Job Offer Accepted!!

 We are moving to Ripon as soon as we can, maybe not till fall because of our lease! Hubby got a good paying job there!!

Finally We Are Moved!

Moving during a polar vortex is no fun, but we are done! Actually the weather turned quite nice, with today being in the 50's. Our new place is cozy, with no cold, drafty windows. The storage space is quite a bit smaller, which made for a more difficult move, sort of like trying to pack 10 pounds of potatoes into a 5 pound bag. We got rid of mountains of stuff. Our old apartment was bigger than my house in Indiana, so after 7 years of living there, quite a bit of stuff had accumulated in those big, deep closets.

Here is our new place. I'm not showing you the inside until we finish unpacking. We are on the 1st floor.

We are so tired, and sore! I can't wait to get unpacked. Will show you more later. Hubby starts his new job on Monday.

A Cup of Coffee Before the Work Begins

 It's nice to sit here and reflect a bit before I need to get busy again with packing, sorting, donating and more packing.

As much as I'm going to miss my view, I do have dozens of pictures, some quite beautiful, to remember it by. Truthfully, I have been quite lonely here. People move in and out like changing underwear. This apartment has a dust problem, from day one, because the walls are spray painted with tinted plaster, a problem which will probably be fixed once it's properly painted, for the next tenants. We have been here since 2018.

My thoughts on Appleton. It's more city that I'm accustomed to but we would be living on the edges. There is ample green space, lots of trees, fall colors, and nice people everywhere. There are companies and jobs in abundance, and unlike Green Bay, it's clean! Green Bay smells like Norhtwest Indiana. It's gritty with industries that stink. And, honestly, unless you are a Packer's fan, you will be overwhelmed with Packer stuff EVERYWHERE. If hubby's job would have been in Green Bay, we would make sure to live outside of town. 

Finding an apartment has been more difficult than I hoped, but Monday I am calling a property management company that was recommended to me by someone on the Appleton facebook page. They manage quite a few apartment complexes in the area, and we are hoping for a first floor, two bedroom apartment, Appleton or Neenah. The problem is, not many places are available this month, and since the company is paying hubby to move, we don't want to wait until February or March.

People are NICE. I was surprised at how nice and welcoming they are. We did look at an apartment in Greenville, just north of the amazing Appleton airport. The location was great, but the apartment needs so much work. They said they could have it ready in a week, but it involves paint, and I cannot handle paint fumes AT ALL. I asked about low VOC paint but they use the same paint and painter for all the apartments. She admitted it would smell like paint for at least a week. I can't, I just can't. On top of that, the apartment needed repair, which they said they would do, but it was just too much. The manager and her friend (manager from another complex) tried to help by calling their business friend to see if he had an apartment move in ready now. He did, but the rent was $1,300, too steep for us.

As I mentioned before, hubby had a successful interview, They told him they would let him know in a week. We were afraid to be hopeful (thinking back to the company in Jefferson), so we both took a deep breath and put it in God's hands. We stopped for coffee downtown and went home. The drive is slightly more than an hour, and we were 5 minutes from home when hubby's phone rang. He pulled over in a parking lot so he could talk. They were calling with an offer!

I can't tell you how happy hubby is to get back to working with metal. Two plus years with the company here in town introduced him to a new career. He and his coworkers became a team, friends as well. It was a sad day when all this was broken by the sale of the company. An exhaustive search turned up nothing suitable around here. That's how Appleton came into focus.

Did I mention people are nice? We already feel quite welcome there. There are so many things to do and places to see, nature to explore, etc, etc.

I just finished my 3rd cup of coffee. Time to get to work.

Fire Trucks

 Hubby got the job! He will be working for Pierce who builds fire trucks in their Appleton facility. So excited, and exhausted from searching for an apartment.

So Far, Looking Promising

 Hubby had a good phone interview and is scheduled to have an in-person interview tomorrow, including a plant tour. I will go with him and wait in the truck.

I am tired. The apartment search long distance is exhausting. I have most of my little things packed, going through some bins and creating donation piles. 

Short post today. Don't want to count the chickens before the eggs hatch (remember what happened with Nestle).

