What Makes Me Happy

 

          Doing what makes me happy is a challenge. People are hardwired to think that is wrong, that they must think of others instead. Poodle dump LOL it is okay to be selfish at times and take care of yourself. If somebody falls apart because I put me first, then that is on them. There are only two people who come before me, and those are my kids. Their happiness comes before mine, but occasionally I do think of myself. They love me enough to let me. 

          So what makes me happy? Well, them of course LOL, then comes my pets. All five of them have different personalities, and each one is so lovable. I am happy when I am just relaxing in my chair, and I have found the perfect comfy position, LOL, put on a show I enjoy, and I am totally relaxed. I am also happy after I have done yardwork, LOL, not during. I am so glad at the end of the day when I have gotten everything accomplished. I am happy when I manage to cook something that both my kids like, LOL I am happy on Sunday mornings after I get off work, and nothing went wrong. I am happy when there is a storm outside and I get to watch it. It is strange trying to think of things that make me happy. More challenging than I thought it would be.

Super Sunday

 

          I am so confused about what day it is. LOL, I got cancelled last night, so yesterday felt like Sunday to me, and yet today is Sunday. So I guess I have a supersized Sunday. Bonus is I am awake for it. The weather is gorgeous outside, and I have no real plans other than enjoying the day in a relaxing way. I finished up my college courses for this semester, so my brain is on a break for a bit. 

          I am going to try and change up my decor for the summer. I have got a new wreath for the door and welcome mat, my flowers I planted are doing well, and I don't have to mow, LOL so the front yard will look good. Inside, I have got new sunflower pillows and flowers for my living room. Normally for the summer everything is black and white buffalo plaid with sunflowers. My tree gets sunflower garlands, butterflies, and birds on it. It is my favorite tree I do. I have table cloths and runners in buffalo plaid and sunflowers as well, so it is a whole theme LOL my home in no way is typical, but it makes me happy to look around. All of the bright sunshiney colors put me in a good mood.

          Okay, off to do grocery shopping. I want to make some zero point breakfast bread and maybe turkey tacos today. If I go now I will miss the church crowd LOL.  They tend to wipe out the deli foods LOL.

Earth Day

 

          Yesterday was Earth Day, only I forgot. LOL, I still managed to celebrate it unknowingly. My kids and I planted some special grass and catnip for our cats to enjoy on the patio, and in the front yard, I planted flowers—some pretty red ones mixed with some greenery. Most of my neighbors were also outside the past few days planting flowers in their front yards. The trees on our street are also green and fluffy again. I guess it is officially Spring here. That means Summer will be arriving any day now, LOL.

          Due to the heat coming, I need to mow the yards before it gets too hot. I have a love-hate relationship with mowing. It is hard and I hate having to do it in the heat, but I love the look of my yard afterwards and the sense of accomplishment I feel at having gotten it done all by myself. Plus, it burns lots of calories :)

          I really enjoy puttering around my house, LOL I did not understand that when I saw my grandparents doing it. They always wandered about their homes, finding things to do. I do that now. I look for anything I can tidy up or make look better. Or sometimes I just look around and feel good about what I have accomplished all on my own. I am truly thankful that I managed to buy a home before the housing market went crazy. It is the best financial decision I have ever made. Plus, I simply love turning it into a home for me and my little family.

Fresh Start

 

          Oh my goodness, I finally broke and overindulged yesterday and am paying the price now. I still feel full from yesterday. I had a rough weekend though. I got punched at work by a dementia patient (jerk). It was my friend's birthday, but he is no longer around to celebrate it, and it was the first Easter in 30 years that I did not celebrate in a silly way. My kids have officially outgrown the Easter bunny. 

           I did manage to get over 8,000 steps in, at least, LOL, and I finished up one of my classes. I ended up with an A for the class, yay me. I got all the responsible stuff done before I gave out to sleep.

          I am back on the Weight Watchers wagon today. I feel better knowing I am at least trying. Before, at night, I would feel so disappointed in myself because I was not being good about being healthy. I was always beating myself up over it. Now, I am better because I am succeeding. It is going slowly, but I am doing better. My blood pressure is great, my pulse is no longer tachycardic, I am down 20 lbs, and people are starting to notice. I have to keep reminding myself that slow is good because it will last. I hated how I felt at night before starting this journey. Now, I am much more at peace.

          Okay, time to start tackling my To Do list. First up is finishing up my other class so I will be free until the Fall semester. Then gardening and grocery shopping. What a wild day ahead LOL. 

Wednesday Woes

 

          Today is the last day of my vacation :( Poodle dump. I am so not ready to go back to working. I have enjoyed my sleepy time off. I did all my spring cleaning, as well as much as I wanted to LOL, and caught up on LOTS of sleep. I also did not spend a fortune doing stuff just to do stuff. Now I just have to wait patiently until my big vacation in October.

