Tag Archives: latest painted sketch

September 22, 2026 · 4:37 am

Tuesday 9-22-2026

Pamela Schifano – @pammypoo on Substack – The Daily Inspo

____________________________

Today’s visit with Harvey was like we were on a roller coaster emotion-wise. On the good side, his blood oxygen was good, so they removed the oxygen nasal tube for the first time in several weeks. He had asked his nurse to help him send a video to Brian, asking for a pizza. While he was asking him, he also told Brian he loved him. His nurse sent a video later of Harvey actually eating a slice of pizza without help and without choking. He was totally confused about time today. When we went in, he was complaining because he couldn’t get his watch to say “December.” We discovered that for some reason, he really thought that was the date. I showed him my watch and Brian showed him his, and Harvey finally calmed down. He didn’t know what year it was, thought he was 90, and that his birthday was in December. He actually knew who I was today and told me he loved me. He went on and on, though, about inappropriate, actually pornographic stuff. SO – some good, some not so good. He was comfortable. He was glad to see us.

_______________________________

I had a good time at the cafe this afternoon. I had found a photo on the net provided by Arthur David Spota – @adaspota.bsky.social – of an abandoned movie theater in Dresden, Germany. It really struck me, so I tried to draw it.

I was finishing up the details when a couple came up to me. They were very complimentary about my efforts, and I told them they made my day.

Here’s the painted sketch –

__________________________

I slept well last night and went to the gym this morning. Just at the end of my walk on the treadmill, the Ugly American came in. I was sitting on the bench waiting for Brian to finish. The man came in, tripped on the door sill, causing me to smile (inside.) He didn’t fall. He passed me and said, “Good morning.” It’s in my upbringing to be civil, so I said it back, gritting my teeth. And so it goes.

___________________________

We had one of my favorite dinners last night. It’s a burrito with chicken, salad, nuts, and cranberries, plus some kind of dressing. It’s absolutely delicious. It’s really too large, though, for a meal, and Brian really doesn’t like leftovers, so we won’t have it often.

It’s official – I’m down 100 pounds and a little over 94 inches now. I’m officially into maintenance now, just trying to keep my good eating habits, but allowing myself to branch out a bit, and concentrating on building strength, flexibility and stamina.

______________________________

A lady on Substack thinks I should write a book about my impressions of Thailand and include my sketches. I’m just going to concentrate on writing articles for Substack at this point and see what the reaction is.

____________________________

I have met another lady on Substack lately who just left Chiang Mai to go home to her native Australia. Apparently, she loves Chiang Mai, has been here several times and knows a whole lot more about than I do. She plans to come back in April and maybe we can arrange to meet!

_____________________________

www.bykateeelford.com – C.K. Tice

Leave a comment

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

September 19, 2026 · 9:48 pm

Sunday 9-20-2026

Pamela Schifano – @pammypoo on Substack

___________________

The “good was there” at the gym this morning because Ugly American wasn’t there to distract me. I was able to walk without holding on to the handlebars on the treadmill for the entire 30 minutes. Yea. I’m trying not to hope that he was visiting and has now gone home; because Finagle’s Law of Dynamic Negatives indicates that he will show up again tomorrow and I will discover soon that he is, in fact living here and will just become the bane of my existence.

____________________

I’m going to start writing a new article for Substack – this one about the Thai peoples’ reverence for trees; the reason behind it, how they show it, how they protect the trees, including some of my tree sketches.

___________________

This is my latest painted sketch –

________________________

Brian and I had a really interesting, tasty dinner last night. I asked him what it was called and he said the name, showed me the name on his phone, and I still don’t know. I’m hoping that it will be put in our regular round of dinners, though. It was a really dark brown rice, nutty in flavor, with chunks of pumpkin and chicken. Absolutely delicious comfort food type meal.

_______________________

I’m starting to feel better since Brian and I went ahead with my new morning regimen plus the change in dosage on my thyroid medication.

  • I’m alternating between a dosage of 100 mcg and 50 mcg of my levothyroxine, resulting in an average of 75 mcgs daily. According to our research, “perfect” would be 78 – so we’ll see how this goes. I take this first thing when I get up in the morning.
  • I let the thyroid med ‘settle’ while I’m getting ready for the gym. Then I drink electrolytes with a full glass of water. (They are more effective on an empty stomach according to the directions.) I mix chia seeds in a full glass of water just before we leave for the gym, leaving them soaking all the time we are gone. I take my shower, dress again, and then take my spoonful of olive oil and drink my glass of chia seeds before I go up for breakfast.
  • I take the rest of my meds when I come home from breakfast. And that’s it.

________________________

Today I have a quiet day, so I’ll make sure to make time to practice my guitar, work on my jigsaw puzzle, and read more of the “Fury In Death” book I started a couple of days ago. I’ll also base paint my sketch of “Bob” the ugly frog this morning. I’ll take this to the cafe this afternoon to add the details. I’ll also continue trying to draw an old movie theater.

____________________________

Leah – Trendy Koncepts

2 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Tagged as , , , , , , , ,

September 12, 2026 · 9:23 pm

Sunday 9-13-2026

Boo – @333too3 on Substack

Isn’t this wonderful!

___________________________

G&G Fitness Equipment

Because of my dizziness episode at the gym two days ago, I opted out of my treadmill walking again this morning, practicing my new routine on starting with electrolytes first thing in the morning and giving things time to settle before taking anything else before heading for the gym.

Just to show you what a mean person I am, I imagined Ugly American at the gym, disappointed that I wasn’t there to bug…. 🤣

I feel fine now, so will start back at the gym tomorrow.

__________________________

I’m having a normal, quiet day. I’m working on base painting a couple of sketches to take to the cafe later to add the details to this afternoon. Meanwhile, I’m writing blog posts and working on one for Substack.

I did finish one sketch yesterday –

______________________________

The forecast is for 94 degrees this afternoon. The sun is shining brightly right now. I have stuff out on my drying rack on the balcony taking advantage of this. I don’t think it is supposed to rain today!!!!

_____________________________

It’s funny. When I worked full time (essentially my whole life) I was celebrating a weekend, making plans, etc. Now that I’m retired, I don’t really HAVE a weekend. Everything is open all the time here with only a few exceptions, so we gone on with regular things as usual. So I have to REMIND myself that this is probably Saturday evening for most of you. I hope you’re having a fun weekend, enjoying things you don’t get to do during the week, getting caught up, finding time to rest and have fun.

_____________________________

Joleen Peterson

2 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , , , ,

August 23, 2026 · 11:09 pm

Monday 8-24-2026

TinaAnn

From May to October is Chiang Mai’s “Rainy Season.” While this doesn’t cause people to have to curtail activities, it does take some adaptation and a deep appreciation for water.

