Category Archives: Challenges

September 18, 2020 · 9:33 am

Prevailing Against Intimidation

Bored Panda

I am feeling really good right now.

I almost gave up on the idea of getting some of my art work on Amazon Handmade.

The people who write software and instructions for things should HAVE to try to follow those of others in order to get a feel for how intuitive their work is. The people who are writing the directions think their site is easy to navigate, easy to understand. This is certainly not the case with Amazon Handmade. There is also no easy way to actually get to people who can answer questions or help you.

You call and you get people who are nice, but they just send you to Seller Central, where you couldn’t get help before. If you tell them that on another phone call, they tell you that you really need to talk to someone who specializes in the handmade section. (They can’t figure out the solutions, either, so they point fingers in all directions – very politely – and send you on your way.)

What it boils down to is determination. You put the fears that you’re too stupid to do this aside. You decide you WILL figure out how to get around the problem that you have upgraded everything you have and Amazon still doesn’t recognize it. You WILL figure out how to get registered no matter what you have to do. You WILL figure out why they won’t accept the fourth image you’ve sent, even though they accepted the other three with no problem.

Right now I’m concentrating on listing things I can offer without a separate charge for shipping. You guessed it – I can’t find ANYPLACE that allows you to do anything about charging for shipping – only if you want to click a box that says YOU will ship as opposed to having AMAZON ship it. I will list hand-painted glassware if and when I can figure out where and how to list a shipping charge….

Determination – stubbornness – perseverance!

I am figuring this out – one small step at a time.

Linda Lewis Artworks on Amazon Handmade

 

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September 16, 2020 · 9:22 am

No Longer Illegitimate!

In Real Life

I’m not as dumb as I look!!!!!

I FINALLY am

  • ACCEPTED
  • REGISTERED, and
  • LISTED

on Amazon Handmade!!!!!!

Amazon Handmade

Linda Lewis Artworks

https://www.amazon.com/handmade/Linda-Lewis-Artworks

 

I worked all afternoon to try to get 5 pairs of earrings listed. (They weren’t happy with my images.)  I finally called it a night and decided I would start again this morning. When I checked, the images were showing! HOORAAAAAY!

I will try to get some of my other stuff up there today.

I found the hurdles really difficult. It’s almost impossible to get to an actual person for help. I finally had to figure things out mostly by myself, but I have new confidence today because I was persistent (my husband calls it stubbornness) and I prevailed. :0)

Hopefully, someone will see my stuff and BUY it! It’s wonderful to have the chance.

 

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September 13, 2020 · 10:35 am

Too Much of a Good Thing

 

 

 

This is my husband and Amber, who thinks she is a lap dog. This was taken in 2018, when she was a year old. Now she is 3 and weighs around 95 pounds. Unfortunately, she STILL thinks she is a lap dog. We have to be on guard all the time to keep her from inadvertently hurting us.

The latest example of this is that she comes and sits beside me each morning while I am at the computer, answering email, writing posts for the blog, etc. I pet her and love her, and then tell her ‘down.’ She complies quite nicely (unless we have people here. When that happens she has never met me and becomes completely deaf to commands.) I again concentrate on what I’m doing and all of a sudden, I have half a lap full of exuberant Amber trying her best to climb into my chair with me.

Thank GOODNESS she eventually responds to “DOWN!” albeit reluctantly. She is WAY too strong for me to have any control trying to grab her collar and pull her down. I think my chair would actually either break or roll and then fall if she managed to get up with me. I have a ‘backstop’ of a short set of shelves on my right, so I don’t think we can roll FAR. We have this test of wills over and over each morning, and we aren’t making much progress in getting the idea across that I do NOT want her in my chair with me.

I’ve tried getting down on the floor WITH her, encouraging her to come sit with me. Her only response to that so far is that she comes over, keeps pushing until I tumble over backwards, and then she leaves.

I won’t quit my day job to even think of being a dog trainer… She is definitely too much of a good thing.

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September 11, 2020 · 9:27 am

Remembering 9-11

Wall Street Journal

Never forget.

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September 4, 2020 · 12:58 pm

A Character-Building Exercise

Lolly Daskal

I may not live long enough to list my stuff on Amazon Handmade.

This is really a character-building exercise.

I filled out a long, thorough application to list my work. I finally got an email that said I had been approved! In the email there is a box that says, “Register Now.” I clicked it, and was sent to a page that said I needed to upgrade my browser to be acceptable. I did that and restarted my computer. I again clicked on the box and was sent to the same screen.

I then hit an option that said, copy the link URL and put it into a different browser. The URL wasn’t recognized.

I then started reading, and noticed one frustrated account of a person finding that you were only allowed to hit the ‘Register Now’ button one time. So now I have replied to their email, telling them I have upgraded and asking them to send me another email.

We will see…

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August 31, 2020 · 9:17 am

Stress

Freepik

Stress  (forwarded by my sister-in-law)

Management for Women!

