas.  That will be the next time I see her, I think.

I do hope you have had a good day.  I sure did.  Pain level, while a bit higher than usual, didn't interfere with the day like sometimes it does.

The Day After Thanksgiving!

My little red car is in the garage.  I am so excited about that.  The boxes that needed to be moved, are moved.  The scooter has it's own place as does the lawnmower, edger, blower, carpet cleaner (which will be moved back into the house soon.  I don't like it in the garage when it is to clean inside carpets), and the snow blower, which I am not sure if it works either.  Anyways, i am super thrilled with the garage and the fact that my car is inside of it.  Now it can snow.  My car is ready for the winter.  I am not ready for the winter, but the little car is.  My friend and neighbor's children came to help and they did a great job.  I even have stuff to donate.  The sad thing is I must have donated the snow globes that I thought were in the garage last spring.  They are not in any of the boxes we looked at.  Oh well, I hope whoever has them is enjoying them.  I did really like them, but these things happen.  I just checked the Disney website and they don't have the ones I have anymore.  I didn't think so as the Beauty and the Beast one was about 15 to 17 years old and the Mickey Mouse one that was Mom's was about 5 years old.  I am sad over them but not too terribly sad because I do have plenty of Disney stuff in the house and in my room.  The kids also took several of Mom's boxes back into her room so I can put her stuff back up.  Why they were taken out in the first place, I don't know but they were and now they are back.

I am going to the Hubel's for dinner tonight and for a movie.  I am not sure what we are going to watch, but it will be kid friendly and fun.  It was so cute because Carolyn came in the house and said I was coming to their house at 8 pm for dinner and movie.  I was like, okay, sounds fun to me!  I really appreciate the help they gave me.

Tomorrow I am going to Kathy's parents' house for the day and then she and I are going to see Breaking Dawn.  All this excitement is going to totally wear me out by Sunday but I am enjoying it.  I do have 3 lessons on Sunday, Aggie, Camille, and Rebecca.  Katie will have hers on Tuesday so that will be good.  I wonder if I can have Callie come at that time or if it would be too late for the young lady.  She has to get up quite early for school.  I shall see on that one.  My Emily will be here shortly.

I do hope you are having a good day.  I am very excited over the garage!  That has made my month.

Thanksgiving Day 11-24

I had a really good day.  I went to my friend, Jennie's Mom's house for Thanksgiving.  It was wonderful!  The food was abundant and delicious!  I brought rolls.  You wouldn't think that choosing rolls for the dinner would be difficult, but there are so many to choose from.  I finally chose the Hawaiian sweet rolls.  They looked really yummy and let me tell you, they sure were!  All of Jennie's siblings, Kate, Chaz, and Margie, along with their families were there.  They were also celebrating two birthdays, Jennie's daughter, Mary, 2, and Chaz's daughter, Liz, 6.  Both girls got some very nice presents.  I was sitting in the back because I wanted the family to see better.  Liz brought me all her presents to show me.  She also changed out of the dress she was wearing into the new dress that Grandma got her.  It was a kind of dress I would have worn as a small child!  It was so beautiful.  She looked like a little princess.  It was nice to see all of Jennie's nieces and nephews as well as her children.  She has 4.  The oldest 2 are 10, then 8, and finally, 2. I must say it was very nice to be a part of a big celebration.  I will also have a nice celebration at Kathy's parents with her and her family on Saturday.  We are going to see Breaking Dawn too.  I have not seen Eclipse yet.  it isn't looking like I am going to before Saturday either.  I will actually see the movie when i am not "prepped" to see it.  I have read the books, but I meant to re-read them and re-watch the movies before I saw "Breaking Dawn" but that is just not going to happen.  I have sewing to do instead.  I am planning to start tomorrow after the kids come over to help me for a bit in the garage.  Tomorrow night my can WILL FINALLY be in the garage!  It can snow after that because my baby will be in the garage all snug and safe!  I am very excited about it!  I really am.  This particular car has NEVER been inside the garage and now it will!  Woo-hoo!  I have great neighbors and friends.  I really do.  My friend, Jennie also said today to let her know if I need any help with anything around the house. I can't think of something right now, but I am sure something will come up in the future.  Like I said, I am so thankful for my friends.

Tomorrow after the kids come for helping in the garage, I will cut out all the ornaments.  I am putting up one of the portable tables up so in the living room for sewing.  I don't want to have the sewing machine on the dining room table because the table is very old and while it is solid now.  I don't want the slight shaking of the sewing machine to loosen the table up.  Bill just tightened in a few months ago for me.  I was so happy that that was all it needed and I didn't have to buy a new table set.  This winter I will re-glue the chairs.  All four of them need it.  Right now there is only 1 dining room chair at the table.  Two of the chairs are the folding type and where I sit is my office chair which will hopefully go back down into my office sometimes this winter or spring.  Either way is fine for me.  I am not in a hurry.  Eventually, I will get the downstairs all taken care of.

I am feeling a bit better about the holidays this year.  Last year I was so sad that I couldn't even imagine how to get through them.  I survived though.  How, I am not sure, it is a blur.  I do know that my cousin, Cathy, came to see me for the week of Thanksgiving and I spent Christmas Eve and Day with Kathy and her family.  That helped.  This year, being with Jennie and her nice, big, extended family was wonderful.  It is hard without my mother as we have never been separated, physically, for this long ever. Even when I was a child and went to camp, I wasn't gone too long, just 6 weeks so to be separated for 13 months, is a lifetime to me.  I am not always so sad these days, although I have my moments.  I try to think what Mom would want me to do if I ever would have left her tell me.  I couldn't handle her talking about when she wasn't here.  I should have let her because I don't really know what Mom would want me to do.  She did say she wanted to be strong and not fall apart.  Well, I didn't.  I planned everything and was strong.  It was the hardest thing I had ever gone through.  Lily and Julie decorated last year for Christmas.  I think they will help me again this year.  I do want to get the box that is in the crawl space though because it has more Christmas stuff in it of mine.  I bought some new window clings for the living room and the dining room.  They are so very cute.  I have some old ones too but I don't know how well they will work since they have been used over and over.  I will see which ones are still usable.  I like the window clings.  I have other window clings that I found recently.  I think they are the Winnie the Pooh and friends.  I plan to put lots of Window clings on the dining room and the living room's windows.  Next summer, I am going to go and see what is in the attic.  I know that there is a lot of Christmas stuff including two trees.  the trees are so old now that they probably aren't any good and I don't need them either but there are some ornaments that I do want up there.  The ones I don't that are still good I will donate next fall.  I am not sure exactly what is up there though.  I know there are some toys but I don't know which ones.  I will find that out too.  I love the Christmas Season, I always have.  There was a time that I hated the actual holiday itself because of family strife, but the Season was usually good.  Mom made a lot out of the Christmas Season when we were small.  When Richard moved to North Carolina, we started spending Christmas at Richard's house so we didn't decorate as much here at home.  I won't go all out, but I do want to have some decorations out this year.

I hope you had a good day, I did.

procrastination of Heather 11-23

I have been procrastinating on my sewing project and it is weird because I love to sew so I am not sure why I am procrastinating on it.  I haven't even cut the ornaments out.  Nope, not even one little ornament.  I am behind my own schedule and I have no reason, no excuse, no nothing, just good old fashion procrastination.  I am sort of disappointed in myself because I have been procrastinating on this sewing, but on the other hand, I just haven't been in the mood to sew.  It is weird.  i haven't really done any sewing for just over a year now.  I plan to cut them out on Friday because I will have 10 days to make 25 ornaments.  Oh my!  I know that I can do it though because they aren't super complicated and I have made them before so I know what I am doing.  I am just wishing I started at the beginning of the month like I had planned.  Oh well, too late to worry about that now!