          I actually did plant some veggies yesterday, LOL after my daughter and I were done making salads, I had the bottom parts of the celery and romaine lettuce left, so I went and planted them in a pot outside just for fun. Cost me nothing. Now I get to see if they will grow. I might have a better chance if I remember to water them, LOL.

          My poor dog is limping, and I have no idea why. She does not act like she is in pain. She will let me touch her paw and leg. I cannot find any injury. She was running around last night, favoring it a bit, but still not enough to stop her from playing. So, I am at a loss for what to do. Dr. Google advises watching it to see if it worsens. It might just be she tweaked it somehow. I am hoping that is the case and she gets better over the weekend. I don't even know what a vet will see that I don't. Like I said, she doesn't act hurt, just is limping a bit. I did get her some glucosamine chondroitin drops for dogs to see if that helps. On a side note, my other dog is a goofball. She noticed her sister limping, so she decided she had to do it too, LOL. She lifted up the same hind leg and was hopping around on the other three legs for a bit. It was hilarious.  

Spring Fever

 

           This picture just makes me want to go and grow some veggies in containers. Tis the season to do so. It is totally Spring, almost Summer here, so the weather is perfect. My only problem with growing stuff, aside from my lack of a green thumb, is I do not know where to plant them so they get sun and the pets can't get to them. I used to have a small greenhouse on my patio, but my cats managed to break in. LOL, little jerks. I would put them in the backyard, but then the sun gets so hot that they fry instead of grow. This is very frustrating. 

          I will end up talking myself out of it. LOL It would be fun for about a week, and then it would get to be a hassle once I see stuff not growing. Plus, my kids no longer think it is fascinating to see stuff grow. Oh well. Guess I will just settle for making me a salad bar in my fridge, LOL.

          Last couple of days to my vacation. I am so not ready to go back to work, LOL. They said I would be bored at home with no job to do. Hell no!!! I love having nothing to do. It is awesome. I could totally be a rich person. LOL.

Saturday Sillies

 

          Today I am feeling the pangs of my babies are all grown up. It is the week before Easter and all over there are various egg hunts and I have no child to take to them. Mine have outgrown them, which is so sad. I have no excuse to go play and do kid stuff anymore. Most my age have grandchildren to continue playing with. Nope, not me. My kids do not want kids, so I am out of luck. Poodle dump. Oh well, I have my furbabys.

          I actually did not even realize it was Easter next weekend LOL maybe I will color me some eggs today. Those can be turned into egg salad or devil'd eggs LOL. I also think I will decorate my Spring tree :)

          Vacation is winding down I guess. It has been so relaxing getting to do nothing LOL. Well I haven't done nothing, but I had nothing pressing on me. I also had the freedom to sleep as much as I wanted. LOL I heard the kids wonder the other day while I was napping if I was dead LOL I asked why nobody checked my pulse LOL they said I closed my mouth. At least I wasn't snoring. 

         

Inner Peace

 

          I have to remind myself of this all the time. I will see something going wonky or find out somebody is doing something they shouldn't, and I start to say something and then bite my tongue. It is not my problem. Not my circus, not my monkeys, even though I recognize a few of the clowns LOL. I figure why stress myself out over it. Most of the time, it is at work. I have to remember that it isn't going to affect my job, so who am I to care? Others at work always try and go above and beyond for no reason. Management doesn't appreciate it, and neither do the patients; all they are doing is causing more stress for themselves. They always ask how I seem to be calm all the time. It is because I learned long ago to not care too much. If it doesn't affect me, then let it go. Keeps me from going crazy.

          I cannot believe it is already Wednesday. Vacation needs to slow down. I am not done relaxing yet. Danged if I didn't sleep almost all of yesterday LOL too much work, then mowing, the sunshine wore me out. It felt great, though, to just sleep with nothing pressing for me to do. I did my school assignments for the week, I did cleaning, I did grocery shopping, and I did yard work. All my responsible stuff is done. Now I get to just relax and do as I please. Today, I am making myself some soup and planting some flowers I got last night in my front yard. Simple stuff. No drama, no stress :)

Too Soon to be Tired LOL

 

          After mowing on Sunday and then yesterday at Gatorland, I am worn out. Too much sun is draining to this night owl. I just want to stay home today and relax. That is the whole point of this mini vacation, LOL.

          Perfect weather for it, too. It is rainy and overcast. So I get to have the a/c off and the back door open. Animals are thrilled. My daughter should be as well since she thinks I keep it too cold inside. LOL. Wait until she is menopausal.

