Welcome!

For the last couple of summers, when taking a nice, relaxing cruise around the lake, I noticed a house that had placed several big pots of bright yellow flowers near the shore on their property.  I really liked them.  I liked that the people wanted to share these flowers with boaters that went by.  Thought it was welcoming, you know? Not only to their property but to the lake, to the day. 

I wanted to do the same and bought four, what appeared in the store, BIG pots, in red.  I wasn’t sure how hubs felt about this plan as it meant his needing to move to mow and I know he hates that.  I was excited to plant them, to share them…but what kind of flowers?  These pots were going to be in bright sunshine and I’m more used to shade closer to the house ~ hosta and impatients.  Should I go with  geraniums?  Possibly,  but I sure liked those bright yellow flowers on the other side of the lake.  Because I had heard they needed minimal care I decided on marigolds.  Now, I have to tell you, I am not a marigold fan.  To me they are a bit boring, smell funny and generally don’t appeal to me.   I kept going back to the minimal care thing, and the bright yellow, and marigolds it is. I did opt for the variety of color and have orange and rusty maroon as well as the yellow.  

So I planted my four gigantic pots.  They looked great.  I thought they would fill in nicely and I had included a spikey grass thing in the middle of each one.  I liked them a lot.

However, the pots were not as big as they appeared in the store.  When I got them down to the lakefront and lined them all up they were actually kind of puny.  I was pretty disappointed, but kept it to myself.  After about a week, hubs says to me “Those pots are too small; you need to get something else.”  Well, at least I had my answer as to how he felt about them!

The next day I bought four REALLY huge pots and was able to just set the four smaller pots down inside, with a little beefing up at the bottom.  Once the flowers filled in, I was pretty sure this would make the impression I hoped, and I was pleased!  Those marigolds are great little flowers and I'm becoming a fan! 

I overbought on marigolds, probably because of my too small pots, but I had a place for those in a flower bed that had housed a couple rose bushes a dogwood tree, also in the sun.   

My concern was visitors running in to the pots at night, while down at a bonfire or something.  I thought about those solar path lights and purchased four really cute globe solar lights to put in each pot.  Then at night, there would be just a little glow to remind people the pots are  there.  Perfect. 

The solar lights turned out to be flickering - no, strobing - red, green and blue carnival like things.  My sister-in-law looked out the first night they were in and thought a SWAT team had landed on shore or something.  These things are obnoxious, let me tell you.  Nothing indicated they were flickering, or multicolored, and as much as I like the brightness of the flowers there is nothing about me that says flickering carnival lights.  But, I liked the round globe, sunken in the pots and I have accepted their presence.  

I can’t imagine what the fishermen think.  You know what else? Those pots could still be bigger.  

Vacation get-away

It all began about a month ago when I ate my way through the beach city of Destin, Florida and continued on through a family reunion, a few late, late night meals, 4^th of July and then culminated with a seafood boil for family which was too much to be believed it was so good.  My goodness, I am stuffed.

I have had the greatest six weeks or so filled with fun, friends, family, food.  But, staying up way too late, eating way too late, not sleeping enough or drinking enough water…it’s taking a toll.  I need a vacation from my vacation. 

I am not one to just pick a city and travel to it but I have to say, I am considering checking in to a hotel for just one night, enjoying some juice and toast, taking a stroll through an antique store or two and heading home after a light lunch.  Doesn’t that sound kind of divine and decadent?  I mean, it’s silly right?  We just got back from a beautiful, beach filled, doused in sunshine trip.   

Don’t care.  I’m doin’ it! 

   

Sometimes we are so overwhelmed with sad news that it is a struggle to find some good news, you know? We almost brush good news aside because we sit on pins and needles waiting for the “other shoe to drop”.  Sometimes news is really good but may not be phenomenal, and we are almost blasé about it.  You shouldn't have to stand on your head to hear a compliment. 

