I had a mostly wonderful day today, starting a 6am on the treadmill in the gym, followed by a fabulous masssage by Khun Wey-o.
I quickly changed my clothes and Brian and I went to see Harvey at the nursing home. He was full of gripes and impossible expectations, conspiracy theories, etc., and we’re having to make some difficult decisions going forward. He did tell us that he missed us just before we left, but the rest of the time was very challenging. We are talking with the owner of the nursing home and changing some things with her help.
We got back just in time to grab my book and my jacket and we headed for the coffee shop next to the condo to make ourselves scarce while my wonderful housekeeper (!) was in my place cleaning. 😃
We had dinner and now it’s almost time for bed. (Getting up at 5am changes your seriousness about bedtime and trying to get enough sleep.)
Brian and I shared a breakfast, then I went for a glorious, healing massage by Khun Wey-o. I changed clothes and we went to visit Harvey at the nursing home. It is our 56th wedding anniversary today, so I was hoping we would have a good visit with him. He was upset, making baseless accusations, unhappy with everything, saying ‘they were out to kill him, and that if we left, he would die.’ Not the best way to celebrate a marriage… We did contact the management to ask if there is anything else we can do that might brighten his mood. He has good days and bad days and no one can predict which will be which.
When we came home, I immediately grabbed a hoodie and my book and we headed for the coffee shop next to our condo building to be ‘scarce’ while my wonderful new housekeeper, Khun Nong, cleaned my place. (I’m trying to say this casually, but I’m simply thrilled to have help at all – first time in my life!) AND with the things I’m having trouble doing these days, such as scrubbing floors, dusting the things I would rather ignore because they are up too high, down too low, or I’m just lazy and would like to ignore them). When I come back, everything is shining brightly. Ahhhhhhhhh!
While at the coffee shop, we tried a new thing – orange coffee. I don’t know what all is in it – I just know it tastes fabulous. I made mine last as long as possible, wanting to prolong the pleasure.
And then Brian ordered us Thai Beef & Noodles for dinner. They kindly put the hot stuff in little bags with rubberbands rather than dumping it into the dish. I was very appreciative as I’m a wuss as far as spicy or hot, and if I manage to get some hot stuff down, I pay for it late at night. This was absolutely wonderful. I enjoyed every bite. Too many carbs, but good for us otherwise and my taste buds danced a happy dance. 💃
Here is my haircut – after getting caught in two separate rain storms and one stretch of hot sun and lots of humidity after I came out of the salon. At least I have gone from “dandelion gone to seed” to “someone has a plan.” I need to learn how to use the mousse we got at a drug store a bit ago.
I looked out my window this morning at 5am and thought, ‘Good. It’s not raining.’ By the time Brian and I were going to the gym, the rain had started. Not enough for the rain suits, but enough for umbrellas.
I washed my hair, cleaned up, and had breakfast with Bri. Later we went to my hair appointment. Of course the man didn’t speak English. I showed him a picture I had gotten from the net about the basic idea I had in my mind, but had Brian tell him I wanted him to use his expertise and do whatever he thought would look best.
We then went to visit Harvey after two days of not going – to see what happened. Short version, he had not missed us, he had very little to say to us today, was not happy to see us. He just was concerned about food and drink, and wanted his phone so that he could email his mom and dad, both of whom have been gone 20 years or so and never had computers or email. I had brought him an old magazine, and he was happier about that than anything else. He did recognize me, but didn’t say anything in particular. Disheartening to say the least, but we did learn that he was calm, hadn’t pined for us, so our plan going forward is to visit less, hoping he’ll get with the program there more and more. We’ll plan to bring him the strawberry drink he likes, magazines, books, etc. each time we go, and will try not to agonize. He seems comfortable and is not hurting. We took coffee that you just heat up some water for and asked if he could have one cup of coffee a day. What is is what is.
Tomorrow is a busy day for us. I have the gym at 5 and then breakfast, taking sheets and towels for Brian to wash in his machine. I have my massage at 10:00. Then I get ready for Kuhn Nong to come clean from 2:30 to 5:30. Somewhere between 2:00 and 3:00, the movers are supposed to come and remove my people swallowing sofa. We’re hoping it will be closer to 2 so they’ll be gone before Nong arrives. Brian and I will ‘disappear’ while Nong is here to give her peace and quiet while she cleans.
The new sofa will be delivered sometime on June 5th, so I’ll be a bit uncomfortable for 6 days. We ordered a sofa that has the same L-shape, with a lounge part on the dining area end, and nice quality, so it will definitely be worth the wait.
