Basil

My basil plant (from a few seeds) is out of control big.  Time to harvest and cut it way back.  

Hello, pesto.  I've never made pesto before -- bought the pine nuts yesterday for the classic recipe.  I'll most likely freeze it to use on a grilled summer sammie I've been waiting to try with the family.  Maybe some on veggies too.

I need to do some cooking for me again.  Try some new recipes, etc. for variety at dinner.  Snacking is back in full swing and that's not the direction I want to head.

Today is that kind of day.  Grocery store run and in the kitchen all afternoon. 

Quick hello today because I got side tracked walking dogs before it was sunny and hot.  

Updates tomorrow :)  Later gators.

Dog Days

My bed is covered with 4 sleeping dogs on Minky Couture blankets -- not a bad way to start the day :)

Polly is at the vet where she's getting treatment.  Bless her sweet little self -- I think the vetting team did her a disservice waiting on the dental.  It was more about scheduling than about her renal function.  Now she has a raging infection on top of everything else.  Can't wait to get her back here and recovering.

We have plans this weekend -- happy hour evening with good friends on Saturday.  They're babysitting their one year old grandchild, so it'll be a bit of a distracted visit, but should be fun.

We were supposed to have another couple over for dinner on Sunday after a scheduling mixup on her end for last weekend.  I texted to confirm before I grocery shopped and she cancelled again ("postpone").  I already told her we don't have a weekend date until September and we've been trying to get together since before COVID.  Reason ... wants to have a family dinner with her grown daughters WHO LIVE WITH THEM.  Seriously?  When were you going to tell me?  If you scheduled something different, why did I have to reach out to you??  The last text said she put it on her calendar.  I didn't realize it was just pencilled in.  Glad I didn't prep anything.  Boundary is now firmly in place -- no more invites on my end.  We'll be glad to meet them outdoors somewhere or go to their house, but I can't tell you how many times she's done this all COVID long.  We tried many times for an outdoor happy hour and "better boating plans" always came up and she canceled.  BTW, she initiates getting together (i.e. them coming over) so it's not like I'm not getting THAT hint.  Ugh.  This was a rant.  Guess I'm still hot over it.  

Funny that I'm all up in arms over the cancelation, but the reality is I wasn't looking forward to the prep.  I would've enjoyed the evening, but the work leading up to it wasn't thrilling to me.  Part of me is relieved so why am I also mad/hurt/disappointed?  Geez.

Okay, dogs are now up and barking so time to get moving.  Have a great day -- later gators.

Hump Day Updates

I ended up with a good day yesterday.  

I kept the promise to myself to go to the park to run -- had a faster than normal run.  

Met for lunch OUTSIDE and sweated my balls off (hah), even in the shade.  We sat for 2 hour and the only ones on the porch.  Inside was PACKED.  No thank you.  Masking recommendations in place again and I'm not going anywhere near indoor eating.  

I dressed like "future me" in a summer dress.  That felt fun.  I'm so self-conscious in a dress, but it's such easy dressing -- especially in the summer.

Trip to Costco to get gas -- my tank was dangerously at a 1/4 tank (I'm one of those people).  Good thing I filled up because today I'm heading to the far away vet.

Last night at bedtime, Polly's cheek opened up to a bloody, puss-filled mess from a tooth abscess.  Poor baby.  The vet was waiting to do a dental until her renal function evened out -- too late now.  Heading down for a few days (or more) to get what she needs.  I have pictures that I sent to our vetting team, but it's too "graphic" to post.  She's going to feel so much better once she recovers.

I ate the cucumber from MY garden and it was delicious.  I fertilized the plant again and am hoping for more.  I'm starting to make a plan for a pot garden in our yard next year.

TV seems actually broken (hubby will check it out this weekend).  I was able to get a step ladder and unplug from the TV side and still NOTHING.  

Heat index is SUPER HIGH today and tomorrow.  Indoor kind of day.  I'm even bringing my herb pots inside this afternoon.

Grand-dogs arrive today too.  I'm going to offer to pick them up on the way home from the vet ... otherwise they're getting dropped off this evening.

That's all from here.  Wish me luck on the 4 hours of traffic driving today.  It's worth it to have her feel better though.  Later gators.

Hello, Tuesday

I'm a broken record and I hate to say it again, but my mood is in the tanker.  I figured out a lot has to do with being upset about the Delta variant and breakthrough COVID cases.  A friend (vaccinated, medical background, smart, careful) had an exposure from an unvaccinated person and has a significant case herself now.  That got me all up in arms.  I chatted with her to get more details and her thoughts -- still upset about it.  She's going to be fine, but holy cow (!!)

