“Misty Morning” – Photography and Art Gallery – @u42.co on Blue Sky
“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.” –Sir John Lubbock
Mira – @deepgreens.bsky.social
“For a time, I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.” –Wendell Berry
“Where Fairies Live” – @martinrak.bsky.social
“Fresh air is as good for the mind as for the body. Nature always seems trying to talk to us as if she had some great secret to tell. And so she has.” –John Lubbock
It’s very satisfying to know what you want – to simplify things in your life to the point where you can just sit back and smile as it becomes more and more like what feeds your soul.
I used to plan everything. I had lists that explained other lists. And I never reached the end of a to-do list in my life. I was constantly overwhelmed, feeling ‘less than’ most of the time, feeling that if I just got up earlier, tried harder, I could cram more into my day, feeling that I had really accomplished something.
I didn’t realize this, really, until my husband and I got sick in February with almost disastrous results. Our son flew in from Thailand, took care of us, convinced us to basically walk away from all the stress of what we couldn’t keep up with anymore and retire in Thailand where we could be close to him.
We moved here the first of April and we both felt the stress falling from our shoulders almost immediately. We started making plans to get healthier and build our lives around more restful pursuits. My husband had his stroke two weeks after we moved, so our lives have changed in ways we never imagined.
After making sure we were doing all we could do for him, I decided to concentrate on what my life would be like going forward. I decided to build the rest of my life around –
Lack of stress where possible
Finding and embracing joy in the little things I can do during my days and evenings
Delighting in trying to fit into a new country, trying to learn the language, learning the customs, taking advantage of opportunities to meet new people, learning new things, and more.
Letting go of anything I can that I can do without – that includes a minimalist style of living – but giving myself permission to buy something that means a lot to me; enjoying spending my time on things that give me a challenge and personal joy – such as trying to teach myself to draw and painting the sketches, working on a jigsaw puzzle, listening to music, reading wonderful books, learning things on the computer, watching favorite movies on the TV…
Staying in the moment – soaking up all the feelings, enjoying people who mean the world to me, both here, and across the world from here, reaching out to let them KNOW how much they mean to me. I have learned first-hand how quickly life can be taken from you. I just plan for the day now. I may not be given tomorrow. And that is enough.
This is a ‘throw-open-the-windows’ kind of day here, with lots of sunshine. My son, Brian, keeps telling me that the ‘hazy season’ where the farmers burn off the residue from their fields is coming soon; but for now I’m thoroughly enjoying opening a couple of windows in my dining area and one in my bedroom to create a wonderful cross-breeze. I’ll close up again in an hour or so, turning my air filters back on, but for now I’m grinning as I type. 🪟
I have my headphones on so I don’t bother my neighbors, and I’m enjoying some really nice music now. I don’t know of anything more transformative than music, calming you down, comforting you, making you smile and want to get up and dance, bringing wonderful memories and more. 🎧
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We went to visit my husband, Harvey, at the nursing home this morning. It was a pretty good visit. I thanked Khun Archiang (pronounced, “Coon Ah chi ahn’ “) for sending us a picture of Harvey enjoying one of the pineapple pies Brian left for him. Harvey seems pleased with her so far, which is a huge thing for us. About the only thing we can do for him at this point is try to make sure he is as comfortable as possible; gets to have his bed rolled beside the window so he can feel the sun and watch the birds flying around and the people working in the rice fields; gets a trip outside in the wheelchair to visit the doggies through the fence; gets to eat fruit-filled pastries with a cup of coffee; drink the 0 sugar grape drink Brian brings him; and see us. He mostly made sense today, even though he briefly talked about finding his jeans so he could ‘escape.’
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Freepik
I’m about to do my water bottle exercises for my arms, and today I’ll add the music to the exercises and see how that goes.
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I’ll spend much of the afternoon painting some of my sketches and working on my puzzle. The puzzle is kind of overwhelming right now, but I’ll just keep working on it a bit at a time. I love the final picture of the large turtle and colorful fish, so it’s well worth the challenge.
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Khun Nong is cleaning at Brian’s today, so he’s working elsewhere to get out of her way and will bring dinner to my place this evening.
