Friday, February 6, 2026

Long Time, No Blog

 I am determined to check in before another day goes by. There's been a lot of something and a lot of nothing going on here.

Bluebirds are making a daily appearance at our feeder now. (Two males)

First was the big snow and ice storm. We spent time preparing beforehand, and luckily didn't have to deal with the worst-case scenarios we had prepared for. However, the snow and ice, coupled with frigid temperatures, made going out treacherous. The main roads are clear now, but still have narrowing from snow pileups on the sides. Our walks are not clear. It takes a heavy digging bar to break through the ice on top, so they may stay covered for a while.

A female bluebird on the flower box.

In the meantime, my father-in-law had to go to the hospital. The neighbors did heroic feats to clear enough snow and ice to get into the house and clear a path for the emergency responders. A firetruck actually came before the ambulance to clear snow so it could get down the unplowed street. The good news is that after a week in the hospital, he is home and improving. Now, there is a whirlwind of activity getting services in place, going to doctor appointments, etc. A million details are being worked out, but the process is not conducive to a calm mind and restful sleep.

I find that when there is downtime, I want to do nothing. And what that looks like is a little reading, knitting, and video watching. Forward progress on other things will just have to wait for a little while until things settle down. 


Until next time...


22 comments:

  1. Sorry to know about your father-in-law. But glad that he is home and on the mend. I did here in the news about the snow and ice storm and the widespread power failure across many states. There is nothing much we can do when nature unleashes her fury other than just be patient and pray that it passes without causing much destruction.

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    1. Thanks, Pradeep. Nature is very powerful, and we have to learn to live with it because we can't change it.

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  2. Love the bluebird pictures!
    We have had the ice and snow here too. As soon as we got our driveway cleared, there was another snow, but at least it wasn't ice again. Below zero wind chills, but it should be warmer next week.
    So sorry about your fil, but I'm glad that he is home. I hope things settle down for you all. Sounds like a stressful start to the year.

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    1. Oh, I hope we're warmer next week, too. I haven't looked ahead much. I just know that today is supposed to be colder than yesterday, but at least the wind will be a little less.

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  3. Reading, knitting, and video watching sounds like a perfect balance to the stress you have been dealing with. It's important to take care of yourself. I hope your FIL continues to improve, and that you are on the back side of the stormy weather.

    We have been getting bluebirds at our feeder for the past few winters. My husband (the bird guy) says that's a change from their long-term behavior. I enjoy seeing them. We're also getting juncos now. Such cute little things.

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    1. The last couple of years, we've been seeing bluebirds earlier in the spring, but this is the first time I've seen them in the cold winter. My sister has seen them at her house, too. They are a welcome sight.

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  4. I am glad your father in law is on the mend. Also glad you were prepared for the storm and didn't have any major issues. Today, we are in a deep freeze, ugh!

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    1. The cold is getting old. I understand why people move south in the winter. :)

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  5. Sorry to hear that your father-in-law had to be taken to the hospital, but, glad he's home and recovering. Hope he continues to recover well. Glad you were prepared for the storm and it wasn't quite as bad as it could have been. Reading and knitting, etc., are excellent "downtime" activities, aren't they? Loved the photos of the birds.

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    1. I am knitting a purse now, but I think I will run out of yarn before it gets to the size it should be. I'm using yarn from years ago, so it would be hard to get more. Oh, well. We shall see what it looks like in the end.

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  6. Your bird photos are beautiful, perfect in fact. I figured you might be having snow/ice issues. Hope your fil gets his health back quickly. That was nice neighbors and even the fire department help clear the way for the ambulance.

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    1. The neighbors are wonderful. And while, my FIL has children in the area, they are not close enough to get to his house quickly, so it's nice to know that he has attentive neighbors. We are about 1 1/2 hours away, but sometimes the traffic causes that time to double.

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  7. I am so sorry to hear about your father-in-law. What a time fir him to be ill, but it sounds like an amazing community effort to help him. That was wonderful.
    Yes, you got more of the storm than we did, and more ice. It's a thick underlayment here too, but it will have to melt off by itself.
    Perfectly understandable that your brain and soul need some downtime. That's probably the best thing you can do right now. Take care of you, June, and your good man.

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    1. I'm trying to take care of Ward. He's a good son.

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  8. I'm so sorry to hear about your FIL. I pray he is doing ok now, and so thankful for all who helped get him to the hospital. This winter storm has been so awful! We just finally have everything all clear here. It was a mess! Enjoy your downtime. I think it's very therapeutic!

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    1. I have a very active brain in the calmest of times, so I need to work on slowing it down. The things I talked about help with that. :)

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  9. I love the blue bird pictures!
    We're supposed to warm up quite a bit tomorrow. Almost 70!!! Hopefully, you will too.
    I hope you're able to get everything in place for your F-I-L soon.

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    1. Enjoy your warm temperatures. We were in the mid 40s yesterday and it felt so warm.

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  10. I like your idea of nothing. I hope that there is tea involved.
    Amalia
    xo

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    1. You know, I've been meaning to drink more tea. I think now would be a good time to make that happen.

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  11. I'm sorry to hear about your father-in-law but glad he's improving. My husband is always reminding me that doing nothing is a great way for the mind to process and declutter. And doing nothing can look quite different person to person. I hope you get to a calm place and your father-in-law gets settled in his new routine.

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    1. My FIL continues to improve and much of the supports are in place now. There's still a lot to do for him, but it is more measured now.

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