Beth brought her Jekyll and Hyde music tonight.  We went over several songs so she would be prepared for rehearsal on Tuesday.  I am so proud of her.  She has worked very hard with voice lessons and it has paid off.  Allison is doing rather well with her Christmas Concert music.  I think all the students are pretty close to being ready for the concert.

I am not shopping on the day after Thanksgiving.  I am just NOT stepping in a store this weekend.  I will go to a movie, but I will not go in a store.  I also have no reason to go to a store since I am making the gifts I am giving this year and I already have the supplies, I have no need to go.  Thank goodness!  I can only imagine how crazy it will be, it will simply be a madhouse.  Last year, my cousin came over and she went shopping on black Friday.  She didn't go to bed on Thanksgiving.  She fell asleep until the afternoon when she was done shopping.  I was glad she had a good time and was able to get a lot of Christmas Presents.

My head is a bit more sore than usual tonight.  I don't know why, but then again, my head never needs a reason to do what it wants to do.  Even the hair on my head is making my head hurt.  I am also rather tired right now.  My left shoulder is a bit sore too.  I hope it is cleared up by tomorrow.

I hope you are having a good day.

Tuesday 11-22

I am watching NCIS Los Angeles right now.  I spoke to Georgette for about an hour and a half.  She is doing well and was anxiously awaiting her Daughter, Emily's arrival home from college.  Georgette is a fellow piano teacher.  I met her years ago when I starting taking my students to the Michigan Music Association Competition.  This is the first year she may not have any students attending.  There is a big basketball tournament that many of her students will be attending the same weekend.  I have about 3 going this year.  Many of my students are brand new and not ready for the competition yet.  Maybe next year.

Tomorrow I have a couple of make up lessons for Thanksgiving.  Brooke and Brianne are going to have their lessons before lunch so they can take off to go up north as soon as their Dad gets off work.  Then I just have my usual 2, Allison and Beth.  I had to go and pick up a few things tonight.  My milk will expire on the 24th so I had to pick up some because there is NO WAY I am going to go to a store on Friday.  i also would be out of pop at that point too.  It was pouring rain too when I went.  Yuck!  I left a few of the groceries in the car because it was raining so hard.  I grabbed the milk and my medicine but I left the rolls, pop, and bread.  I will get the them out of the car tomorrow when it isn't raining.  I figure it will be okay overnight.  I also need to call the scooter store about my scooter.  The batteries don't seem to be holding a charge so I think I will need new batteries unless they say there is something else wrong with the scooter.  I am hoping not.  I really hope it is something simple like needing new batteries.  That is an easy fix.  I will find out shortly when I talk to them.

I am watching House Hunters and I am, as usual, amused at how people want certain things in a house but they don't want to pay for it.  They want everything updated and fixed the way they want it right away.  First thing they usually do is start saying what they will need to change, they always need to change, like an updated kitchen.  It is very amusing.  I get good giggles out of it.  I know my house people would want to change the bathrooms.  They have not been updated and won't be anytime soon.  The kitchen was redone in the late 90s.  We don't have stainless steel appliances, but we have nice white ones.  Our carpets are old except for the family room.  However, since I am NOT selling the house anytime soon, it isn't something I have to work on.  I remember the realtor that was here and she was saying how I had to allow a carpet/flooring allowance.  No I don't.  She also wanted everything off the walls and for me to repaint everywhere except the family room.  Well, I wasn't going to do that.  The new owners would repaint anyways.  However, I knew at that time I was not moving.  People in the family wanted me too, but I didn't want to.  I wanted to stay here and I am glad that I did.  I have everything I need here.  My doctors are all here and that is very important.  I didn't want to have to get new doctors.  I finally have doctors that I like and can work well with that I don't want to start over looking for new ones.  Anyways, I am glad for the decision I made.

I am going to read for a bit now.

Monday 11-21

It hasn't been too cold out yet this late fall.  I am thankful for that.  Friday, the neighbor's children will be coming to move a few things around in the garage and taking the table and chairs out so my lovely little car will FINALLY be in the garage!  I can't wait for that.  I really can't.  I do need to charge my scooter before that.  I am going to do that right now.  For some reason, it won't charge.  I have it plugged in but it won't show that it is charging.  I will have to call the scooter store tomorrow about this.  I think it means I need new batteries.  They are 5 years old and they say that is about when you have to change them.  I am kind of bummed because they are very expensive.  I have a good place to buy them from though so that is good.  They are cheaper there than from the scooter store.  The scooter store is very expensive.  I think I will have the repairman come and look at it though.  I am doing this now because I don't need the problem at competition.  That would be horrible!  I so need the scooter then.  I will get this fixed.  Ugh, more expenses!

I am not as tired as yesterday, but I am still very tired.  I slept pretty good for a change last night.  I don't recall waking up a lot for a change.  I usually wake about every 2 hours to roll over because of pain.  My bed wasn't too messed up either so I must have slept a bit better.  I am hoping for a repeat experience tonight.

So far, it looks like I will have Charlie tomorrow!  I can't wait!  I haven't seen him for at least a month!  It  has been too long!  Just way to long!  I think we will have an hour lesson for the next month to make up what we have missed.  I like how he make up his lessons instead of just missing them.  With the concert in 2 weeks, this is especially good!  I want him to be super prepared for the concert.  Isaac has decided to only sing at the concert.  I told him that was just fine, and it is.  I don't think it is my place nor something I want to do, to make or force a student to perform.  I will encourage, but that is it.  If a student doesn't feel that he or she is ready, then that is okay.  He did just start piano a few weeks ago, so I am not surprised.  We also went through the group song, Jingle Bells, boy, am I glad we went over it because there are parts that a slightly different from the regular one.  For example, the Oh is held for 3 beats instead of 1 and the intro is a bit longer than usual.  I also don't know the second verse very well.  All my singers will be going over it in the next couple of weeks.  This way, there will be enough students who know it to help the ones who don't.  I will also be there to help the students.  They will all have music too so it isn't like they will be in the dark about the song.

I am missing Mom a lot tonight.  I think it is because of the holiday coming up.  She made such a big deal about holidays.  She wouldn't allow any hint of Christmas before the day after Thanksgiving.  She also said that Thanksgiving deserves to have it's own day and not share it with the season of Christmas.  When I was small, we always dressed up for the dinner.  I only wore dresses until about 6th or 7th grade so Mom would make me special dresses for the holidays.  Christmas was always a Mother/Daughter dress.  I loved wearing dresses like my mom.  We kept up the tradition of dressing up until a few years ago when Mom became less aware of the Holidays.  I miss that tradition at times.  I miss having a nice dress that is similar to my mother's.  She was such a good seamstress.  I am good, but not as good as her. Her tailoring skills were awesome.  Momma made many suits for not only herself but for my brothers and the fit was amazing.  She also was the best at fittings.  her fittings were second to none.  I know if she had wanted to, she could have been a very important designer but that was not her dream.  Mom always said she loved sewing clothes for me because I got so excited about them.  I remember that too.  I cried the first time I had to buy store bought school clothes.  Anyways, I digress, I just miss her a lot tonight.  I am so thankful she was my mother.  Yes, we had some rough times, (doesn't everyone) and at times they were pretty bad, but overall, she did her best to raise us and stand by us whenever we needed her.  That is what a mother does, I think.  It is kind of funny because I don't remember too much of the bad stuff anymore.  It is amazing how that just fades away.  I am glad, I don't WANT to remember the bad times anymore.  I only want remember the good times.

