Tuesday, January 30, 2018

If this is Tuesday, it must be England #87


If I could have one luxury appliance in our forever home, it would be an AGA range.


What is AGA?
Beneath the classic looks of every AGA range is a heart of cast iron: the entire range is an outstandingly efficient energy store, steadily transferring the heat from its core into its ovens and hotplates. (Source: https://www.agamarvel.com/aga/ - follow this link to watch a short video titled The AGA Story)

We had an AGA in the first house my parents bought and it was amazing.  Not only did it keep the kitchen toasty warm, it was such an experience to cook on it.  I remember that we had a huge frying pan that fit on the burner, it was large enough to fry eggs and bacon for the entire family!  We made toast on the burner as well, using two utensils similar to those round splatter screens you place over your frying pan.  In this case, the bread went in between the screens and was toasted to perfection.  I can't remember all the details of how Mum cooked on the AGA but I can remember that everything was delicious.  We also had doll bunk beds right next to it, and the cats loved their toasty sleeping spot.

Every time I watch Midsomer Murders or the recent cooking videos that Mary Berry has filmed in her home, there is an AGA.  They come in a variety of models and colors.

This seemed the perfect post for a chilly Tuesday!

I'd love to have this tea pot as well, in this color as this was the color of our AGA. 

Monday, January 29, 2018

Life Last Week 2018-3


The weather:::
This week is crazy - rain today, snow tomorrow, sunny Wednesday and Thursday (high of 60 degrees forecast), and then snow again on Friday.  Talk about your ups and downs.

On my reading pile:::
Still haven't made it to the library.

On my TV:::
Finished up Morrocco, Love in Times of War on Netflix as well as Season 4 of Grace and Frankie.  We're working our way through Knightfall on The History Channel.  Looking forward to the Winter Olympics.

On the menu last week:::
Once again I have to report that this week I will endeavor to write down what we had for dinner so I can report next week.  Although I have a rough menu plan, I'm not sure whether we will stick to it or not!

Checked off the list:::
  • Went for Part II of my overseas screening and now my package has gone to Japan to see if they can support my medical needs (if any should come up).
  • Haircut - I have a cowlick right where my part falls and my hairdresser suggested growing out the bangs on that side so that the weight of the hair would make it less noticeable.  I was not happy when I left the hairdresser as my bangs only went 2/3 of the way across my forehead!  I'm happy to say that my blow-drying efforts (which are as dicey as my knife skills, lol) resulted in a better look.
  • A fun and very successful Rudolph Day - I hope I can keep the ball rolling through the year.
Crafts roundup:::
Still working on Project Life and I need to line up the supplies for my CIJ ornament for this year's swap so that I can work on it on February Rudolph Day.  It doesn't help that I have now found three other ornaments on Pinterest that are really cute and may be what I'll make instead!  I'm abandoning 365 Questions - I didn't write them down last week and it's a pain to try to remember the answers to the questions for each day.  I'm adding this one to Things to Do in 2019 - I actually found a couple's Question a Day journal at Barnes and Noble that looks interesting.  Need to think more about that.

I needed a photo of the two of us for my Project Life spread and we had another one of those we.really.fail.at.taking.selfies sessions - take a picture (no, Vic's eyes were squinty), take another (wait, I wasn't smiling yet), take another (when we could both manage to stop laughing), take another (no, I wasn't ready for that one either), take another (I think that's the one!).

Saturday, January 27, 2018

International Holocaust Remembrance Day


The United Nations General Assembly designated January 27—the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau—as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. On this annual day of commemoration, the UN urges every member state to honor the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and millions of other victims of Nazism and to develop educational programs to help prevent future genocides.
Join the conversation and share your reflections about International Holocaust Remembrance Day on social media using #WeRemember.

Thursday, January 25, 2018

January Rudolph Day


January was all about tying up loose ends, gathering ideas, and organizing your Christmas notebook.  There were a lot of loose ends around the house:


Clockwise from top left:  Vic bought a fresh wreath from one of his co-workers and it's time to bid it farewell (I did take off the embellishments to reuse); miscellaneous ornaments I hadn't put away (the three-tier tub needed to be inventoried); the tins holding the ornament hangers, spare bulbs, and other bits and pieces that always seem to be among the last things to put away; naughty and nice mugs; a box with gift tags and bits of ribbons; our Christmas cards, a gift photobook, and my December Daily 2017 album.  I'm happy to say that they are now all in their assigned Christmas tub, box, or closet.