A young lady confidently walked around the room while leading and explaining stress management to an audience with a raised glass of water. Everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question, ‘half empty or half full?’  She fooled them all. “How heavy is this glass of water?” she inquired with a smile.  Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

She replied , “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right arm.  If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance. In each case it’s the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.” She continued, “and that’s the way it is with stress. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won’t be able to carry on.”

“As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we’re refreshed, we can carry on with the burden – holding stress longer and better each time practiced. So, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don’t carry them through the evening and into the night.

1 * Accept the fact that some days you’re the pigeon and some days you’re the statue!

2 * Always keep your words soft and sweet just in case you have to eat them.

3 * Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.

4 * Drive carefully… It’s not only cars that can be recalled by their Maker.

5 * If you can’t be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

6 * If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

7 * It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.

8 * Never buy a car you can’t push.

9 * Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won’t have a leg to stand on.

10 * Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance.

11 * Since it’s the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.

12 * The second mouse gets the cheese.

13 * When everything’s coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane.

14 * Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.

15 * Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once.

16 * We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.

17 * A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

18 * Have an awesome day and know that someone has thought about you today.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY

19 * Save the earth.  It’s the only planet with chocolate!

Today someone asked me if I liked you.  I laughed and said, “Ha! That’s funny!  I absolutely LOVE that woman!  She’s funny, caring, crazy as heck, sweet, beautiful, she’s reading this e-mail right now and I love her!”

Send this to ladies you love!  Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor each morning the devil says “Oh crap, she’s up!”

—Eleanor T. Cicerchi

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August 22, 2020 · 9:55 am

Sticking My Neck Out

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I have a happy feeling this morning of my parents reaching down and encouraging me in my efforts to join Amazon Handmade in selling the products I make. They seem to like it when I leave my comfort zone, trying something new, learning a ton in the process, adrenaline flowing. They are doing a combination of enveloping me in a huge hug and shooing me out to get with it.

sayingimages.com

I submitted an application yesterday to be able to list my earrings in the jewelry section. They sent an email saying they had received my application, and that I would hear something within 15 working days.

I have decided to call and see if I can reach a human who can answer questions about

  • whether I need to submit a separate application for each category I would like to be able to list products in, or if the one I have sent is an ‘umbrella’ application.
  • whether the Handmade group is handled the way their used book section works,
  • how I submit products, etc.

I’m nervous and excited. I dreamed about it last night, showing my subconscious KNOWS I’m trying to enter uncharted territory.

I hope to be able to tell you I have been accepted…

123RF.com

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August 21, 2020 · 5:50 pm

New Horizons?

2STARart

 

 

Amazon Handmade

Today I applied to Amazon Handmade to see if they will accept me to list my stuff there. I still have a lot of questions, but I’ve made the first step. They said it will take up to 15 business days for me to hear from them on acceptance or rejection. So that means it could be the first week in September before I know.

I applied in the Jewelry category. They asked for my ‘process,’ plus 3 representative pics of my stuff.

Right now I have no clue on whether I can have one store and sell one type of thing on it, or have a store for each type of products I make. Either way, I’m excited to be trying something different.

If you would like to check them out, here is their website – Amazon Handmade

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August 20, 2020 · 11:00 am

Pet Peeve

123RF.com

I wonder if I.T. website people get paid on the basis of how seamlessly the website works or for how many changes they make?

A new pet peeve is changes that only seem to make what I have done for a long time harder. I love it when problems or glitches are fixed. I also like it when there is someone available on a chat program to help me if I can’t figure it out by myself.

I have sold used books on Amazon for years. I would look up the book, hit the ‘used’ button, then the ‘sell yours’ button and list my details. Easy peasy.

For over three weeks now , I haven’t had a clue what was going on. The ‘sell yours’ button disappeared!

I finally reached a chat person. She checked and checked and then said someone with more knowledge would get back to me within 48 hours.

I received an email telling me about a trade-in program…

Two days ago, instead of automatically hitting the ‘used’ button on the main page for the book, I was determined I would find SOMETHING that would get me on the road to being able to list our books again. I finally saw a link to the far right of the page saying, “Condition.” I clicked on it, and another button showed up saying, “Sell product.” 

THEN I was able to list the book for sale under ‘used.’ 

HOORAY!

I quickly listed the pile of books I had been saving.

We sold one overnight.

The next day we sold three more.

The person who made this change probably thought it was a good thing. When the chat people who work there aren’t able to figure it out, and neither are the ‘more knowledgeable’ people to whom I was sent – it makes me feel a bit better that I had so much trouble figuring it out, but this has really become a pet peeve!

 

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August 19, 2020 · 11:41 am

Planning for FUN

Freepik

Managing stress is super-important.

Stress crawls into all your nooks and crannies, wreaking havoc in your mindset, your health, your ability to function. It colors EVERYTHING – painting with a broad brush.

