Letting Go

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We are learning to let go.

Some of this is easy. We are giving a lot of things away to good friends. We have always tried to be proactive and stay stocked up in case we get stuck up here on top of our ridge line for one reason or another. In lots of cases, we did a lot more than we needed to…

Some things are more difficult. They connect to our image of our ‘self.’ Like my husband’s gun collection, the tools we’ve worked with for years in our shop, making our yard critters, mailbox decorations, etc. For me, closing down my Etsy shop will be the end of an era, and a piece of my identity. I have found, though, that when we get settled in Thailand, there are groups that get together to make art! I’ll be exposed to new people, new techniques, and maybe open up a whole new chapter on my art, too.

My friend Shelia gave me some good advice. She said it helped her to save some treasured things that mean home or comfort so that you in effect carry your home with you wherever you go. I have a really small, soft, teddy bear that has had a place on the shelf to my right for some 37 years as I type and work at my computer. He will go in my bag to indicate home and bring me comfort if things feel strange. My blog – and being able to get back to it after the move – will be my other treasure. Our son has promised to save our data from our current computers and build each of us a laptop as soon as possible so that I’ll be able to get back to you. He knows how important this is to me, and I’ve promised myself not to bug him overmuch about it, but I assure you this will happen just as soon as we can make it happen. (We do need to find a place to live and get settled a bit first).

The hardest thing for us will be our animals. I called our vet, who has cared for our animals and us for as long as I can remember. I explained our situation and asked him if he was in a position to help re-home them. We want them to have adopted families who will treasure them as we have, and give them the best possible life. He agreed, and I sent him pictures of Amber and Jet (aka as Monster Cat.) I also told him we have extra food, toys, and a cat tower that will go with them.

Thankfully, we’ll be able to keep up with friends and family via our phones. We will need some type of SIM card to transition from here to Thailand, but that shouldn’t be a big deal. I’ll be able to receive and send gmail, messages, etc.

We are busily handling lots and lots of details each day. Trying to get our belongings down to one suitcase and one backpack each will be quite the challenge. Our son has promised to guide us, and I’m relieved we’ll be handling this journal into our future together.

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Details 3-5-2025

Freepik

I’m trying to do a bit each day in our efforts to get ready to move. Most of the details will be handled by an auctioneer who has a really good reputation and has worked in our area as long as I can remember.

My task lately has been to go through a four-drawer file cabinet to see if there are things that should be destroyed or saved or left for the auction company. Added to the task is the stuff we got from our safe deposit box at the bank.

I think I’ve finished going through the files. I’m still trying to make my way through the pile that is now on my desk. I will try to finish that today.

One of the nice things that is happening is that as I tell my friends we’re moving, I’m inviting them over to either freezer-dive, taking whatever they would like, and/or giving them things I think they would like. It makes me happy to give people I care about a bit of a boost. :0)

Our son is trying to help us clean up our habits, otherwise. I’ve been snacking like a fiend on Ritz Crackers like they won’t be made anymore. Actually, I don’t know if I’ll be able to get them in Thailand or not, but that isn’t the issue. The issue is eating between meals and I need to stop that – particularly eating things like crackers. Our son is cooking us some really nice meals, and I’m going to redouble my efforts to hold my eating to those.

My husband is ignoring all that, of course. Last night he had a bad night. We were up over and over with him being sick. So we talked to him when he came downstairs this morning about letting his stomach rest, and eating sicky food today. So what does he do? He got a jar of jelly and a knife and proceeded to eat the jelly straight from the jar. We have thrown up our hands now and he will do what he will do.

Our son has researched and found some supplements that he thinks may help my high blood pressure, so I’m embracing that change. Hopefully in time I will regain my strength, continue to lose my lard, take the new supplements, and resume my exercise schedule once we recover our general health and then recover from the grueling flight schedule to Thailand.

We will all fly together and we only have to do it once, so I am gearing up for that.

