Monthly Archives: June 2022
Marvelous Mosaic
Filed under mosaic
Tomatoes
My pruning tomato plants experiment continues. The tomatoes in the 8 foot brick planter to the side of the house look pretty good. The ones in the ‘niche’ planter nestled in beside the house looked way too bushy, so I’ve just come in from giving them some attention. I got the obvious suckers and any branches with leaves touching the soil and then got more aggressive. The video said the plants did best when they can get lots of oxygen, and that means cutting off some of the extra branches that aren’t serving a particular purpose. I did some of that – although I admit that still kind of gives me pause – and got some taller, stronger supports for a couple of the plants. I think things are happy out there now.
“I” am way too hot to be a happy camper right now. I’m trying to rest and cool down a bit before I tackle the whirlpool tub and surround upstairs. I have read how to best deep clean the redwood that surrounds the tub. I’ve only been wiping it down for a long time and it really needs some deep cleaning. Happily, I have what I need for that.
Lifting
Filed under Attitude, caring, Encouragement
Sunday Thoughts
A couple of days ago I began a deep cleaning of our master bathroom. This includes a room with countertop and double lavatories, a whirlpool tub, my walk-in closet, two open closets for supplies, and then another room with a toilet and shower. I found myself also cleaning the guest room bathroom at the same time, thinking that, as I concentrated on one part or another, I could use the same cleaners and get both rooms at the same time. Today I’ll tackle our tub and then the baseboards and floors of both. Wish me luck!
My other project for today is another pruning of my tomato plants.
The long planter seems to be doing well, although there are a few branches that need to be pruned. The ‘niche’ planter beside the house is looking ‘bushy,’ so I’ll need to give it a bit more attention. The idea of the careful pruning is that you get more yield when you get rid of the extra leaves and branches that are taking energy from the main stems that produce the tomatoes. I’ll try to do that today, too.
I also wanted to share the elephant ear planter.
Enjoy your Sunday!
A Bit Less Lard
Nothing noticeable by others yet, but the scales are starting to notice my efforts. A couple of pounds less of me this week.
I’m starting to feel more confident in food choices, preparing, and eating now, loading up on veggies, fruit, nuts, etc. For the moment – while we’re trying to work outside, plus I’m doing some deep cleaning inside – I’m relying on Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers for dinners for me, with another veggie or raw ones on the side while my husband mainly eats Lean Cuisine. We’re having a salad night once a week, plus I cook something big enough (soups, stews, chili, casseroles, fish) that we can have several meals from one cooking session.
My working outside in the garden or inside doing deep cleaning is sufficing right now for my exercise. I’m feeling GOOD.
Filed under DIET!, exercise, Mediterranean Eating Plan + Recipes
Father’s Day 2022
I carry my dad with me everywhere. He’s always with me.
He wasn’t one to say much. He was embarrassed by displays of emotion. He gave me the gift of humor. He used it himself to ward off the bullies at school who tried to make fun of him because one of his arms was shorter than the other and his hand was mangled and pretty much useless from a fall from a horse when he was three. People can’t laugh and bully at the same time.
He taught me to strive for your dreams, taking chances. He brought his wife and two kids from Long Island NY to Tulsa, Oklahoma in order to take a job in advertising in a small company. He not only did well in that job, but built his own independent advertising agency, eventually winning a lifetime achievement award from the American Advertising Federation for his unique contribution to Tulsa radio advertising. He went from barely scraping to never having to make a cold call to a client the rest of his life. His ads are still played on the radio from time to time in commemoration.
He taught me to think creatively as I watched him come up with new ideas to sell products, then cut his own ads on his tape recorder in our home, then sell them to the client. Even though he only had one hand that worked properly, I have 5 oil paintings from him – three landscapes of trees, and ‘personality’ portraits of my brother and me, where he captured us as children. I also have two small wooden ‘dogs’ he carved, plus an ‘engagement ring’ he carved for my mom.
He taught me a love of learning by sitting in his chair on the weekends, pouring over big books on geology and archeology. He would have loved to go on digs, unearthing bits of ancient history, and tried to explain to me what the different layers of rocks meant.
