More Summer Stuff and Some Sad News

 We found out last week my DH uncle had passed away in his home alone and the town police force called to let DH mom know.  She and my sister in law went over and took care of his affairs and made his arrangements.  They are this Friday.  He was a veteran, so he will have military burial.  He was a very nice man, funny, enjoyed talking to him.  I am sorry he died alone.  I am even more sorry he was an active alcoholic and did not have a relationship with God.

I also heard about a woman in my hiking group, losing her son suddenly to a heart attack.  He was only 50.  Then, my DH brother's wife lost her mom.  She had fought a long battle with Alzheimers.  Something else troubling me is how quickly my dear Granny is declining.  She continues to have falls and mentally is just not doing well after nearly 6 months of isolation.  

DH and i boarded 2 dogs and took 2 dogs with us to see our friends at the lake.  My friend, J i have known since grade school.  He inhereted his mom's lake home couple years ago, even thought they still live full time in Florida.  The lake has become even more busy than ever due to the Covid 19.  We stayed just one night, had a nice visit. Swam Saturday and took a boat ride Sunday, then drove home.  

We took this girl with us and she was a big hit.  She stayed right close to the house and everyone loved her.  She does not want to get in the water though.  I tried for 30 min and she was not having it!

During our boat ride, we saw this huge flag and i thought it was really neat looking, so i took a photo.

At our friend's lake house, we had the downstairs bedroom which looks directly out at the lake and when we woke up Sunday morning, it was really foggy on the water because it is cooling off in the evenings, but still pretty hot during the day.  This week was supposed to cool off, but is still pretty warm today.  I like the cooler evenings, but i am not ready for summer to end yet.

DH and i have become curious about having a place at the lake, so we are exploring that.  We have pretty much accepted that I will have to be back to work indefinitely to wisely afford a 2nd place, so i have began exploring that too.  My current team leader has indicated we might have a few years on this project and she has told me about a full time position - that is more of a long shot, because i am sure there will be a LOT of competition for each position.  I have also reached out to my old boss in the city to see if i can now work for them again remote, since everyone currently is remote - he sounded positive about the possibility...so we shall see.

Have not sold much, but i did finally sell a jean jacket of DH that he bought and decided was too short.  So that's good.  And we agreed we are going to possibly go camping next month, so we are going to go through our equipment and keep what we will use and well what we don't want.  So, that will be really the last area of our stuff that we haven't cleared out.  September as it cools down will be a good time to clear out and organize the shop (3rd garage).  

What i have been doing...i made 3 desserts to take to the lake for our potluck - they were all a big hit.  Choc cake, lemon bars and home made apple pie.  Or course, i had to at least sample all 3, lol.  But i have been doing really well not eating sweets otherwise and have decided that intermittant fasting is something i want to try.  I am doing 6 - 7 hours of eating and fasting the rest of the 17 - 18 hours.  I will let you know how that goes for me.  I don't need breakfast, so i wait for late lunch 1.30 or 2 and that way i can still eat after yoga at 7.30 or 8.

I have planted some grass in 3 areas of my yard - so that next spring the grass will be mature enough that i can weed and feed.  This area is going to be my fountain area, eventually.  

Between all the pavers i am getting grass going, so i still just mow right over it, but it looks interesting and minimizes the difficulty i have getting a lush grass area because of the traffic and because of the lack of sun all day there.  Plus, i can put a fountain in the center and minimize the trimming around the bottom.  More on that soon!

I have also transplanted a few cactus and succulents to simplify my pots outside and have planted some things in my raised beds sort of late in the season, but so that i can simplify how much i will have to bring in for the winter in pots.  My west wide of my house is the front, but i am going to get it as low maintenance as possible, focusing on cactus and drought tolerant plants, since they get so much sun.  Here is my Florida cactus i potted in a bigger pot.

When we got home from the lake yesterday, i took a nice leisurely walk while it was barely still light outside and when i got home DH was in the process of watering a bunch of my plants and it made me so happy because he is starting to enjoy the plants also and i did not even ask him for help.  So, maybe he will get hooked like me!

Hope you are enjoying these last weeks of summer and taking time to make your daily lives better.  Bye for now.

Summer Stuff

 So, here is a picture of my new planter(s) that I mentioned last post.  In the background, you can see the 2nd one, just like it.  I like them because they hold the pot up so that the stuff that hangs over the side can cascade over the side really pretty.

