Filed under Awe-Inspiring Photography, Favorite Things
Filed under Driftwood Art, When Wood Comes Alive
I find I’m developing hostility at the word ‘seniors.’ When they say ‘seniors exercises’ they mean exercises for people over 60. Since I’m 75, I guess I qualify, but I DON’T HAVE TO LIKE IT. :0(
Somebody also said, “You’re as old as you feel.” Well, today I’m about 95+ after hauling SIX 40-pound bags of potting soil yesterday from the palettes on which we keep it, wheel-barrowing it over the back yard and up again to the other side of the house where our two brick tomato planters are, and distributing it. I would rather focus on the fact that I got the job done, and before we have three stormy days ahead.
This morning I tried the “1a warm-up and workout videos” from Mike from Australia from his Monthly Exercise Planner. His whole series of videos is for seniors (there’s that word again), but they’re good. “1a” was a nice, short warm up and then a workout geared toward moving most of the body from a seated position, using simple exercises and isometrics. I think both videos together were about 10 minutes or so. I opted to do the ‘seated position’ stuff for this month’s stuff, and will move to the ‘standing’ stuff when I start the routine again. If you’re interested in looking at the program or starting the month-long plan, it’s free, requires little, if any equipment. His website is MoreLifeHealth. You can sign up and he’ll email you the plan.
Since I overdid yesterday and my back and legs are really talking to me, I’m going to forego the yard work today (though I could probably get some work done between storms) and will do one of his weights videos and my yoga session today.
I’m trying to build a routine or regimen where I do the weights/workouts videos in the morning, yard work after lunch, and yoga stretches in the late afternoon.
After lunch today sometime, I’ll use leftover rotisserie chicken to try a new recipe, “Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Bowl” from Suzanne Ryan’s Simply Keto book. Our Low Carb eating is going well so far.
Spotted in a safari park: (I sure hope so)
ELEPHANTS, PLEASE STAY IN YOUR CAR
Seen during a conference:
FOR ANYONE WHO HAS CHILDREN AND DOESN’T KNOW IT, THERE IS A DAY CARE ON THE 1ST FLOOR
Notice in a farmer’s field:
THE FARMER ALLOWS WALKERS TO CROSS THE FIELD FOR FREE, BUT THE BULL CHARGES.
Message on a leaflet:
IF YOU CANNOT READ, THIS LEAFLET WILL TELL YOU HOW TO GET LESSONS
On a repair shop door:
WE CAN REPAIR ANYTHING. (PLEASE KNOCK HARD ON THE DOOR – THE BELL DOESN’T WORK)
Filed under communication
I just came in from hauling and spreading six 40-lb bags of potting soil, 3 in each of our two brick tomato planters. That’s the end of the soil hauling. The next three days are supposed to be stormy/severe weather, so it’s likely I won’t be outside more than is absolutely necessary until Thursday. I’m hopeful we can get our tomato plants then and I can get them planted.
I did my weights exercise video before I worked outside. I’ll rest awhile, drink a bunch of water, then do my yoga stretches. The dog in this gif could be Amber. She is just larger. :0)
All I have to do for dinner is put the rotisserie chicken in the microwave and put salad dressing on the salad. Yea!
I hope you’re enjoying your Sunday.
Did I read that sign right?
“TOILET OUT OF ORDER. PLEASE USE FLOOR BELOW”
In a Laundromat:
AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINES: PLEASE REMOVE ALL YOUR CLOTHES WHEN THE LIGHT GOES OUT
In a London department store:
BARGAIN BASEMENT UPSTAIRS
In an office:
WOULD THE PERSON WHO TOOK THE STEP LADDER YESTERDAY PLEASE BRING IT BACK OR FURTHER STEPS WILL BE TAKEN
In an office:
AFTER TEA BREAK STAFF SHOULD EMPTY THE TEAPOT AND STAND UPSIDE DOWN ON THE DRAINING BOARD
Outside a secondhand shop:
WE EXCHANGE ANYTHING – BICYCLES, WASHING MACHINES, ETC. WHY NOT BRING YOUR WIFE ALONG AND GET A WONDERFUL BARGAIN?
