Snow And Christmas Decoration

During this time of the year DH is working on the weekends and then works a few weekdays.  I think I mentioned that before.  After this last weekend DH and I were both fighting a cold, so Monday and Tuesday he stayed home and did little, but helped out with the kids.  I am so grateful!  Yesterday he was feeling a bit better and it was still a relatively nice day (still 10 above for the high) so I suggested getting the tree in the house.  It had been kept in the garage for a couple of weeks, so still fresh, just frozen.  So we had to thaw it out before we could put it up.

Thawing the tree is always a rather tricky thing.  We always have to figure out where to put our 10′ tree while it just warms up.  fortunately we do have enough room in the front entry hall (the front door is never used and we always come through the kitchen door) so we can let it sit there usually.  The last couple of years we’ve had access to the doors that led from the entry hall into the living room.  But as those doors are never used either, and we have such a small space we’re living in, those doors get blocked fast with dressers and building supplies.  DH ended up taking the tree up the front stairs and bringing it down the kitchen stairs.  Funny that it went up and over us before finally finding a nice landing-place in the living room.  But there is was, and there it’s stayed.  We got it up on the stand and then started getting the rest of the decorations out only to find out all but one string of lights was dead.  One string of lights doesn’t go far on a 10′ tree, so we decided to wait.  The kids handled it pretty well, but they were a bit disappointed.  fortunately my MIL came over around the same time as the tree disappointment, so the kids didn’t really pay much attention to the tree.

Today we woke up to a beautiful layer of snow outside.  We got about 2-3″ over night and it just looked so magical outside.  We haven’t had this much snow since October and it’s nice to know we’ll have a white Christmas.  For a while I was wondering if it would ever snow, the temperatures were still in the 30’s and 40’s up until the beginning of December.  Very abnormal for Minnesota.  Because of the snow outside DH was “snowed in” and he didn’t have to go work at the shop today.  He decided to head into Parkers to get a few things to hook up our water softener (finally, hurray!!), mail my x-mas cards (go me!!) and check out Christmas lights at the hardware store.  The kids were thrilled when he came home and brought three boxes of lights with him.  We very excitedly got started right away with decorating the tree.  So much so that we forgot about the sentimental things, like Christmas music or taking pictures.  It was like a mad rush, and we all had a blast.  So now it’s decorated and it smells wonderful.  I’ve decided that I’m going to need to work on getting more ornaments/ making more that we can put up.  We’re kinda limited to weird multi-colored snowflakes from the 80’s and the half a dozen little porcelain angles that live on top of the tree, so the kids can’t reach them.  We have dozens of glass balls, but with kids around, I just don’t feel comfortable having them up just yet.  When I know DS wont try climbing the tree, and then the new little one, then we will think about putting those back up.  But until then, maybe I can knit something or find some cute ornaments to put up that wont be a disaster if they fall.

It’s starting to feel like Christmas and I’m liking it.:)

Gratitude Journaling

Maybe it’s because I’m getting more sleep now, or maybe it’s because I’ve gotten some more excercise lately, or for a hundred other reasons, but I have to say I think the having a reason to gratitude journal is doing something.  Even if I’m just doing it so my counselor doesn’t hate me (which she wont).  But really what is the point of going to a counselor if they don’t give you the tools to deal with everyday life.  I’m thinking gratitude journaling is one of those good tools, and hopefully it can just become a habit while I am doing it for my counselor.  I love creating habits.  Even when I hate them, I know I love them because of how good I feel when I am done, and how bad I feel when I don’t do them.  I remember several times I had created a habit, one of those healthy ones you know, like yoga every morning or doing the dishes right after dinner, and I kinda hated doing them, and felt slightly resentful about it.  But when done I always felt very proud of myself and much better then I would have if I had just pretended it wasn’t there.  I am trying to talk myself into doing yoga today, but am thinking it might be better to do it every other day at first, just so I don’t hurt anything.  I’ve stressed to many things doing too much yoga to fast.  I think it will be easier to move for every other day yoga to ever day yoga, then just going cold turkey and starting everyday yoga.

