All Things EARTH... part 2

[Anita Latte]

Well everyone knows how much I’ve been trying to downsize everything. Sharon, I’ve spent the past 18 years going through all the different things that I inherited from my Grandmother. I still have a lot of it but over time I have separated out the things that have become mine from the things that were still hers. It took me a long time to conclude that not every piece I inherited had to become a family heirloom. It’s not easy.

 

A lot of the furniture is mahogany, which used to be prized but is now not really sought after at all, unless you have some very specific styles or furniture from a specific manufacturer. I have well made pieces, dovetail drawers etc, but in my research have discovered that they are worth more to me simply because replacing their functionality would likely cost more than what I could sell the pieces for. So some of these things are going to get a major redux after we are settled in Florida. 

 

Has as anyone else seen what is called Unicorn Spit finishes? I think some of them are downright stunning. My dining room table is destined for that treatment.

 

Laurie, I did a bit of research on the neuroma because I can have a similar issue with my right foot especially. My two toes go numb. Very annoying. I found a site that focused on stretching and working your foot so that the ball of your foot and all that padding would get back under those joints instead of being pushed forward. It’s hard to describe, ill have to find the link again, because I’m going to give that focus a try to see if that can help with my occasional numb toes. All the work I’ve been doing to strengthen my weak arches has really improved my foot...my foot doesn’t cave much anymore when I do the one legged exercises. Next!

 

Sally, I read Glass Castle. Really good. I think I agree that it was much more interesting than Educated. I especially enjoyed so many parts of it because I’m so familiar with all the different areas that family lived in.

 

And I read the book You Need a Budget early last year. Really good book. Good thoughts there. I found the explanation regarding the difference between budgeting and forecasting to be extremely enlightening. I haven’t used the software...but the influence of the ideas in the book has had a significant impact on the way that I’ve been managing the finances. And I would say that it has put into perspective a more dynamic financial management for our family which deals with so much change and transition.

 

Thanks for sharing about London Maragaret. We’ll be flying in and out of Gatwick, so I’ll look up the policy. The heads up to double check policies is very helpful. I did get myself the junior version of the one backpack that I enjoy using so much. Oh. And I ordered an eBags handbag with PacSafe features on clearance with my reward cash.

[pacruise804]

Laurie and Anita, I'm glad you are getting relief from your foot issues.  I had pf several years ago and foot pain is no joke!  I've started having numbness in my big toe of my right foot too - not particularly painful, but as Anita said - annoying.  My intent is to improve my health and fitness this year so hopefully the increased fitness also helps circulation.

 

One thing I love with YNAB are that you assign a job to every dollar you have vs. most budgets where you are projecting what you will have each month.  We were able to get a month ahead with our money ($ received in December is used for January budget), so I can still have the budget done in advance for review purposes but I know the figures are accurate.  I also like that I didn't have to track spending for 3 months before creating a budget (another thing I saw in many other plans).  Since each month is different the tracking really didn't help much with forecasting and I would easily forget to track a receipt anyway.

 

Decluttering is hard, but having all the stuff is hard for me too.  I heard recently that as a home manager I am "managing" every item in the house whether it belongs to me or not.  That was really eye opening about why I felt such weight from the stuff - too many decisions.  I still struggle with a lot of the emotional stuff, but I'm trying to ask if it is something that is improving our life or taking away from it.  Many items I'm just giving away since I think I'd be too frustrated trying to sell them.  I do feel better if the stuff can still benefit someone vs. just throwing it away.

 

My husband and I both were raised with the thought of keeping anything that might be useful (vs. the "when in doubt, throw it out" philosophy) and as our parents are decluttering we are picking up some of those items too. The pieces with strong emotional attachment are the hardest, but I'm trying to apply some Kon Mari principles and being thankful for the memory and having use of the item for a time then letting it go.  One set of grandparents passed before my kids were born and my mom died when my youngest was only a few months old so there really isn't the attachment for them that there is for me. 

