SCENES FROM A SPINSTER SATURDAY NIGHT

A light dinner...shrimp cocktain and chopped salad with rotisseri chicken: 

And a few minutes on the balcony enjoying the new furniture and lights:

Happy Sunday, Dearies. I am back out on the balcony this morning with my damn good and the paper. No agenda today other than a little laundry, some stitching, and rest. I stayed up too late watching news (which I haven't done in over a year), and now I remember why.

Lots of stitching will be done this week, so help me. Stay tuned!

IF NOT NOW...WHEN?

NOW WE'RE TALKING...

I may stay out here all day. JB is playing the golf at noon, and I am seriously contemplating spending the day out here with damn good and stitching.

And maybe some music.

Or....better yet....I'll just enjoy the tweeting of the birds.

It is simply beautiful here in Hoosierville today, Dearies. I think it's about 70 degrees and there is no humidity. Big white puffy clouds are lounging their way across a lovely and clear bright blue sky.

All is well.

All is well.

HOLEY SCHMOLEY

Oh my goodness, I am so very much out of sorts, Dearies!

I think it's the universe's way of smiting me for walking around smugly declaring that this quarantine thing has been no big deal for me and that I don't know why everybody is complaining about being able to stay inside with nothing to do and nowhere to go.

It's not that I actually want to go anywhere (let's face it...I never do). It's just that I am so completely out of whack with my eating and sleeping and stitching and doing. Nothing is organized or familiar, and whatever semblance of order I had imposed is right out the window.

So much for relaxed control of my life, huh?

It certainly doesn't help matters that I am battling major waves of nausea, and that nobody seems to know why or from whence it arrived. One doc thinks it's allergies, one thinks it's low blood pressure, and another thinks it's me being me and/or Crohn's related.

What I do know is that the waves are a big pain in my heiney, and I would almost rather do anything on the planet than nausea.

Blech.

I confess that I have also been "shopping" like a crazy drunken sailor. I scroll and scroll and scroll and fill up shopping cart after shopping cart full of the weirdest stuff. Eyebrow pencils and exercise equipment and personal portable air conditioners and anything that pops up on Insta as the latest and greatest gadget. I've only indulged once or twice, and only if the resulting order is less than a few dollars, but it certainly makes for an interesting discovery when I open the delivered package.

Yesterday's shopping was, however, totally different. I discovered Costco delivery! Oh my gosh....I went a little crazy, but I am happy to report that we are now very well stocked with fresh vegetables and other healthy things to get us through several weeks. My task tomorrow will be to sensibly divide, prep, and store these things (sliced peppers in bags frozen, etc) as well as cook the slab of Fred Flintstone dry rub ribs that somehow made their way into the cart.

(What can I say? A spinster cannot live on salads alone.)

Thank you for all of your diet suggestions and recipes. I have to say....my complaining about eating bad is probably a bit overstated, since I am well within transplant guidelines and all of my bloodwork is looking very good. I do, however, want to get back to actively losing a pound or two a week and get below 200 pounds by the end of the summer. That, I am positive, would make a huge difference to how I feel, since I don't think I've been under that number in my adult life.

Stitching wise...I just need to put the screens away and get in the chair and get needle and thread back  in hand and quit fooling around. I'm growing increasingly tired of pitting my head on my pillow and thinking that I should have stitched instead of scrolled Instagram for three hours.

So there you have it, Dearies. Your spinster is, as usual, a hot mess of sloth, indecision, queasiness, and frustration. If I were a two year old I would send me to bed with my blanket and a fuzzy book until it passes, but alas, there is dialysis to do and people to annoy.

I hope that you are ready and raring for a fabulous weekend! I might take my own advice and try to accomplish just one or two things to make me feel more productive, and I will definitely get in some serious stitchy time!

What's on your agenda?

SUCCESS!

I managed to stay on track food-wise all day yesterday for the first time in a long while. JB had a hankering to try Chick-fil-a, so I opted for the spicy Southwest chicken salad, and it was very good:

Fresh greens, grilled spicy chicken, corn, black beans, tortilla strips, pepitas, and a lovely salsa dressing and I was all set!

