Wednesday LOVES!!

Here's what I'm loving this Wednesday...

• It's Soup & Sandwich day!  Yum!  Our church hosts a soup & sandwich lunch once a month from January to April.  It's always a treat, and I love not having to pack a lunch! yay!!
• I love that I finished the book "Christine" by Stephen King over the weekend.  That book was a mammoth, and I'm kind of a slow reader, so the fact that I read it in a month is kind of a miracle.  I also really, really enjoyed it.  Spooky enough to keep me entertained, yet not so scary that I can't sleep at night.  I'm looking forward to watching the movie now, which arrived from Amazon the other day!
  
• After I finished "Christine", I went to my book shelf to choose my next read.  I've been on a reading roll in 2018 and I wanted to keep it going.  After reading something so big and dark, I decided to go light and fun, and grabbed the copy of Amy Poehler's "Yes Please" that I picked up somewhere along the line in the past year.  And OMG I want to be Amy Poehler's best friend.  It took me a minute to get into it - her whole intro about how hard it is to write a book kinda dragged - but since then, it's been smooth sailing.  And oh, the laughs.  I literally snort out loud at times.  She's a funny chick. The book is making me look up her old SNL work on Youtube, and I want to watch "Sisters" again.
  
• I think last week I mentioned that I'd booked a mani/pedi as a treat for myself on Friday morning, but then regretted it when my weekend became ultra busy and now I had this mani/pedi appointment stuck in the way.  Well, I SO take that back.  It turned out to be the quiet couple of hours I needed before the mayhem began.  And I LOVE my nails.  Especially the shellac mani.  I admire my pretty candy pink nails multiple times a day.  They also make me feel like a more efficient typist, for some reason.
  
• Tupperware.  Or, as my friend Lindsay calls it, Tuppercrack.  Holy mother of pearl, I can't get enough Tuppercrack.  I'm soon going to own the whole catalogue.  Funnily enough, when I declared this the "Year of Saving", one of my vows was: NO MORE TUPPERWARE.  While the "Year of Saving" has been a success overall, the Tupperware vow has been a big, fat FAIL.  It's irresistible.
• Last Friday evening, after all my work was done, I settled down on the couch to find something to watch on Netflix and assumed I'd promptly fall asleep, as I usually do.  I finally clicked on "The Shawshank Redemption" - a movie I've been wanting to watch for a million years, as I've heard so many people cite it as one of the best of all-time - and you can now count me among those people.  SUCH a good movie.  I didn't even fall asleep.  Love, love, loved it.
  
• Lasagna dinner went SUPER well on Saturday night!  Not only that, I managed to fit everything else in that I had on that day, and with time to spare.  I was so on the ball, it wasn't even funny.  But I'm so glad they came for dinner and enjoyed it.  We had lots of laughs and it was a great evening!!
  
  
  
  
• Sunday morning I awoke not feeling too crash hot, with stomach pains that would double me right over.  Once the tummy troubles subsided around noon, I slept and slept and slept.  Couldn't keep my eyes open.  So I totally forgot that the Junos were on the night.  I usually make it a point of watching, and this year especially I wanted to watch because of the Barenaked Ladies reunion.  I was a big BNL fan back in their heyday.    Thankfully, I was able to watch it afterwards on Youtube - they did "One Week" and "If I Had $1000000", and I loved every second of it - and it prompted me to dig out my old BNL albums, and download them to my phone.  I forgot just how much I love their stuff.  It's been a fun trip down memory lane.  "What a Good Boy" is my absolute fave.
• Our local ice cream store opened for the season last night!!  Unfortunately, it was quite windy and cold, rainy and snowy last night, not exactly ice cream weather.  I'm going to save it for a sunnier day, but I'm super thrilled it's back!!
• It's taken me longer that I thought it would, but I'm finally done House of Cards - or at least, what's on Netflix so far.  There's another Kevin Spacey-less season to come, but for now, I'm done.  I was bouncing around with what to watch next, and I've decided to catch up again on some of the shows that I've been into before, Suits and Scandal being at the top of the list.  Then maybe Downton Abbey?  Not sure yet.  
• OH MY GOD... ROSEANNE!!!  The revival started last night, and I was so loving it!!  See, Roseanne was something we watched when I was a kid but I never really loved it.  As an adult, I go back and watch re-runs and have a much deeper appreciation for it.  I thought the first night of the re-boot was awesome.  So happy it's back.  I don't care much for revivals and re-boots, but this one? With all the old characters back?  Even both Beckys?  And one of Darlene's kids named Mark, in honour of the one character they couldn't bring back?  (the actor who portrayed him passed away). It was awesome.  Authentic Roseanne.  The magic is still there.
  
