WOW. THIS IS EXTRA...EVEN FOR ME.

Before you zoom into the menu portion of this madness and chastise me for bad choices....the list is just a suggestion of things that I love and will only be enjoyed in moderation. In other words...my Christmas ham will be a hamlette this year and not the normal eighteen pound wonder that I get from the Honey Baked Ham Store.

I made a huge tub of vegetable soup (all sodium free thankyouverymuch), and I will be fasting/vegetable souping it so that I can enjoy one or two treats from the last for Christmas and New Years.

I know you can't REWIND, but you can RESET, and that's exactly what I've done today.

What's on YOUR crazy Christmas calendar?

IN WHICH WE BEAT OURSELVES UP, BUT GOOD

Dear Tubby Idiot Spinster.

You cannot eat Chinese food, bacon, sausage biscuits, and snack plates with salami, cheese, crackers and olives for three days and not expect to gain more fluid than a Great Lake.

The dumbest thing is that you knew you were doing it when you did it but you did it anyway.  Yup, right down the gullet went enough salt to de-ice the entire state of Wisconsin.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

Dumb. Dumb. Dumb.

And somewhat dangerous. A 5kg wait gain over a weekend puts tremendous strain on your heart and lungs, and no matter how much you tell yourself that you're in relatively good shape....you're not.

You need to get your head out of your ample heiney and pay attention. You do not have the luxury of telling yourself that it's the holidays and you deserve a treat. You don't.  This is war and it's serious. Life and death. Totally all-consuming and should be your only focus.

So enough monkeying around. Fruits. Vegetables. Proteins. No salt, Minimal fluid.

Get. Back. On. Track.

...............................

Hi, Dearies!

Yup, I'm in the dog house at the moment. Not necessarily with anybody here at dialysis, but with myself. I appreciate all of the gentle pats and reassurances that it's not that big of a deal, but I need to feel bad for a bit to really teach myself a lesson. You know me...nothing in moderation. I'm either shouting my brilliance from the rooftops or wallowing in the depths of self-flagellation and pity, so for me this is just another Monday.

I'll be fine. Sometimes I just need to take a breath and re-boot a bit before I can get on with my bad self. In this case, it's going to mean re-thinking my holiday menus. I was looking forward to scampi on Christmas Eve and ham on Christmas Day, but methinks we might have to go in a slightly different direction or cut the portions down to a few bites here and there.

Damn, drat, and phooey anyway, but thank goodness I am now on it.

The week's agenda is somewhat quiet for me. JB will leave on Wednesday evening for NJ, and I will try to accomplish a few things on the to-do list. Things are in pretty good shape at CS2, but I'd like to give it all a good spiff and shine so that I can enjoy my spinster time.

Well, that's the Monday report from the friendly confines of the d-chair! I'm going to try to catch some Flosstube and episodes of The Crown and maybe put a few stitches into Holiday Ribbons, but if I end up snoozing...that's OK too.

Happy Monday! Come tell me all about what's on your agenda for the day!

SUNDAY...IN WHICH I EAT ALL THE BREAKFAST

Despite staying up a bit late, I did manage to get myself up in time for Mass and breakfast. We went to Perkins, and I ate more food than I have had in quite a while, and each and every bite of it was delicious! Our waitress was a lovely woman named Seminar...a name that I have never heard before, but lovely.

Now I'm home in the Happy Chair to read the paper and get back to Holiday Ribbons:

The borders are all complete. Now it's time to start playing with filling in the ribbons!

I hope this Sunday finds you safe and warm and happy and healthy, Dearies! We're off like a herd of turtles tomorrow into another week...almost the last of the year!  Do something wonderful and come tell me all about it!

WooHoo!

ALL WAS CALM. ALL WAS BRIGHT.

My Jersey Boy had his company Christmas party last night, so I enjoyed a long nap, Chinese food, and several hours of The Crown on The Netflix. I sat on the couch instead of the Happy Chair and realized that the view of CS2 is entirely different.

Methinks I might want to move a stitchy light there and make it my new spot.

Today is Spinster Saturday Abed, and I am almost finished with the second cup of damn good and a quick flip through of the week's mail. I don't really have a lot to do per se, so it might be another quiet day of coloring and stitching and football watching. If I can, though, I might want to venture outside for a walk, since the sun is shining and it looks quite nice out there in Hoosierville.

What does your Saturday look like, Dearie? Good, I hope! Come tell us all about it!

