I don't have much to show for the past few weeks. Things have felt alternately rushed and then slow and then rushed and then slow — hurry up, wait, hurry up, wait — depending on what I'm doing and who I'm with. Days with Amelia are long and lovely and also generally mildly exhausting, as life with three-year-olds in wintertime must be for most people. We don't stay home much. With her, it's truly harder to stay home. She gets bored. We go to our usual places to play, take hours to eat lunch at various Thai restaurants and brew pubs and sandwich joints from one side of the city to the other, visit Daddy at work and see him be presented with a very special award (so proud of you, babe), go to potluck suppers with all the neighbors and neighbor-kids, wander around Ikea for most of a day, splash in water rooms and pound clay in kids' museums, linger over ice creams in empty ice-cream shops, watching the rain and talking, talking, talking. My girl. I like the quiet days, the rain, the lack of a certain kind of expectation. When I'm not with Amelia, I'm going as fast as I possibly can, wrestling with two computers — one old, one brand new — trying to get the old one to work long enough for me to get the new one up and running, and no matter how much you back up, there is still just a ridiculous amount that you have to do (or at least I have to do, and no, I don't really know what I'm doing) to get the new one working. Well, not working, but properly functioning — get all my files migrated, and my software installed, and the updates installed, and the fonts installed, and all the stupid passwords transferred, and get new software to replace the obsolete software, and the printer drivers, and the email, etc., etc., etc. Apparently there are People who can do this for you, but apparently I don't believe it, or something, because I haven't taken my computer to anyone, anywhere. Blech. How bored are you right now, seriously. I'm sorry.
I'm also trying to fix some things on this blog — well, I myself am not trying to fix those things, other people are, thank goodness. Hopefully when all is said and done 1) the monthly blog archives will look like the home page, so there aren't those little thumbnails where you have to click on every single post to read the blog (hate that), 2) I'll have some sort of way to occasionally respond to comments (which I can't do easily now because my template is customized, and the code just isn't there to easily turn this "on"), and 3) I'll have a new subscription service, so that if you want to subscribe to this blog (which you don't now, because of the boring) you can get updates in your email inbox (instead of through feed readers).
Stuff like that. Etc., etc., etc.
I guess this, too, is what January's for, in a way.
At night I've been buying vintage cotton voile saris on Etsy with the intention of making kaftans for summer, and crocheting a woolly lamb. I'm glad January is thirty-one days.
I caught just a flash of your book request post. I love when you do that because I will also copy down the tittles and check them out.It is a awesome way to network with like minded people.Good luck with the computer bla. I have my son do all my setting up ( he's 26) I am just happy when I can turn mine on. Warm thoughts to you & yours from freezing Minnesota.
That lamb is adorable and "long and lovely and also generally exhausting" covers it pretty well, I think.
I have been wondering where you were. It sounds like you're doing all the same old necessary-but mind numbing and infuriating- stuff I am doing. Getting a new iPhone (first smart phone ever) meant getting updated everything on all my "old" devices and it just led me to rethink the whole "technology increases your efficiency" bit. Until this stuff is all migrated and updated and mitigated, a pen and pencil and a landline seem a lot quicker. Anyway. At least we have crafting to keep us happy! And 3 year olds to keep us busy and laughing (mine is about to turn 4 and what a character!).
I feel your pain with the computer issues. I needed a new laptop since my old one went kaput. There was a time where we had three new laptops plus my old laptop residing in my house. Urgh. What is it with buying new laptops that go bad after two weeks of use (new laptop #1), or don't work properly from the get-go (new laptop #2). Thankfully laptop #3 is working fine though I'm kind of wishing I'd paid the $100 for the store to set it up for me. It's all a pain and I don't know what I'm doing and in the process I have pictures floating in internet space. Somewhere. I'm not sure what to do about that. Seriously, what is up with automatically saving stuff to a "cloud". I don't want it in a cloud, I want it on my laptop. Siiiiigh.
Your pictures are lovely, as always.
Three cheers for Mr. P being awarded special recognition. Nurses are the unsung hero's for every one having to enter the hospital. Our family has had to spend more than our fair share of life in the hospital. We've always been very grateful for the kind and loving nature of nurses. Bless them all.
Loving your sweet lamb hat, it's so adorable.
So you're thinking of summer already. It's good to be prepared, considering our last two summers were so very hot & uncomfortable.
That hat is the cutest thing ever, and I can't imagine this website being any more beautiful.
