Thumbs Up

We all give the thumbs up to show that we agree with someone, that we are happy with an idea, plan, suggestion, or situation, or that everything is all right.  A thumbs up can be an indication of encouragement, approval, or acceptance.  I like this gesture.  It is positive, motivating, and uplifting. 

And no matter what language you speak, color your skin, or your gender... a thumbs up is like a smile, universal, and something we can all use more often. 

Saturday 12/3 - I got an Ava up-date, which always makes me smile.  I give a thumbs up to Dan and Vale for keeping the photos of our granddaughter coming on a regular basis. 













I also got an up-date from Joe.  He was golfing with our nephew Nathan, down in Gainesville FL, and would then be heading home. 

The Jacquie Lawson Advent Calendar started providing more games and activities the first of December, so I spent way too much time playing with that. 

But then I got going again with decorating.  I am slowed down by all the cleaning I feel needs to get done first.  Monita gives a 'thumbs up' to all the boxes and stuff she can explore. 




Patty was feeling better and had tested negative now (for Covid) but still decided it would be best not to attend Jean's choir Christmas program.  But she did offer to do chores for me, which really helped me out.  She sent this photo of dirty Amiga and clean Zorro.

The only photo I took today was this one at Jean's choir program, which had started at 3pm, and was held at the Methodist church Shirley and I go to. 


We all gave the performance a big thumbs up.  It was excellent and really put us in the Christmas spirit.

I ran home to feed and walk Maggie and then got a ride to town with Shirley.  We met Jan, Carol, Karen, and Jean at Ruby Tuesday's where we had a delightful time and enjoyable meal.  After a drink, Jean left to meet the choir elsewhere for dinner.  When Shirley dropped me off back home after 7pm, Joe was already here (I wasn't actually expecting him until Sunday). 

Sunday 12/4 - I woke at 1am, and for the life of me, could not get back to sleep.  So I rolled out of the sack at 2am, had a cup of hot chocolate thinking that would lull me back to sleep, but I guess I was too stimulated by my advent games.  Finally at 5:30, after my first cup of tea, I thought I was sleepy enough to fall back to sleep.  Maybe twenty minutes into my slumber, Joe woke me up (thumbs down) making lots of noise with his videos in the Mancave. 

With rain in the forecast all week, I planned to go for a ride after doing some decorating.  I was waiting for it to warm up a tad more.  I started in on more decorating but started feeling real tired again.

I went back to bed, read till I got sleepy, and this time took almost an hour long nap.  So my accumulated sleep equaled just over five hours - not nearly enough.

But I got a move-on once back out of bed.  It was 1pm and daylight hours were dwindling.  I went to the ranch, collected Amiga, and spent a good deal of time brushing all the dirt off of her.  We hit the trail for a nice walk/slow gait for just over an hour, covering probably three miles.  I love riding alone because I am so much more tuned into my horse, nature, and God. 

I got this photo off a video Jean had sent before she left for her choir performance.  All the chickens, but Babe, on their fort.  I was feeling rather cold by the time I finished my ride.  I did chores and fed our three horses, and headed for home just after 4pm.

Poker Joe got home after 7:00.  We watched Survivor and then I was done for the day.  

Monday 12/5 - I got a decent night of sleep, but still felt behind from the night before.  The wind and rain woke me several times, however I had taken a sleep aid so was able to get back to sleep each time.  It was a cold damp morning, which seems to make my joints more creaky and cranky, so I did not go bouncing out of bed.  Jean sent this sunrise photo, with horses munching on hay and grass. 




I decided to put my advent puzzle on a white puzzle board so I could also work another puzzle, doing as much or little as I wanted at any given time, and allowing others to join me.

We met with the lawyer and got all of our Wills & Estate Planning, Power of Attorney, Advanced Directives, and Body Donation papers signed.  I was hoping to appropriate money to our executor (Courtney) to compensate her for her time, but that somehow got overlooked.  The lawyer said it is basically expected of a family member, which seems unfair if you ask me. 



I went to the gym right after leaving the lawyer's office.  I was slow to get going, but once I got my body moving, joints lubricated, muscles warmed up; it went better, but was still not the best workout. 

I had to eat and rest once I got home, even took a 20 minute power nap, and then I got to work on decorating (and cleaning). 

Sometimes I feel like this cowboy, trying to put decorations up, dealing with one problem or another. 
 

