Ok, so now what?

My blogs seem to be titled according to where I live. Every time I move I need to find a new name. "Somewhere in Indiana" worked fine in Indiana. "Stories from the Mist" seemed to work here, though I never got any great stories like I hoped, because I was either killing my soul working at Walmart or watching my husband suffer from endless allergies. Now I have itchy eyes and I'm coughing. The cabin filter in the car is moldy and it makes me cough, so we need to change it. Stuff keeps growing on the car. It's hard to live in the Mist. Half the population here is on multiple medications just to make it through the day.

Hubby and I had a great time walking the trails. For all his suffering, he did immensely enjoy our walks, as I did with him. I have a bazillion pictures, some of them are pretty awesome. We are both ready to move. I'm not crying anymore. I broke up with the Smith River. I have pictures, rocks and a video. One day I will come back to visit my daughter, in summer, maybe August or September, and we will visit that spot again. I can't go now, the winter rains have turned the river into a killing machine.

I never really got used to the winding mountain roads. They were ok in summer, but in winter they just want to kill you. We passed 4 landslides on the way home from Eureka yesterday. They were cleared, but marked by Caltrans. Last Chance Grade has so many layers of new pavement it's like driving a roller coaster.

If you visit, come in July, August or September. Summer is glorious here. It's dry, so the roads don't fall apart. Summer is sunny and mild, you won't get sick here in summer. Leave before the rains start in mid-October.

So...what is next? Stories from the Mist doesn't seem to fit Wisconsin.

Some of the stuff on the car. As hard as it rains, you would think it would be squeaky clean.

Ok, so now, should I come up with a new name for my blog?

Packing, by the square foot

When the representative for the moving company came out to give us a quote, he did a walk-through and made lots of notes on his tablet. The result was sticker-shock, so I called him a couple days later and went over things...we decided not to take the second-hand table. There were several other things we wanted to sell, and we wanted to pare it down from 19 bins to something more affordable. So he offered to come back out the following week. We spent the weekend repacking, recycling, re-homing and selling.

Even though I'm still not fully packed, the second visit was a success. We got the quote down to $3,000. That includes the couch, love seat, glass-topped coffee table, glass-topped end tables, computer desk, small desk, small chest freezer, bed, drawers, and bins, this time, only 9 of them, plus some boxes. We still feel this is a better deal than trying to stuff a U-haul and drive it through possible winter weather over 2,000 miles while towing our car. The good thing is, nothing needs to ride empty. I can put light-weight plastics in the freezer and pack all kinds of nick-knacks and clothes in the drawers.

Then I hit a snag....."Living room: 3 small boxes, one medium and one large."

Small. medium, large...all relative. What did it mean? I packed 3 small boxes that I had and they quickly filled up with books. I pondered the list. Then I noticed...square feet:
Small = 1.5 cu
Medium = 3.0 cu
Large = 4.5 cu

We finally settled on buying boxes. What a difference! I was able to pack all my books in one officially Small 1.5 cu box, plus the remaining few in the second box with lots of room left over, and I still have another small box for other things!

Everything for the movers needs to be ready to go before the 29th. The movers will box the glass table tops, wrap the couches and bag the mattresses. We need to do everything else. It's going quite well this time.

Now, in addition to the square feet, there is also weight. They need to weigh our stuff after they pick it up. If our stuff weighs too much we need to pay more. <sigh> Thankfully our stuff seems pretty lightweight.

I am also putting together the items that ride in the car. Liquids cannot go in a moving van, so any shampoo, after shave, soap, stuff like that, rides with us. I'm also taking my jewelry. of course, and the laptops, and what clothes we need for the trip, and other items we need while waiting for the truck to arrive.

Time is starting to fly! Need an oil change before we go, and a travel itinerary.

And some really good news....my daughter and her husband are already planning a trip out to visit us this year! We will only be about 4 hours drive away from my other daughter, so we might have a mini family reunion. That would be awesome!

More than 20 Questions...

I saw this on another blog the other day and thought I would give it go.

