Finding My Footing...and This & That

 Retraining myself  to blog(among other things) is turning out to to be a bit more of a challenge than I first thought.

At first I thought posting every day would be  my new schedule, but that was seriously expecting too much. So then I decided to try 3x a week. A Weekend Review Post on Mondays, a Absolutely Random post on Wednesdays and A Weekday Review on Fridays. Apparently my life is much duller than I originally thought. Yesterday I was so busy at work I didnt get a chance to write a post. So apparently my work life is more active than my homelife. 

Not sure if that is a good thing or not.

So, I guess the posting schedule I've decided on is Mondays and Thursdays. Sounds perfect.

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Do y'all remember the Big Candy Department at SEARS Department store in Greenville? I don't know if they was all like that, but oh the JOYS when we went there. You walked in and immediately hit by the smell of warm roasted nuts of all types (Cashews, Almonds, Peanuts, Brazil nuts,...)and Chocolate of all  kinds- M&Ms, all the choc covered nuts, orange slices, jelly beans, coconut slice bars.....all day suckers, and these strange jelly candies(kind of like Jelly Babies but covered in milk chocolate instead of powdered sugar like Jelly Babies are. OMG it was ah-mazing. AND- the day after Thanksgiving- the Garden Department was transformed into Santa's Workshop (conveniently located behind the TOY DEPARTMENT which is located directly behind the CANDY DEPARTMENT)- Think Santa's workshop in the Movie ELF with Will Ferrell- almost exactly like that but without the Mona Lisa.

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As you can tell, I'm already trying to pre-plan where things will go for Christmas in the new house. We better enjoy it because I'm pretty sure we wont be in it next Christmas.

There are issues with the house- pretty serious ones too. I've been there 6 months and I'm getting so stressed out trying to deal with it all. The basement floods sporadically, The windows are screwed shut- the window panes are barely hanging in the frames and need recaulking, the floor by the back door is sinking more and more each day, the whole kitchen floor is held up in the basement by support poles, the roof needs some repairs done- just from looking at it from the outside we can tell- we haven't tried to open the attic access to have a look up there(which is also screwed shut btw) and the deck on back of the house is pulling away from the house as well. We don't let more than 4 ppl sit back there at a time for that reason.

We're looking for  another place in the Easley High School area(we really want Alyssa to graduate as a GREEN WAVE) but finding something in our price range is next to  impossible- that's why we moved to the place we are in now- it was the closest affordable place we found in the 4.5 months we were looking at that time too. 

But I'm determined to find something by the time to get our tax refund back. I cant do this  100+ miles a day 5 days a week commute to work for much longer...Plus I'm tired of dealing with having to throw food from the fridge away because it freezes and thaws food(in the fridge part- not the freezer part, mind you) and the landlord dilly dallying about trying to save money when this is an ongoing issue being nickel and dimed to death instead of just buying another fridge and  being done with it. Maybe "Mr. 20 Properties Owner" can afford to waste a fridge of food on a regular basis, but "Ms. I Bust My Ass and Am Barely Scraping By" most certainly cannot- I assure you. Even if I was more prosperous and could afford to do that- I wouldn't- I wasn't brought up to live like that- I was brought up by thrifty parents who lived comfortably by counting every penny and not wasting anything and making opportunities rather than beating a dead horse.

I'm just done with the situation and am looking towards a brighter future.

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On a happier note- I am now looking forward to not one but TWO trips in the next few weeks to Hobby Lobby. Not to BUY anything(although I would LOVE to be able to go in there and have one of everything and in a few cases- three of certain things.) but to get inspiration for using what I have to  mimic the things I would love to have most.  I'm hoping to go Saturday with my daughter- and then again by the first week in November with Thelma...or is it Louise? (My bezzie, Rhonda, and we switch roles depending on the day and our moods.)

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LOL... That's it for today.

See y'all Monday!!!

Have a Great weekend! 

Nervous Nellie...

 

My entire life I have had predictive dreams(nightmares)- and they have usually come true with a scarily high percentage of accuracy.

So, a couple of years back I woke from a dead sleep thinking "My DoD is going to be October 29th 2029."... and that one thought has preyed on my mind in October ever since. It's cost me sleep and as October 29th draws closer every year I find myself getting more and more anxious. It's not my favorite month of the year, for sure and certain.