Later.

A New Direction

We have been searching far and wide......as far south as Kenosha (closer to Indiana), up the coast to Sheboygan (love Kohler-Andrae State Park), northwest to Baraboo (breathtakingly beautiful), but one area keeps holding the promise of good paying jobs....Appleton. We have been to Appleton 3 times, counting today. We wanted to drive by two of the companies hubby has applied to for work. He has a phone interview Thursday with one company. 

Appleton is on the north end of Lake Winnebago and the Fox River runs through town. Appleton has every available shopping one might need, and parks everywhere, and excellent healthcare. Between Appleton and the lake is a cute community that we have gravitated to each time we have visited, Neenah, Wisconsin. We wanted to move there before, but a steady job here in Hartford prevented that. Now......??

I will certainly update here if something is promising. I am actually looking forward to packing. So many adventures up there, and Door County is about an hour northeast. SO much more nature to explore that we haven't explored yet. More north...more cold? Cold is cold. Throw on warmer clothes. It's more north, more of a chance to see the northern lights. And there are a few apartments for rent, reasonable.

Here are some pictures of Doty park. It's beautiful in the snow or frost (none of which we had today, only bitter cold)

I have Hope again

Wish It Was a Happier New Year

 Don't get me wrong, I was so happy to visit my daughter in Indiana and she and her family were happy to see us. We exchanged gifts. We were gifted some laser-cut ornaments my son-in-law designed and cut at work on the plasma laser. We also stopped by the cemetery to lay flowers on my former hubby's grave and my younger daughter's grave. We drove down on Saturday morning and returned Monday morning, December 30th. Hubby worked Monday night and now is off for a few days until January 6th. We took a walk yesterday and plan to walk again today and every day that we can, bundled up.

Yesterday we stopped by Hobby Lobby and bought some yarn and a loom pick tool for the long loom I was gifted. I bought an artificial fern for my desk. I don't normally like plastic plants, but it looks real and I can't grow ferns.

My desk fern

Last night hubby and I talked, a much needed talk. I know he is grieving the loss of his beloved father. When he is sad, I feel it. too, like our energy reflects on each other. He is also still looking for a job. I was confused, I thought everything was ok. Apparently not. He didn't tell me they back-pedaled on the "good news" they previously gave him. 

I wish I could say I was confident in our future. I feel unsettled with the thought of leaving this apartment. rent is too darn high everywhere. I have plants. They need windows. I have been blessed with three windows here in this apartment. Three windows are rare as hen's teeth in apartments. I have been paring down my collection and going through boxes of stuff, sort of "pre-packing". I'm not sure how confident I am in hubby finding a good job. He is concerned as well. There are some well paying jobs over an hour away. Typically companies don't hire people that far away. We would need to move. 

Thankfully today is sunny. We are going for a walk later. I'm leaving today's blog at that, will write more later.

Patience

 We were watching something on YouTube about things not going the way you want them to, and feeling like your prayers are not answered, and sometimes it was for your own protection. 

I turned to hubby and said, "I felt the job in Jefferson was dangerous, driving back and forth 40+ miles each way at night, deer on the road, maybe drunks on the road, and a 12 hour shift cutting meat without your glasses. God was protecting you by saying no."

Hubby answered, "My brother just told me the exact same thing."

We felt good about the spiritual things we watched. Then we moved on to a video about cats and I started to cry. I watch cat videos all the time. I don't know why I started to cry. I told hubby it reminded me of Chrissy. I've been bummed the whole rest of the day, even though it was sunny, even though we drove to West Bend and I finally found a pair of joggers that are L . O . N . G enough to reach my ankles and in Medium size so they aren't so big it looks like two of me could fit in them. I can't tell you what a struggle it is to not be a common size, short and wide seemingly being the norm.

We stopped at Sendik's to buy some chicken and then went home. Hubby made himself chicken noodle soup because he has a cold (he went to bed early) and I took the breast meat and fixed it with lemon, green olives, onion and some pepperoncini peppers for zing. 

It's been bitterly cold, below zero at night. Tomorrow it's going to warm up and rain. My mini orchid is blooming again! The others might not bloom until spring. No signs of bloom spikes on those.