Last year, due to really leaky windows all around my condo, I created the “Towel and Bucket Brigade” – a one-person effort to sop up the water before it rain down the walls and soaked the floor. I used every towel I had in every size to roll up and put on the window sills around my place, then carry the bucket around, wringing out each towel and putting it back up until the leaking stopped. Then I would wring them out a final time and hang them on my drying rack on my little balcony, trying to dry them out before the next rain…

Now I am sitting in the lap of luxury. The Brigade has been dissolved, no longer needed since we replaced all of my windows, sealing them well, and installing some extras that channel the water away from my windows in the first place. I can now look and enjoy the rain – never taking for granted that I’m no longer leaping around with buckets and towels.

I do, however, carry my umbrella in my carrier, as well as my rain suit. One minute the sun is shining The next minute it’s POURING. Some of the places we go have flooding problems, too, so we need to be mindful of that during this time of the year.

_________________________

This is my latest painted sketch – the first in my “butterfly” series. I’m trying to be as careful as I can to get the butterfly details correct, but sometimes artistic license is necessary (meaning it didn’t go as well as I would have liked.) 🤭

__________________________

I told you a couple of days ago that our former hairstylist (and good friend) Michael had a stroke. He seems to be okay. He is, of course, supposed to rest and not work, but reality rears its ugly head. He HAS to work. He is self-employed and can’t afford to take any time off. Fortunately, the majority of his clients are willing to work with him on scheduling. I have sent him some unsolicited advice, plus the URL to an exercise for seniors website that I use myself that I hope he can work into his evenings, as well as a daily walk with his doggies. Prayers and good thoughts are very appreciated.

__________________________

I also told you that I was a bit disappointed that my doctor didn’t lower the dosage on my thyroid hormone prescription when we saw the latest lab work results. We wrote to her, asking her to revisit our question, but just this morning were notified that she is out of the office until early September. We have decided to experiment a bit and see what happens. We will be careful, but the symptoms I’m having are the same I used to have when I had Graves Disease (out of control hyperactive thyroid) before it was radiated.

__________________________

Pinterest

4 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

August 20, 2026 · 4:26 am

Thursday 8-20-2026

Sent to me by my SIL, ML. Love it!

_________________

I just came back from sketching at the cafe. It had started sprinkling just as I was finishing a sketch, so I packed everything up and came home. Just as I opened the door to my condo, the sky went dark and it POURED. Things are easing up now, but I got home in time to get my laundry off my balcony and stay dry. Hooraaaay!

___________________

Here is my latest painted sketch.

________________

I got my hair cut today. I don’t look like the woman in the picture I showed my stylist, but that wasn’t going to happen in any way, shape, or form. He DID get rid of all the excess hair in the back and on the sides, leaving the top long. This is me without any kind of styling ‘stuff.’ I can use mousse if I want to to try to make it a bit more edgy (I think), but it FEELS really good now. 💇

__________________

I wrote an article on Substack yesterday, seeing my grandparents as a child and now as an adult. It’s called, “Seeing My Grandparents – Then and Now – POV’s at 12 and 79.”

___________________

Brian met the heart doctor and Harvey’s nurse at the hospital yesterday to analyze a new blood sample the nurse brought and see if Harvey’s blood pressure medicine needed changing. Somehow, the bill for this was over $450! We will get with the docs at the hospital and the new owner of the nursing home and make sure we’re on the same page on what meds are necessary, and where we can get them for the lowest prices. We will see Harvey Saturday at the nursing home.

____________________

Today I did the prep stuff for my housekeeper coming tomorrow – changing the sheets, changing towels, gathering trash, general straightening. Tomorrow I have my massage (Ahhhhh!) and then Brian and I will go to the cafe to get out of the way until Khun Bpaum is finished cleaning.

____________________

11 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

August 18, 2026 · 1:49 am

Tuesday 8-18-2026

I added Yosemite Sam to Harvey’s “Happy Wall” this morning when we visited. He liked it and wanted it on his wall, but he wanted to put it on the “next” wall, whatever that meant, and he didn’t remember that we made this one out of sheet metal for our mailbox in Arkansas.

He knew who we were today, was calm and comfortable, and was NOT upset at the physical therapy he got yesterday morning or the man who worked with him on it. Hooray! He also liked my nail polish, and said I needed a haircut (Thursday!) So this was one of the better visits.

____________________

I got the test results back on my latest bloodwork at the routine doctor’s visit recently. It was all showing good, with improvement in all areas. We are writing the doctor back, though, asking her to revisit the dosage for my thyroid hormone. I’m tired much of the time, (just got up from a nap) – a sure sign to ME that my dosage is too high. I’ve lost 44 pounds since I first started seeing this doctor, and my dosage has been the same since before we moved to Thailand. I’m hoping that she will think that trying a lower dosage would be a good idea. We’ll see. Fingers crossed.

_____________________

This is my newest painted sketch

_____________________

I’m heading for the cafe now to relax and do some sketching.

Sahvannah Nargi

3 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , , , ,

August 13, 2026 · 1:31 am

Thursday 8-13-2026

PeopleImages

I’m having to make lots of notes – even checking what day we’re having when starting this post. Our week has been turned upside down on regular scheduling, and I’m trying really hard to keep my head on straight and not mess up too badly.

I had my routine doctor appointment today, so we went there – with me fasting – instead of getting ready for breakfast after the gym as usual. I should know the test results in a couple of days. I’m hoping that one of my medications – my Levothyroxin (thyroid hormone) dosage will be changed, since I’m not feeling the energy I usually do and am having to rest more. I also hope that I won’t have to go back for another 6 months. The only other thing on my medical list is seeing that my pacemaker is doing what it should. Fingers crossed! I really just don’t want to think about medical stuff and just want to keep on keepin’ on.

Usually I’m prepping today for my housekeeper to come clean Friday. I’m doing most of that stuff, because she told us she will come Saturday this week instead of Friday. This means I take sheets and towels to be laundered by Brian TOMORROW instead of Saturday. I still have my massage tomorrow, but that’s it for the day….

___________________________

I had a great day yesterday. First of all, I met my new honorary grandson in the lobby of the building yesterday. It was only for a couple of minutes, but he’s beautiful, mom is looking and and feeling fine, and proud papa is grinning and supportive. That makes me honorary grandma to two boys and a girl now, thanks to the great kindness of this family adopting my husband and me. (Brian is honorary uncle.)

____________________

At the cafe yesterday a Chinese lady plopped down in the chair at my table and pointed to my sketchbook. She gestured that she wanted to see my artwork. Thanks to Google Translate on my phone, we were able to communicate a bit. She was visiting, and she and her granddaughter, whom I met a bit later, are going to Bangkok today. They couldn’t have been nicer.