I’ve been having some, due to various things, such as having to have one of our dogs euthanized due to cancer and health issues with my husband. I’ve been aware of it, but have just shoved it down deep, staying busy – rather than actively trying to deal with it. I finally decided to get proactive when my doctor asked how I was and tears sprang up.

Now I am thinking of ways I can help myself. My situation is not going to change. In fact, it will get worse. I’m actively gathering ideas for what I can do to take care of myself so that I will be strong enough to deal with whatever is ahead.

  • Value the family members and friends who care. They allow me to vent whenever I need to – I try not to abuse the privilege – but knowing they are there is everything.
  • Make a plan for each day, listing ONE thing I would like to accomplish. (Today it is listing my newest earrings on EyecatchingEarrings at Etsy)
  • Eat right and exercise daily ( we are on Month #2 of the South Beach diet. DIY dinner tonight – bacon-wrapped chicken breast and salad – now that the main yard cleanup is finished, I’ll go back to my elliptical trainer and yoga)
  • Dive into a good book daily – I’m enjoying the Rise of the Iliri series by Auryn Hadley. I’m on book # 6 now.
  • Spend time in my art room – Even if it’s just messing around, something usually grabs me. I play some of my favorite music while I’m up there, making it a double-escape, creative time.
  • Work in my garden or flower planters. Right now we’re having a bit cooler temperatures with lower humidity, so it’s lovely outside.
  • Listen to music. I either arrange a mini-concert of some of my favorites via YouTube, or spread out in my recliner and plug myself into my MP3 player.
  • Actively plan for FUN daily – something that brings me pleasure – for the moment or longer term.

AND, as I do these things, my problems lessen – allowing me to get a better perspective and be thankful for all I have.

I hope that YOU can plan for some FUN in YOUR day, too!

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August 5, 2020 · 10:23 am

Raccoon # 10

Nat’l Wildlife Federation

We returned awhile ago after relocating Raccoon # 10.  Saying this is a record-breaking year for raccoons is a vast understatement.  We are hoping they meet up at the creek and continue to live happy lives elsewhere. We also sincerely hope this is the last of the bunch.

Our tomatoes have slowed way down. I only got cherry sized tomatoes yesterday when I harvested. We can’t be greedy, though. We have been enjoying wonderful ripe tomatoes with lunches and dinners for weeks now.

We are at the time of year here where, no matter how much you water, the sun is so strong it just boils the plants. I checked on my garden yesterday. There are still a lot of plants, and my onions are continuing to grow, but there was just ONE, lone ROUND zucchini. I’m not even sure this will be edible. I’m about to give up and pull the plants for the season. I’ve had a fun year in the garden, growing lettuce and spinach, tomatoes, and some celery (though I’m not sure if we’ll get actual stalks or not – or just leafy plants.

 

While I was out, though, I gathered some Rio Samba Roses to enjoy in the house.

 

Today is a sad day for us. We are having to say goodbye to Molly, a canine member of our family for over 15 years.

She was diagnosed with malignant cancer of the jaw several weeks ago. We have had her on antibiotics and pain/inflammation meds since then to try to give her as many happy dog days as we could. She has milked all the extra attention for everything she’s worth – demanding to go outside, then demanding to come in again – with a treat, of course. I have made sure we had enough treats that she could have all she demanded, and even a few more. Up until a few days ago, she was still having fun, even trying to play with us in the yard. She has given us over 15 wonderful years of her happy personality, cheering up her people and fellow dogs and cats alike. For that, we will be eternally grateful.

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July 29, 2020 · 10:58 am

Working on This

Positive Energy via Michael Remillard

 

This is a wonderful quality to have. I have never had it, but I’m striving to practice it. If you remain calm, it saves time, keeps everyone else calm, and helps you do what is needed at any given time.

Our son has gained a lot of this through meditation. When he comes to visit us, it flows through the house and lasts until he leaves again. It has allowed him to control much of the frustration and anger that challenges him from time to time. I have tried to meditate – not nearly as hard as I should – but I just can’t shut my mind down.

What is helping me is my yoga stretches. It takes me a long time to relax into each position. (I have to fight the ‘the body is old and creaky with discomfort’ aspect of each position before I can relax, but I CAN relax finally. When I finish my stretches of about half an hour each afternoon, my mind is clear and my body feels good.

It is important for each of us to find that thing that works for us – listening to music, getting outside, talking to a friend, etc. – so that we can find the calm that is healing.

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July 26, 2020 · 10:29 am

Plea

PictureQuotes.com

If I can get right to sleep, I’m fine.

If not, it’s a loop of recurring thoughts –

  • the wording on composing a difficult letter
  • ideas about things I want to try to do in my art room
  • things to remember to put on the grocery list
  • trying to remember if I ______?
  • worrying about various things

Once the loop starts, I have learned to go downstairs, get some water, and sit down in my chair and read until I’m sleepy again. The second time I try to go to sleep, I have no trouble.