The old, rickety, crunchy bed was removed yesterday morning. I left for my massage 😊 when they guys were still taking it apart. Brian was there for supervision.
When I came back the bedroom was empty and Brian had put the computer table together! He proceeded to get the TV working AND get my computer up and running while we waited for the new bed to be delivered and set up PLUS my new cleaning person to arrive! (The bed was supposed to be delivered at 1pm so we would have plenty of time to get the new sheets on the. bed and things cleaned up, but you know how THAT goes…) They both arrived at about 2:30.
Nong, my cleaning person, is little bitty and cute as a button. She took charge immediately, getting organized while the men put the bed together. She would not allow me to help put the sheets on, and, very politely asked us to get lost and go elsewhere while while she worked. The place was spotless when when we returned 3 hours later. 🤗
We had so many things to get accomplished yesterday that we just couldn’t get out to visit Harvey. We will leave in a few minutes to go see him today. I feel bad that we missed, but the round trip and visit take 3 hours. He was griping because he didn’t have strawberry pop, so I’m taking him a bottle today. (While we were still in the air bnb, Brian found a brand that has 0 sugar, so he can enjoy it as he likes.)
When the day was almost at an end, I played on my computer for several minutes😊, then turned on the TV and watched YouTube for about half an hour, wearing my newly charged headphones so I could listen without bothering anyone, and then had the best sleep I’ve had since we moved to Thailand on my new firm bed with satiny sheets and light duvet.
I can see my SIL sneering a bit over this, since I think she said she routinely walks 5 miles a day, but this is the very FIRST time I have logged this many steps, and I am pleased to be able to toot my own horn to tell you,
Brian also told me while we were walking home from the gym that I am “more agile” than I was. 😊
SO – two indications I am improving. I will try to keep this up, improving on it as I can.
I’m also loosening up with my yoga stretches. When I first get down on the floor, I am really stiff and sore, but I feel pretty good by the time I finish.
On another note, the movers came and got the old bed this morning. I cleaned the room out the best I could, putting the old pillows in the closet for the moment. They came right on time and the old bed was gone.
I went to get my massage while the movers were taking that bed apart. By the time I returned, the bed was gone and the computer table had been put together!
Brian got the computer up and running and we plugged all in to recharge while the computer did an update. When we get the right cable, I will be able to make a backup of the system once a week AND a backup of everything on my phone, too!
He got the TV going, as well! I’m looking forward to listening to music on YouTube with my headphones on tonight. 😛
I’m planning to take some pictures soon to share them with you. I hope this will be a wonderful day for you.
When I arrived at the retirement place for my massage this morning, the lobby was jammed full of people, so I waited in the parking lot in my car. My massage therapist, Lynn, and I waited for several minutes, discovering that the reason for the ‘jam’ was local school kids singing Christmas carols to the residents! As they came out, there must have been over 100 of them. What a wonderful idea for the teachers to have and carry out. The kids were obviously pleased at the reception they got and learned how important it is to give joy to others.
I saw my dear friend, Linda, and her son, Jeff, who had flown in for a visit from The Villages, FL. I hugged both of them, relieved to see that Linda recognized me and was able to stand and be thoroughly hugged – several times. We healed the broken parts of each other. She liked the personalized bookmark I had made for her. I also gave her a hand-painted memory box to store her keepsakes. I left, not seeing her again after my massage, not wanting to encroach on her time with Jeff.
Lynn gave me a wonderful massage, as usual. She handled the parts I told her were hurting, and found several others I didn’t know I had, and fixed those, as well. I was limp as a noodle when she finished. If she had let me, I would still be asleep on the table there. I gave her a bookmark and a special check, and she gave me a beautiful, delicate glass flower and butterfly piece which is sitting beside my keyboard on my computer counter as I type. It makes me happy each time I look at it. She also gave us a gift certificate for our favorite restaurant in Greenwood.
I talked to the lady who runs the retirement place, explaining that I wanted to give the bag of memory boxes I had brought to the residents, putting them on a table so people could choose one they liked. She was really pleased with the idea. She said they were having a Christmas party next Wednesday and that she would make sure the boxes were put out at the party. :0)
While I was talking to Linda and Jeff, a lady complimented me on my tee shirt. I told her I had painted it. I also had to admit that, since I was a slob and tended to spill things on shirts and then couldn’t get the stains out, I had started painting my plain tee shirts. (Embarrassing, but true.)