I know the date was October 29, 2029...but what if it was just October 29th...and I inserted the 2029 part subconsciously? 

It could be ANY October 29th.....Upcoming in near future- in a few days or in 2029, or when I'm 79- or 109.

It's really affecting my mental health stressing about it. I drove to work this morning crying and praying for the Lord to help me stop stressing about it. 

Yesterday when my son showed up for our Sunday visit, when he got ready to leave I gave him an extra long hug and burst into tears when he drove out of sight. Same with my daughter- before I toddled off to bed I have her an extra long hug and kiss and told her I love her sooo much. And again, I cried when I got to my room.

I know no one but God knows when we will be called home, but that certainly is not being much of a comfort in my situation.  

The weekend went well tho, On Saturday me, my daughter and my granddaughter set up the Halloween decorations on the front porch. It looks super cute!!! I'd show photos but I'm not sure how to do that quite yet on my phone. Then later we went on a little drive down to see a house near us that has loads of Animatronics and a sound show with it. Grandson 3 followed us with his little family and we really enjoyed watching the babies be amazed!!!

Then I made a huge pot of soup and a pan of cornbread for supper Sunday. Also a pan of fudgey brownies for dessert. Bit of a hiccup there as Grandson 3 came but didn't stay for supper- some sort of drama or other going on- then Son and his Girlfriend came by and although they didn't eat then because they had a late lunch, they did take enough home to eat for their supper later on. Thank Goodness.

So now we have a half a huge pot of soup left in the fridge. We can't freeze it because part of it was frozen already and cant be refrozen without safety concerns...

So here I sit Monday Morning- trying to simultaneously not think about the upcoming date- but also trying to figure out how to stop stressing about it.

The life of an adult.....

Bov Jovi Wednesday-Halfway There/Living on a Prayer

 Hey-Ho-It's Mid-week!!! 

I call it Bon Jovi Day because we are Halfway thru my workweek and I'm living on a prayer- despite Tuesday being my Payday!! 

So today I head to my Bezzie's place to have a girls night.  We try to do this every week but sometimes- life gets in the way and we have to postpone.

I go in to work and when I get off I head towards Easley. A substantially shorter drive than from work to Anderson. The only thing I dread about it is the short distance I drive thru Powdersville traffic. It's absolutely horrendous that time of day- mostly because there are five schools along that route and school dismissal time is EXACTLY the time of day I'm arriving at each one. Bah Humbug. So I truly AM living on a prayer.

Anyway, although we sometimes mix it up- usually I stop at the local PUBLIX and grab our dinner just about a half mile from Bezzie's apartment. And typically we have Sushi for dinner. No one at my house eats it- and Bezzie's mom wont eat it, but we love the stuff. We've decided our favorite is the Crunchy California Roll. And believe me- we have tried every combo they have! The only thing we differ in is our choice of flavorings. I like mine with a goodly amount of Soy Sauce and just a TOUCH of wasabi....She prefers hers plain with the ginger. 

After dinner is finished, we either just sit and talk until bedtime or we watch a couple of movies or  a few YouTube videos on the TV (Along with talking about anything and everything DURING either of those as well!). It keeps us sane. Whatever is on our minds is what we talk about whether it be Serious or Silly-it doesn't matter- it's no Holds Barred. We have been best friends for almost 60 years (since 1967)- so we have no secrets from each other- but the amount of inside jokes is astronomical! 

Thelma & Louise -We switch on who is who depending on our mood or situation on any given day. But always- each other's Ride or Die. 

We have another Bezzie that we have been Bezzie's with since Junior High- about five years less than our friendship. Call ourselves "The Three Amigos/ Musketeers". We all consider each other a chosen sister. And My sisters are considered their sisters as well. Occasionally we all three go out to have a meal together- and even more rarely-once in a blue moon-we ALL get together to go out and have a meal together.

The day before Halloween us Three Amigos/Musketeers are planning to dress as Modern Witches and get together for a meal. That should be fun. I want us to wear the classic witches hats- but one of us (not saying which) doesn't want to go the whole nine yards. And That's okay....I'm not making any promises that I wont wear one tho...... Depends on my mood- sometimes I'm in a hat mood-and on those days I can pull it off with confidence- but on other days you couldn't pay me to wear one. And either is perfectly normal- for me. 

