Minions Fans via DoreenAdamson-Liber
Filed under Attitude, Bright Ideas, Childlike Fun, Favorite Quotes, Funny Signs - Humor
Lisa Bearnes Richey
I’m not sure that this is always a good thing, but I’m sharing my life with one.
Filed under Attitude, Encouragement, Favorite Quotes
GrowingBolder.com via Cathy Ruggiero
I’m having fun trying to make Christmas presents for friends and family. I don’t work in my art room every day, but I’m making progress. I’m doing some things I’ve never tried before, so I’m not sure they’ll be successful – in fact, I did some things and ended up tossing them because I really didn’t like the way they turned out. If I keep at it, though, I hope I can make something people will like.
Filed under Arts and Crafts - Teaching, Attitude, Lewis Art
Paulo Coelho via Lisa Bearnes Richey
From time to time I see the same question on social media: What advice would you give to your younger self?
Without a doubt, my answer is: Live in the moment!
I’m mostly doing that now and I’m SO much happier for it. I spent my late junior high school days and all of my days at high school waiting for my husband to get leaves from the Marine Corps. Then I was waiting for him to get out. Then for us to be at the same college. Instead of enjoying the moment, I was “living for some time in the future.” I was unconsciously telling myself that I would make time for things LATER, brushing aside much of my life.
Now my husband and I are retired. We can shape our lives much more around each other and what we’d like to do. We no longer have to ‘live for the weekend,’ and I’m very grateful for that. We ARE taking the time to appreciate our lives and each other, and the wonderful life we live.
The thing is, though, we’ve always had a lot to be thankful for. We were, in a distracted sort of way, rushing from one have-to to the next, working full-time, then staying up late to try to get at least a few other things done. We’ve always had full lives, but I think we took far too much for granted.
My wake up call was when we lost our then 2-month-old daughter, Jade, to SIDS in February of 1981. People say time heals all wounds. That’s not true, but it DOES allow you to gather the pieces of your heart and gut and move on for the rest of your family, not EVER taking anyone or anything for granted ever again.
So, I would sit my much younger self down and seriously say, “Don’t worry about everything so much. Much of what you’re worrying about you don’t have any control over. Deal with the things you CAN control. Deal with the things that happen – not what MIGHT happen. Stand back a bit and look at all you have, what you’re building with your husband and your son. Slow down and do things NOT on your to-do list. Make a list of “what I’d LIKE to do” and do one thing from it at least three times a week, if not daily. Realize you only have one life. ENJOY. Hug those you love. Make sure your friends know how special they are. Try to do something kind for someone every day.
“Life is the moment we’re living right now.” – Paulo Coelho
Filed under Attitude, Encouragement
The Awesome Daily
I told you that I did something mysterious and hurt my back. I have no clue what I did, but I was in real agony for about a month, unable to do much except gripe, groan an try to sleep while my husband tried to keep things afloat and take care of me. I’m really not interested in repeating this experience, so I have CAUTIOUSLY begun my yoga for old ladies stretching again, plus CAREFULLY starting up my sessions on the elliptical trainer.
I have to put Amber on the porch because getting on the floor is an invitation for 65 pounds + of dog to sit on you, mouth open, with too many teeth available. I’m doing stretching on my own on my mat, rather than trying to do a lesson from my “Gentle Yoga” DVD set. I’m up to 10 minutes again on the elliptical – pretty pathetic, except I don’t know what I did to trigger my problem. I’m treated myself kind of like a time bomb at this point, hoping to ease into more and more.
Since I’ve been walking and playing with Amber several times each day, plus working in the yard, I’m still getting a reasonable amount of exercise.
Now – If I can JUST be a good little girl and eat my low-carb stuff, my world will be complete.
taolife.com
FunnyPica.com
This is what I looked like after our trip to the mall Sunday.
My husband was antsy, suggesting we go to the mall. We took the Corvette, my husband’s car, to ‘stretch its legs.” He only scared me once on the way to the mall. (He is a much better driver than I. He routinely sees things before I do and reacts much faster than I. One problem, though is that he tends to look at a speed limit as a ‘suggestion.” He drives faster than I do, and – in any given situation – puts on the gas when I would put on the brake.)
On the way home we were surrounded by foot-draggers who insisted on driving side by side blocking all progress. The minute there was a break, my husband punched it, passing the car in front of us on the right. At the same time, a Jeep decided to change to the right lane – where we were going. We were forced onto the shoulder of the road, where my husband punched it again to get around the jeep plus the car in front of that. We made it, though I looked like the sweet child above.
