Making Our Life's Music

 This is a post I did for a facebook group that I head up 'Accidently Aging. Women Living Their Best Lives' 

 I feel that women have been muchly ignored over the years and we are slowly making our mark in this world. So, I started that group. If you are interested and are on Facebook you might want to check it out, join the group or just ignore it. No big deal. We do what's best for us, right?

Now, here's the post: 

A number of us just sit around waiting for life to happen. How sad is that? We should all be active in making the plans and then executing those plans to make our lives the very best that they can be.

There is a quote by Mark Nepo that I think addresses this problem very well. I liked it so well it is now jotted down in my "Quote Journal".

"The life of every soul waits like sheet music to be played. What good are we if that music is never played." (Mark Nepo)

Priceless advice. Tune your violin, pick up the bow and make the music of your life.

Time Does Fly By!

 It's Sunday morning and the wind chill factor is in the single digits. BRRRRR!! Okay, countdown to spring starts right now. I am so over this bitterly cold weather. 

One thing about it being too cold to get outside, you try to find things to do inside. I decided I'd try a new recipe. I did  make a couple changes to suit what I had to work with. I had large chicken tenders instead of the breast and I used balsamic vinegar instead of regular vinegar. I was happy with my choices. And, it was so quick and easy. I'm all about quick and easy these days. 

Are you watching the Olympics? I don't follow any of the sports until they go head to head in the Qlympics and then I am hooked. Loved the American couple who ice danced the story about the matador. So well done. 

And, how about that Ollie ? Doing the Big Air at 17 years old, a broken arm and he was unbelivable!! 

It all is a nice diversion from the usual mundane tv stuff we have to watch. I stream everything now. Feel like I can be more selective, when and if I want to.

Today would have been my husband's 96th birthday had he lived. He's been gone 15 years now. I can't believe it's been that long and too, that I am still here. I feel very blessed in that regard. Also very blessed to have been married to such an amazing man for 60 years. God's certainly been good to me. 

This was taken at the last birthday he celebrated (2010). He was in an assisted living facility then and some of the family joined him for his big day. 

and here he is in happier times with his grandson, Griffin. This was taken in 2001 at the beginning of his Alzheimer's journey.

How time does fly!! And, the older we get the faster it goes. 

As the author, Elizabeth Keebler-Ross, wrote:

"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth - and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up - that we begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had." 

Projects Galore!

 

September is here! How did that happen? 

Life goes on, doesn't it. 

I am in the midst of a project... seems I always am in the midst of one project or another but I have a great desire to finish this one. 

I've done genealogy for years and years. I had a lot of information that I know my kids are not gonna go through but they are interested in our direct line so............

I am going through my 'stuff' and making a notebook to give each of my children with the 'important' info bullet-listed for them. 

So, yes, I am busy. 

My son arrives on Friday for a visit. He's driving up from Alabama with his sweet little dog, Sadie. I'll be glad to see them. Sadie loves her 'grandma'. 

Michael is my only son so I rely on him a lot for important decisions etc.

A cherry-picker has been on the property for a couple weeks now. Not sure what they are doing. But, this is a 4 story structure and getting new air-conditioners to higher levels, replacing broken shutters etc. that cherry-picker comes in mighty handy. I regularly hear their beep-beep-beep.

                                            Quote for the Day

'Laugh often! It expands your lungs and releases endorphines'.    

                                                                                             Willie Latane Barton 

Spilt Smoothie Makes for Fun

 Remember me telling you in my last post how I'd been down in the dumps but that I was feeling better?

Let me tell you what happened!!

I was on speaker phone with dau Susan and her son's fiance, Kelsey. That Kelsey is just a gift from God. She's so much fun, so bright, so smart, so kind. Anyway, put those two together and you can't stay in a dark hole for long!!

They were trying to help me so suggested that maybe I could try out a new recipe and asked what was in my refrigerator. Bad idea!! I say, 'yellow squash, yogurt, 1/2 slice of ham, eggs, milk ... and oh, a jar of pickles'. They about croaked! 

So, Kelsey started figuring out how I can make an omelet. Then she said, no how about a smoothie?

Somehow, we just moved on to other things and then said goodbye but I was feeling much better. Then Susan texted me, 'You have a delivery from Instacart in a few minutes'. Oh Goody. What?

It is a huge salad (mixed greens, blue cheese, strawberries, nuts and balsamic vinegarette). There are also a tub of chicken salad and one of potato salald and this HUGEMOUNGOUS bag of frozen mixed fruit. Oh... a smoothie out of the fruit. I get it now. 

But, I'd told them I don't make smoothies because I have a large blender and it's heavy, hard to clean etc, etc, excuse after excuse. The next morning I get up to find a box at my front door. It's a Magic Bullet. 

They call... want me to make a video of me making my smoothie. So, I get my yogurt out of the fridge, the frozen fruit and some water and I turn it on. Hey, it's working!! 

