Weekend Trips and Changes

Hello all - I hope if you live in the U.S., you had an enjoyable Memorial Day weekend - and if you don't live here, I hope you had a great weekend that was not a holiday. 

We had a lovely trip to West Virginia. We didn't run into any real traffic on our way, and it was a lovely, sunny, cool day to travel. We lucked out with that same weather on Saturday and Sunday as well, which made it perfect for porch-sitting (our fave thing when we are there) as well as our various outings with my sister, brother-in-law, niece Amanda, and her husband Patrick. There were lots of laughs, good eats, lots to drink, and it felt like we were there for a nice long time.

Coming home on Monday, we really didn't run into much traffic either, and fortunately, even though we drove through some rain showers, the serious rain didn't happen until we were on our very last leg of the trip, on roads we know. Still not a lot of traffic there, just fortunately everyone slowing down since it was raining hard enough to make it difficult to see very well. But we made it home safe and sound, much to the pleasure of the kitties, who made friends with the cat sitter but were glad to see us.

As a matter of fact, even Esme made friends with the cat sitter! The service we use has them send us photos from each visit. In one of the photos, Esme was sitting on the arm of a chair in the living room, right nexts to Brian the cat-sitter! It drove The Tim nuts, since she is still scared of him. But Brian is very soft-spoken, so I think that was the difference. The Tim said he was glad we didn't stay longer, because the next picture probably would have shown Esme tap-dancing on Brian's lap! 😂

The changes referenced above relate to my employment status. I am currently unemployed, as of Tuesday. I mentioned a while back that things were getting a bit difficult at the yarn store. On top of that, there are several medical things I have to take care of this summer (nothing life-threatening or overly serious), and it has become impossible to find someone to cover/switch shifts with me if my appointments are on days I'm supposed to work. I have no control over medical scheduling, and even when I've asked them not to schedule me on certain days, when those are the only days available or when certain things are done, I have no choice. So there was that. Also, as of April, my hours were cut by a whole day. I was no longer working on Sundays, which to be honest, was my favorite day to be there. 

And frankly, if the medical things didn't get in the way, I'm not sure how much longer I would have lasted. A new person was hired to be an intermediate level supervisor, and I worked with her every day I was there. She is nice enough, but one of those people who gets super-hyper-focused on something and drives it into the ground. It was making me NUTS, and there were a few times I didn't appreciate things she said about me or my work ethic. 

So here I am at 68 years old, hoping to find another part-time job. Ugh. I've been applying for a while - the yarn shop pay was very low - but nothing has been happening. I get it to some degree, but for a part-time job, I would think you might want an older person who is less likely to jump ship quickly. Of course, that is my own, very self-serving opinion ... 

I did have a really good interview a couple of weeks ago, and thought I had a good shot at the job, but then .... they hired someone else. Oh well. I'm giving myself a couple of weeks to try and decompress and get organized (unless someone wants to hire me tomorrow, LOL), and then I'll look into volunteering, so that I have a requirement to leave the house from time to time.

And that's the latest from here. I have been knitting, and have a good start on all of my projects. Last week, I did in fact get to start my Emotional Support Chicken (good timing!). 

Here is the first part of the back - I have actually finished both parts of the back and they are currently blocking so that I can seam them together before moving on to the rest of it. It was fun to do, and I'm hoping that the rest of it will be as much fun. I have started my Anker Tee and a pair of socks as well, so even though I have no photos, I'm enjoying those projects. 

And of course I've been reading a lot. I have loaded up on some "summer" reads and also am waiting for some books I have on hold at the library to make their way to my name on the list.

And oh - remember the portable leaf blower that The Tim ordered and I mentioned couple of posts back - well, it's supposed to be delivered today. So we'll see a) how portable it really is, and b) how quiet it is. Supposedly it is both of those, but often my definition and their definitions are not the same, you know? 

Just Say No

And I don't mean Nancy Reagan's drug crusade here. I'm talking about telling yourself "no" when you are tempted to say things that well, you maybe should have considered just a bit longer.

For example - at the yarn store, you can call and make an appt for a private lesson if you feel that you need it. It can really be for anything - maybe you don't know how/don't remember how to cast on, or maybe you have been making a pattern that is asking for short rows and you've never done them before. It costs $36.00, and you get someone's undivided attention and help for an hour. Which seems like a good deal, if you ask me.

Tuesday, I had one scheduled for someone who wanted to learn how to weave in the ends on their project. Most people who come in for lessons are nice, and grateful that you can teach them something they didn't know before and they can take their time learning how to do it with someone right there. Then there are those like the Tuesday Lady. Oy.

She was close to the end of knitting a scarf and had used multiple balls of yarn, so she had several ends to work with. But before that, she wanted to know "how long a scarf should be." I asked her if she was using a specific pattern, because the pattern would tell you. But no, she had a moss stitch pattern that she was repeating. So I said, "Well, the one answer is that it can be as long as you want it to be, or as long as the amount of yarn you have to knit it." To which she responded, "How long is that?" Sigh.

So I said, "Some patterns have you knit until the scarf is 60 inches long" (because one pattern I have knit long ago suggested that), and she wanted to measure what she had. What she had done so far turned out to be 59 inches, so she had another inch to go. She then said, "Will you do that for me?" and I told her no, but I'd be happy to sit while she did it. (Spoiler alert: She was not pleased with that answer.)

Then we moved on to weaving in the ends. I showed her how to do it with two ends, and then said she should give it a try. She said she didn't know how, so I showed her once again. It should be noted I had gone very slowly, explaining each movement. Then I said she should try it. She did one, and it was fine, but she then declared she didn't like doing it. I told her she wasn't alone, it was a part of a project that a lot of knitters didn't like. So then she said, "Then you should do them all." I said I'd show her one more time, and then she absolutely had to do the others. Which she did, and they were fine, and she bitched about it the whole time, because she didn't want to do it. 

Then she proceeded to knit another inch to finish the scarf, and she bound off and said that she "couldn't possibly weave in that last end, it was just too much." But I refused to do it for her (this is supposed to be to teach YOU how to do it), and she was not pleased. Then she handed it to me, and said, "You need to block this now for me so that I can give it to the recipient." I told her that we did block things for people, but it was not free and was done with the understanding that it would be done when staff members had the time to do it, and that we charged for the service.  It may not surprise you to learn that she was not pleased. Apparently a store where she used to live was "full-service." You went in and said what you wanted to make, they helped you choose yarn, took your measurements and wrote up a pattern, you knit the pieces, took them back to the store and they seamed, blocked, and finished them, and you "ended up with something really beautiful." Good for them, you know?