Don’t forget to appreciate all the good things today.
I think this image and the sentiment with it are exquisite.
We shed tears for lots of reasons. We cry when we’re happy, the emotion we’re feeling simply spilling out of our hearts and down our faces. We cry when we’re sad, when we can’t contain the grief and need a relief valve. We cry when we are worried or scared, trying to attain calm.
Whatever the reason for the tears, this message encourages us to USE these tears to move on, building for a better year ahead.
What seeds are we planting? I’m mentally picturing seed packets with “Resilience,” “Adaptability,” “Independence,” and more, hoping that we have learned lessons from 2025, see the need for some changes in 2026.
This is deeper than the common New Year’s Resolutions of losing weight, exercising more, eating right, cleaning out closets, etc. that we make and either keep or not as the year presses on.
When you plant a seed, you’re planning to harvest at some point, in the near future, as with lettuce, or for the long term, as in a willow tree. Choose carefully what you want from this. You’ll be cultivating the land, planting the seed, fertilizing it, weeding around it, watering it with your tears, nurturing it for a good amount of time.
Tears are more than just water. They are your heart and soul, plans and dreams, hope for the future.
We all cried in 2025. Choose carefully and bring new seeds to vibrant life!
This is held annually for 3 days the 3rd week in January; so in 2026 it will be Friday, Jan. 16-Sunday, Jan. 18th
“To keep its distinctive folk arts & craft alive, Bo Sang Umbrella Cooperative hangs the paper parasols as street decorations on Bo Sang Road, organizes community learning activities, demonstrations, workshops, and painting competitions.
Just Wravel
The festival also features handicrafts from villages of the Sankampaeng District, from the handmade paper of the Ton Pao Village to the woodworking of the Tawai Village. Once part of the ancient Lanna Kingdom, the town proudly presents craftsmanship that has passed down from generation to generation.” ~ Thailand Now
During the day, from 10:30 am – 3:00 pm, Visitors can enjoy the women’s parade cycling down Bo Sang-Doi Saket Road in traditional Thai clothing and holding onto the iconic parasols. This year, there are also the Thailand-Indonesia Sister Cities Cultural Activities from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. In the evenings, the Miss Bo Sang Umbrella Contest will be held from 7:00pm onwards.
Thai 23
On top of that, the festival features vibrant performances that recall the town’s Lanna heritage, such as the Sabad Chai drums.
Suriyun – Shutterstock
Suriyun – Shutterstock
Today, Bo Sang artisans specialize in various phases of the process:
1. Forming the structure – each individual bamboo strip is precisely carved out and woven into the wooden axles and finished with delicate threadwork. 2. Making saa paper – mulberry bark is dried and then pulverized into pulp. The pulp is then placed into water, dyed, and spread thinly onto a screen. 3. Attaching the paper – the panels are then glued to the ribs of the parasol, with embellishments added as decoration. 4. Painting the umbrella – After sealing with white gesso, the panels are colored with acrylic paints. The final design is then coated with a natural varnish for some protection.
Today is a beautiful day here in Chiang Mai. It’s about 11:30 in the morning and it’s 77 degrees F. with lots of sunshine. That said, it feels really cool at 60 or less with no heat. I’m learning to adapt, and I’m glad that I can now tie the arms of my hoodie around my waist so I have another layer, if needed, wherever I go.
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This image is for Donna. The beginning of the turtle puzzle. When it’s finished, it will look like this –
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This is the latest sketch painting. I also made 4 new thank you cards yesterday for my housekeeper, Khun Nong. (I leave a card with her pay each week.)
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This is Ying and Paula, who have made videos to help people learn Thai. I am making a list of the phrases that I want to learn and will ask my son, Brian, to create short clips of each one so I can play them quickly, repeating them over and over so that I can listen really carefully and try to imitate them as closely as possible. Brian says their pronunciation is very good. So far, I can say –
Hello (sounds like “sawat dee ka’-ah”)
Thank you (sounds like “cawp coon ka’-ah”)
Sorry (sounds like “caw tote ka’-ah”)
This is a slow process, but I am determined to get at least the basics down, one phrase at a time.