I digress, gratitude journaling.  Right.  My counselor gave me a journal when I saw her and said it was my “homework” journal.  She said in the next two weeks until I see her again I’m to write down three things everyday I am grateful for.  I’m finding right now that I could write down a lot more than just three things a day.  But I guess I am keeping it to three because I know those days will come when finding three might be hard work.  I have been doing this for four days now and I can already see that during the day I am collecting mentally the things I am grateful for.  I am constantly grateful for my husband and kids and our health and our home.  It’s amazing to me how much time I usually spend ignoring these things.  But really, I am grateful.  Even when stressful stuff comes up, some how I have been able to be grateful for something.  I’m turning into a little Pollyanna here!  Watch out people!

It feels nice to concentrate on the positive instead of the negative.  I still have a lot of negative that creeps into my daily life, I think everyone has some.  But at least I can appreciate some of the things I was taking for granted before.  I’m sure eventually someone will probably have to refer me back to this post sometime in the future.  It’s only been four days after all and I know it takes somewhere around 6 month to really integrate a habit fully.  After a month it gets easier, but I’ve got a long way to go before this is stuck in my brain fully.  But for today, I am grateful for this tool that is at least letting me see the things I am grateful for.

Yoga

I recently got to speak with my youngest sister on the phone.  I don’t talk to my siblings much.  It’s hard to connect over such a distance and none of us are big on long distance communication.  But this was a pleasant conversation and she completely inspired me to get my butt in gear and start doing yoga again.  I know I feel so much better when I do it, I have more energy, my mind is in a better space on top of just being down right good for me and the baby.  I needed her to remind me of how good it is.  And while we were talking I remembered that the particular routine I do (it’s with a video) the kids love.  DD doesn’t mind doing the stretches with me and DS is just happy watching the show or else he finds something to entertain himself.  So I get a whole hour of really good yoga and the kids don’t bug me a bit.

So I turned it on and am so proud of myself.  I was able to do everything in the video today!  Usually I have to stop and take a brake through several of the poses/exercise.  True some of them I modify because I know it’s to much for me to do one thing or I can stretch more then they say on another, but that’s just yoga right?  Like the lady in the video says, “Everyone should look different when doing yoga, because we are all different.”  Yeah, I like that.

After finishing the video I went and made myself a big omlet, which I really needed.  When my body is lazy, my brain gets overworked, and when that happens I tend to forget to eat.  Or I rebel against the instinct to eat.  When I’m feeling bitchy it usually just doesn’t seem logical to go eat first and then think.  But it is something I am working on.  And now that my body has been busy, my brain is relaxed and I am full of food and water and all my good vitamins and supplements and I’m feeling good.  A little spacey and tired, but very good.

Thank You Universe For The Reminder!

Life And What I Am Grateful For

This morning I wrote up a bunch of stuff to post today.  I was inspired by a friends blog post.  Some how she always inspires me to blog and I like that.  But then I come to the subject line and my mind draws a blank.  What do I type?  “Another day in the life,” or maybe “HeidiLogic on the fritz.”  Naw, neither of them seem right.  the first one I have used to often and the second… well that’s kinda HeidiLogic anyways, so it doesn’t really give you and idea what has been happening or what this post is about.  So I’ll go back later and fill in that part.  Maybe I will type something completely brilliant and can use that.

Recently I have been sensitive.  So what else is new Heidi?  Yeah, it’s just more sensitive.  High, highs and low, lows.  It kinda sticks and is usually a food/sleep related issue.  I’ve been on the phone speaking with my sisters over the last couple of days, which has been nice.  We don’t talk often, but it’s been nice.  I miss my family, it’s just hard to get on the phone sometimes.  We all went to the chiropractor the other day and, doom and gloom, she doesn’t take the new insurance we’re getting.  So I’ll have to find someone else.  This is a bit stressful, but I can work with it.  I like her, but I kinda think maybe I could use something else anyways.  Maybe I can find someone closer.  The next day I went and met with my new counselor.  And she is AWESOME!  Love that woman!  Took me so long to get to the point where I was ready to see her, but now I am and I am so happy.  I think we’re really going to be able to get somewhere.  We talked for an hour and a half and she gave me a journal, a bunch of information and homework and I’m grateful.  I think I really need that.  And she is totally covered on the insurance.  Thank You God!  The insurance in general has been stressful.  I’ve not had health insurance during my adult life and have very little idea of how things work and how I do things.  But it’s slowly getting worked out and I know everything is going to be ok, even if it doesn’t feel like it right away.  it’s just my own insecurities I know.

