DIVA DISCUSSION OCTOBER 2020

Welcome to Autumn! kitbop and Divas!

kitbop - I grew up with Autumn but now use both mostly because everyone around me uses Fall and looks at me a little oddly when I saw Autumn. It's my favourite season - weather is starting to cool down (although we're headed back into the 80s tomorrow ) and I love the leaves changing, wearing sweaters, eating pumpkin muffins/pie/gingerbread, apples, cranberries, drinking hot cider....but alas I live in Florida and the leaves don't change and it'll probably be January before I can wear a sweater all day.

I completed Sketchtember last month and am hoping to do the same for Cardtober although I find cards much more challenging than sketches - I'm definitely more of a scrapbooker at heart. October is off to a slow start but that's partly because my youngest turned 14 yesterday and instead of being creative, we were making memories.

I love fall and everything pumpkin. I got my 5 boxes of gluten-free pumpkin pancake mix from Trader Joe's this year, and really happy about it. They sell out really fast ,last year I missed out so I am making up for it. Really wanted 20 boxes....but hubby didn't let me buy that many 🤣😂
The mornings are nice and cool finely, but we are still hitting over 100degress in the day time. After having 140+ days of over a 100 and a record of 50+ days of 115 and over. Im over the summer.

I'm excited about CARDtober. This is my second year to play along, and this time I'm hosting Tuesdays. Usually make all the challenges so I'm hoping to collect a lot of points.

Our fall is confused here as it's going from upper 70's to lower 40's all within a week and then back again! I almost finished up all the sketches last month, but caught a bug the last week and never caught up. And I never used the challenges last month to get myself out of the box. So my goal this month is to use the challenges vs the number of layouts. I'm also hoping to get out more on those warmer days with the kids to get some pictures to scrap! I have fall papers/collections, so I need more pics to use them all up.

((((Hugs))) and continued prayers angel97701

Hello,

 I am looking forward to Cardtober! I have been in a card making phase for the past few months. That’s why my September numbers were so low. 

I will let you know about the train wreck threads on NSBR. I tend to just read and move on. I think the biggest one that I read lately was on here about Tim Holtz. 

I love using the words Fall or Autumn. I have at least one birthday card to make this month and I want to make some Hello and other types of cards.  

I have to go back and look at gramma’s Way Back Challenges. She is a doll and a wonderful person! 

angel97701 Huge Hugs to you. You have a lot going on. I am putting you and your family on my prayer list. 

Ah, FALL it is . . . but a strange one for us as NO freeze yet. I still have flowers in my yard and baskets. My tomatoes are still in the beds, trying to ripen the fruit. BUT the irrigation water is officially done for the season. We get 4 acres of irrigation rights from April 15-Oct 15, but they stopped early this year due to low water levels.

Still more to do on the refinance, but checked those things off today. Also finished my application to our local hospital with tons of documentation for financial assistance for the joke of a visit to ER with DS!4. Sadly he was worse (suicide ideation) after we brought him home than when we took him. The leading questions of the social worker also has CPS investigate us . . . but found nothing, naturally. Just all around horrible experience in the midst of COVID hysteria.

Tonight? Is tonight I will actually craft something while DS is at practice? fingers crossed!

angel97701 Hugs and prayers for you! Will the IEP alleviate some of the distance learning work for your son and you?

I haven't had any scrapping done at all this month. I think I sort of burned myself out with so much from September and time isn't currently on my side. I've been so busy with school for my boys and therapies. With DH's current work schedule there hasn't been much down time for me when I'm not wiped out. But I did have some time last weekend to clean up my scrap room and purge a lot of scraps that I honestly will never use! I figure the room is ready for when I have the time and desire. I also need to edit pictures to get moving, but I don't have the desire to do that either.

Thank you everyone! I actually had some time at my craft table last night and finished a layout I start in April. Whew! Now to photograph and post it. I've also gotten back to my Bible journaling, which is super helpful for my mindset.

kitbop OUCH! I'm sure you know how to care for your injury, but have you ever considered an acupuncturist? Mine have helped me with both chronic and urgent injuries. Linda too? (I'm never sure how to tag our Linda (meaning the prolific plays with challenges Linda!)

boymom5 Yes, the craft room is ready when you have the time/energy . . . sometimes both of those are in short supply especially with 5 boys! Do you normally home school, or just dealing with the Distance learning for Covid?