• It's almost Easter!!  I'm looking forward to a fun weekend - a nice mix of quiet, watching TV or movies, crocheting, reading, and then some family time with a Good Friday fish dinner and then our big Easter feast on Sunday.  Woo hoo!!  Sounds like a great weekend to me!! :)

Extra-busy weekend ahead!

I'm not gonna lie, guys, I'm feeling a little bit like a stressball right now.  I have lists running through my head - To Do lists and grocery lists and "try not to forget" lists.  Also, I have broken out with an itchy red spot on my face, which adds to the angst and it's just the Universe's little way of saying "hey! you're stressed!  we know!  how about a big red blotch on your face to go with it?!"

Bah.

Here's the thing:  two weeks ago, I called and booked a manicure and pedicure for tomorrow morning.  This is something I hardly ever, ever do, but I decided to treat myself on what will likely be one of my last Fridays off before starting back to work full-time.  It was supposed to be a relaxing start to a relaxing weekend.

But now, it is honestly something that is more "in the way" than something I'm looking forward to.  *sigh*

You see, a year ago I offered up "A Little Taste of Italy" dinner to be auctioned off in the Canada Day Committee's fundraiser online auction.  My cousin won, and so I get to treat him and three of his friends to a homemade lasagna dinner with all the trimmings, served in my home by yours truly.  The poor guy has tried to book me several times throughout the year, but there was always something else going on and I had to keep postponing.  This weekend finally worked out, so they're coming and I have to get ready!!

I have to clean the house and get the groceries and prepare the meal and get everything set up.  It's all very manageable, but I get a little dizzy thinking of all I have to do in the next few days to get ready.  Oh, and toss in the fact that I have a shower to go to Saturday morning, and had planned to go to a Tea on Saturday afternoon, and things get a little more stressful.

So here's the plan:

Last night, I got my snowflakes and snowmen and "I LOVE WINTER!" signs put away and got out the Easter and spring decorations, so that part is done.  I curl late tonight, so I'm going to clean when I get home.  I know the place doesn't have to be spotless, I just need to tidy up the junk that's been collecting in the usual junk collecting spots, dust, vacuum, and mop.  Sort of one of those "lick and a promise" type cleanings. 

Tomorrow morning I'll get up and ready, and then go to my nail appointment.  Try to relax and enjoy. (ha!)  Then off to Renfrew for a mad-dash grocery shopping trip.  Also planning to get my Easter treats for the little bunnies in my life.  I thought about shopping for upcoming birthdays and showers that I will need gifts for in the next couple of weeks, but decided that will be too overwhelming, both mentally and financially.  Save those for another day.  Tackle just what's right in front of me. When I get home, I'll make and assemble the lasagna and have it ready in the fridge to go.

Saturday morning, I'll get up and do as much prepping as possible, then get ready to go to the shower.  Depending on how much time I think I have, I will try to squeeze in the Tea as well.  I have a helper lined up to join me for the last-minute setting up and preparations, so I think I should be good.  My mother, God bless her, is making dessert for me, so all I'll really have to do is prepare the appetizer, salad, and bread, and to keep things as fresh as possible, I have to kind of wait until closer to arrival time to do this stuff anyways.  And of course, I'll have to set the table.

See?  There's time for everything to get done.  Everything is very manageable.  There is no need to stress out.  But it's my nature. 

Oh, and did I mention I have a scratchy throat this morning?  'Cause I have a scratchy throat this morning.

I'm just going to ignore it and pray it goes away.

I'm just dying for this day to be over so that I can get the show on the road.  Once I start checking things off the list, I'll feel so much better about it all.  Despite being a little ramped up over it, I am very much looking forward to the evening and hopefully they are too.  Fingers crossed that I can report it was a success next week!

Wednesday Hodgepodge: Spring!

I like the Hodgepodge questions this week, so I'm taking part in that blog prompt!

1. On this first official day of spring tell us something (besides the weather) you're looking forward to in this season of the year.

