Category Archives: Thoughts on a ________

March 5, 2024 · 3:27 pm

Overcoming Adversity

This morning we left do some errands. The two most important were getting a new, larger collar for our dog, Amber, and getting my driver’s license renewed – actually changed to the “Real ID” form that is required now.

We were successful in getting Amber’s collar at Ace Hardware.

Getting my license renewed almost made me despair. I had gotten online, made a list of what I needed, gathered that. What I brought didn’t please the people there. We had to go back home twice to get things that would meet with their approval, of COURSE having to take a number and wait – a total of three times. This and $40 plus another $2.50 for using my credit card for payment, finally got me my new driver’s license. It is good for 8 years – assuming I live that long. :0)

This is a sample image I found online. There are all kinds of changes from my old one. The thing that stands out for travel is the gold star in the upper right hand corner. Then in the bottom right hand corner, another pic of you saying ‘donor’ for organ donor. I don’t know if that pic is there if you’re NOT a donor. I didn’t notice this until I got home, but the ID picture on the left also has a ‘shadow image’ right beside it that you have to tilt the card just right to see.

The people at the place were kind of pushing me to get a voter registration card. I told them I already had one. I had to show it to them, and tell them I had voted early before they let it drop.

By the time I finally had the new driver’s license in my purse and we had gotten back to the truck, we were exhausted by all the jumping through hoops. We decided to stop at the Subway. My husband got a foot long BLT and I got a Subway Club Salad. YUM.

It was funny. Our local Subway has totally been renovated since we went there last time. They had moved the entire service line to the back instead of the side and it looked like they were able to accommodate a lot more in-store diners. When I got to the checkout, I had no clue how to use my Subway Rewards card in the reader. The guy there had to help me through it. Then there was a different way for the card reader to read my credit card. I felt old and inept by the time I checked out, but thanked him for helping me through it.

We are all calmed down now. I’m going to go do my yoga practice and then I’ll see if I can find Abby. It’s got to be almost time for a good cat hugging session.

Hope your day has been less stressful than mine.

2 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , , ,

March 3, 2024 · 8:20 am

Sunny Sunday 3-3-2024

sam – @Briton65Sam on X

I’m on a definite roller coaster with my weight this past week. I’m still weighing daily as my accountability to myself, but I’m trying to think of it only as a ‘monitor’ – a starting point for the day. It would just be nice if the scales lost their smirk a bit. Yesterday I made keto chili. Suzanne Ryan’s recipes in Simply Keto are really good. I also had a Mission Zero little bitty tortilla, (zero NET carbs due to 7 grams of fiber) and that was good, taking the place of the dinner roll I had been eating before I started watching my carbs again.

Pinterest

I’m earning a sparkly star for my desk calendar daily, continuing since Feb. 18th. Not a ‘habit’ yet, but I’m a tough nut on building those, and will continue my efforts.

I’m doing laundry and we’ll go shopping for groceries later, and that’s the ‘excitement’ for our day, other than the “Sausage, Egg & Cheese Bake” from Simply Keto for our dinner tonight.

I hope your Sunday is fabulous.

Leave a comment

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , ,

March 2, 2024 · 10:16 am

Saturday Thoughts 3-2-2024

We have a 1,000 gallon propane tank and then a 250 gallon tank. The large one is for the house and the small one for our shop. I painted the large one years ago, trying to make it look like a watermelon, not liking the plain white of the tank.

Yesterday two guys came to top off our tanks. One of them really liked the way I painted this, my husband told me. Made my day. :0)

I wish we could just call the delivery guys directly. The company went with a call center overseas somewhere. I ordered the propane on the 28th, going through the phone tree, which they had changed and was very confusing. I wrote a post on the 28th, whining about how long it took for me to order. I stressed that we had two tanks and needed both of them topped off. That message didn’t get through. Thankfully, these guys went ahead and filled both, though that wasn’t on their service ticket.

They came while we were at the vet with Amber. Thankfully, he left a message on our phone. I returned his call, leaving a message answering his questions, telling him what we needed, and saying I hoped he would come ahead, since we would be here the rest of the day.

We don’t usually buy propane until November, but we wanted to take advantage of the sale they were having and didn’t want to worry about not being able to get a fill up when we needed it, or the prices having jumped to something completely astronomical.

___________

Amber

Amber had an accident on her bed, something she almost never does, a couple of days ago. When she did it again yesterday, we took her to the vet along with a sample of some pee with a bloody tinge. He ran the sample, gave Amber an antibiotic shot, and some pills for a bladder infection.

This morning Amber had been sick on the floor around her bed. I cleaned that up and let the cat in before feeding Amber. I happened to come into the utility room where Amber’s bed is, and found Abby, our cat, on Amber’s bed in a funny position. I moved her, catching her in the act of peeing on the bed – something she never does – a blood-tinged pee.

Abby

I called the vet’s office. We will

1) stop the pills with Amber, and

2) bring Abby for an appt at the vet Monday morning. Apparently, it is SHE who is having the problem. The lady at the vet said we could bring back the rest of the pills for Amber for a refund.

Yesterday was a stressful and expensive day for us. Luckily, we are all still in one piece. Hopefully, we can clear up Abby’s problem. She is 14 now and has other health issues.

5 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , , ,

March 1, 2024 · 9:11 am

Happy March 3-1-2024

Since not many folks feel as I do about February and I did NOT receive a gazallion signatures on my petition to do away with the month, I’ve decided to quit whining about it. You’re welcome. :0)

I’m seeing signs of spring in our yard and it makes me smile to go outside, though it’s still a bit too brisk to stay out there long. My daffodils are nodding happily, forsythia is starting to shoot forth yellow blooms, my iris are shooting their spears up, and our tulip tree is starting to bloom. NICE!