1. Do you like bleu cheese? Yes, but just on steak, with onions.

2. Have you ever smoked? No.

3. Do you own a gun? Yes, my husband and I love to go in the mountains and shoot targets with our .22 rifles.

4. What flavor of Kool-Aid is your favorite? When I was a kid...any but grape. I don't drink it anymore.

5. What do you think of hot dogs? I am suspicious of their ingredients, but will occasionally eat a turkey or beef one.

6. What's your favorite Christmas movie? I haven't had TV in a long time, and I didn't grow up with TV, so I'm not really sure. My daughters probably have favorites, though.

7. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Coffee.

8. Can you do push-ups? No, not since I had surgery to remove several lymph nodes in my arm in 1996.

9. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? That I wear or don't wear? I like to wear earrings, just inexpensive ones that I don't need to worry about loosing. I also have a few nice pieces that belonged to my mom.

10. What's your favorite hobby? Digital photography.

11. Do you have ADD? No, but I had to proof-read this post and update it.

12. Do you wear glasses or contacts? Glasses.

13. What's your middle name? Vanessa.

14. What are your thoughts at this minute? I need to light the pellet stove and take a nap (thus all the errors I needed to correct).

15. Name three drinks that you regularly consume. Coffee, green tea and milk.

16. What is a current worry of yours? That my husband's sinus problems won't clear up.

17. What do you currently hate? All the negativity on facebook right now.

18. Where is your favorite place to be? With my husband.

19. What do you plan on doing on New Year's Eve this year? Cuddle up with my hubby and watch a movie, unless my daughter and her hubby came over. In that case we will party.

20. Where would you like to travel? Sedona, Arizona, and back to Kosovo.

21. Name three people you think will do this questionnaire on their blog. No clue.

22. Do you own slippers? Yes. These floors are hard and cold.

23. What color shirt are you wearing? A pink flannel nightshirt that works as my favorite "robe".

24. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? No way.

25. Can you whistle? Nope.

26. What is your favorite color? Spring colors, mostly peach.

27. What songs do you sing in the shower? None. I only sing to music.

28. Would you be a pirate? In my childhood daydreams, yes. Robert Louis Stevenson was my great great (I think only 2 "greats") Uncle and he wrote "Treasure Island".

29. What's in your pocket right now? Nothing.....no pockets.

30. What's the last thing that made you laugh? Something my daughter said.

31. What vehicle do you drive? 2010 Hyundai Sonata.

32. What's the worst injury you've ever had? Fell on my knee on the rocks when I was a kid. I still, and always will, have a bump, because bone chips are in there.

33. Do you love where you live? Yes. This is the second remote place I've lived in my life. The first was Midland, California in the Sonora Desert, 22 miles north of Blythe. Look up Midland CA, my website comes up on the first page of a Google search.

34. Would you change your first name if you could? No.

Rain, rain, rain, rain, more rain, rain.......

We've had 20 inches of rain with more on Monday and Tuesday. PNW...here's your sign:

We're in the orange.

 Mist rising from wet wood in the warm sunshine.

A frosty morning.

 One of these trees fell over. Winds have been gusty and the ground is saturated. Sometimes trees can't hang on.

Here is the stump and logs. There are more logs across the street. It was a tall tree.

The shadows are long this time of year, and they are getting longer. I watch them and dream of summer. We missed so much of it last year with my crazy work schedule. When my hubby has the early shift he comes home around 2 pm so we have time to enjoy the afternoon. 

Rain, Wind, Rain and More Rain

Tonight I am thankful for candles. Hubby bought six of them, the tall skinny ones in glass jars, that can burn all night and not drip on anything. I have one in the bathroom upstairs and two downstairs. I will keep the upstairs one lit all night. The power didn't actually go out, it just browned out several times. I am saving my work often.

Apparently we are back on track regarding rain amounts. I'm surprised we are actually an inch behind normal. We've had 14 inches since October. And now it's too late to write. I'm getting up at 4 AM and it's already 11:33 PM, so I'm cutting it short right now.

December Already!

