Merry day after Christmas!   Since I have no pride,  I will show you how Peter Kevin and I spent our day.Yes, we have matching Christmas pjs.  I bought them on Etsy and they made us laugh all day.

Elanor and I did all of the baking on the 23rd.  We baked only our favorite cookies.  They were delicious.  I made coquita which was also delicious but sweet enough that I can only have a small amount.

We had a quiet family Christmas Eve which included crackers with horns in them so we could all play music.  There was more laughter than music but it was all good.  The tree got decorated and looked festive and peculiarly ours.  There are some ornaments that the girls made 20 years ago but those are my 

favorites. 

Peter Kevin and Elanor and I got up and opened our presents while we ate babka and drank hot cocoa (not on my diabetic list but I gave myself permission to have a few days of cheating).  Pk got a weather station which he cannot wait to get set up outside.  El spent the day playing with her new electronics and I spent the day listening The Stand by Stephen King (one of my favorite books).

We had a roast beef dinner with roasted vegetables and some cookies for desert. All in all a perfect day.

I have had today and tomorrow off and then it’s back to work for 2 days.  If I didn’t have dr appts on 1/2 and then 1/8, I could have taken the whole week off.  My appointments are in NJ and are around noon so it’s not worth going in to work for 3 hours.

I’m making myself new mittens, 

Lotus Mittens which I am starting tonight.  I enjoy color work once in a while and I don’t do it often.  I like it when I have a few days off that I can just knit and now worry about anything else getting done.  

And now we look forward to the New Year.  Once again, my “resolution” is to try to be kinder and not judge others.  I’ll keep on taking better care of myself and remain optimistic that the next year will be better.

Well, it snowed today.  Not much, just enough to remind us that it’s winter.   Or will be soon enough.  Peter Kevin used a broom to clean off the front steps.  We got up and went to the doctor’s.  When we came out of the office, the snow was falling so beautifully.  We went to get our Christmas tree.  We won’t decorate the tree until Christmas Eve but it smells so nice.

This is one of the smaller trees we’ve had.  It is by no means a small tree.  It is beautifully shaped and will hold our treasured ornaments beautifully.  (And no, as you can see, we have not painted the living/dining/kitchen room yet).  

Peter Kevin is still looking for a job.  He had an interview with the City of Philadelphia last week and is waiting to hear from them.  It’s for a 9 month contract but that seems to be the way it goes.  No permanent jobs, just contract work.  The good thing is, he is home to drive me to the station in the morning.  It’s dark in the morning now and my eyesight is just not good enough to drive in the dark.  I’m afraid of causing an accident.  Soon.  I hope I’ll get my vision back after the cataract surgery and be able to see clearly (I can’t wait!).

My Christmas shopping is done, just need to wrap everything.  Actually, I am waiting for some things to come in the mail.  For the first time, I am having some trouble with an Etsy seller.  I bought his item and paid for it and then nothing.  No indication of if/when it will be posted.  The notation says it “is scheduled to be mailed on Nov 30”.  I have emailed them every day and gotten no response.  I reluctantly notified Etsy.  I have to wait until Dec 15 before I can go to conflict resolution through Etsy.  Fortunately, I used paypal and I know they’ll help me get my money back.  I would really rather have the item and wouldn’t mind waiting for it but this silence from the seller is irritating.

We watched the only football game we watch all year.  The Army-Navy game.  Pete was a sailor so he roots for Navy.  At the same time, he was watching Toronto beat Seatle in the MLS championship game.  

Laundry tomorrow and figuring out a schedule for baking our cookies and other foods.  We’ll make some of our favorites but then put most of them in the freezer.  That way we can put out a cookie tray if we want and not have them sitting out being all tempting.  I did good at Thanksgiving but still ate 700 more calories than I usually eat in a day.  I know this because my phone app told me it was that much.  And I felt uncomfortable even though I didn’t eat much more than normal.  It was just more carbs than I am used to.  It didn’t take long for my body to adjust.  My weight is slowly creeping downwards.  I don’t feel deprived.  I allow myself to eat a little bit of what I want and it seems to be ok.  I keep below my calorie alotment and keep a close eye on the carbs and sugars.  I have never spent so much mental energy paying attention to food.

