The rain stopped for a bit, but is coming down hard again, so I’m checking the window sills every few minutes to see if I need to put more rolled up towels on the window sills. Though it’s a pain, it IS good exercise….
I’m trying to make sure that Mother Nature gets the memo that TODAY is the official start of “The Cool Season” here in Thailand where the temperatures drop a bit and the hard rains STOP.
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Since I read “Prequel: The Last Happy Summer “ by R. G. Ryan, I want to read all the Jake Moriarity series books again. I made sure I either had them on my Kindle or downloaded them again this morning so I can reread the first 6 books again. If you want to get them, here is a source – https://www.amazon.com/The-Jake-Moriarity-Novels-6-book-series/dp/B07H9JMTN5
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I’m looking forward to painting more of my sketches today. I’m lucky that I have a lot of fun things to do – around wringing out wet towels from the window sills. 😄☔️
Today is “Pampered Friday” for me. I’m grinning just thinking about my day.
I went to the gym and walked my mile on the treadmill like a good girl. I’m going to add some more balance exercises to my day, thanks to a URL on balance videos that my friend, Marsha, sent.
At 10 I have my weekly massage. How lucky I am to be able to do this! A total luxury, I leave the place almost week-kneed with relaxation.
This afternoon, my housekeeper comes to make my place spotless once again. I do a number of things to get ready for her each week: I change the sheets on my bed, gather and take out the trash, try to get my laundry in and put away if it’s dry, and generally straighten things. She makes me feel like a slob, though, because she not only cleans everything, she lines things up. She even dries the soap in my shower!
I’ve never had the luxury of a housekeeper before and I truly love it. I can keep things picked up and reasonably neat, but the scrubbing she does of the balcony floor, the scrubbing of the shower floor, the getting every bit of dust that dares to come in here off the baseboards, off the floor, off every shelf, tabletop, or counter, is something that will become more difficult for me, no matter how fit I try to get. MUCH appreciated and NEVER to be taken for granted.
While she is here cleaning, Brian and I go to a cafe where you can stay as long as you like, nursing a drink of something, feeling very welcome and at home. I take my sketchbook and drawing supplies, my Kindle, and a sweatshirt to put on if I can’t get my favorite spot at the front window. (The rest of the place gets quite chilly.) If I’m lucky enough to get my favorite spot, the temperature is mostly comfortable and I can pass the time sketching, reading, playing on my phone, and watching the amazing traffic outside.
Soon after we come home, Brian calls me up to his place for dinner. He orders something and has it delivered, a luxury I’ve never enjoyed before. We lived too far out ‘in the sticks’ in Arkansas to get food delivered. Our driveway was also steep enough that many people would just refuse to even try to drive up it. Even Amazon would leave our packages at the bottom of the driveway…
We get ‘Western’ dinners a lot of the time. These are lower in carbs and don’t have a lot of hot spices. We are gradually eating more Thai food. We had what they call, “Stewed Pork Leg and Rice” the other night. It had a sauce to go with it. It wasn’t hot, tasted delicious, and cost about $3.00 US money for both of us!
Finally, after I prep for Saturday, I’ll sprawl on the lounge part of my sofa with my headphones and enjoy listening and watching music on YouTube on my TV.
I will never be able to thank our son enough for wanting us to come here to retire. He handled all the details, and is STILL taking care of both of us. It’s so wonderful to be part of his life now. We have such a good time doing things together!
I have always been impressed by black and white images taken by skilled photographers, but I’m drawn like the proverbial moth to a flame to color. The more of it the better.
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Halloween is almost upon us. I have a couple of sketches ready to paint that have a Halloween theme. They make me feel as if I’m celebrating a bit, even though I’m in Thailand now. 😃. I’ll work on those today.
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Today I took a virtual treadmill vacation to ‘nature’s paradise’ I’ll call it. Maybe it was Oregon, but I enjoyed walking along wooded paths, across icy patches on hilly slopes, beside rushing streams, seeing some glorious waterfalls, mountain-top ponds and lakes, and finally up to huge boulders in the middle of a flat plain then down a path across the sand to the ocean! Not a person nor building to be found. Lovely!
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After breakfast Brian and I went to get cash for my massage and cleaning lady tomorrow. He followed me back to my place so he could take pictures of my finished jigsaw puzzle to order a glass print of it for me. When I told him about loving to FEEL the finished puzzle, he looked at me with his eyebrows raised. He said he would “leave us alone so we could have some privacy.” I laughed my head off. 🤣. I call myself a ‘puzzle pervert,’ but my friend Marsha suggested a much kinder term, a ‘puzzle appreciator.’
I will leave the finished puzzle on my table until the new one arrives. Then I’ll take it apart and leave it in a gallon-sized plastic bag with the picture that came with it in the recycle area in the building so someone else can enjoy it.
I’m looking forward to starting my turtle puzzle.
Remember to include some fun in your day. Laughing is great exercise, you know. 😂🤣😛
I melted into a puddle when I found this. I wish I looked a THIRD as cute on the treadmill.
Yesterday I had to opt out of my gym time, but today I felt fine. My balance was a bit wonky, but I managed to correct without having to hold on to anything – a win in my book.
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This is the last of the flowers my wonderful housekeeper, Khun Nong, brought me a week ago Friday. I had enough to fill this glass today. I have them sitting on my computer table as I type, making me smile.
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We will leave soon to go visit Harvey. I’m hoping he slept well and will be glad to see us this time. He did tell Brian he was glad we came last time, but I was in the bathroom and missed it. He didn’t say anything when I kissed him and told him how much I love him. I’m hoping he is comfortable and calm today.
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I will have the afternoon to myself today. Depending on when we get home from visiting Harvey, I’ll watch a movie, work on my puzzle, paint another of my sketches, or read my book. I have SUCH a hard life! 😂
We’re almost to Halloween. I have heard that children do dress up here a bit, but I don’t think they ‘trick or treat’ as kids in the states do. I’ll see if I can find another group of pictures to share.
I felt dizzy and was listing to the left as I tried to dress for the gym this morning, so texted Brian and opted out of exercise. I dressed, got under the throw, sprawled out on the couch, set my alarm, and zonked until 7:15 when my alarm went off. I went up and had breakfast, feeling much better. Brian and I have agreed that it’s smart for me to opt out, rather than try to go and get into a problem.