This has me concerned with the wedding in August and a few other things on the calendar for the fall. 

Mask mandates are coming back (yeah!) but that has the anger (and asshole baby) levels up again.  Tension everywhere you look.

When I get anxious, everything feels worrisome and that feeling sucks.  I'm working on working these thoughts out.  Guess I'm tired of these waves of uncertainty, feelings of overwhelm and disgust with human behavior -- all those feelings come from my thoughts.

Once again, I need to reevaluate what feels safe and where my comfort levels falls.  This means being the "strange" one again.  I worry that relationships won't last if I'm always putting restrictions, etc.

Goodness.  

Also, my TV seems to be broken.  Maybe it needs to be unplugged to restart, but I can't reach it -- my arms aren't long enough and it's up on a mantle.  Hubby is out of town.  Good thing I have good books.  I'm reading The Seven Wives of Evelyn Hugo (Taylor Jenkins Reid).  It's a fun beach-like book.  I have a stack of books in "The Read" pile and this is a good time to get cooking on some of them.

Did I mention, I had a super fun bookclub meeting on Sunday?  Only 4 of us so it was easy to manage on Facebook chat room.  We talked about the book instead of boring bookclub questions -- much more interesting conversation.  We've set a date in September for a Botanical Gardens meet-up (outside and we're ALL vaccinated) at my prompting for a field trip to meet in-person.  Working on tweaking the bookclub experience instead of quitting.  Problem solving. 

Lunch plans with a foster friend today, but rain is in the forecast.  We moved "lunch" to 11 o'clock so we can sit outside.  I won't do indoor eating here in GA (probably not anywhere until Delta is controlled now).  I spoke up even though I felt uncomfortable being "that person" again.  She was totally receptive so that uncomfortable-ness was all in my head.  

Today is the BIG HARVEST day for my one and only cucumber.  Pictures and all the details tomorrow lol (!!)  I want to revisit the 21 for 2021 goals list as we are midyear -- see how it's going.  Grow something to eat was on the list and I hit that one just fine -- herbs, tomatoes and a cucumber. 

Have a happy Tuesday :)

Cucumber

The local farmer's fertilizer did the trick -- first cucumber is cooking.  It grows overnight.  Can you see the thickness difference in just one day?  There are a couple of little ones starting too, but that's been happening all season without success.  Curious if any others will grow.  I have a new batch of green cherry tomatoes starting too.  The plant is getting too tall for my pot though -- not sure how long this will keep producing.

I'm excited to plan a garden next spring and, actually, maybe something this fall too.  Learning little by little.

Today is bookclub.  I finished the book Blood, Bones & Butter (Gabrielle Hamilton).  It was a decent read -- a bit self serving and I question her detailed memory, but it was enjoyable.  A few yucky pages early on about slaughtering meat, but I just skimmed over the details. 

I'm expecting we'll chat a little about in-person meet ups.  Nothing came of my inquiry -- interest, but no definitive takers when I put out dates.  I'll give it another go today.

Calendar "filled" back up -- as it tends to do.  All the blues over nothing. 

Hubby flies to VA this afternoon.  More about this week a bit later.  I need to tend to some dog walking :)  Have a happy Sunday.  Later gators.

Pity Party for One

Man oh man.  I'm still in a funk this morning and now a funk without the accomplishments of a good morning yesterday.  Learning to feel emotions is learning that life gives a ton of emotions -- half aren't very fun.

I'm still feeling sorry for myself.  My brain is coming up with tons of crappy thoughts that are leading to crappy feelings.  WTH, brain.  

This is the rollercoaster on repeat lately.  

Best way through this is to DO THE THINGS.  I know it.  I need to JUST DO IT (thanks, Nike).  Hopefully, I'll be back tomorrow in better spirits.

Little Polly Pocket emerged from her crate a bit yesterday and started socializing with us.  Maybe she's feeling better :)  After a little walkabout and such, she found another dog bed.  That girl can sniff those out in every room (probably lots of dog smells on them).

A bit of bedhead LOL.

Took me 10 minutes to find her in her new spot.

Have a great day -- I'm going to work on this myself too!  Later gators.

Twisting and Turning

Yesterday wasn't what I expected.  Why am I always surprised?  Shouldn't I expect more unexpected than planned? 

Anyway.  I left to go to the grocery store and I watched the garage door go down (as I always do) and springs broke and the double door fell off.  All wacky, bent -- what a mess.  Good news is I found a garage door repair that had a late afternoon appointment.  Better news was they had a cancelation and he showed up an hour later.  $600 later and all is well.

