Bathe weekly

I'm very tired. My brain in overloaded. I seem to have no time to myself. First world problems.

On the other hand, my bit of the new shop in High Heel is coming together nicely. Sweetie screwed in 30 or so cup hooks into the ceiling boards, and now there is "hanging potential!" It's looking great. 

I have found, already, several artisans that are willing to place their wares on consignment. Jewelry, soap, and brooms. It is as if my old store in Corydon, Arts & Artisans, has found a new and better home. 

Have I told you all that Sweetie and I have a new rescue? His name is Corky, and he is a Pembroke Corgi. He's a sweet boy, mostly well behaved, although he still growls at Millie and Reese's. And Princess is still not happy with her new friend, even after a week. What evs. We must have a peaceable kingdom here. Corky was set to be put down after his family lost their home to fire. He looks neglected and ill-fed; he has a new diet with much less corn.

We had a simple and lovely Thanksgiving with Leslie & Tommy and their kids. We brought the pumpkin pie and very good whiskey. They provided everything else.

Adventures on Hwy 19

So.

The first thing one does when one blows a tire on a well traveled state road is to toss out the empties into nearby field. Then, if nobody stops right away? Crush the cans and hide them under harvested cornstalks. 

Nobody stopped for what seemed quite awhile. 'Fat bitch in a Mercedes - eff her!' was maybe what most folks thought. the only local friend I had on my cell phone didn't answer. Finally! someone with Oregon tags pulled over to help, and the help involved three short trips into town. One to air up the spare, two to get lug wrench, and three to get a lug wrench in metric. 

I had two dogs with me, and so didn't really want to leave the vehicle, but I still wanted to be settled, you know, in case the local Barney Fife arrived. 

All safe. All fine.

November what??!

Oh, how life changes so quickly, and yet remains annoyingly the same.

The big news is that Gypsy Gatherings is moving down the road a piece, to the town of High Hill, (or High Heel, if you are southern.) The move decision came about suddenly, but it's as close to a perfect place as possible. Nicer buildings, no rent, only utilities, close to Interstate 70, and a billboard is in the works. The name will most likely change. Current new name contenders are The Dog's Meow and Magpie's Nest. Here is a short video of the cottage part: the new store

I'm painting the kitchen here at home as the old color is what I would call putty. Grey putty. Ick! With no windows of its own, the grey paint sucked all life out of the room. New color is a pale green/yellow and from the half wall I've done, I know I will like it.

My therapy is interesting, especially the dream diary part of it. The recurrent themes sound particularly text-bookish: Saving bunnies. Costumes that need to be made under impossible deadlines, especially opera costumes. My house in Indiana. Going back to high school. Tornadoes. 

The therapy seems to be helping, although some weeks it's hard to tell. My mood is more upbeat than usual for this time of the year. I'm taking fish oil and vitamin D, and also spirulina which is a green algae. That's for my joints (heh heh) and tendons.

I have made an appointment with an asthma/allergist for January, so that is another step in the right direction.

So. 

I still have a bit o' cough, which could be either residual bronchitis, or more likely, allergies. Most days I feel as if I had been in a car wreck, as every part of my body aches and all I really want to do is sleep. It's the allergies. It will pass.

Last week was my first visit with a therapist, a talk therapist who eschews cognitive behavior therapy. (yay!) Today was my second visit, and she is truly helping me to get my brain around all of the hurt of my childhood and teen years. Not too expensive, and well worth it.

Today is grey and cool, and I am tired but, I feel okay. 

Sweetie is now on a 50-hour a week schedule, with overtime. We are finally getting ahead instead of just making ends meet. Now there are rumors about the Tyson plant here in Montgomery City being bought and re-opening in December. Tough choices, if true. He never had a lick of overtime at Tyson's, and the pay wasn't great, but it was close. His new job pays better with OT, but is 25 miles away, and has better insurance. Take it as it comes is what we'll do. No need to get the panties in a bunch about a rumor. 

Ya want to see a photo of Leslie, the Head Gypsy at Gyosy Gatherings? 

Really?

Isn't she adorable?

Ambient temperature must be 77º or below.

I am feeling better; the fever is gone, much of the fatigue has lifted, and I can almost speak but I have to pitch my voice in a lower register to avoid squeaking.

Here are my crewel squirrels, each about 16" square, and nicely framed. These little guys will live for a nice long time.

And I can finally post Trixie's last photo, and I hope you all can see how vibrant she looks.

Slow Cooker. Ha ha!

So. What I thought at first to be a mere cold has grown to be acute bronchitis. Nothing cute about it, ha ha. I am resting, drinking lots of fluids, blah blah blah, doing what Web MD recommends and saving an office call with the doc. Sweetie's insurance card is in the ether cloud somewhere, but nowhere near my limp little hand and I just don't feel like dealing with any sort of red tape.

Anyway. Here is a recipe to feed everyone the sick person cares about, to be made by the sick person. Because dog knows those people's arms are all broken.

Meat and/or Vegetable Soup, for the Slow-Cooker

(Skill needed - Opening cans and dicing.)

If you are a sensible person, you  should already have on hand several cans of different vegetables in the pantry, along with some canned pasta sauce or salsa.

Into the slow cooker, combine a can of corn, a can of beans, a can of peas, a can of diced tomatoes or salsa or pasta sauce. Maybe add some little bits of frozen vegetables that are taking up space in the freezer. Add some water to each can, swish around, and add to crock, and maybe add some garlic or some dried onion bits. If you have some bulgar wheat or pearl barley, add some of that too. 

Add some meat. It can be leftover hamburger, or weenies, kielbasa, sausage or the meat from a chicken breast, chopped into small pieces. Add enough water to fill crock.

If you have no meat, it'll still be good. Just add some cajun seasoning or any other form of salt and spice.

Set on low for 3-4 hours, or high for 2-3.

It's nice served over crumbled hard rolls. Or rice. 

Its a Mad World

I fell sick with a creeping crud on Monday, after portents of things to come on Sunday. Here it is Thursday, and I only feel moderately better. Some of my 'tubercular' hack-up reminds me of honey mustard, and today there was ketchup involved. I know. Ick.

I have slept about 20 hours of every day this week, which I hate, but I am unable to do otherwise. I hate being sick and alone. I am trying to start on a knitted sock, but it is slow going.

And then there are creeps on fb that I try to argue with. (Maybe I should say, well, Hitler made good roads! How about that!?) I know, I am almost delirious. Monday night I was mouthing along words to Blue Collar Comedy - other times, I just went "blblblba blablblb." Seriously. I don't think I have ever done that before without the use of recreational drugs.

On the 3rd season of Mad Men. Still loving it.