Farewell November

November 30th

Here are some happy things from today:

• This morning I made a list. I did not follow it like I wanted to, but I did seven of the thirteen items on the list, so more than half of what I hoped to do.
• One of the things I did was take a walk. It was cold and flurries were gently falling from the sky. I’ve been dreading this coming winter, until today. Suddenly I am remembering some of the fun things about the winter months like walking in the snow, the feel of snow falling on my face, and the way my cheeks feel when they are cold from being outside while getting some exercise.

There is a Junco in the picture hiding amid the grass and leaves.

• There are a few productive things I did that were not on my list. One was the dishes, the other was mopping the floor of the apartment kitchen. Having a clean floor made me feel pretty good. So good, that I happily mopped it again after Bel tracked in some mud with the groceries.
• The last day of GratitangleZ was Pendrils. These daily challenges have been fun. For December, I need to focus on moving, working extra days, and the upcoming holiday.  That said, the upcoming holiday might include me doing some more Tangles.

The month of November.

## 1141 words were written on the muffin story. The total is 9096 words. I can’t believe I got that many words written today. The story now has a beginning, middle, and end. It is strange and disjointed, but I am happy with sticking to this through the entire month.

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Currently listening to: Poison at Pemberton Hall, by Fran Smith.

Thank you for being here and being part of my daily happy things. Stay safe!

And thus November ends...

Post Thanksgiving Gathering

November 29


Here are some happy Saturday things:

• It was the Thanksgiving holiday gathering for my cousins on the dad's side of my family. Zed and I went. It is also Small Business Saturday so Keziah was busy at the store. Anyhow, there were a bunch of people there and it was good to see them.  Here are some random shots:

• One cousin used to live in North Carolina. She moved back this way (Vermont) a few years ago and I think this is the first time I got to see her since she moved. I really hope to get the chance to see her again soon.
• Both my brothers and their spouses were there. It has been a few years since I have seen one of them. My oldest brother had a health scare recently, but it looks like things will be okay. My other brother is the one I own our parent's house with. The good news there is that he is okay with me selling the house. In the next few weeks I hope to start that process. It was great to see them.
• I did not do GratitangleZ today.  Yesterday I did two.  I tried to do some practice pieces and kept drifting off to sleep.  I ended up with blotches in the paper and the paper beneath it as I drifted off.

## 252 words were written on the muffin story. The total is 7955 words.

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Currently listening to: Poison at Pemberton Hall, by Fran Smith.

Thank you for being here and being part of my daily happy things. Stay safe!

Post Thanksgiving Slump

 November 28th

Yesterday I went to bed early and fell asleep before I finished writing my blog.  After writing my blog in the wee hours this morning (normal work times though), I couldn't get back to sleep.  Eventually I found some energy and got up.  Here are some happy things from today:

• At some point I was productive enough to get my laundry done.  I also made room for more of the leftovers in the refrigerators.  It is a good thing it is cold outside this time of year!  
• In the afternoon I went to the studio.  It was Craft Night and I was hoping the new person that came by last week would be there.  They were not.  I got a small amount written on the muffin story and played with some Tangles.  I also tried to make a Ranger Bead Pace Counter.  It turns out that I need to concentrate more on that than I could with people talking near me.  I'll work on that more another time.
• GratitangleZ was IX.  When I looked at the Calendar, I did IDOZ instead.  So both are done plus some playing that I did.  IDOZ was a Tangle that I did in October as well.

• Almost sunset.

##  198 words were written on the muffin story. The total is 7703 words.  

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Currently listening to: Poison at Pemberton Hall, by Fran Smith.

Thank you for being here and being part of my daily happy things. Stay safe!

Thanksgiving Day

 November 27th

Happy Thanksgiving!  Here are some happy highlights:

• It was a Thursday so I worked. The holiday meant a seven hour day instead of 10.  That was nice.  People just seemed in a good mood.  Also, I may have planted a seed with an employee to start a gaming club after work on occasion.  
• When I got home I helped get ready where I could.  Whenever I sat down though, I started to fall asleep.  So I went and had a short, and hard to wake up from, nap.  The nap kept me going for the afternoon.
• The families gathered at Keziah’s store where we feasted and visited.  Everything went well.  I only remembered to take a few pictures.  Keziah made some big changes to the store and I meant to take some pictures of that and forgot.

The lady who made the day happen, Keziah, my oldest.

Myself with my youngest, Bel.