I took the container off the machine and set it on the counter. (I'd already taken the lid off it) and as I reached for the Yogurt to put it back in the fridge, I knocked over that smoothie and most of it went all over my countertop. And, it was on video. I'm not accident-proof and I have proof I am not. 

But, engaging in such a fun adventure with those girls just lifted me right out of my funk.

 I wonder if there is someone out there that each of us needs to lift up right now. Think about! 

                                                                    

                      QUOTE FOR THE DAY

"When one door of happiness closes another opens; but often we look so longat the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us."         Helen Keller

Cleanliness Is Next to Godliness Or So I've Been Told

 I've spent the last three days doing a project well overdue to be done. My office was a mess. I'm not completely finished but I am nearly there. It makes me feel good, so proud that I got off my lazy behind and did it. Life should be so much more simple and fun. 

this was the closet before I dragged everything out....

and how it looks now. 

There's even room for my walker which I seldom use. It still looks sort of messy but I know where EVERYTHING is and can pull it out on a moment's notice. 

I didn't take a picture of my bookcase but here it is after I organized it and got rid of some books and other things. 

Ready for my next quote?

It's by Marcus Aurelious

"No one has the right to tell you that you need to do something you don't want to do."

No one told me I  had to clean that closet and when I decided to do it 'cause I wanted to.... it felt good. 

Testing My Patience!

 This week has been anything but fun. I know y'all are tired of me griping about my dental woes but believe me, you are not nearly as tired of hearing about them as I am having them!

I had another root canal due on Monday. They are easy so I wasn't worried about it. Took the print out sheet from my dentist showing a diagram of my teeth and it marked which one it was she was to do. Guess what... after it's all over she tells Shirley (who always sits in on the explaining part) that she has done the wrong tooth! 

I guess she forgot the print out I had handed her and when she put the exray up on the screen it somehow flipped itself (or somebody flipped it) and she did the one next to it. Dear God in Heaven.... But, that tooth was already working it's way to a root canal in about 8 months so that's done already. And, I go back on July 11th to get the REAL tooth done. And, bless her heart, she said she'd not charge me for this one. Well, I hope not. I mean, I have spent a fortune on my mouth and she's gotten a good chunk of that money. 

Oh.... wait.... that's not all.

During the procedure I felt a rush of fluid in my throat. She had that rubbery thing in my mouth to hold back that sort of thing but this escaped and I started gagging and coughing. Seems that somehow the diluted bleach that is used in the proceedure escaped that rubbery thing and I now have a irritated throat. It took forever to get that cleared up so she could continue. That should have been a warning sign that things were not going to go well.

After I got in the car Shirley took one look at me and gasped. I had a large blister in one corner of my mouth. So, back to the dentist we go.... The dr. said I'd bitten myself but have you ever heard of a blister being caused by a bite? 

That's all over... til the next time.

                   Now on to something great.

I made me a Nacho Breakfast this morning. I promised you some new recipes. This one is super. 

You could do all sorts of things with it like adding salsa, chopped onion, top with more cheese etc. I am so stuffed right now. And, look how healthy it is. 

" In the past I let others walk all over me. I had no idea what boundaries were or why they were important and necessary. I was too eager to please, to be liked, to be appreciated. Once I began to set boundaries, my life became more peaceful because I then had the power over my own life."

                                                                                                        Willie Latane Barton 

Hot tamale!

It is so hot here! It may be where you are, too. If not, count yourself lucky. Heat index 110 today and lord bless those street pavers who have been working in our parking lot all day long in this heat. The air conditioner is having a heck of a time keeping up so I have all the ceiling fans going and a floor fan. The air conditioner is over 20 years old. It had better hang on 'til this heat wave is over. 

I had not cranked my car in about a month so I decided to get an early start this morning. Headed to Wendy's for a sausage biscuit .... at 8 a.m. and the air was so hot already and so heavy I could not breathe. Wendy's was only a block away so I made a quick trip of it and was soon back in my apartment. 

Once a long time ago (back in 2003 and 2004) I had my knees replaced. After all this time the muscles surrounding the titanium knee joints have stretched and so I am not as steady as I once was. At least that is what I am blaming it on. So, my son suggested that I order one of those leg exercisers and it arrived a couple days ago, 

That thing weighed a ton! But, I've been using it. It didn't come with an instruction book although you can set it all sorts of ways... and the company's name is nowhere to be found (on the exerciser, on the wrapping paper, on the box). Guess I will have to go on Amazon and look up what I ordered!! Then, maybe I can figure how to use it!

If you are in this heat... try to stay cool and hydrated. 

I have a book of quotes that I have collected or wrote myself over the years. I think I will end each post with one of those. Hope you enjoy them. If not just ignore. You won't hurt my feelings! 

"God intends for us to have a life of joy. But, we get in our own way or we let others get in our way. My advice is to keep your eyes on God, live peacefully and pray." 

Willie Latane Barton