We pulled into Walmart to get some gas. I started to tell my husband that I was displeased – to say the least – about his driving. Three police cars, (two marked and one unmarked) pulled into the Walmart gas station behind us. Long story short, we got a ticket. We will talk to our lawyer on Monday. My husband was wrong for several reasons, but I decided the ticket was probably more effective than my tongue lashing would have been…
Filed under Attitude, Challenges
This photo was taken in July, when Molly (left) and Amber (right) first got on the living room dog bed together. Before that, Molly’s sole wish was to disappear or escape. This is no surprise, since Amber is big, doofus, and relentlessly over-friendly, trying to ‘herd’ Molly, always having her huge face right in Molly’s. Molly is 12 – a venerable old lady, with little sense of humor about these things.
About 4 nights ago, we brought Amber’s stuff inside, put her crate and some toys in the utility room where there is another bed like the one you see in the photo above. It’s getting much cooler at night now, and we wanted this to be routine by the time really cold weather gets here. The animals have shown very little problem (other than Amber chewing on the baseboards – more Louisiana Hot Sauce applied), though Molly seems to require more nap time during the day to rest up from a night with Amber.
Just a few minutes ago a miracle occurred – Molly and Amber were PLAYING together!
There was a lot of moving around, growling, etc. When I got up to check on them, there was a “fierce” battle going on, and both dogs were loving it. :0) I can’t tell you how relieved I am in this breakthrough. Molly is standing up for herself, snapping when Amber gets on her nerves too much, but she’s also relaxing and ACCEPTING, and – for at least a little while this afternoon – ENJOYING.
Filed under Amazing Animals, Attitude, Family
CoolFunnyQuotes.com
Snarky, sarcastic, snide – I love all of these. They make me smile, smirk, snort, or laugh out loud. I would never actually SAY these to anyone, but sometimes I would like to…
thegirlcreative-pinterest.com
CoolFunnyQuotes.com
IAmBored.com via Desiree Angelique Hackett
Filed under Attitude, Funny Signs - Humor
fivethingsblog.wordpress.com
What should have been a simple thing turned into a 45-minute, really annoying chore.
We received our new Humana ID cards in the mail today. As I got ready to put them in my purse, I noticed that the doctor’s name was incorrect on the back of both cards. I thought it probably didn’t matter, but then I decided to call and make sure.
It DID matter.
First, I had called on my cell phone and they didn’t have a record of that. I got so teed off I hung up and called on the phone beside my computer, also a cell phone, but on a base with a different phone number. I had to go through the phone tree again – ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS! – and this time, they accepted the phone number from which I was calling with no problem.
I talked to a very nice man, but it was a long, drawn-out process to finally change the doctor’s name on the back of my card. Then I said, “I need to do the same change on my husband’s card.” Even though we have gone so far as to write a LETTER to put in my husband’s file saying that I have the power to handle any and all things for him, since he HATES bureaucracy of any kind and has the patience of a fruit fly, the man insisted that my husband get on the phone and tell him that it was okay that I handle this change for him. By the time I got back on the phone, the man had at least one fewer layers of skin.
THEN, at the end of what should have been a quick change on our computer records, he tried to get me to schedule my wellness check, my mammogram, and my colonoscopy. Do I need to tell you that his efforts in this regard were totally unappreciated? I gritted my teeth when I told him that those things were between me and my physician, whose name would finally be on my card, if he handled my request.
The end result was that they are sending us new cards, but we had three teed-off people by the end of the conversation.
Filed under Attitude, Pet Peeves
smugimals.blogspot.com
We’ve had a really nice day today.
The weather is a bit warm, but I really can’t complain. We used our attic fan last night. I woke up at 5 freezing to death, reached up and turned on my electric blanket and was immediately flooded with warmth. Just before I fell asleep again, I turned it off. Perfect.
We enjoyed our good friends Kay, Linda, and Dee at Lunch Bunch. All of us were well and happy – a really good thing.
When we came home I started some eggs to hard boiling on the stove since we were almost out. When I had them going, I started some low-carb bread in my bread machine. I then cut up stuff for a beef stew and put that in the crock pot. I have many devices to make my life easier, and I love it when I can do a lot in a short period of time.
Since our bellies were full from Lunch Bunch, my husband and I surrendered to the sleepies and each took a nap. When I awoke, Amber and Molly were on the carpet, taking naps with us. Smoke, one of our cats, was sleeping beside my husband in his chair. I sat comfortably, glad we were able to catch up a bit of some missed sleep, thinking how very lucky we are.
We’re all up now. I’m about to take Amber out and figure out where I want to plant some hyacinth and snapdragon bulbs we got recently. In another few days, we’ll finally be finished with summer and I can look forward to getting my greenhouse set up for the first time. I have no clue what I’m doing, but I’m having such a wonderful time dreaming!
