BUSY DAY IF YOU ASK ME. Up early. Did a few chores. Laundry. Snipped price tags off of baby clothes I purchased. Shampooed my hair and trimmed it about two inches shorter. Bathed, Groomed, Got dressed. Figured the day. Did my arm exercises with weights. I have got to be faithful in doing this. I can walk, lift light hand weights and walk through the Jack LaLane videos. Eat my salads and drink me water.
Loaded up the car and drove over to Marion, KS to decorate my Dad and Brother's graves, but first we had time to stop at a new CAFE called THE SIT DOWN for some hot tea and ended up eating a Klobasneks in one of their Victorian House's sitting room. Cute place, but I'm not sure how long they will stay open in Marion as I know this community to be rather tight on their spending.
Next we went to the Cemetery to clean up around the tombstones, wipe down the tombstones and hang some geraniums. I have some wreaths for the graves, but with all the shuffling we have done, we could not find the wreaths. Oops. To simplify this Memorial Day, we bought a couple of hanging white geraniums and called it good.
YESTERDAY, AFTER MONTHS OF NOT WALKING A MILE when possible, I headed out the door with specific instructions from my Husband that I was not to walk a mile, but only walk around the track ONE TIME. I obeyed. This would be a quarter of a mile. My hip is feeling so much better than last February when I could not apply pressure on the hip at all.
HIP Journey. I visited my Primary Physician for an X-RAY and ordered a MRI with a referral to Orthopedic Surgeon. Visited with Surgeon where he suggested a corticosteroid shot. This whole problem of extreme hip pain came after I took FLUOROMETHOLONE, a corticosteroid. Years ago I had a horrible reaction to Fluoroquinolone, a corticosteroid, where my calf decided to almost rupture. I have no business taking corticosteroids. No business. When I heard that the surgeon suggested this for me, I decided that I would go to my Chiropractor instead. SO I did and I had excellent results.
5 treatments later, I am walking well with little pain. Praise the Lord.
I will have to treat exercise and food like medicine. Be faithful doing it and that's that.
So many times, I feel like I am not doing LIFE right. If I look at it from the wrong angle then I may be looking at it from the angle that isn't meant to be looked from. Wrong angle. Wrong thoughts. If I need to speak to myself to clarify wrong thoughts then I had best do that.
How does one live each day to the fullest?
WHILE DOING SOME GROCERY SHOPPING AT WALMART, I remembered that MEMORIAL DAY is fast approaching and I have nothing planned for food. I just want a 100% beef hot dog, some beans and chips. Maybe some vanilla ice-cream and a brownie. Flavored water to drink like lemonade! An all American Picnic.
I think we're going to go decorate my Dad and Brother's graves over the week-end. Hopefully we can take a few lawn tools and clean up around the graves. Their wreaths are in the cellar. Need to dig these out to take with us.
Dad and David are buried in Marion, Kansas and I get HOMESICK from time to time for the little town. It's about an hour and a half drive from where I live now. I know that we are to remember the soldiers, but we always decorate the graves of loved ones on Memorial Day. I can drive around the small town and the cemetery and think of days gone by. I sometimes get lonely for those that once walked this earth.
THRIFT. When I was at the thrift shop last Tuesday, I purchased some summer clothing for my grandson and great granddaughter. Dropped grandson's clothing off on the way out of town today. I think he will get some use out of these clothing. I'll have to mail my great granddaughter's clothes to her. I picked up a nice steam punk clock for the TV room. Placed a battery in her and she is keeping time well. Wasn't sure the clock would tick. Luckily they had a pair of denim capri pants that I can fit into. Wonderful. A package of drawing pencils. I left the store holding a peanut butter cookie pleased with our purchases.
TODAY, I needed to go pick up some meds in a different town, drive on over to MANHATTAN for some tea and some groceries. I purchased a small picture frame for a picture of my Mom and a small frame for a picture of my children when they were little. I made out a grocery list before leaving HOME. Lemons and limes, cottage cheese, chips, cherries, cucumbers, mini bell peppers, grass-fed ground beef and turkey, milk, white vinegar in a glass bottle, baking soda, spaghetti sauce, English muffins, SMASH KITCHEN ketch-up, SK mayo.
I haven't been to WALMART for awhile and when I saw SMASH KITCHEN products I knew I hadn't seen this brand before. hummm. Thought I'd try it.
SHALL SEE. Might be a winner.
My week has been different. Sunday, we were in a tornado warning. We went over to our daughter and sil's, had supper and then hit the closet in their basement for shelter. The weather was wicked. High winds, small hail and rain. The TORNADO SIREN was heard and we took cover.
Slept in their basement and woke to the smell of bacon.
We were blessed that no major damage was done to our property.
Said a lot of prayers and gave words of THANKSGIVING.
Monday, needless to say, was a tired one.
Tuesday we went shopping in TOPEKA.
Wednesday, Hubby was clearing out along the side of the house making preparations for the Hostas that will be planted. I can't remember what I did.
Thursday was another day of shopping.
May you have a blessed Memorial Day...
I think I need to pause and get on with LIFE.
God bless,
~d
REMEMBERING THOSE WHO DIED WHILE SERVING IN THE MILITARY FOR OUR COUNTRY.
Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day)[1] is a federal holiday in the United States for honoring and mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.[2][3] It is observed on the last Monday of May. Memorial Day is also considered the unofficial beginning of summer in the United States.
Always grateful.
Thankful beyond words.
~d
The drive takes about an hour and a half one way. I miss my Mom living in Marion so much it hurts. Going to Marion always brings back fond memories. I drive around town looking at the houses of people I once knew, but are now passed away. There's so and so's house!
This year I did not walk through the cemetery as the grounds were soggy from the downpour of 5" of rain. We managed to hang wreaths on shepherd hooks. Later in the week, we'll need to retrieve them and bring them HOME, then I will hang them on our front doors. Grapevine wreaths with white roses and blue with white stars on a bow. They should look nice for Memorial Day through the summer until Labor Day. Near the 4th of July, I'll add some miniature flags on them.
When I return to the cemetery, I will place a hanging basket of flowers on the shepherd's hook and place a bundle of faux flowers in the tombstone vase that is built in. I like the idea of placing a potted plant on the graves and then when the gravesites are to be cleared off take the plants HOME to enjoy the plants longer.
Dad and David's graves are near an old oak tree that has nice shade. Seems odd that my Dad and Brother are buried. It's been a year since we last visited the gravesite. A year. Doesn't seem possible.
Drove HOME in some rain. I talk to myself sometimes and say things like make today count. Life is too short to be unproductive and full of regrets. Turn loose of hard feelings. Live like you mean it. One day, my body may lay in a grave. The spirit is gone, but what have I done while living?
In the cool of the evening, I walked in our backyard to clip some Irises from the garden. Mostly yellow Irises are what are left as the Irises fade away. As I spent some time in the yard, I took time to think about what to do with the flowerbed next. Some baby trees have sprouted up through the Iris bed. I'd like to keep some of the walnut trees that are poking through.
There are a few Iris seed pods that I need to read up on to see how to handle these so we have some baby Irises next Spring. When I walked past the peonies, there seemed to be some seed pods as well. Same with reading up on what to do with the peony seeds. I'd love to have some more peonies.
Resting this evening. Every once in awhile, I walk by the Easter wreaths that are on the table that I am working on and do something to them. The time I have allows for a little here and a little there to work on them. Soon, they will be finished and stored in the cellar. I'm either seriously running behind or super ahead of myself with the wreaths for Easter 2026.
GOOD BYE OLD FRIEND!
This week-end the yard clean-up has started. The old 1971 OPEL GT that we have hauled around with us for years was turned loose of. It was alright to say good-bye. My Husband has had this car ever since I've known him. 1973. We dated in this little car, I learned to drive a stick shift in this car, left our wedding in this car, used it to drive about when our first born came into the world. The kids played in this car. Bitter sweet to say good-bye.
I climbed into the car so I could sit behind the driver's wheel one last time and it was a joke trying to get out of it. So small and I'm a big mama these days. The car is very low to the ground. Even if it were in running condition, it would be difficult to get in and out of it. Those days are gone. V-room v-room off you go. She was a beautiful butterscotch colored sports car way back in the day.
