Dark Winter Almost Done!

Due to Covid 19, I’ve changed the way I pay for this blog and for $5/month you can get an extra post each week. You can go to patreon.com for more details. When commissions and sponsorships dried up, I didn’t want to have advertisements all over the website so I have this subscription model instead. I’m sure you understand!

So, hey Patrons! How are you doing today? Remember when President Biden said we are going to have a dark winter and said it would be about 10-12 weeks long? Well, I have been counting and we are at about 15 weeks from that, so I’d say we’re getting pretty close to ending this dark winter! We’ve almost made it!

I have a friend who is getting her second vaccination next week and she’s a 29 year old teacher. Which means, here in Michigan, they have already vaccinated the health care workers, first responders, nursing homes and now are working on other essential workers and older residents. She talked about how efficiently it was done at Michigan State University and how she was in and out in about 45 minutes, including the time they ask patients to stay to watch for side effects. And you know they’ve got to be getting more efficient and expanding every day, right? I’m excited! Pretty soon we’re all going to be vaccinated! Or at least all of us who want to get vaccinated!

It is going to be so nice to get back to normal! For one, I’ll be able to hug this kid who was home for a visit!

Did I tell you I found a whole new park to visit? I think I showed pictures earlier but maybe didn’t mention it. Honestly, I was just driving around one afternoon, without using a map, just to get a change of scenery and I bumped into a nature preserve. It was seriously just at the end of a dirt road with no sign or anything.

So, I’ve now been there three times and it is such a nice change from the places we’ve been walking. It’s got some pretty pine forests and a lake and some ravines with beautiful views of a river running through. This has been one good thing about quarantine — finding parks in our area to explore and having the time to explore.

But, what I wouldn’t give to go out with a friend for a cocktail! Soon, soon, soon.

I’m plugging away at the van as you can imagine:

In fact, I’m kinda proud how it’s coming together. You can see the wall behind the seats separating the cab from the living part of the van. Last week I only had the driver’s side done, but now I have the passenger side done. The cedar planks don’t go all the way to the floor because on the driver’s side, there is going to be a bench seating and on the passenger side, there is going to be a place to put shoes under the seat.

After I finished that wall, I spent some time cleaning out the van because doing all the work in there means it gets chaotic quick, but then you get to see it cleaned up with only 2×4’s laying around as I try to figure out how I’ll be using them.

You can see the shower pan that I will be working on next. The plywood it sits on will be the lounge area floor with the balcony underneath. I even have a light switch, though not completely wired, in it’s place! It’s starting to come together!

What can this be?
Actually, I know what this is. This is where a deer was sleeping during a snow fall. There were about 4 or 5 of these on the top of this hill

Lots of vans don’t put a wall in between the cab and cargo area but I wanted a permanent wall because I think it would feel safer and be better insulated, but also I think having to look at the driving dashboard all the time and be constantly reminded that you are in a vehicle would wear me down over time and lead to burn-out quicker. I might be completely wrong, but I think keeping the driving part separate from the living part will make me feel like I can live in it longer. We’ll see!

I started working on the shower framing last weekend but that is such a humongous project that I actually had to spend a lot of time researching and looking and buying supplies before I even start on it. Once that is in progress, the van is going to become a big mess again. Also, it won’t be that exciting to show the progress. Well, maybe it will be. Ok, again, we’ll see!

Alright everyone, that’s it for me today. We have a fairly warm and sunny day today (high of 33) so I want to get some work done outside because the next week is going to be scary cold with nights going into the negative numbers. I’m using my left over insulation from the van for the chickens and need to set up the heat lamp for them today. And now that I have all these new building skills I’m pretty confident in how to do that. Go me!

Take care out there! We’re going to make it though!

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Some Clothing Recommendations!

Hey everyone! I’m actually talking about clothes today! Can you imagine? It’s been so long since I’ve talked anything remotely fashion-related, which is why all of you came here in the first place. I’m getting back to my roots!

So, first off, of course I haven’t seen any of these items in person, just online and according to a reader last week, Barb, it shouldn’t be called online shopping but online procuring! I love that!

