zeeee Friday Lists .....

so Mrs. H told me she read successful peeps are readers, driven, list makers, ... I forgot the rest qualities and didn't take time to google it ....

I think I make lists -- so I don't forget shit.  Seriously, as I age -- the mind be slipping ... or the busier I become -- then there's more rattling around up there and it's jumbled.

My weekend list:

1.  scrapbooking with the divas ...
      a.  sort scrap bin(s) cut into usable hunks and piece into donation quilts
      b.  proof, edit and prep corporate/partnership engagement letters and checklists
      c.  do not go to the office (:))
2.  laundry -- the piles have grown this week ....
3.  trash - purge some more ... found a bagful yesterday
4.  finish my current book.

Office:
1.  keep working on the furniture plan
2.  put together the stand up desk -- move desk to file room
3.  move file room desk somewhere (home)
4.  move bookcases to file room

Home:
1.  load long arm
2.  make at least 3 quilt backs
3.  quilt table topper / bind
4.  quilt a mini table topper / bind
5.  more trash

Monday StealthCam

#1 is obsessed over the wildlife eating the cat food ... so there is a camera in the cat shack

little blackie likes to paw at the camera 

hmmm 

find the 'possum

morning chows

sparkle

yes, it is ... especially my office basement and basement stairs -- not to mention the new light bulbs and swiffer gizmo -- this morning I hauled away the pile of dried foliage and grapevines that were in a pile next to the office -- gotta love backing the f150 down the sidewalk -- 

I proceeded to come home and start cleaning in the sewing room -- the piano pictures are a telling sign of a messy space ... wth.

the endless list continues

and the accomplishments of Friday and Saturday were quite entertaining (not) ...

in the rain yesterday .... I
1 - put the office flower pots in the garage
          the frozen plants lost their allure
2 - chopped off some hosta's along the sidewalk
          makes snow shoveling easier
3 - movedthe rake and lopping shears to the garage

worked ... normal stuff -- payroll, financial statements, income tax planning ...

today  ... I
1 - put the new shop vac together and
2 - proceeded use said vac
        the storage room at the office is cleaned
        the basement stairs are partially done ...
            need to work from the top down
3 - got gas in the truck and washed it ....
4 - ran the tape backup ....
5 - brought way to much homework home

and here is the list for tomorrow

1.  finish the vac job on the stairs
2.  haul out chopped weeds (they've been in a pile awhile)
3.  haul out old rugs/floor mats to dumpster
4.  empty all of the trash
5.  prep for pre tax clients
6.  finish the homework
7.  make more lists

so, you know --  you are old -- when your black friday shopping consists of sheets (for the bed) and bra's ... what more can I say ... I only needed the sheets and my favorite bra's were  on sale.


so it rolls between Daisy Lane and 3rd Street

Turkey Date

well, we ate and we destroyed ...

it's down to removing the sound board (wires are out) and carrying it out of the basement

so long --it's been a fun 44 years

ah, the crazy's continue

here's a pix of lake neighbor Buster -- the local rag did a feature on the lake and early ice, water quality etc ... he's a volunteer data collector ... the bay looks cool this time of year

it looks even better when it's 75' and sunny!!!!

Been working (trying/attempting/aiming) to get my act together this week and actually be productive ... it's not happening.  I have the sniffles and I'm whinny -- sorry, that's the truth.  I wish the sniffles would just up and disappear ... 

we're rushing trying to meet deadlines at the office and a couple of clients are having difficulties with timing changes and well, life in general.  

doing the best we can --- sometimes that's not good enough for me ... going to knock out all the weird stuff over the holiday/weekend and well, get shit done.  I might even make a little time to sew ... 

drainage ditch tours

I lead a crazy life.  I know that but dang -- drainage project tours are never dull.  

Watch the video with the sound ... I forgot it records me.

WTH

thanks to the ditch kid for tolerating my endless questions, comments and weirdness

the red tractor was stuck -- the green machine was attempted to push him out while going in reverse

bad, just bad

pollution -- field pollution

yikes!

so -- I really hate technology -- it makes life better and then ... poof it craps out.

jon has my desktop tower -- yes there are multiple computers in this building ... but I need MINE. 


it all started with email and corrupted files .... only inbound no outbound.  what the hell.

Tuesdays

good grief Tuesdays have become the wackiest day of the week ... seriously -- they've began to wear me out ... the Commissioner meeting yesterday was an out-of-control melee of epic proportions -- WTH.  then followed up with a "project" meeting where the principal instigator was freaking 15 minutes late -- and AWOL at your own meeting is not appropriate

made it back to the office and chaos had wreaked havoc on my desk -- but the highlight of the day -- my new adding machine arrived --

I managed to dump a cup of something on the old one last Saturday and it ceased to power up and smelled like rice-a-roni.  enough said.  the spare adder from the supply closet just couldn't handle it -- then later on Saturday my scanner took a dump -- it was a workhorse and just .. faded out ...