OPERATION KEEP GOING

LAST WEEK'S WEIGHT: 112kg

THIS WEEK'S WEIGHT: 111.8kg

WEIGHT LOST THIS WEEK: .2kg

FIRST GOAL: 110kg

IN WHICH IT IT'S FRIDAY

Oh, Dearies. Happy Friday, indeed! I am here doing my thing but so very sleepy I cannot keep the peepers peeping. Somebody might have accidentally stayed up until the wee hours stitching and watching The Crown last night.

😬

But I am not an airline pilot or the President of the Universe, so if I nap most of the day away I suppose the world will be safe for democracy and all its minions.

A very deep and heartfelt thank you for...everything. I am particularly humbled by your continued prayers. Whether you are of the ilk to do so or not, I am living proof that the power of it is beyond our understanding. I am convinced that it is prayer and prayer alone that has saved me.

The weekend is upon us! After my Spinster Saturday Abed thing, I hope to spend lots of time watching Christmas movies and stitching. The laundry is done and the dust bunnies deserve to enjoy the lights a few days longer, and it's time to just...enjoy.

I haven't forgotten about the Charlie Brown cross stitch piece. It might get a start in the next few days, but I'm not feeling bad about loving the LJP so much. It has been the perfect companion these last few weeks.

Well, it's off to Dreamland I go.  I hope your very own Friday is full of everything that blows your skirts and pantlegs right up! Come tell me all about your plans for the day!

IT IS NOW OFFICIALLY OFFICIAL

AS OF TODAY I AM NOW 100% CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF, DEARIES! MISS JANE FROM THE INDIANA UNIVERSITY TRANSPLANT UNIT CALLED MOMENTS AGO TO TELL ME THAT WE HAVE INSURANCE CLEARANCE FOR TRANSPLANT...THE VERY FINAL PIECE OF THE PUZZLE!

EVERY TEST, APPOINTMENT, POKE, PROD, AND POUND HAS BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR, APPROVED, AND DOTTED AND CROSSED.

NOW ALL I NEED IS A KIDNEY AND WE ARE GOOD. TO. GO.

ONWARD!!!

THURSDAY

Happy Thursday, Dearies!

Well, we think we've solved the mystery of my recent crashy illness at and after treatment. My blood pressure is just too darn low, we're taking too much fluid off, and I am trying to lose weight too fast. The remedy is that we doubled a medicine to keep the blood pressure up, the fluid pull will now be minimal, and I will get my head out of my heiney and stop trying to become a world-famous swimsuit model overnight.

Enough of that.

I have been enjoying some quiet coloring and movie time the last few days, and have re-started watching The Crown. Is it just me, or do you also go back to the very beginning of a series when a new season comes out? I find myself forgetting more and more of the plot and characters, so starting from the beginning again and bingeing the whole thing is somewhat necessary to rattle the tiny little brain a bit.

The coloring is purely recreational, and a way to prolong the stitching of Holiday Ribbons. Talk about a total change of pace for Yours Truly! It started with reading The Starless Sea only a few pages at a time. Now it's extended into my stitchy life! I've finished one of the outside borders. Two more, and I can start filling in the ribbons with all of those fun little moteefs! Thank goodness that LJP writes such good charts, because it has been quite some time since I did specialty stitches or something other than a cross stitch! I might even have to break out the laying tool!

Well, I suppose I had better get on with it, but I do love our visits on mornings like this. It gives me an excuse to linger and postpone the "work" of the day. I imagine it would be wise to work first and write as a reward, but if I did that I'm pretty sure you would never hear from me!

Besides, isn't it nice to just ease into a day?

Hope your Thursday is divine and swell and delicious and everything you want it to be! Come tell me all about it!

FUTZINGDAY

CRASH!

Dang it.

Out like a light for the whole treatment and then a big crash at the end.

Phooey.

But I'm home safely and in my flannel Christmas jammies, so there is absolutely nothing to complain about whatsoever.

A few big cups of damn good and everything will be swell, I promise.

So how was your day?

MONDAY MONDAY

Here we are, Dearies....the beginning of another new week! I am in the chair doing my thing, but wishing I were home in the other chair with my magic blanket, stitching, and coloring pages.   It is dreeeeeee-ry here in Hoosierville and it would have been a perfect day to watch the rain.

Alas.

Holiday Ribbons continues. I apologize to Miss LJP...all this time I have been calling it Christmas Ribbons. If you looked for it and couldn't find it...I am a boob.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Mine was filled with stitching and coloring and sleeping and bath-taking and not much else.