I haven't sold much of anything, except a pair of jeans and a cool black Harley Davidson sweater.  But just selling jeans and a sweater this time of the year is good!  I also took a trunk load to Goodwill.  In getting my guest room makeover done, i got rid of one bed headboard and moved another one into place that i had in the attic.  Gave away the one with a large chest and mirror to a young man, a friend's son,  who is just getting his own place and got rid of something in my attic - win/win.  But, i had 3 large rubbermaid tubs under the bed storage boxes full of clothes and when I looked at it after being there for about 2 years I thought "I don't need ANY of this".  While, at the time I put it away, I was not ready to let go, evidently.  lol.  Basic clothes don't sell quickly or for hardly any money at all second-hand, so I mostly just give clothes away.  If you have a designer label or something really high quality (leather, jeans, coats, etc) I might try to sell, but just every day stuff (dresses, sweaters, etc) I mostly just donate most clothes instead of storing and messing with them.  But there is a time when I am ready to get rid of stuff, and when i am ready, i am ready, even a short time ago i might not be ready to get rid of.

Our tomatoes are still doing well.  Getting lots.  I froze 4 quart bags last week.  This week I will give some to family and I think make tomato soup, even though it certainly isn't soup weather!  But a nice light tomato basil will taste nice.  My sister and I drove for the day Saturday to the lake to spend time with some family.  My cousins are twins and their birthday this week.  So I took them home made bread and tomatoes and we ended up eating some of the tomatoes and people were going nuts over the "Arkansas tomatoes"!  I took big and small red ones, yellow and pink.  One of my cousins was really liking the yellow.  My mother in law likes them best too, less acid.

As for gardening, I have harvested some lettuce seed and will see if I can grow some more from seeds.  Pretty cool, huh?

I was sharing gardening stories with my aunt and cousin and so i shared this one.  This house we bought in 2014 had a pretty pink crepe myrtle directly in front of the house.  

As you can see, the plant there right near the front door, that's the crepe myrtle.  It is big, but not as big as it got before we just could'nt get around it.  Esp last summer, we had a really wet summer and it got so large that it blocked the sidewalk infront and was going up against the house, so we could not walk easily by on that side either.  So late last summer, we trimmed it way down and dug it up and moved it. Whew, it was a job!

The pretty crepe myrtle is doing fine!  We are so happy.  We really had to hack away to get it out, so we were a little concerned.  If you look in the background of this picture, you can see where it used to be.  We planted a small weeping cedar tree that we are training to curve back and forth.  I will post more pictures of it next time.

And finally, some cute dog photos

Hope you are staying cool and having a great August!  We are having a hot week, so i am just trying to enjoy summer while it lasts and not wanting to rush into fall!  

Working Hard, Playing Hard

Well, i have been really working hard at my temp job.  We have been training and switching roles fairly regularly.  About the time i start to get comfortable with what i am supposed to understand and do...i get switched to another role.  It is a little stressful, but not nearly as stressful as this economy is to all the small business owners out there who i am trying to help.

And speaking of which, I have not had one rude person.  Well, maybe a little bit rude, but not bad at all...especially considering my former life occupation when i was an insurance adjuster!  I feel for all these people trying to keep business going during such a weird time...and they mostly all have been very polite.  Inspiring to me.

Well, having said that...about working hard, i did limit my hours the last 2 weeks to just 41 and took a part of the last 2 fridays to enjoy some time with family and friends.  Had a nice Forth.  Here are a couple of photos from the lake view.

The first was a nice firework i tried to capture.  2nd photo is 3 of those lanterns that people light on fire and set afloat - how are these legal?!  But frankly, i thought the fireworks unable to compete with that fabulous moon!  Am I right?

So, when i have not been working and running around i have been watering all my plants!  We are going on like 6 week drought here and i am trying not to lose some of my bushes, flowers and trees we have lovingly planted!  About 2 hours a day i am watering, weeking and picking veggies!

Here are some of my produce photos.  My tomatoes are getting ready to just go nuts!  I cannot wait.  Hope you had a nice Fourth of July and are staying cool.

So I Have Been Busy Again

So I have been busy.  Chiefs winning the Super Bowl.  We watched from home.  This was after I came back from whirlwind trip to city to see my cousin whose mom died (my great aunt and my Granny's best friend). She was 95.

Then I got to see my Uncle who went on hospice and support my aunt.  I am so happy my uncle got to witness another Super Bowl win for his beloved Chiefs.

Then I had to turn around after the visit and pack and go to my Great Aunt's funeral back at the lake in my hometown.  It was nice to see my cousins and all our family from all over...Texas, Colorado, Ariona, Georgia, Missouri...  My sister and my cousins and I rented an Airbnb with a pretty view.

Then we did get to enjoy Super Bowl from our own home, DH and I (and our dogs!),

I have also been lucky enough to enjoy some pretty hikes lately.

I am getting spring fever.

This is what over $100 gets for a funeral now a days.  Crazy.

Tuesday Tired

This is the view from my home, from age 4 to about age 10.


