Day 1 & 2 BND (before nanny duties)

Prior to my PA arrival, I learned "get a Christmas tree" was on the To-Do List before Steph left for Europe. Since my November NaNoWriMo project was a Christmas novel, and since I'd spent many research hours on types of Christmas trees and tree farms, I insisted we could not buy any old pre-cut tree off some grocery lot.

Me: "We must go to a farm and cut our own."

Steph: "Really?"

The Kid: "Awesome!"

Festive Christmas music played in my head throughout the entire flight. What could be better than cooler weather, holiday time in the north, and reliving my childhood while gaining necessary novel information?

Saturday dawned. Outside, the temperatures were in the upper 50's, and the skies were pouring rain. We opted to whittle down the To-Do List and wait for the weather to clear before heading to the tree farm. At every dry spell as soon as we mentioned it was Christmas tree time, the skies opened up, dumping wetness. We shelved the tree job. Instead, we built The Kid's new desk, brought down the holiday decorations from the attic, and attended the town's tree lighting ceremony. 

Sunday dawned. The skies were clear. The sun shone brightly. The Kid announced she didn't feel well. 

The Kid: "No, seriously. I'm dying. My throat is killing me."

We left her at home and went to get a Christmas tree. Steph is very adamant about clearing her To-Do Lists.

Pennsylvanians must begin their holiday decorating early. There were many stumps and very few good-sized trees. I pictured a nine-footer. Steph immediately chopped off three feet. I argued, but not forcefully, because not only did she have The Kid's whining about her sickness, but Steph's traveling companion's kid had tested positive for COVID. Besides, this was her tree, not mine.

We found a tree right away. Based on my novel scene, I made some noises about not going with the first tree.

Steph: "One year, the four of us found the perfect tree here, and I said the same thing. I made us keep looking. After searching, we agreed the first tree was it, and when we came back to get it, someone else was cutting it down."

That story didn't faze me, and I continued strolling amongst the trees. Clearing one field, we looked across at the other field. 

Steph: "Should we hike over there?"

Me: "I feel we should. I need to experience this more, and those trees look taller."

We hiked miles to the other field (exaggeration), where we discovered the tall trees were an illusion, and we returned to the original tree we had first found. I did the honors of cutting it down. Steph hauled it most of the way back until I realized I needed to be able to describe that part of things, and I picked up the other end.

The tree was shaken, measured, drilled, and bailed at the entrance precisely as I had researched it. In my Christmas tree hunting experience, something I did every year with my dad, we didn't drill. I hadn't a clue what that meant and had researched it, which I explained to the tree guy, who couldn't have cared less. His female counterpart told me drilling, and using that type of stand was much easier than trying to get the tree perfect in one of those sub-par stands. 

I told her drilling wasn't a thing in Florida. Nor had I ever seen those stands. That information interested both of them.

We hauled the tree to the car, got it safely packed into the back and headed home. Steph began worrying about The Kid and her sore throat. I suggested she do what she did when The Kid injured her finger and send her to the neighbor doctor across the street. She agreed that was a good idea and set that into motion.

The Kid whined she was in bed, but she put on her shoes and went over to be poked and prodded. The strep test came back positive. We picked up the antibiotic.

At home, we steered clear of The Kid. I made a cider recipe I'd found online while we decorated the tree and listened to Christmas music. I added extra rum to the recipe to ward off strep and drank several cups.

By 8:30 pm, we thought it was midnight, and all of us were ready for bed.

Nanny Cara takes PA

Several months ago, I agreed to be Nanny Cara in Pennsylvania while my friend Steph cruised down the Rhine. It was a Christmas Cruise, and in the waning weeks of summer, I didn't think about the implications of agreeing to spend ten days in PA in December. 

It gets dark there at 4:15 pm!

No kidding, dusk creeps in at 4:00 pm, and by 4:30 pm, the sky is black ink. Dark. Like midnight in Florida dark. I thought 8:30 was bedtime! I got accustomed to drinking hot tea while the sun disappeared as if being chased by a demon.

Large houses are cold!

I loved that aspect at night, snuggled under the awesome blanket on my bed. During the day, though, not so much. I realized you have to dress in layers. For this Florida gal, who purchased long-sleeved clothes before heading north, that meant a wool cardigan. When I was hot, it came off, and when I got cold, it went back on. I was forever stripping and then re-dressing. Chores ramped up the body heat, but sitting and writing lowered it.

Snow!

Before I went, I worried about driving in the snow. That wasn't a favorite of mine when I lived in Indiana, and now that I've been in Florida for over thirty years--yeah, I was not looking forward to doing that. Luckily, it snowed and sleeted once, but the temperature was over fifty. Other than a gray, slushy, wet day and having to use my windshield wipers, that was doable. 

Small-town mentality!

I insisted on getting there before the responsible parent left on her trip so she could fill me in on the deets. Having been to PA last April, I knew locking doors was unheard of, and kids ran the neighborhood unsupervised. 

During this trip, I learned an antibiotic administered twice a day, no matter the time, was fine, and kids running wild extended to downtown and sketchy towns with abbreviated initials. Although, that last one might have been the kid pulling one over on the nanny.

Before I arrived, we Face-Timed. This was where I learned The Kid was self-sufficient and had a huge entourage. 

Me: "I'll need to meet and interrogate your friends. I'll come with a list of questions."

The Kid: "Please, don't embarrass me."

Me: 

The week went well. I left a day before The Kid's mother returned. The kid was alive and in someone else's capable hands at the airport where I was dropped off. 

I also kept a journal. Follow along on Nanny Cara's and the Kid's adventures!