When I got home, I found a package had been delivered by UPS. I didn’t remember ordering anything, but opened the package. I knew in a second that this was a gift from my wonderful sister-in-law because it was a painting of sandpipers on a beach.
It’s called, “Rockhampton Sandpipers Beach Ripples” and is by artist P. Brent. Can you see me grinning as you read this? I AM THRILLED. My cheeks hurt I have grinned so much. I had to decide where I wanted to hang it. I wanted to be sure to be able to enjoy it every day, maybe even several times each day. The decision was between my office and my art room. I opted for the office because there are days I don’t make it up to my art room and I spend about half the day, on and off, in my office, as I am now, typing this to you.
It’s on the wall to the left as I sit at my computer. I’ve been grinning ever since I opened the package. What a great present! An instant trip to the beach for me. Instant memories of when we drove down Highway 101 and I got to stop and watch the sweet birds skittering across the sand on their long, long legs, moving super fast, making me laugh. Instant memories of the nice video she took when she was at the beach, trying to give me vicarious enjoyment of her vacation. I kept the video and play it again each time I need an escape. THANK YOU, MARYLOU.
So, it’s 5:01 pm now, and I’m just writing my second blog post of the day. Sorry for being late, but I’ve had such a good day. I wish you could have been here to share it with me.
I’m having my December massage this morning. AHHHHHH! I’m taking my massage therapist a gift. One of my good friends lives at the retirement place where my therapist does the massages, so I’m going to try to visit with her after. I removed memory boxes from my Etsy site recently and am taking a big trash bag full of them to the retirement place with me to ask if we can let the residents there choose the ones they would like to keep.
When I get home again, we’ll have lunch, gather our trash and drive it down, get our mail, and that’s it for outside errands today.
I told you about the smart bulb my husband couldn’t get to work. That made a light bulb go off in my head this morning. :0)
My smart watch stopped working a few days ago. I remembered suddenly that I had downloaded a software that came with it onto my phone and that maybe I could use that to make my watch “come alive” again. I THINK the watch is now recharging after showing signs of life. :0)
I am going to see if “I” can get the light bulb to work on MY phone this afternoon. It’s worth a try. I called the company this morning and they refused to give me an RMA#. Since we’ve already paid shipping once, I’m teed off. If I can make it work on MY phone we will ‘win.’ If not, I’ll add this company to my list of people who stand behind their products. Wish me luck. I’m NOT a tech-person – smart watch, smart light bulb, dumb person…
Need to get ready to leave on this rainy morning in Arkansas. It’s quite warm, at 66 degrees F., with a cold front coming with the rain. Roller Coaster! Hold up your hands and scream! :0)
I’m going for my monthly massage this morning. My body is creaking a “thank you.” My massage therapist (the best one on the planet) is Lynn Moody. If you’re lucky enough to be in our area, you can reach her at 479-629-7601 to arrange an appointment. She will find sore places you didn’t even know you had and fix them, plus handle the ones you tell her need special attention. Ahhhhhhhhh!
I’ll do other errands while I’m out. My husband and I will gather trash after we eat lunch and drive it down to the bottom of the driveway.
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Tanglewood Moms
I’m looking forward to working on a couple of orders from my Etsy shop this afternoon. It brightens my whole day to be creating something that a nice person has ordered. I simply can’t keep the grin off my face!
Please remember that the last date to order custom hand-painted Christmas cards for this year is December 10th. They can be personalized. A package of 6 is $14.00 with Free Shipping. See the designs using this link on HandmadeHavenbyLinda on Etsy.
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I tried the recipe for “Creamy Slow Cooker Chicken with Bacon and Cheese” (low carb and keto) by Kasey Trenum two nights ago. It was really good. My husband pronounced it “Yummy!” and already wants me to make more. We’ll put this recipe on our “keeper” list and I’ll include it in our rotation. I did this recipe with 3 chicken breasts and we had enough for some leftovers. I’ll use 4 next time. Here is a link to the recipe plus Kasey Trenum’s website.
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It’s 60 this morning and quite cloudy. I can’t find any of my weather sources saying we’ll get rain, but it sure looks like it. It’s 8:30 and is quite dark. What they DO say is that we’ll have a series of cold fronts coming through today. We’re at our high for the day and it should be in the 40s with gusty winds by this afternoon with freezing temperatures overnight. BRRR!
I hope the weather is manageable where you are and that your day has lots of fun in it!
My husband heard a loud noise yesterday afternoon. He went outside to check it out, but couldn’t find anything. I went in my art room to put the new key chain blanks away later and found the source of the loud noise.