• GratitangleZ for today was Mysealiam.  I also played with that one and Rain again while we all sat around and visited. 

## 106 words were written on the muffin story. The total is 7505 words.  I snuck in the writing and Tangle time after the nap while others were finishing up some cooking.  7500 word goal achieved!

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Finished listening to: Overcoming Anticipatory Anxiety, by Sally M. Winston, Psy. D. & Martin N. Seif, PhD.

Thank you for being here and being part of my daily happy things. Stay safe!

Thanksgiving Eve Day

November 26th

Happy things from the day before Thanksgiving:

• It was a long night at work.  I think we were understaffed, maybe because of the holiday.  I worked almost twelve hours.  I came home tired and achy, but I’m glad I worked extra time today.
• When I got home the turkey was in the oven and my family were busy getting things ready for the holiday.  After I ate, I helped for a very short time and then worked on the small dish that I decided to make.  I made a jello dish that is basically orange jello with crushed pineapple and shredded carrots. It is based on what my cousin Shirley used to make.  When Bel was little they didn’t like many foods.  They liked this, and so I continue to make it when I can.  

GratitangleZ for today is Flux.

## 300 words were written on the muffin story. The total is 7399 words.  

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Continued listening to: Overcoming Anticipatory Anxiety, by Sally M. Winston, Psy. D. & Martin N. Seif, PhD.

Thank you for being here and being part of my daily happy things. Stay safe!

Milkweed

November 25th


Here are some happy things from Tuesday:

• Somehow, I got up and left the house for work earlier than usual. This meant that I was able to let a supervisor know that I had fallen on Sunday and might not be up to par. In the end, I made it through the entire shift. I considered going home early a few times. Different aches and pains seemed to pop up as I moved around. I’m really glad I made it through. There was food after work, breakfast from the Friendly Toast Restaurant. It was delicious. It is interesting how the food is no longer as fresh or hot as it should be but is almost always really good after working a ten hour shift.
• At home I mostly relaxed and talked with TF on the phone. That was nice as well.  We set some goals for today.  Mine were small, since I've already worked, and once this is done, my goals will be complete.
• The milkweed that I refuse to cut down every year has reached the point where it is mostly dried up. I have a vague memory of my mom taking the dried husks of milkweed and painting them gold to create some kind of craft. Probably a holiday decoration.  Gold paint and gold glitter on milkweed is where my memory takes me, just not how they were put together.  Oh, well.

GratitangleZ for today is Bales.

 

## 306 words were written on the muffin story. The total is 7099 words. I am very close to my hoped for goal of 7500 words.  With less than a week left to the month, I most likely won't get to that 10,000 word stretch goal.  I'm okay with that.

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Continued listening to: Overcoming Anticipatory Anxiety, by Sally M. Winston, Psy. D. & Martin N. Seif, PhD.

Thank you for being here and being part of my daily happy things. Stay safe!

Walking With Some Friends

 November 24th

Here are some happy things from this beautiful Autumn Monday:

• It was a beautiful, cold frosty morning.  I walked out just passed the chickens to get a look at all the frost.   

• This afternoon I met up with Amy and Stephanie for a walk at Head’s Pond Trail.  There is a tree that gets decorated for the holiday season.  Whoever decorates that tree has done so.  I noticed a couple of tiny solar panels that make me wonder how it looks when it lights up.  
• We took the trail until it told us we could go no farther.  Then we went off the trail that we had a map for but was obviously a trail and found our way to the opposite side of the pond.  There is a thin layer of ice on some of the shallower and shadier pond sections.  Altogether we walked and talked a little over four miles.  The pictures from the walk:

GratitangleZ for today is Molygone.

This was not done very well.  The spacing is off more than a little and the sizes are not what I had pictured originally.  I'm not sure if that had to do with random aches and pains, or that the C02 detector had gone off about ten minutes earlier and I had the window and door open.

## 461 words were written on the muffin story. The total is 6793 words.  As I think about what I have written for this story I realize that I have most likely gone between first person and third person.  Or at least I did today.  🤷  If I edit the story, it will happen later, like in December, after the move.

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Continued listening to: Overcoming Anticipatory Anxiety, by Sally M. Winston, Psy. D. & Martin N. Seif, PhD.

Thank you for being here and being part of my daily happy things. Stay safe!