I get distracted by, and take much needed breaks with my kitties.  Monita in the front and Babe in the back were just so cute.  I took about 10 photos trying to get them both to look at me (at the same time) but these two photos were the closest I got. 

It had rained lightly most of the day, but got stormy after sundown, no thunder, but high winds and heavy rain. 

Joe and I did our own thing for dinner, but congregated in front of the TV and fire to watch two episode of Dead To Me.

Tuesday 12/6 - Even though it was another stormy night, I slept much better, thanks to pain/sleep aid.  I didn't get up until 6:30 (after the sun).  Whoa!

When there is no sunshine, my sun room/office does not get very warm.  The space heater helps, and it is where you'll often see Maggie and Babes parked.

The night before, the Christmas lights on the front porch stopped working.  Long story short, the rain shorted them out and blew a fuse.  However, this also cause the space heater in the sun room to fail.  It is actually plugged into an old outdoor fixture in what used to be the outdoor wall.  I had to test many fuses in the electrical box in the garage to get it going again. 

The rain had let up during the day, but it was cloudy, damp and dreary all day.  The creek was running high and the pond quite full.

Monita climbs behind the washer and dryer sometimes, but I noticed she had smooshed the dryer vent.  So with Joe's help, we moved the dryer out from the wall some, and I got back behind it and fixed the vent.  It's always something.  And while I was at it, I gave the laundry room floor a good cleaning.

I had planned to work a lot on decorations, but was busy with doing laundry and cleaning.  I did hang the new garland above the kitchen sink, adding the bells that were hung at our house while I was growing up.  Hands down (more on this in a minute), this looks better than the other cheaper garland I have used in the past.  It gets a thumbs up from me.
 
Just before dark, I went to the gym and did the elliptical for an hour, watching HGTV. 



I was home after 5pm, and the 'flock,' cats and dog were waiting to eat.  Like them, I am ready for dinner and bed once the sun goes down.  After dinner and evening chores, I had no desire to do anymore decorating.  Joe and I have been enjoying the Netflix series 'Dead To Me.'  So we finished up season one, watching four (30 minute) episodes.  And then I went to bed to read a short while.

Okay, here is what I found out about the phrase 'hands down,' which means without question or undoubtedly.  For some, the phrase conjures the image of someone slamming their hands down on the table to make a proclamation.  It makes others think of laying poker hands down, or voting by hand-raise (as in “put your hands down because there’s no need to vote”). 

According to the Oxford English Dictionary - The origin of this colloquialism seems to have its roots in mid-19th century horse racing.  When a horse jockey is nearing the finish line far ahead of the competition, "with victory certain", he could drop his hands, relaxing his hold on the reins, and "still win the race."

Wednesday 12/7 - It had rained most of the night and was still going strong when I walked the dog before sunup.  Later, Jean sent me photos to answer my question about how dry the sheds were. 

What a muddy mess!  But for the most part, the inside of the sheds stayed predominantly dry.  My drainage ditches can only carry so much water away. 

 
Meanwhile, back here on Flossmoor Circle, me, and most of my fur babies, were hanging out in the (no)sun room.  (I know it should be 'my fur babies and I,' but I don't like the way that sounds, so accept my bad grammar.)











Stevie was napping in the hammock, where it was probably warmer from the rising heat off the space heater.

Monita was napping on the ladder.  And eventually Babe settled down with Maggie in front of the heat source. 
 









 

Once finished (well one is never really finished) with my games and puzzles I directed my attention towards getting the Christmas tree decorated.  Joe put it together (his only decorating job) and first I needed to 'fluff' the branches. 

Mama Styx is under the tree in the first photo and Stevie in the second one. 


I tested all the strings of lights and arranged them in order to go up on the tree.  I put the smaller bulbs at the top, medium size in the middle, and the larger ones at the bottom. 


As you know, Stevie loves step ladders, and even this short little stepstool appealed to her (video). 

I was able to get all the lights on the tree, while yelling at my helpers to 'scram' and that I didn't need their help. 

I decided I needed some exercise and to wait and put ornaments on the tree later. 



So off to the gym I went.  After doing the elliptical for an hour, I hit Ace hardware for a new outdoor light timer, but they were all out.  I was able to get plenty of grub at Food City however.  A quick stop by Patty's and I was home at 5:30, and the feeding frenzy began. 