I wasn't thinking that I could do a "Ten on Tuesday" in December, I guess because I wasn't planning on posting so often. I only have a little time, before I must get ready for work. Let's see if I can hash this out in 10 minutes. I hear the subject is "The Ten Best Things I Did in November"

1. Blogged more...I didn't get every day in, but I did more.
2. Enjoyed Sundays with my hubby.
3. Bought succulents at Flora Pacifica.
4. Decided to quit Walmart for sure, this month.
5. Enjoyed an early Thanksgiving dinner with my daughter and her hubby.
6. Made a new friend.
7. Saw an "old" friend, well, she used to work at Walmart.
8. Made really good homemade pizza.
9. Crafted an easy-to-keep-track-of budget.
10. Followed the budget.

Six minutes to spare! The budget is the "biggie" because it allows us to pay bills with one account and shop, save or whatever with the other account. That way the bill-paying account is never overdrawn because it's not used for anything but bills, which are all predictable. The amount left over goes into savings. The biggest issue here is the cost of food. Meat is astronomical. A roast can easily cost $25 or $30. We can usually get better prices at Roy's in Brookings, Oregon. We sure do miss Aldi, but there are no Aldi stores out west....however, I hear they are expanding.

I'm not a big meat eater but hubby does like beef and chicken. He also likes fish, which I hate, but I can tolerate a few fish sticks. It's fine with me to cook two different things for dinner. I'm looking forward to not working evenings so I can do more of that.

My time is up.

It's Not Midnight Yet

I can't sleep. Well, I slept some, and then I woke up. Hubby is still sleeping. He has a long day of work ahead. My alarm is set for 4 AM. We had a nice day today. It was another sunny Sunday. We drank coffee in Brookings and did a little shopping. Hubby bought me pretty flowers. It was "reminiscent day", I guess, because we both started talking about when we first met, and our fun times in Kosovo.

It's been very cold. We've had frost on the roof and cars, even on the grass, every night all week. It's supposed to cloud up at midnight. I looked out the second story spare bedroom window and could see the moon and Orion. So far my succulents have been fine with a sheet of plastic over them. This cold is unusual. December is supposed to be warmer.

Tuesday is December, so I am going to try to do a quick "Ten on Tuesday" on Sunday night. My subject is:

Ten Things I Would Change

1. Windows....I would like more of them, and some facing south.
2. More sun....on sunny days I am in the shadow of other buildings here at Seawood.
3. Lower rent or buy....too much $$ goes for rent.
4. My job....I am planning to quit Walmart the end of this month. That's one down.
5. My health....stress levels, they go down on my days off, up on the days I work.
6. My diet...more home cooking, more veggies.
7. Local groups....have Saturdays off to join in on a "Cash Mob"
8. Photography....again, another local group...enjoy a Saturday Photo Shoot with the online group members.
9. Volunteering....another local Facebook group, active in promoting our city and getting projects started, chance to meet people, make friends.
10. More time for hubby, home evenings, cooking food we both enjoy, doing things together.

Numbers 4 through 10 will fall into place when I quit working. Hubby can take the car or I can pick him up. No more walking home in the dark or in the rain, or riding his bike in the rain. Better for both of us. If you are wondering what a "Cash Mob" is, that's when an event is planned where people show up with at least $20 to spend at a local business. It's part of the group I mentioned in # 9.

Here are the pretty flowers hubby bought me. The red Cyclamen flowers look like hearts to me :)

I Called Off

My neck and shoulder hurt so much I have little to no mobility, so I called off. That will give me 3 days off before I work again. They have me scheduled for 4 days in a row. Judging from the intense jabbing in my neck and shoulder, I'll probably use up some more of my sick time. They also have me scheduled for Sunday, December 13 and there is no way that is happening. I have 10 hours sick time, that means I can cover 20 hours of missed work, because Walmart only pays out 1/2 of the day you lost.

I feel sorry for my co-workers. Many of them have worked there for years, and will continue to do so, because there are not a lot of opportunities here. It's amazing how the Walton family, worth more than $148 Billion, has decided to cut hours, cut bonus amounts and cut discounts since giving employees a raise. California already had a $9 minimum wage law in effect when Walmart decided to raise everyone in all states to $9 per hour.