I feel so attuned to this lady. She expresses what I want to say so well, and I love her illustrations.
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Instead of health, wealth, and success – which I also wish you –
I want to emphasize your reaction to the world around you. Your personal world of your family or other loved ones, plus your neighborhood, city, state, and country. Your reaction to what’s happening in the country in which you live, plus all that is happening around the world.
I say this because we are in charge of so little. So little that we can control. All we can really do is reach inside and work on how we are reacting to all the changes around us, the uncertainty, the concern, and more.
The only New Year’s Resolution I’m making is to continue to try to live in the moment. We are all in different stages of life. Once you have done what you personally can do to protect the ones you love, your possessions, etc., I hope that you can give yourself permission to let it go. Worrying over things you can’t control just bunches you up inside and makes you tense, irritable, nervous, and stressed out. Does it do anything else? NO.
I’m concentrating on finding joy. Delight in the little things around me, like a new bird song as we enter the gym. Something intriguing I see on the treadmill video that I missed the first time. A new singer on YouTube who sings their heart out and receives a standing ovation from the crowd of appreciative listeners. White flowers blooming in the middle of a planter full of pink blooms. A cold chocolate drink – with maybe a cookie given to me by the nice server with a smile. The inquiry from an office worker about how my husband is. A sketch that turns out better than I had hoped, or one that is hugely fun to paint. Making real progress on a jigsaw puzzle. Diving into a new book on my Kindle. Finding an article on Substack that brings me to tears it is so beautiful.
If you change your focus, you change your life. Focusing on the good things calms you inside. Smiling at people brings a smile in return. This is something that will improve your health. Positive focus is a survival skill – a habit that will bring so much joy you won’t know where to put it all…
The gym is open again (HOORAAAAAY!) after the deep cleaning and maintenance time, so we didn’t have to walk in the relative cold in the parking lot today. We had the luxury of being INSIDE in a beautifully clean gym, and I was able to wear shorts and shed my jacket. 💪🏻
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We enjoyed sausage slices (spicy!) and chunks of chicken, plus the last of the tangerines we received recently for New Year’s from a wonderful lady in the office of our building. We also had hot mushroom tea (supposed to do wonderful things for you – with bone broth added – to do MORE wonderful things for you – and then we got on with the rest of our day. 🥣
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We went to visit, Harvey, my husband, in the nursing home. We had trouble getting a GRAB to get out there, having to cancel one order and start another before we actually got a ride. (This is the high season for tourism here, and it causes some transportation problems from time to time.) We met Harvey’s new nurse. She is a lovely, very young woman. She said her name, which went in one ear and out the other for me. Before we left, Brian had her write it down because he understands the pronunciation better if he can see it written down (vowels, in particular, are a complex thing in Thai. Unless you can see the actual Thai character, you aren’t sure which one they are talking about.) Brian said he would work with me on the pronunication of her name at dinner tonight.
Harvey didn’t seem concerned about the change in nurses, thank goodness. We were particularly glad the nurse is female, as my husband gets very agitated if a male does anything at all. (He actually wanted us to check for his gun in his room, because he said he might need it later because there was a male who came into his room. We pointed out that the man works at the nursing home and that he probably had a good reason for coming into the room. That didn’t convince my stubborn husband. (He also was saying he had killed two birds with one shot that morning. We asked what the birds had done to annoy him, and he shrugged. When I told him I thought shooting birds who hadn’t done anything wrong was a bit harsh, he just looked at me.)
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On the way home from the nursing home, we stopped at Maya, (the small mall – only 160 stores). Brian has been wanting to get another sweatshirt, and he was able to find one. He wanted me to look for more jeans and tops. I ended up with a pair of jeans, two tees, and some ankle socks. 🤗 We had trouble getting a GRAB, and so we had my first ride on a TukTuk.