I hope you are having a good day.  Pain wise, it is a normal type day.  My shoulder is a bit sore along with my left arm but that is really nothing new.  My shoulder has bursitis so this is normal for me.  My head is normal pain today so everything is pretty much the usual amount of pain.  I am just a bit more tired but not as tired as yesterday.

Sunday 11-20

I think I am closer to being ready for the Christmas Concert.  Calli was here for an extra lesson.  She is almost ready now with her piano piece and her duet.  We had a good time.  Rebecca was here for her lesson and we have made the choices for her competition music.  She now has her Classical, Broadway, and Inspirational pieces.  I am pleased with her choices.  Her mom and I spoke about a great many things after the lesson.  It is hard to believe that Rebecca is 10.  I remember when they brought her home from Russia.  Next week, Aggie will have her lesson and we will choose what she will sing for competition.  Katie needs to make some decisions too.  She has picked her Classical piece, Se Tu M'Ami, which is one of her best pieces ever, but Broadway and Inspirational is still up in the air.

I am so tired today.  I think I am a broken record with always saying how tired I am.  Today is one of the super tired days, not just the usual tired days.  I missed church because I didn't feel well at 6:30 this morning.  It sort of improved by 1:30 but then I went downstairs and sat in my chair with my feet up in the living room and the next thing I knew it, it was 3 pm.  Yeah, I went and got something to eat and sat back down to rest some more.  I just couldn't keep my eyes open.  Fortunately, by the time Calli arrived I was a bit more perked.  After Calli came Rebecca.  I am finished for the evening now.  I am going to get something to eat and then take my nighttime part 1.

I am watching Law and Order SVU.  It is an old episode, I think from the first season, but it is a good one.  I like this show a lot and the regular Law and Order.  I did like Criminal Intent but I don't know when the show is on so I miss it a lot.  I also liked the one that was on for a short time.  I can't remember the name, it wasn't the Law and Order LA one, but another one.  It ended because one of the actors passed away.  The guy who played Lennie Brisko, however you spell it.  I haven't seen a lot of the newer episodes because Mom was afraid of the show so I haven't seen it for about 3 years now.  I try to remember to watch it on Saturdays when it is on but I sometimes miss it or forget it was on.  It is usually on Wednesdays at 10 pm.

I have been thinking about Thanksgiving much more than I usually do.  I think it is because lots of people are blogging about it too, not just me.  Mom would always have us say one thing we were thankful before we ate dinner.  Sometimes it was hard to think of something because it wasn't something we thought of often.  Be thankful?  We were children who didn't really think about things like that, not until we were older.  I don't remember what I said when I was young.  It was so long ago that I just don't remember that far back.  I do know what I am thankful for now.

Here is my list:
1.  Jesus.  Without him, I would be nowhere.
2.  Kathy.  We have been friends for so long that I don't even have to say hello when I am crying she knows who it is immediately that is just one of thousands of reasons why I am thankful.
3.  Family.  Sometimes you love them, most of the time I don't understand them but when push comes to shove, often they are there.
4.  Friends.  I am very blessed with the friends I have.  They have really helped me not only with the passing of my mother, but before she passed away.  I am thankful for both my bloggy friends, facebook friends, and all the rest of my friends.
5.  Mom.  Even though she is in Heaven.  I am so thankful she was my mother.  I love her so much.  Who else but Vivian A. Paxton could raise me?  She knew me better than anyone else and she stood by me through everything.  When I first became ill at 16, she was there, when I was ill in my mid 20s and was thinking I was going to end up bed ridden, she fought for me.  We had a lot of fun together too.  We would vacation together.  I have so many memories of us together.

  What about you?  what are you thankful for?  One of my bloggy friends challenged her readers to come up with 5 things you are thankful for.  I am thankful that she did because it really got me thinking about thankfulness.

In this week of Thanksgiving, we have much to be Thankful for.  I do hope you are having a great day.

Saturday 11-19

I had my new, temporary student this afternoon.  Her name is Julian and she is very nice.  She is in 11th grade and they are doing "Mulan Jr."  I had no idea that Mulan the movie had been made into a stage musical but I now know that they did.  We worked on 3 songs that she needs.  We will work more on December 3 when she has her second lesson.  I really liked this young lady a lot.  Camille had her lesson too and she graciously switched her lesson to Sunday next weekend so that I can spend the day with Kathy and family.  Her parents are celebrating Thanksgiving on Saturday since Kathy and her family will be at Tony's family's house.  I do enjoy spending time with Kathy's parents, because they are so nice and they have known me pretty much as long as Kathy has.  I am excited to spend time with Kathy next weekend.  It should be a good time.

I am pretty tired tonight, which is a good thing because I do have to get up early for church tomorrow.  I don't know which song we are singing or where we are singing, but that is okay, I will find out tomorrow.  I also want to get up a bit earlier than I did last week because I need to have breakfast before I go to church.  I almost passed out at church and I think it was because I didn't have a good enough breakfast.  I will fix that tomorrow morning.  As much as I don't like eating right away when I get up, I will need to do this on Sundays so that my tummy is full and no chance of lightheadedness.  That is a bad thing.  We are under hot lights so it is important that I eat a good meal.  I will stop and get my diet coke to bring to church with me.  I won't be singing at the other services because I am teaching lessons tomorrow (make ups) so I will need a nap before teaching.

Because I am so tired, I think I will head for bed rather shortly instead of the usual closer to midnight time.  I am thankful I am tired now because then I should have a better sheep tonight than I usually do on a Saturday night.

Choir is going well.  Sometimes it is hard to focus on a song when we have been rehearsing it for a while, but mostly his timing for working on songs works well with my hard time to concentrate.  I don't have to memorize anything because we use the music.  This is a good thing as my memory is not good for memorizing anymore.  For the rest of the music we sing with the congregation there are words up on screens so that is a good thing.  I usually look at the screen to the left of me because it is easier than the one in front of me.  I am looking forward to next week with lessons, Thanksgiving Day, Jennie, Kathy and family.  Kathy and I are also going to see "Breaking Dawn" on Saturday late afternoon early evening.  I need to watch "Eclipse" first though.  I think I may re-watch the first and second Twilight movies and then watch "Eclipse".  That would get me ready for the new movie.  I wonder if the Muglia girls will ever like "Twilight" books or movies.  They haven't seen or read them so I am not sure.  They make fun of them every so often and when they do I like to point out to them they haven't read them so how would they know what they are like?  I figure next summer I will loan them my Twilight books.  They will be 15 and 16 years old at that time so plenty old enough to ready the young adult books.  I enjoyed them.  They are an easy read.  Are they as good as Harry Potter?  No, but what is as good.  Harry Potter books are amazingly written books and nothing can compare except maybe Anne of Green Gables although Anne's action scenes are way different that Harry's.  She also doesn't have the good against evil thing but they are still really good books.

I do hope you are having a good day!

Flu shot day 11-18

Wow, the nurse (a new one too!) actually got the test done first poke!  I was very nervous about this new nurse to try but she did it.  I drank extra water last night that I didn't feel too good when I went to bed.  I was so waterlogged but I was determined to not go through another try like Wednesday when they couldn't get anything.

I also got the flu shot.  They had run out on Wednesday so I would have had to go back and get it today so it really wasn't a big deal to go back, just a big deal of WHY I had to go back.  After the doctor's office my gas light went on.  I don't usually let my tank get so low that the light goes on but for some reason this time I did!  Oh my!  I quickly went to the regular station I go too where they pump the gas for free.  The gas is the same price as self serve only they pump the gas for me.  Sometimes, my legs are so sore that even standing to get gas is hard.  Yeah, it is annoying so I try to frequent the gas station that pumps for me.  I made it to the station although it was a bit of a drive from the doctor's office but I made it before I ran out.  Whew, what a near miss that was.