One of the shelves that goes along the back wall was hanging half-mast, having dumped most of its contents on the counter below and the floor. It was a real mess. I asked my husband to come up and help me pile the fallen and soon-to-fall stuff elsewhere and we moved the wood for the shelf onto the floor. We will have to replace the shelf supports and I’ll rearrange. Obviously, I put too much heavy stuff on the shelf!
I’ll have to rearrange almost EVERYTHING in order to have the heavier stuff only on bottom shelves, and spaced around. I’ll also put some stuff in the shelves in the guest room and the closet. This will be a huge project with lots of bending, lifting and hauling and re-arrangement to make sure this doesn’t happen again. We’ll go out later this afternoon or tomorrow to get new shelf support thingies from the hardware store to get the shelf back up.
Animal Emergency & Referral Center of Minnesota
Meanwhile, my miracle-worker Lynn Moody, 479-629-7601, my massage therapist and friend, will try to undo the knots I have accumulated, so I can start making new ones, re-arranging the stuff in my art room. :0( / :0)
My talented, caring massage therapist, Lynn Moody 479-629-7501, found all my sore and stiff parts and healed me, at least for the rest of the day. Ahhhhhh! After Lynn made me feel loose as a goose and happy, I went to visit my dear friend, Linda, who lives at the retirement place where Lynn’s business is now.
(Kay on the left and Linda on the right at Linda’s retirement center.)
Linda has been a long-time friend here in Arkansas. I really believe she is one of the sweetest people I’ve ever known. Her memory is mainly in the moment now. She recognized me, but didn’t remember that SHE was due for a massage at 1pm. Thankfully, Lynn comes and gets her so that she doesn’t miss out. She said she hasn’t seen or heard from Kay and Bud, our other Lunch Bunch core people, either. I saw our Lunch Bunch waitress at Walmart recently, and she said that she didn’t think Kay recognized her the last time they were in the restaurant. It’s sad when times change, but I’m thankful to have so many wonderful memories.
I dragged the trash can up to its spot and got the mail when I came home, then fixed lunch. When my belly was full and I was comfortable in my chair, I stretched out and enjoyed a long nap. I cooked dinner, but that was really the only other thing I did. I’m a GOOD sloth.
Today my husband and I will try to get the fluorescent bulbs in my closet changed out. The ones I have have been dim for quite awhile, so it will be good if we can do this.
Otherwise, I’ll do my exercises like a good girl today – the ‘fit sticks’ videos (warm up plus at least two more) today plus my yoga. My eating plan and exercise are finally yielding good results. I’m less than a pound away from an interim goal now. Maybe I’ll reach it tomorrow.
Fun At Home With Kids
I plan to spend time in my art room today. I have some things almost finished and a couple of things ready to start. :0)
We may get gusty winds and some rain this afternoon and evening. So far, my friend in Florida is safe, and my SIL outside of Charlotte in North Carolina, are safe from Hurricane Helene. I’ll be keeping up with news from this today.
I have a massage this morning. I’m really looking forward to Lynn Moody’s healing hands, finding and easing all of my sore or stiff parts. I’ll also try to visit with my friend, Linda, while I’m at the retirement place. My husband forgot to get the trash can when he drove down to get the mail yesterday, so I’ll do that when I get home.
Yesterday I did the ‘Fit Sticks’ warm-up video plus two more in the series. Each series of exercises features a small group of women using drum sticks on elevated exercise balls, moving to the beat of a nice song. Since I don’t have an exercise ball, I just moved with them, doing basically the same moves, holding 3-pound weights. By the end of the third video, I was tired and didn’t want to overdo, so stopped. I plan to do them again today. It was fun. I followed that up with my yoga, so the weights and the stretching seems like a good combination.
lolagain.org
I’m seeing good results (for me) on the scales lately, getting closer to my interim goal. I’m hopeful I’m on the right track for this to continue.
I finished this set of 4 wooden painted Christmas ornaments yesterday.
This is the back, waiting for personalization before I spray them for protection.
I’m having a lot of fun in my art room, working on various things. It’s good to have some time to myself, doing something fun and challenging.
We bombed out on putting a new innards kit in the toilet tank yesterday. My husband isn’t strong enough to get the new part ‘stuffed’ into the inner front of the tank. I’ve called our plumber, asking him to put us on his list for whenever he can work us in.
Our project for this afternoon is changing out some fluorescents over the entertainment center in the living room today.
People in the path of Hurricane Helene are in my thoughts today. I hope everyone comes through this safely.
