What made me happy in October - Thriving week 44

The big thing that made me happy this month was my successful road trip to S California. Lots of laughs and a good catch up with my older son and DIL. They fed me really well too.  It was also fun to be out on my own during the day and chatting with strangers. The emotional visit with my closest friend in Camarillo, who was widowed since we moved, was really great. So glad I went.

I went to two art exhibits to feed my soul - A local artist’s guild show and a big special exhibit at the Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena.

While I was on my road trip Hubby changed up the pup’s routine a bit. Hubby isn’t an early riser like me so when they did get up he sent Coco into the backyard instead of walking him first thing. Works a treat for me too now! Don’t worry - that dog gets 4 long walks a day plus another time in the yard with his chew bone but that essential first brief trip out is now by himself while I make coffee.

Enjoyed a lunch date with my younger son and a couple of visits with the whole local family. Grandgirl hugs are the best! The toddler’s arms get me right around my knees so I do have to brace myself lol.

My nephew who lives in Taiwan got a great new job based there but the HQ is in Berkeley so he will be in town most of November for his onboarding and we will get to spend time together on weekends.

I’m not too much of a Material Girl, but getting new sheets in a lighter color really brightens up the bedroom and thus lifts my spirits. The two fleece vests bought from ThredUp are great for our transitional weather as mornings are quite cool but afternoons pretty warm.

I am also happy with the candle I bought on my trip and the many book ideas I got while wandering an amazing Pasadena bookstore. Plus lots of good coffee 😉

Hubby decided he could nail, patch and do touch up painting on areas of the house siding where the vibrations from the earthquake retrofit popped nails or paint. We have a l9t 9f the paint left by the previous owners.

Lastly, getting much better earthquake insurance coverage for the same cost feels great.

What brought you happiness during October?

A way too hot but good week - Thriving week 40

Happy about:

Three cheers for the Georgia judge who overturned the 6 week abortion limit in that state with reasoning that should be shouted from the rooftops. My favorite line in his ruling is “Women are not some piece of collectively owned community property the disposition of which is decided by majority vote. “

I’m through with my vaccines for the year. Just flu and Covid this time.

My mammogram came back negative again.

We are in the midst of what will be a week long heat wave. Tuesday was the worst with a high of 97 but our AC upstairs (courtesy of the split system we installed earlier this year) has made it tolerable. Yesterday was only 94🤪

After talking with our insurance agent we got much better earthquake insurance coverage for the same price as the current policy!

I have figured out my basic travel plan for later in the month including a one night hotel reservation and a work around for taking driving breaks when 2 rest stops in a row on I5 are closed for repairs for the next year.

Thriving Thursday Week 14 - Store visits for school assignment

Starting our second year near grandchildren with much family time the last few days ❤️ 

We joined our DILs family for Easter complete with a plastic egg hunt for the kids. The baby was happy with just one but she got the hang of it and picked up all laying on the grass for her. We had a lovely meal and the pup was well behaved. I felt like I had some good conversations with extended family and know them better now.

This whole week I am picking up the 7 year old at 4:00 when her “ aqua camp” for Spring break ends. She has a school project to visit various types of shops and take notes on things about them. Then the class will write opinion pieces using their research. Pretty great project for first grade. When there was time after each days shop visit she came over to our house and colored, played hubby’s drum set while dancing, ran around and jumped on beds with the pup, and otherwise had a fun if brief visit.

It was fun for me to see what she noticed, help her with sounding out spelling for her notes and how seriously she took her “research”. I took her to Pet Food Express, a local donut shop, Joanne Fabrics, and Trader Joe’s so far. She wants to finish up the week with Petco and the Korean Suprette.

She asked me to buy our pup a fresh baked dog cookie shaped like an ice cream cone with purple ice cream at the first stop. The pup was quite pleased lol. Of course we had to sample a donut which served as that day’s after camp snack and she got a toy at Joann’s after making a difficult choice between two items and a discussion bout relative short term and lasting play value.

