Getting Ready for Fall

Do you live in a place where the seasons change so much that you need to get ready for it?
We live in a place where the leaves turn to beautiful colors, the air has a nip in it, and where you can smell your neighbors fireplaces or wood stoves working. We pull out the big sweaters and electric blankets to keep warm.

Or do you live in place where it's always summer or spring?  If you do live in those places where it's always sunny and warm, I am envious of you.  We once lived in both New Mexico and Louisiana. There was something wonderful about wearing shorts on Christmas!

But for the rest of you, and for us now, we need to get ready for the cold weather that is coming our way.

The jobs seem to be divided between Hubby and me.  He does a few things and I do others.

We used to lose power almost every winter for several years. Our town and the utility company spent a lot of money and manpower and worked very hard to free up the power lines so that the last few years we have not lost power.  You know the saying right " The best laid plans..."  So we get ready to lose power anyway just in case.

One of the first things we do (I do) is clean these kerosene lamps.  We have several throughout the house.  Once the lamp is lit, it reflects in the disk behind it and so lights up the room.  We have them in the bedroom, kitchen, dining area, stairs, and family room.  In the event that we need them, they are clean and filled with fresh kerosene and even a new wick if needed.

The other thing to do is to rearrange  the closet.  Our house is old, so the closets are small.  I have some fall clothes up in the attic and I get them down and decide what I will be wearing. Now is the time to decide, did I wear it last year/ will I be wearing it this year?  If not, it goes into a pile to donate.  Winter coats - do they fit (yes we have more than one winter coat, some are long and really keep me warm, others are short and great for a quick trip out in the car, or to go out shoveling, or sledding.  Do they fit?  I lost a lot of weight and for the most part, none of them really fit me well at all.  So they are going to be donated.  Take pictures so you have a record of what you donated for tax purposes.
Go through all your clothes, PJ's, dresses, shoes, sweaters, sweatshirts, socks, whatever you have.  Now is the time to help others.  There are families-in-transition centers where those things can be used to help others.

Hubby bought the oil and wood pellet fuel for the winter, and I put the electric blanket back on the bed!  While I'm talking about the bed, is your bedspread nice but you just don't use it anymore, donate that as well.  Towels can also be donated (perhaps you have a favorite groomer, they can use the towels as they go through them fast).

There is more, but that is all I'm talking about today.  More, later this week.  Chime in! What have you done to get ready for the colder temperatures?

The Times They Are A Changing

I mean the weather up here.  It's 87 one day and the next it's 66!  Sunshine followed by rain.  After seeing so much damage over the past few weeks, it's a nice change.

My heart goes out to all those in the Carolinas who suffered so much with Hurricane Florence. I have two friends who I kept in contact with to make sure that they were ok.  They were both far from the coast but loss of power and high winds with rain still made a few scary days.  Luckily they and their family are all ok. I hope that any of my readers are also ok from this storm.

In Massachusetts, there was an underground build up of gas and a explosion happened, killing 1 and damaging 60+ homes.  Power is back on but no gas for those remaining homes  still standing and surrounding areas.  Peoples have been displaced from their homes as well.

Here in NH we are just starting fall clean up.  We put away summer and embrace fall and dread the onslaught of winter.  I love the colors of fall.  I love the burnt oranges, and dark yellows.  I love the smell of fires burning and ovens on cooking a roasting chicken or a roast.  I love sweat pants and sweaters.  I don't like the cold temps and frozen feet.  I don't like cold hands and snow up to my knees.  I don't like driving on snow covered roads and feeling like I'm trapped in the house for the next 5 months.

Do you get ready for the fall/winter season?  Do you have a list of what you do?  Do you and your "other half" each take part of the list or do you do it all?  Do you have pets? Do you get them ready for the seasonal change as well?

Over the next few posts, I'll tell you our routine and if you feel like sharing, you can tell me  your routine.  This should be fun.

Summer Hodgepodge.

Thank you Joyce for these questions,  I needed a reason to blog. 

1. What has been the highlight of your summer so far? (It's still summer people!)
Spending time with Hubby always makes me smile, going to the beach was certainly the highlight for me.  It was not very busy and the day was beautiful.  

2. What do you wish you'd done more of this summer? Less of?
I wish I had blogged more.  I didn't think people would want to know all about doctor's appointments or treatment updates which was most of the summer so I didn't blog about it.  What I wish I had done less of?  Have so many doctor's appointments and treatments. 

3. Something you're looking forward to on your September calendar?
We got the Ok to travel for the first time in over 3 years, so we are hoping to do just that.  Friday we are going on a whale watch which is not so much traveling as it is "getting out of the house" But I hope we get to go to Canada at some point this year.  

4. Best/favorite book you've read this summer?
A Touch of Deceit by Gary Ponzo.  I like mysteries and this was fun to read.