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My puzzle is a super challenge now, because all that is remaining is shades of black. It’s going very slowly, but I’m determined to finish it. I think it is a gorgeous image, and I’m excited about bringing it to fruition.
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My book is bittersweet and sad. I’m limiting how much I’m reading because I care a lot about the characters. Isn’t it amazing how we can get so caught up in characters and a story because it’s written so well it draws you in, makes you feel a part of things, makes you CARE, react, live in their world a while?
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Women’s Health
A shout-out to my SIL who had hip surgery this morning and is resting at the hospital now. She is a role model for me on getting and staying healthy. She had surgery on one hip, did the physical therapy necessary, plus walking and doing other exercise activities as she usually does, so she recovered completely. Here’s hoping she has few problems this time and is up and doing whatever she feels like doing as soon as possible.
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We are planning to go visit my husband in the nursing home tomorrow. Hopefully, he is alert and comfortable so we can have a good visit with him.
This is one of the 3-D metal pieces my husband and I made and hung in our shared office in Arkansas. The half moon was raised from the rest of the piece.
Yesterday I did my afternoon exercise of dancing to fun music while holding water bottles as weights and doing arm exercises. I think I got a little bit too enthusiastic because I was sore when I woke this morning. The walk on the treadmill at the gym helped a bit, but I’ll do an extra long, slow session of my yoga stretching this afternoon to see if I can get completely stretched out.
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Today was delightful for letting my laundry dry out on the balcony. It’s been nice and sunny all day, so I could be almost lackadaisical about checking the dryness before bringing it in.
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Speaking of that, now that the “Rainy Season” is coming to an end here, I may be getting the leaks in my windows fixed next month! It will be super nice not to have to worry every time it rains hard, running around with bucket and towels. Next rainy season, I may just be able to look out and say, “Wow, it’s raining hard!” rather than getting so personally involved in the wet. 🙏🏻😃
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My puzzle is coming together more quickly now. It’s fun to work on it, seeing the gorgeous image emerge from the pieces.
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I’m trying to divide my time between working on the puzzle, doing a bit of art work, and reading my book. Such a difficult choice for such a spoiled and pampered retired lady such as I!
I hope you’re consciously arranging to put some fun in your life. Having almost died in February, I realize that if I hadn’t gotten a second chance, I never would have experienced the joy of doing something I truly love each day. We’re not in control of how long we have, but we ARE in charge of carving out little spaces of time to do something that makes our lives richer.
We went to visit my husband at the nursing home today. He didn’t say much. He has a nasal tube and a catheter, plus he had big plastic gloves on today to keep him from pulling out tubes. The nursing home sent us two videos yesterday. One was him trying to peel a hard boiled egg. I cried when I saw how hard it was for him, and I’m not at all sure he knew what to do with it once the shell was off. The other showed him eating very small bites of fruit with a chop stick-looking implement. He was slow, but he WAS eating by himself, and REAL food.
He actually thanked Brian for coming to see him when I was in the bathroom just before we left. We had taken the gloves off his hands so we could each hold a hand while we “talked.” He said very little, but he squeezed our hands.
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I’m making progress on my jigsaw puzzle. I’ve taken a picture of it to show you I might actually live long enough to finish it! I’ve also started gathering pictures of puzzles I might order when I finish this one. I LOVE being able to have a “puzzle” table where I can leave it out as long as it takes for me to finish it – and then enjoy looking at the finished puzzle before dismantling it and giving it away. Brian will take a picture of it and we’ll have a glass print made.
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I’m reading “The Last Happy Summer: A Jake Moriarity Prequel” by RG Ryan on my Kindle. My only problem with it is that I don’t want to put it down! I’m having to be an adult and get the other things I need to do done before allowing myself the luxury of sprawling on my couch and diving into it once again…
I asked Brian if I could leave another review for each of the two shops from which we bought the crocheted carriers and smaller, zippered bags. He said he thought that Google Reviews only allowed one review per customer.
Happily, I discovered that, though he was right, I COULD ‘edit’ my original review. I did that, adding a paragraph about the second purchase and the fact that the carrier and pouches washed just beautifully. 😃
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We got a good report from Harvey’s nurse this morning. They had to suction him again to clear his lungs (and hopefully avert pneumonia). That, and the supplemental oxygen allowed him to sleep well last night. Although he is still using a nasal tube for most of his nutrition, they are starting to give him small bites of fruit and crackers in addition. He was in a good mood and talking. HOORAY!!!
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I had a fabulous massage this morning. For some reason, I was really stiff and sore when I got up today, even after I walked my mile at the gym. Now I feel absolutely GREAT. Thanks to Khun Weaw for her caring expertise in making me functional again.
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Since it looks like I may actually finish my current jigsaw puzzle in the near future 😋, I’ve started looking for another puzzle to order. As I’m finding each, I’m bookmarking the page with the puzzle I’ve chosen and putting it into a folder on my computer. It’ll be fun to choose my next challenge.
I’m going to have Brian take a picture of the finished puzzle -when it’s finished and being shown off in all its glory on my puzzle table – so that we can order a glass print of it, as we did with the owls puzzle, so I can keep it on my special treasures shelf in my living area.
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Later today we’ll go to the cafe to spend time while we wait for Khun Nong, my cherished housekeeper, to do her thing to make my place shine. I’m taking my sketchbook and drawing supplies, my Kindle, and my sweatshirt, because it tends to be cold in there.
About half of the blossoms are gone from the spectacular bouquet she left for me last Friday, but I think it still looks great, and I smile every time I see it!
I hope that this day is a fun one for you, full of family and friends.
I LOVE shoebills. I can’t have pets in my condo, but maybe no one would notice this mama and her baby…
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We bought these two ‘pouches’ yesterday to tie inside my new purple crocheted carrier I showed you yesterday. This idea worked extremely well in my old carrier, making it more like a purse than a tote, and not allowing everything to end up in the bottom of the bag, hiding from me while I stood rummaging around – a thing I hate.
