Happy New Year!

 

Warning - pix heavy

 

pix from the MnDOT cameras on the bridge below the farm .. this one is looking south and the next one is looking north

plow truck pix -- northbound on 169 a couple blocks south of the History Center

and east bound on Hwy 22 approaching Kwik Trip and 169 ..

I just came in from feeding the barn cats .. it's ugly out there -- the wind is really picking up and the shit is on the move.  It's 10' too .. I haven't decided if that is a good or bad temperature -- 

I'm so over winter at this point.

I joined the 2026 Declutter Your Sewing / Quilting Room Challenge ..

Step 1 - taking pictures of your clutter

I got lots

although the fabric shelf is very pretty looking !

argh .. too much stuff - tonight I'm going thru the hanging clothes rack .. some one might need one of those coats ....

and the home office in the cave .. it's been a somewhat productive days working from home ... way too messy ... 

and the long-arm/hanging quilt/clothes rack that also becomes a "shelf" for "things" ..

it should be a fun challenge.

My goal is to not buy any fabric, start using the hoard and make lots of pretty donations to people and organizations that need pretty things.

blizzard warning #564

 Again!  wth.  I'm tired of winter -- well, I'm tired of everything but winter is really jerking my chain lately!

Excitement on Daisy Lane today -- lots of rock arrived .. Mom called in reinforcements after she saw me dumping out a couple pails of rock I found in the showroom.  She didn't wait for the neighbor - she called in reinforcements  --   and then the neighbor arrived with more rock .. we're well rocked.  I still managed to slip when feeding the beasts this evening.  Stayed upright!

An ambulance or firetruck can now get here -- and since it's going to snow .. rock will be on the move into the grass -- although it seems to be sinking into the softening ice.  

I went to the office - -the weekend agenda was purging and cleaning -- the clutter was getting to me ... so every space lost something somewhere, all the floors got vac'd .. all of the curbies are full and I have a truck load of cardboard for recycling.  I re-arranged / repurposed furniture -- needed to get out a saw to make some of it fit.  I got tools.  ( then I sawed the wrong side -- so there's that)  

Loaded up a couple boxes of projects and am settling in for the blizzard -- I might need a morning KT run for milk -- 

I'm watching a webinar and getting things done.  I have lists ( yes, the endless lists) ... if I get enough done on said lists I might play with some fabric -- I'm playing with yarn while watching webinar.  

bring on the blizzard 
I'm ready !

ahhhhhh

nothing better than a haircut -- back to short spikey somewhat curly brown/gray hair .. it is good to be me -- since the ice hasn't left -- I dashed out to get Mom and Lori met us at the office ... 

chatted with neighbor, Todd -- he's going to spread more rock -- then neighbor Tim came thru the yard at 5:15 from the deer stand -- he's got wood ashes .. will drop some off on his way to the deer stand tomorrow .. it's a mess ... a real messy mess 

I just don't what to fall again

the amaryllis at home is blooming -- since I took this pix yesterday -- one more bud has opened -- the office one is also getting buds but it is only 8" tall ... 

 

this is Christmas

spied this on wastebook this morning

memories from my youth

took a walk ( with my ice cleats on ) after feeding the cats this morning -- just out the opening in the windbreak to scope out the prairie .. will go again if it gets foggy 

there is ice mountain and ice plateau . icy shit is everywhere -- although it is breaking up .. sun and wind will help -- 

I had a plan for today ... it's already gone with the wind -- but still salvageable -- 

Homework -- always homework

Proforma client data to 2025 from 2024 

   (it's rolling along slowly)

Clean the sewing space 

   (working on it .. I have separation anxiety and can't seem to toss/part with any of my fabric treasures and I do have enough to open a freaking store)  .. next up is the yarn cupboard) ... It might be a good thing that Joann Fabrics closed .. and online quilt shop fabric is spendy .. it has to be -- it's spending from the wholesalers to the quilt shop -- I get it -- I'm just thrifty ...

Find the scarves for the fence.  Found. 

Box up things for thrift shop -- clothes things -- see the fabric issue .. ditto for clothes

Laundry 

Meal prep

Desk project -- put my new standup desk together for the upstairs office .. 

Water the plants/Vac the porch

Sweep garage

Take a drive -- 

Wash the Jeep

Spread rock by mailbox

Get gas in sxs

Read new book  -- the new ???? brain fart can't remember 

Run the roomba

so far

1 load of laundry

1 bag of trash

3 bags of thrift shop

1 bag of recycling

it is a process 

working on a goal list for 2026 too ... 

