chochiyo_sama | Another Productive Day.

I couldn't fall asleep last night. The last time I looked at the clock it was 1 am. As a result, I couldn't get out of bed soon enough to take my garbage to the curb. So I will have to have the stinky stuff sitting in my porch until next Tuesday.

However, once I DID get up, I got a lot of stuff done.

Before I did anything else I made scrambled eggs so I could get some protein in my system and take my meds.

I started my laundry right away too. I had four loads--three of clothing and one just a blanket. It is all done, folded, and upstairs now EXCEPT the blanket. It is in the dryer and I will get it before I go to my mom's tomorrow.

I baked chocolate chip cookies and cherry winks and also dipped pretzels in almond bark and sprinkled them with colored sprinkles. Everything turned out yummy.

I put away all the clean dishes--there were quite a bunch of them--and when I was done cooking, I cleaned up the kitchen surfaces and did up the dishes.

Jim Engvall stopped over and widened out my driveway for me a bit. I shouldn't have any trouble getting out. He carried my laundry basket of gifts out to my car for me. I am very thankful for that since it is hard for me to walk without my cane now, and my lawn is uneven and there is snow everywhere. I packed Jim and DeAnn and Josue's gifts into a big garbage bag so they'd be easier for him to carry. I only had chocolate chip cookies baked at that point, so That's all he got. If they stop tomorrow I will give them some dipped pretzels and some of those cherry winks. Those turned out really really good. I wanted to make Russian Tea cakes as well, but I burned out.

I called Jim Cronin and told him if he stopped on his way to work, I would give him some cookies. I gave him a baggie of chocolate chip cookies and a baggie of dipped pretzels.

I tidied up quite a bit, but didn't get the vacuuming done like I had hoped to...I also did not sweep and scrub the kitchen, but I will attempt to do both tomorrow before I got to mom's.

My suitcase is packed except for my sewing stuff. I need to sort out that stuff and perhaps cut out a few more outfits to sew while I am at mom's house.

Right now I am under the covers. My knee hurts and my back hurts. All those trips up and down the basement steps are probably responsible.

At least the laundry is done. And my suitcase is packed and my baking is done.

I am going to try to clean the bathroom before I go to sleep tonight. At least, I want to clean the toilet and the sink. The floor can wait.

I might try to vacuum my bedroom rug too, while I am at it.

That's it.

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I didn't go to the Post Office, which means I'll have to go tomorrow when it's probably going to be raining.

I need to put ornaments in boxes in the attic. No tree this year, but I did buy some ornaments so they'll have to be stored.

I did box up some cobalt blue flower vases I had bought for the Clark Library when I thought *I* was going to be the librarian. My libraries are green and pink this year so the blue goes in the attic. If I never get another library, my Mom will get it. Her whole house is blue.

I uncovered my Hallmark dog ornament for this year and put it on the refrigerator. I had already put his picture in it. They're making them now so that you can either hang them on the tree or use them as refrigerator magnets, so that's what I did. Also put up an Angel in the kitchen.

Did more dishes. I can see the bottom of the sink now. I'll be doing a lot of the flatware tomorrow. I need to work on rearranging some of the kitchen as I still haven't solved my storage problem due to the cabinet I lost when I installed the dishwasher.

The piles have gotten lower. I have a big stack of cardboard in the living room as I have no place to store it in case it rains. I will have to carry it directly from the living room to the car when I'm ready to take it to recycling. I guess I'll be going to the landfill this weekend. I have a lot of bottles that need to be recycled too. At least that will give me a little cash. I've been bagging the paper and the styrofoam peanuts separately and then throwing them out into the backyard because the plastic trash bags will keep them dry. The paper can be recycled, but the peanuts I'll put in the alley and then put a 'free for pickup' on Craigslist. It's now illegal to put anything that can be recycled in the regular trash. Of course, this is completely unenforceable. They have no idea what is in my trash and when it gets to the landfill they can't tell who put it in there. But I do try really hard to recycle. My parents do not, but they do better than they used to. At least they recycle their cans and bottles.

I need to do better at recycling too. I want to, but time is just so limited to do everything that needs to be done. I'd like to start a compost pile and dig up the back yard for a garden too, but with my knees being in the state they are in, I don't think I would have the ability to take care of a big garden.

Preparing the garden is most of the work and yes, it takes a lot out of you. That is why mine is so very small. With my back I have to stop often. This is where hiring a strong college student or even High School senior is a blessing if you know one and have the money. After that....get yourself one of those little garden stools on wheels. I have one that holds my hand tools. Then I just sit and wheel down the row. If I had a bigger property like your's I'd design my rows really far apart, so there was a nice, hard pathway in between. Then the little cart could wheel real easy. And for irrigation if you need it....drip. They have cheap, do it yourself stuff you can get at home depot. It can hook up to the garden hose. And you can even get a battery operated timer so you don't even have to turn it on and off every day.

Are there any fruit trees that will live through a Minnesota winter?

Maybe you should consider retirement in Belize?

Another Productive Day.

Mine, not so much.

Re: Mine, not so much.

Re: Mine, not so much.