It’ll be amazing to ONLY pack things appropriate for the summer. In Thailand they have summer, wet summer, smoky summer, and more summer. That will be interesting to get used to. :0)

I hope you have a nice day today.

Take care.

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Big News

Caroline – Pinterest

I’m still feeling pleased that I FINALLY reached my 50-pounds-down goal this past week. I am now into my 5-more-off-goal and have managed to get one more pound off. A large part of the credit goes to our son, who is doing all the cooking for us while my husband and I continue to try to recover from his flu and pneumonia, and my flu, bronchitis and follow up ER stay and pacemaker installation.

I have some big news in regard to our future. We are going to move to Thailand to be close to our son and to make the rest of our lives as comfortable as possible. I look forward to sharing our new lives with you here on the blog.

We have applied for expedited passports, and will basically leave as soon as we have those in hand and our tickets. There will be a block of time between our arrival there and the setup of a laptop where I can write to you again, but I hope that time will be short. I hope you will bear with me during the change.

I am looking forward to a new life as we handle many, many details of leaving here. I hope that you are celebrating changes that bring YOU joy in your lives, too.

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Sassy Squirrels

Aintright-@aintright.bsky.social

A squirrel is just a rat with a cuter outfit! ~ Sarah Jessica Parker

Artologica aka Michele Banks-@artologica.net2

You can’t keep a squirrel on the ground. ~Mary Lasswell

Dreamcatcher-@dreamcatcher01.bsky.social

I just need green. I need to wake up and see grass and squirrels. I don’t want to see skyscrapers. ~Andre Leon Talley

froggy-terri.bsky.social

Sometimes big trees grow out of acorns – I think I heard that from a squirrel. ~ Jerry Coleman

jon5cents-@jon5cents.bsky.social

The highway of life is filled with flat squirrels that couldn’t make a decision. ~ John C. Maxwell

4 Comments

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Sunday 3-2-2025

Journaling Happiness-@alcycarmstrong.bsky.social

I love this photo. To me it means that the possibilities of the path ahead are endless, full of opportunity, wonderful changes and chances to reshape our lives.

I am definitely feeling stronger this morning. I still can’t sleep flat on a bed without panicking over being able to breathe, but I spend some time up there each night, staying as long as I can, then finish the night downstairs in my recliner with the oxygen. It’s working for me, and hopefully I won’t need it much longer. I’m already going the whole day without the need for oxygen, so am hopeful this part of my recovery is well on its way.

With all that has happened over the month of February, I was surprised to see that I finally reached my interim weight loss goal of 5o-pounds-less-of-me-than-there-was-before. I don’t recommend doing it the way I have, but I’m happy, none-the-less. I’ll continue using MyFitnessPal.com to track my progress, making new goals for daily eating (once I figure out what they are), but I’ll be concentrating on heart-healthy whole foods, lots more fruits and veggies, etc. I’m setting my next 5-pound-increment goal and will see how things stand once I’m fully recovered.

I’m so grateful that our son dropped everything to come take care of us. He has done all the cooking, cleaning, shopping, laundry, etc. since he came home. He has been truly wonderful. We are more and more able to enjoy our time together as we feel more like ourselves. I’m sorry that it took my husband and I falling apart at the same time to have him home, but I can say that we’re cherishing every minute together. He is coming up with all kinds of things that are good for us, in food, drinks, and vitamins, so I’m embracing the changes.

I hope that things are going well for you, too. Reach out to those you love and let them know how much they mean to you. There are no guarantees for any of us, and time is of the essence.

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Priorities

Jamie Hart-Pinterest

I went without my oxygen this morning for a while, paid a bill online, and am now writing this as if I were a regular person! This is a big step for me. It still doesn’t take much to knock me flat, but I’m gaining on things.

What I wanted to stress today was how important you are. Yes. YOU.

I have always valued you, and spent quite a while each day collecting things that I think are wonderful to share with you. But I wanted you know know that since my husband and I got sick in February and our world was turned on its ear, the ‘valuing’ has become much more personal.