 

Merry Christmas

the Christmas pix of 2025 last Sunday morning from the recliner with my phone ... 

need more quiet stillness in my life

merry christmas to all 

 

so my

    love hate relationship with year end and the Holidays continues ... we had a typical 100 phone call Monday and .... emails and client panics .... and I had called a special County Board meeting -- first time that I can remember having one didn't involve drainage ditches and/or COVID ... it was just chaos all day long

    I got back from the government center -- and a package was waiting for me -- a favorite drama free client sent us flowers -- the kindness is so appreciated -- they are beautiful ... 

    so I went home and forgot my homework tote bag ( at 7)-- must have been a message from above.  so I had lefsa and coffee for supper -- surfed the internet (read the paper) and went to bed ... so I was wide awake at 3:30 am .. finished my book, took a shower and came to town.  

    stopped at zip trip to xmas shop for mom and get the truck washed -- some of the crud is gone -- I'm here -- running the back up tape and cleaning up the projects -- 

    pondering my "word" for 2026 ... seriously peeps -- 2026  who'd a thought .  i'm leaning towards balance ---- 

   onward we march today -- more chaos, more kindness and more smiles

the day has arrived

I count down to this day .... and a couple others

quite the day -- I loaded up mom and my kohls returns and we went to mankato -- where I got into the wrong dirty gray jeep -- and yes, mom watched it all from another row in the parking lot .. argh

then at Kwik Trip I almost did the wrong thing -- at least I noticed it had IOWA plates and mom was laughing  -- they were parked side x side ...

it's my crazy life peeps .. totally wacky

 

warmth, we need warmth

cabin shots from the ring tonight 

the rain on the snow is exposing the ice

I'm told there is idiots ice fishing in the bay next to the public landing

quilts I spied on the internet .. dark colors scare me .. at least quilting on dark colors but these are cool looking

I fell asleep in the chair last night (Friday) at 6:45, got up at 9:45 and went to bed --- slept until my normal 4:30 .. I must have needed it .. I was stressing yesterday and a lot of screen time so the dizzies hit a couple of times.  Need to remember to get up and walk around a bit more during the day .... 

I managed both grocery stores this morning -- $225 later it was a load of stuff -- no decent bread to be found anywhere in town .. except Kwik Trip and I didn't stop there.  all those lovely groceries and we had breakfast pizza for supper ... tomorrow will be better .. food wise and temperature wise .. 

I also managed 6 hours of work time and I'm taking a break now but -- will keep at it a while -- at least until the piles get prepped for the pre tax appointments this week.  

just rolling along with life ... and Monday the days get longer -- I'm counting that as a WIN !!!  longer, more light, more warmth -- THINK SPRING

 

Another day another blizzard

we bailed from the office at 4:00 ... accidents were happening, roads were getting closed, plows were getting pulled ... it was really ugly -- me and my ever present box of homework .. I'm running out of steam so I'm dilly dallying down here -- will rise and work early am.

I pulled this from the cabin cam -- the wind set off a motion sensor .. 4:45ish .. the tree was shining brightly -- always makes me smile.  I dug out the Christmas tree -- it's a five minute set up and a half hour fluff and buff .. it's up .. 

I should be tax planning for myself ... argh .. 

need to hit up the grocery store too .. the cupboards are getting bare ... really bare ...

tomorrow is a new day and it will get calmer and hopefully warmer 

the rock dude might need to come back too 

in the end spring isn't far away

happy christmas

 

happy happy Monday

     I rounded the corner by the mailbox on my way home tonight and PTL some kind human spread rock on our driveway -- the uphill climb is no longer slip sliding away ...

     After investigation -- neighbor Jeannie made the call to neighbor Todd and he spread the rock ... he owns a small construction company .. 

     Grateful for good neighbors - all of our township road is loaded with goodness .. we are lucky ... I haven't met the newest residents yet -- they moved in while we were hanging at the hospital and BLC .. but they have little ones!  

     Trapper Tim lives down the road -- his cat seems to like the barn cats -- it is the season of cat love.  I opened the door and a red cat was looking at me.  We don't have a red cat ... he wandered home.  I'm told he has fleas so he's not welcome in the house.  

     enough for the rambling ..
     counting the small blessings in life tonight ..