This is my desk calendar for February. As you can see, I got serious about my yoga practice on the 18th. I finished the month in fine style, earning 12 stars for the month. Hopefully I can earn 31 stars for March, building to a habit of yoga each afternoon.

vladimircech-Freepik.com

On my efforts to lose the lard, I reached my 20 pounds off goal. I’m planning to set new goals in 5-pound-increments, since they seem more attainable than the entire amount of lard I would like to lose. I’m trying to eat low carb. I’m eating cauli-rice instead of rice, zoodles instead of spaghetti, no pasta, a low carb tortilla instead of bread (though I haven’t tried them yet), careful choices on very little fruit, as little sugar as possible, cutting down on salt, lots of low carb veggies.

Cooking for us is a bit of a challenge, but so far, it’s going well. My husband has no interest in low carb. He has no interest in low sugar, either, but I’m adamant about him watching that. I’m hoping that by the end of March, I’ll be making good progress in my diet and exercise, moving more, feeling pretty good for an old broad. :0)

My husband is having trouble with his computer. I’m typing for him as he chats with various Microsoft techs. It’s tedious, but doable. Once this is over, I hope to get up to my art room.

I hope that March brings you joy.

4 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , , , ,

February 29, 2024 · 10:03 am

Happy Leap Year 2024?

Avantlink (Pinterest) – jagranjosh.com

Do we wish each other ‘Happy Leap Year?’ I really don’t know. It seems odd for ME to be doing it, since I’M the one behind the petition to do away with the entire month of February… I really don’t want to be in the position of having something unusual happen, though, and not wishing everyone I care about well, so, I DO wish you one. :0)

I discovered that I need to renew my driver’s license in March. I plan to try to get this done Monday. I looked online to see what I needed. Since my Social Security card is in my maiden name, I’ll need to go to the bank safe deposit box today and get our marriage license.

When I think of all the people coming into our country who don’t need ANYTHING and then get free everything, and “I” need my marriage license (55 years old now) to explain why the name on my SS card is different from the one on my driver’s license in order to renew – it is another indication to me that our country is weird. It makes me a bit hostile.

I hope that the people born on February 29th have an extra-special celebration today. If I were born on this date, or knew someone who was, I would make a special effort to show them how much they are loved, whether the actual date occurs every year or not.

Have a wonderful February 29th.

8 Comments

Filed under holidays, Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , ,

February 28, 2024 · 1:50 pm

Oops!

wayhomestudio-freepik.com

I had just finished my first blog post here this morning and noticed the green dot on my calendar tab, indicating a reminder of something. I couldn’t remember anything, so I checked it.

Oops! My husband had a haircut scheduled for 10:00 today. It was 9:56, so I texted Michael, our miracle-worker hair stylist, to tell him we would be late, but we would be there. I woke up my husband, who was taking a nap in his recliner. He got up, washed his hair quickly, and we left. We were about 10 minutes late. I apologized to Michael, who was very gracious about it, and we got the haircut. On the way home we got gas, got our mail, and I dragged our now-empty trash can back up to where it lives higher up on our driveway.

My husband told me about a sale on propane and suggested that we take advantage of it, topping off our tanks. (We have one 1000 tank for the house and another 250 tank for the shop). I spent a LOOOOONG time on the phone. The lady who answered apparently works from home. I could hear kids screaming in the background. I think she was from India. Her accent was very thick. She spoke quickly and I only got maybe 15% of what she said. We labored our way through what I wanted. She put me on hold for 10 minutes, which seemed like forever, finally coming back. I THINK she said we would get both tanks topped off for the sale price and that the delivery would be this coming Friday. I told my husband that I wasn’t at all sure of this, but that I had done the best I could. It will be interesting to see what happens.

My other call was to Cards Trash service. I was trying to find out a ball park estimate of when our trash was picked up these days. I was on that call a LOOOOONG time, too, waiting on hold through the same 4 ‘announcements’ over and over before finally getting to the lady. She said she was unable to get that information, but did tell me that the truck drivers worked until 7 pm. So next time the trash hasn’t been picked up when we get back from errands. I’ll wait until 7pm before checking on Tuesday to see if the can is ready to be dragged back up.

So now we’ve had lunch and I have the sleepies. Maybe I can catch a nap and then hope to be productive, as well as doing my yoga for the day.

4 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , ,

February 28, 2024 · 9:59 am

Wednesday 2-28-2024

@Matt_Pinner On X

Good morning! It’s sunny outside and 34 degrees F. right now. It was 80 yesterday afternoon. This afternoon’s high is forecast to be 51. What a difference a night makes. We avoided the severe weather threat, and for that I’m very thankful. The wind blew and ‘gusted,’ but that was it. HOORAAAAAY!

Bill Oxford-Getty Images-istockphoto

Our bug spray guy came just as we were getting things together for lunch. He sprayed inside and out, for everything including elephants, so we should be in good shape now. I really don’t like to have scary things crawling around or flying around inside the house, if possible.

Fillistimlyanin-freepik.com

Even though MyFitnessPal said “You are not likely eating enough” and I was careful, apparently I also ate lead or something that made me retain water. I was up almost a pound this morning. I realize that weight can fluctuate for many reasons and that I shouldn’t be upset – and probably shouldn’t be weighing myself every day – but this is working for me and keeping me on track and motivated. I just gnashed my teeth, stuck my tongue out at the scales as it laughed at me, and will do my best to stay on track today.

freepik

I HAVE to train myself to read labels at the grocery store before buying anything. That will drive my husband nuts – but I’ll just tell him it’s necessary, and that he can stay home if he wants to. I pulled out a frozen dinner to eat this evening, since I’ve been cooking a lot lately. It’s ‘high protein’ and I assumed low carb since it’s Lean Cuisine. NOOOOOO! It’s 38 carbs! I’m trying to stick to around 20 carbs per day, so this one meal is almost two days’ worth! ARRRRRRGH! Needless to say, I won’t be eating that tonight.