I have some ideas about gifts for friends for Christmas, and soon it will be cool enough to work in our shop without the air conditioning.
We’re almost to the point where we think we can mow the lawn for the last time of the season. I particularly enjoy the last time, taking more care with the edging and weed whacking so it’ll look like someone cares about our yard over the winter months. I’m getting ready to do another round of weed killing with the new spray I got. (Thanks, Cathy). It works quietly and well. You THINK it’s not doing anything, and then the weeds turn brown. :0)
This is rambling, I know, but I wanted to share how how happy I feel today, full of gratitude for being spoiled, enjoying all that we have, being thankful I have someone to share my life with, looking forward to a possible visit from our son in February or March.
Could life be better?
Filed under Attitude, Encouragement
Confucius via funnyquotesforfacebookfree.blogspot.com
I tend to do all or nothing. I get psyched up and then go for it. Something bars my progress, and I stop. Then I beat myself up over ‘failing,’ and then try to get motivated again.
I don’t like this about myself, but I find it hard to break a habit built over a lifetime. I tell myself just to do the best I can, but my gut reacts differently than my head or heart.
“It does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop.” ~ Confucius
I need to realize deep down inside that I perfection is not the goal. That no one is going to give me ‘points’ and there is no end to trying to improve. That it’s what I do day after day that’s important. And that any progress I’ve made should be celebrated and used as motivation to continue.
taolife.com
Filed under Attitude, Encouragement, Favorite Quotes
quotesgram.com
I’m learning to embrace imperfection, aware that although things aren’t perfect, I have a lot for which I am thankful.
Filed under Attitude, Encouragement
I have found that trying to combine eating low-carb and feeding my diabetic husband to be a bit of a challenge. I fell into a trap of my own making several months ago, opting to eat what HE ate. NOT GOOD! Mostly now, I can fix low carb meals and then add extra things he can also eat into the mix.
I have found that getting a husband to try new foods, substitutions, and new recipes is a character-building exercise. For example, the substitutions of spaghetti squash for pasta and riced cauliflower for rice just won’t work for him. He’s like a little kid, making faces and being quite dramatic. Happily, though, he is very supportive of my trying new recipes.
I tried one for chicken thighs in the crock pot last night. You’re supposed to thicken the juices with xanthan for use as a gravy. I made rice for him and I ate spaghetti squash. I like anything with a gravy-like sauce, so I thought it was pretty good. He praised the tenderness of the chicken, and he liked the rice, but the sauce, not so much.
I’ll cut up the leftover chicken tonight, combining it with cream of chicken/mushroom soup that he particularly likes, and serve it over rice for him and cauli-rice for me. It’s not quite as low-carb with the soup, but I can work around it to make my day come out under my limits.
Meanwhile, I’m glad we’ve found some substitutes for things he loves so he doesn’t feel deprived and walk around looking hangdog:
Now I just have to practice NOT feeling deprived MYSELF when he eats without having to worry about carbs…. (I’ll try to make a list of good things I have found that make eating low-carb much easier and post them for those who might be interested.)
Your Daily Encouragement via Lisa Bearnes Richey
Filed under Attitude, Encouragement, kindness
Filed under Attitude, Encouragement, Funny Signs - Humor
Translating intention to action to results is difficult. If I could bottle it, I would be a gazillionaire and could stop entering PCH and MegaMillions.
Trying to get myself to actually DO the things day after day that will get the results I want seems like a pipe dream at times. When I’m eating right, doing yoga and my elliptical trainer, and concentrating on moving more, I feel better – physically, mentally, and emotionally. So why am I still having to MAKE myself do these things, lapsing for a day or two, losing my motivation, failing to take each day at a time?
I am again talking to myself – pretty harshly – since I think I may be like our lab puppy, Amber, and need a shock collar to take things seriously, rather than blowing things off.
THIS TIME – I have my ducks more in a row (if you’ll pardon the pun on the pic above.)
Tonight we’re having spaghetti and salad, with a bit of bread. (Newman’s Own Marina sauce is low-carb. My husband prefers small elbow macaroni to spaghetti, so I’ll fix that for him. I’ll have spaghetti squash as an alternative to spaghetti, and a piece of my low-carb bread I made.)
SO – desire to be healthier, get the lard off, increase my flexibility and overall health merge with good intention, motivation, means, and attitude to give me a good start. One day at a time.
TaoLife.com
Purple Clover via Rebecca Kanner Kelman
This made me laugh out loud.
While I don’t think the answer to everything is money, having a surplus is always welcome.
My son, even though he doesn’t have much surplus at all, is giving all he can to help kids get surgeries they need. I would love to be able to help truly good, honest organizations help others. I would love to give friends and family a boost so they never have to worry. I would love to be able to give encouragement to more people daring to start businesses on their own. I would love to give locally to our community so it can continue doing good things and expand.