 

bring on the melting

it was a chilly morning .. I walked over and fed the cats at 9:00 .. no wind it didn't feel to bad -- fed Mom and went to work after lunch for a couple of hours .. 

I'm always amazed how much I get done with no people, no phones --- etc.  me and Magnum PI streaming on the iPad -- there wasn't anything else to watch ... 

home at 4:00 with milk and bread and I've been a sloth ever since. 

 

good food day on daisy lane -- scalloped potatoes and farmer sausage for lunch -- fancy grilled cheese ( sourdough and havarti) with leftover soup for lunch .. 

the dish washer has ran twice today .. literally

the anticipated weather warm up will be most welcome 

the January thaw would even be better 

and tomorrow the chaos continues

 

argh it's colder

this is the cheep version of a furnace alarm -- point the ring at a thermometer -- big number is in the back hallway and the little number is the unheated basement  -- office ... the furnace really doesn't heat the back 1/3 of the building very well -- when we're there I run a small space heater and it makes a big difference .. I never let them run un-attended ... the coldest I've ever seen the basement -- 39' ... the cold winter 2011/2012 

In addition to Hazard Mitigation Plans -- Kate and I sat thru two hours of IRS Online, Tips, Tricks and Shortcuts -- I think we learned something 

cabin cam -- miss the place .. it keeps me grounded ...

today 2 members of the A Team came and we stuffed year end packets -- lots of year end packets -- I think we've got 2/3rds of them done and ready to take to GAC for mailing -- a good day this week and they should be done.  Seemed to be the appropriate thing to do on a really cold day.  Tomorrow it is back to the numbers ... 

the weather forecast is a warm up -- this Diva cannot wait -- bring on the sun and melting and 7 days until the days get longer --- yahoooooooo

 

TGIF .. brrrrrrr

 

what a weird week 

it snowed

it rained

it froze

it's slippery all over

I got to work

the cleaning lady couldn't get up the driveway

I hauled her up and worked at home

I have piles of projects that keep growing

I have no motivation for anything

I think I need a nap 

Maybe just got to bed

2 members of the A Team are coming to work tomorrow

Packet production to commence 

I haven't printed the labels yet

at least the Xmas cards got ordered

haven't seen them yet 

soon I hope

Still Shoveling ..

at the office

sunset at the cabin 

sunset at the farm

soon the sun will return -- slowly, but it will return.

edit/added more text:  I'm so tired of winter and it's only December 7 ... good grief we've got 3 1/2 months of this stuff before it's light out and it's warm.   I just can't seem to get warm. 

I've tried to keep a decent sleep schedule - even on the weekends -- so, down early, up early.  Yesterday and today -- I read both papers, surfed the internet - did laundry, put away clean clothes all the good stuff.  
Saturday was spent working at the office -- I had a couple nasty projects that just needed to get done and I knocked them out .. finished up today at home .. I did go in and shovel -- see pix above and loaded out all of the accumulated cardboard for a trip to recycling.  All of the "things" that get stuffed in our year end packets has arrived -- it's time to round up the stuffers and get them done too .. then we can really clean up and get rid of the piles.  The chaos is driving me batty.  

I've been working hard to organize my thoughts and life .. getting better at checking things off my daily and weekly lists .. pffftt it's a work in progress ...

Happy Sunday!

TGIF

spied this beauty on wastebook .. intriguing

what a Friday .. I swear the phone rang 839 times .. this morning it was back to back to back  and the call of the day ... .

"Hi Marie, this is Bill, where are you?"

"in my office Bill, where are you??"

"in your lobby -- can I come back"

made me smile

Bill, Cousin Margie's husband/widow 

"can you help me set up my IRS account"

bill - we can ... you made me smile today 

all day -- the bar neighbor told me I was pro with the shovel ...

Marty thanked me for advice from 2 years ago ... 

then I went to the grocery store -- oh my .. it was a challenge at 5:00 pm .. home with groceries, at and fed the cats .. where another POSSUM thinks it needs to live with the CATS

it HISSED at me ... 

tomorrow is a new day and hopefully the POSSUM will be relocated

but Cousin Bill knew where to find me (grin)

 

monday mania

 

oh happy happy monday -- the phones started ringing at 6:30 am -- no I did not answer, I was still in my coat, hat and gloves .. and then someone walked in at 7:30 .. argh.

the work time was elusive today .. but I managed to get 4 1/2 payrolls of the 5 this week completed and most of the November payroll taxes have been paid - so there is that ...

this is from the ring sometime Saturday night .. the street crew is coming thru this evening to pick up the overflow .. hopefully my trash is not in the way .. can't miss trash mornings .. and that dude comes early, really early ... 

time for jammies and bed

tomorrow is a new day 

a cold new day

19 days for the light to return ...