Finally, she kept asking me if I could recommend someone in her area who could help teach her more about knitting, and find a knitting group. She lives in a far away suburb (a very wealthy one) that I have heard of, but don't even really have a clear idea where it is on the map. So I said, I wasn't familiar with the area at all, but I know that a lot of public libraries have classes or provide spaces for knitting groups to knit, so she should look into that. And she responded:

"I'm NOT going to a public library. I HATE libraries. They let anyone in who wants to come in, and no decent people go to libraries."

At which point, I told her that I had spent my adult life working in libraries first as support staff, and later as a librarian, so I had no more ideas to share with her.

Now. At this point, the average person *might* have said, "Oh, I didn't mean all libraries," or "Oh I'm sorry if I offended you," or some other thing that you knew they didn't mean but they were saying because they were embarrassed. 

What did this lady say? "I'm not surprised. Only someone who had worked in libraries would make me do all of this myself."

And this my friends, is why it's a damn good thing that my parents taught me manners, and that I was in a professional setting and knew I had to behave as a civil adult.

But oh, she has paid for it all in my imagination, let me tell you! 😉

[Editorial note: I "made" her weave in 8 ends and knit 1 inch herself to finish the scarf. And then I guess "made" her have to block it herself.]

Easter Weekend

Hello all! I hope if you are celebrating Passover, that you are having a happy and joyous one. I knew that it started this week, and then I lost track of the days, so I know things have already begun, but please know I'm thinking of you and hoping it's a wonderful holiday for you and your loved ones.

Today in the Christian world is Good Friday, a somber day leading to Easter Sunday, which is of course the complete opposite. Right now, in Philadelphia, it looks like the weather is somber as well - kind of bright, but not too bright. At least it's not raining!

Yesterday, I got a wonderful Easter surprise. Actually, it happened on Tuesday, but I only discovered it yesterday. I was cleaning out the backpack I've been taking with me to work, because it's a dark color, and once spring arrives, it just looks too dark and serious to me, so I switch to another bag. Generally speaking, other than adding my water bottle and my lunch each day, I don't check everything else in it each time.

So imagine my VERY happy feeling of surprise when I pulled out this plastic Easter egg!

This alone would have made my day. I expected it to contain maybe a couple of chocolate candies, but instead, I found this:

Can you stand it??? Such an adorable little bunny sitting in its own little nest of grass! Apparently on Tuesday, my co-worker Kathy (who I love and who is leaving after next week, sob) snuck this into my backpack. I would never have the patience to make something so small, but she makes all kinds of adorable things like this, and I was so incredibly thrilled to find one for me!

I hope that if you celebrate, you have a very Happy Easter. If you do not, best wishes for a lovely springtime weekend. And regardless of what you are or are not celebrating, I hope there is a good surprise in store for you.

Enjoy!

Busy At Work, Busy At Home

Well, as we get closer to both Hanukkah and Christmas, things at the yarn shop are really heating up - for instance, yesterday was Monday, which is generally a quiet day with maybe 10-12 customers throughout the day. Instead, the only chance I had to sit and think for even a minute was while I ate my lunch! It was crazy, and really has been since the week before Thanksgiving. But I would say the "fever pitch" level has arrived - you know the Oh-my-I-forgot-to-start-knitting-my-45-gifts, or the I-know-they-like-to-knit/crochet-so-I'll-buy-them-yarn people. I'm not complaining as it makes the days at work fly by, and it's keeping me employed, but it is getting pretty crazy.

Then of course there is all the stuff to do at home, which is going much more slowly than usual, since my evenings are both short (I don't get home until after 6pm, and by the time we eat dinner, clean up, etc., it's already about 8pm), and I'm usually too beat to do anything. So it's a slower process this year, which is fine, but in some ways a bit disappointing. But I know I'll get a lot done on my days off, so no worries that we'll all be ready. 😊

This past Saturday, I pulled out some of the Christmas decorations, and Alfie had his first encounter with the music box that has Santa and the reindeer going around as the music plays:

As you can see, he was *very* interested. But about two seconds later, a bird landed on the windowsill, so the whole music box experience was history ...

Also on Saturday was the Army-Navy football game here in Philadelphia. So we went out onto the deck to see the Navy planes flyover when the game started. (Which was of course very cool!) But we also saw this, which we found highly amusing:

Last spring, we had the trees in our garden pruned, and they cut off the top of a very tall, very large holly tree. Well, Saturday was a cool but very sunny day, and this squirrel apparently decided that the top of the cut off tree was a good spot for sunbathing! The Tim pointed out that most people have an angel on top of their tree this time of year, it figures we would have a squirrel ... 😄

Over the weekend, I mailed out the Christmas cards I'd prepared, which pleased me since last year I never got around to it. But something happened for the first time ever this year - I ended up not having enough cards to send! There were about 10 people left on my card list, but I was out of cards, which has never happened to us before. And stores nearby were pretty wiped out of any selection. So apologies to those who might usually get a card - I'll definitely scope things out after the holidays and prepare for next year.  

And that's all the news from us. I hope all of you are having a good Christmastime and holiday season, and any squirrels in your trees are also outside!

Then July Happened ...

When we last left my life saga, we had reached the end of June, the end of my full-time job of 12 1/2 years, and the end of guaranteed income and health insuruance. Well, I had signed up for Social Security and Medicare, but had not yet heard that they were active. So ... only kinda/sorta worried about income and health care. 

To end June in the BEST possible way <insert sarcasm>, The Tim woke up on June 30 not feeling well. You may or may not remember that The Tim is seldom sick - he hardly ever even gets a cold. He took and Covid test, and of course it was positive. Which, if you think about it, was really the perfect way for June to end. Anyway, we had avoided catching it for over 2 years, so I guess we had a good run. He called his doctor, and was given Paxlovid, so between that and being vaccinated and boosted, he was on his way to recovering.

We hadn't made any specific Plans for July 4, so we didn't have to cancel anything, but we usually have our own little picnic, and I figured I'd just wait and see how he felt before getting anything to have or fixing any food ahead of time (i.e., potato salad). 

Fortunately for him, he had milder symptoms - a sore throat, some fatigue, and congestion. And the Paxlovid made a huge difference.

