Category Archives: Thoughts on a ________

August 1, 2023 · 10:48 am

Tuesday Thoughts 8-1-2023

Credit: May 1985 – Getty Images – iStockphoto

The 1st day of August means 1st-of-the-month chores.

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Shout-out to Sweet Cathy, who has her first chemo treatment, 2nd dose of radiation, and doctor of oncology visit today. Trying to send her hugs and strength today.

Shout-out to Bud, who is celebrating a birthday today! He’s a member of our Lunch Bunch group. He’ll have to wait for his card until Friday, but I’m thinking of him and wishing him well today.

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The weather is still not “something to be trifled with,” but help seems to be on the way if we can make it until Monday, when we have good chances of rain through Thursday! HOORAY!

Yesterday I mixed and sprayed TWO 2-gallon containers of KillZall weed killer. I’m planning to do the same today. Then I’ll wait and see what happens and respray where needed.

I got stung/bitten by what looked like a horsefly, but I reacted badly, my hand and wrist swelling up and itching madly. I took two Benadryl tablets and rubbed Benadryl ointment all over my hand, wrist, and part of my arm where it was red and swollen and itching. It calmed down overnight. It’s still swollen, but not itching at all. You have to look carefully to see the swelling, so I’m good.

My goal now is to cut way down on how much time my husband and I have to spend in the yard. The sun is really strong and risk of sunstroke is high. My husband scoffs – but he does that to a LOT of things lately, so I’m trying to spray where he has trouble mowing, and try to keep it that I don’t have to weed whack as much.

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Since school starts here August 14th (I find it hard to believe.) I used to be a lifeguard in the summers, as well as a teacher for 8 years in the public schools, and there was no problem between the two. Now I couldn’t have both jobs, since the pools are open until Labor Day.

Facebook

A school bus passes in front of our house twice daily. For this reason, and the fact that school starts soon, we decided to go ahead and change our mailbox decoration to welcome the kids.

“Yosemite Sam” – the kids are too young, probably, to recognize this cartoon character, but I’m hoping they can Google him.

I feel sorry for the bus drivers trying to pick up their group of kids in this area. Since the bridge is being redone and there is no through traffic, I’m not sure what they have to do to get to everyone. Has to be taking a lot more time than it used to.

I hope August is a good month for all of us.

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July 29, 2023 · 10:05 am

Saturday 7-29-2023

ArtInspiration on Twitter-Himson

I just LOVE the happiness radiating from this sweet young girl. The painting makes me smile each time I see it.

It surprised me this morning to see that the weather people on the 5News website have a sense of humor. Temperatures have been at or above 100 and will be basically all of next week. They describe the weather today as, “A heatwave is set to BEGIN (all caps mine) heading into the weekend.” I actually snorted when I read it. :0)

I’m planning to try to get the rock beds that run across the front and back of the house weeded today. My husband just sprays to kill the weeds, but that doesn’t make them actually go away. We end up with ugly dead weeds, instead of livelier green ones – not much of an improvement in my eyes. So I’ll do short sessions, trying to stay out of the direct sun, and see if I can get the job done. If I do, THEN I’ll hose the areas down with weed killer to try to prevent a regrowth of the weeds.

A new project will start soon – We created a critter we called, “When Pigs Fly” and hung it up high with a line from a branch over the driveway several years ago.

The problem is that after several years a storm brought not only the pig down, but also the branch from which he was hung. We plan to refurbish the pig – thoroughly cleaning him and then repainting him. My husband was talking about trying to hang him up on another branch. He weighs about 75 lbs, and I REALLY don’t want my husband up on a ladder trying to tie the line to the tree branch and then tying the pig to the other end of the line and trying to pull it up.

I told him I loved the idea of securing the pig’s feet to one of the huge boulders to one side of our driveway – like he was getting ready to take off and fly. His wings are out from his body so this could look good.

(We did the same type of ‘securing’ of this “Guard Dog” to a boulder on the other side of the driveway from where we would secure the flying pig.)

My husband looks like he might go for that idea. I’ll try to work on the pig in the mornings – when I can make the time – when I can turn a fan directly on me and do a bit of the refurbishment each day.

Mini-Purse – Canvas Hand-Painted with long Cord Strap – “Purple and White Delight” – 5″ x 7″ with a zipper to secure your valuables. It is large enough to carry your cellphone plus valuables. The long cord allows you to wear it cross body, hang it on your shoulder, or tie it to your belt. $17.95 with FREE SHIPPING to the contiguous U.S.

Questions – lindawlewis1@gmail.com

Link to purse – HandmadeHavenByLinda on Etsy.

I hope you have a fun Saturday.

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July 28, 2023 · 9:52 am

Yea, It’s Friday 7-28-2023

We actually don’t have “Hot Man” on the mailbox because it has been TOO HOT for us to make the effort. AND the forecast is for “Hotter temperatures the next 10 days.” The website shows 100+ for nine of the next ten days and little to no chance for rain. My husband is hopeful that the grass will become his favorite ‘brown and crunchy’ so he won’t have to mow. I can’t blame him. I’m more than grateful our a/c is functional.

We haven’t changed the mailbox decoration in some time, basically due to laziness and having other priorities. Since school will be starting here in August, I talked to my husband about it. We agreed that we’ll change from

“Sylvester and Tweetie Pie”

to

“Yosemite Sam”

just in case the school bus kids (or someone else) watches what we put up.