Easter!  And Lent being finished!  I love celebrations and holidays.  Easter is a fun one.  I'm going shopping for my Easter treats this Friday, and I look forward to all the festivities that come with that holiday.  I even really enjoy the somberness of Good Friday.  And of course, I'm looking forward to getting a bag of chips to have on hand once Lent ends.  I'm going to do my ever-loving best to keep chips out of my house going forward, especially since I've realized my heartburn problems have decreased significantly since I gave up nighttime snacking.  But I have to have some chips to celebrate a successful Lenten season!  (knock on wood - still have a week and a half to go, but so far, so good!)

2. When it comes to spring cleaning would you rather wash windows or wash baseboards?  Clean out closets or clean out the garage? Dust ceiling fans or dust book cases? Wipe down the patio furniture or wipe down the light fixtures inside? Any of these tasks recently completed?

My windows need to be washed desperately, but I'd far rather wash baseboards.  Both are due, actually.
Cleaning out the garage isn't that big a deal because I don't keep much out there, but I am in the midst of cleaning out my closet (with the 40 day closet cleaning challenge for Lent).  I must say, breaking it down by taking something out every day has really made the job less daunting.
I haaate dusting ceiling fans.  I have less book cases so I guess I'd rather dust them?
I'd rather wipe down patio furniture than light fixtures.
The closet is the only one of these tasks I've completed recently.
This question has just reminded me that I have a lot of cleaning to do. And I HATE CLEANING!! ugh.

3. Your favorite thing to make/eat that calls for cream cheese? sour cream? whipped cream?

I love cream cheese; I love almost anything that has cream cheese in it.  Probably my favourite thing to make or eat with it is the Epicure cheese dip.  I've had a craving for that lately.
I also love sour cream.  I use sour cream in a lot of things (most recently in the pot of cream of asparagus soup that I made on Monday!) - but if I had to make something with it right this second, it would just be a go of onion chip dip.  I'm dying for chips with onion dip.
Mmmm whipped cream. I love whipped cream on pumpkin pie.  Or homemade tea biscuits with a bit of jam or jelly and topped with whipped cream, like Grandma used to make.
This question has made me verrrrry hungry!

4. I read here a list of commonly mispronounced words. What is a word that gives you trouble when it comes to pronunciation?

Hmm.  A few weeks ago, I got all tangled up trying to say the word "illegible".  I finally gave up.  And my mom always teases me about how I say the word "amicable".  (apparently I say it wrong).  I can't think of any others.  My friend Lindsay recently laughed at the way I say "syrup" but honestly, I think I'm saying it right and she's saying it wrong! haha!

5. What's a song you love with the word "rain" in the title or lyrics?

Of course, the first that comes to mind is Purple Rain by Prince.  Classic.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Yesterday was a really weird day.  I spent much of the day anticipating getting home, because I wanted to decorate for Easter and watch the episode of Ellen I'd PVR'd with Scott Moir & Tessa Virtue on as guests and read my book and crochet.  A fun low-key evening!  And then late afternoon, I heard the sad news that our Sens captain Erik Karlsson and his wife Melinda had lost their unborn baby boy.  I follow them both on social media outlets, so I can easily recall the announcement last fall that they were expecting their first child (she posted a photo of them wearing "mom" and "dad" caps), and then the video of Erik leaping in the air after he shot a puck that exploded in blue in December.  Just last week, she shared an Insta story of baby shower favours, little cookies shaped like shirts, decorated in blue with Karlsson's 65 on them.  My heart broke for them at this devastating news. It's been a rough year for the Sens on the ice, but this was a reminder that things can happen that are so much bigger than hockey.  I've had several friends who have suffered similar losses, and it's a heart ache no one should ever have to feel.  Even though I don't know the Karlssons personally, I shed a few tears for them, and felt a little drained and despondent upon hearing their sad news.  My fun evening kind of turned into one of quiet laziness.  I did read for a while, but otherwise, I ended up curled up on the couch and asleep far too early.   My thoughts and prayers are with Erik & Melinda Karlsson as they deal with this horrible grief.

Stephen King: The man who could make me afraid of my own car.

As I've mentioned several times in recent blog posts, I'm reading Christine by Stephen King right now.  I started it two weeks ago, and considering that it is a monstrosity of a book (over 500 pages), and that I'm a fairly slow reader, it's kind of a miracle that I'm over three-quarters of the way through it in that time.  That's a testament to the storyteller, I suppose. 