This original painting – the first in my new place here – shows a TukTuk. It’s basically a motorcyle for three, with a top and a bench seat behind the driver. No seat belts. Open all around, and this one was short on shock absorbers. 🤣. I put my purse between my knees and held on for dear life on the one place I could reach on the side of the vehicle. Brian seemed unconcerned, but I was glad when she got us to the chocolate place in one piece. It was FUN, though, and was good for this stodgy old woman…
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I just finished rolling up the jeans and tacking them so they won’t unroll. They were still a third size from the ones I got recently, so I still have no clue what size I am since my weight loss. I just hold them up to me and try on the ones that have a chance of fitting. (Of the two I took in the fitting room today, one pair fit fine and the other pair was too large!)
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My time got away from me today and I’m late getting to the computer to write to you. My hair blows as the days go past here. I’m so lucky to be in a wonderful country that is such a delight!
I hope that your Friday or Saturday is going well, and that you have a lot for which to be grateful.
There is a huge difference between acquaintances and friends. I’ve always had a wonderful number of acquaintances – people with whom I enjoyed doing a certain activity; people in a same club with the same interests; people joined by a circumstance or location, then going our separate ways, promising to try to keep up, but inevitably fading away, due to the busy-ness of our lives, lack of time and energy, etc.
I have had very few real friends – and all of these as an adult. There is something I see in a person’s eyes, a deepness that speaks of loss without words. We ‘recognize’ each other immediately and feel a closeness. We’re drawn to each other, already feeling as if we know each other.
If you’re lucky, you will have a real friend. This is a friendship that will last years and years and doesn’t depend on where you are or how long it’s been since you last spoke. When you reunite, it’s as if you never left, you pick up and go on, never losing speed, filling in the gaps and building again.
Sometimes you ‘meet’ people on the Internet. You may meet each other once or never actually get to meet face-to-face. It doesn’t matter. The friendship grows piece by piece, kindness by kindness, built by feeling free to share your real thoughts, hopes, dreams, disappointments, losses, hurts, joys, celebrations – all without judgment on either side. How amazing is that?
You only want the best for each other. You want to encourage them to do things that bring them happiness, fulfilment, joy.
You feel with them, laugh and cry with them, help each other through the ups and downs of life.
If you’re lucky, these friendships will build and build over years until you are each other’s second self.
If you’re lucky enough to find a friend like this, tell them how much they mean to you, how much you treasure their friendship and love. There will never be another bond like this. It’s unique and beautiful.
We stretched, then walked up and down the long, well-lit, well-paved parking lot for 30 minutes this morning before dawn, the last day we need to do this before the gym reopens after deep-cleaning and maintenance.
Horizon Education Centers
It’s “The Cool Season” here in Chiang Mai, Thailand (my first) and I’m having a bit of difficulty adapting. The low is supposed to be 50 with the highs in the low 80s from November 1st until around February 15th. I love the afternoons, but struggle a bit to stay warm in the early mornings and evenings.
There is no heat here – 3/4 of the year is really hot, so they gear up with air conditioners for that and just weather through (pardon the pun) the cooler season. No space heaters are considered safe. Same with electric blankets. I am learning to dress in layers, heat up water to drink if needed, take warm showers (instant heaters there), and enjoy being able to sit beside my window when the sun comes up.
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Wikimedia Commons
My massage therapist has gone home to be with her family, so I won’t have my weekly massage today. Instead, I’ll do an extra-long session of “Old Lady” yoga stretches to try to make up for it.
Khun Nong, my wonderful cleaning lady, comes this afternoon, so I will vacate the premises so she can clean in peace. Brian and I will go the cafe to be out of her way. I’ll take my sketchbook and supplies, my Kindle, my earbuds so I can listen to music, and my sweatshirt, in case they have the temperature in freezer mode. 🥶
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I am starting today to try to add to the pathetic list of Thai phrases I can say. I can say, “Hello, and have a blessed day,” (sounds like ,‘sawat dee KA’-ah) and “Thank you.”(sounds like, ‘cawp coon KA’-ah)
For a while I gave myself a pass because my husband had a stroke, I was moving into a new condo, I was in a strange place trying to recover from having to have a pacemaker installed due to my heart stopping twice Feb. 11th in the ER at the hospital. After the hospitalization and surgeries, I discovered my hearing was significantly affected, plus my balance. I now have good hearing aids, and I’m working on re-training my brain on the balance and inner ear issues.