Today I've had my damn good and a bagel, with plans of salmon and veg for dinner. JB will have a pork cutlet, but I'm not a huge fan so fish it will be for me.

It is so very gloomy today that I have no excuse not to stay in bed and nap, read, and stitch, which is exactly what I'm going to do as soon as the papers are read and the kitchen is tidied. I suppose I could fish out my long list of to dos, but nope....today is for loafing.

Happy Thursday, Dearies! I hope your corner of the world is calm and happy today and that you get to enjoy every moment of it. Come tell me all about it!

This fat bottomed girl better get back on the stick. I keep gaining and losing the same ten pounds, it seems. I keep hearing about the "Quarantine Fifteen", but if I'm not careful I'm going to end up right back where I started. 

Smoothie for breakfast today.

Salad for dinner.

Period.

TUESDAY

It's 8:00 and I have no idea where the day went. We did, however, have a nice dinner of stuffed mushrooms and a snack platter....

SUNDAY

We're off to a good start:

A wonderful haul from Aunt Chrissy's etsy shop:

The name of her shop is called SiggysCloset. She also has an Insta page @siggyscloset if you'd like to see what she's up to!

My JB is playing the golf, and I am settled in with a Downton marathon on PBS and some Baked Alaska:

Tonight's dinner will be bar-b-que ribs, corn on the cob, tomatoes, and various and sundry salads with a little coffee ice cream for dessert.

A very happy Sunday indeed!

SATURDAY

Slept late.
Light breakfast.
Read all of the papers.
Washed, dried, and folded towels.
Organized pantry, fridge, and freezer.
Hot scrubby shower.
Mani/pedi.
Made burgers on English muffins.
Watching Casablanca and stitching.
The perfect Saturday...priceless.

OEY, WITH THE QUEASY ALREADY!

Where I am at the moment:

And where I'd like to be:

The fever has gone completely, but I am still a bit green about the gills, I'm afraid. This, however, has not kept me from drinking vats of fluid or contemplating a ham sandwich and planning a ridiculous menu for the long weekend.

I better snap myself back into sorts, and soon, because even I am growing bored with my lounging about staring at the proverbial walls.

Phooey.

Hold please....the new dietician/nutritionist is here to talk at me and show me pictures of plastic food.

(Cue the soothing elevator music)

Well, most of my numbers are within acceptable levels. I need to be better about some things and stay the course with others.....pretty much the exact same report I get every month. More attention will be paid, a few pills will change here and there, and all will be right with me once again.

If all goes well, the pool at the apartment complex will open today, but for now I am just going to look from afar. The truth of the matter is that I am just nor psychologically ready to venture forth into the great unknown yet, Dearies, and I'm OK with that.  I'll get there...I know I will, but for now, me and my mask are staying inside.

So that's the report for the day. I am contemplating having a no electronics weekend, since I have been wasting entirely too mich time staring at a screen instead of something lovely. If you don't hear from me, please don't fret....I'm just putting my toes in the sand so to speak and will be back soon.

If you observe, I hope you have a wonderful long weekend and a safe and happy Memorial Day!

I'LL GET THERE EVENTUALLY...

Today is a bit better day than I've had in the last few weeks. The general medical consensus is that they have no earthly idea what is wrong with me, but whatever it is seems to be taxying for departure.

I originally thought it was Crohn's related, then perhaps a reaction to too much cbd/thc, or maybe a stomach bug, or even allergies, but I decided that there was no point in fretting over it and wringing my hands in despair, so I got on with it. The fever has abated completely, and the queasy feeling now comes and goes rather than remains constant.

The bottom line is that I am beyond super careful when it comes to being healthy (with the exception of eating like a thirteen year old boy every now and then), and I have not ventured outside or been in close contact with anybody except d-chair techs since this started. I wash my hands to the point of obsession, and JB have not been within ten feet of each other since March 10th. (Yes. I am keeping track.)

Having said that...I have absolutely no problem with the rest of the world trying to get back to normal. If y'all want to go get your groove on...do so with impunity as far as I'm concerned. Just allow me the same courtesy to not partake, thankyouverymuch, and we'll be just fine.