They have also cut bonus amounts. In the years 2013 and 2014, my daughter received $1455 and $1487 respectively. 2015 will end with only $725 in my daughter's pocket, even though she worked hard, even harder than most. Every year a discount card is given to employees who work on Thanksgiving. It can be combined with the 10% discount card every employee receives after working 3 months. In the past, the Thanksgiving discount was 20%. This year it's 15%.

Walmart "lost control" over employee attendance when California mandated sick leave, and let me tell you, people use it. With fewer and fewer associates on the floor at any given time, those of us who are there must cover 2 or 3 departments. Employees burn out when there are more managers in the store than associates, so they call off. Customers are constantly frustrated because they can't find someone to help them. 30% of our bonus is tied to customer satisfaction. Well, duh.

Furthermore, there seems to be a growing sentiment against shopping on Thanksgiving Day. It would be nice if Walmart dropped the "Black Friday event from 6 pm to 8 pm on Thanksgiving Day". I'm sure Walmart will be disappointed at how slow the event was. Event items are still available in the store today. I did not see any associates with happy faces that day. Mostly they were frustrated, tired and overworked. There were not many people following the "Ten foot rule" that evening. What is that, you ask? Any time an associate is within 10 feet of a customer they are supposed to cheerfully say hello and walk over to help them, asking, "Are you finding everything you need today?" I break that rule anytime someone is sick and coughing and sneezing. I also break it when I see old farts looking for a chance to talk to a blonde. There's a difference between looking like you need help and looking like you want to break the ice.

Well, I'm trying to loosen up my neck and shoulder. I'm going to call it "Walmart Whiplash" because other people get it too, maybe not as severe. It's a nice sunny day, cold, but sunny. I'm going to go bake some bread.

Vitamin D and Sundays Make Me...Happy

I haven't been sick!! Yay. I have dodged the sneezing, coughing customers as usual but since I started taking the Vitamin D I have remained healthy. The only side effect appears to be gas. I hate that, but it's better than the horrible colds I was catching every time someone sneezed.

Being Sunday, hubby and I both had the day off. We did some work and cleaning in the garage. I needed a hole drilled in a pot I'm using for succulents. I planted a succulent in a pot I bought at Safeway, but since it had no drainage, my succulent was suffering. Here is my "Zen pot" before drainage. I removed the plant and set the pot aside until today.

Hubby started with the cup on the right, as a test, but the concrete drill bit was going nowhere. Judging from the dent it made, this was going to take all day. So hubby bought a spendy diamond tip bit. It went through like butter. It all goes to show, Diamonds are a pot's best friend. Now I can re-plant the succulent in the Zen pot and I have a cup to plant as well. Yay!

As I was sweeping our mostly empty garage, I mentioned to hubby how sunny it was in there. This time of the year the sun at "high noon" looks like 10 am, but it's a perfect angle to warm up the south-facing garage. Two lawn chairs, a table, music on the car radio (my car has awesome speakers), maybe the grill out on the driveway, and we have a party spot! I might even string up some party lights. Hey, it's a big room and the car isn't in it...why not. If you are wondering why the car isn't in it, there is no automatic opener, so it's a pain in the butt.

Later we drove to Brookings. I bought Crocus bulbs. I love Crocus and was delighted to find out they grow here. I snapped this shot with my cell phone on the way home. It was a pretty day. Having Sundays together is wonderful.

Rain Again

It's the rainy season, and this year it seems like we are getting what they say is the normal amount for this area. The mountains are also getting snow. No one is sure if this year will break the drought here in California. We need lots of snow in the mountains because snow melt fills the reservoirs.

Yesterday was sunny, the one sunny day between all the rain. I enjoyed it, but it was too short this time of the year. I finished a project I had in my mind lately. I wanted to place my succulents on a shelf where they could get some of that fleeting sun and not be so drenched by the rains. Here's what I did.

 The plastic deflects the majority of the rain from the roof. We have gutters, but when it pours they can't keep up. I can also lower the plastic if we have a frost, or maybe just too much rain. The shelf is sloping back a little too much, so I need to adjust it the next sunny day.

