Saturday, May 30, 2015

Good Morning and Happy, Happy Saturday!!

Good morning to all and happy, happy Saturday!  I'm moving pretty slow this morning, but made it up in time for the sunrise.  I'm on my first cup of creamer with coffee (LOL) and feeling pretty good. Right now it is cool and quiet.

But, hold your breath...this is the temperature that greeted me in my truck yesterday:




Really?  Really really?  Please explain to me why it was 93 degrees and we are still in May.  I am not looking forward to the summer.  Between the drought and the heat, I hope I can keep my trees and plants alive.

Because of that, straight into the house, do not pass go, do not collect 100 dollars.  Luckily, my dad's caregiver had kept the house closed up, so it was in the 70's inside.  Yay!  Checked on Dad and we both took a little nap.  I know, I know, not a good idea, makes it hard to go to sleep at a normal time. Since I am off today, I was willing to take the chance.

Up and moving at 5 pm, but it was still in the 90's.  Got some inside stuff done.  Here is a couple of samplers that I hung in our guest room.  I don't remember the name of the first.  I did it many years ago.  It was the first time I worked on a motif sampler.  The second is a La D Da design.  I changed the colors and did it in silks.




I have several blank (VERY WHITE!) walls, I need to get my behind in gear and get some stitching DONE!  LOL

By 8 pm, it was finally cool enough to go outside.  Decided to get a wood box sealed so I can paint it this weekend.  I've got a few smalls that need to be mounted on boxes.  I was outside for five minutes and noticed that the patio was really messy.  Well, I'll just move a few things around and get the leaves picked up...Two hours later...Did someone say SQUIRREL?!?  Yes, I did finish spraying the box and the patio looks pretty darn good.  LOL  So even though I did not go to bed before 11 pm, at least I got "stuff" done.  

So, what are my plans for this weekend?  I've got a few more leaves to pick up and then some inside chores.  The weather man says the temps will be in the 90's again today, so I'll be outside in an hour or so.  I would like to get a couple of hours of crafting in, but with my attention span, who knows? LOL

So, peeps, do some fun stuff, hug your loved ones, enjoy your day.  Be kind to one another.

Monday, May 25, 2015

Am I On The Mend?

I am not really sure this morning.  I've still got a nasty, nasty cough that only sees fit to show it's ugly head between midnight and 4 am.  I decided that I don't have time to wait this cold out, so yesterday, I painted the spare bedroom.  I know, I know, what in the world was I thinking?  Let me give my reasoning.  My son AND stepson are coming in the next week.  And, DS is bringing a school buddy. I bought the paint for this room almost two weeks ago.  My big plan was to do it last weekend, then I moved it to during the week, yesterday was my last chance.  There is no way I can leave it any longer.  So, I put on my big girl panties and got started about 11 am yesterday, finished by 4:30 pm.  This room has not been painted since we moved in here in 1985.  Yeah, I know.  I hate to paint.  Not the actually work, but I can't pick colors.  It took me a month to pick out the color for my bedroom.  And the only reason I finally made a decision was the room was damaged by water and in order to get the insurance check, we had to have it inspected and signed off by the agent!

So, with all that, boy, did the walls and ceiling suck up the paint.  It took almost two gallons!  But I have to give a shout-out to Valspar paint.  It said it was a primer and paint.  Yes, yes it was!  One full coat, a couple of touch-up places and done.  DH looked at it at 6 pm, said it needed another coat, looked splotchy.  But by 9 pm and dry, it looked great!!  I am very impressed.  I need to do the rest of the house, so if I can ever pick out colors...LOL  LOL  LOL

Because of the lack of brain power, no stitching.  But, I did work on my punch needle project.  All you do is go round and round and round.  As a side note, I did manage to mess this up.  LOL  I had the needle set at one to do the background.  When I started on filling in the chicken, I forgot to change to a three....Oh well, I am not pulling it out....I consider it part of the texture...


Colors still seem bright.  I will definitely do some aging on this piece.  I've got wool picked out for the back.  It will be a nice table accent.

Ok, peeps.  Heading towards the other end of the house to get a few chores done and then start my day.  DH is off, I've got a caregiver coming for Dad, so it is a date day!  I've had quite a bit of away time the past couple of months, but not with DH.  He's pretty excited.  LOL

Remember those that gave all for our freedom.

Be kind to one another.

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Biding Its Time....

So here I am, minding my own business.  Enjoying my little trips, my walks, everyday "stuff" that makes it all worth it....