I thank you for the comments and messages. The welcome-backs. The honest concern. For checking on me. These are all priceless.

I hope that I will be able to write TWO posts tomorrow, and soon be back to holding myself to 4 blog posts a day one day soon. :0)

Take good care.

Linda

7 Comments

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“Ch-ch-ch-ch-anges…”

Elizabeth Westfall-Pinterest

I am still among the land of the living and am finally feeling strong enough to try to get one blog post written this morning.

There are lots and lots of changes going on around here, due to the sudden events of the past 2 weeks or so. I appreciate your bearing with me on things I’m having to do differently as I adapt.

To summarize the events of February, my husband and I both were diagnosed with Flu A (husband flu plus pneumonia. Me flu plus bronchitis.) at our walk-in clinic on the 6th. The doc there strongly suggested I go to the ER due to low blood oxygen. We went home and I called a friend, who drove me to the ER. I was admitted there, transferred to the ICU, had two operations in three days due to my heart stopping beating, one for a temporary pace maker and the other for a permanent one. I was released on the 12th.

I asked our son to come home from across the world from us. He dropped everything and traveled 24 hours to get here. He has handled all the cooking, cleaning, medications, animals, taking care of us beautifully. I honestly don’t know what we would have done without him.

We are both improving very slowly. I am on oxygen, but am trying to wean myself off of it as I can.

Yesterday our new bed came and the fridge guy came to look at the ice maker in the new fridge. The bed will be fine, though we both need to do some adaptation. The tech ordered a part for the fridge, so that will be handled eventually, too.

The most impactful thing from all of this is that my husband and I have always planned carefully for future scenarios, not wanting to be caught flat footed. We honestly hadn’t thought about the fact that I could croak first. This has upended everything. We also never planned for both of us to be sick at the same time, and that upended anything that was left. I have to admit I am rocked down to my core on this one. I could handle being the survivor, but I seriously worry about my husband’s ability to function by himself.

This will take a lot of thinking and replanning, and possible scenarios we never even considered before.

Again, thank you for taking the time to read all of this. I hope to be able to get back to the regular blog posts starting tomorrow. I’m trying to give myself some slack, though, since I tend to give out at the slightest effort, and will need to work to build my stamina again.

Meanwhile you’ve been on my mind and I hope you’re doing well.

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Day Of Celebration

Brenda Beaudet-Gaba-Pinterest

Good afternoon. Just one message to you today – if you’re reading this, thank you!

My life since the 6th has been a scary one – dignosis of both my husband and I at the walk in clinic in Greenwood of (Flu A with pneumonia with my husband and with Flu A with bronchitis for me.) My blood oxygen level was so low at the clinic the doc there insisted I go to the ER in Ft. Smith. My friend Carla took me because my husband was way too sick. From the ER, I was admitted to the hospital because of my labs and symptoms. 3 days later I woke up with a group of nurses around my bed, asking if I was “all right.” They told me then that I had techically died several times that night, my heart simply stopping for several seconds each time. They arranged a transfer to ICU, where in the middle of the night I received a temporary pacemaker. 3 days after that I received a permanent pacemaker. I was released home on the 12th.

My husband is home, too, and is making good progress after a 14 day course of antibiotics.

When our son asked if we wanted him to come home from across the world from us, I selfishly said, “yes.” He has been here, taking wonderful care of us for a few days now.

I am on antibiotics, steroids, stopped several of my regular meds until further notice.

Yesterday at my follow up primary doc’s office, I simply collapsed trying to stand long enough for a chest x-ray. As of yesterday afternoon, I am on oxygen. I can now breathe for the first time since being released, (maybe a slight exxageration) and I slept for the first time. Breathing should not be underrated. I enjoy doing it a lot, but prefer it not to hurt and to get enough not being afraid I’ll faint. )It was fabulous last night to be able to lie back and really relax, getting the air I need, shut my eyes without nausea and then panic panting trying to catch my breath over and over all night long.

