All Things EARTH... part 2

[Anita Latte]

Such great news Margaret! That photo you posted was shocking...I've been hoping that you will be okay for Africa. Still am! I hope all goes well with your PT and everything.

 

Pretty amazing that the surgery for Les could be performed almost on demand. What a fabulous man to do that proactively...having the skill to recognize it...and for you to not have to deal with what would have happened right before the holidays!

 

The snow came to us today. The last report I heard was before football started for the day...it was still snowing and we had already accumulated 10.5 inches locally. Temperatures didn't get out of the 30s and the wind chill didn't get above 20. Very cold. DH was supposed to fly to Orlando today to start his new position tomorrow. Only 3 flights took off today and his is one of them! Crazy business. He said it was very squirrelly driving to the airport...there were ramps were you couldn't tell where the road was...you just had to field your own way through the big white expanse and hope that you were driving on pavement or something drivable. The only reason he could even get to the airport is because we have a 4Runner with 4WD. A normal sedan tried to get into the parking lot for our building and couldn't deal because they couldn't push through the accumulated snow.

 

DS' friend said she had to help her dog in the snow because the snow was taller than the dog!

 

I wish I had a fireplace.

 

I went to the last dress rehearsal for the Nutcracker. It was campus night...I went with a friend that works at the University. She said campus night was like going to a sporting event and she was right! OMG. Margaret, can you just imagine how your friends might start cheering for you if you doing a particularly difficult move? Or if you were one of the few groups...like Spanish Chocolate...and your friends in the audience started yellowing Woo Hoo Margaret!! Pretty fun. It was like that all through the night...not in a distracting way...in a totally spirited enthusiastic way.

 

I wore a dark patterned maxi skirt with my lace up boots. I haven't done that before. A chocolate background tunic tank with rose gold sparkles through out and that cream colored sweater jacket I've posted a few times now. The temps that night were in the high 20s, so this worked out well for me.

 

We're going to the performance on Friday night as a family. I'll wear that new long-sleeved floral pattern dress I posted a while back...tights...and my new Doc Martens.

 

We leave in less than two weeks for Arizona for Christmas there. I haven't decorated at all for Christmas. I could have, but the guys said not to bother with us leaving...and also, with the kitty being home alone (with visitors coming to hang out with her and check on her)...we didn't want to leave anything out that could potentially be dangerous for her. I have Christmas placemats...so I might did those out and then make a little something something for the table...but, maybe not. The downtown is all decked out so we have Christmas all around us...the lobby is decorated etc. 

 

Our thoughts are just directed elsewhere...so I'm actually very glad that we are traveling for Christmas this year. Mom has been reporting on all the fun she has been having with the decorations. She has the exterior of her house decorated with lights for the first time! Very exciting! We are all about the new job and getting ready for that and dealing with those logistics and DS's college apps and interviews. It's all been very exciting on that front! But I'm holding our progress close for now...the road has been precious and we are very encouraged for DS' and excited about possibilities. I'll report when we hear things for certain!

[pacruise804]

Happy Monday everyone!  I'm also glad to read everyone is on the mend.

 

The tree is up, but I need to finish decorating.  I'm struggling getting into the Christmas spirit this year, but slowly it is coming with all the activities. 

 

We had a nice weekend starting on Friday: I was able to help daughter with her class service project (each grade does a local service project) - we helped an organization that serves children with medical issues set-up for their Christmas extravaganza.  Later that day she and I did a little more shopping, including our Angel Tree purchases (thank you Target for 20% off coupon!).  Saturday the guys had haircuts and then we went to a pancake breakfast to support the local boy scout troop.  Daughter and I did a little more shopping at an acquaintance's boutique and found some nice items.  Sunday we went caroling with our small group and visited some dear members of our church who are now homebound.

 

A dear lady from church and her husband have started a boutique in their retirement called Hemmed in Love.  Each month they pick a different family to support with their proceeds.  I struggle purchasing anything without trying it on (hard to fit in many areas) but they had shop hours Saturday that fit in our schedule.  Daughter and I had fun looking through their items and she found a long heathered burgundy duster, cute necklace, and long dress for her Christmas concert.  I found a comfy top that I felt pretty in 😊 It's a dark taupe color - not really brown but not really charcoal either.  Black usually doesn't look good with my coloring, and only certain grays and browns but this color worked really well. 

 

Daughter's dress was interesting.  It's a jersey knit with a floral pattern on a black background (and has pockets 😉 ).  The first one she tried we loved the fit, but the pattern was off for the top - the skirt was great, but the collar had a section of color that was jarring to the eye and looked like it didn't belong and overall there was too much black.  We found another dress in her size (they don't keep a big inventory at the store) and the skirt was the same but they top had a much better pattern placement.  I feel like this was discussed before on this board, so it was very helpful to know why the dress didn't look right the first time so we knew what to look for to make it work.