I’m having a wonderful massage this morning. Ahhhhh! Then I’m hoping to have a good visit with my friend, Linda, who lives at the retirement place where I now get my massages. It’s a great combination of seeing two good people and easing all of my knotted up parts. :0)
I am 2/10ths away from my interim goal of 35 pounds down. I’m hoping I’ll reach that tomorrow. It would be a nice spur to my motivation to continue trying to lose the lard.
Today is the last day of super-nice-weather-for-August-in-Arkansas before the ‘intense heat warnings’ start in again. We’ve had about 3 days here of amazingly cool days and evenings with a soft breeze. We actually kept the car windows open on the way to our errands yesterday, thoroughly enjoying how beautiful it was.
I finished my latest wood burned piece yesterday afternoon. I’ll show you a pic later and I’ll try to get it listed on HandmadeHavenbyLinda on Etsy this afternoon, as well as do another session of trying to clean up my art room.
I’m again trying to distract myself from the completely nuts world we live in, filling my days with pleasurable things, since my magic wand is on the fritz and isn’t working, no matter how hard I wave.
I had a truly wonderful massage yesterday from Lynn Moody, my massage therapist who listens to what I KNOW is bothering me, works on those, PLUS finds the spots I didn’t know about, and works on those, as well. I could truly fall asleep on the table when she finishes, thoroughly relaxed and loose. She laughs when I say, “Good night,” before getting up and getting dressed.
After I had paid for my visit and had a new appointment scheduled, I gave her a small ‘thank you’ for what she means to me – this plaque I made. She seemed to like it.
I was going to try to get up to my art room to start a new piece yesterday, but two things got in the way – THING ONE – I was on the phone trying to get the replacement credit cards that I was supposed to have received in 5 business days, but didn’t, and THING TWO – my husband wanted me to come out in the yard and help him deal with getting the new tach he put on the generator set and working.
I was pleased that my husband asked for help. He had gotten dizzy trying to work bent over, realized it before he had a more serious problem, and came and got me. I was able to get the tach set and tested, and I praised him for not trying to ignore the problem he was having, wish it away, work through it doggedly, or any of the other things he has done in the past.
Today we’re going to replenish our grocery supplies and get the mail. I THINK that’s all on our list for the day.
I fixed Suzanne Ryan’s“Bacon-Wrapped Cheesy Chicken” recipe from her Simply Keto recipe book last night. The last time I tried it I used Ranch dressing and didn’t have fresh mushrooms. This time I did have the mushrooms and switched to using honey mustard instead of the Ranch. My husband pronounced it ‘delicious’ and we have enough for one more meal from the leftovers. :0) Tonight is spaghetti, where I’ll fix spaghetti for him to have with his sauce while I have zoodles (zucchini noodles.)
I’ve told you that Jet (aka Monster Cat) likes to play in an empty open box, sneaking around it to attach a catnip mouse, and jumping in and out of the box. My husband added another box to the mix to see her reaction. I didn’t think she would get in, but she jumped into the top of the inner box, rooted around, and then exploded out again in dramatic fashion. I went to get the camera, but she was already out by the time I got back. :0(
My massage therapist texted me that she needed to change my massage day and time, so – happily – I’m going this morning! Between my massage this morning and my yoga stretches this afternoon, I should be a happy camper!
Yesterday I finished two wood-burned pieces. One is a gift for our hair dresser and the other a sign I listed on Etsy –
I’m having a great time in my art room. I learn more each time I work on another piece, and I’m enjoying the challenge. I’m brimming with ideas, so that makes me greet each day with anticipation. Hopefully, I’ll get another piece started today.
I hope you find something fun or satisfying to do today.
It started with a super-welcome massage from Lynn Moody (479-629-7601), my massage therapist, who now has a place inside Golden Living Retirement Center in Greenwood. When I asked, she told me all of her current clients are coming to her there now, and that several residents of the retirement center have become NEW clients. One of these is my friend, Linda, who lives at the center. I gifted Linda a session, and she enjoyed her SECOND session last Monday, and has booked another. (Once you start, you’re happily Lynn’s for life. :0) ) Lynn is giving the residents a special price and is working with the staff there on helping with financial arrangements so things work completely smoothly. Lynn is a treasure.
After my massage, I went to Linda’s room, hoping for a visit. Our friend Kay and her daughter LaDonna, who lives in Albuquerque, were there! We had a good visit with lots of laughter, hugs, and a few tears. LaDonna gifted Linda a framed photo she had taken of Kay and Linda. I thought it was priceless. When I got home I texted LaDonna, asking if I might have a copy. She sent it to me via my phone immediately.