          I have to research white collar crime today, but all I am inspired to do is watch Matt Bomer and Tin Dekay in White Collar. LOL I love that show.  The research is for my criminal justice class. I am ready for it to be done. Too many papers in this class. There is one every week. It is taxing to the brain. Okay, off to handle that, and then make me some Texas Caviar. LOL is a zero-point recipe.

Vacation Time!!!!!

 

          Well, I made it to vacation, finally!!! WOOOHOOO!!! I desperately needed it after this weekend. Work was rough. Sometimes, I feel like I work in a psych unit. I don't have much planned beyond Spring cleaning, but at least it's not work.

          Today, though, we do have plans. We are meeting my aunt and uncle at Gatorland this morning. I just wish it wasn’t going to be so hot and humid today. That place is already a swamp, and this weather will just make it worse. Doesn’t help that I mowed my front and backyard yesterday. Of course, I got sunburned, LOL, but my yard looks good again.

           I am going to have to get me some more flowers to plant up front. I think I also need to figure out how to paint my porch where the color has chipped off. We have the paint left over from moving in if it is still good. LOL, my son says it should be. I have doubts. I also think I have figured out how to put my welcome sign up. LOL, hopefully, people don’t see that as an invitation to knock, though. LOL, I hate people coming to my home. It is my sanctuary. Dogs get it. LOL they bark at anybody who dares enter constantly LOL. 

Happy April Fool's Day

 

          LOL. I have already pranked my kids three times today. They should have learned by now that I love pranks. I used to do some really good ones when I was young, but now they are pretty tame.

          The weather outside keeps pranking us. It can't decide if it is cold, rainy, windy, or just hot. We hit all of those every day, which is making yard work challenging.

          It's the last month of school; I'm very glad about that. I am tired of using my brain, LOL. I know it is necessary, though. If I don't use it, I lose it. I have no desire to get dementia like my grandma or mom. I want to keep my wits about me. Of course, if I do end up in the hospital, I am going to fake dementia so I can get away with all sorts of stuff, LOL I have a list of conditions I am going to claim, LOL most of the psych. I have found myself lately saying I deserve this because I am old, LOL I have earned the right to blah blah blah. I never thought that was a real thing until now. I must be careful about using that superpower LOL.

Don't Worry, Be Happy

 

          OMG, do I ever do this. I really do not mean to, but I complain. Often, I am venting; no point in keeping it bottled up, but then again, there is. Keeping the negative thoughts inside will keep others viewing you as a negative person. I do not consider myself to be a negative person; I am just sarcastic, LOL.  I see something stupid, and I comment on it. I do try and stop my mouth, but sometimes the stupidity is too much to keep bottled inside, LOL.

          A brand new week and a new month to play with now. I had hopes of going peach picking today, but the torrential rain messed that up. No desire to go traipsing around in the mud for fruit, LOL. I can get peaches at the store and not ruin my shoes. Plus, I would probably get more peaches than I could eat, LOL kids would go crazy picking and then I would have to figure out what to do with them LOL I do not know how to make jam LOL wish I did though.

          Jeepers, my Grammarly extension is going crazy. Apparently, it thinks my writing is all messed up, LOL. So far, it says I have 28 mistakes in this post. Hopefully, my daughter is better at writing than I am; she has her state writing test this week. I cannot believe she is getting so close to being out of high school. She is growing up too fast. Okay, the writing suggestions are fixed. Now, I am off to do my criminal justice and peace studies assignments. 

Proceed With Caution

 

          So, we went to the vet yesterday to get these two furbabies their vaccinations. Both are very mild-mannered but hate going in the car.  They did not enjoy the trip. They were well behaved though, even when surrounded by lots of dogs much bigger than them. It was our turn to check in and the lady came to us with a muzzle??? Out of all the huge dogs there she wanted to put a muzzle on my little chihuahua LOL. I am talking about the small one in the picture. She barely weighs over 10 lbs LOL apparently somebody put CAUTION in her chart. No idea why, she has not been without me when I take her in and she never has bit anybody except for my ex-husband LOL They were all afraid of this shivering little baby. There was a pitbull, a shepherd, a mastiff, and a great dane there, but it was my tiny chihuahua that terrified them. I could not believe it LOL the vet and tech were brave though and did not put the muzzle on. My little baby did not even try to nip or growl at them. She just stayed calm and shaking while they gave her the shots and oral vaccines. Caution??? She was perfect angel. Moral of the story "make up your own mind about something, don't take other's views as truth".

Spring Has Sprung

 

          Happy first day of Spring 2025!!! Though it has felt like Spring already here in Florida for a bit now, LOL. The weather has been nice, and my trees are getting so full of leaves in the backyard. Today, it is super windy and sunny—perfect for Spring. I just wish I could be out enjoying it, but alas, it is off to work with me tonight.

