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My Life As A Granny Begins
August 3, 2023
Why yes I am choosing Gran or Granny as a grandma name – it was good enough for Queen Elizabeth II so it’s fine for me.
My first grandchild – a boy – was born in late June and he is now one month old. It was a bit of a rough start for my son and his wife and the baby, but all is well now and they are going to be in for a rough go if the videos of that active baby are telling the tale right. Yeah, I can laugh about it because I did all that 8 times – the last time with twins no less. Ah, but they are also in for some very, very sweet times. And let me tell you I really miss those early days. A baby snuggled up in your neck and smelling that sweet newborn smell. Oh, and let’s not forget the smell of the chrism they use to baptize babies – the house smelled like heaven for days after that. Baby toes, baby cheeks – just right for a smooch. And I finally found the words to express all that to someone the other day. My son had sent a picture of him and his boy in matching outfits – my heart plummeted about 20 stories and tears welled up in my eyes. Why? Because suddenly it was 37 years ago when he was born and it was me and my boy. And it occurred to me – I wish I could go back in time to hold each one of my children as a baby just one more time. And when I see those videos of my grandson, I am time travelling back to all my babies’ days and reliving what had been.
So, yeah, when you see us starry eyed older moms and grandmothers oohing and ahhing over your baby it’s because we are thinking about our own lives and wishing we could just go back to hold our babies just one more time. Pass the kleenex please.
P.S. This is yesterday’s post posted one day late because I went to bed early. It had been a day.
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Blog Challenge Day 1
August 1, 2023
So my oldest son and I have decided to do a blog challenge this month. He and his wife are new parents and so he’s got a little more time to dust his blog off as do I. Yes, we are both busy people, but we also love writing and love our blogs and aren’t ready to write them off yet (HA – see what I did there?). So, welcome to Day 1. Probably should give a small update since my last one was in May. Wait, what? MAY?! Geez.
I lost my primary care doctor in May and I guess I should have tried to get a replacement sooner because the good ones are booked solid for 3 months just to get in. Luckily for me, I got an appointment with a nurse practitioner to re-up my meds and then get an appointment going to see the actual doctor. Hopefully.
I’m changing dentists – I’ve not been happy with the one I have for some time and I don’t like getting farmed out for some things (like extractions) to another dental office and the last time I went there it was a not great experience. So, I’ve got an appointment with a new dentist next week and we’ll see how that goes. He’s supposed to be compassionate and gentle and those are two things my family really needs.
I ALMOST went in to a weight loss clinic to get some help, but I don’t think that’s the way I want to go. I want to learn how to eat properly, move more, and drop my bad habits. I just need support to do it and there’s no one around here that does just that. SO, I guess I’ll just do it on my own and maybe find an online community for the support part while I make life changes in the eating department. I know what I need to do, I just need to do it and have someone cheering me on in the process.
I almost went with a one beauty brand routine but that did not work out – the products just did not work well for me. The makeup is okay and I’ll keep using that for the rest of the year, but I’m back to square one on the skincare. Maybe I’ll just go back to what I was using a year ago and stay with that for awhile.
Another one of my kiddos is in the working world as of June and finding out all about the joys of being in retail. There aren’t any. And the last of my kids is desperately trying to get a job but to no avail. Most places never call back after you put in an application. It’s frustrating but I think she’ll get something eventually, and if worse comes to worse she can take some community college classes. At least it will give her something to do and move her in the right direction.
My oldest son and his wife had a beautiful baby boy in June making me a grandma for the first time! I am so thankful for technology that allows us to keep in touch and send pictures and videos on demand because they live 1500 miles away.
As far as books go, I have been reading a little more lately. I read “Crying in H Mart” by Michelle Zauner in June and it was really, really good. I’m also currently reading the two “Home Edit” books by Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin. Even though most people don’t live like this or have huge houses, I like them because of the whole rainbow color aesthetic, but they also have some good basic information about decluttering and organizing your spaces. Another book I’m reading is “The Good, The Bad, and The Barbie” by Tanya Lee Stone because the Barbie movie is out and I wanted to read up before I saw the movie. Barbie is only slightly older than me and I loved playing with her and the clothes and Barbie spin offs (anyone remember the Dawn dolls?) so she’s been a big part of my life.
