The Business of Living......

It was a busy and somewhat productive week and a pretty enjoyable weekend for us. I consider it progress in my efforts to get back to the business of living.

Besides all that was going on with Ab at the fair, I tried to accomplish some things around the house. You know, the domestic basics….laundry, trash, dishes….those types of things. I worked on some more Thank You notes and even got them mailed, but I still have a few to go. Those are kinda therapeutic because it requires some thought and I am also being creative, by using some of the photographs I’ve taken recently and making them into cards. They’ve turned out pretty nice, if I do say so myself!

On Tuesday I went back to Bunco for the first time in a few months. It was fun and I won a triple layered fall-scented candle that I will "re-gift." I can’t count how many candles I have won at Bunco.  Geez.  I was thinking I’d probably give it and a restaurant gift card to Ab’s Junior Farmer advisor, who was so good to her and taught her so much with her lamb project.

At lunch time I would leave work and accomplish some bill-paying or other such errands, but having to make such a quick turnaround in the short time allotted just elevated my stress level. And, then I end up grabbing some fast food to eat on the run, which does nothing for my diet or acid reflux problem. So, I figure I’d better take care of that stuff in the evenings from now on, as much as possible. My kitchen table is once again becoming stacked with unopened mail and junk that needs to be sorted, so I plan to work on some of that this afternoon.

Also at work, my new boss (a business major and a mathematical genius) and I sat down and figured out my most profitable retirement date, considering upcoming raises, an "Air Time" purchase, which is buying non-state service credit time by rolling over my 457 savings, etc.……which is……..July 1, 2006! Yippee! Less than 2 years! And, I will go out with 30 years service at age 52! There really is life after prison! Really, she’s not trying to get rid of me! In fact, she’s retiring in less than 60 days. She’s just so good at those calculations and understands it way better than I.   I am going to go look on eBay for one of those retirement countdown clocks to put on my desk! Wooo-hoo!

Ab and I ate an enjoyable breakfast at Henry’s on Saturday morning, then made plans for a donut afterwards. Instead, we settled on something from the Rocky Mountain Fudge Factory. Ab chose fudge and I got a caramel apple that was also dipped in white chocolate, and covered in dark chocolate sprinkles. For the most part….life is good!

Then we headed off to the local fabric store to purchase Ab’s supplies for the quilt project that her teacher’s starting with the students. She is so excited and I hope it creates a life long interest in the art of quilting, especially since I don’t sew. The above photo shows the fabrics that she selected and I think they will make a fantastic, colorful quilt!  In addition to the fabrics, this store had some of the most incredible folk-type holiday decorations for sale!  I just couldn’t resist the Nativity scene that I found there!  It’s made by an artist named Jim Shore, who calls his line, Heartwood Creek and in fact, I just saw some of his work for sale last night on QVC as I was flipping TV channels.  Gorgeous stuff!   The 3 Wise Men are pictured up there with Ab's fabric.

One thing that little trip to the fabric store did was spur my interest in getting busy on my holiday decorating that I really love to do. So, yesterday I pulled out the Halloween items and did some dusting and up they went. When Ab noticed it, she said…."Mom, can we get a Christmas tree this year?"  It about broke my heart, since last year, with Bubba’s absence and Papa’s hospitalization we never did get our tree up.

This year, during the holiday season, we’ll be back into the swing of things, despite it being a lot different around here with the loss of our loved ones.