Genealogy

 

          Good grief!!! I found this info picture and was shocked at the math. I did not realize that I had that many great...grandparents. That would mean I have a HUGE family because it is only counting parents not siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles. It is astounding how many people a single person is related to.

          I have had my DNA done on Ancestry.com and with it I have traced my genealogy back to 1500's. I was shocked with my results actually. I always thought I had a lot of American Indian in me, but turned out I am as much American Indian as I am African. I am actually Scottish, Irish, and English (which I knew) but also a great deal of my DNA is Viking. That was mind blowing, but cool. 

           It is interesting looking through my family tree via DNA. It shows me as extremely distantly related to George Washington LOL. Not directly, we have same patriarchal line, but instead of direct, my line is most likely a brother. Same as with the Lords and Ladies I have found. I am not nobility, but I do come from it, which is a nice thing to know. It is interesting to me how we are all intertwined in some way. 

          I do wish I had asked more about recent family history while I had the chance. Young people do not value it when the time is right to ask. When my grandparents were alive and of sound mind, that is when I should have been asking about my history, but as a teenager, I did not care yet. Now that I do, it is too late. I do not even know much about my parents and there is no way to ask them now. 

          Perhaps they were like me and considered their life too boring to share. I cannot think of important things I did, just boring stuff, but in the slight chance I do have descendants, they might like to know about me. They might find it interesting to know that grandma Jenni was a nurse during the Covid pandemic LOL. I was alive on 9/11, I saw the birth of the internet, I was a baby when we landed on the moon, I've lived through the Vietnam War and the Gulf War, the Berlin Wall come down, I saw the first black president of the United States, I survived the hippies, disco, the over the top 80's, the turn of the century and beyond LOL. I guess history around me is interesting LOL who'd have thought :)

Fun and Different Holidays

 

                 Okay, all of these look like fun for the rest of the year. I've missed most of July though LOL I still have cheesecake day though. I've never tried to make one of those. August 3rd is Watermelon Day? LOL I am good with that. I love watermelon. September 16th mmmmm Guacamole Day. October Halloween of course. November and December have Thanksgiving and Christmas, but also Espresso Day and Cupcake Day LOL. I do believe I am going to have to celebrate all of these quirky holidays LOL.

Still Tired

           Oy I am still tired. I woke up to my cat meowing continuously to be let outside on the patio at 5am. I tried to ignore him but gave up at 6am. So I am still tired. I let my pets outside, and of course within minutes they have captured a lizard and brought it inside still alive. They had it cornered in hallway this time and not in my bedroom as they do a lot LOL I was able to recapture it and toss it out front. Too much too early in the morning.

          My brain still in a fog LOL I can't think of what I am to do yet. I think I want to go to Lowes and see if they have any nice flowers for my front porch. The ones I currently have are not looking well.

          My brain is also very confused what season it is LOL. I keep thinking it is just about time for Autumn, but then the calendar says it is just July :( I am ready for spooky season now. 

Stressed Out

 

          OMG it was a stressful weekend. I had two patients that were completely testing my patience. I was very happy to be free this morning LOL.

          I try very hard to live a stress free life. I avoid drama like the plague. I found this cool picture and I do a few of those things :) I journal, hobbies are cooking, baking, and gardening, i try and exercise LOL and I am a pro at getting rest and sleep. Not really into music, only listen to the radio when I am driving. This biggest thing I learned to coping with stress is not to worry too much. You waste a lot of time and energy worrying, when it isn't going to change anything. Worrying about the past is not going to change what already happened, worrying about future is useless since it has not happened yet, you can only really focus on the current moment and how best to live it. At least that is my opinion.

          Is adulting day, I have laundry going, I made chicken & dumplins for dinner, grocery list is made for tomorrow, and I already mowed yard this week LOL. I will tidy up the house as I move about, and then everything will be done by time I go to bed so when I wake up tomorrow I get to just relax and enjoy days off.

I Love Free!!!

 

          I love getting free stuff!!! This Vine program so far is awesome.I get to pick three things every day!!! There are thousands to chose from LOL it is hard to decide what to pick. So my new morning routine is sip my coffee while I peruse items, and then write reviews for the ones I have received. It is easy peasy LOL. 

           Weird dream last night. I dreamt my brother was moving to Montana??? and my mom (who is deceased) wanted me to but his house. Ummm he doesn't even own the house LOL it is a rental, and no way in the world would my brother move to somewhere even colder than where he lives now LOL he hates the cold. I finally have gotten him slightly considering moving to Florida LOL. Is doubtful that happens. Where I move frequently, he has stayed in the same area in Reno since we moved there in the 80's. For the last 40 years, all his apartments/houses have been within a mile of each other LOL. Best I can say is all mine are within the southern part of the United States LOL.

Multitasking Mayhem

 

          I am very much a fan of multitasking. It saves me so much time. I do it with most everything. Especially at work. If I am calling a doctor, I will be charting at the same time. If I have to walk down the hall, I will make sure I grab everything the patient could possibly want before going. At home, if I am in kitchen, I am often doing the dishes at the same time as I cook. Getting my steps in is also a big time for me to do everything LOL it is when I see stuff that needs to be done so I do it really quick. People think I have so much free time on my hands, but it is because I stay organized and multitask. Of course occasionally I get sidetracked by another task and I DO FORGET what I originally was doing LOL.

