“And She’s Up! – 1 by Mary Lou Lewis
“And She’s Up! – 2 by Mary Lou Lewis
“And She’s Up! – 3 by Mary Lou Lewis
THANKS, Mary Lou. What a beautiful way to start our day!
Our First Sunrise on Our Vicarious Beach Vacation
Filed under Awe-Inspiring Photography, vicarious enjoyment
Kiss a Sandpiper for Me…
I told you that my Sister-in-law, Mary Lou, is at the beach soaking up the ocean, sandpipers, and trying to find teeth in the sand. :0)
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Today she sent me TWO videos that allow us to hear the SOUND of the waves, as well as the DELIGHTFUL sight of sandpipers skittering back and forth as the waves move in and then move out again.
ENJOY! I’ve tried to provide links to the videos here. I hope they work! THANK YOU, Mary Lou Lewis. These are two of the nicest gifts I’ve ever received. I’m STILL laughing and smiling!
Filed under Favorite Videos, vicarious enjoyment
Now THAT’S Funny – Take 3
On a repair shop door:
“WE CAN REPAIR ANYTHING. (PLEASE KNOCK HARD ON THE DOOR – THE BELL DOESN’T WORK.)”
Proofreading is a dying art, wouldn’t you say?
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“Man Kills Self Before Shooting Wife And Daughter”
This one I caught in the SGV Tribune the other day and called the Editorial Room and asked who wrote this.
It took two or three readings before the editor realized that what he was reading was impossible!!! They put in a correction the next day.
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“Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash,” Expert Says
Really? Ya’ think?
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“Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers”
Now that’s taking things a bit far!
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“Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over”
What a guy!
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Filed under Funny Signs - Humor
Pencil Sketches – Take 11
Filed under Creativity, drawings
“Mountain Yellow Flowers”
“Mountain Yellow Flowers” – Paul Militaru Photography
Filed under Paul Militaru Photography
A Little Progress
BuzzFeed
I’ve told you I’m a lousy housekeeper, and that almost anything takes priority in my day. Yesterday and today, though, I was determined to get our screened back porch cleaned up after the long winter, lots of wind and rain, and even more dust and pollen. When I took Amber’s kiddie pool off the porch, I was choking from all the ‘stuff’ I stirred up!
Yesterday I cleaned off the table, then cleaned each thing on the floor as I piled it on the table. I then swept. I dragged the garden hose onto the porch and hosed everything down, then scrubbed the floor.
Mohkam_Mopping-commons.wikimedia.org
Today I swept again, and then used a mop and combination cleaner and shine stuff to finish the floor. The porch actually looks pretty good right now.
Look quickly! The wind is blowing and we have a chance for rain tonight, so this won’t last. I’m planning for us to enjoy our lunch there today.
Wake Up Call
We have a subscription to The Family Handyman magazine. To be honest, we considering dropping our subscription each year, not because it isn’t a good magazine, but because very few of the projects pertain to us. About once a year, though, we find a really great project or article that reminds us why we renew. This year it’s an article called, “Avoid Insurance Surprises” by Lucie Amundsen, June 2018.
This was a wake-up call for us. We have house insurance, of course, but the article suggested that we make an appointment to have our insurance agent explain our policy in plain English, layman’s terms, so we really understood what we had. Were we SURE we had replacement insurance, rather than a lump sum that wouldn’t cover everything? How do they determine replacement cost? What do they think our house is worth? Is the well house covered? What about the shop? The greenhouse? Are we covered if our basement floods due to septic tank backup? Are all our contents covered? What restrictions do we have? What ISN’T covered? What has limits? Are there any discounts for the security stuff we installed? What would we do if we had a claim? What information would they need? Are there any endorsements or coverages we SHOULD have, but didn’t think of?
After spending 45 minutes with our agent this morning, we feel MUCH more secure. We did increase the coverage on our basement because that was limited and the limit was iffy, in our case. We DO have some homework to do. We make a DVD which has a picture of each thing we have that cost over $100. We take a pic of the receipt, too. We update it every 6 months, burning a DVD for our safe deposit box at the bank and another for our insurance agent. That’s good, but we could do better.