I have them in the new carrier now, allowing me to wash the two older ones I had been using. The older ones are drying on my rack on my balcony now. When I need to wash the purple carrier, I can easily switch to the older – now clean – carrier with the soon-to-be-clean pouches with just a couple of minutes work! 👍
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We went to visit Harvey at the nursing home this morning. The staff had moved him to a room across the hall because they are renovating his room! It’s already nice, but they’ll clean and repaint. I don’t know what else.
He was almost completely unresponsive today. He had his eyes open, but wasn’t saying anything or responding to what we said or asked. He did squeeze our hands, so we just sat with each of us holding a hand the whole time. Just as we were leaving, he asked Brian for a grape drink. Brian went and got the nurses’ permission and left the bottle for him, explaining that the nurse would give it to him later today.
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Brian challenged me last night to start trying to meditate. I’ve tried before and was a dismal failure, not able to clear my mind enough to do anything. He suggested that I sit on my couch with my hands at my sides and my feet flat on the floor. Close my eyes, and just think about being grateful. He suggested I talk to myself, just saying something that made me grateful, then saying something else, for 5 minutes. The purpose is to train your brain to switch off the things that are bothering you and to allow positive thoughts to pervade your brain and body. I tried it last night. I set the timer for 5 minutes and began, feeling a bit silly. I’m full of gratitude, but I don’t usually talk to myself – out loud, at least. I surprised myself that I was still listing things when the alarm went off! I talked to Brian about it this morning at breakfast. He reiterated that the point wasn’t to see how many things I could list but to see if I FELT the positive feelings. I’m going to do this every night and see what the results are. If I can retrain my brain to improve my balance and steadiness on the treadmill, maybe I can do this, too!
Brian bought this for me yesterday, left it at my door, and then texted me. I’m thrilled. It’s a wonderful shade of purple, is large enough for all my things. I love the crochet work on it. Brian got it so that I can now wash the other carrier I’ve been carrying!
This is the older carrier. I love it, too. The same lady made both of them. I have this one out on my drying rack on my balcony now. I want to take good care of these. The workmanship is beautiful. Brian took a picture of me with one carrier on one shoulder and the other carrier on my other shoulder to send to her. She was very happy, and so am I!
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Unsplash
We are going to the visa place this morning to finalize the paperwork on our 90-day reporting for our legality in Thailand. We think she will either stamp or put a piece of paper showing we did the 90-day reporting into our visas. Then we’ll get my husband’s medical visa back, also with proof he qualified for that, plus did the 90-day reporting. Then we’ll be fixed until mid-January, I think.
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I’m enjoying working on my puzzle. It’s a difficult one, with a whole lot of black throughout, plus a lot of the same flowering tree throughout, making it really difficult to figure out where you’re trying to work. Some of the black has a HINT of green, or a HINT of flowers, but not enough that you can group them well. Challenging – fun – pretty.
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When we get home from the visa place, I plan to paint another sketch I did at the cafe last Friday. I also downloaded a friend’s book (“The Last Summer: A Jake Moriarity Prequel” by RG Ryan) and want to dive into it today.
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It’s a beautiful sunny (!) day here so far. I have lots of laundry drying on my rack on my tiny balcony. I hope Mother Nature isn’t playing games with me…
Carla (in the light green beside the sign) and her son have a race car that was T-boned last week at another race. ☹️ It was iffy if they could repair the car well enough to race in “The Spooker Factory Stock Feature. They not only fixed the car and raced – THEY WON!!!!!!! Big congratulations to all involved. 🥳🏆
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FAVORITE QUOTE OF THE DAY – My good friend Marsha and I were talking about how special our friendship is. We have known each other for years, emailing every day, sharing the good and the bad, and there are simply no words to describe how close we feel, even though we have actually met face-to-face only once. She said, “There should be a better word than ‘love’… just seems too little to me.” I will treasure this. ♥️
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Today I’m using a free day to concentrate on trying to make some progress on my jigsaw puzzle. I think I’m about half way through now. It’s quite challenging because it has not only a lot of black in several areas, but also several SHADES of black. I’m learning determination, perseverance, patience, plus an increased ability to recognize SMALL bits of progress…
Just one example of beauty you see everywhere in Thailand.
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After a super busy day yesterday, Brian and I are enjoying a couple of recoup days. I will do my normal stuff, enjoying the fact that I can move from one activity to another at the time of my choosing, not feeling rushed or obligated, and maybe even sneaking in a nap or two if I feel like it.
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I did well at the gym this morning. I’m trying to retrain my brain to improve my sense of balance since my surgery in February. My loss of hearing at that time also certainly affected my sense of balance.
I now wear hearing aids that are absolutely wonderful. They are so comfortable that I sometimes forget I’m wearing them. I do take them out when I’m alone, just to rest the inside of my ears a bit. So – if you come to see me and I’m not wearing them – and I don’t put them in while you watch – it’s definitely a message to you…. 🤣😂
Now that my hearing is corrected, it remains up to me to retrain my brain and body to keep my balance, whether I’m walking on rough terrain, bumpy streets and sidewalks, or on the treadmill.
When I started going to the gym every morning in May, I held on to the handlebars of the treadmill tightly. I was STILL swaying, listing to the right or left, having to slow my speed, etc., really concentrating on keeping my balance and not falling on my head.
My retraining has slowly worked! Now I am walking on the treadmill without holding on to the handlebars at all. I feel much more steady, able to look around at what is beside the path on the video without losing my balance. I can even check what’s going on outside a bit. Occasionally the video will turn abruptly and cause me to have to recorrect, or I’ll lose concentration and finding myself ‘listing’ to one side or the other, but the daily practice is definitely helping.
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Ah, the life of a retired, spoiled lady! Now that my wash is on my drying rack on my balcony outside, my biggest decision is whether to work on my jigsaw puzzle or start painting a sketch after I finish my blog posts. 😁
To start, I had a wonderful massage this morning. I gave Khun Weaw the card I painted for her, using both hands to give it to her and bowing, as Brian instructed me to do. She smiled, bowed, then bowed again, and then CRIED. That made ME cry, so both of us were still sniffling a bit when the massage started. I think I got the message across that she is really special and that I’m grateful to have her in my life.
