Monthly Archives: August 2025

Wednesday 8-6 Thoughts

As we were out walking this morning, Brian pointed up into this tree. At first I was distracted by all the incredibly lush leaves. Then I noticed the beautiful pink blossom. And THEN I noticed the bunch of bananas! I guess I never thought about bananas. I knew they grew in bunches, of course, but I hadn’t gone beyond that. These are the small bananas grown here, rather than the giant ones we had in the states. Sad to say, for many reasons I don’t eat bananas anymore, but I can sure appreciate seeing them grow!

Our gym was without power today so we found a park to wander around in. There were lots of people walking, jogging, or just strolling, so we had a lot of company. It was getting ready to rain, so it was cooling off some, a thing I really appreciated. The last time we visited this pretty place, I had to stop and rest several times. This time, I didn’t need to stop at all, so I must be making progress in my exercise efforts.😁

We just got home from visiting my husband at the nursing home. He was more alert than last time, but was spouting a bunch of stuff about needing to get to the airport to go back to Tulsa. (This is from around 50 years ago.) He DID look at me and say he was grateful we came to visit and that he loved me. He also said “I’m sorry I’m a mess,” and I almost lost it right there.

We brought him this wooden cube toy today. He showed some interest in it at first and we thought it might give him something fun to do with his hands. We said our goodbyes and were waiting for our Grab ride when his nurse came out and said he was calling for us. We hurried back to his room. Apparently he wanted us to take the cube home with us. We almost missed our ride, and we’re not sure what was going on there. I have it back on my shelf and we’ll try it again later. We have more toys on the way we hope he’ll like.

We had 3 minutes or so of real communication in the over an hour we spent there, but I live for those moments now.

Two of my latest drawings/paintings. I’m having a lot of fun trying to draw fun pictures I see on the net.

I’m slow, but I’m having fun trying to work this jigsaw puzzle. I am determined that before I croak I will finish it and post it on the blog. My son has said I won’t finish it, in effect daring me to give up. 🤪😜

It has been raining off and on all day. I didn’t have a lot of laundry this morning, so I’m just trying to finish a few things up, moving them back and forth between my rack on the balcony and hanging from various places inside. I must be adapting at least a little to the weather here. I fell asleep this morning before we were due to leave to go visit Harvey. I woke as if someone had nudged me, went out to the balcony, brought my few things inside, and then the rain started as soon as I shut the balcony door.

I hope that you are finding some fun things to do today.

4 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Amazement

Freepik

Last night I added more exercises with bottles of water as weights. I did enough that I had some sore muscles, so that was good.

Today after looking at a couple of videos (thank you, Sheila) of a lady dancing, I looked up music videos labeled, “dance music,” to encourage me to bop around the room with my headphones on. I lasted three songs on the first video before pooping out, and I had a good time, a smile on my face as the years fell away in my mind.

Pinterest – Free Clipart

Just a minute ago, I was truly ‘amazing’ though, as I sprinted toward my balcony to rescue my laundry drying on the rack when it started to pour suddenly. And I mean POUR!!!!! Not just a turning-the-faucet-on rain, but someone using spray attachments!

I had forgotten how quickly this old lady can move, if needed. I managed to get the dry stuff off the rack and onto a chair, and then proceeded to open the balcony folding door fully so I could move the rack of still damp clothes inside. I managed to do that without injury or dumping the clothes and then got the door shut without pinching fingers or causing any other problems.

True to Thailand, while I’m still breathing a bit heavily from all the exertion, the rain has quieted to a calm rain, instead of all the slashing, blowing rain. Thankfully, this rain was slanted differently, so my windows didn’t leak. 😁

Bored Panda

Now that I’m up and my heart is ‘awake’ and functioning, I think I’ll do my session of yoga stretches for the day…

15 Comments

Filed under exercise

Wolves in Art

Gloria Masse’

“A man might befriend a wolf, even break a wolf, but no man could truly tame a wolf.”― George R.R. Martin, A Dance with Dragons

Great Big Canvas

“We are never alone
We are all wolves
Howling to the same moon.”
― Atticus Poetry, Atticus

Moonlight Wolf Mates – Collin Bogle – iCanvas

“Have you seen what wolves do to their prey? But they do mate for life.”― Donna Lynn Hope