Secondly, if you haven’t already read my post about how to shop online successfully, you can read it here to get some help. Thirdly, because I’m feeling rusty about fashion and style and trends, I’ve decided to stick to my favorite retailer, J.Jill for this post. I have the best luck with their designs and quality and if I needed to trust an online retailer for good fabric, they are my go-to store.

So, let’s see what they’ve got right now.

Ok, this shirt is super-cute. I like all their tunics, but I try to stay away from the solid colored ones because you can see seams from my bra through most of them. This is a great pattern because it disguises lumps and bumps and the length of it is nice because it covers the behind. 3/4 sleeves are flattering and this boat neck is a nice change up.

It’s made of rayon, so it’s going to be lighter weight but holds it’s shape well with a bit of spandex for stretch.

I always love this style of dress when I see it. I love the pockets and the length and how easy it is to wear. Remember, if you’re an apple shaped gal, dresses are our friends (no pesky waistband!). If you wore a big scarf with this dress you could get some coverage or it looks like it would work well under a sweater or jacket.

And the little design bit at the hem? Cute cute cute!

Ok, this is easy. Leggings. Comfy as can be, but you need ones that don’t roll down at the waist right? And preferably ones that are really soft fabric. These fit the bill:

I’ve had several pairs of J.Jill leggings and they are durable and hold their color and shape when you’re wearing them. You don’t want the leggings that bulge at the knee when you straighten your leg, but you also don’t want skin-tight leggings either. These are worth the price in my opinion.

Alright, I know buying pants is super hard, especially online. In the past, I’ve had good luck with J. Jill’s regular waist jeans that have a zipper and button. There was a surprising amount of stretch in the waistband. Now, that is impossible to tell from a computer screen, but if that’s the case, these look like a really good option.

They are a straight style so you don’t get the baggy butt or baggy hips, if you’re built like me, which is a slimmer hip than waist. Plus, these look really soft and stretchy and a good mix of fabrics to get that feel.

If you are so lucky to be living in a climate where it’s starting to feel like spring then this sweater will be nice for you!

It’s textured so it will camouflage lumps and bumps and it’s an open knit so it won’t be too hot. It’s got some nylon in it, which means it will have some stretch too. Very pretty.

Looks like J.Jill is running a 30% off sale right now too, so that helps too.

Well, that was fun! I hope to bring you some more fashion-focused posts as the world gets back to normal, even if they’re just scouring a retailer’s website for the time-being. Don’t forget if you’re looking for advice, pop up to the “Lessons Learned” page for all my posts that help you learn how to dress your own self stylishly!

Take care everyone!

Thank you for clicking on the affiliate links in this post. I do receive a small commission every time you purchase from one of the links. Those commissions help me off-set the cost of running this blog.

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One Boot In Front Of The Other!

This is a bonus weekly post for patrons who pay $5/month. I decided to use this system to help me pay for this blog instead of allowing advertisements on my site. I don’t like those and I don’t want my readers to have to close out an ad or be constantly assaulted by advertising while on my site. Thank you Patrons!

So, hey Patrons! How are you doing today? I gotta say, my optimism is not fading, in fact, I’m feeling pretty good about the future. Did you see Biden’s climate plan? It’s actually really aggressive. No more tip-toeing around hoping for Republicans to sign off on a bill if we just water it down a little bit more. Time to clean up and move out! We voters gave them their marching orders and now they need to hop to it!

I keep remembering how I felt last fall and how I would tell myself “you just gotta make it to Biden’s inauguration” and now we’re a week past it and it’s really real! One huge worry lifted off my shoulders!

While I wait for my vaccine, I am trudging through all my doubts and hesitations on building out this van. Really, that’s how I’m managing this: just keep putting one boot in front of the other, even though I have no idea where I’m going or how I’m going to solve something. And it is boots that I’m wearing because working in the van, even with a space heater and the van’s heater, it is still pretty chilly.

Up until lately, I would spend a lot of time thinking and researching and looking at the inside of my van. Or if I finished one thing, I’d let myself be done for the day and celebrate or take a day off to relax. But, now that I’ve been working on this for 6 months I’m stubbornly pushing myself to keep working and move onto the next project. I have to cajole myself to stop thinking and start doing. I remind myself: “good is the enemy of done”!