So why did I title this post "Patience"? I think because we need it right now because everything is so uncertain.

When all else fails to lift my mood, there are flowers!

Finding My Way Into The New Year

 I have dealt with instability my whole adult life. My first hubby was often between jobs after a layoff or just being let go because there was no more work with a two-bit employer. He was in the trades, and could always find some side job just in time to buy food and pay the bills. With second hubby, there is a whole new dynamic. He grew up with a war, and with older brothers, and not a lot of self-confidence. Still, we have met all our bills 100% on time. He is a hard worker, he likes to work, prefers 10 or even 12 hour shifts, nights. Excessive paperwork is not his strong point, nor are a lot of technical details that are easy to mix up. 

Helgesen was perfect. He did it well, and the shift premium raised his pay to a very comfortable level. Standard Iron ruined that. We had hope with Nestle Purina, but he was not chosen to move forward, we suspect because he wears glasses, which for some mysterious reason, seems to be grounds for instant rejection. We think it's because glasses fog up in the cold, and they wanted to start him on the meat cutting line. They asked if he can see without glasses, he said yes, but not tiny details. 

For now, he has a job that he likes. If you ever wondered how they make plastic bags, they start out as a bubble. It's called blown film extrusion. Each machine needs two people to run it. There are specifications to set up, customer orders needing particular plastics, paperwork to be filled out, hoppers to be filled, measurements, how wide, how thick, things to check on all levels of a three story tall machine, etc. He is training on what the company calls the Legacy machine, which is another word for old and needing constant checking. By constant I mean every 10 minutes with complete setup every half hour (no time for lunch on a 12 hour shift). 

The bad news is that recently they told him when he finishes training he will be running the Legacy machine by himself. When he hired in they told him he will never be working alone, and they would move him over to one of the new machines. They failed to tell him that on the night shift, only one person runs the Legacy machine and all of them have quit. The only comfort is that because these machines are complicated, training takes quite awhile. One good thing is they will train him on forklift. Hubby is upset and feels they betrayed him by telling him one thing and then another. 

Blown Film Extrusion

So, we were hoping he was set in a job he liked but now there is just uncertainty. I told hubby, for now, just try to learn as much as he can, get the forklift training, and in January or February we will see what becomes of this job. 

We Have No Idea...Confused

 Hubby received a rejection email this morning. Checking his account, we could see he was rejected the day after his interview.

Why?

He sent a message to Mallory asking why, what happened.

Is it his glasses? 

They asked him if he wears glasses and if he can see without them. He said, yes, he can see without them, just not tiny print.

We really feel down today.

The internet is full of posts about getting rejected by Nestle Purina, and nobody knows why.

I really don't know what else to say. We thought this was a good opportunity. 

For now hubby has a job at ProAmpac. They do plastic blow molding and injection molding. That's another story, but he's not happy there.

Hubby Had A Good Interview

 We drove down to Jefferson today, in time for hubby's interview. He said it went real well and he should be hearing from HR in about a week. All the hiring is done from the Missouri headquarters but the in-person interviews are done at the local plants. Hubby is hesitant to be happy until he hears from HR but I think he's in. They told him he will be hearing from them in about a week. They didn't say "if". Of course he will pass the background check and drug test, no problem.

Afterward we stopped for coffee and then came home. Hubby worked all night and was super tired. We also got home before most of the bad weather, roads closed everywhere, lots of ice.

As soon as hubby receives and signs the digital agreement we will get some new tires on the truck. They aren't terrible but they are worn. 

I think Jefferson will be great place to move to, lots to do, and maybe I will find some friends. I had two friends here and they both moved away. One I don't hear from because she got dementia and she and her hubby moved into assisted living. They never gave me any contact information. Since then two more people have moved in and out, one was sort of friendly, the other, not. My friend with dementia gave me this. I think of her often. 

Thinking of you, Sandy

I found out that Jefferson is where the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival is every September!

I will post updates when I have more info.

December is Starting Off in Limbo

 I hung up this grapevine star that I wrapped fairy lights around last year. I feel better already just looking at it.