I first fell for Stephen King during my teen years, in those late stages of high school, when suddenly Christopher Pike and VC Andrews weren't quite scary enough for me anymore.  I remember discovering the King section on the school library shelves.  I remember how massive those books looked - huge, hardcovered volumes that awed and amazed me just upon sight.  I remember how they smelled, that musty yet delightful old book smell (one big reason why I still read book-books and don't own an e-reader).  I remember the little thrill of excitement I got at the prospect of diving in.

I don't remember which was my first.  And I certainly didn't read them all.  In fact, for a King fan, I think I can claim to have read only a paltry few.  I distinctly can recall Carrie and Thinner.  I remember the harrowing weeks I was immersed in The Shining.  I still consider Pet Semetary and The Dead Zone two of my favourite books of all time.

I took a break from Stephen King after my college years, and I'm not even sure why.  Other books to read, I guess, other titles and authors that grabbed me.  It wasn't until several years ago, when a friend claimed on Facebook that The Stand was the best book that she'd ever read, that I picked up another Stephen King novel.  I didn't love The Stand.  I wouldn't rank it among my favourite books ever.  It was massive, and it took me months to plow through it.  I remember being so relieved when I was finally done.  And yet, so well written.  Certain scenes from it can come back to me in a second; come alive right before my eyes just as I think of them.  Some of them so disturbing I wish I could forget.  I mean, for months, every time I heard anyone sneeze, my first thought was, "Oh no!  You've got it too!  It's the end of the world!!"

The masterful work of an amazing writer.  And he's doing it to me again.

This year, our book club is trying out something different.  For one of our meetings (coming up this summer), everyone is to read a best seller from their birth year.  Lists were sent out of best sellers for the birth years of all regular attendees, and we had to choose one from our year.  Let me say, I wasn't all that impressed with the choices available for 1983.  One of them was Pet Semetary, which I read in high school and loved, but I wanted to pick something I hadn't read before.  For me, based on the other choices, the only one that interested me at all was Christine.

And even then, I was skeptical. I mean, seriously?  A scary novel about a CAR?  How the hell is a CAR going to scare me?  It isn't what I think of when I think of horror.  A car doesn't sound like much of a villain to me.

Oh, but you guys.  Oh, she is.  She is scary.  And getting scarier with every passing chapter.

And how do I know this scary car has wormed her way into my head?  Because it's not just poor ol' Arnie Cunningham who has to deal with her.  She's starting to mess with me, too.

I drive a 2013 Ford Focus.  Fire engine red, and named Purdy after the sales lady who sold her to me.  A cute little car that gets me from point A to point B, and has caused me little trouble over the past five years, save for a flat tire on a freezing cold day a few years ago.  A car I neglect to wash on a regular basis, but for the most part, I really do love.

Yesterday, I left work at my usual time in the winter, at 4 PM.  I went out to my car and was glad I didn't have to clean the snow off of it, because even though the fluffy flakes had fallen pretty well all day, it was warm enough out that it was melting on contact.  My car was clean and ready to roll.

I got in, turned the key in the ignition, and as I sat adjusting the radio station, my gaze flashed to the screen on my dash where the outside temperature lights up.  It said it was 10 degrees Celsius.  As it was snowing at that very moment, I knew the temp was wrong, but that's not unusual.  Sometimes in the summer, if the car has been sitting in the sun, it can register 40 degrees or more, and the temperature gradually drops as the car cools off.  The thought did cross my mind that it wasn't sunny at all yesterday, not even a little bit.  Overcast and snowing, all day.  Still, not that big a deal.

As I slowly drove down the 5th Concession to the highway, doing my best to dodge the potholes, I noticed the temperature starting to drop on the screen.  9.  Then 8... 7... 6.  Suddenly, the numbers started to flash by so fast, until it had plummeted to -30.  My eyes widened.  I'd never seen it do that before.  My stomach did an odd little flip as I thought of the book and how strange little things happen like that with Arnie's car.  Like the odometer that runs backwards.

I could almost see Arnie's little half-grin.  Just a glitch, I guess...

Then, after a brief moment, the numbers ran up again, zipping all the way back up to 10 degrees.  And then they slowly started going back down.