          Hopefully, work goes smoothly. It seems so many violent acts against nurses are being reported these days, that it is getting a bit scary to go to work. We even have the police and security rounding on our floor every couple of hours, ensuring we are safe. All I know is I already have my hiding spot picked out and if anybody even slightly is threatening, then I am walking away. No job is worth my life.

          Ack, that was too depressing for a Spring post LOL. I like Spring and getting my yard blooming. I have a couple of big pots I want to plant some flowers in. I mowed the backyard on Tuesday so it looks good. I really would like to figure out what veggies I can grow but with the challenging summer heat. This year no theme parks for us. Too much construction going on with them. We will wait until it is all done to go back. Until then, we will just enjoy stuff around Florida LOL that is if I can get motivated enough to drive and get my kids in the car LOL we are such homebodies.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

 

     "May you have all the happiness

And luck that life can hold
And at the end of all your rainbows
May you find a pot of gold.

May the roof over your head
always be strong
May you be in Heaven a half hour
before the Devil knows you’re dead!"

          Top of the morning to ya LOL it is a high holiday around my house today. My kids and I are Irish so we love celebrating St. Patrick's Day. We all have on our glorious green outfits and the animals have as well, though they aren't too happy about it LOL. 

          I will of course be making corned beef and cabbage with potatoes and Irish soda bread LOL. We have the living room all decked out in green and gold. Shamrocks are everywhere LOL. I consider myself very lucky to do this with my kids. They love being Irish. We have our family tree dated back to the 1600's in Ireland. It is very cool to know that we have such a rich history.

What a Weekend

 

          Oh my goodness, what a weekend. I was the victim of one and then almost two crimes. First one I almost experienced was this creepy guy approaching me in his car in the parking lot as I was heading into work. It was literally about forty feet from the ER entrance. This sketchy looking guy kept trying to get me to help him into the ER. He was not old or feeble looking. He looked in his 30's and healthy. He kept saying he was having a heart attack. Well he was conscious, alert, and there was nothing I could do for him in the parking lot, so I directed him to drive over to the ER entrance. He kept insisting he could not do that. No reason I could see that he couldn't. So I just said sorry, reiterated go to ER, and I went into work. I did stop at security desk to tell them to go check on the guy, but he had already disappeared. Not a chance am I going to get myself in a situation where I could be kidnapped. When I first started working at this hospital a nurse was kidnapped in the parking lot. I am not going to let that happen to me.

          The second crime was somebody hacked into my Walmart/Capital One credit card and ordered $490.78 worth of stuff. Only reason I noticed it so quickly was I tried to use my Walmart app and I couldn't get in. So I checked credit card site online and saw the crazy charge and immediately called both Capital One and Walmart to file a fraud alert. Both companies were great. They both said they would not charge me for the amount. So I am not out the money, but I do have the hassle of closing the accounts and having to get all new cards. My son noticed the amount was $10 short of the thresh hold to it being an actual crime the police would investigate. Whoever did it most likely was checking to see if it would get noticed before trying something bigger.  I am so thankful I was out of coffee creamer because that it what led me to wanting to place order and discovering it so fast. God was watching out for me big time this weekend :)

Happy Mardi Gras 2025

 

          Mardi Gras 2025 is off to a strange start in New Orleans. Apparently very windy and stormy there so parades started early this morning. Which is good because so many people traveled there and the krewes spent so much time creating their floats, it would have been a shame to cancel it. I found me a site that lets me watch live parade coverage LOL the people in the crowds are hilarious when they get on camera. 

          As for here, I have the ingredients to make jambalaya today and that is about it LOL I so want King Cake but that would waste all my points. Might have to get creative with something sweet.

Gorgeous weather outside right now but storms are coming per my weather bug app. As long as I don't have to go out in it, I love storms LOL.

March Mayhem Begins

 

          March Mayhem has begun. Lots of fun stuff for March. Tomorrow it is already Mardi Gras, so I have to make some jambalaya as requested by my son LOL and then I have my Honeybees’ birthday on Wednesday. My puppy girl is turning seven years old already. Friday is another friend’s birthday. Saint Patrick’s Day is on the 17^th, then the first day of spring is on the 20th, and finally, my niece’s birthday is on the 23^rd.

          I have already decorated inside for St. Patrick’s LOL, my tree is all green and gold with leprechaun gnomes all over it. With all the green around, we have discovered our shy kitty likes green. She normally is very skittish, but when she is on anything green she lets us cuddle and pet her. So weird LOL so the green blanket on the couch will be staying.