Room lights off

Room light on

Tomorrow is an important day. The company in Jefferson called about a month ago and was happy with hubby's phone interview. He is scheduled for (three?) in person interviews tomorrow. The plant is expanding and the new part is set to begin operating January 20th. At this point we don't know if he will be hired on the spot or told to wait for an answer. He literally applied the end of October. The interview process with this company is rather long and involved. It's also union, which would be very different from what hubby is used to. The pay is very good. So we have to wait and see what happens.

If hubby gets the job in Jefferson he will need to drive about 40 miles each way until we can get moved. I have mixed feelings about moving, but no company in the area is paying as well as Helgesen did, except the company in Jefferson, which is paying more. Our lease isn't up until May 31st. We can pay to break it but we would be charged a full month's rent until someone accepts the sublet.

Moving is a big word. Our rent goes up every year but not as much as for people just moving in. We get a discount for being long-time residents who always pay on time. Once we leave this place (yes this place) I will never have this view again.

Maybe we will find another nice view, I don't know. I waited 40 years to have a beautiful view, but it doesn't matter when work sucks. I always imagined that if we moved it would be to the Driftless Area, like around Baraboo, or closer to Lake Michigan, like Sheboygan.

In any case, we like Jefferson.

I'll check in tomorrow with an update.

A Few Minutes to Catch Up

 Thursday November 7th, we decided to walk at Mauthe Lake but drove by an Ice Age Trailhead and decided to stop there instead. The Ice Age Trail is a thousand mile walk through the state.

Ice Age Trail History

We "only" walked a mile, short for us, but it ran along a ridge that rose and dipped and we were quite tired from climbing. The fact that it is the Ice Age Trail means it never loops, so the longer you walk, the farther away you end up from where you parked. And there are no facilities, and I had to pee, so in the woods it was, behind a giant tree with hubby standing guard. We never saw anyone else on our hike.

I took a few pictures, none of them showing how steep the climb was, I guess cameras do that. Here is my favorite picture.

Near the beginning of the walk

Map My Walk record of our walk

Elevation gain, why we were tired

After our walk we decided to stop by Magic Willow Alpacas, a local farm just north of town, to buy a couple of farm raised whole chickens to bring to my daughter and her hubby, since that is his favorite food now that he is working to reverse his diabetes through diet.

Magic Willow Alpacas

Friday we stayed home and cleaned. Today is cloudy, chilly and rain is expected, so I will finish cleaning. My petunias are still blooming! The weather has been unusually mild for November. We have had a couple nights with frost but apparently, Petunias are tough!

Next weekend we are planning to drive down to visit my daughter. It will be our last free weekend before hubby starts work. He has Orientation on the 19th and will begin training the next day on Wednesday. His normal schedule will include weekends. This job is completely climate controlled and dust-free. ProAmpac makes food grade packaging of many different types.

#NaBloPoMo Better Times Ahead

 First of all....YES hubby got the job. He starts training this month for Assistant Extrusion Operator. After more training he will be promoted to Operator. This seems like a good company that values training and their employees.

Today is calm and sunny. Yesterday and the day before the WIND would not let up. At Walmart the gusts were so strong I had to hang onto the cart and stumble along as it blew me across the parking lot, well, a few yards anyway. They said 50 to 60 mph gusts. At least we were getting some rain so we weren't buried in dust clouds.

I can't believe these Petunias have held up through frosts and all the wind! This picture is from yesterday, and they are still blooming on November 1st! Notice the stormy sky.

I like this bigger picture of the clearing storm clouds

I'm very thankful hubby found a job here in town so we don't need to move. It's expensive and exhausting, and apartments cost more everywhere. The reason we catch a break is because we have lived here since they built this building in 2018. And I love the view.

We are done with Helgesen, but as a matter of record, I wanted to mention a couple things. When my hubby was interviewing with different companies they would ask him, "What happened at Helgesen?" So he explained that Standard Iron bought Helgesen in August and proceeded to change everything. They eliminated third shift, and with it the $7 per hour shift premium. Well, companies are allowed to take away shifts with premiums, but they also eliminated all the merit raises my hubby received through the years. He ended lower than he hired in! So many sad people who used to enjoy working there. Another fallout from the mess is a company across the street that was connected to Helgesen is going out of business. So, that's what happened in a nutshell.

