@christiantheils.bsky.social
“A fox is a wolf who sends flowers.” ~ Ruth Brown
Cory B – oldbonesphoto.com
“Shake paws, count your claws, You steal mine, I’ll borrow yours. Watch my whiskers, check both ears. Robber foxes have no fears.” ~ Brian Jacques
Eyes on the Prize – @helenbennett.bsky.social
“The sleeping fox catches no poultry.” ~ Benjamin Franklin
Filed under Amazing Animals
Rose Rose – Pinterest
Ruth – Pinterest
Sandy De Muro – Pinterest
I would love to have all three of these in my condo!!!!
Filed under When Wood Comes Alive
This is one of the ‘robots’ Harvey and I made when we lived on top of the ridge line in Arkansas. His body was a former propane tank. The rest was scrap metal. We decided what parts to use together. Harvey did the welding and I did the painting, plus added work gloves, fireplace tools, and his bow tie.
I was a bit ill yesterday morning, and we had to rush our walk home from the gym. By mid afternoon, though, I was fine again. I was a bit worried I might have a relapse this morning, and so got up early, but all was well. I walked my mile with no problems and feel fine today.
We will leave at 2pm to go to our appointment with one of Harvey’s doctors to get the paperwork needed to extend Harvey’s medical visa. Brian was on the phone much of the day with them yesterday, making sure they knew what we needed from this appointment. They wrote back, saying Harvey would have to be at the appointment. After several back and forths, Brian contacted the nursing home, asking for Harvey and a traveling nurse to be transported to the hospital in an ambulance to meet us and the doctor. After several MORE back and forths, the hospital wrote that Brian could act in Harvey’s behalf and that he didn’t need to be at the appointment. THEN Brian spent the rest of the evening trying to reach the nursing home to call OFF Harvey’s trip to the hospital….
I think that big corporations of one type or another are trying to drive Brian and me crazy. It all may be for the best of reasons, but it sure stacks everything against us in our efforts to get important things done. Hopefully we can get what we need for Harvey’s medical visa extension today. We will also try to see if there is a way around all this ‘stuff’ for the NEXT 90 days…
We’re having a really nice morning here in Chiang Mai. It actually felt refreshingly COOL this morning as we walked to the gym! The humidity is coming up fast and the ‘feels like’ temperature will be in the 90s this afternoon, with a thunderstorm predicted for around 6pm, but we can enjoy it now. Hopefully my laundry will get dry before any storms hit. 😛
I’m planning to tackle my owls jigsaw puzzle today, plus enjoy time in my art alcove.
I hope that your Sunday is a very pleasant one.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
I’m learning to do a lot of things differently, being a new resident in Thailand.
Language – Much of it is due to my inability to speak Thai. I’m using some videos that have two really cute friends – one Thai and one ‘something else-but speaking English’ – and the Thai lady is patiently teaching the English speaker how to say key phrases, such as “Hello.” and “Thank you.” I’m listening to the first couple of videos every day, trying to learn the pronunciation of these well enough to pass muster with my son, who has lived here 9 years and speaks Thai very well. (We are researching hearing aids for me. I lost my hearing suddenly in February when I almost died. Everything is quite muffled, hindering my ability to hear and try to reproduce sounds properly at this point. Once we get the hearing aids, I’m hoping I’ll get significantly better.)
Finances – Until I have a bank account with a ‘retirement’ stamp on my passport, I am hindered financially. We are making progress with this, but the timing is dictated by the immigration people and cannot be speeded up.
I got spoiled in the U.S. and living in a small town. It got to be second nature to order things online, primarily from Amazon. There is Lazada here, but I need to arrange for an account tied to my bank account to order online. There is also an app I will get at the appropriate time, also tied to a bank account, where you can scan a store’s code with your phone and pay for your purchase, rather than carrying large amounts of cash.
Traveling – There is always walking, of course, and Google Maps that will show you where you are vs where you want to go and then get back again.