          Brrrrr why is it that when I get up I am all warm and toasty and it feels great to open the patio door and windows so I can listen to the birds, but once I sit here I get chilly and have to put a shawl on LOL. Oh well, it is still my favorite time of the day. Okay, now it is time to get this day moving along. I have school and grocery shopping to do LOL, not wanting to do either.

Nursing Is Not Okay

 

          I try really hard to not talk about work, but this past week nurses in Florida got some horrible news. One of our own was viciously and savagely attacked by a patient they were caring for. The patient beat her so badly that almost every bone in her face was broken and she most likely will lose both eyes. 

          When I became a nurse almost 27 years ago, patients would never think being mean or disrespectful to us was okay. They knew we were there to help them and they appreciated it. We did not fear for our safety. We did not stress that we were in danger of being physically or mentally abused, but these days that seems all too common. Nurses understand that the patients are not feeling well and that everything seems confusing and they have no control over what is happening to their bodies, but stop attacking the nurses as if it is their fault.

            I am not talking just physical attacks, though I have been hit and kicked before at work, I am talking the verbal attacks and threats against us. We are not your enemy, your waitress, your maid, or your family. So, stop treating us as if we are. Yelling and being rude to us will get you nowhere. In fact, it will have the opposite effect. We will just give you the basic care that is ordered and keep you safe. A smart patient knows that if they are respectful and kind to the nurse, that nurse will go out of their way to help you feel better. We want to help you, but we also want to be safe doing that, mentally and physically.

          Okay, I will get off my soapbox, like I said, I hate talking this much about work, but I needed to vent. Now I am going to try and relax. I had to call off work because I tweaked my back a bit and can not safely take care of the patients tonight. I need to take care of me instead.

Bee Enough

 

          Pooh Bear always has good advice. I have had to make some adjustments to my imagined life, but I am content with what I have. Every now and then, I get a twinge of what might have been, specifically a partner to grow old with, but then I think about all the drama and responsibilities that comes from that, and I am glad I am single LOL I am too set in my ways to tolerate another human being full time. I like having the freedom to do what I want when I want, and how I want.

          The past two days have been more productive than I planned. I ended up mowing my front and back yards, they are now ready for Spring. I also am all caught up on my reviews and school work. I already have ordered my grocery delivery LOL I am being lazy and having somebody else shop for me. It tends to be cheaper. I am not tempted by impulse buys. Once the kids get up, I will start laundry and cooking for the weekend at work. I even found somebody else to sign up to be the charge nurse, so I am off the hook, LOL.

Monday Morning Moos

 

          Good grief, somebody left the A/C on high and froze Florida again. It is chilly today. It's a good day to bundle up and relax. First, I have to get a few responsibilities out of the way. I have to grocery shop and do school stuff, both of which I have no desire to do yet, LOL. The coffee just ain't kickin' yet.

          Not a lot went on over the weekend at work. I was driven a bit wonky by a nurse trying to get me to imaginary travel. They just would not accept that I prefer to stay home. They went on and on about flying or cruising anywhere in the world, where would I go? Seriously, I have no desire to travel now. I wanted to explore when I was younger, but now I am content to stay home. Flying makes me nervous, cruise ships are surrounded by sharks, I fall asleep driving, plus I have no passport because it is a pain in the but to gather up all that documentation and then turn it in. People don't understand that I am happy being a homebody. Being in the public is exhausting.

Tuesday Trippins

 

          Well we are off to a good day. I have already managed to get all my school work done, house cleaned up, and took my honey bee for a walk LOL she loved it. Didn't even bark at the few people we saw. The sun is shining, but it is still in 70's so her paws were fine. Once summer hits we have to go out early morning or at night, only way to survive the heat.

          Doing good so far at making sure I at least get outside once a day LOL I have been making my kids do it as well. Need some vitamin D daily. Yesterday they helped me transplant our pineapple plants to the backyard. I am hoping that will get them growing again. I cannot figure out why this time they did not produce their one pineapple unless the ones I managed to get at store were the babies LOL.

          As for the rest of the day today, I have of course nothing planned LOL planning makes me feel like I failed if I don't do LOL so no plans equals no fail. I would however like to make this zero point pumpkin custard I found as well as figure out something different for dinner. The Weight Watchers is going well, average loss is 1.5 lbs a week so far. I will definitely take that as a success. Plus it is all without medications or starving myself. Slow and steady will get me there. Only drawbacks so far is it is freaking expensive and I have to cook more. I figure though the little bit of extra cost now will hopefully save me a lot of medical bills later. I am investing in me.

