Be sure to watch their new theme song music video to bring a smile to you face.
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| That's me in the orange fleece. |
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| You can see it is basically cut and paste. |
I signed up for a local small business' 2026 vision board workshop that is part of their community building efforts to be in a social environment and have fun.
I also felt it would be interesting to see what I focused on without my goals lists and plans!
There were 12 attendees - 11 older women and one teen girl. Lots of magazines, stickers, paper, etc. available plus scissors, glue and 3 sizes of "boards" to choose from. The owner showed us her 2025 vision board from a similar workshop she had attended and offered to find and print any types of images we wanted off of Canvas. No instruction - just light snacks and various drinks.
We all were familiar with the process and as the evening went on the consensus was that it was a very welcome respite from the news we are bombarded with and think about each day.
I really enjoyed the calm chatting and friendly atmosphere. It was fun to see what others were looking for to put on their boards or requested help getting.
Since I love playing with color, I started by covering my white board with some sunrise/sunset colors and then grabbed magazines, stickers, printed sayings to pull together my vision - no projects, habit building or other tasks made the cut. Travel (we want a vacation), healthy eating and happiness did get included.
All in all, it was quite relaxing and fun. A good way to be present and tuned in to the moment.
Even in an organized & relatively minimalist home like ours, it is interesting to clean out nooks & crannies. Who knew we had 5 unopened toothbrushes courtesy of the dentist? The vanity deep clean unearthed them along with 4 little tubes of toothpaste. Do you think some would be welcome in a Little Free Pantry?
I received AirPods for Christmas and am determined to learn how they work and set them up by myself (maybe?)! I am so new technology challenged. So far I have managed to charge them after we searched for and found a very short USB 3 cable, found the online instructions and some probably helpful YouTube videos, confirmed Bluetooth is turned on my phone, iPad and laptop, and reached out to my son who does have a spare longer USB 3 cable so no need to buy one. Turns out my Kindle charging cable works! Two questions: why isn't a charging cable included and why are none of them labeled?
I have started journaling briefly each morning and keeping it positive and encouraging as an act of self-care. Hopefully a new habit will be established.
I've gotten the right clothing and attitude together for walking the dog in the rain when needed. Rain pants were the big improvement and I'm glad I still have my old hiking boots to provide traction.
This afternoon I set off to walk to the neighborhood little market to get a variety of things and a good walk at the same time.
Part way there my phone rang and it was my son so we chatted as I walked and I put my phone back in my jacket zip pocket (it is still cool and windy here). I don't know why but I put my hand in that pocket just as I got to the market --- but my credit card wasn't there. Yikes. It must of stuck to the phone case and fallen on the ground.
I turned around and walked about 3/4 of the way home and found it on the ground fortunately. I almost went home but it is a beautiful sunny afternoon so I headed back to the market, bought what I intended and then walked back home carrying a heavy bag. My feet are tired.
What did I buy? Romaine lettuce and an avocado to add to chicken chef salad tonight. And then there were the things I really was in search of - a bottle of Chardonnay, a loaf of delicious fresh walnut levain and rosemary and thyme goat cheese.
Sitting here eating bread with goat cheese and sipping wine while I read the new Laurie King book from the library is a perfect late afternoon.
What semi-healthy non-sugary food treats do you go out of your way to buy for yourself?
I’ve decided I need to push through getting some things done instead of not being as focused.
This past weekend I poached 2 large chicken breasts which also produced a batch of chicken stock. One was shredded and the other cut in slices. Half a shredded breast went into a chicken and black bean enchilada casserole which is 2 dinners. The rest went into the freezer along with leftover tortillas, cheese and enchiladas sauce for a future casserole.
Chicken chef salad and a chicken stir fry will be on the menu in the future too. I also made a big pot of veggie soup which will do a couple of dinners and some lunches.
I painted 15 swatches of paint samples on the patio - 5 different colors in 3 different locations to check against house/trim and flagstone/gravel colors plus different lights. We think we have a winner so I enlarged the main swatches of the top 2 and will live with them a while.
