What's Happening In My World

I saw this Meme on Rinda's blog and then again over at Deb's World and decided since I can't seem to settle on content, I'd play along!

1. What’s the title of the last book you read?
The last book I finished was The Infinite Sea, the second in the young adult The 5th Wave series. Great easy read and I'm now awaiting the third in the triology. Unfortunately not due out until next May.  Right now I'm reading Rising Strong by Brene Brown. Highly recommend any of her books!

2. What is the last thing you cooked at home?
Cinnamon-Apple Pork Chops.  Paired with mashed sweet potatoes.  Definitely a fall meal! It's fairly quick and easy and Jay really likes it.

3. What is your favorite thing about Fall?
It's a toss up for me between the colors - I love the red, orange and yellow in the trees with the sun streaming through - and the scents. There is something to be said for the scents that are generally only around this time of year!

Layout created with Krystal Hartley's newest kit "Smells Like Fall"

4. Share one thing that challenged you at some point over the last week.
The nasty head cold that I'm fighting. I actually called in sick on Monday and spent most of the day sleeping. I'm still working on getting better!

5. List three hobbies that you actively pursue or want to pursue.
Hobbies that are being actively pursued at the moment include folded book art, upcycling furniture, and our shop at Black Rose.  Hobbies that I really want to get back to include scrapbooking, art journaling, and mixed media. Goodness I miss them!

6. What is the most recent sporting event you watched?
I think I caught a few minutes of an Eagles game last weekend. Seriously I'm not a sports fan unless my own girls are playing - and it has been awhile since they've played in anything I can watch. Sort of miss being a soccer mom!

7. Besides watching "live TV," what service do you use to watch TV or films (netflix, on demand, etc.)?
We frequently use On Demand to watch shows that aren't on until 10 p.m. (like Chicago Fire) - we see them the next day.

8. Have you started Christmas shopping yet? Yes. I actually picked up some Christmas gifts during the Summer!

9. Do you have any upcoming trips? Yes. But that is a story for another blog post - after Christmas.

10. Do you remember your dreams? Yes. But generally only for an hour or so after I wake up. After that the details get lost and become very hazy. Last night's dream involved an alien species trying to integrate with us humans. The last thing I remember before I woke up was walking around spreading carrot bits on the ground for the little alien critters. No, I have NO idea where it came from! I think lack of sleep from this cold is making me loopy.

What's happening in YOUR world???

Me On Monday - after a long absence

Monday finds me, yet again, trying to catch up with my own life. Not particularly successfully either.

It has been nearly a month since I've found the time to blog.  I've barely managed to keep up with reading what all of you have written.  But I have.  At least I have that going for me.

So what has happened in the last month?

September saw the opening day of our shop at the Black Rose in Allentown.  I was filled with excitement and couldn't wait to blog about it, but working on the projects, flea-marketing, researching, pricing, inventory list making, paperwork, and restocking that will hopefully make this little shop successful has stolen any time I might have otherwise spent blogging.

Now I'd like to tell you sales are going great and we are so excited about this business venture.  Except they aren't. We've had sales - a lot of the "smalls" that we bought just to fill up the shop. But not a single piece of the furniture that has been so lovingly restored or upcycled has sold. It's been a month. Our prices are very reasonable. But there it all sits. It's disheartening to say the least.

I suppose the good news is that we have finally had our first real cold snap. Fall is upon us, the leaves are turning, and Flea marketing season is pretty much over.  Which means more time home on the weekends.  And hopefully it means the flea market shoppers will now be looking indoors?

Early October saw me traveling to Kansas City, MO for a work conference. Only a four day trip, but it takes three days on the front end to prepare and a solid week on the back end to catch up!  I came home to 175 blog posts to read (I did).  But obviously, work travel has sucked up my blogging time.

I've also been struggling with neck pain radiating down my left arm.  Last week I saw my rheumatologist and got a diagnosis of osteoarthritis in my cervical spine. So today I start PT. But I couldn't just do that the easy way. Instead, on my way out the door to go to my PT eval last Friday, I fell on my own sidewalk. Skinned both knees and both hands and got some painful bruises at the base of both thumbs. Adding insult to injury, I felt like a total drama queen when my neighbor came running over to see if I was okay and I was laying on my sidewalk sobbing. Little kids get skinned hands & knees every day of the week and it is no big deal. So why does it hurt so much when we are old??? No worries, I'm fine. My ego may be more bruised than my hands.

The highlight of my weekend was a meet-up with Melissa on Saturday. After lunch at Perkins, and a tour of the Black Rose, and shopping for a new black blazer for me, we met up with the rest of Melissa's group and went to see "The Martian" at the theater. Great day!

Sunday was laundry, pricing a significant little pile of vintage linens, and starting another folded art book.

And here I am today, back from PT and trying, yet again, to catch up and pre-prepare for more business travel.  Off to Baltimore on Thursday. I'm actually looking forward to Winter just so I can stay home more! Not really. I hate being cold. But I do want to stay home more.

Waving to Sian and all the Monday wavers! Sorry I haven't been around in awhile to say hello!