For spiritual reading I bought a New American Bible at a used book store and added in the Collegeville Bible Studies combined books (also bought used) for Bible study. I kind of gave up on the spiritual reading because between the Bible and commentary it is enough. That said, I do have books that I pick up in the afternoon or evening and that’s when I do any extra spiritual reading.
I finished all four seasons of “thirtysomething”…again! This time I didn’t skip any episodes like I did the last time so I truly watched them all. Ah, I just love this show and while some things are dated, a lot is not because it talks about the daily issues of real life like parenthood, job loss, friendship issues, etc. The only thing I think is so weird is how everyone kisses everyone hello and goodbye and not just the spouses. That’s not really real for a lot of people I think, but I dunno. Maybe in some tight knit circles of friends it is. Otherwise – a fantastic show.
Hoo boy – this post got long didn’t it? Sorry! But it is an update post and so I updated you on what’s going on in my life. SO, here’s to the August 2023 Blog Challenge and maybe it will kickstart my writing on a regular basis again.
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Answering a Question
July 25, 2023
Hi folks! Somehow I’m not getting notified of messages so I’m going to answer here so the reader will be sure to see it (hopefully). So sorry it took forever but hope it’s not too late on the information.
My Deal A Meal poster post garners the most attention around here and I got a question recently about what to put on some of the cards. The short answer is I only put what I knew I would eat realistically like canned or frozen fruits or veg. The other part of that is I don’t own the Deal A Meal cards. Haven’t for a long time. For some stupid reason I gave them to Goodwill. I keep hoping though that maybe they’re languishing in a box in the garage or attic and I’ll still find them. Also, I worried about copyright issues when I posted my plans so that’s the other reason. Deal A Meal belongs to Richard Simmons and not me. I just wanted a more visual way to stay on track and as a replacement for the real cards which are really hard to come by now. Now on to the question.
The reader wanted to know what to put on the Freebie and Joker cards. The Freebie and Joker cards I didn’t really set up because I couldn’t find much info about what to put on them since I didn’t have my cards. I later found this website and a listing of some foods on the cards is here. Also, some of the items on the Joker and Freebie cards seem to overlap with other cards (like vegetables and starches) so I just didn’t add those cards in. However, here is a little more information about both.
Freebies (renamed Bonus with the Food Mover) are foods that have very low calorie counts like lettuce, celery, and cucumber. You can eat as much of them that you want without counting any cards or windows on the Food Mover. Like at the end of the day if you are still hungry you can fill up on veggies listed on the card and not break your Deal A Meal plan. The one exception to filling up is coffee, tea, and diet sodas – Richard wants you to limit those because of the caffeine and the junk in the diet sodas. Sparkling waters like La Croix are unlimited though since they are mostly water and not sugar or fake sweeteners. For me, I have to have my coffee in the morning but I’m trying to limit it to one cup a day. I drink it for the flavor not the boost – it just starts my day right. That said, when I do limit the coffee I feel a whole lot better later in the day as opposed to having had 2 or 3 cups. If I remember that more coffee makes me feel crappy then I can stick with the one cup. But I digress.
The Joker cards (Extras in Food Mover) are worth 30 calories each and are extras you can have. You only get 2 joker cards maximum though depending on the calorie plan you are on. If you are in the 1200 calorie range you get one Joker card a day and 1400 to 1600 calorie range you get two. And I think two was the top amount. But don’t quote me. Again, the website I linked to above has more information on those. And again, I just really didn’t get the whole Joker card thing so I didn’t use them or make them.
The amount of cards you use for 1200 and 1400 calories can also be found at the above website. I also found an Exchange List for Meal Planning here in the handout section of their website that you can print out. You can use this list to add a lot of foods and their amounts to your cards to personalize the program. Also, the My Plate program has a lot of similar information about food groups, exchanges, and how much to eat each day as well as printables you can use as well. All of these things are just like Deal A Meal and can help you get to your weight loss goals.
