IN WHICH OUR HEROINE SHUTS UP, HAS A CUP OF DAMN GOOD, AND GETS ON WITH IT

 

TOO MUCH PONDERING FOR A THURSDAY...

 

My goodness...I need a cold brew! Dearies, this whole being a normal adult human being thing is for the birds, if you ask me. I seem to have fallen into another deep well, and my days and nights are all topsy turvy again with insomnia, overwhelming profound fatigue, and absolutely no strength.

Oey.

Louie is misbehaving, and I've about had it with the Polly Sunshine voice in my head that says..."Oh, Louie. You're so funny and unpredictable, and if I give you a silly little name and pretend like I'm some kind of stupid warrior, all will be well and we can write about it on our blog and everybody will praise me for being so clever and strong", but the truth is that this is just awful and most of the time I'd rather just go curl up into the fetal position and try to teleport myself into a completely different body that actually works and hasn't been giving me agita since the age of TWENTY GD FIVE. (*)

I mean...really, Big Guy? Thyroid cancer, Crohn's, diverticulitis, kidney disease, dialysis, kidney transplant, an emergency colectomy, and now a non-reversible colostomy. And that's not even mentioning the "head" stuff that an entire team of Dr Melfies couldn't figure out!

(As usual...I exaggerate for effect.)

(But I am going to go find the Book of Job and read it, because my Aunt JoAnn used to call me out of the blue and say "Coni Jo, if you ever feel like you're going to slide into any kind of self-pity, I want you to read the Book of Job and apologize to God for not being grateful for your blessings.)

(But this is also the woman who told my mother not to cry and to "stop that vomiting" as she was giving birth to me in the throes of a horrible delivery.)

(Which just confirms the fact that I have been a completely over-dramatic pain in the ass from the get go.)

Enough of that...

I am having an actual physical stamina and energy problem, along with a crushing amount of food anxiety. It took me the better part of fifty years to finally find a way of eating that is good for me, and along comes death lettuce, and death blueberries, and death beef, and death eggs, and...

For pity's sakes, kids. Can we please stop trying to kill the Spinster and just find a way to make her days just that much easier? I would, however, like to send a big fat THANK YOU to Canada, since my team tells me that anything grown in the greenhouses there is perfectly safe, and that I might also look at roasting vegetables rather than risking salads for a minute.

(Tonight's selection will include roasted sweet potatoes, shallots, carrots, green beans, and garlic with a burnt beyond recognition chicken breast...all peeled, diced, and chewed appropriately for YOU KNOW WHO.)

So forgive me, please, for a complete lack of discipline when it comes to writing to you on this here blog. The guilt, shame, and humiliation one feels for coming off like an ungrateful, spoiled, hateful little toad has my creativity in a cage for the moment, but the caffeine addled raccoon that is my interior monologue, is trying its dambdest to get the key.

I am stitching and reading (East of Eden) and watching all the things (just started a second run through of The Morning Show), but day to day here at CS2 is incredibly quiet for now. Fortunately, my Jersey Boy is still with his mom, so he only gets the brunt of it via telephone and texts sent in all caps. He'll be home eventually, I promise.

Cheers to one and all. I hope your Summer holiday is winding down in good fashion, and that you've done all of the things. Come tell me all about it...I'm here!

(*) James Joyce has nothing on MY stream of consciousness, I tell ya! I did finish Ulysses, by the way, and absolutely loved it! It was very much like the biggest rollercoaster at Cedar Point when I was a kid...I gritted my teeth through the whole thing and was pretty sure it was going to be the death of me, but as soon as I regained consciousness I couldn't wait to do it again!

 

STITCHING...WELL KINDA SORTA

While my stitchy mojo vacations somewhere wonderful (I hope), I am pulling things from the WiP basket and poking them with needle and thread. Here's the latest FeeNee:

I'm sorry that I cannot tell you anything about the fabric or thread choices, but I'm guessing that it's a 28ct somethingorother from Picture This Plus, and the threads appear to be silk. NPI or Gumnuts? I have absolutely no clue.

Note to Newbies...document/journal your stitching! I wish I would have done a better job of keeping track of details, so that I could have an actual record rather than relying on this here blog for information.

WELCOME TO SPINSTER ACRES...AN ASSISTED LIVING COMMUNITY

 My poor body is basically a condominium at this point.