Your explanation of what you're doing trying to set up a new computer is actually fascinating to me.. I am still using Mountain Lion and need to get the new OS but I'm afraid of how many of my programs won't work anymore! EEK! And I like the Creative Suite where you can use the actual programs but now they don't sell it like that anymore.. you have to subscribe and pay a monthly fee. WHAT???? And the CS was like a billion dollars. ::shudder:: Please show us what your new computer looks like!
((hugs)), Teresa :-)
Well done Andy, that's amazing. Nurses are the best, they really are. I can't stand computer stuff, it drives me bananas. A crocheted lamb sounds good though. CJ xx
Yay Andy - I clicked the link and found his profile, what a great write up. My brother is a leukemia survivor and spent most of a 9-month period in the hospital when he was 13 or so. He had a TV in his room and the nurses learned that if the Packers were losing, his BP would be way off so they'd say we aren't going to record that BP, turn the TV off, cheer up, we'll be back in half an hour to re-test. They were amazing.
First off... congratulations to your husband on his award. I clicked the link and that is a pretty awesome award. I spent a lot of time in the hospital with my mom last year and the nursing care was amazing. Neither of our local hospitals participates in the Daisy Award, but I'm going to bring it to their attention, because nurses need to be recognized for their good work. (Got LOTS of nurses in my family!) Second... my dear, your posts are NEVER boring! Your photos are gorgeous, your daughter is sweet and your family is beautiful. I love reading your posts and often wish that we had had digital cameras and blogs when my children were little (my oldest is 41 and my youngest is 31... and I'm OLD). Your blog is delightful. Good luck with your computer... I can so empathize. I was a Technology Assistant in a Middle School for many years and setting up new computers was both exciting and frustrating. I hope you get it all figured out soon!
I love the first photo - the gradients of grey and green. Hope you get your technology problems fixed.
That photo of Mount Hood (?) looks so majestic. Beautiful; all the layers of scenery in the foreground too. Good luck with the computers. Sounds like my idea of hell; I do not envy you!
You picked the best name for your blog. It is truly "cozy" as the photos show. Love visiting here.
Cheers for your accomplishments, Andy Paulson!
Reading about what you do... it really touches my heart,
and makes me happy for the people who are in your care.
And cheers for this entire post, because the *Slow Lady*
January was getting me a bit concerned. I am happy to see
all is well, and simply full of the details and busyness of good
and healthy lives.
laughed out loud at you thinking you may be boring ... not possible ... it's somehow comforting (not in any way mean-spirited way) to know that something does perplex you and you are not simply wonderful at everything :) i have had a new imac for a few months now and still have not connected the printer, got all the files together yada yara ... simply am not good at it at all and can not seem to find someone tech savvy to help ... best wishes and thank you for sharing all your loveliness :)
This part of winter is such a slog---the holidays are over, and you just have to endure all the gray days until spring finally gets here. I live in Iowa, and at least we haven't had allot of snow---I hate it when there are big piles of dirty snow everywhere you go. I see my bicycle parked in the garage, and it seems like I last rode it a million years ago.
Congratulations on your award Andy! Nurses are so essential, they are some of the most important people because they are there for the ones who suffer and fear. I wish they would be more recognised and valued here in Europe... for example with such awards.
Alicia, I rarely comment but I read your blog regularly since a long time now so I wanted to take the chance to say that it is lovely, I still like it very much after all this years. It is like a nice, cosy window into your world!
congratulations andy. i have only your lovely wife's posts to know that you deserve many awards. to you, alicia, better you than me. ('i' is snooty) re the computer. my younger son can roll his eyes quite well when i ask questions. those young whippersnappers (he's almost 30) come to it naturally and assume we should also. i admire your get-up-and-go and all the places you visit. i'd LOVE to be in an ice cream shop, deserted or not. long lunches with good food ditto. lovely post, as always. thank you.
Congratulations to your husband, what a wonderful honour. Nurses are such awesome people. And good luck with your technological issues, even your description of the work involved had my head spinning.
Congratulations Andy - I know from personal experience the huge impact that nursing care makes for a patient. When my husband had a cardiac arrest and was in intensive care - never expected to survive - the care he received (as did we all), enabled him to recover and come home. It was a miracle and they were like angels. I shall be eternally grateful to all those who helped him.
Yay Andy! :D
Congratulations Andy! The Daisy Award is a really big deal although I am not fond of the name. Is this not 2016?
Yay for Your Man! If I had Andy as my nurse, I know I'd develop a bad case of crush-itis!
Congratulations to Andy! As a nurse I understand all the daily challenges and rewards! It is an honor being a nurse and I can tell by what was written about him that he feels that way also! Thank you Andy!
Reading about Andy's award over on the other site made me cry. He truly deserved that award! Go Andy!!