Had a great weekend.  Celebrated my cousin's birthday at the lake Saturday.  Swam at the pool, then pizza in clubhouse, watched football.  It was fun.  Then Sunday went to the other side of the lake to see our friend N, sick with cancer.  I should say, be present for N.  We did not even know if we would see him, he is very ill.  But we did lend support to his girlfriend and my friend from Florida, J and his wife, T, they brought mower up and mowed his yard.  I weed eated and watered the animals, played with their pup. 

We stayed Sunday night with our friend, C who was just widowed July.  It was very hot.  I spent time with my girlfriend B while C was working.  We drove around our old hometown and reminisced.  Before I picked her up, I did the cemetery tour, my mom, grandfather and great uncle.  It was peaceful.  The cicadas are going crazy, tells me thought its hot...summer winding down. 
Was depleted driving back to city.  Made it safe, showered and had a snack with my aunt while we watched TV then bed.  Lots of work today.

I miss DH and my dogs.  2.5 more days.

Our First...And Second Hikes!

Yesterday started out not going my way...I got up and drove to yoga, happy to be making up a session since I missed Halloween.  I get there - class cancelled.  Darn.  So, what do I do?  I buy donuts.  You know, makes sense!

My day turned around fast!

Then had coffee with DH and we decided to take a day drive and look at the leaves before they are all blown off the trees.  We were going to do more trim painting and it was not hard to change our minds!

We picked a general direction and started driving.  We saw a park at a lake and stopped and found a trail that was showing on an app I have and we were glad we stopped!  It was beautiful area.  It is a state park, but it is within a national forest.  DH said he would love to come back and try out our kayaks.  I added that I want to stay in one of the cabins.  I added it might be a little creepy because they close the gates at the main road.  DH laughed.  Obviously I watch too much 48 Hours and Dateline.

We did about a 2 mile hike in a fairly steep area, skirting the lake.  We just enjoyed being out and I told DH that this was why I wanted to move to this state.  He agreed.  The leaves are past the prime color season, but there all still lots of yellows and oranges.  I took some pretty pictures.  When I did the search on the app for trails, there are like 250 in my corner of the state.

After the steepish hike, we drove some more.  I stopped at a restaurant for catfish.  It was wonderful.  They even served green tomato relish.  We are close to another town that I had gone to graduate school 20 years ago.  But the area is so much more grown up it is unrecognizable!

Then we drove about 20 more miles to another really nice state park.  This park includes a museum and battlefield.  This battlefield was key in the civil war.  We visited all the stations and watched a video, looked at the displays.  Then we walked the 1.5 mile circuit.  Just beautiful.  And the history really made us grateful.  That we live in such a wonderful, complicated country.

Then we drove home and DH told me he would think twice next time I want him to look at leaves with me...he was worn out!  I think I wore our or big dog too.

Hope you are enjoying fall.  Happy end of Daylight Savings!

P.S.  By way of update on our antenna...we have personally run new cable to the living room and kitchen from our existing antenna and we get all the major local stations and several public TV stations.  We actually think we had a bad cable.  We are also enjoying the ease of watching Amazon Prime and Netflix.  I am so grateful for the beauty of nature outside, but also my warm cozy house and a bit of TV for entertainment on a cold rainy fall evening. I am happy we have cut that cord and saved that expense.

Back from a Quick Lake Trip

If you want only one thing too much, it’s likely to turn out a disappointment.  The only healthy way to live, as I see it, is to learn to like all the little everyday things.”
~Lonesome Dove

We drove down to the lake for the day Saturday.  We considered spending the night, but my friends had a houseful and our dogs were pretty stressed out.  Also, I was wide awake because I tried some of the Mio Energy - whew!  That stuff is crazy.  I don't do a lot of caffeine.  I was wide awake at 11:30.  Our dogs did better than we thought around the 2 big dogs that were there, but I just worried about them barking during the night.  But we were really glad we went and got to spend time with our friends.  I have known the 2 guys since I was in grade school and one of their wives since high school and I just really cherish such friendships.  And I am really happy to see Allen enjoy them and hang out with the guys.  DH does not have a big circle of friends.  In fact, he only has his family and 1 friend from grade school that died few years ago.  I respect that he is more reserved, but it is different for me.  I used to confuse quantity with quality.

I used to think it was just a disadvantage to have few friends.  But people can really disappoint sometimes and DH does not let very many close enough to disappoint him.  He is coming around and I am becoming less extroverted.  We are finding a happy medium, I think.  I am becoming more choosy about what influence and personalities and values I want around me and he is becoming willing to meet people.  I think we become more choosy about friends with age naturally, but I also think I feel much better about solitude than I did when I was younger.  Therefore, if I am going to spend time with others and give up some of my solitude, it will be with people that I really respect and value.  For me, that is a very good thing to weigh my solitude. 

