“I’ve enjoyed every age I’ve been and each has had its own individual merit. Every laugh line, every scar, is a badge I wear to show I’ve been present, the inner rings of my personal tree trunk that I display proudly for all to see. Nowadays, I don’t want a “perfect” face and body; I want to wear the life I’ve lived.” — Pat Benatar
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Rafael Mantesso uses creative artwork with pics of his bull terrier to promote various products all over the world. I’m fascinated by his imagination.
Filed under drawings
Filed under Joanne Cook Sculpture, sculpture
Filed under Awe-Inspiring Photography, Mother Nature
As I type, my sweet SIL is on her way for some well-earned days at the beach. She is planning to send us pictures so that WE can have a virtual vacation, too!
Each time she goes, I ask her to kiss a sandpiper for me. She hasn’t actually done that, but she has taken a picture or two. I’ll take it. :0)
I hope we can all feel better as she shares some of the beauty of our world.
Filed under vicarious enjoyment
Today is DAY 82 of my efforts to make a habit of doing a daily session of yoga.
I will need to be particularly mindful in my practice today because I have pain on the right side of my back in particular today. I think I hurt myself yesterday evening trying to get the empty new trashcan in the bed of the truck by myself at the bottom of the driveway. My husband and I had a ‘discussion’ about it on the way back up the driveway. He agreed – since he doesn’t want to leave the new can at the bottom of the driveway – that he will get out and help me get the can in and out of the truck.
I discovered that the addition of another small pillow allows me to stretch the stiff part of my back safely. I actually felt better – much looser – after my practice yesterday.
My practice lasts from 30 to 45 minutes these days, depending on how I feel. Each stretch is still uncomfortable at first, but my body is beginning to actually look forward to the stretches, relaxing into the poses more quickly, as I feel so much better afterwards. :0)
The time to fully relax, taking as much time as I want, is a good time for me. I’m calm and happy when I finish.
Not a ‘habit’ yet – but therapeutic.
Filed under exercise, taking care of yourself
Filed under Joanne Cook Sculpture, sculpture
Good morning!
We’ll leave in a bit to take our trash down, get our mail, and do some errands. Not sure what this beautiful day will hold, but I’m optimistic that I can make it a good one.
For the past week or so, I’ve been jumping through hoops trying to get a medicine that will help my husband. Our doctor is helpful on prescribing several things, but there is the issue of insurance coverage to deal with. We’ve been going back and forth. I finally figured out that going through ‘chat’ with our insurance people is a much better way to actually get answers than trying to get them on the phone. We MAY have an answer now. Fingers crossed.
Hoping for a calm, quiet day for all of us.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
“Elephants love reunions; they recognize one another after years and years of separation and greet each other with wild, boisterous joy.” – Jennifer Richard Jacobson
“If anyone wants to know what elephants are like, they are like people only more so.” – Peter Corneille.
“Nature’s great masterpiece an elephant; the only harmless great thing.” – John Donne.
“To emulate an elephant was very easy; as all you had to do was inflate your persona like a colossal gas balloon…” – Nikhil Parekh.
“You know… they say an elephant never forgets. What they don’t tell you is, you never forget an elephant.” – Bill Murray.
“People are so difficult. Give me an elephant any day.” – Mark Shand.
Filed under Amazing Animals
Isn’t this koala sweet? You can’t be down after looking at him smile. :0)
We played a new game of “Trash Can” first thing this morning. My husband decided that he wanted to replace our two lidded trash cans in our pantry with one really large one. This is to stop my ‘request’ that we separate ‘burnable’ from ‘non-burnable,’ though he would deny that, arguing that the large single can is more ‘efficient.’ Amber, our 90-pound yellow lab, has been getting into his beside-his-chair living room trash can because he insists on putting leftover food plastic food bowls and food sacks there. He replied that he puts the food trash in the can because the pantry ones “don’t have enough room.” He wanted to move one of the pantry trashcans with bin-type lid between his chair and the wall. So now we’ve played fruit-basket-upset, with me washing the large trash can and lid that he brought in from ‘somewhere’ covered with old mud wasp nests, spider webs and ‘yuck.’ He will find places for three displaced cans, and we’ll see how this works. At least the large one in the pantry has wheels on one edge, so it can be wheeled from one side to the other when it is in the way….