I also just went ahead and tried ironing the creases out of the dress I am wearing to our niece's wedding. After reading up on how to steam a dress, I wasn’t ready to learn how using this one. The creases are mostly gone and who knows what being in a suitcase will do to it anyway. As my son says, “It will be fine”.
I also drove to the mall to do the last batch of returns. The American hobby of shopping was in full swing despite the current economic uncertainty. I think I am fine for clothes for the rest of the year though and really am not interested in ordering online or going back to the mall for the forseeable future.
Looking ahead to this week:
We are babysitting both girls the evening of the annual gala fundraiser at the nonprofit DIL works for as head of development. Then, pending the 8 year old’s social calendar, we are having her over Friday evening for parents' date night while the 2 year old stays at daycare for kid’s night out.
Otherwise just at home exercise as my Pilates trainer sprained her ankle. I also have my biannual bone density test. Not that time with the grandkids won’t be fun, but I would like to add something fun for me and/or us.
I’ll probably focus on pushing to have as little as possible on the endless to do list to rollover into June however. Possibilities are to clear out the old computer, finish cleaning kitchen cupboards & drawers, and starting to paint the rusty spots on the outdoor metal benches. I have a couple of phone calls I need to make too. Fun? Nope, but I'm the one who has to do these things.
My musings today are on the topic of Spend a Lot and Save a Little (but do it repeatedly!)
House Improvement Spending:
We had the painter we trust to do a good job on our old, many layers of paint, and very large concrete patio out for a consultation. We feel confident that his approach would be the best we could hope for and know it will cost us. This is the last piece of redoing the yard and would make it more pleasant to set up an outdoor eating area or otherwise spend more time out there.
We are waiting for the bid and trying to pick out colors. I say colors because the patio has 2 levels with on step between and people don't see that step unless we point it out. We are going to do the 2 levels in different shades of the same color to get some contrast.
Not Shopping Savings:
I was getting ready to ask around to try to borrow a clothes steamer for the wedding guest dress but thinking I would have to buy one. When searching reviews I was reminded that the steamer I bought for cleaning tile floors has an attachment to steam clothes. I found a YouTube on how to use it properly!
I do like figuring out how to use what I already own. I think if I can get the creases out from how it arrived I can pack it for a brief plane trip without having a problem at the other end. It is washable and can be ironed but I am reluctant before the event is over to do that.
Picking Up Pennies:
I’ll definitely not get rich but I’m now at 15 cents for the year to date. I think Pennie’s are dropped the most because people don’t value them. I use all change for tips at the coffee shop once I have enough so I don’t mind any change.
The Week Ahead
On the calendar are a haircut and Pilates. Possibilities include going to a library presentation on Jack London's photographs and the citywide yard sale on Saturday. As I did for the last yard sale day, I’ll put out with a free sign anything we or our son’s family want to pass on that is in good shape.
All that is scheduled for this week is my Pilates session and dog grooming. I intend to focus on finishing the last procrastinated to dos, starting to get the backyard ready for outdoor enjoyment, continuing to ramp up exercising, and hopefully finalizing my clothing for the June 1st wedding.
I realized recently that I was very bored with my at home exercise routine and avoiding it. I found a YouTube channel with short doable Pilates mat exercises some using weights. For right now I am trying a 7 day beginner program with weights but doing them every other day. Once I can breeze through it in 7 days I’ll ramp up. That combined with my weekly session with a Pilates trainer and long walks without the dog a few times a week is where I am right now. I am considering adding/substituting swimming this summer.
Mentally I’ve put any costly or involved home improvement projects on hold for a while so it will probably just be small things for the rest of the year. That should check off a few more things on the aging to do list. We will see what happens.
I’m thinking of focusing on things like touch up paint for the three metal outdoor benches, thrifting paintings/prints for the large bedroom and our office, redoing a large outdoor pot, and maybe finding a small table and chairs for the family room for puzzles, art projects, sewing, etc.
I was asked at the Easter gathering if I had any desire to travel internationally and had to honestly answer not at this time. Between the pandemic, our move and the political situation not to mention disarray in air traffic control and safety, I just don’t have the desire. We have a standing invitation to visit a nephew’s family in Taiwan, family on the East Coast and I have a long held interest in seeing more of Europe but not right now. I want to put down roots and find my tribe.