So, no more excuses. My plan is to add one new phrase each week. This week’s phrase is “sorry.”I have a really good source of YouTube videos with two ladies teaching Thai phrases. My son, Brian, says their pronunciation is good and is encouraging me to imitate them as closely as I can. (He also reminds me that I frown when I’m concentrating, so I’m trying to remember to try to keep a pleasant, smiling face while I’m trying to come up with the proper phrase…🤪)
This is part of honoring the traditions and language and customs of Thailand, my new home. I am slow, but I will really try hard to show everyone how happy I am to be here.
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Thai Bananas – Nam Wah
One of the cleaning ladies gave Brian a bunch of Thai bananas a couple of days ago!
And one of the ladies in the office came running to catch me yesterday as I was going to pick up a coffee from the delivery area. She held the elevator for me and gave me a bag of these Thai tangerines!
Both of these show how wonderful the people in our building are. Brian gave cards with a hand-written note and a bit of cash to each of the staff here for New Year’s. I had given each person a hand-painted Christmas cards earlier. The kindness of Thai people is the thing that stands out beyond all else here. They continue to ask about Brian’s dad in the nursing home, and come up and hug me, asking how I am (with Brian’s translation.) I’m simply overwhelmed.
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I hope that you are entering 2026 with a wide-open heart, hopeful that we will all enjoy a new year full of reasons to smile.
“Joyful Day, Water Over Mountain” – Marjorie Glick – outdoorpainter.com
“Our memories, the way we tend to experience them, are sort of fuzzy around the edges, like a watercolor that has bled into the past and is not totally clear.” ~ Lisa Joy
Steve Mitchell – Strathmoreartist.com
“Part of why I like watercolor is that mistakes are visible, and you can’t really repair much. It has to look easy. When it comes out, it looks easy, but to get to that point takes a lot of doing.” ~ Chris Raschka
“Path Conservatory Garden Central Park” – Beverly Brown – fineartamerica.com
“When I was nine, my great grandfather, a landscape painter, taught me to mix colors. With his strong hand surrounding my small one, he guided the brush until a calla lily appeared as if by magic on a page of textured watercolor paper.” ~ Susan Vreeland
“Imaginary Landscape” – Esperoart.com – Watercolor with Chris
“Being creative is my idea of heaven. I’m just incredibly fortunate that I can do it in artwork. Watercolor is what I started out with. What I love about watercolor is that a lot of happy accidents occur.” ~ Jane Seymour
Artsydee – Pinterest
“Because watercolor actually moves on the paper, it is the most active of all mediums, almost a performance art.” ~ Nita Engle
I went to sleep early last night, simply too sleepy to stay awake. Right at midnight the sound of explosions woke me up. I looked out my bedroom window to see the most glorious display of fireworks I have EVER seen. I was up high enough that even though the fireworks were being set off behind buildings, I felt like I was INSIDE the colors streaking everywhere, sparkling, one after the other for a full 5 minutes. My heart was in my throat by the end of this, SO happy to be awakened for such a great reason! 🥳 🎆
In Arkansas, we would have this mailbox decoration up to welcome the new year. Calvin & Hobbes were always one of our favorites.
Whether you’ve already celebrated, or will celebrate tonight, I wish you a very Happy New Year. I hope that this year brings you wonderful things, surrounds you with lots and lots of love, and brings a smile to your face as you do things you love.
“If man could be crossed with the cat it would improve man, but it would deteriorate the cat.” – Mark Twain
@jeffvandermeer.bsky.social
“Live bold, without fear. This is life amongst the deer.” ― Katelyn S. Bolds
Randy Wei – @randyweiphoto.bsky.social
“The hawk is aerial brother of the wave which he sails over and surveys, those his perfect air-inflated wings answering to the elemental unfledged pinions of the sea.” – Henry David Thoreau
Mike Saunders – @hardwaterhacker.bsky.social
“In the eyes of an owl, we find the depth of wisdom.” — Unknown
We visited my husband, Harvey, in the nursing home this morning. It was Khun Yuwaret’s (Harvey’s nurse’s) last day, as she is going home to be with her family. We are really going to miss her. She has treated Harvey like he was her dad, and you can’t get better care than that. I got some pics, and the visit was a good one. When I told him I loved him, he said, “I reciprocate.” 🤣
We live on a busy street in Chiang Mai, and the celebrating may be loud and boisterous tonight. Harvey asked if there would be fireworks. I hadn’t thought of that, so I thanked him for giving me something to look forward to. Brian and I have no interest in getting out in the midst of young, drinking revelers, but I love fireworks. We will get up early tomorrow, as we do every morning, to do our walking, celebrating the beginning of a brand, spanking new year, full of possibilities.