 

Now that I've been decluttering and gaining more space my husband is slowly starting to let go of some of his stuff too.  I'll take the small gains where I can and try not to nag for more 😉 

[Sailor_Sally]

I am being ruthless getting rid of stuff .My SO says he is on board but it is much harder for him than me . My goal is to have the house ready to sell this year .We really need to move into a one story house . Our house is elevated because we live on the water so the main living area is two flights up . We do have an elevator but it has its moments .Plus the house is too big for our present needs and too much to take care of . It is hard to get rid of sentimental items but it is time .

I ordered a new tablet so as soon as it arrives I am putting the YNAB app on it and giving it a try . I am naturally pretty thrifty but I need better control of my money .

[awhfy]

I was an only child so I inherited everything (& I do mean everything). When we were active duty military we were both very disciplined about not collecting “things” as we moved so much. Now that we’ve been retired (for many years) the “things” have accumulated. We started purging with clothes, both mine & DH (he really didn’t need 5 tubs of race shirts from the many, many marathons etc he’d run). His task [his idea] today is to decide the 10 shirts he’ll keep (I’ve already turned mine into quilts, years ago, now I’m ready to eliminate the quilts). 

 

You all know my foot issues. Laurie, take care of that neuroma before it does serious damage to your foot. Hate to say it, but the Nike brand is the second worst shoe you can wear (Converse being the worst). Even Sketchers have more support than Nike. Give New Balance & Aciscs a try. My personal favorite though is Hoka. Hoka can be difficult to get used to, but the support & cushioning is stupendous, they are the only workout shoe I’m comfortable wearing for a long time. I was also given a pair of OOFOS sandals for Christmas (the slides) , they’re designed by a podiatrist for plantar fasciitis & neuroma issues...I may never take them off, amazingly comfortable. Melody

Edited January 3, 2019 by awhfy

[pacruise804]

What is it about runners and our shirts?  😉 I've thought about quilts a little, but have so many blankets I think I'll just donate the shirts.

 

Our plan is to downsize in 10 years when our youngest should be finished with college and the thought of moving now is terrifying with how much stuff we have.

[purduemom1]

Wow! Looks like we have another common interest in addition to cruise fashions etc-so many of us want to purge and downsize.  Anita, I love what you said about separating inherited items into those that have become ours and those that still “belong” to our ancestors or whoever we got them from.  I need to keep that in mind and hopefully it will make it easier to “let go” and move on.

Sharon

[Anita Latte]

Sharon...it's been a lesson. In my household, furniture-wise, my bedroom set (my wide 12-drawer dresser, DH's 8-drawer tall boy dresser, and 2 nightstands) were inherited. I adopted the bedroom set when I was in 8th grade. I didn't have it during the college years or the immediate following years...but it was shipped out to me, along with an incredible amount of furniture and things after DH and I bought our first house. The bedroom set is mine. I still think of it as my Grandmother's set in some ways, but it is my dresser and DH's counter. (Everything is a counter for DH...leftover terminology from the days in the lab...LOL). 

 

But the dining room table, despite the fact that it has been used as an everyday table several times is still my Grandmother's dining room table. There are things I like about it functionally, but style wise, I prefer a more substantial style. I still don't know if I'm going to keep it. Grandmother had good taste...her pieces are streamlined and not ornate. I'm going to refinish the dining room table (it needs it BADLY after being moved 12 times and having DS's high chair hang off it and being used as our current everyday table) and then decide. I downsized tremendously with the move to NC and since we have a great relocation package for our FL, I decided that I can put off the last furniture decisions one more time. I'll refinish it and then decide if I'm going to keep it or sell it. After refinishing it, I think it'll be worth more and worth the effort to sell.

 

As far as stuff goes, it's a big mindset to wrap your head around. There is benefit to keeping things, but responsibility and care for things is sometimes not worth it. Many times, things are nice to have around and I admit to having gotten rid of things and then figured out a use for them, but even then, I generally could get by with something else. Time passes and the whole episode is lost in a blur of insignificant memories.