I will drive down to the bottom of our driveway soon to get our mail and check to see if our trash can is empty. I checked it at 4pm yesterday and it was still full. I’ll call the company either way. When we started with them, the paperwork said they might have someone picking it up at 4am the pickup day, so to have the trash out there and ready. We started putting it out mid day Monday for Tuesday pickup. The last few weeks, we’ve tried to stop, either going or coming back from errands, to put the can away, but it’s still full. I’ll see if I can find out what’s going on, or maybe they just missed us this week. Such a TERRIBLE problem, right? :0)

ClipArtLibrary

I’ll be earning my third sparkly star for the week today for yoga practice. I’m TRYING to make this a habit, but learned last year that I defy the odds on making something become a habit. The sparkly star on the calendar right now is enough to keep me going. Maybe I’ll become more of an adult later…

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Leave a comment

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

February 27, 2024 · 9:27 am

Tuesday Thoughts 2-27-2024

Gfycat

It’s official. I FINALLY got to the 20 pounds down mark in my efforts to lose the lard. Apparently, my latest efforts – cutting the carbs WAAAAAY down – is getting my body’s attention. The MyFitnessPal website is really helpful in planning my eating for the day. I can list what I plan to eat and then see if I’m eating too many carbs and change out something until the numbers are better.

I will also earn my second sparkly star for my desk calendar today with my yoga practice. Yesterday I did 13 reps of the abdominal exercise, and 6 of the leg-out-behind-me exercise on each side. Improvement!

Our ‘excitement’ for the day is the bug spray guy is coming. I have no idea when. I’ve seen ladybugs and a spider lately, so I’m happy he’s coming. I have nothing in particular against ladybugs. I don’t like spiders much. The thing is, when you live in a rural area, scary bugs aren’t far behind when you begin to see other things, so LET THE SPRAYING BEGIN!

The forecast is for really gusty winds today (up to 45mph), super warm temperatures (82 degrees F. in February), followed by thunderstorms, a cold front, and possible severe weather this evening and overnight, followed by a 35 degree drop in temperatures for tomorrow. Think roller coaster! WHEEE!

My big chore is to hope the trash people empty the can at the bottom of the driveway so I can drag it back up where it ‘lives’ before the thunderstorms this evening. Fingers crossed.

We voted in the Arkansas primary yesterday. I LOVE early voting. We drove to town, thinking the voting would be at City Hall or the court house. Nope! We asked a policeman at the court house and he told us the voting was at the fairgrounds. We drove there and voted in about 5 minutes. I thanked the volunteers there profusely. I think early voting is so civilized. It really helps to be able to go when the weather is cooperative and at a good time for YOU.

Not sure yet what the plan is for today. Some of it will depend on when the bug spraying guy comes. I’ll just hang loose and see what happens.

I hope your day is a pleasant one.

4 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , , , ,

February 26, 2024 · 9:25 am

Monday 2-26-2024

“The Light of my Life”-Boo-@333too3 on X

It’s a pretty Monday here – quite spring-like, with a high of 83 forecast for this afternoon. We have a cold front coming through tomorrow night, reminding us that we have some winter left, but I think we’re through the worst of it now. Every morning when I open the front door, the sight of the daffodils blooming their heads off all around the well house makes me smile.

Our big things for today are 1) gathering the trash and putting it out at the bottom of our driveway, 2) getting our mail, and 3) voting in the Arkansas primary.

Yesterday I vacuumed a LOT, getting the first floor carpeted areas (our office, the foyer, and the living room) plus the tiled areas (the hallway, two half baths, the dining area, kitchen, pantry, and utility room.) The result was that when I emptied the jammed-full vacuum canister, I was throwing away more than a full dog’s worth of hair. UGH. You would think Amber would be completely bald now, but she has a full complement of hair ready to be shed…

lowbird.com-boredpanda.com

Yesterday afternoon I almost decided that all the vacuuming I did should count as my exercise for the day. Then I hauled my old, aching body out of the recliner and got down on the mat for my yoga practice. My husband happened to be reading in his recliner. I managed to do a good practice. I did 11 reps of my abdominal exercise and 5 reps on each side on my knee-to-nose-and-then-lifted-out-straight-to-the-back exercise, rather than 3. My husband nodded at me and said, “Good job.” I looked at him and said, “Tomorrow you’ll practice with me?” He looked at me, and then started reading again, not saying a word. :0)

Sent to me by Madeleine Jacobs

For some reason, one of our investment outfits decided to ‘recertify’ us or ‘update our records’, requiring that we send in everything including our first grade report cards to prove who we are. They closed down access to our account until we produce all this stuff. One of the requirements was proof of residence – with something listing both of our names. I don’t know if Arkansas is different than the rest of the states, but all the utility accounts are in the man’s name only. (I’m chattel, I guess.) We sent in our electricity bill, but they wouldn’t accept that. I finally thought of our reverse mortgage statement. It DID list both of us. We scanned that and sent it in today. Hopefully, that will satisfy them and we can have access to our account again… ARRRRRRRGH!

I hope that your week is a good one.

2 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , , ,

February 25, 2024 · 9:18 am

Sunday 2-25-2024

Daniel J Greenwood-@DigitalDanielG on X

Isn’t this glorious?

I really wanted to sleep later this morning, but my bladder insisted I get up. I’m still feeling a bit bleery-eyed, drinking coffee to try to wake up my system.

I’m feeling hopeful this morning, bleery-eyed or not, that the emphasis on lowering my carbs is getting the attention of my scales. I’ve lost 3-1/2 pounds since I started my new regimen. (No handsprings or anything, since I have a gazillion more to go, but it’s NICE to have the scales laughing a bit less several mornings now. )

I’m going through my Simply Keto recipe book, finding new recipes I plan to try, adding to my grocery list. I really like the fact that Suzanne Ryan doesn’t glory in spending time in the kitchen. Her recipes are simple, using ingredients you can readily find in regular grocery stores, and they don’t take a lot of prep or time. Just perfect for me.