If you are curious about how I am doing after yesterday’s fall, well, I walked four miles today and could feel the bruise on my thigh with every step. It wasn’t enough to slow me down or cause a limp. The bruise, although not all visible yet, is longer than my hand.  There are other places where I have minor aches and pains from the fall as well.  I’m so glad that nothing seems to be broken.  Working tonight with bending and lifting concerns me a little, but I think I will be okay.  🙂

Fall

 November 23rd

While holding a freshly made glass of lemonade, I fell.  As I tripped (I don't know what made me trip) I could see the lemonade going EVERYWHERE.  I hurt, but nothing except a fingernail seems to be broken.  I laughed/cried whenever I thought about the slow motion replay my mind made of the lemonade spilling.  I'm really thankful that Bel and Corvidae were there to help me clean the mess.

Here are some happy things from today:

• Bel was able to fix the heater (with some virtual help from a friend).  I've now had two showers!  One about a half hour before I fell and got lemonade all over myself.  It was in my hair.  🤣  The other shower to wash off the lemonade.  The house now has heat (there is a propane fireplace, so it wasn't completely freezing).  The house and apartment now have hot water.  

• Since I wanted to see if the witch tree is still standing, I went outside for a little while and cut back some of the areas on the property that have become overgrown.  There used to be a trail.  Lack of use has made much of it not passable.  I want to be able to get out back as far as I can before Zed sells the house.  I was able to see that the witch tree is still standing.  

GratitangleZ for today is Rain.

## 332 words were written on the muffin story. The total is 6332 words.  This story is written using the book You Are a Muffin, by Exeunt Press.  Basically the book gives the writer a setting and a few other things, and the writer rolls dice to determine other aspects and then makes the rest up.  The book ends when the muffin is eaten or is no longer fresh enough to sell.  Per the roll of the dice, the muffin will be eaten soon.  

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Continued listening to: Overcoming Anticipatory Anxiety, by Sally M. Winston, Psy. D. & Martin N. Seif, PhD.

Thank you for being here and being part of my daily happy things. Stay safe!

Sluggish

 November 22nd

It was almost a total lack of motivation day.  I'm not sure if I'm just tired… or if lack of hot water (it's broken)... or general moving anxiety… has slowed me down, but I'm hoping for more motivation tomorrow. 

Here are some happy things from today:

• The boxes I packed the other day are safely in the storage pod so there are less things in my room.
• Only a small amount of progress was made going through things in my room.  I also moved some things around in the kitchen.  There was a big box closet that was hard to walk around.  It is still in there, but is easier to get around now.  There is only so much I can do with a small kitchen area.  Progress is good.
• GratitangleZ for today is Quipple.  I worked on that toward the middle of the day.  Looking at it now, hours later, I like it better.  

• Sunset!

## 149 words were written on the muffin story. The total is 6000 words.  I was thinking of writing more, but I saw the total and decided it was enough for today.  Instead, I walked around in circles at the house and made my step count.

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Continued listening to: Overcoming Anticipatory Anxiety, by Sally M. Winston, Psy. D. & Martin N. Seif, PhD.

Thank you for being here and being part of my daily happy things. Stay safe!

Packing Stuff

 Another happy Friday!

• Packing for the move is how I started my day.  I cleared off the shelves of my headboard, top and side.  There is now one container full of things I think I'll need before moving, like medicine and lotions still on my headboard.  I also went through my closet.  Some clothes and things from the shelf are packed.  I also have a closet container that I have been putting SCA clothes and other SCA things into.  There are things that I've been throwing away and a few things I've set aside to donate.  It is a mess, but progress is good.

• While packing my closet I found a bunch of scarves.  Most of those got packed, but I put a couple aside to be able to use.  My hair is starting to be in my eyes and the scarves and bandanas might help.  I thought the scarf looked cute on me.  Later in the day when my hair was falling everywhere, it sort of resembled Kiki’s hair from Kiki’s Delivery Service.  

• Friday night Craft Night I did a little bit of wood carving, some crochet (that I pulled out) and visited with some of the people there.  There was a newcomer that I hope we didn’t totally overwhelm with information.
• GratitangleZ is Dex.  I ended up practicing this one a little on a scrap piece of paper.  I think I got the general hang of it though.

## 335 words were written on the muffin story. The total is 5851 words. 

☮

Continued listening to: Overcoming Anticipatory Anxiety, by Sally M. Winston, Psy. D. & Martin N. Seif, PhD.

Thank you for being here and being part of my daily happy things. Stay safe!