"CHRISTINE!!!!!!!" I cried out. 

Like, literally.  I screamed the name of that car.  Even though it's not the name of my car.  Because in that moment, I felt very certain that my car was no longer my car anymore.  Christine had taken over.  It was possessed, in some small yet terrifying way.

Damn you, Stephen King.  Damn you and your scary car book that has wormed its way into my head.  Damn you for making me just a little bit fearful of my own perfectly innocent, sweet little car.

He's a master.  An absolute master.

I can't wait to see how the rest of this book plays out.  Christine has started her murdering ways, and she is gruesome.  Ruthless.  I'm afraid to pick up the book to see what's next, yet also so intrigued that I can't seem to put it down.  I can't wait to see how this all plays out for Arnie and his bitch of a car.

I just hope that my little "glitch" doesn't happen again.... Keep my car out of it, King.

Tuesday Randoms

Happy Tuesday, friends!  Here's some of the random running through my brain this morning...

• Nicole, after reading your most recent post, I know you're not going to like this... but sonofabitch, I HATE this time change!!!  I already have a hard time dragging my butt out of bed on a good day.   Take away an hour of my sleep, and I'm a MESS.  Even still, two days later, I'm out of sorts.  I lay in bed an extra 10 minutes longer than usual this morning and it just sets the whole day off on the wrong foot.  Ugh.  Damn you, time change.
• I know, I know...for those of you with kids, it's ten times worse.  I have really come to the conclusion that I don't think I can have children.  I like my sleep too much.  
• This past weekend was St. Paddy's Day weekend in our town, and for the first time in, like... ever??  I did not participate.  I'm a little sad about that, and yet I know if I went back in time, I still wouldn't go.  I just wasn't feeling it this year, and I have no idea why.
• Actually, that's not true.  I know why I didn't go to the Legion on Saturday night.  That was because I curled two games in the Lions bonspiel, and the proper factors did line up for the party to carry on into the night for me.  A) My arms were sore.  I hate sweeping.  B) I did not get the right level of drunk.  My beers were too well spaced out throughout the day.  C) I was starting to yawn at, like, 8 PM.  My bed was calling me.  D)  I did not want to be hungover. 
• And the reason I skipped Gav's on Sunday was because I felt blech.  No, I didn't have a hangover, but I was just not in the mood, and I developed a sinusy headache in the afternoon.  I spent the afternoon on the couch watching House of Cards.  You couldn't have paid me to move. I was in a really crummy mood.  Maybe next year.
• Thankfully, yesterday was a much more enjoyable day for me. I'm still off on Mondays (for another couple of weeks, probably), but I've had appointments the past few Mondays, which makes the days off less enjoyable.  Yesterday, I had no where to go, no rush to do anything.  I didn't have to hurry to get my notes off to the Equity, so I slept in, I lingered over coffee, I got laundry done, I crocheted, I read, and I napped.  Late afternoon, I made a pot of chili and homemade garlic cheddar biscuits.  I did slip out for an hour or so in the evening, because our minister was hosting his first "Spirit Cafe" evening, but it was just next door, and it was just to have some tea and chat.  I didn't even change out of my yoga pants and sweatshirt.  A lovely day, indeed!
  
• So, you know how I've been saying for awhile that I'm intrigued by the book I'm reading? Christine by Stephen King.  Now, I'm a Stephen King fan, so I'm not surprised that I'm enjoying the book.  He has literally made the characters come alive, and I feel like I know them well.  I love his writing style, and the voice comes through so clearly.  But all along, I've been saying that I don't see how he's going to scare me with a book about a car.  Well... I think it might be happening.  I'm more than half way through now, and the "scary incidents" are starting to happen.  I'm finding it difficult to put it down now, and yet a little nervous to continue on!
  
• Update on crocheting:  I was SUPER proud of myself this weekend!  I had bought a few balls of special yarn to make dish clothes with the intent of putting them in the Basket O' Irish Fun that we will raffle off at our church Irish Tea on Saturday.  I googled some patterns, but I was struggling to figure them out.  Then I realized on the label of one of the balls of yarn was a pattern for a "Daisy Dish Cloth".  I attempted it, and it turned out so well that I decided to make a second one!  I was so happy with how they turned out!!  I'm now working on my second giant granny square blanket.  I thought I had figured out why the first one turned out crooked, but this one is turning out crooked too.  No idea what's up with that, but oh well.
  
