New Year's Eve

           Oh wow, another year gone and I survived!!! I am very happy about that. I am currently working on getting healthier so I will survive many more to come. Not much for celebrating tonight. I have the night off because I know the neighbors will be setting off fireworks and my animals hate that. I am hoping Lee will be home before midnight as well. I have them horns and little poppers to celebrate with. 

          Most I have planned today is making taco soup to enjoy LOL oh and cleaning up inside and out. I have already taken down all my Christmas decorations and put up my everyday stuff. Yesterday I power washed my driveway LOL I got so incredibly filthy doing that and lost fine motor function in my right hand for a bit LOL. Putting on makeup afterwards was hilarious LOL I looked ridiculous. I have a big delivery from Amazon I am excited about LOL poor delivery driver must hate me LOL Lee even worse because he got weights delivered. 

Finishing Up The Year

 

           I cannot believe it is already the end of the year. It went by so fast. It wasn't a great year, but it wasn't a bad one either. I cannot think of anything awful offhand, so that is a good thing LOL. I am hoping next year is fun and that my family thrives. 

          I have already begun to take down my Christmas decorations LOL outside is done. Now all I have to do is the inside stuff. My kids want a seasonal tree again, so I guess I will attempt that. I have stuff already to do Valentine's, Mardi Gras, St. Patrick's, and Easter. After that it is back to my sunflower one until I feel like changing it LOL.

          So far I am doing well on the WW program. I have been staying within my points. This helps me go to sleep knowing I am at least trying. Mentally I feel better. Just need it to last :)

Christmas Eve

 

          Merry Christmas Eve. Wow this month went by fast. I cannot believe it is already the 24th, only one week left in the year. Time needs to lay off the espresso.

          Today my kids and I will celebrate Christmas in a very low-key manner LOL. I am making them a full ham dinner with trimmings and they will open the last of the advent calendars. I don't know how walking around to look at lights will go. It is rainy today LOL no matter what I get today with my kids and I am happy.

Weight Watchers Week Won

 

          I love alliteration LOL it is just so fun to say stuff like that. Anyway, I have made it through one week of weight watchers and I killed it LOL yay me!!! I stayed well within my points, so much so that I get to enjoy Christmas Eve dinner with my kids tomorrow. I have been scanning foods, hunting for the zero point ones to enjoy. I have found so many of those that I have lots of points rolling over. I like the app too. It lets me just scan a barcode and tells me the points. I know it is basically counting calories, but that is too much math for me. Oh and if all of this succeeds, I am saying it was thanks to apples LOL I have had so many apples this weekend LOL. I have discovered snapdragon apples are the best!!!

          Two days until Christmas. I work Christmas day and so does my son, but we both have Eve off so that is when we are celebrating. Not anything special, just us, might go walk around and check out all the light displays, make something special for dinner. Very low key. Today I am also going to try and make some cookies to take to work. Pumpkin pecan ones that another nurse requested. Maybe later today Staci and I will go check out the Christmas trees at Disney Springs. They are always pretty to look at.

Weight Watchers Will Work

 

          I thought about putting a question mark at the end of my title, but then I thought to myself, let's be positive about this. So early this morning, I found a deal on Weight Watchers. Half off the price for a full year, $11/month. So, I signed up for it. I am feeling a bit overwhelmed by it right now. There is a list of zero-point foods that I can eat with no worries, which I like, but it is the ones with points that are tricky, like my vitamins. Each dose is one point. I take about five different ones in a day, so right there I lose 5 points. I only get 28 in a day. I used 3 for my coffee and it was not enough creamer. I need to find some recipes and zero-point foods LOL cause I am hungry. I did find myself a taco soup one for zero points which I am so making today LOL. 

          I hope this works. :) I paid money for it, so I have assigned it a monetary value. I am committed to one year on it. It said in six months I could lose 41 lbs. That would be awesome. Now I just have to get my kids on board to not unknowingly sabotage me LOL  but with the extra weekly points and freebies, I should be able to do this.

