Holy Bruise!

I came across this meme today, and it made me laugh:

I still feel like 2020 is so surreal. It's crazy how uncertain the future is--even just a month from now.

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Well, I mailed out 50 more face masks today! It seems like almost everyone from the first batch I made has been getting theirs over the past couple of days, so I thought it was safe to send the next batch. I can't believe it took so long for the mail to get to its destination! When I went to the post office today, the postal worker told me that mail has been taking much longer than normal to arrive.

When I woke up today, I was debating on what I wanted to do--go work in the garage on the drywall or get the masks prepped to mail. I knew I needed to get the masks in the mail, so I worked on that. It doesn't seem like a big deal, but it takes a long time...

I printed out a list of people who had filled out the request form, and then I asked Eli to list off random numbers in order to select people to send them to. Then I addressed each envelope by hand, stuffed it with a note and the mask, added my return address label, and taped the envelope shut on the back. Once I had them all ready, I went to the post office to buy a roll of stamps and then put two stamps on each envelope before finally giving them to the post office employee. 

It took me all morning and part of the afternoon to get it all done! (I'm not complaining--just saying)

I didn't end up working in the garage today. I'm sore from my fall from the ladder yesterday. Look at this bruise:

That's on my lower left side, right below my left ribs. It actually looks worse than it feels, though. (And yes, those are abdominal stretch marks. My skin removal surgery couldn't get rid of them--but they used to go up all the way to where the top of my bruise is!)

When I fell off the ladder, the first part of my body to feel the impact was that spot at my ribs--it hit a little ledge of concrete right below the drywall I'd hung. I don't even know how it happened. I just remember falling.

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A couple of weeks ago, Jerry found a cat tree that someone was throwing away, and it appeared in perfect condition, so he picked it up and brought it home. I was really surprised at how nice it was! These cat trees are expensive.

I thought there had to be something wrong with it--likely that it would smell like cat pee. But I cleaned it really well in the garage, and I didn't smell any cat pee, so I brought it in the house today for the kitties (I thought maybe it would help Estelle and Phoebe get along with Chick and Duck. A lot of times, all the cats need is something in common to "bond" over in order to get along.)

Side note: I can't even tell you the number of times I've said "Dick and Chuck" instead of "Chick and Duck"--hahaha!

Well, the cat tree worked! For Estelle, at least. Estelle let me put her on the top, so she could be the "queen of the castle" while the kittens played around on the lower levels. Phoebe watched from a distance and pouted--growling and hissing when I got near her (she's NEVER been like this before!). 

In the photo, Estelle is on top, Chick is just underneath her (ready to attack her tail) and Duck is under Chick (clearly wondering what he's up to). I put some catnip on all the levels, and the cats went crazy for it. 

It's hilarious to me that the kittens aren't scared of Estelle or Phoebe. They're just very curious of them. When they see Estelle or Phoebe walk by, they'll run after them and get as close as they can without getting swatted.

Estelle is starting to come around as far as being civil to the kittens. She lets them come fairly close before she starts hissing (which is much better than when we first brought them home). I'd bet that within a month, she'll be totally cool with them.

And then there is poor Joey. He wants to play with the kittens SO BADLY, but they don't want anything to do with him! When Luke (my nephew) was born, we taught Joey the meaning of the word "gentle", and he does great with it--when it comes to the kittens, he just barely gets his nose as close as he can to them to sniff them out without alarming them. 

I'm so relieved that the transition of bringing kittens into the house has been so easy, really. I thought the kittens would be terrified, but they are the bold ones. It's the other pets who are apprehensive.

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As far as my weight... ugh, I need a three day goal again. I haven't been keeping up with it, and I really liked how I felt the first time I did it. I'm not going to state the goals tonight, because I want to give it some thought, but I will tomorrow. 

I hate that I'm constantly complaining about my weight, but I am not doing anything about it (long term, anyways). I can't believe how hard it is to get back into the habits I had for such a long time, while I lost the weight and even while I maintained (most) of my weight loss. 

I'm going to give it some thought and then make some goals tomorrow. Just three-day goals, because that seemed to work well! I felt really good after completing those three days.

Anyway, it's just another quarantine day... ;)  (Sing to the tune of "Just another Manic Monday...")

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Just Another Quarantine Post (A Daily Routine)

I realize that most people who read my blog probably have no idea what Euchre is (it's a midwest card game), so you won't understand this meme... but I loved it so much that I just had to post it!

I really feel so boring right now! Every day feels like Groundhog Day, so I don't really have anything new to write about. 