Sunrise is peeking over the rim of the valley and it appears to be gorgeous .. going to to watch it ...
it's the little things peeps that make the day wonderful.

it is time

I drove Ruby to town today -- even with snow on the ground ... all the extra's got cleaned out of her ... Friday her airbags were replaced -- Dad took her over and back ... he really doesn't like her.

we went thru the car wash and got our gas tanked topped off with the "good" expensive fuel

while sitting in carwash .. our trip meters etc were updated -- only 1684.8 miles this summer -- not good, she came out of storage in late April --- a full 6 weeks later than usual .. and it was the summer that had 8 weeks of limited driving ....

we're ready for our winter nap ...

see you in March ....

warning -- may contain graphic images

I went to work today -- lots to do -- an no one knew I was there ....

came home at 3:30 ...

this girl was under the bird feeders having a snack

we have six sets of cardinals 

it's deer hunting season -- and I heard shots, close shots ....

the birds flew a way

but big bird was jogging in from the field ....

and the action shot ...

the "no shooting in the yard rule" was lifted the last time the buggers ate off the hosta's

actually, the first shot was out in the field and he tracked the bugger in the yard

and well, deer sausage is in our future ...

life on the road

so, introvert that I am, I don't like disruptions to my daily schedule.  life on the road is a disruption.  I'm in the middle of a two day seminar -- the only good thing about it .... it's 12 miles down the road.  I haven't attended this one for 15 (or more) years -- it's hosted (?) by the U of M -- pretty bare bones .... they don't even feed us --- and the restaurant next to the hotel conference center -- couldn't handle the crowd yesterday --

so yesterday at lunch, I dashed to Michels and purchased 2 different skeins of yarn and a crochet hook -- and did a McDonalds pit stop on the way back --- I spent the afternoon with busy hands ... frankly, I can't read the book with my glasses on --- and I can't see the power point presentation with my glasses off .. so ..... 

election results -- what can I say -- it was an engaged election on all fronts, peeps are talking and expressing opinions -- that is good.  let's hope civility and cooperation will now reign.  (one can hope).

ok -- the road is calling.

so much love

I stood in line -- 90 minutes -- so much love.  Family, friends, neighbors and co-workers from near and far -- she touched so many lives.

Smiles, laughter and a few tears.

scrapbooking divas

3 of the scrapping divas and I went to the retreat in Arlington (MN) yesterday -- we spent the day with 100 other crazy crafting wizards.  I sewed ...

Thursday night moon shot ...

jane in her corner of the room ... literally ..

cookies and hand sanitizer on my table ...

throw #1 

everyone travels with a red wagon!

throw #2 ... the throws were made from layer cakes -- these two I recently purchased so ... but they were on sale and gorgeous!  Next up is to piece up some backs and get them quilted/bound/gifted.

there was also 2 table toppers from charm packs (from the stash) -- going to add borders and turn them into lap robes for the nursing homes.  And I pieced 32 9-patch blocks from 7 mini charm packs -- they should finish out at 6" square -- they really didn't take as long as I thought they would ... I was a focused sewing diva.  on 1/2 of a round 8' table -- not a lot of room to move!

the best part of the day was the massage -- I was #2 in line at the massage table --- it was good!!!  

and of course there was a spot of shopping -- two more woven African baskets -- simply gorgeous -- a bottle of best press, a bottle of wine, and some chip dip mix!  I took a walk mid afternoon and picked up some iced coffee and 2 powerball tickets ... coffee was needed -- powerball tickets were losers ...

life on the prairie

shots from my sunday ride -- 

the river looks so blue in the fall 

hard to believe the muddy Minnesota can appear "blue"

sometimes I wonder how many generations of people stood in that very spot and overlooked the valley ... this spot is off the cart path ... a few hundred yards

Tom and Jeannie's oaks across their pond, their man made pond -- it's probably always been a slough -- but it was deepened a few years back 

Tuesday they celebrate their daughter -- I can't imagine their pain -- so young,  so unexpected, so sudden -- a reminder to all of us to take joy in everything and quit worrying about the small shit,  so today's Hallmark Moment -- is quit worrying about the small shit. 

November - the month to give thanks ...

 hmmm -- somewhere I read/heard/blurbed that November is the month to give thanks -- and that we should daily track an item or two for which we are thankful.  frankly, we shouldn't have to articulate said thankfulness in the month of November -- it should be everyday -- 

yes, I can be a sucker for these "Hallmark" moments and have fallen many a time ..

but seriously -- the glass is always HALF FULL

so, in keeping with the Hallmark theme of thankfulness -- there may be a rumbling once in a while from I -- the not so wise, introverted, aging Diva ... 

I will always be thankful we found the Happy Place -- it helps me unplug and restores my well being, I have always liked being near the water -- but I truly didn't know how much I really liked being near or on the water -- 

 the HPlace has no TV, very little internet, no phone ( I generally choose to ignore my cell phone and texts) -- it's mother nature, a good book and whine of the neighboring yard equipment ... 

the whine of yard equipment is never annoying when someone else is operating it ... 

it's been a crazy week on Daisy Lane and on 3rd Street -- sometimes the jolts of reality jolt the mind and body into change -- change is good 

so my pledge to self is to accept change with grace and acceptance

(this ought to be entertaining)