You are likely guessing the inevitable at this point, and dear reader, you would be correct. In spite of my best efforts to avoid interacting with The Tim, our house is only so big. So on the morning of July 4, I woke up feeling AWFUL. And of course, tested positive for Covid. I do not recommend it as a way to celebrate a long weekend holiday - 0 out of 10 stars.

My doctor prescribed Paxlovid as well, and as is my kind of luck with illness, my symptoms were a lot worse. I was pretty miserable for a couple of weeks, though again, the medication and being vaccinated and boosted made a huge difference. I still have some congestion and a Covid cough, and fortunately my constant fatigue is nearly gone. But the coughing, aches, headache, earache, and overall difficulty breathing made me thankful that if I had to end up getting Covid, it was now instead of in the early parts of it. The suffering of those people was unbearable to think about.

So, we both recovered, and then I got to spend the next week or so fighting with my former employer. I received the paycheck that covered my leftover vacation days, except it only covered half of them. When I called to question it, I was told that I had more vacation left than it was the policy to pay for - I mentioned that it was not on purpose, it was because we were not allowed to take any vacation when the number of staff was so low. But alas, I did not prevail. And yes, I could have made an issue of it, but I was just done (which is I'm guessing what they imagine will happen). I "officially" closed that chapter, with no regrets.

In the third week of July, the woman who is one of the owners of the LYS near my house - Loop - contacted me to see if I might be interested in working a couple of days a week in the shop.  Um .... YES! At this point, I knew that I would be getting Social Security starting in the middle of August, but I had still been looking for a part-time job. The LYS job is currently two days a week - Tuesdays and Sundays, and the pay isn't really great - but you know what? After looking for a part-time job for over a year, I'm thrilled to have *anything* at this point. Plus, my commute to work on those two days is two blocks!!! The people are nice, and the yarn is pretty, and if nothing else ever happens, I have this job, and who knows, maybe I'll be able to add on another day at some point.

So, let's review:

Beginning of July = ICK

Middle of July = Better, but still questionable

End of July = YAY!!!

Finances will still be iffy for a while, until we get used to all of the adjustments that need to happen, and my Medicare is still being processed, but progress is being made, and I think it will be OK in the end. Because I really believe that, but also because we have to make it OK in the end, right?? 😊

The Story of the End of June

As promised, I am going to tell you about the first part of what was going on with me at the end of June 2022. I promise to try and keep it as short as possible, with as little detail as necessary. Even so, it's likely to be a long post, and not of interest to a lot of people, so feel free to move along, I won't be upset. 😉

Anyone who has read this blog for any length of time has heard me talk about the awful situation that was my workplace. Particularly in the past couple of years - and not really related to the pandemic - when the CEO of the place decided that until a "real" director was hired, he should be our supervisor. This was awful for many reasons. But in summary: 1) he knows absolutely nothing about libraries and archives; 2) he doesn't care that he doesn't know; 3) he is to put it mildly, incredibly narcissistic; 4) out of the four of us, he absolutely had one person as his favorite who could do no wrong, somewhat pleasantly tolerated the Reference Librarian, (who was part-time at the moment), didn't like the Archivist, and really and truly hated me. At one point, his favorite was promoted to the title Special Collections Librarian, which was disturbing for several reasons, among them that she does not have a library degree or background, and that in the library profession, Special Collections Librarian is a very rarefied, difficult-to-obtain position. And seldom is/was anyone at the place every promoted anyway.

Various things did or did not happen, and the morale - which didn't really exist in the first place - plummeted even lower. In early November 2021, the Reference Librarian resigned, partly due to child care problems, but also due to the supervisor, the treatment of most of us, and because it was no longer worth her emotional investment. At the end of December 2021, the Archivist resigned, due to the situation in our workplace and due to our supervisor. She was fortunate to find another job that she was more than happy to have.

So, two of us were left. And the supervisor decided to start the search for a director - excuse me, an "Executive Director." The first thing he did that we had all agreed was an important part of the job requirement was to take out the requirement that the person have a master's or doctoral degree in library work - according to him, this would mean we would have the chance to get "a scholar" in the position. So he found someone - a lovely man actually - who had a Ph.D. in the history of science and had come from a position at a planetarium.

The new Executive Director decided to make it a priority to hire a Reference Librarian. But he and the other person left in the department did not want to require a library degree, and the other person - the favorite - pretty much wrote the job description and said she would train the person. Train them to do the stuff she was originally hired to do and to help with, but that she doesn't like doing, so she could focus on the parts of the job she likes.

I was already having serious mental health problems at this point, but that was the straw that broke the camel's back. Since before last Christmas, I've applied for 80+ part-time and full-time jobs with no response, except for two interviews that went nowhere. But the situation described above made it just impossible for me to stay at my workplace. Without another job lined up, I gave my notice and said my last day would be June 30.  

Prior to that, I had applied for Social Security benefits, and Medicare, so that was something. But the situation would still not be ideal.

I was busy cleaning up projects and creating documents to let my successor (if there would be one) have at least a rough idea of where I left off on things I'd been doing. Even though I was leaving, I had every intention to leave things in a good place.

Then I arrived at work on Thursday, June 23 - one exact week before my last day. There was an e-mail from HR alerting me to an "emergency" meeting at 9 a.m. So I signed on to Zoom, and learned that I was being let go that day. According to the HR person, someone had been "researching" about me online, and came across "a post on my personal blog" that contained this sentence: 

"I ask myself, could these things not have at least been spread out over several weeks, so that my desire to stab someone would not be as strong as it is right now?"

(It was a post about a week when everything annoying seemed to be happening all at once.)

Anyway, I was being sent home that day because that particular sentence was seen as - and I quote - "An implied threat of physical violence to others."

I asked the HR person if a) this didn't sound a bit like stalking, and b) if she really believed I was dangerous, and though she gave vague answers, she said it didn't matter what she thought, it was because if others worried for their safety, I had to be let go. She said that I was not being fired, and would be paid through my original last day, but I had to leave the building as soon as I collected all of my stuff and not come back, or try to come back into the building.

So, I did just that. I wasn't able to finish things I'd begun, or leave instructions, as I had planned, but I had to leave, so I did. I spent the week until my original resignation date lying low and trying to deal with HR about my final paycheck, when benefits would end, etc. - the usual things that I would have worked on even if I'd been at work for that last week.

My very last act was to send an e-mail I had been planning to send anyway to all of my colleagues, and had already pretty much finished. I tweaked it according to the situation, and right before I shut down my work computer for the very last time, I hit SEND. I am proud of myself, because although it was honest, it was not ranty or bitter or accusatory of any particular people.  And I had so many of my former colleagues contact me with their support, that it was a nice feeling.