Snow globe kind of day

shortly before 8:00am the snow began .. the pix from the cabin cam was cool

and 90 minutes later - it was a snow globe .

the wind is picking up as I type 

I brought work home yesterday and made a list of stuff to get done today ... so far ... I'm on track :)  sorta ...  1/2 the furniture is put together .. I'll finish the other 1/2 in the morning and then start the relocation process ...

I'll need to go to town and shovel -- here's hoping the neighbor cleans it off with his atv ... hoping ... I need to shovel at home too ... I did venture out to feed the cats twice and have regularly been adding trash/recycling to my truck ( in the garage )  --  porch got vac'd .. and most of my homework is done -- need to pick up more tomorrow ... 

 

black / gray / white Friday

I'm repurposing old pix -- it's that kind of day 

post dinner yesterday I swapped vehicles -- ruby went to the shop ... needs a bath and an oil change and it might be easier to fetch her from the shop than the cold storage -- it doesn't matter .. 

the truck came to the house garage .. avoiding a long, cold walk in the morning is okay ...

I'm really not in the mood to work ...

the weather forecast is for snow -- quite a bit of snow .. so ... 

   I've loaded the truck with

1    boxes of furniture to assemble

            stand up desk

            credenza

            rolling storage cart

            chair

2    Engagement letters to label and stamp

3    Groceries (2nd store this week) .. headed back to HyVee for prescriptions (mom's)

4    Laundry .. it piles up around here.

5    Real homework - tax planning and client stuff

a    I've managed to tidy a bit -- there's a lot of shit to tidy

b    the phone hasn't rang 

c    dishes washed, plants watered - trash to the curbie -- will move them to the garage

        ahead of the snowmagedden.

Friday - Saturday Project List

1    put the furniture together 

2    get it located

3    vac porch and basement

4    walk

5    engagement letters done - ready for next bunch

6    print packet mailing labels

7    homework -- the real stuff

8    shovel at home

9    tidy the sewing room

10   dig out the finished scarves for the fence

11    clean upstairs

12    prep cook for the week ...

 

thanksgiving

 

November -- the month to give thanks .. I am so thankful, grateful and blessed -- it's been a rough fall -- but projects are getting done, keeping up at the office (sort of) and the sun is shining -- it promises to be a beautiful day -- a beautiful 25' day .... 

summer pix from the lake -- those sunsets are the best 

As the week progressed -- I am so glad we went to the cabin last weekend and spent some time -- it was a nice weather weekend, a nice project weekend -- and it's always good to close out the season with an enjoyable stay .. 

my next project -- today/tomorrow - is to relocate Ruby -- she's got prime parking in the house garage .. needs to move to the shop for the winter .. I've been driving the jeep on bad weather days but -- the truck awaits me ... I've got stuff to haul home from the office .. and then one more office project is done

I had Kate install window kits -- I prepped she taped and did the ladder work -- my knee is acting up and ladder/bad knee is never a good combo -- not to mention the dizzies lately -- stress brings on dizzies .. so the job got done -- the "kitchen" window and I'm debating on the front picture window ... need to seal off the fireplace yet .. the bags of shredded paper got removed when that damn bird flew down the chimney and needed to be rescued .. (all in a day of 3rd street) 

so we roll ....

happy thanksgiving

and the end for 2025

I loaded up Mom and all her "stuff" and we went to the cabin yesterday and spent the night ... it was a beautiful weekend for a spot of lake time.   I had homework with me, I loaded up the tablet with books for her to read.   Book, TV and tea and she's a happy woman.

The neighbor was getting a new roof on Saturday -- it was a bit noisy -- but not as bad as I thought it would be ... my plans for yardwork got put on hold -- I didn't need an audience of roofers ..

sunsets never disappoint out there

today was dedicated to cleaning -- bed got stripped, floors got cleaned, fridge and freezer got emptied out .. ditto cupboards -- all the dishes got washed and stashed 

I "grouped" the flower pots and took the bird bath apart -- no leaves or mowing -- I should have but by then I was tired -- I didn't sleep well

the swing is stashed under the dock -- kind of weird and kind of cool at the same time.  It was a calm day on the water

see you in the Spring, cabin ... 