We did enjoy some time with just our 3 friends before the neighbors and other company arrived Saturday.  That was nice.  I enjoy our talks. 

T is a nurse.  She and I both feel we have the problem solver role in many family and friends interactions.  our spouses are more reserved.  She said she sees the positive in someone until they prove her wrong, while J her husband is the opposite.  I feel the same way.  DH does not accept or trust someone until they earn it.  I accept someone and give them a chance, until they disappoint me.  Then i walk away.  And when I walk away, I don't look back.  While I see the positive approach of T and myself, it can lead to unmet expectations and disappointment.  I also think i have walked away too easily before, or at unrealistic expectations.  However, it is my nature and it is hard to change.  While caregivers can get positive energy from helping others, we can also become very drained from people.  This weekend I was feeling very drained before I went to the lake.  The last few years I have felt very drained.

At a time in my life I should feel the opposite, I am feeling heaviness of people around me who are having hard times.  I have had heavy times in my life and have had people prop me up.  So I want to return that valuable gift to others.  But not at the expense of my own sanity.  I have not yet figured out how to reconcile this - so, I will continue to explore this...But some of what I have come to learn is that the help and support I offer others has to come with no strings.  I spend time judging why they are in the situation they are in, what they did, what they could do different, or compare myself to them.  Of course, some people are in situations that are totally out of their control - but I feel this actually pretty rare.  We make a lot of choices.  I need to do less judging and comparing.  If I can give freely of myself with pure motives then I will do that.  I have had people ask me for advise or resources and then not do what they said they would do, not do what I advised or I have given resources to someone who did not use it wisely.  That leads me down a dark path.  I will give unconditionally, or not give and just pray. 

Unconditional love is a theme that keeps coming back to me, especially the last couple years.  I think I am starting to look through that lens to understand my past and help me define my boundaries.  If I gave unconditional love, like my creator gave me...and that is all I know to do.  Try to reflect that.

I know this is rambling...and I have much more to explore on this...and I will.  Thanks for reading.  I hope someone will chime in.  Have a wonderful Monday.

Planning

When I though of how nice it was going to be go sell our City House, I thought it would be such a relief, that would carry us through the 3 months at the extended stay.  It carried me through one month.  And as of tomorrow, we have exactly 8 weeks left.  But, we have made it through 5 and a half weeks at the hotel.  At least we have had no more  fire alarms!  At least, that I know of.  I almost hate leaving my dogs there while we are gone to work.  They seem to be doing fine though.  At least once a day, we take a pretty leisurely walk with them and they love all the sniffing.

Yesterday after work, we met with a retirement advisor.  DH wanted to go to him, because he has experience working with people with government pensions.  In my opinion, he is nice but a little rough around the edges and made a couple of errors that bothered me.  He did spend time talking directly to me, which I appreciated.  Some sales people just glance at me, like I am just the sweet little wife and then focus on talking to DH, which I don't appreciate.  But, this guy is, after all - a salesman.  And he is trying to sell us his service.  I also appreciate that, I am not naïve.  But he spent at least part of his presentation knocking the investment vehicle I was already in.  I went home and reviewed my investments, and feel like he was partly correct and partly oversimplified.  But, mainly when I am considering whether to use someone else, I just want to know what you offer, not bash where I am now.  I think DH and I are on the same page.  So, we are meeting with my guy next week. 

The thing that I think most beneficial of all to DH, was having this 3rd party tell DH that we have done a good job (saving, no debts and paying off our house) and that we are in a fine position to retire.  DH deferred all the praise to me - but I really am proud of DH.  His diligent hard work, his income, his generosity with me, his trust in me and our work we have done together.  More on this later, but we have only been together for 13 years.  When I met DH, he was not in great shape financially.  When we talked about marriage 11 year ago, I told him I had a few deal breakers.  I told him what they were, and he readily agreed to use my approach to finances.  And here we are 13 years later - in a position to retire.  Not near the income we have now - but we can have a modest retirement and spend some time with each other and if we continue to hone our lifestyle, we can make this work.  I will go into this more later, in another post.  I gotta get to work today. 

But, before I go...back to the hotel.  It is really getting old, but I like the way DH and I can laugh about it and prop each other up, when we need it.  This weekend, we are going to the lake (where I grew up) to see some friends of mine.  They were here back in May when he buried his mother.  He has been working on her lake house, painting and cleaning it out.  I can't wait to see it.  They admired my painting skills from Retirement Home.  We are going to take the dogs and spend Sat evening.  It will be fun.  It will be great to get out of the hotel.  It will be a 3 hour drive, instead of 4.  haha

The weather is finally starting to be lower that the high 90's.  I have been walking still and I did hot yoga last night without my friend, T.  She pulled a muscle.  We are going to walk tonight.  That will be fun to catch up.

Have a wonderful Thursday!