Weekly Chat 3/1/2025

February seemed a billion days long. And what a roller coaster ride it felt like. I am one of those people who loves a new month and setting goals. This month I am going to try to start scrapbooking more with a focus on using my stash. I’m attempting to use something from my stash every single day.

I am currently printing photos. Next up is planning out my layouts to meet the 28-4-28 challenge. I've already updated my planner for this next week and added some monthly stuff, including financial stuff. I've noticed lots of irritating little tasks are adding up, so it's time to try to knock them out--things like making medical appointments for routine stuff, health insurance stuff, and renewing my driver's license and car tags for one of our vehicles. Yuck! But part of life so I need to attend to it. I did my taxes a few weeks ago and that was depressing since I need to write a check. At least I know how much it is, I guess. I think I'll wait until the deadline or shortly before. No sense in sending money until I have to.

It was a super busy work week, so I am very happy to get a couple days of downtime. I also had a dental procedure this past week, not bad really but sheesh it bled unexpectedly when I got back to work and that was horrifying looking. All fixed up now and it really wasn't that bad but there's no way to make a mouth full of blood look good, as we all know from gruesome deaths in the movies.

Every weekend these days I work on retirement plans. I like to play around with contingencies and work out options. My ideal is that I will retire and not need a part-time job at all, but I'm thinking about branching out into cool little side gigs here and there. My husband works for the federal government and I don't think our initial plan is a sure thing anymore, so I like to make alternate ones. I think it's a self-soothing anxiety response, maybe. At least we are luckier than a lot of federal employees--he should definitely get to retire with a pension--it's just that it may be a lot sooner and a lot less than we planned for. We'll see, I guess. Strange times we are living in. Hope for the best, plan for the worst? Not the worst mantra.

Besides my husband's post-nasal drip scratchy throat, we seem to all be in the clear illness-wise after 3 1/2 weeks. Hallelujah!

Good thing, too, because we have all the things this week: instrument selection night for my youngest, eye exams for my oldest & me, Lenten Bible study for my husband, a double date with friends of ours, and a small road trip with girlfriends of mine to a bookstore opening + lunch at a tea house. I believe the weather will be warmer, too, so I'm looking forward to crawling out of the hole of January+February. 

I have papers and photos chosen for a layout, letter stickers also. I probably need to round up a few little embellishments and get started. Photos are printed. I have not created a 12x12 layout in....almost 18 months? I can't remember. I've done other, smaller stuff, but not a 12x12. I have four on the docket for today, possibly 5, to complete the 28-4-28 challenge over on the challenge board. It was so helpful in getting me jumpstarted again. I really needed this, I think.

I paid almost $6 for a dozen extra large from the cage-free (but indoor) egg farm in the next town over. Because of the indoors (rather than free range/pasture raised thing) they are not experiencing bird flu outbreaks. Organic free-range at the grocery store are upwards of $7/dozen.

kitbop, store brand $8 a dozen in NJ.

I did buy 24 Egglands best for $12 today. I’m just buying in bulk now.

It’s wild. Our prices are usually similar to yours. Last time I don’t remember this going in too long and then they dropped back down.

kitbop They were watching. It was my grandson's team from last year. He moved up from youth hockey to high school this year.

I completely enjoyed my home alone time!

mom - I missed that scouty was unwell! NO! Saying all the prayers that the tumour can be removed well.

I am - finally - on the mend although I'm probably at about 25% so far - however, it feels so much better than the -1028% I was at that I'm happy about it I've call in sick again tomorrow to let myself recover one more day before a day full of activity and talking.

I sat at my scrap desk last night for about 30 minutes, but apparently creativity takes brainpower and energy. I know we often talk about "what kills your mojo" but I think crafters SERIOUSLY underestimate the work we're doing because we see it as a "fun hobby". It also made me think of the you-tubers and class-makers I enjoy, and how we can be hard on them when they miss dates or deadlines because they've been ill. I'll be way more forgiving for the next while, and clap a little harder when I hear them croaking their way through a live-stream or voice over!



Hope your day went smoothly! Fitful/sleepless nights are bad. My brain often turns into an enemy in the wee hours - like it cannot find a positive thought anywhere. I'm another coffee devotee but I can't touch it after 4pm.

praying all goes well with Scouty's surgery mom

an extra rest day is an excellent idea kitbop

Hi All! I finally sat down and completed a LO last night. First since Jan 7th apparently, when I posted on the 50 LO thread. Today is work and over the lunch hour (so now) I'll try and get some groceries as we are supposed to get walloped by a storm tonight. Sigh...I thought maybe winter was going to go out quietly but I guess not.

I have been stuck on a layout for about 10 days. I have a sketch, but maybe just don't love the paper or maybe the embellishments. Eh, we also are finishing our two bathrooms. Complete gut and renovation. One bathroom had the toilet about 5 inches from the shower and about 2.5 feet from the vanity. Why? Why not center the toilet between the two? We also figured out that the previous owner finished the lower level in 2007 and must have had a friend do the work. The plumbing had to be redone, the tile work had all raw edges showing in the shower (plus used 2 inch checkerboard tile), and they failed to put in a fan (plumber called it a fart fan) in a room with no window. The upstairs bathroom had no insulation (or wall) when the tile was taken down. All of those pipes were exposed to the attic. So all of that got fixed. Shower doors get installed Thursday and we're calling it done.

I have Thursday and Friday off work due to conferences, so a nice four day weekend.