I feel bad that my 12 1/2 years there ended as they did, but at least I was already planning to leave. In the months between the Archivist leaving and me leaving, many other people at the place had been fired or had left under a cloud since the CEO didn't like them. Sadly, though the place is full of good people trying to do good work, the administration is seemingly doing their best to either get everyone who had been there out of there so they can start over with their own people, or just tank it altogether. 

Now that I've had a month to adjust to things, I have to say I kind of feel like the young girl below as far as how I feel about the place.

Is my mental health improved? You bet, even though we are struggling financially. But we've been poor before, and so we know how to do that and adjust accordingly. 😊

So now you know that part of the story. In a future post, I'll fill you in on life during July - which started out really horribly but has ended on an upswing.

... And Start All Over Again

Nothing's impossible, I have found

For when my chin is on the ground

I pick myself up, dust myself off

And start all over again.

-- Lyrics by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields

Well, the end of last week certainly took care of any good feeling happening after the beginning of the week. For me, personally, and for a lot of us in the States as well. I was still adjusting to one gut punch when another one showed up saying "Hold my beer."

And now it's Monday morning, which let's face it, few people anticipate with joy. But we're all still here, and we have a choice - give up and be miserable forever, or pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and start all over again.

Yet again. There have been so many agains, it's easy to take the giving up route. And if that is what you choose, that's up to you. It's hard to collect your heart and soul when it's been pulverized and put it all together well enough to keep going. I don't know about you, but I tend to go back and forth on it. But then I realize that in spite of what I might wish to do, if I wake up every day, maybe the universe is saying I should try my best.

Easier said than done.

Whenever I am in the depths, and have even one iota of physical and mental energy, I try to make myself do one thing that I hope will be successful. Not necessarily any specific thing, and nothing major. Maybe I'll decide to take a long, quiet walk. Or get rid of one corner of clutter. Anything that I can "accomplish."

On Friday, I took some of the scarves and mittens we wore during the winter and washed them so they could be put away until needed again. (Yes, I  know it's nearly the end of June and we haven't needed them for a while. So sue me.) While I was waiting for the washing machine to finish, so I could hang them up near a window upstairs to dry, I was reading a book, and the main character was making breakfast for some guests, and she made Rosemary-Orange Muffins. Hm, I thought, that sounds good, as I like every word of that phrase. So I headed to Google, and found a recipe that sounded a) good, b) simple, and c) had "normal" ingredients (i.e., not something like "1 milli-teaspoon of the rosemary oil of the plant only found in Bulgaria"). I decided to give the recipe a try for Saturday morning's breakfast. This gave me something to look forward to doing, and in the state of mind where I found myself, that was a definite bonus.

I decided that since I had never tried the recipe, which said that it made 20 muffins, I'd cut it in half, just in case it wasn't really that great. Because if you are not that fond of something, having 20 of them is a lot.

But I shouldn't have worried, because THEY. WERE. YUMMY! 

I would say that it took me maybe fifteen minutes to do the prep - mostly zesting the orange took the longest to do - and the ingredients were things at least in our house are generally around anyway. Especially in the summer when we always have at least one rosemary plant going.

Here are the muffins cooling out of the pan:

And here is my fancy-schmancy presentation, along with the pieces of the zested orange and some cottage cheese:

If, like us, you are a fan of three things - rosemary, oranges, and muffins - you need to make these. First of all, the house smelled amazing while they were baking. Second of all, they were so very very good. And third of all, they taste just as good, maybe even a bit better, the longer they sit. (I wrapped the extras and froze them. Took one out to thaw yesterday and have with a cup of tea, and it was perfect!)

Now the woman in the book I was reading referred to Sarah Chase's recipe, and I must admit I have no idea who Sarah Chase might be. I used this recipe, and can personally recommend it. You can bet that these will be added to our "keepers" and that the next time I'll likely make all 20 of them. 😊

In conclusion, what I can tell you is that yes, I am tired. Very, very tired. I am beyond mad, sad, and frustrated. And so much of the world is crap, we didn't need anymore, but we got it anyway. I hope you can find something small to call a win, because if you are reading this, you woke up today and you might as well try to make that worth something. Even if it's only trying a new recipe that makes you happy.

Time to start all over again. 

Again.

Three Happy Things

I don't know about you, but I need to talk about some happy things, because in the past couple of days, things have been kind of awful on a personal and a work level.  So happy things it is.

As I mentioned previously, my colleague Jennifer is leaving and today is her last day.  We usually exchange small gifts at Christmas (because she enjoys Christmastime too), and today this was on my desk:

On the inside, a mini-skein of Fibre Company Amble, and a ceramic leaf button!  She said that she thought that would be plenty for a heel or cuff of a sock, which is true, but I might also incorporate it into something else, and who knows, maybe something else that could also sport the button - they look so nice together!

Also, I meant to share this the other day, but today is a good day to share it instead as it turns out.  I found this image and made it my background on my work computer:

Because I love Rudolph, and he makes me happy when I see him.

We got a notice this morning from The Bigger Big Boss, saying that we only have to work until noon tomorrow - YAY!!!  If they aren't giving us raises, it's the least they can do.  And that means I get to start my holiday vacation that much earlier, and if you don't think I'm happy about that, you really haven't been paying attention ... 😊

I hope your day will have at least one happy thing in it, because we all deserve each little bit of happy that we can find.

P.S. Several of you asked for the link to the cookie recipe that The Tim used and I talked about the other day.  He sent me the link, so here you go.  I hope if you make them, you enjoy them as much as we are enjoying ours (and I also hope that recipe is not behind a paywall - apologies if that is the case.)

Well ... Some Of Us Got Things Done!

Hello - I have to tell you that for a change, I am in a relatively good mood on this Monday.  It is the week leading up to Christmas Day, and we had a good and productive weekend.  And then when I got to work today, the woman who is the early morning security guard was telling me that her daughter was finally improving.  The daughter had surgery about a month ago - the kind that shrinks the stomach, you know something with "gastro" in it - because she was horribly overweight.  And she was not recovering well at all.  But apparently over the weekend, things started to look up, and she was improved every single day.  That made me so happy, because though I don't know the daughter, our security guard is such a great lady, and I had been feeling so bad on her behalf, because they were trying everything.  Good news like that is especially welcome on a Monday, right??