Amazon Vine

 

          Okay, I got an invite today from Amazon to join their Vine reviews program!!! I am so excited!!! I get to pick three items a day, that they send me for free, to review :) woohoo LOL today I picked a rug for my daughter's room, a snackle box for me to take to work LOL, and a couch pet protector cover. I am shocked. I looked in my orders section and it says they are arriving tomorrow and the cost was zero dollars!!! All I have to do is leave a review on them. I cannot believe this :) I am so going to enjoy this. There are so many items to choose from LOL I spent over an hour just looking through selections.

            Beyond that, I do not have much adulting to do today LOL I already did it before bed at 2am. I slept hard too LOL woke up to sound of garbage truck and had no idea what day it was LOL. Took me a few to realize it was Monday and that was the truck picking up our garbage LOL. So, just fun stuff today. Staci wants some craft supplies for bracelet making and I want to go see if our local HomeGoods store has any of the Halloween stuff that I have been seeing all over my FaceBook LOL. Oh and grocery shopping LOL. All before it starts raining. OOOH my backyard was so gorgeous last night with the solar flowers!!!  

So Much Sadness Over Weekend

 

          This weekend was an awful one for the world. So much sadness and shock, mixed with disbelief. Death always seems to come in threes, just ask any nurse. This weekend we lost Dr. Ruth, Richard Simmons, and Shannen Doherty. We also had our first attempted presidential assassination attempt in over 40 years.  Former President Trump was at one of his election rallies when shots were fired. His head got grazed, one spectator killed, gunman killed, and others injured. The shooting is a bit sketchy in my opinion, how did the secret service leave a rooftop so unprotected??? Plus, Trump's injury was so slight. How the shooter missed so badly is a question we will never get answered since he was killed. I am not one for conspiracies, but this one is itching my brain. I really wouldn't put it past Trump to orchestrate it for votes.

          Okay enough of that. Work was the usual, though I pissed off my charge nurse and others at hospital. The boss pushed me back until 10pm, usually it is 11pm, but who am I to question. So 10pm comes around, they don't need me, so I am free, no work. By 10:30pm they are saying I need to come in. Nope, boss said 10pm, so at 10pm I was freed. If they had needed me at 10, then I was dressed and ready to go, but since they did not, I showered and got ready for bed. I had to tell myself that it was not my fault and any of them would have done the same thing. Work is not my life, it is just how I pay the bills at this point. I'm too old to give any more.

          This morning I managed to finally mow my backyard LOL it was a mess. Once it was tidied up I got to "plant" my solar flowers LOL. They look so pretty in the daylight, just pops of color everywhere. Tonight, when the sun goes down, they will light up and make everything magical back there. I cannot wait to see it.  

Medications and Blood Pressure

 

          I did not realize how much any medication will affect blood pressure. I have been doing so well with getting my B/P under control, I was consistently staying in the one teens over 60s-70's, but then I got sick. I had to start antibiotics and steroids. Now my blood pressure is back up. It is in the elevated to stage 1 phase :( this does not make me happy. I finish up the steroids tomorrow and the antibiotic next week, so hopefully it will go back down.

          Back to work this weekend. I am hoping it goes smoothly and quickly. I need to figure out meals for it. I have my bananas already LOL got some olives too. Always tough to figure out dinners. I get tired and end up ordering GrubHub which is expensive. I am trying to think of some sort of casserole I can make that will last a couple of days LOL Staci is getting less picky with eating and now seems to like my cooking LOL.

          Also waiting on an order from Temu with all my new solar flowers for the backyard. I figure when they arrive I will mow LOL. That way I can "plant" them when lawn all fresh and pretty. Challenge is also to find a time when it is not so waterlogged in back. Hurricane season is a challenge in so many ways LOL. 

Such Good Intentions

 

          In the Spring I have such good intentions for doing things in the Summer. I make a list of all the activies I want to do and all the places I want to go, then reality smacks me in the face. Florida heat is ridiculous. I wake up and it is already 80 degrees and humid. It is no fun going outside at all. I really wanted to take the kids and go up to Saint Augustine, but by the time they wake up, it will be pushing 90+ degrees with thunderstorms. Cannot do much in that. In the evening, it cools down a bit, but only because it is pouring rain LOL. Rain I love watching, but not being out in. So inside we stay. We love our A/C.

Bananas About Bananas

 

           I have discovered that bananas are pretty much a super fruit, so I am trying to have at least one a day. They have a lot of B6, fiber, potassium, they give you energy, and can help lower cholesterol. Plus they taste great by themselves or in smoothies, banana bread, or in any recipe where you just want a kick of health. If you don't believe me, just ask the Minions LOL

My Counter Looks Like an Old Person Lives Here.

 

          I have had a sinus infection for awhile now, it wasn't so bad until Tuesday, then every thing went south. I got a prescription for antibiotics and took them as I was directed. The pain in my head just got worse. It eased when I stood up, but intensified to almost unbearable when I sat down. By Friday night even standing didn't help. So I had to call off work Saturday and go and get a different antibiotic and some steroids. The doctor also wanted to put me on Tegretol for the pain, but that wasn't in at the pharmacy. It seems the new meds are working. I can even sit here and have a cup of coffee while I type. 

          My kitchen counter, on the other hand, looks like a little old lady lives here. It has my bottles of antibiotics, anxiety med, allergy med, garlic pills, and my steroids. In addition I have my multivitamins, turmeric, and collagen gummy bottles that I take. It is ridiculous LOL. I will be glad when all of this infection is cleared and I can get rid of the extras. I will keep the ones that help me not feel old though LOL.