A double-feature for the Rudolph Day move today, A Christmas Kiss and Christmas Kiss II, both very enjoyable.


I also organized my planner, updating the gift list for my nephews, and found the ornament I plan to make for the Christmas in July Ornament Swap with my Magical Holiday Home friends.  I can't post it here because a couple of them read my blog but I can tell you it's really cute.

I hope you had an enjoyable Rudolph Day!

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

If this is Tuesday, it must be England #86


Not one, but two royal weddings are on the calendar for 2018.  First Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and now Princess Eugenie of York has announced her engagement to Jack Brooksbank.


It's time for a Happy Dance!

Monday, January 22, 2018

January Rudolph Day is coming!


Here's the three day warning for those of you who do not know about Rudolph Day and for those of you who know about it but may not realize that it is coming up this week!

What's Rudolph Day? Here is the definition according to Organized Christmas:
A few years ago, members of our Christmas community began to observe "Rudolph Day" on the 25th of each month.
On that day, we take a few moments to plan some simple tasks for the month ahead, in order to get ready for Christmas Day with plenty of time to spare. By starting early--and working a bit at a time on each month's Rudolph Day--it's easy to prepare for Christmas, save money on gifts, and cut holiday stress.
Here's the annual line-up with the sub-theme in parentheses:

January - Tie Up Loose Ends (gather ideas and organize your Christmas notebook)
February - Begin a Holiday Letter
March - Birthday Gift-Buying Strategy (party planning for the holiday season)
April - Plan Holiday Crafts 
May - Catalog Shopping Tips
June - Recipe Round Up
July - Choose a Holiday Plan (Christmas in July celebration)
August - Craft Control (thinking ahead to Elf on the Shelf)
September - Prepare for Holiday Gifts and Giving
October - Plan Holiday Meals
November - Write Holiday Letter

The bottom line is...prepare for Christmas by doing something every month and make the 25th of each month a Rudolph Day by doing something Christmasy!

This is the year I plan for Rudolph Day each month - I have a planner, there's no excuse not to get organized!  Yes, I've said it before but this will be the year!

Check back on the evening of January 25th to see how I celebrated Rudolph Day.

Life Last Week 2018-2


Thanks for checking in with me - all is well, life just got in the way over the last week or so but I'm back and here we go with Life Last Week and a catch-up of 365 Questions which I'll be turning into a weekly feature at the end of the weekly recap.

The weather:::
46 degrees and partly cloudy today with a high of 66 forecast.  We had another snow day last week - Winter Storm Inga dropped a couple of inches late Wednesday afternoon.  Schools were closed that day in anticipation of the storm and on a delay on Thursday because of the icy road conditions.  We then had two days of warmer temperatures that melted everything away.


On my reading pile:::
Finally finished Part Four of Keep the Home Fires Burning and haven't picked up anything new.  Haven't made it to the library yet this year either.


On my TV:::
We binged through Victoria on PBS Passport and can't wait for Season 3.  Morrocco, Love in Times of War on Netflix is quite good although the dubbed audio is terrible!  Grace and Frankie, Season 4, started on Friday and is always good for a laugh.  Looking forward to the return of Call the Midwife in March.


On the menu last week:::
This week I will endeavor to write down what we had for dinner so I can report next week.  If you take this to mean that I haven't a clue what's on the menu for the week ahead, you are absolutely right!


Checked off the list:::
  • Colonoscopy although the recovery was the roughest part - I was just about at the point of going back to the doctor for the abdominal pain when it went away - guess it was just a slightly longer than anticipated recovery.
  • Went to the diabetes education class (two higher than normal A1c labs got me this new diagnosis) - didn't really learn anything I didn't already know but it was nice to have the handouts and to set some goals with the educator.  I know what I NEED to do, it's just DOING it that is my problem.
  • Along those lines, we fell off the Whole 30 wagon big time and are struggling to get back on.  There are just so many temptations.


Crafts roundup:::
Worked to get the first three weeks of the year into my Project Life album so that I can work on and stick to a schedule for each week going forward.  Must remember to take a photo every day and print them out on Mondays.

