I just had nachos for breakfast.   Nutritional value - zero.   Personal satisfaction value - ten.   I'd call that a win.

I made a discovery about myself a few months ago.   Well actually my kids pointed it out, and I was enlightened.    I am an introvert.   I did not know that because I am not shy.  But I do love being alone.   Anyway, according to the internet I am a classic introvert.   What does that mean to me now?  Not much but now I'm aware of why I love peace and quiet and ME time so much.

Poor pup is still wearing his cone.   His breed are known as 'leaners' meaning they love to lean on people.   You know, you see them sitting up, tail wagging, leaning on the leg of their person?  Well he keeps trying to lean on me with that damn cone and a few times he's come in too quickly on just the wrong angle and that cone jams into my calf hard.   It actually really hurts!  Between that and him banging into EVERYthing in our house as he lumbers along, both him and I can hardly wait for the cone to be off.  I'm also really glad he's neutered now.   He was starting to try to hump everything - even the air.  It was embarrassing and kind of gross!  Poor little teenaged boy - puberty hit him with a brick.

I'm excited because for the first time in decades, yes decades,  I get to spend some time doing things I've always fantasized about.   I had a lot of fun raising the kids, but it was busy and about them.  And I did NOT manage my free time well back in the day.  And then as the kids got older and I was working, there was NO free time.  Especially with Cahuna gone so much.   And then the flood hit and that pretty much took over a year of my life.   A year and a bit.  I'm still dealing with the tail end of insurance and some government assistance.   But I DO have my house back now.  No workmen coming and going anymore.  I don't have a job ( YES!! fist pumped twice there) My older kids have mostly flown the coop.  My husband is back out of town and it's just me and my youngest and she's a busy kid.  So....here are some of the things I always fantasized about doing:

-Going for big long walks with a big friendly dog ( check)

-exercising regularly (check)

- taking a yoga class ( check)

- trying a Bible Study out ( check)

- paying attention to current events ( check)

- reading regularly ( check)

- pottery or ceramic type crafts ( have scoped out location)

- learning to make those quick rag quilts ( still need to buy a sewing machine but I will)

- cooking food that I WANT to eat, not rushing cuz I have to have someone out the door in five minutes.  Food that doesn't involve noodles, soup and a meat.  ( working on this with Pintrest's help)

- learning to crochet ( check)

- dog obedience classes ( today I will call...I have a number)

-watching a movie in the middle of the afternoon ( soon)

- naps ( check)

This is what I used to fantasize about and now it's happening.  I am pretty darn excited about this.

I just burped nachos.   Maybe having them first thing in the morning wasn't the best idea.  Especially before I go for a run.   I'll pop an antacid just in case.  Sometimes my stupidity and lack of foresight astounds even me.

Have a good day!

Last night something happened that I THOUGHT was a ways off yet.   Last night our oldest daughter's boyfriend drove down to our house at 9pm and asked Cahuna and myself if he had our permission/blessing to marry our oldest daughter.

HOLY SHIT!!

We're there? Already?  (nice that he asked btw - sweet and old fashioned and well....he scored points)  I can't believe my oldest is old enough to get married.  Jeepers where did time go????  I think I spent half the kids younger years wishing them older and now I want to put on the brakes!

About boyfriend coming down...we've known for a while that they were talking about getting married next spring and so it wasn't a huge surprise.  They aren't engaged yet and so we've been sworn to secrecy.   But I'm a blabbermouth and so here I am back blabbing on Xanga.    I'm excited about the wedding, but mostly this shocked me with how quickly the years have flown by.

I'm not going to get over this quickly so you're now forewarned that this might be an ongoing thing for a while.

My poor Bernese Mountain Dog got neutered today.  Neutered and he had a little hernia fixed.   But because he's a licker he's wearing a cone.   The cone of shame.  And poor guy is bonking into walls, tables, falling down stairs....it's like he's completely hammered.   But he keeps giving me a look with his sad sad puppy dog eyes that says 'why you do this to me?' .   Sorry man, I really am:(

Cahuna is finally back up north working.  It's a very good thing.  I'm so used to him being away that having had him home so much over the past 9 months just about did me in.   I kept fantasizing about having my clean, tidy,  uncluttered, nice smelling home back.  Cahuna's a hoarder and a bit of a pig.   When he's up north he has someone make his bed, clean his room, his bathroom, make his food, do his dishes etc.  He may even have someone wipe his ass....I'm not sure.  So when he's home, he forgets that I never graduated from MAID school and continues to act like he has his own personal cleaning crew.  That combined with his hoarding does not a good room mate make.

This poor dog.  Whack.  Whomp.  Smack.  Bonk.

A wedding.  Wow.  lol  c-r-a-z-y.  She'll be a nurse, he'll be a welder/fireman.  They should be fine and have a nice long happy marriage.  I could be a grandma in a few years! lol I am looking FORWARD to that.  I like kids.  I like the idea of spending time playing with them but not HAVING them 24/7.  Kind of like a husband.  I like the idea of having one around, just not 24/7.

I feel like I'm coming out of a very long fog.   Not just from the past year, but one that was a long time in the making.  Maybe it's cuz I finally have time to think and rest and enjoy life.  Not sure.  I feel better about things though.  Better than I've felt in years.  Many many years.  I wouldn't say I was depressed.  More....exhausted.  Spent.  Overwhelmed.  I'm feeling less like that lately.

We'll see how this wedding goes:) hopefully it's not a gong show.  I may have spoken too soon about feeling less overwhelmed lol