 

This is what I have discovered with all the moving and all the "reducing the loads" that I have done pretty much my whole life (I think Melody takes the cake in the numbers of moves and frequency for a season, but for my part, I'm about to turn 47 and the longest that I've lived under one roof is 4 years, that was high school. We hit 3.5 years when DS was born and 3 years in the last house in GA and every other house has been 2 years or less). Basically, I believe that there are things that are significant and things that aren't. It takes some real heart seeking to figure out what is significant and what isn't. Size has nothing to do with it. Sometimes, things that are very significant lose their prominence in the midst of a bunch of other things that aren't really that significant...and if you can recognize what is what and lose the insignificant things, then it's like the cream rising to the top...your focus is more targeted, less dispersed and you end up enjoying and appreciating those fewer more significant things more than ever. This maybe a bit abstract, but an easy example of this idea is books. We had quite a large collection of books. I happen to love books and I still have a dream of having a library type room that is basically lined with books. I loved collecting books. I taught my DS to love books too and he had quite the collection. Some of his books mean more to me than to him. Especially the books from his younger years...paring those down was a feat, but having done that...it is much more fun to hone in on few books that have great memories rather than sort through a bunch of books that served their time and deserved to be of service in someone else's life.

 

So philosophical...must be a new year!

 

Melody...I know you have some specific foot issues, but I think that every foot is different and there is more than one way to deal with some issues. I've approached my particular foot issues with the strengthen and work approach. I'm not barefoot running but I have gone to flatter, "less supportive" shoes and especially look for no drop or zero drop shoes. I LOVE my Converse because they are a no drop shoe, with the heel being the same height as the toe...the long line of laces also allows me to control the width of the shoe better than other styles. So they may have a bad rap for some people, but Converse is my friend! It's been about one year now that I've really paid attention to my feet, my shoes, and relearning how to activate my feet muscles and it has really paid off for me. It may not work for everyone, but it's one reason why I would say that absolute statements about shoes are really suspect...a good reason for there to be so many different manufacturers and types of shoes available.

 

Go Sally!! I've been ruthless at different times and the result is usually such a blessing. I find that it helps to not overthink it all. Many times, we can make a split second decision about something...you like it or you don't. You think it looks good, or you don't. And if you have a negative first reaction about something...usually a second thought enters in there and tries to convince yourself that you could use that for something or how that was a gift from someone or inherited from someone and so you change your initial assessment...instead of hitting the "get rid of pile" the thing ends up in a keep pile. Bad news. Ruthless lets you shut up the second thought voices. I've found that if I just listen to the first thought and make my piles, generally my keep pile covers the basis of things the second thought voices would warn against. I still have something that reminds me of important people in my life (something they gave me was good enough to keep at first glance LOL) and most contingencies would be covered by my "supplies" of household items. Ruthlessness can be a great friend for getting the job done.

 

OMG I hope this isn't too much. DH is in Orlando...so I might end up talking it up here more and more as I get my mindset adjusted for what WILL be a move at the end of 5 months!

[laurspag]

Melody, what Anita is saying about shoes is pretty accurate.  This is really, really ironic, but I started having trouble when I was wearing Asics.  I switched to New Balance, and continued to have an issue.  Then I tried on a pair of Nike sneakers, and ended up purchasing them because my foot wasn't as much as a problem.  My two newer pair have the same fabric, and overall soft, stretch construction.  I think the reason they work well for me is that the stretch in the fabric is just enough to conform to the wide width across the toe span, yet still hug the back of my foot.  In other words, they fit - not big, not small.  I find them fairly supportive overall.  One of the keys for me with the neuroma, and what I have read up on it, is fit.  A loose shoe can be as bad as a tight shoe.  One of the things I find is that because those heel insert thingies stick to the inside of your shoe, they often catch my nylons and run them.  As a result, I leave them out.  Even when you don't think about it, you end up "grabbing" the shoe by curling your toes, so that they don't fall off.  Sandals without straps create a similar effect, although if they fit really good, it isn't as much of a problem.