Kay and Linda, two of my favorite people in the world.
Linda seemed to really like the idea of the ‘paint-with-water’ book I brought her. She liked the fact the pictures were large enough for her to ‘paint’ without problems, that all she needed to make the colors in each picture bloom was water, and that there were sayings on each page.
So, it was almost like Lunch Bunch yesterday – without the lunch. :0) A really enjoyable morning.
I had a WONDERFUL massage this morning. I had no trouble finding the new place where Lynn is doing her massages now. I got there a bit early. There was NO rain! It was really dark and looked like it was going to storm, but didn’t. Lynn was waiting for me in the foyer area when I walked in. When I finished, I took Lynn back to meet my friend Linda. Two such beautiful people should know each other.
I had a great visit with Linda, with lots of hugs and a few tears. It’s sad when life gets in the way and makes it almost impossible to see people. I basically am with my husband 24/7 except for my once a month haircut and once a month massage. Linda understands my situation now, but it’s still hard.
I’m thinking of gifting her a 30-minute massage, since it is right in the retirement place where Linda lives now. I think she would enjoy it, and Lynn would help her with the physical needs, I know. I’ll see if I make this happen.
It didn’t rain on me on the way back from the massage, either, and in fact seems to be clearing up. I may be able to work on another planter today.
Before
After
I also took the loppers and cut low-hanging branches that were making it so you had to bend over to walk on the sidewalk past it to the front door.
I should have enough time – if the weather holds – to at least tackle another planter today. We’ll see.
This is me after my wonderful massage this morning. Lynn is a master at finding all the sore spots and getting rid of them. By the time she is finished, I am completely loose and would stay right there on the table and sleep, if she would let me.
My husband wanted me to stop and get him a “bowl” on the way home for lunch, since it was cold and rainy. (A “mashed potato bowl” is mashed potatoes, corn, and chunks of chicken tenders with cheese on top. The ultimate delicious comfort food from the deli in our local groceries. I used to get their ‘mac and cheese bowl’ but the carbs are too high. Now I get either 2 chicken tenders or two pieces of fish and I then have one for each of two lunches.)
I just finished getting Suzanne Ryan‘s “Keto Chili” – Simply Keto – into the crock pot so it will be ready for dinner tonight. I had a different dinner planned, but the cold rain got ME in a comfort food frame of mind, too.
While the hamburger meat and sausage was browning, I divided and bagged up chicken, hamburger meat, stew meat, and some pork chops for the freezer.
We gathered up our trash and will dash out between rain showers to get it down to the bottom our driveway and the trash can down where it should be for pickup tomorrow. I’ve already drowned 3 times today – once for the massage and then the grocery store/deli, and finally the mailbox this morning. Another drowning won’t bother me much. :0) I’m hoping that my veggie plants are soaking this up, saying, “Ahhhhhhh1” like I was this morning.
I’m leaving for a much-needed massage. I’ll write more when I come home, happy and limp as a noodle, from Lynn Moody‘s Healing Hands. 479-629-7601. Ahhhhhhhhh!
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.
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.
Do you give yourself Christmas and birthday presents? At my house, we don’t give presents at the ‘expected’ times. We don’t get each other Christmas presents, for example. We sometimes go out to dinner for birthdays, anniversaries, etc., but not every time.
We DO get each other gifts when we come across them and think the other would like them. We go ahead and get them and give them, right in the middle of ‘nothing,’ for no special date, just because we think the item will please the other. When we find something we want for ourselves that is a reasonable price, we go ahead and buy it.
I’m going to suggest that you consider buying yourself a present this year – one that will keep giving itself every month all year long. I’m suggesting that you give yourself the gift of monthly massages.
Allure
I used to think massages were just therapeutic – or just a luxury.
I discovered them as therapeutic when I worked as a medical transcriptionist and bookkeeper for a busy general surgeons office in Fort Smith. I kept working longer and longer hours trying to keep up with the 8 surgeons dictation, bills, tax prep, etc. until I couldn’t even take my shirt off over my head at night. I was SO stiff and sore that I would ache even when I wasn’t working.
A wonderful therapist saved me from that, but then she moved away, I resigned from that job, and things just changed.
Years passed and then I found Lynn Moody. I consider her a dear friend as well as my massage therapist. I would give up a lot of things now before I gave up my monthly sessions with her. She undoes the whole month’s worth of tension, knots, sore spots and more as we catch each other up on what has happened in our lives since the last session. I now consider my monthly massage one of my necessities – my gift to myself that keeps on giving.