_____________________

On our travels yesterday, Brian and I saw a sign that said a shop was opening soon selling what they called, “Nose Tea.” Nose Tea (widely known in Thailand as “ชาจมูกเขียว” or the green nose tea) is a popular Thai beverage brand specializing in fruit and milk teas topped with a signature, highly smooth and creamy-salty cheese foam. Founded in 2023, it went viral on social media for its imported New Zealand cream cheese and refreshing fruit tea blends.

Core Ingredients

  • Tea Base: Premium imported green tea or jasmine green tea, or a blend of specific tea leaves depending on the order.
  • Cream Cheese Cap: 100% real imported cream cheese whipped fresh daily without powdered mixes or artificial raising agents.
  • Toppings & Mix-ins: Small tapioca pearls for the signature drink, or coarsely mashed fresh fruits (like mandarin orange, mango, lychee, peach, or grapes) for fruit tea options.
  • Liquid & Sweetener: Milk/creamer base for milk teas and customizable liquid sugar syrup levels

Thanks, but I think I’ll pass for now.

___________________________

Yesterday Brian texted me to “open the door.” When I did, he presented me with an armload of flowers! I learned that it was the Thai Mother’s Day ( I didn’t know they HAD one). The flowers – and the prize-worth hugs that went with them – really made me feel special.

Today when we were coming back from the gym, my favorite cleaning lady stopped us and started digging in her purse. She came out with this – a pin to wear on Mother’s Day! We hugged and smiled.

I’m going to wear the pin to the cafe when I leave in a few minutes. I really can’t believe how nice people are here.

I will happily share my flowers and my pin with you. Happy Thai Mother’s Day!!!!

This is my sketch that the Chinese lady liked yesterday.

Dr. Amber Rose – @beevenomtherapyforever on Substack

4 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

August 9, 2026 · 10:56 pm

Monday 8-10-2026

Pamela Schifano – @pammypoo on Substack

______________________

The street crew was busy again last night, but either they didn’t make as much noise, or I was so tired it didn’t matter, because I slept pretty well in spite of the trucks and activity. I awoke at 4 and looked out my window. The crew was still at work, but they were cleaning up, spraying the section of the street with water and sweeping. It would be interesting to know what they are doing, but….

______________________

I got what is probably a hair-brained weird idea yesterday, but I started work on it yesterday and will try to finish the first part today. You know that I have lost a pretty good amount of weight. As the end of that ended here in Thailand, I kept ‘modifying’ the waist of my jeans and cut-offs so that I could still wear them. It finally got to the point where I couldn’t take them in anymore and I bought a couple of pair of jeans that fit a lot better. (These are now getting loose, but that’s a story for another time.)

I put the old ones on a shelf in my closet. Yesterday I got the idea to cut the back pockets off a pair and sew them onto the front of a sweatshirt. Weird, right? Particularly in November through February, the weather is much cooler. We feel this because there is no central heat, no reliable space heaters, no electric blankets you can trust, etc. So you learn to dress in layers. (A sweatshirt is also good at the cafe, where they keep the a/c on ‘kill’ most of the time. ) If I don’t get ‘my’ spot by the window in the front, I get cold after a while and either put on the hoodie I’ve brought or a sweatshirt to stay comfortable.

The bathroom is in another part of the building. You walk outside from the cafe to the other part of the building to use the facilities. I have trained myself to take my phone with me in case of emergencies and it would be nice to have a pocket – the idea for transferring the pockets from my jeans to my sweatshirt. These pockets are large enough to hold my phone securely, plus Kleenex and whatnot in the other.

So I’m busily sewing them on the sweatshirt today. I have never been a fashion icon and appreciate ease, comfort, and practicality above all else these days, so I look forward to wearing the sweatshirt with the weird-looking added pockets.

_______________________________

this is my latest painted sketch

______________________

I read about a new exercise to help control blood sugar. At the end of the article, the “boat” pose was discussed as a good thing, too. (It also builds core muscles and helps with balance.)

“Boat pose, or Navasana, is a seated core-strengthening posture where you balance on your sit bones and lift your chest and legs to form a “V” shape. It targets the abdominals, hip flexors, and spine while building focus and stability.”

Best of all, the article said if you couldn’t do the exact boat pose, you can start in a seated position, knees up, feet flat on the floor. Then lift your feet up so your calves are parallel to the floor, and accomplish the same thing. This sounds doable to me. I plan to try it today, as Monday is yoga stretches afternoon.

_______________________

Cecy

6 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , , , ,

August 8, 2026 · 4:56 am

Saturday 8-8-2026

Pamela Schifano – @pammypoo on Substack

__________________

I am just home from the cafe because it looked like we were in for a heavy rain. Brian just texted me to make sure my windows and balcony door were secure because it looked like we might be in for a squall.

“A squall is a sudden, sharp increase in wind speed that lasts for several minutes, usually accompanied by rain, snow, or thunderstorms. It can also mean a loud, harsh cry, like a screaming baby.”

The sky has a line of really dark clouds now. I have brought in my drying rack off my balcony and secured things as well as possible. We haven’t had one of these since I’ve been here, so I’ll be interested to see what happens.

______________________

This is the sketch I finished at the cafe today. I also finished some thank you cards and started a sketch of a squirrel holding an acorn.

___________________

We went to visit Harvey this morning. When we walked in, both hands were tied up in big blown up bags. It turns out he was trying to remove his oxygen cannula again, and this was the only way to keep him from doing that. We took one off in order to get the thumb prints we needed for the renewal of his 90-day medical visa, and also to give him an orange drink. When he finished that, I blinked and he was removing the cannula, so we tied his hand back up. I explained to him AGAIN how important it is that he stay on the oxygen. (The low blood oxygen was what caused MY heart to stop twice in February of 2025). I’m not sure if it got through or not, but the bags will make SURE the cannula stays in. Otherwise, he seemed comfortable and was cooperative about doing the thumb prints, so I guess we can call it a good visit, though I felt exhausted and sad when I got home.

___________________

4 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , , ,

July 31, 2026 · 8:44 pm

Saturday 8-1-2026

TikTok

______________________

This is my newest sketch.

_______________________

We will leave soon to go visit Harvey at the nursing home. Otherwise, my day is free. HOORAY!

Elisabeth Sims

4 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , ,

July 27, 2026 · 4:25 am

Monday 7-27-2026

___________________

I just got back from the cafe. I had a good time. I finished another 100-page sketchbook today. I’ll paint the last two sketches in it tomorrow and see if I can finish them to show you. I did one sketch in the new book that is totally abstract. I love the colors and I have no idea if I can do it justice, trying to capture the feel of it.

Here’s the sketch I finished today. I think I told you what a happy sight it was when we were visiting Harvey in ICU at the hospital when I passed a locker room for the staff. It was FILLED with plush toys on keychains. I hope you can get an idea of it here. Even big, brawly-looking guys have plush toys on their backpacks here. I love it!