There are cute little open vehicles called Tuk-tuks that will take you places, but few seem to speak English. Also small buses. We usually call Grab, like Uber in the U.S. The place we lived in Arkansas in the states didn’t have taxis or Uber yet. Brian uses an app on his phone to arrange for a nice vehicle to come to where we are and take us to where we would like to go, paying automatically. It usually only takes a minute or two. (You need to speak Thai, though. Usually the driver has a question or two.)
Eating – You can walk into a restaurant and use cash to eat. Most menus have pictures, though it’s hard for ME to tell whether something will blow the top of my head off or not. 😃. Brian usually orders our meals brought to the condo. He again uses the Grab app and Google Maps to decide what he wants to order, and great food appears downstairs with a notice on the phone and picture to go downstairs to pick it up. We have also been using this when Brian and I have different things to do. I text him, or he texts me, deciding on a coffee. He then texts me again with the order number and the picture, so I can go downstairs and pick it up. Wonderful, right?
So far, my mouth hangs open a lot, seeing how wonderfully things work here. I am enjoying my place, trying to learn how things are done here, trying to prepare myself to have more and more independence. It will all come together eventually. Meanwhile, I just enjoy.
Filed under Wonderful Things about Thailand
I’ve been having fun doing little images to say ‘thank you’ to my housekeeper, Khun Nong, each week. I also try to do little stuff to ease her way, like change my sheets, put out new towels, empty the trash, etc., because she concentrates on things like mopping or scrubbing floors, dusting EVERYTHING in my condo, even straightening up where I may be sloppy. (She prefers things to be extremely neat, all in a row, where I tend to leave things spread out and ‘askew.’ My place is stunningly clean and neat once a week, so if you come to Thailand to visit me, please come Friday evening. 😃
This week, this is what I found in my art alcove! Hopefully, it will be happy with the amount of sun it gets there and I can enjoy it for many years. I’m simply thrilled. I’ve never had a housekeeper before, but I feel sure that not many people have one who brings GIFTS, as well as doing a stellar job.
The sun is shining today! That means I could catch up on my laundry. I did some last night, leaving it on the drying rack on my balcony overnight, hoping it wouldn’t rain. I gathered up the dry things and put them away this morning after I got home from breakfast, plus did another load of laundry that is out there now.
There is a whole “army” doing my wash – I do mostly the small stuff. I take sheets and towels to Brian once a week because he has a clothes washer. If I have some of my nicer stuff, I bag it up and we take it to the laundry in the lobby of our condo building. A bit complicated, but it all works well.
I’m having a quiet day today, much appreciated after the “jumping-through-hoops” days we’ve been having lately. There are so many details to handle when moving to another country. We have a humongous list – trying to make progress on all these things in priority order, while trying to not lose anything in the shuffle. Thank goodness Brian is super organized, thinking for both of us. I’m just trying to go with the flow, be up for whatever happens, and be helpful if I can.
Make this a fun day!
Filed under Wonderful Things about Thailand
Last night at dinner Brian gave me flowers! Aren’t they beautiful? I thanked him from the bottom of my heart for making me feel special. 🤗
I’ve been to the gym, eaten breakfast, and will soon go for my massage. I look forward to it every week, as Khun Wey-o seems to be quite adept at finding and kneading out my sore spots.
We are going to visit Harvey as soon as I get back from the massage. We are jumping through hoops on renewing passports and visas. Since Harvey was at the hospital last time and is now at the nursing home, we are, in effect, starting over with some of the requirements for him. We have to take several pictures of him while we are there, documenting his bedridden status and getting a closeup of his face. Then there is a several page document, front and back, with several places he is supposed to sign. They will accept thumb prints, so we are ready to get those.
We also need a doctor’s certificate of his status. The nursing home cannot provide this, so, when we leave from our visit, we will go to the hospital, where we have requested this document. We may have to wait some time for this.
Then we will go back to the visa office and give all this to the lady who is handling this for us.
Depending on the time when we finish all this, we will either regroup for a bit before getting out of Khun Nong’s way for her to clean this afternoon. If it’s time for her to already be working, I have left the things I need in Brian’s condo to spend a few hours at the cafe next door while Brian works there on his laptop.
