MONDAY, MONDAY …

My Monday is extremely b.u.s.y. today – there is LOT going on.

And I’m okay with that.

I need to stay busy and keep my mind occupied with things in the present.

And tonight is Craft Meet night ... I can unwind as my yarn unwinds and my project takes shape. So around 6:30 p.m. tonight, the busyness will start to wind down :-D

Early this morning I had to run into town to drop something off, so while I was downtown I made several stops at various stores to make purchases I have been putting off – it is still hard for me to do things without Bob being beside me. We did everything together for so long that I just can’t work up the want to do what we used to do together … but after watching the birds time and time again over the months come to the empty feeder and fly off with a WTHeck look on their faces – and at least 1 bird family is being set up in the birdhouse, I decided today was the day to face what needs to be done and then DO IT.

So I did.

First off after dropping off the papers that catapulted me into town in the first place, I stopped at Winco to grab some groceries – and walked out with more than intended; oh well, I needed to do stockpile shopping anyway. Today was as good a day as any.

Then, with the backend of the car practically dragging, I drove across the border and nipped into Wilco where I bought a variety of bird seed to satisfy every disgruntled bird that has been on a starvation diet at our pad since October … I have been feeling guilty because they have literally been singing for their Supper and I have been ignoring them: that was not very nice of me since they faithfully serenade me with soothing tunes. But they will be well fed and happy tonight ;-)

Car sufficiently stocked with provisions for me and my feathered friends, I whisked over to the grocery warehouse by the airstrip airport and spent way too much there too; I only intended to nip some freezer bags, but came out with cookathon containers – which really are needed. I enjoy cooking, and I need to clean last year’s harvest out of the freezer to make way for this year’s bounty: and I want to get to the butcher in Yelm too, to restock the meat provisions; which Bob and I would have done already. Yelm is a 2 hour trip 1 way, so it will be pretty much an all day event when I get to it - and I will be doing it solo this year; I need to be sure I can get there and back without having a meltdown. Not quite ready to do it on my own yet … but soon.

If I say that out loud enough it may actually get done.

Anyway.

Getting back to “in the present” happenings of today …

Recrossing the border and driving Industrial Way heading home the long way home, I realized that with all the moohlah I dropped at Winco earlier I still forgot the eggs! So I nipped into Wal*Mart – and came out with 7 skeins yarn too (not on sale; this was Wal*Mart, not Joanne's). To justify the expenditure I really do have to make hospital shoulder shawls for the cancer ward: I made a lot of baby and child things through February and March, and now it is time to make adult items.

That is my justification and I’m sticking to it.

If there is time at Craft Meet tonight after I put the edging on the Pink n’ Purple Lapghan, I will start on a variegated blue shoulder shawl for a male. It may sound strange, but male patients actually use shoulder shawls when the chills start, so I want to make a type of prayer shawl wrap a male will feel comfortable using, and one light enough that it won’t cause them discomfort due to weight issues.

After I got back home and the groceries were put away, I got busy sterilizing all the bird seed so it won’t sprout under the feeder; it is an aching pain in the lower back to pick the growth out of the lava rock once it gets established – and the famous and constant PNW rains always seem to help that chore along. So, this year I am solving that problem before it has a chance to catch fire.

As soon as I had some cooled seed buffet mixes, I filled the feeder ... and noted how shabby the front steps are looking - the previous owners did not use quality paint when they painted the house, and the construction crew that remodeled the kitchen in 2017 after we purchased this house tore the stairs up hauling kitchen appliances in and out: if for no other reason, the stairs alone would be what Candy would focus on when she does her maintenance walkaround this month. Bob and I already knew we would have to paint the house sooner rather than later, so I am glad Shaun will be coming around the end of the month to paint the exterior of our home - I kinda beat Candy to the punch on this issue ;-)

After the constant busyness of this Monday, I am sooooo looking forward to the Craft Meet tonight where I can actually sit for a little while and do nothing but relax with my crafts and listen to the chatter of the other crafters ;-)