NaNoWriMo 2022

The month of November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). The goal is to write 50,000 words in the month. This was my third year, and once again, I made it!

This was by far my best NaNo. Not only did I prep in October with classes and plotting, but I joined a local NaNo group at the library. I met some new friends and met a writer I've engaged with on social media. We knew we both lived in Florida, but we had no idea we were this close! 

I wrote every day. It was surprisingly easy, and now I wonder why I'm not churning out books! Okay, well, it was challenging. I started well, hit a slump, got past it, and hung in by my fingernails to finish with 50,252 words. 

The novel is my fourth, and while it isn't finished, I've made a decent start. It's a Christmas romance novel with a grumpy/sunshine trope. I've very excited about it. 

A bunch of things got pushed to the side in the month while I wrote, including this blog, but I'll take some time off to catch up. Maybe.

A lot to be thankful for 2022

Thanksgiving was great mainly because someone else cooked. This year we went with traditional since we hosted our Ukraine family, and since I didn't know the first thing about cooking a turkey and was in the last week of NaNoWriMo, Tom did the cooking. Bless his little heart.

They started the day with the annual Turkey Trot. I set the table and got out the china, much to the girl's dismay. Madison slept in. 

While we ate appetizers, I taught football to Oleg's mother and grandmother. The kids played some games. Tom slaved in the kitchen. 

Oleg made the pies again. Wine flowed. Darcy invited two guests. We all went around the table and said what we were thankful for, and by the time Oleg and his family gave theirs, we were all crying.

I'm not into hosting big get-togethers, but I enjoy them, especially when I don't have to cook! Next up - Christmas!

November Birthdays 2022

November is a big birthday month for us. First, my SIL has a birthday. A week later, I have one. Ten days after that, Madison has hers. We tend to party down all month long.

Oleg's family took me out for my birthday. We went to a restaurant called CaraCaras. I thought it was a joke when she texted me, but no, that's the name. The female chef is award-winning. It's a tapas place, and we tried all kinds of dishes. We had several drinks. We ate dessert. It was a delightful evening. Ten out of ten. The only people missing were my children. My favorite gift was a new laptop from the hubby.

For Madison's birthday, she suggested we have tea. The Ukraine family is big on tea, and since the birthday celebration fell on a Sunday, Madison didn't want anything significant since she had to return to work the next day. I took her suggestion, turned it into a tea party, and maybe went a bit crazy.

I bought some tea trays from Amazon, found a recipe for clotted cream, decorated in pinks and blues, made tea sandwiches, and offered a variety of teas. I also got to use some family tea sets and bowls I've never used before, but they fit the occasion. Madison told everyone to come in sweatpants.

The only downside to that type of celebration is a sugar overload. I definitely see why a tea party lasts for several hours. Ours, alas, did not. But, ten out ten, for originality and fun. 

Hurricane Nicole 2022

Hurricane Nicole roared in late. The season runs from June 1 to November 30; by then, we usually believe we're safe. Thankfully, like Ian before her, Nicole weakened and missed our area. We had a lot of rain and wind and got another pruning of our oak tree. 

My pineapple plant loved it. I swear the thing doubled in size. 

Let's hope this is the end of the 2022 season. Maybe by June 2023, I'll be prepared. 

2022 resolution check - ten months

Every two months, I check in to see how I'm doing on my New Year's resolutions. This year I'm changing the way I score. I'm supposed to be working throughout the course of twelve months so the scoring should reflect that. I'm scoring from 0-2 in the hopes that by the end of the year, I'll have completed the tasks with at least a score of 80 out of 120!

Let's check-in at ten months:

• To finish several projects I've started and haven't completed, including staying on Tom until we have completed our will - I have "stayed" on Tom, although I haven't made progress. I have not really completed any projects, though. Score: 1

• To establish a daily business routine with hours and keep to it - Yes! Score: 2

• Begin a healthy eating/workout regiment - Pretty much still doing okay on this one. Score: 2

• Create my author's website and increase my author's social media presence - No and yes. Score: 1

• Have a monthly dinner calendar, so I'm not struggling to know what to cook at night - Yep. I've done very well with this one, and it has made my life easier. Score: 2

• To finish my mess, that is book one. Finish book three. Edit both. Learn the self-publishing industry - Why did I cram so much into one resolution? Score: 0

• Eat weekly meals at a table and not in front of the TV - Uh, no. Score: 0

• Go on several girl trips - Done. Score: 2

• Purchase birthday cards and prepare for sending out at the beginning of the month - I'll admit that I have given up on this one. Score: 0

• Get back to blogging on my personal site. - I'm trying! Score: 1

Total For Two Months: 11 out of 20 

Total Thus far: 59.5 out of 120 - Hey, almost halfway!

Halloween 2022

Oleg's family wanted to carve pumpkins, so I threw a pumpkin carving party. Everyone had to bring a pumpkin, and because we live in Florida and pumpkins only last about forty-eight hours, I waited to buy mine the day of the party. 

Big mistake.

I traveled all over the county looking for pumpkins and gave up an hour before the party. I sent Tom out. My friend SueG sent out her daughter. Results? We ended up with more pumpkins than we needed.

Still, the party was a success. We put out tables in the driveway and sweated our way through carving several pumpkins. Tom's sister Beth, visiting from Chicago, collected the seeds. She and SueG's daughter washed, spiced, and roasted them. Grammy MaryAnne observed and judged the winner. 

We were all pretty proud of our artistic abilities, including fixing mistakes. I hope this becomes a yearly thing.

Darcy: "I hope I get invited next year."

Me: "Oops."

Sydney was the winner with the witch pumpkin.