Sunny Tuesday sometime in January

I had a post on FB by a friend that asked for you to post the last picture on your phone.  I posted a picture and then posted the post to my page.  It was fun seeing my FB friends posting their pictures.  My girlfriend I grew up with who is building a home in the small town where she and I grew up/went to school...she posted a pretty picture of a rock with their last name and a light on it.  She said she got it for her husband's Christmas gift.  I said, huh, great minds think alike...as I had just admired and posted a picture of my rocks framing our driveway.  These we made ourselves, using silicone adhesive to glue on the numbers/letter and solar spot lights.  

These pictures right after we "installed" the rocks.  It was actually one big rock that broke in half - otherwise, DH and I would not have been able to get them into our truck!  You can see the small bushes that are next to each, they are growing nicely and we have since planted some decorative grass behind them as well.  This is them the other night.

We think they turned out nice.  Enjoy making the yard look pretty.  What projects are you working on?  I need to clean all my blinds.  Maybe next month or so I will start doing a room at a time, lol.  I actually cleaned my windows last spring and noted that by mid summer they were already needing washed again!

Speaking of quilt...I wish I could quilt...maybe I will learn that after I slow down hiking, lol.  But I do crochet.  I have 2 hand crocheted afgans on my Poshmark closet for sale...the green and burgundy one is 35 x 58 inches and the red, white and blue one is large...52 x 60.  This gal offered me $22 for them both, plus a blanket scarf I have listed!  I was like, not only no...but I immediately raised the price on both.  Geez.  Last fall I sold this sunflower one for $35.  That is more reasonable.  There are hours involved in making a nice afgan.  Come on, people!?

Still slowly purging and selling, little by little.  Have several "home goods" things listed, but they are very slow to sell.  Still mostly selling clothes I don't wear anymore.  I.e. dressy work clothes.  I have spent a couple years hiking, deciding what gear I need.  I just bought my warm mid layer coat, a used Patagonia...set me back $140!  Used!  Bought a new with tags day pack on Poshmark, for $80, would have been $120+ at the store.  Love to hear stories of what you are saving up, planning for.  

I was able to go on an impromptu "hike" with some of the women in the club Sunday.  It was in Bella Vista and was mostly on pavement, but I had not explored this area yet, and it was a pretty sunny (albeit windy) day, so I was grateful to get to go on a Sunday, since that is my only day off.

We walked under the new by-pass that goes north on I-49 and connects Arkansas to Missouri, going around Bella Vista.  That was pretty wild.  

I find the concept of through-trails fascinating, and perhaps this can be an area I explore more of as I retire, second time around - God willing.  God willing, that I am still healthy and able to do some through-trail walking.  I always toyed with the idea of backpacking, but I am afraid that ship has sailed.  You really need to be able to carry 30-35 pounds and do 10-15 miles a day.  We shall see, I guess.  Also, the problem of finding someone willing and able to go with me!

My DH is not terribly well, health-wise.  Although, he did have a televisit with his nephrologist today, his kidneys/related lab counts are looking good.  2 years ago he was feared to be Stage 4 kidney disease (probably diabetes related), but that was later adjusted to Stage 3.  Stage 5 is dialysis.  DH diabetes is currently being treated and responding well to medication.  

So nephrologist was very encouraged and happy today, so that makes us happy.  DH needs to be more active, but he gets angry if I push too much.  On the other hand, if he plans anything or finds someone to walk with, he forgets.  Our big concern right now, is his memory - he is forgetting everything and it is scaring us both.  More on that in the future...

Eventually I want to walk the entire 30+ miles Razorback Greenway from Fayetteville to Bella Vista.  I will do section at a time!  

Have a great evening!

Friday Again, i am sensing a pattern here

So as of last Friday I mentioned I have a new job.  I started the onboarding process (electronic paperwork) Monday and did several documents Monday and a couple of missing/mistakes on Tuesday).  Then we got an email Tuesday evening like around 9:30pm, work Friday that all the people being hired still had onboarding documents, etc).  So I figure I have 2 more days off - more work in the yard - mowing, puttering around.  Planting a few more flowers, some more veggie seeds, etc.  Then we shopped for inlaws.  I helped with a couple more things with sister in law's yard, etc.