I then came home and took a nap.  I had to get up super early because they only do the tests before 11 am and the only time they had left was before that.  I think I slept for about 2 hours but they were broken up because the phone rang and then I woke up too.  My bottom was a bit sore from sitting there for so long too.  I had left the door open because I was afraid that I wouldn't hear it if anyone knocked.  Unfortunately, it gave me a bit more of a nightmare of someone just walking in and hurting me.  It was very freaky.  I won't do this again.  Next time I take a nap in the living room, I will have the front door shut and locked.  What can I say?  I get nightmares easy.

Acer did really well for his lesson today.  I told him he had a green lesson.  His school uses colors to describe behavior.  It did look at one point that he wasn't going to listen, but in the end he did.  Green is the best behavior color and for him, it was good.  He did exactly like I asked.  He played his song 2 times in a row like he will at the concert and he sang his singing song with an open mouth so we could hear his voice better.  Calli did very well as usual.  She will have an extra lesson on Sunday to make up for the one she missed a few weeks ago.  I am just nervous that she will not be ready but she is almost ready so I think with the addition of Sunday, she will do just fine.  I also told her we wouldn't be grocery shopping until December.  She was disappointed but she understands.  Emily did very well too.  I think the new computer program is really helping.  Breanna said she likes it and so does her little nephews.  I think that is cute.  I am happy that the computer game seems to be perking everyone's interest.

I am watching Extreme Makeover, Home Edition.  It is a good one.  They are building a house for a woman who runs a local soup kitchen.  It is a cool episode.  I do like this show.  I also really like NCIS, NCIS Los Angeles, Project Runway, Dance Moms (although it is done for the season) and Law and Order SVU (although I don't always watch this one, it has been known to give me nightmares at times).  I watch a lot of HGTV too.  I read a bit everyday too.  I spend a lot of my time sleeping though.  since I have Fibromyalgia, I feel sick everyday, some days more than others but I have a headache every single day, the question always is how bad is it?  My tummy also doesn't digest properly.  Most people digest their food within 90 minutes of eating.  Mine, takes much, much longer.  I take some medicine that helps that.  I still get tummy upsets and pain a lot.  I also have arthritis and asthma.  The arthritis is in my lower back, hips, fingers, and feet.  It is annoying but generally it is the hips and legs that ache the most.  Today, is a normal day, that means that the head hurts but not super bad (like yesterday and the other day), my legs ache if I stand too long or walk too far, and I just don't feel super good, but it isn't extreme today.  This is just my normal day.  You would never know by looking at me I feel sick and not well.  You would never know that I am so exhausted.  It is just a normal day for me.  I am thankful for these "normal days" when I have them because you never know when you will get a flare.  Every day but today I woke with a super bad headache.  On one of the days (I don't remember which one) it was one of the worst I have ever had and I thought I would have to go to the ER but then it lessened enough where I could function.  I think the hardest thing for me is the lack of concentration skills and memory problems.  I have to write things down in my planner or I won't remember.  I have to write very specific details too not just general notes.  I have gone to the post office without my mail, I have gone to the bank to make a deposit, stood in line only to realize I left the deposit at home because I wrote go to bank but not go to bank and bring deposit.  These things are kind of funny now, but at the time when these things happen, it isn't too funny.  Mom was a big help too because she helped me keep organized, otherwise, it is hard to think what will happen.  I leave my planner out everyday so I know what I am doing next.  I look at it all the time.  I put it on my computer when I go to bed at night.  If I have to get up early, I write why on a post it note and put that note on my clock so when the alarm goes off, I know why I am getting up early and not miss whatever appointment I have.

Anyways, I do hope you are having a good day.  I am going to watch some TV and then read.

not the best day 11-17

I woke up this morning with a doozy of a headache.  I know all this week I have been waking up with them, but today was the worst!  I also had plans for 7 lessons, yes, straight through from 2:15 to 6:00 and then from 6:30 to 7:00.  I took my morning medication and some Advil and well, it worked, my head improved enough to teach well.  I enjoy my students, but I am exhausted tonight.  I am thankful I have that many today but I am also thankful I don't have that many every day.  I love my students.  I think I say that a lot.  Hm, well, it is true.  My student, Beth, auditioned for Jekyll and Hyde for her local community theatre.  She didn't hear anything back so we thought she didn't get a part.  Well, Tuesday she received a message asking why she has missed 2 rehearsals!  They had casted her right away but somehow in the shuffle of things, she didn't get notified!  I am so glad she is in!  She has worked very hard on singing and is at the point where her voice is about to change.  It is very exciting when it gets to that point.  I am anxious to hear how Tuesday and this coming Saturday went when she has her lesson on Sunday.  It is an usual day for her to have a lesson this week, but with parent/teacher conferences, she needed to reschedule her lesson.  I am just thankful that we can reschedule instead of cancel lessons.  It really is a good thing.  Now next Thursday, me 3 online company students will not have lessons, but my other three have rescheduled.

I didn't go to choir practice tonight because I still have a bit of the bad headache.  Not like this morning, but I am exhausted and am ready to go to bed shortly.  I have to get my blood test tomorrow.  I had to reschedule because they couldn't get any blood out of me.  It really stinks but I shall pray that tomorrow it will work fine.  I also need the flu shot too.  As much as I didn't want to have to go back, at least they should have some flu shot left when I go.

I am going to read for a few now.  I do hope you are having a good day!

mid week 11-16

I went to get my blood test this afternoon.  I also hoped to get the flu shot.  They ran out of the flu shot last night and more was coming in some time today.  After 3 pokes, the nurse still could not get my blood.  That was a big time fail.  I have to go back on Friday for another try and I have to be there earlier than usual.  Ugh.  So yeah, I am so not very happy about that but I have to have the blood test so I will just deal with and and come home to take a nap when I am done.  Naps rule in this house, for me anyway.

I woke up before the alarm went off.  I think I slept pretty well last night for a change.  I was so tired last night when I went to bed that I didn't even read and I am reading a really good book right now.  I was a bit tired this afternoon so I thought I would take a nap before Allison's lesson.  She was the only lesson today. Natalie will have a make up tomorrow since she couldn't make it tonight.  Natalie is such a nice young lady.  She sings really nice too.  She was having trouble with one of the songs but I have a tape recorder that we will tape us singing it and she can borrow it to practice at home.

I was thinking about my Momma today before the doctor appointment.  It has almost been 13 months since she passed away.  I was thinking about her last few years.  In 2008, after we lost the store, she was still pretty independent and could do lots of stuff for herself.  I would not let her be by herself too long though because I was afraid she would get lost.  She liked to be with me most of the time.  She had been coming to the store with me for the last 2 1/2 years.  I didn't mind because she loved being there a lot.  After we lost the store, I was deeply upset over it.  I had worked so hard only to lose it.  I would say that for a few months, I didn't emerge from my room to often except for teaching.  Mom could get herself up in the morning and eat breakfast.  She would watch the weather channel (for some reason she loved the weather channel) and wait for me to get my lazy butt up.  We would go to Tim Horton's for lunch and have a nice time.  I would teach a few lessons during the week but mostly we hung out together.  Mom and I spent a lot of time at the movies summer of 2009.  I think we went to the movies about every week.  We saw so many good movies and a few duds.  We would also go to Olive Garden at least once a month.  Mom and I love that restaurant.  It wasn't until about November 2009 that she started being less independent.  In December 2009, I had to start gating her up the stairs because she would go out of the house looking for me and get lost.  Fortunately, I have really good neighbors and they found Mom right away and brought her back home.  Kathy was getting rid of her baby gates but she hadn't yet.  I called her to find out where to buy them and how much they might be.  She gave me her gates.  I drove to and from K-zoo in one day for those.  I was glad that I got to keep her and take care of her.  So, anyways, I was just thinking about her today a little more than usual.  The 18th is coming up and that is a day I dislike since she passed away on the 18th of October.  Some days it seems like forever ago that I last saw her and other times it feels like yesterday.  It is weird this mourning thing.  Some days I feel like I wading through mud that won't let me walk and other days, not so much mud to walk it.

