Getting Settled - Part I

So we moved into this gorgeous house with my YD and her family on January 2, 2024.

I will be working in my areas (my room and my office) to make them comfy and homey. It'll be hard for me because I hate to spend money and it costs money to do this.  We left our bed in California - so the first thing was to get a bed. I have been sleeping on an air mattress since January 2.  It wasn't horrible, but the bed didn't retain heat and it may have given me a neck/back ache...  Since we didn't bring a bed frame, I ordered one online.

 

here's the frame - I think it's about 12-14 inches high, plain and simple (we will probably get another bed frame at some point, but not right away).

 

So the box spring and mattress arrived and I realized that it was just too big -- too high.  It came up past my waist.  there was no way I was going to be able to climb into bed.  So, the box spring had to go (hopefully, we can use it somewhere else in the house).

 

This is what it looks like now.  I need to get some coordinated pillows -- possibly a new duvet cover, bed skirt, and a nice folded blanket at the bottom of the bed - oh and new sheets -- you won't be able to see those, but I still need them.

Not there yet, but we gotta start somewhere.

2024 - Weeks 1-4 - Jan 1 to Jan 28

Jan 2 - photo from Nevada

 

Jan 5 - fake legos fun

 

Jan 6 - Artwork -- I think I could do that

Jan 7 - Belated Christmas 

Jan 8 - the tree

Jan 13 - in a sweater knit by her great, great grandma

 Jan 14 - Cousins (well 2nd cousins)

 Jan 14 - gift from Nevada

Jan 15 - Snow days 

 Jan 17 - clipping

Jan 20 - out the back door

Jan 21 - my happy place

Jan 23 - a gift from Tom & Debbie

Jan 27 - my bathroom 

Jan 28 - hanging out on the back porch

 

The Journey - 2024

I figured I better get this posted before the month slips away from me.  I only have 43 items so I need 9 more.  Hopefully I can come up with those before the end of the month.   

1.  Trip to LA - Gallifrey One
2.  Join a book club
3.  Yoga
4.  Go wine tasting in South Carolina
5.  Distillery or Brewery - tasting
6.  Bake a pie with homemade crust
7.  Make homemade pasta
8.  6 New recipes
9.  Try new beers
10. Story Corp interviews
11. 1SE (one second everyday) project
12. Participate in the A to Z Challenge
13. Work on scanning old pictures (need better scanner)
14. Work on scanning WWI era letters (see scanner note above)
15. Walk 1,000 fit bit miles
17. Take a bike ride
18. Picture diary (a picture a day?)
19. Finish Grinch quilt
20. Finish Mackenzie's quilt
21. Make pillow cases
22. Refinish a piece of furniture
23. Visit family in Texas
24. Visit family in Tennessee
25. Plant a garden (raised bed)
26. Plant rosemary
27. Plant lavender
28. Take a photography course
29. Continue cookie bake off with Nevada
30. Go to the beach
31. Exercise more
32. Take 12 hikes/walks
33. Bake bread
34. Lose 25 pounds
35. Go to a zoo
36. Complete Couch to 5K
37. Read through the entire Bible
38. Set up office
39. Set up sewing room
40. Have coffee time with Amanda
41. Watch grandsons' games - went to one soccer tournament
42. Visit Aunt Mearlene - done (see pic in this link)
43. Visit cousins
44. Go to Eagle Harbor in the fall
45. Spend time with my sister(s)
46. Visit Terri & Will - done (see pic in this link)
47. Find a way to visit with Nevada
48. Renew my passport - Done

49.

50.

51.

52. Make a list for 2025

 

2023 - Recap - Again

 The last video didn't work correctly so hopefully this one will.

New Post - Recap and beginning of 2024

So, it's been forever since I've posted.  Though I was surprised that I had posted in September.  I'm not going to post pictures.  But I will re-cap my 2023 list here.

What happened this year, other than family issues, was that we ended up moving - from California to South Carolina.  The craziness of it all has kept me from doing normal things, like blogging, baking cookies, baking bread, exercising, just about everything. We left California on December 26 and landed in South Carolina on January 2.  Fortunately, the weather was good and we arrived safe but exhausted.

Now, on to the recap of 2023:

1.  Family Vacay?? - didn't happen
2.  Trip to LA - Gallifrey One - DONE
3.  Learn Spanish - didn't happen
4.  Go to new wineries in Livermore - I think we may have gone to a couple, Marietta's Well and Fenestra.
5.  Distillery - tasting - didn't happen
6.  Bake a pie with homemade crust - didn't happen
7.  Make homemade pasta - didn't happen
8.  6 New recipes - didn't happen
9.  Try new beers - not sure on this one.  I try new beers whenever I get the chance - at restaurants that is.
10. Story Corp interviews - meant to do these at Thanksgiving but it didn't happen
11. 1SE  (one second everyday) project - will post this after I'm done
12. Participate in the A to Z Challenge - started but stopped at "M"
13. Work on scanning old pictures - didn't happen
14. Work on scanning WWI era letters - have been working on these, but didn't finish
15. Watch the Prisoner - didn't finish
16. Hang pictures in the house - done
17. Walk 1,000 fit bit miles - I walked 819.93 miles.  Not bad considering the foot pain I had that prevented me from doing as much as I wanted.
18. Take a bike ride - didn't happen
19. Picture diary (a picture a day?) - didn't complete
20. Finish Grinch quilt - didn't happen
21. Finish knitting blanket for Mackenzie - didn't happen
22. Make pillow cases - didn't happen
23. Refinish towel rack / quilt rack - didn't happen
24. Visit family in Texas - on our way East and in August
25. Visit family in Tennessee - on our way East and for Thanksgiving
26. Plant olive trees - didn't happen
27. Plant rosemary - planted four - don't know how they are faring
28. Plant lavender - didn't happen
29. Take a photography course - didn't happen
30. Go to the Grand Canyon - didn't happen
31. Cocktail Wednesday (or Saturday) -- once a month - had a few times
32. Continue cookie bake off with Nevada - did a few.  need to see if she is up for doing more this year
33. Visit Andrew D in Maine - DONE
34. Make T-shirts (or buy) - Done
35. Drink more water - maybe
36. Go to the beach - didn't happen
37. Visit Ed R. Levin Park - DONE
38. Exercise more - shoot for 3x a week on the treadmill - not able to do because of plantar fasciitis
39. Take 12 hikes/walks - didn't document.  Pretty sure I didn't do this
40. Bake bread - I think I may have made bread 2x
41. Lose 25 pounds - didn't happen
42. Go to a zoo - didn't happen
43. Complete Couch to 5K - again didn't happen because of plantar fasciitis
44. Read through the entire Bible - almost
45. Organize / clean / etc. sewing room - it's cleaned out now.
46. Deep clean one room a month (starting in March) - I think I did maybe two rooms
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.

52. Make a list for 2024 - although not done yet, I will do it tonight or tomorrow night.

 For the slacker that I am, I'm pleased with what I accomplished.  Now for 2024.

Cookie Bake Off #13 - Biscochitos

Biscochitos - the 13th cookie.  Nevada's pick.  Honestly, it's been so long I don't remember when I made these ..  I barely remember anything about them.

Ingredients:

• 1 c sugar
• 1 t cinnamon 
• 1 T anise seed
• 8 T butter
• 8 T vegetable shortening
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 large egg yold
• 1 t vanilla
• 2 c flour
  

Here's the picture of what they should looks like

These are Nevada's cookies.

and these are mine. 

 

I thought they turned out good.  I might try making regular shortbread next time.