 

Anita, I'm wondering if the exercises you are mentioning are some of the same ones I was recently reading up on.  At best, my foot is annoying - those two toes falling asleep, or a pins and needles type feeling at the ball of the foot.  When it gets bad, it can be a stabbing pain in the bottom of the foot, or an excrutiating pinching feeling that leaves  me unable to apply pressure to the foot.  Normally when I get a flare up, it last a day or two and goes away.  Then I just have a day here and there where it is annoying.  Right now, it's been very active since Veteran's Day.  I only remember the exact day because I was meeting my sister for lunch that day.  🙂

 

My husband is starting to understand more about my desire to simplify, but he is very reluctant to part with things still.  At the moment, I am focusing on personal things, and then jointly held household items, for a lack of a better description.  He brought upstairs two big plastic bins of family photos to go through with his brother the other day, but that is only so his brother can copy a few pictures - they didn't leave permanently!  To make matters worse, I didn't even know there were two bins of photos downstairs.  He is organized - he has things in tubs and they are all labeled.  He tends to hoard the basement, and I don't mind because it's...a basement.  He keeps it very, very tidy.

 

Anyway, I that even though I don't make resolutions, I find myself in an organization mode in January.  For me, I think it occurs because 1) we are putting away Christmas decor, which creates a lot of stuff everywhere, 2) it's winter and we are in the house more.  It really makes me want to feel less crowded.

 

I realized while looking for something not long ago that I have some cupboards to clean out.  They are the hard to reach ones, where an item goes to spend eternity, lol.  By cleaning these out and rearranging them, I will be able to move my husband's mother's fine china set.  It is white with a silver edge.  Simple and beautiful, but I had started a set of Lenox china, and there is just no room in the china cabinet anymore.  I'm worried I will break something.  I don't have the heart to ask him if we can give the fine china to my daughter who is getting married, but I might make some hints and see if he grabs that idea.

 

She is having a shower, but needs a lot of basics and didn't feel adding fine china made sense since she could definitely use more standard things. 

 

Anita, I'm all chatty today too.  For me, it is because I've been working on Christmas things and the wedding and so forth, and I feel like I have so much catching up to do!

 

Sharon, welcome.  We're a nice friendly bunch here.  Chat with us any time!  Do you have any upcoming cruises?

 

I will start to research options for my cruise soon.  It isn't until August, but with the wedding and a weekend trip to Boston, I have a feeling the cruise will be here before I can blink!

 

Anita, I don't have ANY books.  They are all on my Nook.  My husband has quite a few, but he doesn't read.  Yup, family items!  I don't really mind some of our bigger furniture pieces.  I want to get rid of the little cluttery things, most of the time.  Rocks.  The box of stamps that are NOT collector's stamps.  They haven't been out of the box in years.  The magnetic sheet photo album with newspaper clippings about people that even my husband doesn't know.    Stuff like that.  WE are slowly heading there.

 

One thing I have that is unique, and that I would love to have refinished is this little bookcase that was my mom's.  It has a leather top to it.  I need to find someone who can do this, and I'm concerned because of the leather.  I am using it, and it is the perfect size.  It will always be my mom's, but it is now mine, and it is something I don't want to part with, unless it goes to one of my daughters someday.  I'll get a picture of it.  Oh, and I see a few books that are mine.  I stand corrected.  I have a few books!

[laurspag]

The bookcase...

 

 

[Ginster1]

Hello ladies. I’m Ginny. I’ve been following your thread for quite some time and absolutely love your talk of fashion, colors, family life, downsizing, but most of all the friendships you all have. I’ve learned so much from all of you and you’ve answered so many of my questions. 

 

I have a disability which precludes me from doing a lot of travel (chronic migraine) however, my husband Jamie and I went on a Cruise to Alaska 5/17 and had such a great time. And it worked with my situation because if I didn’t feel well I just stayed on the ship. And I only had one bad day which was a sea day so it worked out great. 

 

We’re going on a cruise aboard the Grand Princess to Mexico 2/11/19, about 5 1/2 weeks away and I’m so excited! We’ll be sailing underneath the Golden State Bridge which sounds like fun. 