🪴🪴🪴🌿🌿🌿🪴🪴🪴🌿🌿🌿🪴🪴🪴🌿🌿🌿🪴🪴🪴🌿🌿🌿
Hubby is fixing a container garden for us. He cleared a ground area beside the garage, laid weed mat down then placed old bricks on top of it. We're planting some peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and herbs in containers then sitting them in this area. We have part of an old picket fence that will be attached to the garage above where the bricks lay. It was his idea and I fell for it. It'll be sweet.
So with that being said, I can recall our productive week. Last week-end two of our grands graduated. We traveled. Medical appointment. We traveled. Grocery shopped and thrift shopped. We traveled. Bought an old leather club chair with ottoman for Hubby's Art Studio that will be created soon. We traveled. Shopped for some plants and herbs. Turned loose of the old Opel GT. Traveled to a High School League Track and Field event. Traveled to decorate graves. Snipped the last of the Irises that I adore. Saddened that the time for the Irises to fade has come. Will celebrate MEMORIAL DAY on Monday.
🥘🍲🥘🍲🥘🍲🥘🍲🥘🍲🥘🍲🥘🍲🥘
We are on day 6 of our Daniel Diet. Lots of beans are being eaten. Hubby has not complained and seems to be doing pretty well eating the way we are. 21 days of this and then we will ease back into eating red meat, fish and chicken. I think we'll stick with drinking almond milk instead of cow's milk. I look forward to eating eggs again. Skipping the pasta, white rice and pastries.
Since we cannot eat meat and desserts on Memorial Day due to the Daniel Diet, we will probably have black bean patties without hamburger buns and french fries with sugar-free catsup. Yummers. Some fruit. More veggies like a cherry tomato, cucumber, radish and lettuce salad. Lots of lemon water to drink.
MY FEET HURT. What shall I do?
THE WIND JUST BLEW THE FRENCH DOORS WIDE OPEN on this fine Monday. Door was cracked open to let fresh air inside, but also so I can listen to the wind blowing. A great way to relax is to listen to the KANSAS WIND blowing on a sunshiny day. The birds chirp while the wind blows rustling the leaves through the large tree in our yard. I relax in my chair.
Memorial Day HOLIDAY calling to remembrance those who have served our country giving their lives for our freedoms. A time to salute them with honor. Graves are decorated and people are remembered. Even those that did not serve in the military. A time to remember.
Tis Memorial Day and there will be no HOTDOGS, watermelon or chips. Just a very quiet and peaceful day at HOME resting and recovering from being in the heat for a couple of days. As I sat in the heat, I couldn't help but think about those in the military through the years that lived in ungodly heat serving our country defending our freedoms. The heat did this to me and as we were touring Wichita's OLD TOWN COWTOWN on Sunday, I called to remembrance how so many lived without air conditioning.
My Grandpa use to lay on their linoleum floors to cool off after being outside tending to his chores and small ranch that he eked out a living doing. Grandpa Bruce was a tall man. I can imagine how he looked stretched out on the floor to cool off. I had no cool floor to lie down on while watching the State Track and Field Meet in Wichita over the week-end. Just an old brown quilt that didn't mind being sat on. Umbrellas and hats helped a great deal and the sunscreen I used saved us from sunburn.
My body was kind to me as I didn't have to make my way to the bathrooms very often and for an old woman this was a great blessing. Walking up and down the slope is far more challenging to my old body than realized. On Saturday, I made my way to one of the bathrooms. There was no line to use the stalls. The surprise was when I came out of the stall and the line was quite long waiting to use the sink to wash one's hands. One sink.
I haven't seen this kind of line before to use a sink. Always a line to use a toilet. I waited my turn wearing my straw hat bearing a beat red face from the heat.
I was shaking. Slowly I made my way to sit in the shade on a concrete wall and phoned my husband to let him know I was done. Energy gone. Couldn't go to where the athletes were cooling off to say good-bye to our Granddaughter who had finished her last event. She placed, received a medal, stood on the winner's platform.