______________

Yesterday I met a lady named Heidi who was here visiting. She asked to see my stuff. She sat and we had the best visit. She does collage and had some samples with her. I loved the 3-D-ness of it. She did all kinds of things career-wise and had traveled extensively. She was from the States but described herself as a ‘nomad’ now. She’ll be here for about 9 more days. I hope to see her again before she leaves.

I visited with the owner of the cafe today. She is a small, pretty, bubbly woman who is a joy to know. She was gathering the ingredients to try a new cake today. She said if it turned out well, she would bring me a piece to try. My mouth is watering already for my session there tomorrow… 😋

_________________

http://www.skandyspine.com

I did my walking at the gym this morning and then a session of yoga stretches before I went to the cafe. It feels good to be over my sore throat and feeling mostly back to normal now. I want to start trying to use the stairs this week to go UP – if only one floor of it.

___________________

Sanjay Mahamine

6 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

June 3, 2026 · 10:54 pm

Thursday 6-4-2026

Tenor

Shout-Out to my SIL who is having a birthday. (I’m celebrating today because it’s the 4th here, but she won’t be celebrating until tomorrow because of the time difference. Please join me in wishing ML a very happy celebration whenever she has it!!!! 🥳

______________

Adobe Stock

I’m not really feeling THAT bad, I AM having to stick close to my place again today, drinking lots of fluids plus Gatorade, taking meds, eating very carefully with Brian, and getting lots of naps off and on. I wish we knew what it was we ate, but we don’t. We have a HINT that it MIGHT have been a chicken and rice and sauce dish that was really good…

_______________

This is the latest painted sketch I finished yesterday.

____________________

I’m working on two sketches now – one of a woman caressing a cat, and the other – hopefully – a more successful sketch of the elegant woman in the flowing dress. We’ll see. Fingers crossed. 🤞

______________________

Meanwhile, I’m using whatever energy I have to try to get ready for my housekeeper’s sister to come clean tomorrow – I’ve changed the sheets, gotten out fresh towels, gathered trash.

________________

Spiritual Sundays

5 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , , ,

May 29, 2026 · 9:00 pm

Saturday 5-30-2026

Helen Alexander – @bawley.bsky.social

Isn’t he magnificent? I love this photo!

_____________

Brian wasn’t feeling well this morning, so we didn’t go to the gym. Just as well – not that he wasn’t feeling well – but we had a pretty large storm just as we would have been outside trying to get to the gym. With the way it was pouring, with lots of close lightning and thunder, it would have been hard to collect ourselves to concentrate on walking on the treadmill when we got there.

The rain has stopped, so I have some laundry out drying (I hope) on my drying rack on my tiny balcony. We are planning to go visit Harvey at the nursing home this morning, if Brian’s stomach feels settled. He’ll let me know in a while if he wants to go and when.

_____________

Happily enough, my windows were wonderful! No leaks! This definitely would have been a “bucket and towel brigade” night and morning. Brian is going to check some ‘channels’ the builders installed on the outside of the building around each of the condos to make sure they are running freely and taking care of any excess water. (He used a straw on one of his, blowing some debris out of one of his channels this morning.) I will watch carefully to see where mine are.

_____________

Here is my latest painted sketch. I’m not happy with this. Because of my meager drawing skills, I have very little idea of perspective. In my mind’s eye, she is taller, quite slim, with the gauzy dress and hat billowing in the breeze as she walks past.

The thing that caught my eye in particular, other than her elegance in the middle of all the activity on the street, was that she was on her cell phone. The juxtaposition of the “Gone With the Wind” type dress and hat with the modern cell phone intrigued me.

I will probably try this again, trying to figure out a different way to do her justice.

___________________

I also sketched out 4 thank you cards. I have them base painted now, along with another larger sketch, but I need to finish the details.

____________________

10 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

May 29, 2026 · 12:26 am

Friday 5-29-2026

Mike Saunders – @hardwaterhacker.bsky.social

I love this place. My husband and I used to ‘judge’ whether or not we would like to live somewhere by ‘whether Fedex probably delivered or not.’ Noooo – I don’t think this would be practical, but I DO love it.

_________________

This is my latest painted sketch – “The Ice Cream Man – Thai Style.” Hearing the music played when he came down the street brought back some wonderful memories. Back in the Dark Ages when I was a kid, we would hear it and run like nuts all over the house, trying to gather enough money to buy what we loved. Then we would run out of our doors to meet him. We lived in a neighborhood in Tulsa, OK then, where there were two mile-long parallel streets, each with a house in the middle of an acre-and-a-quarter piece of land. You could see the kids running out, exactly as I was, all with happy faces in anticipation.

THIS ice cream man does not have kids running to greet him. He is traveling the super busy streets of Chiang Mai, with what to MY eyes is traffic that would challenge the most experienced driver. Kids are taught at an early age to not dart out into the street. There WERE 6 to 10 ladies who worked at a nail salon across the way who did rush out to meet him, money in hand. He stopped, apparently knowing this was a good stop on his regular route. All looked happy.

My son says the people who come by selling veggies (I haven’t seen one of these yet) have a “squawking-rubber-duckie-or-chicken” noise that is equally distinctive…

I will try to finish the elegant lady sketch when we go to the cafe in a few minutes. I’ll share that probably tomorrow.

_________________

On Fridays now, with Khun Nong’s sister taking her place as our housekeeper, our timetable is different than it used to be. When I come back from massage, Brian is here working, because the housekeeper is at his place.

He surprised me with ordering a to-die-for cream brulee treat and some lemonade for us. They surprised HIM with an extra one as a thank you for being a good customer! It is so wonderful to be able to splurge like this every once in a while without blowing my whole diet. My numbers are still good and my weight is holding steady, so I can indulge without guilt. Hooray!

__________________

The “Bucket and Towel Brigade” seems to be pretty much retired! We had some hard rain last night that would have triggered a much of the night vigil with towel wringing into the bucket and rolling the towels back up to catch as much water as possible as it leaked in onto the the window sills, down the walls and onto the floor. Last night I got up, checked, and then went back to bed. I checked again first thing this morning, saw there was not a drop of water anywhere, and texted Brian. Maybe THIS rainy season we’ll be able to see that it’s raining, smile, and enjoy the fact we’re inside and dry. :0)

__________________

6 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

May 23, 2026 · 10:29 pm

Sunday, 5-24-2026

Stacey Rich Bergman – @worldwildlife.bsky.social

Calls out to you to try to paint it, doesn’t it?

_______________________________________

Okay! Drum rolls! The long-awaited painted sketches are ready to share! (Okay, so I know the only person ‘long-awaiting’ here is ME, but I’m going to share anyway. 😜😁😜)

Latest painted sketches.

___________________

I opted out of the gym this morning. I got dressed and ready, then felt weak and wonky, so texted Brian and slept another hour before getting up, undressed, showered, and dressed again for the rest of the day. At breakfast, Brian told me the power was on at the gym, but the door was open. This is a key card open type door, so it stays locked between customers. Brian went in and checked all around, then did his normal work on the treadmill and made sure the door was shut and locked when he left. It’s a mystery…

___________________

This is a lemonade we ordered at the cafe yesterday. Not only does the lady server include two napkins so my hands don’t get wet and ruin my sketchbook, you can actually see the knot she ties in one of the napkins so it stays on the glass securely.

She also helped me move my carrier, art bag, art supplies, hoodie, pillow I put in the chair, and the partial drink I still had at that point!

We will probably go there this afternoon. Since she is almost always there, I’m going to take the picture above on my phone and the thank you card I painted to give her.

___________________________________

I hope you’re having a nice Memorial Day Weekend. One of the nicest things about the town of Greenwood, Arkansas, was that it was people-oriented; the young, the old, the veterans, the students, the sports – anything having to do with the people was celebrated with parks, parades, bands playing, bean feeds – you name it. Here is a picture of the Veterans Memorial Park in the midde of the Square decorated to honor the sacrifices of our men and women in uniform plus their families.

___________________

I hope this is a quiet, beautiful time for you and your family.

“What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. These are but trifles, to be sure; but scattered along life’s pathway, the good they do is inconceivable.”
― Joseph Addison

13 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , , ,

April 3, 2026 · 1:00 am

Friday 4-3-2026

“Sunset” – Michael Hall – @mhallarts.bsky.social

____________________

Caroline Gardner

Today would have been my parents’ 85th wedding anniversary. My dad, who had an amazing sense of humor, wanted to get married on April Fool’s Day. My mom looked him in the eye and said, “I’m not foolin’.” They married in Chicago in 1941, had my brother and me, moved to Levittown NY. My dad had a chance to do the advertising for a company in Tulsa, Oklahoma when I was 5. We moved to Tulsa in 1952 when there was almost nothing there yet. I lived in the home they had built until Harvey and I got married in 1969. My dad had started a one-man advertising agency with my mom acting as an unpaid ‘do-everything-else-but-write-and-record-the-radio-ads’ person -ads that won The Silver Addy Award for Lifetime Achievement from the advertising community. They made a mark.

______________________

This is my latest painted sketch.

I am now using one of the small backpacks we used to move here as my ‘Friday Pack.’ Every week I have crammed my carrier/tote full of what I needed for our afternoons at the cafe while Khun Nong cleans my place. I carried what wouldn’t fit in my carrier, trying not to drop or lose anything.

I had a “Duh!” moment when I figured out I could use the backpack, putting everything in it I wanted for Fridays at the cafe and just keep it packed. I’ve been working out of it this week and it’s working well. When we leave, I’ll just zip it up and carry it and my tote to the cafe! Sometimes it amazes me how long it takes me to figure out a solution to a ‘problem-I-didn’t-realize-I-had.’

______________________

This is the reading of the air pollution index here now.

Yesterday it got my attention because the reading was 216 – into the ‘very unhealthy’ range. It has only been that high for that one day so far. I’ll just monitor things, keeping my windows closed and my air filters and a/c on.

____________________

Pet Nurture

I got a massage this morning. Ahhhhhh! My regular therapist was back! With the magic of pantomime and determination, I figured out that Khun Weaw’s place was being remodeled, so she had to move EVERYTHING out, have the remodeling done, and then move EVERYTHING back in again. A lot of work!

She again mentioned my weight loss. I was able to show her the numbers on the calculator on my phone and pantomime, doctor/keeping my mouth shut/ and exercising.

I hugged her, and the nice lady, Khun Sulee, who substituted for her, today, thanking them for taking such good care of me.

_____________________

Good Housekeeping

10 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

March 27, 2026 · 12:34 am

Friday, 3-27-2026

Pinterest

_______________

Thaiger

I had a wonderful massage this morning. My regular therapist was still gone, but will be back tomorrow, according to Khun Sulee, the therapist who has been taking Khun Weaw’s place the past 3 weeks. I made sure she knew how happy I was that she agreed to do my massage this morning and did such a great job.

______________

As I told you yesterday, Brian and I have a very busy day today. Once we leave, we won’t be back until dinner time.

_______________

I am trying a supplement and thought I would share it with you. It’s called Beet Root Powder. I may be the last one to the party on this, but I read information on it not long ago and wanted to add it.

Sunshine Market


“Beetroot powder is a nutrient-dense, vibrant red superfood made from dehydrated beets, often used to improve athletic performance, boost circulation, and lower blood pressure. Rich in nitrates, it offers a mild, sweet flavor suitable for smoothies, juices, sauces, and natural food coloring. It is commonly used as a pre-workout supplement or to add nutritional value to meals.”

Key Health Benefits

  • Boosts Exercise Performance: High nitrate levels can improve oxygen usage, enhancing athletic endurance.
  • Lowers Blood Pressure: Known to support cardiovascular health and increase blood flow.
  • Nutrient-Dense: Contains essential micronutrients that support heart and gut health.
  • Cognitive Support: May aid in increasing blood flow to the brain, improving cognitive performance. 

What are the top 10 health benefits of beetroot?

  • Rich in protective antioxidants. …
  • May have anti-cancer properties. …
  • May have anti-inflammatory properties. …
  • May lower blood pressure. …
  • May improve exercise performance and support energy levels. …
  • May improve digestive health. …
  • May protect the gut.

AND – “MAY” make me look like Julia Roberts!!!!!! 😜

(It didn’t actually SAY that, but with all the OTHER stuff it may do, I’m willing to believe it’s possible…)

I couldn’t find any downside unless you take more than the recommended dosage, so I started it last night.

_________________________

This is my latest painted sketch.

__________________

I hope your day and evening is great. Pass the smiles around!

“If you have good thoughts, they will shine out of your face like sunbeams, and you will always look lovely.” —Roald Dahl

6 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , , ,

March 24, 2026 · 2:50 am

Tuesday 3-24-2026

“Random Funny Memes” – BoredPanda.com – Adelaide May Ross, Mantas Kacerauskas, and Rugile Maityte

________________

Complete Wellbeing.com

We visited Harvey at the nursing home today. It was the best visit we have had in a long time. He remembered that Brian had arranged for French fries to be delivered to him yesterday. He said he shared them with his nurse. He was telling us that they ‘came in through the window,’ but that was minor compared to the pleasure he experienced. He also told us our visits were the high point of his day. We were really happy that we could brighten his day a bit.

_________________

This is my latest painted sketch. When I finish with my blog posts for the day, I plan to try to do some sketching.

_________________

I decided to bring my family into my condo more by putting their pictures up around the mirror in my bedroom. The pictures had been in an envelope in a drawer, and I decided that this was a quality of life thing for me, something that would make me smile every day. It’s not ‘pretty,’ and “House Beautiful” would probably not approve of the decoration idea, but it’s MY condo and I love it! 😁

_______________

Brian will bring dinner to my place this evening. After we eat, we’ll back up the data on my phone and my computer and then chat – the best part of my day.

Today at the chocolate place I broke Brian up by sneakily giving him back an empty gum packet after we finished our chocolate. I don’t manage to fool him very often, but this is an ongoing thing between us. Today I was successful, and snorted when I saw the look on his face. He threw the little gum packet at me in disgust while I simply lost it. The ladies at the counter had no idea what was going on, but were smiling just because I was laughing so hard.

Today while we were walking, Brian teased me unmercifully about ‘falling over things that weren’t there’ on the sidewalks. I told him huffily that they had a conspiracy going on to trip me on the only spots on the sidewalk that were smooth…

This is the stuff that makes me rich. The fact that Brian and I can enjoy each other every day now is a gift beyond price.

______________

“Now, think of the happiest things. It’s the same as having wings.” ―Peter Pan, Peter Pan

10 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

March 18, 2026 · 9:20 pm

Thursday 3-19-2026

Pinterest

This one says it all. I think it was made for me.

_______________

This is my latest painted sketch. I consider this almost a self-portrait of me over the past two years or so, stuffing my face while piously ordering a DIET coke, looking a bit guilty…

___________________

It’s 80 and sunny here. Windows are open, breezes are pouring in, I’m smiling as I type. I’m planning to concentrate on my puzzle today, seeing if I can finally make some good progress. I want to see that beautiful turtle emerge!

___________________

I’m doing basic stuff today to prepare for Khun Nong to come clean my place tomorrow, such as changing my sheets, gathering my trash, putting out fresh towels, etc. I will get cash today so I can pay everyone tomorrow for my massage and the cleaning.

______________

Thanks to Linda Smith (thanks, Sweet Linda ❤️) I’m going to try this today.

“Qigong (pronounced “chee-gong”) is a 4,000-year-old traditional Chinese practice that combines slow, gentle movements, deep breathing, and focused meditation to cultivate and balance vital life energy (Qi). It is a mind-body-spirit practice aimed at improving health, reducing stress, and enhancing vitality through dynamic movement or still meditation.”

“Being happy isn’t having everything in your life be perfect. Maybe it’s about stringing together all the little things.” ―Ann Brashares, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

Enjoy your day or evening!

17 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , ,

March 10, 2026 · 12:23 am

Tuesday, 3-10-2026

My latest painted sketch

________________

The flowers that my son brought me yesterday for my birthday celebration are still smiling at me today. Such happy flowers – gerbera daisies, roses, carnations, and more.

_________________

Earthwise Windows and Doors

I had my windows open for a while this morning. It was lovely. I kept my eye on my air pollution website and closed everything up when the gauge went into the ‘unhealthy’ zone and turned on my air filters and my a/c and fan. It’s much easier to cool off here than it is to warm up!

_________________

(This is the older tote.)

One of the handmade inner bags.

This is the other inner bag. These keep everything from being on the bottom of my carrier for me to have to route through to find things.

I washed my newer tote/carrier in my bucket in the sink this morning. I also washed the little bags that go inside it. All are out on my balcony drying now. I transferred everything to the crocheted bag I had washed several months ago (Pictured) , so everything is cleaned out and organized now. When the carrier and bags I washed dry (it may take a day or two) I’ll put them into plastic bags and put them in my closet to wait for the next switch.

I’m trying to take good care of these because the ladies who made them by hand take pride in their work and I want them to last as long as possible. I turn everything inside out when I put them on the drying rack on my balcony so any fading from the sun will be kept to a minimum.

___________________

boredpanda.com

TeluguOne.com

I have switched my afternoon exercise sessions to the morning because I am making far too many excuses for skipping the sessions in the afternoons. Yesterday I started by doing my old lady yoga stretches mid morning. I felt good about that all day, feeling I was doing something good for myself and I felt good about not procrastinating or being a sloth. Today I did my exercises with water bottles at 9:00. I did a good workout, so I’m patting myself on the head a bit that I know myself well enough to realize how lazy I am and that I needed to change my focus and schedule to get around that.

____________________

I wish you a happy day.

6 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , , ,

March 5, 2026 · 11:11 pm

Friday 3-6-2026

This is my newest painted sketch.

______________

Purr’N Pooch Pet Resorts

I had a glorious massage this morning and am feeling WONDERFUL right now! I am drinking a glass of water now because I read – “you should drink water after a massage to rehydrate muscles, aid in flushing out metabolic waste released during the session, and reduce potential soreness or headaches. Massage acts similarly to exercise by increasing circulation and, when dehydrated, lymph can become sluggish. Aim for 8-16 ounces shortly after, continuing throughout the day.” Ahhhhhhh!

__________________

Vecteezy

We will go to the cafe this afternoon where I’ll sketch, read, and hopefully watch traffic if I get my favorite spot there. The cafe staff welcome you to stay as long as you like. I get an iced mocha and Brian gets an iced chocolate drink. Later on, if they can, we have them make us a lemonade. My favorite spot is a wonderful place to relax and sketch. I lose track of time as I sit comfortably, concentrating on trying to draw what I’m looking at. I usually do several sketches, then switch to reading on my Kindle, and then finally just sitting there watching the traffic whiz past – or watch as the cars, buses and trucks sit clogged up, while the motorcycles, motor scooters, bicycles and pedestrians, wind their way in and out between them. Simply amazing!

_____________________

The people at our chocolate place have gotten koi fish! This picture is awful, but I wanted to share the fact that the fish were very busily swimming around as we left.

Have some fun today!

8 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , ,

March 1, 2026 · 11:20 pm

Monday, 3-2-2026

“Quietude” – PaulJWillson.bky.social

I absolutely LOVE this painting. It’s calming, mesmerising. I want to take a walk in there, find a spot to sit, and simply breathe…

__________________

My husband, Harvey’s, nurse sent a video to Brian this morning showing Harvey up and in a wheelchair in the community room! The nurses were playing music and obviously trying to get the people to clap in time to the music. Harvey was actually trying to do it, even though I have NEVER seen him do ANYTHING in time to music before. Amazing and encouraging. 🙏🏻🎶

__________________

This is my newest painted sketch.

____________________

Brian texted me this morning, asking me to go through a Thai used bookstore list and see if there were any books I wanted him to order for me. I found two Nora Roberts books I didn’t remember, a book all about Thailand, and a book about sketching.

He could order all of them except the sketching book, but went on Amazon, found it, and ordered it! I can’t wait to dive into it!