I handled that unexpected news super well.  Got to work fixing it and didn't get all up in my head about why me and such.  Feeling grateful it happened when it did (and not a couple of days earlier) and that my car was already out of the garage. 

Then I went to work on plans for the next few weeks and EVERYTHING was a bust.  All noes -- not one person was available for anything AND one cancelation for plans this week.  I had assumed everything was happening because things were already discussed a bit.  When I did the official asking it was ... oops, I forgot I have *fill-in-the-blank*.  I didn't take things personally, but it was a wallop of disappointment all at once and wasted time in the morning planning everything out.  Menus, activities, etc.  Got all excited for my "plans" and then crickets.

That brought up all the feelings.  I didn't eat my feelings though so yea, me.  Not sure why I got so bummed out.  Guess it's the 50/50 Brooke Castillo teaches. 

Today, I moved right into my morning routine so I wouldn't flake out in self-pity party mode.  Big workout, meditation, Spanish, plant-forward lunch and now journalling.  I also ended up with a coffee date on Friday so that feels good too.

That said, I still feel BLAH.  I need to figure out some fun stuff to do with me alone or me and hubby to fill in gaps.  I'm also physically tired after a hard and long workout.  Not motivated to do much and that's the kiss of death for my mood.  

Should I finish out my day on the sofa ... reading and TV and letting myself sit in a low mood OR should I push to get out of the house and run some errands and such.  I already feel accomplished this morning after banging out a really solid morning routine so I could go either way.

Guess I need to regroup and figure out this day.  It's only noon right now.

I'll leave with a picture of the pretty hydrangea from my Asheville neighbor.  The color is so beautiful.  Have a happy Wednesday :)  Later gators.

Home Sweet Home

We did it.  All the chores finished.  Good thing we didn't go up early to organize paint cans (they are in a storage area under the house) because it was torrential rains all weekend.  Can't do the paint until we can pull everything out on the patio and we need it to be dry.  Overnight was just enough time.  Exterminator came, house is clean ... all is well.

The neighbor who is always MIA to invites and ghosts texts, dropped off a really thoughtful gift.  Picture frame like the ones I have -- perfect, kitchen tools from Williams Sonoma and cards that her artist friend made.  She also picked a purple/blue hydrangea from her garden which I brought home.  That was a sweet surprise (belated b-day gift).

Polly was fine taking the trip, but we're watching her for an upper respiratory infection vs allergies.  Little gal is sneezing and a bit snotty.  She's too old and sick to let something fester.  She slept fine last night so it might be Asheville allergies like Monti gets sometimes.  Might need a vet visit this week though.

We got home, unpacked and I headed to the vegetable farmer's stand for more tomatoes and such.  Incredible produce.  It was a bit picked through that late in the day, but I ended up chatting with the farmer.  He gave me his organic fertilizer to use on my cucumber plant and some good planting advice for next year.  Awesome!!  This is a slow, slow garden hobby -- enough to enjoy, not so much to be overwhelmed.  Man, I'd love to have a vegetable garden someday though.  

Most of this week is nothing much and I'm glad of it.  That said, some sneaky "work" will probably slip in.  Inviting friends to dinner this weekend -- if they come, that's work.  Might need to drive to the far away vet if Polly is sick.  Things like that, but at least the calendar starts mostly open.

Energy is still wonky.  Dang.  Need to do a little more figuring out.

I hear dogs up and hubby will need help with three.  Have a great Tuesday.  Later gators.

Big Back Day

Today is a back-tiring day.  The only big one for awhile so I think I can muster what I need to get things finished.  

Workout this morning (energy is still low during cardio workouts though).  Long walk Duke because poor guy needs some extra activity.  Drive to Asheville.  Clean the house.  Bed lol.

I'm riding in the backseat with Polly and Monti.  Duke's going to get his shotgun dog seat up front -- he loves sitting in it and it's a safe option for him.  I think this will be better on my back since I won't have dogs ON my lap ... lap adjacent only.  We'll see.  The front seat is more comfortable so it might be a wash. I'm still glad we waited until today to go up.

Monday is the exterminator for an ant issue and quarterly service.  Then home again.  

Next week is nicely paced though so I shouldn't have any problem holding steady.  I'm STILL not quite myself so I'm not sure what's going on.  Bigger hormone shifts this month?  Hoping this passes soon.  I might stop the menopause supplement I'm taking to see if that's a problem.  This is the one Katie Couric recommended and the ingredients seem fine so I think it's more likely ME.

That's it.  Quick hello.  Have a good Sunday.  Later gators.

Polly Pocket

She's here.  I made the 4 hour trek roundtrip trek to pick her up.  Traffic from a major construction project, but otherwise, uneventful.