The Power of Fuzzy Dice

 

          Every day my kids and I are opening up various advent calendars this month. The favorite ones are the dice ones I got them, so when I saw a chance to score these fuzzy dice on Amazon, I jumped at it LOL they arrived today, and were just perfect. My kids immediately both wanted them. So I made it a competition to see who could solve the escape room puzzle first LOL. Usually they want no clues from me, but today they wanted me to basically tell them what to do so that they could win first LOL it added a whole new element to the game. It was fun. I always so enjoy spending time with my kids at the same time. 

I Miss Disney

 

          I miss going to Disney and doing Disney stuff. I moved here just so I could go to Disney any time I wanted to, but it got to be a bit of a hassle to do so. Between the heat, construction, and crowds it was a chore just to get there. I am waiting until all of that calms down. Okay, I know the heat won't go away and the crowds will always be there, but at least I can wait out the construction LOL. They seem to be doing a lot of it.

          The park I miss the most is Epcot. To me it is the most fun. I can travel around the world in one day. The festivals are phenomenal, my favorite is the Art Festival, followed by the Flower and Garden Festival. It is so pretty with all of the blooming flowers. I also love the garden-themed souvenirs. I just wish they were not so expensive LOL.

          Disney passes are expensive, but as a Florida resident I can swing the cost. I just need  the construction to fade a bit before I go back. I need my Disney fix LOL until then I curb it by going to Disney Springs LOL. Might just have to do that soon.

Don't Forget To...

 

          Don't forget to be kind to yourself. You deserve it. After all: you go up successfully LOL yesterday you managed to get over 11k steps, you put up Christmas lights, and turned 56 years old. Today, you have already made a Mississippi pot roast (that smells delicious) put away dishes, and did school work. You have been busy, so you deserve some kindness and love :) now all you have to do is water the plants and scrub the floors, and you will have nailed another day LOL.

         Okay, that was a silly post LOL but it made me giggle.

Another Year Older

 

          I cannot believe it is my birthday yet again. This getting older really is not all it is cracked up to be. I thought it would be a lot different. So, now I am faced with a new start to my year. I really, truly want this next year to be a great one. 

          I want to focus on me getting healthier, so I have lots more birthdays LOL.  It would be nice to find some sort of hobby, no idea what though. I want to be more active and sleep less LOL sleeping is awesome, but I do it too much.

          I also need to stop spending so much on no clue what LOL but every month my money seems to just disappear. I need to find out where and stop it LOL. Most of all, I just want to feel good about my life in general. That would be a wonderful thing to accomplish by my next birthday.

Happy 10th Birthday Commander

 

It’s this lovely loafs 10th birthday lol my son rescued him from the shelter back when we lived in Jacksonville. The name they gave him was Danny, but he quickly became Commander LOL sometimes Commander Fluffle LOL He only knows one trick and that is headbutt LOL he is constantly begging to go outside, which is confusing since he never has been an outdoor kitty. He is still playful as a kitten and so cuddly. He has tolerated a lot with us and has never made a complaint. He is the sweetest cat ever. He is our emotional support animal and our friend. He terrorizes the veterinarians, but to us, he is as patient as can be. Happy birthday Commander. We love you :)

Faith, Hope, Love, Joy

 

          I am going to try and start inspiring me LOL I deserve it. I think the picture is absolutely beautiful and so it is inspiring me to choose wisely today. Focus on happy thoughts of faith, hope, love, and joy. So that is what I am going to do.

          Yesterday I accomplished everything on my to do list LOL today's list has already been started and includes making matzo ball soup and possibly going to Disney Springs with Staci to see the Christmas trees. Not sure just yet. Depends on when she wakes up and how cold it is LOL  

          Florida seems bent on participating in winter this week. Not a big fan, but at least the weather is making it comfy for me to wear my new pink pants and pink t-shirt LOL. I am all comfy cozy today.

Choose to be Happy

 

          I don't know why, but sometimes I find myself feeling guilty for being happy or having a positive thought like I do not deserve it. That is the stupidest thing ever. Everybody deserves to be happy, even me. Maybe subconsciously it is to make others not feel even worse by comparing themselves to me being happy? 