I am definitely in celebration mode here. Happy and relieved that my husband is a bit stronger each day. Relieved and grateful to Carla who dropped everything to get me where I needed to go. Delighted our son is here, taking good care of us, and able to concentrate on being happy I am alive to type.

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Still Alive, but in Hospital

Quick note. I am in here until further notice. I have FlA, bronchitis, shortness of breath, low blood oxygen. I went to the emergency room yesterday and they admitted me to the w. I have no clue what the plan is. They are giving me breathing treatments. I ate last night for the first time since last Thursday I will try to send messages

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Health? Update

Orange Dots-Bandcamp

We are still a mess. We spent most of the day coughing, trying to sleep, coughing…. I also had waves of a cough, then getting really short of breath. We dug out some Theraflu, since we seem to be past the sore throat stage now and into the just coughing one. We managed to make and eat some soup this afternoon, and that was it for the day. Hopefully, the antibiotics will bring us back to life a little at a time. Meanwhile, we’ve made a pact that we won’t ever both be sick at the same time.

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Quick Update

We’re home from the doc. I have Flu A plus bronchitis. My husband has Flu A plus pneumonia. He will have another chest x-ray in two weeks. We are both on antibiotics now. We feel awful and will sleep as much as we can until further notice. I’m rescheduling things as much as possible. Will be back when I can.

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Still Sick

We weren’t able to get help Saturday. We’re still a mess. We’re planning to try to be at the walk in clinic at our regular doc’s office at 7:30 tomorrow.

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We are Sick

Thursday I woke up with a cough an aches. Friday my husband did the same. Today the two of us together are not worth shooting.

We drove to an urgent care in Ft. Smith at 7 this morning, only to find out that there was only one doctor, there would be at least a two hour wait, and that they would probably want chest x-rays and were not set up for that. The man at the counter told us about another urgent care that was also open at 8, so we headed there. To indicate how bad my husband felt, he asked ME to drive.

We got to the second place only to find that they would’t be open for another hour. That was my husband’s breaking point. He demanded we go home. We both fell into our recliners and are just now waking up again.

I will try to fix us some soup. Just wanted to let you know what was happening around here.

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Search

Pinterest – no attribution

I finished this raccoon yesterday and listed it in my Etsy shop. If I start to feel better, I’ll see what trouble I can get into in my art room this afternoon or evening. :0)

_____________

I called the store where we bought the fridge just a minute ago to ask what they suggested on getting the transparent plastic film off the stainless steel. The man who answered was very nice. He said he didn’t have any magic bullet, but that HE started at the outer corners and pulled inward toward the center of the fridge. He also suggested that we use the Allen wrench that came with the fridge to take off a handle on one side and see if that helped. These suggestions, plus continued use of the hair dryer, might yield some good results.

The throat spray I’m using to numb the back of my throat seems to be working better today than it was yesterday. I’m not in as much discomfort. I took aspirin and used the spray this morning. Hopefully, if I can arrange a bunch of rest during the day and sleep better tonight, I’ll be my usual sassy self soon!

I’m hoping that I can report still more progress on my computer tomorrow, plus progress in whatever is leaking on the second floor.

Hang in there!

5 Comments

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Beautiful Bird Photos

Michele Muse-@michelemuse.bsky.social

“A heart without dreams is like a bird without feathers.” — Suzy Kassem

Nature Art by Gibson-@azgibsonz.bsky.social

“Every bird, every tree, every flower reminds me what a blessing and privilege it is just to be alive.” — Marty Rubin

roadrunner-Patrick-@watchinthesky.bsky.social

“Wherever there are birds, there is hope.” ― Mehmet Murat Ildan

Royal Tern-Structure and Function-@aaronsimages.bsky.social

“If you want to fly, give up everything that weighs you down.” – Anonymous

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This is What I Call a Path – 4

Beskrajne Mudrosti-Pinterest
Christine Jacobs-Pinterest
floormat by Laura Bybee-KateBackdrop.com
Thomas Ritcherson-Pinterest

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Friday 1-31-2025

Nature Is Amazing – @AMAZINGNATURE on X

This little guy made me smile.

