This father chimp tickles kisses his son & makes him laugh. Animals can compare others' mental states & understand feelings. The smile on the baby's face is precious, as kind interactions bring out the best. 🙏🪄 pic.twitter.com/CjsEoOY5gq
Elina Birzkalne is a Latvian Artist. A group shares a website called DukeJacobArt on Etsy to show and sell their work. You can go to the site, type in Elina’s name and see all her work on the site.
You sent photos of your pet to Denise and agree on details, and she creates a portrait for you from paper. I think these are super creative and quite distinctive.
We’re lucky to be having a gorgeous Tuesday here. It’s sunny and is forecast get to the low 70s today! But it’s FEBRUARY! Shhhh!
We didn’t sleep well. Amber decided something was trying to encroach in the middle of the night and started barking. I tried to ignore it, then got up to go down and talk to Amber and she stopped.
We did this FOUR. SEPARATE. TIMES. I’m still fantasizing about tearing her tongue out so she can’t bark. It’s amazing that a dog who looks so pretty and SWEET can drive you nuts. Anyway, we are all up now and halfway functional.
I have to tell you it was a pleasure to be able to fully use our master bathroom last night and this morning. Our plumber’s helper, Josh, was here right at 8:30 and put the new parts in my basin and draining system, then pulled the toilet, resealed it, and replaced the parts in the tank. We’re fully functional again. I have to put everything back under the sink and in the toilet part of the bathroom, but I’ll do that slowly so my back doesn’t yell too loudly.
Pinterest
I did my yoga practice like a good girl. I did a new abdomen exercise Sunday which made my stomach muscles sore – a very good sign. I did it again yesterday and will keep doing it until my muscles aren’t sore, at which point I’ll increase the reps. Did I tell you I love seeing sparkly stars on my desk calendar for my exercise? I will never outgrow that…
We had quite a nature-filled evening. There were deer in the driveway, setting off the driveway detector. When I went out to check, there were also several white-tailed rabbits playing in the grass between our house and our shop and a roadrunner standing on one of the woodpiles. We also heard a group of coyotes singing for a minute or two. It’s really a distinctive sound. Kind of eerie. I have no clue why they do it.
I’m researching modifying the way I eat. I’m trying to cut my carbs way back, but I’m not really strictly following the keto eating plan. My lack of gallbladder makes handling all that fat difficult at best. My plan is to just do about 2/3 of the plan, eating the fat naturally included, but not trying to eat more than necessary.
I have Simply Keto – a wonderful book by Suzanne Ryan – that explains what to do and provides recipes that we already know we like, such as Keto Chili and a breakfast quiche type meal that we eat for dinner. We’ll see what happens. Fingers crossed.
Even though it’s Monday and maybe you didn’t start today in the best mood, I hope that these two photos from two people I follow on X will bring up your spirits. Our world can be so beautiful!
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Our plumber was due at 8:30 and he’s up there now working. He has to install a new part that wore out in my sink, and install a new seal in the toilet in our master bath. Hopefully, we’ll be in good shape when he finishes.
I moved our truck out of the garage first thing so I wouldn’t get penned in by one or two trucks this morning. I swept out the empty half of the garage. We gathered our trash and put the bags in the back of the truck so I can drag the trash can where it needs to be and put the bags in for pickup tomorrow. I’ll get the mail I didn’t get Saturday.
Freepik
I have a massage this morning and my poor body is crying, “YES!” I’ve missed two massages lately due to weather once and my husband’s fall the second time, so I’m really looking forward to Lynn’s help.
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I’m going to try to earn 7 sparkly stars for my desk calendar for practicing yoga stretches this week. I earned one yesterday for a good session. I’m really hoping I can build a ‘habit’ that becomes automatic. I can’t afford to be too lazy or ‘too busy’ to do this for myself.
MyFitnessPal.com
I’ve decided to make some changes in my eating, hoping to spur my system to lose the lard. I’m making the changes slowly but hope to see some starting results in a week or two.
Freepik
And that’s it for me this President’s Day. I hope it’s a good one for you.
I love this idea. It inspires me to try to ‘draw a line around my think.’ I thought of an idea for a Christmas present I’d like to try to make. I’ve printed an image to work from for a wood-burning project. We’ll see…
Di van Niekerk – Artist and Designer – DiCraft.com
Yesterday I was sharing some beautiful embroidery with you. A kind person commented to my post, confirming that it was, indeed, ribbon embroidery, and saying good things about Dicraft. I said I would check it out.