Monday we had dinner at our son’s house and Tuesday we all went out to a Mexican restaurant we hadn’t tried yet. By Wednesday we were happy to have a quiet dinner at home ☺️

I’m also trying to knock things off my to do list in short bursts of work. Still working on backing up critical documents for disaster recovery. The goal is to have each listed on a summary sheet that tells how to get a new copy plus scanned and/or in the fire safe. I’m only scanning to first page of long documents like insurance policies including title insurance. We are also going to keep our passport and copies of medical insurance and driver’s licenses in our Go Bags.

So much paperwork some of which I haven’t looked at in decades like my first marriage license and divorce decree. I did find that in 43 years we never obtained a certified copy of our marriage license so I have to order one of those in case the survivor needs it. I was also surprised that the deed for the current house is an electronic copy whereas past ones have been very official looking documents with the county seal imprint.

Thriving Thursday Week 13 - Little things edition

Have you heard about the National Association of Realtors settlement agreement related to home sellers having to pay the buyer’s agents commission? I had briefly thought darn that we had sold our house before the settlement but then happened to read an article about it being retroactive to 2020 or earlier depending on where you live as long as your home had a MLS listing! I’m going to file a claim form and see what happens.

• We decidedly to go out at least once a week so we went to lunch at a Berkeley brewing company and had a great vegetarian Detroit style pizza. 
• Grandparented this week by going to watch swim class Saturday and on Sunday to a violin recital with family dinner afterwards.
• My little bits of yard work whenever the weather allows is keeping the weeds under control and me enjoying the landscaping. 2 plants have insect or disease problems so we are going to try spraying them regularly for a while. We may end up replacing them but everything else is growing well!
• We were able to let the pup hang out in the backyard several times and he also got to go play in another dog’s backyard. He came home from his play date needing to be rinsed off but quite happy.
• Completed an annual health questionnaire and used the $50 payment from our secondary health insurance towards an expensive prescription.
• Set up an account to pay state estimated taxes online and avoid potential mail delays or theft (which did happen here about a month ago but not to us).

Last week’s weather reminded me of a saying I heard as a child - March comes in like lion and out like a lamb! - except it all happened in one week and was all mixed up. Still Spring is clearly moving forward with lots of new growth, butterflies and birds darting around.

Thriving Thursday Week 12 - Spring is here and so are bugs

Welcome to Spring! 

It was a nice sunny and warm week so we took a scenic drive exploring parts of Berkeley near the campus and the hills behind it. The pup loves going for rides and sat quietly on the back looking at everything with interest.

I’m seeing butterflies around as so much is blooming. It is a pretty time to take long walks or sit outside. The pup is extra eager to be outside so we have been taking him out in the yard some which he enjoys.

The little GD had to stay home from school again due to a low fever but is feeling fine. We were able to step in and provide babysitting at her house.

I made a list of all the foods we have on hand and decided to try to get creative with finding some new inexpensive dinner recipes and healthier lunches and breakfasts for me. So far I’m interested in trying a one skillet vegetarian Mexican rice casserole.

This week I discovered the hard way that in one area of the yard we have wasps or bees. One got me on the back of my neck. It hurt but fortunately no serious reaction. I was in early grade school last time I was stung when I stepped on a 🐝 barefoot which I recall being much worse.

Thriving Thursday Week 11

Happiness, Comfort & Health

• Woohoo! I walked over 10,000 steps outdoors one day (4.1 miles for this short person) for the first time since foot surgery. I was quite pleased with myself ☺️
• Pilates trainer is great and it is helping me feel pain free.
• Saturday we watched our granddaughter’s swim class while visiting with the rest of the family. She came over after and we colored, chatted, ate snacks, walked the dog, and helped her find our houses on a paper map and follow the route we drive between them. Then we and the pup had dinner at their house. The baby has learned to say “hi” so we enjoyed listening to her say “hi,hi,hi!” a lot! This is the kind of time together I was hoping for by moving.

Minding our Money (and the Environment)

• Taxes e-filed and amount owed paid! It makes me so happy to have our e-filing problems over with and no more mailing of returns.
• We bought an indoor tv antenna and cut cable TV. Once Sonic goes live in our neighborhood in July we will switch internet to them. We took the easy but more expensive route a year ago when moving as the house was set up for cable already.

Making Home Upkeep Easier (and keeping things repaired) 

• Weeding one day a week during this rainy season seems to be working. The landscaping redo definitely helped.
• We learned to bring the balcony chairs in when it is very windy. They were blown over and scraped the house. Hubby used paint left in the garage to fix it.

Emergency Prep Project

• Added to the car emergency supplies: paper maps free from AAA and 2 reflective vests. Returned the Fix-a-Flat can. It says it has to be kept outside the passenger compartment and we have a hatchback so that won’t work.

Thriving Thursday Week 10

Happiness, Comfort & Health

Homemade Pumpkin pecan muffins made with yogurt instead of oil made us both happy and provided a stash for the freezer. Each fall I buy 10 to 12 cans of Trader Joe’s pumpkin while it is in stock as they have a great price. Do love pumpkin muffins!

The pup got his every 2 months bath and haircut. He is so excited to be at the groomer’s that he brought smiles to all the bystanders’ faces as we struggled to get him into their leash and out of his harness while he just wanted to give the groomer kisses. 

And some good news about the flu. Apparently the pandemic made one B flu strain disappear for the past 4 years so it will be dropped from next year’s vaccine which means more doses can be produced as the formula is simpler. That means more doses worldwide. Flu vaccine

Minding our Money (and the Environment)

Balanced the books for February and am quite happy I moved a lot of our savings into CDs while the rates are up.

Entered the data for our taxes using TurboTax. I still need to double check everything and finish. It took me quite a while because selling a house added complexity and required searching for old paperwork. We owe quite a bit as it was Hubby’s first full year receiving Social Security in addition to his pension and I forgot to increase our estimated tax payments. 

Making Home Upkeep Easier (and keeping things in good repair)

Hubby did use Superglue borrowed from our son to fix some cabinet veneer that had come loose in the rarely used 2nd bathroom. Not the best cabinet but it serves its purpose.

Emergency Prep Project

We finally checked emergency supplies we had in our car against a list we made for car breakdowns. A gallon of water plus a few additional things are back in our car and we ordered a small first aid kit, fix a flat canister, & 2 reflective vests. I will type up a list of what is kept in the car and put on the calendar to check batteries and expiration dates as appropriate.

Next step is to plan several evacuation routes. The city has one I need to print out and I ordered local, area, and state paper maps from AAA in case phones aren’t working. 

Then we need to put together Go Bags for each of us and for the dog for if we have a to evacuate quickly for wildfires. After that is adding to our earthquake/power outage/shelter in place supplies especially more water, coverings for broken windows and lighting.

Thriving Thursday week 9 - Leap day, Baby rave, & procrastination

How are you spending your extra “leap day” today? We don’t have anything special planned.

Spring has definitely arrived her! The trees are flowering, daffodils are up and the birds are staking out territories. Another colder spell on the way but it is temporary.

Happiness & Health - because these make our lives brighter

The biggest happiness came from having my older son and DIL come to stay for grandbaby’s birthday party weekend. The baby’s parents and big sister had a blast setting up a “baby rave” birthday theme party in their dining room with colored lights synched to the playlist, a big balloon chandelier, lots of light up balls and wands, and good food. The birthday girls had lots of fun with the light up toys and loved her cake. The look on her face as we sang Happy Birthday to her was priceless. 

The road to the party was a bit rocky despite all of us pitching in. The day before as cooking was about to begin a pipe broke under the sink causing a several hour delay. The morning of the party big sister had to be picked up at 5am as she was sick so she spent the party in her bed or the bathroom poor little girl. Then almost all of the baby guests plus some family and friends had to cancel at the last minute due to illness! The party still was a success and fun.

Minding our Money (and the Environment) - saving on or skipping things that don’t matter to us so we can afford the things that do

We pruned the neighbors trees on our side of the fence so there won’t be a problem with homeowners insurance this year. He really needs to take them down or tun them into a hedge but I don’t see him doing that.

Otherwise the same old stuff here along with spending on family visiting for the baby’s birthday and helping with the party expenses as part of our gift. We got here a pile of pajamas in the next size as she needed them.

Making Home Upkeep Easier - so we can spend time on what matters to us

I am trying out focusing on deep cleaning one room or space at a time. This month’s was the kitchen which will also get part or all of March due to all the appliances and cupboards. The dining room though will be quick so it may also get done in March.

Making sure I spend an hour or so each week keeping up with the weeding and any pruning is working well. My hope is that the amount of weeds will decrease each year as the seeds in the soil are used up. The weed barrier is helping a lot. This week the pup got to come out in the backyard with his chew bone for over an hour while I weeded as it was dry enough for him. He was so happy.

Emergency Prep Project - we want to survive and thrive at the worst of times

This was the procrastination area.  I did get hubby signed up for the emergency notification system and updated the dog finder info for his license and microchip.

Thriving Thursday Week 8

 

A bit of excitement 2 houses up the street as the wind took down a large tree. I was on the other side walking the pup when it made a loud crash. It pulled up the sidewalk but that was all that was hurt thankfully. The family that lives there is out of town.

Another morning I was walking the dog early and for a brief moment there was a full rainbow visible. That did make me smile. 

I had a good amount of time visiting with and helping my son with the baby while DIL and grandgirl went to a friend’s to play in the snow and have other adventures.

My older son and DIL arrive tomorrow to be here for the grandbaby’s first birthday party on Sunday. Always great to have them with us.

My local AAUW chapter meeting had two mystery writers as panelists and since I really love reading mysteries I enjoyed this program a lot.

We received a $2,371 property tax refund based on the assessment reduction for our previous home’s basis. Not sure if it includes the bill I just paid but either way I am happy. Our future property taxes will also be reduced accordingly. This is available to seniors who sell and buy in state. Filing all the paperwork pays off. 

Thriving Thursday Week 7

Happiness, Comfort & Health

We hosted family dinner night on Thursday. The 7 year old had fun with the quiz I created for the pup’s 2nd birthday which included photos of him with her. The almost 1 year old was back to feeling well and happily joined us in the high chair and crawling around. The pup calmed down after greeting them and did well with the baby. He likes to lick her fingers and she likes it too but we don’t let it go on too long. She points at the dog and says “duhhh”. A good try lol.

Good weather for a few days in a row so I got out and took a long walk without the dog plus my usual 2 dog walks. I didn’t get to 10,000 steps but 7,741 plus however many steps indoors including stairs was pretty good for me. One ankle was tender the next day which is information for further exercise.

Minding our Money and the Environment 

Our combined gas & electric bill that arrived this week is over $320. Guess it is time to move on scheduling that energy efficiency audit.

Purchased and downloaded TurboTax. Now to slog though it.

I looked to see if I could repurpose one of our Christmas bins as an emergency supplies tote (yes!) and found I had packed Christmas wrapping supplies, cards and napkins in one of the bins. Since I didn’t decorate this past Christmas I had forgotten about them and bought things. They are now where I will find them next holiday season.

Making Home Upkeep Easier

I finally got a plant care document put together so hopefully we can keep all our lovely yard plantings thriving by doing what they need when they need it.

Thriving Thursday Week 6

Happiness, Comfort & Health

I think this award is so charming! Our first grade granddaughter received the Mensch of the Week award at her after school program. We got a photo of her holding the certificate and absolutely beaming! She is sooo proud of being a “role model for the community”. What a great way to teach positive behavior, care and compassion.