_______

This has been a super challenging month for us. First we studied our finances and decided to order a new computer for me. My husband of course wanted to build me one, rather than get one that was essentially ready to use. We’re closing in on being able to do the switch from the old to the new very soon.

Second, my side of our air mattress failed. We had to buy a new bed. It will be delivered February 26th. Until then, I’m sleeping in my recliner, on the sofa, or in the guest room.

Third, our ice maker on the fridge died. That resulted ‘somehow’ in the freezer below failing, as well. The tech came and went yesterday, unable to fix it, can’t get parts for it or a new ice maker. So we drove to Ft. Smith, to Jarry’s Appliances, and bought one that is much like the one we have loved here since 2006. To our astonishment, it could be delivered yesterday after 4pm. Then she called, asking if they could come in 30 minutes! We had eaten a quick lunch and then I cleaned out the failed fridge, stashing everything either in the pantry fridge or the pantry shelves. The delivery came, the guys took the old fridge, and then the clean up began. I had to mop the floor because the old fridge had been harboring water from the ice maker, I guess. Then we moved the stashed food to the new fridge.

We are still trying to get a plastic transparent coating off the stainless steel. We’re tackling it with a hair dryer, but I’ll call the lady at the store this morning and see if there is some better method.

Finally, when we were leaving to go look for a fridge, we saw a water stain on the living room ceiling. :0( I called our plumber and he will be here sometime today to see if he can find and fix whatever is leaking on the 2nd floor. And then, we’ll need to do something about the stain…

I am hopeful that nothing MORE will happen. I thought the saying was, ‘bad things happen in 3’s….’ We’ve had more than our share.

To add injury to insult, I have a sore throat now. I’m not running a fever, but I feel as if I’ve been run over by a truck. I’ve been taking aspirin and spraying the back of my throat with a ‘soothing spray’ that is supposed to numb the soreness. I’m also sucking on sore throat lozenges. I’m resting as much as I can, hoping I can throw this off. I really can’t remember the last time I had sore throat or flu-type symptoms. I didn’t need this. :0(

Enough griping. The good things are –

  • The computer changeover is almost finished. I’ll have a new faster computer with Windows 11 and won’t have to worry about Microsoft not supporting my operating system. Once I learn to deal with the things that are different, I should be a very happy camper.
  • We are in the position, with a lot of juggling and decision-making, to HANDLE the failing of things all around us. We’re slogging through, getting new things installed or scheduled, old things taken away.
  • The rain yesterday was RAIN – not winter stuff that would have snowed us in again.
  • I think if I can rest enough, I will feel better soon from the sore throat.
  • I have a warm, mostly dry house, the plumber will be here today, so that fix will be handled in time, as well.
  • My husband and I are pulling together in all this, helping each other make the decisions, balance the load, handle the details.

I hope that you are able to handle whatever is happening in your world in a way that makes your life better. I wish you strength, resolve, and a supporting hand.

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Triumph and Relief

Tina Ann

I have told you that our son lives across the world from us. We communicate daily via a chat program he set up for us, plus a conference call program. This allows me the illusion that he is NOT across the world from us, but only a message away. We chat daily – sometimes several times a day.

We’re setting up my new computer and I wanted to get the chat program on it. I had a real problem, though, in that my current computer gave me a message that the chat program wanted to “verify it’s you.” To do that, I was supposed to give it my username and password. I did, and it tried to send a confirmation email to the address – but that address is no longer active. I tried to change it, but it wouldn’t let me. AAAAAAACK!

I left a message for our son about the problem. Thankfully, he sent an email inviting me to sign up using the new computer. I used the new computer to follow the directions and finally got it working.