The first thing you’ll have to do in case of fire loss, or being blown to smithereens by a tornado, is to fill out endless forms listing each thing you lost, where you bought it and when, what you paid, etc. I’m going to do a spreadsheet using a copy of a claim form our agent gave me, so that I can go through our DVD and have a typed list I’ll put in the safe deposit box at the bank. I’ll also take more pics (like 4 views of each room) because I want to be sure that all we’ve lost can be identified.
We hope we’ll never need to file a claim, but losses happen in a matter of seconds sometimes, and it would sure be harder to list things when we’re wearing the only clothes we have on our backs and have a pen and a claim form in hand……
Moving These Old Bones
YourEllipticals.com
Week 2 of the Nutrisystem program suggests that you resume – or start – exercising. No longer having any excuses, I’m trying to work in a session on the elliptical trainer and a session of deep stretching through Yoga each day.
The first day I could only do 15 minutes on the elliptical. Yesterday I was able to do 30 minutes. I wear headphones and an MP3 player clipped to my shirt as this poor old body works out. I use the elliptical trainer because it’s so much easier on the joints than other exercise machines. I can move as fast or slowly as I need to. I can decrease or increase level of pressure needed to move the pedals. I can choose how many minutes I exercise. You can smile, picturing this old broad slogging away on the elliptical in my garage, eyes closed, singing along with my favorite tunes…. :0)
fffound.com
I’m not yet using my DVDs for my yoga. I’m moving really slowly on my mat, holding stretches for as long as I can, breathing into them, trying to get my muscles to relax. Relaxing seems to be more of a problem than anything else. That – and getting back up off the floor! :0) I feel much better after I’ve finished, though – more loose and flexible – so I’m determined to get on the mat every day.
The biggest problem at this point is that with eating every three hours, drinking four 16 oz bottles of water each day and the running to the bathroom that causes, plus the exercising leaves a much shorter day to do everything else that I’m used to doing.
I’ve decided though, that my health is my first priority. I’m trying to do ONE thing on my to-do list otherwise each day, and see how that goes. Today it’s cleaning off the back porch so that we can enjoy meals out there before summer hits.
We finish Week 2 on Thursday and I’ll provide an update then.
Vicarious Vacation at the Beach
My Sister-in-law, Mary Lou, always kindly allows me to enjoy her trips to the beach vicariously by sending me photos. It ALMOST works! I can ALMOST smell the ocean, and I DID laugh, imagining the sandpiper moving, skittering across the sand on its long, long legs.
“Beauty on A Cloudy Day” – Mary Lou Lewis
“Sandpiper” – Mary Lou Lewis
THANK YOU, Mary Lou, for taking us along with you! Have a wonderful, wonderful time.
Filed under Awe-Inspiring Photography, vicarious enjoyment
Garden Update – May 7, 2018
This afternoon we went out to check on the garden – weeding, harvesting, and taking pictures. I got hot and tired, so I didn’t do any harvesting today, but will tomorrow. We got the weeds taken care of, and everything seems to be very happy.
I was surprised to see how the broccoli has grown! Last week I had to look really carefully to see any sign at all of the broccoli head. I’ll harvest some of this tomorrow. I learned last year that the broccoli goes from this to really spread out like a bouquet and not good to eat fast. I’m hoping that I can encourage shoots off the main plant to produce more.
I lost one lettuce plant, and I have no clue what happened, since all the rest looked like this. We have romaine and iceberg head lettuce.
The onion plants are tall and strong looking. The spinach is still looking happy, although it prefers the cooler temperatures.
I planted several squares of radishes last week, and you can see them here.
I decided to spread my plants out a lot more this year. I think that the square foot garden guy, Mel Bartholomew, gets a lot more involved with his garden than we do. My plants grew into each other last year and where the plants met, they seemed to smother. Everything seems happier this year, so far, with my idea of more air circulation around each plant.