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I changed clothes and Brian and I went to visit Harvey at the nursing home. Instead of 40 minutes one way, it took us a full hour to get there due to traffic snarls and road construction in various places requiring lots and lots of detours. When we walked in, Harvey looked at us, frowning, like ‘who are you?’ We got him to turn off the TV so we could try to talk. He didn’t have anything to say, but seemed comfortable. He wanted the grape drink Brian usually brings, but we couldn’t give it to him because of the nasal tube. As we continued to try to talk to him, he turned the TV back on. We sat together for a time, and then finally gave up. Before we left, we told him we would be back again soon. He finally said something, “Don’t bother.” Some days are like this. After another full hour on the way back, we were home again.
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We went to the cafe to wait while Khun Nong, my terrific housekeeper, cleaned my place. I did some sketching, read a little bit, messed around on my phone, and watched the traffic, since I got my favorite spot with the front window.
When we got back home, this is what greeted me –
My housekeeper left these for me! I think these are the prettiest flowers I’ve ever seen. I just can’t wipe the grin off my face!
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I need to call the insurance company again. I talked to them a week ago to find out why they sent a letter saying they needed medical records on our claim. The lady I talked to said she didn’t see what they were missing. She would find out and email me exactly what we needed to send. SO. It’s been a week and nothing. So I call again…
As I said, a mixed bag. I feel a bit like I’ve been on a roller coaster today. I’ll be ready to go to bed soon.
I’ve been to the gym, showered, eaten breakfast, and will soon go to get my Friday massage. This is truly a gift that I am giving myself. Khun Weaw is a master. She knows without words where I’m sore, where my tensions have settled, how much she can do to help without breaking me me each week. I consider her time and care part of my new health regimen.
The image above is the card I painted to show her in a small way how much I appreciate being able to come to her each week. I know how to bow and SAY “Hello “(and best wishes for a blessed day for you) and “Thank You” now – in awkward Thai, and say these each time I go, but I have no idea how to WRITE “Thank You,” so just had to write that in English.
Brian told me something I hadn’t realized before. He said that when I give someone a gift, I should bow 🙏🏻 and present the gift with BOTH HANDS so that the person understands it’s a gift, so I’ll be sure and do that this morning. I hope it makes her feel special.
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When I finish my massage and get dressed again, Brian and I will go visit my husband in the nursing home. I’m hoping he’s alert and more comfortable than the last time we saw him. He’s having more trouble eating. There are various options, none of which we like. We’re taking this one visit at a time and making decisions as we go. Going to visit him is a 3-hour round trip.
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When we come back from visiting my husband, we will gather the things we need from Brian’s place and prepare to spend the rest of the afternoon at a cafe where they make you feel comfortable to sit as long as you would like. I get an iced mocha, and sometimes Brian and I get a fresh lemonade for the last bit of time we’re there.
I take my sketchbook and supplies, and sit there happily trying to draw images I find on my phone that I’ll paint later on in the week. I also take my Kindle, where I’m in the middle of a book from an author new to me.
Finally, if I’m lucky enough to get the seat at the front of the cafe, I can watch the activity on the big street outside. I’m fascinated to watch the many lanes of vehicles – cars, buses, trucks, Tuk-Tuks, a gazillion (give or take one or two) motorcycles, motor scooters, and bicycles zipping in and out of the lanes of traffic almost without slowing down or stopping. Finally, the pedestrians walking on both sides of the street, crossing the road (some carefully, using good sense – others waiting, then RUNNING full speed, hoping they make it to the other side.)
It’s intelligent chaos. Everyone is used to the flow. They know what to do and not do (except for the runners.) I’m fascinated, and VERY glad my husband and I don’t have to try to drive in this.
(Brian and I use Grabs for wherever we go. It’s amazing how fast they come and how expertly they drive, using their GPS’s to take you right where you want to go, whether they have been there personally before or not). PLUS, I get a lot of practice trying to say “Hello” and “Thank You!”
We’ll get home around dinner time, and then I’ll end the busy Friday lounging on my couch, wearing my headphones, and listening to and watching YouTube before bed.
I hope you have a fun time today. Make yourself a priority for at least a while during the day, doing something you truly enjoy. It’ll fill up your heart and have your smile spilling over onto all around you!
We had some of this as part of our breakfast the past two days. This Thai fruit is called a Pomelo. It’s much like a grapefruit, except it’s sweeter and the sections are huge compared to any grapefruit I’ve eaten in the States.
“The biggest citrus is really an improved grapefruit; a pomelo is at once both sweeter and easier to eat. For convenience, buy one that’s already been cut up (stand back and watch Thai supermarket employees wield immense cleavers).”
Thankfully, it only sprinkled this morning, so my laundry is now out on my balcony drying on my drying rack. I’ll still keep a close eye on the weather, ready to leap up and bring my rack inside, plus put a sheet under it to catch any drips. 😊
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This is my latest painted sketch.
I go for a massage tomorrow. As you age, your bones become more brittle, your muscles more prone to injury; so it’s super important to me to have a massage therapist I can trust. (I was really upset to have to leave Lynn, my wonderful therapist in the States.) I feel as if I’ve won the lottery to have had TWO experts tend to this old body, making me feel loose and wonderful again for a time. It’s beyond price to be able to put yourself in someone’s hands you KNOW won’t hurt you, knows exactly how hard to pull, push, kneed, or twist to get all the knots and sore spots to recede, if not leave altogether.
Because I’m so delighted to have found my second terrific therapist, I’m going to try to paint a thank you card for her. She speaks very little English. I speak even less Thai, but a card, my mangled attempt to say, “Thank you” in Thai, plus a huge smile and saying “yes” to another massage NEXT Friday should get my feelings across. 🙏🏻
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I have done the prep work, mostly, for Khun Nong, my housekeeper coming tomorrow. I’ve changed the sheets on my bed, I’ve gathered trash to take out, I’ve straightened things so that she will find it easy to clean.
We will go to visit Harvey at the nursing home tomorrow. Because Friday is my busiest day, when I go to breakfast at my son’s place in the morning, I’ll take my sheets and towels he washes for me, plus my sketchbook, drawing supplies, my Kindle, and my sweatshirt so that we won’t have to disturb my housekeeper while she’s working. We’ll go to Bri’s when we get back from the nursing home, grab our stuff and head for the cafe where we stay until Khun Nong is finished.
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I hope you are having a great day or evening, and that you are aware and grateful for all you have.