This week, I have heard a few good stories, particularly about “kids” I have been close with through volunteering…a new house, babies on the way, new jobs, an anniversary, elected officials and so much more ~ many volunteering in their communities or working in jobs where kids are a priority.  I’m really excited to hear this news, guys! I know I may not always say it as strongly as it is felt, but I am so proud  you and what you are accomplishing, the grownups you have become!  Stay involved and inspire the rest of us to get more involved along the way.

We are often so quick to shake our heads when we hear something not so positive, and that’s fine.  Sometimes it is head-shaking worthy, but I am making a promise to be quick to nod my head, to give a shout, to pat you on the back.  I promise you, I will become better at it!

Way to go!  

Sun comes up.

After I had given my notice at the art center, a coworker and I were having a conversation over lunch.  She said something about “early retirement” and I said something along the lines of “someone is retiring?”.   She meant me.  After mumbling about and stating that I had never said the term “early retirement”, she said “Cindi, I don’t think it’s a bad thing”. 

It isn’t.  It’s just that I hadn’t thought about it that way.  I just thought of it as no longer working there.  I am not old enough for social security, and well, I just hadn’t thought of it as retirement. 

Now, six weeks or so down the road, I still don’t think of myself as retired but I am closer.  I walked around the yard this morning,  early for me, and thought of my dad, who enjoyed his yard so much.  Hubs mowed last night and the yard was just gorgeous at daybreak.  I spooked a heron and watched it fly over the lake and appreciated the graceful lines and the “squawk”.  I thought of my friend Kathy who gets bluebirds at her rural home while I get heron here at the lake, and how we each get excited to see them, every time.   

I don’t think I will turn in to one of those avid gardeners who worry over their rose bushes or tomato plants but I did pause a while over my two scraggly rose bushes and four tomato plants as I squished through the rain and dew soaked yard.  Yeah, this is a pretty good way to start the day, I thought to myself.  I could get into it.  I tilted my head toward the sun, just starting to come up and breathed in a new day.  This is good.

This is really good.  

Vacation!

You may have noticed my absence the last few days.  My family and I were on vacation.  I considered, for only a moment, taking the ol’ laptop and posting something from our vacation home in Destin, Florida but changed my mind…which was good because I learned we didn’t have wireless access anyway! 

 

We were short a family member or two, which made the trip less than 100% perfect but it was so darn close otherwise.  Destin is a good spot although it has become so over-developed I am not sure we will stay there again.  Or maybe we will but make another choice as to our location.  At any rate, the weather was perfect, the house was great, the grandchildren were incredibly well-behaved and I was, and am, one happy lady.

 

Now that I have returned from vacation, it’s time to talk about the Tupperware Fix n’ Mix bowl.  Do you know this bowl? Giant…many of us have it in yellow? I can not find my yellow bowl ANYWHERE although I am sure it is in this house.  Only sure because why would I get rid of the most perfect bowl in the world? Besides, the lid is here so it must be here.  But, after about five years of asking all the kids and hubs if they've seen it and missing it on more than one occasion for a big ol’ mess of taco salad, I bought a new one.  I ordered it online and it was waiting for me when I returned this week.  Here’s the thing about this big bowl – it’s not always available.  In fact, last summer I came so close to buying it when it was released for a limited time in an awesome purple color.  I did not, however, as I knew darn good and well that yellow bowl is here somewhere.  Anyway, I checked again off and on over the last several months and the bowl finally returned in turquoise.

 

I am beyond when it comes to this new bowl.  It’s too big for my cabinets but I don’t care as I like it that much.  I’ll find a place for it and when I do, I have a feeling I will also find the yellow one. 

We know that I am attempting to eat better and to exercise a bit; I’m working on some insomnia issues and have increased my interest in my yardwork, both for relaxation and to get some things accomplished that I have put off.  