I hope you are having a good day.

NCIS and NCIS Los Angeles Night 11-15

Tuesdays are good nights for TV for me because my favorite shows are on.  I don't watch a whole lot of shows, but I will admit to being crazy about NCIS and NCIS Los Angeles.  they are action packed and the good guys always win!  Sometimes it is a bit gross with the bodies, but I don't look when it is like that.  Since I can't stand the sight of blood, I usually just listen to the scenes that are in the autopsy room.  I like how the teams work with each other and the characters are so interesting to me.  All in all, I am glad I started watching them even though at first I stuck my nose up in the air with them.  I was annoyed because they took the place of JAG for a few weeks and I loved JAG.  As a matter of fact, I have all 10 season of JAG.  I think because we were an army family that I can identify with the families who have members serving the military.  Now, Mom was in the reserves, which I know is a bit different, but it still means we were a military family.  While there were definite things I disliked intensely about Mom being in the Army, overall, I was very proud of her.  She accomplished a lot and without her and women like her, the women of today would not be at the ranks and jobs that they are in.  Mom was a pioneer.  She broke glass ceilings.  Mom was also very brave and courageous however, she was very shy about talking about her accomplishments.  She was a very humble woman.  I love that about her (one of a million or so reasons I adored my mother!)  Anyways, Mom always said that she was born too soon.  I can only imagine what she could accomplish if she was born 40 years later.  However, I am rather glad she was born when she was since I would not be me if she wasn't.

Today the tummy is a bit better than yesterday.  Most of the time I ignore the pain and the upset tummy.  I just go and take my tummy medicine and pain medicine but sometimes it is difficult to ignore such things.  Last night was one of them.  I think at this point, I am so used to pain that I don't always feel it.  I know it is there, but I can ignore it at times unless I get up (then my hips cry and my legs) or I move wrong and it twinges the pain.  I think because I don't teach or work full time and I have time to make sure I rest it makes a difference.  I don't anticipate actually ever being able to work full time or teach full time again.  The last time I tried that I was in and out of the hospital so much that I knew the ER doctors and nurses and they knew me on sight.  Not really a recommended thing.  I have been in the ER in the last year, but it isn't as much as it used to be so that is good.  I have better medicine now, I think, at least for the moment.

Anyways, I am going to make some dinner now.  I am going to have pasta and veggies.  I forgot to take the chicken out to thaw so no chicken tonight.  I don't mind, I like pasta and veggies without meat too.

Try to have a good night!

the Beginning of another week! 11-14

It is the start of another week!  3 weeks from yesterday will be the Christmas Concert.  I am looking forward to it.  My girls had their lessons this afternoon.  They are pretty much ready for the concert.  Lydia and Sarah are very ready.  Hannah is almost ready and the same with Natalie.  Natalie has one of her songs down pat and almost the second one.  Both girls should be as ready as their sisters by the concert.  I am pretty certain about that.  Bob is almost ready too.  Isaac is nervous about the concert so he isn't sure he wants to be in it.  I told him to worry about it in two weeks and if still didn't want to do it, he didn't have too.  He didn't practice this week so that is what he is worried about.  He did pick one piano song and played it pretty well.  We talked about looking at practicing a different way.  He likes to play the piano and really that is all that practicing is.  He was like, good point.  So let's hope he plays his piano more this week than last week.  He is also doing very well with his vocal songs too.  I did let Isaac know that he was learning the Christmas music whether or not he would be in the concert.  He said okay no problem.  Isaac is such a nice young man.  His grandparents live down the street from me so after his lesson he walked down to their house to have dinner with them.

After my lessons, I went to Walmart for some tummy medicine and milk.  I also got the Christmas Table Cloth, Christmas cookie cutters, pop, and a few other necessities.  I almost walked out without the Mylanta.  That would have been bad because my tummy has not been so good these last few days.

I have a new young man tomorrow from the online company.  He is 5 and will be starting piano.  I am excited about this.  This leaves 2 students tomorrow.  Charlie has marching band practice tomorrow for the Thanksgiving Day parade.  This is his last Thanksgiving Day parade as he is a senior in high school this year.  Aaiyanna and Samuel, the new young man, will have their lessons tomorrow.  I have to copy some sight reading music for Aaiyanna.  I had copied some a few weeks ago, but she has lost them.  Now that she has her binder, she can put it in the binder.  I do hope that the new CDs I burned for her work.  The only other option is to loan her the originals and have her parents burn them on CDs.  I don't particularly like loaning original CDs out because if I don't get them back, I have to buy both the book and the CD again.

I haven't started the ornaments for the students yet.  I have 3 weeks to do this.  I will be starting tomorrow evening after i clear the table so I can start cutting them out.  I have to figure out how many I need.  I am also going to be making some for Kathy's kids since I am already making some, what is a few more?  There is like 4 seams and top stitching for each one.  Not too hard for me to make.  I have made them before.  I just need to get some red fabric paint since the paint I have is not fabric paint and the fabric paint I had is very old, if I even have it anymore, which I sincerely doubt.  I am not going to bother to look for it because I think I did get rid of it a while ago.  It costs about $1 so I will just pick some up in the next few days.  I have the ribbon for the hanging of the ornament and the jingle bells although I am not sure I am going to put the jingle bells on it.  We shall see.  I will see what looks the best on ornament.  I am excited about starting them.  I probably should have started them a few weeks ago, but I do know how easy they are to make so I kept procrastinating.  I will stop procrastinating this week though since the concert is in one day less than 3 weeks.

I am not feeling super well today.  I can't pin point it exactly, I just don't feel too hot.  I don't think I am coming down with anything, just the usual fibro feeling bad.  Sometimes, fibro sucks at times, well, okay, it sucks all the time if the truth be told.

Despite the not feeling so hot, it was a decent day.  I hope yours was good too.

Sunday 11-13

We are almost in the middle of November.  Wow, how quick did this happen.  Tomorrow I have my girls, Bob, and Isaac.  I am rather exhausted today.  I made it to church though!  Unfortunately, I didn't eat a good enough breakfast so I started to get light headed with the lights by the time we sang our song right before the sermon.  I ended up mouthing some of the words.  It was a great song too.  I hope no one noticed that I didn't sing near the end.  I wasn't sure I would survive at that point.  Finally we were done and we could leave the stage for our seats in the congregation.  I grabbed my coat and went to sit down.  We had a guest minister speaker today.  It was missions weekend.  He was very interesting and it was a good sermon.  I am pretty okay now although I still feel lightheaded at times.  I have been having problems with lightheadedness for a good 2 months now.  I don't really know why.  I have been to the ER about this and there was no conclusive answer.  I truly do not believe it is from dehydration because I have since made sure that I am drinking enough water.  There are days I feel almost waterlogged from drinking so much water and that doesn't seem like it that good.