Chiang Mai fireworks will probably originate from the river that runs through the old, original center of the city. That will make them much safer. I hope they will start as soon as it gets dark!
This was sent to me by my good friend, Nora. I think it’s beautiful.
Happy New Year, whether you’re celebrating tonight or tomorrow. Wishing you a joyous year full of love and gratitude.
Today is New Year’s Eve here in Thailand – time to account for my efforts to lose the lard.
For me, this finally started about two years ago. I had developed lots of health issues, plus my husband was diagnosed with Type II diabetes (he never has admitted this – only says he ‘has a sugar problem‘.) Anyway, it was time for us to try to get serious about changing our ways.
We adopted a low carb diet plan. I got lots of help from Suzanne Ryan, who wrote “Simply Keto”a diet plan with recipes. She also has a blog called, “Keto Karma.”
Last February we got another wake up call – my husband and I both getting Type A Flu, his with pneumonia and mine with bronchitis and low blood oxygen. I went to the ER, died twice Feb. 11th, and was given a second chance at life with a temporary, then permanent pacemaker.
We were too sick to care for each other, so I wrote our son, who lives in Thailand. He dropped everything, flew 24 hours to get to our home, nursed us back to health and convinced us to sell everything and move to Thailand to be close to him.
We moved to Thailand the last day of March, moving into an air bnb in the same building as our son. Two weeks later my husband had a stroke and is now in a nursing home. I have a condo now in the same building as our son.
I have been using my second chance at life to live it to the fullest, incorporating joy wherever possible. A visit to a doctor here showed blood pressure in the danger zone. I was told to lose weight, exercise, and was put on high blood pressure medication.
REPORT:
To date I have lost 86.6 pounds and 83 inches. I’m in the healthy range on the BMI charts for the first time I can remember. The healthy range for a 5’4″ female is 108-132. I started at 205. I’m at 118.3 this morning. My goal is 115-110, TBD.
I am eating breakfast and dinner, with a coffee or chocolate drink as a snack some afternoons, watching my portions. I’m not as strict on the low carb, being in Thailand where carbs are king, plus “Western food” being more expensive by far.
I am walking a mile on the treadmill at the gym every morning. I used to hang onto the bars for dear life, but now am able to walk without holding on at all. (My brain and body need to be retrained on balance since my experience at the hospital, and my inner ears are still causing problems when I’m walking and turn my head to either side.) I am improving, though, so I’m grateful.
I’m doing old lady yoga stretches one day – along with special exercises suggested by my son, Brian, and the doctor – and I’m trying to do a plank for as long as possible; alternating with arm exercises with water bottles the next day; plus Internet balance exercises daily and dancing like a nut to some great music. (I wear headphones so I don’t bother the neighbors.)
So that’s the report. I’m hopeful that in 2026 I’ll reach my final weight loss goal and can switch to maintenance, plus add to, or modify the exercise program I’m following now to gain stamina, strength, and flexibility.
This is a re-post of an article written by Larry Edge of Substack. I related to it so many times that I asked him for permission to share it here with you.
I didn’t feel well this morning, so I opted out of our walking and also skipped breakfast. I finally managed to get warm enough putting a sweatshirt over my clothes, plus the throw Brian gave me, and later, when the sun came up, sitting in the sunshine beside my window. I’m feeling functional now, so all is good. I’ll just rest and take it easy today, so I’ll be in fighting form again tomorrow. 💪🏻
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I would love to be a fly on the wall when my housekeeper, Khun Nong, comes in and sees my finished dolphins puzzle Friday. She very carefully cleans around my puzzle mess each week. I hope she smiles when she sees the finished product. 🧩. Brian came and took pics to send to the glass printer, so another treasure will go on my signature shelf in my living area. Friday after Khun Nong finishes, I’ll bag up the dolphins puzzle carefully and donate it. I’ll take out my new turtle puzzle – cleaning the table thoroughly first – and will start a NEW mess!