The other night I found out some very sad news about a friends baby.  He’s been sick since birth about a month ago and has been through several operations.  His mom announced the other day that the doctors found more wrong then they thought originally and they say he only has a few weeks to live.  Anyone who reads this please send out your love or prayers or good thoughts to their little family.  I can only imagine how challenging things much be for them.  I bawled for an hour after I read about it, and being pregnant myself went through so many different thoughts and emotions.  Weird feelings of guilt over having such healthy babies, relief, concern for this new little one.  So many other things and they just cycled.  DH held me and we talked for a long time.  Dear God I am grateful for my husband.  I don’t know where I would be without his support.

DH has been busy with working on the farm lately.  It’s so busy right now and being so emotional I feel bad pulling DH away from his work.  We’ve gone to town several times this week which means he’s gone from home half the day and he has been finishing up the nesting boxes for the chickens.  We finally got our first really cold spell and I think it’s here to stay.  As much as I hate this kind of cold.  I am grateful for it too.  It’s just been too warm for comfort.  I mean, the beginning of December and the ponds haven’t even frozen yet.  Normal ice fishing has already been going on for a few weeks.  it’s just a little weird.  Anyways, DH has gotten the chicken coop finished and the hens are starting to lay.  We just got a light in there for them so it will still be a few weeks until they really get into the laying thing, but I am grateful that it is done.

Then Christmas is coming.  So many thoughts go through my head.  I am excited and annoyed and stressed and depressed.  but I know it will be fun.  We haven’t gotten our tree in yet, but hopefully will soon.  Decorating that will be fun and I look forward to making cookies and finishing up my shopping online and other gifts.  It’s a small year, but I know it will be fun.

And that’s what has been happening the last couple of days.  I don’t know what will be happening next.  It’ll be about two weeks until I see my counselor again, I think I’ll be seeing the chiropractor for the last time next week, which is a bummer, but maybe a good thing.  We’ll be going to the Christmas shop probably this weekend and maybe next and then in two weeks we have my MIL’s family Christmas get together.  Always a little stressful but with lots of food and it will be fun.  So much to do in such a little time.  I am grateful I have DH and my kids around.  They inspire me to be happy and to keep going some days when I have no desire to do anything but play computer games.  Thank You Universe For All My Blessings.

Writing For Business Sake

Oi my head feels fuzzy.  I remember now what DH is talking about when he comes in from hacking our nursery websites and says his brain is square.  I have been working on wording and re-writing things to attract peoples attention to new products we offering on the website this year.  While it is nice to do something this easy to make money, it also puts my brain in square/fried mode and I vaguely feel like like those old commercials.  You know, the egg and the frying pan, “this is your brain on drugs” thing.  Yeah, only it’s computer hacking for me.  Yikes.  Glad I am not doing it to the extent DH is this year.  Still I can’t help but want to make the website the best it can be and when I know I have a way with words that others don’t, it embarrasses me almost not to do it.

We were just getting together an email to send out to some of last years wreath customers.  I should think about these things sooner then we do, but it’s so hard for me to think Christmas and we haven’t even had Halloween yet.  Still it would make a lot more sense to get emails and blog posts prepared in advance so that come this time of year we can already have sent out our Black Friday Super Saver Deals, or whatever.  We generally don’t think about these things until like, the day before, and then really it’s to late.

The crazy thing I think about working on the webpage as a business it that it is so easy, but so exhausting and time consuming and draining.  DH comes in several times during the day saying he can’t believe how many more calories he burns working on the website then he does throwing trees around all day.  “I know what you mean Hunny, know what you mean.”  And it looks so easy to the unknowledgeable.  it seems like something that can just be done quickly.  After all it’s just sitting and typing and something thinking.  But no.  It’s so much more work then that.

Despite all the hard work though, I’ll admit it is something I love.  Now that I know how to work photoshop a little better, I love doing image work, and I love being able to take a bunch of key words and make them into a sentence that flows nicely and gives readers an idea of what something is, not just it’s key elements.

Now it’s time for me to exit the computer world too.  Dinner is waiting and I’m excited about giving my square brain a brake for a while.  Even if it’s just from easy blogging where I don’t have to think about key words and descriptions.:)