I finally have some actually observable progress on my van build!:

A wall! An actual wall behind the driver’s seat! Which is good, because it feels like I’m at the point in this project where it seems like I will never be done. I intentionally did this project next because I knew I would be needing to see some progress after doing the invisible work of running the electric wires.

This is how it started. I measured and screwed in two 2×4 pieces of wood into the floor and into wood above the cab. These are pretty heavy duty, but I felt like this area, and the walls around the bathroom should be heavy duty. Most people online use 2×2 pieces, which are lighter, but they seem flimsy and since this is going to be a doorway in between the cab and the living quarters, I felt like it needed to be able to take a lot of jostling since I expect to be going through it many times a day. Plus, it’s a slim doorway that I have to turn sideways to go through, so I expect it will be getting bumped into a lot. I’ll be building a sliding door that will be bumping into it too, so it needs to be able to take that without falling apart easily.

I squeezed some insulation between the two boards because the windshield and windows in the cab let in lots of cold and heat and lose a lot of cold and heat. I’m trying to be energy efficient so I don’t use up all my stored energy that I collect with my solar panels.

Then I covered the wall with the cedar planks I shou sugi ban burnt last summer. Remember that? Now they have a really beautiful, dark patina which this picture doesn’t show very well. Let me run outside and take a better picture.

Ok, this one is a little bit better.

I started on the wall behind the passenger side yesterday:

I hope to finish it up today or tomorrow because on this wall I have a light switch so I have to run the wires to and from the switch and cut a hole for it in the planks. Now, as I write that, it seems easy, but as I think about it, it seems intimidating. This would be the time I would push myself to just get out there and do it.

My idea in having the sturdy 2×4’s here is because I want to put a handle on the board closest to the sliding door so I can grab it when I’m climbing into the van. It’s actually a pretty big step up for my 5’2″ self, especially when my left knee refuses to take a turn in lifting myself up and in, so I thought I’d help my right knee out with right arm muscles.

Alright, well, time to get back out there. Think of me making a mess in a cold van this weekend! I’ll talk to you next week!

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January Can Finish Up Now!

Hey everyone! How are you doing? That was quite an inauguration last week wasn’t it? That poet! Did you stay and watch the performances in the evening with Tom Hanks and all the performers and then the finale with the fireworks? It was so uplifting and the fireworks were amazing. I tripped up to bed after that and slept well and have been sleeping well since! Sleepy Joe? Yes! It means we all can sleep better with Joe as president!

A gorgeous sunset this weekend

And how different is it for you every morning when you check in with the news? I noticed this weekend how quiet it was Sunday morning. For the last 4 years it felt like we all kept waking up to a “hair on fire” incident. I actually can listen to news about other countries because I’m not all wrung out from our news. Ahhhhh. Exhale.

And just so you don’t get an unrealistic, romanticized idea of Michigan in the winter… See this sky? That’s what the sky looks like about 6 days a week. This was taken at 9:00 am

Alright and how is everyone doing with pandemic fatigue? Anyone getting vaccinated? I try about 3 times a day to sign my 84 year old mother up in Florida but they just say they are not taking any new appointments. I really feel for anyone who isn’t tech-savvy trying to sign up because it’s not easy, especially for seniors. Every day has got to be better right? More vaccine produced and delivered and the logistics figured out more and more each day right? That’s what I’m counting on.

And pandemic fatigue is real. How bored are you of taking walks? Cooking your own meals? Watching Netflix? Yes, I totally understand I have the luxury of being bored where many do not. I can’t even imagine how hard it must be for people with little kids who are trying to work too. Or people who are in jobs that expose them to Covid. I’m sure they wish they were bored. Ok, I’ll stop complaining. I put myself in my place.

Penny’s favorite winter game: see what Kip is investigating ……
…. and then pounce! Kip hates when she does that and snaps at her, but he keeps setting her up for it. Dog psychology

Ok, good things. January is almost over. It’s my second dis-liked month (or maybe I should say my 11th favorite month) and it will be over in less than a week. Then, I have my 12th favorite month of February but at least in that month the daylight is longer. And it’s a short month so that’s another good thing.