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Xmas 2025 – Gift from Server
My favorite server at the cafe where we spend time while Khun Nong is cleaning waved me over to show me a note written in Thai – then translated to English via his phone – apologizing that his gift was so small. I showed him I was USING the cute pouch he gave me, with the stuffed handmade Christmas tree attachment, to hold my sketching supplies. I thanked him again. What a nice young man he is!
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My son checked on me a while ago, wanting me to eat something. I asked for a tuna sandwich with avocado that we had recently. When he texted that the delivery was in the lobby, I went down, got my laundry, and the cleaning lady came over and hugged me! She then got the elevator for me, but I showed her I needed to go and pick up my ‘brunch,’ so she waited while I got it and then ushered me into the elevator. I’m am completely overwhelmed by how nice people are here!
2025 is almost over. We need to embrace 2026 with all the possibilities and opportunities it will offer.
This is my brother, Chris, on the left, and one of his sons, Eliot, on the right.
I always wanted a large family with brothers and sisters who loved and supported each other with a bond that was never-ending. My parents were both only children and when they had my brother, and then me, 4 years later, that was plenty in their eyes.
Inadvertently, my parents created a situation where my brother and I were in competition. It was difficult because he always was better in every way than I.
In grade school, he brought home all A’s consistently while I brought home mostly A’s and B’s. In one 9-week grading period I brought home a ‘C’ in math, my most dreaded subject. My parents sort of ‘withdrew’ from me, saying the C was not acceptable, and were distant from me for 9 weeks until the next grade card showed a ‘B.”
In junior high and high school, my brother continued bringing home all A’s, plus played baseball and won some swimming contests. I played the guitar and sang for a folk music show and taught swimming every summer from when I was 14 until I finished college. I was also a life guard at the local swimming club.
In college, my brother got a scholarship to the University of Denver, eventually earning a Doctorate (Dr. Wheaton) while I worked at a local diner off campus at Oklahoma State University, eventually earning a Master’s Degree as a Reading Specialist.
My brother decided he didn’t want to teach, so he got a job as a VP in a firm who provided insurance agents to help in disasters. He was in the advertising department. I got a teaching degree and taught in the public schools in Tulsa for 8 years, then ran my own reading clinic, teaching kindergarten through adults for 3 years.
For some reason I will never know, when I was in college, my mother decided to share with me that my brother described me as, “Not worth knowing.” That summation of my worth hurt beyond description, devastating me for quite a while, but eventually giving me a great gift –
What did I learn from my brother?
“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are,” attributed to Theodore Roosevelt, emphasizing resourcefulness, action, and making the most of your current situation to build momentum and achieve goals, rather than waiting for ideal circumstances.
I learned to simply keep my head down and be who I am and not judge my “worth” by other people’s opinions or standards. I do the best I can do at any given time and that is enough.
I learned that my parents are human, as are we all. They didn’t mean to create a situation where my brother and I competed and I felt failure and loss of love due to the results of the “contest.” What they wanted to create was an atmosphere where we met whatever standards were set and surpassed expectations when possible. They wanted us to succeed, feel the joy of a job well done, of achievement. They wanted us to set high goals, meet them, and then set others.
I learned that my brother wasn’t perfect, and that relationships either develop and thrive or they don’t. His opinion actually made me set goals for myself to try to prove him wrong. That didn’t happen, but I learned it didn’t NEED to happen.
I am more independent, self-directed, and loving toward the people I care about than I probably would have been otherwise.
I am never bored. I always have more to do than time or energy to do them.
Especially now, when my parents and my brother are gone, I can concentrate on happy memories – like when my brother and I won the men’s division and women’s division respectively in ping pong at my parent’s swimming club several years running. I thank him for making me strong enough to face whatever life throws at me, changing what I can and adapting when I need to, even thriving when life throws yet another curve ball.