Here's the updated 365 Questions for January:

January 1 - I want to change the direction my health is taking.
January 2 - I am most grateful for the love of my family.
January 3 - I have the freedom to volunteer, pursue my interests, and be at home when Vic's traveling gives him time off so yes, I am content.
January 4 - My best memory of last year was on August 20, the day we picked Sophia up from the airport after not having seen her for nine months.
January 5 -  My last major accomplishment was a trip to the dentist which left me not afraid to go back again.
January 6 - I could not live without my reading glasses!
January 7 - Yes, I believe that, with determination and support, people can change.
January 8 - The Sausage, Egg, Spinach, and Mushroom Casserole I made was the last "good" thing I ate as it was healthy and delicious.
January 9 - I'm not snacking on the Whole 30 right now but if I were snacking, I'd choose pretzels.
January 10 - I smiled when I woke up to find Vic touching my forehead to make sure I didn't have a temperature after my colonoscopy procedure yesterday.
January 11 - My favorite accessory is my Michael Kors electric blue Jet Set Medium Saffiano Leather Travel Tote which holds everything!
January 12 - I can't think of anything to be mad about today!
January 13 - We ate smoked pork butt, pasta salad, potato salad, and baked beans for dinner at Vic's co-worker's 40th birthday party.
January 14 - Among the things I got done today were laundry, emptying the dishwasher, and binge-watching Season 2 of Victoria.
January 15 - Sophia was the last person to call me on the phone.
January 16 - I am in love with Vic.
January 17 - I am grateful for wonderful friends, near and far.
January 18 - The best part of today was when I knew Vic had arrived safely at work after having to drive on icy roads.
January 19 - My current favorite website is The Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor.
January 20 - My Type II diabetes diagnosis is the hardest thing I am dealing with right now.
January 21 - Today I wish I had more self-control when it comes to my eating habits.

And a little extra:::
How about those Patriots!


She may be embedded in Seahawks country but she's Tom's girl, through and through!

Friday, January 12, 2018

365 Questions - January 12

Check here to see the full details on 365 Questions - one line a day, every day, for five years.  I moved this month's questions over to the sidebar.

January 1 - I want to change the direction my health is taking.
January 2 - I am most grateful for the love of my family.
January 3 - I have the freedom to volunteer, pursue my interests, and be at home when Vic's traveling gives him time off so yes, I am content.
January 4 - My best memory of last year was on August 20, the day we picked Sophia up from the airport after not having seen her for nine months.
January 5 -  My last major accomplishment was a trip to the dentist which left me not afraid to go back again.
January 6 - I could not live without my reading glasses!
January 7 - Yes, I believe that, with determination and support, people can change.
January 8 - The Sausage, Egg, Spinach, and Mushroom Casserole I made was the last "good" thing I ate as it was healthy and delicious.
January 9 - I'm not snacking on the Whole 30 right now but if I were snacking, I'd choose pretzels.
January 10 - I smiled when I woke up to find Vic touching my forehead to make sure I didn't have a temperature after my colonoscopy procedure yesterday.
January 11 - My favorite accessory is my Michael Kors electric blue Jet Set Medium Saffiano Leather Travel Tote which holds everything!
January 12 - I can't think of anything to be mad about today!

Thursday, January 11, 2018

365 Questions - January 11

Check here to see the full details on 365 Questions - one line a day, every day, for five years.

January 1 - I want to change the direction my health is taking.
January 2 - I am most grateful for the love of my family.
January 3 - I have the freedom to volunteer, pursue my interests, and be at home when Vic's traveling gives him time off so yes, I am content.
January 4 - My best memory of last year was on August 20, the day we picked Sophia up from the airport after not having seen her for nine months.
January 5 -  My last major accomplishment was a trip to the dentist which left me not afraid to go back again.
January 6 - I could not live without my reading glasses!
January 7 - Yes, I believe that, with determination and support, people can change.
January 8 - The Sausage, Egg, Spinach, and Mushroom Casserole I made was the last "good" thing I ate as it was healthy and delicious.
January 9 - I'm not snacking on the Whole 30 right now but if I were snacking, I'd choose pretzels.
January 10 - I smiled when I woke up to find Vic touching my forehead to make sure I didn't have a temperature after my colonoscopy procedure yesterday.
January 11 - My favorite accessory is my Michael Kors electric blue Jet Set Medium Saffiano Leather Travel Tote which holds everything!