She's mostly blind, mostly deaf, but all sweetness ... so far lol (!!)  Lots of changes in the first few days. And she IS little -- 8 lbs.  So hard to tell in pictures, especially before she was groomed.

We got home and I put her in the bathroom (my boys were making her nervous) while I set up her crate bed and she fell asleep for THREE HOURS (!!)  Poor baby needed to decompress.  She seems to be housebroken and slept through the first night (and is still sleeping).

We leave for Asheville tomorrow and I'm super glad we took the extra day at home.  Tomorrow will be a big "back" day between the ride and cleaning, but I'm happy to have a homebound day to relax today.

Yesterday was a good day.  I managed my thoughts and had a productive, happy day.  Lots of podcast listening for the drive and a phone catch-up with a friend.  I ran at the park in the morning (hello, stiff muscles today) and did my Spanish workbook early to make sure it happened.  Ate well -- fresh veggies from the produce stand (heading back this morning to get more) and slept long too.

Slowly, but surely.  Keeping moving forward and doing the things I know help.  

Time to get the little one up and to potty.  Have a happy Saturday.  Later gators.

Calm before the Storm

Even though this has been a chillin' kind of week, I've been all amped up over a lot of nothing.  Now the chill is going away and I wonder how I'll feel.

Picking up Polly today and I'm full of worry about it.  Dang.  I need to control some false thoughts.  Every single old medical female dog makes the list of my most favorite fosters.  Why should she be any different?  Instead, I think thoughts like ... she's going to pee all over ... she'll never get adopted ... she'll never get medically cleared (already it's 6 weeks) ... I'm going to be exhausted for months ... she's way bigger than I thought so this will be hard.   Spent time yesterday controlling those thoughts, but they're stubborn.  

Hubby and I decided to head to Asheville on Sunday instead of tomorrow.  We're going to check on the house, clean and have the exterminator appointment.  No need to be there all weekend.  This will give everyone time to settle for a day before the drive -- including hubby.  It'll be a jammed pack 2 days, but that seems to be our best option.

I gave my dogs new bones yesterday and they both barfed all afternoon.  They seemed well by evening so I don't think it's anything serious.  Bummer.  Cleaning rugs, blankets, dog baths, etc.  Preview of what's to come?!?!

I know a good deal of my feelings of overwhelm and such come from having lower energy.  It's better, but not great yet.  The thought of doing "so much" feels exhausting before I even start.  I'm determined to get back to feeling good again.  

I took Monti to the vet for a couple of straggler vaccinations and then we stopped at the farmer's stand where I bought the tomato and cucumber plants.  He has incredible heirloom tomatoes and cucumbers -- what a difference summer fresh makes.  I ate one of the tomatoes and, as they say, it was like candy.  Perfect!

I'm going to use this next week to practice managing my thoughts.  How can I be "tired" ahead of time for things coming up the next couple of weeks?  THOUGHTS.  Thoughts that anticipate negative things, thoughts that compound all-the-things into one lump of stress, thoughts that don't serve me at all.  Staying present helps too.

Polly pictures coming tomorrow.  Prepare your hearts :)  Have a great day.  Later gators.

Thursday Things

I'm continuing to feel better.  I think it's a combination of hormones chilling out a bit and me taking better care of my eating and sleep.  That was a BIG mountain this month and I'd be happy to avoid it going forward.  Not sure if that's possible, but I can do a better job at what I can control.

I wasted an afternoon driving downtown to pickup a dog donation.  I asked if it was something that could be mailed and they said no -- way too much stuff.  Guess they gave the "stuff" to other people.  It was a small box of medication (easily could be mailed) and the promised medications weren't in the box.  Mainly a box of deworming powder packets.  Good lord.  What a waste of time and gas.  This is a house in the super duper ritzy area -- no way they wouldn't be able to mail a small box.  They knew how far I needed to drive.  Ugh.  Lesson learned.

Something little I'm SLOWLY changing up this summer is how I dress -- specifically wearing DRESSES. They are easy, cool, manage sweat ... yet I don't wear them on the casual.  After some life coaching last year, I figured out I was self-conscious about it because I was hearing my mother's voice in my head.  I still hear it, but now I recognize it isn't me.  Trying to come out of this strange shell I put myself in and feel comfortable changing up my style a bit.  

So ... I wore a summer dress yesterday.  It was way out of my usual box, but it felt good to play around.  Adding a little extra options to what I wear.  Building that vision of my future self.  

Still no word on Polly Pocket.  I'll reach out this afternoon if I don't hear anything.  I'll be driving to get her today or tomorrow before we leave for Asheville.

