Monthly Archives: June 2020

Garden Update

My husband and I finally got all the repairs done on our irrigation system, so our tomato plants are getting watered every day now, rather than having to depend on the rain or my remembering to water them with the hose. I still have some pruning to do, but mostly, the plants seem healthy. We have bright yellow blossoms and some tiny green tomatoes now.

 

We had about three weeks where we had a LOT of rain and then sunshine, so we have a LOT of greenery this year. I’m hoping that we will actually have a tomato crop, rather than just giant plants.

 

Fingers crossed.

 

I’ve been concentrating on weed whacking and murdering weeds around the civilized part of our yard, so now I’m behind on weeding our veggie garden.  The yellow crookneck squash and zucchini plants seem to be doing well so far.

 

I will try to get caught up on the weeding in the planter boxes this weekend.

 

I’m hoping that the plants will have plenty of room to send vines in all directions and will make lots of produce. I plan to spiralize them and divide them into portions and freeze them for when I am using them as a substitute for pasta on my keto eating plan.

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I Love Cats

icatcare.org

“As every cat owner knows, nobody owns a cat.” ~ Ellen Perry Berkeley

 

Live Science

“I got rid of my husband. The cat was allergic.” ~ Anonymous

 

PetWebMD

“As anyone who has ever been around a cat for any length of time well knows, cats have enormous patience with the limitations of the human kind.” ~ Cleveland Amory

 

PetWebMD

“You cannot look at a sleeping cat and feel tense.” – Jane Pauley

 

Trupanion

“Love me, feed me, never leave me.”- Garfield, Garfield –The Movie (2004)

 

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Happy Weed Murderer

Gfycat

My husband has been griping about the north side of our shop. It has been overgrown with not only weeds taller than I am, but poison ivy, things with stickers, other things with burrs, etc. We don’t usually make a habit of walking on the north side of our shop, but it was bothering him, so I told him I would handle it.

The project was larger than I thought. I first sprayed thing with KillzAll, my champion weed killer, mixed in a 2-gallon container. That didn’t do much. I then took our weed eater – battery-powered – out there and worked for three days to finally get things cut down enough to make a difference. Then I sprayed it again two or three times with KillzAll.

This picture is taken from the end of the shop looking toward our house.

 

This one is taken from the opposite end of the shop, looking west.

Now that the job is done, the first thing I’m going to do is make my husband come out, look at things, and do the appropriate ‘oohing’ and ‘ahhing’ that we now have a good path on the north side of the shop,

and

second, I’ll make sure he actually USES the path at least once to make all the work more worth it.

 

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Always

James M. Barrie via SayingImages.com

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Paintings of Children I Love

Nomi Wagner

 

 

WallpaperUP – Charles Freitag

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Perspective

Inas Chahboun-LearningStationMusic.com

Many times – particularly lately – I’ve been frustrated, angry, and afraid that I cannot control much of what is going on in my life. I have wasted time fussing at people, railing at the world in general, and doing a bit of escaping.  I want to be able to control things. I want to be able to wave my magic wand and FIX the people and animals I love. I want to wave it again to solve the awful problems in the world today.  Despite my fussing, railing, escaping – despite my wants, desires, and wand-waving, things are the same as they were.

I am now trying

  • to get calm and try to remain that way
  • to do all I am able to do to make things better
  • to live one day at a time – trying to make each one count.
  • to accept what I cannot change and deal with each thing the best I can
  • to stay as healthy as I can by staying serious about my keto eating plan and exercise
  • to keep finding healthy ways to give myself a break, whether it’s playing in my art room, working in my flowers or veggie garden, reading, listening to music, etc.

“Sometimes you need to look at life from a different perspective.” ~ Inas Chahboun

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I Love Dogs

Cane Cucciolo Wallpaper by Djlcio

“There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.” ~ Ben Williams

 

Rover.com

“Properly trained, a Man can be Dog’s best friend.” ~ Corey Ford

 

The Happy Puppy Site

“You can say any fool thing to a dog, and the dog will give you this look that says, “My God, you’re right! I never would’ve thought of that!” Dave Barry

 

Wallpaper Access

“My goal in life is to be as good a person as my dog already thinks I am.” ~ Unknown

 

Petfinder

“The great pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself too.” Samuel Butler

 

National Geographic

“One reason a dog can be such a comfort when you’re feeling blue is that he doesn’t try to find out why.” – unknown

 

Live Science

“The average dog is a nicer person that the average person.” Andy Rooney

 

Humane Society

“When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.” ~ Dog Wisdom

 

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Medical Punnies

Pinterest

*This was forwarded to me by my good friend, Marsha Koenig. (She got them from her brother.) She takes no credit for the ‘language,’ – nor do I – not sure about her brother. :0)

 

A Panel of Medical experts were asked if it is time to ease the lock down?

