Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

My kid on the porch in the snow

Wake up time:  7:30-ish. I'm getting pretty standard with going to bed around ten, reading until 11pm or so, sleeping until 7-something. I've cut my ambien in half for the past two nights and have slept well. I'm waking more during the night but going back to sleep with no trouble and I feel less doped up first thing in the morning. The first night I tried no ambien, cold turkey and the next day was bad, real bad. I woke up feeling really weepy and depressed and seriously didn't want to move. I've had a lot of low points over the course of my life but this was the first time I truly felt immobile. It got better as the day went on. That night I took my regular dose and slept well. Sunday night and last night I went with half an ambien plus sleepy-time tea and that seems to do the trick. I'm aiming for being off ambien except for the worst pain days, using it as rarely as I use the strong pain meds. Sleep training a baby ain't easy but sleep training an adult is no joke either. 

How I'm feeling:  Congested. Having more hip/back pain.  Had two bad days of evil gut pain and it seems to have eased today. Still there but not bad enough to need drugs.

Brrrrr!

How's the weather?  We had an exciting snowfall today that unfortunately did not result in any accumulation. I know, I know... those of you with real inconvenient snow issues would gladly give yours away. I don't want a deadly snow. I just want a day or so of beautiful. Is that too much to ask? I'm certain it's not going to happen this Winter. That's my attempt at reverse psychology. Do you think the weather is buying it? 

What I wore today: It's time to do laundry. Today I'm in the favorite new sweater/hoodie with my brown flowy-gypsy skirt, brown leggings, pink/purple/white striped fuzzy socks. Yesterday I wore jeans for half the day but ended up in my oldest, most wornout pair of pajama pants. 

Hairstyle of the day: the Katniss braid

Makeup: no but I did wear some yesterday. It's over rated. 

Bethy on the laptop in the kitchen

What I watched today:  been watching stuff from the DVR today. Having a mini-How I Met Your Mother marathon and then one episode of Grey's Anatomy. My nieces came over this afternoon and we watched most of Ramona and Beezus - super cute movie. Actually Jamie and I watched it while Sarabeth played games on the laptop - she's such a pre-teen!  Please note that she is wearing shorts. She always wears shorts. She said that tomorrow she will probably have to wear jeans and she is not happy about it. 

What I'm reading: I've downloaded a few new (free) biographies from Barnes and Noble's website. I'm still reading the Steven Tyler biography. I read fast, I really do but I am only reading about an hour a day. I need to have a day where I do nothing but read but... then who would tend to my Farmville2 farm?  

What I ate today:  I had... three fig newtons and a handful of goldfish crackers this morning. Austin made mac and cheese for lunch. For dinner last night I had chicken salad on homemade cheese bread. My dad is getting into baking bread. It's too cold for golf. My appetite is kind of wonky. For dinner tonight I had leftover beef stew that I made on Sunday. It turned out really bad. Pop had me try this old recipe for it that included allspice and cloves and it was just too weird. So we have leftover stew. I had it with homemade bread. 

What I drank today: I'm hooked on Simply Orange Orange and Mango juice. It's addictive. It's cold enough outside for me to use the "downstairs refrigerator" (the shed) so I've got it handy. I've been alternating with green tea to loosen the congestion in my chest. 

Where I went today:  I was all over the porch taking snow pictures. Yesterday me and mom went to town. Today I drove over to Leaf Grocery with Austin. Leaf Grocery is a gas station that also has some groceries and hot food. It's the closest store to us and it's probably... I don't know... four or five miles. Too far to walk.  

Jamie having an afterschool burger

What I did today:  Got super giddy about the snow. Watched tv. Played a lot of Farmville2. Visited with my nieces. 

Visitors to the Hollow:  Sarbeth and Jamie. Old Man Winter. 

Goals for the week/on the wish list:  It seems like it was just weekend and it's already halfway through this week. It goes so fast.  

Thought for the day:  Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. 

Working on homework with James

Some more pictures... 

Happy Tuesday, y'all. 

Admiring the snow

It came down steady but didn't stick

Austin + Oscar + snow

See the little white dots? It's all I've got.