Home mathematics is different than routine math. Here's how it works:
1 banana can be turned into 12 muffins...or ONE fourth breakfast for a ravenous 3-year-old boy.
1 muffin can become 200,436 crumbs in the right pair of small hands and though confined to the dining room table to eat, may also be spread over roughly 900 sq. ft. of open space.
If one thing goes wrong with one item in a household, two more will follow. First the fridge started making a terrible sound. Hot water from the kitchen sink became a mere trickle. Then the shower drain may be broken. It's got some 'give' that shouldn't be there...Next the hot water heater quit. Now the hot water in the sink is running just fine or would if we had hot water. The drain...Well the drain is still an issue, one that I don't think John means to address at all. But we did finally find a local man who does plumbing who 'might' come out today, 48 hours into having no hot water.
If one light bulb goes out 4 more will also go out. And you will not have one spare one in the house to replace any one of those 4.
If you go over budget in one area, before you can blink twice you will be over budget in at least five other areas. And the moment you screech to a halt and state that you will NOT spend another penny, three needs arise to prove you are not actually in control of your finances at all.
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I may be all grown up and know full well that a snow machine made the snowflakes for the Christmas program but oh my goodness! The thrill that went through me when I looked up to see a swirl of snowflakes coming down and dancing about in the light was about as much Christmas spirit as I've found this year. One happy laugh escaped from me, and I was grateful.
Snow isn't something we get to see that often in Georgia. In the 25 years we've been here I think we've had snow only two or three times. I don't think of the driving issues, or the possible loss of electricity. All I think of is the loveliness of it. I can afford to enjoy it when it's such a rare thing.
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I stepped out on the back porch for a few minutes and enjoyed the peace and quiet of the outdoors. The air was damp and cold, smoky with fires from chimneys of the neighboring homes, and the aroma of pine was strong. It smelled like Christmas outdoors, a unique wintry sort of smell that is elusive and occurs only a few times a winter here. It reminded me of childhood and the good things of Christmas for a moment or two.
Have you heard of the 1000 hours outdoors project? It's a plan to spend more time outdoors. Specifically, it began as a family project to get children outdoors and the family kept it up. Well, it sounds like what I need to do. Mind you it's hideous outdoors at times in the summer but if I front load my year with these more pleasant days that aren't in the 100F range surely, I could manage this goal? Who knows, quite possibly I might find peace, reset my melatonin levels and just find more peace and less anxiety.
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Winter blooms are about. Narcissus is blooming in the old home sites yards and Lady's Mantle are blooming at roadsides along the country lanes. These are usually seen in the winter season, and I suppose we've had cold enough to warrant being confused.
The crocus popped through the soil and are peeking at the world, too. And winter not even come yet...
And then we had our big freeze here. Not enough to stop the crocus from looking all lovely and perky green as they poke heads through the soil.
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Well, winter hadn't arrived when I wrote the above paragraph but it's here now. Oh boy is it here now! It will be a cold Christmas this year. I recall very well the balmy breezy Christmases past when the temperatures soared into the mid 80's and we children rolled up pants legs and stripped to t-shirts and ran about barefoot.
Admittedly, I like a cold Christmas far better but even this is not really seasonal for us. These temperatures are more suited to late January, or the month of February rather than to December.
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Weather preparations ensued this week. We checked the pumphouse light to be sure it was working. We've wrapped the faucets and drained and rolled the hoses. The propane gas truck came up the hill yesterday and checked the tank. He said he was just going to go to every house on his route and be sure all had plenty of gas for the holiday weekend. Last night I washed the dishwasher load of dishes and today we're making sure everyone gets a hot bath before bed. Fresh water was drawn up to use to prepare coffee and drinking and washing if the pipes do freeze. The stove top percolator pot is under the counter if we have need of it and there's ground coffee plenty as well as tea bags of various sorts for those that prefer tea. With the gas heater and a gas stove, we should fare well enough through the bitterest of this cold spell. We've got an ample supply of paper plates.
Really the prep work is all pretty much the same as hurricane season preparations save the filling up of the gas tank. At least in this weather if the electric goes off, we can just slip the milk outdoors and perhaps we can keep it from freezing if we check it often enough.
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I discovered something this year. I guess I had a bit of the Grinch in me. But on Christmas Day, I realized that we didn't need a big fancy tree, fully decorated house nor lavish food spread. All it took was a 3-year-old who was fully aware that it was Christmas and who didn't look askance at the modest gifts under the tiny little tree.
We watched "The Last Holiday". We had our traditional and simple Christmas breakfast with lots of hot coffee. We ate good food and had leftovers for the last meal of the day. Sickness and cold weather kept us home all day long.
In the end, I felt relaxed, rested, peaceful and happy.
It was the perfect Christmas.
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Regardless of how I felt leading up to Christmas, I found the idea of New Year approaching a happy thing. I've just ordered new notebooks to replace my too small one-inch binders that I find it difficult to contain all the things I need for the year. My home keeping notebook will be upgraded. I thought seriously of ordering a fancy planner. I am drawn to them but never ever end up using them as I do blank sheets of line notebook paper and a blank calendar page. Why pay more for a planner than a notebook I can customize to suit myself?
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I am ready to see 2022 behind me. The last three years have been hard. I'm not sure this next year will turn out any differently. I hope if it's rough going I can be positive and upbeat and steady in my approach.
And if it turns out to be a year that goes a great deal more easily, then I'll be triply grateful!
Happy New Year to you and yours!
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