I am watching Harry Potter number 4, "Goblet of Fire" and Cedric has just been killed.  Ever since Momma passed away I tear up (sometimes even cry) whenever anyone dies whether it is one of my friends' family and friends or even TV and movies.  I teared up when Cedric was killed and I have seen this enough to know that it happens.  I also have read all the books.  Still, anyone dying makes me tear up and sometimes cry.  My cousin just lost her father and she wrote today in her face book that it was time to process and move on.  It has been one week since her father was killed.  When one of my face book friends lost her mother a week later she wrote on face book, time to get back to happiness.  I don't understand how they can so easily go back to the way it was.  How does one process and move on so fast?  Is it because they have families themselves to take care of?  I am still processing and moving on.  I can't say I am back to happiness.  I have better days than I did last year at this time, but there are still days where I miss her so much.  Is it because I took care of her and we were together all the time for the last 5 years?  I don't know.  I just know that a week after I lost Mom, I was still in shock.  Maybe they are still and just don't realize it.  The mysteries of mourning still confuse me.  I get told I am in a depression, yet I don't think I am.  Yes, I am sad at times.  I say I am in mourning, not a depression as if to mourn in these days and times is a bad thing.  I don't think so but in this world it seems at times that mourning is not acceptable, you have to process and move on immediately and not allow yourself to feel the emotions that go with losing a family member or a friend.  That is how it seems in my family.  I remember calling Richard (back when he would actually speak to me) and I was crying.  He was all "you aren't crying are you?" like it was a horrible thing.  I quickly stopped and realized that he doesn't feel the same way I do.  I thought he did, but he had moved on from missing Mom if he ever missed her at all.  I don't think I will ever understand this world that we live in.  My friends who have lost their mothers and were close to them says that the second year is easier.  So far it is a bit.  Last year at this time my chest felt like bricks on it and I don't have that feeling too much anymore.  However, I do miss her as much as I first did when she died.  I don't know, I certainly can't say I have all the answers.

I am glad that I made it to church after missing it last week.  It starts the week off right somehow to me, despite how early I have to get up.  I actually didn't yawn during church, just on the way home where I took a nap right after.  I slept for about 3 1/2 hours before Beth had her lesson.

I do hope you had a good day.

Another lovely day in November - the weather is beautiful

It is so nice outside today.  Unlike yesterday, which was rather cold, today is more fall like than winter.  It is definitely nice and warm.  I didn't really need my winter coat on but since I didn't know it was so nice out, I had it on.  I love my winter jacket.  It was a beautiful Christmas present last year from my dear friends, the Emertons, Lily's family.  Camille had her lesson today.  Her uncle brought her.  She is doing so well and I think when we are done with this level, we may switch to something different.  I am still not sure though.  She is doing so well with switching her hands around that I fear that the level 2 book will be too easy for her.  We shall see.  She is such a lovely young lady.  Last Tuesday was her middle sister's birthday, she turned 5 and this Tuesday will be the youngest sister's birthday, she turns 4.  Camille is the oldest.

Not too much going on today.  Some weird pains on and off in my back and my chest.  I am not sure why but it comes and goes so I am not too worried at this point about it.  I am rather exhausted this afternoon.  Much more so than normal.  I do hope this means I will sleep better tonight because Church is in the morning!  I am ready to sing tomorrow.  I love singing in the choir.  I can't stand during the music part of the service because my legs ache so much, so I lean on a stool.  It is a high stool so I can't really sit down too well.  By the end of the music part my legs are actually usually numb but they wake up quickly when i start walking.  I would like a better stool, but this will work for now.  Carolyn will not be singing tomorrow because she has been absent from choir practice for a couple of weeks.  She has had volleyball games at the same time as practice.  It is kind of hard to be in two places at once!  I just love Carolyn, she is such a nice young lady.  She sings rather well too.  It is nice to be in a choir full of good singers.  Most of them are very good, which is really nice.  It means we can do some harder music and really get some good stuff.

I need to clear off the table today.  I plan to move all the music into the living room for now because during Christmas and New Years, I will have it put away and then the living room and the dining room will be beautiful.  I also need to go through the boxes of tools behind me and put them in my lovely new tool box that Heather B-T and family gave me.  I was so excited since my has long since disappeared along with many of the tools mom and I had.  It is quite frustrating to have tools disappear from the furnace room and garage.  These tools will stay for a long while since I am in charge now.  This being responsible and being a grown up can be hard work!  I really want the new Harry Potter movie but I cannot get it until the monthly bills are paid.  It is so tempting to go and charge it but I won't.  The credit cards are for emergency only and that is how they should be for me.  I have used them a bit and discovered I was using them a bit too much because they were in my wallet so I took them out.  Now, I don't have the temptation.  I am thankful for that!

I do need to go to the music store Monday or Tuesday for my new little guy on Tuesday.  He is scheduled the one lesson but then the rest are unscheduled, which is weird to me.  Is he going to change his time every week?  Or is this a trial lesson to see if he likes it?  Either way, I will teach the lesson and we shall see how the little guy does.  I only have a couple of lessons on Monday this week, Bob and Isaac.  I don't think I have the girls this week but I shall find out shortly.  I have messaged them to find out.  I know Laura has it on the calendar.  So whenever she has me scheduled works for me!  I just love my girls.  Well, truth be know, I love all my students.  I have the best.  I may not have as many as I used too (oh my goodness!  I wouldn't be able to do that) but I have really good ones now.

I do hope you are having a good day.  I hope this random pain goes away.  It comes and goes whenever and I have had it since yesterday.  The joys of fibro!  My hands aren't are sore as they were yesterday as it is nicer out right now!  Enjoy your day!

Veterans Day, Remembrance Day

When I was a little girl, my biggest fear was that the USA and Canada would get in a war and we would be put in a concentration camp.  I had just learned about them in history and was so stunned that people would treat others this way.  My mother served in the Canadian Army Reserves.  She was a major, but we live over in USA so she would go across the border every week two and three times to go to the reserves.  I would cry and be upset after she left.  After a few weeks of this our babysitter told Mom about this so Mom asked me what was wrong.  I told her about my fears.  She calmly explained that would never happen as both countries are allies and friends.  My mom also explained to me that she was a teacher so she would never go where the fighting would be.  She would just train them, not fight with them.  It makes me think about the families who have members fighting.  I know what my fear was like, I can't even imagine what their everyday is like, especially the children.  How do you explain something like this to your children?  How?  I think about this a lot, not just on days like today that are set aside to honor them.  They deserve more than that because if it wasn't for our soldiers, both past and present, we would not be able to have the freedom that we have.  Many of us live in countries that are free and we have no idea what it is like to live in countries that you have no freedom.  I can't even imagine living somewhere where you can't say what you want or do what you want.  We can go to the store and buy whatever we want.  Most of the time, we have enough food, shelter, and clothes.  Can you imagine those that live in countries where there are food lines and when you finally get in the store, there is no food left?  I can't.  I can't imagine living in a country where women are not allowed to drive, vote, be in company in public of men without their husbands or father, where girls are not allowed to go to school?  It completely baffles me about these things.  How can people treat people they way they do?  Yes, in this country there are people who are not nice and treat others poorly.  We have choices and rights that so many don't have.  I have always been proud of the country I was born in and the country I was raised in, however, I am more American than Canadian.  We were raised to be American.  We went to American Schools and lived there.  Mom wanted us to know about both countries, the one of our birth and the one we were raised in.  I decided when I was 18 not to become an American not because I don't love the USA, I do but because I wanted my children to be the first Americans in our family.  To me, that was the American Dream, coming from another country and having your children be the first Americans.  I have since changed my mind.  I want to be able to vote.  Yes, I also have made this decision because I can't have children so they won't be the first Americans, but the right to vote has been a dream of mine for several years now.  I am working on saving the money to pay the fees.  (It is now really expensive to become an American, about $400 plus other fees.)  In a few years, I will be an American.  It will be an exciting day when that happens.

