Beautiful Animal Portraits
Filed under drawings
Almost Perfect Beginning
Can you see me grinning?
I just enjoyed an ALMOST perfect beginning to my day.
Our son lives and works in Thailand. Before he left years ago, he set up a secure chat program for us to use, plus a secure video chat program. He is a really good communicator, so I can almost forget that he is across the world from us.
This morning we not only used the chat program, but switched to the video program. I got to see his wonderful face, and watched him smile and laugh. My heart simply filled. My husband came in and said “Hi.” Our son thought he looked “handsome.” :0)
We had such a good visit. The only thing that would have made it perfect was one of his hugs. As far as I am concerned, he gives the best hugs on the planet. If I don’t squeeze him hard enough, he lets me know. They make me cry they are so good, healing all the little places that could use a little love.
I hope that you are close to your kids – geographically or with good communication.
Beyond priceless.
Amazing Pet Portraits
Filed under drawings
1st Batch of Magnets
I’ll start painting the clothespin magnets as soon as the glue dries. :0)
Filed under Lewis Art, playing in my art room
When Dinner is at 6:00
I have always had one healthy thing – a healthy appetite. My appetite would kill a horse.
I can eat a full meal – actually an amount that includes servings for me AND my friends, relatives, and acquaintances… and then feel hungry again a short time later. I am teaching myself now what a ‘portion’ is. That varies, of course, by the food you are eating, but is usually much larger for something you consider truly odious and a dot in the middle of the plate for something you love. :0)
I am learning things that help me put off ideas of eating, like drinking a bottle of water several times a day, but particularly in the middle of the night, if I can’t sleep, I could eat the side of a house AFTER drinking the *^&%$_@$% bottle of water.
In my NEXT life, I am coming back several inches taller, maybe 5’7″ or so. I will be one of the people who ‘forgets’ to eat, or eats only as ‘fuel.’ The high point of my day will be my time for exercise – one that makes a good amount of endorphins. I will enjoy the idea of needing to GAIN weight and my clothes being too large.
It’s good that I live in a time where – if I can get my act together – there is plenty of help handy to get the lard off and keep it off. Right now I have a elliptical trainer in our garage and can do my yoga stretches in my living room. I have several exercise DVDs I can use to address all kinds of issues.
I have TWO new stores in town REAL FOOD and STU’S CLEAN COOKIN’ providing healthy individually portioned frozen meals I can pop into the microwave, rather than having to cook a lot. I have good raw veggies and some sugar-free ranch dip I can enjoy with them.
The dogs above and I are on the same page, as far as being READY whenever there is any chance of food. I am trying to get to the point where I’m so distracted by doing fun things that I ‘forget’ what time it is, and am actually surprised that it’s meal time… well, it COULD happen. :0)
Taking Time to Play
Yesterday I started making a dozen hand-painted wooden magnets. This is a fun thing. I’m enjoying coming up with different ideas for each one. I’m also going to see about making some magnets with painted clothespins. These can be done inexpensively, so if people like them, they can buy several without spending a lot. I hope the magnets make people smile.
I’ll post some pics later.
Filed under playing in my art room
And Wood Comes Alive
Filed under When Wood Comes Alive
Wonderful Wood
Filed under When Wood Comes Alive
Lucky
I am in the middle of a re-read of book # 47 (of 51) of the J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts) In Death series before diving into the newest one to come out in paperback.
I’m lucky because reading is such a large part of my life.
My parents started teaching me to read when I was very young, exasperated that my mom, dad, and brother were all engrossed in a book, a crossword puzzle, and a comic book while I sat in the middle of the living room bored out of my mind. I looked from one to the other and finally said, in a loud voice, “I wish to HELL I could read!” Instead of beating my rear for the language, my mom got one of my books, sat on the floor with me, and began to change my life.
I became a teacher, earning my Master’s Degree as a Reading Specialist, using my guitar to help my sweet students learn phonics so that they had the tools to sound out unfamiliar words on their own. (That, and other things the public school frowned on, led me to start my own reading clinic, teaching students from kindergarten to adults who needed missing parts filled in so they understood what they needed to do to make sense of things.) We never actually made a profit, so I had to move on after 3-1/2 years to make money to help support our family.
After going through the school system myself, and then, particularly while earning my Masters while working full time, I lost my love for reading. I would find myself reading the newspaper, a magazine, or a paperback book as if I would be tested on it when I finished, the tension gathering in my neck and shoulders. It took me awhile, but finally I was able to relax again and simply dive in to learn something new, share someone else’s experience, or just dream.
Now I can’t imagine trying to live without reading. I find it difficult to name something else that changed my life for the better as much. It has saved my sanity – I THINK :0).
I am lucky to have several authors that I consider so wonderful I want to enter the worlds they have created over and over. Each time I do that, I find something I missed or have forgotten that enriches me, deepens my appreciation or understanding, fills my heart again.
I hope that you, too, are surrounded by people who share their expertise and creativity with you through their writing.
Filed under Hobbies, quality of life, Reading is FUNdamental
More Awe-Inspiring Photography
Filed under Awe-Inspiring Photography
Art from Found Things
Filed under Art From Found Things
Just Don’t
Yesterday I cooked a beef roast in the slow cooker. I fixed some rice, made some gravy with a keto type thickener, rather than flour, and we splurged with some corn – something we love but hadn’t enjoyed for a long time. The dinner was good and my husband was quite complimentary.