I had to opt out of going to see Harvey with Brian this morning. My system was backed up. I had a bad bout and texted Brian I wouldn’t be able to go. I went back to sleep after all was over and slept until about 2pm. I still feel a bit weak, but MUCH better after the extra sleep.
Brian’s report on Harvey was pretty good. Harvey still had the nasal tube in (plus a bag on his right hand to keep him from pulling it out). The nurse brought cake for him to eat, and he was able to eat that. Brian said he looked better. He ‘responded’ when Brian talked, but didn’t ‘answer’ much at all. He was concerned that I wasn’t there, but calmed down when Brian explained it wasn’t anything serious. So. Good visit today. 😁
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Our ‘grandson’ (we were adopted by Brian’s friends and have been named honorary ‘grandparents’ as they welcome us to Thailand) had a 4th birthday. We were in the ER with Harvey, so couldn’t go to the festivities. Brian sent him a big picture book about spiders. Our grandson LOVED it. His parents were kind and sent Brian a picture plus a video showing him opening and then looking at the book with great interest!
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This is my latest painted sketch
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I hope you have a happy day. I hope some of you have Columbus Day off from work.
These are some new thank you cards I’ll leave for Khun Nong when she cleans my place.
PNGEgg
The last few days have been stressful. My husband spent the last two days in the ER at the hospital for double pneumonia, high blood pressure, high fever, and low blood oxygen.
I have trouble looking at this objectively for lots of reasons – low blood oxygen was what I died of TWICE in the hospital in Arkansas in February. It scares me. I’m seeing a definite pattern of symptoms in my husband. He was in the emergency room for the same symptoms in August.
He isn’t eating enough. The doctor wanted to put in a permanent stomach tube. Harvey and I have always been against things like this when our time comes, so we have said no. They ARE using a nasal tube right now, though, to supplement what he is able to eat normally. I’m trying to prepare myself, but it’s difficult. We’ll go see him tomorrow.
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Yesterday we had a quiet day, so we were able to decompress a bit. I worked on my jigsaw puzzle, painted the thank you cards, wrote posts for the blog, read a bit, did my laundry, etc. It was nice to move from one activity to the next with no particular time frame. I almost took a nap, but my brain was too busy to allow me. Maybe today…
I hope that the weather is calming down wherever you are and that you are able to get outside and enjoy fresh air, sunshine, wonderful temperatures, and glorious sights provided by Mother Nature.
This is the haircut I got today. I got him to give me a good cut for my recalcitrant hair, blow it dry, and NOT put any sprays or goop on me!
Latest painted sketch.
This is the jigsaw puzzle I’m working on. I think it’s gorgeous, but it does have a LOT of black on either side, across the bottom, and in the middle, making it hard to figure out what I’m working on.
Here’s what I’ve done so far. I’m going really slowly, but I don’t get any prizes for doing this quickly. 🤪 I’m having a good time.
We had a hard rain storm necessitating rolled up towels in the window sills and my bucket again this week, but I have all the towels dry now, ready to go into action again. The rainy season supposedly ends the first of November. I’ll be happy to see this season go. The building is supposed to be painted on the exterior in November or so, with repairs done to the outside, so I’m hoping my problem will get solved then.
I’m hoping you’re having a good day wherever you are and that things are going well.
This is our reminder to make time for fun every day, making ourselves part of our priority list.
I’ve had a good day. I had my workout at the gym. Brian complimented me, saying I’m steadier on my feet, more agile, and he worries about me less. A SHOWER of compliments from my son!
I just got back from getting a mani/pedi. I’m having this done every two months. It gives me something to look forward to, and having professionals take care of my hands and feet is a healthy addition to my taking care of myself. The ‘polish’ is my FUN part. Brian has been goading me to paint my toenails and fingernails ‘cyan.’ I actually had to look it up, but it’s a range of shades of aqua.
Scheme Color
I’ve ignored his request up until today. Since he has introduced me to the whole idea of mani/pedis, found a place to get the service, and actually sits there and waits while I get it done, I figured today was the day.
When he saw my fingernails, his grin filled his whole face. He said, “All RIGHT!!! I’m not sure I actually LIKE this color, but his reaction is certainly worth spending two months with it. 😄. We followed this with a stop for chocolate – icing on the cake of the nice morning.
When I was coming back from breakfast with Brian, I met the cleaning lady who has been so, so nice to me. She was by herself, so I motioned for her to follow me out to sit on the bench in the foyer type area that is on each floor. (Happily, I remembered to turn my hand down and make a clawing motion, rather than the normal, “Come here” gesture, so I didn’t insult her suggesting she was an animal.)
She put down all her stuff and I got out the earrings I’ve been carrying around. I showed her, pointed to her ears. She looked really surprised, but I made as sure as I could that the earrings were for her. Her face split with a grin and she put them in her ears as we sat there. She stood up, did a little dance, and I helped her put her mask on again. I don’t think she got the idea that I painted the earrings, but the delight in her eyes showed she liked them.
I got home from our morning and quickly moved to the balcony to get my laundry in. Everything was completely dry with the exception of my socks, which were ALMOST dry. I brought everything in and was closing the balcony door when the rain started. WHEW!
It was a hard rain, so it wasn’t long before I needed to roll up towels to put on the window sills to contain the leakage. I have my bucket there to wring out the towels when needed.
Here’s my latest painted sketch. I love Halloween, and will see what I can find regarding creative costumes for kids plus wonderful jack-o-lanterns to share with you.
Brian was making our tea when all of a sudden, bubbles started floating up past his balcony! The sun made beautiful iridescent rainbows around them. I started to laugh in delight and caused Brian to turn. He came over to the table to watch them for a few seconds. We didn’t figure out who was causing them, but they sure made us smile.
The other beautiful sight this morning were swarms of white birds flying together across the sky and in front of masses of green treetops. They caught the sunshine just right as they flew, making the white glisten.
Bubbles and birds. A beautiful way to start a day!
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I just returned from getting my Friday massage. Khun Wey-o really understands what I need now. She zeroed in on my neck and shoulders today, giving them extra attention. I was really stiff and sore from all the towel wringing and hanging them to dry this week after the heavy rains. Guess who is loose as a goose NOW! I’m SO, SO lucky to have found a sweet, caring, competent massage therapist to make me feel good every week.