OK. Back to my "recovery". I am showered and in fresh pajamas, and the bed is all clean and sparkly with summer weight sheets and blankets for today's nap. There is a lovely breeze coming in the window, and if I'm lucky the kids will be out soon playing and giggling in the courtyard. (I love to eavesdrop on their games).

Happy um....whatever day it is today. I hope you are well and safe and doing whatever your heart desires! Thank you for the love, Dearies! You continue to amaze and overwhelm me with your..."you-ness"!)

DANG IT

I'm sick.

The nausea started Friday night, and the fever started Monday. They sent me home from dialysis with strict instructions to call the doctor today if I'm not feeling better and to head to the ER if the fever doesn't break.

SUNDAY

SATURDAY

My Jersey Boy is playing the golf, so I am taking advantage of the quiet to get back to Baked Alaska. I am slowly making my way across the lower left corner, with slowly being the key word.

I feel like I have been underwater this week, and all I've done is sleep. My nurse at treatment yesterday suggested that it might be seasonal allergies, which I appreciated, but I think my tiny little brain has finally thrown her hands up and said "Screw it. I'm going to bed."

My dreams, however, are anything but ordinary. They seem to be full-on movies with intricate plots and interesting characters and surprise endings. Some leave me laughing and hopeful. Others make me want my Mommie.

We have full provisions for the week thanks to a grocery shop this morning. I actually had the wherewithal to plan a menu and write a good list, so all Magoo had to do was find the items as requested. Tonight will be burgers on English muffins and potato salad, tomorrow will be no peek chicken with rice and a green veg, and next week we'll have salmon and au gratin potatoes, steak tips on rice, and pork cutlet with broccoli rabe.

(Before you remind me that I am trying to lose another 50 pounds before Wednesday, I will promise you that my portions of said menu will be very small and salad will fill the majority of my plate.)

The towels and bedding are getting their splosh today, and if all goes well, I might actually consider washing a wall or two to see what formula works best on the soot. I bought a soot erasing sponge (also called a chemical sponge), but it doesn't seem to do the job. Today, though, I think I will try some good old Dawn dish soap and hot water on the front door wall:

Yikes! I am embarrassed to show you how filthy that is! My mo-ther and Stewey would both be completely mortified.

Happy Saturday, Dearies! I hope your neck of the woods is lovely and peaceful today and that you get to do whatever your heart desires! Come tell me all about it!

MAY 13TH MAKES ME....SAD

It's the day Stewey was born at Willowswamp Farm in Ligonier, Indiana....he would have been 15 today:

And the day Dad died...16 years ago today:
This man was a hero. He was a kind and gentle soul. He lived in "houses with women" all his life.....first Grandma and Aunt Lou (because his own father died so young) and then Mom, me, and Chrissy. He used to joke that even the dog (Charlie) was "fixed". This probably explains why he was the way he was. I don't think I ever heard him raise his voice or say a bad thing about any one or any thing. He was funny and ornery and had twinkly eyes, especially when he was hiding cookies in his shirt pocket. You could talk to him for hours or just sit and watch a football game on a Saturday afternoon, and you'd come away feeling better about yourself and the world you lived in. You could depend on him for anything and knew that no matter how much you had royally screwed up, he was still your dad and he loved you.

He loved chocolate and Snyder's hard pretzels. He always smelled nice and he always combed his hair the same way. He didn't like guilt or mean people and he quietly went about making his little corner of the world a wonderful place. He never bragged or lectured. He never hit or grounded. He talked and explained and made you want to be a better person so that he would be proud of you. He hugged and patted your cheek and always let you know how special you were, even when you felt like the least special person on the planet.

Dad could do math in his head and Chrissy and I called him Rain Man because of his ability to do this. He went to Notre Dame and graduated as an engineer, but spent all of his working life as a management executive for Westinghouse. Chrissy and I never knew how "powerful" or "respected" Dad was until he died and his former collegues wrote to us. We found out that this man we loved wasn't just our hero....he had fans all over the world.