Can I say how much I’m enjoying seeing these older women become part of President Biden’s cabinet and staff? For one, they show that women who are older have valuable experience, just as their older male counterparts have and can still add value. And two, it’s so important to show how much vitality older women have.

Remember when the stereotype for older women was after your kids were grown we were just supposed to sit around and wait for our kids to call or for our grandkids to visit and bake cookies? Ugh. That was inaccurate 50 years ago and even more so now and I love seeing it on my screen!

The snow was coming down pretty hard this morning on our walk. This was only at the halfway point

I’m just going to keep looking for little bits of good news and taking January one day at a time. If you’ve been with this blog for awhile, you know I complain a lot in the winter. Next January I’m going to make a change (I probably say that every winter!) so that I don’t dislike it as much. I’m not sure what, but we’ll be out of the pandemic by then so there will be lots of options.

I think I need to start a new book so if anyone has some good recommendations send them my way. I love it when I’m in the middle of a good book and I look forward to reading it.

Maybe now is a good time to do some retail therapy. I could use some new clothes, especially the items I’ve worn out this year, and I need some fun things like throw pillows and new coffee cups. Of course, I do all of this shopping online, which I’m totally fine with right now, though some things I miss picking up and touching before committing to them. I’ve been so good this last year, that I do have some room in the budget for some retail therapy. That sounds fun!

Ok, ladies, I’ll let you go. I hope you’re feeling more optimistic and can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I know I can and really, we made it to the end of one tunnel. Now to just get this pandemic gone. Think of how fun it’s going to be then!

Alright, take care and I’ll talk to you next week unless you want to join as a Patron for $5/month and then I’ll talk to you on Thursday (more info about that here). If not, I’ll see you in February!

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Oh Happy Day!

Good morning everyone! Rise and shine! It is a beautiful day! This is a bonus post for subscribers at the $5/month level who are helping me pay the bills to keep this blog up and running instead of having advertisements blinking all over it! Thank you Patrons!

It is sunny today and the sky is a beautiful blue (we haven’t had much sun in the last month) and I feel refreshed! Did you watch the inauguration yesterday? That poet! Oh my god, was she good. And now we have a president who actually reads and recites poetry? Is this a dream?

That special they had on TV last night with Tom Hanks instead of having inaugural balls was so, so good. The music and having the performers at the Lincoln Memorial and all the feel-good stories about every day Americans made me feel so optimistic about our future. And the fireworks! Were they not insane? I feared for the Washington Monument that it might come down! What an event to cap off the day. I hope that continues in other inaugurations.

Our walk this morning. Look at that sky! Look at the sun!

I already feel better about our democracy. We have competent adults in charge now. I read the first bill in Congress is going to be voting rights. That seems like a great start to hanging onto democracy and making sure another fascist, dictator-wanna-be doesn’t get even a chance to become an elected official.

So, now we need to get Covid under control and eradicated and then life is perfect! Ha ha. No. But, it will sure feel good. Come on Joe!

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Van van van. So I know some of you are worried that I am doing my own electrical. Let me tell you I am doing baby steps with it and I have an experienced person who is planning on checking my work before anything is plugged in or connected.

Let me explain what I am doing. I have found the safest wire and all I’m doing is laying it out in the van, from the back corner where all my power will be located, to where the electronic thingy will be located. I then label both ends of the wire with what electronic thingy this wire is for. Like the one above is for the fan in the ceiling.

The complicated bit about this is remembering that anything that has a switch (like lights) means that you run the wire from the power to the switch and then from the switch to the items (like each individual light). I kept thinking I was running the wire to the item and completely leaving out the switch. I’ve figured it out though, but it made me have to plan where the switches were going on the fly since my original drawing just had where the electronic item was going. Did I just make that completely confusing?

After I get done running these wires (which were a big mental hurdle) I can start building again. These wires will not be hooked up to anything just yet because I don’t have my batteries and I don’t have a lot of the electronic things that they will be hooked up to. Really, right now, they’re just holding their place so I can build around them.

I did put in my sub-floor in the lounge area over the balcony!

The floor actually went in without a hitch! I always plan that there will be two attempts at everything and if something works the first time then I am ecstatic! It is solid and will have a heated floor element over it and then some kind of final flooring. I’m not sure what exactly, but probably some kind of vinyl because it will see a lot of wear and tear.