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I have to vacate my space this afternoon because it’s Khun Nong’s afternoon to clean. I’ve changed the sheets, gathered and put out the trash, put out clean towels and taken the sheets and towels for Brian to launder in his machine, so I’m ready for her to come. The laundry I did this morning is out on my balcony drying. I’m hoping everything will dry so that I can fold it up and put all away before she gets here. Brian and I will go to the cafe to stay out of her way. I have my sketchbook, Kindle, and sweatshirt ready.
This morning I went to get cash and stop at a 7-11 for a couple of things.
I tried twice to get cash from the ATM. I didn’t get cash, but at least I got my card back. I went back to my place and decided to regroup. It was hot, so I tried to turn the a/c down. I couldn’t get it to work.
I finally contacted my son, who told me the trick to getting the a/c to reset. I had tried exactly this twice before, but the third time, it worked. 🤪😜
He offered to come with me to the ATM. I need the money for tomorrow, so I said, “yes, please.” I did all my normal stuff at the machine, but Brian stopped me where normally I push “no,” that I don’t want a receipt. The machine said something different this time. It wanted to know if I wished to continue the transaction even though it wasn’t able to give me a receipt. I had been saying no to a receipt, instead of saying yes, I wanted to complete the transaction. Then I had to hit ‘end,’ another new thing. I hadn’t read carefully enough. It was in English, so I have no excuse, other than assuming I knew what it was asking me – had asked me every time before. DUH.
While in the 7-11, one of the sweet cleaning ladies from our building came over. I was trying to find bar soap for the shower. She showed me the stuff in bottles on the shelf. I pointed back to the several bar soaps I saw. I was having trouble deciding bec
ause none looked familiar and all the written stuff was in Thai. She showed me one and pointed to her nose and smiled. That was what I needed. I smiled back, was able to say, “thank you” in Thai!
Then she pointed to my ears. Then she pointed to HER ears, showing me she had holes for pierced earrings. I’m not at all sure what she was trying to tell me, but when I got back to my place, I got out a pair of wooden earrings that I had wood-burned a flower on, and I now have them in my carrier for the next time I see her.
Being inept is embarrassing, but with the help of others, I got the job done.
Happy October 2025! I miss being able to drive down with a mailbox decoration from the shop and my husband and I changing out the one there for the new one twice a month. It was particularly wonderful when someone would start to drive by, stop, and get out of the car to tell us what a kick they got out of our decorations. Several people told us they drove by often just to see if we had changed the decoration yet. How wonderful is that! 🤗
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This morning I was up at 1am wringing out towels from my leaking windows with a hard storm from Typhoon Regasa. I got back to sleep, back up again at 5 in order to check the towels again and get ready for the gym. I had to wring them out again, but that has been it for the day. I got the towels on my drying rack out on the balcony, and everything is almost dry now. I have rolled up towels in the window sills again, in case we’re not finished with the remnants of the typhoon, but hopefully, it has passed us now.
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This is the latest painted sketch.
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We went to visit Harvey at the nursing home this morning. This is a 3 hour round trip we make three times a week to show him we love him and make sure he’s getting the care he needs. At first we thought he wasn’t going to talk to us at all. I had almost given up after about 25 minutes of our asking questions or making statements with no reaction from him at all when he suddenly said, “I’m trying to remember where I got your engagement ring. I want to get you a “better” wedding ring.” I sat there with tears running down my face.
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Today has turned out to be a beautiful day with lots of sunshine. Dark clouds are looming, but they haven’t won yet. I’ll take it! 👍
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When we got home, Brian walked me to my door. A couple of minutes later he was back with a small package in his hand that had arrived downstairs. I opened it and found two new squeeze balls! When he ordered the original for Harvey, two came in the package. He gave one to Harvey and the other to me. I have to admit I keep it on my computer desk, reaching for it and squeezing it whenever I’m here. It’s mesmerizing. Sadly, about 3 weeks ago I punctured mine inadvertently with a fingernail. I told Harvey about it when I was handing him the ball, encouraging him to practice with his weaker left hand. Brian quietly ordered another set. I’m thrilled! I have my toy back! We’ll take the other one to swap out for the original one the next time we visit Harvey. This new one is actually better than the old one.
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I hope your day/evening is filled with giggles and grins..
This has hit China, Taiwan, the Phillipines, and Vietnam, and is due to hit us with heavy rains for the next several days. So far, we’re good.
My bucket, plus towels, are as ready as they can be. I rolled up towels and put them across the sill of my windows with the bucket right there handy for wringing out soaked towels. I’m staying alert and hoping for the best. I really hope that people at street level don’t get flooded.
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Women’s Health
A shout-out to Murray, who is celebrating a birthday today. Her birthday was yesterday, but I wrote THIS MORNING to be able to time it so that it was still her birthday in the states. (Things get complicated when you live in different countries with different time zones.) She was surrounded by family and friends, lots of fun and good food she’s trying not to eat. (Does that sound familiar?) 😋. She is one of my favorite people in all the world, so I’m delighted that she had a good celebration. I love you, Murray!!!!
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Two paintings I did yesterday.
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Unless it’s really a downpour later today, I’m planning to join Brian at the cafe for an iced mocha, and then later we’ll share dinner at my place. Hopefully, I can get the laundry on my balcony dry before a thunderstorm is forecast for around 3pm.
I’ve had a nice morning so far. I was able to increase both my walking speed and the incline % on the treadmill this morning. I’m starting to feel stronger and more balanced. I had a delicious breakfast and am feeling good.
I wish you a happy day – free from any dramatic weather – and filled with happy moments all day long.
It looks like the typhoon rain will start this evening and then continue Tuesday and Wednesday. I’m going to roll up a bath towel and one smaller one and put them on my window sills this evening, hoping to avoid more damage to my walls and floor. I’ll leave my bucket right there, too. I may get a lot of exercise wringing out towels and trying have enough dry ones to replace them the next couple of days.
At the gym this morning, I started slow and then increased my incline % to “4” and my speed to “4” for most of my walking time. I did rest my wrists on top of the handle bars, though, because I was feeling a bit shaky.