When he went with me to school when I was getting my Master’s Degree and asked him to be my “celebrity’ guest speaker on a lesson on listening intelligently to advertising, he made me cry when at the end of the presentation, he told the class how proud he was to be my dad.
I am so lucky to have countless memories of both of my parents, to know that they loved my brother and me, sacrificed for us, and wanted the best for us. I wish everyone had both parents – or failing that – people who loved them and taught them what was important in life.
Filed under holidays
Owl Magic
Mesmerizing Mosaic
Filed under mosaic
Achieving Balance
I am finding some good answers on what will work best for me as far as eating and exercising, getting healthier, more flexible, and feeling good.
Last night we were simply heating up individual portions of things I had cooked before and frozen. Cooking another veggie seemed too much, so I just got out some of the raw veggies I cut up recently and have been eating with dip for snacks to put to the side of the plate. I asked my husband if he wanted some, and he said, “Sure.” Later, when we were eating, he said they tasted ‘good.’ :0)
So, I’m consciously eating more veggies every day, less meat (used mainly as a flavoring now, some fruit, nuts, avoiding added sugar, salt, most white things, except for one dinner roll – a thing to which I look forward. I’m trying not to eat snacks, or anything after dinner. Many times I’m successful.
I’m consciously more active. Right now I’m in a cleaning mode. My house keeps asking, “Who IS this?” I’m working on really deep cleaning our master bathroom. It’s large – with a room that has a double lavatory and countertop, a whirlpool tub, and my walk-in closet. Another room has the toilet and a shower. I’ve been doing the minimum for a while, so I’m trying to DEEP clean it this time.
I’m adding some new poses to my yoga routine in the afternoons, though late afternoon is the best time to be outside working in the garden or my tomatoes or my yard, so I’m having an internal fight over this one. So far I’m doing one or the other, but I would LIKE to do both. I’m working on it.
The result of all this is I feel better. I’m sleeping better. I’m starting to lose some of my lard. Win/Win/Win.
Balance is all.
Filed under Challenges, Changes, DIET!, exercise
FUN Lunch Bunch
We enjoyed a particularly nice Lunch Bunch today. Everyone was there – the ‘core’ bunch – Linda, Kay, and me, plus my husband, Kay’s husband, and Linda’s daughter, Patty.
Linda is going to Tennessee July 1st for two weeks, so we agreed to celebrate Linda’s birthday next Friday, the 24th, so we won’t miss it. (Her birthday is actually on the 29th, and we like to celebrate the last Friday before any of our birthdays).
Everyone was in good health, except Kay was stung by tiny black wasps this past week. Her swelling was down, though, and the pain was gone. If the wasps weren’t gathered around and under her porch, I would have suggested they take a blow torch to the area.
We talked driveways. One suggestion that Kay’s husband made was that next time we have something major done, we arrange for a 2″+ “crown” to go down the middle of the driveway. This would encourage run-off from rains to drain better, hopefully resulting in less washing of driveway material down the driveway.
Each Friday I’m reminded how very lucky I am to have friends with whom I can share things. We’ve met every Friday for some 25 years now. A lot of sharing, tears, hugs, and laughter. To say it’s priceless is a vast understatement.
Filed under Friendship
I Love Collage Art
More Pencil Drawings
Filed under drawings
It’s Friday!
For years and years Friday meant the end of another work week and two days off. Weekends were usually hectic for me, since I needed to do all the marketing for the coming week, the laundry, cooking, etc. (I COULD have spread it out during the week, but working full time, going to graduate classes twice a week, raising our son, being a wife, feeding us, nightly chores, getting ready for the next day, occupied more than all of my time. Still, Fridays meant a change of pace and a bit of freedom.
Now our son is grown, we’re retired, and Friday is just another potentially wonderful day. We look forward to seeing our friends at Lunch Bunch. We usually do some errands before and after, then settle down back home.
I love not having most of my time spoken for. I really like figuring out something I want to accomplish each day – or at least work AT – so I’m using my time well. I love the freedom of not having dire consequences if I don’t accomplish all on my to-do list each day.