         I have had others get jealous and upset at me just because my life seemed better than theirs, which is completely unfair. I work hard to make my life the way it is. I have earned my happiness. Nobody gave it to me. I have nobody supporting me, I am on my own, and everything I have accomplished I did on my own. Part of me wants to say my kids helped, but they were just my inspiration and cheering section, I still had to do everything LOL. So if I want to be happy, I need to let myself be happy, who cares what others might think.

          

Hello December 2024

 

          Well, I cannot believe we made it to December already. This year flew by. Busy month ahead. With working and Christmas, it is also my birthday month (yuck). We have finishing up the school semester for both Staci and me. Then there is just all the general craziness of the holiday.

          Not all of it is bad though. Today we get to start opening our Advent Calendars. I have eight of them for us to open every day up until Christmas. I hope they all go over well. 

          Now just waiting for the lazy ones to get up LOL then I have to mow my backyard, do laundry, and go to Target to pick up a bin to put away all my Autumn stuff so can get out Christmas stuff. Not sure if the coffee is strong enough for all that LOL.

One Step at a Time

 

          So often it is hard to see anything but the big picture and get overwhelmed. I do that all the time. I have a goal, but it seems so hard to achieve that I give up before even trying because it is just too much. I need to work on taking the big goal and breaking it down into small little teeny tiny baby steps LOL The most overwhelming goal is becoming less fluffy so I can move more freely. I am finding it harder and harder to get around.  The biggest challenge is my diet. I have no self-control LOL.  My kids have superior control. They have set times that they eat LOL 11am, 5pm, and 10pm. I would follow that too if we kept the same hours. I usually am up by 7am and asleep by 10pm, so I end up having an extra meal with them at 11am. Maybe that is the one goal I can work on, not eating when I wake up, but wait for them. Anyway, the point of this post is to remind myself to not focus on the overwhelming big picture, but instead on the little stuff I can easily do, until the big is not so overwhelming.

Happy Thanksgiving

 

          Today is Thanksgiving and I am pretty much grateful for everything in general. My son and I are both off work so we get to stay home and celebrate with Staci. I worked last night and made a bit of extra money, but got to go in later so was able to get me some ice tea before the stores closed down LOL I also got some of my cooking prep done so I am ahead of the game today. Weather outside is gorgeous. My neighborhood is lit up in Christmas lights. I got to watch a bit of the parade before I fell asleep LOL. I have lots of yummy food to cook today and nothing pressing I have to do. So all in all I am just very thankful for everything.

Thankful for My Healthy Family

 

          Today I am thankful for my healthy family. My kids and I might not look it, but we are all very healthy LOL no multiple doctor visits for us. I think my daughter has been to the doctor once in the past thirteen years and my son has not had to go since he got out of his teens. I have not had to go to an actual doctor in who knows how long LOL. My blood pressure used to be high, but now it is totally normal. None of us need any daily medications to function, though we take a bunch of vitamins LOL. I am so very grateful and thankful that we are all healthy and happy. 

Thankful for My Brother

 

          Today I am thankful for my brother. If you had asked me that forty years ago, I would have laughed and said no way!!! He used to drive me crazy when we were kids. It wasn't until he was a senior in high school that I figured out he was a great guy LOL he is funny, intelligent, charismatic, adventurous, caring, and so confident. 

          He is retired military now, but before he did he got to travel all over the world and met world leaders in his job. Now he just works when he wants to and still meets celebrities LOL he is always there for his friends. He is a person you can count on when you need something. If you are down, he can always make you laugh. He might have been an annoying little brother, but he has become and amazing man who I am thankful to have for a brother.

Thankful for Comfort and Joy

 

          Today I am thankful for the things that bring me comfort and joy. Of course, top of the list is my kids LOL below them are my pets. All of those characters always bring me comfort and joy every day. Other things that do that are my home. I have made it my little haven. I have a comfy chair I fall asleep in all the time with a cozy blanket to keep me warm. My backyard and all my solar lights there make me smile every night. A good cup of coffee in the morning and a cup of tea at night are wonderful.  A brisk Autumn morning or a cool summer's night is also very nice. So many simple things bring me comfort and joy and for that I am thankful.

