Monday Morning This and That

Good morning.  I had a great weekend.  Did you?  Hubby is feeling better and was finally able to go back to work.  He drives a cab at night.  I wasn't for it, thought it was dangerous, but it makes him happy, and he feels productive.  Unlike me, he wasn't ready to retire, but with funding cuts his job closed, and then with his emphysema, he just didn't have it in him to start over elsewhere, so he retired.  But, where I was always looking for classes to take and things to day, he sat around becoming depressed.  So finally I found a free class that really interested him, getting his CDL license, and he enjoyed it.  After completion, though, they told him with his health condition it would be difficult for him to find work driving a big rig.  So then he went for his TLC and has been driving ever since.  And him being back to work meant that I FINALLY managed to get a decent night's rest.

Hubby and I went out to dinner at Applebees and then onto a movie.  Although I like their steaks and grilled chicken, I LOVE their Chicken Wonton Stir Fry, but after checking on the amount of sodium in it, I decided to go for something different.  Almost 3,000 mg is a bit much so I settled for this delicious Southwestern Steak Salad.

Chimichurri smothered steak, mixed greens *lots of different ones), black bean corn salsa, a blend of Cheddar cheeses, tortilla strips with cilantro ranch dressing. Oh my!!! It was super delicious. I can't say enough about it.

Afterwards we saw Mission Impossible.  Fantastic, action filled movie.   I missed that familiar music.

The other day I looked out my window, and what did I see?  One lone sunflower in the lot next door where the houses were torn down.  Have no idea where how that seed got there. Sunflowers are one of my favorite flowers,  and they have such beautiful meaning--healing, warmth, loyalty, and constancy.  A Greek myth relates the tale of  a beautiful water nymph who fell in love with the sun god, Apollo.  In her love of Apollo, she would sit on the earth and gaze at the sun day after day. While Apollo took no notice of the nymph, the other gods felt compassion for her and turned her into a sunflower. This explains sunflower buds always follow the sun.

Got my looms for the knitting class I plan on starting in September.  I know how to crochet, but have never been able to learn how to knit.  They use these looms in the class so maybe I can learn to make some nice hats.  No overspending for Christmas this year.  I learned my lesson last year.  Still playing catch up...and gifts still sit unwrapped. 

Sunday Selections

I've been asked for the link to last week's box.  For some reason I couldn't get the link to post properly but the name of shop is SpiritHand and can be found on Etsy.  It's really fun getting these boxes and exploring all the goodies inside.  And what I can't use, I am putting aside for Christmas presents so nothing goes to waste.

This week I received my first Therabox, a monthly self-care box, and the advertising was true to its word.  I did bring me happiness.   Definitely a keeper.

Everything in the box.  Lots of goodies.

Lavender and oats bath milk. I put this one away as a Christmas present.  Much as I'd love to lounge in some wonderfully scented bath water, I have one of those big old fashioned tubs with feet and can only take showers.  It's too hard to get up once I sink down in the tub.

Choose for Joy bracelet. It is a constant reminder that joy is a decision about how we are going to respond to life.

Three pocket journals.

Wood cat photo holder.

Revive wake up call 5 piece mask set-- 1 each of rose, coffee, cucumber, coconut, and green tea. Still up in the air about keeping or giving away.  Am I really going to do a mask?

Detox Himalayan salt foot pads.  Cleanse the body of toxins while you sleep Supposedly they aid in relieving chronic pain in joints and muscles.  If they work, I will be sure to order more.

Fire spiced Neroli body buffer with built in body wash.  Can't wait to use this one.  I love taking these scented body washes.

And this month's box also included a Mindful Journaling ECourse valued at $49 for free.  It's a month long course filled with meditation and self-exploration.  Going to put my new journals to work.  The course includes:

11 emails during the month with writing prompts, inspirational quotes, journaling and meditation techniques and a guided introduction to mindfulness.

10 original guided sound bowl meditations + 1 self-guided meditation

An e-book of the entire course

Saturday Thought

A smile costs nothing but gives much. It enriches those who receive without making poorer those who give. It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever. None is so rich or mighty that he cannot get along without it and none is so poor that he cannot be made rich by it. Yet a smile cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away. Some people are too tired to give you a smile. Give them one of yours, as none needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give. 

Author Unknown

Friday Roundup

Friday greetings to all.  Another week bites the dust.  Hasn't been the best of weeks for me, though.  It's been very stressful. Hubby has been pretty sick, and for awhile there I had a fear that he would end up back in the hospital.  Fortunately, this time he didn't try to push himself like last time, and his chest cold didn't go into COPD exasperation like it did last time.   Yesterday I did Reiki on him (I'm a level one), and this morning he is pretty normal.  Wondering if it was what I did or a combination of the ginger tea and the flu just working it's 
way out.

I was so lucky at my WW weigh in yesterday.  I'll admit, I've been  playing with fire this month--cake, ice cream, pasta--and all that knowing I only had .6 pounds to gain, and anything more would bring me over goal.  Well, as I was standing in line I looked down and realized I had not taken my watch off, so before I stepped on the scale I took it off.  Gained exactly .6.  That watch would have brought me over.  Lesson learned last month. Can't pig out for 2 1/2 weeks and then think I can lose it all in a 1 1/2 weeks.  That's stinkin' thinkin' for sure.

With everything that was going on, I just was not into a big Lammas feast this year, but we did partake in some Lammas foods--Vegetable Bean Soup with spinach and corn, leafy greens salad, whole wheat bread, and an apple for dessert.  Afterwards I lit some special candles I purchased for the day and sat quietly in contemplation of the upcoming season.

