Clear as Mud!

Oy!  I haven't done anything with this blog for a VERY LONG time, and it was a TOTAL ordeal just to remember how to sign in to create a new post!  

I'd given up on the blog (in 2021), but then saw the icon for the app on my iPad earlier today, and started reading back through old posts.  So many great trips!  So many great life events!  So many great recipes!

So, I decided to create a new post today, which will probably be it for another couple of years, but...here goes...

A lot has happened since my last post...trips...life events...births...deaths...and...CHICKENS!  

I could post a THOUSAND pictures, and share a HUNDRED cute chicken anecdotes, but I'm simply going to leave you with this photo...which really sums it all up...

Here's hoping YOU'VE been well, and found something that brings you joy (and worry...and expense...and worry...) and hilarity too!

New Year's Resolutions!

I'm doing a TERRIBLE job of keeping this blog going, and, honestly, I'm not sure it's worth the effort...but...I've invested a TON of time and energy in the past keeping it going, so...here we go again!

I glanced back through my "New Year's Resolutions" posts for the last 10 or 15 years, and they are all "cut and paste" reposts...find a way to like my job...lose weight...get my finances in order...drink less.  Surprisingly, I finally achieved these goals...after a decade plus.  Yay me!

As I get older, I'm finding my resolutions have shifted focus.  

Here’s my NEW New Year's Resolutions list:

1.  Figure out retirement.  I haven't been very good at socking money away for retirement, and honestly, I'm CLUELESS on how the whole "figuring out how much money I'll need to survive until I DIE" thing works. LUCKILY, several of the jobs I've had in my life included things like 403B's and retirement accounts.  So...I have a little money in them, and found a financial planner who is trying to teach me about things like "Roth IRA's" and CD's.  Still pretty clueless...but getting there.  I'm hoping to get out of the teaching biz in five or six years, but I guess we'll see...  

So...I resolve to figure out retirement and be more purposeful in reaching my retirement goals!

 2.  Get my will and health directive in order.  I bought the Suze Orman "Protect Your Tomorrow's Today" cd's, and have gotten as far as filling everything out, and printing the documents that need to be taken to a notary to be witnessed and signed, but just haven't taken that last step of actually GETTING THEM WITNESSED AND SIGNED.  I think it's because there are FIFTY NINE different places in which the witnesses have to initial and agree within the documents, and I haven't even figured out WHO my witnesses are going to be.  I may just GIVE UP on this route, and hire a lawyer to draw everything up.  Sigh...  

So...I resolve to complete my will and health directive and have a legal document to make figuring out where my stuff goes (and to whom) easier!

3.  Get in touch with, and keep in touch with dear friends, old and new.  Confession time...I'm "phone-phobic".  I will do ALMOST ANYTHING to NOT talk on the phone.  Not sure why or when this developed, but it's really limited my contact with the people I care about.  I'm HOPING to reestablish phone contact (or GASP!...maybe even FaceTime) one friend each week in the new year to catch up.  My FEAR, however, is that they'll want to keep DOING it, and I'll be stuck on the phone FOREVER...  

So...I resolve to reach out and stay in touch with friends, old and new!

4. MELLOW THE HECK OUT!  I'm still a redhead...I'm still high strung...I'm still prickly and emotional and intense.  I'm finding, however, now that I'm approaching 60, that it's EXHAUSTING...and I'm tired of drama.  Low key.  Calm.  Serene.  That's my goal...AND I WANT IT NOW!!!!!  

So...I resolve to be mellow and calm and "low strung"!

5. Continue this weight loss journey, and get more exercise.  I've lost 23 pounds since late September with an AWESOME nutritionist in Canada.  Her program really works, and I've been happy with the results.  We're between challenges right now, and I'm starting to slowly put some of the weight back on.  So, I'm CLEARLY not "there" yet with the whole mindset.  The new challenge starts mid-January, and I'm looking forward to losing another 10 pounds.  My cholesterol is still high, and I'm not getting the exercise I need since walking outside...in Minnesota...in winter...is not fun.  I'll figure it out, because I'm really enjoying NOT feeling like I'm stuffed into my clothes, and find it AWESOME to not have to buy things in bigger sizes.  My problem now is that things are too baggy.  A GOOD problem to have!  

So...I resolve to continue losing weight and exercise more!

6. Spend less!  It kind of ties into that "retirement thing" above.  After TWENTY ONE years, I finally paid off my student loan for grad school.  I JUST made the final payment on a large credit card bill that I whittled down over the last ten years.  Now...I need to stop buying things that I don't need.  I have enough stuff.  My townhouse is FULL of clothes, and knickknacks, and furniture, and stuff.  I don't need more.  

So...I resolve to NOT buy unnecessary things!  

Okay...that sounds like enough to "work on" in 2022!  If I achieve these things, I will be PERFECT!

Here's hoping the three of you that still read my blog have an achievable list of "betterment" ready to go too!

Our Ducks Are Famous!

We sent FOUR broods of ducklings into the world from the courtyard at school this year. The story was picked up by KARE 11 for Boyd Huppert's "Land of 10,000 Stories", which was super cool!

Click on the picture below to get to the story, then click on the video within the story to watch.

The story was picked up by local affiliates across the country.  We heard from friends who saw it in Iowa, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and a woman called me from Cincinnati to tell me she saw the story and wanted to send angels to our students that she makes our of beads and wire...very sweet. 

The story was also picked up by Shepard Smith on CNBC.  Exciting!

Here's hoping YOU were able to enjoy some "cute" nature recently too! 

A Long Absence

It's been awhile since I've posted, and I THOUGHT I was giving up on this blog, but I've kept it going for FOURTEEN YEARS, and guess I feel that I owe it to the THREE of you that still read it to make a quick update.

I SURVIVED THE 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR!  It was frustrating.  It was difficult.  It made me mad.  It made me doubt my abilities as an educator.  It stressed me out.  I wanted to quit.  I want to retire.  That is all.

Here's hoping YOU recently made it through a difficult situation INTACT too!!

Explorations Close to Home!

We're starting to feel a little TRAPPED in this incessant Minnesota winter, and, since we can't really GO anywhere, decided to explore an area close to home.

Although the ground is still squishy, and snowy, and a little muddy, it was fun to explore a spot that shows great promise for further visits!

We did NOT see any butterflies...

Here's hoping YOU have interesting places to explore nearby too!!

Flowers Make Everything Better!

After a couple of REALLY stressful weeks at school, I came home to these the other night...

Here's hoping YOU have someone in YOUR life that makes you feel loved and helps you get through the "rough spots" too!!

Gardening with Water!

Duane gave me an AeroGarden for my birthday!  I love gardening and the INCESSANT winters in Minnesota leave A LOT to be desired, gardening-wise.  So...this is a fun distraction!

It's doing pretty well.  Here it is three weeks ago when I set it up...

And here it is now...

Not bad for three weeks of growth!  This batch of seed pods included parsley, mint, thyme, dill, and two kinds of basil.  I've already ordered empty pods to grow my own seeds next.  Maybe marigolds and other flowers for some cheery color as winter drags on and on and on and on...

Here's hoping YOU are doing something to keep the winter doldrums from overwhelming you too!!