Jean had sent me another muddy ranch up-date.  This time it was a video of the girls playing in the big puddle in the chicken yard.  These six were having a ball in this swamp mess. 

 
Meanwhile, Buck Beak was over near the wall.  She is usually all buff colored.  Look at her dirty face and neck.  The chickens give this mud puddle a thumbs up, but I am not sure we humans agree. 

I had looked at our rain gauge once home and we had 2¾ inches in it.  (That's a total of 5¼ inches in one week.)  Way more than enough rain!

There is something about the dark night outside (at 5pm) and getting all my household chores done, and my full belly after dinner; that does not lend itself to any further productivity.  The ornaments could wait.  I did more computerizing and gaming and was ready for bed by 8:30. 

Thursday 12/8 - It rained ALL day, sometimes quite hard.  After sunup, when I went out to feed the deer and Rose, it was quite foggy.  Rose did not show up for breakfast, which made me a little concerned. 








Five deer were fairly quick to show up however. 

I did not have anywhere I needed to go, so had a relaxing morning here at my computer and then got started on putting ornaments on the tree. 




I let Monita play in the garland so as not to bother me while I hung ornaments on the tree. 

 




Jean sent this (video) she took in the morning fog, of Robbie rolling, from which I got this photo.  Amiga is just standing by watching, as if this were not something she would do.  Right.  LOL

On my way to the gym, just after I turned left onto Lakeview, there was a rather large, yet smushed, dead animal (lots of gray and white fur) that I  avoided running over with my car.  But just after I passed it, I realized it might be Rose who I hadn’t seen since last night.  I started to panic by the time I got up the hill to the library building.  So I turned around and went back to ascertain whether or not it was Rose.  I’ve never been so thankful to see a dead possum on the road.  The poor thing. 

During one heavy rain system, Jean also sent these two photos.  In the first, our two Pasos are standing with butts to the wind and rain, while Robbie and Cowboy are enjoying eating.  By the second photo, they all four were 'riding out' the storm together. 

I had taken my new 10 pound vest (a birthday gift from Carol) to the gym and walked for 15 minutes with it on.  I then proceeded to the elliptical, still wearing the vest.  After another 20 minutes, I was feeling quite tired.  So I took the vest off.  But I had to finish my HGTV house re-model, so went another 20 minutes on the elliptical. 

I drove home in a heavy rain and noticed out my back window (below photo), that the creek was out of its banks, the oasis was under water, and the pond very full.  This morning's fog photo (left) gives you a comparison. 







Here are also photos I took from videos Jean took during chores, showing the 'flooding' at the ranch.


Water draining off the front pasture into our lower pond. 


The spillway of the lower pond, which is much fuller than usual.












And the 'river' running through the boarder's 'dry lot.'

Stevie had fallen asleep in the garland.  And then after I took the first photo, she buried her face in it, seeming disgusted with me for taking her picture. 

Jean picked me up at 5:15 and we headed to Bue-ee's where neither of us has been before.  And just as we went in the door, there was our sister in law (brother John's wife) Margie. 

It was good to catch up with Margie for a little bit and then Jean and I explored the store.  I give a thumbs up to this ornament.  We grabbed sandwiches and chips for our dinner and proceeded to the Playhouse.  We ate our dinner in the car and then went in to see the play "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever."

It was a very well done show and Jean and I really enjoyed it.  Hands down, I would give it two thumbs up!

Friday 12/9 - The moon was setting to the west as I headed out on my morning walk with Maggie. 


Moments after going a little way down the street, I heard Rose, looked back towards our house, and there she was sitting in the road.

It was a relief to see this girl, and I can't believe how attached I have gotten to her.  I took this (video) as she followed us back down the driveway. 

My computerizing took me too long into the morning, and then I ended up taking a little nap. 






Before I knew it, I was hustling to get a few things done and then heading to the ranch to do chores.  The sun had actually peeked out for a short while, but it started raining quite hard as I was starting in on chores. 


Jean shared these photos of Amiga and Zorro that she took earlier in the day. 






After I was done with chores and a few other little tasks, I joined Jean for a drink and appetizers as we started a new puzzle, listened to Christmas music and chatted for awhile.  This is her very cute tree and train set up.

I checked the rain gauge once home, and we had gotten another two inches in the last 24 hours.