The men that came to the funeral told us that our dad was the smartest guy they ever met and the women told us that they all had secret crushes on him. Turns out that this guy we thought was a "nerd" was actually a very popular fellow and could be the life of the party.

Dad married the love of his life on May 23, 1964 and he held her in his arms the morning she died on November 12, 1987. Dad loved Mom more than anything in this world and he gave life to Father Hesburgh's words: "The greatest thing a man can do for his children is love their mother."
I think that the reason why Chrissy and I remain single is that we decided that we saw what perfect marriage was and we weren't going to settle for anything less.  

WHAT DAY IS IT...AGAIN

Goodness, me, but these days are confusing me so!

Hi, Dearies.

I am sitting here with a doozy of a d-chair/Benedril sleep hangover. Yesterday is a complete and total blur. I'm pretty sure I went and did my thing, but am also pretty sure I was out of it for the duration. I vaguely remember coming home and making salmon for dinner and then...zip...zilch...nada.

But, today has dawned anew and I am administering my first cup of damn good while the birds have their morning jam session outside in the courtyard area between buildings. I don't remember being able to hear them so clearly here at CS2 before. A happy result of the big Q, perhaps?

Speaking of....many if you have asked me where I want to go now that restrictions are being lifted here in Hoosierville.

To that I say...Have we met?

The truth of the matter is, Dearies, that I am going to remain on lockdown for the foreseeable future. I only leave the apartment to go to dialysis, and when I do it is with face mask in place and alone in my car. I took two brief walks about thirty steps into our parking lot, but even that was too much for this poor old self to handle.

Yes, yes, I know, I am reverting back into full blown agoraphobia mode, but may I say (respectfully so) that I am minding my business and doing what is right for me? And...here is the best part: I fully respect your right to do the very same.

I simply refuse to step into the debate about opening/closing, mask/no mask, rational/irrational, human life/economy, etc etc etc. Those are subjects for far smarter brains than mine, and I only know how to stay in my lane at this point and try not to bother anybody. If I ponder the bigger implications of liberty and democracy and justice and also try to feed and clothe myself my head us going to explode.

So today will be for lighter things like stitching and watching movies. I don't know if anybody realizes this or not, but I gave up watching Bravo and all of the Housewives several months ago. Today, though...I might revert.

Happy Tuesday to one and all! Do something fun and come tell me all about it!

PLUM PUDDING BEADING COMPLETE!

IN WHICH WE START WATCHING THE STAR WARS AND THE SPINSTER SLEEPS A SATURDAY AWAY...

We watched three of the Star Wars movies last night...Episodes IV, V, and VI. Tonight, we have started I, II, and III, and tomorrow we will follow whatever order the last three plus extras are supposed to be in.

So this means that I came home from the d-chair yesterday and sat in the Happy Chair and stared at the TeeVee screen until bedtime, and today has been mostly about sleeping.

We did have a good dinner just now...steaks, au gratin potatoes, sauteed mushrooms, and creamed spinach a la Yours Truly, and now that the kitchen is put back to rights, we will continue.

No stitching, Dearies, but I hope to do better tomorrow with the whole being awake thing. I hope your very own weekend has been peaceful and lovely!

May the Force be with you!

OK. ENOUGH OF THAT FOOLISHNESS.

It took me exactly fifteen minutes to snap out of my schlumpadink.

I started the laundry, had a tuna sandwich, went for another walk, took a shower, and sat down to start beading Plum Pudding:

I forgot how much the beads add to these pieces!

Another 10,497 to go.

DANG IT

So here we are on a Thursday here in Hoosierville, and I am shoulding all over myself.

I should be cleaning, organizing, stitching, writing, reading, spiffing, sploshing, walking, cooking.....

Jimminy Crickets.

I suppose it's a good thing I have a video chat with Dr Melfi at 1:00, since I seem to have gotten myself all out of sorts and have been stomping about the place like Shrek the Spinster since I awoke.

Call it frustration, or maybe a bad night's sleep, or maybe even a little bit of cabin fever. All I know is that my tiny little brain is all over the place and my talent for procrastinating has kicked into overdrive.