Being able to just lie back and let myself go if I’m sleepy in the afternoon is a perk beyond price. Having few appointments and some nice quiet days is something my soul needs. One of my favorite things now is walking around our yard, seeing something that needs to be done and doing it, or spending time by myself reading, listening to music, playing in my art room, or choosing to do nothing at all.
I hope Friday each week means wonderful things for you.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Stunning Pencil Drawings
Filed under drawings
Jesse Meyer Flux Design 2
Filed under metal art
Delectable Driftwood Art
Filed under Driftwood Art, When Wood Comes Alive
Hint of Success
Things seem to be finally coming together on my Mediterranean-type eating plan. (I say ‘Mediterranean-TYPE’ because I’m really only embracing PART of the plan since my husband looks hostile when I mention most veggies.)
I’m thinking of calling what we’re doing the “SNEAKY Mediterranean Plan” since I’m simply adding an extra serving of the veggies my husband LIKES openly, and sneaking extra veggies that are good for us into soups, stews, and casseroles otherwise.
I haven’t been paying much attention to calories, since my digestive system got messed up awhile back and I’ve been concentrating on meds and eating smart to correct that. I’ve been relying on Cafe’ Steamers from Healthy Choice, since they have good veggies, meat flavoring, and low calories. We’ve also been enjoying fruit – carefully, though, since my husband is Type II diabetic.
All is coming together now. The change in what I’m eating, plus a new medication are largely solving my digestive problems. My scales are beginning to notice my efforts. I feel better – more energetic.
My husband requested I make chili, so I’m doing that today. My project for the day – if all goes according to plan – is to deep clean our master bathroom. Since our heat index is forecast to be 107 today, it’s a great day to wait until late afternoon to try to get outside for yard work.
I wish you a happy Thursday.
Wednesday Thoughts
We have gone from monsoon type, flooding rains (12 inches in one week) to ‘excessive heat warnings’ (heat index of 118) to regular mid summer temperatures and no rain here. The only thing is that summer hasn’t officially begun yet! Kind of impressive. I’m just happy we have air conditioning and can insulate ourselves from the worst of it.
I’ll go and get a haircut in about half an hour. Right now I look like a dandelion-gone-to-seed with hair everywhere. When Michael finishes with me, I’ll still look like me, but it will be obvious someone had a plan. :0) I’ll do a couple more errands and then come home in time to fix our lunch.
We didn’t catch a critter in our humane trap overnight, but ‘someone’ was eating sunflower seed, triggered the trap door to close, but didn’t get caught. We’ll reset the trap nightly until we get someone else.
I’ve been spraying weeds lately, trying to get all the super-growth of greenery due to the rains under control. I’m making slow progress since it’s so hot, but I’ll keep at it, a bit at a time. I’m going to check my tomato plants and my zucchini plants today to see if I need to do anything.
I’m feeling good about my eating plan now, including as many veggies as I can each day, enjoying some fruit again, and watching portions, trying not to snack. My scales showed some progress this morning, so that’s a step in the right direction, too. I’m reading my new Big Yoga book, too, trying to find poses to add to my regular yoga practice. I’m planning to do the short online videos (warm up, balance, and weights) today, too.
We’re hoping our good plumber will be able to make time to help us this week with a 2nd line in the well house so we can irrigate our front yard planters automatically. I’m watching my elephant ear plants in particular. I’ll need to take water out to them if our guy can’t get here in the next couple of days.
This week is flying by! It seems I was just talking about Monday of another week and we’re already to Wednesday. My too-long hair is blowing as the time flies past.
Enjoy your day.
Filed under DIET!, exercise, Gardening, Mother Nature, Thoughts on a ________
Busy Tuesday Already
We just returned from running errands this morning.
We caught raccoon # 7 overnight in our humane trap. He was a really big one. He was docile, though, so we drove out and relocated him several miles away from us. I think this may be a record-breaking year for raccoons for us. The memo has definitely gone out that the Lewises have good sunflower seeds in the feeders. I just wish the raccoons could learn to share and not trash the feeders. We spend a lot of time repairing the feeders, plus we have to leave them empty until we catch the newest culprit in the humane trap.