Wednesday, January 10, 2018

10 on the 10th - January


I'm linking up with Erin from Perfectly Port Family for 10 on the 10th.  This month's prompt is 10 Random Facts About Me.

1.  I am a memory-keeping-aholic.  I have been a scrapbooker for almost twenty years and have recently delved into the world of digital scrapbooking to use templates and overlays on my photos.  I loved Ali Edwards' December Daily project and look forward to One Little Word in 2018.

December Daily 2017 - an album full of fun and great memories

2.  I am also addicted to planners and planner stickers.  I love to be organized and my planner is such a creative outlet for that.  It's part calendar, part journal, and all fun!

Love my Erin Condren planner!

3.  I am a virtual traveler.  I have friends and family all over the world and I love to see the places they live and visit.  I am constantly Googling new destinations and saving details in my favorites for trips of a lifetime.

4.  I love England and all things English - cups of tea, afternoon tea, the Royal Family, the history, the countryside, the coastline, the mountains, the lakes and lochs, say or show me anything English and I am happy.

5.  I am longing for our forever home.  We have been a Navy family for almost 24 years with constant travel and I am so looking forward to the day when I can set up house and have it stay that way.  That being said, my parents were a military couple as well and they didn't stop moving even after their Army days were over.  We'll see what retirement brings for us.

6.  I also love Christmas and so happy to be a part of a group of fellow Christmas-lovers - Magical Holiday Home.  It's amazing how friendships are formed over the Internet.  I would love to meet up with some of the members of this group one day.

7.  I don't think I could live without Excel.  I love spreadsheets and use them for just about everything - budgeting, keeping lists, making timelines, you can do just about anything with Excel.

8.  A fellow blogger posted this quote "You have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your handsome prince" and although I didn't kiss a LOT of frogs, I did wait until I was 32 to find my handsome prince.  Vic and I will celebrate our 25th anniversary this year - it's been an adventure from day one.  Take a loving-everything-about-Christmas woman and a man who had never had a Christmas tree before, a shopper and a saver, I could go on and on with the differences between us, two people who perfected the art of compromise to make an amazing marriage.  Our friends always remark that we have so much fun together.

I wanted the perfect shot of us with our holiday drink cups so I slipped off the sleeves.  Vic started to make a ruckus because the cups were really hot and he was burning his hand and I started to giggle and that was it, we both burst out laughing.  This is so much better than that perfect shot I'd envisioned.

9.  My favorite meal to prepare is afternoon tea.  I love to make or source the tiny sandwiches, scones, and miniature desserts.  We are on the hunt for the perfect tea room wherever we live or visit.

10.  I'm a city girl at heart.  Give me a loft in the middle of New York or San Francisco (or London or Paris) and the budget to live that lifestyle and I'd be in heaven.  However, I am a realist and I know that I am happiest with my family wherever we are.  I don't really consider myself a homemaker because there are lots of things about being at home that I don't really enjoy but making a home for my family wherever the Navy sends us is exactly what I want to do.

365 Questions - January 10

Check here to see the full details on 365 Questions - one line a day, every day, for five years.

January 1 - I want to change the direction my health is taking.
January 2 - I am most grateful for the love of my family.
January 3 - I have the freedom to volunteer, pursue my interests, and be at home when Vic's traveling gives him time off so yes, I am content.
January 4 - My best memory of last year was on August 20, the day we picked Sophia up from the airport after not having seen her for nine months.
January 5 -  My last major accomplishment was a trip to the dentist which left me not afraid to go back again.
January 6 - I could not live without my reading glasses!
January 7 - Yes, I believe that, with determination and support, people can change.
January 8 - The Sausage, Egg, Spinach, and Mushroom Casserole I made was the last "good" thing I ate as it was healthy and delicious.
January 9 - I'm not snacking on the Whole 30 right now but if I were snacking, I'd choose pretzels.
January 10 - I smiled when I woke up to find Vic touching my forehead to make sure I didn't have a temperature after my colonoscopy procedure yesterday.

Tuesday, January 9, 2018

365 Questions - January 9

Check here to see the full details on 365 Questions - one line a day, every day, for five years.