          So, pain has eased greatly, but I still have PTSD from it, so I am taking it easy. Still doing my housework, just at a more relaxed pace. My kids feel bad for me so they are helping even more. They are so awesome :)

Happy Independence Day

 

          Celebrate your freedom and stay safe today. I will be at work trying to protect the patients from the baby doctors who just started this week LOL. My kids will be home trying to keep our dogs calm from all the booms of the fireworks. It is not going to be fun in either place.

Wednesday Workout

 

          Yesterday the fun continued after I finished blogging LOL took me half a day to figure out I had my shirt on inside out and it was the afternoon before I realized it was Tuesday and not Wednesday LOL. I really was off my game yesterday LOL. Today is hopefully better.

          Not sure why, but I am in the mood to go outside and tidy up my front yard. Meaning mow and trim my palm tree. Pull up some weeds, and basically get hot and sweaty. I guess my mind still has not returned from vacation.

          I am loving the little flower picture I found today. It is so pretty and my favorite color. I planted some dahlias out front, perhaps they will grown into this color LOL I have no clue. They are growing well, just no blooms yet. I love flowers, just wish I could have some inside, but with pets I cannot risk it. Okay off to get glowing from the evil Florida sun LOL .

Lord Love a Duck

 

          No idea why, but at 1 a.m. this morning, I decided to cut all my hair off LOL I whacked a good 10 inches off and then yelled to my daughter to come cut more to make sure it was straight. What was I thinking??? Not I have just a little pony tail LOL I'm going to have to start fixing it again. I had to dig out my curling iron in order to tame it this morning LOL Lord love a duck I lost my mind and my daughter enabled me LOL.

           

Welcome to July

 

          Well, July is here and it is hot LOL. Humid too, already have first hurricane of the season forming. Doubtful it will get here though. July is also the dreaded month my babygirl turns 15 years old. How in the world did she grow up so fast???

          Not a lot planned for the month. I am going to end up working the holiday since it falls on the weekend. It isn't as if we go out for fireworks. Lee hates them and Staci gets bored after a few minutes. The biggest issue is my poor pets hate the noise. So kids are going to be working hard trying to keep them calm.

          Temu just got me again LOL. At night, in my backyard, I have all of these solar lights. Some are from these bobbling balls my kids got me and some are from the fake flowers. I am enamored by them. My yard looks so magical when the sun goes down. Looks pretty in daylight as well. So, what did I do LOL I went and bought more solar flowers. I am going to stake them along my back fence. That way they look pretty day and night and I don't have to worry about mowing them down LOL.  I rationalized the cost by telling myself I have spent more on real flowers only to have them die. This way they don't LOL.

Arkansas Born and Bred

 

          Saw a blog prompt to write about where you grew up. Well, I grew up in Arkansas. So I consider myself a southern lady. I speak with an accent, I love sweet tea, I enjoy simple things, I am polite, and I like things to be easy going. I found a nice picture of the state that shows all the towns I lived in LOL. I was born in Malvern, spent a few years in DeQueen, I lived the longest in Little Rock. I got married there, went to college there, and had my son there. I also lived in Jonesboro, and last but not least, I lived in Hot Springs right before moving to Florida. 

        Each place was great. Malvern is a very small town. Everybody knows everybody LOL. That is where my mom grew up. Most of my relatives in Arkansas live there. I remember visiting my grandparents there and getting to go to Piggly Wiggly for groceries LOL loved that name. DeQueen is where I had to grow up quickly. I think I was in first and second grade there. My mom had to work a lot, so my brother and I were latch key kids. I was babysitting him when I was just a baby myself. I was convinced my house was haunted, so at night I made him sing to me LOL. 

           I spent most of my years in Little Rock. That is where my dad's side of the family lived. I met my ex husband there. When I was 26 I had my amazing son and my whole life changed. He inspired me to become something so that I could take care of him. It was tough, but I got my BSN nursing degree at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. For about a year, while getting divorced and facing custody issues, I lived in Jonesboro. It was pretty there, but lonely. We did not stay long. I took a break from Arkansas for a few years and lived in Nevada.

        When my daughter was one year old, we moved back to Arkansas, and lived in Hot Springs. It was so pretty there. I liked it a lot.  There was quite a bit to do there. There was this fantastic garden to go explore, downtown had all sorts of cute shops, everything was nice and close. We got tornado warnings to keep it interesting LOL. There was a hot spring where you could actually go and fill up water bottles to take home. It was very relaxing living there.

           I am not sure why we moved away, but we did. Looking back, part of me wishes we had stayed, but Florida is our home now, and we like it. Lots to do here, I have an awesome house, it is hurricane season, so we have fun weather LOL. I get to have pets. Most important, my kids love it. By the end of my life, I will most likely have lived the longest in Florida, but I will always consider myself an Arkansas girl :)

Disturbing Dreams

 

          I sleep a lot LOL like I can fall asleep anytime I settle down in my recliner. It is just so comfy. The part I do not like about that is my dreams. Sometimes they are nice, but often they feature my mom. Those ones drive me nuts. They start out normal, then I somehow figure out in my dream that she is not supposed to be there since she died, and then she drives me crazy. Last night I dreamed I had all of these cute baby animals in the backyard, kittens, ducks, chickens, even a pig LOL and I wanted to build little shelters for them so they didn't get cold at night. I had all of these cardboard boxes to use, and I started to put them together, but then my mom showed up and started dismantling them and making the animals leave. Weird dreams like that. I never have good dreams with her in them, just ones where I get so upset. It makes me wake up sad.

