I clicked something following the comments that were NOT published, which seems to have changed back to "Allow Reader Comments". Yep they are now visible. Thank you for not giving up on me! It's wonderful to see warm comments again!
OK, next part. Widow's Chit-Chat. I'm in my 5th year of being a widow and as other widow's say ... "You never get used to it, you learn to live with it." My style is to stay busy which means I drive myself bonkers with too many things that "must be done". That plan sometimes works, but the result it that sleep doesn't happen. I counter that probem with caffeine products, resulting in more problems, and have learned to turn on YouTube in the middle of the night and sleep in a Lazy Boy. More of "not good." Yes, a foolish circle. Any port in the storm of "I don't want to think." However, on the plus side, I've helped to teach an Adult ED class , am occasionally mentoring a young lady learning to sew and quilt, have finished 9 PhDs (Projects Half Done) in the last year for a Guild self-motivation project, and planned a Trunk Show and another Workshop, took a pleasent driving trip , and recently purchased a new Janome sewing machine. Unfortunately, over the holidays I was shocked to get caught up in what appeared to be a financial scam related to my mortgage, but finally it fell all on me to discover it was not exactly a scam but the fact was I had not been informed when my Home Owner's Insurance had tripled!!! and they had not informed me, nor did my mortgage firm inform me, resulting in all sorts of heartache and worry when I was informed my mortgage was "underfunded. " HOW DID THAT HAPPEN??? All of that may have been the result of Covid, and insurrance employees and morgage firm employees being sent home to work causing great disarray, until no one knew who was doing what! I only finally accidently discovered the issue in late January after MORE nightmares, sleeplessness, worry, and great dread and fear. I take pride in being prompt and reliable in my finances - this was an absolute insult! Not one person in this horrendous chain of workers informed me - all were downright pleasant, until I lost patience and hollered, "don't any of you speak to one another?" after my umteenth call! Apparently they did NOT speak to one another! Those were 3 months I do NOT want to relive! ADVICE: LEARN TO UNDERSTAND HOW YOUR ESCROW WORKS! And I still don't understand "who" is supposed to "do what"! ... and the timetables and deadlines of insurance, taxes and principal are impossible to understand! My mortgage had been sold many years ago, to this out-of-state firm eliminating "friendly" and "helpful" when we purchased the home. Because of this recent incident, I've changed insurance firms who provided information and support to counter the disturbance to my near-normal steady sad life.
So, other than eternal grief from not having my counterpart to help, the above paragraph is the only big issue I've had, being a widow. My efforts these days are finishing up all UFOs, but when I do, I feel positive and start another new one! I still am eternally "down" but just get busy - sadness doesn't go away.
Thanks for listening.