At Least we Had Sunshine Today

But my DH golf partner (brother while we still live here in the city) was unavailable today and I was in the office all day.  But I am grateful for the income.  He will be busy dear hunting this weekend to go, and I am going to cook for my dear friend who had surgery yesterday and see if I can help her in any other way.  I am also planning to run to IKEA for a few things, but might have to put off for a couple weeks.  So busy! 

Tomorrow supposed to be really cold.  My DH gave my work friend a super warm coat.  It is well made and fabric has camo - which is funny because this friend moved here from West Coast and literally laughs because he has never owned anything camo before, but also said it is the warmest coat he has ever had.  We laugh because DH always buys best quality.  I have spent my first 45 years buying discount or sale stuff, based mostly on price and availability.  Now, I buy quality - pay once and have one.  Don't spend time running around wishing I had bought something else, or buying duplicates/multiples of similar.  I buy what I want, but I research and find best buy.  Sometimes that means vintage or thrift, often ebay or Poshmark.  And my closet is not stuffed to the gills with stuff that I am not satisfied with.  I almost NEVER buy anything just becaue it is on sale now.  I buy something because I plan ahead.  My husband is trailing along with me on the reduction mentality, but he is coming along in his own time and without me saying anything.  I just love that about this man!

Anyway, so glad I got in a great yoga session last night.  it was dark going in, so that was not as weird as going in to class daylight, coming out dark.  Then I visited my friend in hospital.  Work is busy.  2 more weekends till it will be Thanksgiving.  Crazy.  My DH has day off tomorrow, I do not.  Again, I will take a paycheck.  Thank you God.  I am a temp.  We were in a hiring frenzy this summer.  Things are slowing down.  I have seen a few mass exodus in my 10 years in this gig.  I have met some people I like and see then leave and get other stuff willing and leave not willingly.  We are starting to see some worried people around us.  I will be one of those people looking for somethine else soon.  It is hard.  Change is hard.  Everyone hates rejection.  Uggggghhhh.  I just have to pray my next chapter is out there...waiting.  Have a great Thursday evening.  I like Thursday evenings, if I can ever just relax and live in the moment!

The Days Are Getting Shorter

I feel better today, had a rough day yesterday.  Not eating lunch helped.  Today I am feeling sad because I am really missing my after work walks.  Walking on the treadmill at the gym might have to be my next step since I sold my treadmill and elliptical a couple months ago.  What was I thinking selling it so soon?!  I guess, I am just at the point where I am ready to clear things out because as much as we plan, who really knows what kind of time table we will actually be on and the sooner stuff goes, the better! 

So, I missed hot yoga Monday since I was hurting and had killer headache.  Yesterday I was still pretty sore, so I went home and took it easy.  Except, I did clear out a bunch of room in upstairs walkin closet so my husband can start putting his stuff in the closet upstairs and can start cleaning out the basement walkin he has used for 10 years.  It was HIS idea when we moved in!  But it has been nice, his and her closets!  Not down in RH (retirement home).  We are going from 2 large walk in closets to one small one.  Oh well, we don't need near as many clothes!  He has been a real trooper letting go of stuff as he sees me clear stuff out and strategically move carload by carload.  He even came up with a few things to give my work friend who has a large farm and an unfinished house and seems to be missing his heavy coat right now (said it is all dirty).  My husband has plenty of coats.  He and I both have (had?  I hope) a coat thing.

I may try to do a gentle yoga tonight.  I hope you are having a great week if you are reading.

Health

11/6/17
Health

Yesterday was my colonoscopy.  i have had about 12 in tge past 10 years.  I am having them about once per year.  But, at least I now have a good specialist that does not tell me there is nothing wrong or that I need to take Prozac.  Nothing against Prozac, but I am not depressed and an SSRI will not help my stomach stop hurting.  I did have a doctor (a specialist, mind you) tell me all these things.  The one who could not find anything wrong with me, found something wrong, but denied that it was a condition.  He told me I needed a food allergy work up.  So I did that and then no one could help me, except for the person he referred me to, for $800 out of pocket.  I never did pay the $800.  I do not disagree with the concept of an elimination diet, but I believe my issues need a holistic approach.  Good luck finding a specialist that signs off on that concept.  So, when I have had specialists who tell me nothing is wrong, or I need to take Prozac...I just stop going to them, keep going back to my primary for her referrals, and I keep trying elimination diets, supplements, getting rest, reducing stress, yoga and mediation, prayer and anything else I can think of!

Well, my latest specialist does seem to make me take a lot of tests, but she at least explains her reasoning and discusses strategy with me and listens to me.  And for that I am truly grateful.  However, this latest exam seems to have really set me off into a flare, unlike any other recents ones I can remember.  I just eat less, get more rest and try to stay positive.  I think this will pass too, the flares usu do.  Sometimes in a few days, sometimes in a few months.  Fortunately, I have been doing well enough that I have gained weight, so if I lose even quite a bunch of weight, it won't be a big deal. 

So, yesterday after my test it felt decadent to be off work on a Monday.  I had lunch with my maternal aunt's and we did a tiny bit of shopping...some of it in my house (do you want this?  do you want this?  do you want this?  hahahaha).  I am so lucky to have them.  I skipped yoga and went to bed early, today I am at work but feeling like I have been punched in the stomach by a prize fighter, but I am hanging in there.  Only 1 more hour to go.  Then I can go home early and my husband can have the leftovers from the food I fixed Sat downhome at RH. 