 

Laurie, I need your advice. I believe you mentioned in a post that you had done a Pacific coastal cruise and that it was cooler than you thought it would be. I’m totally stumped on what to pack. I know to wear shorts when we get to Mexico but not sure about sea days. Do I need to bring a coat or jacket?  Or will a sweater do?

 

And Laurie, I think it’s so special that you’re refinishing your mothers bookcase. I wish I had that kind of talent. I’ve loved watching you decorate your bathroom, laundry room, and spare room. 

 

Til next time...

-Ginny

[purduemom1]

Welcome Ginny. I live in CA also but not the Bay Area.  You asked about weather on a Pacific Coastal cruise in Feb.  While I haven’t taken one from SF to Mexico, I’ve lived in CA long enough to guess that it will be pretty cool cruising down the coast.  If you are stopping in Santa Barbara, LA area, Catalina, you might want a light jacket maybe even a rain jacket-yes I know rain can be rare in CA but you never know in Feb. Many  of the same things you wear in the Bay Area might work well. Indoors will be climate controlled but if you plan to spend time outside on deck you will most likely need a light jacket and maybe something warm underneath just in case Could be windy and or foggy too. That said, you could also have some warm days especially the further south you cruise.  I hope you have a wonderful cruise!

 

Laura,  what a cute book shelf. Hope you find just the right person to refinish it for you. You asked if we have any cruises planned. Not yet. We are considering a family cruise but arranging vacation time that works for everyone is a challenge.

 

Anita, I am making mental notes re your philosophy on how to determine what to keep and what to let go of. You have some great ideas.

 

OK everyone, are you ready for a laugh? We live in CA but our son and  DIL live in MN. We just returned from spending Christmas with them and we are returning next week, this time for a month. Yes, I realize that it’s the norm for those living where it snows to escape to warmer climates and here we are going in the opposite direction. We are considering it an adventure and looking forward to our stay. We will be house (condo) and pet sitting so our DS and DIL can go on an extended honeymoon. They will be going on a 17 Day cruise in Asia with land touring at either end. Fortunately for us, there will be no snow shoveling to deal with and they have a heated garage so no ice scraping either. Packing for our stay is easy, I unpacked our suitcases, washed clothes, refilled consumable items and just repacked it all. Made arrangements to be away from home for a month, always pay bills on line, our daughter will empty our locked mail box every few days and our neighbors will keep an eye on things for us. We use Informed Delivery to keep track of mail received so I think we can do this! Who knows it might be good practice should we ever decide to do an around the world cruise-LOL!

[Ginster1]

Purduemom1, thank you so much for your recommendations. We don’t have any ports of call until we get to Mexico but we do have a balcony and we’d like to be able to use it so I’m thinking about bringing my extremely lightweight down jacket. You know, the one you can toll up into a bag the size of a grapefruit. It’s white. Not crazy about the color, it’s not earth, but at least it’s a neutral color. 

 

It’s nice that you can go back to MN for a month to help your DS and DIL. I’m sure they appreciate your help. I know I would. Are you retired?  My DH is turning 60 in March and would like to retire in the next couple of years. We have a large 2-story house and would like a much smaller single story. Our kids have left the nest. We have so much stuff and NEED to downsize.  My son is graduating in May and my daughter is making plans to get married. She wants a small wedding just with family. She lived six hours away in Nevada so I don’t get to see her much. She had a baby girl June ‘18 so I’m a grandma now. I’ll try and post a picture. I don’t have much experience navigating through cruise critic so we’ll see lol. 

 

 

[Ginster1]

[Sailor_Sally]

Welcome Ginny , Cute picture ! Your granddaughter is adorable .I have been retired ten years actually eleven years in January .

 

Purduemom ,I live in Florida and I visit my daughter in western New York a lot but I usually avoid the winter .I have never spent a month there but I did go for two weeks when my grandson was born.

 

It is good a lot of us are into downsizing we can all cheer each other on .What works with my SO is to give him a certain day that he needs to work on it .My goal is to have the house ready to sell by the end of 2019 .

[Ginster1]

Thank you Sally. It’s great to meet you!  We just took a trip to the Florida keys at the beginning of December. LOVE the weather there!