Her team of five girls all placed and medaled at this State competition. Exciting to see them all medal. Lil Miss medaled in all four of the events she participated in. Very happy and proud of her. She gave it her all and won. Super good for competing as a Freshman in High School. She was tripped in the last race she ran in and nearly fell down, but didn't and managed to finish 4th. The victory in this is that she didn't fall, she wasn't trampled, she continued to run hard and still placed at State. The other three races she placed second. Awesome.
Victory is in being there, wearing a uniform and participating in events. God is with her and she placed. There's VICTORY. We witnessed first hand lil Miss running races as a Freshman at State. Hallelujah and thank you God for this. I am so proud of all my grandchildren. Love them so that I want to cheer each one on as best I can. Praying for them each day. God you are so good. Thank you for them.
We slowly walked to our car in a Church parking lot and drove to Arby's to get a large unsweetened ice tea. I was parched, over heated and needed air conditioning. There is a recovery time needed after being in the heat for two long days.
We'd spend the night again with intentions to go to COWTOWN as we were in the neighborhood. Being so close to COWTOWN I wanted to go see the MURDOCK HOUSE again. We didn't go to all of the buildings as it was too hot and we were over tired so we went to a few and called it good.
My favorite house is the MURDOCK HOUSE. No tour guide this time and allowed to take pictures. Never know about cameras. I've visited before and was told NO CAMERA FLASHES then on a different visit NO CAMERAS period. This time I snapped away and stared at each detail.
I love this place and could easily live in something with this floor plan with added features like a bathroom, utility room and bedroom on the main floor. I haven't seen the upstairs so I have no idea what lies through a dining room door where the stairs lead upward.
What a treat it would be to see.
I know it's a fantasy, but sometimes I give thought to how I would live if I lived in a small community like COWTOWN all the time without cars, no television, no computer, no phones, no running water, no electricity, no electric fans, no fridge, no washing machine, no indoor toilets...okay. Enough fantasy. I do like the conveniences that I have, but still know I could live with a slower paced lifestyle so the tele stays off and the door opens for fresh air.
We drove on over to the Marion Cemetery to decorate my Dad and Brother's graves. Somehow we are going to have to make a way to travel to southwest Kansas to decorate my Husband's Parents' graves. With being busy taking care of my mother, then sick with bronchitis, then State...I'm not sure how to do it all. Next year, I hope we can travel the distance to MOSCOW, KS where their graves are so we can decorate them.
We visited with Mom and my Sister who is staying with Mom. We had pizza and a nice chat with them. Got HOME late and I am officially exhausted where I do need to just sit and rest. Upon walking into the Kitchen porch area where a Robin's nest was by the backdoor when we left home last Thursday, we noticed the little baby birds were gone. Apparently they flew the coop. The nest remains. Perhaps I will keep this one as a treasure.
With my peach colored housecoat on today and bare footed sipping bottled water and hot Matcha Green Tea, I am recovering. Nothing heavy to eat. Gosh the time flies and I do not.
Hubby is outside raking top soil into the lawn's bald spots prepping for grass seed to go in before a gentle rain comes in for the evening. Last week he dug the dead grass out. Pretty sure grubs got to the grass. Lord, we need favor and new growth to the grass in the yard. I have laundry to do as usual and a pile of paperwork to go through. It is a beautiful day and I am blessed. So blessed.
Salad for supper and probably a iced tea. The night will come on and I will be thankful for a nice day where I was allowed to rest and recover. Will do some more laundry as I pace myself. I'll paint my nails. Bronchitis still is bothering me. I am better, but it's still hanging on.
Blood work this week and I'm not excited about this as a yearly physical is on the horizon. Shall see what the doctor says about my health. I continue laboring to lose weight. Regular walking must take place like taking a medicine. Lifestyle changes are a must.
Lord, with your help, I will have the strength and ambition to stay the course. I have changed much knowing there is more to do. Be of good cheer and don't get down. See the blessings around me and in my spirit. Life is a journey and an adventure. Enjoy the ride. Stay a spell and soak in the blessings. Slow down to think and meditate upon God's word. Do not get overly involved with activities. Daily chores must be done and having a very good attitude helps. Have room to wiggle and unwind. Need time to think, pray and read. Amen.