5. Share something positive, encouraging, or uplifting here.
Hubby and I are enjoying the start of school.  We don't have kids in schools but now that school is back in session, the lines are shorter, there are no overtired children in restaurants and we can travel!  We are looking forwarded to some day trips and some away trips.  That's so exciting for us, to get away and not worry about where the nearest hospital is or if the doctors there know about the meds I'm on and what to do in case of an emergency.  

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Summer may be unofficially over but the weather is still very warm (ok, some call it hot as in it's high 80's-low 90's)! I love it.  I hope it continues for a few more months before it gets cold because up here, it's cold for a long time!!!  

Catching Up

Good Morning,

Usually on Wednesday there is a Wednesday Hodgepodge from Joyce over at "From This Side of the Pond." Joyce is taking some well deserved time off.  You know letting life happen and being able to enjoy it and be present for it.  I'm so happy for her and proud that she recognizes that she needs to take time off.

It gives me an opporunity to play cahch up with all of you.

We are enjoying retirement and being able to make plans, change plans and do other stuff instead without feeling one bit upset about that.  We nap when we want to, eat when and what we want to,  and play at whatever we want to.  God is so good, allowing us this time together.

My health holds steady.  I'm on a new treatment that has "Death" listed as a possible side effect which was a bit scary at first, but 5 weeks into the new treatment, I'm still standing and feeling good.  There are heavy steroids involved which stay in my body for 36 hours so I have a "steroid high" for a solid day and half.  I'll take that over Death, any day!!  I still have good days and bad days but thanks to God, I've been blessed with more good days.  I feel so many prayers going up to God on our behalf.  To say that this treatment is a breeze would not be true, however, I'm holding up pretty well compared to others who are on this same regimen.

Our grandgirls are a blast to be around! They makes us feel both young and tired at the same time.  Our daughter and son-in-law are fantastic parents and have raised great girls.  We love having them around and are so happy that we get to watch them.  It both helps out our daughter and son-in-law with work schedules and allows us to play with them for a few hours a week.

Divine

August

Our Littles are still little and one of them, Divine, loves this summer  heat -which we are having a lot of - while August is like Hubby and looking for cool spots to wait this heat out.  AC is his best friend at the moment.

We are having a heat/rain wave.  It seams that it is either really hot or really wet!  We've had several days of downpours (glad we live on a mountain) and then it's just hot and muggy.  I love it but  no one else seems to.  Winter is long and cold up here in New Hampshire so when summer finally shows up, I take full pleasure in it.

Well, I guess that's me in a nut shell.  We are here, we are blessed, we are happy and happily retired.  
How are you doing?

Thank you once again Joyce for such great questions.  Here are my answers, give me yours. 

1. What's something in your house you'd like to get rid of but can't?

I would love to get rid of our windows.  They are old, tired, and I'm sure leak lots of cold air in the winter, which I hate.  Cost is the issue however.  We are not handy in those things so the cost would include not only the windows, but installing them. Oh well!!!!

2. When is the last time you experienced a sense of nostalgia? Elaborate.

This last weekend, we had the pleasure of having our grandgirls over for the night.  It was so wonderful seeing how sweet they are and how they are growing.  Our daughter is a wonderful mother and watching her with her girls brings tears to my eyes and swells my heart with pride.  


3. You're only allowed three apps on your smart phone or tablet...which three do you keep?

My Bible of course, so that I can have God's word with me always.  FB so that I can keep up with all the people I love, and Messages because I text more than I call these days.  


4. July 11th is National Blueberry Muffin Day. Who knew? Do you like blueberry muffins? If you were going to have a muffin would blueberry be your choice? What's the last thing you baked?

I do like blueberry muffins and that is my go to muffin when we do get muffins.  There are others that I like, Apple, Cinnamon and also Carrot.  But Blueberry is the one I order most.  The last thing that I baked was a long time ago when it was cool enough to turn on the oven.  I'm going to say that it was American Chop Suey.  

5. What's the biggest way you've changed since you were a child? In what way are you still the same?

WOW! This is a tough question! It's been a long time since I was a child. I would say that I am more confident now. I was very shy as a child (I sturttered when I spoke so I didn't talk much).  I am not so shy now.  I've embraced my being an introvert.  I am who I am and I am comfortable in my skin now.  
I still enjoy my own company.  I'm ok in a quiet house, or sitting in the back yard, or coloring in the morning.  
6. Insert your own random thought here.

We just had our president nominate a new Supreme Court Justince.  I hope and pray that he is passed through the process quickly and can start his new job soon.  I sometimes hear those other people complaining and whining about how they already don't like him (some complained even before he was nominated.)  They sound like a 2 years old having a temper tantrum! I want to put them in a time out in a corner untill they they grow up a bit.   Seems like they all want us to be tolerant of everyone and everything but only if it agrees with what they are tolerant of.  Too bad, I have my own mind and I will not be bullied by a 2 year old!  Have a great week everyone.