Thankful My Kids Take Care of Me

 

          I have been working past few days, so I really didn't have the mental energy to post LOL so this is a general thank you shout out to me being thankful that my kids always take care of me when I work. They make me coffee and dinner, get me up, and encourage me. They also will put up with my phone calls at night when I need some energy LOL my son even brought me coffee at 2am because I was so tired LOL so for them I am thankful.

Thankful for My Community

 

           Today I am thankful for my community. I think it is great. This neighborhood was began just eight years ago, it was completed in 2018. I have lived here since 2017. I have loved every minute of it. It is funny to me that I know a lot of my neighbors' names LOL before here I never even was aware of my neighbors. There is a sense of community that has been fostered by our HOA and it members. We have yard of the month competitions that keep everything looking pretty, at Halloween we get hundreds of kids trick-or-treating, and at Christmas, I swear planes can see our neighborhood as they fly by because of all the lights and decorations displayed LOL. If I have a question about anything related to my home, I can ask and always get help with any issue I am facing. The people here seem to care about each other and making this a great place to live. For that, I am so very thankful for my community. 

        

Thankful for Sweater Weather

 

          Today I am thankful we finally have sweater weather. I woke up today and it was only 66 degrees outside. I love this type of weather in the morning, my pets love it as well because I get to open up the back door and let the cool air inside. They love getting to go out on the patio. I like the chilled air with a cup of coffee as I listen to the world wake up. Tomorrow is supposed to only get into the sixties, so today I am making some chicken noodle soup in anticipation LOL. I finally get to cuddle up under a blanket without multiple fans on me LOL sweater weather is awesome and I am thankful it is finally here.

Thankful for Coffee

 

          Today I am thankful for coffee LOL not because I am particularly tired, but just because of it. No drink has made such an impact on people's lives (aside from alcohol). It is so easy to say "want to get a coffee?" with a person and then they become closer, bonding over a hot cup of coffee. My addiction started in nursing school. We were all so tired in the morning, so before class, we all went and got a coffee and a bagel, to get us through lectures. Standing in line, yawning and laughing, commiserating, we all bonded over our lattes. So, I am sitting here now, sipping my coffee, and planning out my day. It is the best part of my day and coffee is a major necessity to starting my day LOL so for today, I am thankful for coffee.  

Thankful for My Pets

 

           Today I am thankful for my pets. I have five of them LOL I have two dogs (a corgi and a chihuahua) and three cats (all rescues). All of them have very unique personalities. The corgi follows me everywhere LOL she is never too far from my side when I am home. The chihuahua is the little protector. She guards the house from everything LOL. The big fluffy cat is lazy and loveable. The sleek gray cat is playful, and the little calico is shy but sweet and cuddly at times. The one thing they all have in common is they love us unconditionally and are always so happy to see us. I can be gone for less than five minutes and they will all run to meet me as soon as I come back in LOL. They are all right there waiting for me when I get off work. They keep us laughing with their antics. The zoomies are the best LOL. They help make my house feel like a home. I am very thankful for them every day.

Thankful for My Home

 

          Today, I am thankful for my home. Growing up, we always lived in cheap apartments, the idea of owning a home just never occurred to me. Then one day, in the Spring of 2017, I was driving back from the store, and on a whim, I decided to just play and go look at these homes that were being built. I left as a homeowner LOL. I was so excited.

          My home is totally me. I have gotten to decorate it just how I like LOL the walls are all white, but my decorations are all very colorful primary colors. It makes me happy just looking around it. I feel very comfortable in my home. I have made it so comfy, that I can't get my kids to go on vacation LOL they would rather just stay home.  My home is a place of refuge for my kids and me. For that I am thankful. 