January 1 - I want to change the direction my health is taking.
January 2 - I am most grateful for the love of my family.
January 3 - I have the freedom to volunteer, pursue my interests, and be at home when Vic's traveling gives him time off so yes, I am content.
January 4 - My best memory of last year was on August 20, the day we picked Sophia up from the airport after not having seen her for nine months.
January 5 -  My last major accomplishment was a trip to the dentist which left me not afraid to go back again.
January 6 - I could not live without my reading glasses!
January 7 - Yes, I believe that, with determination and support, people can change.
January 8 - The Sausage, Egg, Spinach, and Mushroom Casserole I made was the last "good" thing I ate as it was healthy and delicious.
January 9 - I'm not snacking on the Whole 30 right now but if I were snacking, I'd choose pretzels.

If this is Tuesday, it must be England #85


Happy 36th Birthday to Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge seen here with Prince William and the Duke of Edinburgh on their walk to church services at Sandringham last Sunday.  You can read more here.

Monday, January 8, 2018

TBB Asks - January 2018


This looked like fun - I can handle a monthly meme a lot better than I can a weekly one since I have quite a few regular features of my own.  Check it out here.

1.  Resolutions or No Resolutions?
I usually make resolutions although this year, it's more of a major project.  I'm participating in Ali Edwards' One Little Word, memory-keeping for 2018. and I chose {change} as my word.  I want to change the path my health is taking, we will change our family dynamic this year when we have a college graduate in the family, no longer a college student, and we face major changes in our lives with Vic's orders to Okinawa.  Much is to be determined.

2.  Love snow or no snow?
I love the snow, but I would prefer it in an area that knows how to cope with it.

3.  Name a new place you want to go this year.
The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.  We didn't make it at Christmas but we will make it before we leave the East Coast.

4.  Would you rather have a new hair cut or a new hair color?
A new hair cut.  I have never, ever colored my hair in any way and I'm not about to start now.

5.  Name one special thing you want to do for yourself this year.
Drop at least two dress sizes.

6.  Least favorite thing about January.
It's so bare everywhere when all the Christmas decorations are put away.

7.  Most favorite thing about January.
It's usually the coldest month and if that means some snow, I love the Winter Wonderland look.

8.  When do you take down your holiday decorations?
Usually shortly after Christmas Day.  As much as I love to have the house decorated, once the packages are gone and the stockings are empty, it's time to get back to normal.

9.  Do you diet in January?
Yes, always, not very successfully.  This year, however, will be different.

10.  What area of your home do you want to organize the most?
The craft room.  It needs a total overhaul.

11.  Favorite Winter Comfort Food?
Beef and Vegetable Soup - it's a made-up recipe, a little of this and a little of that and it tastes amazing.

12.  Favorite Guilty Pleasure?
Starbucks.  It became more of a guilty habit in December so I'm saving it this year for very special occasions only.  One Pumpkin Spice Latte on the day they debut, one Holiday drink on our annual major craft fair outing (oh my goodness, can I stop at just those two?)

Life Last Week 2018-1


I'm revving up the Life Last Week feature for 2018 - it's a take on Diary of a Stay at Home Mom's Happy Homemaker Monday but it's for last week not the coming week.

The weather:::

17 degrees right now but there is a high of 44 forecast for today.  Bombogenesis, the White Hurricane (sounds like something out of Game of Thrones), swept through here last Wednesday night and although the snow stopped falling about noon on Thursday, the secondary roads are still in very bad shape and the residential streets have not been touched.  Everything shut down on Thursday and Friday - military bases open to mission essential personnel only and schools, government offices, and most businesses were closed - and the schools will most likely be closed until Wednesday.  Southeastern Virginia cannot cope with snow.

On my reading pile:::
I am still reading Part Four of Keep the Home Fires Burning.

On my TV:::
Over the New Year's holiday weekend, we binged our way through all five seasons of A Place to Call Home, what a fabulous series, how had we not found it before?  I forgot to cancel our free trial of Sling TV so we're in for another month of HGTV and The Food Network.