          So while I sleep a lot, it is never truly restful because of my dreams. So I wake up frequently. This morning I was up at 3:30 a.m. coloring my hair LOL. Trying to get it back to blonde. Today is my day to get ready for work weekend. Laundry, groceries, cleaning, recycle out, and Staci to church. I might even make some treats for the weekend. 

Happy Leon Day

 

          I had no idea that Leon Day was an actual thing LOL Leon is Noel spelled backwards, and today is June 25th, six months to Christmas LOL. How fun. So I am going to attempt to celebrate it LOL not sure how though. It is so hot here in Florida that it does NOT feel Chrismasy.

          Well I did it LOL I mowed my front and back yards yesterday. It sucked and I was exhausted afterward, but I felt very accomplished. My grass looks so much better now. Today I need to buy a new hose, since I can't get my current one to detach from my sprinkler LOL and I am hoping to plant my avocado. Lee is off today, so he can help me. I have a new drill bit for the ground to entice him LOL.

          I wish I had some fun Christmas memories to share, but unfortunately I don't. We celebrated, but in a simple way. My mom would try to make everything perfect, but that often backfired because she was so caught up in things being just right, that it became not fun and way too stressful. I love trying to go all out for holiday, but I learned from her, to not let it ruin the day if it does not go according to plan. It is more about just being together and having a nice day. I miss her though. She was my best friend.

Quiz Queen

 

          I love alliteration LOL I am not really a quiz queen, I just took one quiz, but quiz queen sounded more fun LOL. I like taking quizzes, but often it seems like they all go wonky halfway through so I never get results. Today I made it all the way through one designed to tell me if I am an old soul or a new one. Apparently I am an old soul :) I was not surprised to find that out. I do tend to like things of the past. I have taken every history course I can find. It is interesting to see where things came from. Word meanings, sayings, traditions, recipes, clothing, so many things to research.

           It is kind of funny to think that a few generations from now, my descendants (if I ever get grandkids) will be talking about how great grandma was an actual nurse during the Covid pandemic of 2020 LOL. All the funny masks she had to wear, how everything was closed, and how the world changed. Oh and the toilet paper LOL. we have yet to figure out why toilet paper was hoarded, but I still have a supply in the garage LOL.  

          Well, I finished up Ghost Whisperer, so now I need to find something else to watch. I like episodes so I can zone out and get some steps in while watching. I also have a sprouted avocado seed that I need to plant. Hopefully it will continue to grow, just have to find a place for it. With all of the rain, the backyard grass is looking so green. That makes me happy. Now it just needs to dry a bit so I can mow it LOL. With daily rains that is challenging. My big secret is LOL I like mowing. It is a great workout and afterwards I feel so accomplished, but don't tell my kids. They let me be extra lazy after it is done LOL. They even bring me drinks :)

Sunday no Sunshine

 

         Woke up today to the sounds of thunder booming :) loved it. The rain was awesome, everything is soaked LOL no mowing for me it seems. My dogs did not like the rain or thunder though, they were hiding under me the whole time.

          Work was a challenge, had one patient that would not stop yelling no matter how many sedatives I gave them. All of the other patients were complaining about them. I was somehow expected to fix this LOL. As if I wanted the yelling to continue. Oh I am so glad it is over for me now.

           So now I get to relax and enjoy my days off. No particular plans yet, just general stuff. I did good so far watching what I eat, trying to get my cholesterol down. Also still behaving on not eating sweets every day LOL. Feet finally do not hurt and I am not sick LOL feeling more like myself.

Lowering Cholesterol Naturally

 

          Well, I have my blood pressure under control, now I am off to lower my cholesterol. I have no clue what my levels are, but if I am like the typical American, then I am sure they are high. Since I do not wish to take medicine but still wish to be healthy, I am going to try and beat it naturally. 

          According to the internet, I need to increase my daily fiber. I need at least 25gm/day. I looked up the types of food that are healthy and full of fiber, hence the pretty picture. I will be going to the store soon to get me some bananas and apples, as well as some oats, berries, olives, okra, chickpeas, and prunes LOL. It also recommends garlic, I do not think I can just eats garlic straight, so that I will try and find a supplement for. I will also add it into anything I cook that is savory. I also have lots of nuts around here, so I am going to combine them to make a healthy snack rich in fiber.

          I just want to make sure I can stay as healthy as possible. I have been doing my exercise as best as I can. Slowly I am losing weight. I dropped 10 lbs so far :) and I am trying to get more sleep. I want to be around to bother my kids for as log as possible LOL.

Taco Tuesday

 

          Tuesday and now I am thinking about tacos LOL guess I just figured out what's for dinner. It is a good thing my kids and I like tacos LOL. Now, I just have to go get fixins for them. 

          I saw a blog prompt asking where in the world would I love to have a picnic? I am not a big fan of picnics, too many bugs, but they can be fun. I remember going to a big church one with my uber crush and wanting to make it so special LOL and in doing so I got all the wrong food. Romantic food is in reality not very picnic friendly. The chocolate and strawberries was a disaster. Back to where in the world, that is a challenge to think about, as I have never gone anywhere. Actually, I think I would like a place I sort of am familiar with, Lake Tahoe. Up there it is gorgeous, not too hot, lots of shady areas, a lake to swim in if you like cold, and no dangerous critters lurking in the waters LOL. 