We have a totally different traffic pattern in front of our house now with the bridge between us and town being rebuilt, so it will be interesting to see if we get any comments. (Oh, update on the bridge – we drove down to the site yesterday. They have finished two of the three supports needed for the bridge. Things have gone slower than the workers would like because the sporadic heavy rains we’ve been having fill the area with water that has to be pumped out in order to proceed. )

Journal – “Ship’s Wheel” Spiral Bound Hard Cover Hand-Painted with 3D Wooden Wheel – 5-1/2 x 7 hard cover spiral bound journal. 10 manila ‘envelope’ pockets inside. $17.99 with FREE SHIPPING to the contiguous U.S. Questions: lindawlewis1@gmail.com Link to item on HandmadeHavenByLinda

We’re leaving soon to get our mail, see if anyone else is there for Lunch Bunch, and shop for a few groceries before coming home.

I hope this day is a good one for you.

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July 27, 2023 · 1:52 pm

Thursday Thoughts 7-27-2023

dumpaday.com

WEATHER –

It’s hot. We’re under our daily ‘intense heat warning’ designation. We’re just concentrating on getting outside either fairly early in the morning or just before sun sets, spraying ourselves with lots of mosquito repellent before venturing out.

TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF –

Olya Smolyak-Getty Images-iStockphoto

Lynn Moody gets my vote as the best massage therapist ever. If you’re in the Greenwood/Ft.Smith/Hackett or surrounding area, give Lynn a call at 479-629-7601 and see if she can schedule an appointment. She really listens each time I come, makes my concerns a priority, finds places I didn’t even know were sore and fixes them, and leaves me feeling relaxed and relieved. We also share hugs because we’ve become FRIENDS over the years, as well, and truly care about each other. Absolutely priceless.

HANDMADEHAVENBYLINDA ON ETSY –

Tote – “Block Quilt” Hand-Painted, One of a Kind – Orange, Rose, Blue, Yellow, Green and white blocks decorate BOTH SIDES of this 13″ x 13″ x 4″ gusset-bottom tote. Really happy, colorful tote is accented with raised white decorative border reminiscent of Hostess Cupcakes. YUM! $19.99 with FREE SHIPPING to the contiguous U.S. Contact me at lindawlewis1@gmail.com with questions. Click on the link to take you to the tote on my website.

VICIOUS SCALES –

Anti Martina-iStock

I must be ingesting lead lately – My scales are staying where they have been or showing I weigh MORE. All this is while I’m trying to

  • watch what I’m eating
  • eat more fiber
  • drink more water
  • move more

It’s demoralizing, but I’m firm in my resolve to ‘keep-on-keepin’-on’ and that soon I’ll show some good news on the scale or with the measuring tape. Maybe my clothes will get a bit looser. Stranger things have happened…

Enjoy your Thursday. As soon as I write a couple more posts for the blog, fold the laundry and put it away, I see a nap in my future. :0)

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July 26, 2023 · 10:05 am

Wednesday 7-26-2023

Work + Money

HEAT ADVISORY –

We’re under an ‘intense heat advisory’ for the rest of the week. It’s typical for Arkansas to be hot in the summer, but as I age I handle it with less grace each year. My tolerable range of heat has narrowed to the point I have to laugh. Thank goodness for heat and air conditioning and the freedom to avoid being out in most of whatever weather we’re having.

Sololos-Getty Images-iStockphotos

TOMATOES –

I’ve decided to simply work on cleaning up my tomato plants, rather than pulling them out at this point to see if they produce any more reasonable-sized tomatoes. Mother Nature has been in a snit this year, providing some of the worst veggie-growing sun/water/temperature/storm combinations we’ve had in the over 36 years we’ve lived here. I thought maybe it was just me, but my friends’ Kay and Bud have been having successful veggie gardens for years and years and their efforts produced nothing this year. BAH. HUMBUG. :0(

EXERCISE –

I’ve decided to count the stress of dealing with the challenges my husband is presenting as my cardio for the day. If he DOESN’T cause my heart to stutter, stop and start again with one of his sneaky projects, I make it up with my yoga practice. Yard work in the heat rounds out my exercise routine these days, with short sessions, drinking water, and resting in-between.

Dental Economics

I’M DUMB! –

I am feeling SUPER embarrassed today after pulling a really DUMB stunt last night. I cooked dinner and was serving the hamburger patties from the skillet. My husband was being helpful and rinsing stuff and putting things in the dishwasher as I served. “Somehow” I got distracted.

We ate and then I went into the office. My husband came in and asked if I meant to leave the burner on on the stove. GULP. NO!!!!!!!! It had been left on for at least an hour, burning propane. At LEAST there wasn’t a pot or skillet on the burner, but that’s the best I can say. I’ve never done that before.

Every 20 years or so I lock my keys in the car. I’m HOPING that this is one of the things I can say that about – assuming I can say ANYTHING in another 20 years…..

LOOK WHAT I DID –

Earrings – Stud/Post – “Midnight” Layered Wooden Hand Painted, Light Weight, One of a Kind $13.95 with FREE SHIPPING to the contiguous U.S.

Contact me at lindawlewis1 with questions. Click this link to go to HandmadeHavenByLinda to purchase.

I wish you a wonderful Wednesday.