Leslie Kirchner

“That night the wind was howling almost like a wolf and there were some real wolves off to the west giving it lessons.”― George R.R. Martin, A Storm of Swords

Collin Bogle – Etsy UK

“A howl is as infectious to a wolf as a yawn is to a human.”― Kevin Ansbro

Kromschroeder – Moondancers – Brians Gallery

“There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls.” ~ Unknown

Pinterest – no attribution

“One beast and only one howls in the woods by night.” ― Angela Carter, Burning Your Boats: The Collected Short Stories

Lone Wolf – Collin Bogle Nature Art

“Show me a wolf that would want a collar.” ― Masahiko Takajo, Riki-Oh, Vol. 1

5 Comments

Filed under Amazing Animals

More Great Photos

David Rippen – @dmrippen.bsky.social

Keith Boone Photography – @keithboone.bsky.social

Paul Willson – @paulwillson.bsky.social

Ray Bilcliff – @raybilcliff.bsky.social

Richard Bernabe – @bernabephoto.bsky.social

4 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Thoughts on a Monday 8-4

This is my new haircut. It feels good and is super easy to care for, with my just having to blow it dry when I shower each morning.

I’m having a quiet day today. I walked a little over a mile on the treadmill using my new ‘slow-then-fast-for-me’ walking method. (Japanese Walking). I’ve been doing this for a couple of weeks now. The video says that this method is much more effective for health than the ‘set-the-speed-and-walk-for-30-minutes’ method I was using before. It sure keeps me more ‘engaged’. I’m walking for a slow speed for 2 minutes, then fast-for-me for 3 minutes in 5 minute increments over and over for the 30 minutes, so I have a slow speed to warm up and one to cool down at the end.

Today is a quiet day for us, with nothing we HAVE to do, so Brian and I ate breakfast and talked a bit, and will meet again for dinner this evening. Otherwise, we are free to do what we want. Brian will work and I will play. I feel a bit guilty about that – but, having worked all my life starting with summer jobs at 14, I feel I that embracing my fun and sloth is a wonderful thing.

I’m working on painting some sketches I started recently. I’m also making progress (in fits and starts) on my owls puzzle. Sometimes I think I won’t live long enough to finish this one, which is truly challenging. You can’t tell what part you’re working on, even after studying the picture. I’m looking forward to the day when I can display the finished puzzle for you!😋

I’m exercising with Mike, from More Life Health on my computer. He gears his workouts on various parts of the body so that you can choose what you feel you’re missing from your other exercising, geared to seniors. I do one of his workouts several times each week. No special equipment needed and the site is free.

I’m reading a good book on my Kindle; enjoying finding things I think are great on the computer; writing blog posts I hope you’ll enjoy; doing my yoga stretches and other new exercises; and more. The biggest problem is deciding what I want to do when!

I hope you are finding things that give you joy in your day.

17 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Beautiful Photos

SharonWelby.bsky.social

gelena.bsky.social

stuartmcglennon.bsky.social

stephenpowersphoto.bsky.social

5 Comments

Filed under Awe-Inspiring Photography

A Beautiful Day

It wasn’t raining when Brian and I made our way to the gym this morning! Later the sun came out, and it’s a lovely day here.

We went to see my husband at the nursing home. He has a new full time caregiver who is very nice. She suggested we get him toys to give him something to do with his hands, so we’re looking into that. We stopped for a chocolate drink on the way home, having a nice conversation.

I have the afternoon to myself. I’m going to paint some of the drawings I did recently after I finish writing my blog posts. Such a great way to spend the afternoon! 😃

I am learning gradually to eat Thai food. Brian supplies me with a glass of water, plus I am learning to combine bites to include something that makes the ‘hot and spicy’ easier on my mouth.

Also, we’re drinking some mushroom tea in the mornings with breakfast. It’s Brian’s idea that the worse the tea tastes, the better it is for us. 🤣 He got us two teas – one container each from two different mushrooms. We also add bone broth to it for added health benefits. Both have long lists of all the wonderful stuff they provide. One doesn’t taste like much of anything except hot water. The other tastes truly awful. Of course, Brian thinks the latter is ‘better for us.’ We trade off on which one we drink each morning. There is no telling if either one really are that great health-wise, but it’s worth a shot. Plus, it gives us something to laugh about every other day…

Have a wonderful day!