Thankful for Traditions

 

          Today I am thankful for traditions. They keep you connected to your past. My family is small, just my kids and me for the most part, and we do not have a lot of fancy traditions LOL just some silly ones. From my family, the only tradition I can remember from my childhood is my nanny always made sausage balls for holidays (Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas) so now I do that for the holidays. A tradition in my family now is because my kids are just about grown, so we do not do lots of presents under the tree, instead for the past few years, I have bought advent calendars that we open daily instead. We have an escape room type that has a clue for us to solve daily, which is so much fun, and then whatever other type of calendars I can find LOL  usually a mix of treats and trinkets to open. So every afternoon, all through December, my son, daughter, and I get together to open the calendars and solve the puzzle LOL. It is a lot of fun and brings my family closer together, which is a tradition I am thankful for.

Thankful for My Kids' Talents

 

          Today I am thankful for my kids' talents. I know every mom thinks their kids are special, but mine really are LOL while both are amazing, they really do have a talent for writing. 

         Leland has an unbelievably vast vocabulary and knows how to use it in his writing. When I read his college papers, he would just blow me away. He would be perfect as a political speech writer. Staci's skill lies in her imagination. She writes in her mind and the stories she comes up with for her characters are so detailed and interesting. I keep begging her to type them into a computer so they can be saved. She would make a fortune as a fiction writer LOL she could even do the illustrations as they are the inspiration for her backstories.  So today I am thankful for my kids and their amazing talents.

Thankful for My Organizational Skills

 

          Today I am thankful for my organizational skills. They have served me very well in many areas of my life. At times I refer to it as my OCD LOL I just can't relax until everything is done. I have learned I feel better if I have accomplished something. So, my home stays neater because I am always making sure it is taken care of. My school work gets done early so that I can relax before next semester. At work I have realized that my patients can wait while I get my night organized, that way it goes smoother, plus there I really like to get everything done as quickly as possible so I can troubleshoot any issues that happen overnight. Everyday I make a To Do list, either at work or home, and then I start crossing off things as I accomplish them. It makes sure everything gets done in a timely manner and I can relax, which makes me feel very thankful for my Organizational Compulsive Disorder LOL.

Thankful for America

 

         Today I am thankful I live in America. These days a lot of people are not happy with our country and how it is going. I am not one of them. I am thankful I live in America and all the privileges it gives me. I have freedom to do what I want, when I want, and how I want as long as I don't break the law LOL I don't have to worry about food, clean water, electricity, sanitation. I have access to all sorts of entertainment, education, recreation. I do not constantly have to worry about my family's or my safety. I do realize that America is not perfect and there are people in this country that are not as blessed as me, but that is not what this post is about. It is about me being thankful I was born in America. People all over the world want to come here, and I am here. So for that I am thankful.

Thankful for Unexpected Gifts

 

         Today I am thankful for unexpected gifts. I do not normally get gifts, I am the one who likes to give gifts. Getting them always throws me off balance LOL I am not a fan of surprises. I still like them. Unexpected gifts show somebody that another was thinking about them and wanted to show them how special they are. It might be something small, but those are the best kinds. It means that in their normal day to day life, they saw something that reminded them of you and they wanted to get it for you because you meant something to them. This weekend a friend gave me a Christmas shirt as a surprise. It was so nice of them. I love the holidays and this will be a fun thing to wear. The gift was unexpected and made me feel so much better after my work weekend. Unexpected gifts are something to be treasured and thankful for.

Thankful for Nature

 

          Today's prompt is to be thankful for nature. Now I could talk about gorgeous skies, beautiful beaches, lush greenery and lovely flowers, but instead I am choosing lizards LOL I have them all around my house, hundreds of them I think. Some even get onto my patio and the cats chase and catch them, bringing me little gifts YUCK, but thanks to all those lizards, I do not have a pest problem LOL they eat all the bugs so my place stays safe from creepy crawlies. For that I am very thankful. I would much rather deal with lizards over bugs any day LOL.

Thankful for the Holidays

 

          Today I am thankful for the winter holidays that are coming up. They are all about family and that means a lot to me. I love the anticipation and planning. The bustle of trying to find just the right present for somebody. The aromas of spices baking. I love the decorations all over my neighborhood, it is so fun driving up my street when all the displays are lit up. Holiday movies to watch under a comfy blanket while sipping cocoa or tea. It also means my family and I made it through another year safe and sound. There is just so much to be thankful for.

