and balloons last night on the chat program he set up for us, since there are 12 hours between us (13 when we’re doing Daylight Savings Time). He is finishing his birthday now.
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Awakened-Woman
This are quiet around here so far. Shhhhhh! My husband is still asleep. I woke early (for me) and went ahead and got up, so I’m on my second cup of coffee now with the morning chores finished.
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Lowe’s
This will be an uneventful day, I hope. We’ll do some errands and I have regular stuff to do, but I’m looking forward to spending time in my art room this afternoon. I’m working on a “parrot in a jungle” wood-burned and painted piece – hoping it will turn out all right and that I haven’t bitten off more than I can chew. I’m having a lot of fun working on it, and am wood-burning in my dreams! :0)
As you come to visit, there is a decoration we made attached to the mailbox at the bottom of our driveway. Right now, it’s Yosemite Sam. We have made 34 decorations in our shop, choosing favorite cartoon characters and holiday decorations.
Our robot welcomes you, doffing his hat and grinning. You can see one of the owls behind him. (We have one on either side of the driveway.)
Here’s a close-up of them.
About halfway up the driveway, our flying pig hung from a strong line over the driveway. The huge branch AND the pig came down in a storm. The pig is now in our shop, waiting for me to refurbish him. We’ll bolt him to one of the big boulders beside the driveway, so it looks like he’s about to take flight.
Meet our guard dog. He’s ready to defend us from harm.
This crow is on the other side, at about the same level as the guard dog, watching everyone who drives up.
Toward the top of the driveway is our sun face. He weighs a LOT and was really hard to attach to the tree.
Below the sun face on the same side is our turkey, made from an old propane bottle and scrap metal.
This turtle sits beside the turkey. We didn’t make this, but I painted his shell.
And there you have it. You have almost reached the house. You might have missed the signs on trees, “Is there life after death? Trespass here and find out,”“Trespassers Will Be Shot. Survivors Will Be Shot Again,” and “Trespassers will be composted.”
Welcome to the Lewises! We’ll continue introducing you to other ‘critters’ another time.
My day is starting off pretty nicely. My scales weren’t smirking at me quite so badly this morning, and it was satisfying to break into ‘new territory’ on the numbers. It gives me new motivation to lose the lard and move what is left. :0)
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The Home Depot
It’s 27 degrees F. right now, but it’s supposed to get up in the high 50s or low 60s this afternoon. Woo HOO! I’ll plan on using the opportunity to blow the leaves away from the front porch (buried now) and the sidewalks front and back.
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Inspira Health Network
It’s a good thing you can’t actually see or hear me right now. I’ve sneezed 47 times (more or less) in a row. And, at a certain point, I started saying bad words in between sneezes. I’ve gone through a bunch of kleenex (I should have bought stock in the company). I don’t have ‘allergies’ as such, but occasionally I’ll have a bout like this. It lasts so long and I sneeze so hard, my poor stomach muscles are sore for a day or so afterwards…
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My husband liked a new recipe so much lately that he asked if I would make it again. So right after lunch I’m going to put some chicken in the crock pot. The recipe is called, “Creamy Slow Cooker Chicken with Bacon & Cheese (low carb & keto). It’s from Kasey Trenum.com. I’m going to make twice as much as I did the first time so we have some good leftovers.
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Bablands
I started a new piece in my art room yesterday. It will be challenging. I’m going to try to wood burn a “parrot in a jungle.” I have no idea how it will turn out, but I’ve been dreaming about it for several days now. I got the basic layout done yesterday and hope to get upstairs to work on it more today. :0)
This morning I FINALLY met my interim weight loss goal of 45 pounds off. To be honest, I had almost given up, bouncing around with 3 pounds up and almost off over and over again. I had to weigh myself THREE TIMES before I finally was able to believe it. :0) Now I’ve set my next interim goal. Onward and downward! Measurements at the end of December.
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We’re doing several errands this morning, pretty much using up the morning, but after lunch I should have some time to get some things accomplished.
Tales of a Mountain Mama
It’s 32 degrees F. here right now and is only supposed to get to 45 this afternoon. I hate to put the fall behind us. I love to LOOK at pretty snow pictures, but I really prefer the other seasons when I can spend more time outside. If it warms up enough, I really need to blow leaves away from around the front porch and off the sidewalks at the front and back of the house.