Recently I used my spiralizer to make ‘zoodles,’ or pasta noodle type stuff from zucchini. The one zucchini yielded enough for three 1-cup servings. I ate one with my spaghetti sauce and froze the other two.

Love and Lemons

Today I’m going to make ‘cauli-rice,’ a rice substitute from cauliflower. I’m hoping that my efforts will yield enough for several meals. I’m going to cook some stew meat in my slow cooker, starting at lunch time, then combine that with Paul Newman’s Alfredo Sauce (3 carbs per serving.) I’ll serve that over regular rice for my husband and over the cauli-rice for me.

I have also discovered a way to work with the MyFitnessPal program better for ME – when I’m eating the number of calories I CAN eat, it tells me that, if I keep eating the same way, I’ll weigh “X” in 5 weeks. (The actual results of this is that I don’t lose weight.) If I eat fewer calories, it tells me, “You’re not eating enough.” I used to go find some foods to add to get the calories up. Now I list what I’m comfortable eating for the day, plus my exercises. If it says I’m not eating enough, it means that there is a chance the scales will show a bit less the next morning. :0)

I will earn my 7th star on my calendar this afternoon for daily yoga stretches. That feels good. My calendar is sparkly with the stars, feeding my spirits emotionally, and the yoga practice is making my body stronger and more flexible. Win/win.

So, feeling positive – even though still a bit bleery-eyed – on a beautiful Sunday. Hope YOUR Sunday is a good one, too.

Leave a comment

Filed under DIET!, exercise, Keto Eating Plan and Recipes We Like, taking care of yourself, Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , , , ,

February 24, 2024 · 10:32 am

Saturday Thoughts 2-24-2024

Unsplash

I’m seeing a bit of progress in my efforts to get my act together. In my yoga yesterday, I was able to do 10 reps of my abdominal exercise (started with 5), and will earn star #6 on my week’s calendar on daily practice. (It felt really good just now to replace the words, “try for” with “EARN”.)

Second, I’m getting a good start on limiting my carbs. I’ve lost 2 lbs since I got serious, using MyFitnessPal.com to work out what I’ll eat for the day. I really like this website. I can type in the name of a frozen dinner, for example, such as Lean Cuisine Herb Roasted Chicken, and it has an extensive data base of foods, added to by their membership, so it’s easy to list and find out where it fits in my plan for the day. They have a place where you can list your own recipes and store them. I can ‘play’ with options for each meal, plus snacks, and see before I screw up how it will work, or if I need to choose something else. Really helpful website if you’re trying to lose weight or just make sure that you’re eating the right foods for a health condition, etc.

I made ‘zoodles’ yesterday. This is a staple for low carb foodies, zucchini taking the place of spaghetti and other pastas.

This is my spiralizer. You cut off one end of the zucchini, put it in the “thick” or “thin” end of the spiralizer, then twist the zucchini. Long ‘ribbons’ of zucchini are formed. The end you see to the right is used when the zucchini is too short to hold, but still has some good ribbons left to make.

I can make my own low carb spaghetti sauce, for example, make some spaghetti for my husband, and heat up a serving of zoodles for me, making both of us happy. One zucchini made three 1-cup servings for me. I froze two of them, eating one last night. Today I’ll make some cauli-rice, a substitute for regular rice. These two things are wonderful for me. They taste fine (although I do miss the real things), allowing my husband and me to eat basically the same dinner, making him happy and taking any guilt away from me, allowing me to stay on my low-carb regimen.

SO – feeling as if I’m making a bit of progress, I will continue ‘onward and downward’ hopefully, with more flexibility and a stronger, flatter abdomen. :0)

2 Comments

Filed under DIET!, exercise, Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

February 23, 2024 · 12:30 pm

Daffing

Our daffodils are blooming strongly now. This is about a month early in comparison to other years. The temperature is 65 and is supposed to get to 69 today. I’m really enjoying this, but a bit worried about how hot our summer will be, if this is already the end of the winter.

It’s funny. I’ve ‘cleared out’ the daffodils around the well house several times over the years and we still have a good amount for a display here. I’ve finally given up, letting them do what they will. I’ve relocated bunches, and so have nice yellow all around the yard now.

Such a happy flower!

We’re back from Lunch Bunch now. Patty and Linda were there and it was wonderful. We were the first ones there, so enjoyed talking with David, the owner of the restaurant and Mikey, our waitress. They had wondered why the Lunch Bunch group had quit coming. I filled them in on everyone being seemingly “too busy,” about my husband’s fall and broken collarbone, etc.

Time passes. Things and people change. We all get older and either deal well with the changes or don’t. We left it that Patty will text me the next time she and Linda can come.

I told them that my massage therapist was moving her services to the retirement place where Linda lives. I discovered that when I finish my massage is a good time to visit with Linda, so we’ll both look forward to that next month. :0)

My heart filled up with good hugs with Linda and Patty. We had lots of laughs, good food, news, etc. Wonderful time.

I will try to do something constructive with the rest of my day. I’ll do my yoga practice, maybe do a bit outside, and see how things are going.

6 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as ,

February 23, 2024 · 9:29 am

It’s Friday 2-23-2024

Boo – @333too3 on X

I can’t believe the creativity and talent of this. I love it.

(Group Hug is an improv team in North Carolina.)

One of our Lunch Bunch people texted me yesterday, asking if my husband and I wanted to meet today! It will be wonderful to see them, hug their necks, and catch up. We haven’t seen them since we met before Christmas.

Freepik

I was messing around in the house when something drew me to the back door. I opened it to find it was RAINING – fairly hard! I don’t know how long it lasted, and my husband didn’t even realize it happened. Our weather is wonderful today. I’m a little worried talking about it, because this is SOOO unusual. I’ll try to be quiet and just enjoy it. :0)

Pinterest

My yoga is going well. I will earn my 5th star for the week on my calendar, and I was able to add one more rep to my abdominal exercises yesterday, now totaling 7. Slow and steady.