We should be thankful for those who serve our countries everyday, not just on days designated to remembering or honoring them.  I know I am.  My mother ended up serving 31 years.  I have always been proud of my Mom being in the Armed Service (even when we had to wait for what seemed like hours for her to get out of the officers' mess after parades or special events).  She joined the Air Force at 18 and then when her time was up she joined the Army Reserves.  We were an Army family.  At times, it seems like we still are.

Choir Practice Day

Thursday is choir practice.  I am getting my own folder number next week!  I have the new person number right now so I get my own number now.  It is a cool thing.  We worked really hard tonight on 3 pieces that we are going to sing in the next three weeks.  The choir stood quite a bit of the time.  I don't because I can't stand very long.  In church I sit on a stool because I can't stand for all that time.  I don't think I could even stand long enough to sing the song.  It just hurts to much.

My bad headache that I have had most of the day is a bit better, but not too much yet.  I do hope that by morning it is down to its normal headache.  I am not as tired as usual right now but I am sure shortly I will be.  I tried to take a nap this evening because I was so tired, but I couldn't sleep.  This was in between teaching and choir.  I had my three B's today: Breanna, Brianne, and Brooke.  All 3 are doing so well.  Brooke has one of her Christmas songs almost down pat and close to the second.  Brianne is struggling a bit with hers.  We may have to edit her songs a bit.  Both are 4 pages and difficult left hands.  We will see how she is doing next week.  We have reschedule Brianne and Brooke's lessons for Thanksgiving Day.  Breanna is checking her schedule for a reschedule that week too.  Breanna has switched one of her vocal pieces for Christmas.  She is trying to learn the guitar part but we have a CD if she doesn't.  Her piano is doing very well today.  I loaned her the new theory game CD for the computer.  She and I tried it while she was here for her lesson.  She loved it.  Breanna also thinks her nephews are going to like it too.  I think so.  They always want to be with her and do what she is doing.  Breanna got a new piano this past weekend.  She got a Yamaha baby grand piano.  It is beautiful and she loves it.  I would too but there is no room in my living room for a baby grand.  I like the pianos that I have so I am satisfied.  I am glad she loves it and wants to practice more.  She is a good musician.

I have not cleared the table like I wanted to this week.  Hayley is supposed to stop by tomorrow before I go to tea with Wendy.  I am so glad to see Hayley, but I also am glad to see Wendy.  Then I will have a couple of lessons before resting for the rest of the night.  I only have Camille on Saturday and Beth on Sunday after the after church nap.  I am going to use Sunday and Saturday for resting a lot since I have been so extra tired this week.  I will also do a bit of housework.  I have to clean the bathrooms.  That doesn't take too long and I rest in between the bathrooms.  I did part of the downstairs bathroom this evening.  I will do the other part on Saturday and the other bathroom then too.  I will clear the music off the dining room table on Sunday now that I don't need it anymore.  I will put the original CDs in the living room so I will have them when I make the CD for the concert.  This makes it easier for Bill who runs the sound.

I am watching Project Accessory and it is kind of interesting.  Some of the designs these people come up is crazy, simply crazy.  I wouldn't wear most of them.  This one model's hair was so insane.  It was a mohawk type thing.  Who would wear their hair like that.  One has a belt on the model hung down between her legs.  It was insane.  Just simply insane.  There are some that are nice.

Wednesday 11-9-11

2 more days until Harry Potter comes out on DVD!  Yes, this IS cause for celebration!  It really is!  I, personally, can't wait.  I know, I know, many of you are shaking your head, you already knew this.  I can't wait to see it again with seeing number 7 part 1 right before it.  That is the plan for Friday, as long as everything works out well.

I met Jennie for lunch today at Applebee's.  It was so much fun.  I got to read some of the stuff that people wrote at the reunion.  The memory papers were great!  We chatted for about 2 hours before we had to leave.  It was also cool because Jennie's husband, Bill gave her a gift card for Applebee's so that paid our lunch.  Talk about generous!  It was just a nice lunch.  I was late for it though.  I knew yesterday I needed to get gas.  I planned to get the gas after Aaiynna's lesson.  Somehow it slipped my mind.  I also didn't plan to get up early enough to get gas and be on time so I was late by about 10 or so minutes.  I had run out of the house without my coat too so while getting gas, I froze and got wet since it was raining!  Not how I planned to arrive!  I will plan better next time!

After lunch, I came home and took a bit of a rest in the living room before Rachel's lesson.  I was a bit tired so I figured it was a good time to take a bit of a rest so I went in the living room and propped up my feet on the stool.  I slept for about an hour.  Rachel arrived for her lesson and she is doing so well with her Christmas Songs.  She did picked out 2 more for fun.  We immediately went into the dining room to copy the music for her.  She then went and got 2 of the page savers then put the new music in them.  She giggled when we discussed the hand position.  Rachel is learning several new hand positions and is really doing very well.  I love when she giggles though.  Children have the sweetest giggles and Rachel is no exception.  Her giggle just send happiness to my soul so to hear the giggle at the new hand positions.  Allison had her lesson right after.  She was early, which was perfectly fine for me.  Allison is also doing very well with her Christmas music.  I remembered to copy her second page of sight reading just in time for her lesson.  Allison is doing very well with her Christmas music too.  Her voice is getting ready to change and I can hear it.  It is exciting when the voice changes, it really is.

I have a bit of a bad headache this evening.  I took some pain meds so I am hoping it will go down to the normal headache.  With the rain and the changing of the weather, it is not surprising that I ache a bit more than normal and have a bigger headache tonight.  I just hope it goes back to the normal pain by bedtime or morning.

Despite the extra pain this afternoon, it was a good day.  I hope yours was too.

Beautiful day out today! 11-8

It is so beautiful out today.  It was nice and warm with a light breeze.  I totally loved it.  I had to go out to the bank and it was simply gorgeous!  It makes it hard to believe we are in November already!  I did hear that out east a lot of people got snow!  I am not ready for the white stuff yet!  Give me a few weeks and then we will talk about it, but not until then.  Tomorrow is supposed to rain, I think.  I am excited about tomorrow though because I will get to see my friend, Jennie!  We are meeting for lunch, so that should be awesome!

I donated 2 more violins to fundraisers today.  A face book friend of mine is hosting a fundraiser tomorrow so I asked if she needed more things for the auction.  She came by with her daughter this afternoon to pick out the violins.  Isabelle, her lovely 7 year old, picked them out.  Her daughter is such a loving, sweet girl.  It was like we were kindred spirits.  She is such a sweetheart.  Her mom really liked the gold one with Eeyore all over it.  I love Winnie the Pooh characters so much and so does she.  The wild thing about this? Debbie (the mom) and I actually knew each other in high school!  We did go to different schools but she was good friends with my good friend, Jodi!  Jodi is now on face book!  I have been looking for her for about 2 years now!  I found her!  I am so excited about that.  So I face booked Jodi a friend request and I do hope she accepts it.  From her picture, it looks like all her children are either almost grown up or already grown up.  The 2 boys are taller than her with one of her sons taller than his dad!  They look happy.  I haven't seen her in many, many years.  So not only did I find a way to connect with Jodi, I re-met Debbie!  It was a great meeting!  I also did find out that one of our mutual high school friends has since divorced and re-married.  I knew her first husband too.  We worked together at the parks.