Have a good Sunday!

A funny thing happened yesterday.  Not funny haha but funny, “huh”.

I was watching Zumbo’s Just Deserts (amazing competition and mindless) and I happened to think of my niece who is getting married in January.  She is wearing a simple dress.  I texted her mother and offered my Evenstar as an addition to the wedding outfit.  Then I realized I didn’t have a photo to send.

I remembered the Blog.  I didn’t remember the year I finished the shawl but I knew it was around Memorial Day.  I started paging through the posts looking for a photo.  I finally found one and sent it off (she was thrilled and said Yes!).  In the meantime, I stopped to read through some posts.  I’d forgotten some things that I had written about and I enjoyed the photos.  

And I had a thought.  Why not start writing the blog again?  And so here I am.

I’ve just turned 60, (yes, I KNOW!) and in August I decided to stop coloring my hair.  I had it cut short

And by now, most of the color is gone.  I got a cut yesterday and I think my next haircut will see the last of the red. 

In October I found out I have diabetes (by having a blood test done and having a blood glucose level of 853.  Yes.  853. ).  I am now on two medications and a daily insulin injection (which I am hoping will be changed in January).  I’ve gotten my blood sugar down to a more normal number.  It’s been interesting.  I’ve never had to think so much about food.  Every time I plan a meal or just feel peckish and want a snack.  There are considerations.  “Is it carb friendly?  How am I doing today?  Is my calorie count low enough to let me eat this?”

I am using 2 apps.  Glucose, to keep track of my glucose levels.  And My Fitness Pal to keep track of my nutrition.  In the 6 weeks or so since I’ve been watching my food intake, I’ve lost almost 10 pounds.  Peter Kevin has lost 8 pounds.  He’s been getting used to eating less and eating more healthy.  Thanksgiving was not nearly as difficult as I thought.  I ate extra calories and felt so full.  It didn’t take long for my system to get used to eating less.

I don’t buy many “sugar free” products.  I bought some sugar free chocolate popsicles.  They are delicious and satisfying enough when I want sweets.  Instead, I have cut down my sugar intake.  I eat oatmeal every day for breakfast with a mixture of splenda and regular sugar but so much less than I used to.  No more poptarts.  Today I made buttermilk waffles but only ate one.  Our dinners include more veg and less carbs (and oh, I love my carbs).

The hard part is what it does to your brain.  It reminds you that you have NO CHOICE.  Eating more healthy is not a choice but a necessity.  It was a much needed wake up call.

I’ll be having cataract surgery sometime in January.  The torn retina I had 2 years ago left a cataract after that surgery.  And the very high blood sugar has changed my vision.  I have no real sight in my left eye right now but my right eye is actually better than it was pre-diagnosis.  I am looking forward to having the cataract removed.  

Peter Kevin and I celebrated our 36 anniversary in October.  He is still the love of my life.  Right now, he’s looking for a job-not an easy feat when you’re 60.  I’m still working for the same place.  I feel fortunate.  I still love my job.  

Em and Jim are doing well and are happy.  Kate is pregnant and is due in March.  We are cautiously happy (keeping the excitement tamped down for now).  

We decorated for Christmas yesterday.  Pk always wraps our door.  I told him the sign should say, “We believe in Santa.  And Amazon” since we do a bit of our shopping online.  

My shopping is mostly finished.  We got ourselves new iphones last month and got apple watches.  They are our presents this year.  I didn’t think I needed one but it has come in handy. It reminds me to check my blood sugar before meals (I forget sometimes), it reminds me to get up and move if I have been sitting still for too long, it keeps track of my steps and lets me set goals for myself.  It also has Minnie Mouse who tells me the time (verbally) if I tap on her. 

I’m still knitting.  I have been working on a Hitofude for myself but was having some difficulty.  Looking back, it could have been the diabetes messing with my brain.  High blood sugar will do that.  I put it aside and am working on simple socks.  I’ll pick it back up in a little while.  

Today, we are watching some soccer, making turkey soup out of the Thanksgiving turkey carcass and I’ll sit down with my knitting and watch a movie.  I  love Sunday afternoons with nothing much to do.....

Have a good week.