She learned her hands in a fairy-tale

 I had energy! But my pain was so bad I still couldn't get out of bed. This is pissing me off.

On the bright side, I'm still making writing progress since I figured out how to use Google Docs on my phone. A sentence or two here and there adds up to a full days' writing without it feeling like I even tried.

 Everything I bought in January, except food and medical supplies. I don't feel like I have to justify my purchases but I do like to be mindful.

• Stackable can organizer. I'm a beginner prepper with a goal of having a one-year working pantry. My canned goods got out of hand for the space I'm currently working with.
• Double-sided sticky tape rollers. Love! I'll never by regular double sided tape again! And it came in a pack of six, which will do me quite a while.
• 3-panel fireplace screen. E will be locomoting soon (Gaia help us) and we need something to put between her and the heater. The kids don't think it'll work but eh. If it doesn't I'll find something that will and use this for something else. 
• Oven liners. Because A having seizures because the oven hasn't been cleaned after a spill-over, setting off the smoke detector, is no one's idea of fun. Least of all A's.
• Baby neck pillow for E to use in her swing. She holds her head very well when she's awake, but when she falls asleep gravity gets the best of her. This one is so cute! 
• Hair elastics. I got a mega pack to split with J1, who inherited my super thick hair. We tend to go through hair elastics at the rate of one or more a week. When he kvetched because I got assorted neon ones I told him he could just buy his own effing elastics. 
• Plastic outlet covers. Because E.
• BIC red ballpoint pens. The box will last me a couple of years, probably.
• Cat-ear headphones. Mint green with neon lights in the ears. And if A "borrows" this set I give up.
• 4 three-subject notebooks. These should last the year.

The only non food/medical thing I'm planning to buy in February is a shoe organizer because I'm sick of the jumbled mess of various footwear along the entry wall.

1. I was asleep by 12:30 am, but was awakened very rudely at 4:30 by E's best impression of an uprooted mandrake. I didn't fall back to sleep until 6:00 am, but I was able to get moving by 8:00 am. | Nap from 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm

2. I got my BEF list done by 8:30.

3. The rest of my morning routine time was spent dancing around like a goofball. I may end up regretting that later but I needed it. | Stretched while playing Tickle Monster with E. This is becoming my favorite part of my routine!

4. Carnation Instant Breakfast again, with a chaser of peanut butter on Ritz crackers. | Frozen KitKat (shared with E), fish sticks with mayo and ranch dressing, barbeque potato chips | Sweet potato with butter and crushed-up barbeque potato chips | Snack pack

5. On the back of the second chapter, I'll continue reading Built From Broken. It was very interesting and informative. One thing I love about this book is that at the end of each chapter the author cites the sources. I'm racking my noggin trying to think of other books I've read that do the same, but I'm coming up empty.

6. I think I figured out where I went wrong crocheting E's booties. | Listened to a YouTube video on plants for herbal remedies while I balled yarn.

7. 🥄🥄 🍴 🍴 🍴 🍴 🍴 🍴 🍴 🍴Why the 🦆 do all the free weekly planner printables start the week on Monday?! Ya'll ever see a calendar!?

 ...about mice, men, and the best-laid plans.

My son and his wife arrived safely. At first they stayed in a neighbor's spare room, but when the baby was born (October 25, 2022) they moved into our living room so we could help take care of her.

And they're still in our living room. We didn't buy a house, we haven't moved. The kids are going to get their own apartment in this complex in March (*knocks thrice on wood*) but until then we're all up in each other's business and under each other's feet. This has it's upsides. As I'm typing I can hear my not quite three-month-old granddaughter cooing, my daughter-in-law giggling, and my son adoring them both. I'll miss these moments when they have their own apartment. I will not miss having four butts in a one-butt kitchen, especially as I'm the bearer of the biggest butt. 

The household is in chaos. Too much stuff and too many people, messes get made faster than they can be cleaned up, and we all have our own ideas of what goes where so no one can find anything. This, more than anything, is stressing me the heck out. Everything is more difficult -- and painful -- than it should be. I've pretty much given up with the exception of doing a general tidy and wipe-down daily. 

I did finish the baby blanket, and a large throw for the parents. I'm very proud of the results especially given the number of times I had to unravel the bedratted things and start again. My crochet journey has kicked up a notch as I'm (finally) learning to read and follow crochet patterns. My current project is a pair of baby booties. Yes, she's nearly three months old and I'm only just now crocheting her a pair of booties. Y'all shush!  I'm also using up my yarn stash on various useful little projects I can give away or use as needed. I've almost finished a very bright orange shopping bag. I just need to make the handle and stitch it together.

Esperanto was on hold for a while. I'm slowly picking it up again, translating poetry when I have the spoons to do so. I was going to start on The Hollow Men by t.s. elliot this week but A.* challenged me to translate the opening of Cyrano de Bergerac. 

* Family reference: A. is my husband, J1 is our son, J2 is my son's spouse, and E. is the baby.

I finished the first draft of Star of the Nephilim shortly before E. was born. It's been percolating in the back of my mind while I adjust to being a nana, and now I've begun reworking the plot. I'd love to have that done and begin writing Draft 2 in February but I'm not holding my breath on it.

Shortly before E. was born I noticed some strange floaters in my right eye. They were squiggly and they changed. That was odd. When they didn't clear up I went to see the eye surgeon who did my lens implants. I was immediately -- as in, that very hour -- shoo'd to a different surgeon. My implant was fine. My retina, however, had a horseshoe-shaped tear in it. I had emergency laser treatment to stabilize it, then three more treatments. I'm not exaggerating, the laser felt like someone was putting a cigarette out in my eyeball. I had it done three more times and I wish I could say it got easier but the only difference was 10 mg. of Diazepam on the subsequent visits. But it worked. I didn't have to go all the way to Portland for more intensive eye surgery. There's only a faint wisp -- like cobwebs caught on my eyelashes -- that is the result of the laser scar, and even that's fading. I'm glad it's over. I pray it never happens again.

Understandably with everything that's been going on, I've had a setback with my CFS. I'm pretty much back to square one. (Maybe two?) I can't get out of bed for long most days. Spending the morning taking care of E. so J1 and J2 can get a bit more sleep takes everything I've got. Goddess help me when she begins to locomote! The weather has been making my arthritis and Fibromyalgia flare up, and stress has been increasing the frequency of my migraines. All I can do is go back to basics, work on my health, grant myself permission to rest, and stop putting so much pressure on myself to be Productive™.