I hope everyone has a great week!
stomach, Prozac, specialists, exam, allergies, diet, rest, stress, holistic

Fall Hunters Moon Rising

11/4/17
Tonight’s full moon will be bold, bright, and brilliant.  Almost a Super moon, and also called the Hunter’s moon (the first moon after the Harvest) it was named for the  hunters who would go out to stockpile meat for their families for the upcoming winter. Whether used as a guiding light for those dressed in camouflage, or simply as a beautiful moon to reflect on, on the night that Daylight Savings Time ends, I love it.

Today I got up and moved some ornamental grass to each side of the driveway from a couple of planters since it had grown so big and was drying out too much.  Then I planted a catalpa tree and a fig tree given to me by 2 of my work friends.  Now I am off to do some trimming on a way overgrown wisteria and move some rocks fir some future landscaping.  Have a productive Saturday!

Moon, daylight savings, ornamental grass, catalpa tree, fig tree, wisteria, rocks

Giggles Remembered

11/2/17
Giggles remembered

During our recent family weekend, my sister D3 told us a story...her husband helped her cook recently and commented on how hard she worked to feed him and the kids over the years...she replied "yeah, I did".  Hehe, this made all us women giggle.

All Souls Day

11/1/17
I dedicate my post today to my mom, God rest her soul.

I cannot even believe that it is already November.  It is cool and gray outside, but not as cold and windy as Halloween.  I did manage to bundle up and take a walk after work.  Next week ends daylight savings time, so will be too dark for me to walk after this week.  I will still walk on Sundays though.  I do not walk in the dark.  I live in a nice suburb of a large Midwestern city and probably would be safe walking even in the pitch black, but my husband and I just do not think this is a good idea, so I avoid it.  My husband walks with me sometimes, but I cannot depend on him to walk with me.  So, I guess I will increase my yoga to twice a week and walk weekends. 

I have walked regularly since I graduated from high school in the 80's.  I used to do it just to keep my weight down, but over the years the benefits have become so obvious, that I do it to stay active and healthy.  Perhaps more important even still are the benefits it has on my psyche.  I feel better mentally and my mind shifts into a relaxation mode when I walk regularly.  I listen to podcasts, books or music and I just really enjoy it.  I have a beautiful walking area on a parkway at my CH (city home).  It goes in between 2 golf courses and so I find balls all the time and it is also in between to cow pastures so we see lots of wild animals, along with the cows.  There is a stream and a pond that is a constant source of animals.  We have seen (or heard) owls, an eagle, hawks, ducks, geese, kingfishers, egrets, cormorants, coots, herons, cranes, bitterns, all manner of other migratory birds, foxes, coyotes, raccoons, beavers, otters, muskrats, possums, skunks, deer, turtles, frogs and...I think that about covers it. 

I hope it stays nice enough today to walk again when I get home.  Last night after my walk we pretty much lay low while the kids trick or treated, we have 2 small dogs that go crazy, so we don't turn our light on.  I hate it, but I feel like our neighbors would be disturbed by the barking because we are the middle unit in a patio home.  Then, we both wanted to watch different shows, so my husband ate his fish meal in front of the TV in the living room and I enjoyed my pumpkin smoothie in the bed room.  We hardly ever do that, but I enjoyed catching up on one of my shows.  I think tonight I will fix him either left over pancakes from Sunday morning or a taco salad. 

Oh yeah, I almost forgot...yesterday was the last day of overtime for me!  I have been on overtime since June and I am tired of it.  I added it all up and I have done an extra 182 hours of overtime and I am ready to wind down a little.  Next week I have a colonoscopy on Monday and I have decided to just take the rest of the day off!  That is a rare thing for sure.  It will be sort of like a reward.  I am going to eat lunch with my aunts and then putter at home.  I dread it so much, I just want to get it over with.  I have had like 8 in the past 5 years, but I am doing a lot better between diet, medicine and supplements.  And I just have to accept that I need a lot of rest, esp while I am working full time.  My stress over the years has been reduced since I changed careers and I hope to downsize the stress even more when my husband retires.  Stress is a killer when you have a constant medical condition like I do.  Have a great Wednesday, I hope you get to enjoy what ever thing reduces your stress and gives you some joy!

November, yoga, exercise, golf balls, birds, animals, nature, dogs, CH walking, health, career, stress

Fall Reflection

10/31/17
One of the things I had problems getting done this past weekend was canning 6 quarts of apple pie filling.  It was hard because the recipe I had called for the hot liquid to be poured into the jars over the cut up apple.  So, you have to sterilize the jars and then put the apples in and then make the liquid.  When I was stirring the liquid, it got hot and bubbly and then can quickly boil over.  I had not used many quart jars before and when I had 6 in the hot bath canner, it is REALLY full.  Anyway, I got it done, but had to do the entire process twice because they did not seal the first time.  It also takes a lonnnnnggggg time to bring 6 full quarts to a rolling boil and let it process for a full 25 min.  Whew.  So I tasted the syrup and I think it is going to make some really good pies!  I also froze 3 quarts and another quart of just the syrup.  Hope this works!  I spent a long time cutting and pealing.  My hand was arthritic practically!

Passage from the latest book I am listening to made me have a light-bulb moment last week.  I mull it over a little each day since to let it process.  The book is called Strangers Tend to Tell Me Things, by Amy Dickinson (of Ask Amy column).  She talks about how her father left her family when she was young and she felt that by her father always telling her early in life that she was in his circle and making a big distinction opposed to people that were not in his circle, by leaving, he was poignantly telling her she was not anyone who mattered.  My F did this too.  It made quite an impression on my, walking down the sidewalk, hurrying toward home as the sun was setting last Thursday...