I am one of them now.

I did it.  I became one of those folks…I asked for and received a Fitbit.  I am wearing it for the third day and while I can’t say that it’s my favorite gift ever, I don’t mind it.  I am absolutely sure I am not using it to the full potential but I am learning a little more every day.

 

For example, a few minutes ago, I felt a little hum on my wrist.  Oh, the Fitbit says I should get up and walk a few steps.  Whether it knows I have been sitting in one spot too long or it’s because it knows I will never hit my “steps per day” goal doesn’t really matter I suppose.  It’s a good little nudge in a right direction.

I drug our elliptical out of the corner it was lodged in the basement so I could use it a little easier, too.   This is not necessarily a New Year’s Resolution but more of a “Why am I panting?” resolution.  I am losing steam and stamina far too easily these days and need to improve that!   I guess this Fitbit will log that for me as well as there is a little stick figure icon that appears to be using one of those accident waiting to happen contraptions as I scroll through the screens.  

It also lets me know if there is a text message on my phone and will allow me to read it.  That’s cool because I often have no idea where I laid my phone down.  Now THAT would be great ~  “Okay, so you need to walk around and look for your phone…if you don’t find it in 50 steps, I’ll tell you where it is.”

Luck or experience?

There have been many days that I haven’t planned much, haven’t shopped much and haven’t cooked much during this project.  Sometimes I feel really lame over dinner menus; I have mentioned this before.  Guilty even as the guy in the house works so hard.  Thing is, he will eat anything and appreciates everything, except maybe breakfast for dinner, which I will never understand.

Anyway, I came home from visiting grandkids earlier in the month and it seemed there was nothing in the pantry, fridge or freezer to make for dinner.  At least, not an assortment that would make a full meal and I was not in to going to the store.  There was a can of tuna, but no noodles for casserole, there was hamburger patties but no buns.  Three potatoes.  There was a container of chicken white meat taken off the bone from the deli.  A little cheese, a little frozen broccoli, wadded up in a bag and secured with a big fat rubberband.  

   

Hubs made chili for himself while I was gone, and there was some leftover…but he had eaten it for two days already.  I wasn’t about to offer him chili.  He had bought, but apparently forgot, a can of crescent rolls.  I don’t typically have crescent rolls around.  I like them okay but prefer hard rolls, or garlic bread.   Standing at the fridge, door open, trying to piece together ANYTHING that will look good on a plate, a meal was born.

 

I don’t often consider myself an inspired cook but this day, this magical night, for whatever reason, I managed to pull one together that was just enough food, just enough flavor, just enough of “hey, this is good”.  Of course, if he had not bought and forgot the crescent rolls, this would be another ending. Behold, my dish from nothing –

So good.  Throw some stuff in there from the fridge.  I literally had a small hunk of white cheddar cheese, that handful of frozen broccoli and some pecans.  That's about as close to a recipe as I can get.  I think if you have chicken, and crescent rolls, the rest can come together with some mayonnaise - REAL mayonnaise, and just about anything!  What's that you say? Hot mayonnaise?  I also had a can of cranberries that was left from Thanksgiving and it set this off perfectly as a side dish. I mean, this was luck, or experience, or both, and so very tasty.  Look at that cookie sheet. That's seen some love.    

Merry Christmas everyone.  I hope you get what you need and desire, if you are exchanging gifts.  I hope you are surrounded by loved ones, family and friends.  I hope you find joy in the little things, and laughter, oh, how I hope you have laughter.  

A reward at the end.

I spent a great weekend in my capitol city, where my daughters both live, this past weekend.  We had a big time even though the flu bug was running rampant through daughter #1's home.  Even the littlest boy, 7 months, has had it and not feeling great.

However, we visited a favorite store in the area, Sullivan's Hardware.  Yes, hardware.  It is the BEST store, with a great mix of hardware, home decorating and garden items.  I can't adequately describe it, really, but if you are ever in Indianapolis and want to go to a great retail location, Sullivan's at Keystone and about 71st.   Sullivan Hardware for more information.

A big snow was headed our way Sunday, so I delayed my return home until Monday morning.  To both allow time for the roads to be cleared and to drive during daylight hours.  I pressed my remote start key and began loading up my car, parked in daughter #2's drive, well on time and as planned.  A few trips, a walk around with little dog and into the car she goes, I put my key in the ignition and shut the door, running back inside for a minute to make sure I hadn't left anything.