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I had a nice chat with our son this morning. (It’s right before bedtime where he is, but we had a few minutes.) He is a bit upset about being 46 this coming Friday. I told him I was SO glad he was in this world and that I was bursting my buttons over what a GOOD man he is. I also reminded him that his parents are both older than dirt, and he has THAT to look forward to. :0)
I joined Blue Sky Social about 3 weeks ago. There are many wonderful photographs on this site, but Keith Boone’s work is special. Each time I come across a post of his, I have to stop, admire, then force myself to close my mouth. :0)
Can you see me grinning? I can almost FEEL the wind pounding these poor birds as they make their way across the shoreline.
I feel almost as if I had gone back to the beach. It’s a good thing I don’t live near the ocean, though, because I would want to sit there – hoping a sandpiper would come closer – instead of getting any work done.
I’m glad I can look at these, and Cindy’s other work whenever I need a boost. :0)
I’m grinning this morning because I have a more-than-full day today, doing fun stuff.
I’ll be up in my art room in a minute, finishing up things I’ll add to my Etsy site, hoping people will find and buy things they like for the holidays. A happy time of year for me. :0)
I’m looking forward to steak sandwiches for dinner tonight. I’ve recently found Lewis Healthy Life Keto Sandwich Bread so I’m grinning like a nut because I can again enjoy real sandwiches instead of using zero carb tortillas! Zero net carbs per slice. I’ll use our slicer to cut the leftover broiled steak from last night so the sandwiches will be easy to eat. Can’t wait!
I’ll write more posts later, after I come back down from the art room. I hope YOUR day has some fun in it, too.
Hugging Day “was created by Kevin Zaborney, a Christian pastor, and occurs annually on January 21. The day was first celebrated in 1986, in Clio, Michigan. The holiday is also observed in many other countries. The idea of National Hug Day is to encourage everyone to hug family and friends more often.”
It’s my HUMBLE opinion that EVERY day should be hugging day.
Pepe Lepew and Penelope
My husband and I have made lots of decorations for our mailbox in the 37 years we’ve lived here. We use 4×8 sheet metal, cutting out the designs with our CNC set-up and a computer-guided torch. My husband makes the mounting bracket and welds it onto the piece. We use an overhead projector to transfer the key parts of the design, front and back, and then I paint the piece on both sides, using weather-resistant paint.
We change the decorations less often now, and we have basically stopped making them, but people stopping to tell us how much they enjoy them really makes our day!
This is one of my personal favorites. I smile each time I see it. I love Calvin & Hobbes.
So, I say, ‘the heck with January 21st annually.’ Hugs are one of the best things on our planet. A hug heals your soul, mends broken parts. Our son gives the very best hugs in the world. They actually make me cry. I hope that you spread YOUR hugs far and wide to all the people you care about – today, and EVERY day.
I love the ocean. My husband and I were in California for some reason several years ago, the only time I’ve been there. We drove down the coast, down Highway 101. He wanted to show me the Marine Corps base at which he was trained in San Diego. I was fascinated by the water, the surf, but especially the sand pipers. They made me laugh as they skittered across the sand on their long, long legs. I could watch them forever.
Imagine my joy when I found the paintings of Cindy Cutler-Awrey. Looking at them immediately takes me back to the highway and the few times we stopped so I could drink in the atmosphere and laugh at the beautiful birds!
I wish I could buy it and spread her paintings throughout our home. Happiness on a canvas.
I had a really nice day yesterday. I wrote posts for the blog with short sessions of exercises with weights in-between in the morning, ate lunch and rested a bit, then spent time in my art room, did a session of yoga in the afternoon. My husband and I watched the KC Chiefs/LA Chargers football game after dinner – the closest win yet, with the final kick for a field goal carooming in the right direction off the left goal post for the score in the last second of play.
I LOVE really close games. In fact, I KNOW I would be maimed or killed if I attended a game in person. Usually I tend to change allegiances, rooting for whoever is behind, just so the game will be close.
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Latest group
Today I’m going to try to get the bookmarks I’ve finished so far onto my Etsy site. I’ll list them in the “Small Unique Gifts” section. I’m hoping for a ‘what-passes-for-normal’ day around here.