 

Yes, downsizing is challenging. I’ve read the Konmari book but I’ve been slow to implement it.   I like your idea of setting dates. 

-Ginny

[purduemom1]

Ginny, what a nice picture of you and your darling granddaughter! It looks like you enjoy being a grandma. The packable down jacket sounds like a good choice so you can enjoy your balcony if it’s chilly on sea days. I am with you on the down sizing thing. I would like to NOT leave it all for my kids to do so that also prompts me to tackle it now. 

 

Sailor Sally, we are also retired and fortunately don’t mind the cold. We have been to MN in winter before but never for an extended stay so we shall see how we do this time around. Just hoping for some nice days so we can get out and take advantage of all there is for us to do but we are also prepared to stay in and read and there is a gym downstairs so can give that a try also. 

[awhfy]

5 hours ago, Ginster1 said:

What a cutie!

[Ginster1]

Thank you Purduemom1 and Melody!  Yes, she’s pretty special. I wish she didn’t live 6 hours away. With my disability it’s just difficult to get up to see her too much. I feel like I’m missing out on so much. I was so happy they came down for Christmas.

 

My son came too, making it extra special. But he didn’t get to stay long. He’s entering his final semester of college and just accepted an apprenticeship to work in his field (computer science) part time while finishing up his degree. It’s going to be hectic for him because he’s taking 18 units. But hey, he’s young right?

 

We are in Las Vegas this weekend. No, not to party and gamble. We’ve been there done that too many times. My headache specialist is here so I see him every 3 months for Botox injections. A lot of people think hey, no more wrinkles!  But honestly most of the injections go into the back of my head and shoulders. It seems to help. And it’s nice for dh and I to have a little getaway. 

 

I hope you all are having a great weekend. 

-Ginny

[Anita Latte]

Welcome Ginny! My bestest friend and roommate through college is named Ginny. I'm out of touch with her now...but still. Love that name. My Grandmother was Virginia...so was my Ginny. Good memories. I was born and raised in the Bay Area. Born in San Jose, lived there and in the Santa Cruz mountains briefly, and then in Fremont and then in Danville. Beautiful area, and I have great memories, but it was just too expensive to think about being there after college (which I did in Texas). Monterey and Carmel still rank in the top of my favorite places in the world. Nice photo!

 

Laurie...I have a folding card table that totally matches your bookcase, which sounds beyond odd but it is a mahogany card table with a leather top insert just like the top of your bookcase. I think the table is from the 1930s. It's on my list to redo so I'll let you know how it goes dealing with the leather, etc.

 

So we have our flights to London and now we have our AirBnB. Wow. What a process to picking out a place to stay. I really wanted the BnB instead of a hotel for the kitchen and to have a bit more space. Also, I wanted to be IN London, a taste of living there in the midst of a neighborhood. I had the AirBnB map open, a map of the London Tube system open, and Google Maps open so that I could figure out HOW we would get there and around and what all was around the apartment too. I think I got a good one, obviously, I booked it. This is our scouting trip...a trip to get answers to questions we have regarding everything. Being there in person just can't compare to trying to talk to people. I think we can hit up something "for fun" while we are there for sure, but we will have a major to do list to accomplish on this trip.

[Ginster1]

Hi Anita. Nice to meet you!  What a coincidence about your roommate. The name Ginny is rare and a lot of people call me Jenny lol. I’m very familiar with Danville. I went to middle and high school in Livermore (born in Sacramento). I now live in Clayton which is at the base of Mt Diablo next to Walnut Creek and Concord.  We don’t plan on staying here once dh retires-its just too expensive. He’s hoping to retire in 2-3 years. We still have no idea where we will end up. 

 

I had had to chuckle when I read about you having so many apps open trying to find an AirBnb. How did we exist before the internet huh?  How exciting to go check out London. And having an apartment instead of a hotel will be so nice for your family. I really enjoyed reading about your trip to Alaska and look forward to hearing about London. 