Maybe I should have been born a Gemini.

Establishing Traditions...

 Since moving back to lovely South Carolina, I've been trying to establish (or RE establish)  a few traditions for my family.

One I am particularly enjoying is Sunday Dinner at Nanny Vada's!!!

On Sundays I have taken to making a big one pot meal- Shepard's pie or a stew, Coq au Vin, or even a pot of soup. ....something easy and filling like you would have had a Grandma's house. Plus, a big pan of made-from-scratch biscuits and a simple dessert. Whichever of the family shows up- eats with us at 5pm sharp. 

So far only my two kids and a couple of the grandkids have shown up(with their babies -the ones that have them), but I'm just getting this tradition established. One of the grandsons and his little growing family live about 50 miles away, so he and his family haven't shown up yet- but hopefully they will get to start coming in the near future. Also- my son's kids haven't come for one yet- but they are certainly invited and all are welcomed with open arms!!

Also, we are eagerly anticipating the first frost of Autumn so we can continue with our First Frost Chili Weekend. Huge pot of chili with Shredded cheese , Sour cream, and Fritos. And SMORES for dessert!!!

THIS is what I missed when I was living overseas... having family gatherings and getting to see my babies- all of them!!!

How Blessed I am to have this JOY given back to me again!!!!

Still Working On It....

 About three years ago- I started writing my memoirs. 

Kind of La-di-dah, huh?

Not really- I just have a lot of stories to tell and I know at some point my friends and family are going to prob say- I once knew this crazy girl and I wonder how she got to be that way. Right now life is getting in the way of me and them discussing some of these things, but someday they will wonder- just like there are a million things I wish I had asked my loved ones before they passed but never got around to. Not everyone is given the option of dying of old age.

All they have to do is read the thing and they will get their answers. Well, most of them.

And yes- I've reach a point in them where I get emotionally drained from the memories and I have to take a bit of a break for a couple or three months... my life has had some very traumatic events take place.

I'm struggling a bit at this point- right now I'm getting the general stories in place but later on there will be some of the more serious things to delve into. My struggle is; how much of a tell-all do I want to subject my people to? 

There are some things that I could write about that could be cautionary tales, but on the other hand, do I really want to show stupidly naïve I was when I was younger? And I'm talking REALLY REALLY STUPIDLY so. I look back now and think, "Really, Sunny? REALLY???"

Yes, definitely struggling with the things to come, but I'm still working on it.

Thoughts?

Three Sick Girls

 This past two weeks have been quite challenging at our house.

All three of us ladies have been very poorly. I have had Flu-Type A... My daughter has been battling an Upper GI bug, and the granddaughter has been battling women's woes... and now it seems she may be coming down with what her mom has had too.

None of us has felt like eating much other than broth.....although we have tried to eat something a bit more substantial from time to time to no avail.

Luckily, knock on wood, I am back to somewhere around 90% today. Still a bit of tender throat, still a little hoarse from coughing up the yuk, but otherwise I'm Alive!!!!!

Last week we got our fridge repaired.... well, all week long we've been trying to get the temperature regulated on it.... every day lowering it (or it it raising it?) a fraction more(or less?) The dial says coldest on the far right, and then OFF on the far left.... we have it as close to OFF as it will go now and it's STILL freezing everything we put in it. Milk, Gallons (2) of tea, eggs, lunchmeats, fresh veggies- everything is freezing.

So I informed the landlord and he's going to contact the repairman for another visit tomorrow. Visit number three. For what he's paying in repair services we could have had a new fridge.

Sometimes, less is NOT more.

Looking Back and Wondering...

 I've just been looking back at some of my oldest posts and reading them and- most importantly- the comments.

I loved reading these peoples comments and I tried finding their blogs... but alas- I haven't found a single one that is still available and in use....

Some of my fav commenters are:

MC Etcher

OzzyC

Lisa

Mad Munky

Silver Creek Mom

Vicarious Living

I would love to hear from them if any still have or have changed their blogs.