Oh my gosh, just looking at that picture all I can see is how much more work I have! Well, one thing I know about myself is I like having projects, so this is a big one that is keeping me busy!

I even ventured to have a timeline with this build just this week. Before I started the electricity, I didn’t want to attach time to each project because I had no idea how long anything would take. Since I’ve tackled the electricity, which to me, is the most intimidating part of the build, I’ve got some idea of how long things will take. So, I’m spending January on electricity then I spend February on plumbing, the second most-intimidating project.

Penny is looking forward!

After those two are done, it’s really just building. I’m sure there is more to it than I even know, but I’m starting to shoot for finishing this van in May, right about the time I’m getting my second vaccination. That’s my plan. You hear that Joe?

Alright everyone that’s it for me today. I hope you did some celebrating yesterday and I hope you’re feeling as refreshed as I am. The future looks bright! Talk to you next week!

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Put The Champagne On Ice!

Hey everyone! How are you this week? I am feeling pretty darn good! We made it!

I know. I know. It’s not officially noon on the 20th so anything can happen, but I’m thinking and feeling pretty positive that we will have a new president in about 24 hours. I am taking tomorrow off from all work and projects and I’m going to watch the inauguration all day long. And I’ve got my champagne chilling right now! And I have my Lay’s potato chips ready which are the perfect accompaniment to champagne! I’m not kidding!

I’d say I started watching and becoming interested in the inauguration ceremonies when Obama came into office because it was so historic, but also because he and Michelle are around my age and had those cute little girls and seemed like a typical, modern, American family. I felt like I could really could relate to them.

I was obsessed with Michelle Obama and loved watching her fashion choices. I was actually interested in learning more about Melania and seeing her style, but after her pretty blue coat during the inauguration, she seemed like she didn’t want to be there and definitely wasn’t interested in being first lady, so I lost interest in her. Plus, I feel she set modern women back several generations by seeming to be just a trophy wife with no life or interests outside of her husband and son and was there to be seen but not heard.

But now I have a new first lady to learn about and watch her fashion choices. Did you know she still plans on teaching community college while being first lady? That will be a first. A working spouse. Like most modern American families. I can’t wait to see how she represents women, especially older women, since she is 69 years old and doesn’t seem like the type to “act her age”! The fact that she is even still working is pushing against the stereotype that older people don’t have value. I think she may turn out to be a little firecracker!

I also can’t wait that we are going to have a new president attached to that first lady! A president who actually cares about Americans dying from covid. We will have a president who will actually go to work instead of golfing (in hindsight, that was probably a good thing). Our next president thinks democracy is worth keeping and protecting. What a change from the last four years! And really what a baby Trump is being not even going to the inauguration or welcoming Joe and Jill Biden into the White House. No class at all.

This picture makes me dizzy!

I think tomorrow is going to be a mixture of emotions. For sure — relief. But also, sadness at how much has been lost and how traumatized we all have been. Like we’re getting out of an abusive relationship. Even the people who are still following Trump’s lies, I believe, have been traumatized by this presidency.

If anyone is new around here, if you can believe it, this blog used to be about fashion! Ha! you wouldn’t know it by reading it now!

After covid hit, I stopped shopping since I had nowhere to go, and I felt there were just more important things to talk about, like documenting living through a pandemic and living through social unrest and the many attempts to take down our democracy. I just couldn’t be quiet about such important topics.

This blog will continue to document life and living and I’ll throw some outfits in the mix. I’m just hating my hair right now but don’t want to go to my hairdresser until I’ve been vaccinated, so I’m not in a big hurry to show myself. Plus, a lot of my clothes, I fear, will be too tight. Quarantine has not been the best of times for being healthy I’m afraid.

Yes, I’m still walking every day (that’s where I get most of my pictures), some days longer than others, so at least I’ve kept that habit up. I’m planning to pick up the speed in the spring and throw in some honest to goodness jogging during those walks. Gotta get rid of that quarantine weight!

Well, enjoy tomorrow everyone. I will be watching with you and remember that there are brighter days ahead for all of us, even for the ones who are unable to see through the lies, even if they don’t realize it now. The pendulum is swinging back!