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July 24, 2023 · 9:49 am

It’s Monday 7-24-2023

HANDMADEHAVENBYLINDA ON ETSY –

Mosaic/Wood Picture Frame – Hand-Made, One-of-a-Kind – 8.5 x 6.5 mosaic-on-wood picture frame. This is a one-of-a-kind, free-form mosaic design on a wooden frame that holds a 4″ x 6″ picture. There is a wooden dowel attached to the back that fits into a hole to make the frame free-standing. $32.95 with FREE SHIPPING to the contiguous U.S.

Questions – contact me at lindawlewis1@gmail.com

Link to item on Etsy

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The Guardian

YARD WORK –

Thankfully, the weeding of yesterday’s iris planter was the last in the series. There is always something to do, but this was the last of the totally-out-of-control projects. Today I’ll gather what tomatoes I can and make some hard decisions on whether to try to trim up the remaining plants or pull them out.

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BRAIN REBOOT?

EveryPixel.com – depositphotos

I had to get a new watch a few days ago because the band on the watch I had broke and couldn’t be fixed. I got a humongous el-cheapo watch at Walmart. I managed to get it set correctly. It tells me the time, the date, the day, and the seconds. The biggest problem is my brain. I’m used to looking at the old watch. The new one has the date at the top and the time below – directly opposite from what my brain is expecting to see. I have to look at it twice each time to figure out what I’m looking at. I guess this is yet another perk of getting ‘more mature.’ :0)

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POOR START TO THE MORNING –

Healthline

My husband and I have discussed his trying to carry everything at once, rather than make a couple of trips. Needless to say, my suggestions fall on deaf ears.

This morning he was trying to put breakfast stuff away. Suddenly, the box of Cheerios went one way, the box of blackberries went another way, and his bowl bounced on the floor with leftover milk and spoon going in a third direction. I was mainly thankful that he didn’t drop the milk! We spent the next few minutes cleaning up. Our dog, Amber, happily cleaned up the leftover milk and licked the bowl (unbreakable) clean. This is an ongoing discussion – as is his tendency to put things right on the edge of a table, shelf, or counter…. Makes life more ‘interesting;’ THAT’S for sure!

Happy Monday.

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July 23, 2023 · 10:43 am

1st Session Done

Tom-N-Getty Images-iStockphoto

YARD WORK –

I set a mental alarm for half an hour on weeding the planter. The temperature is fine, but the sun is pretty intense, so I stopped at the given time, emptied my full weed bucket and came inside. I’m drinking a big glass of water and resting before heading back outside for session #2.

_________________

HANDMADEHAVENBYLINDA ON ETSY –

Memory Box – Hand-Painted – “Autumn” – Dimensions are 5 inches tall, 9.5 inches wide, 4.75 depth, and 31 inches circumference. It can hold buffet supplies, photos, souvenirs, and more. $26.95 with FREE SHIPPING to the contiguous U.S.

Questions – lindawlewis1@gmail.com

Link to this on Etsy

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Wanda Wallace – FourCornersFramingUS – Etsy

I’ve been moving a LOT more – though not doing my yoga as I should – and I’ve been watching what I eat, but this is NOT resulting in less snarky scales. I’m frustrated, in that we have adjusted what we’re eating to include more water (now filtered), LOTS more fiber, little to no sugar, other than from fresh raw fruit, cutting WAAAAAY back on salt, watching portions, etc. BAH. HUMBUG.

Time for Session # 2 in the planter. Wish me luck, please.

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July 23, 2023 · 9:29 am

Don’t Make Me No Nevermind

Firsthand-Brendan-Church-182747-Unsplash

Yesterday I weed whacked the back and side yard. My husband followed me, blowing the grass off the back sidewalk. The yard looks really nice right now. We would never make any of the ‘beautiful yard’ competitions, but it DOES look like someone lives here now. :0)

Today I’m tackling the brick planter that lives in the ‘niche’ between our screened porch just outside our fireplace on one end of the house. (Yes! There IS a planter under there!)

I converted it from a tomato planter to an iris planter a couple of years ago. Now it looks like something out of a haunted house movie, doesn’t it – long neglected – capable of weird things climbing out of the weeds and Bermuda grass The really amazing thing to me is that all this happened since the end of the spring after the iris bloomed. I’ve been working my way around the yard and this is the last flower planter on my list. I’ll get started on it in a few minutes and see if I can do any good.

Women’s Health

Shout out this morning to Cathy, my good friend in Tulsa, who needs lots of love and strength sent her way to help her with a serious health issue. As you read this, please send a kind thought or two.

Now the “Battle of Lewis vs Bermuda” begins in Greenwood AR. There is no reward involved, but “It don’t make me no nevermind,” and I WILL win…

Have a wonderful Sunday.

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July 22, 2023 · 10:14 am

Sunny Saturday 7-22-2023

HANDMADEHAVENBYLINDA ON ETSY –

Memory Box – Hand-Painted – “Rooster” – The dimensions of the box are 4.25 inches long, 3.25 inches wide, 2.25 inches deep, and 2.5 inches high. FUN present to give to one of your own children, a grandchild, or fun to give as a birthday present. – $17.95 with FREE SHIPPING to the contiguous U.S.