Meanwhile, in the background, a nasty little cold bug was biding its time.  First, there was the slightly sore throat.  Okay, lots of pollen and garbage in the air.  I can cope.  Then came the headache.  Not too bad, I get migraines.  A few Excedrine Migraine and a diet Mt Dew, I'm good.  Now, the weight on my chest.  The cough.  The "I felt great yesterday, what happened today?" feeling.  The distinct thought that if I don't lay down, I will fall down.  It is 6:45 pm.  I am taking a shower, grabbing my blankie, and heading towards the couch.  I am trying to stay away from my dad, last thing he needs is my nasty cold.  DH is in town at a meeting, hope he is home soon to do the last of the chores…. 

So I close this with no pictures, no stitching, minimum participation.


Be kind to one another.

Monday, May 11, 2015

One Hour and Fifty Eight Minutes, Baby...

If you've peeked into my blog the last few months, you might remember me mentioning that I had a 10K walk planned on May 9th.  Well, I did it!!  This was my third walk and I did better than last year. I finished 6.2 miles in one hour, fifty eight minutes.  That is a 19 minute mile!!!  Keep in mind that I am on the old side of middle-aged and even after a loss of 17 pounds, I would not be exaggerating to say that I am still chubby.  I am darn proud of that 19 minute mile.  LOL

And the best part...it was all for the kids!!!

Here are some pictures...

The walk begins in Morro Bay and ends in Cayucos.  All the walk is done on the beach at low tide, so you have packed sand.  Easy to walk on.  It was overcast, with a light breeze.  Perfect walking weather.


Welcome booth.


My number and the starting line.



Look at all the people!  Lots of runners, lots of walkers.



And the finish line...



I walked with a friend from work and she was the perfect walking buddy!  We have about the same pace and she was just as focused as me to make it under two hours.  WE WERE AWESOME!!! LOL

I am happy that I stayed on track and did better than expected.  Does that mean that I get to sit on my behind and stop walking?  Nope...back to my routine tonight.  Two miles a day, five days a week. My mental health depends on it!  

Be kind to one another.



Sunday, May 10, 2015

Happy Mother's Day


Happy Mother's Day to all, whether you are a mother by birth, or a mother of the heart.  And if you are a father doing double duty, Happy Mother's Day to you, too!

I have learned over the years that love is not simple.  You have the love of a spouse, the love of a sibling, the love of friends.  Sometimes, loves fades away.  Once I became a mother, I found a love that knew no end.  I will admit, my son was not a difficult child.  I was blessed.  He was not ill, not born with any disabilities, and he is the only one I have.  I quickly realized that I would give my last breath for him.  Even though he is now 27 and lives far away, I still talk to him on the phone a few times a week and receive post cards in the mail for no reason.

I know that I am not the norm with my son.  There are mothers that have raised their children the same as me, but have lost connection.  Their children drifted away from their families and never found their way back.  I will say that I have no relationship with my mother.  She is one of those people that should not have had children.  We were a hindrance.  I still remember her calling us "curtain jerkers" among other things.  She was in and out of our lives from the time we were very young.  My father was the rock that kept us safe.  When I was an adult, I found her and built a relationship.  I thought that things were better, but once again, her own needs and alcohol won over her children.  Am I sad?  Not as much as I used to be.  You keep the people that add to your life, otherwise, you move on.  It sounds harsh, but that is how I have survived.  

Through all this, I have learned to be a good mother.  My heart sings when my son calls. Sometimes he asks how to cook pasta, other times he wants my opinion on things much more important issues.  I cannot ask for any more.

So today, celebrate your relationships with the ones you love.  Hold them close, tell them that you love them.  Be kind to one another.


 

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

What I Did This Weekend...Or...My Trip to The Grand Canyon

Good evening, peeps.  Grab your favorite beverage, put up your feet and let's start our adventure...

Saturday morning, 5 AM, I am up and moving since Baby Sis told me that "we will be leaving at 7 AM"!  I admit, I was foolish, I believed her.  LOL  First text was at 6:45.  She was running a little behind, would be here at 7:15.  Second text was at 7:15, she would be here at 7:45.  What time did she really get here?  8:15.  I shouldn't complain, I've been on trips with her that it's been a lot worse! We made it 50 miles into our trip, she had to stop for breakfast.  She then proceeded to stop every couple of hours. Good for bathroom stops, not so good for a quick trip.  Every time we stopped, she would go into the gift shop area and try on the hats, glasses, take a couple of selfies...and she is the QUEEN of the selfies!  She stretched an eight hour trip into a TEN hour trip.  All I can say is...gotta love Baby Sis...