Lots of exciting stuff going on here today – besides the ‘trashcan” game – like loads of laundry and changing our sheets. Be still, my heart.
DAY 80 on daily yoga.
Work is ongoing on the garden. It will take several days for me to get it to the points that I’m ready to cover up the Mel’s Mix with the weed barrier cloth. There isn’t any rush, so I’m doing it a bit at a time.
I hope you’re having a satisfying Monday.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Filed under Favorite Authors & Books, Favorite Quotes, Poohisms
This is such a cute picture. I wish that the raccoons around HERE had a better idea of what “sharing” means, and “respect for property.” Thankfully, we haven’t had any more raccoons eating us out of house and home lately, or tearing up the bird feeders. My husband actually filled the feeder the other day, and the birds came in celebration, flitting around all over the place. If the raccoons would learn to be better neighbors, we could all enjoy the seeds together.
Today is DAY 79 of my daily yoga practice. I’ve decided that I may NEVER build an actual “HABIT.” I’m definitely on the slow end of the spectrum on how long it takes to actually build one. Maybe I’ll just have to be satisfied that I consciously make time for my practice these days. I noticed the other day that our yellow lab, Amber, definitely does the ‘downward dog’ pose and stretch several times a day. SHE’S in good shape, so I’m glad I’m taking a page from her playbook and doing this one, too. :0)
I’m feeling energetic enough this morning that I’m planning to go out and do more work on my square foot garden boxes today. I’ll take containers of both KILLZALL and EIGHT when I go. I want to use the little rake tool to get as many weeds out as I can and smooth the Mel’s Mix out as much as possible. I’ll spray things to encourage any remaining fire ants to die a cruel death (I’m becoming quite vicious in my hate for these little guys) plus spray to kill remaining weed roots. Then I’m planning to take the wheelbarrow and gather 24 bricks to take out there. I’m going to use those to hold down the weed barrier cloth we’re planning to put down in the boxes. My husband said he’ll help me cut the cloth and get those down. Not sure how much I can get accomplished on this, but it seems the weather is perfect today for my efforts.
I hope your Sunday is a nice one.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Our son took this photo and posted this on our chat page yesterday morning. This was the view out his home office/music room. There are maintenance people working on the top of the building, taking advantage of every clear day they can to make repairs during the rainy season, but this would sure get your attention, wouldn’t it.
Filed under Changes
Filed under Embroidery/Sewing Art, quilts
My to-do list is intimidating me today. I went from feeling organized to have it all written down to feeling totally overwhelmed.
Brian Tracy wrote, “When you feel overwhelmed with too much to do and too little time, remind yourself that all you can do is all you can do.”
For the time being, I’m ignoring the list and doing what I want to do (writing blog posts) while I enjoy a cup of coffee. Then I’ll choose the most important thing and do that. Hopefully, these will give me the impetus and motivation to continue…
Filed under Attitude, Laziness - Sloth
Good morning! Happy October!
It’s 57 degrees right now. Can you believe it? I’m drinking it in. Ahhhhhh! I actually wore a hoodie to Lunch Bunch yesterday morning. It’s still getting warm-to-too-warm in the afternoons, but it looks like the back of summer has finally been broken. (Knock on wood.)
Since I’ve been having to baby my back, gardening efforts have essentially stalled. Maybe I can do a bit today. I’ll try it and see how it goes.
Happy belated birthday to my dear cousin-in-law-and-dear-friend, Murray.
Have a wonderful day, everyone!
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