Sheesh.

I did manage to go for a walk after treatment yesterday, but only for a very short bit and for about fifteen minutes before I had to come back to CS2 and sit down. That fact made me very sad, but my JB kept reminding me that it was DayOne, and each day I will go a little further.

(I just wish my aching body agreed with him today.)

There are plans to be made and lists to write and things to do, but maybe today I'll just sit here on my heiney in my Stinky Happy Chair and stare at the walls for a bit and let my mind wander. If I'm smart, I'll put a needle and thread in hand and, before you know it, might have some significant progress to show.

So....

What's new with you?

TIME TO BUCKLE DOWN AGAIN...

Well, I am officially back on the Operation Keep Going train today. I didn't really fall too far off of it....I haven't gained weight, but I haven't lost any more either. And I haven't been using my tracking app on my phone for quite some time, but I'm fixing that effective today.

I am also going to try to take a small walk after treatment today. It is just a positively gorgeous day out there in Hoosierville, so I want to take advantage of it and move my heiney a bit.

The floors here at the d-chair place were cleaned last night and are now bright any shiny!

This may seem like a crazy thing to celebrate, but they really used to drive me nuts with how dirty they were! Turns out that the previous company "didn't do floors".

Hmmmmm.

Isn't that kind of like a mailman who doesn't want to deliver mail or a portly spinster who doesn't want to collect sensible shoes and cardigan sweaters?

I swear, sometimes the world just baffles me so.

The trees in this neck of the woods are positively glorious right about now, and I love seeing them burst into color. I especially like the white ones that are just huge balls of snowball blossoms. Sorry I don't have a photo for you, but I only see them when I'm driving to and from here, and nobody needs me behind the wheel with a camera in my hand.

I finished my book and started another. This time it's Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout. It's the last of the library books that I borrowed a lifetime ago. All of our books were extended until May 15, so I have plenty of time to finish it, and then it will be time to dip into the Book of the Month Club pile that I've np been collecting.

Well, Dearies, it's time for me to close my eyes and head off to dialysis dreamville. I don't know why treatments are knocking me out so much lately, but it does make the time go by faster. It also keeps me from fretting about things like my podmates who are unwell or the techs and nurses who seem so very very tired. I just have to pray for them to make it through, I guess, since there's not much else I can manage from this vantage point.

Happy Futzingday to one and all!

TUESDAY SPINSTER BLISS

I have to eat two eggs every day for the protein, so I put them in my egg making microwave thingies and then put them on top of a toasted bagel.

(There may or may not be Canadian bacon and American cheese as part of this little party too, but that's another story for another day.)

(Besides, the blueberries cancel out anything bad on the plate. Did you know that eating blueberries helps reduce the stress hormone cortisol?)

I often show you my view from the Happy Chair, but this view is one that makes me equally as happy as I putter behind the sink. I liked my kitchen at Chez Spinster, but the view here at CS2 is much better I think.

This seems to be my favorite peppermint tea at the moment, but I do wish it packed a caffeine punch. It is extremely fragrant, and when I took it to the d-chair with me my podmates said the scent was very soothing and refreshing. I will sometimes add a bag of black tea/full caffeine if I'm feeling particularly slumpy, but today I'm pretty good and just wanted a little something hot to sip.

I just couldn't help myself and picked up Baked Alaska again. This time I'm stitching the lower left quadrant.

Poor Magoo. He has been so very desperate for the sports that he's become positively twitchy. Tonight, though, he was able to watch Korean baseball on the ESPNs.

Dinner was a Chinese chicken salad from the Applebees. I realize now that tacos would have been a perfect choice, but the scale said "Eat a salad, Tubby", so salad it was.

That's it for me, Dearies. I hope your Tuesday was swell and your Wednesday is equally so! Come tell me all about your day!

WELL...THAT DID IT!

It's amazing what a fifteen hour sleep will do for a person.

