Happy Thanksgiving!

We had to go to plan B today, big chef salads and cookies I baked for inlaws' get together this Saturday.

The weather forecast was a little iffy, but when I got up at 5:30am to drive 4 hours to see my Granny for the day (DH staying home with our new pup), it was raining steady and 37.  I checked the forecast and was almost guaranteed that we would encounter some ice.  NO THANK YOU.

So, we are enjoying the dog shop, some Netflix and a fire in our woodstove.  Hope anyone reading has the sort of Thanksgiving you want, quiet relaxation or a house full of family.

Thankful for friends

My friend, T came down from the city.  We stayed close to home while the tree trim guys cut down few more trees in our fence row and took all the brush piles!

I made us couple homemade pizzas for munch.  Then we did a bit of shopping around town.  I bought a shirt, T bought a cute desk. 

I fixed us some taco soup in crock pot.  We watched a cute Netflix movie "Holiday in the Wild".

Now chilling on couch with my pooches and a fire.  Hope you are warm and toasty where you are!

Today I am thankful for my partner in projects, my DH.  We both really love this crepe myrtle in front of our house (2nd picture)  Big bright pink flowers.  Very full and healthy.  Just not the location.  It got so big this year that it crowded both our front patio and our front walkway.  It just could not stay.

So, we had to rake through 2 layers of decorative rock and cut through landscaping fabric and move it all to the side to access the roots.  Then we dug and dug and had to cut a bunch of roots, just to get it loose at all.  Then we tried out our winch and it pulled it right out.

We then dug a huge hole in a suitable area of our yard and dragged it to the new spot and dropped it in.  Then we went to the nursery to see what sort of decorative small tree they had that we could put in front of our house.  We did not have a lot to choose from, but they had this interesting weeping blue cedar and thought it would look nice.  We just hope it does ok.  I really wanted a Japanese Maple, but the lady at the nursery said they don't like full/all day sun.  So we went with this selection.

I like how it does not over power the front of our house (1st photo).
Hope you have a great weekend!

Nov 14, Thursday Hike Day

I went hiking with my hiking club  today.   We stayed local and did a muddy 3.5 morning hike around a lake.   Weather was cool but clear.   About 21 of us.

Then we had quick sack lunch and drove to nearby park for afternoon hike.  We did 4 miles in the woods.   Since we were on bike trails and in hills, not muddy.

I am so grateful for pretty places to hike and nice group of people who share their time and hobby.

Nov 12, Soup-er Tuesday

Today was still very cold, but at least sunny.  I got up and went to the gymn around 8.  Took me about 20 min to get all the ice off my windshield.

I have really tried to watch my diet and work out 5 to 6 days a week...have been weighing for staring on 3 weeks, have lost 1 pound.  Geez.   I know sometimes it takes a while for scale to move...ugh.

At least I feel good about my choices, my tummy feeling good and good sleep, no hot flashes, less aches and pains,  clearer head...

Today I made a big pot of beef vegetable soup.  Like my DGM made it.   And fixed DH yummy loaf of bread.  I am thankful for the abundance in my life that causes me to exercise restraint!  God is good.

Coffee with friends tonight,  then Netflix and chill.  Stay warm out there!

Nov 11, Happy Veterans Day

Today while I am grateful for our Veterans,  I am also very grateful for a warm house and no where we have to be today.   It is 25  degrees and freezing rain here in the mid south.

I am still so sore from pulling and sawing weeds in the fence row, between that and the bad weather,  I am skipping yoga.  I will make it up on Thursday.   I AM committing to the gym tomorrow.

Stay warm and

Saturdays

I told my DH upon retirement 2.0 that I was going to work out a schedule so that I plan for chores and household tasks, time with my DH and our dogs/hobbies, relaxation and sleep equally.

So far, this us working well.  I get up and ho to the gymn 3 or 4 times a week, then I do shopping or house cleaning,  then afternoons we read, fix dinner, watch TV, etc.  We both agree that we want to enjoyvoyr weekends as always.   I might walk outside with the dogs versus the gymn...if I want to wear pjs all day and watch TV or read, I will.

Today I listened to my audio book while working outside.   Sometimes I listen to podcasts. I need to structure in more time for blogging - a nice dilemma.
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Today I ran errands,  then worked in the yard...taking, cutting down tomatoe plants, my peonies,  etc.  Mulched our raised beds.  Was pretty and sunny today.

I am grateful for my yard today.   I took a break from working on my last 10-12 feet of fence row, it feels like I strained some muscles pulling Friday.