          

Super Bowl Sunday

 

          Super Bowl Sunday and I really don't care LOL I so wish I was into football. It looks like so much fun for the fans. My brother adores it, shoot the South goes crazy for it, but I just never understood the game. No preference for a winner and the halftime show does not interest me this year. I sort of recognize the name of the singer, but not really. Most likely will fall asleep anyway LOL I am tired after working all weekend.

          The only special thing about Superbowl Sunday is the one that was in 1995. That was the day that changed my life forever. Plus put me off of Digiorno Supreme pizza forever LOL that was the day I discovered I was pregnant with my son. I got so sick after eating the pizza, and I never got sick, so I knew LOL best oops ever to happen to me. He forced me to grow up and do something with my life. Every decision since them has taken him into consideration. He has been my rock now for thirty years. I would not be who I am without him. 

Welcome to February

 

          We finally made it out of the worst month ever. It was definitely brutal. I am relieved it is over and we have a whole new month to play with. Yesterday was Groundhog Day and old Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, predicting six more weeks of winter for the rest of the country LOL down here in Florida, winter is over. We are back into the 70's and 80's already. Bring on the Spring Fever.

          My kids have requested seasonal trees again, so last night I put together my Valentine's tree. It came out pretty good. Decorated in all red, white, and pink with sparkly things all over it. I used all the tiaras I got free from Vine reviews to make it look lovely. Oh my goodness Vine about broke my brain yesterday. Now that I have gold status I get eight items a day to review and over the weekend I got behind on doing them. Thirty two reviews yesterday afternoon. I was mentally worn out trying to think of things to type LOL. I still wouldn't change it. I love getting all the freebies.

          Things to accomplish today are my school, daughter's school, pick up her new glasses, grocery shopping, and plant my grass seeds where AT&T messed up my yard laying down my fiber cable. Since I have tons of weekly leftover free points I also might splurge and take the kids to U&Me Hot Pot over at Disney Springs. If I can avoid the fried bread sticks I should be fine LOL who am I kidding. Those are too good to pass up.   

Happy Chinese New Year 2025

 

          Happy year of the snake. People born in the Year of the Snake in the Chinese zodiac are said to be wise, mysterious, and intuitive. They are also known for being charismatic, determined, and good at problem-solving. 

          In honor of today, I feel I must take my kids out for Chinese food LOL now if they only liked it. I am not even sure where we would go. Oh well. I will think of something.

          I am starting to get Spring fever. The weather is warming up and I am wanting to put some grass seed down and plant flowers outside. I am also enjoying the days getting longer. I dislike it getting dark so soon. It makes it feel so much later than it actually is. My body starts thinking it wants to call it a day at 7pm. Not acceptable. 

          Okay, time to get going on my list of stuff to do. Laundry and work prep are important, as well as getting ahead on school work because over weekend my brain power is taken up by work stuff. At least it is payday this Friday :)

Monday Morning Mayhem

 

          What do you do at 1:00 am and you want to color hair, but don't have enough color to do so? You get your daughter to cut off four inches of hair LOL she was the one brave enough to do it LOL my son just encouraged her. So now I have shoulder-length hair with the gray gone LOL.

          I have been productive today so far. Already did my school work and washed rugs. Made grocery list. I have checked off the majority of my to-do list. Now I have to just finish the other stuff, but that requires going outside LOL not awake enough for that yet. It is sunny out, but I still feel chilly. I am trying to not get the plague that seems to be taking out the other nurses at work. I am thinking I definitely need to make some soup today. Right after I take a nap LOL.

Brrrrrrrrr

 

          It was 40 degrees when I woke up, and it had been raining all night. Parts of Florida have snow!!! If I had known that there would really be measurable snow in places, I would have taken Staci on a road trip to see it. She has never played in the real stuff. We moved away from Reno before she was old enough to learn that it is only pretty for a couple of hours, and then it is just wet and cold, LOL.

          I keep watching the news for everything President Trump is doing now that he is back in the White House. He seems hell-bent on taking apart anything Biden put together. So far, nothing has affected my world. I think the only thing that might start being noticed is if he actually starts deporting people. I would imagine there are a lot of individuals here illegally in Florida. I have no problem with immigrants, I just want them here legally. I would not be allowed in their country illegally, so why should they be allowed in mine? 

          Time to get ready for my work weekend. I need to meal prep a bit so that I can face any temptations. I did awesome last weekend. There was a birthday cake, cupcakes, and candy. I stayed away from all of them.  I munched on my blueberries and Legendary pastries LOL. This weekend I made apple oatmeal bread which is zero points. I am not sure what else I am going to come up with. I had BBQ chicken, but my kids figured out it was good and ate it up LOL. I am glad that they both are on health kicks. It makes it easier for me to stay focused if they are as well. They are more into the exercise part of it. If they can do it, then so can I :)

Inauguration Day 2025

 

          Oh boy, am I glad I am not anywhere close to D.C. today. It is Inauguration Day and I think it will be a madhouse there. President Trump is a bigger-than-life character. Love him or hate him, he is definitely one to watch. The news keeps saying he is going to make major changes on day one of his presidency. I am curious to see how that plays out. The logistics of his plans seem to be absurd.