I keep a pad of paper and pen on my bedside table to make notes on trying to get things on lists, or make notes of what I need to do the next morning. The other things REQUIRE I get up and check to reassure myself, or read to stop my poor brain’s cycling.

I have asked Santa for a “brain reboot” button, but so far no dice.

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July 25, 2020 · 4:50 pm

Today’s Project

Leaderonomics.com

I have told you that I am a championship level procrastinator.

This time, I’ve been giving everything else priority over updating our important spreadsheet records and ignoring the monthly bookkeeping – just shoving the paperwork in file folders and watching glumly as the pile grew.

This week I’ve been working hard on the important spreadsheet updates. I make copies of everything for our files in a couple of secure places in the house, plus copies for the safe deposit box. I will also arrange with our son for him to have access to the updated versions. I try to do this every six months. Sometimes it’s amazing how many things change in that period of time. Things happen one at a time and you just don’t really notice. Anyway, I feel good that those are up to date now. :0)

The monthly bookkeeping paperwork was piled up from APRIL. Yeah, I know. I should be flogged.

Now all of THAT is up to date, with all of the filing that goes with that!

And, finally –

Pets | Animals

Clipart Library

I just earned gold star #6 for the week on my yoga practice! I’m starting to actually FEEL some improvement now. I’m taking things slowly, stretching things out and breathing into the poses, taking as much time as I need to relax as much as possible, or to do as many repetitions as I can in order to breathe into the poses. I spend around 30 minutes daily on the mat. I’m trying to combine the stretching with abdominal exercises.

Today, Abby, one of our cats, joined me. She WANTED to lie down on my stomach while I was stretching out on my back. When I discouraged that, she moved to my side. I finally got her to get up on the couch and stare holes through me as she watched my practice. :0)

I’m feeling victorious in my efforts to actually get something significant done today.

Happy Saturday!

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July 23, 2020 · 10:12 am

HOPE

forwarded by Marsha Koenig

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July 20, 2020 · 10:08 am

Relaxxxxxxing Jaw – Relaxxxxxing Face…

Clipart Library

I failed to make time on Thursday, but I did 35 minutes or so of Gentle Yoga stretching every other day last week – earning 6 gold stars for my desk calendar.

I don’t know why the actual silly gold stars are motivating, but they are for me. I’m not sure what that says about me, but – hey – it’s working.

My biggest problem in getting back to my “old-lady, not-REAL-yoga-as-I-think-of-it” practice (standing on your head, folding yourself up like a pretzel) is that I am all hunched-up, stiff, and creaky again.

123RF.com

I don’t know what it is about getting older, but I have observed that people seem to ‘draw up’ as they age. Hunching over, taking smaller, hesitant steps while walking, moving more slowly, turning inward. The tendency is to end up in a ball.

Right now one of the things I’m working on is relaxing when I lie flat on my back on the mat. That doesn’t sound like much, I know, but it is for me. I have to start with a wedge pillow under my neck. I breathe into the position, trying to concentrate on relaxing my jaw, relaxing my face, actually letting the wedge pillow support my head. Yeah. I’ve gotten that bad.  I then trade the wedge for a sofa pillow and do the same relaxing. Finally, I can lie flat on the mat with no pillow. Each position is like this, with parts of my body either clenching up or yelling at me as I try to get into the stretches. I am concentrating on just doing what I can do, trying to push just a tad more with each day of practice.

I’m making progress after the six days of practice last week. I’m still stiff, but I can relax more quickly now into each pose. I keep reminding myself that Cat Kabira, the lady on the Gentle Yoga DVD, stresses that ATTEMPTING each pose, and holding while you relax and breathe into it, does your body good. As long as you are doing the best you can, your body will eventually ‘yield’ and release the muscles.

OshiPrint.in

I’m going for 7 stars this week.

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July 18, 2020 · 12:17 pm

Getting the Lard Off “Progress” Report?

We are ‘regrouping’ on our weight loss and exercise efforts. I say ‘we’ – my husband and I are on two months of the South Beach Diet Plan now, trying to reboot our efforts to lose weight. Excuses abound, but the bottom line is that we have been regaining the weight we lost previously and are trying to get our heads back in the game and remotivated.  “I” am exercising. He encourages me in my efforts, but won’t do any himself.

To date, I have now lost 33 pounds and 28 inches from my most ‘zaftig.’ I’m disappointed that I allowed myself to gain back pounds and inches, but that is in the past now. I am again losing weight and exercising. So far I am walking 10 minutes twice a day, morning and evening. It is too hot in the middle of the day. I AM working in the yard, and I think that should count toward my “30 minutes of exercise each day” goal. I am also doing another 30 minutes of Gentle Yoga stretches daily.

Our initial impressions of the South Beach food are mixed.

