Coffee and Cookies

Reconnecting

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 19:57:00 GMT

People are wary of relationships online. And I get that. I really do. I don't let my kids participate in chat in online games or anything along those lines because I know there are creepers out there. At the same time, though, I've met some truly amazing people thanks to the internet. Some 20 years ago now I was really active on a big crochet forum. I made friends I'll remember for the rest of my life, even if we've lost touch. I asked my husband to reach out to one of them on Facebook this morning, since I'm not on there anymore, and was so happy to get an email from her today. I was sad to hear that times are pretty rough for her right now, though. Vicki, if you ever see this, you're in my thoughts and prayers. I still have and cherish the afghan you made me all those years ago. When I was moving into a new place, my dad tried to convince me to leave it behind because he liked it so much, lol. That did not happen.

All the blog scrolling kind of got me to thinking. When I was on that forum and on Blogger, I was in one of the happiest stages of my life. I moved out of a house that was very difficult to live in, to a state I had loved since I was a just a kid. I had more autonomy, I was making my own money, choosing what to study in school. And I had passion. So much passion for crochet, for writing, for music, for animals. Somewhere along the way, I lost that. It's time to get it back. I'm not sure how. Maybe I'll start doing some charity crafting again. I always got a lot of fulfillment out of that. Will it work? Maybe. If not, I guess I'll come up with a different plan. I'm older now, but young enough that I quite possibly still have a lot of time left ahead of me. I can either sit and wallow in missing the way things used to be, as I have for too long, or I can try to make these "the good old days." I know which one will leave me with fewer regrets when this life is done. I think it's time to break out the old bucket list and try to check a few things off.

comments

I am From

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 18:35:31 GMT

Damn, it's been awhile since I was here. Guess I just haven't been feeling motivated. I've been feeling that way about a lot of things lately - just unmotivated. I think a lot of it has to do with the weather. Winter tends to get me down a bit. But it's getting warmer, it's been sunny most days, and I'm starting to feel a bit better. I've also been using the Finch app as a checklist, and it helps. Always feels good to cross something off a list, and know at the end of the day that I didn't just bedrot and doomscroll. I even got a head start on my garden. I got some leafy greens planted a few days ago, and am hoping for sprouts soon. I also started some tomato and pepper seedlings a couple weeks ago, but I don't plan on transplanting them for about another month. I got a few beds ready for planting, and have been looking at local places to order bulk soil. I'm fortunate to have a good-sized garden space (about 1,650 square feet), and am planning on filling it up this year. A lot of it is because it feels necessary. We've all seen food prices lately. But also, there's just nothing quite like walking into a space full of greenery and food you grew yourself. Kind of a summer sanctuary. I'm looking forward to seeing it (hopefully) thriving in a few months. One of my favorite things is watching my kids wander into the garden and harvest themselves a healthy snack. Canning season is going to be intense, but I'm looking forward to the feeling of fulfillment I'll get out of it.

I've been drifting back into nostalgia lately, and perusing a few friend's old blogs. Most of them haven't been updated in years, but since I'm not on Facebook anymore, and don't have their email addresses...I don't even know what I'm trying to say. Reading their old blogs almost feels like reconnecting with an old friend. I came across the "I am From" poem idea and template on one of them, so what the hell, let's give it a shot. Writing used to be my biggest passion, but I rarely do it anymore. Maybe this will give me a jumpstart back into something that used to bring me so much joy.

I am from books

From Cheerios and Folger's coffee

I am from the yellow-turned-blue house, large, carpeted, tense

I am from roses, pink and yellow and fragrant

I'm from Christmas Eve pajamas and addiction

From my mother and my father

I'm from walking on eggshells and keeping quiet

From "you can be anything" and "stop your snivelling"

I'm from a church I no longer believe in, of hellfire and brimstone

I'm from Germany and Sweden and the good ol' USA

Steaks on the grill, stew in the crockpot

From the cat following me around the kitchen island as I dragged a string of Mardi Gras beads for him to
chase

The way my mother tried her best to protect us

The box full of photos in the guest room

That remind me I'm no longer the timid little girl who kept her mouth shut, but a woman with resilience and grit.