Allergists were in favor of scratching it, but Dermatologists advised not to make any rash moves.

Gastroenterologists had sort of a gut feeling about it, but Neurologists thought the government had a lot of nerve.

Obstetricians felt certain everyone was laboring under a misconception, while Ophthalmologists considered the idea shortsighted.

Many Pathologists yelled, “Over my dead body!” while Pediatricians said, “Oh, grow up!”

Psychiatrists thought the whole idea was madness, while Radiologists could see right through it.

Surgeons decided to wash their hands of the whole thing and pharmacists claimed it would be a  bitter pill to swallow.

Plastic Surgeons opined that this proposal would “put a whole new face on the matter.”

Podiatrists thought it was a step forward, but Urologists were pissed off at the idea.

Anesthetists thought the whole concept was a gas, and those lofty Cardiologists didn’t have the heart to say no.

In the end, the Proctologists won out, leaving the entire decision up to the assholes!

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Filed under Funny Signs - Humor, punny

Earning My Salt Today

Where did the phrase originate – The expression to be worth one’s salt, which means you’re competent and deserve what you’re earning, is most often said to have its roots in ancient Rome, where soldiers were sometimes paid in salt or given an allowance to purchase it.

I just came in from filling our 2-gallon container of KillzAll weed killer twice and spraying it around the civilized part of our yard. I’m making progress. I can tell where I have been, and that’s a good thing. My husband continued to work on repairs to our irrigation system for the yard while I did that. We’re both pooped now, having ‘earned our salt’ for the day, and will relax with lots of cold water and our comfortable recliners.

We are lucky. Our temperatures are pretty warm, but the humidity isn’t lethal yet. Hopefully, we can get the irrigation system working the way it should before the really hot weather hits. We have one system that waters the front planters first, and then switches to the back on a timer so we don’t have to get out and hold hoses every day like we used to do.

One of my goals with the weed killer is to make it so that there isn’t so MUCH to weed whack every time we mow. I don’t mind doing SOME, but it takes me two DAYS or more to weed whack everything now, and it all has to be done again the very next week. We have a lot of poison ivy bordering the civilized part of the yard, so one of my missions is to get that killed off as much as possible, too.

As far as exercise today, the carrying the heavy container and spraying is one part. As soon as I cool off some, I’ll do some nice gentle yoga stretches.

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Beautiful Paintings of Children

Adelaide Hiebel

 

 

Flipkart

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Punnies 6

Pinterest

 

What did the ranch say when somebody opened the refrigerator? “Hey, close the door! I’m dressing!”

I wanted to take pictures of the fog this morning but I mist my chance. I guess I could dew it tomorrow!

My dad unfortunately passed away when we couldn’t remember his blood type. His last words to us were, “Be positive!”

What do you call a girl with one leg that’s shorter than the other? Ilene.

Towels can’t tell jokes. They have a dry sense of humor.

What did the buffalo say to his son? Bison.

Why should you never trust a train? They have loco motives.

 A cabbage and celery walk into a bar and the cabbage gets served first because he was a head.

What’s America’s favorite soda? Mini soda.

What does a clock do when it’s hungry? It goes back for seconds.

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Filed under Funny Signs - Humor, punny

Feeling

Understanding Compassion

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Do That

Oberlo

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Filed under Attitude, Encouragement, quality of life, taking care of yourself

The Art of Nick Sider 3

Nick Sider via Emma Taggart – MyModernMet

 

 

Nick Sider via Emma Taggart – MyModernMet

 

 

Nick Sider via Emma Taggart – MyModernMet

 

 

Nick Sider via Emma Taggart – MyModernMet

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Relief

Unsplash

I told you that when we were at our routine doctor appointment Monday I received a pneumonia booster shot.  My doc also wanted me to get an A1C to check for pre or actual diabetes this time.

My husband has Type II diabetes (although he will deny this and say he just has a ‘sugar problem’) so we have cut out as much sugar as we can – opting for the keto eating plan and he is on medication for the condition.  It scared me that she wanted me to have this test.

The nurse called first thing this morning to tell me ‘there is absolutely NO sign of diabetes or pre-diabetes’ on the test. HOOOORAAAAAAAAY!

I will give my arm another day to stop hurting, but I am planning to do more spraying for weeds and do a careful session of Gentle Yoga this afternoon.

For an old broad, I am doing well. :0)

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One Smile

Maya Angelou

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Filed under Attitude, Family, Favorite Quotes, Friendship

The Art of Nick Sider 2

Nick Sider – via Emma Taggart of MyModernMet

 

Nick Sider – via Emma Taggart of MyModernMet

 

Nick Sider – via Emma Taggart of MyModernMet

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Filed under Amazing Animals, animal paintings

Protection

Yesterday when we were at our routine doctor appointment, the nurse said I should get the follow-up booster pneumonia shot. (Prevnar 13) I got the original one sometime in the past, so I said, “sure.” She gave me the shot, and I have to say I have never had a shot hurt less.