The above spices came in the mail the other day.  It's a monthly box.  You get spices and two recipes each month, and it's only $5.90.  This month's menu included Latin Carne Asada and Laotian Larb, an Asian summer salad with cooked meat and herbs,  Yummy.

Starting to get ready for fall.  It's never too early.  My new shoulder bags arrived yesterday.  Personally, it can't get here quick enough for me.  I'm tired of this hot humid weather with showers every day.  Can't even go to the park because I never know when it is going to rain.  But, on a positive note, I am getting a lot of inside things accomplished.  Does me good not to be on the run all the time.

Wordless Wednesday

Tuesday Ramble

Good morning and a happy Tuesday to all.  When classes are in session I usually stay home on Tuesdays to catch up on household things, and even though there are no classes, I still plan on staying in today.  Went running about a lot yesterday and ended up in pain.  When am I ever going to learn that I can't carry the loads that I used to carry?  It's just so hard sometimes to admit to myself that my body is not the same body I used to have and adjust to the new me.

Wasn't planning on going out today, but hubby is sick.  Nasty cold which seems to be settling in his lungs again.  He has Stage 2 emphysema, so that's no good.  Last time I ended up calling the ambulance, and he spent a few days in the hospital for COPD exasperation.  So today I'm going to head to the fruit stand and get all the ingredients for a nice ginger tea.  I use fresh ginger, lemon, cinnamon, cloves, and honey for sweetening.

I was so proud of myself the other night when we went to Sunset Cove.  While everyone got these thick juicy burgers and cheese fries, I settled on a Western Salad with Grilled Chicken--lettuce, tomato, black beans with a hint of cilantro, corn, some shredded cheddar cheese, and balsamic dressing.  So delicious and satisfying.  I was very glad for many reasons that I had made that choice.

However, dessert was another story.  After we left Sunset Cove we stopped at a homemade ice cream shop which was 10 minutes away.

I ended up having a scoop of vanilla fudge and a scoop of chocolate covered with chocolate syrup, homemade whipped cream and a cherry.  Hey, I could have had the three scoop sundae with as many toppings as I wanted so all in all I did well.  And I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I swear, if I worked in that shop I'd weigh a ton.  I remember back years ago, when I was 17 I worked evenings in a bakery.   I ate and ate and ate--eclairs, cupcakes, cookies, sometimes my friend and I even ate a whole cake. But at that time, my metabolism was different, and I never gained. 

To make up for it, on Sunday night I had a salad, and last night I made a delicious vegetable stir fry.   

 Mixed veggies, olive oil, garlic powder, parsley, and Shawarma spice.

(Cumin, Coriander, Allspice, Garlic, Paprika, Turmeric, Salt Recipe)

I adore Middle Eastern seasonings for both their taste and the health benefits they offer, and this is one of the best. I use it on chicken, veggies, just about everything.

Mrs. Santa gave me this little gift the other night.  It's vanilla flavored lip balm.  I imagine it tastes good, but I put aside until Winter comes around.  That's when lip balm comes in handy.

Monday Morning This and That

This is it.  My first Monday with no place to go.  Well, actually not quite true.  It's the end of the month so I have to get to the banks to get bill money ready.  Then, after a stop at the store my Monday is totally free.  Oh, what to do with myself!  My Reiki lessons are awaiting.  I've already been attuned to Level 1.  Working on Level 2 now.

Had a wonderful fun-filled weekend.  So what if Christmas was canceled.  We did have Christmas on the Hudson, and it was fantastic as you can see.  Just being with family again warmed my heart.   We had so many laughs.  I actually forgot about my pain.  We also talked about just forgetting about Christmas 2017 and focusing on Christmas 2018. The gifts are already at my daughters house, and there they are going to stay.  Christmas candles for my granddaughters will always be welcome. Barbie dolls for my great granddaughters.  They never get too old for that.  And a ghost game for my great grandsons.  I don't think they will outgrow it.  Only change will probably be the little stuffy I bought for my youngest great granddaughter.  I'll probably by her something new and give the stuffy to my newest great granddaughter.

Tarrytown is a little town located in Westchester County, New York.  It's actually quite close to Sleepy Hollow, another place I hope to visit soon.  The towns in Westchester are so quaint.  It would really be a great place to live if I drove a car.  Not much in the way of public transportation up there...and I imagine it's not so cheap to live there either.

 A beautiful evening as the sun begins to fade.  

 Santa's boat.

My great nephew.  So proud of this boy.  He's 16 years old and attends the High School for Law Enforcement and Public Safety.  He had plans on becoming a police officer.  Now he is talking about joining the marines.

My great neice.  This is the little girl who was missing that time.  She is just entering high school.  Her mom is in for a hard time.  I can see it now.  Underneath that sweat shirt was a very exposing tank top. 

 Santa and Mrs. Santa.  Mrs. Santa was a wee bit young in my opinion. 

Frosty.

 Another view of Santa's boat.

 Frosty's boat.

 This was so beautiful in person.

Part of the parade of boats.

That's my other great niece.  She is quite a handful.  Her mom already has problems with her.  If you ask me, she is far too spoiled so does anything she wants.  She ruined the night out for many of us with her constant demands and carrying on. 

At the entrance way.  My great niece actually popped the balloon set up that was across from this one and was doing her best to mangle this one until someone stepped in.  Her mom pretty much does nothing, and God forbid someone chides the child.  Mom gets mad.

 One of the boats. 

 My son, my daughter, and myself.

This is my niece/goddaughter.  She's sweet and loving and works hard to support her four children.  But, sometimes giving them everything they want is not the answer. 

Fabulous, fabulous night.  Stayed up way past my bedtime and ended up with a two hour nap yesterday...which messed with last night's sleep.  Tossed and turned until about 3 am, then back up at 7.  No naps today for sure.  Have to get back on schedule.