I’ve also decided that listing our dinners for the week is getting repetitive so will only talk about interesting new recipes going forward.
I remember those days of trying to ensure childcare during the summer and school breaks. It seems that the date for having to lock things in has moved up to January with the shortage of childcare.
Lucky us though. We were asked if we would like our granddaughter to spend a week or perhaps more with us this coming summer. I’m all in for that! Right now it seems we are booked in for early August.
We are starting to think of things that we might be able to do with her and how to stock up on at home activities too. No age appropriate toy closet here as they haven’t been able to visit for at least two years although we have gone there.
Something to look forward to is one of the critical elements of happiness and now we have a big one.
On a less cheery note, I reconnected with an old friend this week via phone instead of just email and learned the details of the challenges she is facing. Her husband is starting to have signs of dementia due to an inoperable brain tumor and she is faced with the clear need for more back surgery. Her sister has been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s and a brain tumor. Yet she is still making plans for hoped for travel and preparing to move to a continuing care campus. Something to look forward to can brighten even quite challenging times in our lives.
Thank you for your great comments on how you are coping (or not) with trying to be back out doing the things you enjoy while still staying protected from Covid infection.
I spent last week pushing my comfort level with selected social activities and learned the following.
- Library public events feel very safe. Plenty of space and masking is expected.
- Attending another club's event did not feel safe. Despite the county & state mask mandates plus most attendees having age as a risk factor plus probably others, only my friends and I put our masks on after eating. We we were sitting together and although we felt fine driving over in a car together unmasked because we know we all are vaccinated and boosted and wear masks out and about, we did not feel especially safe at this gathering.
- The ophthamologist's waiting room was too full for comfort but at least everyone was masked correctly.
- Our club book group met at a member's home for brunch and I was somewhat comfortable again because I know everyone is vaccinated and careful. I won’t do something like that again though until we see what Omicron is going to do here.
By Friday I had exceeded my limit of exposure to others tolerance for the week and skipped another library event and just had a close friend over for coffee instead.
Starting Saturday, we are only going out as absolutely necessary to have 12 days of very limited exposure before visiting our son and his family. They are all vaccinated as much as possible including the 5 year old so I'm not concerned about them exposing me but since I have been out so much I don't want to expose them.
That means I turned down an invitation to have Christmas dinner with friends and have no plans to do anything with others before we leave to visit our family.
Going forward I expect I am going to skip gatherings with food/drink service unless I know for sure everyone is vaccinated. Even then I may not attend for the next few months if the Omicron variant does turn out to be “as contagious as measles” as one article I read quoted. Measles are one of the most contagious viruses out there.
I’ll be looking for more library activities and invite one or two of our local family or our closest friends at a time to our home until it is warm enough to sit outside at a restaurant again. I will consider going to a couple of local art galleries and to the local live theater that requires proof of vaccination once this Covid wave subsides.
Otherwise it will be walks, take out restaurant dinners, scenic drives, etc. that will be possible given my risk tolerance right now.
Are you seeing a clear path forward for yourself for the couple of months after the holidays?
This article (NY Times Covid deaths over 65) is very sobering for those of us over 65. Although being fully vaccinated is protective as the article says even among the vaccinated many over 65 continue to isolate and not participate in everyday life long after younger folks have returned to work, school, socializing, etc. Although the article doesn't break the over 65 deaths down into age bands or other contributing health conditions, the concern is legitimate for all of us in this age group.
This quote really resonated with me.
"The relentless waves of new threats — a surge of the Delta variant and now the new Omicron variant — have been especially stressful for older Americans, prompting some people to consider tightening restrictions on their lives even more, during a period of life when socializing and staying physically and mentally active is considered essential."
No wonder I am struggling with how to return to a more normal lifestyle.
Have you found a way to move back into a more pre-pandemic lifestyle? What are you doing to help yourself deal with this reality? What do you feel comfortable doing or not doing?
Let's help each other!
Google says these are a Jersey Lily or Amaryllis Beladonna Lily. I've always heard it called a Naked Lady which is definitely more mem...