Shutterstock.com
I have yet ANOTHER annoying habit to try to stop (!) – I unconsciously reach up and put my finger in my ear to scratch it, followed by the same on the other one. Since I’m now lucky enough to have hearing aids, I now realize how OFTEN I do that – now that I have something IN my ears. I’m teaching myself to ignore it for a full minute. If I STILL want to scratch my ears, I’ll then take out my hearing aids, scratch, and then put them back in. So far, it isn’t worth the effort.
Brian is working and studying today. I will write my blog posts and then choose another fun thing to do! 😜 Have a great day!
I hope you’re learning – as I am – to enjoy the little joys as they come.
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Super Typhoon Regasa is hitting Vietnam today. This will cause the storm to downgrade before it comes here tomorrow and the next day (our Sept. 29th and 30th). I will have my bucket and towels ready to keep window leak damage to a minimum and we’ll keep going out to a minimum.
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This is the latest sketch I painted yesterday. I plan to paint more this afternoon.
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We just got back awhile ago from visiting my husband in the nursing home. He was more alert than he has been. It took him 30 minutes to laboriously eat a small bowl of mandarin oranges, but he seemed to enjoy them. When he got to the packaged chocolate-covered, icing-filled cookie on his tray, he turned up his nose. He said he had eaten two of those and they sucked. Now THAT sounds like my husband! 😋. He then talked about buying a BMW motorcycle and a house with a marble front porch – both things he had seen on TV. He said some other stuff that didn’t make sense, and still more we couldn’t understand at all, but it was a better visit than we’ve had in awhile.
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The sun is shining, so there is a good chance that I’ll get my laundry in dry later. I’m particularly glad to get all my towels dry for the coming weather and leaks.
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Do you have something fun planned to do today? I can’t decide between painting another sketch, reading, or working on the jigsaw puzzle. Maybe I’ll do some of ALL of those! Have a wonderful day.
The “Bucket and Towels Brigade” was activated at 3:15 a.m. when I heard rain pelting my bedroom window. I got up to find one of my window sills absolutely full to the brim with water and ready to spill over down the wall. I managed to get things under control, but couldn’t go back to sleep. This situation will hopefully be solved in November, when the ‘rainy season’ finally ends and exterior work on the building, including repairs window seals, will happen before repainting. I now have the wrung out towels hanging on my drying rack inside with a fan on them. (I just noticed the sun has come out, so I have moved the rack outside, to my balcony.) 😁
Yesterday was wonderful, starting with a massage that relaxed me SO much I took a nap when I got home. Khun Wey-o is truly an artist, and she now knows exactly where I keep the worst of my tension and knots and zeroed in on them beautifully. I’m so lucky to have found her, and also the prices here are such that I can afford to have a massage each Friday.
Khun Nong, my exceptionally nice housekeeper, brought new flowers to put with what was left of the old to make another stunning bouquet for me. My house is now sparkling (except for the areas that are still wet from the leakage) AND I have gorgeous flowers to keep my spirits high!
I did lots of sketching yesterday at the cafe, so I have plenty to start painting later today. Brian is working, but said he might text later and we can go for chocolate – always a favorite thing in my book. 😋
We got a short video of Harvey sitting in a wheelchair eating a meal! I think this means that he was wheeled to the dining room of the nursing home for the first time since he’s been there! We will see him again tomorrow and find out for sure.
Have a wonderful day. Find something special to do that makes you happy.
My great morning started with our normal trip to the gym. I’ve told you I’m working on trying to regain my normal sense of balance which took an enormous hit from the anesthetic when I was in the hospital in February. I’m am definitely getting stronger and steadier. I spent my 30 minutes today changing the incline % so my brain and body would have to keep adapting and correcting. Brian said later this morning he thought I was definitely healthier. 👍
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We went to visit Harvey this morning. When we first went into his room, he was lying in the bed in an odd position and we thought for a few moments he was paralyzed. Gradually he straightened out. We cranked up the bed a bit so he would be more comfortable drinking the grape no-sugar drink Brian brings him each time. The highlight of the visit was he turned to Brian and said, “I love you.”Needless to say, we both melted into a puddle.
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On the way home from the nursing home, we stopped at Index Living Mall. Brian needed a replacement sheet set. I got two extra pillowcases, and we got a frame for the print of a painting we received in the mail.
I just love this. Jon paints these and sends prints every Christmas. I have saved them over the years, treasuring them, but the collection was one of the many things we had to leave behind when we each could bring only one suitcase and one backpack to Thailand.
Here it is – displayed on my mantle/shelf in my living area. I’m so delighted to have a painting I can proudly display with my other treasures. Thank you, Jon!
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We topped off the morning by stopping for a chocolate drink.
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Yesterday I spent much of the afternoon watching “Dead Poets Society” with Robin Williams. Today I’m doing the prep work for my housekeeper to come clean tomorrow. When that is done, I’ll reward myself spending time between working on my jigsaw puzzle and trying to do some sketches.
I hope you’re having a wonderful day, as well, doing something that brings you joy.
This is the “bouquet-that-keeps-on-giving.” My wonderful housekeeper left this for me last Friday. It was fully in bloom the nearer you got to the vase, with lots and lots of buds going up the stems. As the days pass, more and more buds have opened up. This is truly an amazing flower. It has brought me such joy!
This sweet little guy greeted me this morning on an a/c unit that belongs to my neighbor, I guess. He wasn’t upset when I got my phone and took a picture of him. He looked at me briefly when I tapped lightly on the glass, and then flew away.
Two new sketches/paintings from yesterday.
We were planning to go visit Harvey at the nursing home this morning. Brian isn’t feeling well this morning, so I’m not sure if we’ll actually go or reschedule it.
I hope you have a beautiful day and evening doing something you love.
I love these drawings by Tina Ann. I love her lust for life, her gift for making you smile. Some people frown because it says, “AI modified,” and discount it as ‘not art’ or ‘not real.’ I say, “Bah! Humbug! to that.
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I honestly didn’t realize how bogged down I was getting while we were in Arkansas. We lived in a home we loved on top of a ridge line on about 8 acres outside of the town of Greenwood. We built the house in about 1987. We had the house and the shop we built, (then doubled the size of) where we made our ‘yard critters’ out of scrap metal, our decorations for our mailbox out of 4×8 sheet metal, I etched glassware, did mosaics, etc.