Many things on the list today. Wish us luck that all goes well instead of things blowing up in our faces. I wish YOU a wonderful day!
Filed under Family
@PuppiesIover on X
“Puppies are constantly inventing new ways to be bad. It’s fascinating. You come into a room they’ve been in and see pieces of debris and try to figure out what you had that was made from wicker or what had been stuffed with fluff.”
― Julie Klam
@BestinDogs on X
“Puppies are God’s idea of a perfect workout program.”
― Stephen King, Laurie
@BestinDogs on X
“I just need a dozen puppy kisses.”
― Jessica Marie Baumgartner
@PuppiesIover on X
“Mischief in a puppy is a promising sign.”
― Clare Bice, A Dog for Davie’s Hill
@PuppiesIover on X
“I’m not alone,” said the boy. “I’ve got a puppy.”
― Jane Thayer, The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy
Filed under Amazing Animals
We’ve had a pretty exhausting day already. We spent since 10 this morning attending to details about renewing our visas. We are closer to doing everything we need to do now, but we are having to jump through lots of hoops in order to accomplish it. I guess we can call this “good exercise” or “a character-building exercise… “
I now have an emergency call button! When my husband had his stroke in the middle of the night in April, I had to take the elevator upstairs to pound on Brian’s door, waking him up, for help. It got me thinking that I could get in trouble and not be able to get help. This button arrived today. I have one end in my pocket. The other end is with Brian in his condo. It won’t matter if he has turned off his phone or gone to bed. The call button emits a loud, obnoxious sound that will get his attention if need be. He has a key to my condo, and so can get to me. I feel more secure now, but hope I never have to use it. We’ve set it up for monthly checks to make sure it’s working properly.
Today would have been my mom’s 102nd birthday. I honor her for being an intelligent woman who could stand up in a room and say what was on her mind. She was basically self-educated, though she attended a two-year womans’ college in Missouri, leaving one class shy of graduating in one year. (Her dad didn’t think a woman’s education was important, and so gave her one year.) Most of her education came from her reading and working the New York Times Sunday crossword puzzles. She ran the office for my dad, who was a one-man advertising agency in Tulsa. She loved baby animals above anything, melting into a puddle whenever she saw one. I have so many good memories and am grateful I had such a great mom.
I’m using part of this afternoon to prepare for my cleaning lady (woo HOOO!!!!) to come tomorrow afternoon. My laundry is hanging on my drying rack (INSIDE today, since it’s rainy.) I’ve changed the sheets on my bed, put out clean towels and emptied the trash – otherwise just trying to make sure she can get to things to clean.
I’m planning to use the rest of the afternoon to play. I’m making a bit more progress on my owls puzzle, and I plan to spend time in my art alcove trying to reproduce an image I like.
I hope you’re arranging for some fun in YOUR day, too!
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Lisa is my new friend. She and her family adopted Amber, our yellow lab, when we moved to Thailand. She is not only a fellow animal lover, she is also an artist!
These photos show she is also quite a gardener, so we share a love of flowers.
Even though we live across the world from each other now, I want to keep touch and know her better
I love it when she sends pictures of her yard, her family, and her art.
Meet Lisa, my very special friend, a lovely person.
Filed under Gardening
This is a gazing ball that I covered in mosaic style to sit on in the middle of our birdbath in our yard in Arkansas. I loved the process, and it gave us joy for many years.
_____________
I spent an hour on the phone with our insurance company last night. We hope that we are sending what they want today and that things will be approved soon.