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The Anchor-Hope College
I hope that you have plans for the holidays that include family and friends. This is such a beautiful time of the year. One of my favorite things is driving around at night looking at the Christmas lights. Our square in Greenwood has more decorations each day. They’ve put decorations up and down the main streets off the square, too, and a Santa’s House for the kids. I’ll have to find out when our parade is scheduled. I might be able to convince my husband, the Grinch, to go this time.
I did medical transcription and bookkeeping for 8 years at a clinic with 8 busy general surgeons. I had my hands full, not knowing medical terminology and never having done online bookkeeping, but I did it. After about 9 months, I was working 12 to 14 hours daily trying to keep up with the workload.
I asked for a raise and for them to hire a person to help ease my workload. My supervisor said they would discuss it. I was returning charts to the nurses’ area and overheard them saying, “Well, all she has to do is type what we say.”
I grinned and did just that for the rest of that day and the following. Here are some samples –
“She certainly is not just a typical internal hemorrhoid.”
“This gentleman recently was remarried and has no significant complaints to his rectum.”
“She will return in a week, next Tuesday, and she won’t be a week until this Friday, which is the day after tomorrow, no, three days from now, before the lesions on her chest could be, sutures on her chest could be removed.
“I don’t have any trouble with that, but I really believe that this, perhaps, doesn’t state something that I think is an undercurrent that we need to understand.”
At the end of this, my docs called me in, begging me to PLEASE stop typing what they said; wanting me to type what they SHOULD have said, or MEANT to say as I had been doing.
I got my raise, and I got an assistant to ease the workload.
When I resigned after 8 years, I gave each doc a copy of the ‘bloopers’ I had gathered – with what was dictated and who said each. My last day was spent joyfully listening to the laughing up and down the halls from the docs’ offices as they read. :0)
I think we can all use a good, strong hug these days as we face challenges personally and world-wide. Here is mine to you.
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Synergetic Play Therapy Institute
I’ve been having a busy, happy time in my art room. I’m going to add personalizable, hand-wood-burned, hand-painted bookmarks to HandmadeHavenbyLinda on Etsy at the beginning of next year. I’m trying all kinds of different techniques, grinning as I enjoy listening to music and experiment. Here’s a sample –
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I’m working on getting our Christmas cards ready to mail in the coming week. My husband had no interest in dictating a Christmas letter this year, but he wants me to write a note in each.
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Voyagers K9 Apparel
We’re still in a drought situation here, so I’m happy that we might get some much-needed relief here this afternoon. We’re supposed to get “light rain” from about 10 this morning until around 5 this afternoon. Hope the forecasters are right!
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We’ll watch the KC Chiefs game this evening. Every game so far has been a nail-biter, not knowing who will win until the final moments. I LOVE it when teams are evenly matched. I wouldn’t even THINK of ever attending a game live. I tend to switch allegiances over and over during a game, rooting for the underdog so the game will be close again. I’m sure die-hard fans would squash me like an odious bug. :0)
Feeling somber today with thoughts of the 83rd anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day. Makes me realize that my worries and concerns are silly in comparison.
My husband was a U.S. Marine for 4 years – 1965-1969. They were on a ship, offshore everywhere in crisis during that time. The most dangerous, I guess, was when he was offshore Cuba. He trained hard and was proud of his service – earned a medal for marksmanship, among others, but was frustrated that he never faced combat. He really wanted to know if he was ‘any good,’ if he could survive. I, being a selfish type in love with him, was relieved he never had to find out.
When we were in California years later at a conference, we took the time to drive down Highway 101 along the CA coast down to San Diego to see the Marine Base there. I think he was disappointed that there were no signs saying, “H. Lewis trained here” and there were no ‘jarheads’ exercising in the heat while we were there.
He’s still embarrassed when someone thanks him for his service. I wanted to purchase a stone plaque in the square in Greenwood to honor his service, but he said an adamant ‘no!’ He feels that he doesn’t belong with those who faced combat, were wounded, or died. The plaques are for all who have served. We have agreed to disagree on this.
“On Dec. 7, 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The assault killed or wounded more than 3,500 American troops and civilians; severely damaged the fleet; and shocked the nation.”