My friend, A :-) who writes Knit and Run mentioned some health problems she is having. I have my own share as well. Processed food absolutely gives me inflammation. My sensitivity seems to be soy or other plant proteins that have been isolated and concentrated, usually for flavor.  I also have severe issues with nuts, and I'm much better off with no nuts in my diet. I have trouble eating enough protein, since I can't get it from nuts and I just don't enjoy eating a lot of meat. For one thing, it's hard to chew because I'm missing some of my teeth. I have a love/hate relationship with eggs. I love eggs as long as they don't taste like eggs, meaning I need to cover the flavor with something else. They also give me gas...

My hair keeps getting thinner. I have been taking thyroid medicine for several years, and my levels are good. The year I started taking Levothyroxin I lost 10 pounds. I grew my hair long by taking Biotin. However, a bunch of my hair fell out a few months after we moved. The move was absolutely over the top stressful, so I think that had a lot to do with it. I also have stress on my job and was getting sick constantly. I was developing a lot of belly fat or bloating.  Turns out I have very low Vitamin D. Taking D3 1,000 IU every day is helping a lot. I haven't been sick since I started taking it and the belly is getting better. My hair is still thin...

So, other than fighting the inevitable effects of aging, I'm doing ok. My hubby loves me beyond words, in spite of the fact that he is obviously years younger than me. Thankfully most people think I'm younger than I am.

I have 3 hours to do stuff before I need to get ready for work, so on that note, I better get busy.

Ten on Tuesday

My friend, A :-) wrote about "Ten Places You Hang Out", but if I did that, it would be home, work, and my husband listed 8 times. So instead of boring you with how much my hubby and I hang out together, I thought I would choose Ten Traditions From Kosovo, or at least, from my hubby's family.

1. Bread is a gift from God. Bread is not stored on the table, it should be put away. If it is moldy it should not be tossed into the garbage like a basketball (yeah...I've done that). Instead it should simply be thrown away. Bread crumbs should be cleaned up from the table and the floor and they should not be walked on.

2. Blessings. One should (quietly, to themselves, if they wish) thank God for their food before eating, and invoke God's blessing when leaving the house, driving, working, or any other time you feel like it. It's a personal thing, not a public display.

3. Shoes. Off at the door. Slippers or socks are for inside. Leave the outdoor dirt outside. We break this rule when we bring in groceries, but we never wear shoes upstairs.

4. Animals. Animals are supposed to live outside. They should have food, water and shelter and be cared for, but they don't belong in the house or in our beds. However, hubby broke this one when he found our bunny, Tuki. He loves Tuki and our bunny lives in the laundry room downstairs. He happily hops out to greet us and begs for treats. He also chews on the legs of the kitchen table, but we don't care because it's old and chewing wood is good for bunny's teeth.

5. Household duties. My hubby is the man of the house. He does the man stuff (heavy things, taking out the garbage, washing the car, and working very hard at Rumiano. He takes care of me and wants to do things to make me happy. In turn, I do the cleaning and cooking, but he also leaves all the money responsibilities to me. Thankfully I will be leaving my job the end of this year, so I can have more time at home and hubby can take the car to work. With the shorter days, the street he takes to come home is as dark as a black hole, and sometimes it's pouring rain and cold. I've been picking him up on my lunch break on the days I work.

6. Respect. It's not good to gossip about your spouse.

7. Food. I talked about bread, but there are other foods that have a deep meaning to Albanians. Pita, or spinach pie, is nothing like what the Greeks cook. It's much better. Albanian Baklava is also much better. It's made with a light sugar syrup. The Greeks use honey, and although we love honey, their version is too sweet. Pickled peppers, flavorful paprika, yogurt, olives, soft cheese, smoked beef sausage, all very traditional foods from Kosovo.

8. Coffee. Turkish style or cappuccino. Kosovo is such a joy to visit with all the coffee shops and bakeries with pita and other goodies. I make Turkish style coffee for my hubby. When we drive to Brookings we sit and enjoy cappuccino together and talk.

9. Things not to do. Pork should be avoided. It carries diseases and parasites, and traditionally, Albanians don't eat pork. However, if a person is starving and pork is the only thing there is to eat, one should eat, and not starve. Hair should be tied back when one cooks. Don't scratch your head while you are cooking. Never place scissors for cutting hair or hair brushes on the table. Don't cut hair in the kitchen. That is a big no-no.  Sneezing...I have seen his sister-in-law open the window and sneeze outside so as not to spread sneeze droplets in the house. Don't touch a lot of things in public places, and wash your hands right away.

