More To Come

Sometimes I feel like this Blog runs my life.  Writing daily entries, getting each blog posted on time every week, taking plenty of pictures I then have to sort through and edit, even thinking up blog titles... it all takes time.  I often consider discontinuing blogging.  But I do it for several reasons: 1- It is good therapy to journal.  2- It is my way to stay in touch with so many of you.  3- It keeps a log of happenings in my life, that I often look back on for nostalgia or to remember dates when a certain occurrence happened.  So, there will be more Blogs to come.

Daniel had posted this photo with the caption "Christmas is exhausting."

Saturday 12/26 - Just because Christmas was over, didn't mean we were done celebrating.  There was more (fun, laughter, eating, puzzle working, etc.) to come.
The night with Tango wasn’t as successful as the previous night.  I ended up taking him out for a potty break at 1 am and he was ready to go out again at 4:30.  So I was a little short on sleep all day.

It was my day to cook, and I had planned to do a turkey.  Thankfully Valencia saw that I was needing help, and she graciously stepped in to show me how she prepares her turkey.  She ended up doing most of the work for me, getting the bird ready to go into the oven.  It didn't help that it was still quite frozen inside.  In this photo, she is putting the butter/seasoning rub all over inside and out, and under the skin.

We had finished the puzzle the night before so started this new one, using the puzzle Stow & Go gift that Val had given me.  This puzzle proved to be as challenging as the one before.  Here is what had been completed by day's end, photo taken the following morning.  The dog's nose, which we searched and searched for, is missing.
 
We watched more TV together, listened to Christmas music as we worked the puzzle, and just had fun hanging out chitchatting.

Everybody pitched in with helping prepare different dishes for the meal, and we sat down to eat at about 1:30.  From the start of the line: green bean casserole, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, turkey (white and dark meat platters), party potato casserole, grilled  asparagus, and the rolls you can't see. 

There was way too much food, and we all over-ate I think.  Patty had to leave to go work at the barn, bringing horses in for the evening, while the rest of us napped and rested and digested our food.

We had planned to have dessert when Patty got back and before Courtney left at 5pm, but we were all still too full.  After Courtney hit the road, Dan and Val, who had decided to also head home, started packing up and getting ready to go.  They and Patty left about 6 pm.  I was immediately struck with an overwhelming sadness when everybody was gone.  The house had been chaotic, but full of conversation, and laughter, and fun, and games, and food, and happiness.  The peace and quiet was restored but it was a lonely kind of quiet.  All the anticipation, and preparation, and excitement of the holidays and having guests was now over.  I continued to feel sad the remainder of the evening.

Sunday 12/27 - I woke up still feeling very sad, and wondering what to do.  Part of me wanted to just take down all the Christmas decorations and move on with life, and get the new year underway with hopes 2021 would be much better.  And then part of me didn’t want to let go of the Christmas joy and brightness.  I knew there would be more to come; more Christmases, hugs from my children, time on the beach with all my family, joy, happiness, dancing, and no fear of Covid.

I think the cats were glad to have the peace and quiet restored.  In this photo, they are all trying to decided what to do with the flapping fish.

I sat here at my computer trying to get last week's blog posted, reflecting on this year's Christmas and so many past Christmases.  And for some reason my eyes kept welling up with tears.  There was no anticipation of my children coming down the stairs this morning.  The sadness and longing for my family lingered.  Working the jigsaw puzzle by myself would not be as much fun.  Eating diner with a very quiet husband was not as festive or exciting.  And it seemed as if there was nothing to look forward to.  I kept telling myself there was more to come.  More Christmases and life to live.  There would be dancing and hugging once again, and in just a week we would be vacationing with friends.

Britney called to cheer me up, and it did.  I also went to the barn, one of my happy places.  Micki had taken, and posted on Facebook, this photo of the ice formations seen on the road to the barn. 

Patty had taken these photos of the geldings during her morning chores.

There was a lot of activity at the barn which usually involves girl chatter, stories and laughter, problem solving, and comradery.  We joke with each other, help each other, and console each other.  My horse and friends were great therapy.  Good for what ailed me.
 
Carol took this photo of Amiga and I.

Jan on Cash soon joined me, and we rode around together.  The trails were very muddy and the yard wet and squishy.  We did a loop around the gelding pasture for something new, while the 'boys' were all in the barn.  I was getting cold, so quit to come home and take a warm shower.  It was a quiet, (very quiet) evening at home and I went to bed earlier than usual.

Monday 12/28 - Waking at 1:30 after almost a full five hours of sleep, I got up to start my day, knowing a nap could happen later.  I got this blog started.  Once the sun was up, I took three bags of trash to the curb, rather than my usual one.

I saw this posted on Facebook and thought it was a great idea.  But I prefer not to dance alone, so it's not the best solution for the sadness I was feeling.


I started laundry (guest sheets and towels), de-decorating (which is also depressing), and then worked on the jigsaw puzzle.

I made great progress on the puzzle and when done for the day, sent this photo to the 'kids' who had worked most of it to begin with.  Daniel sent back this photo asking if this (the circled piece) was the dogs nose which he had (and all of us helped) search for.

