Saturday, February 25, 2017

Playing the Waiting Game

I got all excited about the baby and now he's running late. So, it's the waiting game.


What do you do when you are waiting for something? I'm having a hard time doing anything productively since I don't want to get into too much of a mess. But I did tackle the dreaded basement. All the holiday stuff was down there but in totebags and needed to get fully put away. That felt like a big monkey off my back because while I was down below I did some purging, too. (Don't expect photos of that one!)

Here's a tip I learned from Eilis when I was in Dallas. I bought a gift that had a wonderful box and the never-take-me-off price tag was stuck to the front of the pretty box.


The remedy? A hair dryer! Took it off like a charm. Thanks, Eilis!


Lizzie has discovered she is a herbalist. In addition to her catnip she's developed a taste for the herb pot on my office desk. I brought it in so maybe just once I wouldn't kill it before spring.


But she might beat me to it.


She's also taking to being a domestic diva (along with her Princess tendencies).


Mom's little laundry helper drew blood while attacking my hand under some laundry. I told her laundry wasn't a blood sport but I'm afraid she was showing her inner alley cat.


I'm reading two wonderful books right now. When I'm feeling like thinking it's "The Almost Nearly Perfect People" by Michael Booth which focuses on the cultures of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland. There's a chapter on Hygge! (Hygge and Action are my two words of the year.)
 

The other is "The Queen's Accomplice," the most recent book in Susan Elia McNeal's "Maggie Hope" series. This one finds Maggie, an American math whiz working for the SOE in WWII England, on a case that involves a Ripper-like killer, along with a couple of very good subplots.

Minding the garden -- well, not really yet, but I'll have to soon.


Yes, these are daffodils shooting out. This should not be happening in Michigan in February. I kept covering them with mulch when it started but I think it's beyond that now. Wish me luck. They're pretty resilient.


In addition to the baby's arrival, I'm anticipating our March trip to the Berkshires and Marlborough, Massachusetts. Rick has a trade show there and we always combine our visit with a trip to his brother and sister-in-law. Will the Shaker Village look like this...



....or this?


Who can say. One day I will get there when the darned thing is open to the public! Meanwhile, this time I plan to get to Stockbridge and the Norman Rockwell museum. Speaking of which, dabbling a bit with watercolor charts.


And baking. I made some oversized chocolate chip cookies for a dinner dessert.


I need to get these out of the house fast!


So, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. As soon as I hit post the baby will arrive. That's just what always happens!

44 comments:

Joanne Huffman said...

Hope posting worked and the baby arrives soon.

Deb said...

First babies are often late, Jeanie. It certainly holds true in my family. Annie is a plant nibbler, too. I have to watch what I bring in to the mouse-house as she thinks it is her job to taste-test everything. Audrey does the same as Lizzy when it come to under-the-blanket finger play. She is shameless.
The Berkshires looks like a wonderful place to visit. And photograph, for sure. Enjoy your trip there. Blueberry muffins are drawing me into the tiny kitchen. I really should give them away. lol

Lynne said...

Sounds like you are accomplishing a bunch on this "wait day!"
And . . . oh my . . . those cookies!
Talk about YUM looking!
I hope by morning you'll have some news!
Did you receive some snow . . . we have had a few more inches during the day!

Angelsdoor * Penny said...

Oh Jeanie, so it's the waiting game.. All of our babies came early. Here I thought when I arrived home this evening you would have had the news.. I am sure it won't be long.
You sure are keeping your hands busy. I know the feeling.. I was the same way. I just returned from spending the day with dear little Lily. We laughed, read books and played. It was so hard to leave..
Wishing you a beautiful weekend.
blessings,
Penny

Marilyn Miller said...

Yummmmm! cookies! Hope that baby comes soon, but once he is here you will forget the waiting. Such exciting times. I am glad you are planning Stockbridge. Oh that sticker kitty! Joey also loves the laundry and grassy herby things - forget it.

Valerie-Jael said...

Those over sized cookies look great, yummy. Sorry baby is taking his time . he doesn't want to fly the nest. Your kitty is a god, remember, and gods need to be able to do what they want and expect blood offerings from time to time. Well done on working to take your mind off the wait. Hugs, Valerie

My name is Erika. said...

Those cookies as well as yesterday's cookies look so yummy. I think you've found a lot to do while waiting but I know what you mean about not wanting to really start anything. Hopefully the call is soon. 😀Hugs erika

Pam Richardson said...

Waiting on babies is definitely hard and requires patience. But, I think you were most productive and those cookies look so yummy! Happy Sunday!

La Table De Nana said...

I remember going in for a false alert ..with my first baby girl:)

The cookies look so good..who can resist?
LOve those color charts..so much fun..I got that monkey off my back in early January..felt soo good!