We left our trash at the bottom of the driveway for pickup, noting that, even with the washed out parts on one edge of the driveway due to the incredible rains we’ve had (12 inches in one week!) the driveway is still in the best shape it’s been in forever. Jeremy Young did a miraculous job spreading the crusher dust for us so we could get down and up our driveway again. We marvel each time we drive on it.
We got our mail, went for a haircut for my husband, a shot for him, and then back home in record time. We’re going to have lunch in a minute and then rest a bit before tackling our afternoon.
Mother Nature is giving us a break today. It’s merely ‘way too hot’ outside, rather than ‘excessive heat warning’ today. I’m planning to mix up some KILLZALL and see what weeds I can murder this afternoon. We’re down to zucchini and red onions in our garden, plus the two planters of tomatoes now. Both are on automatic watering systems, although that seems almost like a joke right now, with all the rain we’ve had. Our plumber is trying to get her this week to arrange line #2 in the well house so we can have automatic watering in the front planters, too.
I got a new book on Yoga in the mail today. It’s called, Big Yoga – A Simple Guide for Bigger Bodies by Meera Patricia Kerr. It provides a gentle program for a healthier body, greater flexibility, and a peaceful mind. Since I’m both older than dirt and have a larger-than-I-would-like body, I’m going to dive into it and see what I want to add to the half hour of “Gentle Yoga” positions I’m doing that I learned from Cat Kabira in her wonderful DVD.
And that’s my morning. Have a wonderful afternoon!
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Enjoying Robert B. Parker
I have finished re-reading the Jesse Stone series, and the Spenser series. Now I’m re-reading the Sunny Randall series. Once I finish those, there are only a few books left – some wonderful westerns and other stand-alone books.
It makes me a bit sad to be coming to the end of the re-read, but I’m delighted to have the collection so I can enjoy it again whenever I would like.
Some good friends have recommended authors new to me, so I’m looking forward to diving into some new worlds soon. :0)
Creative Collage Art
Thrussell – Father and Son Metal Sculptors
Filed under metal art
Forever
53 years ago today my husband and I tied the knot, ‘jumped over the broom,’ promised to have and to hold for better or for worse… Actually, we had a less conventional ceremony, using a poem by Kalil Gibran which essentially said we promised we wouldn’t “drink from the same cup. “
53 years later we’re still together, still not drinking from the same cup, and we haven’t killed each other yet. I’ve casually mentioned to him from time to time that I have our backhoe guy on speed dial to dig a hole for my husband in the back yard, but haven’t actually contracted for the job yet.
Marriage is hard. It’s a work in progress that is never finished. When two real people marry, they are actually promising to do their very best to let – and encourage each other – to grow and change – and then deal with those changes the best way they can.
When two very different people marry, it’s even more of a job. My husband and I don’t even use the same salt. On most subjects we disagree. Sometimes we have trouble agreeing whether the sun is shining or not – and yet we love – even more than we did 53+ years ago when I thought my young heart would simply burst with it.
We’ve shared wonderful things and really bad things and made it through. As much as I think about contracting for that hole, I’m addicted to him. He knows all the buttons to push to drive me crazy and yet he can still make me melt with just a look. And the amazing thing is that he still loves me, too.
Two very imperfect people promised to spend their lives together. Two people created two little babies. Two people lost one of them and thought they would die of grief. Two people became even stronger in order to help each other through and raise their wonderful little boy. Two people whose buttons burst with pride about the caring man he is today. Two imperfect people sharing their lives.
Sometimes we feel so close my heart spills over. Other times we need lots of space, patience, and metaphoric band-aids. Marriage is the hardest job there is, but I can’t imagine one more important. Sometimes I feel marriage is a gift. Other times we deserve awards for NOT digging that hole in the back yard for each other.
We ‘renewed our option’ for another 50 years in 2019, throwing caution to the winds and deciding that this marriage might stand the test of time. Happy anniversary to us. May our laughter continue.
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