Winter is Coming

Reminds me of the old Game of Thrones memes.  Did you watch Game of Thrones?  I watched very late, in 2019 after DH and I retired (I am now un-retired) and working a gazillion hours a week.  I asked off for this Saturday to go on another hike and still have not been told if I am going to get the day off.

Today it is getting cold and windy and gray.  Supposed to be snowing this evening.  People i am friends with on Facebook are talking about the snow they are getting and how the stores are all busy and running out of milk and bread.  Isn't it strange that is what everyone buys when the weather turns bad.

I got a wagon full of wood so we can have a fire in our woodstove tonight.  Supposed to be cold through Friday and fairly typical Saturday, so I am still going to go on that hike if I get the day off.  If not, I will take a long weekend the weekend of President's Day and go on a roadtrip to hike in TX with a hiking friend.  Go ahead employer...make my day.

So, Sunday was a pretty sunny day and i enjoyed a 5.5 mile with with some hiker friends on a golf course in Bella Vista.  Was such a pretty course and pretty day.  I missed the first half of the Chiefs game, then hurried home with tacos.  Just in time to see the sad ending...booooooo.

Oh well, guess I don't have to stay up late and watch the Super Bowl and be tired the next day.  Ha - gotta look at the positive.  

I did get a chuckle out of this i saw on FB:

A couple pretty shots of the golf course.  

Today it is still cold, but at least it is above 32 and sunny.  So, I talked DH in to a brisk walk at 5:30 when I log out.  He agreed.  I am trying to encourage and be supportive, but not push him into walking or trying to be healthy.  He has to decide to do it.  

During the last year I was not blogging, his health was OK, nothing earth shattering...but he has deteriorated in terms of his back pain.  Other areas he seems to be improving, or doing ok, but his back bothers him and makes him depressed.  

For me, when I get depressed, part of my therapy is exercise.  Including yoga.  But DH is older than I, so I cannot imagine how hard constant pain must be.  I do know one thing, though, whether it is constant physical pain or mental pain/sadness, one way to alleviate that is to get our mind on other things.  Even as minor as meditation.  But for me, walking, esp outside is helpful.  If I walk alone, I listen to music or book or podcast.  If I walk on my treadmill, I watch TV.  But my preference is out hiking a beautiful trail.

I am so grateful for my yoga instructor.  She continued to keep our yoga class going each week during the pandemic - on zoom.  So, I adjusted to doing yoga in my spare room twice a week, alone on zoom and I got really used to it and looked forward to it.  We did this for a year and a half!  We just started back in class in October.  So crazy.  I go Mondays and Thursdays after work.  I have just enough time with my current schedule, to log off and run out the door - but it works out.

Well, we are having left over vegetable beef soup for dinner after our walk.  Have a great Tuesday night!

 

Grain Moon

The Old Farmers Almanac gives the Native American names for each month's full moon.  The Native Americans named them to track the seasons.  Tonight is Grain Moon.
 

The corn here in the midwest is tall and close to harvest, but not quite ready.   It is still green, so it is also known as The Green Corn Moon.
 

We spent some time admiring the corn as we drove home to the city to get in another week of work.   We also have enjoyed seeing the moon this weekend.  I came home and went to the store,  grateful my food gathering is as easy as driving to a store.  I can imagine for the Native Americans, it was time to gather as much as they could to both process and preserve it, along with the wild game they hunted to get ready for the fall and winter. 
 

I walked after I fixed dinner and fixed lunches for Monday and Tues.   I cut it close, sunset is now 8pm.  Days start to get noticeably shorter now.
 

DH and I both had headaches this weekend,  fatigue and aches and pains...sort of grouchy we both were.  My back is also giving me fits making me think I need to tighten up my diet and get back to yoga soon.  Native Americans and early settlers did a lot of physical labor and moving around.  Today, our culture benefits from so much convenience, they we have come too far the other way.  DH and I sit long hours at computers at our jobs.  We need to keep moving.  My 5 mile walk felt wonderful.
 

Going to bed, so my body can rest up.  Happy Grain moon to you.

Dream Weekend...Staycation

Sat am we slept late, then lazy coffee.  Got our hair trimmed.  Were going to go out to lunch...not too hungry.  So back to hotel...took my time cooked hamburger that needed to be used.  Made yummy nachos with chips we needed to use and homegrown tomatoes, non dairy cheese.  They were so good!

Then I got my toes and nails done (I rarely do my nails, decided to splurge).  Back to hotel.  DH and I decided to do matinee, we Saw The Meg 3D.  It was fun, mindless way to enjoy hot summer afternoon.   Then we went for a walk.  Then last dog walk of the day we could see Mars very bright.