As a teacher by training (and my natural tendency) it's hard to let DS14 fail at things when I know he can do better. But his case manager says he's doing really well considering what we know about his IQ of78, trauma, and FAS spectrum diagnosis. The IEP is helping tremendously because we've really lightened his class load and realistically expect him to take more than 4 years to complete a modified diploma.

Yesterday we had 84 degree weather, this morning DH said I should have gone stand up paddle boarding . . . today's high was 83, so I made a point of getting out on the water for a good 90 minutes. The water is super cold (Deschutes River is about 60). There was a slight breeze and it was absolutely lovely! I bet this is the latest date that I will ever have to SUP. I still have flowers! I still have tomatoes trying to ripen. That NEVER happens in Central Oregon in October.

Hey all. I've had students for a week now, but only 7 in class and 6 through home study. I teach adults so the physical distancing is way easier than for elementary teachers. I'm doing Layout a Day this month and I need to get my layouts up on the share thread. I've done one Cardtober card so far. It's Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend, so we're off to visit my mom,

Come join us in the hangout for a little "me" time.  It'll be good for you

I made a few cards yesterday and am hoping to scrap tonight or tomorrow. Life has pulling me away from scrapping lately - my other hobbies (genealogy and sewing) have been even more neglected.

Well real life has kept me super busy this month. Now that DS's IEP seems to be finalized, all the paperwork is in for the re-finance on the home, the garden has been the focus. It's harvest time! So I have a total 50-two cup vacuum packed cut corn processed, 14 pints of tomato sauce, quart jar of dried basil, 1/2 pint jar of Rosemary dried, and 4 tbsps of thyme dried. Also have made apple crisp and apple pancake a couple of times now. We harvested about 30 lbs of carrots and have them stored in moist sand. Harvested at least 50 lbs of potatoes today, will sort and set them out to cure tomorrow before packing for away for the winter. The greenhouse has pea plants that are 3 inches tall, some lettuce and spinach that was started outside and moved inside, and all of the unripe tomatoes. Some in boxes with bananas to help them ripen. Probably 50-60 lbs of tomatoes to ripen. Oh and I forgot 49 spaghetti squash, which I am already giving away. I still have cooked/frozen in the freezer from last year. There is still kale and a a few corn stocks left in the garden. The steer get a few corn stalks every day, the steers that were supposed to be butchered 2 weeks ago, but we couldn't get them in the trailer. Can still get one in there reliably, but the other one gets in but gets spooked and we've not even come close to trying to close the door. We have another date butcher date, but will have to start supplemental feeding soon. Fortunately the warm fall has keep the grass green in the field. The last week I've been so exhausted I've not had time to think much after diner. In fact my right hand and elbow have been over-worked to the point of tennis elbow and the beginnings of carpel tunnel syndrome symptoms. I have KT tape on both and bought a compression glove to also help it heal.

I bought a heater at Costco today for the greenhouse so we can grow longer into the fall/winter season. We may try potatoes, and with some luck green beans and cucumbers. But those may be iffy. Depends how much I want to heat the greenhouse. Also have the worm farm in there, but no worms yet. They are arriving in a week or so.

I did make a card for SIL birthday that will go live on my blog on Tuesday.

But the fun news is . . . DS14 and I will go on a little vacation next week. We had business guest Friday-Wed (well DH & they were gone Mon night up to Washington state). They are from the San Diego area. DH has business meetings in San Bernadino, and the guests suggested we come on down. Well since our big trip to go watch America's Cup in New Zealand in March 2021 was cancelled I've got a bunch of airline miles. There is even a non-stop flight between Redmond, OR and SAN! One friend offered for us to stay on his yacht, which is on a pier anchored at one end of the San Diego bay. It has 2 full staterooms, power and water plus stand up paddle boards we can use. DS can distance learn in San Diego just as well as he can at home! Plus we will do Sea World and Legoland (already have the tickets) and a few other attractions. All the attractions have limited winter hours and you must have reserved tickets. So besides the garden, cooking for guests, and planning a vacation I guess that is what has been taking up my crafting time!