That got deeper than I expected. Honestly, it feels good.

comments

It's Time for a Break

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 19:35:16 GMT

It's been a bit of a week. My husband and the kids are getting over being sick, and yesterday it felt like it was my turn. I woke up with a sore throat, but fortunately it's better today. I've been organizing community drives since around June for an organization I volunteer with, and was able to get donations dropped off at the food bank, as well as toys to a local organization that will distribute them to kids in need for the holidays. As much as I don't really enjoy the area where I live, I will say that we do have a pretty generous community. We gathered over 100 gifts and toys, and nearly 300 food items for our most recent drive. Our grand total of items donated since the summer, when we started, is nearly 2,269 items. When things are as rocky as they've felt lately, it feels good to help people give back.

I'm taking a break from my afghan. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, but when I add the end sections, they flare out and it makes it look like some sort of wonky Christmas bow. I've been crocheting for over 30 years and a rectangle is going to be the death of me, lol. I'll come back to it eventually, but I need to step back from it for a bit. When I was dinking around at the craft store the other day, I grabbed a free pattern for a knitted shawl, and a skein of Lion Brand Mandala Baby in the Rainbow Falls colorway. I think Mandala is probably one of my favorite yarns - soft, easy to work with, and a lot of fun colorways. I basically picked it up as a way to keep my hands busy when I'm sitting in the car waiting to pick up my kids from school, but I think it's going to be really cute. I may end up donating it to a pride organization, since I rarely wear shawls. It just looked like a fun way to occupy my hands.

The wind is still crazy, enough that a tree hit a power line sometime last night and knocked out power to about half the city. Our recycling bin was across the street at the neighbor's house this morning, and something must have happened on the road I take the kids to school on. They had part of it closed down. On our detour, we saw a house with an uprooted tree that had landed on their fence and their neighbor's car.

All in all, I'm just plugging along.

comments

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 18:25:04 GMT

So a couple days ago, after I picked up my kids from school, we went to the store. We needed milk and cold medicine. That was it. I'll only buy chips if they're on a good sale, so my son asked if we could check if they were that day. Okay, no problem. They were. We picked out a few bags, got the cold medicine, and wandered around the store for a bit. I honestly don't even remember what all we got, but milk somehow didn't make it to the cart. We walked out with four bags of chips and no milk. Yay, Mom.

So yesterday, I went back to the store for the milk, got distracted by the little naan rounds I saw, and decided those would be fun to make mini pizzas with for dinner that night. Wandered around a bit longer to get stuff for that. I did manage to remember the milk this time, so I'm just gonna consider that a win. It turns out ten minutes in a 400 degree oven is a bit too long for mini flatbread pizzas. Pizza shouldn't be crunchy, but ours was. All 12 of them got eaten, though.

In the evening, I rearranged Pongo's tank. Took some old toys out to make room for different ones, and moved his wheel from the end of the tank to the middle. It was fun watching him explore and popcorn. A week or two ago, he got a housing upgrade. He had started chewing the bars on his bin cage, despite it being a pretty decent size full of clutter, and having playtime with me a couple times a day. We dug out my husband's old 55-gallon fish tank, cleaned it up, and made a mesh topper for it. It took him a few days to adjust, but he seems to be enjoying it. I'm able to pack in a lot more bedding for him to burrow in, and it's easier to add lots of activities and clutter. I made him a swing using a small wooden tray hung by jute from a small wired shelf, all from the dollar store. He spent a good bit of time climbing in and out of it, so I think it's safe to say he likes it. Right now, he's out for playtime with me on the couch, checking out his toys and coming over the check in with me periodically. I cover the couch in blankets for poop control while he's out. I'm going to get those washed today.

I'll probably get my bubble wrap put up on my windows today, too. The weather has been unseasonably warm, but I expect it won't be too long before it really begins to feel like winter. As far as I know, the windows on our house are originals from when it was built in the mid-50's. They may not be, but they do let in a good draft at times. I've been putting bubble wrap on them the last few years, and it makes a difference. Spritz some water on the windows, and smooth it on with the bubbles against the window. Between that, closing the curtains, and hanging blankets over the entire thing if necessary, it keeps us pretty cozy.

comments

This Wind is Ridiculous

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 21:47:07 GMT

I know fall/winter is the windy season in my area, but holy cow. If my chickens try to fly, they'll probably break their records for distance. We need to get a new latch on the back screen door. It's pretty weak, and the wind keeps opening it and slamming it shut.