_____________
At dinner last night, Brian and I were discussing exercising – what we wanted to get from it. A few years ago, Brian did a bunch of weight lifting and exercising with a trainer and beefed up his muscles significantly. He gradually decided that he wanted to emphasize being healthy rather than concentrating on the muscles. When I told him I wanted to improve my stamina, particularly for walking here in Thailand; improve my flexibility, balance, etc., he showed me a couple of things he does every morning –
I’m going to add these to my yoga practice each day, where I’ve already added the strengthening-my-back exercises my doctor showed me. Hopefully, these – along with my walking a mile on the treadmill at the gym each morning – will work together to help me meet my goals.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Itina Lecour – Fine Art America
“Every bunny needs somebunny sometimes.” ~ Unknown
Paws by Zann
“You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.” ~ James. D. Miles – Pinterest.au
Pinkoi
“Bunny Rule. #1: Everything in the house belongs to the bunny. Humans Included.” ~ Bunny Approved
Pngtree
“Home – where the bunny hair sticks to everything – except the bunny.” ~ Facebook.com/Rabbit Ramblings
Yliia Oliarnyk
“If you don’t like bunnies…my bunny doesn’t like you and I don’t like you.” ~ Best4bunny.com
Filed under Amazing Animals
Phakimata – Depositphotos
We’ve had a challenging day, and it’s only half over!
We went to visit Harvey at the nursing home. He announced he had made two decisions: he was going to order a Galaxy 16 phone and I was going to pay for it. He couldn’t answer what he would do with the phone or who he wanted to call. He was convinced that Ka Pook, his male nurse, was a professional soccer player. He is apparently unable to read the paperback book Brian bought for him or use the new Kindle we got for him. He showed no real interest in the magazine I brought for him today. He wanted to go outside, but preceded to untie his trousers! We left at that point, having taken all we could.
We got another letter from our insurance company in the states. I will call them again tonight and try to make some progress in getting Brian reimbursed for all of out of pocket hospital expenses he has paid. Definitely a lesson in character-building.
Other than that, we have no complaints. We stopped for chocolate on the way home from the nursing home. We had a nice discussion before Brian left for work. I got my laundry that was drying on the rack on my balcony inside just as the rain started!😀 I have some plans for a fun 3 hours or so now here in my condo.
I hope that your day or evening has been a good one.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Natalie Lavorato – Pinterest
The Market Farmer
UOL 7 – Pinterest
Are you drooling over these, like I am?
Filed under Dreams
Freepik
We had beautiful weather here in Chiang Mai this morning. I did my 30 minutes on the treadmill with no problem, doing two minutes at a slower speed and then 3 minutes on a fast one for me, then back again, over and over until my time was up. I’m am finding this keeps my interest more than simply setting a speed and mindlessly watching the hiking videos on the screen. I don’t know if it’s really more effective at getting me more fit or not. I’ll see if I’ve lost anything more when I measure at the end of July.
I’m finally getting to the place where I can see I might actually reach my losing the lard goal set so long ago. My motivation to eat smaller portions, MANY fewer carbs, no added salt, and drink plenty of water during the day has increased as I move closer to my goal.
This is a photo of me when we were still in Arkansas. I had already lost some of my lard here, but obviously needed to get more serious.
Brian took this photo this morning after we finished breakfast. I’m wearing some new shorts and a tee that I can use for workout or lazing around in my condo. You may not be able to tell any difference, but I FEEL better now.
I’m down 68 pounds from my heaviest. I still want to lose 20 to 25 or so pounds and see how I feel then. I’m happy that I can do the workout on the treadmill so much more easily. Brian notices that I’m more agile, less apt to stumble on the uneven sidewalks and walkways than I was and I’m walking faster. I’m still having a problem with the humidity here, but I’m going to get better at that, too.
We still have a pretty large to-do list from the move to do, but we’ve had to space some things out for various reasons. Having fewer ‘have-to’s’ is bringing up our spirits. Today is a day that we can’t do anything on our list, so Brian is at work and I have the day to play in my condo.
My laundry is drying on the drying rack on my balcony. I’ve straightened the condo so all is in the right place. I’m planning to enjoy writing a couple of blog posts, spend some time trying to make progress on my puzzle. I’m into a wonderful new book by Lee Child and his younger brother Andrew Child, called, “Sentinel.”
I’m having a blast choosing drawings I find on the net and trying to reproduce them in my sketchbook. Drawing is still one of my weak spots in trying to create art, but I’m improving a bit.
Have a wonderful day or evening! Find something that brings you joy!