Thankful for My Past

 

          Today I am thankful for my past. Sure, some of it was VERY challenging to get through, but I would not go back and change a thing for fear it would change my present LOL. I grew up with a mom who loved me and a hilarious brother I loved to pick on LOL we might not have had much, but we had enough. I got to live in lots of different places which was fun. Now, I have even lived through historic times LOL. So, I am thankful for the past, and glad it is all in the past LOL.

Thankful for the Bare Necessities

 

          Today I am thankful that I have easy access to the bare necessities of life: food, clean water, and a home. So many people in the world don't have those things. They have to make due with whatever they can. Even during the pandemic, when things were scarce, my family had what they needed. So for that, I am very thankful to be blessed by the bare necessities.

Thankful for Autumn

 

          Today I am thankful for Autumn. It is my favorite season. The weather starts to cool off and it signals the beginning of the holiday season. I get to bake and make soups LOL and I get my Autumn refresh vacation. That is the best part LOL.

          Yesterday was election day and Trump became president again. Oh boy LOL it will be interesting to see what he does this time. At least my coworker will be happy LOL which will make my life easier tomorrow when I have to go back :( I am not ready for work yet.

Thankful for Technology

 

          Today's prompt is being thankful for technology. When you pause and think about it, technology is awesome. It makes our lives so much easier. If I have a question, I can just ask my Alexa, and she will find me the answer. My car handles the directions for me so I do not get lost. My iphone is a supercomputer in the palm of my hand. Because of technology we can talk to people across the world a multitude of ways instantly. It enhances most every industry, and it is just fun to have. Still waiting on my flying car though LOL.

Thankful for Knowledge

 

          Today I am thankful for knowledge. My mind has served me well my whole life. I have always been smart, in school I was smarter than most LOL it was the one thing that made me special. I have always been a quick learner, so I pick up things quickly. Sometimes I over think though LOL even in daydreams. I will get stuck on trying to make something plausible, instead of just letting my mind wander.

            These days though my mind is taking a bit to access information. I am slower to find the words I want. It is very frustrating. As someone who has prided themself on their vocabulary, not being able to find the words I want quickly is scaring me a bit. So, I try to keep exercising my mind, I play puzzle games on my phone and am still taking college courses. I do not ever want to lose my knowledge. It has served me well and I want it to continue to do so.

Thankful for Colors

 

          Today I am thankful for colors. At first I thought this was a weird prompt, but after thinking about it, I realized the ability to see colors is amazing. How boring life would be without colors. Primary, secondary, tertiary, Neons, pastels, electrics, so many different colors to bring our world to life. Colors are actually a great thing.

          Lazy Sunday planned. Nothing that I have to do, just enjoying the day.

           

Thankful for My Hobby - Creating Recipes

 

          Today I am thankful for my hobby of creating recipes LOL okay this one was a tough one to come up with. I realized I do not really have a hobby LOL I thought perhaps gardening, but all I do is mow my grass, I am awful at getting something to actually grow. I thought maybe school would count, but that is not relaxing. I asked my daughter and she suggested it was baking. Since I do that when I am stressed.

           I never follow a recipe, I prefer to just add what I am feeling at the moment LOL I like creating cookies and soups the best. I have even had two of my recipes put into Gooseberry Patch cookbooks. I am very proud of that. Since I am relaxed after cooking, I guess that counts as a hobby LOL. Last night I came up with spiced apple peanut butter cookies and the day before I brewed up my own version of pazole soup. Both turned out yummy. 

A November to be Thankful

 

          This month is the month for thankfulness. I always see people doing these types of posts, and I want to be doing them as well, but I am reminded too late. Not this month LOL I am already on it. I have my list of inspiration list of stuff to be thankful for everyday. Today I am to be thankful for someone.

