Our Exciting, Everyday, Ordinary Life

I'm so happy to have an extra room where I can have craft surfaces and shelves for baskets and a smattering of books and the dvds, plus my own closet with shelves for my fold-up clothes and a clothes hanging rod and a shelf above and room below.  After I finish unpacking those boxes, Mark will start bringing food storage boxes and we'll use them all over the place, in the walk-in pantry, as end tables, tucked in blank spaces here and there, and in our closets and so on.  Then we may be crowded a bit more, but it will feel a lot cozier and more secure!
I'm excited, too, to get some more of the things I want, such as my books that I brought from Idaho (not from storage, but what I had in our apt.).  And Butterscotch, of course. :)
I have a calendar now, which hangs on our refrigerator and has a million little stickers for things we do and don't do: ie.: dr. appts. and soccer practice.  I like it very much. :)  and the price was right, at Wal Mart!

Seth called, and we're having some oatmeal sent to him through a place that you can do that.  It's more reasonably priced than most of their products, which reflects the fact that they have you over a barrel.  Ack!  That's true for phone time and their regular products there at the correctional facility.  That doesn't seem fair, as it only hurts the family.
Oh, a reminder that Seth's birthday is two days before Valentine's Day, on Grandpa Stephenson's birthday (probably a hard day for Jeanne) and also Lincoln's birthday!  Mark's birthday is on the 12th, one month later, and mine is on the 12th, 3 months after that.  Just sayin', lol. : )

Leto peed on his blanket tonight, when it was close to time to go out.  That almost never has happened.
He wanted some Froot Loops today, as a treat, but we were out.   Not a great day for him, but okay.

I like to listen to news from around the world, at night.  It's very relaxing to hear, when they have British accents, and I like to hear their viewpoints and learn more about the world.  We got some new garments in the mail yesterday.  Yay!  We needed them!

I still can't get over how nice the people are here.  Sometimes the employees from the other side, that took care of me over there, come to see me or say hi when I'm wheeling the halls for exercise each day.  They laugh when Mark's there and doesn't see me and I make weird noises to tease him.  Like uhhhh, creaking out of my throat.
Btw, I'll post some pictures here, once I get some things unpacked.  Promise.

I love these slower months.  They give me time to think!  And plan.  Haley, I still need the approximate dimensions of your back yard, okay?  Thanks!
I also love Valentine's Day!  It is a time for me to feel the traditional aspects of it, and the old Valentines and postcard from long ago, as well as those from my time growing up.  And, of course, it very romantic!

It's late (almost 3 a.m.), so I probably have a bunch of typos.  Sorry, but I'm up with a virus right now and don't really care!  I don't feel too awful, though, lol.

I saw the first episode of Downton, twice now.  It's great to have it on again.  I've also been watching a series about the Prophets of Science Fiction, on Netflix.  It's narrated by Ridley Scott and is very interesting.  It tells about Sci-Fi writers who wrote about things and concepts that have come true.  So far, I've seen one on Mary Shelley and Phillip K. Dick.  Next is George Orwell, I think.  Fascinating!

With a stovetop, we can fry or boil eggs and make cheese toasties - Mark's are sooo good, crispy-tender on the outside and melty hot on the inside, with plenty of cheese.  Yum!  I like those and soup, but I need to remember to take Lact-Aid when I have cheese.  That may be the source of my "virus."  Ha.

Now there are folk singers on pbs.  Another relaxing program, kept low on the volume. :)

Let's see...oh!  Mark goes to the eye doctor tomorrow and may get proper contacts!  He's had the ones he wears for years and years, due to being uninsured on his previous jobs.  He was supposed to be insured, but it didn't happen, mostly his fault/choice.  Anyway, this is happy!  He'll see the regular dr. next month, I think.  Yahoo!
I will have an appt. for my finger, at last, on the 16th, I think, and with a neurologist over my numb and shaking hands, later on.  And the occupational therapist, Nikki, from South Africa but with a British accent and very helpful, will be here Friday, and I have a wheelchair assessment thru O.T. coming up soon.  Yay!  I'm getting some help, at last!
Also, Friday evening Mark goes to a dinner for the men, either here or at the church.  That sounds kind of fun for him. :)

So, those are some of the things that are going on with us!  We have the house rented now, but this month's rent will go to cover repairs, and Mark has a $500 deductible on his medical insurance, so we aren't quite out of the squeeze yet, but hope springs eternal! Lol.  At least we can order some underoos!

Take care, and thanks for your thoughtful comments.  And if I'm not on Facebook, I'm catching up on blogging.  I can't do both at the same time and have a  life, and I need a life! haha  I have to pay really close attention, or I forget something health-related that tips the balance and starts a downward spiral.  That's very easy to do with me, and not good.  So I try and keep all the plates spinning, which means either/or for  Facebook and blogging.

If I don't focus on these things, I can't stay well.  It's a lot like Bonnie's situation, where we have to attend to lots of things about our diet and stress and activity and so on. Knowing that she has similar problems (auto-immune problems, etc.) makes me feel all right about paying enough attention to my health.  Besides, I think of our family as kind of the dramatic, artistic, brilliant and beautifully tragic people, like Vivien and Vincent and Marilyn and D.H.  We struggle, but we live for our art!
Oh, ahem, well something like that...we all have our own challenges, and I'll take mine, any day! At least we usually don't have trouble having lots of babies; considering how many are born, they are a pretty healthy bunch. :)

Happy January!  Make some Valentines or drink some cocoa, when/if you have the time. 

We love you too much, so I can't talk about it anymore.  Not right now.  Try not 'a talk about it, 'kay?

Big Hugs!
xoxoxo