Anything in the small cups is good. That includes soups so far. The shakes are fine. I like a chocolate nut bar snack, and my husband likes a toffee bar.  The dinners are okay. We are eating them with a lot of fresh tomatoes from our garden. We have changed our coming order to try to find something we like…

The big thing we are getting is a reality check.

  • portions do matter
  • eating a small amount of the right things several times a day works well on keeping hunger down
  • saving something nice for after dinner snack is good for the morale
  • tracking what you are eating and drinking is a good way to stay accountable
  • watching the scales show general downward progress is a nice thing

I am personally learning (again!) that if my husband slips things we shouldn’t eat into the grocery cart, that doesn’t mean that “I” have to heed the voices calling me into the pantry. I am responsible for what I eat.

My initial feeling is that our decision to do a two-month reboot was a good one.

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July 17, 2020 · 9:37 am

Running

KT Lyons Design via Stephanie Youmans Wilson

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July 17, 2020 · 9:31 am

Perspective

Andy Seliverstoff via Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

If you’re like me, you look for things to bring your spirits up each day while we’re facing such an awful time worldwide. The photo above is one of those things for me, and I wanted to share it with you.

Another thing that will brighten our personal day is that we’re meeting our good friends for Lunch Bunch today. The restaurant has been able to open its doors, so we can enjoy the comfort of air conditioning while we eat and catch up.

The governor of our state of Arkansas has now issued the mandatory wearing of face masks in public, starting Monday. My husband is on notice that he either complies, has to sit in the car and wait for me, or stays home. His brother even cared enough to order and send him a Marine Corp-themed face mask. It will be interesting. If you look up “stubborn” in the dictionary, my husband’s picture and name should be there.  :0/

We want to put something in our safe deposit box at the bank today. I also want to verify our master list of what is there for our records. In order to do this, we had to call and make an appointment. Life used to be so much simpler. As I sigh, I’m glad we can do this at all now.

I am still trying to get up to my art room to play with the idea of pulled string art. Life happens each afternoon, so I haven’t been able to try it yet. Maybe I will find the time (and energy) this afternoon.

123RF.com

ABSTRACTS by Sabina via cathy ruggiero

 

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July 5, 2020 · 3:26 pm

Jewelry Findings Area Reorganized

This is my jewelry findings area now. You can see my wooden ‘thingie’ on the left and the tabletop filing cabinet on the right.

 

The wonderful wooden thingie now holds earring cards, labels, glue, tootpicks, glue, string, and marshmallow backs for French hooks.

 

The top of the filing cabinet has my tools, a short ruler, a cup I use for pics, a bottle of glue and some pages of stick-on bling.

 

GOLD French hooks, straight pins, jump rings, etc.

 

SILVER French hooks, straight pins, jump rings, etc. + a box of assorted.

 

Stainless steel studs, backs, clip-on findings, etc., + a couple of rubber stamp thingies that are great for carrying post earrings back and forth.

I’ll probably refine this as I use it, but I now have all the findings together and my table is clear for my calendar and office type stuff. :0)

 

 

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July 2, 2020 · 10:07 am

Patience and Wisdom

PictureQuotes.com

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June 26, 2020 · 9:54 am

Molly’s Food

Molly

I have told you that the vet told us that our sweet Molly has cancer. He helped us clear up the immediate problem she was having with her jaw, got her through a bad period with pain and inflammation pills and antibiotics. This has given her some really happy dog days and we are treasuring each one. Right now she is sleeping, but many times during the day she is barking to go outside, prancing around the yard, barking to come in again, and demanding a treat for doing that. (She’s getting one, too. :0) )

We have always fed her twice a day. She is not hungry first thing in the morning now, ignoring her dish.  She eventually eats what is in the dish, plus is hungry for dinner in the evenings.

We keep her in the office behind a gate to protect her from Amber, our 3-year-old, 95-pound yellow lab, who is jealous of her. We are very careful to make sure that we know where both dogs are before we let anyone outside, or let them in again. Molly’s food and water dishes are in the office, safe from others, until she wants them. At least, that is the PLAN.

Lately our animals are getting sneakier.

My husband got distracted yesterday morning and left the gate to the office open after letting Molly outside. By the time he came in with his cup of coffee, Amber

Amber

had come in and cleaned the dish. I insisted that my husband make her another bowl.

Another time I found one of our cats, Abby, polishing off the food in Molly’s bowl.

Abby

The only one who HASN’T tried to eat Molly’s food (at least that we have SEEN) is Smoke

Smoke

We are redoubling our efforts to protect Molly’s food so that when SHE is ready to eat, it’s there. Constant vigilance is required….

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June 23, 2020 · 9:32 am

Thoughts on a Tuesday – June 23, 2020

Our forecast is ‘Downpours this morning and scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. Chance of rain 100%”

 

Jimmy Nyakora via Scene and Heard – Match Box Quotes

Other than the downpours and thunderstorms, I’m hoping for a quiet rain. I have no big projects for the day. I wanted to finish weeding my veggie garden, but it looks like that won’t be in the cards today. My husband planned to mow the lawn, but that probably won’t be happening, either. All that will be waiting for us when Mother Nature decides to cooperate.