You guessed it.  I just successfully, because I shut the door (so little dog wouldn't get out) but also did not turn my key on to disengage the remote start, locked the poor girl in the car, which soon exhausted the "run time" for the remote...which automatically locked the doors.

She laid down on her little bed, perfectly content to be away from toddlers and other dogs and I paced.  I have been a very bad old lady of late and have been ignoring my blood pressure, my blood sugar and all around nutrition.  I have suffered from a TAD of moodiness and a BIT of forgetfulness because of those things being slightly elevated (I say, having diagnosed myself) and I am committed anew to managing those items which I can control better.  Might as well mention that because I was now two hours behind I had to cancel my doctor's appointment scheduled for this very afternoon, so my physician could agree with my diagnosis...or correct me.

But,  I paced, rather than freak out.  I took deep breaths and watched my daughter scurry around, try to unlock the door with a water bottle, a plunger and a coat hanger while we waited for the locksmith guy, who was out on another job.  She didn't get it, but, bless her heart, she tried.  If she had a stronger coat hanger, she would have gotten it, as she knew just what to do.  I love her little resourceful heart.

So, little dog was just fine although starting to get a little nervous as she watched me, my daughter and the locksmith all peer through the windows at her, and tap on the glass, after she laid content on her little bed in the front passenger seat for more than two hours.  It was cold, but the car had been running before she got in, and she seemed to take it in stride.  She was glad to get out for a minute, while daughter and I cheered, hopped right back in and off we went, $95 and three minutes later.

The closer I got to home, the snowier things became, with fluffy snow on branches of towering trees. When I arrived home, the sky and water were a spectacular aqua shade, with white, white snow and white, white swans on the lake, with a full white, white moon rising.  It was a postcard scene and I was glad to be in it.  Hubs had cleaned some of the construction mess up and the kitchen was tidy. Well, sorta.  He made chili and seemed to have a problem at the stove top but all is well; at least he can feed himself!

Faded memories.

I continue to learn to be a patient person.  Now, yes, I am 62 years old and you would think I might know this by now, but, it is not a skill I have mastered.  At least, not as of yet.  So I’m learning.  I’m learning that you can’t always get what you want, but you can get some stuff.
 

The mantel for Christmas is a no go.  I am accepting.  I am going to be patient as I know when it does happen, it will be awesome.  Even though I would love for it to be here when my son and his wife arrive from 2000 miles to spend just a few days here at Christmas and I could show him how cute it is, I am moving on.  Next.

I did secure two of the cutest little ottomans during Target’s Black Friday sale and they will be positioned under my two new skinny windows (yes, on either side of the fireplace) against newly painted grey walls.  They are also grey, darker and just perfect as they could be.  I am so pleased with them and although they won’t last forever, I know this, they are perfect right now.  I hope to go get my chairs next week, although hubs is reluctant.  I am sure the furniture store would like me to clear them out since they have been in since October.

In the meantime, while learning more about patience than I care to learn, I have set a few things out to decorate for the holidays.  Not a lot of things, but, the grandkids will be here later this month for a quick weekend stay, and well, you know, they have to see some of GiGi’s prized Christmas do-dads.  I stopped putting up a tree a few years ago as we are now out of town on Christmas morning.  I do have one little tree that holds many Santa ornaments.  That was kind of my thing back when I was accumulating more ornaments than any one person needs.  Honestly, if I see one that is too cute to pass up, I still will grab one.  They bring me a bit of joy, you know?

I’ve written before about growing up in a mobile home and not having much from my childhood, at least, nothing big or bulky or more than I could carry on my own.  I have my Raggedy Ann doll and she is raggedy.  I have some report cards and school papers, and only because they are flat.  I am sure I must have made Christmas ornaments.  I know I made miles of that construction paper garland – every kid has.  My big memory from Christmas as a kid was the aluminum tree with the rotating light to shine on it.  My mom was so proud of it and her satin ornaments.  She was pleased for several years with that tree.  It folded up nice and small and I swear I have no idea where she kept that thing from year to year.  Did she keep things in the trunk of her car? Mobile homes are not big on storage areas.  Give this some thought and you will understand why I have nothing from my childhood.  Just good ol’ Raggedy Ann and memories as faded as she is.

Christmas memories.  Maybe I will spend some time this week unlocking some Christmas memories long filed away in the corners of my brain.  I read long ago that the memory portion of your brain has to “warm up”…that’s why you are better at Trivial Pursuit at the end of the game than you were at the beginning.  When I am practicing patience this week, I will also warm up the brain for some more Christmas memories.  Something more than that dang metal tree.