Made it into Arizona....




Get to Williams, AZ, at about 6:30 PM, check into the hotel.  She did a great job in planning! Hotel was clean and well-maintained.  It was a full package:  hotel, train trip into the Grand Canyon, bus tour inside the canyon, breakfast and dinner each day.  WOW!  Once you parked your car, you didn't have to use it again. We were less than two blocks from downtown Williams and directly across the street from both the train station and the buffet restaurant.  

Antique train parked(?) outside the hotel...



First night, get a little dinner.  Great food, but too late for me.  You see, Baby Sis eats around 8 or 9 PM.  I usually eat at 5 PM.  See the problem?  Oh well, it was only going to be for a couple of days. LOL

Up the next morning, took my walk.  Oh. My. Gosh.  I was 100 feet from the hotel.  Why couldn't I breath?  I was pretty sure that I was having some sort of attack.  Oh, wait, I live at about 800 feet above sea level.  Williams is at about 6200 feet.  I had two thoughts:  I need to walk slower and I am not ready for the Mount Everest Trek.  LOL

Got breakfast, took a minute to watch the Wild West Show and then on the train!  Yay!!!  Took about 2 1/2 hours.  Train pulls into the depot at the Grand Canyon.  It was raining.  And not just a little, but pouring!  Got completely soaked waiting for the bus, but oh so worth it!!  The bus trip went about 5 miles on the rim.  The rain was moving in and out, so got some great pictures.  You will see that in some pictures the rain is falling in the canyon.







This is my favorite picture...



Or maybe this is my favorite...LOL  I really can't decide which is my favorite.  The Canyon is so amazing, you can't take a bad picture...







Back at the main center, stopped and watched Native American Dancers.  Beautiful and so talented...



Here is me trying to take a selfie.  I am much better at nature pictures.  LOL



Had an amazing day!  Back on the train.  Started raining, so loaded up just in time.  Back at the hotel, dinner (before 7:30 PM thank you!).  Early night and fell into bed.  Up the next morning, starting to feel better about the altitude, so had a nice walk.  Got Baby Sis up and going, out of town by 10:00 AM!



Nine hours later, 30 miles from home...


Baby Sis did a wonderful job of planning this trip.  If you ever have a chance to take the train out of Williams to the Grand Canyon, DO IT!!! It was so nice to just sit back and enjoy the view.  The last time we traveled together was about eight years ago.  I had forgotten how to be just a "sister".  Not a caretaker, or a wife, or a mother, or a boss...a good change.

Thanks for sharing our adventure.  Have a wonderful evening and be kind to one another.





Saturday, May 2, 2015

Happy Saturday!

Good morning and happy Saturday!  I'm off on a girl's weekend with my sis.  I know I just got back from my finishing retreat, but we haven't done any traveling together for over seven years and DH said he would be fine with Dad for a couple of days.  I cannot begin to say how grateful I am to him for supporting me and "my time".  I have stayed on track with my exercise program and eating healthier.  I am feeling much better and as a side note, have lost 15 pounds since February!  I am still 20 pounds heavier than six years ago, but since my goal is to feel better, the loss is just frosting on the cake. LOL LOL LOL

So, update on the rancho...spent some time trying to clean up the back porch.  I've got a few pots of geraniums that made it through the winter.




I know they're a bit raggedy, but at least they're alive!  LOL

Here the promised picture of my "opposite" iris.  It is paler than it's neighbor, but still pretty.




Been getting in some stitching, too.  If you look very, very closely, you can see that all the windows are done!  I've added more red since I took this picture, but the light isn't very good this morning, so no new picture.





One of our gifts at the retreat was a beeswax pretty.  I've used a thread conditioner before, but never beeswax.  Since this was the first time I stitched with one thread, I decided to give it a try.  Yes, it does make a difference!  I don't seem to have as much tangling and knots.  There are two in the picture.  The large flower was our gift from the shop, the acorn was a gift from one of ladies at my table.  I thought it was so sweet of her to include me!  If you recall, I was homeless and made myself at home at their table. They were all very nice, inviting me to meals, making sure I felt welcome...



And my final picture...my last orchid blooms!  Surprise, green and purple.  LOL  At least it's not the same as my other two.  I should add write descriptions on the pots so I know what colors NOT to buy next time!  LOL  It isn't completely open, but just couldn't wait to share.


Okay, peeps and peepettes, I am off to start my adventure!  We are going to the Grand Canyon to do the train ride, so I know I will get lots of pictures to share.  Take care, be good to one another.