Our DirecTV system has a nice feature where you can pause a program and it will record it for you until you want to resume watching later. This causes a ‘buffer’ to form, where you can then fast-forward through commercials. We are totally addicted to this feature.

My husband and I have a running ‘discussion’ about why the feature doesn’t always work the way he thinks it should. It will hold about 40 minutes on pause, and then it starts playing. (Hopefully, we have it muted, or else it sounds like the TV is possessed, coming on by itself and talking erupting in the living room while we are in our home office.) Either way, the buffer is filled up and the TV plays. Sometimes the buffer is retained and sometimes not. We cannot see a pattern.

It REALLY irks my husband. He is careful to set it up at night so that we have a full buffer in the morning and he is able to zip through commercials to his heart’s content.  When, for some unknown reason, gremlins have done their work and the buffer is ‘gone,’ he gets frustrated and angry. Our ‘discussions’ haven’t solved the problem. He refuses to call DirecTV to try to get an answer. And so, the ‘discussions’ continue…

We MAY have another raccoon. This would be #6 this season.

Getty Images

The sweet things won’t share, or we wouldn’t have a problem. They eat EVERY seed in EVERY feeder, and many time trash the feeder in their efforts to chow down. My husband will set our humane trap tonight and we’ll see if we capture another member of this year’s family to relocate with the others.

Foundation Pest Control

I mentioned that it MIGHT be the squirrel family we have this year. Yesterday I saw THREE squirrels at once being quite active and athletic on the feeders. That’s the first time I have seen three at one time. One was sitting in the shovel bird feeder, eating the seeds we leave there every day. A second was at the main bird feeder, hanging from his back legs as he avidly ate as much as possible using both hands to grab seeds. A third was in the gallon-sized clear bottle that sits on another feeder in our window. He was all the way inside the bottle, filling his cheeks.

Mourning Doves-Shutterstock.com

We usually have a pair of doves who sit on one of the electrical lines that cross the back of our yard. I haven’t seen them lately. I hope they are okay.

I hope that you are having a really nice day.

 

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June 22, 2020 · 12:07 pm

Great Night

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Last night was one for the record books.

We took the dogs out for their last outing at around midnight. I was good and sleepy. We set up to have the attic fan on, opening the bathroom window, the bathroom door and our bedroom door, then turning on the fan. AHHHHHH! Deliciously cool air!

At a little after 1 a.m., Abby, one of our cats, was on my stomach, having jumped up to loudly announce that she – who did not show up to go out when we went to bed – and, in fact, HID – NOW wanted to go out. I got up, went downstairs, and put her out.

A little after 2:30 a.m., I woke up as my husband was moving around. I found out that he was returning from going downstairs because of leg twitches. He had had some tea and was ready to try to sleep again.

At about 3:15 a.m., one of the doors slammed shut. (We apparently were lax in our efforts to make sure the doors were secure and wouldn’t be pulled shut by the fan. The door slamming was so loud, I was thoroughly awake. I went downstairs and read for about an hour before I was sleepy enough to try again.

At about 4:30 a.m., I had JUST dozed off when Amber, our 3-year-old, 95-pound yellow lab, barked downstairs. She didn’t bark again, so I dozed off.

At 5:16 a.m., I heard the SHRIEK of the little alarm my husband built that we put on the open window sill in the bathroom to let us know if it is raining in. It WAS. My husband was unaware of the loud shrieking, but woke up when I turned on the light to deal with it. I ended up ripping the battery out of it.

SO – all was calm from 5:18a.m. until 8:00 a.m., when our alarm went off….

I see a nap in my future sometime today.

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June 15, 2020 · 10:33 am

Learning Lessons

Leading Learning

I am learning the hard way that I need to pay attention to the ORDER of my activities to get some control of the civilized part of our yard.  As I type, I’m TRYING not to scratch all the chigger bites I gathered yesterday while trying to clear a path on the north side of our shop. It was totally overgrown, so I had sprayed it pretty heavily a couple of times with weed killer previously. It hadn’t done the job, so I got serious yesterday.

I got a path cleared, but learned-

  1. to spritz on Ben’s Tick and Insect Repellent before heading outside. We just got this. It got really high ratings from Consumer’s Reports.  It says it is the “wilderness formula” 30% Deet, and repels mosquitoes that may carry the Zika virus. At any given time we are outside, my husband is unaware of bugs. I come back in with bites all over. I will TRY to get in the habit of spritzing this on before I even think of going outside.

 

2) I will then mix up bug spray (We use Eight – great on killing bugs, but doesn’t harm plants or our animals) in our 2-gallon container and spray it over the areas I will try to weed whack in.

 

123RF

3) After I have sprayed the bug killer thoroughly, I will weed whack, getting everything cleared out.