I've been trying to get on a good sleeping routine, but it's just impossible for me. I simply cannot fathom going to bed so early (at 9:00 or so with Jerry)! So lately, I've been trying to go to bed by 12:00.

At 4:30, Jerry wakes up--which also make the kittens wake up and think that it's time to get up for the day. Jerry gives them a can of wet food, which seems to hold them over and they come back to bed with me. 

However, Chick likes to sleep ON MY HEAD and it drives me crazy. He also likes to try to bite my earrings; he even pulled my nose piercing right out of my nose! I panicked, thinking he may have swallowed it, but thankfully I found it on the bed.

From 4:30-6:30 or so, I spend the morning trying to fall asleep while the kittens (just Chick, actually) climbs on my head and tries to get a comfortable position to lie down and purr as loudly as a jet engine in my ear. 

I can't even be annoyed, because they are just so darn cute!

I finally get out of bed at around 6:30, and then do my morning routine--which totally involves all of our pets (including the squirrels). Today, for example, I decided to make some sourdough toast for breakfast. While it was toasting, "Fluffy" the squirrel came up to the back door (she can see me in the kitchen from there, so I would feel bad ignoring her). 

(We call her Fluffy because she is the fattest squirrel that we feed--and you know who Gabriel Iglesias is? That's where we got the name. She's not fat, she's fluffy!)

She usually waits on the porch near the door, waiting for one of us (ahem, ME) to get up and feed her a walnut. (We have a "squirrel lunchbox" on the deck, which we always keep peanuts in, but some of the squirrels are so spoiled that they wait for us to give them walnuts. I only give them a walnut if they take it from our hands--walnuts are expensive!)

I've noticed a few new guys coming around, and they are skittish about coming up close to us until they see the others do it. They are new--and very skinny! It'll be interesting to see if they warm up to us.

Anyway, I get up and feed Joey, let him out to go to the bathroom, then give Estelle a couple of treats (she meows until she gets some--so spoiled), and then I give the squirrels their walnuts as they come to the door. Meanwhile, I am making my toast and tea or (decaf) coffee. And then this past week, I have to try to keep an eye on the kittens while I do all this.

This morning, it literally took me 35 minutes from the time I put my bread in the toaster oven until I got to sit down and really eat my breakfast! 

While I eat my toast, I usually play the stupid Best Fiends game on my phone. And then I go out to the garage to work on that for several hours!

Today, I had to continue filling in all the holes from the screws with drywall compound and add a base layer of compound to the seams. It's not really boring, because I listen to podcasts, but it feels like it takes forever because I have to keep going up and down the ladder to move it. I also have to move things out of the way to make room for my ladder.

There was one spot (about 35 inches wide) that brother, Brian, told me to hold off on placing the drywall. He wanted to run some electrical stuff there--for a heater--before I screwed in the drywall. He came by yesterday and did what he needed to do, so today, I had to replace the insulation and and then hang drywall there.

The drywall wasn't fitting in very well in the top left corner, so I grabbed my drywall knife to cut a little off of it. As I was cutting, I don't even remember how it happened, but the ladder came out from under me and I was falling (crashing) down to the ground. I hit my ribs on a lip of concrete before landing on my elbow on the concrete floor of the garage with the ladder on top of me. (Thankfully, the drywall sheet didn't fall on me as well!)

How I came out alive, and with no broken bones, is beyond me. That's the second time I fell off a ladder in a few months, and it's pretty scary! The fall at Nathan's was worse--I am still feeling the effects on my ankle and knee--but today I got some serious bruises. 

I've only gotten 3/4 of the garage done (with the FIRST coat of mud--I haven't even applied the tape yet!) so I'll be working on it for at least a week. Lowe's called today and said that the insulation I ordered (for the attic space above the garage ceiling) wasn't in stock, so they canceled my order. I had been expecting it to be delivered tomorrow! So, now I will have time to finish mudding the walls, but I'm bummed that I can't start drywalling the ceiling. 

I still haven't started a sewing project. I think I'm just putting too much thought into it! I need to just pick something small and make it. I'm really excited to use the new-to-me fabric. 

I haven't been doing good with my weight loss goals at ALL. I'm sure it's because my routine has been all screwed up from this Covid stuff. I really need to write out a schedule to stick to. Having bipolar, there is pretty much nothing more important than having a schedule/routine!

And speaking of which, my psychiatrist appointment was scheduled for today. He isn't seeing patients in the office, but rather by phone (optionally). I really don't think I need a change of meds, so I'm just going to stick with what I'm taking now.

Tomorrow is Wednesday, which has always been my weigh in day and "start of the week" day. It's like the typical person's "Monday". I really REALLY need to work on my diet--I've been all over the place as far as what I eat, when I eat, how much I eat. 

I want to develop habits! I used to eat the same things for breakfast and lunch (and my bedtime snack) and it was so helpful. Right now, I don't even feel like I know what foods I enjoy anymore.

Today, I was really craving roasted cauliflower, and I noticed we had broccoli in the fridge, too. So, I tossed them with some olive oil and parmesan cheese, and roasted them at 450 F for about 20 minutes. It was delicious! I literally ate half of the batch, which means half a head of cauliflower and a whole crown of broccoli. I wonder how bloated I'll feel tonight. Hahaha, I'm sure Jerry will be glad to go to work in the morning ;) 

Anyways, I really need to figure out a plan and stick with it for long enough to see results. My go-to is counting calories, and I know it will work. I just need to find the discipline within myself to stick to it long enough to form a "streak". Once I have a streak going, I am much more likely to stick to something!

(Oh! I'm working on the annual "Summer Run/Walk Challenge" (here is the one from 2018), so I'll get that posted soon--even if it seems early, summer is coming up fast!)

I got emails from several people saying that their masks have finally arrived... so if you are still waiting, it'll be there soon (I hope)! I'm going to draw names tomorrow for this second batch so that I can get them mailed out on Thursday. 

(By the way, here is tutorial for the masks I made, in case you want to give them a try on a sewing machine!)

I hope everyone is staying safe and sane during this Groundhog Day that is Covid quarantine ;)

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Feeling Like a Kid on Christmas Morning

After I got done sewing the first batch of face masks to give away, I had so many people interested in them that I made a second batch--my mom had given me some fabric. (I still have this batch--I don't want to mail them until I find out if the others have gotten theirs. The postal service is SUPER slow right now from what I was told when I called the post office to ask. I've only heard from one person who received hers, and she also lives in Michigan.

I'm going to do a random drawing for the rest of the masks--you can enter at the bottom of this post. Rather than "first come, first serve" I'll just do a random drawing to make it a little more fair. 

Anyway, that second batch wiped me out as far as fabric goes. Also, I decided that I was REALLY tired of making masks. I actually made about 125 of them in total!

However, I got a very sweet email from a reader named Sarah. She said that she and her mom like to quilt and she had a ton of extra quilting fabric that she'd like to send me. I told her that I was grateful for the offer, but that I really wasn't planning to make more masks. She knows how much I love crafting, and she insisted that I should use the fabric on anything that I wanted--she completely understood that I was tired of making masks.

I felt a little guilty accepting it, because I honestly don't know if I'll make more masks. However, I loved the idea of sewing new things! 

I was SO EXCITED when FedEx dropped off two boxes of fabric on Saturday. I had no idea she was going to send so much and such a big variety! I began to lay it all out on my bed as I sorted through it, eagerly looking at each piece and mentally going through ideas of what I could make. Way ahead of myself, haha!

Even overlapping the folded pieces of fabric, I could just barely fit it all on my bed to take a photo. I wasn't even able to fit it all in one photo! 

The fabric was really cute, too!

Anyway, I love the patterns on the fabric, and it almost made me want to make some masks yesterday. Instead, I browsed Pinterest for small sewing projects and pinned about a million ideas. I could have started making something yesterday, but I was too busy pinning ideas!

Maybe I will actually start something tomorrow. I really do need to work on the garage some more, though. The drywall for the ceiling is going to be delivered on Wednesday, so I'd like to finish the first coat of mud on the walls tomorrow. I just wish I could have a totally empty garage to work in! All of our stuff is everywhere--so it's hard to maneuver around to mud the walls. I have to spend an hour just moving things away from each individual wall as I work on it.

But already, I am loving how it looks. It's so much brighter in there and it actually feels warmer already. We had a couple of colder days over the weekend and it was warmer in the garage than outside (usually there is no difference). 

Anyways, I'm going to open up a giveaway for my remaining masks. This time, it'll be a grab bag--I'm going to put the masks in the envelopes and have them all ready to label after I draw names. So, you'll have no idea what color mask it'll be--hopefully you like it! ;)  Again, totally limited fabric... the ones below are the colors I have.

Again, there is no need to pay me--I'm happy to give them away to those that need them--but if you want to give me a few bucks as a donation, I won't say no ;)  I'll include a note about it in the envelope. Like I said, the mail service is ridiculously slow, so it'll likely take a couple of weeks to arrive. I can get them mailed by Thursday this week.

To enter for the giveaway, just fill out this Google form. (Nobody will see the info except for me). I'll give it 24 hours before I close the giveaway entries and do a random drawing. (And I'm so sorry, but I cannot do international shipping on these--you likely wouldn't even get them until next year anyway! ha)

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Things My Mom Has Taught Me

(That's a photo from 2009, when I did the 500 Festival half-marathon. I walked it with my mom and my friend Mandie. The pictures from that race became my official "before" photos. I was shocked when I saw them and I started losing the weight a few month's later.)

I actually wrote this as a Facebook post, but I thought it appropriate to share here, too. Considering today is Mother's Day, I thought I'd share a post about my own mom. She's a huge part of my life--she lives less than a mile from my house and I talk to or see her several times a week (lately, with the social distancing, it's been different of course!).

We don't have much in common (then again, I don't have much in common with ANYONE in my family) but I've learned quite a few life lessons from her over time. This is meant to be slightly tongue-in-cheek--there are a couple of "inside jokes", so it makes more sense if you know my mom! But here goes... 

Advice my mom has given me over the years that I still use today:

1) Garage sales are the greatest! But to get the good stuff, you have to get there an hour earlier than listed in the newspaper. I have gotten the most amazing deals at garage sales! Love them. 

2) When faced with a difficult decision, always pray and listen to your gut feeling, which will feel like a sense of peace way deep down. (This is probably the most important item on the list. I truly listen to my gut feeling when I am trying to make a difficult decision; and it rarely fails me). 

3) When the kids are little and they make a mess (example: when my kids emptied an entire bottle of baby powder all over my living room while I was in the shower) make sure to take pictures of it. Don't get mad; you'll laugh at those photos some day. When I came out of the bathroom, the kids told me they were "cleaning it up" with the towels, hahaha. By the way, Eli was ALWAYS naked. It's hard to post pictures of him from age 1-3, because he hated wearing clothes! 

4) If you see a large, ugly plastic Santa on the roof at Christmastime, it's not our house. Just drive on by. (This is one of the "inside jokes" I was talking about. We had this horrid plastic Santa that my dad would put on the roof every year--but we had no other outdoor Christmas decor, so it looked totally out of place. My mom hated it and begged him to get rid of it every year. Eventually, it was "lost" in our move when I was in tenth grade. Hmmm...)

5) Invest in good kitchen knives. If you buy good ones and take care of them, they'll last as long as you do.

6) Spending quality time with people is ALWAYS worth more than spending money. (She's a fantastic grandma to my kids--she loves to spend quality time with them.)

7) Buy good quality paint when painting walls. It may not seem like it'll make a difference, but it'll last so much longer and look nicer. (I learned this lesson the hard way, several times over. She was definitely correct! I spent a small fortune on paint from Sherwin Williams over the last couple of years (literally about $2,000!) but it has made a huge difference already.)

8) Buying birthday cards (or Mother's Day cards!) is a waste of $5--save it for the gift or give a "Gobby card" instead. Which is why I'm posting this on Facebook instead of in a Hallmark card! ;)  (Gobby was my grandma--my mom's mom. When she gave a card it was basically just folded up money with a note card attached, which she just slipped into your hand instead of making a big show of it.) It's known in my family now as a "Gobby card". 

And here are a few photos of my mom and me...

My mom is fantastic! Ask anyone that knows her, and they will tell you that she is one of the kindest, most caring, and most generous people they know. I'm so glad I learned what I have from her.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there (including pet moms!). Hope you had a great day!

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Whats It's Been Like To Adopt Kittens Versus Cats

Okay, so I'm going to be posting a LOT about the kittens. I just can't help it! I'll try to keep it to a minimum, but it's kind of like when you have a new baby--you want to share pictures and stories with everyone!

Chick and Duck have been SO MUCH FUN. Like I said, I hadn't had a kitten since Jerry and I first got married 17 years ago. We adopted two kittens (Chandler and Monica) from the animal shelter, and we had a blast with them. They were our entertainment every single day--no TV needed ;)

I don't like talking about Monica (she got sick and we had to have her euthanized when she was only a couple of years old). I feel terrible to this day wondering if there was something I could have done, so just thinking about her makes me upset. But having Chandler and Monica was the best!

Since then, I've only adopted (or taken in) older cats. I wrote about how we acquired elderly Paolo, who was a fantastic cat (he had a bit of dementia toward the end). We don't know how old he was, exactly, but it was estimated in the mid-teens when he passed.

And then when we adopted Monica (the second), I wrote about her as well. We didn't have Monica too long (maybe a year?) before we learned she had liver failure she passed away.

And Chandler. I can't even write about it. It was devastating to my whole family.

Between Paolo, Monica, and Chandler all passing away within a few years, it was rough! We still have Estelle and Phoebe, who are about 10 and 11 years old(?), and we've had them since they were young. Estelle was probably about nine months and Phoebe was probably about 18 months or so when we took them in (as strays).

Anyway, I feel like it was meant to be that we were able to adopt these two kittens. We had originally planned to adopt older cats, but they were not at all happy here, so the rescue took them back (and that is now their "forever home") and asked if we wanted kittens. I felt guilty adopting kittens, because kittens get adopted so quickly while older cats are hard to adopt out.

However, Vickie (who runs Friskie Felines, the rescue) told me that black kittens are hard to adopt out. People want the ones that are colorful. (And secretly, I like those ones better, too!). The kids have been begging for a kitten for as long as I can remember, so I decided to compromise and adopt two kittens--as long as they were black. 

I wanted two males (they generally get along better than females) and Eli really wanted a long-haired cat. It turned out that Friskie Felines had four black kittens--and we were able to get one short-haired male and one long-haired male. It worked out great!

I had completely forgotten what it's like to have kittens. They are all the entertainment you need! I would recommend getting two rather than one, because they love to play with each other and they keep themselves occupied that way. 

Chick and Duck chase each other all over the place, then pounce on each other and wrestle on the ground. It's hilarious to watch them stalk each other before one of them makes the pounce. 

I also had no idea how attached they would get to us! Especially me, because I spend the most time with them. I would really like them to be "the kids' cats", but because it's easiest to keep them in my bedroom and bathroom area for a while, they see me the most. (Mainly because we have their litter box and food in my bathroom). 

In the night, the kittens like to sleep with Jerry and me. Chick, especially, likes to sleep up by our faces. I awoke last night to him putting his nose right in my ear and my nostril--hahaha. He rubs his face all over mine. It's adorable!

Older cats can be super affectionate, too--before we got the kittens, Estelle was pretty much obsessed with me. She followed me everywhere, sat on my lap constantly, and slept next to me. Since we got the kittens, she has basically been ignoring me. She hissed at me the first day or two, but now she will let me pet her and pick her up as long as the other cats aren't around. She still won't relax--she won't sit on my lap or sleep with me. I hope she'll come around soon! I miss her.

Phoebe is pissed at the world. She hisses and growls at all of us now--even when Joey or Estelle walks by, she gets mad. Today, though, she let me pick her up for a minute when the kittens weren't around. She refuses to go near my bedroom, though.

The best parts about having kittens:

*They're super entertaining. They run around like crazy, pouncing, stalking, chasing, jumping, and just acting wild.

*They're SO CUTE that they can get away with anything. And they adore you. 

*They're extremely curious. They love to explore and everything seems new to them. 

*They adapt really well to a new environment. Since they are so young, pretty much everything is new to them. They really aren't as scared as one would think.

*They are super easy to train to use the litter box. Show it to them once or twice, and they'll automatically know what to do. 

Some drawbacks:

*Kittens need to be close to their litter box--if it's across the house, they won't go looking for it. So, even if it's just for a few months, they'll need to stay close to one.

*It's a little nerve-wracking to take care of something so tiny. It's not unusual for them to run right in front of your feet, and I'm surprised I haven't stepped on them. 

*They are SO curious that they literally want to explore everything. You have to be careful! When I flushed the toilet the other day, one of the kitties tried to jump on the toilet seat. So, I learned that we need to put the cover down on the toilet immediately to avoid the cats falling inside.

While I still believe that it's better to adopt an older cat (or cats) from a shelter, I think adopting the black cats from a rescue was a good compromise. They have given my whole family so much JOY right now--the perfect time! This quarantine has been mundane, and the kittens are anything but.

If you're thinking of getting a pet, now is a great time! Please make sure you check your shelters--they have so many fantastic dogs and cats. I don't like to "preach" on my blog, but there are a couple of things I'm super passionate about when it comes to pets:

1) Adopt! Paying for a designer breed takes away a shelter space from pets who need it. Shelter pets (and mutt-dogs!) are great! Joey is literally the best dog I could ever hope for, and he sat at the shelter for three months before we adopted him.