 

Have a great week everyone.

[awhfy]

Anita, good that your DH knew how to handle the snow (even in a 4wd) 10+” can be an interesting drive. Exciting & fun times ahead for you!  New job, new family dynamic with DS getting ready to embark on his journey, another move.  

 

Margaret, good news on the knee. Ask your doc about compression socks & a compression sleeve for your knee for the Africa trip. I’m sure you’ve paid your deductible & you can get those items as durable medical equipment. 

 

Laurie, fun things you have planned!

 

Sally, we got a prelit tree (for the first time this year), so easy to decorate!

 

heres the only picture from last nights concert. That’s our oldest daughter to my right, not the best of either of us.  Still deciding what our Christmas plan is, kids haven’t gotten together to draw who’s doing Eve & who’s doing Christmas. Pretty easy as we all live in same town now!  Melody

[MJC]

Yesterday I started PT and got encouraging news about walking around the house with a cane only, and also got the ok to fly to my sister's.  I was very sore last night but much more mobile today. My therapist is a hunk but even better he's very good. Melody, O Wise Woman, he says compression sleeves and socks on the plane. 🙂

 

This is my $13 L&T find. On me it hits just above the knee in front.

https://www.belk.com/p/karen-kane-cold-shoulder-dress/18005562L81084.html

 

 

 

[MJC]

I did my Africa test pack today after sorting all the items I've been stashing away for months.  Here are the clothes I'm taking for 16 days. From the left:

 

Green backpack, spf50 hat, rolled blue rain jacket, money belt, tan bandana, dollar store flip flops, cool wool socks, bathing suit and coverup (doubles as nightie), tan ankle pants that roll up to capris, green quick dry shorts, three v-neck tshirts, two spf50 long sleeved shirts (with roll up sleeves and vents). I left my personals out of the photo. 🙂

[MJC]

Here is what I'm wearing on the plane with my hiking shoes. The spf shirt is a tan/white check, the tshirt is a light teal heather. LLBean pants and sage green fleece. I have yoga socks to wear once onboard.

 

I tried and sent back so many pairs of convertible pants and just could NOT find a pair that fit right, no matter what size or brand I tried. So, I opted for 1 long, one convertible ankle/capris, one knee length shorts (actually ankle pants that my tailor shortened for me).

 

My duffle weighed in at 8 lbs though I was missing a few things I haven't packed yet like my vitamins, a few toiletries, and all our paperwork. My backpack weighed 3 lbs but didn't include my camera and its accessories. At least it gave me an idea of where I'm at.

[pacruise804]

10 hours ago, MJC said:

Yesterday I started PT and got encouraging news about walking around the house with a cane only, and also got the ok to fly to my sister's.  I was very sore last night but much more mobile today. My therapist is a hunk but even better he's very good. Melody, O Wise Woman, he says compression sleeves and socks on the plane. 🙂

 

This is my $13 L&T find. On me it hits just above the knee in front.

https://www.belk.com/p/karen-kane-cold-shoulder-dress/18005562L81084.html

 

 

 

Yay for healing!  While eye candy is a nice bonus 😉, I'm more glad you have a good therapist. 

 

That dress is really cute and a great price!

[awhfy]

Margaret, great news! I prefer compression socks to sleeves when I fly. I’ll swell if I use the sleeves. Always nice to have a physically fit specimen encouraging you to do “just one more”. Good job on the packing

[Sailor_Sally]

Margaret , Great packing ! I 'm not sure I could get it down to so little .By the way for your Florida trip bring some warm clothes . It has been chilly .I had to pull out jeans ,real shoes .socks and long sleeves .

 

We keep getting invitations so starting this week end we are busy . Really busy !

[MJC]

Thank you Sally, I looked at the weather for next week and I see low 70s to lows 50s. I'm probably going to wear jeans down and just bring shorts, a bathing suit, and a few tshirts, plus a fleece for evenings. My sister has a heated pool so I’m looking forward to some water therapy.   We don’t get fancy for Christmas day, but I have a pretty teal floral velvet top I might wear.

For Africa, this is the lightest I've ever packed for an adventure trip of this length. Or any trip, really, that wasn't just a long weekend. It's all dictated by the bush flight at the end of the trip which is very weight restricted. Also, since we're moving every 2 or 3 days, it makes sense to have very little to pack so it goes quickly. All the clothing fits in two medium packing cubes, and I have pouches for everything else. And, while our Africa accommodations are quite nice, for the last 6 days we'll be staying in two different mobile camps that won't have laundry service (they move 2x/year to follow the migration). So, everything we're taking can be washed in the sink if necessary and dried overnight, which means nothing but the fleece is bulky. But I'll be wearing that to travel.