I can say officially: 2021, a new optimistic year, starts tomorrow at noon. We all deserve to celebrate!

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Winter Flowers!

Due to Covid 19, I stopped shopping and you stopped shopping so the commissions I was receiving to pay for this blog stopped. I could have added more ads to this website but I don’t like how they look and I find them annoying on other sites. Instead, I instituted a subscription model where for $5/month you get an extra post each week.

So hey Patrons! How are you doing today? I can’t even wrap my head around the history that is happening all around us. Impeachment? No big deal. Happens all the time. Military personnel sleeping on the Capitol floor. No biggie. Elected officials needing to wear body armor. Yep, that’s how we roll here.

Gosh, all this is nuts and when we finally unravel it, we will be amazed at what we went through and will want to reach back into time and give ourselves a big hug. So let’s do that now. Reach your arms around yourself and give yourself a big hug and say “we’re gonna be ok”. Did you do that? I did (I really did!) and it feels pretty darn good.

So, like I’ve been doing for the last 10 months or for however long this pandemic has been raging, I’ve been looking for little bits of beauty and joy that can distract me from bad news. You know I love my morning walks so this morning there was a bit of fog which made the light pretty so I was able to get some little bits of beauty for you:

One thing that has happened during this pandemic/home time, is I’ve been able to appreciate all the small bits of nature around me. I’m sure it’s nice to see mountains and redwoods and canyons, but, for now, I’ll be content with some winter flowers.

Our snow is melting, which is kinda good because it’s been several weeks since we had a snow and it’s lost it’s prettiness. On the road, it’s dirty and gray. On the lawn, it’s all full of tracks and worn in patches. It’s time for a fresh blanket of snow I think.

I call this one Miss Frizzle

When we get new snow, I can find the places where the deer lay down really easily and just recently have been finding them pretty close to the house. They like to lay near the garden just on the easst side of our house, only about 25 feet away, on the lawn. They must feel safe there. I’ll try to remember to get some pictures of that next time.

I haven’t completed anything in my van this week. I’ve been trying to learn as much as possible about doing the electricity so I feel comfortable starting it, and when I finally started on Tuesday, I pulled out my 100 feet of electrical wire and ran one wire and ran out! It wasn’t 100 feet, but about 25 feet, so somehow I got a package from Amazon of used wire that no one realized wasn’t as heavy or was packaged correctly to be 100 feet. I had no idea what 100 feet looked like or felt like until I started stringing it up and realized there was no way this was 100 feet. Plus, there was some kind of lubricant, like vaseline, on the wires, that I was definitely not expecting. Gross! Even after I washed my hands several times it kept grossing me out for the rest of the day.

But, when I have the heat going in my van and Penny lets me sit in the human chair (she prefers it to her bed), my van is pretty darn cozy!

Hopefully next week I’ll have some progress to report. I think I know how to pre-wire my van so you will see lots of wires draped around and I did receive my shower pan so I could theoretically start building out my bathroom and I’m getting my solar panels today. Yes, it does spike my anxiety when I think of these next steps, so I just remind myself one step at a time. Baby step by baby step.

I also remind myself that I felt the same way before I put in the windows or the fan or the roof hatch. Actually, thinking about how I cut into the roof that first time for the fan, really was a big step and I want to go back to my past self and say “you got this”. Installing a fan really is a rite of passage for the DIY van builders, and they say so on all the forums, because it’s something you have to do in the beginning and it is pretty intense. And I did it. I already passed the test. I can do the rest. Yes, I’m giving myself a pep-talk!

Ok, Patrons, that’s it for me today. I unfortunately have to go to the store, where not everyone wears a mask and quite a few do that as a statement, but it’s less busy during the week than on the weekends, so I want to get it done today. I’m going to be so glad when we don’t have to worry about that! That, and not waking up every morning thinking “what has he done now”.

Have a lovely weekend. Find a little beauty around you. Take some deep breaths and do some stretches. We are going to be ok.

Talk to you next week!

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Ok, I’ve Changed My Mind. It’s Still 2020!