I'm in the process of switching out my veggie pots.  Spring greens and such are finished.  The cherry tomato plant is doing fine -- still producing tomatoes.  The cucumber plant is growing, flowering, starting little fruit and then the fruit dies.  I think it's a bust.  I killed the mint plant -- it hated the car rides back and forth to Asheville.  Finally went kaput on the last drive.  Time to look at some summer options and/or think ahead to fall planting.

That's all from here.  Plugging along and enjoying the quiet before the storm of activity this weekend.  Later gators.

Hump Day

Here are some updates -- in no particular order :)

(1)  I finished The Last Time I Lied (Riley Sager).  It was good suspense read and the ending had a final twist I didn't see coming.  Next up is the Jen Hatmaker July read, Blood, Bones & Butter (Gabrielle Hamilton).  It's a chef's memoire and I hear a lot of chatter about animal slaughter -- doesn't sound great, but I'll give it a go.

(2)  Speaking of bookclub.  I put it (myself) out there and asked if anyone wanted to start meeting in-person regularly, semi-regularly or just a meet-n-greet field trip.  Responses have been good so far.  Virtual is only so engaging.  Trying to make bookclub more interesting.  Our group is too big for a good virtual discussion.

(3)  Self Coaching session was a total BUST (!!)  The coach had no suggestions other than the things I already mentioned and then basically poo-pooed my question.  How important is any of this anyway?  Seriously?  That's the point of this coaching -- take big or small thinking issues and turn them around.  My question was about future-self thinking vs now thinking.  He said I was making something out of nothing. Wow.  I'm taking a break from the weekly calls.  I'm working through the archived coaching calls that I find really helpful, but the 20 minute ones are too unpredictable.  Unless I have a very specific issue come up, I do better thinking it through myself.  One more month ...

(4)  No word on our foster, Polly.  She should be ready to come to me today or tomorrow.  I have to drive downtown to pickup a donation from a family whose dog passed recently.  Maybe I can coordinate the 2 things.  She doesn't need eye surgery or spaying -- just waiting on kidney function.

(5)  Peloton ride was marginally better, but I still can't push my upper limit for long.  I did a 4 mile walk with my friend later in the morning so lots of leg stuff yesterday.  Overall, energy is improving -- thank goodness.

(6)  I'm still working on this mood (anxiety).  I know it's hormones.  Recognizing it's just thoughts causing my anxiety is helping a lot.  As I mentioned yesterday, I have nothing to be anxious about so I know this is thought/hormone related.

Have a great day and stay well.  Later gators.

Thought Work

My energy is SLOWLY rebounding.  The Peloton ride still felt unusually hard, but I finished.  I hope today feels better.  I'm back to my regular sleeping hours and that feels good too.

As far as my mood -- right now it's showing up as anxiety, I'm working on managing my THOUGHTS.  Every time I feel "worried" or spun-up, I remember it's just a thought causing the feeling.  Change the thought, lessen (or relieve) the feeling.

Especially since these feelings aren't feelings over real things.  It's all made-up stuff in my brain.  I'm working on not giving any airtime to hogwash thoughts.  Easier said than done, but it IS helping.

Eating is back on track too.  Specifically, not snacking all night.  That seems to be a big help in the sleep area as well.

I'm probably picking up our new foster on Wednesday and that's giving me all the anxiety.  What did I do?  There goes my sleep.  My dogs are going to be so upset.  I don't have the energy to do this right now.  If only she wasn't coming until after our weekend in Asheville.  ALL THOUGHTS.  All thoughts that I can change.  When they pop up, I remind myself they aren't true and I choose other thoughts that feel better.  

I've always handled it before.

She'd be sitting in shelter in pain.

My dogs always adjust.

I'm feeling better.

I will totally love her.

Asheville weekend is just a chore weekend (cleaning) -- have to try bringing a foster sometime.

Fostering feels good.

This is worth it.

I changed the Self Coaching 20 minute session to today because of the new foster and possible pickup Wednesday or Thursday.  I don't have a question worked out yet, but I'll think of something.  It ends up being helpful even if I think I don't "need" it.

I'm walking with an old neighbor this morning.  Weather was iffy, but looks like it'll be fine.  I'm also doing an afternoon run to Trader Joe's.  I've been eating my frozen veggie stash that accumulated over the quarantine and I'm finally cleaned out.  Time to restock.  Planned that later in the week, but not knowing a foster pickup date, it's best to get this done today.

Yesterday I made 2 kinds of plant protein burgers.  Black bean and chickpea.  I'm freezing the black bean -- southwest style and they cooked well.  The chickpea ones don't hold together, but are tasty.  Tahini and cilantro flavored.  I ate them over lettuce I GREW IN MY GARDEN (!!)  Yea!  But it's time to finish the lettuce and let it go until another planting for fall.  I have enough for one more salad today.  