10. Beauty. Albanians love beauty. They install beautiful tiles around their doors and hang gorgeous sheer curtains over their windows. Homes are simple and uncluttered, but what is there is beautiful.

Today was a nice day to be home

It's been chilly, we're running the pellet stove much longer. Thankfully it doesn't cost much. Also, twice a year we get an energy credit from the state of California. It was enough to pay our next two electric bills! The credit can be used however you want. The state hopes you will use it to weatherize your house, but since we are renters, we just had them apply it to our bill(s).

My plants didn't seem to suffer from the cold night we had. It's been chilly every night, but no more frost. I love our sunny days. I was out in shirt sleeves for part of the day. My plants:

I have been transplanting the succulents that seem to stay wet into a new potting mix of pumice, some red lava rocks and very little soil. With the rains we get they must dry out fast or they will rot. This is my first attempt at growing succulents outside in winter. 

In other news, my daughter bought herself a violin. I wish her well in her lessons. I think that's great. 

Well, the table is set, dinner is done, just waiting for hubby to text me to come pick him up. It's almost 7:30. They must have had a lot of cheese beds to clean.

Once Again I have Skipped Days

My hubby and I both worked Saturday. Sunday we drove to Springfield Oregon, in the pouring rain, in the mountains, on curvy roads. I was hoping hubby's wanderlust wouldn't take him so far again in winter. It's too stressful. Thankfully he agreed, no more long distance driving in bad weather. For me, the highlight of the trip were the fall colors in Grants Pass.

We have native Maples here that turn golden. There are many along the Smith River. If we get a Sunny Sunday maybe we can go so I can get some pictures before all the leaves are gone.

Today is Tuesday, and for those who write during National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo---I have trouble wrapping my head around the abbreviation) it's "Ten on Tuesday". Ten what, I wonder?

1. Ten things I'm thankful for.

2. Ten things I miss from the Midwest.

3. Ten things I've gained.

4. Ten things I lost.

5. Ten things I'm afraid of.

6. Ten things I love about where I am.

7. Ten things things I would change if I could.

8. Ten Poems I've written

9. Ten pets I've had

10. Ten places I've lived. 

There's my ten. Maybe I will expand on some of them....later.

This morning was cold, 37 degrees at 7 am, with frost. That's a heavy frost on the roofs across the street. It melted as soon as the sun came up.

Under a Starry Sky

4:30 am, I have the day off, so I told hubby I would warm up the car for him. "Are you sure?" he asks. "Yeah, it's fine!" I answer as I grab my jacket. After all, I'm not working today and yesterday his throat was sore.

I walk out into the chilly night under a canopy of stars, not as many stars as the desert, but far more than in the city. I see my familiar friends...Orion, the Pleiades, Cassiopeia, and a most beautiful crescent moon with a trio of planets, Venus, Jupiter and Mars. I start the car and rush back in to grab my camera. "The moon! It's beautiful!" I tell hubby.

I take a few shots. I know they won't be great. I just don't have the camera for good moon shots.

Later, after I edit them, I am reminded of my high school science extra credit report that I did mid-winter in Los Aangeles. Amid "freezing" temperatures (I thought), I set up the telescope each night and trained it on Jupiter. I hand-drew the positions of the 4 larger moons. My teacher was impressed.

My telescope followed me to the Midwest, but it was rarely used. Summer nights were humming with mosquitoes. I detest wearing repellent. It requires a lot of spray to ward off bites. Bugs love me, mosquitoes, fleas, you name it, if they bite, they will find me. Then there is the humidity. I absolutely detest humidity. I was married 41 years to first hubby and for 41 years I heard, "You'll get used to it." But nooooo I never did, and I moved out of it as soon as I could.

Winter is another story. Midwest winters are COLD. not L.A. at night or Crescent City at night cold, but freeze your @ss off cold. Fall...now that I do miss. I miss the colors. We have fall colors here, but the predominant pine forests keep the landscape mostly green. I left my telescope with my older daughter, her new hubby and his two kids. That's OK.