On to better things. Hubby and I are taking advantage of this free time. Planning to visit my daughter this month before he starts the new job.

Here is my stuffed south window. I even have some Coleus cuttings.

Double decker plants lol 

Might take a walk tomorrow. Since this is November I will try to post every day. I think I'm supposed to tag this post....?

Hopeful

We are hoping for a good offer from a company in Hartford. 

More details if it pans out.

Oh... the suspense 

LOL

In other news, the WIND WAS INSANE yesterday and today. It finally let up and now, thankfully, it is raining. 

Today we drove up to Sheboygan to buy chicken. That might sound weird, but we don't like the taste of regular store-bought chicken. We keep trying different brands and we eat a little and throw the rest away. We hate to throw away food. We have been buying chicken from different meat markets and so far we like Miesfeld's in Sheboygan best. It's only a little over an hour's drive so we stocked up. The wind was horrible all the way there and back.

Medication updates. I'm still weaning myself from the heartburn medication. I haven't taken any omeprazole but I am still using the famotidine once a day. 

I tried stopping the Jardiance. Today is five days out and I'm noticing a slight puffiness in my ankles and a tightness in my chest. Well, dammit. At least it took five days this time instead of three. That's my heart. No, I'm not dropping dead, but it hampers me without medication, apparently. The low carb way of eating has helped to heal my body in many ways, but I guess I still need a little help.

Let me explain. I have Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction and Mitral valve disorder. What that means is the left ventricle of my heart is a little stiff and slow to empty and my mitral valve is a little leaky. Back in 2021 when I was diagnosed I was having issues when out walking on the trails. I would become short of breath to the point I was having some chest pain. I would get dizzy and because I thought I might be having a heart attack, I got checked out. After all these tests I got the diagnosis. My cardiologist told me to eat whole foods and low salt, not "no salt", and continue taking Jardiance. He said there was nothing about my heart that would give me a heart attack, I was just out of shape and with the issues, need to stop and let my heart catch up. I had problems with heart palpitations, but other than that, I continued to walk with hubby.

Fast forward to the ketogenic way of eating. Electrolytes are very important, and once I started them the palpitations went away. I use salt, as much as I want, and little by little I got healthier. But the Jardiance is like a thorn in my side. I take it for two reasons, diabetes and for my heart. The way it works is by reducing fluid retention and by making me pee more and pee out sugar. It makes it harder for me to stay hydrated. I already ended up in the ER with dehydration and a bladder infection. The last thing I want to happen is for fluid to start building up in my chest around my lungs, which could happen with the dysfunction. So I'm seeing slight puffiness in my ankles and my breathing is tight. So...back on Jardiance and drinking extra water. I want to continue doing climbs like we did up Gibraltar Rock with no problems, no shortness of breath. I'm not slowing down just because I'm 74! Wait....did I say that?

It's late. Heading to bed. Goodnight.

 

Interviews and a Walk

 Hubby has two interviews next week! One is in Germantown, the other in Hartford. 

We took a walk in the woods around Holy Hill. The colors are not as vivid this year because it's been so dry and the trees are stressed. It was still great to get out and walk. We did about two miles. The last time we walked this trail I was struggling. Since changing what I eat and taking electrolytes all of those problems have disappeared! Here's to better health!

My favorite picture from today

Going to H in a Handbasket

 My hubby worked at Helgesen for two years and 3 months. Everyone got along, did good work, got paid well. The end of 2023 the overtime stopped. It never came back in 2024. We learned Helgesen was bought by Standard Iron in August. We kept hoping for better times. They never came. It got worse. People left. Management got mean. More people left. Everyone working there is sad and stressed. They took away overtime, they took away money, they force people to work their own job plus the job of the person who walked out. More people left. Hubby returned his uniforms this morning. He said the parking lot is nearly empty. Everyone is leaving.

I'll write more later. Much to do today.