I didn’t get pictures today of the two tomato planters on the other side of the house, but I’ll try to get some soon. They seem to be happy right now.
We turned on the irrigation system for the planters in the front yard and found where we had a blow-out. My husband said it looked like a ‘critter’ had been chewing on the pvc pipe that runs across the front of the yard, down over the edge between the ‘civilized’ and ‘woody’ parts. He had ordered a special repair tape a couple of years ago. This seemed a perfect time to try it. He wrapped the pvc pipe where the chew marks were and we’ll test it tomorrow, after it has time to adhere to itself fully.
Beautiful Day of Nature
We’ve spent almost all day outside. The weather is truly glorious – sunny and a pretty warm 91 degrees. The temperature surge was a bit unexpected, but we rested a lot and drank lots of water.
First, we did errands – and even there nature was all around us. ‘
As we started backed up off the driveway pad and started to go down the driveway, we saw TWO road runners running away, toward the garden. They both stopped when they heard us – tails up and as still as statues – then their heads and tails went down simultaneously and then headed away from us, streaking across the yard.
About half way to town we get to pass several neighbors who have horses. I always wave to them. Amber, our 93 pound yellow lab “puppy” was in the back seat of the car, taking a great interest in all the sights, sounds, and smells along the way.
On the way back, we saw
It was hot by the time we got home, so I got the baby pool from the back porch, squirted the dust off, and then started filling it. Amber was immediately by my side looking really interested. Last year was the first time she saw the pool, and she would tentatively get in, dance around a bit and then jump out.
I was only able to get this picture, but she actually laid down a few times, looking blissfully happy, drinking some as she enjoyed the feeling of being wet and cooled off. We’ll need to figure out how we’ll handle this if she totally immerses herself each time we let her out…
Filed under Amazing Animals, Mother Nature
Now THAT’S Funny! – Take 2
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Notice in health food shop window: “CLOSED DUE TO ILLNESS…”
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Spotted in a safari park:
(I sure hope so.)
“ELEPHANTS, PLEASE STAY IN YOUR CAR.”
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Seen during a conference:
“FOR ANYONE WHO HAS CHILDREN AND DOESN’T KNOW IT, THERE IS A DAY CARE ON THE 1ST FLOOR.”
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Notice in a farmer’s field:
“THE FARMER ALLOWS WALKERS TO CROSS THE FIELD FOR FREE, BUT THE BULL CHARGES.”
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Message on a leaflet:
“IF YOU CANNOT READ, THIS LEAFLET WILL TELL YOU HOW TO GET LESSONS.”
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Filed under Funny Signs - Humor
“Mountain Vegetation”
“Mountain Vegetation” – Paul Militaru Photography
Filed under Paul Militaru Photography
Walk Around the Yard
We hurried to mow the grass and blow the debris off the sidewalks and driveway pad, just in case the rains would come swooping in. Tonight we’re supposed to have a chance of rain, but the day has been gorgeous. I took a break and took some pics to share with you. My husband loves clematis, and we’ve been trying to get the vines to grow up over the deck. Failing that, and finally admitting defeat, we planted some in plastic barrel halves on the east side of our property between the house and the greenhouse.
For a very short time each year my camellias bloom. Usually they are immediately beaten down by a rain storm, showering petals everywhere and giving up for another year. Right now they’re blooming, so fingers are crossed they last for more than a day or so.
Filed under Gardening, Mother Nature
Now THAT’S Funny!
SIGNS –
In a Laundromat:
“AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINES: PLEASE REMOVE ALL YOUR CLOTHES WHEN THE LIGHT GOES OUT.”
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In a London department store:
“BARGAIN BASEMENT UPSTAIRS…”
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In an office:
“WOULD THE PERSON WHO TOOK THE STEP LADDER YESTERDAY PLEASE BRING IT BACK OR FURTHER STEPS WILL BE TAKEN.”
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In an office:
“AFTER TEA BREAK, STAFF SHOULD EMPTY THE TEAPOT AND STAND UPSIDE DOWN ON THE DRAINING BOARD.”