Changing the subject. I worked yesterday. It was crazy. A large portion of residents here receive government checks, apparently, because they all swarm into Walmart soon after the third of the month. As everyone does, items are not placed back in proper spots on the shelves and unwanted items are jettisoned off shopping carts everywhere. I had a cart full of items to return to the shelves, plus straightening up plus stocking. My department manager lamented about the mess and the fact that no one is there on Sundays since they gave me that day off.

"I'm not giving up my Sunday." I answered.

She told me she will need to talk to her manager. She even tried to make me feel guilty by telling me that she and her boyfriend work completely different shifts and never get to see each other, and that she might need to come in to work on Sunday. She is understandably stressed. Walmart always pushes Department Managers to the limit.

My hubby, having gotten home early yesterday, dropped me off at work and bought me a coffee. I took him aside and told him what my manager said. "Don't give up your Sunday!" he said. "Even if they give you bulls__t, don't do it. Quit if you want to. It's not your problem if they can't find someone to work on Sunday" he reassured me.

This month is a strange one at Walmart. Corporate HQ told the managers to cut employee hours by 1,000 hours. Everyone has their hours cut, but the same amount of work needs to be completed. The holidays are coming, and even more work must be done, by the same few people, in fewer hours. Overtime is absolutely NOT allowed. If anyone in the store works overtime then payroll goes over 100%, and that is darkly frowned upon by Corporate. Employees who repeatedly clock out late will be "coached" (scolded) . Furthermore, Walmart stock is dropping and share holders are nervous. Corporate tries to explain it by saying it's because they had to raise employee wages and because of all the shrink in US markets. Shrink is theft. Walmart...the store everyone loves to hate, but they still shop there.

Enough of that. It's 6:38 am, time for my nap. I want to get some things done today, and then take a walk with my hubby when he gets home from work. Here is a moon shot from this morning.

There was a third planet somewhere, but it's not showing up...

Short Sunny Days

It rains often here in winter, but the sunny days are glorious. I only have a few minutes to write before I leave for work, 2 pm to 9 pm...yuck! I'm bringing yogurt and potting soil to my daughter. She is off work but shopping, so we will meet up in the parking lot. I bought the wrong yogurt, It has Aspartame in it, so I can't eat it. I made up a soil mix for her succulent starts. I added some of the pumice I bought in Brookings. OK, I'm on my way soon.

How is it Wednesday Already?

How was it I didn't write yesterday and the day before?

Because when my hubby works the early shift my days blend into each other. I get up at 3:30 am. light the pellet stove, put his lunch together, wake him up, decide if he can take the car or I need it, in which case I drive him to work, come back, eat something (because I'm always hungry in the morning), go back to bed, wake up, try to focus on a small lunch and not cave into a second breakfast, figure out the rest of the day.

Do I work today [] Yes [] No

Do I have something for dinner and time to cook it? [] Yes [] No

My new work schedule gives me Sunday off (yay!) and fewer days per week (yay!) but later hours, such as 3 to 9 pm (boo). There is no way I can fall into bed the moment I get home, so I'm often up until 11 pm, which only gives me four and a half hours before I get up again. Even on days I don't work I usually can't fall asleep early enough to get 7 or 8 hours sleep before 3:30 am.  I also can't fall back asleep after being up for over an hour, so typically I take my nap about now...7 am. Another 4 hours gives me a less-then-ideal 8 hours of broken sleep. That gives me some time to wash clothes, cook, play with my succulents, pick up my hubby from work or go to work.

If any of you are wondering why I even get up, I have always gotten up with my hubby. I did it with my first hubby and I do it with my new hubby. My choice. Period. End of story.

One more week of early shift and he will be on another shift, maybe the late shift, meaning my sleep won't be broken. More later...I'm off to take my nap.

November

It's November, and I signed up for National Blog Posting Month. Why not give it a try? It's raining, we just had a time change (meaning it's getting dark early) and I'm working less (thankfully, more time at home and for my hobbies).