Aaiyanna had her lesson.  She did pretty well.  We also worked on flash cards.  That was really cool.  She did pretty well.  I think she is also taking piano or did take piano.  Either way, learning to read notes will help her a lot in the long run.  I need to copy some of the sight singing for her so she can learn her notes better!  She is such a cutie and a really nice little girl.  She really is.  She does play with the stuffed animals that are on the other piano, which I need to remove so she can't be distracted with them, but overall for a 7 year old, she is doing really well.  We are working on her Christmas Concert music.  She is doing Sleigh Song, which she loves, and Gesu Bambino, which I love.  She seems to like it but I know she really likes Sleigh Song a lot.

Tonight is my lovely NCIS and NCIS Los Angeles!  I love those two shows.  After that, I will be heading straight to bed since I will be getting up rather early tomorrow to meet Jennie.  I don't mind because it will be so fun to be with her.  I haven't seen her since the reunion and before that it was spring since I had last seen her so tomorrow will be lots of fun.

I do hope you are having a good day.  I would say today was a good day for me too.

Monday 11-7

I had a good day today.  I woke up earlier because Maia needed to pick up the food that she stored in my chest freezer.  She woke me up.  I had a rough night last night so I didn't get up too early.  I hope next time she lets me know in advanced so I will be ready for her to be over to pick up the stuff.  After she left, I thought about going back to bed but I was slightly hungry so I went to Tim Horton's for brunch.  I haven't been there in a while so I thought I would go.  I ran into a nice couple that I have seen before.  It turns out that I went to high school with their daughter, Debbie.  She was so nice and she played the flute in marching band with me.  No wonder they always looked familiar to me.  They were very involved with band boosters like Mom was.  Then I saw a former student's Grandmother there.  I had a nice chat with her.  It was lots of fun.  From there I came home to teach Bob his lesson.  I had Katie, Isaac, and Laith's lessons after.  I have 2 new students with the online company this month.  One of them is a temp student until January.  She is in a show and needs to learn the music.  I will call the parents tomorrow.

I am tired as usual tonight.  I do hope to sleep better tonight.  I have to be up by 11:30 because Debbie is coming over to pick out 2 violins for a fundraiser she is heading up.  I also have to burn 2 CDs for Aaiyanna.  Her CDs are not working too well now.  She is only 7 and I don't think she takes super good care like an older child would.  Since it is a copied CD, I don't mind having to burn new CDs.  I expect them to need to be replaced every so often.

My tummy is a bit sore tonight.  I am not sure why but it is.  With me, who knows why anything happens.  Pain come and goes all the time.

I am watching House Hunters.  It is a rather amusing show to me.  This couple is looking for the first house and they are so picky but their budget is really small.  They want 3 bedrooms, large yard, large kitchen, and completely move in ready with a really small budget.  The wife wants perfect move in ready without having to do anything, no painting, and things like that.  The husband wants a good "value".  He is already looking to when they sell the house down the road.  Oh my!  It is making me giggle.  The word compromise is not really in their vocabulary.  The husband just now (after seeing over 30 homes) said maybe they would have to compromise.  Hm, even people who spend over a million dollars must compromise.  I think the new show tomorrow would be funny to watch but it is on at the same time as my NCIS so I won't be able to watch it unless they rerun it.  With HGTV they very well may.  It is called, My House, Your Money.  The parents are helping to buy the house with the kids so that will be funny.

I get to see my friend, Jennie Ross this week.  We are meeting on Wednesday for lunch.  Yes, I will have to get up early, but hey!  I get to see and hang out with Jennie so it is totally worth it to me.  To make the week even better?  I may get to see my friend, Wendy Davis on Friday for tea!  I mean add lessons in and that spells an awesome week.  I won't have any lessons on Sunday because Rick is gone for 2 months and my lovely Katie is getting her wisdom teeth out on Friday.  She is such a wonderful girl.  She really is.  I just simply adore her.  She has grown so much in the last 5 years.  Katie really has a good head on her shoulders.  She is very thoughtful and thinks about things before she does them.  I am so proud of her.  She is also seriously considering joining the church choir.  She attends the same church I do and I have told her all about the choir.  I do hope she is able to join but right now she is working on Sundays.

I do hope you are having a good day.

Time Change

Did I mention I had the time changing?  Hmm, I must not of, anyways, I hate the time changing.  It wrecks havoc all over my already bad sleep habits.  Last night I diligently set all the clocks back.  Only, I forgot to check the am and the pm on my alarm clock so it was set wrong and well, I missed church.  I don't have any lessons after all today because Rick cancelled and Katie is coming tomorrow instead of today, which works out just fine.  Whatever works for them, generally works for me.  I won't see Rick now until the 2nd Sunday in January.  He is heading to Hawaii for a month and then on to India for several weeks.  After that is the holidays (if he is even back at that time) and then, I will see him on the second Sunday in January.  It is really weird to think that January isn't that far ahead, even weirder is the holidays.  I mean, didn't we just end September?  It seems this way that is for sure.

I am super exhausted today for some unknown reason.  I got up rather late and then went to take about an hour nap.  I am still super tired.  I foresee going to bed rather early tonight.

It will be the usual busy type week with lessons and students getting ready for the Christmas concert (it is a month from today away!)  I will also get to see my friend, Jennie for lunch on Wednesday.  I am super excited about that.  I was supposed to see Wendy last Friday, but had to change at the last minute so I am hoping possibly this Friday if it works for her.  Nothing like hanging out with two friends in one week.  Tomorrow I need to copy some more music for Isaac for voice.  He is having his second lesson.  He is such a nice young man.  He plays piano too.  I will have 5 (2 for Isaac) lessons tomorrow.  Bob will have his usual lesson and Katie and Laith will have make up lessons.  This will be great.  I like being busy for lessons.  Rachel will have her lesson on Wednesday instead of Monday because Grandma is in California right now so Rachel's mom will need to bring the lovely young lady.  This will make 3 lessons on Wednesday instead of 2.  I like that.  Tuesday only has the regular 2 right now.  In a few weeks, I will have a new one on Wednesday.  That will be nice.  He is 5 and starting piano.  I did call his mom but I left a message.  I will have to try again tomorrow because maybe they are going this weekend.  Anyways, I will somehow get a hold of her.  I need to let her know about the books he needs.  I will pick them up but she will need to pay me back for them.  Only once this summer did I not get paid back for the books so I want to make sure she knows she needs to pay for the books too.  Usually, the parents don't have a problem with paying me back, but once in a while they don't and that is bad.

Not too much going on today.  I called Kathy and talked to her for a bit.  She didn't have a long time to talk because she needed to pick up Matthew from church.  He is being confirmed this year.  I vaguely remember being confirmed.  We were in 6th grade, although now they confirm children at our old church in 8th grade.  At Kathy's church it is the 8th grade too.  I vaguely remember we went on a few retreats for confirmation and we visited several other churches.  I remember we went to a Bar Mitzvah, a Catholic church, another non-Christian church but I can't remember which one.  I just remember we all took our shoes off inside of it.  It was also very pretty inside.  I have a picture on my computer of Mom, Andrew, Richard, and I at my confirmation.  Andrew was confirmed the year after me.  (Since he is a year younger than me, this makes perfect sense).  I think he liked it too.  We had the coolest associate pastor at that time.  His name now escapes me.  He came back a couple of years ago to be the senior pastor at our church but he has since moved on.  I don't really know who is the ministers at my old church these days.  Back then, Andrew and I rarely missed church.  We had the coolest Sunday school teacher, Mr. Weaver.  We really liked him.  I was in the youth group for about one year.  The second year it was more of a bible study and I wasn't too interested in that so I didn't go very often plus I was rather busy.  It was hard to fit it in.

I have to go and pay a few bills now.  It is that time of the month!  Bills like to be paid, that is for sure!

I hope you are having a good day and are staying nice and toasty warm!