10 Comments

Filed under Attitude

More Pampering!

Freepik

I had a lovely day yesterday with a massage in the morning, time in a cafe sipping an iced cappucino while drawing in my sketch book or reading a book on my new Kindle while my housekeeper (woo HOOO!) made my place spotless. These were topped off by a trip to a street market and beautiful dinner.

Brian had bought the new Kindle for Harvey to use in the nursing home. My husband has always been a voracious reader, reading paperbacks plus books downloaded on to his Kindle at the rate sometimes of a book in one day. Since his stroke, the old Kindle was too much for him to handle, so Brian ordered a new, simpler one which only had the reader without any other bells and whistles. It turned out that the simpler one was too much for him, as well, so we brought it home with us last time. Brian wiped the books off, downloaded all of MY books onto it, listed it on Amazon so I can continue to download books from Kindle Unlimited, and synced it to the Wifi in my place, as well as an alternate if needed. Is my son a keeper or what! 🙂

And the pampering continues today! Two months ago we found a hair stylist who looked at a picture I brought in on my phone and tried his best to emulate it – taking into account that my hair won’t do ANYTHING on its own. It’s thin, fine, and totally uncooperative. I came out looking as if ‘someone had a plan,’ rather than an exploded mushroom. I’m hoping he can work a miracle again today.

After my haircut, fingers are crossed that Brian will be able to find some tennis shoes to replace the ones he is using now which have the tread totally worn off. I hope he finds something he is happy with today at the big mall.

I hope that YOU are being pampered, too, or that you figure out things you can do for yourself that make your face explode into a wide, wide grin today.

4 Comments

Filed under Pampering

Street Market

Brian and I went to a street market yesterday evening. I had not been to one before and had to work at closing my mouth instead of leaving it hanging open!

It seemed like everything in the world was for sale, but primarily it was all types of food, clothes, and jewelry, with places where you could get a foot massage or manicure and more.

There was stall after stall of wonderful food that looked and smelled wonderful. My mouth was watering the whole time we walked around.

The weather was perfect. Apparently, there are street markets all over Chiang Mai. You could spend hours in each one, never seeing everything that was offered. I thoroughly enjoyed walking around at this one.

We got some roasted chicken, a big sausage, and some fresh orange juice to share for dinner. YUM!

7 Comments

Filed under THAI FOOD!, Wonderful Things about Thailand

Photos by Oto

@Oto2.bsky.social

I was lucky enough to find some of his work on Bluesky.social lately, and I just can’t say enough about his talent.

@Oto2.bsky.social

@Oto2.bsky.social

@Oto2.bsky.social

3 Comments

Filed under Awe-Inspiring Photography

Gourds I Love

Janie Hale-Stanley – Pinterest

I have tried trying to create art with gourds. It’s quite challenging. I lucked out and got some gourds from a friend who grew and dried them. I washed the outside and just painted the first one. It was okay, but was obviously the work of a complete beginner.

I found videos on YouTube about how to work with gourds and they helped tremendously. I used a drill and cut out a space so that a bird could use it for a nest. I glued a ‘perch’ on it. It took quite awhile to clean out the inside. I put some straw in the bottom and hung it up in a tree. I was beyond delighted when a bird actually used it one year!

Karey Pederson – Pinterest

I used a saw to cut the top off one, cleaned it out and then drilled holes all the way around the top so that I could put pretty strings all the way around it, after painting it bright colors.

NaMaAlonzo -Pinterest

If I were still in Arkansas, I would have tried to do wood-burning on one. I think that might turn out really nicely.

Pinterest – No Attribution

The people who created these gourds are obviously experts who know what they’re doing. I love how each of these is so different from the others in colors, style, and techniques.

No attribution

I would love to decorate my place here in Thailand with gourds. I haven’t found any yet, but I’ll continuing researching. The people here are so talented, I know if they have access to them, they are making beautiful things.

Susan Burton

I love the 3-D-ness of this one. How rich the colors are!

9 Comments

Filed under Gorgeous Gourd Art, Gorgeous Gourds