As I said, we had a good weekend, combining getting some things accomplished and then also just relaxing.  We finished all of our decorating, I finished all of the pre-Christmas Day cleaning, and some more baking was done.  The Tim made some pizzelles, and also some *incredible* cookies that were new to both of us.  I forget where he got the recipe, and the exact name, but they are chocolate chunks, cherries, and ginger and OMG are they amazing!  So rich, one is plenty (and that's saying a lot from me!).  

Of course, all of these activities required snoopervision from Hamlet and from the Koodle, so they took twice as long to accomplish.  Pip however, was apparently feeling quite taxed, and was unable to assist us because he was taking some much-needed rest.

You'll be relieved to hear that he is fine, and was also quite comfortable with this setup.

This week will be a sad one at work for me.  Our archivist's last day of work here is on Wednesday.  She is the one person in my dept that is bearable, and who knits as well.  She got a new job which will begin in January.  Which is great for her, because our terrible boss treats her only slightly better than he treats me.  So our dept of four people will now be only two, as the other person left in mid-November.  And even worse, the one person besides me who is left is the person who is the absolute worst.  Plus, she is the terrible boss' favorite in the world, and the two of them together is just more than anyone should have to bear.  Fortunately, she took this week as vacation, and since I'm taking next week off, I won't have to deal with her until January.  I'm not looking forward to it at all, but at least she isn't around right now.  I'll miss Jennifer, but she found a really wonderful sounding job that will even pay her considerably more, so I do hope for her that it works out.

That's all for the moment.  I hope your week goes well, and that if you are also counting down to Christmas Day, that it is enjoyable for you.

Christmas Decorations At Work

I am always struck on this day to realize that the Pearl Harbor attack happened during Christmastime.  I mean, I know that war tactics ignore things like that, but ugh, you know?  So, it would have been 80 years ago today that put my parents' marriage into the frame.  My dad joined the Army after the attacks, and was going to be stationed in El Paso, Texas, so my parents wanted to get married ASAP.  The problem was, at that time, you couldn't get married during Advent in the Catholic Church.  Which is why my parents' 80th wedding anniversary will be on December 26. 💗

Anyway, I thought you might enjoy seeing some of my Christmas decorations at work.  It will probably not surprise you to know that I'm the only person in my department who puts up decorations for anything, but I really don't care.  Because I love holidays, and having decorations - even if it's just a cardboard something - make everything better, in my opinion.  So here's a little tour for you.

This is the top of one my file cabinet (not showing the electric teakettle off to the side, which is there all year, and only Christmas-y in that it boils water for holiday tea. 😉)

Here's the top of one set of bookcases:

Here are some holiday cards that I have kept the fronts of to decorate.  All of them are ones that I received at work, either from co-workers over the years, or companies that send cards (we don't get those anymore, so I'm glad I kept the couple of good ones!).

Here's the top of the other bookcase in my office:

And a little set of erasers that were in my Christmas stocking a couple of years ago - as if I would use them as erasers, LOL.  (Some call number label covers are in the background holding them up.)

But I have to say, that out of all of my office decorations, this one is the most special.  The Tim gave this to me years ago, and told me it was for work, so I would always be able to have Rudolph with me.

I just love it SO much.  In my current workspace, it lives to the right of my computer so I can see it all day.  It makes me smile no matter what else is going on - and as you know, there's often A LOT going on in my department!  

So there you go - now you can see that even on the worst days during Christmastime, I have some old friends to remind me that everything will be OK.

I'm Just Wondering

Maybe I'm the only person wondering about this, but do children have any chores they are expected to do these days?  The reason I'm wondering is because of a commercial I keep seeing for a grocery store chain that has online selection and pick up/delivery available.  The woman in the commercial is extolling the virtues of being able to have someone else do her shopping for her, and all she has to do is pick up the bags of groceries and put them in her car on her way home from work.  Later in the commercial, she is seen eating dinner with her husband and children, and mentions how the "grocery fairies" made her life so much easier.  Then she says "If only there were dishwasher faires."

Ahem, dumbass - you have a husband and kids.  Also, you have a DISHWASHER, which ostensibly means that none of those delicate flowers seated with you at the table would have to put their perfect hands into actual dishwater.  Is your husband unable to determine the complicated configuration of a dishwasher?  Are your children - who do not appear to be babies or toddlers - too precious for any type of household labor?  Or, are you - and I know so many people like this - a victim of your own self, because no one else knows how to do it "the right way," so only you can get things accomplished?

I did a Google Images search for "children's chores" and hundreds of images resulted - from chore charts, to templates for said charts, and of course the ever popular clipart examples like below, which shows these poor enslaved young people happily doing their assigned chores.  Clearly they have been brainwashed.

I mean, my parents were hardly strict at all, but we were expected to make our beds everyday, take turns washing the dishes (no dishwashers in our house until I was in high school!), and "other duties as assigned," so to speak when requested by my parents.  As we got older, we were expected to help with laundry, cleaning the house, and even some of the outside chores.  

Was it annoying?  Yeah, sometimes.  And of course, it NEVER seemed fair!  I mean, there were my parents coming home from working all day, fixing food for us to eat, and they expected US to do work??  

The Tim's background is pretty much the same.  He comes from a family with 5 kids, who are all fairly close in age, so they were all expected to do their share as well.

Having said all of that, I did used to have a work colleague who came in one day and said she was really unpopular at home.  She had decided that she'd  had enough, so she set a schedule for the family where each night someone was responsible for dinner after getting home from work, school, whatever.  Her kids were teenagers, and the rule was that if it was your turn to cook, you also did the cleaning up.  She said she told them that no meal had to be elaborate - hot dogs, grilled cheese, soup, etc. were all options because she realized that they may not really know much about how to cook.  

Fast forward to the second week.  I asked her how it was going.  She said, "Oh that's all done.  They didn't know what to do, and ___ (husband) wasn't doing things like I wanted anyway.  So it's back to just me cooking every day."  

Well,  you know what?  She's the only one to blame in that situation.

What about you?  Did you have chores/duties/jobs growing up?  I'm curious if most people experienced what I did, or if they didn't have to do anything in particular until they lived on their own as adults.

Observations From a Birthday Week Vacation in the Second Year of Covid-19

As you may or may not know, I have taken this week as vacation from work.  I usually try to take time off around my birthday, because why not?  Last year, I had planned to do so, but then we were sent home for "two weeks, probably" after March 13, so I was home anyway, without any work that I could easily do, working from home.