On the menu last week:::
I got a little lost with the menu planning and quite honestly, can't exactly remember what we ate on what night but it was something like this:

New Year's Day - Leg of Lamb with Carrots, Turnips, and Cabbage - some people eat Black-Eyed Peas for New Year's, we eat Carrots and Turnips
Tuesday - Bubble and Squeak - the leftovers from above tossed in a frying pan and fried up until they are crispy on the bottom
Wednesday - Lamb Korma (I cut the boneless leg of lamb in half - half I roasted on New Year's Day, the other half I cubed and used for korma
Thursday - Salmon,  Roasted Red Potatoes, Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Friday - Leftovers
Saturday (our third day housebound after the blizzard) - Leftovers again
Sunday - Beef and Vegetable Stew for Vic and I was on the Low Residue Diet (pre-colonoscopy prep) so I had a piece of baked white fish


Checked off the list:::
  • Picked my One Little Word for 2018 - change
  • Bangs trim
  • Sat in on the gift shop board meeting for the spouses' group President as she had to work
  • Nine days into the Whole 30 and still going strong
  • New phone for Vic - iPhone 8 Plus - his phone has had a hardware problem for some time that meant apps would jump from one to another at random, so annoying, but his phone died its ultimate death when it fell into the toilet.  Note:  Back pocket of jeans is not the place to put your iPhone when you're doing your business.  Pants down, pants back up, iPhone popped right out of the back pocket.


Crafts roundup:::
Finishing up my December Daily and moving on to One Little Word, started 365 Questions here on the blog, set up my Erin Condren planner for the first three months of 2018.

That's it for Life Last Week January 1-7 and I'll add today's question to the list below.

Check here to see the full details on 365 Questions - one line a day, every day, for five years.

January 1 - I want to change the direction my health is taking.
January 2 - I am most grateful for the love of my family.
January 3 - I have the freedom to volunteer, pursue my interests, and be at home when Vic's traveling gives him time off so yes, I am content.
January 4 - My best memory of last year was on August 20, the day we picked Sophia up from the airport after not having seen her for nine months.
January 5 -  My last major accomplishment was a trip to the dentist which left me not afraid to go back again.
January 6 - I could not live without my reading glasses!
January 7 - Yes, I believe that, with determination and support, people can change.
January 8 - The Sausage, Egg, Spinach, and Mushroom Casserole I made was the last "good" thing I ate as it was healthy and delicious.

Sunday, January 7, 2018

365 Questions - January 7

Check here to see the full details on 365 Questions - one line a day, every day, for five years.

January 1 - I want to change the direction my health is taking.
January 2 - I am most grateful for the love of my family.
January 3 - I have the freedom to volunteer, pursue my interests, and be at home when Vic's traveling gives him time off so yes, I am content.
January 4 - My best memory of last year was on August 20, the day we picked Sophia up from the airport after not having seen her for nine months.
January 5 -  My last major accomplishment was a trip to the dentist which left me not afraid to go back again.
January 6 - I could not live without my reading glasses!
January 7 - Yes, I believe that, with determination and support, people can change.

Saturday, January 6, 2018

365 Questions - January 6

Check here to see the full details on 365 Questions - one line a day, every day, for five years.

January 1 - I want to change the direction my health is taking.
January 2 - I am most grateful for the love of my family.
January 3 - I have the freedom to volunteer, pursue my interests, and be at home when Vic's traveling gives him time off so yes, I am content.
January 4 - My best memory of last year was on August 20, the day we picked Sophia up from the airport after not having seen her for nine months.
January 5 -  My last major accomplishment was a trip to the dentist which left me not afraid to go back again.
January 6 - I could not live without my reading glasses!

Friday, January 5, 2018

365 Questions - January 5


I was searching on Pinterest for blog ideas and I came across these monthly journal prompts.  The credit goes to Tami Taylor - 365 Questions and to Debbie Hodge at get it SCRAPPED and they are prompts for a 5-year journal program.  Tami's link is broken but Debbie's post is very interesting - one line a day, every day, for five years.

January 1 - I want to change the direction my health is taking.
January 2 - I am most grateful for the love of my family.
January 3 - I have the freedom to volunteer, pursue my interests, and be at home when Vic's traveling gives him time off so yes, I am content.
January 4 - My best memory of last year was on August 20, the day we picked Sophia up from the airport after not having seen her for nine months.
January 5 -  My last major accomplishment was a trip to the dentist which left me not afraid to go back again.