Caoimhe

I keep collecting books on mindfulness and living in the present moment hoping eventually one will click in my dysfunctional brain. I know constantly reliving the past and worrying about the future are not helpful. We’ve had another discussion of which country we should live in now that we have no family ties here with no conclusion other than to put it off for now - until something forces us to make a choice. Inertia is powerful yet I don’t feel secure that this will be my long term home. Those thoughts shouldn’t even be in my head all the time but I have that mindset of “everything is temporary” that I grew up with. As @shapeshifter points out it isn’t easy when you’re older with your money tied up in a property. We’d have to sell up and rent while looking for another place to buy in order to afford it, that gets even more complicated moving countries. I don’t think I’d mind a condo but there are always positives and negatives and I can see where I’d be annoyed losing some of the benefits of my own four walls. I’m always aware that both of my siblings died in their mid 50’s and I’ve already reached my mid 60’s so there is no point worrying about getting older. It may happen or it may not and, like so much else, I need to accept that I have no control.

I feel exactly the same way! Close friendship doesn’t seem to be something I can do and as long as I had my family I never felt the need for more than superficial ones. I’ve had friends but only one that I would have seen / spoken to most every day. She was 15 years older than me and after she moved away many years ago we lost touch over time. I see the ads for senior living and think “that looks great” but my husband laughs and says we aren’t old enough. He also holds the traditional Irish view that you MUST OWN your home (luckily being of a generation when that was even possible).

This really resonates with me today. I wasn’t an only child, I had two siblings, and the last one died five months ago today. Since then I’ve been struggling badly with feeling alone (though I am lucky enough to have a husband). My sister in law was in touch a lot around my brother’s illness and the first month or so but she’s moved on and I’m happy for her. My husband can only listen to so much of my whinging and I have no one else to talk to. Usually I feel bad for a day or two then have some good days; this time it’s been a week and not improving yet. My entire life has involved moving often for my father’s work so I learned early to see everything other than my immediate family as “temporary” and never made much effort; at this point I’m set in my ways and anxiety (both social and about things like driving) make it highly unlikely I’m going to change. If only sewing / craft groups met locally to me and during the day!! I’m not in touch with my friend group back home beyond Christmas cards. Therapy doesn’t interest me because I can predict I’ll be told to “put myself out there” and join things, plus my insurance is so basic it wouldn’t even be covered. I’ve come close to posting here many times this year and never did because I’d start to feel better before I took the time to write anything out. I used to have online forums but they’ve all closed over the years and many have moved to Facebook which I’m not as keen on. I think it’s a problem for a lot of people, but even though I know I’m not alone in my “aloneness” I feel that way.

All the photos I have will die with me, there isn’t anyone left to pass them on to, but there are very few people in them that I can’t name. My dad got rid of a lot after my mum died so what I have is limited to one box that I haven’t opened in a long while. Posting on a sewing forum recently there was a dress pattern from the 80s that I made but the ordeal of opening the box to see if there was a photo of me wearing it was too much work. I prefer to scroll through the digital ones as it’s much easier to find things. I do have them backed up with iCloud, Amazon, and Dropbox so lots of redundancy!

I’m enjoying this more than I expected and players I found a bit annoying during their long runs are entertaining to watch here. Still not an Andrew fan though of course his knowledge is really impressive. Since I’m not watching “regular” Jeopardy these days it’s nice to have this on.

At US$2.99 I have purchased both! I may get more but will first read the ones I’ve borrowed before I lose them.

Thank you to @Elizabeth Anne for mentioning the Cadell books in Kindle Unlimited! My free subscription is expiring in two weeks so I’ve borrowed everything I can and am reading my second one now. I’m really enjoying them.

It is hard to find! It took me ages the other day, I really thought it was in Everything Else along with this topic. But no, it’s considered Pop Culture which isn’t a place I would normally venture. I used my expiring-soon Kindle Unlimited to download some Elizabeth Cadell books that are easy though rather old-fashioned reads. While I won’t renew it (my current subscription was free) I have plenty of unread books on my Kindle and a number of others I enjoy reading over and over.

These. I’d happily trade the alcohol for outdoor cleaning (snow, leaves, weeds, etc) which might even beat house cleaning.