I have the important things.
So, money isn’t the answer – but I love the suggestion.
Filed under Attitude, Favorite Quotes
Zen to Zany
I told you recently that my husband and I ‘cut the cord’ and cancelled our association with Dish TV. (We had previously cut our Internet service with Dish because we discovered that WOW (World of Wireless in Fort Smith) could give us better service via a tower on the ridge line behind us.)
With this newest change, many of our TV viewing habits had to change. We used to keep the TV on Fox News most of the day. We also recorded a bunch of TV shows we liked via our DVR and would watch in the evenings. We didn’t even know what night or network provided the shows we watched. They were just there when we wanted.
Although these two things were nice, we were paying almost $100/month for mostly channels we never watched. We even researched a new ‘skinny bundle,’ but by the time we got HD, DVR, Fox News, and HBO (Game of Thrones), we were back up where we started. Our bill now for everything is $36.00. We can get many networks over the air with an antenna. We also have Roku, Hulu, and some others. We have to strain our brains a bit to figure out how to get what we would like, but it’s good for us.
One thing I really didn’t expect was a lifting of a weight from my shoulders. I really hadn’t realized how listening to the same news stories over and over all day, with a bit of a different spin depending on who the talking heads were, was wearing me down, making me depressed. I want to know what’s going on; but, since I can’t DO anything about most of it – other than send donations right now – I just want to be told what is happening without any obvious spin, left or right.
Now we watch Reuters each evening. They ask you how much time you have. You select up to 30 minutes, and then they show you however much they can get into the time frame you’ve chosen. No commercials. No bias that we can detect yet. The news still isn’t ‘happy,’ but I don’t feel weighted down, wanting to crawl into a hole and escape.
We’re making a list of the TV shows we used to DVR and trying to make sure we can get that network. We’ve discovered networks and programs we didn’t know about before and are loving it. It’s a work in progress, and a wonderfully fresh outlook on things. :0)
Filed under Attitude, Challenges, Changes, Encouragement
Bored Panda
I’m doing some really C A R E F U L stretching today, in addition to just the bending over and letting my arms hang down. This is Day Four of my back not hurting! I’m also being careful to ‘hold my mouth right’ and doing whatever else I can think of to not jinx myself, ending up back at square one.
I really wish I knew what I did to get myself into such a pickle. I can promise I wouldn’t do whatever it was again – EVER. Since I don’t know, I’m treating myself as if I’m a time bomb, easing into each thing and seeing how it goes. This tees me off. I’m used to being able to do almost whatever I wanted to do without giving it a thought, unless I thought it was dangerous. The only limits have been my imagination. I’m ready to throw this caution to the winds as soon as possible.
I’ve decided to let the weed whacking go until we get over this last impressive heat spell.( That would be the middle of next week they say.) If the present humidity of 67% holds until this afternoon, it will FEEL LIKE 114 degrees F. here. This is unacceptable, particularly if you’re entertaining the idea of yard work. So that kind of thing will be put on hold until the actual weather starts paying attention to the calendar and we get a break for the start of fall.
Meanwhile, I’m continuing my efforts INSIDE to throw away/give away/put away things that need help all over the house.
My latest project is reorganizing my books upstairs. Yesterday I moved the 44 Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb “In Death” series books to the guest room shelves. I’ll continue moving and reorganizing until I no longer have books falling on my head when I try to pull one out…
Wish me luck?
Filed under Attitude, exercise, Housekeeping - Maintenance
Nino Chakvetadze via Zen to Zany via Cathy Ruggiero
Filed under Attitude, Favorite Pictures, Favorite Quotes
BuzzFeed
Since my back has been in protest mode lately, I’ve leaned toward comfort food, rather than eating my low carb food. The low carb foods can be really good, and I don’t feel deprived, but they aren’t comfort food.
Today I’m taking my last day off. To that end, I asked my husband what he has been missing most. He immediately said, “chicken chunks and soup over rice.” And so it shall be. I also got some double stuff oreo cookies as my official send off back to being a grown up.
I’ve decided it doesn’t matter anymore whether my back hurts. I’m going to get back to doing what I know I should – gentle stretching and eating right.
If someone could come up with low carb, low sugar comfort food, he or she would be a gazillionaire.
Filed under Acting Like a Grownup, Attitude, Challenges, Changes, DIET!, exercise
its always about love-inspiration corner
My husband suggested we go to town to get KFC last night because I was hurting. On the way home, I told him I knew I was really spoiled and that I loved it. He said, “It’s because I’m spoiled and I love it, too. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.” Definitely a keeper.
Filed under Attitude, Good Thoughts
creativeartworksblog 