I'll do a garden and plant update soon.  I'm wrapping up some things and added others.

On the book front ... I'm reading The Last Time I Lied (Riley Sager).  So far it's a fun suspense book, but you know it will all come down to the ending.  Fingers crossed it stays clever.

That's all from here.  Have a great day.  Later gators.

Moving Out of the Mess

This was the worst "monthly" I've had to date.  My energy is perking up a bit and I hope my mood evens outs this week too.  I took THREE days off from working out (one was scheduled) -- that's how low my energy was and I'm still not totally back.  I could've pushed, but pushing didn't feel right this time.

My guess is it was brought on by a month of physical stressors.  I'm super duper sensitive to most everything right now.  I think the hard, long hike was the final physical straw.  I was so exhausted after, I could barely function, but I wasn't able to recover for a couple of days.

Anyway ...

Then I did a thing yesterday.  Agreed to a very old, sick foster.  She might need both eyes removed.  AND, very few people are adopting right now because life is busy again.  She's probably going to be with us for a few months.  Eeeek.  Shelters are full and I couldn't let this poor baby sit scared and sick in a shelter.  That's what our Monti was facing too and it pulled at my heart.

This is a a trial to see if we can foster and go to Asheville too.  I'm nervous I made a crappy decision -- bit off more than I can chew.  But, I couldn't say no -- poor sweet girl.  Naming her Polly like Polly Pocket.  She goes to the vet this morning and probably to us by the end of the week (right before our drive to Asheville -- ugh).  That makes me super nervous about her as a flight risk (not knowing her at all).  Can you tell my mood is in full swing?!?

My "rest" week is over and this week is back to full days.  It feels overwhelming because my hormones are still playing with me and my mood.  Best thing I can do is get back to a healthy routine and let my body calm down.  I have years ahead before this settles and I need to learn to function with the swings.

Sorry for the hormone-channel talk over and over, but, it's what's happening right now.

Early, early car appointment this morning.  I'll get some reading time while I wait.  Hopefully, it's the hour they say it'll be (usually double the time).  

My intention this week is to get my mood (anxiety) under control.  I'm flying high in the worry department  for no real reason.  Hormones and thoughts.  I can do this.  Have a good Monday.  Later gators.

Surprisingly Fun Day

I had a switch up in my 2 little errands yesterday.

I was texting with the new owner about picking up the Shutterfly package and she invited me in for a tour of the house renovations.  My first thought was -- thanks for the offer, but not necessary (she wasn't home, just her husband).  THEN ... I remembered my moto for 51 ... "choose the bigger life." 

It would be fun to tour the house.  Why not -- she offered.  My "bigger life" is all about the little details.  I could do the vet errand another day (so I wouldn't have a dog with me).

I had texted my old neighbor (across the street) earlier in the week about scheduling a hike and she happened to respond that morning.  I told her I was coming in the neighborhood for the pickup.  She said to stop over and see some of her house projects too.

We ended up touring my old house together.  The husband loves to chat renovations and the wife came home at the end.  Turns out my friend had never met the husband and never been in the house since they moved in.  Funny and totally fun.

It was an impromptu afternoon.  

I love this new motto.  CHOOSE THE BIGGER LIFE.  Make those little decisions because why the hell not.  I never would've said yes in the past because I figured her husband wouldn't be happy about a tour and I planned to go to the vet (no appointment for this BTW).  But how unhappy could he be and turns out he's super excited to share the projects.  Since a booster shot doesn't require an appointment, I didn't have to worry about that either.

I know that "bigger life" implies BIG, but for me, it means do the little things that add up to having a bigger life.  Make little efforts.  Be a little flexible.  Find fun connections.  Take some chances.  Extend some invites.  Accepts some offers.  Do the little things just because. 

Have a good Saturday.  Later gators.

Sofa Surfing Friday

Good lordy lord -- hormones are the real deal.  Got my monthly EARLY.  Yea, because, wow, feeling all the hormones was too much to be just a normal day.  Guess that's why the weekend recovery is long this time.

I rode the Peloton yesterday and it took everything for me to finish the class.  That's how low my energy is right now.

I decided to take a day off from working out today.  I decided after the ride yesterday.  My body is pooped and I need to listen.  This is a rare week of NOTHING these days and I'm taking advantage of it.  Another morning of sleeping until 7 o'clock.  This month has been one of the rougher ones.

So what's what today?  Sofa surfing Virgin River new episodes.  It's cheesy with overacting galore, but I'll take it today. 