Sizing is an artificial construct. No size number is automatically “disgusting” and on a taller person with a different build even the size jeans I have on right now could look great. When I pick up a sewing pattern I find that just because I can stuff all my fat into stretchy size 18 ready to wear jeans there is no way a size 18 jeans pattern would even come close to fitting. I have to use at least 24/26 with alterations for my hippo hips and thunder thighs to get the size I actually am!

We did. I had no idea who most of the performers were, but I’m old. I chose to listen more than watch (doing a coloring page on my iPad) so I didn’t see the reactions! In my head I always hear the original version so it doesn’t surprise me that I think what I’m hearing is “not quite right”.

I nearly tuned out after the reply of “FEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-yords” but I still hoped for a better view of his shiny jacket which appears to be a style I’ve never seen before. (Not that I’m an expert on men’s fashion.) The only visible button is placed a lot higher up than I’d expect in a single-button jacket but behind the podium it was hard to figure out the cut. Anyway the fist pump for “Higgs” made me glad he and the jacket are gone.

Before we moved here most of our crystal, china, and silver was given away. We bought Corelle when we arrived (which is annoying me now because the pattern is wearing off). I still own one linen tablecloth and napkins, I don’t expect ever to use the tablecloth again and probably not the napkins either although they’re much easier to iron. I remember being told when my late mother in law gave me the tablecloth that it was a curse because trying to get that thing ironed is incredibly difficult and I could probably count on one hand the number of times I’ve used it.

When we cleaned out my parents’ house after my father died I found a stash of disposable straws. I use them but one straw lasts months because I keep rinsing it out and reusing it. I may be dead before I need to look at alternatives! Bought some silicone ones which I hated and metal ones which struck me as too dangerous because I’m often sipping on water while walking and if I stumble that could be very bad.

Before moving here I had big irons without auto shut off so I kept the cord wrapped around a bracelet. When I plugged it in I put the bracelet on, if I was still wearing it that meant I hadn’t shut the iron off yet. I wish I could get an iron like that here, while I understand the safety rationale I have to get up every five minutes to swipe the iron over something so it won’t shut off. Otherwise it’s too cool when I have the next piece ready to press and that really annoys me. (I do have two small travel irons that never shut off but prefer the big one).

We aren’t watching because my husband, who is normally quite tolerant about contestants’ quirks, refuses to watch Jake ever again. I now want to take back every comment I made about rowan being very OTT in the last TOC because Jake makes them look like the quietest most subdued player ever.

Yes it is. Even our trees are still covered in snow though the roads are good. Another 9” is coming over the next 24 hours, after that another storm Wednesday/Thursday is currently predicted to bring another 5-6”, and yet another storm NEXT Sunday into Monday with no amounts yet. Anyone who would like to take some of it away with them is most welcome to do so!

Every winter I live in hope that it will be a drier OR warmer winter but I’m disappointed rather than shocked or surprised by the forecast. I think hibernation should be an option because the other three seasons here are lovely.

Today's peeve is meteorologists gushing about how wonderful it is that we are getting more snow, which makes me so upset I have to leave the room if I'm not in control of the remote. Yes, I am living in the northeast and it's winter (though I wish I could change that). Yes, in the northern part of the state the snow is very important for tourism-related businesses, plus there are outdoor people and children who truly love this frozen white evilness. And yes, it's their job to be pleasant and positive on-screen. But as long as I have to shovel the crap I will continue to flee when they appear to joyously announce yet another storm bringing "plowable snow" in this "active weather pattern".

I do see him moving but it seems like his body moves more than his head which seems to minimize my focusing on it.

There is a song “Vienna, My City of Dreams” which I assumed was the dreams reference. Freud never occurred to me but at least I had the right answer!

I did too - more enjoyable for me to watch when I know the outcome. Amy was my preferred winner at the very beginning so I’m delighted that she is the champion!

Chelsea Physic sprang to mind immediately but it’s not royal so I went for Kew. I like all three players in the finals but there’s still a part of me that really wants Amy to win. She was my choice coming in because I really enjoy watching her calm, no drama playing style.

I’m not one of rowan’s fans but I agree their demeanor was calm compared to their second chance games. Hasan Minaj is the most extremely OTT Jeopardy player I’ve ever seen, Mayim really handled it well. I really want Amy to win, she’s my favourite in this tournament.

Yeah I’m not watching today or tomorrow either. I’ll also be checking who appears in the ToC games because if they get through the Second Chance Tournament Rowan is joining the list of contestants I will not watch.