Starring at the lake has become my "me" time -- since late September I've really missed it -- we all need that one thing or place that ground us, calms us, puts life into perspective, the cabin and the lake is my space -- even if I'm working or reading.  I need to find that "place" during the busy times in my life or something that works to "destress / decompress."  

lately, I'm tired, crabby, testy, tired.  It's been a rough fall but I've learned a lot.    

 

supper road trip

 

the dranttels, gansens, and petersons had a supper road trip for supper last night .. The Thunder Bar in downtown Good Thunder Minnesota -- in addition to the 8 of us, the entire surrounding Good Thunder community was dining.  It was a crowd .. 

good food and good company

remember the salad bar days -- well they still have one .. 

I have to admit -- I was lost, a passenger in the back seat for a 30 minute drive .. lost in Blue Earth County -- we probably need to go back in the daylight just to see where we were ...

just call me a hoarder^

I noticed the deskpad in the cave was from 2024 .. so I brought one home from the office -- one from the file room desk .. 

I brought two home . and then I noticed upstairs desk was from 2019

argh.  reduce, reuse & recycle !!!!

   Another day in the life ... 20 minute meeting for TDS .. 20 minutes and 17 of us from the 9 county area .. I had scheduled my follow up dentist appointment for after the meeting.  Which I had assumed would be at least an hour ... so I had some time to burn.  I opted for the big HyVee .. which in 30 minutes I scored 4 bags and $75 of groceries.  The big HyVee has so much more than our "little" HyVee .. my treats -- freshly sliced sourdough, raspberries on sale!, mom's granola bars, shaved turkey, hunks of real cheese, salad kits, cookies and ripped up dried up bread for egg bake.  I've been super hungry for egg bake and I think I'll make some this weekend.  I don't know why, but I'm hungry for it.  

  My overpriced software got released on Tuesday night and we struck unable to print out of our planner software -- no printing to paper, to document mgmt or to a pdf file.  Evidently the big $$$ didn't cover the cost of actually sharing the finished product.

  The dentist is happy with my titanium rod and it's healing nicely -- next up is more fillings in January and the "crowning of the rod" in March.  It cost as much as a tiara ... just saying.

  Tomorrow is Friday and I'm really ready for Friday ... the endless project list needs to get whittled down over the weekend.  

   

I'm too old

 

just another entertaining week in my life ...

Monday -- clients, county, nose is dripping

Tuesday -- clients, irate county ee's, nose is really dripping

Wednesday -- county, clients --- and can't print a damn thing from my software

    so tonight I start googling why -- because the overpriced crap tells us nothing

    the crowdstrike outage.  WTH  and the damn nose is dripping out of control

looking for good things ...

   I sent flowers to special people

   I got my hair cut and Lori makes me beautiful

   Drugs for the drippy nose seem to be working

   Window kits are on the front room, green room, my office and the bathroom

   Laundry is done, garbage got picked up .. it didn't snow 

I'm going to make an iced coffee, head upstairs and read my book ... 

It's the best I can do this evening

Tomorrow is a new day 

and it will be better 

weekend warrior - November version

carla is never wrong!!!

Today's adventures

Dishes

Laundry

Vac Basement

Vac Porch

Start the roomba 

make lunch

more dishes

chop leaves with the lawn mower

   dirty job -

   mowed part of the lawn

dump flower pots in the woods

   aka: free composting

zip around on the atv

park truck in the shop

make supper

more dishes

laundry

and I did a 4 office projects 

 - mnpr

 - tax plannng

 - rec/je for 2 clients

 - drafted notes for year end

 - answered emails

surfed the internet

shopped the internet

   thank you kohls 40% off 

   thank you lands end 50% off

   thank you Amazon - gotta love coffee and cleaning supplies

what I didn't get done --

   the plan was to vac and wash all the vehicles .. 

   will need to be a night job this week ..

At least I didn't have to clean the upstairs  

this is leaf chopping -- only --- I have a front mount zero turn -- dirty dirty job .. at times it was tough to see thru the dust ... but they chopped up really well ... no raking needed, well no raking is going to happen --

my bed and my book are calling ... enough for one day

(coffee and a cookie too)