Our son helped me change the user name and password. He wanted me to display a picture with my account. We haven’t been able to move my pictures to the new computer yet, so I looked at what was available so far. In an old picture group, there was a picture of my husband and me, sharing a chair in my parent’s home back in the 60s when we were dating. I used that. Our son LOVED the pic. Apparently, he hadn’t seen that one before. He sent a smiling emoji and said he thought “we ought to go steady.” I replied, “we did, and over 55 years later….” It was a fun memory.

I then was able to move the program to the browser I use for that, so we’re all set. (We will tackle what we need to do to enable the conference calls later. We need to enable camera and microphone, and who knows how we do that.)

I am feeling triumphant that we were able to get this done this morning. Things are looking up.

I got a call a while ago from the tech, saying he was on his way… Fingers crossed about the ice maker.

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Filed under Cause for Celebration, Challenges, Changes, character-building exercises

Saving Bird Wood Sculpture

Saving Bird Wood Sculpture – Etsy

7 Comments

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More Rugs as an Art Form

EtsyDE
JustBePerfect.com
Wayfair
Snorider Fashion
Walmart
Word of Rug

5 Comments

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Thursday 1-30-2025

Leah Rina – Pinterest

The appliance technician is due here between 8 and 9 this morning. Fingers crossed that he can repair the ice maker, order parts to fix it, or order a new one for us, rather than our having to buy a new refrigerator. I am having my husband handle the service call for many reasons. Fingers crossed things go well.

__________

5 News

This is our weather map this morning. If you look right in the center, you’ll see Fort Smith. Greenwood is just south and east of there. We’re due for 2 to 4 inches of rain before the rain stops and are under a flood watch. We’re on top of our ridge line, so we don’t have to worry about flooding, but the tech may have trouble getting through Greenwood. I am glad it’s RAIN, rather than sleet, freezing rain, ice, or snow.

____________

I finished the raccoon wood burned and painted piece last night. I’ll post a pic of it later today or tomorrow.

I hope that your day is wonderful. “Arise, Go Forth, and Conquer!”

3 Comments

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Survival Wish

Susan Allen – Pinterest

1 Comment

Filed under Funny Signs - Humor

Beautiful Drawings

Kedi-Aski-via-Emma-Pinterest
Colin Ventura-@colinwoodart.bsky.social
drawyager.com
pixelorbyt.com
Raine-@Raine_draws-X
Meriem-Pinterest

7 Comments

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Purple Flowers

Antonio-Pinterest

“Happiness held is the seed; Happiness shared is the flower.”– John Harrigan

GreenRiverTropics-Etsy

“Love is the flower you’ve got to let grow.” – John Lennon

BoriFruitTrees-Etsy

“If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.”– Frances Hodgson Burnett

BestaMarket-Etsy

“Love is like wildflowers; it’s often found in the most unlikely places.”– Ralph Waldo Emerson

3 Comments

Filed under Favorite Quotes, Favorite Things

Wednesday 1-29-2025

TAMMY-Pinterest

Feeling a bit overwhelmed, a bit exhausted, but hopeful that things will be getting better reasonably soon.

We’ve had an avalanche of ‘things’ to deal with – trying to get my new computer set up, having to buy a new bed due to the failure of my side of our air bed, and worry about the possibility of having to buy a new fridge. Money has been flying in all directions and things are a bit stressful.

BUT –

The set up of my computer is progressing, inch by painful inch, thanks to the relentless work of my husband who keeps at things and finally figures something out, rather than tossing the whole computer out the window – at least figuratively – if I were dealing with this by myself. I stay and work with my husband as long as my nerves can take it, and then I excuse myself to go do something else for awhile, over and over during the day.

We drove to Fort Smith yesterday morning so we were at the Sleep Number Bed place when they first opened. 45 minutes later we had ordered a bed. That’s the good part. The poorer part is that the soonest they can deliver it, set it up, and take the old one away is February 26th. So I slept in my recliner part of the night and on the sofa the rest of the night last night. I feel lucky that I have a choice of doing that or sleeping in the guest room until we get the new bed.