Notice in health food shop window:
CLOSED DUE TO ILLNESS
Filed under communication
Filed under When Wood Comes Alive
I found this yesterday and wanted to share it with you. I don’t even know what I’m looking at – whether it’s an actual waterfall, a painting, a photoshop – but whatever it is, I LOVE it.
Filed under Favorite Things
I can’t shout it to the rooftops or anything, but I AM making steady progress in my newest effort at lifestyle change and the goal of being healthier.
This is the end of WEEK 2.
I lost 3.4 lbs last week and 1.6 lbs this week, so I’m 5 lbs down in this latest effort.
Down a total 28.4 lbs since my heaviest. Down 28.7 inches since my heaviest. (I’m HOPING for a change in measurement by the end of the month. We’ll see.)
I found Mike, from More Life Help Seniors online. I’m doing two of his short exercise-with-weights videos, switching from one to the other each day. I like them so much I went to his website and downloaded his 4 week exercise program. It’s free. All you need is a chair, weights, and MAYBE a resistance band. I’ll start it tomorrow, and I’ll report back on how it goes.
Besides the weights exercises, I’m doing a 30 minute or so session daily of stretching yoga. I’m doing this late in the afternoon, after I’ve finished the yard work I’m going to do, the weights exercise, and any other more physically active stuff for the day so I can really relax and stretch. I also have a heat pad in my recliner that I can switch on if I need a bit of extra pampering.
The effort to eat low-carb is going well, too. I’ve finally gotten the scales to stop the laughing – though not the smirking – at me. It is noticing my efforts. :0)
Yesterday I made spaghetti sauce using Rao’s Marinara Sauce. It’s the lowest carb sauce I can find. I paired that with macaroni for my husband. (He prefers that to spaghetti) and I prepared 4 medium zucchini with my spiralizer. (one medium zucchini is a serving.) I used one serving and saved the rest. When we finished eating, I was able to make 3 additional meals for each of us to go in the freezer (labeled “H” and “L”) so we know which has macaroni and which has ‘zoodles’ (zucchini noodles.)
MyFitnessPal.com is a lifesaver for me. Each morning I list what I plan to eat for the day. I can readily see if I’m making a mistake or staying under my goals for carbs, sugar, fat, protein, and calories for the day. I can rethink and adjust or be confident then. I then add the exercise for the day. (This program makes adjustments based on how active you are). Sometimes that causes ME to adjust my eating, but not often. Just nice to know and a good record.
Things are going well so far. My friend Susy sent me a low-carb recipe for keto/gluten free bagels that I’ll try as soon as I get low on the rolls I made for the week.
Onward to WEEK 3
These are actually photos I took yesterday, before the freeze, fearing that the overnight freeze would kill our treasured wisteria. I’m happy/relieved to tell you it is alive and well, maybe a bit worse from wear, but hopefully will continue to bloom more and more daily.
This wisteria has lived through freezes, snows, ice, thunderstorms, gusting winds, droughts, etc. Seeing it bloom like this really fills me up with hope for the future.
Filed under paper art, paper mache
Yesterday everyone was at Lunch Bunch. It was really nice. We were celebrating our waitress’ (Mikey’s) birthday. She just beamed at everyone. It was fun reminding her how special she is.
What surprised me was that Kay brought two gifts for ME. When I asked her why, she said, “We forgot your birthday last month, so “Happy Birthday.” Isn’t that nice?
The downside was, that since I had no ‘celebration’ for my birthday this year, I didn’t really have to CLAIM it or BE one year older, in my mind. Now I have to own it.
Kay brought me TWO presents –
Thoughts about aging don’t usually enter my thoughts, unless I’ve overdone out in the yard and my body sounds like popcorn being popped in the microwave and my back is screaming at me, “For G_d’s sake, do your yoga!”