D-chair time yesterday was a complete blur, since I spent the majority of it with my eyes closed under my Snoopy blanket. I have this thing I do...I go to a needlework retreat in my head. I start on my arrival at a posh hotel on a Thursday afternoon, and I go right up until departure on Tuesday morning.

I imagine every single detail and minute of the day...the spa treatments, the luxury suite, the damn good in a posh robe, and the stitching room and connected dining room in which we have our meals. I even imagine morning workouts and afternoon swims in the indoor pool on the "Sports and Spa" floor, and the seven story bookstore that is just next door.

This, alas, will remain a daydream, since I'm pretty sure I'm thinking about a Four Seasons someplace, and an almost week-long stay in one of those suckers is beyond any budget this portly spinster will even be able to afford.

But it sure is nice to dream.

Today, I am feeling a bit refreshed and determined to complete as many chores and whatnot as my energy level will allow. There is always laundry to be sploshed and paperwork to be shuffled, and I'm pretty sure the fridge, freezer, and pantry could use a good clean out. I know there is salad to be made and perhaps bread to be baked, and I know for sure there is stitching to be organized.

On that front, I am either going to do some beading on Plum Pudding today or get back to Baked Alaska. What can I say? I never have had any discipline when It comes to desserts. Why start now? I do, though, have a new friend to play with...my first Mirabilia:

Isn't she pretty? I am dazzled by her colors and the prospect of all of the spakly beads she will wear!

Well, Dearies, my damn good grows cold as I sit here pondering, so methinks it time to warm it up and get the paper read (all two pages of it these days). I studiously avoid everything except the comics, obits, and Dear Abby sections, so I've be off to Choreville before I know it!

Happy Tuesday and Happy Cinco de Taco! Eat something fabulous and come tell me all about it!

MONDAY...AGAIN

I'm riding the struggle bus today, Dearies. Buzzy is completely out of sprts and was a screaming meemee all weekend, and I awoke in a bit of a mood. I suppose that's allowed for most people on a Monday, but a lazy portly spinster who never leaves the house really should have nothing to complain about.

What. So. Ever.

Once I completed the quadrant of Baked Alaska I pulled out my coloring things and relaxed a bit with them, but I couldn't get as excited as I once was and gave it a half-hearted effort.

No worries. I think this is just me being me and all will be well once again. I am going to close my eyes and dream away the next four hours, and before I know it, I'll be home and in pajamas and the Happy Chair with a nice cup of peppermint tea.

Happy Monday, Dearies. I hope your week is off to a wonderful start and that the days ahead make your hearts sing and your skirts twirl up about you! Come tell me all about it!

ONE QUADRANT COMPLETE

This is the lower right quadrant of Baked Alaska by Glendon Place. I'm stitching this on the called for 28ct linen and am using the dalled for Dinky Dyes silk threads.

MUCH BETTER THAN GREEN...NO?

BACK TO THE BIG GIRL SLEIGH BED I GO

It's an absolutely gorgeous day today here in Hoosierville. The birds are sweetly tweeting, the sun is shining, it's in the 70's, and the breeze is perfectly cool and fresh.

Rich is over on campus talking his daily walk, and I have decided to come back to the big girl sleigh bed to read the week's papers:

For some reason, I was decidedly "off" this week and kind of phoned it in. I didn't really do much of anything at all really, so today I have decided that a bit of catch up is in order. I am hoping to get these papers out of the way and then stitch on the balcony this afternoon.

Maynia has begun, and I am really enjoying the various plans and progress shared in this thing of ours. I decided not to participate this year because I seem to be so....eh....about everything, and for me it would have been disrespectful to do it half-heiney. Besides, it's supposed to be a fun endeavor, and nobody needs a frog in the punch bowl at the garden party this year, right?

I am going to finish the outer portion of the quadrant of Baked Alaska today, I think, and then move on to something different for a few days, This will sound totally nuts, I'm sure, but I want to savor this one and not plow through it so fast I can't enjoy every stitch of it.

Do you ever have a piece like that?

Happy Saturday, Dearies! I hope that your corner of the world is....peaceful and lovely today. Come tell me everything that makes your heart sing!

FRIDAY

Progress from the last few days: