Around OakMeadows

Around OakMeadows

JMM is counting down the days until retirement. 25 days to go. He has worked at one job or another since he was in junior high school. He worked and went to school for years.  Honestly, he is about the hardest working person I've ever known.  He is looking forward to having time to putter around on his various projects. It will take some adjusting but it is time for him to have time to just enjoy the little, quiet things in life. We were talking the other evening how neither of our fathers ever had any time to enjoy retirement. My father had a stroke while working and never recovered completely from it. JMM's father worked until his COPD got so bad that he had to stop working and then his life was one continuous struggle to just breathe. I want JMM to have many years of a happy retirement. 

We've had a couple of days of unusually cold weather--cold by Houston standards--in the low 20's at night. So we've been extra attentive to keeping the bird feeders full and water in the birdbath. The goldfinches arrived just after Christmas--about 20 of them. We have bluejays too. The first 7-8 years we were here, there were no bluejays because the West Nile virus had wiped them out. I suppose these that we are seeing now have some kind of immunity to WNV. 

I decided to make a table runner for the dining room table. I had plenty of fabric left from making my Jewels quilt so I am making a runner of nine-patches. Everything is cut out and ready to put together. Maybe tomorrow since I'm not planning on going anywhere.  I will post a picture when it is done. I want to get some new candle holders and candles to spiff things up. 

Speaking of spiffing things up, I am planning to paint the master bedroom. Not this week but I should be able to get started on it next week. I will do my usual one wall at a time. Then the guest room will be my big project for the rest of the year. So much to do....

The cold weather makes me want comfort food. So tomorrow is soup day and Wednesday I will make meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and peas. Not exactly low carb. 
Friday I am making JMM's birthday cake--German Sweet Chocolate cake with Coconut-Pecan frosting. That should send me back to Weight Watchers!!

TSMR & JCR are leaving for London and Spain late Thursday. I am picking up Daisy and keeping her while they are away.  I don't mind taking her out on the leash except when it is raining so I am keeping my fingers crossed for a dry spell. 

Reading several good books:
   Still reading Empire of Liberty by Gordon S. Wood. So interesting. So long!
   Countdown by Alan Weisman. Overpopulation. 
   Mrs. Tim Christie by D.E.Stevenson. Sweet English fiction. 
   Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Learn by John Maxwell. Motivational. (Lord knows I need motivating.)