I keep INTENDING to work outside or to get up to my art room. Somehow, the day gets away from me. I hope that you are finding fun things to do, too.

Leave a comment

Filed under exercise, Friendship, Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , ,

February 22, 2024 · 2:42 pm

Thursday 2-22-2024

Boo – @333too3 on X

I love it that she is creative enough to CROCHET her own companion. :0) I think he’s beautiful.

I’m trying to cut waaaaaay back on my carbs in an effort to lose the lard. I’m finding MyFitnessPal essential. I have a similar lunch most days, but today we stopped at the local grocery store/deli. My husband got a mashed- potatoes-with-chicken-tenders bowl. I got two chicken tenders. I discovered that two was more than I needed. I should have

  • only ordered ONE;
  • put one in the fridge before I started eating; or
  • stopped eating at one and stored the other for another lunch.
  • I did none of the above, so am over-full, but will do better next time. At LEAST I didn’t get the mac-and-cheese-and-chicken-tenders bowl I usually get. That’s a step in the right direction.

I just got on MyFitnessPal to record my lunch. We’re having the second half of the rotisserie chicken we got a couple of days ago for dinner. (my husband eats the breast and I eat the thigh and drumstick).

I was able to play around until I figured out what side I could have with the chicken and how much to stay within my new parameters.

Being able to play around BEFORE you make a mistake is a really good thing. It also reminds me that I’m trying to drink a bottle of water in-between each cup of coffee I have during the day.

@TwinMom – FreeImages.com

We went to the orthopedic surgeon this morning for a follow-up x-ray and checkup for my husband’s broken collarbone. The surgeon was happy with his progress. He told him to gradually use his left arm more, but not to strain it with anything heavy. We’re to call back if we have any problems. No more appointments. HOORAAAY!

After that, we dropped off our tax stuff with our CPA. When I told the receptionist about the broken collarbone, she went into the back and our CPA came out, wanting to visit. We caught up a bit and it was really nice. I still hate taxes, but we won the lottery with our CPA.

I managed to drag our trash can back up the driveway some to where it lives without falling on my head, so we’re good!

I hope that you’re having a good Thursday with nice weather.

2 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , ,

February 21, 2024 · 9:47 am

Wednesday 2-21-2024

via @AnneWorner on X

I love this photo. Stunningly beautiful.

We are due for a truly amazing day today. Sunshine and a high of 80 – in February. If we are moving on to spring now, I really hope this doesn’t mean highs of 120+F this summer…

Our exciting day includes dragging the trash can back up the driveway to where it lives between times being emptied, getting our mail, and hitting the local grocery store to grab one of my husband’s staples he is out of, but didn’t put on the list or remember when we were at Walmart yesterday.

Tomorrow I’ll probably be later than usual on writing, since we’ll be going to Fort Smith for new x-rays on my husband’s collarbone and a follow-up with the orthopedic surgeon, plus a trip by our CPA’s office to leave our tax stuff.

I’m going to try to get out in the yard a bit this afternoon. I also have a pretty long to-do list to try to get accomplished.

One good thing – we’re having rotisserie chicken tonight, so I don’t have to cook. AHHHHH!

Leave a comment

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , ,

February 20, 2024 · 10:31 am

Tuesday 2-20-2024

sent by a friend

We’re lucky to be having a gorgeous Tuesday here. It’s sunny and is forecast get to the low 70s today! But it’s FEBRUARY! Shhhh!

We didn’t sleep well. Amber decided something was trying to encroach in the middle of the night and started barking. I tried to ignore it, then got up to go down and talk to Amber and she stopped.

We did this FOUR. SEPARATE. TIMES. I’m still fantasizing about tearing her tongue out so she can’t bark. It’s amazing that a dog who looks so pretty and SWEET can drive you nuts. Anyway, we are all up now and halfway functional.

I have to tell you it was a pleasure to be able to fully use our master bathroom last night and this morning. Our plumber’s helper, Josh, was here right at 8:30 and put the new parts in my basin and draining system, then pulled the toilet, resealed it, and replaced the parts in the tank. We’re fully functional again. I have to put everything back under the sink and in the toilet part of the bathroom, but I’ll do that slowly so my back doesn’t yell too loudly.

Pinterest

I did my yoga practice like a good girl. I did a new abdomen exercise Sunday which made my stomach muscles sore – a very good sign. I did it again yesterday and will keep doing it until my muscles aren’t sore, at which point I’ll increase the reps. Did I tell you I love seeing sparkly stars on my desk calendar for my exercise? I will never outgrow that…

We had quite a nature-filled evening. There were deer in the driveway, setting off the driveway detector. When I went out to check, there were also several white-tailed rabbits playing in the grass between our house and our shop and a roadrunner standing on one of the woodpiles. We also heard a group of coyotes singing for a minute or two. It’s really a distinctive sound. Kind of eerie. I have no clue why they do it.

I’m researching modifying the way I eat. I’m trying to cut my carbs way back, but I’m not really strictly following the keto eating plan. My lack of gallbladder makes handling all that fat difficult at best. My plan is to just do about 2/3 of the plan, eating the fat naturally included, but not trying to eat more than necessary.

I have Simply Keto – a wonderful book by Suzanne Ryan – that explains what to do and provides recipes that we already know we like, such as Keto Chili and a breakfast quiche type meal that we eat for dinner. We’ll see what happens. Fingers crossed.

Have a great day!

Leave a comment

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

February 19, 2024 · 8:59 am

Sunrise

@MontanaRoots on X
@stan_sdcollins On X

Even though it’s Monday and maybe you didn’t start today in the best mood, I hope that these two photos from two people I follow on X will bring up your spirits. Our world can be so beautiful!

istockphoto-unsplash

Our plumber was due at 8:30 and he’s up there now working. He has to install a new part that wore out in my sink, and install a new seal in the toilet in our master bath. Hopefully, we’ll be in good shape when he finishes.