Questions – lindawlewis1@gmail.com

Link to Rooster Box on Etsy

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As soon as I finish with blog posts, I’m heading outside to see if I can get our back yard weed whacked. I’ll do short sessions with lots of rest and hydrating in-between; but I would like to get that done today. I’ll also check to see if we have tomatoes to bring in. It’s been so hot that most of the garden veggies are gone. When we have heat indices to 115, there is no way to get enough water to garden plants. If you push it, you end up with ‘boiled’ plants, so it’s best to just give it up if we’re having a summer like this.

_________________

Raising Children Network

I’m still dreaming of art projects, but there have just been too many priorities or my energy taps out before I can get upstairs to my art room. Maybe today, if I can finish the back yard….

Hoping for a nice Saturday for all of us.

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July 21, 2023 · 12:43 pm

Back Home

Giphy – OhMagif.com

Kay and Bud were at Lunch Bunch, so we had a nice chat with them while stuffing our faces. They seemed to be doing well, but Kay was stung by a wasp and the back of her hand was bright red and itchy, she said. Otherwise, we compared how money was leaving in all directions as we try to keep things up and running. It was good to see their faces, have a few laughs and catch up.

We stopped for groceries after that and now we’re home for the day.

On the way home, I laughed out loud at a sign I’ve been watching as we drive past each day. This is one we don’t see on our regular route to town. (We’ve gotten interested to see things past our usual turn-off since they are still working on the bridge between us and town.)

This sign is a marquee on the road in front of a combination gas station and 24-7 type store with a small deli. Three days ago, the sign said, “Cheif Salad.” Yesterday it said, “Chief Salad.” Today it finally said, “Chef Salad” I hope they sell a bunch of it. :0)

It’s still only 82 degrees F, but it’s quite muggy. It’s still quite overcast, so I’ll try to get out and do some weed whacking this afternoon.

Have a great Friday.

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July 21, 2023 · 8:55 am

Rainy Friday 7-21-2023

Unsplash

It’s dark and stormy-looking right now. Some of the forecasts say the rain will stop before we’re supposed to leave to join our friends at Lunch Bunch. We’ll probably go anyway, but we won’t go grocery shopping if it’s pouring. It’s nice not to wake up to fry-an-egg-on-the-sidewalk temperatures this morning. It’s only 80 right now.

My husband got the belt back on the mower and finished the yard yesterday, so HIS part is finished. I was going to weed whack today. Maybe I’ll still be able to do that later today.

I spent yesterday afternoon trying to find out why our American Express card charge wouldn’t go through for the meds I was trying to buy for my husband. The phone tree thingy said the card was fine, but the chat lady said the card had been canceled due to inactivity. We reapplied, were accepted and should get new cards in the next week or so. Then the NEXT time we order the meds, we can use the new card.

No time spent in my art room yesterday, but maybe things will smile on me this afternoon, no new crises will have erupted, and I can spend awhile playing. There’s always a CHANCE! :0)

Meanwhile, I wish you a happy Friday and a wonderful weekend.

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July 20, 2023 · 4:32 pm

Thoughts on Today 7-20-2023

LOOK WHAT I DID –

Earrings – Dangle/Wire – 1-3/4″ Purple, Turquoise and White Round 3D Light-Weight, Painted, Wooden – $13.95 with FREE SHIPPING to contiguous U.S. – Questions? Contact me at lindawlewis1@gmail.com – Want to purchase? HandmadeHavenByLinda – use the link.

WONDERFUL HAIR STYLIST –

It’s such a pleasure to deal with someone who –

  • Knows what he is doing
  • Listens
  • CARES
  • and is a friend

I have all that in Michael Remillard, owner/stylist of Tangles in Greenwood, 40 Town Square, 72936. 479-996-6366. My husband and I call him the miracle worker. My husband says Michael “heals” him. I’m delighted that I look as if “someone has a definite plan” when he finishes with me.

Vecteezy

TRYING TO GET MEDICINE FOR MY HUSBAND – and aftermath –

It looks like, after hours on the phone and jumping through hoops, plus a bit of begging, I have found a source for the medicine my husband needs, and have ordered and arranged payment for it. The next thing we’re waiting for is an invoice in my husband’s email. I’m more relieved than I can say. He NEEDS this medicine. Due to the donut hole in medical insurances, it has become totally unaffordable. My doctor’s office finally took pity on me, agreeing to provide a paper prescription. The pharmacy has accepted it and it looks like we’re in business with a price we can afford. WHEW!

AFTERMATH –

The surprising thing at the end of this was that our American Express card payment was declined. That’s the only card this place accepts. Yesterday I was too tired to deal with it, arranging for them to send us an invoice which I’ll pay with an e-check. Today I called American Express, getting the message ‘all is fine. Please try again.’ I did, and got the same decline. Tried to go to our account online, but when the site came up, we got a message saying the card had been canceled. I finally talked to a lady on chat who said it was due to inactivity. I ended up applying for a new card. Happily, I could do it online, was accepted, and two cards will be delivered on the 31st.

Steve Liptrot Photography – Getty Images

OUR MARRIAGE IN A NUTSHELL –

I hugged my husband before leaving to get my hair cut this morning. I said, “You mean everything to me. Take care of yourself.” He hugged me back, saying, “I would die without you – – Don’t die.” This man makes me angry, frustrated, melt with love, and laugh in the space of one exchange. (I’m still threatening to call our man with the backhoe to dig a hole in the back yard for him, but we are totally addicted to each other at this point.)