We had an absolutely wonderful life for many years, but as we got older, we became less able to take care of it. We didn’t have the money for renovations or huge repairs. We just had to keep up the best we could. My husband continued to ask me to take over technical stuff he had always handled but no longer could. Our health was deteriorating.
Now that I’m in Thailand and am actually fully retired now, a huge weight has left my shoulders!
I start my day with a trip to the gym to walk on the treadmill with concentration on improving my stamina plus my balance that was affected by the anesthesia in the hospital in February. Brian and I share breakfast and then we decide what we’ll do with our day.
Three times a week we spent 3 hours going to see Harvey at the nursing home.
Other than that, unless we have errands to run, I have the rest of the day to myself or a whole day to myself. I am having a wonderful time deciding how I want to spend my day – what I’m going to do for FUN once my laundry is done and my place is straight.
How wonderful is that! I can make doing something fun a priority!!! Whoopeeeeee!!
Today I’ve spent some time in my art alcove after getting my laundry out on my balcony. I’m keeping an eye out for rain, since that is predicted, but the sun is shining brightly now so I may not have to leap up to rescue my stuff. 😁
Brian keeps reminding me that it’s no trouble for him to order an iced coffee for me, so I’ll probably do that a bit later. I may watch a movie, or I may listen to music, work on my puzzle, read my book, take a short walk, do a session of yoga stretches, bop around the room to dance music with my headphones on and my water bottle in each hand, or take a nap, depending on WHAT. I. WANT. TO. DO. Can you imagine that!🤪
I wish that someone had suggested – no, TOLD me – how important it is to your frame of mind and well-being to purposefully include something fun in each and every day possible. It makes you happy when you are a priority even for a few minutes, when something makes you grin from ear to ear or do a happy dance. When you’re happy, you can be a kinder, gentler person to those around you. It’s simply contagious.
Now this is the attitude I love. The whole idea of doing something for someone ELSE on your birthday, rather than being the center of attention shows a desire to make a difference. This cheeky lady is showing she has a great sense of humor and wants to give others a special day. How refreshing is that! Talk about an inspiration!!! I will try to be more like this amazing lady.
We went to visit Harvey today at the nursing home. It was kind of sad because Harvey wanted to watch TV rather than talk to us, but we wanted him to be interested in something, and that’s exactly what he was doing.
The lady who picked us up to drive us home spoke with Brian much of the way home. It was in Thai, so I didn’t understand any of it, but she smiled warmly at me when I tried to say, “Hello, and wishing you a nice day,” in Thai. Roughly speaking, it sounds like, “Sawat Dee Ka’-ah.”
She took us to a stationery place so I could buy more heavy paper for the cards I make and then we got another Grab to get a chocolate. While we were at the chocolate place, I asked Brian what he and the lady had talked about. It turned out she recognized us, and has driven us out to the nursing home a couple of times now. She asked how Brian’ dad was doing and how I liked being in Thailand. Isn’t that amazingly nice?
I’m enjoying the afternoon now, with time by myself to do whatever I would like. The morning’s rain stopped, so I moved my laundry out onto the balcony. It’s supposed to be rainy all day, and there are some ominous looking clouds, so I’m keeping a watchful eye on the skies as I type.
This is the latest drawing. Those of you who follow the blog know what my ‘inspiration’ for this was. 🤪😜 I’m having a good time trying to get an initial handle on the new puzzle.
I have two more sketches that I did at the cafe to paint, also.
I’m having a great time in the evening listening to YouTube music. There is a search feature where you can talk into the remote, telling it a musician’s or singer’s name and it comes up with videos you can enjoy. I just LOVE that. I’m making a master list of favorite people, plus people I want to listen to to see if I like them or not.
I’m also enjoying watching a favorite movie if I have a totally free afternoon. I’ve watched two so far and look forward to enjoying more. I’m also interested to see what fare Netflix offers in this regard as time passes.
As soon as I finish blog posts for the day, you can giggle at the mental picture of me bopping around my living area with a water bottle in each hand, headphones on and grinning like a nut as I ‘dance’ to music with a heavy beat from the computer. It’s a really fun way to move a lot, exercise my arms and back with weights, all while not seeming to be exercise.
I showed you the flowers my housekeeper left for me last Friday. I think I told you that there are buds all the way to the top of the stems on this glorious display, so it’s the gift that keeps on giving.
Here it is this morning!
I hope you’re having a fabulous day and evening, doing something that gives you loads of pleasure.
This is a towel and bucket day here. We skipped the gym this morning because it was raining REALLY hard. I’ve been wringing out towels into my bucket all morning so far. Hopefully, this will become a more gentle rain that won’t pelt into my windows, causing leaks. Update – later – the SUN has come out now, but I’ll still keep my laundry drying rack inside. Dark clouds are looming.
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Otherwise, things are good here. I’m about to have breakfast with Brian and then plan to enjoy the day, moving from one fun thing to another – assuming the rain calms down enough. 🙂
Besides having a sparkling clean place, this is what greeted me when I came home. My wonderful housekeeper left these gorgeous flowers for me! When Brian received a text from my thanks to her, he read it to me. It said, “It is good ‘Mom liked the flowers.” What a sweet lady. I LOVE it that she calls me ‘mom’!
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When I was in the cafe yesterday killing time, I enjoyed watching the traffic outside the window. I’m in awe of the motorcyclists! Brian says they have all been riding on, or driving motorcycles for years and have lots of experience.
The riding gear varies all over the block. Some wear helmets, others don’t. Almost all wear long-sleeved shirts, jackets, or hoodies. Some wear health masks.
I saw a father, his child, his wife, and another child on ONE motorcycle yesterday. I saw a mother with her toddler in front of her on one. Lots of people are carrying things, too. I’ve seen people with big boxes between the driver and the passenger. Bags of food and drink hang off to either side. Backpacks are full. Some actually carry pipe for repairing plumbing, pictures in frames, animals, and more.
The sheer number of motorcycles boggles my mind. For every car – and there are three lanes of traffic going each way – there are a dozen or more motorcycles zipping around and between vehicles. There are few stop lights and no cross walks. I wouldn’t call it ‘aggression,’ but more ‘quiet insistence’ that vehicles will ease into traffic or change lanes. It is utterly amazing.
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