2) Spay or neuter all pets. There are way too many unwanted animals and as much fun as it would be to allow your pet to have a litter, it just adds to the problem.

3) Please please please don't declaw your cats. I grew up in the 80's, and it was totally the norm to declaw cats. When I was in high school, I had the opportunity to shadow a vet for a day. I watched many cat get declawed, and it was awful. I learned that they are actually cutting off the bone at the first knuckle--if you look at your own hands, the "declaw" would be at the knuckle that is just under your fingernail. This can cause all sorts of problems with cats.

My cats are not declawed and they don't scratch my furniture. I buy them scratch pads and posts, which they use frequently. I also trim their nails about once every week or two. I've been doing it for so long that they don't even protest. I can do it while they're napping, and they're totally cool with it. My cats LOVE this scratch pad, and it was worth every penny (Amazon affiliate link). It has nearly 10,000 5-star reviews. (This one is about 18 months old, and it probably needs to be replaced soon)

Anyway, adopting these kittens has been so much fun! I will try not to make my blog entirely about them, but they've been such a prominent part of my life for the last several days, I can't help it. I did get a couple of fun boxes in the mail today, which I'll write about tomorrow. I was SO excited!

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RECIPE: Coffee Freeze (a frozen dessert)

This is very old school--I came across this in a Kraft Food & Family magazine from 2006. It looks just like a chocolate milk shake, but tastes like coffee ice cream--it's delicious! (I used to make it with skim milk and fat-free/sugar-free vanilla pudding, and it worked very well)

I imagine if you don't like coffee, you could substitute chocolate syrup or peanut butter, or something creative, although it would change the calories. (Nutrition info is at the bottom of the post.)

Since this is a Kraft recipe, they suggest their own brands of everything, but I'll just write it as generic (I made a generic version). 

Here is a printer-friendly version!


Cool 'n Creamy Coffee Freeze

Ingredients:

1 cup whole milk

Ice cubes (see directions for quantity)

1 cup frozen Cool Whip

1 package (4 serving size) instant vanilla pudding mix

1 Tbsp. instant coffee granules

Directions:

Put the milk in a large glass measuring cup and add enough ice to measure 3 cups total. Pour into a blender. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend on high speed until smooth.

(Note: While the serving size below says 100 grams, note that it's actually quite a bit more than that--this doesn't factor in the ice cubes. This serving size is for 1/4 of the recipe. The nutrition info is correct; just ignore the 100g serving size)

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Not even a real post anyways

The name of this post is dumb, I know! The other day, Jerry said something about Canada; and then when I heard "Canada", for some reason, my mind went to that song in the South Park Movie (yes, from 1999-ish!). "Blame Canada! It's not even a real country anyways". And it's been in my head for days now. And that's where the title of this came from. 

Tonight has been stressful. Rather than try to think of something to write, I'm just going to post a few random pictures. Today wasn't a particularly stressful day, but after this evening, I'd like to just go to bed (actually, I should be going to bed early anyways--I'm trying to get on a good sleep schedule, and it got all of whack when we got the kittens!).

I don't even have a lot of photos to post, but here are a few.

Jerry made dinner today--and it was fantastic! He made homemade chicken noodle soup. He actually started it yesterday (boiling a whole chicken) and then today he finished it by straining the broth, removing the meat from the carcass, and then actually making the soup. I was super impressed--it was delicious!

And of course, here are a couple of photos of the kittens... They LOVE sleeping on Jerry's pillow. And I adore that they always like sleeping together.

I wanted to get a good picture of them against a background that was a good contrast to their fur (pretty much nothing in this house is!). Today, I had the perfect photo opportunity when Chick was draped across the couch in my bedroom. I LOVE this picture!

Here is a photo of Estelle and Phoebe as they watched the kittens play in the living room. They are both SO angry at me. Estelle has been warming up just a little, but I miss her. She used to be joined to my hip 24/7. Phoebe is still so spitting mad that she'll swipe at me with her claws when I try to pick her up. She's never been like that before! I'm sure she'll adjust, but she's definitely being dramatic.

It's funny that the kittens seem fearless of the cats, though. Chick, especially, likes to follow Phoebe around out of curiosity! And neither of the kittens is scared of Joey--Joey has always been at the bottom of the totem pole as far as the pets go (poor dog!). I'm glad he's so cool with the cats, though ;) 

I had planned to have some sort of a movie marathon or whatever with Jerry today, but that just didn't happen. We were super busy doing random stuff that needed to get done up until about 3:00, when we finally watched a little bit of Gilmore Girls (I love that he loves that show!). 