          I choose two someones LOL my kids. They are amazing and the best blessing I could ever have. They are fun, smart, loving, kind, and caring. Last night was Halloween and watching them interact with all the kids was so heartwarming. My son was so gentle with all the trick or treaters as he gave them candy. My daughter was more shy, but she made sure to tell people that she really liked their costumes. There was one girl who got so excited to see my daughter's costume LOL she recognized the character and asked Staci for a hug. I could almost see my daughter just burst with pride LOL it was so incredible. My daughter graciously gave the girl a hug. For those few moments, Staci was that girl's hero. I loved it.

Happy Halloween!!!

 

          It is finally here, HALLOWEEN!!!

So much fun planned for today. Last minute decorations going up, candy bin filled, spooky soup to brew, cookies to create, and then trick or treaters to greet LOL.

          The kids and I are very excited for tonight. We have tons of candy to give out. I cannot wait to see all of the costumes. Weather looks good for the festivities as well. Going to be a good day :)

Happy Halloween Eve

 

          Only one more day until Halloween. I am so excited :) my street is so fun on Halloween. so many kids show up to trick or treat. Their costumes are so cute. My kids both have their costumes ready to go. I think I am going to be a plague nurse LOL I found this great cream colored plague doctor mask LOL I might just pair it with a cream shirt, cream pants, and moss green cape LOL we will see how long it lasts on my face. It is hard to see out of. 

           We have three giant bags of candy, but my son says we need more LOL so I guess I will go out and find one more big bag. He likes to be generous when giving out candy. He doesn't just do a few pieces, he gives handfuls LOL he takes great pride in being THE Halloween house to visit LOL our neighborhood has become a hot spot for the holiday because of all the decorations and candy given out. It is so fun to see the street full of kids in costume running from house to house.

Spooky Season

           I cannot believe it is the last week of spooky season. It has gone by too quickly. Only 2 more days until Halloween, then at midnight, BAM!!! Christmas carols everywhere LOL. Is very abrupt LOL.

          So, I guess we need to finish up our Autumn activities. We did the corn maze, pumpkin patch, craft fair, decorated in and outside. Put together homemade costumes, bought candy, had pumpkin pie, and cleaned up around the house. I guess we did everything. Well, except for Saint Augustine. I couldn't talk the kids into going with me LOL. Not really sure what is left except for the last minute things for Halloween night LOL.

          I had big plans for eating totally healthy and low calorie LOL that did not happen. I did up my step count everyday and found my feet again. I was so swollen in the beginning. I did try and eat a bit healthier. I need to keep trying though. At least I did not go overboard with Fall baking LOL I had lots of recipes I wanted to make, but I refrained. OKAY up for today - school and finishing up costumes. Easy peasy stuff. 

Create the Life You Wish to Have

 

          I am loving these little meme pictures I found on Pinterest. They are adorable and have such good phrases and/or advice. Today this one spoke to me a great deal. Create the life I wish to have. I always keep putting things off until the future, saying one day I will have that. WHY?!?!? I need to stop doing that and start making things happen today. I wanted to have a cute home, so I did it. I need to do that with my life as well. If I want to be happy, then I need to find ways to make myself happy now, not just tell myself that someday I will be happy. I need to focus on making things happen now, while I can enjoy them :) 

Back to Life

 

          I thought this was a cute and inspirational little picture. It is Halloween themed, so appropriate for this time of year as well LOL all of the items seem like fantastic suggestions for a better outlook on life. I am not a depressed person, but I am not a happy one either. I just kind of am, which I do not like. I would rather have a spark in me. I just read an article about a woman who lived to be 115 years old and was still mentally active. I would love to be that. I am afraid I am aging and it is scary. I keep telling myself that I come from a line of relatives on both sides who lived long lives, but that really doesn't help me much in my mind.  So, maybe I should follow some of these suggestions :)

Mount Dora Craft Show

 

          Today Staci and I went to the Mt. Dora Craft Show. It was busy!!! It took us about an hour to get there. We parked and took a shuttle over on which we found out there are lost catacombs somewhere under Mount Dora. Apparently back in the 1950's fifteen families got spooked about bombs and the end of the world so they made a huge bomb shelter for their families. Over the years though somehow the location got lost. How that can happen I have no idea LOL but apparently it did. I would love to find them though. How cool would that be?