Please consider giving yourself the gift of feeling better, feeling more calm, help with any particular sore areas or areas you’ve abused lately, and more.
Our son’s friends had a birthday celebration for him yesterday. Their son wanted to blow out the candles. After, he said, “More, please,” so they lit the candles again… :0)
BeChewy
I’m leaving in a bit for a massage. My body is already saying, “Ahhhh.”
I’m not sure what else is in store today. I’m hoping that my creative juices kick in and that I can play in my art room this afternoon.
In about an hour I leave for my rescheduled massage. My body is telling me, “Yes, please. THANKS.” We had to reschedule because my massage therapist was exposed to Covid and I didn’t want to risk bringing it back to my husband.
I had to change the diamond bit in my dremel for my glassware project. I had trouble, so I asked my husband to help. We thought we had it in, but I found when I tried it, it wasn’t in securely. I brought it back down and we tried everything we could figure out to do, but it just wasn’t happening.
I started to try to look for another one on the net and my husband remembered that he thought he had one in the shop. He DID, so I THINK I’m back in business. I’ll try it this afternoon. :0)
The freezes for 4 days this week have pretty well taken care of the rest of the blooming roses, irises, and elephant ears now. :0( It’s supposed to start warming up tomorrow, so I’ll try to get outside and start the clean-up/clean-out, trying NOT to grind my teeth that Mother Nature decided to take these from us at least a month early.
NBC News
My husband woke me up at 4:30 this morning, talking. After I woke up enough, he was telling me he was answering MY question, which he said was, “Who has the power?” I never did figure out what the answer to that was, or why he thought I had asked him that, but threatened him within an inch of his life if he didn’t quit talking and go back to sleep. It took me a LONG time to finally drop off again.
It’s dark, windy, and rainy here today, but not cold. It’s supposed to get up to 80 this afternoon! This looks like the last week we’ll have of the unseasonably warm weather. It may actually freeze here over the weekend, so I’ll get out and get last pictures of our elephant ears.
To give you an idea of size, the “leaf” in the middle lower row is above my head…
Gardening Know How
I need to get serious about starting to ‘put things away’ for the winter with final weeding, trimming, pruning, etc. I’ll cover my raised bed square foot garden planter boxes with tarps for the winter and unhook our watering system for it. I’m not absolutely sure I’ll have a garden out there this coming spring. I’ll make that decision later, but I’ll take care of what I have. We have two planters of the six that need to be rebuilt, but that still leaves four I could plant.
Rasulovs – Getty Images – iStockphoto
My body is having a pity party this morning because I was scheduled for a massage. My wonderful therapist Lynn Moody 479-629-7601 texted me, saying she had been exposed to Covid and wanting to know if I wanted to reschedule. After waffling for a bit, I decided I didn’t want to expose my husband to whatever I might bring home, so my massage is rescheduled to NEXT week. Even my BODY is having to undergo character-building exercises. :0(
My husband worked hard to change another of our fluorescent fixtures into ones that will accept the new LED tubes. This fixture was 8 feet long, out in the shop. It took him all afternoon to do it, because the gnomes that live with us decided to give him as much trouble as they could devise, but he got it done. I think he has two to go, but those can wait.
He complained of the bedroom being too warm the night before last, so I turned the a/c back on to cool things down before we went up. He took a nice shower and managed to sleep really well last night, catching up for several nights. He just came down, and it’s after 10am. :0)
I just got home from my massage and the tight, tense pretzel I was has been replaced by a happy, smiling woman. Lynn Moody performed a miracle and once again loosened or kneaded away my knots and tight muscles. I’m going to fix us some lunch and then will probably take a nice nap. :0)
Things are quiet. It’s 85 degrees, so I shut the doors and turned on our a/c for the afternoon. We’re able to either leave the doors open or keep the thermostat on the a/c up higher these days, so that’s a good thing, too.
I haven’t decided how I’ll spend the afternoon, other than my sloth-like nap. It’s nice to have a day where I don’t have any ‘have-to’s’. The ‘shoulds’ are piling up, so I’ll see if I can knock at least a couple of those out today.
I hope that you are having a really nice day, too.