My son is spoiling me terribly. Soon I will be completely insufferable…

____________________

I hope Mother Nature is starting to smile at least in your direction now. I think everyone has had more than enough winter now and think that spring weather, planting, and outside activities should be starting. Hopefully, she’ll get the memo we sent soon!

“March is a tomboy with tousled hair, a mischievous smile, mud on her shoes, and a laugh in her voice.”
― Hal Borland

12 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , , , ,

February 19, 2026 · 2:17 am

Thursday 2-19-2026

New haircut this morning – gone from ‘dandelion-gone-to-seed’ to ‘maybe-somebody-had-a-plan….’

________________

We are now getting into my first ‘hot and hazy season’ here in Chiang Mai. It’s warming up, and the sun is getting more and more intense, but the big difference is that the farmers in this country and the countries around us (primarily Laos and Myanmar) are all burning the crop residue from their fields, getting ready for the next planting, so the air really gets full of smoke.

I’ve been having my windows open every day, so apparently I am not one of the super sensitive people, but I will keep an eye on things. I have two good air purifiers in my place, so I should be in good shape. I can still open my windows early in the morning and then close up and turn on the air purifiers for the rest of the day.

Apparently this is a real time air index chart, so I’ve bookmarked the site and saved it on my computer so I can stay on top of things.

__________________

Here is the sweet orchid my adoptive family gave me when I first moved in almost a year ago. From dropping all of its bloom and only having two leaves, It now has 4 big leaves and 4 blooms on it, with two buds left that might open. I’m thrilled that it has ‘come to life again.’

_____________________

My current puzzle remains a challenge. The main part of the puzzle is a gorgeous big turtle in the center. He will be the last to come together, though. I can only find some pieces that I know are pieces of him, but they don’t fit together. This may end up being a character-building exercise…

But I LOVE the colors!

_____________________

Newest painted sketch.

_______________

Senior Exercises with Meredith

Today is exercises with water bottles for my arms and back. I will stop working at the computer now and do those and then come back and write another post.

I hope you’re having a great day or evening!

8 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , , ,

February 10, 2026 · 10:31 pm

Wednesday 2-11-2026

Tina Ann

I just got back from getting my “2nd-chance-at-life 1st birthday present – a mani/pedi –

I chose dark purple with sparkles in it. I hope you can see the sparkles in this photo. I’m not sure yet if I LIKE it – but I’m delighted to feel “festive” today.

_______________________________

This is the sketch I painted yesterday. Today I’m working on painting the last sketch in my book. I started it yesterday, but need to put some finishing touches on it. Then I’ll need to get my pencil hot and do more sketches!

___________________________

This orchid is experiencing a rebirth of sorts, too! It was given to me as a Mother’s Day/condo-warming present last year by my adoptive family here. I have never received an orchid before, much less a PLANT. I was thrilled.

True to form though, my plant started losing its blooms, one after the other. I was following the directions for placement of the plant in the indirect sun, spritzing the leaves every other day, but I was really worried it would die. All the blooms left and I kept spritzing the two leaves that were left in the pot. A couple more leaves arrived after quite a while, so I kept up my regimen. About two weeks ago, a small shoot appeared! I got out the wire I had saved and re-inserted it into the pot carefully using the wire ties I had saved to attach the shoot to the wire as it grew. About a week ago, buds started to appear. Yesterday, the largest bud opened!!!!!! As you can see, there are 5 more buds that will hopefully open. HOOORRAAAAAAAY!

___________________

I’m going to use the rest of the day to catch up on some things, finish my blog posts, and enjoy playing in my art alcove. I also might have time to work on my puzzle.

Make this a happy day!

8 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , ,

February 7, 2026 · 10:52 pm

Sunday 2-8-2026

Nature Nomad-@naturecompass.bsky.social

Isn’t this lovely? So calming. It almost makes me like winter…

_____________

Something is due to happen on our street today and tomorrow. A sign was posted, asking people to stay off the road, but not what was happening. Brian thinks it might have to something to do with graduation at one of the universities – a parade of the graduates and their parents? Anyway, I check out my windows from time to time. It’s a lot quieter than normal with only more “necessary” traffic.

___________________

Pinterest

I slept in again today – my final day of healing from my sore throat and cold. I really feel fine, though I’m still bringing up a small bit of stuff. I will start back to the gym in the morning. I’ve been a true sloth this week.

____________________

I’ll enjoy writing my posts to you and I also plan to paint a sketch or two. I have one I finished yesterday to show you –

______________________

Facebook – our eggs were on the bottom with the chicken and sausage arrranged in a circular fashion on top.

Brian and I usually eat what I call a “Breakfast Burrito” for breakfast – scrambled eggs, bacon, and a lot of salad rolled up into a tortilla. Delicious! This morning we had 2 fried eggs with chicken slivers and sausage slices fried into them, plus a side of some watermelon. YUM!

_____________________

I’ll let you know tomorrow if we get a parade, party, or whatever in the street. Take care and make the most of your time. Fine a reason to smile!

11 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , , ,

January 26, 2026 · 9:44 pm

Tuesday, 1-27-2026

Bryan Hansel – Substack

I want to go wherever this is!!!!

__________________________

We just got back from meeting my husband, his nurse, and his main doctor at the hospital for a routine visit. The doctor was happy that Harvey was alert and seemed happier. We talked about the possibility of removing the nasal feeding tube. His nurse said that, though he was able to eat and drink without choking, he wasn’t eating enough. We asked Harvey was HE wanted to do, since this isn’t about US. He said the tube wasn’t bothering him a lot, so we decided to leave it in for now. I encouraged him to eat small bowls of whatever the rest of the people at the nursing home were being served and he agreed to try. I also talked to the nurse, asking her to keep the amount small at first, so he wasn’t overwhelmed. We’ll see how it goes.

___________________________

This is the latest painted sketch.

__________________________

Kinship-Pexels-Rodnae-Productions

I’m planning to do an extra long session with the exercises with the water bottles for my arms today, along with some other extraneous exercises, to make up for the fact that we opted out of going to the gym this morning so as to be able to eat breakfast and get to the hospital on time. I’ll also make a point of climbing up the stairs to my place at least once.

________________________

I hope that those of you in the path of the winter storm still have power, and are staying dry and warm. I’m thinking of you

4 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , ,

January 17, 2026 · 9:32 pm

Sunday, 1-18-2026

Latest painted sketch

____________________

I had a really nice, busy afternoon yesterday. My son came to my place 3 different times – once to bring me an iced mocha – YUM! – and twice more to bring packages. It was like Christmas here! 🎄

The first package was the glass print of my dolphins jigsaw puzzle. It’s now sitting on my ‘statement shelf’ in my living area, where I keep things that mean the world to me now.

I have 2 other glass prints of finished jigsaw puzzles –

I call this puzzle, “Fantasy.”