          Okay, we are going back to watching Bridgerton early LOL. I was watching last night, and my daughter came in LOL that show is definitely not appropriate for her LOL shoot it is barely appropriate for me. I had to fast forward through a bit of the racy parts LOL.

Monday Morning

 

          Good morning Monday :) I liked the little picture I found LOL the "stabbing people is wrong" part made me giggle. Day two of waking up and not being sick is awesome LOL feet don't hurt and I am pretty much over my cold, I had forgotten what normal felt like LOL.

          Not a lot to do today, which is my favorite type of day. I have orders for Amazon and Walmart coming today. We got a fancy, self cleaning cat litter box LOL. Cost over $300 so these cats better like it. No idea why I got it, other than my son has been asking for one forever. Now he has to come up with a better response when I tease about getting another cat. He always says I can't until I get a better litter box. Now his argument is moot LOL. I don't really want another cat, I just like messing with him. I mean, if I had a bigger place, then I would love lots of pets, but right now, 2 dogs and 3 cats is enough. 

          So, today I guess I will be somewhere between a potato and a sunflower, meaning I will be binging Bridgerton, and then outside getting groceries LOL. I need to figure out something for dinner.

Happy Father's Day

 

          Happy Father's Day 2024. It is not really an important day for me though. I grew up without a father, so never really celebrated it. I think I was three or four when my parents divorced. I occasionally saw my dad, but not enough that I remember him growing up. As an adult in my 20's I had some contact with him, but we weren't close. I do regret that now. I had a chance when I had my son, because my dad loved babies, and I know he so wanted to be a grandpa, but I was still too bitter about him not being a proper dad to me, that I did not let him really see my son. By the time I grew up enough, it was too late. He had passed away. I cried when I found out he had died. I didn't think I would, but I sobbed for all that could have been. I did love him, just did not like him.

          Well that was depressing. On to better stuff. I think I am finally 90% over my cold LOL and I made it through work weekend. Now only easy peasy stuff. My daughter is currently getting dressed and then we are heading over to SeaWorld for a bit. We get passholder money, $40, so we are going to spend it before it expires today LOL. Yep, we are cutting it close. Then back home to enjoy the rainy weather and tidy up. OOOh and I get to watch latest Bridgerton episodes LOL. So exciting :)

Hypotension?

 

          Wow, this morning's B/P reading was 114/69 pulse 71. I am shocked, but in a good way. After I got covid a couple years ago, my blood pressure was scary high, I even had to take medicine. I set out to get it down naturally because I did not like the idea of being diagnosed as having hypertension. Right now I am glad to say I have no diagnoses other than anxiety. Anyway, I have been trying hard to get and maintain a normal blood pressure. I check mine every day and it seems to be fine now, even low, according to my latest readings. Getting all this sleep from being sick might have helped a bit LOL. Aside from my stuffy nose, I am feeling much better. My foot no longer hurts me, which is an extreme blessing, and my B/P is under control.  I also am glad to say, I haven't had any sweets in quite a while LOL. Been very tempted, but I refrained. I do have some oreos stashed for a little treat. I will grab one cookie every now and then.  I even switched out my coffee creamer for sugar free.

           I cannot believe the week is already done. I do not like losing it to being sick. Not 100% better just yet, but hopefully enough that I can get through working with minimal discomfort. I need to prep me some snacks and meals to take. The one good thing about never being asked if I want to order out too is I don't order out LOL. I save that money and am stuck eating only what I bring. I just have to make sure it is relatively healthy. Okay I am off to find more cold medicine and to get my adulting done for the day.

Rainy Daze?

 

          For as much rain as they have been predicting, I thought for sure I would have seen some by now LOL of course I have been in a cold medicine daze for past 2 days, but I still see nothing. It would be nice. I love extreme weather. I sleep to the sounds of thunderstorms.

          I woke up today, and I think I am on the mend. I cannot believe I got so sick so fast. It just hit me BAMM at work. I thought it was allergies but nope, it was a bonified cold. I am glad it is over. I am just hoping my kids stayed spared. So far so good. I still managed to mow the front yard LOL I figured I could sweat a few germs out of me, plus I wanted it down before these so called rainstorms hit. 

          I cannot believe it is already Tuesday LOL lost two days to being sick. I really don't know how people work five days a week with only two off. I could never go back to that. As usual I am going to take it easy. Not a lot of things on my to do list. Just a bit of cleaning. Here's hoping the storms will show up and keep me entertained :)

I'm in a Gooseberry Patch Cookbook

           My daughter and I like cooking together. I tend to get creative and make up recipes as I go along. A couple of years ago I got an email asking for recipes for a new Christmas cookbook. I thought how fun would it be to get one of my creations in a cookbook. So we came up with a spiced cranberry sauce recipe that I make every year and submitted it. Trying to figure out exact measurements was challenging as I usually just wing it. It got chosen and I was a published cook LOL I got a free cookbook and bragging rights LOL 

          Last year I got another email asking for Autumn recipes. Staci and I had just made these walnut cookies that were a hit at work, so we decided to figure out a recipe with measurements and submit it. We got picked again!!! Our recipe even made the feature recipes selection LOL it was funny to get the book yesterday because we had totally forgotten what we had submitted LOL. I just knew it had been a cookie LOL. So that book there has mine and my daughter's recipe in it on page 183. I put this one under her name. The cranberry sauce one has mine on it.