Dicraft.com is a beautiful website where Di offers freebies, books, supplies, designs, and kits for all kinds of beautiful embroidery. It’s amazing – truly. An example of this is that Di was frustrated because she couldn’t find ribbons she liked for her work. They just weren’t the color and FEEL she was looking for. So – she designed her own, using silk and organza ribbons, and painting the range of ribbons, and now selling them to the public.
If you’re interested, use the link above to explore the website. Warning: bring tissues because you might have a drooling problem…. :0)
This painting lifts my spirits and makes me smile. I LOVE all the light, too.
I slept fine last night, but I keep finding myself staring into space instead of doing whatever it is I’m intending to do. Hopefully, my coffee will make me more alert.
We’re having a beautiful, cold morning here with lots of sunshine. The weekend brought us pretty cold mornings, but the weather forecasters are saying a nice warm-up for the next 10 days. YEA!!!
Today marks Week 4 since my husband’s fall. Last night reminded my husband that he has some healing left to do. He was in bed while I was finishing up. He said he would turn his bed light on, but couldn’t lift his arm to do it, having to roll over to reach the switch. We agreed that he’s healing well, but needs to be mindful that he’s not fully healed yet and needs to be careful.
I’m going to make spaghetti for dinner tonight, making enough for a couple more dinners that can go in the freezer. Yoga this afternoon, maybe art room, as well. I hope that your Sunday is an enjoyable one.
I think this is ‘ribbon embroidery.’ I love the 3-dimensionality of it, the texture, the mixed-media work on some of it, and more. This is a really beautiful art form.
We’re having a nice, quiet morning so far today. It’s freezing right now, but the sun is shining brightly and the afternoon will be 44. I really am feeling lucky about the weather right now (knock on wood). It’s MUCH nicer than our usual Februaries and the daffodils are telling me spring will come here eventually.
Tomorrow marks Week 4 (of 10 to 12 weeks healing time) since my husband’s fall on the ice and resulting broken collarbone. We go Thursday for new x-rays and check by the orthopedic surgeon to make sure he’s healing all right. He doesn’t have any pain now and is getting around better and better.
“Relaxing jaw. Relaxing face….” I’m making some progress, finally, getting back into my yoga. My husband is doing well enough now that I can take half an hour to stretch and try to relax.
I still sound like Rice Krispies, crackling and popping my way into stretches, but I’m able to stretch a bit farther, or hold the pose a bit longer now. I still find myself listening for unfamiliar sounds, or being aware if my husband is in his recliner and shifts position, but it’s getting better.
I’ll also get even more help because my massage was rescheduled to Monday. I’m really looking forward to that. My therapist, Lynn, is a miracle-worker, finding and loosening whatever knots I’ve brought in, whether I knew about them or not.
Being a hard-head, having to learn things the hard way over and over, I’ve had to LEARN that practicing yoga for half an hour or more a day is a really good thing to do for myself. It makes me move easier, makes me hurt less, makes me looser, steadier on my feet, etc.
We got home just awhile ago. We enjoyed eating breakfast at one of our favorite restaurants in Greenwood, The Dari. AND, because of the kind pre-paid card from my massage therapist, we only owed $5.00, including tip. You can’t beat THAT with a stick.
We checked out Greenwood Pharmacy, 560 West Center Street, 479-996-2000, which just opened recently. (In a very short amount of time last year, our pharmacy, plus two others in Greenwood, closed.) The new pharmacist is Tanner Cooper, a nice young guy. We discovered his MOM went to school with our former pharmacist! Anyway, the next time we need to have a prescription filled locally, we’ll use his services.
Eating breakfast out today will help me ease into the fact that Lunch Bunch seems to have stopped now. Since Christmas, I am the one who texts and calls to see if anyone plans to come. We haven’t met since then. Things have quietly moved on. Everyone has other plans now or are unable to come. I’ll really miss seeing everyone each Friday, as we’ve been doing this for over 20 years. I don’t give things up gracefully, so I’m in mourning for the group.
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I’m hoping our plumber will get here today. After talking to him when he came recently to see what we needed, I’m feeling really lucky NOT to need him for something more serious. He and his helper are still busy trying to restore everyone to their former status after the incredibly cold weather we had for so long. We are lucky that our pipes didn’t freeze. We had to swallow a bit at the humongous electricity and water bills we just paid, but the alternative is much, much worse.
Sign of Spring Coming –
My sweet daffodils will probably get frozen, but they’re trying to bloom their heads off right now. They are in several places in the yard, with a gazillion bulbs ready to open. I love it.