Castles Crowns and Cottages said...

Waiting is ALWAYS so hard! But as you've done here, keeping yourself occupied (baking is a good one!) will help the time go by. Oh your kitty, what a cutie!

Victoria Zigler said...

I hate waiting for things... I can never get anything done, because I'm too afraid to get in to anything. Needing to wait for things/people usually results in my being extremely unproductive.

Anyway, hope the baby comes soon, and that Lizzie didn't scratch you too badly.

The French Hutch said...

Dear Jeanie, Waiting is always hard but a baby! I see you are staying busy and that will help, those sweet babies have their own agenda. Thanks for the hair dryer and tag tip, who knew! Pretty Lizzie, hard to believe she plays rough, she looks so sweet in the pics. I've got to get on board with Hygge! My late to bloom daffodils are blooming but the King Alfred's came up so early this year then were hit by a hard frost, ugh. They haven't bloomed yet and that really made me sad, daffodils are my favorite flowers! Hope yours are ok. I sure hope the snow is gone for your trip although it makes for beautiful scenery, just not so much for driving. Your cookies look yummy, take a box full and a book when you get the news. Sometimes the wait is long at the hospital................Happy Sunday.

Anonymous said...

I can hardly wait for pictures of the baby. It's hard to wait, but I'm sure the mommy wants it to happen even more.

Those chocolate chip cookies make me salivate.

Spring! It's almost here.

coffeeontheporchwithme said...

I'm going to try that hair dryer trick sometime. Thanks for that hint. Your cookies look perfect, slightly flat, still soft, oh so crispy around the edges (can you tell I haven't had cookies in a while?) Your kitty cat is so sweet looking with her little "moustache" marks. -Jenn

Linda @ A La Carte said...

Waiting for baby is the longest wait for sure! Glad you are keeping busy. I have stalled out in the purging department but will get back to it soon. I think the watercolors have become my new obsession. I'm not very talented but it doesn't seem to matter and I'm having so much fun. Thank you for the encouragement! Fingers crossed baby comes soon!
hugs!

Jenny Woolf said...

Oh dear, waiting is always so difficult. But at least you are waiting for something joyful, and I hope that by the time you read this, baby will have arrived... and hopefully those chocolate cookies will have been eaten in celebration!!

Daniela said...

Oh my, how busy you try to be for not to think of the baby's arrival, you're so fun, my darling !

Wishing you a most wonderful new week ahead

XOXO Dany

Anonymous said...

Oh, I know it's hard waiting for a baby! Hopefully soon! Now little Lizzie looks like she is the absolute princess of the castle! :) So cute! Your cookies look so delicious!! Yummy. Thanks for popping in to see me and with your advice. You know what? If I 'had' to make minis, I don't think I'd enjoy it so much! Just me.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)

Lisbeth said...

I read about the trick of removing labels somewhere else recently. It obviously works!
I also read "The Almost Perfect...." recently and enjoyed it. Maybe because I am from Scandinavia. I found it quite amusing.
Hope the baby will come soon. It must be very exciting times.

Carola Bartz said...

Those cookies look so darn good, I guess they're super tasty.
I hope the baby arrives soon and is healthy and happy together with his parents. Your cat is adorable.

shoreacres said...

I haven't had a good chocolate chip cookie in forever. Maybe when I get another ten pounds off, I'll reward myself with a pile of them.

I laughed at your little herb-eater. Dixie likes to taste my African violets. It's a constant battle. She doesn't eat them, she just chews on the leaves and then spits them out. She knows she's not supposed to, but if I forget to put them up at night, she sometimes wakes me as she bumps again the pots. Bad kitty!

Mary@mydogsmygardenandmary said...

Oh my Gosh, those cookies, sure wish I had a couple right this minute, they looks so good!

Sounds like your ready for that baby to enter this world. It will probably be in the middle of the night.

Enjoy your visit to MA and have a great time.

Hugs,
Mary

Jemma@athomewithjemma said...

Jeanie,
You are keeping yourself busy in the most productive of ways. I am wondering as I write this if baby has made their debut!
These cookies look amazing and oh your sweet little kitty!
Hugs,
jemma

Lisa from Lisa's Yarns said...

Waiting can be excruciating!!! I've been on baby watch before and it seems like time can stand still - especially for the momma! I hope he has made his arrival by now!

Those chocolate chip cookies look amazing. Hopefully you can bring some to the new parents this week? I'm sure they would love a homemade treat. Nice work on getting some organizing done. That is a good way to distract yourself!

our life in france said...

Waiting is always a long thing but a baby seems to take forever, I hope it is soon, and do let us know when x

Tamara said...

Hope everything is going well, and now we wait for the news... those cookies look devine and would be gobbled up in seconds in this house.

Tracy said...