 

4) Then I will spray the weed killer (we use KillzAll) again, hosing down the area.

5) Then I will spray again with bug killer.

 

I’m HOPING that if I build this habit, I won’t end up looking like someone chewed on by zombies with my usually sunny disposition marred by trying really hard not to scratch….

 

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June 15, 2020 · 9:48 am

Gotta Hand It

Your Tango

One of my many pet peeves is people putting things on high shelves. “High” in my case encompasses anything I can’t reach without getting a step stool or ladder – a LOT of things. I am 5’4″ and shrinking.

I have finally ALMOST gotten my husband to stop doing this, although his first inclination is to put everything WAAAAY up – ‘out of the way.’ I have modified his behavior by SWEETLY ignoring the step stools and ladders, going to get him, making HIM get up and come get whatever it is that he stored up there. I thank him profusely for the help, and then do it again without guilt when I can’t reach the next thing.  FINALLY, he sees the pattern and the NEXT time stores it down lower… :0)

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June 13, 2020 · 9:16 am

Dogs Have a Way

Thom Jones – PlayBarkRun.com

 

We found and adopted Molly in 2005.  She was 15 in February. She brought a light-hearted goofiness to our home, even making our pit bull, Bambi, smile.

Bambi is gone now. We have Amber, a 95-pound 3-year-old yellow lab now. Sadly, Amber is jealous of Molly – after initially getting along fine – and so we are very careful to keep them separated.

I told you recently that we discovered that Molly has cancer.  The vet examined her, cleaned out a really ugly place that had sprung up on one side of her mouth, and sent her home with antibiotics and pain/inflammation medicine for 14 days.  We had agreed that if she had some quality time left, we wanted her to have it.

You see her sleeping at my feet as I type. She now rests well. When she awakes, she is full of energy and barks sharply for us to let her out. Many times she barks again within a very short period of time, knowing that she gets a treat when she comes back inside. She is taking great joy now – gaming the system – going in and out countless times each day. Her bright black eyes sparkle and she grins each time she gets another treat.

She is prancing around the yard, hopping around, playful as she hasn’t been in years. I’m playing with her, then spending as much time as I can each day, giving her as much love as possible. She is getting a lot of happy dog days now, and we are treasuring each one.

One happy day at a time.

 

 

 

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June 10, 2020 · 9:20 am

Freeing

Everett Ruess via Lisa Bearnes Richey

My personal situation has forced me to live one day at at a time – sometimes one HOUR at a time. With this change in focus, I’m actually finding some good coming from it. Though things are tense here many times, being forced to ‘stay-in-the-moment’ is freeing.

Instead of worrying about my ‘to do’ list, all the other stuff I might – or even SHOULD be doing – slips WAAAAY down in priority. As I’m learning to focus on the most important, wringing out every moment of joy possible, my mind is less burdened. If I do anything else during the day, that’s good, but it is no longer NECESSARY.

I am being given the chance to keep my head on straight. I have people who are very, very important to me. I have animals who continue to give me unconditional love. Enjoying whatever time I have with them is paramount.

Making every day count – “while I am alive, I intend to live.”

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June 7, 2020 · 12:01 pm

Thoughts on a Sunday 6-7-2020

picturequotes.com

Our Sweet dog Molly is better with the antibiotics and pain/inflammation medicine we got from our vet. She is sleeping now, but actually barks to be let outside and then barks again to come back in – playing the ‘system’ of getting a treat for doing that – over and over. I’m playing right along. The swelling on her mouth has gone down a lot and she actually smiles at me when I hug and pet her. Each day is a gift now.

Molly Resting

 

I worked out in the yard early this morning, since the heat index for the afternoon is forecast to be 105 degrees F. My husband had asked me to spray weed killer on the north side of our shop. I mixed up a 2-gallon container and hosed everything down there, plus around my garden and under my planter boxes. I have just put Benadryl Ointment on the tops of my feet and my ankles because they are acting like I must have walked through poison-something-or-other. :0(

I also used our heavy duty tomato cages to prop up our now really bushy tomato plants in both brick planters on the far side of the yard from the main garden. We now have little bitty green tomatoes!  I hooked up the hose and gave both planters a good drink. We haven’t hooked up our irrigation system for the yard because we have been getting a good amount of rain until the past few days. We are due to get the remnants of Cristobal tomorrow evening, so all should get a good drink.

These are the yellow crookneck squash and zucchini plants I put in the garden recently. They are looking happy, but haven’t started sending out vines everywhere yet.

My husband had a second stroke recently. We went to our primary doctor, who wanted him to have tests, but he refused. He said to me, “Last time we did it YOUR way (meaning testsa and doctor appointments), so this time we will do it MINE.” Needless to say, I’m not happy about this, but he is adamant. (If you look up the word “stubborn” in the dictionary, you will find my husband’s picture.) So we will HOPE that he doesn’t have another stroke for a long time (the time between the first one and this one was almost one year.) I will continue to try to keep him as healthy and happy as possible.