The final step I took in “correcting” my lifestyle was to leave my full time job.  This was a tough decision as I really enjoyed my job.  I like the people, I like the work…I like what the art center is doing in the community.  However, it added a certain amount of stress in my life that I didn’t feel I needed.  So, after considering it for several months, I decided no time like the present, and left.  Now, you may remember that I do some remote work from home and have since 2007.  I still do that work so it’s not as if I have checked out, everyone.  I am a productive individual and have increased my remote work hours since leaving my outside job. 

Anyway, leaving the job was largely to afford me more time to do the things I wanted to do…spend time with my grandchildren, spend time with some gardening, spend time at home and trying to keep this little house managed.  It has been about a month and I’m still not as organized as I would like to be but it’s getting there.  There are still many, many weeds to pull and object d’ art to dust.  I haven’t caught up totally on laundry and routine housework but I have sent three bags of clothing and miscellaneous to charity, so the closet is looking better.  I have two or three lists of things to accomplish this year, inside and out, so I am not anticipating much “down time”.

I have posted in the past about my father having been a bridge builder.  One of my projects for the spring was a footbridge on my walking path.  I found a plan, whined a bit to hubs to bring home the materials and with the help of my two sons-in-law and daughters and my fabulous granddaughter, I have a small bridge on the walking path.  It's just a wooded curve as it doesn’t span water or anything, but it’s exactly what I wanted.  Now, the walking path goes nowhere right now but with a bit of landscaping and some other plans, it will be a destination.  I also need to figure out a railing for the bridge and have a few ideas rolling about in my head ~ none of which hubs wants to discuss.

I needed a bridge.  I love this bridge.  I like how it elevates you to a new perspective and gives you a different outlook, a different view.  It’s slight, but it’s mighty.  Here’s the beginning of my bridge ~ railing, and destination,  to come soon.  

Beginning to manage

Megan the dietician helped me understand how to eat better and when to eat.  Yes, breakfast really is that important to all things…both weight loss, if that’s what you are going for, and glucose management.  Sometimes those two go hand in hand, and I suppose that’s a good thing.

Megan provided me with a lot of fact sheets and brochures and when I winced at not having a snack period, she patted my hand and with a bit of exasperation said “Fine, we’ll give you a snack!”.  She likely said it much nicer than that, but I’m painting a picture here of how  much I whined.   The end result was a snack built in to my diet plan in late afternoon.  

Not just eating breakfast but trying to eat at regular times was the next hurdle.  Also a bit difficult for me because as a procrastinator, I sometimes put off cooking and eating until very late in the day.   I have never been one of those dinner is on the table at 5:30 kind of people. I wish I had been as I now see how beneficial it is.  Regular fueling in addition to the medication is key for me.  But, we’ve established that I’m a snacker, a breakfast skipper and a procrastinator…gosh, I think I am stumbling on the answer to the why me question, at least, in part. 

Hubs has a great metabolism and is able to pack in a lot of food and still looks pretty good.  He also burns a lot of calories with the amount of work he does around this house and yard in addition to his job.  Not so much me…mine comes more in spurts.  A few years ago my son lived here for a few months and brought with him a little dog that had to be walked on a leash.  That started some routine walking for me and when the little dog left, I realized how much exercise I got just walking that little girl in the yard.  One of the reasons I got my own little dog was to replace that activity besides being a sweet companion.

So, a controlled diet, regular meals and mealtimes, a bit of exercise … I am getting there.  It is hard for me to remember my medication and to take it at regular times…twelve hours apart and to be taken with a meal.  In order to get that accomplished, I have to get up and going, think about my cereal earlier, like at 7 or 7:30, and then 12 hours later, my dinner and night time medication, squeezing lunch and sometimes a snack in between. Guess who ends up not having a snack? Not nearly as important as it was when I sat in Megan's office and whined.  

Now, if I would also tackle my insomnia and get to sleep earlier, so I’d wake up earlier, so I’d eat my cereal earlier and take my medication…it’s not as easy as one thinks, you know? It’s years of habit we’re trying to change here, ladies and gentlemen.