HOT WEATHER, IBUPROFEN and THE WALTONS AT THE LAUNDRY MAT

TIS QUIET IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD considering that firecrackers can be popped.  I DON'T MISS THE SOUNDS OF POPPING FIRECRACKERS.  I really don't.  When we ran our errands in Manhattan, I noticed so many FIRECRACKER STANDS throughout the landscape.  Huge circus tents of various colors.  I've lived in the area since 1999 and this is the most I've noticed.  As for traffic...it has seriously increased.  

There's a back road part of the way between Wamego and Manhattan that I take sometimes.  As I sit in traffic waiting for a safe time to enter onto the highway with the parade of cars traveling at a high speed, it reminds me of when I lived in Houston and Tulsa.  I guess I am not a city peep, but rather a rural one that gets pleasure out of the countryside with plants verses looking at the tail lights of cars.  Having to be so much on the look out wears at me.  Just part of the territory.

I hope to have another productive day.  Yesterday was awesome as I woke up early, got around and headed out the door to get some chores done before the afternoon medical appointments. Before I snuck out the door, Hubby woke up and said if I gave him 10 minutes he'd go with me as I was going to go to the out-of-town storage unit to pick up the last load of tubs to transfer to a different location and then go do some laundry at the laundry mat.  

I gave him the ten minutes and then out the door we went.  First stop was to the in-town storage unit to drop off some Christmas boxes then I stopped at the Convenience store so Hubby could get a biscuit with gravy.  He does better with a full belly.  Drove over to Wamego and treated him to a donut.  I stayed away from this and drank a V8.  Good girl.  It's been a while since I had a V8 for a meal.  Only 60 calories.  Not much, but then I had planned on a very low calorie day as I diet and inch my way to my July labs for physical.  I am hoping to be 10 pounds lighter when weighed.  Right now, the scales have not budged.  

Our out-of-town storage unit is 25 minutes from our HOME.  The temps were bearable while we worked at the unit.  15 minutes is all it took to load the last of the storage tubs.  I had a box full of material that I wanted to wash in the jumbo machine at the laundry mat.  This cardboard box was an easy target for mice to get into.  Material can be washed so I did that.  Hubby was kind and shook out all the fabric before I loaded it into the jumbo machine.

Some Teddy Bears and fabrics were washed as I sat and watched the WALTONS on TV.  I was hoping it would be on.  I've used this laundry mat before and was familiar with the shows. Nobody else was in the comfy chairs that are for watching their tele, so I was lucky enough to be there.  Mary Ellen has a baby and her Hubby had to return to active duty.  I can't recall his name, but a neighbor of theirs enlisted and got married before being shipped out.  Yancy?

It is an actual treat to sit there while waiting for the laundry to get done and watch THE WALTONS.  

The drive HOME allowed me time to look out at the Kansas landscape admiring the greens.  I just need to sit and reminisce. 

Cleaned up before getting back in the car to drive to Manhattan for medical appointments.  I had enough time to get a WENDY'S baked potato for my lunch as I am trying to be GOOD at eating what is on my list of foods acceptable on this stricter diet plan.  Today it was harder to stay focused on my DANIEL FAST/DIET.  I did it, but it was overwhelming to me.   

I had a Vitamin B12 injection which doesn't take very long after I get to the SHOT ROOM. Hubby had a physical therapy appointment in the neighborhood, so I dropped him off and drove over to MARSHALLs.  Quickly I looked at shoes and picked up a pair of cute summer sandals.  I was looking for slip-ons with no luck.  A LEMON SCENTED candle and a glass pump jar of liquid hand soap with a honey bee imprint on the bottle were purchased.

The temperatures were rising outside with high humidity and I about cooked.  Yes, it's July and I knows it.  I went back to pick-up Hubby from his appointment.  They worked him over good this time and took longer than usual.

He wanted a coffee afterwards so he was treated to one.  I drank water and drove us HOME.  A NAP was in order so I took one in my recliner. 