I moved our truck out of the garage first thing so I wouldn’t get penned in by one or two trucks this morning. I swept out the empty half of the garage. We gathered our trash and put the bags in the back of the truck so I can drag the trash can where it needs to be and put the bags in for pickup tomorrow. I’ll get the mail I didn’t get Saturday.

Freepik

I have a massage this morning and my poor body is crying, “YES!” I’ve missed two massages lately due to weather once and my husband’s fall the second time, so I’m really looking forward to Lynn’s help.

ClipartLibrary

I’m going to try to earn 7 sparkly stars for my desk calendar for practicing yoga stretches this week. I earned one yesterday for a good session. I’m really hoping I can build a ‘habit’ that becomes automatic. I can’t afford to be too lazy or ‘too busy’ to do this for myself.

MyFitnessPal.com

I’ve decided to make some changes in my eating, hoping to spur my system to lose the lard. I’m making the changes slowly but hope to see some starting results in a week or two.

Freepik

And that’s it for me this President’s Day. I hope it’s a good one for you.

2 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , , , , , ,

February 18, 2024 · 9:09 am

Sunday 2-18-2024

Gregorio Catarino – @gregcatarino1 on X

This painting lifts my spirits and makes me smile. I LOVE all the light, too.

I slept fine last night, but I keep finding myself staring into space instead of doing whatever it is I’m intending to do. Hopefully, my coffee will make me more alert.

We’re having a beautiful, cold morning here with lots of sunshine. The weekend brought us pretty cold mornings, but the weather forecasters are saying a nice warm-up for the next 10 days. YEA!!!

Today marks Week 4 since my husband’s fall. Last night reminded my husband that he has some healing left to do. He was in bed while I was finishing up. He said he would turn his bed light on, but couldn’t lift his arm to do it, having to roll over to reach the switch. We agreed that he’s healing well, but needs to be mindful that he’s not fully healed yet and needs to be careful.

I’m going to make spaghetti for dinner tonight, making enough for a couple more dinners that can go in the freezer. Yoga this afternoon, maybe art room, as well. I hope that your Sunday is an enjoyable one.

3 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , , ,

February 17, 2024 · 9:05 am

Sunny, Cold Saturday 2-17-2024

Jaxon-danesculptor.com-Louise Peterson

We’re having a nice, quiet morning so far today. It’s freezing right now, but the sun is shining brightly and the afternoon will be 44. I really am feeling lucky about the weather right now (knock on wood). It’s MUCH nicer than our usual Februaries and the daffodils are telling me spring will come here eventually.

Tomorrow marks Week 4 (of 10 to 12 weeks healing time) since my husband’s fall on the ice and resulting broken collarbone. We go Thursday for new x-rays and check by the orthopedic surgeon to make sure he’s healing all right. He doesn’t have any pain now and is getting around better and better.

I hope that you are having a fine weekend.

Leave a comment

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , ,

February 16, 2024 · 10:45 am

It’s Friday ! 2-16-2024

e-mosaictile.com

We got home just awhile ago. We enjoyed eating breakfast at one of our favorite restaurants in Greenwood, The Dari. AND, because of the kind pre-paid card from my massage therapist, we only owed $5.00, including tip. You can’t beat THAT with a stick.

We checked out Greenwood Pharmacy, 560 West Center Street, 479-996-2000, which just opened recently. (In a very short amount of time last year, our pharmacy, plus two others in Greenwood, closed.) The new pharmacist is Tanner Cooper, a nice young guy. We discovered his MOM went to school with our former pharmacist! Anyway, the next time we need to have a prescription filled locally, we’ll use his services.

Eating breakfast out today will help me ease into the fact that Lunch Bunch seems to have stopped now. Since Christmas, I am the one who texts and calls to see if anyone plans to come. We haven’t met since then. Things have quietly moved on. Everyone has other plans now or are unable to come. I’ll really miss seeing everyone each Friday, as we’ve been doing this for over 20 years. I don’t give things up gracefully, so I’m in mourning for the group.

depositphotos

I’m hoping our plumber will get here today. After talking to him when he came recently to see what we needed, I’m feeling really lucky NOT to need him for something more serious. He and his helper are still busy trying to restore everyone to their former status after the incredibly cold weather we had for so long. We are lucky that our pipes didn’t freeze. We had to swallow a bit at the humongous electricity and water bills we just paid, but the alternative is much, much worse.

Sign of Spring Coming –

My sweet daffodils will probably get frozen, but they’re trying to bloom their heads off right now. They are in several places in the yard, with a gazillion bulbs ready to open. I love it.

Leave a comment

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , , ,

February 15, 2024 · 9:01 am

‘Promises’ 2-15-2024

Getty Images – Carlos Carreno

We’re having a good morning. We both slept well and are feeling mostly human for a change. NICE.

I’m going for my first massage in about 45 minutes. My poor body has been yearning for Lynn, my wonderful massage therapist and friend, for what seems like forever. I’m really looking forward this. My husband will hold the fort while I’m going, ‘promising’ me he won’t do anything stupid…

Though I practically killed him last night. I was coming downstairs from taking my shower when he was taking Amber out for her last outing for the night. We had smelled a skunk earlier, so I told him to be really careful, ready to let the leash go if Amber bolted after one. He promised, clearly insulted that I would think that he would do anything stupid… He didn’t come back in quickly, so I padded out in my robe and bare feet. I yelled for him, asking if he was all right, and got the answer, “no.”

I rushed out to find him on his hands and knees behind his Vette, holding the dog leash in one hand and the leash in the other. I quickly took the dog leash and helped him up. He had gotten down there to see if the skunk was under his car and then couldn’t get up. The skunk WAS under there! I told him to leave it, got him and the dog inside, closed everything up, and decided we would deal with things in the morning.