In the left studio, lives an older gentleman named Mr Belly Bean. He is the original tenant of the complex, and has lived here in quiet dignity since September 30, 2021. He's lovely, and does not require much by way of upkeep, other than an inordinate amount of iced water and a scrupulous attention to the timing of his medication. Every day at 9am and 9pm, Mr Bean demands several different pills and tablets to be administered precisely to keep him feeling his best. He gets monthly labwork, watches his diet carefully, isn't too fussy when it comes to restrictions other than absolutely no colas, pomegranate, grapefruit, starfruit, and not too much salt, if you please, and generally minds his own business and does an excellent job of keeping his home clean and well-regulated. He visits with his medical team periodically, but always gets good reports and has quite an optimistic future.

The newest resident, who has come to reside in the western studio suite, is named Louie, and despite the fact that his move-in date was January 22, 2026, he still acts as though he is new to town and completely unaware of the rules and behavior expectations of his new neighborhood. Louie likes to party, which means his hours of activity are completely unpredictable. He's fussy, usually a complete mess, and he requires a closet-full of special gear just to make him happy, safe, and presentable for the day. He never acts according to plan, he can yell, sing, or make rude noises at the most inappropriate times, and despite the community having very strict codes of conduct, he ignores every single one of them and demands constant attention. He's often hungover, and despite being bathed several times a day and then swaddled in stupidly expensive attire, he is often times in excruciating pain that he feels compelled to share and complain about to the resident manager who is dangerously close to being out of Tylenol.

Louie and Mr Belly Bean haven't met, but their different lifestyles and dietary restrictions are causing a fair amount of consternation with staff. While maintenance/janitorial members are trying to figure out how to get Louie on the same page as everybody else, the dietary manager is ready to chuck her soup ladle out the window and just resort to protein shakes. Mr Bean has always enjoyed a balanced whole foods diet with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and an occasional treat, but Louie doesn't seem to like anything. He had just started to figure out the whole salad with grilled chicken thing when the various plagues and infestations started, and safe options are becoming harder and harder to find. He does love sweets and unhealthy snacks, but Mr Bean objects when dinner becomes more of a thirteen-year old boy's dream binge (think pizza, Doritos, TastyKake, etc) so for now they are having to fight it out over cottage cheese plates and spaghetti.

The Assistant Resident Manager is taking a leave of absence to administer a family issue, so the General Manager is left to fend for herself. She can often be found trying to hide in her office with a book, a stitching project, and her flat screen television, but somehow both Louie and Mr Belly Bean are able to find her and force immediate attention be given. Were it not for her sincere dedication and lifetime contractural obligation to keeping Spinster Acres the premier retirement community in the big grey chair in the corner of the living room of CS2, she surely would have considered going elsewhere by now.

Life will continue on, and hopefully soon Louie will settle in and learn the ins and outs of living in community with Mr Bean and all of the other inhabitants, but thoughts and prayers in the meantime are greatly appreciated!

A good day is wished for you all! I hope that your own little community is exactly as you want it to be! Come tell me all about it!

WEEKEND...WITH A GIGGLE

 

A FINISH AND A GOOD START...THE MONDAY REPORT

Hello, Dearies! 

I had a delightfully productive and yet somehow restful weekend! I'm Spinstering this month while Rich gets him mom situated back in her condo, so trying to behave myself is top priority. 🤭

Here's Plum Street Samplers "Mini Moon", stitched on 28ct Colour & Cotton fabric in the color Dandelion. I used the threads that are called for:

Isn't she swell? I have to say...this was the perfect project the re-awaken my stitchy mojo! And, despite being completely unintentional, I have a patriotic finish during our 250 year!

My reading life has settled into a great routine of reading a chapter of Ulysses, followed by the summary/explanation/analysis chapter of the guide by Patrick Hastings. In a million years I never would have imagined it, but I am positively LOVING this book!

I've not been on the scale for several weeks, since I know the number would probably cause me to spiral, but I am eating very well and carefully. Here's my favorite dinner....a veggie flatbread with tzatzki sauce, red onion, cucumber, tomato, and peppers. I also try to add protein in the form of either deli or grilled chicken. Delicious!

Today is laundry day. I cleaned the bathroom to within an inch of its life on Saturday, so I need something a bit less physically hard today. I might even try to get down to the pool later if both the weather and Louie behave themselves!

A happy Monday, indeed! What's making you happy, today? Come tell me all about it!