Combo Platter

Not sure if I'm feeling the menopausal blues or general overwhelmedness. Probably working on a combo-platter, I guess. I spent so much time at the craft sale last weekend, I feel even behinder than I did. Mom and Gretchen and I planned to go to Ikea on Sunday but I just emailed them and told them to go without me or maybe we could reschedule for June. I'm having lunch with friends on Saturday so being gone all day Sunday (the closest Ikea is in Canada, a 3-hour drive each way - or is it 1-1/2 hours each way, I can't remember now! whatever) would really put a crimp in my weekend. Then the next weekend, Gretchen and I will be in NYC for 4 days for the National Stationery Show. As usual, all fun things, things I want to do, but other things are backing up.

I had a stack of two weeks worth of mail that was bothering me. I finally did what I do at work when my "in basket" is overflowing. I took a minute to sort it all out. Recycle the junk, stack the magazines and catalogs to be read later and I was left with a short stack of envelopes. Not so bad anymore. I'm still getting a bunch of catalogs related to the wholesale product I was buying so soon I'll ask to be removed from those mailing lists, but for now I'm enjoying seeing the new product. Regarding junk mail, if it's truly junk, I email the organization to ask to be removed from their mailing list but I didn't take the time to do that this time.

I need to finish painting the bathroom, update the website, finish up the May PTD newsletter, finish cards for 2 orders, make 2 thank you cards I should have sent out a couple of weeks ago, take my leftover cards to Mom (she called first dibs), then take the rest to The Wine Trek - and work on new pieces (framed art) for The Wine Trek. I still have not done the grocery shopping though I did stop last night to buy milk and meat for sandwiches for our lunches. Plus do laundry, water plants, blah, blah, blah.

Like I said, it's all stuff I want to do and enjoy doing.

Plus I'm still coughing so I haven't had a good night's sleep in a couple of weeks, maybe 3. It's not horrible but could be better. I sometimes go finish up the night in the recliner in the living room. I don't cough then and it's surprisingly comfortable. I hate sleeping on my back - always a side sleeper. I still have some laryngitis but it is getting a bit better. I called the doctor's office last Friday to see if there's something else I should be doing and was told no, just keeping doing that (humidifier at night, taking Mucinex) and let it run it's course. Longest course of this I've ever had.

I just thought about more stuff I could whine about but I'm boring myself so if I have any readers left at all, let's look at some pictures, shall we?

This is a lovely red heart vase my friend Pam gave me for my birthday. I haven't even put any flowers in it yet because I like the way it looks in my shadowbox frame thing over the kitchen sink. She's a great gift-giver - she knows I like hearts, red, flowers - perfect!

I bought this hanging basket at the end of the craft sale - at cost - $12! This thing is huge.

It must be spring if the starlings are building another nest in our grill. I cleaned one out already and this was rebuilt just about the next day. I haven't seen the birds this year, but I thought they were starlings from what I saw last year. Anyone know?

Even though the eggs are blue, I know it's not a robin's nest. I cooked our veggie burgers indoors the other day, just so I wouldn't have to deal with this. I know I will, as I have before, but I'm torn between loving watching nature and well, NIMG. (Not in my grill. Get it? Like NIMBY - not in my back yard?! Never mind.)

I have an extra half hour at home this morning because I have an eye doctor appointment at 8:30.

We watched the movie, Monster - finished it last night. Charlize Theron definitely deserves her Oscar. Included on the DVD was a "featurette" which shows footage of the real Aileen, the serial killer. And they showed what Charlize looks like as herself. Just amazing, the make-up job that was done. People who knew Aileen said Charlize got the mannerisms and everything down just perfect. Very intense movie, not easy to watch, but very, very good. We started it Sunday night, finished it Monday night and it's still stuck in my head.

That's enough outta me for a bit.