“I found this picture and it spoke of joy. It made me wonder why people forget the importance of living. Maybe we get busy surviving and miss the simple truth—that life is not meant to be endured alone, but noticed, felt, and quietly appreciated.” –
John Rinaldo– “The Positive Pen” – Substack
____________________
It is a glorious day today here in Chiang Mai. It’s 81 degrees, F. The sun is shining. My windows are open to a wonderful breeze.
DepositPhotos
I went to the gym this morning for the first time in a week! I walked a mile on the treadmill and still felt good. No sneezing, blowing my nose, almost passing out, or any other drama. HOORAY!!!!!
I plan to do yoga stretches later and I used the stairs in my building this morning!
_________________
I’ve started painting a sketch I did Friday, and hope to do several today. Brian and I aren’t going out any more today since there was a sign posted for all vehicles to keep the street clear yesterday and today. I do hope that something happens today on the street; otherwise, people may ignore a sign to stay off the road next time.
We just had a tremendously loud BANG here. I texted Brian and he said it was “probably a transformer explosion.” Apparently, this is quite common, though I have to admit, it will take some getting used to… 💥 I did have to restart my computer before I could continue here, but Brian seemed unconcerned, saying “there might be other weird electrical problems for a bit.”
_________________
In my efforts to lose my lard, my son Brian and I agreed that we would eat twice a day, breakfast and dinner, and have something like an iced mocha in the afternoons, or chocolate drink after we visit my husband, Harvey. Most of the time I do quite well with this, and am now within 4 lbs of my goal. Other times, though, my stomach insists my throat has been cut, demanding food. I usually drink a glass of water, but decided that if I had a bite of beef jerky, that would tide me over on those challenging days. Part of Brian’s text about the explosion included, “Jerky at your door.” I now have a package of “Natural Smoked Pork Jerky!” I will try to only eat a bite when my stomach is really growling after a glass of water. YUM!
____________________
I’m trying to figure out a way to repost an article on cats that made me laugh out loud. It’s being recalcitrant so far, but hopefully I can share it with you.
Have a joy-filled “noticed, felt, and appreciated” day.
creativeartworksblog 
The jerky idea sounds great, Linda! We used to eat jerky too. Not sure why we quit, either because it became too hard to chew or too high in salt after Richard’s stroke. But a bite or too to resolve hunger pangs would work I bet!
If it’s yummy, then it’s simply a matter of self control.
I can’t wait to hear what will be happening on your street!
FYI, I checked out Eunice’s artwork. And I see she’s in New Hampshire! I might have to go meet her sometime! Haha I don’t know how long she has been following you or if you know her, but what a story she has! (My dad, grandfather, uncle, and some cousins were truckers, so her story sure aligned with me.)
LikeLike
I hope it works for me. It doesn’t happen often, but if drinking a glass of water doesn’t help, this could be my saving grace! Eunice has been following me. She has written some nice comments, but I don’t know her very well yet. I’ll take the time today to check her out. Thank you. I WISH I had the time and energy to do all I want to do every day.
LikeLike
I will look forward to seeing what you think. I also found another friend of mine on Facebook today (I am not on there much) and she painted something I love. I may feature it and her, in an upcoming blog post. If I do, I’ll share it with you in a comment. You have encouraged me to keep my artistic eye open, Linda.
LikeLike
You opened my eyes to a whole new area I want to explore. We’re good motivators for each other, Sheila!
LikeLike
Glad you are back to the gym. You seem to be very motivated and disciplined regarding your weight loss plan. I am dedicated to my daily stretching and my daily walk.
LikeLike
You can be my motivation, Linda. Good for you on walking and stretching every day. I’ve been much more disciplined since the move to Thailand – probably due to being given a 2nd chance at life by the good people in the hospital…
LikeLiked by 2 people