Later my arm got REALLY sore. It not only hurt at the injection site, but halfway down my arm. It was not red or swollen, though. By evening I couldn’t lift my arm without pain. I griped and moaned to my husband, who looked at it and couldn’t see anything.

I slept badly. Every time I moved, my arm hurt and I awoke. Since I apparently move a lot when I sleep, I didn’t get any rest at all.

This morning I was still in pain, so I sprayed TheraWorx on my arm and gingerly rubbed it in. When we got downstairs, I took two Tylenol. I felt like I had been run over by a truck, so when we finished our morning chores, I went to sleep in my chair. I slept for almost 3 hours.

SOMETHNG I did worked. My arm still feels a little bit sore, but nothing exciting.  I no longer feel as if I were run over by a truck. I am actually getting hungry for lunch soon!

If I had it to do again, I would have done all of the above last night when the pain first started. I’m glad I have the protection.

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Happy Fish

I just finished cleaning out the aquarium, scrubbing the fish, and putting it all back together again. (Okay – I don’t scrub the fish, but I THINK about it each time.)

 

You can see the large gold fish well, but you can’t see the WHITE gold fish.  He IS in there, just crowded out of the picture.

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Filed under Amazing Animals, Family, Housekeeping - Maintenance

Learning Lessons

Leading Learning

I am learning the hard way that I need to pay attention to the ORDER of my activities to get some control of the civilized part of our yard.  As I type, I’m TRYING not to scratch all the chigger bites I gathered yesterday while trying to clear a path on the north side of our shop. It was totally overgrown, so I had sprayed it pretty heavily a couple of times with weed killer previously. It hadn’t done the job, so I got serious yesterday.

I got a path cleared, but learned-

  1. to spritz on Ben’s Tick and Insect Repellent before heading outside. We just got this. It got really high ratings from Consumer’s Reports.  It says it is the “wilderness formula” 30% Deet, and repels mosquitoes that may carry the Zika virus. At any given time we are outside, my husband is unaware of bugs. I come back in with bites all over. I will TRY to get in the habit of spritzing this on before I even think of going outside.

 

2) I will then mix up bug spray (We use Eight – great on killing bugs, but doesn’t harm plants or our animals) in our 2-gallon container and spray it over the areas I will try to weed whack in.

 

123RF

3) After I have sprayed the bug killer thoroughly, I will weed whack, getting everything cleared out.

 

4) Then I will spray the weed killer (we use KillzAll) again, hosing down the area.

5) Then I will spray again with bug killer.

 

I’m HOPING that if I build this habit, I won’t end up looking like someone chewed on by zombies with my usually sunny disposition marred by trying really hard not to scratch….

 

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Filed under building good habits, Challenges, Changes, Gardening, learning new things, taking care of yourself

So Far

PictureQuotes.com

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Filed under aging, Attitude, Cause for Celebration, Funny Signs - Humor

Gotta Hand It

Your Tango

One of my many pet peeves is people putting things on high shelves. “High” in my case encompasses anything I can’t reach without getting a step stool or ladder – a LOT of things. I am 5’4″ and shrinking.

I have finally ALMOST gotten my husband to stop doing this, although his first inclination is to put everything WAAAAY up – ‘out of the way.’ I have modified his behavior by SWEETLY ignoring the step stools and ladders, going to get him, making HIM get up and come get whatever it is that he stored up there. I thank him profusely for the help, and then do it again without guilt when I can’t reach the next thing.  FINALLY, he sees the pattern and the NEXT time stores it down lower… :0)

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Filed under Attitude, Challenges, Changes, Pet Peeves

The Art of Nick Sider

Nick Sider – Canada – via Emma Taggart – MyModernMet

 

 

Nick Sider – Canada – via Emma Taggart – MyModernMet

 

 

Nick Sider – Canada – via Emma Taggart – MyModernMet

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Filed under animal paintings, paintings I love

Keto Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Bowls

I have just finished cooking this for tonight’s dinner (and tomorrow’s, with the leftovers). This is the second time I’ve cooked it, and my husband raved, even though he is not a huge fan of broccoli. Chicken Alfredo has always been a favorite of mine, crossed off my list when I started Keto because of the pasta. This recipe has no pasta and I don’t miss it!

When I told my husband earlier that I was going to fix it for tonight, his one word answer was “YUM!”

Net carbs are 7 grams per serving. This recipe is 4 servings.