The NEXT thing was the important NEW thing.
I put the leftover rice into individual meal containers. I put in some of the beef roast, corn, and a spoonful or two of the gravy. I then sealed the containers and put them into the freezer.
I know. It doesn’t sound like anything to write about. The thing is, we USED to just put the leftovers in the fridge and finish them off the next night. NOW we EACH have two more meals to eat when the time is right – meals that are a ‘portion’ that regular humans eat, rather than just grabbing large bowls and dividing the leftovers up.
This is a huge difference for us and I feel happy. We had plenty for 4 more meals. We RECOGNIZED that, and divided things up so that eating the way normal people do will be EASY for us.
HOORAY!
Filed under DIET!
Declaring Victory –
We took the bed apart, down to the air mattresses and pumps. We used soapy water all around the pumps hoses, and then around the edges of the mattress on my husband’s side. Everything was nice and firm and we found absolutely no sign of a leak. He said the firmness was still up from last night.
We’re not sure if the jostling around that we did got something back in place, more settled, or more secure, but we are declaring victory. We have the main part of the bed put back together now and are waiting for the mattress cover to get finished in the dryer. Then we’ll put it on and add the fresh sheets.
A lot of activity this morning, but it’s good to know that even if we continue to have a slow leak, it isn’t because of something serious.
Filed under Housekeeping - Maintenance
Love Affair
The next thing on my diet list is to keep trying recipes for low carb bread. I’ve found one that is workable, but not great.
I’ve always had a love affair with bread. I love the creative things people do when baking bread so that it looks beautiful while tasting wonderful. I enjoy the idea of breaking off a hunk of bread and enjoying it with soups or stews. I really like a roll with dinner or a sandwich for lunch.
That said, bread is part of the reason I am trying to lose my lard. I am looking for ONE low carb bread recipe that I can make where I can slice it for sandwiches or use it as a replacement for a roll.
If you have one that you think is good, I would really appreciate it if you would let me know.
Filed under DIET!
We Have a Leak
In 2005 we bought a competitor to the Sleep Number Bed, called Celenia, by Comfortaire. It has been a wonderful bed. We particularly like the fact that each of us can independently adjust the firmness of our side of the bed. It has worked flawlessly until lately, when my husband keeps having to hit the control to pump up his side.
We stripped the bed all the way down to the fancy, super-sturdy air mattresses this morning. We will tackle finding and repairing the leak, if possible today. This is much like finding a leak in a tire. We will make up a solution of soap and water and see if any area of the bed bubbles up. If that doesn’t find it, the problem may be where the hose goes into the mattress – a more complicated problem.
I’m a good go-fer and will endeavor to keep my mouth firmly closed – with any suggestions or questions squelched before they are allowed to see the light of day. Hopefully, we will find and fix the leak while I’m washing everything that goes ON the bed. I really would rather not have to call and try to find someone who can come and fix it for us…
Fingers crossed for our success.
Filed under Challenges, Housekeeping - Maintenance
‘Enthusiastic’ Eating
My husband has requested that I cook a roast in the crock pot, so I’ll do that tomorrow. I’m am learning to put any leftovers into individual meal containers for us and put them into the freezer, to be put into the regular rotation.
Mostly, though, we center our eating around two new places in Greenwood that offer healthy frozen individual meals. REAL FOOD and STU’S CLEAN COOKIN’ both offer really delicious meals, and we are thoroughly enjoying them.
We center our eating for the day around our dinner frozen meal. We are usually sharing a homemade tuna fish salad and sugar free jello for lunch. My husband has some sweet pickles and I have green or black olives. I usually add another portion of veggies to our evening meal.
Our biggest problems center around snacking. I am trying to decide what my snack for the day will be and stick to it. I am also trying to drink lots of water. Sometimes I think that all the water-drinking advice is a ploy to get even the most sluggish among us to get some exercise – running to the bathroom! We both really want ‘something’ as we move toward bedtime. I’m trying to work on things for that, too.
We fell off the wagon during the pandemic and should be up for an award or two for creating new excuses for not eating the way we should and exercises. We are back in the saddle now and are seeing some steady progress.
Even though the winter and the pandemic encourage our desire for comfort food, I’m trying to look at this as an opportunity to have MORE control over what we are putting into our mouths and how we are spending our time.
I will try to be a good little girl and get my gold stars for my exercises today. :0)
Hope is Where You Find It
There is SO much hate and hostility now sometimes coming at us in waves. To combat this, I am looking for hope where I can find it.
This morning when I let our yellow lab, Amber, out, I noticed that our silly daffodils have shot up greenery in preparation for blooming in the spring. We have a good 6 weeks or more of really bad weather for daffodils, maybe even resulting in their deaths. Yet here they are, giving life their all, full of hope that things will get better.
I dug up our daffodils several years ago, transplanting them around the yard. I dug deep and thought I had gotten all the bulbs out, since it’s kind of a pain to deal with them around the well house. Some came up anyway, despite my efforts, determined to put on a show.
Each year they are thicker and stronger, and I look at them as determined, hopeful, heroic, happy plants, believing they should come up wherever they want and be treasured wherever they are found.
May we all look at the ‘silly daffodils,’ full of hope in the middle of a hostile environment, determined to add their beauty and optimism wherever they are – and emulate them.
Where will you bloom?
Filed under Favorite Things, hope, Mother Nature
creativeartworksblog 