Monday, Joyful January!

 Well, Hello and I am happy to be back. Missed all of you, hope you had a great holiday.  I enjoyed my time with my girls and grandkids. Did a lot of work at Jethelyn's but spent a good part of the time just reading and goofing off.

Here are some updates: The new fence is under construction. 180 feet needs to be replaced, and I was shocked by the price. The neighbor and I will split the cost. Called insurance but after the deductible and the age of the fence it is no use in really making a claim, as it will pay out so little and just raise my rates.

My Nativity went off without a hitch, and the kids loved it. Received lots of compliments, not that I needed them as it really is about having those kids have a good time. The little boy who played the star was so cute as he climbed the ladder and turned around and then lit up his costume.  It was so precious. One of the wisemen thought he was Charlie Chaplin and twirled his crook the whole time.  So funny. Just a really good memory for those kids and the ones who watched them.

Spent time at my daughter's making relaxed Roman shades for her dining room.  She had one roman shade made for the formal front room and it cost her $740.00.  I about died!!!! We bought all the material and lined and hardware for three large windows for under $200.00. The shades look really professional. I was a little scared as I had never done this before, but I learned a lot for the next go around which will be the family room. There were several strips of material left, so I made 4 table runners, for her side boards and table, plus one extra.  I just can't waste.

Now I am home and facing the cleanup of Christmas. I wish I had not put anything out, but I just was sure all the decos would throw me out of my depression.  It didn't work and added to my stress.  Live and learn. It was a really hard Holiday season.  So, I have decided I will not get the January blues.  January is such a long, dark, overcast, dreary, cold month.  It is something to be slogged through.  Well, I am not going to go there. I am going to find something to be happy about and joyful about every day. No dwelling on the negative because there is always plenty of that as negative is easy to be found.

I received a Kindle for Christmas, and I have really been enjoying that. I have read 7 books already!  I am a super-fast reader always have been. I need to order a cover for it, will put that on the to do list.

But today it is all about getting the monthly bills paid, seeing where I stand with the Christmas bills, and cleaning up the house.  Every room is an almost disaster. I have been spraying as Sissie puts it.  Not really taking down things in an organized manner. But at least I am trying to do something.

So far, I have cleaned out the grandkids toy box, throwing away broken, mismatched things, and making a bag to take to good will.  Then the contractor who is putting up the fence needs a good portion of my garage to store the cement bags. So, I needed to go out and clean up.  I have crap all over the outside of the garage.  Things to go to the dump, a hanging rack to go to Sissies, A load of rakes and hand tools that need to go to the back yard shed. Then there are the Christmas boxes that are all over.  It is a mess of a mess. All I can do is set a timer and get to work!

It is really warm here, in the 50's and no snow although it rains off and on a little. This is good as it means the fence can go up.

SO here is my list:

1. call daughter

2. get bills paid on line

3. go to bank

4. go to bank

5. mail a few bills

6. set timer and get garage and outside of garage cleaned up

7. start taking Christmas down one room at a time (Please)

No time like the present to get started....

My Joy today is YOU! All of you! You lift me up and I hope I do the same for you.  Let's make January joyful.

What is bringing you joy today?

God is good

Kim