We’re having a good morning. We both slept well and are feeling mostly human for a change. NICE.
I’m going for my first massage in about 45 minutes. My poor body has been yearning for Lynn, my wonderful massage therapist and friend, for what seems like forever. I’m really looking forward this. My husband will hold the fort while I’m going, ‘promising’ me he won’t do anything stupid…
Though I practically killed him last night. I was coming downstairs from taking my shower when he was taking Amber out for her last outing for the night. We had smelled a skunk earlier, so I told him to be really careful, ready to let the leash go if Amber bolted after one. He promised, clearly insulted that I would think that he would do anything stupid… He didn’t come back in quickly, so I padded out in my robe and bare feet. I yelled for him, asking if he was all right, and got the answer, “no.”
I rushed out to find him on his hands and knees behind his Vette, holding the dog leash in one hand and the leash in the other. I quickly took the dog leash and helped him up. He had gotten down there to see if the skunk was under his car and then couldn’t get up. The skunk WAS under there! I told him to leave it, got him and the dog inside, closed everything up, and decided we would deal with things in the morning.
This morning I could still smell skunk, but didn’t see anything under the car, so apparently the skunk left while the garage door was closing or went through the cat door after we closed up. My husband is all right – though you can see his ‘promises’ aren’t very confidence-building.
When I was working (some 45+ years) my husband always had flowers or other things delivered to me at work on any day OTHER than a special day. He really didn’t like to be ‘forced’ to do something just because it was Valentine’s Day, for example. He always did ‘just because’ days. I still like that attitude. But I do like special days, too. :0) I hope YOUR Valentine’s Day is a special one.
I truly love the creativity shown by people making snow people and animals. This is the last group of the year, since I’m HOPING winter is behind us and spring will come soon. (My daffodils are trying to bloom, so they are in agreement with me. :0) )
We dodged another bullet with the weather. Instead of rain and snow, we’re having a beautiful, chilly, sunny morning with a high of 64 expected this afternoon – AMAZING for February! HOORAAAAAY!
Amber woke us up this morning with her barking. Since she didn’t stop, I figured someone was out there, so leaped up, dressed as fast as I could, and left my husband sleeping. Nothing was happening that I could see, but the day was started. My husband came down shortly after that. He didn’t sleep well last night, so I’m hoping he can catch a nap or two during the day.
I’m doing some more work on my Etsy site, as well as scheming on new products to add. There is a website I’ve found called MadeUrban.com which has several good articles on listing handmade products online.
I hope you’re having a good morning and that you enjoy your day.
I had my husband get the mail while I fought with the trash can as we left this morning. It was raining, but my new ‘zig-zag’ pattern on rolling the trash can to the bottom of the driveway is working. I only felt I was skidding once.
It started to snow as we started to town. NOOOOOO! The forecast said light rain this morning, more this evening possibly changing to a dusting of snow overnight, mostly in NW Arkansas. Not NOW! Not HERE! It snowed on us almost all the way to Walmart, then let up. It rained on us again as we came out, almost as if a faucet had been turned on.
We stopped at the local grocery for the ‘bowls’ we love so much from the deli there. We’ll have them for lunch soon.
Now we’re home, snug as a bug in a rug. Of COURSE the rain has stopped.
BUT – the trash has been handled, the mail collected, and we have supplies for whatever does – or does not – fall from the sky overnight.
hahahahahahaha! My husband and I are very lucky. We didn’t sleep well, but we don’t have to go anywhere to work and can space out the stuff in our day as we need to, maybe catching a cat nap. This is one of the perks of being old as dirt, though the downside is legion. :0)
In our exciting day today, we’ll gather our trash, wrestle the humongous can to the bottom of our driveway, leaving it for emptying tomorrow. We’ll get our mail and then we’ll journey to Walmart for supplies, since the weather people say the rain will change to snow this evening.
The Super Bowl yesterday was the perfect game, as far as I’m concerned, in that it was a nail-biter to the very end. I know that many of you may have been rooting for the 49ers. It was a real pleasure for me to watch the best of the best on both teams. I really thought the Chiefs would lose a time or two, because the 49ers were outplaying them. Mahomes did his magic, though, and the Chiefs scored a touchdown while the 49ers only managed a field goal in overtime.
Women’s Health
Shout out to Mary Lou, who is under the weather today. Feel better soon!
Shout out to Cathy, whose tests came back negative. HOORAY! Hope YOU’RE feeling better now.
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