And I think that covers everything. Sorry if I’m not listing much here but I just don’t have the time to get super detailed. The websites I mentioned have all that information in a great format so click around and you’ll have the information needed to finish your cards. Don’t get bogged down in having to have it all just right or you’ll never finish the project or use the cards. Start small, and add to them as needed in a way that works for YOU. That really is what it’s about – YOU and YOUR goals. Good luck!!
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Long Time No See
May 12, 2023
Hoo boy, I guess I need to stop neglecting this place! February was my last post?! Sheesh! Tonight I’m watching severe storms so I’ve got plenty of time on my hands to catch up here while I do that.
Part of what prompted this post was going back to see my beauty routines and what was working and what wasn’t. (I started with a new brand last month, but I really don’t think it’s going to work out so I’m going to have to start over for the millionth time.) In going back over my old posts I realized (again) that I’m just SO STUCK all the time! I noticed this in my old planners too – the same old crap going on and the same goals and not doing anything because I let everything else get in the way. I also think I’m putting too much time into certain things and it’s taking away from the other things I need to be doing. And it’s harder to find motivation and energy when you’re older. Well, maybe not for some older people but for me. UGH.
The other thing I noticed was how I stopped recording my reading as well. I’ve been reading some but it’s always the same stuff – self help, homemaking, blah, blah, blah. I do have two new books that are different so I need to crack those babies out. My spiritual reading has evolved nicely though and at least that is a move in the right direction. I finally got a Catholic Bible commentary and I think that’s going to help me study and learn more which I’ve been wanting to do for awhile.
Let’s get back to beauty for a minute. At the end of last year I was using some products that actually worked quite well and my skin responded well – I probably should have stayed with that routine! Today I spent time making a list of ALL the beauty brands I’ve tried since I started at 12 years old – 140+ brands over 45+ years. The first makeup products I ever used were Maybelline’s kissing potion and Mary Quant makeup crayons (RIP Mary Quant) and Clinique blush – Ashes of Roses. My first skincare regimen was also Clinique. I’ve been on a never ending quest for clear skin ever since that time and I think I need to talk to that 12 year old girl about stopping all that crap. It’s time to realize my skin is never going to be how I want it and I just need to accept it. Maybe I’ll get back into what I was using last fall and call it a day. Or buy a stash of what I know works (that’s the next list) and pick and choose as needed according to what my skin needs on a given day.
I should add clothing in here too – I’ve been doing Project 333 for the last year since quitting Stitch Fix. I really don’t have a lot of clothes but I’m beginning to see what I like and don’t like and what I need for a workable wardrobe year round. I need to stop procrastinating and waiting to be thin and just buy what I need (yeah, I’m sure I’ve written that before).
I’m watching thirtysomething again too. Love, love, love that show and miss those days as a young mom so much. Over the last few months I watched most of my favorite movies which was a lot of fun.
In music I have been expanding my cd collection with the likes of Blondie, ZZ Top, and a few others through thrift stores. Maybe this should be my Music Monday next week. How long has it been since I did one of those??
And Instagram – one thing I’ve wanted to do is post a picture every day for a year as a record of sorts. Probably time to revive that goal. Count them – 100 posts in 6 years. Yeah, really need to think about that. Oh, and I bought a tripod – I really want to revive my dream of vlogging and at least I did take a step and got the equipment. Maybe all is not lost after all.
Which brings me to my blog and maybe it’s time for another 30 day challenge. Maybe a Summer Schedule challenge too. At least I’d be doing something to move forward. I’ve written several posts over the last several months but just haven’t released them into the wild. Need to stop that.
And the best news – I’m going to finally be a grandmother! My oldest son and his wife are expecting their first child at the end of next month. It’s a boy and I can’t wait!!