After about 15 minutes in the new soft neck-pillow-type cone that she liked much better, Amber was able to get to the stitches in her arm and pulled one out, so she is back in the stiff plastic and will have to learn to live with it until she is healed. This morning she’s kind of ‘resigned’ to it. I don’t feel bad – much. I tried to do a good thing for her and she rewarded me by doing the one thing she shouldn’t. Her good healing is much more important than her temporary comfort to me. She is asleep on the floor beside me as I type now.
I am more than ready for my massage this morning. I leave in about half an hour. I’m hoping Lynn can work a miracle once again and get me to be able to relax. I feel like a tight pretzel right now.
It’s hot. We’re under our daily ‘intense heat warning’ designation. We’re just concentrating on getting outside either fairly early in the morning or just before sun sets, spraying ourselves with lots of mosquito repellent before venturing out.
TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF –
Olya Smolyak-Getty Images-iStockphoto
Lynn Moody gets my vote as the best massage therapist ever. If you’re in the Greenwood/Ft.Smith/Hackett or surrounding area, give Lynn a call at 479-629-7601 and see if she can schedule an appointment. She really listens each time I come, makes my concerns a priority, finds places I didn’t even know were sore and fixes them, and leaves me feeling relaxed and relieved. We also share hugs because we’ve become FRIENDS over the years, as well, and truly care about each other. Absolutely priceless.
HANDMADEHAVENBYLINDA ON ETSY –
Tote – “Block Quilt” Hand-Painted, One of a Kind – Orange, Rose, Blue, Yellow, Green and white blocks decorate BOTH SIDES of this 13″ x 13″ x 4″ gusset-bottom tote. Really happy, colorful tote is accented with raised white decorative border reminiscent of Hostess Cupcakes. YUM! $19.99 with FREE SHIPPING to the contiguous U.S. Contact me at lindawlewis1@gmail.com with questions. Click on the link to take you to the tote on my website.
VICIOUS SCALES –
Anti Martina-iStock
I must be ingesting lead lately – My scales are staying where they have been or showing I weigh MORE. All this is while I’m trying to
watch what I’m eating
eat more fiber
drink more water
move more
It’s demoralizing, but I’m firm in my resolve to ‘keep-on-keepin’-on’ and that soon I’ll show some good news on the scale or with the measuring tape. Maybe my clothes will get a bit looser. Stranger things have happened…
Enjoy your Thursday. As soon as I write a couple more posts for the blog, fold the laundry and put it away, I see a nap in my future. :0)
You can see how relaxed and comfortable I am since my wonderful massage with Lynn Moody 479-629-7601 this morning. She is a true miracle worker as a massage therapist PLUS allowed me to fully relax – somethings I am able to do less and less these days. I also consider her a friend.
I came home, fixed lunch, and then fell asleep in my recliner. My husband put my throw over me at some point and I awoke feeling really good. Ahhhh!
While I was gone, he took our bed apart enough to be able to find the model # on the air pump for our bed and looked it up on the net. He found one! We looked at it together and ordered it. It’ll be here July 1st. When it comes, we’ll take the bed completely apart, replace the air pump, find and repair any leaks in the mattress, then put things back together. HOORAY!
We don’t have anything else on the schedule today, so we can relax and do what we want.
I just realized that yesterday was the first official day of summer. We’re due for high 90’s or 100 degrees this weekend with a heat index of around 110. That’s what I call ‘making an entrance!’
I leave in just under an hour to get a massage. I can’t tell you how much this poor old lady is looking forward to it. Last month I gave my time to my husband, who had hurt his back pulling on something in the shop. Lynn Moody, my massage therapist, 479-629-7601, was able to give him a lot of relief. She is truly a miracle worker. I’m hoping she can perform yet another miracle on ME this morning. :0)
On the way back home, I have a UPS return package. I’m hoping it will fit in the drop box on the square in town. If not, my terrific hair stylist, Michael Remillard, at Tangles on the square, 479-357-9305, has offered to allow me to leave the package at his salon and he’ll make sure the UPS guy gets it when he sees the truck pull up to the drop box.
This afternoon I’m hoping to spread more of the worm castings fertilizer I started using this year on my veggie garden and my tomato plants. I’ve read up more and discovered I don’t have to actually make the ‘tea’ from it. I can simply spread it in the planters before watering or a rain and it will work just fine. We’re due for rain tomorrow, so I’ll try to get it spread this afternoon. I’m doing this once a month, hoping my plants will be healthy and happy.
No other big plans today, other than to continue resting as much as possible in-between chores. My husband and I will see our primary doctor Monday to ‘decide-how-we’re-doing-this-quarter’ and see what changes we need to make going forward.
creativeartworksblog 