Tomorrow the appliance tech comes to see if our ice maker in our fridge can be fixed. Since my husband is very opinionated on the subject, I have asked HIM to handle the service call. I will simply write the service call check and we’ll decide what we need to do. I really hope we don’t have to buy another fridge.

SO – computer/bed/fridge and the money flies. We are having to scramble a bit to handle all this, but thankfully, we will be able to.

Creating Art at the Children’s Museum

I used one of my ‘step-aways’ from work on the computer yesterday to listen to some music and work on the raccoon in my art room. He may be almost finished. I’ll decide today. It’s been fun to concentrate on trying-to- make-him-look-like-a-raccoon instead of all the REAL WORLD stuff around here. :0)

Getty Images-Catherine Falls Commercial-BBC Science Focus Magazine

I need to get some exercise in, too. I haven’t done any since we started trying to set up the computer. My regular routine has gotten lost in the demands of everything else.

I hope that your days have been filled with fun and interesting things.

9 Comments

Filed under Challenges, Changes, character-building exercises, Thoughts on a ________

Groaner

Indian Hills Signs – Vince, the Sign Guy

3 Comments

Filed under Funny Signs - Humor, Indian Hills Signs, punny

Dreams – Fantasies 6

Bajan Diva-Pinterest
Light in the Box
Phyllis-Pinterest

5 Comments

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Gorgeous Gourd Art

Beth Case – Pinterest
gourdarttalk.com
gourdarttalk.com
GourdsbyGrace-Etsy

9 Comments

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Tuesday 1-28-2025

Karin de Haas

Yesterday went by in a blur for me. The morning went well. We did our errands, had our dental cleaning and exam appointments, ate lunch out at a place we hadn’t been for at least a couple of years, and then came home.

We fought with setting up my new computer some more, making some progress. Last night my side of the air-mattress-type bed we have developed a serious leak. I ended up sleeping in a ‘hole’ almost directly on the board that supports the mattress. We have replaced the air pump and repaired another leak, and we’ve had the mattress since 2006, so we’re going to go to Ft. Smith today to see about replacing it. We’ll shop to replenish grocery supplies on the way home from there.

The tech who MAY be able to repair the ice maker in our fridge is due here Thursday. Fingers crossed that he can repair what we have.

The past few weeks have been pretty stressful, so I’m feeling lucky that I have things I can do to ‘take me away’ mentally and emotionally for a bit. I will make a point of taking breaks and restoring equanimity when I feel the need. Money is flying in all directions with little choice, so I’m looking forward to things calming down in the very near future. Fingers crossed.

Hope your day is calm and happy.

10 Comments

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Love to Laugh

Indian Hills Signs – Vince, the Sign Guy

I grew up surrounded by humor. My dad was quite creative, starting and running a one-man advertising agency in Tulsa, Oklahoma, winning advertising awards and becoming a bit famous in some circles.

He taught my brother and I to appreciate all forms of humor. He would drive me nuts asking, “What’s funny about that?” throughout the day. He told stories that had funny endings, or told so that you could picture the action so strongly you rolled on the floor with laughter. He drew funny or clever pictures. He constantly made jokes, made puns, played with the English language. He was sarcastic, snide, and one of the most caring people I’ve ever known.

He used humor as a protection against hard things in life and taught us to do the same. To this day, if I can stand back and see the humor in a situation, it calms me down, makes me smile, and allows me to handle things better. I miss him so much, but I can almost FEEL him looking down at me, saying, “Lighten up, Lin.”

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Amazing Chainsaw Art

Carmie Hires-Pinterest
Daan Bakker-Pinterest
Facebook.com-BTB Carvings, Beneath the Bark
Mirko Pepic-Pinterest

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Filed under Chainsaw Art, When Wood Comes Alive