Hey everyone! How are you doing? Hanging in there? Me? Well, my optimism about 2021 from last week’s post has dissipated. Instead of living in optimistic 2021, I’ve decided to still consider this to be 2020, December 43, 2020 to be exact. I don’t think we can really say we’ve moved past that horrible year into a fresh, optimistic new year yet. We’re continuing to live in historic times, so I think the calendar should reflect that!

So, I don’t want to dwell on all this bad news because you are seeing enough on your own I’m sure, but I need to acknowledge it and process it. I was shaking while I was watching it last Wednesday and broke out into a cold sweat. It reminded me of watching 9/11. Of course, watching it on TV it seemed like just an out-of-control protest, but since then, with all the pictures and accounts from people inside, we’re realizing how much scarier it was and that it was more like a lynch mob than a protest.

Some of you know that I used to work in the Capitol and our office was in the Cannon Building. I never could have imagined it would have been left so unprotected, because once you’re in, you can go pretty much anywhere and all we had were wooden doors with a lock. Also, I’d say about 1/2 of all the staffers were 25 or younger when I was there. It really is a noticeably young workforce so I’m betting it was pretty traumatizing to them. I guess it would have been traumatizing to any ages actually.

Well, what happens now? I think we all hold our breath until noon on the 20th (also known as December 51st). Supposedly there are plans to protest/attack/storm all the state capitols and the U.S. Capitol this weekend and the days leading up to the inauguration. I hope law enforcement is better prepared for those, but in some instances, law enforcement was complicit, but I really hope that was just a few bad apples. What a mess this is that needs to be cleaned up!

I’m going to just keep taking this day by day. I really, really hope the protests don’t materialize or if they do, they aren’t violent. I really, really hope Biden is able to be sworn in safely. And I really, really hope we get to the bottom of all the treachery and excise it. This democratic experiment is hanging by a thread!

I don’t mind reading news, it’s reading about people’s outrage that gets me keyed up. The news seems to be more measured and toned down, (especially NPR) which I think has been part of the problem of why we were taken by surprise about the mob (and all the law-breaking that has been happening the last 4 years), but it is a gentler way to stay informed. Reading people’s anger about events (especially on Twitter) is not the best for my mental health right now.

And gosh darn it, I was feeling really optimistic last Tuesday!

I need to just throw myself into a big project that will keep my mind busy until next Wednesday. I’ve been putting off doing the wiring for my van because I have no idea what I’m doing, but that sounds like a really good, all-encompassing project to tackle right now. Plus, I’ve put it off as long as possible and I need to do it before I can move on. I already have all the supplies, so I really just need to put on my big girl pants and do it!

Alright ladies! I wish I could give you more help right now but I’m outta ideas. We can’t go around it. Can’t go over it. Can’t go under it. Just gotta go through it. Put on your big girl pants and let’s get through the next 8 days. I’m there with you and I know we can do it!

Take care!

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Well That Was Some Day!

Due to Covid 19, I’ve had to change up the way I pay for this blog. I could have accepted advertising which would pop up in your face every time you moved around the website, but I find that annoying and didn’t want my readers to have to put up with it. Instead I have a subscription model where for $5 a month you get a bonus post each week. Go to patreon.com for more info.

So, hey everyone. Wow. That was some day yesterday wasn’t it? How are you doing today? I’m feeling better today than yesterday for sure. I was glued to twitter and the news channels watching it unfold. It felt like 9/11 all over again, but mercifully fewer deaths. But gosh, that was hard to see. I’m sure we’re all still processing it.

Last night I dreamed I was still working in the capitol. I worked in the Cannon building on the third floor (JFK’s old office) and haven’t dreamed of it in decades. Most people don’t realize that about half of all the congressional staff are 25 or younger. This event has probably traumatized many of them and their stories will be coming out in the next few days. Or at least I hope. I’m afraid this might get swept under the rug as no big deal.

Also, I’m afraid, if Trump isn’t removed, this will happen again before Biden is sworn in and maybe during his inauguration or even after. The rioters were allowed to walk out free and without consequence, so I expect they feel emboldened. I’m afraid the next attempt will be bigger and more organized. I really hope the Capitol Police figure out what went wrong real quick.

