Things to be thankful for

because thinking of everything else is just plain depressing.

The weather is finally seeing highs in the mid-70s.  I am not a good hot weather person, and we don't have a/c at home.  So for the last few months little has been accomplished, including house cleaning.  At least it isn't at the point where you just rent a dumpster and a shovel, and while I didn't do much yesterday, I could actually see progress.  Another week or two (or three)...

The girls both like their new high schools.  Younger daughter has gotten over the first day angst and tears, especially since a friend from middle school had moved to the new town, was attending the town high school the magnet is attached to, and has now transfered to the magnet school so they have several classes together.  Elder daughter thinks English might actually be a bearable class for the first time in years, and it looks like the teacher may actually teach some formal grammar.

I'm almost finished my course of prednisone.  I have put on at least 10 pound in the last 9 days, most of it water (I hope) though the fact that I have been constantly starving hasn't helped.  Only two more days of the lowest dose and it's done, so I should be able to start getting my food intake back to something normal.

My husband and I both have jobs.  Of course I'm not going to see much if any of a raise this year, although my town seems to be handing out 3% plus to all their employees.  And the husband's hours have been cut; he used to see lots of overtime, because Sears figured it was cheaper to do the overtime than the extra benefits.  Now they expect as much work from fewer employees on 35 or fewer hours a week.  I'll be surprised if our AGI for 2012 is as high as it was in 2011.  But our tax bill will be higher. 8(  So time to start thinking of other stuff, so that I don't get too depressed with it only being Monday.

Things I've learned this year about gardening and our house:

Next year I'm going to not even try carrots or lettuce.  Not unless I find enough money in the budget for a majorly groundhog-proof fence.  Nor will I try cucumbers or melons.  The vines have mildewed and the fruit died before it was ripe.  I had the same problem in the community garden the last few years, so I think I'll stick with tomatoes and lots of summer squash and zucchini.  The onions, radishes, beets, basil and chives did OK, so I'll probably do them again too.  Nasturtiums and marigolds, again, probably not until we can upgrade the fence seriously.  Groundhogs seem to love nasturtium leaves.  I'm going to try to bring the window boxes in this winter and set up a shelf in front of the kitchen window and see if I can grow lettuce inside.  Or at least some small herbs (basil gets huge).  If it works, I may just keep them indoors permanently, including the summer, since I don't think the groundhog will figure out how to get in the house.  Maybe.

I have to get mouse traps.  Our morbidly obese kitty caught two night before last, and kindly didn't eat them, just left one in front of the toilet and the other in the next room in front of the stove, where everyone ignored it as they stared hopefully up at the counter for my husband to give them breakfast. We did have some mice in the walls last winter, so I'd like to nip the problem in the bud if possible.