          I will probably watch bits and pieces of the ceremony. I am not very into politics. I have other stuff to do today. Taking Staci to the eye doctor so she can get new glasses, then off to the grocery store to shop for the week. It is supposed to be rainy and cold this week. Florida is doing its bipolar weather again. Looks very cold and dreary outside right now. I need to find myself a jacket for today LOL I am woefully under-prepared for the cold.

How Has it Been Seven Years

 

          This weekend will be a challenge emotionally. Sunday marks seven years since I woke up to the worst phone call of my life. I still miss you every day Mom. Not a day goes by when I do not think of you. I still leave work with stories to tell you, but you are not here to listen to them. I still plan trips to go on, but you are not here to take them with me. I watch Staci and Lee grow up and you are not here to marvel at what amazing adults they are becoming. I miss your sense of humor. So many times I think I still see you, but then I realize it is just a stranger. I still haven't come to grips with the pain of losing you. I doubt I ever will.

Be Positive

 

          I am positive I am tired LOL I managed to get everything done on my list today. A lot of brain power went towards my criminal law class and peace studies class. Ironically, the peace class is focused on learning what violence is, and the criminal law is all about a person's rights LOL. Between the readings, discussion posts, and quizzes today my brain has had a workout.

          I like my little picture I chose. I am all about trying to be more positive this year. In addition to my physical health I am also going to try and improve my mental health. Stress is so bad for the body.

Sunny Sunday

 

          Florida needs to make up its mind about what season it is, LOL. Is it winter in the morning, spring in the afternoon, and back to winter in the evening? I am so confused about how to dress every day.

          Thanks to the full moon, work was crazy. I did not like being in charge of the chaos. Thankfully, we kept everybody alive and safe. I'm so glad the normal charge nurse is back. I only have one more shift as charge, and then I get to return to my regularly scheduled programming.

          Little bit of Spring cleaning this week, I have to get my other tree trimmed so it will bloom on time. Both of them have grown so nicely since we moved in. They are so big now that they provide shade in the summer LOL. Now if I could only get vegetables to grow back there. I also need to plant some flower seeds in my front porch pots, I just have to decide what to grow, thinking something that attracts butterflies.  Hedges need trimming and shaping as well. Okay, time to get moving before lack of sleep catches up with me. I only have half my to do list done so far, must complete the other half before I go nonresponsive to the world LOL.

Sunny but Cold

 

          Brrrrr it is cold here in Florida. Is almost noon and we are still in barely in the 50's. On the good side is it is sunny outside, so not depressing weather. All my solar lights will charge up and my backyard will be a fairy land tonight.

          School has begun and the classes are a bit challenging. Lots to do this first week, usually there are just intro posts, nope, these classes each have 3-4 assignments due. Plus, I am not allowed to submit all in the same day. I have to spread them out. I just want to get them over with LOL.

           I am still doing well with WW. I have stayed within my points since beginning. I am very proud of myself. Lots of cooking involved though, which is a bit annoying. I would rather just grab and go my food. Today going to meal prep for work. I am making zero point banana and blueberry bread plus eggroll in a bowl. Both zero points. The bread is just mashed bananas, eggs, and old-fashioned oatmeal, berries thrown in, and then baked. Very filling and yummy. The eggroll is ground turkey, shredded cabbage, sliced peppers, onions, garlic, ginger, and soy sauce all sauteed together. Per the app, none of my ingredients in either recipe have points. Guilt free eating.

          Now off to do laundry, cooking, cleaning, shopping, and binge watching TV LOL. Talk about a wild day planned :) 

Back to School Day

 

          Today is back to school day for me, tomorrow is Staci's day. This semester I am taking Criminal Law and Peace Studies. Talk about two completely different mindsets. I have no clue what to expect in either class. Staci's classes are pretty much the same except she dropped computer studies and is picking up personal fitness. I am thankful no more computers as that was too hard and we lost our tutor (RJ) to his selfishness.

          I might possibly be moving past denial and into the anger stage of grief. I am a bit mad at him for being so selfish as to leave all of us. He didn't realize how important he was to us I guess. It will be hard with him gone.

