Tunnel Vision, Handkerchiefs and Moist Laundry

by Katy on September 30, 2009 · 17 comments

handkerchiefThis blog post will be short because I am fighting a cold and feel like I have tunnel vision. I can only focus on what’s in front of me, and as any parent knows, that is not good enough. Add to that a cat who decided to pee on an upholstered chair and you can pretty much guess my mentality. (I took a scalding hot shower, yet can’t seem to knock that smell out of my system. Grr . . . . )

WHO thought it was a good idea to give the kids each a kitten for Christmas last year? Oh yeah, it was me.

I spent my day doing household chores and thinking I was about to write something worthwhile. I finally gave up around 3:00 P.M. and lay down in bed to watch a library copy of Nick and Nora’s Ultimate Playlist which was perfect, and utterly not kid appropriate.

Dinner was heated up leftovers of curry and rice from two nights ago with the addition of green beans from a neighbor’s garden.

My younger son informed me that he needed a poster board for a math project at 8:00 P.M. What am I, an Office Depot?

Okay, the planet does not spin off it’s axis if a 6th grade math project is a day late. Right?

Sorry if this post is a tad more negative than usual, but the cold I’ve been “fighting” seems to have won another battle towards it’s goal of total Katy domination.

At least I have lots of cloth handkerchiefs and my outside laundry line received a lovely sprinkling of Oregon rain.

See you tomorrow fellow Non-Consumers, I gotta go to bed now.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }

Angela October 1, 2009 at 12:30 am

Sorry you’re sick- hope you feel better tomorrow!

I thought you WERE Office Depot- didn’t you say you supplied them out of the attic or somewhere? Ha!

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Krista October 1, 2009 at 5:19 am

I hope you’re feeling better soon!

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Jinger October 1, 2009 at 5:55 am

Take care…honey, lemon and ginger hot tea is very soothing.

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Shymom October 1, 2009 at 6:12 am

I hope you are feeling better already!!

The kids springing things on you is a real drag. I keep a supply of poster board behind a bookcase for that particular emergency. But the planning ahead gene didn’t get passed down to my kids.

Last year my daughter sprang the “I need a toga for the 6th grade play this morning.” Ugh!

My then sophomore son told me that he needed (that day) a box. It had to be about 300 cubic inches AND it needed to have some type of special personal significance. I just stared at him in an odd way and he looks at me and says “What?”

My answer “I’m just wondering which orifice you expect me to pull this out of.” 😎

I was actually able to get him the needed box. He had a gift box in his closet where we had wrapped the lid separately from the bottom and we would use it over and over again for gifts.

Happily, they don’t pull this too often.

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BarbS October 1, 2009 at 7:07 am

Feel better soon!

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'Aunt Amelia' October 1, 2009 at 8:40 am

Hope tomorrow is better! In many ways.

Gentle hugs,
Aunt Amelia

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sandy October 1, 2009 at 11:57 am

Get better soon–vitamin D from sunshine seems to be the best immune-booster and it’s free when the sun shines. I don’t remember when I last had a cold, and I don’t think I’ve ever had the flu (I’m in my 50’s).

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Lisa October 1, 2009 at 11:59 am

Homemade potato soup cures everything! Well wishes to you! I’m a cloth fan too…everything from hankies to napkins and cleaning cloths. Also I’m a clothesline enthusiast. Fresh air drying can’t be beat and gives laundry that clean scent that drier sheets can’t match.

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Kristen@The Frugal Girl October 1, 2009 at 12:59 pm

I’m sorry you’re still feeling ill, Katy! Rest up!

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Elle October 1, 2009 at 4:44 pm

Sorry you are feeling ill. Get well quick!

Cat urine is the worst thing, even when you are not ill. If you have not already, bring your cat to the vet to see if she/he has urine crystals or bladder infection. I was at my wits end with one of our cats and it turned out she had a bladder stone. After surgery she stopped peeing on furniture and kitchen counters (yuck!). Now she eats special food and we have not had any problems. Good luck.

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Magdalena October 1, 2009 at 6:28 pm

I agree with Jinger about ginger tea. It worked for my last cold. When I couldn’t stand the boxed tissues any longer, and didn’t have lots of old hankies, I cut an old flannel sheet remnant into squares. It was the nicest fabric for hankies. Then, after a thorough hot water wash apres cold, some of it became the lining/patches for the worn out cuffs of a favourite Irish wool sweater. Is this taking recycling too far?

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Kristin @ klingtocash October 1, 2009 at 6:37 pm

Hope you feel better soon. Just write your son a note about the project. I’m sure it’ll be fine.

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Jacquelyn October 1, 2009 at 7:18 pm

Aww, hope you feel better soon. I can totally relate to the night-before-needed school requests – I just found out we need a trimet pass for tomorrow. Oops!

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WilliamB October 1, 2009 at 7:35 pm

What happens if you don’t meet a child’s last minute demand for project materials (or the whole project)? Does the child learn to plan ahead or is everyone in the family embarassed for no good result?

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Judith in Ky October 1, 2009 at 7:40 pm

Agaahhhh (cough, sniffle) I have one also. I was supposed to get my flu shot tomorrow but now may not be able to. Yes Ginger tea is lovely, Gin and tonic helps you forget how miserable you are tho!
Judith, the quilter

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Heidi October 2, 2009 at 2:32 am

We all just got over a cold, too. Lousy way to start the school year.

Don’t you hate it when kids suddenly need something at 8 pm the day before. Drives me crazy. Sometimes I’ve said flat out no.

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greenstrivings October 12, 2012 at 11:38 am

I’m sure you’re better by now 😉 but wanted to say that #1Child doesn’t even warn me, just storms in after school and yells (for example), “WHY DIDN’T YOU MAKE ME A FAMILY BANNER?! IT WAS DUE TODAY!!” Cue up screaming, crying, and on at least one occasion, “IF YOU LOVED ME YOU WOULD HAVE KNOWN I HAD TO TURN IT IN!!”
Sorry, darling, motherly ESP only covers 1) running with scissors 2) flooding the bathroom and 3) throwing things out the second-story window.
As a result, #1Child now is frequently subjected to this kind of interrogation: “So, are there any projects in class this month? What supplies do you need? Did the teacher give you a handout to give to me? Are there any other instructions? What about PFA? Are there any fundraisers? Are you sure? Did you get a form in your folder? Let me look in your backpack.” until #1Child is thoroughly disgusted, but deservedly so in my opinion!

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