-Ginny

[awhfy]

I got up this morning (always a good thing) & thought, Margaret is in Africa!  How cool is that!  

 

We’re headed up into the CO mountains to go to the Ice Castles. Looks like we may not have the best weather, which means I’ll be doing the driving. Les doesn’t like to drive in snow if he can avoid it, doesn’t bother me a bit. It is going to be a bit brisk. I did get the fleece jacket from Eddie Bauer, peacock blue, below hip length. I’ll try to get a picture (without the down cost on over it!). 

 

Anita, what a great spring break you will have!

 

Ginny, how long have you taken Botox for your migraines?  Do they really work for you? My neurologist has suggested I try them. Both Les & I get migraines (his account for 35% of his service connected disability & he has had seizures from migraines). They’re not “just a headache”. Melody

[Ginster1]

Can’t wait to hear back from Margaret and her trip of Africa. I wish I was as adventurous. 

 

Melody, what color blue is peacock?  Is it like a royal blue?  I look forward to seeing a pic of your fleece jacket.

 

Melody, To answer your question about the Botox, I’ve been doing it about seven years now and it definitely helps. I can tell because my migraines get worse when the Botox wears off. It’s interesting what you said about Les getting seizures because I actually had my first seizure in March 2018 due to a really bad migraine. And you’re so right-they are not just a headache. There’s so many other effects from them that contribute to my being disabled by them. That’s why I was so happy to find cruising seems to work for me. Anyway, enough of that!

I look forward to seeing your photos of the ice castles if you have any. 

-Ginny

[pacruise804]

Welcome Ginny!  Your granddaughter is adorable ❤️ 

 

I'm sorry to hear about your migraines, but glad you are getting some relief (praying Melody and Les get relief too).  I get them every month, but mine are relatively mild so far (I can function, and very rarely have been unable to drive).

[awhfy]

Ginny, peacock blue (Eddie Bauer’s name) to me is a kind of mix of turquoise, teal & cobalt blue. I put it on in the store & a couple of women said...ooh, good color. We’ll see, I do like blues. The weather in the mountains is now all snow, hoping it doesn’t impact our tickets for this evening. I’ll definitely have pictures (Les is taking, big boy Canon, baby Canon & I’m taking the freezeproof Fuji as well as our phones). Melody

[Anita Latte]

Happy Monday! Winter break has officially ended...I'm so glad. For the month of December, life has been without structure as DS' school had two weeks of Arts Intensive following the end of "normal" classes and then three weeks of break. After five weeks of break, I'm ready for DS to get back into a normal schedule because that really helps me have a normal schedule as well.

 

DH and I took a bit of a road trip to Bass Pro in Charlotte over the weekend. I found a brand there that I really like called Natural Reflections. I don't think Mulled Wine is the color I purchased, which has purple and green tones, but this is the cardigan I picked up:

 

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/new-product-100109386

 

And I picked up this embroidered top in blue:

 

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/bob-timberlake-embroidered-lace-up-knit-top-for-ladies

 

Natural Reflections also had good prices and colors on Henley style tops, if anyone else likes those. There were two styles, a ribbed knit fabric and a more normal knit. I appreciate the Henley style because it breaks up that upper chest area with the line of buttons. More flattering.

 

On the top of downsizing and going through stuff, Netflix has a new original series that just came out called "Tidying with Marie Kondo." I've watched two episodes now...the first is a young family with two young toddlers and the second was an empty nesting couple that live in the house they inherited from their parents that has three generations worth of stuff in it. I like to watch things that are inspiring for the tasks at hand. I like cooking shows when I'm trying to get in the mood to cook, Project Runway when I do laundry, and whatever I can find for cleaning and downsizing and moving. Back when we lived in Wichita, there was a series on TLC that was all about decluttering and going through your stuff. I think they would have a big garage sale as part of the process. This is from the time with Trading Spaces was a thing. I can't recall the name of the declutter show though... 

 

Anyway...if anyone has Netflix, I would recommend this show for inspiration.

 

IDK what you mean exactly by Ice Castles Melody, but I hope you get great pictures! I'd enjoy seeing those!