I have truly never found a recipe book where we really like most of the recipes until this one. She uses down to earth ingredients so you are not having to hunt all over town or order a bunch of stuff online. They are also not labor-intensive recipes, a big plus in my book, since nowadays we are working outside a lot and I don’t want to go to a lot of trouble for something to eat.

This recipe is now one of our staples.

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Filed under DIET!, Keto Eating Plan and Recipes We Like

What is Love?

I Might Be Funny

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Amazing Photograph

Jaap LaBrijn via Rita Gunning-LinkedIn

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Peace

Barbara L. Diamond – Boom2Bloom

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Marriage Quotes I Love

My husband and I on our wedding day – June 14, 1969

Our marriage – something old that has been made beautiful with a lot of work and patching by both of us. – DiVoran Lites.

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. Mignon McLaughlin

Marriage is an alliance entered into by a man who can’t sleep with the window shut, and a woman who can’t sleep with the window open. George Bernard Shaw

Marriage is the alliance of two people, one of whom never remembers birthdays and the other who never forgets them. Ogden Nash

Marriage resembles a pair of shears, so joined that they cannot be separated; often moving in opposite directions, yet always punishing anyone who comes between them. Sydney Smith

Marriage should be a duet – when one sings, the other claps. Joe Murray

Sometimes I wonder if men and women really suit each other. Perhaps they should live next door and just visit now and then. Katharine Hepburn

The difficulty with marriage is that we fall in love with a personality, but must live with a character.
Peter De Vries

Chains do not hold a marriage together. It is threads, hundreds of tiny threads which sew people together through the years. ~Simone Signoret

Success in marriage does not come merely through finding the right mate, but through being the right mate. ~Barnett R. Brickner

A long marriage is two people trying to dance a duet and two solos at the same time. ~Anne Taylor Fleming

A wedding anniversary is the celebration of love, trust, partnership, tolerance and tenacity. The order varies for any given year. ~Paul Sweeney

I figure that the degree of difficulty in combining two lives ranks somewhere between rerouting a hurricane and finding a parking place in downtown Manhattan. ~Claire Cloninger

Like good wine, marriage gets better with age – once you learn to keep a cork in it. ~Gene Perret

What counts in making a happy marriage is not so much how compatible you are, but how you deal with incompatibility. ~George Levinger

Often the difference between a successful marriage and a mediocre one consists of leaving about three or four things a day unsaid. ~Harlan Miller

To keep your marriage brimming,
With love in the loving cup,
Whenever you’re wrong, admit it;
Whenever you’re right, shut up.
~Ogden Nash

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Punnies 5

Dreamstime.com

What did the hamburger name it’s baby? Patty!

One lung said to another, “we be-lung together!”

I asked a Frenchman if he played video games. He said Wii.

Why are frogs so happy? They eat whatever bugs them.

What did the duck say when she purchased new lipstick? Put it on my bill!

My parents said I can’t drink coffee anymore. Or else they’ll ground me!

What did syrup to the waffle? I love you a waffle lot!

My wife refuses to go to a nude beach with me. I think she’s just being clothes-minded!

Did you hear about that cheese factory that exploded in France? There was nothing left but de Brie!

I’m no cheetah, you’re lion!

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Milestone

June 14, 1969 – 51 years ago today  – my husband and I made the promise to share the rest of our lives.  Both sets of parents thought we were making a mistake. We happily made the promises anyway, ‘riding off into the sunset’ together, our whole lives ahead of us.

 

51 years later, we are still going strong.

Marriage is one of the most important promises you will ever make. It’s the hardest job you will ever have. It’s an evolving work-in-progress that will sometimes require more than you think you have to give. Merging two lives is difficult, to say the least. You will grow and change, and hopefully continue to build a stronger and stronger bond as the years pass. It’s a union that will bring some of the very best moments you will have in your life.  Bad things will happen, but you are stronger together than either of you is alone.  Sometimes you will feel so close your heart spills over. Other times you want to bite each other in the leg. If you each feel that you are giving 150%, it is probably coming out pretty even. In some ways, I can’t believe it has been 51 years (‘officially’, my husband says, since we dated for 8 years before marrying.) In other ways, it seems we have ALWAYS been halves of a stronger whole.

 

Last year, on our 50th anniversary, my husband said we had a good start, but that he wanted another 50 years. I have told him that I will do everything in my power to give that to him. We don’t know what is in store in the future, but we will face whatever comes together.

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Filed under Cause for Celebration, Family, love, marriage

Young at Heart

picturequotes.com

It’s going to be warm today, but the humidity will be low, so no complaints.

I’ve been PLANNING to get out in the yard for a couple of days now, but never got beyond the talking state.

I’m going out now to weed whack.

Wish me luck!!!!

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Filed under aging, Gardening