• One of my first thoughts this morning was "What am I going to make for supper tonight?"  Nothing sounded good.  A very odd conundrum for a food lover like me.  So I went to google.  Since it's a snowy day, I went with comfort food and looked up mac & cheese recipes.  But I didn't want my same ol, same ol.  I landed upon the Pioneer Woman's Fancy Macaroni recipe.  I have almost everything I need (my cheeses are more plain than hers, but I'm thinking that will be OK - I have mozza, old cheddar, goat cheese crumbles, and parmesan - and I'll have to stop at the store to get milk and half-and-half since I'm almost out, but otherwise I'm good.)  I literally can't wait to get home and make it!!
  

What are you up to on this snowy Tuesday??

Wednesday Loves

Hey folks!  Just popping in to share some of what I'm loving this Wednesday!

• It's SNOWING!! :) :) :)  Oh, I know, I'm in the minority here, but spring has sprung a little too early for my liking.  It's felt like spring since mid-February.  And I know most people are saying, "UGH!  MORE SNOW?!?!"  But like, seriously, dudes, it's not like we had any massive dumpings or storms this year.  I got gypped!  I need a little more snow in my life!!
• After the Olympics were over, and I was terribly blue about it, I ordered a book that Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir put out way back in 2010 following their first gold medal at the Games.  I also ordered Moulin Rouge on DVD, because Scott & Tessa skated to music from the movie in their free dance.  (I saw the movie years ago, and I even bought the soundtrack at the time, but I don't have the movie and it's not on Netflix!)  Both items said "Usually ships within 1-2 months".  I made the impulse purchase while thinking, I'll probably be over them by the time I get it.  But it arrived sooner than expected!  And I'm NOT over them yet!  Woo Hoo! I'm already anticipating my Moulin Rouge movie night on Friday!
  
• I'm loving that I finished my latest crochet project last night.  My niece Danica went through my "Learn to Crochet" book a few weeks ago and picked out a cushion that was covered in granny squares and said, "Jill, make me this!  I want this!"  I think she only picked it because she liked the colours - LOL! - but I decided, sure, why not.  It was easy enough for a beginner like me.  So I bought the yarn and cushion, made up the granny squares, seamed them together, and covered the cushion last night, just in time to deliver it to her at my mom's, as Danica had just arrived to spend a few days of March Break there.  She LOVED it!!  I was actually surprised just HOW much she loved it.  Even this morning, when I popped in before work for breakfast, she told me again how much she loved it.  It's a win!
• I'm also loving the prospect of my next project... I'm going to do a repeat of that granny square blanket I made last time, but in different colours.  I think I've figured out why the first one turned out so crooked - I was missing a little step -  so I'm interested to see if I can straighten it out.
• I'm really quite enjoying my book right now.  As I mentioned last week, I'm reading "Christine" by Stephen King, and I was very skeptical of it.  I couldn't see myself enjoying a scary story about a car, and when it arrived in the mail and I saw how HUGE the book was, I was daunted.  But it's going along really well, and I'm very intrigued.  I'm still only about a third of the way through, but if you could see the size of this book, you'd know that a third of it in just a week is an accomplishment haha!
• SO loving that my heartburn has become a thing of the past (knock on wood).  I don't know if it's because I'm no longer snacking at night (thank you Lent!) or because I've been taking that apple cider vinegar drink every day, but it's so nice to not have it anymore.  It had really become a thorn in my side over recent months.
• I'm excited for the weekend!  The Lions Club is hosting their annual curling bonspiel on Saturday, and it's always lots of fun.  I so enjoy that day at the curling rink.  Also, St. Pat's festivities are starting this weekend in our little town, with a party at the Legion on Saturday night and the big bash at Gavan's on Sunday... I'm not sure yet how much of it I'll be taking in, but hopefully I'll hit some of it!
• I love that it's March Break.  I know there's no break for me, and unfortunately this year the days the kids are at my mom's are work days for me, but just getting to go up there in the evening for supper and to hang out with them brings me joy.

What are YOU loving this Wednesday??

March: Currently...

Happy March 1st, friends! 

I don't know how this happens.  January creeps by like a snail, and then suddenly, BOOM - February? What February??  The month blows by SO fast, and just like that, it's March!