Okay I didn’t mean to be whiny, I just wanted to update so if there’s anyone still reading you’d know I was still around but just battling feelings of turning 60 in January and assessing my life as it is now and where I’d like it to be over the next however long I have left. A lot needs to change and it’s going to take a major leap of faith.
All righty – storms will be here soon and it’s going to be a toad strangler as they say in my neck of the woods. Which is fine because we’re in drought at the moment and this should put a major dent in it for some counties. That’s the one thing all the storm trackers are saying tonight – thank God for the rain!
See you soon!
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Slow Day
February 24, 2023
I decided yesterday morning to have a slower, at home day since the last three have been quite busy. Especially Tuesday and Wednesday. Both were physically and mentally demanding days. So yesterday was a slow(er) day – more intentional – getting only the basics done. This included, getting me ready for the day, laundry, and then do some of the dishes that have piled up. The plan also included having my daughters dry the morning dishes and I’d finish them while doing all the desk day work. HA – none of that happened. What I did do was stop at Sonic for a peanut butter cup blast, paid 3 bills, rebooted laundry, and made dinner, and closed the kitchen. That was enough.
One thing that happened to me is that after I did the morning dishes and had reloaded the laundry I decided to sit down and read a book. The feeling that I needed to be busy doing housework was overwhelming! Did not expect that. However, I knew I had a plan in place so I didn’t need to feel guilty about slowing down and playing a little. Apparently this is something I need to work on. No wonder I feel burned out on a daily basis.
So, today is Friday and it’ll be back in the routines, but if I want to read a book or write a post here I’ll do it without feeling guilty. As long as I’m making progress and keeping a clean enough house then it’s all good. Yes, I still have a way to go but I’ve improved so much over the years and I’m celebrating all that I’ve done. And I’ve done A LOT. Ready for retirement. As if.
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New Year New Rituals
January 19, 2023
Well, okay, they’re probably more like routines but I’m going to call them rituals because they are things I do on the daily that help bookend my days right. The last few months of 2022 I wasn’t keeping up with things like drinking water, taking my meds on time, and skipping brushing my teeth at night. So, after we all got sick earlier this month, I started making myself get back into my daily rituals. Guess what? Feeling better, sleeping better, and overall in a better mood. So, here’s what I do.
Morning – Get up on time, drink water, eat breakfast, check email, play my morning games for the brain, and get ready for the day. Let’s stop here to see what getting ready for the day looks like: shower/skincare routine, body lotion, brush teeth, brush hair, take meds, get dressed, make bed. And then I have my Quiet Time of reading the Bible, spiritual reading, and prayer. And that’s how my day begins. If I do ALL of these things I feel like my day is off to a good start and everything else usually runs smoother.
Evening – I start this ritual around 8:00-8:30pm and no later than 9pm. Skincare routine, brush teeth, brush hair, pj’s on, clothes put away or in hamper. If I haven’t started the dishwasher I do this now and also drink a last glass of water before bed. Then I put on some lip balm and hand cream, watch a movie (or part of one), and lights out no later than 10:30pm. Then it’s prayer time again – going over my day and maybe saying a rosary. Sometimes my brain is full and just settling down to sleep is more necessary than the rosary. Do I set my alarm? Sometimes – for 5am – but more often than not I don’t and end up getting up between 5 and 6 am anyway. Except for this morning when I didn’t drag out of bed until 7. I don’t like sleeping in late because then I feel like everything is off the rest of the morning. On the other hand it’s a good reminder for me that not everything goes perfectly and you just rewire your day to do what needs to get done. No one needs a full day of guilt.
There are other things that I’ve been doing too like no more than one cup of coffee in the morning and only in the morning. Actually eating a reasonable lunch around 11 to 11:30 am. Drinking more water and tracking it. And I’ve also stopped eating a snack before bed. All of these little things actually add up big in the end.
You might be thinking why do things at a certain time? Because if I do that it helps keep me on track and my day running smoother. I’m a Sidetracked Home Executive by nature and I learned a long time ago to find ways to stay on track so that things actually get done like list making or doing certain things at a certain time. It works for me.