I finished the border on my deck azalea area - the water rushes under my deck from neighborhood to our south and out the side where the azaleas are - that is why I spent the money and got rocks for this area - mulch would just be washed away.  Even the rocks washed over the flat brick pavers, so I got these longer thicker ones from my SIL and stood them vertical so I could fill in with more rocks and make it more substantial.  I love it.

Oh, and she has a business where they sell vintage/used/flea market/antiques stuff, mostly furniture but also décor, seasonal, nick nacks, some glassware, etc.  She is know in the community and a woman downsizing sold bunch of furniture to SIL and SIL texted me that the lady was selling a treadmill.  So I bought it for $40!  I really don't have the room, but I just stuck it in the middle of my small guest room for the time being.  I will be glad I have in on really hot and really cold days.  Just don't like where it is at the time.

I am eventually going to get rid of some bigger furniture, so my long term plan is to move to larger guest room.  I don't have company much, so I am not too worried about it being in either guest room.  But our furniture is big - was for bigger house and good functional well built furniture is hard to get rid of.  More on this later with photos!

My DH is one of 3 boys and 1 sister.  Their grandfather made this beautiful walnut cabinet with glass out of a walnut tree he planted as a young man.  Then went off to war and came home and cut the tree down and made this.  I have my blankets in it that I crocheted.  I just gave one blanket away for a wedding present - the white and black houndstooth with red trim - see below.  Well, my brother in law has 2 sons so they are eventually going to come and take the cabinet so the boys will eventually get it. One son just got married - I gifted the blanket to them (and some cash!).  DH has agreed that I can then get rid of the huge bedroom set (he has owned since the 80's, and it is very nice, but so big and bulky/dark).  He is ok with the idea.  He is seeing as we get older we don't need so much stuff to take care off/move/clean around.

I got an email this morning (after I went to bed early and got up early - preparing to work and GET PAID!).  No work yet this morning.  I sure hope the project otherwise goes smoothly - this is frustrating.  But since it is for an arm of the federal government - it moves like a glacier getting everyone on board.

Oh well, guess we can finish working on our deck.  We painted our picnic (I always say pick-a-nick like the cartoon) in my head!  We painted it turquoise for fun pop.  The sellers of this house left it back there when they moved.  DH has replaced several of the boards, so it was diff colors of wood.  So we thought a bright paint job would be fun.

It turned pretty cool this week Thurs after we had nearly 90 degrees Wed!  Weird.  I saw a post from a friend of mine that she was doing big Easter dinner and delivering to her loved ones, so I was inspired to do the same.  I am making baked ham, potato casserole, green beans, deviled eggs and a coconut cake.  We will deliver to Mom and Dad in law, sister in law and her husband and my husband's uncle who lives alone and has health problems.  I have been trying to do nice things for people (care packages, cards and just calling/texting) just to be supportive during this weird Covid 19 quarantine time.  I know if it is hard on me, in must be hard on others too, even though we are all still in the thick of it and don't really talk much about that - I think we are all mostly staying positive and all our feelings haven't processed yet - mine haven't!

Have a wonderful Easter weekend1

Reflections

Remember all the free plants I got last spring...more on them later.

This week last year we were preparing to leave the extended-stay-hotel-from-hell and leave the city to go permanently to our retirement home.  I remember how excited I was, truly just beyond belief it was happening after counting down what seemed like 10 years but really was more like actual 4 years.  I remember thinking it was all happening so fast and it felt rushed, like events that you have looked so forward to but end up going by in a blur and you try to recall in your memories (and pictures).  Big reason why I started this blog was to document the time getting ready and leading up to such a big change in our lives.