          I got another email requesting recipes, so I just submitted another on for my aioli chicken LOL let's see if I get picked again. That would be totally cool :)

Weekend Wonder

 

         I made it through the weekend!!! Of course I kinda felt a bit of a cold coming on, so I took some Nyquil and some sudafed LOL my system doesn't know what's going on LOL. I'm starting to look like a red nosed reindeer over here. 

          My kids are currently trying to change out our lightbulbs in the hallway LOL we had to buy a ladder just to do that LOL it was too high up for our stepladder, so we had to upgrade. Oh the joys of homeownership. I wouldn't change it though :)

          We have started planning for halloween already LOL. By the time it gets to September/October all the good stuff is gone, so have to do early. I bought a really cool banner for the garage door and I am sure our giant pumpkin and skeletons will be back. We just need to figure out a theme for the season. Any ideas????

Gala Night

 

          Tonight is Staci's Gala Night, so I get to doll her up again LOL well, as much as she will let me. I have learned she does not like to stand out. She is wearing her gold and purple dress again, we are getting some use out of it LOL. She also has sparkly earrings and a necklace to go with it. Oh, and gold slippers LOL. Perhaps I will redye her hair when she wakes up. 

          Ugh, my cats killed another lizard in the house. They brought it in, so it is a good thing they took care of it LOL. My perfect lil puppy notified me of the dead critter and stood guard over it until I could take care of it. I just hate disposing of the body. Is very yucky. Earlier this week a adorable person posted a picture warning us to be beware of "baby gators" at the pool LOL it was a lizard. So now all lizards are baby gators LOL.

          So far no rain yet this hurricane season, for one they said was going to be intense, it is disappointing. So hot with no afternoon cool down. With my luck it will rain all weekend, making it impossible to mow the front yard after work. I really am ready for the rains LOL I am tired of watering my plants. 

          Well off to do my responsible stuff. I have laundry, recycling, groceries, and cleaning to do before work, they is is doll up the daughter time LOL such fun :)

Everybody Needs a Day off Sometimes

 

          Yesterday I missed blogging because I took some cold medicine LOL I lost a whole day. No idea how drugies do it. How do they function??? I am told I had conversations with my kids that I do not even remember LOL.

          So, since I really do not have anything I NEED to do, I am taking the day off, just in case my system is trying to get sick. Sometimes you just need a break. I have all my responsible stuff done, so it is a good day to do nothing.

I Did It!!!

 

          I am tired, but feel accomplished :) I made it through my work weekend, three in a row, and I can still walk!!! I was even able to mow my backyard this morning, so now I feel all good about myself LOL Looks so much better back there. Grass was so long in some areas that it stalled my mower LOL. Took awhile to get it looking decent again, but I made it and now I get to relax. My son bought him and my daughter sandwiches for dinner, so I am off the hook for cooking, no brain power needed from me. Which is good, because nothing up there is working LOL

Yeah Me!!!

 

          Yeah me!!! I have been trying to lose some weight so that my foot will not be so stressed, and I did it LOL I lost 5 lbs this past week. It sucked doing it because it meant no sweets and I had to watch calories, but scale said it was worth it. Now I have to just persist and hopefully the scale cooperates. I have also been doing my chair workout since walking is still out. 

          Back to work this weekend. Which means walking back in. I am hoping if I go slowly that it will not get exacerbated again. I do not wish any more pain. 

          This weekend also starts the beginning of hurricane season here in Florida. I love extreme weather, I just hope none happens when I have to work. I need to make sure we have supplies for any emergencies. Usually that means stocking up on OTC pain killers LOL. We have water in garage. I guess I need to get more batteries as well. We have plenty of candles and lighters So far we have yet to need to get into supplies. Florida is pretty well prepared for hurricanes.

     

Feeling a Bit Down

 

          For absolutely no reason, I occasionally feel a bit down. I take Zoloft to combat it, but some days that does not quite cut it. This week has been a few of those days in a row. Not sure what is going on. Yesterday driving home from dropping daughter off at her party really triggered me. I felt very lacking in everything. All of the homes where she went were shiny and new, the neighborhood very nicely put together, and it was cute. I was jealous and it made me feel bad. I had to remind myself that my home was pretty and my neighborhood very nicely put together, all of the people here very kind for the most part. It might not be shiny and new, but it isn't old LOL we all have only been here 7 years. All the trees are finally getting full and lining the streets, flowers and landscaping are blooming, I live in a great place. I have no idea why I was so envious. 

          I suppose it is human nature to want to go farther. I have done all there is here and I want change LOL. I don't need it, I simply want it. All of my life I was easily movable. My mom started it. She moved my brother and me countless times. I guess I got that from her. Now that I own a home, I cannot just move, I would have to sell and then find another place, not to mention my kids would never go for it LOL they love this place too much. I do too. My brother on the other hand, he hates moving. He has lived in the same city, in the same area, for over 35 years LOL. 

          I am sure this will all pass soon. I wouldn't ever sell my Casa Bella (what I named this place). It might not be fancy inside or out, but it has personality and color. It makes me and my kids happy. You should see the backyard at night now LOL I have all sort of solar lights highlighting the plants. It looks very cool. Plus my trees are full and flowering. I do need to mow, but that can wait until Sunday or Monday, when I am off work. I have to be careful to not stress my foot. I have to work three in a row again, so I need to be able to walk. I think I discovered too much sugar triggers the pain. Yesterday I had some chocolate for the first time in a while and afterwards my foot hurt. So, no more sweets for me. Which would be a good thing LOL. Ok now off to do end of week laundry and cleaning before work.