Rick James-Quotefancy

I hope you are having a wonderful Sunday. Take care and stay safe.

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June 1, 2020 · 10:18 am

Happy June 2020

In the midst of all that is happening in our country and around the world, I grab onto things that lift my spirits – that give me hope for the future – even if they are only small things.

One very happy thing is the calendar I bought for 2020 put out by the firefighters in Australia.  They came up with a wonderful fundraising idea – to take pics of firefighters with dogs. Of course the firefighters are GORGEOUS, and the dogs are really great, too. Out of the immense goodness of my heart, I bought a calendar. :0)  Each month I am thankful. (I may be older than dirt, but I ain’t dead yet!)

Here we welcome JUNE 2020 –

Lincoln and Chippy – June 2020

Happy June!

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May 25, 2020 · 10:22 am

Back on Track – I HOPE

Askideas.com

The Pandemic is my latest excuse for not sticking to my diet and exercise program. (I have a whole sackful of excuses – and add more at a ferocious rate.) My husband is another excuse – he doesn’t have as much weight to lose. We grocery shop together, and all kinds of things I shouldn’t eat show up at home when we put the groceries away. I have decided to stop using this as an excuse, though. I’m hoping the man will live for MANY more years, so I will just have to be stronger on avoiding his ‘extras.’

Yesterday I got disgusted with myself – FINALLY. I re-read the first part of Simply Keto by Suzanne Ryan. I am feeling re-motivated to get back on track and start losing the lard again.  I am now, (starting again yesterday) tracking my food intake on MyFitneesPal.com. Suzanne tells you how to tweak the settings there so that you can follow your macro and even tweak it from time to time as needed. (Your ‘macro’ is the comparative percentages of fat, carbohydrates, and protein you should consume each day in order to try to lose the girth.) I have also decided to spend more time on KetoKarma.com, Suzanne’s website, to try to STAY motivated.

Before I fell off the wagon, I had lost 40 lbs and 43 inches. I have gained 9 pounds BACK since the Pandemic started. :0(  Since it is beyond stupid to try to stay safe from the virus while simultaneously stuffing food I shouldn’t be eating into my mouth, I’m promising myself to treat myself better.

Because of my good friend and hair dresser Michael Remillard, I learned that maltitol is to be avoided. Yesterday, when I was re-reading Suzanne’s intro, I noticed that she mentioned it, too, but apparently I simply read over the top of it. It’s in a lot of sugar-free and no-sugar-added products. It can spike blood sugar and is to be avoided.

Also, because of Michael, I have discovered an ice cream I can eat when I must! The brand name is Rebel, and the flavor I think is wonderful is Mint Chip. I’m also on the lookout for Triple Chocolate.  The PINT has 4 net carbs!  The pint lasted me for 4 servings. Hooraaaaaay!

One of the things that Suzanne said that really resonated with me was that  when you make a mistake at one meal, instead of just blowing off the rest of the day and eating whatever you want because the day is ‘blown,’ you should redouble your efforts by eating correctly the rest of the day, giving yourself a break and sticking to the plan. You don’t have to be perfect – you just need to be consistent.

 

Yesterday I made her “Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Bake.”  

“Sausage, Egg & Cheese Breakfast Bake” by Suzanne Ryan, Simply Keto

She encourages you to throw extra low carb veggies in wherever you can, so I throw fresh spinach into her already delicious recipe. (I tried broccoli previously, but my husband didn’t care for it.)  He doesn’t mind the spinach at all. :0)  6 servings. We each enjoyed a wedge of this with a big salad.

I’ve gotten pretty good at avoiding carbs. (My personal macro has me staying at 14 carbs or under daily. )  My biggest problem is adding fat. I am studying her meal plans at the end of the book this time to get a better handle on what I can choose to better reach the 70% fat in a healthy manner. I have been tending to eat too much protein, and that can throw you off, so planning my eating with MyFitnessPal will help there. I can enter what I’m planning to eat, see how that meets my requirements, and adjust BEFORE I eat a wrong thing.  I am learning to pay more attention – using the tools that will help me, reading labels more carefully, etc.

Snacks and desserts are danger areas for me.  I have avoided these area in Suzanne’s book, but found something I want to try after the next trip to the grocery store – “Chocolate-Covered Macadamia Nut Fat Bombs.”  I love casseroles, so I’m also going to get set up to try her “Twice-Baked Cauliflower Casserole.” 

Another lady I find who has good keto recipes is Kyndra of Peace, Love and Low Carb.   She sends recipes to my email inbox.

Sorry if I’m talking your arm off, but as you can see, I am newly motivated. I am hopeful that by NEXT Monday, I can report that I have lost some weight, changed a measurement, or I can report on the new recipes I’ve tried.

Meanwhile, I’ll bake a loaf of my keto bread today.

 

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