It was his nose!  I didn't know you could work a jigsaw puzzle remotely.  LOL

I had no desire to work out, but did my usual two hours at the gym.  I started slow and while on the rowing machine for 15 minutes had time for contemplation, and was feeling sad again.  But the longer I worked out, the more energized and better about life I felt.

I spent the rest of the day and evening working at getting my new computer 'going.'

Joe had moved all my files from my old computer, but I had added things since he did this in early December (to give me the computer for my birthday).  I checked to make sure I had everything.  There were duplicates of a few files and some other files missing, so I moved those using my flash drive.  I am still missing the Christmas vacation photos from 2017.  They aren't on either computer, so I wonder when they got deleted.  The frustrations with computers sparked my sadness and because I had never gotten a nap, I went to bed at 8pm and fell right to sleep.

Tuesday 12/29 - Waking later than usual, at 6am, I was feeling better after getting ten hours of sleep.  I continued work on checking all my new computer files.  Another problem I encountered was I couldn't flip through my photos, using the right and left arrows at the side of them.  I had to open each one individually.  I figured there must be a setting somewhere that needed to be change.

De-decorating had included removing all the stuff from the balcony railing, and most of the fake packages under the tree up there.  I left this one because the cats enjoy playing and napping in it, going in through the holes.

Right after an early lunch I went to town shopping for after Christmas sales.  I spent 30 minutes at Hill Toppers Thrift Store going through piles of old Christmas cards.  I picked out probably 50 (seen in the bag) of the ones I really liked, and was only charged a dollar for the whole pile.  It is very likely that most of you will be getting one of them next Christmas.  I also bought at Walmart, a few after Christmas sale items for gifts for next year. 
Seen in this photo, the table, center piece, and table runner have also been down sized as part of the de-decorating.

I really like my new laptop.  When not in use, I can close it to protect the screen and keyboard from dust, and this then makes the view from my corner desk much better.  I can also take it into the kitchen when I need a recipe, or in the living room if I want to sit by the fire. (My old computer is still on 'stand-by')

It was 3:00 by the time I got home.  I sat down to rest, and work on the jigsaw puzzle while I still had daylight, but didn't get very far.  Then I brought in all the bags of my purchases and stowed everything away.

Wednesday 12/30 -  After restarting my computer two times for different up-grades, I discovered my photos now have the arrows again, to flip through them.  Yay  

I felt like I had completed all the checks of the installs Joe had done, righted what needed fixing, and was done with my old desk top computer. 

It was another beautiful day and sunny in my sun room / office / cattery.  (video) of Monita playing with the fish toy that Maggie would really like to destroy.

This is the front and then the photo on the back of Christmas ornaments I made, starting when Joe and I got married.  I stopped in 1996, guess I just got too busy.  It is fun to look at them when I hang them on the tree each year.

I had planned to go through these old ornaments with Courtney, Dan, and Val, but we didn’t ever have time.  I also had some the kids had made when they were little that are just so cute to look at.  I got all sentimental when I looked at these again when taking them down off the tree.

I completed this much of the puzzle and then went to the gym.  I was a little stiff and slow to get going, but I got-r-done. 

I took down most of the outside decorations with rain in the forecast so got to the barn fairly late in the day (3:00).  I helped with bringing in some of the horses (video of Zorro coming into his new stall) and then rode bareback on Amiga.  She was a bit 'jumpy' with the strong wind blowing things, which scared her.  These last two photos were taken of the sun setting while we were out in the big field past the ghost town.

Thursday 12/31 - I can't believe it has already been a week since these beautiful 'children' arrived at our house.  I love 'our' kids.  And yes, Val, whether she likes it or not, is one of our kids, LOL. 

In order to get the puzzle done, I had to sort the remaining pieces by shape.  I even got a sheet of white paper to put them on, to see some of them better.  Eventually, I finished the puzzle.

Laundry and more de-decorating also occurred. 

Valencia sent a photo of our Granddaughter that was taken earlier in the day via ultra sound.  We all can't wait to meet this new little miracle.   

I spent 46 minutes on the elliptical at the gym and then took all the ornaments and lights off the big tree in the living room.  Joe finished the job, taking it apart and boxing it up.  It is nice to have more floor and window space back.  I am also attempting to prepare for the window replacement job that will be happening soon.

With Christmas over and the new year beginning, I am ready to 'fast forward' to summer, or at least spring.  I am not thrilled with the aspect of two more months of cold, gloomy, winter days to come. 

I had sent leftovers home with Courtney, Dan, and Patty; froze quite a bit, and for dinner heated up the remainder of what we'd been kind of eating away at the last several days.  Other than a big dinner, and watching a movie together, we didn't do anything special for New Year's Eve.  I was in bed by 9:30.
  

Everyone seems to think that with the start of the new year, things are going to be much better.  It is really just the passing of another day.  There is more to come of Covid, hardship, struggles, disagreements, etc.  All the bad stuff in life is not going to just magically disappear.  But with the start of a new calendar year comes the hope of new beginnings, changes for the better, the chance to start anew, and all of this is good.