Brunch Party

 

          This morning my daughter is going to a brunch party for her friend's 15th birthday. So long to simple birthday parties LOL earlier this year she went to a friends escape room party. Teenagers really up the game these days with birthdays LOL she and I are trying to think of a good idea for her 15th birthday in July. Right now a pool party at Aquatica is sounding good LOL. Something to keep them cool and entertained with minimal effort on my behalf. It will just cost a pretty penny LOL. Since she has never asked for a party before, I guess I can handle it :)

          This brunch party sounds fancy LOL my daughter has been asked to dress in formal attire, so she is wearing her gala dress from last year. She is getting some use out of it finally LOL she also gets to wear it next week for her church Fuego Gala night once more. Then it will get put away since she is not a dress person. I guess next party/gala night we will have to find another dress she likes. I am trying to resist "helping" her get all glammed up. I realized that she does not like to be center of attention and if I push her, it ends up wrong. I figured this out last year for her Christmas party. I helped her with her ugly sweater look, so much so that she got chosen to go up on stage to compete. The problem with that was it turned into popularity contest, so she did not get the applause, which had to suck for her big time. I do not want a repeat of that, so I let her chose what she wishes to wear and is comfortable in. As much as I would like to get her all dolled up, in the end, I just want her to have fun.

Memorial Day 2024

 

          While many view Memorial Day as the unofficial start of summer, a day to cookout and celebrate, sometimes see fireworks, it is actually a solemn day. It is a day to remember and mourn those who served in the United States Military.

          Many of my ancestors served in the military, with two living ones left - my brother and my uncle. We are a military family going all the way back to the American Revolution. I think I had a relative serve in every conflict. To my knowledge, thankfully all of them made it home.

          Not a lot of celebrating going on over here today. Not because of the holiday, but because we are boring LOL. Biggest thing we have today is my son's eye appointment for new glasses this afternoon. Too hot for much else outside. Weather says it will be 98 degrees, who knows what heat index will get to. Knowing my neighbors, there will probably be fireworks going off later and lots of music. My poor animals will be very unhappy. Not even grilling today, I plan on making some chicken soup LOL. See, boring!!! On a great note, I woke up pain free!!!!

Too Hot Already

 

          It i just May and already the temperatures are in upper 90's!!! Florida this summer is going to be brutal. I have annual passes to Aquatica, but danged if they aren't at capacity today LOL doesn't help that it is Memorial Day weekend. I am already ready for hurricane season to begin just so we get afternoon rains to cool things off a bit.

           I made it through my one night at work and foot still feels okay thankfully. I just walked slowly and did not care how busy I got LOL. They could wait. Especially the patient who was verbally abusive to me. Why yell and insult somebody who is trying to help you???

          No plans here for holiday weekend. Taking son to eye doctor is about it LOL. Then back inside to hide from the sun. Only time to go outside from now until November is either early morning or night time LOL. In between you risk spontaneous combustion.

Healthy Eating is Expensive

 

          Healthy eating is very costly. Some say it is not, but I call B.S. on them. Compared to the price of fast food, eating healthy is ridiculous. I can get a large fries for half the price of a salad. There are always deals on the burgers, fries, and soda but never on a salad with a bottled water. It isn't smart for big companies to want people to eat healthy. If they did then fast food places would be out of business and pharmaceutical companies would lose their profits because a lot of diseases and illnesses would be reduced, especially diabetes and heart disease. It is sad that people care more about money than they do health.

          Yesterday I decided I needed to get really serious about losing weight just so I can walk easily again. So first thing, go to store for some healthy options. It is not that my house if full of junk food, I just wanted some variety in my salads. Ice cream, hot dogs, chips, all of those were BOGO, and the veggies were not. Very frustrating to my bank account, but I have to rationalize the cost of the food now versus medical bills later. 

          I got me some celery, cucumber, sweet peppers, tomatoes, and lettuce to make salads. I also got some tuna pouches to add for protein. For breakfast I have hard boiled egg and light bread with sugar free jam. Dinners I am not sure about yet. Most likely some sort of meat for my kids and veggies for me. I have popcorn and sugar free popsicles for treats. I think I just need to focus on one day at a time for now. Yesterday I did good. I think I stayed within 1500 calories and I did my chair workout. Today, I will do the same.

          Work is not going to be happy with me, though I really am not sure they will even care. I am not going in to work again tonight. I want one more day of rest on my foot. I should be able to survive Saturday night as long as I go slow. Hopefully this will be the last week that I have this issue. So, for today it is taking it easy again and enjoying time with both my kids.

Diet or Die?

 

          It has come down to this, at least in my head. If I do not lose weight, I am seriously going to cut my years left short. I do not want to do that. I have not prepared my kids for living on their own. I believe they would be lost, and I do not want to do that to them. 

          I am supposed to go to work tonight, but my foot is almost feeling all better, and I am afraid if I do go in, I will re-strain it and have to start all over again. The pain is what is motivating me right now. That plus I got on the scale and I have gained 20 lbs since last year. I am trying to not cry, but that is all I want to do right now. It seems the harder I try, the worse I get.

          So, instead of crying, I am going to make a plan, and find a way to stick to it. The biggest part of it is curbing my diet. I have too long allowed myself to self indulge whatever I wanted to. I cannot do that. It seems I start off great in the morning, but by the evening  I have binged. I need to stop that. I also need to move as much as I safely can right now. That means just the chair workouts until I drop some weight and my foot is healed. Somehow I must manage this before I leave my kids with no me.