Well, fast forward to spring after we retired.  I was restless, we bought a new car, I saw it as leverage to go back to my same work and get a temp assignment, etc.  And here we are approaching 6 months later.  I am giving my notice this week - 2 more week after this week and I am going to enjoy not wearing makeup, packing my lunch, loading my suitcase, etc.  Going to enjoy having a looser schedule and getting my tire body and my complaining tummy back to balance.  Did a stupid thing with my backyard - stacking rocks for a make-shift temp border while we moved our existing azaleas out from house to around the deck.  I plan to put in flagstone area between the deck and the back porch - so the shrubs had to move.  Then I got a bunch of free plants from DH cousin and just put them wherever to keep them alive - but no real plan.  Watered and had great luck with them - but now I want to more formally/permanently situate the landscaping and make it 1)  pleasing to look at but also 2) easier to tend to/mow around.  So I ditched the topple-ing rocks and installed paver bricks length-wise end to end almost flush with the ground/grass to make for easy mowing, while still keeping the grass and plants separate and looking pretty with mulch. 

I have a LOT more to do, but I like doing projects.  We are also going to put more insulation in our attic so we look forward to that - not so much, but will be glad to get it done.

Last evening I did not go to gym after work.  I drove DH convertible and thought my aunt would enjoy a quick little ride before I go to bed.  She did.  Uncle is failing and feeling badly, but not specifically badly as to be diagnosable in er - no actual pain/fever - just feels crappy all over and his spirits are following along.  She enjoys some company to think about something else.  She had served him dinner and gotten him settled in his chair and off we went, just for a quick spin.  Got a few groceries, I got enough coffee to last 2.5 weeks I have left at the office.

We came home and watched our nightly 30 min of TV then I went to bed.  Slept poorly.  Uncle wants the house like an oven, his main complaint at the moment, is, that he is freezing.  It was 75 there last night!  I woke up hot about 4 times!  Poor Uncle, how will he get through the winter.  Happy Fall a couple days late!

Project in progress:

Free Lawn Decoration - Score!

My brother in law has some land.  He saved me a giant flat rock that was broken in half.  I picked it up when DH was up in the city for a doctor's appt.  We buried in ground couple of inches, flanking our driveway.  I am going to fasten house number on one side.  The solar light faintly lights the rocks at night.  We buried these Sunday afternoon.  It was hot work.  It was good timing that BIL and his wife were in retirement town to see DH parents, we got to see them.  We missed them when we stopped by their house in city Thurs.  We had dinner with everyone Sat night and lunch Sunday.  We shared some of our homegrown tomatoes. 

We are still getting a few tomatoes.  They did not grown large, but better than a lot of people's.  We are still getting quite a few grape and cherry.  Some are split from all the rain.  I just cook those and keep in freezer.  I blend them up peel and all with hand held blender.  I will use this for pasta sauce or soup stock this winter.

Monday we mowed and I watered everything.  I got a couple new hoses from Walmart.com that are silver and look sort of like aluminum.  They are lightweight and don't kink.  Don't take up so much room in the grass to mow around.  While I am gone this week, DH is installing a couple of hose keepers on the front and side of house.  We did have a keeper hung on back for large house - that does most of my rear garden/landscaping. 

DH is also going to buy pool noodles and electric tape and repair/rewrap the 3 outside/free standing water spouts to insulate them.  He also said he would research how much insulation/what type of machine rental to blow it in we need.  Then we are going to install a little more flooring in attack to store stuff we don't need down below taking up room. 

Honestly, we go back and forth between continuing to work on this house and look for a smaller yard.  But, I am fine with taking over all the mowing, if I have to.  The riding mower is nice, but not high dollar like some of our friends/relatives.  I know people who have $1000 in just their seat.  So, seat bounces DH around quite a bit, hurting his back.  Next time we mow, he going to try push mower.

We went through lake area on our way back Friday afternoon, spent one night with our Florida friend.  We missed his wife this trip.  DH staying home with the dogs this weekend, I will be by lake again.  Spending some time with my aunt/cousins at the lake, then some time with an out of state school friend - we are all 4 girls going to run by see our other friend who has cancer.  I will get to see friend and wife too, from Florida.  Going to be away from DH for 10 days, which we hate.  I told him I have about 4- 6 weeks left at work.  Then I am taking another break.  I am tired.  Got up this morning and drove to city at 4am.  Not too bad when it is warm, I can't imaging trying to do this when it is cold.  Yuck.