Hope your day has been a good one.

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July 20, 2023 · 9:21 am

Thursday 7-20-2023

WallingfordSign.com

Just a quick note before I leave for errands.

I’m going to get our mail and go for a haircut.

My husband went straight out to our shop this morning to get the main belt back on the mower so he can finish the yard. He says he only has about 5 minutes left before finishing. It’s going to be lethally hot again today, so I’m glad when he finishes, this is it for him outside today. We can hope the forecasters are correct that we’re supposed to get a bit of a break tonight or tomorrow.

I hope your day is a happy one. I’ll write more when I return.

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July 19, 2023 · 9:07 am

Wednesday 7-19-2023

LoveThisPic

Digital Mom Blog

SUMMER –

The heat index is forecast to be between 110-114 this afternoon. If anyone is taking a vote, I vote, “No, Thank you.” I’m going to TRY to get my husband to wait until around dinner time to mow, though he was out walking up and down our steep driveway yesterday while I programmed, trying to get our two driveway detectors to work the way they should. I’ve gotten better at grabbing and wetting a washcloth to put on the back of his neck and wipe his face while simultaneously pouring him a cold drink while getting him to his chair before he collapses. He promises to make better decisions, but he lies. While he’s mowing, I’ll check our tomatoes and hopefully spray to kill some weeds.

ERRANDS –

We leave in a bit to –

  • pick up our mail
  • get a haircut for my husband
  • pick up a paper prescription from our doctor at the clinic
  • grocery shop

ART ROOM –

Kiddipedia – Depositphotos

I’m determined to at least get up to my art room today, just to take some time to mess around, if not actually start something.

Enjoy your day.

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July 18, 2023 · 10:59 am

Tuesday Thoughts 7-18-2023

TRVST

CONVERSION TO LED PROJECT –

We have decided “positively” (:0) ) that we will call a hiatus in converting fluorescent fixtures with regular fluorescent tubes to LED tubes unless we HAVE to because of failing bulbs. The one exception to this is the 8 foot LED tubes my husband ordered to put in our shop. The remaining ones in the house are in much-less-used areas, so we can put a cap on this project soon.

DRIVEWAY SENSOR PROJECT –

After fighting with our driveway sensors for another half hour in the rapidly increasing heat this morning, we have now designated this project one for the “FALL.” (We are trying to change the sound one of the two make so we can figure out if we have a vehicle in the driveway or just a deer – or our cat.) It’s too hot for my husband to walk down, stand in the heat, and then walk up over and over. We were using walkie talkies, but they weren’t working well, either. The gremlins are out in full force these days.

HANDMADE HAVEN BY LINDA ON ETSY –

Framed 7×5 Friend Sign – “The Song in Your Heart” – $14.99 with FREE SHIPPING in the contiguous U.S. Contact me at lindawlewis1@gmail.com with questions or go to the link here on my Etsy site.

Sleep Review

DREAMS –

I was dreaming of all kinds of things I would like to try in the art room. Maybe now that we’re not changing lights or working on the driveway detectors, I can get up to my art room for a bit today.

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July 17, 2023 · 9:59 am

“Monday, Monday”

“Green & White 3-Disc Light-Weight Hand-Painted Wooden Dangle Earrings with Bling” – $13.95 with FREE SHIPPING in the contiguous U.S. – contact me if you have questions at lindawlewis1@gmail.com or use the link to go to HandmadeHavenByLinda on Etsy.

Johnny McClung-Unsplash

Can you see my hair blowing as July whizzes past me? I feel the month has barely started, but it’s over half-way gone! How did THAT happen?

We have our typical exciting day planned – gathering trash and taking it down to the humongous trash can at the bottom of the driveway, then getting the mail and going for groceries. Be still, my heart. :0) We are still having to drive ‘the back way’ to get to town. My husband went to see what progress had been made on the new bridge being built between us and town. He said there was a large concrete pillar in the center of the hole and lots of rebar. It looks like they are doing a much more serious job this time – a total rebuild, rather than a repair.

Vintage Hardware & Lighting

Our “replace-fluorescent-tubes-with-LED-tubes” project throughout the house continues. We have gotten into a “convert-2-fixtures-a-day” mode lately. This leads to much less stressful days and gets the job done eventually. I still resent being forced to do this conversion, but they ‘allowed us’ some 35 years before they decided to change, so I guess we can’t really complain…

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July 16, 2023 · 10:06 am

Sunday 7-16-2023

Look What I Did –

Journal – “Doorway” 5-1/2″ x 7″ Spiral Bound Hand-Painted with 10 Manila “Pockets” to hold lots of goodies. Features a wooden cut-out on the front, making the front of the journal look like a doorway to something wonderful. – $17.99 with FREE SHIPPING to the contiguous U.S. Contact me at lindawlewis1@gmail.com if you have questions or use this link to go directly to the journal on HandmadeHavenByLinda

Weather –

This week is just going to get hotter and hotter with dangerous heat indices each day. We’re trying to do our outside stuff at the beginning or end of the day or in really short sessions with lots of rest and water in-between sessions.

Continuing Project –

Since the fluorescent tubes we’ve been using for the past 35 years or so will no longer be produced starting next month, we’ve been forced to upgrade (?) to LED tubes. This means doing away with the ballast transformers in each of our fixtures, rewiring the fixture, then adding the new LED tubes. Since I think there are only two rooms in the house where we don’t have fluorescents, this is quite a project – both in terms of expense and labor. We can’t afford to have someone else do it, so we’re doing it a bit at a time.

