Week 45 - Good and Bad

It was another chock full week of getting things done and running around with some edification too. A lovely week of retirement life. Mostly.

It was raining on Monday so the cats didn't wake me up. Despite the late start, I got a lot done. I went through the freezer, organizing it and clearing the ice off of some of the things in the way back, which I think was from a blocked vent or something. With that done, I made an apple pie to take to knitting and then made a batch of strawberry/banana jam. Yum on both and we knitted especially late at the library that night.

Aside from voting, I spent the day avoiding media so finished the last bit of the freezer (I hadn't done the door and a basket of bags of fruit) and then dyed some yarn. I did the same brand but one bit plain and one sparkle and dyed them red in the same pot. My intention is to knit striped Christmas socks with 4 rows each of the plain and sparkle, which will be subtle but hopefully fun. Things were looking bad by the time I went to bed but I'm determined not to worry about our country for the next 4 years. We survived his last term and we'll survive his next one too. I ordered some sock yarn as a pick me up. : )

I did a Lincoln run on Wednesday. I needed to pick up cat food for Husker Cats but the woman had forgotten about me so instead of picking it up on the way into town, I had to go back after lunch. Lana, Cindy and I went to the Chinese buffet, which I've been craving for months. We commiserated about the election but not for long because what's the point? I picked up the cat food and had a nice chat in the parking lot when Mike Z. helped me load it into the bin. After a stop at the grocery store, I headed home for tea and to cake up my newly dyed yarn, one of which was a tangled mess. I made quiche which I had with some wine while watching Survivor. I survived the depressing day.

Lorri had invited me to a talk out at the lake about woodlands in Nebraska so I was up, dressed and out the door early on Thursday. The NRD (natural resources district) put it on and it was interesting. While we were there, Lorri mentioned another program at her church that afternoon about the history of Wahoo's churches that the museum was giving. I invited myself and Lorri and Bob picked me up. I should have but didn't expect a social hour afterwards, complete with church lady baked goods. It was a gorgeous day so I walked home. I ended up being online with Philippe, the computer guy from work, until 6:00 fixing a problem I'd had while working last week. It was a good day.

I woke up with no plans on Friday but saw an ad on TV for a baking sale at HyVee and they were practically giving away baking ingredients. I'm talking $.99 for flour, $2.99 for butter, $1.79 for sugar and more. It was all so cheap that it was worth the drive, especially because gas is also much cheaper - like $.40/gallon cheaper - in Omaha so that savings pays for the gas to get there. I had to be at the library at 5:00 so got in the car early and ran to Omaha for HyVee and a couple of other errands. I was home by 1:00. 

Merry Market, which is a city-wide holiday sale, started Friday night. Since the library participates with their holiday decoration sale but closes at 5:00, I always go from 5:00 to 8:00 and sit with Denise for the few people who trek the 2 blocks from the main street to shop the sale. I picked up a pizza on the way there for our supper. It was a rainy night so we had very few customers and Denise made the executive decision to close up at 7:00 and said we wouldn't be stay late for it next year. I was ready for a relaxing weekend.

Beside chores, the only thing I needed to do was sew a project bag that I'd offered as an October prize in my online sock group. After chatting with friends all morning, I headed downstairs, determined to get it done and in the mail that afternoon before the Monday holiday with no mail. I used the first Christmas fabric I found, which happened to be a pair of pajama pants I'd bought for the fabric. I slammed it out and got it in the mail in the nick of time then went down and made another one for me. Isn't it cute?

I did chores on Sunday and was pretty happy with my week but then Tot didn't come in that night. She never stays out overnight when it's cold so I was worried. I called and called, getting out of bed several times and walking the street with a fleece over my nightie at 2:30 am. No cliffhangers here. She did come in Monday morning - not first thing but after I'd been up for awhile. She was very skittish and had a bloody ear so something had gotten her. Good thing she's up on her shots. 

So other than the election results and the Tot worrying, it was a good week. If this is what retirement looks like, I'll continue to be happily retired. I got things done, did some fun cooking, crafting, dyeing and learned stuff too. I'll take more like this but without the worrisome end.