My son's Boy Scout troop helped sort toys for Toys for Tots last night. I wasn't sure he would want to go, but he was gung-ho about it. When he got home, he said he had a good time, and talked about being involved in the community. I was pretty proud of him in that moment. I'm a former social worker, and still try to stay involved locally as I can, so I'm glad to see him doing something along those lines. We were supposed to go to an event at his school this morning to have cocoa and hear the school choir sing Christmas carols, but he woke up not feeling well. We'll have to do something fun to make up for it. My husband is just getting over being sick, and my daughter was sick before that, so I'm hoping my turn isn't next. 'Tis the season for carols, gifts, and germs.

The organization I volunteer with is having their Christmas party this Saturday. The introvert, anxious part of me really isn't looking forward to it. I'll probably be fine when I get there, though. I have a tendency to work myself up ahead of time over situations that typically turn out to be just fine. I probably wouldn't go, except a friend and I organized a toy drive during it, and I need to be there to help collect, count and deliver. The toys will be going to a local organization that serves local schools, and they'll give them out to families who may not be able to afford gifts for their kids, otherwise.

I didn't get any Christmas wrapping done yesterday, but I did manage to get a bit of decluttering done, plus mostly catch up on laundry, so that felt good. I'm thinking I might do some decorating after I pick my daughter up from school. She enjoys helping with stuff like that. She made a wreath out of green paper handprints at school, so we'll have to find a good place to display it. I've been making progress on my son's afghan, and I think if I hustle I can have it done before Christmas. RIP, my wrists. I'm hoping to get it done early enough to make an egg apron for my daughter.

Might be a good night to spend a bit of time on Betrayal in Antara for a bit, too. I love my old Sierra games.

comments

Starting Off the Day

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 17:39:51 GMT

I'm going to try to make today a good day. I've been tired a lot, but usually feel better after I get something accomplished. Dishes, laundry, all that good stuff. I've discovered that folding laundry isn't so bad if I have a video going to focus on, and a hot drink on the table beside me. Just because I have to do it doesn't mean I can't pamper myself a bit at the same time, right? I should probably get a start on wrapping Christmas gifts, too.

I'm planning on doing a declutter challenge in January. I did the mins game this summer and ended up getting rid of nearly 500 items. I'm not sure if I'll do that again or the "one a day" technique - declutter one drawer, get one bag ready for donation, etc. I've never been one to enjoy cleaning, but it felt good to get all of that out of my house, and it wasn't too difficult to keep up on. At the risk of sounding morbid, eventually I won't be here, and I don't want my kids having to deal with my crap after I'm gone. Plus it's nice to have the extra space.

Right now my pet mouse Pongo is hanging out on the couch with me having some playtime. Love that little guy, even if he can be a bit of a stinker when he wants to be. I need to take my dog for a walk in a bit, too. Poor girl is getting older (she's 14), and she doesn't have a lot of energy to play anymore. She still loves her walks, though.

Like I said in my last post, it's been a long time since I blogged. Back in the 2000's, I was on Blogger and BraveJournal for awhile, but haven't looked at my Blogger account in years. I'm not sure if BraveJournal is even still around. I guess I'm just missing that era. When the internet was about fun and connection, not somebody trying to sell me something all the time. I miss Yahoo Answers, talking with family on MSN Messenger, being able to search for a recipe and not having to scroll past link after link with "15 ways to make this" or "22 ways to make that." I miss actual human connection. I suppose change is a necessary exchange for having made it this far in life.

I need to get back to doing things just because I enjoy them. I'm working on an afghan for my son for Christmas, and that's been enjoyable. When I'm done with that, maybe I'll pull my coloring books out again.

comments

Giving This A Shot

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 00:54:00 GMT

It's probably been close to 20 years since I last blogged. I've got that millenial nostalgia and figured, why not? Let's give it another go. Maybe I'll stick with it for a few years, or maybe it'll keep my attention for about a week. Gotta love that ADHD. In the meantime, I'll probably find something to ramble on about.

comments