I'm so excited!!

More good news yesterday... no fractures in my hand or fingers. I still have some pain, probably from a slight sprain and more bone bruising. Got the ok to drive as long as I wear compression sleeves on my knees but my car battery is dead. 😞 I also was FINALLY able to get back to the dentist today for my fake tooth, so I'm not a hillbilly anymore. 😄

[Anita Latte]

It's all such good news Margaret! So glad that you have a good PT. It makes such a difference. I have a couple different brands of compression socks. The ones that I like best are Sockwell brand. I never did a compression sleeve on my knee itself...only the socks. The Sockwell socks I have are a wool blend. They aren't overly warm. For summer wear, I did also get some sleeves so that I could wear those with sandals. I got the sleeves from Crazy Compression (an online store) and they are a cotton blend? They were good for what I wanted but socks are definitely superior to sleeves...also...the Sockwell brand is, I would say, a better product. But the Crazy Compression was good for having more fun with the whole compression need.

 

Your packing is very impressive. It seems to me that it would feel very freeing to be traveling so light. Mom was just asking me if I was going to check a bag or go for carryon. I can check a bag for free...but I'm liking the idea of carryon only...just having less stuff with me for a week.

 

Very pretty dress too.

 

The snow is still all over. This is one of the more lingering snow falls that I have been around in a while. Normally I'm used to the snow disappearing rather quickly once the sun comes out and the weather warms up a bit...but we still have major snow coverage as well as HUGE mountains of snow from clearing the parking lots...and many cars look snowed in from the street clearing. Crazy!

 

I ended up going down a Zumba memory lane last night. It started with music...one of my favorite Zumba songs came on the playlist I was streaming and I tested myself to see if I could remember my choreo to it...and then it went on to all my different favorite songs. It's been so long since I have done any sort of work out regularly. DH and I were doing that one class but now with him working in Orlando...that doesn't work so well. We stopped that a while back. I'm thinking about how I first became a Zumba instructor so that I could always do Zumba if I wanted to...I would be able to put together a class for myself. It's not nearly as much fun to do alone but I'm thinking that I might start doing it again. Especially with DH gone during the day now...no more having to be courteous for phone calls, etc...I can be as loud as I want whenever I want...

 

I can't wait to hear all about Africa!!

[laurspag]

Margaret, I was just thinking about how sometimes things all go wrong at once, and how difficult it can be.  Your fall was very untimely.  In the big picture of things, everything is going so well now.  I think it makes a person more appreciative, you know?  No broken bones, you're getting ready for a trip to Florida and a trip to Africa...so much to be thankful for.  I'm so happy to hear that you are doing well.

 

Anita, we have that little storm a while back where we got over a foot of snow.  Since then, we just get an inch here, and inch there.  It has a way of going away, just from the cold because the air is so dry.  Today was a little warmer, so it looks like we have some snow melting too. 

 

It's funny, because my foot is still bothering me quite a bit.  I will ice it, etc. and if it feels just a little better, I get excited and overdo it.  Then I'm right back to square one.  Nothing like insisting on picking up the speed on the elliptical, bragging to my husband about my 300 extra strides, and then limping the next day.  I caved om and contacted my doctor about a cortisone shot.  He had originally told me he would do it, but now he is sending me to an ortho.  I guess that is better in the big picture of things.  The downside is my appointment is January 11th.  I guess I'll have to be careful what I do in the meantime, but it is manageable. 

 

Anita, does your husband fly back and forth right now?  That must be an adjustment for you.  The idea of having the house to yourself to do Zumba sounds fun though!  I crave being with people a lot, but I also like having time to myself too.

 

I'm hoping to get all my shopping finished up this weekend.  I admit it is almost exclusively done online, but I start early and I'm ready to get some wrapping done.  I just have to get those...car parts.  Leaf spring shackles.  front suspension kit.  I just got the list, and the companies you get these things from are not known to ship quickly.  This will be interesting!  There isn't any real choice though - it's hard to find restoration parts.

[laurspag]

I forgot to say, Margaret, that your packing sounds wonderfully light.  I don't think I could do that, but I've never had to.  I think if I was in a position where I was traveling and needed to, I would find a way.  My first thought is the Travex line from Eddie Bauer.  It's lightweight, very breathable, and if you get any wrinkles from packing, they fall right out after you've had the item on a few minutes.  They are super quick drying too.  I have shorts, skorts, and those pants I wore in Poughkeepsie for our walking. 

[awhfy]

Laurie, ask your doc for a referral to a podiatrist not an ortho. You want someone that only deals with foot & ankle issues. This is one part of the body that I can definitely speak to 🙄. 