I need to run 2 errands -- Monti to the vet for shots and pick up meds AND I have to pick up a package at my old house.  Somehow, Shutterfly reverts to my old address.  I delete it and it comes back.  I ordered some prints and didn't remember to override the address.  I thought they were lost, but the new owner finally contacted me.  They were delivered over a month ago.  Better late than never, I guess.  I already reordered some of them and have them hung on the wall lol.  I'll give these to my son and DIL.

Self Coaching call was decent.  20 minutes goes by quickly though and it's a different coach each time.  We chatted about strategies for feeling better after these "vacation" weekends.  Why I end up compromising more than I should (spoiler alert -- people pleasing and not wanting to be different) and how to approach the weekend with different thoughts.  I have another call next Thursday.

Spanish workbook study is going well.  5 weeks and I'm finally on chapter 2.  That said, I actually feel like I'm learning this time.  My goal is to do this workbook this year (and it will take the year at the pace I'm going) and evaluate next steps.  This is the first time studying Spanish that I feel it's possible to actually learn.  Language is tough for me and I needed to approach it differently (I took an adult learning class, tried Rosetta Stone many times and Spanish language apps).  This has been a goal for 15 years and it's happening.  Pretty darn exciting.

Dogs need to go out so I better get my butt out of bed.  Have a great day.  Later gators.

Energy

My body is zapped. 

It's becoming a necessity to take care of my energy.  Two weeks of pushing through everything from a colonoscopy to entertaining a houseful and all the stuff in-between was too much.  I have an earache -- I think my body is rundown and there goes my immune system too.  I'm also in what should be PMS week -- that's not helping either.

I woke up at my usual 4 o'clock, let dogs out and went back to bed until 7 o'clock (!!)  I'm trying to give my body extra rest because it seems to want it.  I did an arm/yoga workout and an easy 3 mile walk yesterday.  I'll see how I feel today for a full cardio workout.

I feel my best when I do these things ...

(1) Eat a plant forward diet.  Lots of veggies and mostly plant proteins.

(2) Sleep -- early to bed, early to rise.

(3) Workout and meditation.

(4) No alcohol.  Little sugar.  

This was simple during the pandemic.  It's gotten exponentially hard as we move out of the pandemic with a vacation house added to the mix of entertaining.

I'm still experimenting at finding a balance.  The last two weeks were more exceptions than the rule.  I did well until I got overrun and then everything fell apart.  BUT, I held on for a decent run of it.  The final two days put me over the edge.  Maybe I'm winning more than I think.  It doesn't feel like it in this moment though. 

Fortunately, most of July feels balanced.  We're going to Asheville next weekend, but just us.  I have stuff on the calendar starting next week, but it's not overly rushed and I timed what I could to give me my mornings (only my car service is early). 

I have a Self-Coaching Scholars 20 minute coaching call this afternoon.  I have no idea what I want to talk about -- that seems to be my issue with using the coaching sessions.  Stay tuned on this one.

I'm hoping that another day of relatively nothing helps me feel more myself again.  BTW, finished Cruel Summer and it was good.  Not scary, but twists and turns and fun to watch until the very end.  I've also been watching videos from Self Coaching Scholars since I won't stay in the program much longer.  They're good, but not good enough to keep me in the program.  I think one more month and I'm out.  I like the group coaching calls a lot and those seem to help me coach my own thinking well -- that's what's keeping me in for another month.

Have a fantastic day.  Stay well :)

Quiet House

Hubby left for the airport.  Fingers crossed for a safe flight after the storm.  I'm left with a super duper quiet house for the next couple of days.

I got caught up on a bunch on things yesterday.  Mega laundry finished and ready for packing.  Spanish make-up for the 2 missed days (loving the daily Spanish practice BTW).  Plant care.  Got gas (I get crazy with no gas in my car).  Ate tons of veggies.  Rode the Peloton.

I'm STILL mad tired today.  Energy is MIA.  I have a list of small chores today -- nothing major. I'm laying in bed debating whether I need to PUSH today or let myself have a do-nothing day (except for the few little chores).  Sometimes a push helps bring back the energy, sometimes not.  The Peloton class felt super hard yesterday and it didn't bring me any perked up energy.  I have time to mull it over. 

Man oh man, hormones are the real deal.  Add some less healthy choices and I get slammed to the ground.

Anyway ...

New book on the nightstand and it's good so far.  Project Hail Mary (Andy Weir).  Recommendation from the Pop-Cast.  Science fiction and a mystery.  BTW, did I mentioned I LOVED American Dirt?  Fantastic book.