This morning I could still smell skunk, but didn’t see anything under the car, so apparently the skunk left while the garage door was closing or went through the cat door after we closed up. My husband is all right – though you can see his ‘promises’ aren’t very confidence-building.

Leave a comment

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , ,

February 13, 2024 · 9:03 am

Tuesday Thoughts 2-13-2024

Vanessa Harding – @VHharding1604 on X @vanessahardingart on Facebook

Isn’t this pet portrait amazing?

We dodged another bullet with the weather. Instead of rain and snow, we’re having a beautiful, chilly, sunny morning with a high of 64 expected this afternoon – AMAZING for February! HOORAAAAAY!

Amber woke us up this morning with her barking. Since she didn’t stop, I figured someone was out there, so leaped up, dressed as fast as I could, and left my husband sleeping. Nothing was happening that I could see, but the day was started. My husband came down shortly after that. He didn’t sleep well last night, so I’m hoping he can catch a nap or two during the day.

I’m doing some more work on my Etsy site, as well as scheming on new products to add. There is a website I’ve found called MadeUrban.com which has several good articles on listing handmade products online.

I hope you’re having a good morning and that you enjoy your day.

Leave a comment

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , ,

February 12, 2024 · 9:31 am

Monday Thoughts 2-12-2024

hahahahahahaha! My husband and I are very lucky. We didn’t sleep well, but we don’t have to go anywhere to work and can space out the stuff in our day as we need to, maybe catching a cat nap. This is one of the perks of being old as dirt, though the downside is legion. :0)

In our exciting day today, we’ll gather our trash, wrestle the humongous can to the bottom of our driveway, leaving it for emptying tomorrow. We’ll get our mail and then we’ll journey to Walmart for supplies, since the weather people say the rain will change to snow this evening.

The Super Bowl yesterday was the perfect game, as far as I’m concerned, in that it was a nail-biter to the very end. I know that many of you may have been rooting for the 49ers. It was a real pleasure for me to watch the best of the best on both teams. I really thought the Chiefs would lose a time or two, because the 49ers were outplaying them. Mahomes did his magic, though, and the Chiefs scored a touchdown while the 49ers only managed a field goal in overtime.

Women’s Health
  • Shout out to Mary Lou, who is under the weather today. Feel better soon!
  • Shout out to Cathy, whose tests came back negative. HOORAY! Hope YOU’RE feeling better now.

Leave a comment

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , ,

February 11, 2024 · 9:14 am

Very Rainy Sunday 2-11-2024

Tanja Brandt via article by Martynas Kimax, Demilked.com

The forecast is for lots of rain today through tomorrow, but very little, if any snow. I’ll take it. We can just snuggle down and enjoy being warm and dry in our home today.

Freepik.com

We will, of course, watch the Super Bowl. I’m hoping for a nail-biting game where we don’t know who the winner will be until the very last. Since we don’t even use the same salt, you KNOW my husband and I are rooting for opposite teams. I’m hoping the Kansas City Chiefs will win. I got caught up with the Kelce brothers last year at the Super Bowl and have followed both, and their mom ever since.

Perversely, if the Chiefs get far ahead, I’ll switch and root for the 49er’s, wanting a really competitive game between the best of the best. I realize this penchant for switching allegiances and sides could get me killed, so I’m only mentioning it to YOU – q u i e t l y. Shhh!

Getty Images – Z107.3

I don’t cook on Super Bowl days. I declare a one-meal-strike every year on this day. I’ll nuke some hot dogs and serve a drink and chips with them. We eat hot dogs very rarely, so this will be a real treat for several reasons. :0)

Have a happy day!

Leave a comment

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , ,

February 10, 2024 · 9:42 am

Lazy Saturday

Andrey_Kuzmin-Shutterstock

It’s overcast here. Rain is supposed to start this evening, going all day tomorrow, maybe mixing with some snow. GREAT time to just cover our heads and zone out.

I had a nice chat with our son this morning. Even though he’s across the world from us, we chat several times each week, leaving messages, pictures, questions, etc., and occasionally hitting the chat program at the same time, as we did this morning, to chat real time. That’s particularly nice.

It feels good to know he’s doing what he wants to do. He has chosen a spot to live that seems to be as safe as possible in our world today. He has a nice place to live and is very comfortable. He can spend his days as he likes, doing what he finds interesting. He is content. That’s as good as it gets, from my point of view and I’m SO happy for him.

Hoping for a quiet day.

Leave a comment

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as

February 9, 2024 · 9:09 am

Happy Friday 2-9-2024

Allen Skyy Enriquez – BoredPanda.com

I hope you’re having a happy Friday. My husband has been sleeping in this morning and just now got up. Amber wanted to bother him, but I managed to keep her downstairs and reasonably quiet. Shhhhh!

We’re supposed to get quite a bit of rain this weekend, particularly on Sunday. We’re pretty well stocked up right now, so we’ll ride out whatever comes, planning – like lots of other folks – to enjoy the Super Bowl Sunday.

Red Bubble

Lunch Bunch seems to be a thing of the past, though I’m having a hard time letting go. I’m finding out, one week at a time, that if I don’t initiate the calls, I don’t get any telling us the others won’t be there. Our situations have made it so it’s hard to get together now. Grudgingly, the end of an era.

My husband just came down. He was wearing a tee for the first time since he fell. I don’t know how hard it was for him to get it on, but it’s a huge step for him. He said he slept well, and thinks he was able to sleep on his left side (his broken collarbone side). I’m just glad he looks rested.

BoredPanda.com

I’ve done my yoga practice three days this week so far. I’m feeling a bit more loose now and not so sore. After awhile I’ll get our mail and go grab some things from the grocery and then get on with the rest of our day.

Hope your Friday is a good one.