Nice day.  Sunday golf.   We just filled up on BIL's chicken eggs sauteed with red onion and Turkey breast.  Some hot sauce.   Yum, so good.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Our Last Sunday Evening in City House

Yesterday we got back to the city house and I helped my friend load an armoire I gave her, then we took a good 4 mile walk.  It was humid, but not terribly hot (upper 80's).  Friday we took, unloaded and organized last load until we move excess personal effects/clothes/sheets/towels/cleaning tools - literally what can't fit in hotel.  That won't be until July 13.  We are staying in the city the next 2 weekends.  We will keep 3rd vehicle (suburban) in city parked at hotel, which will be handy because it will act as our rolling storage unit for few more weeks.  Then we will move it south and park it in DH workshop - we already made the room for it.  For Aug and Sept, we will just have our personal commuter cars in the city.  But anyway, back to Friday in the country...it wasn't the biggest load, nor the hottest day we have worked in, but I got dizzy and nauseous and about passed out.  So DH made me sit in AC house and drink some water.  It only lasted a short time and I was fine.  I think I just did not drink enough water Friday.
Ate a small dinner Friday down at retirement country and got to visit with BIL.  He had been working a job keeping him away afternoons till 11pm, well, he ended up leaving there and thinks he has another corp gig lined up late july or early aug.  He and SIL had sold their 3rd veh and are considering selling their cattle (usu keep about 15 - 20 to let them focus on their downsize).  He will spend few weeks attacking jobs at his late mother's residence to be able to finish that house and get the prop on the market.  His sister and her husband drives 6 hours one way each weekend, versus BIL 3 hours one way to work on this property. 
When DH and I got back to city and walked into CH Sunday, we could see that the woman we hired to clean had done a great job and my friends who came and got sev pieces of furniture had not left a trace of dirt or dust, so we were pleased.  I cleaned out laundry cabinet, kitchen drawers and weekend the area behind my house/patio area.  I weeked front area last week.  We had a large brunch on the way home for DH birthday, so we just sat in our lawn chairs in our living room and drank our healthy smoothies for dinner!  It was sort of fun.  Our 2 dogs are like what is going on?!  Where is our furniture?!
Today is the last Monday we will commute from our CH.  The picture is of a rain shower we enjoyed from our view last week.  Tonight I will finish packing my clothes and wipe out master bath vanity and do one more load of laundry.  I will take one more walk if weather permits on my lovely route i will miss so much.  DH brother coming over to get a gifted briefcase and our FSBO house sign for when he sells his house later this month or next.  DH sister and his brother are all about same age as DH and all working toward downsizing and getting more nimble for retirement.  I have inspired sev friends and family members to purge.  I will never stop purging after seeing people deal with estates after the fact.  I have no children to help me.  Have a wonderful day!  Here in the Midwest, we are enjoying some mild overcast weather today.

Mid Week pain

Mid Week Pain
So after such a physical weekend moving rocks, pulling weeds and planting/transplanting bulbs I am still a little sore, but my back is better.  I made it to hot yoga on Monday after work and pushed through it and it was a great workout and I did manage my afternoon walk Sunday afternoon once we drove back to the city, but Tues I went straight home from work, fixed my breakfast/lunch for the next day, kissed my DH and went straight to bed at 7pm!  Thank goodness for crockpot meals!  My tummy was feeling bad too, so I think I need to take my B12 at night instead of with my lunch.  I am going to try it today and see if it helps.  It was perfect night to go to sleep early because it was rainy and gray outside.

I did wake up at 3 (which I don't usu do), so I think next time I will have a melatonin ready by the bed to help me back to sleep.  I did use the 4, 7, 8 breathing technique I read about recently and it seems to help me.  I need at least one day a week like this to get 10 or 11 hours of sleep, esp during overtime.  I have been on overtime since July and I am really tiring of it.  But I am grateful for the income.  I keep finding things for the RH I want to buy!  LIke now that I have a new stainless range/oven I am thinking I need a new hood.  My husband is like, but it doesn't even show, but I think the fan and lights will be a much needed improvement (at least that's my story).

At least it is Wednesday and it is not raining, so I think I will get to walk after work.  I hope.  It really helps me relax and unwind.  I just listen to a book from the library or a podcat I  downloaded via wifi and I LOVE it!  When I need to go to sleep early, I listen to celestial or new age/yoga type music on Spotify and put my eye mask on and zone!