Since none of us can “hope-away aging” – (YET, at least), I have some favorite quotes about the subject, and wanted to share some of them with you –
“As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.” ~ Audrey Hepburn
“Getting old is a fascinating thing. The older you get, the older you want to get.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
“We don’t grow older, we grow riper.” ~ Pablo Picasso
“Older people shouldn’t eat health food, they need all the preservatives they can get.” ~ Robert Orben
“Old age is fifteen years older than I am.” ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes
Filed under aging, Favorite Quotes, Friendship
I had to cover my garden planter boxes with sheets last night due to a freeze warning. “The average last freeze for the River Valley is March 26th, with the latest on record occurring on April 17th 1921/1951.” I really hope this is the last one.
I uncovered the plants a few minutes ago, stuffing the just-washed sheets into the bag and carting them to the garage, to wait until ALL chances of freezing are finished until the fall and then I’ll wash them again for storage.
My sweet veggies, including the zucchini plants I planted yesterday, came through just fine. I’m really relieved.
Today I’ll try to finish hauling the bags of potting soil to the two brick planters we use for tomatoes. After a stormy Mon/Tues/Wed next week, I hope to find some good tomato plants to plant.
After the freeze this morning, we’re supposed to have a beautiful weekend. I’m getting a bit of whiplash from the changes back and forth.
Have a great Saturday.
Filed under Gardening
SHORTER ANSWER:
Filed under Challenges, Changes, DIET!, exercise, getting the lard off, taking care of yourself
My husband decided he HAD to have a new computer – to upgrade a bit, to switch to Windows 11. I told him to go ahead, as long as he opted for the offer to pay a bit more and have nerds put the computer together for him with Windows 11 already installed, compatible parts already installed so that he would just have to change out the hard drives, etc.
Since then we’ve been in ‘computer Hell.’ There is no nicer way to say it.
It started with UPS ‘delivering’ the humongous, HEAVY (75 pounds +) box by simply leaving it at the bottom of our STEEP, graveled, 650+ foot driveway. We practically killed ourselves getting the box INTO the back of the truck, THEN unpacking as much as possible, having to remove two dog gates in order to get it into the house and into the office. (We asked for, and received a refund for the extra we paid for expedited delivery.)
The computer was as my husband ordered, so mostly he has been fighting with software. Right now, the fight is to get an email program that will work the way he wants it to.
Since my husband and I are both older-than-dirt, changes and technical stuff are becoming much more difficult. An added problem is that my husband had a couple of strokes in the past two years, and he has more trouble, though he has mostly bounced back. He has been reduced to asking ME – the woefully incompetent tech person of our duo – for help. This is a lose/lose situation for me. If I can’t help, he gets more frustrated and angry – a really uncomfortable situation. If I CAN help, then he’s upset because I could do it, and he couldn’t, making him depressed.
A real character-building exercise for both of us.
So, the NEXT time he wants to get a new computer, I’ve told you my answer at the top.
Filed under Challenges, character-building exercises
I just learned we’re supposed to have a freeze tonight. UGH. I’m hard-headed, so after Lunch Bunch, I’m going to check for head lettuce and zucchini plants to put in the garden, anyway. When we get home, if I’m successful finding them, I’ll plant them, weed the raised garden boxes, and then cover them with sheets tonight.
I’m getting to the end of WEEK 2 on my eating low-carb and ‘moving-more’ efforts. I’m gradually changing my eating habits, relying on MyFitnessPal.com to plan what I’ll eat for the day to make sure I’m under my calorie and carb limits.
Though I told my husband he can eat what he wants (within reason, since he’s Type II diabetic), he says, “I’ll eat what you eat.” So today at Lunch Bunch, instead of the breaded, fried chicken tenders with honey mustard we have been eating forever, we’ll have a hamburger patty, side salad with blue cheese dressing on the side. Tomorrow I’m making low carb spaghetti. I’ll fix macaroni for my husband and Zucchini ‘noodles’ for me (Zoodles). Please see pic above.