I worked at putting some items away that had been in storage and made a pile of Christmas decor to go to storage.  Evening was slow paced and I fell asleep after surfing the net.  Today will be a new day and I'll be back at this ongoing project of downsizing.  Another load of boxes will go to the unit, I'll vacuum the floorboard of the Cruiser and head over to the Laundry Mat to wash another load of fabrics.  Maybe I can watch THE WALTON's again.

With the temperatures being so HOT, I'll work on going through the tubs in the house, wash some tee-shirts, go through some boxes of papers and take a break from it all.  This isn't very exciting, but it's my project for now.  I will praise GOD when this downsizing and organizing is complete.  Oh how I wish it were done.

This go round of settling into the COTTAGE has me thinking, I would be better off not having so much to do.  It's better to be able to put your things in a place that is ready for you to do so instead of having to completely clean an area out before placing different things into the area.  It seems like this is a big headache.  Hand me the Ibuprofen.

This feels like a difficult year as a Sophomore in High School.  Still not into going to High School, but trying really hard to fit in with the other kids, juggle classes that I don't really want to take, do some outside activities and make the grades.  I want to be successful at this downsizing and reorganizing, but my heart is elsewhere.  Gotta do it anyways.

Staying at it.  I am.

~d

FIRECRACKER HEAT, PARIS TEA, and DOWNSIZING

BLESSINGS TO YOU.  
Hello from the Kansas Prairie.

IT'S HOTTER THAN A FIRECRACKER OUTSIDE.  Yesterday, it felt like SUMMER for sure.  I drank quite a bit of water to stay hydrated.  No TEA for me until the latter part of July. Even herbal. Taking a break from it.  Prepping for my July Labs.  

Going caffeine free for now, but will treat myself to TEA later in ze month because I purchased some HARNEY & SONS Paris.  Haven't a clue what this is, but it sounded like OOH LALAA.

I must be dreaming.  I've been so busy that the days are a blur.

I stayed in my pink housecoat until NOON.  Said I was being lazy.  There was knock at the door.  SIL and Lil Dude stopped by for a quick visit with us.  My Grandson watched Dinosaur Train for a few minutes with me before he left.  

Hubby unloaded the storage tubs from our unit that we had in the car and placed them on the porch to disinfect them.  Next they'll come into the house for me to decide what to keep or get rid of.  

Later in the evening Hubby, Daughter and SIL will go to the out-of-town storage unit 25 minutes away to retrieve a curio cabinet in their nice size truck.  I'll babysit.  We're getting close to having the unit emptied.  Getting close.  Praise the Lord.  I think I'll drive over and gather all the boxes and haul them HOME.  One more run on the boxes then the larger pieces of furniture will disappear.  

JULY will be here before I know it.  I won't be making my goal of being completely out of his storage unit by July 1st, but if we can stay steady at this, we'll be done early July.  

This is a big project for lil 'ole me and my darling hubby.  Surely LIFE isn't just about hauling STUFF from one place to the next.  SO ready to call it done.  The heat index is climbing which makes working outside rather dangerous for us.  We have to pace ourselves.  SO much of my life has involved moving and relocating like a Nomad.   We've been working in the storage units all of June.  We're into our fourth week of this.  Proud of us for sticking to it.  This getting settled into our tiny COTTAGE has been an ongoing work for us.  Our 2026 SPRING/SUMMER PROJECT IS emptying the storage units, cleaning out the garage, relocating Holiday Decor and dishes/glassware to different locations then making some sense out of the cellar and SHE SHED. This all needs to be done before we step into the next stage of what we are doing.  

The inside of the COTTAGE will be in an upheaval as we work.  We'll start with the TV room with painting the walls and sanding down the wood trim to apply new paint to it.  Right now the ceiling will remain as is.  I'd like to add wide crown molding after we paint.  The carpet will be pulled up after the furniture etc. is shuffled to the Living room.  THEN we'll decide if we can salvage the 126ish year old flooring or lay new carpet.  Makes my head spin. 🤯  This is definitely a great exercise regime, huh? 

