Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday

1 Waking up in the dark is difficult but coffee certainly helps the process.
2 He has a very low key day and even though he's had naps and sleep he's still tired and recovering from his weeks away.
3 Yes, there are leftovers for one last day!
4 The grandkidlets come for the day and we take them to two parks and manage to bake angel food cupcakes and oatmeal peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.
5 She's never happy to go home but today there's the promise of getting ready for Halloween for her to look forward to.
6 Kes is certainly enjoying playing with trains. Today he's focusing on books about trains.
7 I love how they gently drift to sleep. After lunch I get out the story book and the three of us lie on their bed. She lifts her arm over her head and I know she's almost asleep and Kes curls on his side.
8 A sheepskin rug is laid in front of our fireplace. The grandkidlets love it and rub their backs and tummy's on the softness.
9 It is what it is for today. Some days are just like that.
10 She loves her costume so much that she had been wearing it since noon he said, but our grandson was much happier without his. She was a princess and he was a dragon! Both very adorable.
11 Dinner with family in a lovely Italian restaurant with good conversation and a bit of catching up. Mr P's brother is doing a course about an hour from our home and so its' a quick trip for us.
12 Nothing else went as planned. He's grumpy and has isolated himself in the downstairs office. Alone time can often be just what we need to 'get over things."

Good times~

1 He's home and we get a chance to spend the day together. Lots of errands to run and lots gets done but it's the unplanned stuff that's extra fun!
2 A little hole in the wall sushi place turns out to have amazingly delicious food. It's a mom and pop business and there are even little children in the kitchen. Mom asks if it's okay and we both smile and nod. Of course!
3 Doobie Brothers were amazing tonight. We are in seats in the upper section and it's LOUD. I am so grateful that Mr P had the forethought to bring ear plugs for us both! No ringing in our ears and truth be told, they sounded my better with the plugs in!
3a When they came out for an encore and I heard China Grove, I couldn't sit one more minute, I jumped up and danced along with the thousands of others! It was awesome!

4 days done

1 The morning brings mist,fog, and eventually rain! The grass is greening up despite the fact that it's autumn.
2 I feel warm and fuzzy in my new bulky knit sweater. It's big, baggy, and beyond comfortable. It's my new go to sweater.
3 I'm still training in admitting and am enjoying the people I work with very much.
4 Do I like the work? Not really, but if it gets me seniority, I'll do it!
5 A good night's sleep means that I am clear headed for the next set of training sessions. This time it's an afternoon shift and a new trainer. She is incredibly meticulous and has great attention to detail.
6 One more time, and then I'm back to my switchboard job. It's been interesting to see and learn a new department and then come back and appreciate what I have.
7 Izzy and Kes come for a brief before I go to work. As we are leaving it's a bit of chaos and she says to me, "Grama, that's the shortest visit ever!"
8 My brain is overloaded and I get a wicked headache but I push through it and finally it's over.
9 Work is done and it's time to get home and unwind! No wine tonight but a fire and cup of tea work just fine.
10  Mr P is home tomorrow! xo
11 My bed feels deliciously cool and welcoming. I love clean sheets, the smell, the feel, the way my body melts into softness.
12 At one point tonight the winds blowing are so strong that the wind chimes sound overly loud and  like an out of tune instrument but eventually they settle and are melodic and soothing again.

bits and pieces

1 I've been putting in a lot of hours at work and it's definitely paying off. Feeling confident and capable and sometimes even, dare I say it, relaxed!
2 The house is clean and shiny and smells like layers of lemon. It's the fragrance of the soap and the furniture polish that's drifting in the air.
3 Outside it's a combination of rain, wind, clouds and blue sky. Mother Nature is a wee bit confused today.
4 The colours of nature are bright and cheery compared with the dryness of summer in our desert paradise.
5 We did a hard prune on a tree in the back and it opened up our view dramatically.
6 I try my best to sit back and watch things unfold but eventually I speak my mind.
7 I must be doing something right, my clothes are just a teeny bit looser. Or maybe it's just stress.
8 The new training is easier than I expected. Possibly that's because I've had this training earlier in the year. Different facility but same workload.
9 I start the day in the dark. Pitch black but by the time I get to leave it's sunny, warm and welcoming.
10 I miss my girls! There is something special about the girls from swb and I'm appreciating them more and more every day. Oh, how I wish I had more work there.
11 Mr P is home on Sunday and we talk about our plans for the next two weeks. A few things are planned but mostly we'll just hang out, hike and putter. I like that plan.
12 I catch myself being very negative today. A friend's husband points it out to me, in a kind and gentle way. I need to regroup.

timing is everything, warmed up, and let's talk

1 Oh, it felt so good to get out in the fresh air and walk and run especially after that wicked headache yesterday. Sometimes I am fast, some bits were slow but all in all it was the perfect rhythm for today.