A Simple Florida Day

 

          No particular topic today, just thought the sunflower picture was adorable. I am taking it easy today. Yesterday I definitely overdid it. I mowed my front yard and by the time I was done, I was hurting. So, I put some capsaicin ointment on it, which turned out to be a mistake. That is basically pepper ointment. Felt nothing on my foot, but my hand started to burn LOL took a bit to wash it off and tame the pain on my hand. 

          Later that afternoon, Staci and I decided to go to Aquatica and SeaWorld just to get our freebies. $20 each to spend on something. She picked out a Moon shaped dreamcatcher and some glass stars. It was hot outside still, so I guess my foot started sweating, and reactivated the ointment. OMG my foot started to burn!!! I managed to get the sock off to cool my foot, but the sock had become a bioweapon LOL my hand started to burn just from grabbing the sock off. I was stuck in my car, during 5 0'clock traffic with a burning foot, a burning hand, and my daughter laughing at me LOL. It was not fun :)

          So since I overdid yesterday, I am taking it easy today so that I can work this weekend. I will still do my chair workout. I am so more so out of shape that I get winded just doing basic things. I need to keep moving somehow. If I don't, life will get shorter and more painful. I do not like either of those things.

Artificial Intelligence

 

          Opened up my computer and first thing I see is an ad for AI. Did nobody watch the movie Terminator??? Or basically any movie set in the future after all the machines have wiped us out??? It is a bit scary how fast AI is advancing now. I am not a big fan of doing away with people's roles. We are getting more advanced with medicine and AI surgeries. Do doctors not realize that if they keep promoting AI then they might just become obsolete. I do realize there are many things they have helped with, but I do not think they should be the future of us. People have instincts and emotions, and in some situations you need those to make the right call, even if appears to be the wrong call. I have seen so many shows where the person looks guilty, but they are not, it takes a person believing in them to really see what is going on. There are so many shades of gray in the world, but computers only see black and white. And do you know as I typed this I am seriously a bit worried that the computers are going to flag it as problematic???

          Okay, on to other stuff. I really liked the chair workouts yesterday. I ended up doing one in the morning and one at night LOL. They did get my heart pumping and I even broke a sweat. So, I will definitely try and continue those. Today I need to mow my front yard. It is looking bad. I will just go slowly so I do not hurt my foot further. I also need to take Staci to SeaWorld and Aquatica later so we can get our free money LOL. We have $20 and each to buy something. I cannot turn down free money LOL. We will go towards closing time so that we can park close. Less walking for me. I might even bring my cane LOL. I do not recommend ever getting old.

Chair Yoga

 

          With my foot hurting so much, I have not been able to move as I did before, which does not help the problem at all. So, this ad popped up on my Instagram for chair yoga. I do not want to pay for something that might not work, but YouTube has free videos LOL. Those I will try. I found me a few 20 minute videos to do in rotation. I am hoping they help me move, burn a few calories, and help me get in better health. They look easy enough and I found ones with good music in the background.

          Yesterday I did it, I watched Bridgerton for the first time LOL. It is pretty good. I feel bad for the young girls of the time. They were completely clueless about sex. According to the show they did not even know the bare basics of what goes on in the bedroom or where babies come from. I like the Penelope character and Eloise. I wanted to like Daphne, but her and the Duke just seem too perfect. No flaws to empathize with. I do not know what people see in the Queen. She is too entitled. Perhaps if I watch her backstory I might understand. The moms on the show though are awesome LOL The Bridgerton mom clearly loves her children and wants them to be happy above all else. The Featherton mom is a hoot LOL. She wants her daughters to just get married no matter what LOL. So far, she is my favorite character.

          So now I am off to try my first chair yoga workout followed by Bridgerton LOL what a wild life I live LOL.

So Busy

 

          We were so busy at work!!! Especially last night. A nurse had a family emergency so they had to leave about an hour into the shift, leaving us very understaffed. Anything that could go wrong, was going wrong. Thankfully nobody died and nobody fell, but by the end of the night we were all worn out. It felt like a full moon, but wasn't. So glad to be home now with my kids :)

          Busy here today, but no rush to do anything LOL. I can take these tasks at my own pace. Nothing I have to do, I just prefer to get all the responsible stuff out of the way so I can chill the rest of the week. No more school, so lots of free time now.

Summer Fun

    

          Just another visual to help me put together a fun summer. Most of these activities seem easy to do LOL well except for the road trip and camping. I cannot convince my daughter to go anywhere overnight.  Most of these activities can be put together, like the BBQ, S'mores, and bonfire. Oh well, I will come up with something LOL.

          Off to work for the weekend. Tomorrow my daughter takes her last test of 9th grade and then she is done. I cannot figure out how she became so old without me noticing it. I swear she was just a toddler last week, not a teenager in high school. My mind is reeling over here. I need time to slow down, it is going way too fast.

OMG Too Much Sleeping

 

         I am not sure what happened, but I fell asleep for most of the day yesterday :( I took like a six hour nap LOL the only thing I can think of causing it is all the Motrin, Tylenol, and Aleve I am taking for my foot. This is why I will never do narcotics LOL if the OTC meds knock me out this bad I am terrified of the coma those would put me in. 

          Needless to say, I got nothing accomplished yesterday. I am hoping today is better LOL I need to go get a few things from Aldi and Staci has church tonight. I have laundry to do, and I want to make some mac&cheese as well. So, I have made my to do list. I need to get everything done without sleeping LOL oh and I have to drink my water LOL.