So that’s how I’m beginning the new year and sticking to it. I’ve also been sticking to the no appointments in January as well and next month will begin new dental and doctor visits. I just need January to be calmer after the chaos of November and December.
Happy New Year to all of you and maybe you also need to find ways to get back on track and taking care of yourself, your home, and your family. Start small but most of all START. That really is the heroic moment.
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Finish Well
December 13, 2022
OMG – is that really the time??!! Christmas Eve is only two weeks away and we just started baking cookies and I’ve not even started on the gift buying (although I do know what I’ll be getting). And let’s not forget it’s three weeks until the end of this year – CRIKEY! With that in mind, I had a thought this morning – just finish this year out and finish well. Well, as well as I can. :D And that also means no striving to do anything new to add to the chaos of Christmas. Or even a mad dash to get my home spotless. Just finish this month out the best I can and next month I will hibernate, relax, and take care of me.
I know, I know that flies in the face of everyone going don’t wait until tomorrow; do it now; it’s never too late to begin (or too early), but I know ME and I know that trying to cram in new stuff while trying to cram for the holidays is just a build up to disaster. And, let’s face it, who wants a cranky mom for Christmas (and I’ve been that cranky mom at Christmas)?
So, what’s the plan? To keep on doing the regular stuff every day and that’s it. That means using and finishing up my skincare products, keeping up with my daily housework routines, and planning for Christmas and New Year’s. On the health side, taking my meds, daily Vitamin D, yogurt, and water. It’s a good basic plan and one I can keep up with for the next two to three weeks.
Next month, I’m planning a self-care month. January and February tend to be cruel as far as weather goes and I just need a break after all the crazy of September-December. I also turn 60 in January so it’ll be a good time to assess my life and where I’m headed for the next 5, 10, 15, or 20 years that I have left to live. That is also part of finishing well. I’ve looked over my planners from the last many years and they’re all the same and I just don’t feel like I’ve gotten anywhere so I want that to change too. I want to move forward.
So, I won’t stress too much about shopping, wrapping, cooking and focus instead on what the holidays really mean to me: Advent, quieting down as much as I can, and just enjoying the tree, the lights, the movies, the stories before the big day and family descends. That way I can fill up mentally and physically and be able to pour out when needed. I’ve had all year to work on decluttering and stuff like that so it can wait. Other things can’t.
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A Day Lived Well
October 28, 2022
So, I thought today that everything was going to heck in a handbasket, but it turns out it wasn’t a total loss. Here’s the rundown:
- Take daughter to work
- Grab a Starbucks
- Gas in the car
- Hit the grocery store for a few things we need
- Back home and rest on the couch
- Actually eat something for lunch thanks to daughter #2
- Pay bills
- Vacuum downstairs
- Take son to work
- Check out holiday sets at Ulta – upon which I see message from son saying he forgot his wallet so…
- Back home to get wallet and run it to him at work
- Back home and rest on the couch – decide to pick up dinner
- Oooh – “Inside Daisy Clover” is on! Watch that after dinner instead of brooding.
- Feeling empowered now so I unload and reload dishwasher while listening to Diana Krall.
- Play some Animal Crossing and chat with daughter #1 when she gets home.
- Get ready for bed, lay out clothes for tomorrow, and decide that today was actually good.
- Eat a snack and then I’ll be watching an episode of “Upstairs Downstairs” before bed.
Yeah – that’s not a bad day’s work. What I did here was focus on what got done instead of what didn’t and that made a huge difference! If you only focus on the negatives, then it almost cancels out the positives. So, next time you think you didn’t get a lot done – list what you did do (even if it’s only two things) and pat yourself on the back. You’re doing fine.
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I Can Do That
October 5, 2022
In an effort to regain my health, I looked up clean eating and how to start. I’ll say right off the bat – I’m not into fad diets or diets at all – however, I know that eating healthier starts with making better choices. In other words, I will not be giving up bread, just buying bread that has fewer ingredients and is whole grain (i.e. less processed). I found this article and you know what? This I can do! They’re all foundational principals for healthier eating so this is where I’m starting. If you want the Cliff Notes version – here it is.