“Owls”

The glass print of the painting my dad painted of me when I was about 6, saying it captured my “personality.” – (Brian had this made as a condo-warming present for me when I first moved in – making me feel my dad is here, too.)

And this is a framed print of a painting in a Christmas card sent to me by Jon Alston from the States.

____________________________

The third time Brian came to my place yesterday afternoon was to bring me the door wreath and holder we ordered when I took down my Christmas wreath.

This will stay up all the time the Christmas wreath is stored. I haven’t seen any other door decorations in the condo building. I wanted something welcoming, that made me happy each time I came back. This colorful basket of flowers does that for me. The holder makes it a bit harder to work the lock on my door, but I don’t care. The extra ‘oomph’ it takes to lock or unlock it is well overcome by the joy the wreath brings me. 😁

_______________________

Being the pampered retired lady I am, I’m looking forward to writing a couple more blog posts and then spending the rest of the afternoon bouncing between doing more sketches, working on my turtle jigsaw puzzle, reading, listening to music, doing a session of water bottle exercises for my arms, and maybe even watching a movie…

I’m going to throw open my windows because it’s up to 75 now. I LOVE how light and airy my place is with the sunshine coming in all the windows!

MAKE this a happy day!

13 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , , , , , ,

January 14, 2026 · 9:16 pm

Thursday 1-15-2026

This is my latest painted sketch.

______________

Water is Life 🦅

“Water is the softest thing, yet it can penetrate mountains and earth.

This shows clearly the principle of softness overcoming hardness.”

Lao Tzu

Tracy Chrest – @tracychrest989204 on Substack

I love both the quote and the glorious photo Tracy chose to illustrate it.

______________________

Freepik

I’m having a free day today. I have my laundry drying out on the balcony, have changed the sheets on my bed and gathered trash to get ready for my housekeeper tomorrow. I’m doing exercises for my arms and back with water bottles today, plus walking down the stairs in the building. Not sure about ‘up’ yet. Isn’t it wonderful that I have a choice? 😋

________________________

I hope that your day is full of smiles and maybe a giggle or two…🤭

4 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , , ,

January 10, 2026 · 12:56 am

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Best Friends Animal Society

I have finally hit another milestone in my two years of efforts to lose the lard. As of this morning, I am down 90 pounds, to 115. My goal is to lose another 5, to give myself a good maintenance range to stay in the rest of my life, concentrating on exercising to continue to build muscle, stamina, flexibility, and balance.

I have a routine follow up doctor’s appointment next month, and I’ll see what she has to say about where I am at that time and what goals I should set.

In the meantime, I’m doing the following –

  • walking on the treadmill one mile every day, trying to continue to retrain my brain and body to improve my balance. I’m now walking without holding on, concentrating on relaxing while I’m walking, increasing the speed and the incline % as I can.
  • On alternate days, I’m either doing a half hour or so of yoga stretches (including sit ups, a plank, and a ‘reach-up-stretch-and-then-bend-over-to-try-to-touch-my-toes’ several times). My plank is pathetic so far, but I’m working on it – OR I do half an hour or so of arm exercises with water bottles (also including the reach up and then bend over with the bottles.)
  • Next week I’m planning to add stairs to the mix. I’ll start by walking down 5 flights of stairs – carefully, so as not to fall on my head and break all my bones. Then I’ll mix that with trying to see how many flights I can walk UP…. (Balance, stamina, and breath control, as well as building some muscle.)

__________________________

Drawing – Bird- latest painted sketch.

This morning we visited my husband, Harvey, in the nursing home. So far, all is going well with the new nurse. Her name is Khun Archiang (pronounced, “Coon-ah-chi-ahng”) She is very sweet and seems to be doing a good job of taking care of Harvey.

He was still asking us to find his jeans and shoes so he could make a break for it, but we distracted him by talking about taking a wheel chair ride this afternoon to see the doggies and ‘take in some rays’. It is getting harder and harder for the staff to get him into the wheelchair, so the trips outside are getting fewer.

He happily ate the pineapple pie Brian brought and drank the no sugar grape drink without problem. He has an appointment later this month with the doctor. We are hoping he will be able to have the nasal feeding tube removed at that time.

________________________

This afternoon, I’ll finish writing my blog posts, probably paint at least one of the remaining two sketches in the old sketchbook, continue working on my jigsaw puzzle, and continue reading my Kindle book. as well as put on my headphones and listen to YouTube music tonight before bed. Such a hard life I lead!

I am full of gratitude for all I have now. Life will always have it’s challenges, it’s hard spots, but ATTITUDE is ALL.

6 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , , , ,

December 28, 2025 · 6:23 am

Sunday, December 28th, 2025

@dailybunnies.bsky.social

We went to see my husband, Harvey, this morning. We had a hard time getting a Grab for the trip to the nursing home because it’s ‘high season’ for tourists now. He was calm, glad to see us, and followed what we were saying. All in all, a good visit.

_____________________

This is the latest painting.

___________________________

I’m almost finished with my jigsaw puzzle of the dolphins. I’m having to go through and rearrange some areas, but I WILL prevail! 😁

_______________________

liftingitalia.com

Our gym is closing starting tomorrow for a week for deep cleaning, maintenance, etc., so Brian and I will walk in a park every morning instead.

____________________

The day got away from me today. I will try to write more tomorrow.

I hope you are doing well.

6 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , , ,

November 10, 2025 · 1:18 am

Monday, 11-10-2025

Wholesome Memes – @wholesomeMeme.bksy.social

_______________________

iStock

As I type, I’m hoping that the handy man for the building can make time to come fix my door. It swells when it’s rainy or there is high humidity, making it really hard to open and close. Lately, it has gotten to the point that at times I CANNOT get out, or can’t get IN again. Thankfully, Brian lives in the same building. I can text him and he comes and helps; or many times, if we’re going somewhere together, he just comes and gets me and then makes sure I’m in again before he leaves me when we get back. The handy man is super busy so fingers are crossed that he can get to me today. If not, I’ll hope for tomorrow…

___________________________

Latest painted sketch.

______________________

My work on the dolphin puzzle is going well. I have asked Brian to try to order the turtle puzzle for me again as soon as he can. I would really like to tackle that one after I meet the challenge of this one.

______________________

I have been spending more time on Substack lately and am following several people now. I am finding some wonderful sources for things I love and want to share with you here. You might check out Substack and see if it’s something you enjoy.

____________________

We visited Harvey at the nursing home this morning. He was sleepy and almost completely non-responsive today. He squeezed my hand, but said nothing, even though I talked to him a lot. Disheartening, but he didn’t seem to be hurting.

________________

I hope your day or evening is one that makes you smile.

4 Comments

Filed under Thoughts on a ________

Tagged as , , , ,