I woke early and have made plans for the day.  Hubby will remain HOME to work on the car. The horn isn't working and one of the headlights flickers.  He has already replaced the headlights and filters.  Before the temps rise too high, I'll be going to TOPEKA to Sam's and God's Storehouse for my Tuesday THRIFT TREAT.  

On my way HOME, I'll stop off at the Launder Mat and wash a load of teddy bears that need some attention.  They were in a cardboard box in storage and mice got into the box.  They found a comfortable place to do what not.  humpf.  Anyways, they'll get laundered in a jumbo machine at the Mat, semi-dried in a machine and then I'll let them finish air drying.  My Teddy Bears will come HOME and after they dry they'll be placed in a nicer storage box.  When we return the SHE SHED back into a Victorian Bedroom, I think my Teddies will stay there.  Downsizing the way we have has made me HAVE TO figure where to go with my collections.

Alrighty then. 

Lunch will take place and then I can rest a bit indoors.  With the temps rising, I will need to stay indoors in the heat of the day.

I started cutting back on certain foods on Sunday.  This is day 3 and day 3 is usually a hard one as my body protest and craves the foods I am avoiding.  I noticed a mild headache.  Probably caffeine and sugar withdrawal. 🧁🫖  So far, I have stayed faithful.  Breakfast has been crunchy celery sticks with peanut butter, an apple or cuties.  Kind of enjoying this for the time being.

This is supreme discipline for me as food is a weakness I have.  Especially sweets.  My attitude could click and finally say that it is alright to eat a different way and I am content.  I'm not there yet, but I could be at any second.  grins.

I've heard that if you have been diagnosed with cancer, you should  stop eating fruit, highly processed foods and avoid sugar.  Cancer feeds on sugar.  EAT BROCCOLI.  My Brother-in-Law has been newly diagnosed with cancer.  The medical doctor he visited with told him he should be on the KETO DIET.  Cancer feeds on sugar.  Another medical confirmation that sugar causes health issues.  

Way too much cancer.  Our environment, nutrition, quality of food, beverages, lifestyles are so important that I call them sacred.

Off I go to spend some time on my own and make progress.

~d

SNIPPET

AFTER A HARD WEEK OF WORKING ON THE STORAGE UNITS AND GETTING RID OF STUFF,  today came where we got up early and rumbled into Manhattan for Hubby's physical therapy appointment.  I stayed in the car parked under the shade tree enjoying the weather while he was at the appointment.

I brought some old magazines along with me to thumb through and took some time to redo my hair as I sat in the car.  The weather was really pleasant.  The last few days the weather has been beautiful and I can enjoy it as much as possible.  After a while, I got out of the car and rearranged the back of the car which had two boxes of faux fruit, bottled water and a few groceries.  Trying to make some sense out of it.

Stopped by the bank to buy some $2 bills.  I give $2 bills away to my GRANDCHILDREN for birthdays, Holidays, etc.

We tried something different for breakfast.  Felt like I was on a date.  Hy-Vee has a cafe inside and we get a discount for being SENIORS.  Two eggs, two pieces of bacon and two pancakes. Sipped on water.  We can afford a discounted meal from here and have plans of eating here more often.  

I picked up some oatmeal, chicken broth and Kalamata Olives.

We needed to renew our memberships to the Recreational Center while in town then went to Menards for chemicals to kill chiggers.  Being in the yard over the week-end, the chiggers dined on us. 

We stopped off at the storage unit to check up on things then found ourselves back HOME where I took a three hour NAP.  Worked on dishes and laundry afterwards.  Watched on YOUTUBE the program OFF GRID WITH DOUG AND STACY.  7PM on Monday nights.  They are HOMESTEADERS and ever once in a while Doug voices his voice about politics and current events with a different spin on things.  Hey you all.

Watched the 1984 movie PLACES IN THE HEART with Sally Fields.  Great movie about a widowed woman left to raise two children and save her property during the Depression Era.  It's is one of the best movies.  A plus. 

A VERY GOOD DAY and I feel like we are getting a lot done toward our ongoing project of DOWNSIZING.

Today will be another very full day and away I go,
~d