Anyway, this year I have been working in our building on Tuesdays and Thursdays since this past August, and of course working from home (as much as I can in my job, which is a challenge), so I decided to return to my tradition, and I also decided to take the entire week as vacation.  I have the time available to me, and really - where I am going to go anywhere soon?  

Since this is the last work day of my vacation, I thought I would share some of my observations from this past week.

OK, this first part is something I've thought all of my life, but this past week has only made me a firmer believer:

1. WHY are Americans so stingy with time off?  First of all, generally most people don't get a lot of vacation time, or holidays off, and then when you actually want to try and take that time, you're looked at like someone who just ate a baby!  I know, I know - the Protestant work ethic, American productivity, blah, blah, blah.  Excuse me, but that is just a way of justifying the crappy treatment most people receive from their employers.  You ask for even a day off, and it's like the company will dissolve because you are not there - even if most of the time, your presence is either not acknowledged at all, or you are generally dismissed as unimportant.  God forbid you take time for YOURSELF - I mean, they're already being so generous, what with evenings and weekends for your interests.  And yet, in other countries, where people have been receiving much more generous amounts of time off, somehow it's all still standing in spite of that.  I know some people LOVE their work, and love to be at work, but Work Is Not Life.

2.  This week I had two meetings scheduled related to my work.  One was with the person who is our new supervisor, who also happens to be the CEO of the place.  This is until our current supervisor comes back from sabbatical, or at least that's what they are saying.  In any case, we are not allowed [seriously, not allowed] to reschedule our meetings with him (he can, we cannot).  And this one was for a "Performance Discussion," which is what our annual reviews are now called. (Puh-leeze.)

So, OK, I figured having to go to that meeting on Tuesday morning was something I could do and then go on with enjoying my time off.  WRONG.  Nope, after being told in the meeting that he could not figure out why I was still employed because he saw no reason for my position to still exist, and that I would need to amp up my goals in order to continue to have a job - well, let's just say that threw me for quite the loop!  And as you may imagine, ruined my happy mood and mental health big time.  So much so, that just yesterday afternoon, I started to talk myself out of worrying about it since I am supposed to be on vacation.  And once again - when your time off is not really time off, that's just not fair.  If we had not been doing Zoom meetings all year, I would have not been able to meet with this guy during my vacation - the meeting would not have been possible (trust me, I would have claimed to be in Lichtenstein or someplace if I had to).  But no, since we could meet, we had to meet.  I was also supposed to meet with the consultant hired at work so that she could advise me on being more of a team player.  That was supposed to be yesterday.  I sent her an e-mail saying something had come up unexpectedly and I could not possibly do it until I was back at work next week.  (Technically it was the truth - bad mental health had come up - but even so, I decided I needed the rest of my vacation to be free from work stress and so that meeting was just not gonna happen.)  Jesus Christ in a dress, is there no escape from work anymore???

3.  Moving on from the ugly stuff, in truth, I am really glad I took a week of vacation.  Even though the weather has been not that great, I have enjoyed being able to be at home and [for the most part] not have work crap hanging over my head.  I have been reading, knitting, and being lazy, even if I had other plans that didn't end up happening.  (Admittedly they might have, had I not been so depressed/upset/thrown off for a couple of days, but there you are.)  Would it have been nice to be able to go out to breakfast for my birthday?  Yes, but since I hadn't planned on it, there was no disappointment there.  And I like being at home and on my own schedule.  So although there were no particularly special plans for the week, it's been a good one.

4.  I had a *very* slight reaction from my second Covid vaccine shot.  I felt fine for the rest of the day when I got it (this past Monday), and then overnight that night I woke up with chills and a low fever.  I felt a little bit crappy when I woke up on Tuesday morning, but by lunchtime I was fine.  I'm absolutely sure that whatever the reaction is, it's still better than coming down with the virus!

5.  This morning we had an "international" kind of car trip, stopping at a few places.  First up, The Tim wanted to go to the Asian market for some things, so we stopped there first.  Then we stopped at the Italian bakery where they have ZEPPOLES every year on March 19th for St. Joseph's Day, so we'll have those for dessert tonight.  Then on the way home, we stopped at a Middle Eastern lunch place where the make the absolute best grilled falafel sandwiches ever!  We brought things home, put away what needed to go into the fridge and enjoyed our sandwiches.  It's been years since I've had one, and I am happy to say, I was not disappointed.  So we're definitely eating well today.  😀

I can promise you, we got only one for each of us.  Such a treat, and so worth it!

All of which means that the good news is, that vacation week is ending on a good note, which is how it should be.  And I'm grateful for that, since I'll have plenty of time next week for other feelings and frustrations.

Here's hoping that your week was a good one, or that if not, it's ending on a good note like mine is.  Have a good weekend, and remember to try your best to enjoy whatever you can, whenever you can!

Stitching and Reading and [Probably] Getting Wet

I haven't had a chance to join in on Tiny Needle Tuesday for a while, so I'm glad I can write a post for it today.

Right now, I'm waiting to go to work in the midst of tropical storming.  The Tim has been kind enough to say he would give me a ride, so I'm kinda sorta relieved about that.  It will be interesting to see how things are, and not just related to the storm.  To paraphrase Dorothy Parker, I don't know much about being retired, but I bet I'd be darling at it.  😀

Oh well.

Anyway, over the weekend I finally got my stitching project that I talked about recently underway, and really had a good time with it.  Here's what I was able to accomplish on my Stitchy Saturday:

Not bad for a couple of hours!  I realized once it was done that the start of the little book on the top was off kilter by one row.  I briefly considered ripping it out (very briefly), but then decided it was fine; after all, I'm a little bit off kilter myself!

Yesterday, I started my latest book:

I know a group was reading this for the online book club, and thought it sounded interesting.  I have only made it to the fourth chapter or so, and right now, I'm on the fence about it.  I'm going to read a bit more and if I don't like the characters any more than I do so far, it will be time to move on to something else.

And that's it from me for today.  I hope if you are anywhere in the path of Tropical Storm Isaias, you will be safe and not suffer any damage to your property.  At least around here, it's only supposed to hang on for today.  

OK, time to get my stuff together and put my mask on.  See you again soon!