- Pick Whole Foods
- Eat More Whole Grains
- Load Up on Fruits and Vegetables
- Watch Out For Added Salt and Added Sugar
- Skip Artificial Ingredients
- Sip Plenty of Water
- Rethink Alcohol and Caffeine
- Decide If You’ll Go Organic
- Be Smart About Meat And Dairy
Those are all really easy to do and a great starting point for a healthier diet (diet here meaning the foods you eat on a regular basis). Even the notes are nice and conservative – nothing crazy. They don’t say you HAVE to eat organic or eat ONLY fresh foods either. You get to choose and that’s good because not everyone can afford to eat organic. I will say fresh foods in season are always cheaper but frozen is a good second best. If all you can afford right now is canned fruits and veg – that is better than eating none at all. Do what you can and as things improve you can step it up at that time.
So, it’s time to start over and begin again. UGH. I feel like I’ve said that 1,000 times but I’ve got to start where I can and make the habits stick. I also need to realize it’s going to take time and to give myself grace. As one of my readers reminded me, His mercies are new every morning – every day is a fresh start. No matter how we did the previous day, we can start anew TODAY and do the best we can.
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September 2022
October 3, 2022
It’s that time again peeps – a roundup of the month that was. And since I made some bold plans we’ll see how that held up. :D
Overall getting back to basics was a win. I really stayed off social media and tv – well, except for all the memorials and funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. That was important to me. She was an amazing woman and leader and we would all do well to take a page or two out of her book. May she rest in peace with her husband Prince Phillip.
So, like I said, I’ve mostly stayed off social media, internet, and tv with a few days here and there of too much scrolling or watching. Even time on my phone was down 58% last week – wow. And I hardly have any apps on there! Has it helped to limit social media? Most definitely. Listening to my voice and God’s and limiting everyone else’s helped me figure some things out. The quiet of not having the tv on and reading a book or dozing on the couch instead has been much needed in my life. Definitely helping with the stress, but also turning my brain back on to the important things I need to focus on. On the flip side of that – intentional screens – I watched Metropolis a couple of nights ago on TCM. I’ve been wanting to watch that for a long time and decided to make it a date. It’s a post for another day, but that movie rocks for a silent movie from 1927! It was filmed in 1926 and is supposed to be set in 2026. Crazy.
I decided last week to drink a smidge of coffee on the daily and by Saturday I knew I shouldn’t have. Too much coffee affects my moods and I had a blow up which didn’t need to happen. This was the third time this month I’ve gone off the rails on something with someone and so it’s not all coffee’s fault. I do have some problems that need to be resolved and not getting resolution is frustrating. On the other hand, I need to find a release valve for that tension. So I need to work on that, while limiting my coffee intake.
Did I go silent last month? No. Have I been more intentional on that? A little. I’ve been talking with and listening more to my kids and that has been a plus. I’ve been trying to ask open ended questions and have been getting more responses too. My youngest daughter even cuddled on the couch with me a couple of times (she’s 18) and that was the best ever. It won’t happen much anymore so I savored that time.
As far as keeping the focus on my house things worked well. Is my house in perfect condition? No, and it never will be. Is it basically clean? Yes and that’s all it needs to be right now. I’ve been so busy that mostly just getting the basics done each day is what I’ve been doing and catching up when I can. However, I have added another new habit in – putting the clean dishes from the dish drainer away in the morning while I’m waiting for the kettle to heat, toast to pop up, or whatever. That’s one less thing I have to do down the road and a good use of wait time. Go me.
In conclusion (otherwise this post will be really long), September went well and I’m keeping the focus-on those things that are really important and knowing when to drop what’s not. This month I’m adding in tracking my spending, beefing up the pantry for the holidays and winter months, getting my wardrobe together (I actually do need things), and clothes for my two youngest. Those are things that are important and still sticks to the basic focus of me, my family, and my home.
So, let’s raise a cup of (insert favorite fall drink) and toast to a new month and the beauty of living life well.