Yesterday we converted the two ceiling fixtures in our bedroom. Today we plan to do two in the main part of our master bath. We’ll just keep plodding until we’ve done them all, hoping we won’t have to do this again.

Have a great Sunday.

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July 14, 2023 · 8:16 am

Good Morning! 7-14-2023

LOL Cute Animals – tumblr_mujhbls6bs1stlkgho1_500

We had quite a storm overnight-into-this-morning, knocking out our power for a very short time. However, I’m reading that a lot of people in our county are still without power. It’s rainy and we’re under a flood watch now, and excessive heat warning later today. It sounds like we should fasten our seat belts.

We’re planning to go to Lunch Bunch later to meet our friends. It will be interesting to see if we 1) have any trouble with flooding on the roads, 2) the restaurant is open and has power, and 3) if our friends come. We’ll plan to hit the local grocery before coming home again. (I would try calling or texting our friends, except that neither one answers their phones or gets texts, so it’s like throwing a bottle in the ocean these days. Getting older is such a treat. :0)

I think I told you my husband decided to sneak out a cut down another tree beside the driveway this week. Each day he’s dragging more of it up to our burn pile. I’m not sure where the tree is. I’m just glad he hasn’t hurt himself trying to tackle this.

I’m not sure about what else we’ll try to do today. I’m enjoying having the front and back doors open to the breeze!

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July 13, 2023 · 9:26 am

Thursday Thoughts 7-13-2023

facebook.com-youtube.com-Liana Ribeiro

It’s 82 degrees and I THINK has just finished raining here this morning.

My husband did some mowing right before dark. He didn’t finish, but maybe he can do more this evening, if things will dry out. I finished the second flower planter weeding. I don’t know if I can do more today or not.

Before

After – though beaten down a bit by the rain overnight and this morning.

The rainy-ness of the day MAY mean that my husband won’t sneak out a work on cutting down a tree in the “Dangerous Heat Alert” for today, as he did yesterday…

He may decide to substitute that for LED tube installation in our bedroom. I can’t say I’m looking forward to that, but as my mom used to say, “Everything is relative.” This means more to me every day. :0)

Have a fun Thursday.

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July 11, 2023 · 9:11 am

Tuesday 7-11-2023

5News

Colorful blobs are on the way, according to 5News. My source on my computer says the rain is supposed to stop around 10:30 this morning. I have the doors open for a nice breeze this morning.

I was, of course, planning to weed this morning. I’ll bet Mother Nature is hiding somewhere, laughing at me trying to ‘plan’ my days.

Reactual

My husband just got up, wanting to put in more LED bulbs in our fluorescent fixtures. We compromised that we’ll do some more this afternoon.

Mini Notebook – Pocket Notebook – “Live, Laugh, Love” – The inside has 100 blank pages for your thoughts, dreams, lists, reminders, memories. $14.99 with FREE SHIPPING to the contiguous U.S.

Contact me at lindawlewis1@gmail.com for more information or go to HandmadeHavenByLinda on Etsy.

I hope you have a nice Tuesday.

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July 10, 2023 · 9:40 am

Monday, July 10, 2023

Devon-Pinterest

I would LOVE to have a mural like this in my home. At least I can enjoy it here with you…

It is NOT raining this morning and the sun is actually out. Of course, NOW the weather folks are warning of intense heat again. :0(

We’ll get our chores out of the way soon with gathering trash and driving it down for pickup tomorrow, getting our mails, and replenishing groceries. The rest of the day is free.

The Arkansas Democrat

We took a walk around the yard last night to get a bit of exercise and fresh air. Everything needs to be weeded. The combination of daily rains and then sun has made the weeds explode with health. EVERYTHING needs my attention. It makes me tired to even LOOK at it.

Veronika’s Kitchen

Yesterday I did one of our grilling recipes, but INSIDE, since our weather has been so unpredictable. I fixed kielbasa, onions, potatoes, broccoli and tomatoes as a kind of stir fry. It was a nice change and we enjoyed it.

If the stars align, I’m thinking of getting up to my art room for at least a short time today to get things going on the Christmas presents I want to make for my friends this year. I’m planning to try to etch some drinking glasses, personalizing each one. We’ll see how things go.

Have a wonderful Monday. Make this the start of a happy, calm, productive week. Take care!

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July 9, 2023 · 9:51 am

Sunday 7-9-2023

Tenor.gif

It’s dark and rainy is supposed to be this way until around 4pm. My husband is happy because he doesn’t have to mow today. :0)

We don’t have any plans today. I’m going to try to cook some kielbasa and veggies for dinner tonight. We usually do this meal on the grill, but the weather hasn’t been cooperative. We’ll see how it does inside.

Otherwise, I’m hoping for a quiet, calm day. Yesterday was challenging. My husband was trying to do something with his computer and phone and was really frustrated, not able to tell me what he was trying to accomplish. I worked with him on and off all day, finally giving up, totally stressed out. Some days are like that, and thankfully, we don’t have them often.

I hope that you are having a nice Sunday.