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Outside a second-hand shop:
“WE EXCHANGE ANYTHING – BICYCLES, WASHING MACHINES, ETC. WHY NOT BRING YOUR WIFE ALONG AND GET A WONDERFUL BARGAIN?”
Filed under Funny Signs - Humor
Paintings of Children – Take 3
Whitelaw – http://www.worldofportraitpainting.com
“Winsome-A Child from Africa” – Stephie Butler – fineartamerica.com
Filed under Creativity, paintings of children
Folding Myself Into a Paper Airplane – Take 14
BoredPanda
NutriSystem suggested that I NOT exercise during the Turbo 13 week, so I happily followed that suggestion. Thursday of this week we started Week 2 of our programs, so there was no longer an excuse to lay off more formal exercising.
I’m now doing kind of a ‘free-form’ series of really long, slow stretches I learned from the “Gentle Yoga” series by instructor Cat Kabira. I found the series of DVDs through the website Sixty & Me, and I’ve been really happy – both with the website and the DVDs.
I’m stretching for 30 minutes (with Amber, our 93 pound puppy safely behind the gate in the office), trying to relax and move my body into good stretching positions and holding them and breathing into them. I lost some ground by not doing this every day, so I’m going to try to practice each day now.
The other thing I’m doing is 15 minutes on the Elliptical Trainer. We have it set up in the garage, so there is little excuse not to take advantage of it. I’m having to really push to do the 15 minutes, having been quite slothful lately.
Each day I’m getting a bit looser. I’m hoping to shed some stiffness and soreness as I move.
Filed under exercise, getting the lard off
Paintings of Children – Take 2
“Family Memories” – blog.zehoriginalart.com
“Vaughn” – yevgeniawatts.com
Filed under Creativity, paintings of children
“Little White Flowers”
“Little White Flowers” – Paul Militaru Photography
Filed under Paul Militaru Photography
Confusion Re NutriSystem Solved
urbclekki.wordpress.com
Yesterday I happily started Week 2 of our Nutrisystem plans, carefully having made note of Powerfuels (and lists of) and SmartCarbs (and lists of), as well as what each of us was to eat at the various times of the day.
I got to the point of adding dinner into my NuMi tracker records and discovered that I was going over the calorie limit at the top! I had thought that one of the perks of the Nutrisystem plan was that you didn’t have to count calories, but it was clear that I had messed up in some way. I deleted the veggies I had planned to eat and the snack I had been looking forward to eating after dinner, staying under the calorie limit.
I contacted one of the nice people connected to Nutrisystem via the live CHAT today – one of the great parts of the program, in my estimation. She said that I needed to switch to “nutrisystem’ instead of ‘turbo 13’ as the current stage of my program. (I had thought that when the NuMi page congratulated me on finishing the Turbo week, they would make any changes needed.) The kind lady switched my program stage for me and I was off to the races again.
We ate our first FLEX meal (meals eaten off the plan to teach you how to cope with the real world and not break your new eating plan). We’re supposed to eat one breakfast, one lunch, one dinner, and one snack as Flex meals each week, preferably not on the same day. We ate our regular Lunch Bunch with our good friends, not wanting to change our cherished time together. My husband had his loved chicken fingers and I had a big salad and a hard boiled egg, figuring I was eating two servings of veggies and one powerfuel.
We are delighted to be eating FRUIT again! We haven’t eaten fruit in maybe over a year, due to my husband being a type II diabetic and our trying to eat low carb. It’s such a treat! My husband’s blood sugar number yesterday was the lowest it’s been since we have been monitoring it!
We are making changes to our next order on almost a daily basis, finding things we don’t particularly care for, and other things we really like and want more of. The website makes it easy to do that.
So, my confusion and upset from yesterday was solved today. I’ll happily dive into the freezer this evening for a nice entree for each of us and probably an ice cream sandwich!!!
It’s All in the Way You Look At It
sayingimages.com
Filed under Attitude, Encouragement, Favorite Quotes
creativeartworksblog 