Our gym is closed for a week for deep cleaning and maintenance. Brian and I found a well-lit, well-paved parking lot for our walking this morning. We walked to the end and back over and over for our 30 minutes. It was cool – 61 degrees F., so I wore sweatpants instead of my gym shorts and wore my jeans jacket. It was a good walk. 🚶
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My puzzle is finished! I asked Brian to come to my place this morning to take a picture that he will send to have a glass print made for my special shelf in my living area. YIPPEEEEE!
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I don’t know how much ‘weight’ the BMI Chart carries in reality, but this is what I’ve been basing my status on for a long time.
I am 5’4″ and shrinking. 😀 I began my ‘lose-the-lard’ efforts about two years ago, trying to move from morbidly obese, at 35 on the chart, to my now ‘healthy’ reading at 20. I have read that a healthy range for a female of my height is between 108-132. I am at 119 now, shooting, I think) for 115. I’ll make another decision when I get there.
This is me (on the right) in 2013.
This is me this morning.
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This is the type of day I love the most now – where I can move from one activity to the next as I choose without pressure. I want to take the waist in on a pair of fleece-type snuggly pants, I’ll do my yoga practice, write my blog posts, play on the computer, paint at least one of my sketches in my art alcove, listen to music, read my book, stand in the sun at my window, and more. AHHHHHHH!
We went to see my husband, Harvey, this morning. We had a hard time getting a Grab for the trip to the nursing home because it’s ‘high season’ for tourists now. He was calm, glad to see us, and followed what we were saying. All in all, a good visit.
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This is the latest painting.
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I’m almost finished with my jigsaw puzzle of the dolphins. I’m having to go through and rearrange some areas, but I WILL prevail! 😁
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liftingitalia.com
Our gym is closing starting tomorrow for a week for deep cleaning, maintenance, etc., so Brian and I will walk in a park every morning instead.
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The day got away from me today. I will try to write more tomorrow.
I showed you a picture of the beautiful white rattan chair we saw in a window. I see it in my dreams. I discovered that this is actually in a hotel, and so is not for sale – neither the chair, nor the white cat who was sleeping on the cushions once. 😡 (assuming I could afford it)
I have been searching for “my statement rattan chair” that would live in the corner of my living area between my dining table and my sofa. I can picture myself, cozy and comfortable, with a drink on the table beside me, reading a book, listening to music, sketching, or taking a nap….
I probably can’t afford any of these unless we win the lottery, but I can drool and dream…
Here are some candidates for “my chair “-
Bed, Bath & Beyond – Blossom Accent Chair (doesn’t include the table beside it)
I finished the trilogy a couple of days ago. A young woman inherits a mansion from a relative she didn’t know she had, and discovers it’s haunted. She and her friends try to rid the mansion of the malevolent ghost who wants the mansion for herself.
I recommend this highly. I liked the people Nora created. Strong, intelligent, talented young woman who don’t shy away from a fight. Caring men who become part of the group help the women in their quest. I would love to know these people in real life. The story compelled me to keep reading – just one more chapter when I should have been doing something else. I just didn’t want to put my Kindle down. I’ve provided a link above to the trilogy on Amazon.
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I have told you about R.G. Ryan, one of my ‘new’ favorite authors. He’s active on X, newly active to Substack, plus has written many books, one series of which is the Jake Moriarity series, about a man ‘who finds people.’ I read six of the books in the series, and then found that R.G. had written a “Prequel,” so downloaded that and read it, and then wanted to re-read the six books again. The first in the series is “Watercolor Dreams.” I’m now re-reading book 2, “Finding Wonderland.”
I am thoroughly intrigued by the main character, Jake Moriarity. He is tough when he needs to be – even ruthless – and yet is brought to tears by situations involving his family and friends. In each book you learn more about him. His friends and relatives are people you would want to know. The group is fiercely loyal to each other. I find the series fascinating. When I finish the six books I have (not counting the “Prequel: The Last Happy Summer”) I will pester RG to provide more.
creativeartworksblog 