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Amazon.com
“Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen. ~ John Steinbeck
ArtLab 419
“For a good life: Work like a dog. Eat like a horse. Think like a fox. And play like a rabbit.” ~ George Allen
ArtPal
“Hallo, Rabbit,” he said, “is that you?” “Let’s pretend it isn’t,” said Rabbit, “and see what happens.” ~ A. A. Milne
Europosters.eu
“If you go too far down the rabbit hole of what people think about you, it can change everything about who you are.” ~ Taylor Swift
Fine Art America – Paul Krapf
“People look at me like I’m a little strange, when I go around talking to squirrels and rabbits and stuff. That’s ok. That’s just ok.” ~ Bob Ross
Filed under Amazing Animals
The rainy season in Chiang Mai typically spans from May to October, with the heaviest rainfall concentrated in August and September. While it’s often referred to as the “low season” due to increased rainfall, it also brings lush greenery, fewer crowds, and lower prices.
Key aspects of the rainy season in Chiang Mai:
It was absolutely POURING when I got up at 5 this morning. My inclination, after living in the states all my life, was to think the maybe Brian would call off going to the gym because of the rain. Then, when I was awake, I realized I was still thinking like a foreigner. Thai people take the rainy season in stride. Most things go on as usual. They might be delayed a bit, but no major changes. They are very prepared, with umbrellas, hats, rain suits, etc. and just go on with their day as usual.
Since we were going to the gym, my main concern was my carrier and everything in it getting soaked on our walk to and from the gym. I stuffed my key and sweat rag in one pocket and my phone in the other, carrying my rain suit.
Now the sun is shining, but the weather app is calling for heavy rains. I did my wash this morning and brought my drying rack inside, putting a sheet under it to catch any drips.
We don’t have anything on the schedule today. We shared a really nice breakfast (2 fried eggs, sliced sausage and sliced chicken with a dark juice) and will see each other for dinner.
I’m wearing a pair of my new silky shorts, looking forward to working on my owl puzzle, starting another drawing in my sketchbook, starting a new Lee Child book, playing on my computer a bit, and maybe taking a nap. I love it!
Filed under Wonderful Things about Thailand
I love these. They were sent to me my friend Marsha.
I have to admit the magician one took me a minute. 🤪
Filed under Funny Signs - Humor
Filed under Angie Wallace Fine Art
Yesterday we were gone most of the day so I didn’t have the energy to write any blog posts.
My day started with the treadmill at the gym. I came back, showered, dressed again and had breakfast with Brian.
Then I had my glorious massage with Wey-o. I felt like a limp noodle when she finished with me.
I came home, dressed again for running errands with Brian. We got him a new set of sheets at one place and then went to a store in the large mall where we had found clothes for me before. I bought some shorts with elastic at the waist and the material is light and airy. I also got some tee shirts to go with them, or to just wear any time. Brian got some shorts and tees, too.
We stopped for coffee on the way home. We got home just in time to grab supplies for spending time at the cafe next door to our condo building so we would be out of the way of Khun Nong, my housekeeper, while she performed her miracle in my place.
We got home in time to order and eat some dinner.
By the time I got back to my place the rest of my energy was used up getting tags off my new things and putting them away and prepping for this morning.
This is one of the latest paintings. I found this wonderful image on the net. It is not my design. It’s part of my effort to try to learn to draw what I see better. I loved the drawing when I saw it and wish I knew whose design it was so I could give the artist credit.
Anyway – BUSY – HAPPY day!
Filed under Routine
Light in the Box
I look at these images of what people have created as living spaces and drool and dream. It’s kind of a mini-vacation, drowning yourself in the beauty.
Lisa Smith – Pinterest
This one would give me even more motivation to keep walking at the gym – so I could negotiate these stairs with ease. I would love to see inside!
Marlene Alcocer – Pinterest
I would become a slug here – spending all day with drinks, books, and music here. You could come, too!