My father wanted to serve when this happened in 1941. The services wouldn’t accept him because he broke his left arm in several places falling off a horse when he was 3 and that arm wasn’t set correctly, resulting in that arm being much shorter than the right and his hand unusable. He never got over not being able to ‘do his duty,’ when his country needed him. He was quite a man, though, and my personal hero.
We honor those who died in Pearl Harbor that day and their families.
If you’ve been reading my blog, you know that I whine from time to time that my efforts to lose the lard and get stronger are frustrated.
I’m into a routine now.
I’m eating low carb and monitoring what I’m eating and drinking on MyFitnessPal.com. This is a wonderful site with a free part that allows you to (1) set your goals (2) plan what you’re going to eat and drink ahead of time BEFORE you mess up, and (3) chart your progress with exercising, measurements and weight logs.
Womens Health
In-between posts on the blog to you, I’m doing short sessions of exercises with 3-pound weights, several reps of lots of different moves – some to the beat of music videos of ladies doing ‘drumming exercises’- and then I go back and write another post. This takes the ‘curse’ off of things for me. I have the weights on my computer counter right next to me, so it’s easy to stop, do a session, and then get back to what I was doing. I end up doing 4 to 5 sessions daily.
The Indian Express
I try to get in a session of “old-lady-yoga-stretches” – 30 to 45 minutes – every afternoon. I do NOT fold myself up into a paper airplane shape and sail across the room. I’m concentrating on relaxing, stretching my poor, aching body as far as I can into each position and breathing into it. I’m making progress because I’m stretching farther and able to relax into it better than I could when I started. I’m getting more flexible, looser, and my balance is improving. I can relax – unless Monster Cat decides to jump onto my feet and bite them.
Getty Images – Health
If the weather permits, I try to take at least a couple of walks around our yard daily. At one point, I decided I would walk down and get our mail every day. Doesn’t sound like much, does it.
Well, we live on top of a ridge line in Arkansas. Our driveway is 650+ feet from the house down to the road that runs in front of our property. It is graveled and STEEP. I tried to do this, but almost fell on my head several times trying to walk down, and then, even stopping several times to bend over and try to catch my breath, it felt like Mt. Everest to this old lady. Once was enough.
Now I walk out to our shop, around it, past our old veggie garden area, back to the house, around it, and do the round again. If the weather is nice, I put my gardening gloves on and carry my pruning shears so I can stop and cut something down while I’m out. (The woods are continually trying to recapture the land we took when we built our home 37 years ago now.)
Deviant Art
Finally, just for giggles, my husband helped me get our old Wii Fit to work again after several years. I stopped using it years ago due to my general laziness and it’s predilection for snark when I got on to measure my weight and when I tried to do the activities. I’m ignoring that and talking back to it now. :0)
I whine because even with watching what I eat like a hawk and pushing myself to move the lard daily, I’m having trouble meeting my current interim goal. I just bobble with 2 to 3 pounds over and over rather than actually meeting my goal and being able to set a new one. It’s aggravating, to say the least.
I guess it’s also character-building, because I AM sticking to my eating and exercise plan and I WILL – EVENTUALLY – reach this interim goal of 45 pounds off from my heaviest. Right now the result is 44 pounds down and almost 44 inches less. I. AM. DETERMINED.
We’re having a sunny, cool day today. (22 degrees F. this morning) We’ll do errands in a few minutes, bundling up. This sudden cold will take some getting-used-to!
Freepik
We had a nice chat with our son yesterday. There is 12 hours time difference between us, so usually we just leave messages, pictures, questions, etc. knowing the other will check each day. To actually see his face, seeing his smile and trying to make him laugh lifts my spirits for days afterward.
If you’re thinking about custom Christmas cards this year, this is a reminder that December 10th is the last day to order. Here is a link to my Christmas section on Etsy. (There are 5 choices)
We’re having a normal day. I’ve learned that ‘normal’ is a truly wonderful word. I hope YOU can use it, too. :0)
Josh Gluckstein uses recycled materials, such as cardboard, to create these wonderful pieces. An article on Josh’s work was written by Hidreley from BoredPanda.com
creativeartworksblog 