I was able to help out with babysitting when the almost 1 year old couldn’t go to daycare due to a slight fever. High energy but still taking naps 😉 As is the case with kids, although both parents were working virtually they had critical meetings they had to be present and focused on. They had breaks though and that gave me help. Started at 8 but our son’s meeting ended a bit after 3. I do need to build up my arm strength and speed of getting up off the floor lol.

Minding our Money and the Environment 

Collected all the documents and information required to do our taxes.

Paid 3 annual insurance bills (home, earthquake and excess liability) and property tax bill.

Fixed the hem of a glove after pup got hold of it.

Making Home Upkeep Easier

Hubby found something to use to block where we think the rain runoff came into the garage. Now to rearrange things so nothing that might get wet will be ruined and then wait for the next heavy rain to see if it worked.

Emergency Prep

We signed up for the county warning system for our phones. It is limited to life threatening situations and location specific. Next up is getting our Go Bags stocked and ready. Wildfires are the big evacuation risk here and you really need to leave in time. Potential chemical spills at the port or rail lines are another much lower risk.

Thriving Thursday Week 5

Any ideas on how to celebrate or use our extra day this month? 

Happiness, Comfort & Health

Our son has proposed making getting together be at a minimum a family dinner every 2 weeks. He invited us over for last Friday night and it was fun. We have the next one the day after pup turns 2 so there may be a theme 🐶

Saturday I went with a neighbor to a local art center for a show opening and want to go back to look more closely when it isn’t as crowded. Had an interesting chat with an artist about her creative process for a piece I really liked.

Minding our Money and the Environment 

Got to love these class action suits you don’t even know are happening. We got a notice that if a settlement is approved we will get $12.40 while the law firm gets over $8 million. We have an older notice from a different one that hasn’t paid out yet and it is prorated by recipients length of involvement and investment. No idea what that will net but don’t expect it to change our lives!

Sent back the auto insurance form asking for the odometer reading and how our car is used. We drive so little and the car is so old that it helps keep the cost reasonable.

Hubby ordered FastTrak for auto pay of bridge tolls and carpool lane freeway charges. He figured out we need the one that reduces fees in some circumstances if 2 or more people are in the car. We need this to start taking car outings to explore without getting a bill every time we cross a bridge. We can also use the car pool lanes during restricted times once we have it.

Making Home Upkeep Easier

Our sanitation company is very responsive. Just a few days after calling we have a yard waste bin that doesn’t let the rain inside because it has a new lid. That makes life a teensy bit easier.

The patio umbrella was blown down a second time so we have decided it is going to have to go. Now to find someone who wants it. We also have an indoor/outdoor rug that was left at the house and it blows around also so it has to go too.

Thriving Thursday Week 4

Happiness, Comfort & Health

I attended this month’s AAUW meeting to hear a talk about development of more affordable and market rate housing plus a new library for the city. Making myself get out and about will eventually result in finding friends.

I’m determined to deal with several minor but nagging physical issues in 2024. Monday I went to a podiatrist for an ongoing nail problem. Feeling hopeful it will be solved after about 7 years!

Minding our Money and the Environment 

I got my sewing machine running again! Turned out it needed a thorough cleaning and oiling which I had neglected to do. I managed to break the latch holding a small door for the light bulb but blue painter’s tape seems to be working as a substitute. It works for occasional mending and that is good enough.

We finally received our house value adjustment for property tax purposes. California has this benefit for seniors based on the assessed value of their prior home. We don’t know yet how much it saves us a year but there will be significant savings over time plus a credit for however much we have already overpaid.

Making Home Upkeep Easier

Moved the cookbooks and charging station off the kitchen counter but there still is too much out for easy cleaning IMO. Still, we use all of it. 