Is it just me, or are the posts of stitching and decorating even more beautiful than ever? I am enjoying them very much and am in the spirit more than ever (and that's really saying something since I am Spinster Christmas 24/7 this time of year!)

Time for the headphones. The pod is unusually noisy today and I'm in the mood for a little quiet for a bit.

Happy Monday! Do something fun and come tell me all about it!

SATURDAY NIGHT

SATURDAY

OPERATION KEEP GOING

LAST WEEK'S WEIGHT: 112.8kg

THIS WEEK'S WEIGHT: 112kg

WEIGHT LOST THIS WEEK: .8kg

FIRST GOAL: 110kg

FRIDAY

Happy Friday, Dearies!

I am doing my thing and enjoying the fact that it's the end of the week. My Starbucks cold brew will be the kick off to what I hope is a quiet and stitchy weekend, and hopefully the scale will reward me with a nice weight loss to report.

Yesterday must have been just what I needed, because I had a good sleep and happy dreams. Stewey made an appearance, as did my Aunt JoAnn and my Grandma Josephine. There was also an abundance of white feathers everywhere.  Wonder what that meant?

Christmas Ribbons just blows my skirt up, and this is only the border establishment portion! I can only imagine how much fun I'm going to have once I start filing in all of the little moteefs!  For those of you who contemplate canvaswork but have never tried it, I highly encourage you to jump in. It makes for a lovely change of pace and develops new skillls that you never knew you had.

So that's it foe me on a December Friday here in Hoosierville. I hope your corner of the world is making you happy today. Come tell me all about it!

THURSDAY NIGHT

Eight hours of stitching, four movies, a light dinner, another coat of paint on the meathooks, and now I'm off to bed. A very perfect Thursday, indeed!

THURSDAY

JUST A QUICKIE TODAY

I'm in the d-chair, but only until 12:45 today. I have one last appointment to make for the transplant protocol, and today was the only day I could schedule. But a shortened treatment is better than no treatment at all, so here I am in all my glory.

Yesterday was the perfect antidote for whatever was ailing me, but I really do need to get better about balancing my energy and activities It's just not healthy to constantly swing between comatose and Mach 5 with my hair on fire all the time.

(Yup....the dreaded "m" word again...moderation.)

OK...enough navel gazing.  It's Futzingday and there are a few feeble little snowflakes prancing around outside in Hoosierville, and I'm ready to get on with it. I've got my LJP Christmas Ribbons ready to go, my sippy cup full of iced citrus water, and my BelVita breakfast biscuit at the ready.

Bring it on, Futzingday! Bring it on!

IT ALL STARTED WITH THE OUTSIDE STORAGE CLOSET

Well, so much for a quiet Tuesday with nothing on the agenda, Dearies. I swear, these energy swings are simply unreal. One day I am unconscious in the big girl sleigh bed, and the next I go on a cleaning and organizing frenzy. It started with the outside storage closet and my discovery that JB had turned it into a dump-all. I did a little re-arranging after putting out the Christmas decs, and now it makes a little more sense:

Then I came inside and made the bed:

Re-arranged my nightstand:

And then went bats**t crazy and did the rest of the apartment like some kind of HGTV organizing expert in a house full of hoarders and PigPens (the Peanuts character and not the actual farm location for keeping livestock).

The "furnace" room was piled high with....stuff...and always made me very nervous. Now, not so much:

Then I did the laundry room. Is there anything happier that a back-up supply of coffee and paper towels?

Next I found a place to hang the cone thingie:

And then I cleaned out the linen closet. (The empty space may or may not be for Yankee candles organized seasonally.) (Told ya...bats**t): 

The kitchen table has been driving me crazy ever since I gave my desk to JB and started doing my planning and makeup (because the bathroom lighting is so bad and I'm old now) and bill paying:

I scored one of these carts at the Michael's for $20, and it has completely and totally changed my life in the five minutes it's been put together:

This isn't exactly ideal, but for now it will have to do. I moved that little shelf from the furnace room and now I don't have my pot lids sitting on the floor (like an animal):

Now the kitchen table actually looks like a kitchen table!

And finally, I cleaned and re-did the fridge and consolidated the Thanksgiving leftovers into a casserole for tonight:

Whew! I am officially bushed! I'm going to give myself a mani/pedi, get a little something to drink, and call it a day!

Best. Tuesday. Ever!!