Michelle Reichhold – Pinterest
I will have to ogle this one from afar. For some reason, I get the urge to make bread – something I’ve had to cross off my list until further notice. Maybe a pot of beef stew in the slow cooker…
Filed under Dreams
Please skip this post if you don’t like puns. Some people consider puns the lowest form of humor. Others consider it the highest. I agree with the latter. My dad was full of all sorts of humor – from funny stories from his life, to jokes, to sarcasm, to puns. I grew up with it and learned to love it all. When you are able to see the humor in any given situation, it helps you cope with it in a healthy way. 😃
My dear friend Marsha sent these. I laughed my head off at some of them. I hope you smile, grin, smirk, guffaw, giggle, laugh and groan at a bit.
Hahahahahahahahaha! 😋 😀 🤣
Filed under Funny Signs - Humor
Masterfile
Thank goodness for chocolate therapy! We needed it after our visit with Harvey today at the nursing home. He was sitting in the wheelchair on the front porch when we arrived, but he was having a bad day. He was almost totally unresponsive.
The few questions he answered were totally inaudible. He simply mouthed the words. I, who have trouble hearing him when he IS audible and have to try to read his lips, couldn’t understand a thing he said today.
Apparently he had only two things on his mind. He wanted us to bring him a phone so that he could order what he’s seeing on TV. He has no idea where he is. He has no bank account, and we finally cut off the credit card on any accounts we have had in the past so that he can’t get on and order anything. He thinks he is in Arkansas or Oklahoma. He has no idea of money, or whether it makes sense to order what he has seen. He has seen it and he wants it.
The other thing he wanted was a hamburger and French fries. Brian ordered this for him, even though we’ll also pay for the meal they would have served him for lunch today. We watched him eat it. He didn’t say anything or even look pleased. He did wolf down the French fries, but only ate about half the burger.
We had brought him a new, simplified, Kindle, that was only for reading books. Brian had even downloaded all the books Harvey had on his old Kindle onto the new one. We tried to show him how to use it, but he just wasn’t catching on. We will try again next time.
So, today’s visit was a super challenge and very depressing. There just ‘wasn’t anyone in there today.”
We stopped on the way home for chocolate therapy to try to maintain sanity. Hopefully, the next visit will be a good one.
Filed under Family
Photo by mako mako
This is another part of the park where Brian and I walked yesterday when the power was out at the gym. What a beautiful walk we had! The only problem is my intolerance for high humidity, so I had to sit down and rest several times while we were walking. I’m so glad I got to see part of this stunning park!
Photo by Benjamin
This gives you an idea of where I sat with my new ‘family’ who adopted Harvey and me as honorary grandparents to their two children. I found out that the mother of this family, my new friend, started this “playdate” idea about a year and a half ago when she and her husband were trying to find other kids their child could play with. They have since added another child to their family, and the playdate group has grown steadily.
I don’t know how often they do this, but they choose a child-friendly restaurant and spread the word on date and time and all who can – come. There was a good crowd at Fernpresso on Lake yesterday, but not so many that there were any problems.
We walked down one side of the lake and back. My friend picked a humongous leaf from a teak tree and fashioned a Peter Pan type hat from it for her son. It was delightful.
I SO enjoyed watching Brian and his friend play with the friend’s almost four year old in a variety of games, using several different toys. They all had a great time.
I ate one bite of a delicious banana bread my friend got for her mom. We were all enjoying drinks. I had an iced mocha, and then some water afterward.
The appetizers above were definitely too pretty to eat, but I enjoyed one anyway, and the other gals ate the rest, plus shared a lunch. Brian and I had eaten breakfast, and weren’t due to eat until evening, so the bites and the drinks I had were more than enough.
We sat under a huge umbrella under a canopy of humongous trees beside the lake. There was also a ring-on-its-edge sculpture that misted water out, cooling the area even more.
We met other families who had come for the playdate. It was wonderful to see the parents and the children interacting with people they had met before, plus others who were new to them.
I’m so glad that Brian and I were included in this beautiful idea!
Filed under Wonderful Things about Thailand
SJ H
Brian and I walked to the gym this morning, went in when the lights went on as usual, but then the lights went off again. No power. We waited for several minutes, but it stayed dark, so we went back outside. We waited outside a few more minutes and then decided to do something else.