The Next Needle Project

Before I tell you about the project referenced in the title of this post, I have to say that I think your responses to the question of what was the worst gift you have received are some of my favorite responses ever!  I admit to laughing at your pain, but come on, those are some good stories, people.  And note to Alison - just because you live in New Zealand, it doesn't mean you cannot be part of the giveaway, I'm happy to send things wherever they need to go.  So please let me know if you would still like to be added in before the deadline this week.  I would truly love to include you on this giveaway or any future giveaways.* 😊

If you recall, last year I completed a couple of counted cross-stitch projects, and enjoyed working on them so much that I was glad I'd gotten back to it.  Then I had some knitting projects that I really wanted to do, and they started taking up all of my brain space and interest.

During the time I was working on those projects, I came across a kit that the store junebug and darlin was selling through the Strand Bookstore.

As you can imagine, this was something I felt I just MUST have!  First of all, I love books; second, I am a cataloging librarian; and third, they are renovating our space at work and I thought this would be a really nice touch in my new work area.  So I ordered a kit, and it arrived in a very timely fashion.  Since I was busy with other stuff, I put it away for another time.

I feel that the time has come, so to speak.  Yesterday I pulled it out to start looking at the pattern, the instructions, what was in the kit, etc.

And look at this - the floss is attached to a library check out card, like we all used before things became computerized!  (Some libraries still use them, but most large libraries nowadays use barcodes and scanners.)  I just love that presentation, it makes my librarian heart sing.

Since we are supposed to return to work in the next month or so (don't get me started on that topic right now), and at least in theory, the renovations will be finished (really?), I thought it was time to start this project and have it ready whenever I can finally walk in to my new office.  My only concern right now is that I am suffering big-time from heat-addled brain, so it might be better to only do a small amount of stitching on any given day.  That way if there is a brain disconnect, there won't be as much to un-stitch and start again.  I'll keep you posted.

*OMG someone in NEW ZEALAND reads my blog!!!  This makes me all kinds of happy.  One of my fave places (no I haven't been, other than in my head and in photos, news, others' stories).  I have always wanted a friend who lives there. Plus, they are having winter now.  Sigh.

Sitting in the Dark

Well, here I am sitting in the dark, even though it's daytime and we have lights on.  Tropical Storm Fay is visiting today, so it's really really really dark outside, and you have the sense of being in a cave.  I'm just glad to be inside and dry at this point.

I just finished a two-hour webinar for work about White Supremacy and to be honest, I don't think I'll do much for the rest of the day.  It was exhausting both physically and emotionally, plus given how this week has gone, I was tired even before we started.  I used to not mind webinars/Zoom/online meetings, but now that they are the norm, I find them difficult, and my eyes start to bother me at some point.  I'm sure others are feeling some kinds of effects as well.

Thank you for the compliments on my in-progress KAL shawl from yesterday's post.  Clue #3 arrived yesterday, and it includes Star Stitch, which will be a new one for me.  Not today though, since I know my concentration wouldn't be on point.  Besides the shawl, I'm working on the second sock of this pair:

I started these for myself in December of last year, but only got the first sock done with everything else happening.  So I decided to put it away and work on the second sock during Christmas in July.  Which works out really well, but if you don't pay attention to what you did on the first one, you can get well into the second one, realize you did something different, and have to rip back quite a bit.  It's all good though, since I am now beyond where I was when I had to rip.  

Speaking of Christmas in July, if you want to be included in this week's giveaway, remember to comment on this post before 11:59 p.m. this coming Sunday.  I'll announce the winner on Monday.

I hope wherever you are, you're having a decent Friday, even if it's dark and stormy.  I have no specific weekend plans, but I'm sure I'll find something I want to do, and if I'm lucky it may even be something beneficial, like cleaning out a closet.  (Don't hold your breath on that one, though.)  Have a good weekend, and please please please if you leave your house, wear a mask!  And if Tropical Storm Fay is visiting you also, I hope you can stay dry.  💧🌧⛈☔

Catsup? Ketchup? Or ...

Catch up?  (For the record, I'm a "ketchup" person when it comes to the name of the condiment.  Because you needed to know that.)

Anyway, let's have a little bit of a Friday catch up.

Here's one of the reasons that I find my weekly work department Zoom meetings draining.  Yesterday, we were discussing projects to work on when we return to work.  Our archivist suggested that it might be interesting to work on an exhibit where we not just display the portraits we have of founders and other significant people in our institution's history, but look into their lives such as did they own slaves, did they find other people than whites to be lesser, etc.  Our boss agreed that was a good idea, and then one of the others in the dept (the one who went HR because I kept saying "Good morning" to her every day and she didn't want me to talk to her), said, "Well, as long as only myself, ___, and ___ work on it.  Anyone over 40 can't possibly understand the issues here, and can only be racist."  And of course the boss said nothing, because he is extremely fond of this person, and will do ANYTHING to avoid any level of conflict at all.  [screams into void]

The other morning, Hamlet really really really needed to go out for his early morning bathroom walk before our curfew expired.  So I was getting dressed, and Hamlet went over to The Tim for some attention.  The Tim said, "Be careful, Hammy, 'cause it's still curfew.  If they start shooting rubber bullets, be sure to stand behind your ma so you won't get hit."  Again, he is a regular laff riot.

We are both excited because we ordered a new portable grill for use in the garden.  A few years back, we had a small one that used propane gas, but neither of us were very comfortable with it.  Now that our garden is fixed up again (well, OK it's a mess now, but we can still use a good part of it), we wanted to find another one.  We ended up ordering this one, and it should arrive today or tomorrow.  It uses charcoal, but frankly not a lot, and we just could not afford one that used bio-pellets, which are better for the environment.  Anyway, we already have more plans of what we'll grill than what is likely to actually happen!

Today Philadelphia and the surrounding counties move into the Yellow phase of the Covid-19 recovery.  Not much is likely to change for us right away, but at least it comes with the ability to do some things a bit more freely, and hopefully some businesses can begin to start to open again.  I just hope that people will still be safe - too many seem to think that since thousands aren't dying every day, that the whole thing is over and there's no reason to be cautious anymore.

Today marks one year since we had to say goodbye to our baby Jack.

It was and still is one of the worst days ever, and very often, it still feels like it was just a few minutes ago.  We have decided that Jack is probably ready for us to expand the family, so will be on the lookout for a kitty who needs us.  I'm sure all of you will be among the first to know if anything changes.  😊  In the meantime, hug and kiss your family - furry and otherwise - and if you think to do it, give a thought or prayer for our Jack today, and/or drink a toast to him.  He truly was the sweetest and the best.  Love you baby boy, forever.  💕

I follow the Awkward Family Photos account on Facebook and today there was one of the best photos ever.  The caption said, "This is our daughter's preschool picture.  I think the photographer thought the addition of a flower would make it look innocent and sweet."  Um ...