Thriving Thursday Week 3

Happiness, Comfort & Health

Lots of good family time plus exercise and progress on that darn move to do list.

Now that I know where a lot of things are I’m happy with the ease of most errands. Tuesday I did a short loop of errands to the hardware store, drugstore, UPS store and library. I could have easily gone to several grocery stores and debated going on to the coffee shop but is was nearly lunchtime so restrained myself☕️😁

As expected, between colder weather and a rate increase for electricity and gas our bill is a lot higher than it has been. Not that it is very cold here compared to most of the country! We are very fortunate that we can keep the house at a temperature that is comfortable for us although we are wearing layers as much as possible. 

The first year in this house is an experiment in adjusting ourselves and the house’s systems but we are opting for comfort. We are now seriously thinking about having an energy audit done and then following the air sealing and insulation upgrade recommendations as much as possible.

Minding our Money and the Environment 

Hubby touched up some exterior paint and caulked a tiny hole by a window frame where ants were coming in. He found he could use the house paint we thought had to be taken to hazardous waste. Now we need to find out if we can have a small amount transferred from 5 gallon containers to small paint cans and then safely dispose of the rest.

Sticking to my library books only pledge so far this year.

Making Home Upkeep Easier

Cleared, cleaned and reorganized the garage aka laundry and storage room. Found places where the floor paint was coming off but I really don’t care.

Keeping up with weeding our newly landscaped yard. I figure two years of more weeding than I want until the weeds managing to emerge from under the weed barrier are gone. Hope I’m right.

Thriving Thursday - January 11

Happiness, Comfort & Health

I am really liking the daisy pictured above for some cheery winter color and would like to get another one for the other side of the backyard. We will see. 

This little white one is sweet and a surprise so it must be bulbs that were already here.

We had a fun evening at our son's home watching the College Football Playoff National Championship game and having dinner. I made cabbage and carrot slaw to contribute to the game day meal of chili and cornbread. Hubby was put in charge of coming up with a signature cocktail. We thought it should be blue for Michigan so he made this Blue Margarita with blue Gatorade. More aqua than Michigan blue but it was fun.

I invited my DIL to an art opening and curator lecture later in the month. She has to work that Saturday but said I was “spot on” that she would like to go. Since she couldn’t go, I invited the neighbor who I went to San Francisco with. Determined to reach out and make friends here. 

DIL had a few days off this week so we went out for coffee and to a plant nursery. One on one time is nice.

And to not leave the pup out - he got his final first time canine flu shot and a larger harness to fit his STILL growing body. He is becoming much larger than predicted. 🐶❤️

Everyday Thrifty Stuff

Talked myself out of buying additional shelving for my closet by changing where the extra sheets are stored.  Also cancelled a final chiropractor appointment as I am good for now.

Returned a couple of items to the grocery store that were not used for game day. Bought more “emergency water” instead.

We seem to have switched to eating instant hot oatmeal as we both are unwilling to cook regular oatmeal in the morning anymore so I made yummy oatmeal muffins to use up part of the remaining regular oatmeal.

Fixed some stitching coming undone on my down jacket. Fixed the frig door seal where it wasn’t staying in place.

Making Home Upkeep Easier

We agreed to go through the tile and other remodeling materials left in the garage by the seller once the weather is a bit warmer. We will keep less than is there and take the rest to the local Habitat ReStore. My slow garage decluttering continues very slowly.

Little Doses of Happiness and Progress - 4th week of July

1. Our older son and DIL had some items shipped to us as they are pet sitting nearby. We had a short but nice visit when they came by to get them and they left us some lemon bars. They then arrived Saturday for a two night visit.

2. We had our train the humans first session for our dog manners and basic commands class. Next Saturday we take the dog to an outdoor group class. Our pup is now an “adolescent” and we want him to be as well behaved through that phase as possible. He responds well to training so our consistency is the critical element. It is interesting that now they recommend waiting to neuter a male dog until they are a year old as it reduces the likelihood of hip dysplasia and a type of cancer. We’ll have to see how he behaves month to month as there are signals to do it sooner.