Right now, it's only 10:30 and I can barely keep my eyes open! I haven't slept much since we got the kittens. Last night, they slept on the bed with us. I was nervous about it, because I was so worried I'd smother one of them in my sleep. I was lying on my stomach, trying to fall asleep, when I felt one of the kittens come up to my head and drape himself across my neck. Then he put his face right in my ear and started purring. It was so cute and funny that I just let him do it. And I got pretty much no sleep last night.

I've started leaving my bedroom door open so the kittens are free to leave the bedroom when they want to. They pretty much just go wherever we are, though. 

Okay, I'm going to bed for real now. I am so tired!

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FINALLY Naming the Kittens...?!

After having the kittens for three days, we STILL hadn't named them. I really need to make a vet appointment for them, so names are required! 

This morning, we narrowed it down to to two choices (after reading everyone's opinions on my Facebook post):

1) Chick and Duck

2) Geller and Bing

We decided to let my Facebook followers make the final decision... with a poll! And then when I started to write up the poll, I realized that Facebook took away that option. There was no way to make a poll on a Facebook page... I have no idea why!

I really loved the idea of other people choosing for us, so I look for other options... and I found a site that allowed you to make you own polls and then post them to Facebook. I spent the time creating it and got it posted... only to find out (afterward) that you can only collect 40 votes. If you want to collect more than 40, you have to pay for a subscription! 

So, I deleted the post... I hated doing that, but I was not about to pay for a subscription for a one-time "just for the fun of it" poll. 

I have no idea how many people would have voted for what; but the choices we had put up were the overwhelming majority of what people had previously selected. So, we had to figure it out on our own. 

It's such a stupid topic, really. How hard could it be to name two kittens?! 

After talking to the kids, we decided to go with... Chick and Duck!

I can't say I *love* the names... but I do love that they make sense for our Friends theme and that we'll likely never get this chance again (to name two cats at the same time). When I hear "Geller", I think of Ross, and I hate Ross. Hahaha! So, I voted for Chick and Duck.

We decided to name "the short haired one" Duck, and "the long haired one" Chick. It feels weird saying those names, but we HAD to come up with something, and so many people loved the idea of Chick and Duck that it was hard NOT to name them that!

So, I introduce to you Chick and Duck. (a.k.a. "The One With The Long Hair" and "The One With The Short Hair"). 

In a nutshell, Chick (the top left of the photo above) is VERY cuddly and purrs almost constantly. He plays with his brother a lot, but also likes his sleep. And he loves to eat! When we give them their wet food, he goes crazy for it. When I eat something near them, he has tried to eat it right out of my mouth, hahaha. As I write this, he is draped across my shoulder while he sleeps. 

On the other hand, Duck is much more playful. He's still cuddly when he's tired, but he plays a LOT and he recruits his brother as often as possible (whether wanted or not). He's very bold and loves to explore new territory--no matter where it is--and is always the first of the two to check things out.

I love this photo of Noah with the two of them!

Together, the two of them love to roll around and wrestle, but they also love to cuddle when they are sleeping. It's SO STINKIN' ADORABLE. I actually managed to get a cute picture of them today when they were sleeping together--and hugging!

 

Okay, I promise that not every post I write is going to be about the kittens now. They are fitting in well with the family (they and Joey are totally cool; Phoebe and Estelle, on the other hand, need more time). Adopting kittens is just the most exciting thing to happen to our family in a long time! We are all thrilled. 

Jerry is off work tomorrow, and I think we're going to have a totally lazy day--rather than working on the garage or other projects, I would love to just have a movie marathon or something. We're supposed to have a cold front coming through (with possible snow!) this week. I can't say I'm surprised. Michigan's weather never fails to surprise me!

Today, I got the materials to start taping and mudding the walls of the garage. I figured I can do that while I wait for the drywall for the ceiling to be delivered (at least a week, but most likely two weeks). I will place the order tomorrow, and hopefully find out then.

It's going to feel so odd NOT doing something productive tomorrow. But I think it's necessary for both Jerry and me. He's been at work, and I've been working non-stop on project after project at home. I hope it'll be relaxing to take a break tomorrow!

I hope everyone is staying healthy and safe! xo 

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Dealing With Bipolar Hypomania

I've been thinking lately that I may be hypomanic. I've been trying to be more aware of my mood shifts, and lately, I've really been experiencing some symptoms of hypomania.