Brian knew about a park that was close to the gym, so we decided to walk around there. The park is called, Princess Mothers Health Garden.
“Leafy local park featuring abundant green space, shade trees & a network of walking paths.”
It is huge and quite beautiful. We only walked the paths in one area. Even though it was “Chiang Mai Cool” at 6 in the morning and quite nice for walking, the humidity is still a bit much for me. I’m hoping that in time I’ll adapt to the climate, but it looks as if it will be a slow process.
There were beautiful buildings and lots of really well taken care of paths and greenery. We walked around the area we chose at least twice, to be the equivalent of my walking on the treadmill at the gym. (without the fast and slow intervals.) Quite a good workout for me – I was using the small towel from my carrier liberally trying to keep the sweat out of my eyes. I was frustrated because that was obscuring my view of the beautiful park! It was a snail’s pace for poor Brian, but he was very patient, having accepted that his regular workout for the day wouldn’t happen.
So what could have been total disappointment about not getting our workout in the gym this morning turned into a beautiful walk and an adventure for me!
Filed under Wonderful Things about Thailand
photo by Dian Adriani David
The family who adopted Harvey and me to be honorary grandparents invited us for a ‘playdate’ today! Brian and I will meet the whole family, including their real grandmother who is visiting from the states, plus nannies, at this stunning place called Fernpresso at Lake.
It’s a really nice cafe beside a lake with lots of area for kids to play, get lots of sunshine, look at a beautiful lake, plus maybe get to play with a dog who is shown in some of the photos I saw online.
photo by Freda
This is part of the area around the cafe.
Photo by AJ
Part of the inside eating space. There are all kinds of places outside, too. I’m not sure which we’ll enjoy. We’re meeting there at 11, so I’m not sure if we’re having breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dessert. I’m up for whatever!😋
No credit given
Latte Lover
We will all eat, and then the nannies will give the parents a nice break by playing with the kids. This playdate will be a real experience! I can’t wait!
Filed under Wonderful Things about Thailand
“Canister With Attitude” – sususummercom
m.vk.com – Pinterest
Stardustivy – Pinterest
Filed under ceramics
I discovered the art of Angie Wallace via X. Her contact on X is @AngieWFineArt
She does pencil portraits of pets and horses, but also does wildlife, and offers these in the form of commissioned portraits, prints, greeting cards and gifts.
Her website is Angie Wallace Fine Art
I think she is absolutely amazing and just want to see more and more of her work.
Filed under Angie Wallace Fine Art, drawings
This was the flying pig Harvey and I made from an empty propane canister and scrap metal. He hung from a tree over the driveway looking down as visitors drove up to see us.
“You can put wings on a pig, but you don’t make it an eagle.” ~ William J. Clinton
Adobe Stock – WBeIlcHN8KqthzGPRnBiAUe0rx
“I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it.” ~ George Bernard Shaw
Amazon.ca
“Don’t try to teach a pig to sing. It doesn’t work, and it annoys the pig. “ ~ Judy Sheindlin
Displate
“People have a famously soft spot for pigs. Intelligent, inquisitive, imperious, myopic, sociable, gluttonous, grunting, ungainly, it is easy to recognize ourselves in them.”
― Isabella Tree, Wilding
Great Big Canvas
“I’m very proud to be called a pig, it stands for pride, integrity and guts.” ~ Ronald Reagan.
Print – Jeremy Norton Artist – Pinterest
“Who can’t like pigs? They’re wonderful creatures! I’ve always liked pigs.” ~ Alexander McCall Smith
Sunny Pig – Cari Humphry
“Pride grows in the human heart like lard on a pig.” ~ Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Filed under Amazing Animals
My dear friend Carla sent me this picture this morning.
When we left Arkansas to move to Thailand, my biggest concern was our pets – our yellow lab, Amber, and our weird cat, Jet (aka Monster Cat). Some people down the road from us we had never met before adopted Amber, and all seem very, very happy together.
My friend Carla said she would take Jet so that she could take the time required to rehome her to a family who would love her and take good care of her.