Found a new series on the old boob-tube yesterday.  Cruel Summer.  OMG, it's so good!!  I can't believe I've never heard of it.  It's on Hulu and Prime ($$).  Caught the recommendation from IG.  It's very cleverly organized story with tons of twists.  One season (so far).  THIS will be a good part of my day today.

Today's also a podcast catch-up day.  I haven't listened to many the last couple of weeks.  

That's all for today.  My brain isn't even energetic.  Maybe a chat about energy tomorrow.  What I find works and what doesn't work and what zaps it all away.

Have a happy day :)  Later gators.

Weekend Recovery

It's going to take a good solid week to recover from the last two.  

I'm tanked.

What did I learn??  A bunch of things NOT to do to keep my energy feeling good, but we had a great time and I'm taking notes and moving forward.

The hike was the real deal.  5 miles of HIKING, not a walk in the woods.  Rock scrambles, water crossings.  It lasted 2 hours longer than I thought -- the actual hike was 4 hours.  Then 2 hours of travel time.  We didn't BBQ the burgers until 9 o'clock at night (one of my "notes" lol).  It was totally worth it though.  Most amazing views and tons of challenging fun.  I'd do it again in a heartbeat. 

Some notes on what I learned when the house is FULL ...

Simplify the food -- more takeout and pre-made.

Don't leave the same day as everyone else.  Way too much to clean.  I have a car full of sheets, towels, etc to wash here because we didn't have time.  Also, consider second sheet set for each bed.

Set-up my stuff first.  Otherwise, I'm too tired to give myself what I need.

Ask for more help.

Schedule more downtime. 

Keep the trip shorter.

Don't fall face-first into SWEETS because I'm tired and have nothing prepared for me.

Go to bed earlier.

Today is an ease-into-it recovery day.  Nothing too crazy.  Lots of chores.  Catch up on some self-care stuff.  Veggies and plant proteins.  Back in full action tomorrow.  Hubby might be canceling his business trip because of the storm hitting FL.  I wanted a few days to myself, but that might need to wait until next week.  I'm happy to have a little breathing space either way.

Until tomorrow ... later gators.

Curiosity

I'm still working on finding a way to enjoy a vacation home without feeling like crap on the return. 

MOST of that feeling is eating (and sometimes a little drinking) like I'm on vacation which leaves me blah and bloated.  Add less sleep, less quiet time, lots more interacting with people and I'm a mess after the weekend.  Since we come often, I need to do better.

Brooke Castillo says look at it with CURIOSITY -- like a fun experiment, rather than restrictions and negative thoughts.

I worked on that last weekend over my birthday with decent success.  This weekend is different because it comes with lots of work, lots of socializing and an extra day.

Still ... this is the experiment.  How can I have fun and still feel great?  It starts and ends with keeping my energy up.  Hormones are making me extra sensitive to "vacation" things.  More sweets.  Less veggies.  Less sleep.  More late night eating.  Things like this.  Then I have super low energy.

The first "experiment" is doing the craft beer tour with a non-drinker ticket.  I don't like craft beer, don't feel well drinking and absolutely don't ever do well day-drinking.  Can I enjoy myself and not completely participate?  

I'm keeping my focus choosing to feel my best, instead of what I'm missing out on.  I have a lot of hosting to do this weekend and need to feel energized to organize it all.

This is my HAPPY BIRTHDAY for my hubby -- a FUN family weekend.  Like most families, the mom guides the ship and brings the enthusiasm to the activities.  If I'm happy and enjoying myself, usually everyone else is too.  Family time needs a cheerleader.  

Curiosity.  It helps.  Have a great day.  Later gators.  

Travel Day Again

A little less rushed than last week (no contractor appointment) -- heading out later this morning.  

Hubby's colonoscopy was fine -- yea!!  He also reports he's NEVER had a better chocolate chip cookie than the Caputo's recipe so that's going in my book.  They baked so well considering they're HUGE.  I think the chocolate chips added to the experience (Guittard).

I still have a hardy list of things to get done before I leave this morning.

Updates on books and such coming soon once I get my act together.  We've got a packed weekend, but a lot of July is just me so I'll be chatting about other things again LOL.  But until then, it's the Asheville channel.  

Fun weekend planned.  Friday it's just me and hubby (birthday boy) for an happy hour/early dinner on a roof top restaurant.  Then the family arrives.  Craft beer tour on Saturday and outdoor reservations for our neighborhood restaurant.  Sunday is a 4 hour hike with a local guide and a BBQ at the house.  Lots of work, lots of fun.  What a difference a year makes.

We'll do a super fast house turnaround after everyone leaves on Monday and head back that afternoon.  Whirlwind, but then a calm-ish week the next week.

Have a great day.  Later gators :)