          Okay, as the picture says, no focusing on the sad. This year I am going to try and focus on the positive. Yesterday I did great. I did everything on my to do list and I mowed the front yard. It looks so much better now. Perhaps if it doesn't rain today, I will try and clean up the backyard. My crepe myrtle trees need to be trimmed and the grass/weeds mowed. I have already walked 8500 steps today while watching The Rookie and I am baking some veggies for my breakfast LOL I decided it was okay to be unconventional. Later I am going to make some zero point soup since it is filling and it is cold here in Florida. I am not ready for the heat of summer, but I am ready for the 40 degree weather to be gone. I like it when it is 65 to 75 degrees and sunny.

Nothing Like a Little Pooh to Help the Day

 

          I am still numb and way deep in denial, but I have to work, so I am going in. I wish I could stay curled up with my dogs under my blanket, but that would not be healthy. Besides, I think I am in charge tonight at work. I am hoping it goes by quickly and smoothly.

          So many times yesterday I wanted to indulge in comfort food and laziness to cope. I didn't though. I got my steps in, and while I did enjoy some comfort food, I made sure to stay within my points. I also already got over half of my steps in for today, so I can stay on track. He might have been ready to give up his life, but I am not. I want to live, I am brave enough to live. I know others depend on me and I am not going to let them down.

Devastated

 

          I am devastated and brokenhearted. My friend of 25 years committed suicide yesterday. I cannot even fathom or process this grief right now. So many emotions. I feel anger at him for doing this, at him being so selfish to take himself away from his wife and kids, furious at him for doing it in a gruesome way that could have been seen by his young children, and not reaching out to anybody. 

          I am so very sad as well. I wish he had reached out to me. I know there was a whole ocean between us, but I could have listened over the phone, hell he was rich enough he could have flown here for me to take care of him for a bit. I am sad for his wife. She is so young and now has to care for her four young children alone. Thankfully she seems to have a great support system in England. I feel for his adult daughter. She was angry at him, but has always been too influenced by her mom to love him. Now she will never have the chance. 

           Finally, I am depressed because he is not here anymore. He has always been in my life since the year 2000. We dated, then were friends, then we were in love, then friends again. No matter how many miles were between us, we still stayed close. He was who I turned to when I was in need. Now he is not there and I don't know how to process that. I don't know if I ever will. Right now I just want to wake up and find out it was all just a bad dream.

Nothing Will Change if I Don't Change

 

          First day of work this year and really wish it wasn't LOL I like staying home. I make no secret about that. But since I cannot stay home I need to make the best of it. So, I got up a bit early and got the majority of my steps in and made me some zero points banana bread to take to work to snack on. I have decided that if I do not do things different, then nothing will change.      

           Normally I would stay in bed, stressing over getting up, finally drag myself out of bed, make coffee, and then fret about going to work. Not today :) I got up and was active. I have a goal this year of doing at least 8000 steps a day, might push that to 8500 per day, and if I was going to accomplish that, I needed to get moving. At work, instead of sitting all night, I will force myself to get up and walk a bit more to maintain that goal.

          I weighed myself this morning and guess what :) I am down 5 pounds!!! Pretty good for being on the program only sixteen days. It is not a lot but it is in the right direction. I just need to stay focused and not give up on myself. This year I am going to succeed at improving my health. I am going to do that by making small changes every day. I am going to make it a game with myself to see what I can do to be different daily :) Now I am off to bug my kids LOL it is a huge joy in my life to have them and I plan on using them for motivation.

Happy New Year 2025

 

          A fresh new year to use and abuse LOL okay hopefully not as bad as that. I am hoping 2025 is the year I finally get my health under control. Those pesky new year's resolutions we all make, well mine is to get healthier and get to onederland, meaning get under 200lbs. To do that I need to use the Weight Watchers points and move more. If I do that, then I will be healthier :)

          Also this year I am hoping my kids get healthier. Staci is off to a great start and Lee is trying as well. She totally watches what she eats, with no pressure from me whatsoever, and she walks 30 minutes a day on the treadmill. She is almost too skinny now that her height has caught up with her weight. Lee is working on building muscle as opposed to losing weight. They will pretty much go hand in hand I think. Me, well I am making sure I stay under my 29 points and get at least an average of 8000 steps a day. The points require more cooking, but I have stayed full so far. I at least feel better.

          As far as the year goes. Goals are to get through my two courses per semester and survive Staci finishing 10th grade, turning sixteen, possibly teaching her to drive, and her starting 11th grade. WOW too many biggies for her this year. For Lee I just want him to get a promotion at work. He deserves it big time. I am not going to have any theme park passes this year, too expensive, and not enough there that is new to keep us entertained. We have seen and done everything too much LOL perhaps next year. So, I will have to find different things to keep us entertained outside of the house. Getting those two out and about is tough LOL. Beyond these goals I do not have much planned other than to have a peaceful and healthy year.