The Tim and I both laughed until we cried!  This is one of the funniest preschool pictures ever.  And I'm glad that the person submitting it thought so too. 

That's it for now.  I hope all of you are doing well, and that you have the best weekend you can.  See you next week!

Planning When You Don't Really Need a Plan

If you have read my blog for a while, and/or have met me in real life, you know that I do love plans and lists.  The funny thing is, a lot of the time, I don't follow them or even accomplish things on them, but I guess I like knowing the structure is there.

Friends of mine with children have pretty elaborate lists and plans because they have to keep track of multiple people, and I know it often stresses them out.  I'm generally keeping track of only myself, and years ago decided that if things didn't happen, it was still OK.  So I realize I'm already ahead of a lot of people

Nonetheless, I have been trying hard to still make lists and plans for myself since they tend to make me feel more grounded.  I remember when we would move to a new place when The Tim would get a new job, I was unemployed, but would still have myself sorted out.  It did make it easier to adapt once I had a job that required following someone else's schedule.

Over the past couple of weeks, I have planned a series of projects to do during the week so that I wouldn't just sit and do nothing.  A lot of them involved putting things away, or cleaning out something - the kind of thing that is occupying, but also works with a somewhat distracted mind.  When I realized that The Tim was going to start being home all the time also after today, I had a talk with myself, so that I wouldn't let his I-never-plan-anything approach drive me as nuts as I know it can.  He's one of those people that will decide on the spur of the moment that he is going to paint a room, so all of a sudden everything has to be moved out right away, etc.  In my case, unless I found out that painting a room RIGHT NOW would somehow save my life or provide me with a million dollars, I would plan when I wanted to start painting, gradually move things out, etc.  So adjustments will need to happen.

Fortunately, since I know I'll have plenty more time off, I'm not trying to cram it all into a few days or one week.  I've been approaching the days in much the same way I approach the weekends.  I do Chore X for 1/2 to an hour (setting a timer), and then do something I want to do (knit, read, take a walk) for the same amount of time.   Rinse and repeat.  This way, I don't feel like a drudge. 

OK, I seldom feel like a drudge - it's more likely that I'll decide skip the chores ... ;-)

For instance - my 'big' project today?  Going through the approximately 6500 plastic/Tupperware containers we have and getting rid of those that are worn out, no longer have lids, etc.  This will in no way take the whole day, but if I get that done, I'll feel that I have accomplished something.  And before you tell me that glass containers are more environmentally reasonable, I will tell you that a) we use the ones we have for years and years, and b) The Tim is careless with these kinds of things, and there is a strong probability that we would be replacing glass containers regularly if we used those.  If it was all up to me, glass would win, but it's not and I can live with that.

Anyway, the reason I'm sharing this is in the hope that it may give you some ideas on a useful way to fill your time when your regular concentration skills are not available.  It works for me most of the time, so perhaps it will work for you, or give you some ideas.

*****

In other news, our craft group at work had our Zoom meeting last Friday, right before our virtual all-staff Zoom meeting.  It was lots of fun and we had some good laughs.  One guy in the group used a virtual background showing a group of men knitting, and it looked like he was sitting on someone's lap, which provided many comments and much hilarity.  We decided to try and meet once a week, since no one is tied to other stuff at work, so that will be enjoyable. 

In our all-staff meeting, we learned that we may very likely not be going back to work in our building until mid-June, and that "for now" no one is being laid off and that "for now" no salaries are being cut back.  Which is at least temporarily comforting, but given that two other museums in the city have gotten rid of 75 and 65 percent of their staffs respectively, no one felt reassured. 

I can't help but think of that Chinese saying, "May you live in interesting times."  Sigh.  Not the "interesting" most of us would dream about, I'm guessing.

Some "Aha!" Moments

Hi all - I thought I'd write a quick post before taking Hamlet out for a walk.  Happily, the sun is out today, so we will not have to slog through puddles and downpours.

Yesterday afternoon, I was finishing a project, and realized something that was an "Aha!" moment - so of course I had to go beyond that and consider other things, and had some interesting realizations about myself.

1.  I am a worrier and I panic easily - but apparently, not about big things.  Unlike most people I know, the idea that I could possibly get sick with COVID-19 has not been an obsession.  I realize I'm in a group that has a more likely chance, but I'm doing what I can to avoid it, so I'm neither worried nor panicked over that.  Rather, I'm worried/panicked - as usual - over what most people would consider small or insignificant things, or even better, things that have not, nor may ever happen (that last one is a lifelong superpower, btw).

2.  I realized that by not having to go to work and be around my co-workers all day every day that a) I have been sleeping really well at night, b) I have not been stress eating, and c) I have not had a feeling of dread following me around all of the time.  This must be what it's like to have a better work environment or be retired.  (Note: I did find a project to work on from home for at least a few hours a day, so now I don't have to use up all of my leave time and/or not get paid. YAY!)

3.  I have been getting a lot more done.  Not just on my previously mentioned project, but on other things around home as well.  See: no feeling of dread - I had not realized how that was exhausting me.

4.  Someone from our craft group at work e-mailed me to ask if we could do a craft-together this coming Friday, since one was originally scheduled for that day.  I realized that since we have a work account with Zoom, we could do it, and got it set up for Friday at lunchtime.  The funniest thing is that nearly every person has responded that they will "attend," and I'm guessing a lot of it is because no one will be commenting something like, "Oh I can't usually take a lunch break, I'm so busy."  One woman wrote back and thanked me because "I need this SO much - spending so much time with my husband will surely be the end of our marriage!"  That just cracked me up!  I realized that it will be fun to have those interactions with others at my workplace.

5.  I realized that it was easy to set up a system to automatically dump the junk mail that we receive without having to handle it several times.  The Tim gets really annoyed when I bring in the mail and automatically put the junk mail in the recycling - he wants to see whatever we got, even if it's not something he would ever care about or that applies to him.  So now I bring the mail in, and he has 24 hours to peruse things.  If he does, then anything not wanted goes straight to the recycling bin.  If he does not, I add it to the teetering pile of things next to the chair where he usually sits.  Then at some point, it will either fall over, or start to actually bug him, he'll sort through everything, and then HE has to deal with it.  Perfect?  No.  But much less annoying for me.

Some of these were not necessarily life-changing revelations, nor were they complete news to me, but still revelatory in their own way.

Have you had any "Aha!" moments recently?