Wednesday, January 03, 2018

Making Up for Silence

Even J. got caught up on the blog and commented 'you're writing again!'.

Enjoying my morning coffee out of my Royal Botanical Gardens coffee cup and feeling very refined and regal-like this morning.  In my dachshund pajamas -

Chloe didn't eat vigorously this morning and I always worry about her when her food lingers in the bowl.  Usually, she's begging the minute we come downstairs and inhales it so quickly we sometimes aren't sure we've fed her.  But she finally came out of her burrow bed, did her downward and upward facing dog yoga stretches and with a waggly tail, went into the family room and ate.

As long as she's moving with a waggly, happy tail, I know she's OK.  She's just having a slow morning and I understand completely.  Some mornings, you just want to linger.

J. and I sketched out our finances and are making the withdrawals needed to fund what needs funding.  We're pleased as punch that we more than made up (in gain) what we took out in 2017 and hope to do the same this year.  I will feel much better that have things paid for in full and have the funds we'll need for taxes, etc. .  We're going to try it with two car payments for the next few months and see how it goes but agree that if we need to, we will arrange to pay off J.'s car.  I'm pretty sure we'll be OK but appreciate not having to stress about it if two payments are needed.  Luckily, one is in the first part of the month and the 2nd is in the middle of the month - so cash flow wise, that helps.

I LOVE MY NEW CAR!  Super excited and can't wait for a road trip to Reno - hopefully in early February!

We moved the October, 2018, Panama Canal cruise to March, 2019 - which feels like a long way off but will be here in the blink of an eye.  Doing that not only helps out with the budget but also frees up some vacation time for me and that feels like a weight lifted.  If I feel like a day off, I can totally take one and that will see me through Spring.  And the annual torture known as building a budget for the next fiscal year.

I have communicated with all my siblings in the last couple weeks and feel good about that - maybe 2018 is a year of new beginnings for all of us.  Here's hoping.  I'm pretty realistic about contact but I'm getting older and I feel compelled to try.  So we'll see how that goes.

I also got a surprise call from my Aunt a week or so ago - it was great to talk to her and catch up.  We need to figure out how to see each other - me going there or her coming here.  She lives in Massachusetts - and near enough to Boston for me to drive there.  We have a friend who is a pastor at a church in Boston and I'd love to get there as well to hear her preach one day. 

Cold and cloudy today - maybe rain!  We need it - very dry winter so far and we need the water to get us through.  Here's hoping it pours in January and February.  Except the weekend I want to get to Reno in February. 

Time to get clothes on and get busy.  Hoping the neighbors recycling bin isn't too full so we can add some stuff.  J.'s new TV resulted in a HUGE box to cut down and recycle.  And we still have a lot of stuff set aside that didn't fit in our bin like Christmas wrapping remnants and old plastic bins that are past their prime.

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