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July 8, 2023 · 10:09 am

Rainy Saturday 7-8-2023

Chainsaw Art – Unknown Artist – Pinterest

The sky is dark, the doors are open to the breeze, a quiet rain is falling. The washer is running, my husband, dog, and cat are sleeping. A ‘lulling’ kind of day, encouraging laziness.

Freepik

Yesterday Lunch Bunch was a bust. No one was there to meet us, plus the restaurant had a closed sign on it, saying they would be closed from the 5th-10th. My only gripe is a lack of good communication. We skip breakfast on Lunch Bunch days because Kay wants to eat so early, so we ended up running our errands and returning home, THEN fixing a late lunch. No problem, just a bit of aggravation.

EmojiTerra

My husband states he used up all his patience in the Marines – patience for standing in lines, dealing with paperwork, people….. Now we’re dealing with the fact that MY fount of patience with HIS lack of patience is hitting really low levels.

The latest example is dealing with Humana. We’ve tried to insulate ourselves every way possible, but occasionally, they do need to communicate with us. It really gripes my husband that they send him an email, and then make him jump through a bunch of ID hoops before he can find out what they need to know. He’s been ignoring them lately. He yelled at his computer a couple of days ago because they wanted him to sign in again, and then give his birthdate. He figures they KNOW all this stuff. They contacted HIM. He left in a huff and today asked me if I could find out what they want. I’m still trying to get through to them…

Tenor.gif

On the nice side, we have a nice, gentle rain, no flying hairballs, a nice breeze, and no scary things to deal with today. We’ll take that. :0)

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July 7, 2023 · 9:02 am

We Made it To Friday

DigitalSpy.gif

I hope you’re having a good Friday. We have a mixed bag of good and bad today –

GOOD – Lunch Bunch and the chance to catch up with our friends. We have air conditioning to protect us from the heat, but –

BAD – our hot water ‘quick fix’ by our plumber has lived its life and died. He has a new tankless water heater ordered for us, and I’ll call him to see where we are on that.

BAD – my husband and I both had trouble sleeping last night. We were downstairs reading until about 3am.

GOOD – my husband is catching a few extras z’s now before Lunch Bunch and we can take a nap later if we need one.

I hope there is a lot more good than bad in YOUR day today.

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July 6, 2023 · 10:05 am

Thursday Thoughts 7-6-23

Giphy

WEATHER

It’s 77 degrees F., dark and rainy here right now. We have the doors open to welcome the cool breezes. We’re not supposed to be threatened by flying hair balls, so we can simply relax and enjoy the rain. AHHHHHH :0)

______________

LOOK WHAT I DID!

Painted Container with Lid – Hand-Painted, One of a Kind – Glass – “Stained Glass” – $41.99 with FREE SHIPPING in the contiguous U.S. – lindawlewis1@gmail.com for more information. HandmadeHavenByLinda on Etsy.

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ART ROOM

Pixabay

I’m starting to dream about the Christmas presents I want to make for my friends this year. I’m thinking of etching some glassware with initials plus some other decorative stencils with some free-form dremel additions in-between. I have no idea, really, how to do this, but I’m having a great time in my dreams… :0)

_________________

Yesterday’s harvest

My main spring garden was a complete bust this year due to the wonky weather. The spinach turned yellow and the lettuce started bolting way too soon. I’ll get that cleared out in time. Meanwhile, the tomatoes are doing well.

I hope you’re enjoying your Thursday.

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July 2, 2023 · 10:33 am

Before the Project Starts

Antony Sider-@BudgetDude on Twitter

TAKING CHARGE

I decided, after writing my first post today, that I would change things up. My husband is taking a nap, so I decided –

  • The weeding will definitely wait until tomorrow
  • That I would use the time he is sleeping to my advantage
  • I hate to cook when I’m tired and stressed, so I have just finished getting the ingredients for a beef stew in the crock pot. It will be ready when we are tonight with no more work on my part :0)
  • I did a lot of my daily computer stuff, so I’m not now feeling stressed that things are waiting on me.
  • I have cleared things off my beside-the-computer-table so I won’t have to clear work debris off them, plus my husband can actually put a foot on the table if needed to balance while he’s working without messing any of my things up. I also cleaned off my desk for the same reason, clearing breakables out of the way.

I may be losing the day for my own projects, but I’m feeling a bit more in charge of what we WILL be doing, my part in it, and have made the rest of the day more pleasant for both of us.

_________________

LOOK WHAT I DID!

2″ Hand-painted, light-weight, one-of-a-kind orange multi-color teardrop-shaped wooden dangle earrings. Painted plain orange on the back. Get ready for someone to remark about them or ask where they can get a pair. Answer: they can’t! These are only for YOU. They will need to come look for a different pair. French ear wire with soft marshmallow cushion backs. $13.95 with FREE SHIPPING in the contiguous U.S.

Erica commented on pair she purchased – “Earrings are so lightweight and super cute. They went perfectly with blue outfit for work and really enhanced the look. I got compliments on them too!”

Link to these on Etsy – If you prefer to buy these or other products directly from me, please contact me directly at lindawlewis1@gmail.com and we’ll discuss details.

_____________________

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July 2, 2023 · 9:08 am

Aggravation

Pixy.org

I was planning to try to get the brick ‘niche’ planter weeded today. It will take several sessions, particularly in the heat.