3. Our one burner propane stove arrived and will be part of our emergency prep supplies. Also received two more plug in emergency lights to replace old ones. The old one that still works went in the garage.

4. Bought a pair of Clark’s sport sandals on sale and they are so comfy! My others are well worn but still usable.

5. Unfortunately Hubby has to have a root canal plus two possible crowns and I had to replace my upper retainer. I had recently gotten two crowns and replaced the other retainer. This is a summer of dental work but our health has been good otherwise.

6. Fortunately after his root canal Hubby felt well enough to go on his scheduled discovery flight in a single engine Cessna. He thinks he will take lessons until he can land the plane as even if he got a pilot’s license he wouldn’t rent a plane and fly solo. He’s pretty enthused about a new experience.

Misty mountains, hummingbirds and coyotes

The pup has me taking a long walk as soon as it is light outside which is about 6:30 these days. Surprisingly, other walkers are out even in a 55+ community which pleases my people and dog loving puppy.

Unfortunately coyotes are also out and one trotted right in front of us the other morning which got my heartrate up quite a bit. What did the pup do? Exactly what I was afraid he would do. He tried to run after it to see if it would play. They do look like stray dogs at first glance. 

The great parts of these early walks though is that for days the mountains have been partially shrouded in clouds making for a misty landscape as the day gets lighter. Very pretty.

In addition, it is so quiet out that you can hear the hummingbirds buzzing past or nearby.

And amongst all the trees and flowers we are walking by this type which is in full bloom right now. It is glorious and so cheerful.

Stock photo not tree we walk by

And then this morning  their was a toad sitting by the driveway. That was a first!

Monday Musings Week 3 - Something to look forward to

 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.

5 things that make me happy today

1. Washed and played with the dog who loves the whole bath, hair dryer, tooth brushing thing.

2. Emptied 2 of the 4 remaining moving boxes and rearranged stored items in the guest room closet to make better use of the space.

3. Got 4 books from the library and they all look interesting.

4. Had an iced mocha coffee at the library cafe while I sat outside. There may have been a chocolate chip cookie involved too.

5. Called my best friend in Atlanta and had a nice long chat.

What about after the move and settling in?

I really enjoyed reading Tamara's spring bucket list and realized that it was time to think about what I was going to do and/or explore doing once we move, fix what needs fixing in the new house and are ready to get out in the larger world. So here are some ideas. A work in progress but I tend to hunker down and am seeing as I leave my current community that I squandered opportunities for great friendship and more fun by not being the one to reach out.

I want to be physically active so
- explore what I can do using the pool, gym, etc. at our HOA community
- try out the YMCA, parks & rec dept, and/or pilates studios to find the right community and exercise
- find good walking locations for with and without the dog

I want to eat right for my current body and health goals as well as cooking for Hubby's different dietary needs. To that end I am starting a Nutrition Counseling program on Wednesday. Stay tuned on that. But in my new home
- shop the Saturday farmer's market as this is an agricultural area
- try one new dinner recipe a week
- try different restaurants to find that magical mix of healthy, enjoyable and right price

I need a new community of friends and to get to know my sons, DILs, nieces & nephew, BIL, FIL and cousins in a new way that happens with more time together.
- schedule fun times and quiet times with each
- explore what is available in the HOA community
- look into sr. university, art or other classes
- find a compatible book club, walking group, mystery writers group, live theatre, etc.
- network with current friends and family to find who they might know in the area and make friends.
- get in the habit of having people over again
- throw a housewarming party and invite neighbors - or better yet throw 2 with one for neighbors and one for family

Decorating our new house to really work as our home is a priority.
- Work with people who can help create a vision and source fun, comfortable, affordable furnishings while enjoying the process
- Make sure what we buy is really right for us and not make do