          Anyway, Staci and I wandered through the streets, looking at everything. So many vendors and people. It was quite overwhelming. We ended up buying these cool journals that are all decorated up with fabric and different papers and cards, they are really interesting. I got a flamingo one and Staci got a dragon one. Staci also got a custom shirt. Basically a dress shirt that this lady, with awesome hair, added patches to. Staci loves it. It was a fun fair, but I think I prefer the Claremont Harvest Festival. It is closer and had a pet costume contest LOL.

Happy Birthday Little Brother

 

          Happy 53rd birthday to my little brother LOL good grief I had to do math to get the age right. Definitely after a certain age you stop counting LOL. 

          When we were younger we fought like crazy. As the older sister I loved tormenting him. When he got too big for me to torment things changed :( He fought back and he hurt too LOL so we sort of did not interact much for awhile. It wasn't until he was in high school and I was out that we became friends. We even shared an apartment for his senior year of high school and moved to Arkansas together after he graduated. He did not stay but I did. We have been separated since then. 

         I wish we were closer, as he is a lot of fun. He has one of those personalities that just attracts others. He has met all sorts of famous people, and all of them became his friend, for when they were around LOL people just really like him. Sometimes I am jealous of how easy it is for him to be liked, but then I am proud of him. He is my baby brother and I hope he sticks around for a long long time.

Fall Fun This Weekend

 

          This is first official day I do not have to go into work LOL normally I go in on Thursday night, but not tonight LOL I am free. Currently arguing a bit with my director though. The hospital is denying giving us our hurricane pay even though they activated us. Such cheapskates :( 

          On more fun topics :) I got my first set of solar lights for my backyard in and put together. I will put them in backyard in a bit. They make everything look so magical at night.

           This weekend we have a bit craft fair to go to up in Mount Dora. It is one we have never been to before. That is unless Staci guilts me into taking her to mall with her friends instead. Unfortunately the odds are in her favor, but don't tell her that LOL. Today we are also making a pumpkin pie in celebration for my brother's birthday. We have made him one every year since the 1980's LOL even if he is not here to eat it LOL.  I just need to go get pie crust. I wish I could make one from scratch, but never been able to master that recipe LOL. 

Getting Closer

 

          Only eight more days until Halloween. I am so excited LOL last night we got our lights up and the house looks so cool. We still have a few additions for Halloween night LOL. Now I just have to get Staci to focus on her costume LOL she keeps saying it is in her head, well I need it in her hands if she wants to actually make it happen. 

           Still loving the weather, it has stayed in the mid 80's with the mornings having a bit of a chill to them. It is great. Animals are loving the freedom to go out on the porch and I am sure my bank account will love the cheaper electric bill LOL.

          Okay I am off to find breakfast. I have done my school work for the day and my brain is tired. Back to staycation mode :)

Yard Work Accomplished

 

          OMG I did it LOL I finally battled the mess that was my backyard. In areas the grass was so tough I had to pull it all up by hand and then pick up the bundles because there was no way my mower would handle it. It took me almost three hours to mow and trim the edges LOL I was beyond worn out by the time I was done. Plus I was covered in dirt, grass, and scratches. YUCK!

         I finally get to put out all my solar flowers again and turn it into my fairyland once more. All the lights make me very happy to see at night. It looks so magical.

          Today I need to get caught up on school work and put up my Halloween lights. That is driving me crazy not having them up already LOL

Corn Maze

 

          We made it to the corn maze. We went to Great Scott's Corn Maze and made it all the way through this time. My son was brilliant. He had us take all right turns so we made it out easily. Last year we were stuck in there for over an hour and never completed it LOL. After we made it out the kids enjoyed pretzels and snow cones while I got some really cute crochet animals (chicken, gingerbread dragon, possum, and some weird creature). It was fun. Perfect weather for it as well. Oh, I took that pretty picture of the sunflower. They were growing in the middle of the maze.

          Still haven't got my lights up outside LOL but I keep telling myself it is okay, I am allowed to relax since I am on vacation LOL no idea what day it is now. No clue what I am doing today LOL but I will figure something out.