2 The house is dark and cold and it's just me here. Mr P calls and soon we're talking about how he's home in a week and a half and I'm warm again.
3 It's wonderful that we share a similar sense of humour. I love talking to my son and hearing about his day, driving adventures and what the grandkidlets have been up to. It's good to hear a smile in his voice again.

good morning sleepy head, ouch, and quiet please

1 The grandkidlets wake up later than usual. Kesler is up, fed and dressed by about 8 but Isabelle sleeps in until 9! We make quick time of it to get her ready for her Daddy to pick them up. He's got a busy day so it's a quick hello and out the door they go.
2 Ouch, my head. It's been a while since I've suffered with a bad migraine but today it rears its ugly head. It's extra bright out today so I pull the curtains in the bedroom and sleep from 11 fo 12:30 then from 1:30 to 3:30 and again from 5 to 6:20. My headache is easing up but I still feel rough. It's only 7:30 but I think it's almost time for bed again.
3 Some of the sounds around me are rhythmic and soothing like the ticking of the clock, the wind chimes and the wind itself. I desperately need stillness and quiet to heal my head.

an assortment of gratitude

1 Saturdays often bring with it grandkidlets for sleep overs and today is not exception. They're ready for a visit with backpacks, extra jackets, and this time their bikes!
2 Isabelle and I set up a little obstacle course for her to ride around. She's happy to practice going in big circles.
3 It's a great schedule that works for them. Izzy knows when the clock hands are 9 and 12 it's time for bed. Not that she likes it, but she at least knows.
4 We pick up Grampa at the airport. Kes is sleeping by the time we get there but Izzy is wide awake still and so thrilled to see him. She runs to him with open arms and he gently scoops her up for a big bear hug.
5 The pumpkin patch and corn maze are where we head from the airport. It's all geared for the kids so we enjoy corn maze, hay maze, a little tractor pull, farm animals, corn toss and  a giant hay spider to climb on!
6 The week has flown by. Sorry to say there's be so little time to post.
7 Thanksgiving dinner today. We especially enjoy having a sleepover with the grandkidlets.
and a few photos to catch up on postings.

class is in, parking problems, and who's that?

1 My class is exceptional today and there is lots to learn. The focus is on dealing with manipulation and criticism and handling it in a variety of work and personal situations. Great for my job!
2 Parking is a premium and some days it's much more difficult than others. One day it's a five minute walk to a building, the next it's five feet from the entrance and Friday it's the parkade...go figure!
3 I am barely in the door and Mr P calls. It's so funny because I know he's watching me on the house cameras. Is he stalking me?

taking it slowly, helpful, and get yer butt home

1 Do you like mornings when you have the time to just putter about, gather your things and slowly make your way to work? Me too.
2 She helped me with ideas for the problem and then later she forwarded a message to me along with emailing kudos to our staff and supervisor for a job well done. I couldn't have done it without her, or without the help of the whole team. Feeling grateful.
3 Mr P is home on Sunday. He's already packed and that's no surprise to either of us. Hurry home hon!

as the days go by

1 The kidlets end up spending Sunday night with me as well. It's fun to have them here. They fall quickly into routine and seem to anticipate what's next! I'll have to mix it up a bit, I don't want to be too predictable.
2 The weather is cooler these days. It's sweater time but the little ones seem to still run hot.
3 Warm chocolate milk is what they get before bed. Not so great for teeth so I also give them a bit of warm water to rinse with!
4 Work is busy, busy, busy.
5 There's one woman that I work with who I've always been intimidated by. It's funny that this phenomenon exists for me because it's unusual for me to feel this way. As we work more and more together, that feeling is dissipating as I see her as just herself.
6 Jeans jackets are great, especially when it's the only piece of jean you're wearing. They schooled me; only one jean piece at a time!
7 We get slammed and slammed and slammed at work. It's not really that there are more admissions but for some reason it feels like more emergencies. We pull together and get it done but the porters we work with look exhausted by the end of their shifts.
8 He loves the alphabet so we draw lots of circles on the driveway and put big and little letters side by side into each bubble. He gets excited when I sing to him, Big D, Little D, etc etc for each bubble. Soon he's saying some of the letters too.
9 Testing for autism and they have found no flags in the first round of testing. This is a very good sign.
10 Witches warts for the Book Club tonight.
11 There's a black out so the meeting which is about a Halloween murder mystery takes place in the dark. Spooky with laughter, food and good friends.
12 The blackout area is huge. 22,000+ people are in the dark including me. Candles soon are lit and the gas fireplace throws a lot of light! It was a long day/night so it's only one glass of wine and I'm toast.