Oh, wow... still waiting?! Nice you were able to do a little bit while you're playing the waiting game. I find knitting or crochet is good for waiting games. ;) A hair dyer took off the sticker??!! I never would have thought of trying that--great tip. Your Lizzie just sooo CUTE! Lo at her tiny moustache! She's doing well with the waiting game! I'd not heard of that book The Almost Nearly Perfect People... I will have to look out for that one. Living as I do in Scandinavia, it's pretty good here, I must say... not sure about perfect, though. ;) Very exciting with your trip coming up soon! Those.cookie.look.AMAZING... I feels o hungry now! LOL... Well, I don't know, Jeanie... looks like you've been doing pretty good there during the waiting game! ;) Hope that little boy will arrive soon! ((HUGS))

thepaintedapron.com said...

Any news yet? At least you have some good books at hand! And cookies to distract you! The hairdryer tip is genius, thanks! I want to learn more about hygge, such a fascinating concept!
Jenna

Sandra Cox said...

Hope the baby has arrived:)
Great info about the hairdryer and labels.
As always, enjoyed the post.

Barb said...

Maybe by the time you read this, that baby is snuggling in his parents' arms (and yours!). Lizzie seems to have a green thumb (or an urge to nibble). She looks so innocent in the laundry pics. I can't believe your daffs are showing green. I hope you don't get frigid temps! It's snowing hard in Breckenridge. I'll send my grands and your cookies will disappear!

carol@The Red Painted Cottage said...

A simple hair dryer, who would have thought! Now I need to plant this in my head and not forget it. Those are huge cookies that look really yummy! Love this post and lets hope the little one comes soon!

~*~Patty S said...

Yum I can almost smell your cookies ... they do look delice!
How exciting to be on baby watch.
Sounds like you're passing the time nicely.
At a local nursery the other day I saw pot's of "Cat Grass" that they were selling. Something your princess might enjoy and maybe leave the other plants alone?
Happy March to you and yours Jeanie ♥ being unplugged has put me behind AGAIN oxo

Sandra Cox said...

Love the pictures of Lizzie:)
Do we have a baby yet?

Preppy Empty Nester said...

I can almost smell the aroma of those chocolate chip cookies. It's no wonder I'm drooling all over myself. My #1 was expected on Dec. 22nd. She decided to make an appearance on Jan. 3rd (which she used to pronounced "turd"). I still tell her she was a year late and it certainly felt that way when I was almost 10 months pregnant. Love your Kitty pics, Jeanie. Hope the baby comes soon. Have a great week.

Jacqueline~Cabin and Cottage said...

Oh my! I really need to get baking! I'm not very good at the waiting game. You are doing fine with it it seems. Best wishes to all!

Tina Fariss Barbour said...

Waiting is keeping you busy! Love the pictures of Lizzie--she is so pretty and delicate looking. It has been so warm here--we have daffodils, forsythia, etc.

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

I've never waited on a baby, but had to laugh because I had a friend who was staying at my home (when I lived in another state). She called me at work to tell me she was in labor. I rushed home, which was 30 miles away, hoping to find a highway patrolman to accompany me. No such luck to have a police officer around when you need one. I got home and the baby's FOOT was hanging out and my friend was trying to push it back in. I called EMS who came and although they were unable to rotate the baby, they managed to get him out, even after his head was tangled in the cord. He was the most beautiful baby I've ever seen, mainly (in MY opinion) because he came out of the birth canal feet first and didn't have the collapsed head most babies are born with. I sincerely hope this baby doesn't enter life in a similar fashion.

Lizzie is cutie on the surface, but a monster under the covers. Loved the photos of her, though. Hope by now we have good news.

A Joyful Cottage said...

Your cat is beautiful. I once visited a Shaker Village in Kentucky that looks very much like your photo. I can pass up most desserts, but cookies like the ones you made are my downfall! xo

Red Rose Alley said...

Your cat is so photogenic, Jeanie. And those chocolate chip cookies look Yummy. Isn't Nestle Toll House the best? My favorite, indeed.

Have a nice weekend, and congratulations again, Jeanie.

~Sheri

Joyful said...

And I see Lizzie is putting on the innocent face for mom! LOL I hope your plant survives. While you are having signs of Spring the weather is still a bit wild here. But the birds are out in droves in my small garden. That is a sure sign of Spring around the corner. xx

Eilis said...

So glad the hair dryer worked for you. That is such a pretty box.

Anonymous said...

Lizzie is SO pretty.
Ok, now I'm definitely inspired to bake. ;)
xo

Decor To Adore said...

So many wondrous things dear Jeanie! I am so happy to hear the new baby has arrived safe and sound. Enjoy every minute with your dear grand.

Danielle L Zecher said...

You got a lot done while you were waiting! Impressive!

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