My husband is on a tear to replace our regular fluorescent tubes with LED tubes. This requires us to bypass – or, better, REMOVE – the current ballast transformers in each of our fixtures, rewire, put things back together, THEN put in the LED tubes. He is quite good at this stuff, but is a challenge to work with, to say the least. I’ve had plenty of practice helping him over the years but it is still a character-building exercise to be his helper. The character-building part of this grows exponentially as we age.

One thing is that he knows everything – much better than the experts. The experts say, turn the power off and/or turn off the fuse before doing this. The experts say, make sure the ladder’s stabilizing bars between the legs of the ladder are horizontal for stability. My husband not only ignores these instructions, but scoffs. It certainly increases the stress level of his ‘helper,’ and he scoffs at that, as well, saying I’m ‘over-reacting.’

So, he wants to replace the tubes in our office today. We have two 4-tube fixtures and one 2-tube fixture. Yesterday we had one 4-tube fixture and we spent the entire morning on it. (The kitchen is now fully converted and the light in there is amazing, I have to say, but at this particularly moment, I’m not sure it’s worth it.)

There is no way I can do several sessions out in the hot PLUS help my husband with the lights, so I will hope that we can finish with this project today and that I will be ‘free’ to weed tomorrow. I may, or may not, be able to get back to my computer today. I hope that your Sunday is a good one.

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July 1, 2023 · 8:55 am

Question

I would like your opinion on something, please. My friend, Marsha, suggested that I show more of what I’m listing for sale on HandmadeHavenbyLinda, my Etsy site, on this blog on a regular basis. I would really like to know what you think. Would you rather I didn’t do that? Would you find it irritating?

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June 30, 2023 · 12:45 pm

Heat Indices

5News

The local TV station says heat index ‘up to 108’ in my area. My computer heat thingie says “110”. (You say tomaaato and I say tomahhhto…. ) At least we’re agreed that it’s TOOOOOOOOO HOT!

Kay and Bud were at Lunch Bunch. We went to the local grocery afterwards to get some stuff. Even with the truck A/C on, we were hot. By the time we unloaded the truck, we were both wilting. We got a cold drink when we finished putting things away.

Needless to say, I’m NOT working outside now. I’ll check to see how things feel at around 5 this afternoon (though the heat warning is active until 9pm), plus whether the planter I want to weed is in the direct sun or not, and then decide. We don’t have anything scheduled tomorrow, so maybe I’ll just wait until tomorrow morning.

___________

I would like your opinion on something, please. My friend, Marsha, suggested that I show more of what I’m listing for sale on HandmadeHavenbyLinda, my Etsy site, on this blog on a regular basis. I would really like to know what you think. Would you rather I didn’t do that? Would you find it irritating?

______________

Guess what! In the category of ‘adding insult to injury‘, the Dyson people said on their website that they are no longer making the battery-powered vacuum I have and are not offering parts for it. We got a battery that was supposed to be compatible with it a couple of weeks ago. It won’t charge and make the vacuum usable, so we went to the Dyson site. NOW we’ve ordered another one that is supposed to be compatible that has more power. If that doesn’t work, we’ll either have to buy another vacuum or I’ll just use my regular vacuum.

Please try to stay cool and hydrated.

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June 28, 2023 · 9:15 am

Ugh

Digital Mom Blog

Today and tomorrow Arkansas is under ‘excessive heat warnings.’ This is serious business, as you can die from heat exhaustion or dehydration before you realize you’re anything but ‘really uncomfortable.’

Yesterday we had quite a storm after we got home from errands. Rain had spit on our windshield, but that was all while we were out. Once we got home, though, the sky turned dark, the wind came up – whipping the branches of our trees around – followed by thunder and lightning, and finally pretty heavy rain for half an hour or so.

Bonnie Plants

I’m planning to do some weeding in the middle planter of the planter trio today. I’ll do very short sessions, rest, and drink lots of water, then repeat. I would like to get that middle planter under control today.

We have no other errands, so I can concentrate on inside stuff otherwise today.

The Artful Parent

I got an idea of what I want to make for my friends for Christmas this year. I think I have everything I need already, so it’s just a question of starting one and seeing how it goes. I’ve been dreaming about it, so I’ll get up to the art room soon.

Have a good Wednesday!

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June 27, 2023 · 9:09 am

Tuesday 6-27-2023

Send by my friend, Carol.

_________________

Yesterday I waited until 5pm and THEN went out to do some weeding in the planter trio that runs end-to-end between our front yard grass and our driveway. The three planters are totally overrun.

The first thing I did the other day when I was weed whacking was take the loppers and hack back the total overgrowth of our forsythia and wisteria in the planter that is farthest from the house. Only then could I get close enough to the planter to weed whack.

Yesterday I started on the OTHER end and attacked the Bermuda grass that had taken over that planter. I spent half an hour, got the planter nicely cleaned out and started cleaning up and getting ready to go in. (The sun was fading a bit at that hour and I wasn’t in the direct sunlight, but the heat index was high and I had promised myself to do a short session.) My husband came out with the dog to check on me as I was gathering things to come in.

To say he was amazed at the planter is an understatement. :0) He used the word, “Miracle” several times. :0)

I’ll try to do the same on the middle planter this afternoon.

Our day should be a quiet one today. We’ll go mid morning to get our mail, pick up a few groceries at the local store, and drag our trash can back up where it lives higher up on the driveway.

I wish you a happy, productive, safe Tuesday.

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