We had adopted Jet several months before from a shelter in Fort Smith. She was beautiful, but she came with some baggage. She had had a litter of kittens recently when we adopted her. She had been spayed and was ready to be adopted. She didn’t trust people.
She was not very affectionate and there was quite a challenge to get her to accept that Amber lived in our home, too. She definitely has quite a personality and isn’t afraid to show it – hence, her aka name.
Carla has a heart as large as Arkansas. She has several animals she has adopted and takes wonderful care of all of her menagerie. She took Jet out of the goodness of her heart because she knew I was so worried about leaving my pets.
Somehow – probably due to the huge kindness Carla shows to people and animals alike – Jet has become part of Carla’s family. The rest of the animals adapted much more quickly than Jet, and Jet was slow to warm up to Carla, as well.
This picture shows Jet lounging on the huge, comfy bed that actually belongs to the dog! She now sits in Carla’s lap. Jet definitely won the lottery on homes with Carla. 😁. This picture made my day. I still tear up when I see it, SO happy for both of them. I hugged Carla when she told me she would make sure Jet got a good home, and again when Jet and all her stuff went home with Carla, but it will never EVER be enough. ((((Carla))))
Filed under Family
Freepik
Since I’m not EVER going to be an ‘exercise afficionado,’ – particularly since it’s a bit late to start at 78 – I’m trying to make the exercise I AM doing do the most for me.
I read an article recently (actually, my friend Marsha pointed it out to me) that the Japanese had done a study that showed that, instead of just getting on the treadmill, setting the speed, and walking for 30 minutes (1 mile) as I have been doing for about a month and a half now, it’s more effective if you start with a warm-up of a couple of minutes, then increase your speed as if you were going to miss a bus, be late for work, etc. for a few minutes, and then go back to slow, repeating over and over for the same 30 minute session.
I don’t really know if it’s really doing me much more good than what I was mindlessly slogging through before, but it keeps my interest and makes me FEEL like I’m doing myself more good.
I’ve been doing what I call, “Old lady yoga stretches” for quite a while now, hoping to keep myself as flexible as possible, improve my balance, loosen stiff muscles, etc. The problem is that I’ve been planning to do my session in the evening after dinner.
I’ve finally recognized a tendency to either shorten my session or just put it off altogether due to my innate laziness. SO – now I’ve changed to doing my session in the afternoon, when I’m still relatively fresh, not sleepy, and more likely to do a full length session, slowly, with intention. (Like as soon as I finish writing this post!)
Last, my doctor here in Thailand recommended three exercises for me to do to strengthen my back when I told her about my ‘mystery debilitating back spasms’ from which I suffered for about a week.
I don’t have weights, but I DO have 1 liter bottles of water. I’m doing two of the exercises using one of the bottles. I’ll increase that to two when this gets easier.
The first exercise is to stand holding the bottle close to your body with both hands in front of you. You twist as far as you can to the left, then back to the front, then twist as far as you can to the right and back again. I’m doing 20 reps.
The second exercise starts with you standing holding the bottle in front of you legs spread for balance. You reach as far as you can up and to the left, hold, then bring it back. Then reach as far as you can up and to the right, hold, then bring it back. I’m doing 20 reps of this one, too.
The third exercise is really a challenge for me. I’m combining it with my yoga stretches. I’m flat on my stomach on my mat, arms in front of me on the floor in a ‘V’ shape. Then I’m supposed to lift up my arms and my head and as much of me as possible from the waist up off the floor and hold.
Yeah, right.
I’m doing the best I can, but I’m barely able to lift anything from my waist up off the floor now. I’m looking at this as the same theory as the lady who created the yoga video for seniors. She said that it doesn’t matter if you can’t touch your toes. If you are TRYING to touch your toes, bend over as far as you can and breathe into it, you are doing the same good for your body as if you DID touch your toes. Your body is stretching toward your goal and will give a bit more each day. I’m HOPING that – if I keep lifting up as much as I can each day – gradually I’ll do better and better. The lifting and stretching will hopefully strengthen my back a bit at a time.
Filed under exercise
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