Hope to do little more yard work tomorrow before it gets yucky and cold.

Nov 8, Friday Favorites

I skipped the gym today since I knew I was working hard on the fence row today!

I am grateful for pretty sunny days!  It was cold and rainy most of the week.  We have had several fires in our woodstove.

I now have 7 giant piles of brush we will have to dispose of now...oh well.

I am enjoying the book Summer of '69 by Elin Hilderbrand on my audio library books, Secrets podcast and at the gymn I heard a group I really liked called Black Hesrt Saints.   Try their song Lines.

DH and I are enjoying Jack Ryan on Netflix.  Last fall and winter we binged Dexter, Shameless and Game of Thrones.   This winter we are going to watch Downton Abbey.   We also like Heartland.

I am enjoying a lot of veggies right now roasted,  sturdy fried or put into soup.  I am also enjoying 'smoothie bowls ', sort of my own creation.  I blend frozen veggies, kale or spinach with protein, almond milk, chia and flax seeds,  then I top with fresh fruit,  almonds and raisins.

I have been really trying hard, I weighed at the doctor's office about a week and a half sgo... it was ugly.  Not much diff on scale yet, but I feel much better.

Nov 3, the wind and me

Sitting on my front porch waiting for prospective buyers for my side by side.  I have been working on my fence row, so I am too dirty to wait in my house, lol.

We are waiting on a quote from fence people, I am cleaning out brush that I can handle.  Pictures soon!

It is sunny and beautiful.   Windy.  I am noticing how distinctive the wind sounds in the fall.  Leaves rustle in the trees, the skitter across the driveway and down the street.  Nice.

Today I am grateful for fall.

Nov 2, is today Saturday?

I am thankful for a paid off house.  DH and I spent time at my SIL store.  She hadholiday open house.  Not a lot of traffic.   I took frosted sugar cookies.

Then we came home and washed our side by side ATV.   We have people coming supposedly to look at it tomorrow.   We are offering it for sale.

I am going to continue to downsize    I got rid of 12 large plastic totes last weekend
.  My sister has a lot in storage.  They are building a house slowly.  She can use them while in transition.

I am grateful my house us paid for.   Money us much tighter with me not working,  so that's hard.  But we have options.   Pray my side by side sells, could really enjoy s

Nov 4, Shut the Front Door

Today I am thankful for our property.  We have 1 acre.  The lot is about the width of a standard city or suburban lot, but going back to a very deep back yard.  It backs up to our back neighbor's large back yard.  So, we don't have the view we used to have in the city subdivision, but we at least have a nice big yard and big beautiful trees and a nice bit of sky for a view.  Not bad.

Since my older male dog passed, we are getting another bigger dog for our newest dog to play with.  But, while visiting the animal shelters, I came across another small male Chihuahua and had to have him come live with us.  He is sweet.  I will post a picture of him tomorrow.

The point is, since we will have 2 larger dogs, we are going to fence in the entire acre.  This is only the short front side on each side of the house and one long side length.  The short side in back is already done and one long side on the south is already mostly fenced.  Part of our problem is the length of the south side is all grown up with weeds and trees and vines.  So I have been working on this for weeks and it is slow because I am doing by hand.  I do not want this stuff to grow back, so I have been pulling by the roots when possible, cutting with long prumers and sawing the stuff I can't get in the long pruners.  With a hand saw.  It is tedious, but I enjoy the physical workout.  

Today, I post a picture of my sweet Chico who passed just a few weeks ago and I whom my DH and i miss so much.  He was our first dog as a couple and I am so grateful we were his people and so grateful he made it to live in our retirement house for a year.  RIP Chico, we love you.

November 1

I am committing to writing one thing a day I am grateful for.  Today plumber came by and helped me with outside faucet that has run hot.   All summer it was causing my gas hill to increase when I watered all my jew plants.  Kept putting it off calling him...expense, hassle,  I was away working so much, contractors dont show etc.

One, okay 3 calls this week...he shows up after one no-show.  Shows us valves prior owner had installed behind washing machine.   Boom fixed!

Today we will be spending most of the day in our attic (me) blowing in 20 'bales' of insulation.   What fun!

There’s a Swedish proverb: “Shared joy is double joy; Shared sorrow is half a sorrow.”  I am thinking in context of sharing work, and reaping the benefits. 

But we will be so relieved and happy this is finished.  I am sure it will be a real bonding experience!

I am so grateful for our home we love, roof over our heads and a partner to share the load of maintaining it!

Happy November 1st to you!