So enough of that. I need a break from thinking about it so let me give you an update you on my van build!

It’s been a couple of weeks since I last showed how I’m coming along and I’ve made some noticeable progress!

I finished the wall and installed the window frame in the lounge area:

My pretty new sliding door:

With the window installed and working and everything!

Let me tell you this door was the hardest build I’ve done so far besides cutting holes in the van. It was one thing after another after another and when I finally got the frame on, the door couldn’t open because the window frame was sticking out too much! Oh my gosh, I almost cried.

So many things came up during this paneling of the door and installing the window frame that I just did not see coming until it happened and I would have to re-do something or re-think a new solution. I had to take some days off from working on the van during this time because it was so frustrating and I just took two days off to celebrate after I finished it on Monday. But, it’s done. I’m mostly proud of it. It actually looks surprisingly good and now it’s time to move onto the next thing!

I’m going to be putting a wall and sliding door that blocks the cab from the back of the van. That is next on the list after I run my electrical wires which I’ll probably start tomorrow since I’m still waiting on items to be shipped to me.

I’ve been researching how to do the electrical and I think I have a pretty good handle on it, at least the first stage. I’m sure there will be a lot of unknowns that pop up during this phase, but I feel pretty ok about starting it.

Plus, I’m excited (excited? maybe that’s not the word. looking forward? maybe) to get working on that wall behind the seats. I think I have a good idea how to build it so it’s lightweight, yet sturdy that I haven’t seen anyone else do yet plus it will look like some actual progress when it’s done I think.

After that, I will work on my plumbing which is a big question mark to me at this time. Thank goodness I like to do research!

Ok, that’s it for me today. Here is a kitty in a box for you:

Dear Patrons, take care of yourself. Find some joy where you can. Keep yourself safe from Covid. Pet a kitty. Things are going to get better! I promise!

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Hello Optimistic 2021!

Hey everyone! Happy New Year! How is everyone doing? Did you have a nice holiday? Did you get some good gifts? How about New Years Eve? I have to say I went to bed at 8:45 on New Years Eve! I was tired! Plus, we had nothing planned so my soft, warm bed seemed like a good place to be when this historic year came to an end.

If you’re a long time reader, you know I don’t do new year’s resolutions. January, in Michigan, is not the time when you want to force yourself to do something you don’t really want to do. There are already too many things that you’re forced to do that I don’t want to add any more!

However, I am taking this opportunity to look at the year ahead and to feel more optimistic about how this year will go (fingers crossed!) and to plan optimistically.

I don’t know about you, but this “pause” that I wrote about here, really did pause my life, for a lot longer than anticipated. I’m thinking, pure conjecture mind you, that things will be back to normal by Memorial Day, so late May. Yes. That’s my prediction. By summer, we will be back to normal.

I am also going to predict that we start seeing lots of good news and less and less bad news. We will be hearing how quickly people are getting vaccinated, including ourselves and our loved ones. People will be able to go back to work safely. The children at the border separated from their parents will be re-united. Corruption will be rooted out, criminals will face consequences and democracy will have it’s cracks repaired.

My walks will continue through the winter and spring and I will be adding jogging to the mix. My stretching and strength exercises will add more flexibility and strength. I will continue to enjoy my morning walks as a quiet, reflective start to the day.

Literature will continue to be added to the mix. I am listening to a great book, Hamnet, on Audible right now. It’s written really well and it reminds me how much I’ve missed culture lately. By culture, I mean art, music, literature, things like that. Those were pushed to the side this last year or last several years and I feel like I have room for them again and can bring them back into my life to add to this human being’s development.

So, maybe that should be my goal for 2021: adding to this human being’s development. Into what? I don’t know. Maybe a better human being? Healthier human being? Wiser human being? All of that? I can definitely use further development! Maybe that is my optimistic 2021 goal: to further develop this human — wherever that may lead! I can get behind that.

How about you? Are you feeling more optimistic? Are you able to add some positive things into your life right now? Or are you still hunkered down trying to survive this time? If you are, which I totally understand, I hope you start to see some rays of sunshine and start to hear some good news.

I hope I can continue to deliver rays of optimism and good news for you all as I develop this human being. Onward 2021!

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