Today was our first day off work together, and it poured rain all day. We thought about driving to Medford, Oregon but the exit for I-199 was closed, probably from a landslide from all the rain. We drove to Brookings, Oregon instead. Gas is cheaper but groceries, not so much. We came home with a 6-pack of Italian beer. I never tasted Italian beer. We are not really drinkers, but it's nice to relax once in awhile.

If you have been reading my posts you might have noticed my succulent-collecting spree. It was nipped in the bud by the sun slipping south and my growing areas now shaded even more than in summer. The only spot that gets good sun is my upstairs spare bedroom window. Oh well, so much for growing succulents outside. In a last-ditch effort I bought a plastic Halloween prop, a black plastic "cauldron" that will make an excellent large, cheap pot that I can place by the corner of the garage for some Aeonium starts. I have learned they are winter growers, but they need full sun. Thus the corner of the garage location. I'll post some pictures later.

Now that I know my two growing areas are "iffy" for succulents, I've been thinking about what else I can grow there. Here is my climate:
Maritime zone 9
Summer days: mid to upper 60's, some 70's, rare 80's, dry, sunny.
Summer nights: low 60's, some 50's, some heavy dew.
Winter days: mostly in the 50's, some 60's, partly sunny or cloudy.
Winter nights: mostly in the 50's, some 40's can get light frost in January, heavy dew, fog.
Storms: winter storms bring heavy rain, sometimes very high winds, rain events can last 2 or 3 days.

So I'm wondering---Cymbidium Orchids? I suppose I could grow what grows naturally here, but I'm not interested in Hydrangeas or Rhododendrons, which are bushes and need to be planted in the ground anyway. With only a patio and gravel, I'm stuck with pots. There is a Fuchsia Society but I am not interested in them, either. >sigh< I don't want to spend a fortune, and I don't want light stands in the house.

My New Passion

Succulents! I have always loved them, and now that I can grow them outside year-round, I'm just tickled pink! One of my neighbors has a yard sale and I bought two large plants for only a dollar each! I still keep some of my plants inside. Here are some of my lovelies:

 Upstairs window, left to right, Jade, 2 more Jades and a Haworthia (in white pot), a small Portulacaria, 2 Haworthia Alba and Senecio rowleyanus - String of Pearls

 Outside, in front, left: Jade, Stonecrop and small something I haven't ID'd yet. Right: a basket from Home Depot for the awesome price of $17. Has a little of this and that...blooming Ice Plant, Jade, Kalancho, something else, something else....will repot in the spring.

 Kalanchoe - Mother of Hundreds or Mother of Thousands, pink version (Pink Butterflies or Pink Ladies)

 In the jade family, I like they geometry. There is a stunning red variety but it needs full sun, and I would need to order it.

 A small Jade that belonged to my mom years ago, a treasure. I repotted it in this pot but the pot has no drainage, a problem I will be working on tomorrow.

 Haworthia Alba.....love it, bought this one many years ago, maybe 20 years ago. I have divided it into 3 pots now.

 Bottom, left to right: Aeonium ($1 plant), NOID X-mas cactus. Top, left to right: Kalancho Mother of Thousands Pink Butterflies, Aeonium (the dark variety, another $1 plant), a mixed pot I haven't identified yet, a small pot of Aeonium, and Sempervivum (Hen's & Chicks) Spider Web.

Not sure

 Left, a Jade with folded leaves, right, a mixed pot that I need to transplant, with Aloe, Burro's Tail, Pencil Cactus and a small Adromischus cristatus - Crinkle Leaf Plant

 Left, grafted cactus, center, Kalanchoe tubiflora - Chandelier Plant, another type of Haworthia that I call Window Plants because they have "windows" on their leaves.

 Very tiny ground cover Sedum japonicum 'Tokyo Sun'

Beautiful Summer Weather Today

Today and tomorrow are my days off. The weather is glorious. I'm not sick. All the bills are paid for the month and we aren't broke. Life is good.

North Coast air conditioning:

North Coast heat:

The Second of My Two Days Off

I got more done today, including the laundry. The other day, when I had the car, I bought a laundry cart, so I don't put my back out trying to carry everything to the laundry room. I be stylin' now :)

It is a glorious day sunny, mild, blue sky and pretty clouds. This is from the upstairs window. I can never get enough of the natural beauty here.