 

On the car parts, order them. Take a picture of them. If the actual part doesn’t arrive in time then wrap the picture. (I’ve done that more than once). Melody

[awhfy]

Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!  Melody

[Sailor_Sally]

3 hours ago, awhfy said:

Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!  Melody

Everyone have a great Christmas & New Year's . We plan to .It has been chilly here so I had to revise what I am wearing to our parties for the next few days .

[awhfy]

16 hours ago, Sailor_Sally said:

Everyone have a great Christmas & New Year's . We plan to .It has been chilly here so I had to revise what I am wearing to our parties for the next few days .

12 here & its 10 am, yup it’s chilly

[laurspag]

Happy Holidays to you all!  I have a bunch of running around to do today, sort of.  One last gift that I forgot to get, then home to do ironing, cleaning, and some baking.  I just got done wrapping.

 

Tomorrow, my daughter is hosting Christmas eve.  There will be the us plus her fiance, and her parents.  They are divorced, but are just fine with getting together like this.  7 people total.  She was worried about what to cook, and I offered to bring the main dish, etc.  After some thought, her and Dashaun really wanted to do this, and have us just bring something small.  They decided on making roast chicken, which I think is wonderful.  I'm bringing the roasted potatoes that she loves, and my husband is bringing his cabbage salad.   

 

Christmas day, they will be at our house, and that is when I will make the tenderloin that I used to make on Christmas eve.

 

One thing I'm doing very different this year - I'm hosting my side of the family the Sunday after.  It will work very well overall.  The thing I look forward to the most  is the ability to enjoy Christmas day better, and to also enjoy my time with the rest of the family better because it is split over two days.  It was always so rushed trying to get everything cleaned up and to begin cooking when we had people over on Christmas day at noon.  It's going to be a nice change.

 

Melody, I wanted to mention to you that I was referred to the ortho office, but the actual doctor I am seeing is a podiatrist.  This foot issue has been beyond annoying, but I'm learning so many things by paying attention to what bothers me.  For example, if a shoe, slipper, sandal, etc. requires me to grip a bit with my front toes, it triggers this right away.  That could be a slip on sandal, a shoe where I don't have heel inserts in them to hold them on, or whatever.

 

But any way, there are more fun things at this time of the year to discuss.  My husband even went into the woods Friday to cut up a fallen tree so that the stumps can dry out.  My daughter needs them for the wedding...I'll explain that one later!

 

Take care, everyone!

[awhfy]

Here was my best Christmas present!  We didn’t expect our grandson to get leave & he sure surprised all of us (made it home on his sister’s 13th bday too). Lots of happy tears here. Hope everyone enjoys the joy of the season. Melody 

[MJC]

[MJC]

I hope everyone had a nice Christmas. I had a lot of fun with my nephew who is almost 5 and some quality sister-time. I got to visit Steinmart and a couple of our favorite restaurants. A nice man at Avis saw my cane and upgraded us free to a small SUV that was perfect for me, so easy to get in and out. I don't really need the cane anymore, but it was very helpful for traveling because it kept people from bumping into me, especially at LGA which was SO crowded.

 

I finally have a hair color I can live with for a while. I hated the chestnut I originally picked because it looked too brassy. This is actually a light ash brown. I will have to see how it looks after the remnants of the auburn are grown out,  but it toned it down nicely. The big question is how it will look in three weeks when my gray starts to show. What's been interesting about all this is seeing how so many of my clothes didn't look right with the chestnut. I knew it was the wrong color based on how my skin looked, but the clothes confirmed it. This is closer to what used to be my natural color, and I think you can really see the winter influence in my version of EARTH. I feel a little more muted, but not in a  bad way.

 

 

 

[MJC]

Melody, how nice for all of you that your grandson was able to come home. 🙂

[awhfy]

Margaret, I like that shade for your hair, staying close to normal shade is usually attractive. I’d have kept my dark auburn but my grey grew out so quickly I was having to color every 2 weeks & it was getting mighty pricey. I do miss my red tho. 

 

Happy New Year all!  Melody

[Sailor_Sally]

Margaret , That hair shade looks great . Luckily the weather in Florida improved for your trip . Right now it is high 70"s and perfect . We were at a Tiki Bar yesterday and it was perfect . We had a great Christmas with family & friends .

Everyone have a great New Years !

[MJC]

Sally, we came home on Wednesday just as the weather was getting warmer! We didn't mind the cool days, though, because we were with family instead of at the beach. We stayed near UTC -- boy that area has really grown in a short period of time! We had a really really good meal at Apollonia Grill if you like Greek food. I was very happy to get a stroll around St. Armand's this year. We went first thing in the morning and we left before lunch when the crowds started to arrive.

 

We got our final itinerary for Africa and answers to all our last-minute questions. Sunday we'll pack. Monday is NYE with friends, and Tuesday night we leave. I honestly can't believe I'm going, we've been wanting this for so long!🦓🐘🦒🦏