I’m also doing well on my ‘moving-more’ efforts. I’m doing my yoga stretches every afternoon after my other strenuous activities are finished. I’m doing weights exercises with a video for seniors I found online. (I also found several other videos he has done, and hope to incorporate them into my day soon.) Finally, I’m working outside every day the weather is cooperative. Today, for example, when we’re back from Lunch Bunch and errands today, I’ll use the wheelbarrow to move four or five 40-lb bags of potting soil out to the tomato planters I weeded yesterday, prepping them for the coming tomato plants. I’m going to try to find zucchini and head lettuce plants while we’re out today. I’ll plant what I can find, then weed the planters, then plan to cover them up tonight to protect them as much as possible from the freeze.
I wish I could show you a pic of my friends at Lunch Bunch, but I’m respecting their wishes and their privacy. Today is a special Lunch Bunch. It’s our waitress’s birthday, so we’re bringing her gifts to celebrate. She’ll be surprised, and she’ll be reminded how special she is.
Enjoy your Friday.
A.M. – I’m doing weights exercises daily now, using a video created for seniors. He is recommending 1 lb weights, but I’m using my 3 lb weights at this point. It’s a short video – about 10 minutes or less – and is easy to follow. At some point, I’ll switch to 5 lbs weights.
P.M. – I’m doing about half an hour or so of senior yoga stretching every day now. After doing the weights in the morning and yard work in the afternoon, the yoga really helps me relax and stretch things out again.
I won’t say I’m looking FORWARD to exercising. I’m a died-in-the-wool sloth. But, I will say I feel better now that I’ve been doing this every day. I think it takes 3 weeks or so to build a ‘habit.’ I’m on week 2…
Filed under exercise
I’ve only had to cover up my veggie plants once for a freeze since I put the plants in the ground, and for that I’m thankful. I’m watching the weather forecasts like a hawk, but so far, things are going well.
Next up, I plan to put in radishes, bell pepper, and celery.
Today’s plan is to start prepping the two brick planters on the far side of the house that we converted to square foot garden planters, preparing to add some tomato plants, probably next week, depending on the weather. I need to get the weeds out, and then add a bunch of Mel’s Mix (a mixture of peat moss, Vermiculite, and at least 3 different types of compost) to each of the planters. Who knows where this stuff GOES?
Filed under Gardening, Square Foot Gardening - Raised Beds
Several years ago we had a geothermal heat and air system installed. We save money now, because the ‘system’ only has to either heat or cool the DIFFERENCE between an underground temperature of 58 degrees F. and whatever the air temperature is. This makes the system not have to work nearly as hard, resulting in less work, less money to pay for it (ignoring the cost of the system or its installation) :0)
Last spring our local caretakers of the system, Air Pro Heat & Air out of Ft. Smith, moved its offices. In the move, our spring check up got lost in the shuffle. They are SO good about calling and arranging times for the checkups that I don’t keep track. I did notice, though, in August that we hadn’t had a check. Our guy came out, made sure we were okay, and we agreed that that would be our ‘winter’ checkup. Since I pay ahead of time for the year, we were one checkup short last year.
I called the office. The nice lady made a note of it.
She called this morning, telling us our guy was in Greenwood, asking if it were okay if he did our spring service check this morning. He is here now.
I reminded him of the payment issue. He remembered, called the office, and confirmed that today’s check is no additional charge, and that we would now receive our yearly bill in the winter.
If you are in the Ft. Smith area, this company is a great one. The guy who does the check greets our dog as if she’s a member of the family. He is easy to get along with, answers and questions we have, fixes any problems. He is very good at working with the system, knows exactly what to look for and make sure all is good.
So – out of the myriad of issues we’ve been dealing with lately, this is ONE THING THAT WENT RIGHT!!!!
creativeartworksblog 