Examples:

*Adopting two kittens. I can't say this is totally crazy, but I've always said we wouldn't get more cats until Phoebe and Estelle have passed away.

*Taking on multiple projects. Without taking the time to really plan things out carefully, I ordered the insulation and drywall and just went to town on the garage. I had no idea what a big project it would turn into! But because I love working on a project all day long until I can do as much as possible, it hasn't taken too long to get the insulation and drywall up. I finished the fourth wall yesterday, and now it's time for the ceiling (so help me God).

*I've also contacted a couple of contractors to get an estimate for building a large concrete porch. This is something I've wanted for YEARS now, and this is the perfect time to do it. Our porch is a death trap right now because it's so old and falling apart. I've looked into building a new one myself, but concrete is just one project I don't really want to try myself right now ;) 

*Another project I took on was sewing face masks. I love to sew, and it seemed so simple. It's really not hard to make them, but they take a long time for each one because it's meticulous adding the pipe cleaner and then sewing the hair ties in to hook it around your ears. Each one takes me roughly an hour to make, and today I completed about 40 more (in total, I've made about 125!). That's a LOT of time spent working on masks!

And to make matters worse, NOBODY has received the ones that I mailed on Monday. I am getting really worried. I don't want to mail out more just yet, because I'll be horrified it they got lost. All of that time wasted! (I did call the post office today, and they said that shipping has been very slow; that if there was a problem with the shipping cost, they would have been returned right way. So, if you're expecting a mask from me, it *should* arrive soon!)

Meanwhile, I made another batch... there are about 40 here. Once I find out if the others have reached their destinations, I'll give these ones away, too, for a small (optional) donation.

*I've been spending a little too much money lately, too (another symptom of hypomania). We have the extra money right now (since we canceled our San Francisco trip AND we had to cancel Eli's school trip to Washington D.C., we got some large refunds (I requested a refund from Delta instead of Delta credit, and they agreed--it took some finagling with the credit card company, but it was nice to get that refunded). 

Anyway, I bought the new Brooklinen sheets, a Cricut (which I still haven't opened), and a woodworking tool (it wasn't crazy expensive--about $80). I can't say that I regret the purchases, but I definitely want to reel it in because we need to save that extra money in case Jerry is laid off. They laid off about 60-70% of people in the plant, and he was one of the lucky ones to keep his job. (He's a fantastic employee, so I'm sure it wasn't just "luck".)

I have to say, though the Brooklinen sheets were 100% worth the money. Jerry even said that he's sleeping better since we got them!

*I also keep making plans and not following through (this isn't super new--I tend to do this a lot!--but lately it's been worse than usual). I have been making numerous attempts at weight loss, but I just can't seem to stick to it. I'm not even trying any crazy diets or anything--I can't even just stick to counting calories.

*My eating schedule has been all over the place. Usually, I go all day without eating because I keep myself so busy, and then I just eat way too much at night when I finally chill. When I'm hypomanic, I usually don't have an appetite. And I used to lose weight pretty easily while hypomanic--but apparently my mood stabilizers are stabilizing me just enough to keep that from happening.

*Running is another one. I have a schedule written out to get back to running, and I'll follow it for a couple of days and then quit. Over and over. If I'm going to run the half-marathon with Adam in October, I really need to build up a solid base again. So, I get ambitious and make training plans and then I don't follow through.

*My sleep has been an issue, too. I want to stay up all night long because I feel like I don't need any sleep! I made plans to try to get on a good sleeping schedule, but the weekend really messed that up (Jerry was off work, so we stayed up later). 

There are parts of hypomania that I enjoy--the excess energy, getting a LOT done (drywalling, sewing masks, working out all of the financial stuff for our canceled trips, etc.) The parts that aren't so fun are the insane irritability and quick mood shifts. 

I actually haven't an appointment with my psychiatrist next week, so I'll talk to him about it. The hypomania isn't TOO bad, so I don't know that we'll change up my meds. I really think that if I can make a daily schedule and stick to it, I'll do better. Routine is SO CRUCIAL when dealing with bipolar disorder. 

Maybe when my school-year routine changed, it triggered the hypomania. My life is all over the place right now! Mainly by drowning myself in projects. And I'm not complaining--I love having the time to work on projects that I'm interested in! Right now, I'm dying to finish my garage so that I can build a desk with Noah. 

Anyways, over the last couple of days, I've been thinking that maybe I am hypomanic. And after writing this out, I'm pretty sure the answer is yes! 

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