I'm on Day 2 of one of my nagging, annoying, dull headaches.  I thought I'd got rid of it last night, but I woke up with it again this morning.  Still, I'd like to mark the start of the new month by sharing what's up with me these days.

Here's what's going on Currently...

Listening to... Still really digging JT's new Man Of The Woods album.  Been listening to it a lot.  Other recent downloads that I'm loving are:  Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha ft. Florida Georgia Line, Alfie's Song (Not So Typical Love Song) by Bleachers, Parallel Line by Keith Urban, The Good Side by Troye Sivan, Never Be the Same by Camila Cabello.

Eating.... nothing special.  I don't know why, but lately I just seem to want sandwiches. lol  Last week, I made a bunch of egg salad, and I'm thinking this weekend of whipping up some of my Aunt Mona's famous cream cheese and chicken sandwich filling.  I can tell you what I'm not eating, and that's chips.  Craving them like crazy, but so far, staying true to my Lenten promise to give them up.  Which is too bad, because all these sandwiches sure would go good with a side of chips... *sigh*

Drinking...  I gave up chips, but maybe I should've given up Diet Pepsi.  Can't seem to get enough of it lately.  Also, a friend of mine was recently telling me she started drinking apple cider vinegar to see if it would help with her weight loss, and instead noticed she hadn't had heartburn since she started taking it.  I've been battling wicked heartburn off and on for a few months, so I decided to give it a try.  I put two teaspoons in a mug filled with hot water and add a spoonful of honey.  It isn't delicious - in fact, it's kind of awful -  but I have noticed a significant improvement in the heartburn issues.  Could also be the chips that were causing it.  Who knows.  But I'm feeling much better in that department, so I'm going to keep drinking it I guess.

Feeling... Like I said at the start, kinda feeling crappy today.  I've been headache-less for quite a while, so I guess I was due.  But other than that, I'm feeling pretty good these days.  Heart palps are still an issue, but I'm relieved to see an improvement in the heartburn, and also I think giving up chips has made me feel better overall.  I seem to have more energy, more get-up-and-go. I  think the nightly intake of grease was effecting me in ways I didn't even realize. 

Reading... Last weekend, I finished The Child Finder by Rene Denfeld and also read The Little Book of Hygge, so I have now moved on to Christine by Stephen King.  It's a long way off yet, but our book club is doing something new this year, and each member has to read and review a bestseller from their birth year.  The list for 1983 was kind of crappy, but I chose Christine, and so far, I'm really liking it.  I'm still not sure how King is going to scare the bejesus out of me with a story about a car, but I'm intrigued.  The book is gigantic and had me intimidated at first, yet the storytelling flows, the voice of the narrator really comes to life, and I'm already invested in the characters.  I should've known.  I've always like Stephen King books.

Watching... Not much this week, actually!  Old Youtube videos of Scott & Tessa (as I mentioned yesterday, the obsession is real), and whatever is on at night (it's been a good week for The Voice and Survivor to kick off).  When I'm crocheting, I like to have something on that I don't really have to focus too hard on.  House of Cards requires too much attention.  It's strange not to go home at night and dive into Netflix.  I haven't watched so much "regular TV" in a really long time. 

Wanting.... Nothing really, right now.  I want it to snow more.  It's felt like spring for 2 weeks now, and it's too soon.  And of course, I want chips, but I'm trying not to give them much thought.

Needing...  Again, not much.  That's kind of a good feeling, isn't it?  Not have any big dire needs?  I need to buy a bin to store my growing collection of yarn.  That is literally the only thing I can think of at the moment.

Missing...  The Olympics.  I've definitely been going through a post-Olympics slump.  An Olympics hangover, if you will.  I had gotten so into the routine of sitting down in the evenings and getting into whatever events were on TV.  I really do miss that.

Enjoying... The snuggles I got with Lainey this morning.  I see the baby often, but I hadn't got a good cuddle in with her in at least a week.  I mean, she's two weeks old, so I guess it's not that bad. HA!  But I enjoyed my extended time with her in my arms this morning.  Baby office visits are the best.  Oh, and crocheting.  I'm enjoying crocheting.  I'm not sure when it happened, but I have come to look forward to it and I find it very relaxing. 

Hope you're all enjoying this beautiful, sunny day!! :)