Leave a comment

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , , ,

February 8, 2024 · 9:06 am

Thursday 2-8-2024

Sent to me by my friend, Marsha

My husband has mentioned a couple of times now how much better he feels now that he got a haircut and beard trim for our miracle-worker, Michael Remillard – Tangles 479-357-9305. Today I’m hoping he can perform a miracle on ME, too. :0)

Normal day, otherwise, of getting dinner in the crock pot, doing my yoga stretches, and MAYBE getting up to my art room for a bit this afternoon. The days revolve around making my husband as comfortable as possible and making sure he doesn’t overdo since he broke his collarbone falling on the ice in our driveway. His recovery time is 10 to 12 weeks, according to the orthopedic surgeon. Sunday will mark Week 3.

I’ve been enjoying playing on the net, where I continue to find wonderfully talented people whose work I can share with you. I’m just thrilled to share the same planet.

Enjoy your day and stay safe.

Leave a comment

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , ,

February 7, 2024 · 9:16 am

Wednesday 2-7-2024

pexels-prasanthdas-ds

Today is a big day for us. I’m taking my husband for his first haircut in several weeks. Since he usually gets one every third week, he is really feeling ready to feel a bit more in control again. He continues to heal well, though his black and yellow bruising from his left shoulder down almost to his waist is still quite impressive. He is in MUCH less pain and is getting around by himself now.

ClipartLibrary
pexels-IngeWallumrod

Yesterday afternoon I did my yoga practice for the first time in quite awhile. Even though I was really stiff and sore, it felt good. Now that my husband is more steady, I’ll try to do this every day. It was fun to put a sparkly silver star on my desk calendar yesterday. :0)

istockphoto-Leslie Lauren-Leslie Achtymichuk

I’m down 18 pounds from my worst now. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to concentrate on getting MYSELF under better control now that our crisis has passed. With our weather being super nice in the afternoons, maybe I can take advantage of the unusual February weather and start walking around in our yard, as well as the yoga stretching.

I hope you’re doing well today.

Leave a comment

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , ,

February 6, 2024 · 9:27 am

Tuesday 2-6-2024

Getty Images-Alaska Photography
Emanuelle Bernardo – Freepik

Good morning! Our weather is so nice here that I’m almost afraid to say anything – that it will jinx it. It’s quite spring-like, and I’m really, really enjoying it. Shhhh! (Fingers crossed)

I’m hoping for a quiet day. My husband didn’t rest well last night, so I’m hoping he can rest a lot during the day today. I’m trying to stay quiet so that he can sleep in his recliner.

BoredPanda.com

Now that he’s doing better overall, though, I’m going to try to do my yoga practice this afternoon. My body is feeling the fact that I haven’t been. I’m hoping the practice will help me loosen up again.

Lowe’s

If this goes well, I’ll plan to try to spend some time in my art room. It seems like it has been forever since I’ve spent time up there. I’m in the middle of a piece I started wood burning. It’s patiently waiting for me…

Enjoy your Tuesday.

Leave a comment

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , ,

February 5, 2024 · 9:29 am

Not

  • It’s NOT snowing
  • It’s NOT icing
  • It’s NOT sleeting
  • It’s NOT freezing
  • It’s not even raining!

How could anyone complain? :0)

We slept the best we have since my husband fell and feel almost human this morning! He is up and dressed, morning chores are done, and we are in the office, each at our computer. Life is good. (Update – he is now finding awful movies to tape to watch later.)

Later I will gather the trash and take it down for pickup tomorrow. (I will spend a bit of time in our master bath, gathering things to throw away. I was a sloth yesterday and didn’t get that done.) Trash and getting our mail are the ‘errand’ things for today.

Feb 5th is a sad anniversary for us, and I’ll do another post about it. Suffice to say I feel lucky to be a chat or a conference video away from our son, a man about whom I bust my buttons with pride and happiness. They just don’t come any better.

Have a good day – even though it’s Monday and most of you have to start another week of work. Look forward to the time in the future when you’re older than dirt, like me, and Monday means everything is ‘open’ again. :0)

Leave a comment

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as ,

February 4, 2024 · 9:02 am

Good Girl!

Country Living Magazine

I am such a GOOD GIRL!

I’m still patting myself on the head because yesterday I

  • FINISHED getting our tax stuff together and organized, with spreadsheets printed. (We need to wait for one thing to print and then we can dump this stuff on our CPA).
  • Added some file folders that I was missing this time to the file drawers where I keep receipts
  • Started new online spreadsheets for 2024
  • Listed the information from January on them
  • Filed everything
  • Balanced checkbooks

While I’m busy telling you this, I have to also admit that my desk, otherwise, looks like an explosion, AND I’m going to be gathering lots of stuff from upstairs to put in the trash. Sometimes I’m a bit of a hoarder – in the interest of stocking up for getting snowed or iced in, of course – and every once in a while I need to purge. This is one of those times. I’m going to start upstairs in our master bath, since I’ve completely emptied out the area under my lavatory and the area around our toilet for when our plumber will hopefully come in the coming week. My plan is to act like I’m moving and get really serious about what I NEED up there. Wish me luck, please.

WEEK 2 – today marks 2 weeks since my husband fell. Wednesday will be the first time he’s been out since I took him to the orthopedic surgeon. Our driveway is bumpy, so that will probably be painful for him. He really wants to get a haircut, so the trip is necessary for him. He improves each day, thankfully. The surgeon said it will take 10 to 12 weeks for healing.

HAIRCUT – I now feel more confident about leaving him alone for a bit when needed. I have a haircut scheduled the day after his. Plus, I scheduled a much-needed massage for the month.

I hope that the weather where you are is either something you can enjoy, or something you can put up with. It’s rainy here, but I’m reminding myself (1) it’s NOT snowing, and (2) it’s NOT icing, so NO COMPLAINTS, though I said some grumpy words when I took Amber out for her last outing of the night last night. :0)

Leave a comment

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , ,