FUN COLLAGE FOR IDEAS

A COLLAGE OF THINGS THAT HAVE CAUGHT MY EYE AS OF LATE.  First off is a lovely Iris blossom.  

Skating Party.

My dear 93 year old momma is growing weaker by the day and I thought I'd share some simple exercises she can do at HOME to help regain some strength.  We could all do them by taking hold of a door trim, hanging on while raising up and down on your toes several times.  

Next, do a knee squat several times.

 Two simple exercises that can be done at HOME.

Doodling with a purpose.  I bought some art paper and markers and I'm going to DOODLE.

Surprise a youngster when they wake up in the morning with their stuffed toys sitting at the bedroom door the day of their birthday or when having an over nighter.
 

Just a very lovely historical Parlor.  I do like the red.

Terriers at play.

🪴🪴🪴

The character Mrs. Scott from the GILDED AGE series in her well to-do Parlor playing the piano.

HARVEST TIME will be here before long.  This lovely door hanging would certainly be a nice addition.

Made out of pallets.  Clever and resourceful.

Sweet.  

The Play House I never had.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Flowers add a great deal of charm.

Thinking about having a dish rack built in the Kitchen similar to this.

A nice way to separate beds in the same room with this room divider.

 

Decorate the walls with family photos and framed artwork.  

PINK continues to be a 

favorite color theme.

This was fun,
~d

IT'S STILL SUMMER, A COLLAPSING PORCH, A BIRD CAGE AND MORE

THE END OF AUGUST IS IN A FEW DAYS.  We'll be celebrating our wedding anniversary on August 31st so I want SUMMER to last awhile longer.  I think I'll bake a wedding cake and have a nice steak meal at HOME this year.  

 As Hubby finishes up the Bathroom cabinet fronts, he has had to build supports for the front porch as it needs rebuilt.  Couldn't wait much longer on the supports because the wood slats under the columns are sinking.  The porch is making its way to collapsing.  He will be concentrating on the porch rebuild after the Bathroom is done.  SOOOO a nice, long Indian SUMMER until THANKSGIVING would be very much appreciated.  Yes, and thank you.

Once he gets started, it shouldn't take him very long to rebuild it as the porch is quite small compared to the other two he has done.

As I was out walking the other day, I could hear the locus buzzing their LIFE SOUNDS.  They stay busy buzzing their life away.  When we were driving around with the windows down on the car, the locus were a domineering the sound aves and are something to be reckoned with. They're loud and I can't ignore them.  No way.  This sound is a reminder that SUMMER is STILL HERE.

MORNING NEWS.  I went walking this morning at the track with the temps being about 67 degrees.  Wonderful walking weather.  I only did a mile and was sweating.  Cooling off now.  I hope to get a lot of walking in before AUTUMN makes an entrance, but come AUTUMN...I will walk as much as possible like an addiction. 

Laundry is in and I watered the porch plants already this morning.  My geraniums that are in the galvanized tub are loving their location.  Full of blooms.  Last year the coleus was my winner as they did so well.  I'll take the geraniums this year.  When the outdoor temps lower and there's a chance of frost, I'll wheel the cart inside that holds the tub and it will sit in front of the Dining room windows.  They should WINTER there well.  If they survive, then in the Spring 2026 they will go back outside.

Hubby has gone to an ANTIQUE SHOPPE this morning to purchase me a large metal birdcage on a stand.  I saw it a few days ago and showed it to him last night.  Out from my mouth I blurted, "I want it."  "Happy 70th Birthday and Happy Anniversary," he said.  I accept!

Not often am I so spontaneous with such force, but I fell in love with it.  This birdcage will make a lovely garden ornament for us and when the backyard patio goes in, it will sit on the patio for decoration.  Waiting for him to return.  I think he must have purchased it since he has been gone for some time now. Loading it in the car will take some effort as it is a heavy piece.

 

She's HOME!!!

CHORES.  I am relieved that I got the 4 Dining room chairs oiled and they are in their proper place.  They look so much better than they did.  It took me awhile, but by-golly-gum, I got 'er done.  The old oak table looks so sad now as she needs stripped and refinished.  If I start on it in September I might have a lovely table by THANKSGIVING?  My time and effort needs to go into clearing out the front Bedroom.  It should come first, but the way things are done around here, who knows???  Always something that needs done.

MOVIE TIME.  We watched a good 2025 comedy/drama movie last night.  Really liked it. NONNAS.  Fairly clean movie.  Some skin shows, but overall it was good.

As he grieves the passing of his mother, Joe Scaravella reminisces about his childhood in 1970s Brooklyn when his mother Maria and nonna, would be in the kitchen cooking for friends and family. He remembers what they taught him and recreates all of the dishes they used to make, though he cannot seem to pin down his Nonna's Sunday gravy.

FROWN CITY.  I stepped on the scales to weigh myself this morning and frowned.  The weight isn't budging.  I think after we celebrate our grandson's 11th birthday where I know that I will eat CAKE, that I will return to the Daniel Diet AGAIN and pray the weight comes off.  I am getting MAD at my weight for being so stubborn.  LIFESTYLE CHANGES are to continue.

May you have a great week-end.  I hope to.

Blessings,
~d

It's still SUMMER.  

THE MORGAN HOUSE IN PEABODY, KANSAS

THE 1881 MORGAN HOUSE.  SHE'S A VERY SWEET ITALIANATE HOUSE IN PEABODY.  She isn't huge by any means, but very stately from the outside if you ask me.  

Back Patio

Peabody has a history of being a prosperous town in the midwest.  You wouldn't know it now as modern times have ravished it and left it as a small town with many of the Main Street store-fronts empty.  Once a community favoring wheat, cattle with an oil boom  importance, now she is a quiet town with little activity going on.

There are still quite a few lovely historic houses that are rather large and lavish on Main Street.  I think I could live in Peabody if I had one of these historic houses.  grins.  The majority of the shopping would be done in Newton and Wichita.  For now, I am settling in a 1900 FIXER-UPPER Victorian Folk Cottage in a different small-town America and am thankful about it.  

A modest tour of the MORGAN HOUSE.

Entrance of the Morgan House has the stairs leading to the Bedrooms and a straight on view of the Kitchen.

The Parlour is also used as an overflow dining area so modern day events take place in the house.

Dining room

Upstairs Bedrooms 

I so enjoy touring houses,
~d

STAYING ON A SCHEDULE, DATING BY EATING MORE FISH, DISCOUNTED THRIFT AND BOTTLED WATER!

TIRES FOR OUR 'LIL CRUISER.  They don't give tires away, do they?  Expensive shoes for our 'lil PETE as we needed to get some new tires for our lil car.  🚙 We chose TOPEKA over MANHATTAN for cheaper taxes on the purchase!  Buying tires was on the agenda for the SUMMER, so I feel better about staying on a schedule.  How's 'bout that...we did it.  This Summer, we had the air conditioning overhauled on Pete and now he has new tires.  

DATING.  ON A DATE WITH MY HUBBY.  We still date and I strongly encourage you to do as well as a married couple.  Keeping it real.  Keeping a healthy relationship.   

📰🗞📨 Our day started out by getting the mail.  
Putted off to TOPEKA across the beautiful Flint Hills.  The weather was on the verge of being overly hot, but as the day wore on, it cooled down to a very pleasant temp.  Oh so refreshing.  

🐟🎣 LUNCH.  A DATE FOR US.  Trying to eat fish twice a week and haven't been doing this so we went to LONG JOHN SILVERS for fish, hush puppies and green beans.  Had a very quiet meal and then traveled to the TIRE SHOP.  

While our 'lil car was getting new tires, I walked over to KOHLs and looked about.  Hubby picked me up and then we took advantage of the SENIOR DISCOUNT DAY at God's Storehouse. Purchased some paper, a checked blouse for me, a framed print, and a pair of old earrings that I will add to my jewelry collection.  

🚰🍾 Stopped by NATURAL GROCERS for our special bottled electrolyte water.  I know I feel better when I am drinking electrolytes in the water.  I can tell.

HY-VEE.  Cucumbers and celery.  They didn't have the other bottled water that we were wanting so we decided to leave TOPEKA, drive over to MANHATTAN on the interstate to the other HY-VEE that we knew had MOUNTAIN VALLEY WATER and purchase some Cranberry tea that I didn't have any of.  Tea.

🥢 Hubby was craving Chinese food so we went to a new Restaurant for Orange Chicken and General Tso's.  He gets what he wants most of the time when it comes to FOOD and I think he deserves it after all the hard work he is doing remodeling our fixer upper COTTAGE.  I also had Crab 🥠 Rangoon.  HOME to unload our spoils. The drive was relaxing as the weather was to where we could roll the windows down.  Awesome in the low 70s. 

The drive was ever so pleasant.  The Sun was going down and by now I was exhausted.  Time out.  I washed a couple of large MASON JARS to hold the cucumbers and celery.  We watched an old movie and drifted off to sleep.

SLEPT SUPER WELL.  Woke around 7:30 and decided that since the temps are in the low 70s I'd go for a walk at the track.  Made my mile and called it good.  It made me feel like I had accomplished something after walking.  It was a great feeling.  Walking a mile is getting easier for me.  I may start adding another lap to my mile.  Right now doing two miles is too difficult for me.  When the temps get milder in September then I will have to decide if I want to walk a mile in the morning and one in the evening.  Truthfully this seems like a better way of doing my walking since I'm 7o.

📞 Phoned my Mom and chatted with her.  
🥒🫙Washed and prepped the cucs and celery placing them in the mason jars filled with water placing them in the fridge.  Hopefully, this will extend their lives.  The celery goes limp so fast and the cucumbers aren't keeping well before I get to them.  Great snack foods.
💡🔌🚰 Gotta get the City Bill paid at their office.  Getting out of the house this afternoon will be a great thing for me.
👚 A load of laundry put in.
🪑 Got the last coat of furniture polish put on the 4th dining room chair.  She's drying.  Ran behind on this, but now she's done.
🐔 Will fix left-over chicken for supper with a zucchini bake for vegetables.
🖌 Nothing too exciting as I wait for the linen cabinet doors to get painted.  This waiting has been difficult.  I 😠 start to lose my temper and have to pull back reminding myself that these things take time.  More time than I want to give it.  sigh.  Patience.  Stay busy and time will fly.
🧺 In the front Bedroom is a jumbo size basket that I'll move to the Utility room and place on top of the washing machine.  One more thing out of the Bedroom.  
🛏 Next week, I think I will pull the mattress and box springs out of there so I can work with more floor space around me.  It'll make the working in the room easier.  Oh Lord, help me get this done.  

🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

Onto a new day.  Walked a mile at the track.  I heated up, but managed to walk with ease without huffing and puffing.  Felt pretty good getting this out of the way.  I was alone at the track and felt comfortable crying out loud.  A great stress reliever.  The messes in the house are eating my lunch as some would say.  I am low on energy and can't seem to get things in maintenance mood.  Every now and then I need to have a good cry.  I did.  

Now to go to the City Building and pay that monthly bill.  Back at the house, the housework awaits me.
~d  

AHH SHUCKS and A BIG CHANGE OF PLANS ARE IN ORDER

WHAAAAH.  Woke to the sound of rumbling thunder.  Thankful to wake up and be able to hear, but that sound represents a storm with rainfall.  No walking this morning.  Will try again tomorrow.  I guess I can walk in place in the Living room.  It's suppose to hit 92 degrees this afternoon which means it will be unbearable and I cannot walk out in the muggy environment.  A CHANGE OF PLANS ARE IN ORDER.

Since it's storming outside and I can't walk at the track, I'll work inside on other things.  LIKE THE FRONT BEDROOM.  I need to put some peppy music on and get after it.  I haven't had music on in the house for months.  The quiet is preferred, but since I need some encouragement, the music will help get me in the mood to work on this abyss called a Bedroom.  Staying focused, I can see an actual functioning room with clean white walls and window treatments in place.  It looks wonderful in my mind.

Being retired means I can do housework on a different schedule than before along with hobbies. If I want to do some drawing, I can sit in my chair and draw away any time of the day I want.  Or write a children's book.  Sew a quilt at 3 in the afternoon.  Run the vacuum at midnight.  Bake a cake at 2 in the morning.  Dust the furniture at 6 AM.  Etcetera.  Let there be LIFE and LIFE abundantly.  I do not have to be so methodical or in a rut.  I do want to get some things done so I do need to work at it.       

ON THE HOME FRONT:  Hubby shared that the sealing and priming is done on the wood cabinet fronts.  Step 1 and 2 are completed on all 9 doors.  That's a thrill.  Now he will be painting grey paint on the cabinet fronts for the linen cabinet.  He's busy working inside the house instead of the front porch since it's storming outside. 

FOR ME...another coat of OLD ENGLISH will go on a Dining room chair here in a minute. Placing the chairs on top of the Dining room table is where I have been oiling them one at a time. It goes pretty fast once I get started. Praise the LORD.  By the end of the day, the chairs will be sitting about the table looking just right for our Dining room.

THE FRONT BEDROOM will get some much needed attention.  It would be fantastic if it were cleared out by the end of the month, but I KNOW THIS ISN'T BEING REALISTIC SINCE THERE IS SO MUCH TO DO.  Maybe by the end of September.  Before we lived here and the house was a warehouse for us, I had to completely clear the room out before.  It was like a breath of fresh air when it was done.  So I'll keep that in mind to get me fired up to get it cleared out AGAIN.

RECAP ON COTTAGE PROJECTS:
2021.  More health issues entered into the picture.  We are having to work with them.  In January, Hubby was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.  A multitude of medical appointments.
We started relocating our huge collection of Iris plants in August 2021 from the main house to the COTTAGE yard.  
3 large Flower beds were created for them which meant working outside in the August HEAT.

2022.  The COTTAGE bathroom was gutted in June.
COVID got us in July.
Next, the she shed was cleared out in August, gutted and remodeled in September.
Small pieces of furniture started to migrate into the COTTAGE.
Painted the pantry.  
Food stash and Kitchenwares were moved to Cottage Pantry.

2023.  In January, I started packing boxes for our move into the COTTAGE.
Uterine Cancer was diagnosed in the Spring.  A multitude of medical appointments took place.
Small pieces of furniture were relocated to the COTTAGE and in July the larger pieces of furniture were moved into storage units and into the COTTAGE.  
Hysterectomy in July with long recovery.
We continued on the big house projects so we could list the house to sell.  Kitchen painted. Basement floor painted.  A wall built in stairwell.  Main steps stained.  Entryway painted. Breezeway painted.  Blue Bedroom floor installed.  Overall repairs done.  Outside trim of house repaired.    
Completely moved out of the big house by October and sold it in December.
Getting settled in COTTAGE.

2024.  In January Hubby seriously injured his foot, but continued working on Bathroom.
2 March Cataract surgeries, which didn't go well.
Terrible FLU in May.
In July, COVID got us again.
In August we emptied a storage unit.
Celebrated our 50th Wedding Anniversary.
Shuffled two rooms in October/November prepping for company.
In December the garage and house were shingled. 

2025.  
Ongoing remodel of Bathroom.
Two grandchildren graduated from High School.
Started on front porch rebuild.
Front Bedroom being cleared out.

As I go through our STUFF, I am in disbelief that I became such a hoarder? in many ways.  I am changing and I will change for the better.  Amen.  God be with me and help me transform into a better person in all my ways.  In Jesus name, I pray and transform.

MAKES MY HEAD SPIN.

ESTATE PLANS AHEAD OF US.  Bathroom completely finished!  PTL.
Front Bedroom emptied and turned into a TV room.
Small pink room turned into Bedroom AGAIN.
Garage cleared out.
Front Porch tore into and rebuilt.
Another storage unit cleared out.  That will make it 2 down and 1 to go.
The go ahead on what to do with the Cottage floor.  Either live with the original wood floor after old carpet is pulled up or lay new wood floor or carpet it.

LORD WILLING,

~d

ABC Juice | Apple Beetroot Carrot Juice | Detox Drink Recipe | Juice For...

Just click on the YouTube to watch.  

Here's to health!

~d

BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY! Amen.

HOW'S OUR DAY GOING TO GO???  NOT TO MENTION THE WEEK.  Wanting a good one with some rest as well as productivity to take place.  Looked over our calendar to refresh my mind about appointments and activities.  The week looks good.  Not over committed. A slower paced week with results anywho.   

Visited with HUBBY to synchronize our week and remembered that we need to get some new tires for our lil cruiser.  Her tires are balding.  Having tires in this condition can get dangerous if the roads are wet and braking takes place.  You might hydroplane in the car.  I don't care to go flying losing control while going across the Flint Hills.  

Better to be safe than sorry.

🩹🤕 TV.  What is it about entertainment these days?  Perhaps I am resisting doing other productive things rather than watching a television series.  There's that 'F' word holding hands with more foul language.  It has gotten easier for me to turn the channel when the 'F'  b o m b goes off.  Sad state of affairs when the script has this word used over and over.  Kate Hudson is the executive producer of a series about a basketball team, THE WAVES.  Right off the bat, there's the foul language.  What a waste of a good story line.  When I let the filth into my HOME through the TV then it's my fault that I did not filter out the junk.

I have say-so over what I 👀 watch.  Boredom, laziness and/or exhaustion contributes to watching way too much TV.  I've got my  number.

HEALTH WISE.  Walking to resume in the morning.  More steamed veggies in a day and salad greens included in the menus.  Water intake.  Some special teas to drink plus vitamin/minerals supplements.  Spending time praying.  I'll weigh myself in the mornings and exercise with light weights.  Sounds like a program.

CHORES.  
THE FRIDGE. 1)The fridge's interior shelves were cleaned.  Items organized and accounted for.  

2) Next the door's smaller shelves will be cleaned and the door items tended to.
3) The freezer needs tweaked so I know what I have on hand.

FOOD.  🦃 The big, beautiful frozen turkey that I have in the utility room freezer needs to be thawed and baked. THEN we'd have an abundance of turkey for a week or so until we got sick of it.  How can anybody get sick of baked turkey? "Not I," said the frugal homemaker.  God bless us one and all. 🦃

FURNITURE.  The 4 wooden dining room chairs will be dry and ready to sit on this week after their overdosing treatment with the furniture polish session.  

I'd like to strip the table.  I'll need to put this on a TO-DO-LIST.  First the front bedroom needs cleared out.  I'm doing this on my own for the time being so it is VERY, VERY SLOW.

WEEK-END WRAP.  We made a split decision to make a quick trip to MANHATTAN for a sledge hammer which Husband needed for building special braces for the front porch to support the roof while rebuilding the porch.  Off we went like a bolt of lightning.  Sometimes I get around rather quickly and today I did.  Just like that I was in the car.  

I drove while admiring the beautiful countryside.  Iced Tea, Lunch, Menards, Target and Hy-Vee. Back HOME we went.  Unloaded our spoils and I went for my chair to put my feet up and eat a bowl of Special-K cereal for a light supper.  Popcorn to follow.  Watched a movie and called it a night.

Here comes MONDAY.

Better safe than sorry,

~d

 

THE BRUSSELS SPROUTS HAD GONE BAD and SOMETHING TO CELEBRATE ABOUT

STILL OILING THE WOODEN DINING ROOM CHAIRS.  The work isn't going as fast as I predicted, but that's alright.  I'm about 2/3rds of the way done on the third chair.

They are looking healthier... if a chair can look healthy!  Okay.  First I spray the chair with a cleaner then polish it and wait a couple of hours before pouring Old English on the seat where I take a cloth to smear the oil all about on the entire chair.  It actually goes pretty fast once I start.

The wooden chair soaks the oil up so a second coat goes on later in the day.  The chair is allowed to dry over night before placing it on the floor and starting with the next chair.  I had thought I'd be done Saturday, but it looks like it will be more like Monday before all 4 chairs are finished. Not a bad thing just slower than intended.

I am pleased with their finished look.  OH SO NICE.

We purchased the chairs about a year ago at PAXICO where I have no idea where they came from, but the wood was parched.  SHAME ON ME for not giving them a drink of oil sooner, but that's the way it's been around here.  I am incredibly slow at getting things done.  I get them done, but it takes so much longer than it should.  poo.

Okay...it has lifted my spirits that I am almost finished with this little task.  The chairs will look so much better come Monday.  Me thinks.

The deep cleaning continues.

Hubby is working on the cabinet door fronts and is making progress.  It'll be next week before the painting is finished on them.  They'll be installed and hardware placed on them.  Something to celebrate about when the Bathroom is finished.  He has had to seal each door front and back twice then prime the doors before painting them a light grey to match the bathroom vanity.  The painting will begin this week Lord willing.

When the Bathroom is done, then the porch will have to be worked on or it'll collapse.  When the porch is done, then that's praise worthy and I will really CELEBRATE!  I wish it were already done.  Along awaited thought.    

🧊Finally got around to giving the fridge some attention.  Something was stinking inside and each time the door was opened the smell invaded the room.  The Brussels sprouts had gone bad.  The interior of the fridge was thoroughly cleaned.  Gorgeous.  She's sparkling now and newly arranged.  Something about having a really clean and organized fridge turns my crank. Opening the door now shows off a clean, organized interior with no odor.  Whoop whoop.  She should stay clean for a while.  So be it.      

I have been battling fatigue so badly the last two weeks it makes me wonder if I have a virus or something.  I know I am extremely deficient with some vitamins, but it seems like it's been more difficult to operate.  It's awful to be so fatigued.  AWFUL.  Debilitating.  Praying for better health. Amen.

OUTSIDE TEMPS have been hellish.  Cooler morning temps are on their way the week to come. This will be welcomed.  Staying out of the HEAT as I am not able to handle the hot temps.  In the morning I'll need to give my outside plants a good drink to keep them alive.  The large geraniums are blooming like never than before.  They're lovely.

Plans for the week?  Nothing exciting, but things need to get done.  
Hoping to get back to walking at least a mile in the mornings each day.  
A load of laundry each day.  
Spend some time each day in the front BEDROOM figuring out what to do with the contents.  
Research current events, medical issues and pray.  
Thoughts swirling in my head.  
Same 'ole same 'ole.  
4 o'clock AFTERNOON TEA each day. 🫖 cheer-ree-o pinky up. 
Goal accomplished.  

~d 

REBOUNDING BLOOD PRESSURE, SQUASH BUGS, SHOPPING, and TAKING IT EASY

I HAD DECIDED TO STAY HOME instead of walking in the morning after having had a busy day yesterday.  We're having a heat-wave and I would have had to go walking around 6 in the morning before the temps became uncomfortable for me to walk in.  After being gone for the day, I needed to rest.  One day on with lots of physical motion and one day off with a slower pace routine seems to work well with my old self.

I'll pick up the walking after a few days.  I have got to get some household chores done.  No excuses.

I decided to stay HOME so my energies could go into HOME CHORES.  I was out and about yesterday as we needed to go to the BIG BOX STORE to get some lumber to use to brace up the front porch.  Where the columns are, she's sagging.  The actual porch floor begins to sag showing an accident is about to take place where the porch will collapse causing serious roof damage.  

With these old houses that are over a hundred years old, when they decide that they have held the porch up long enough begin to disintegrate right before your eyes.

Our old 1885 rock house's porch did this and HUBBY rebuilt the entire porch in 2010 I think it was.  The COTTAGE'S PORCH is doing the same.  She's at least 125 years old.  Built in 1900 and now it's 2025 sooooo here we go.  HUBBY bought wood studs for a temporary brace until he can dive right in rebuilding the porch.  He wants to finish the bathroom cabinet fronts first before darting into rebuilding the porch.  God give him strength.

Yesterday, we got up early to go to MANHATTAN for the lumber.  Hubby watered the garden first.

SINCE we'd be in Manhattan, I wanted to see if I could get a stylist to shampoo my hair before too much time passes as my hair was in need of a good shampoo.  It's been a while since I had my hair shampooed and styled at a salon.  Located GREAT CLIPS, made an appointment and a very talented stylist took me as her client.  

I left the facility with clean straight hair.  It doesn't look like my hair as it is usually very frizzy in the natural.  The frizzy curls takes over and I am in a bad way.  This stylist did a beautiful job on my hair.  ROXY.  The shampoo was only $8.  It was the blow out styling that cost.  I gave her a nice TIP.  I'd use her again.

We went to STARBUCKS for my TRENTA UNSWEETENED ICED GREEN TEA for medicinal purposes.  grins.  My favorite.  Lunch was at LONGHORNS.  I let HUBBY DECIDE and he said this was the place to go.  I knew I could get a very nice salad there so I did plus a small bowl of their FRENCH ONION SOUP.  I ate some of their bread.  

MADE A BANK RUN which meant pulling some cash from one Bank account to deposit it into another.  Playing it safe to make sure there's enough cash in the checking to cover expenses on the house projects.

AFTER a nice meal, we went to MENARDS to do the shopping.  I went looking for spray bottles and DAWN liquid dish soap so we can make some SQUASH BUG KILLER.  The beautiful pumpkins that we are growing have squash bugs on them.  Hubby sprayed with a bug killer, SEVIN.  He was determined to use the SEVIN.  He did and it doesn't kill the eggs.  DAWN does.  Unhuh.  I mentioned to him that you can make your own killer with DAWN plus water that kills the bugs AND their eggs.  He decided to give it a try.

We got our shopping done and headed HOME.  The FLINT HILLS are gorgeous to see against the blue skies this time of year.  

RECAP.  
Garden watered.
Post Office drop.
Auto filled.
Auto Insurance proof printed out to carry and keep in the cubby hole/glove compartment.
Drive to Manhattan.
Hunger Saver for Hubby.  Starbucks for me.
Great Clips Shampoo and style.
Lunch.
Bank run.
Menards.
Drive HOME.
Rested.
Visit with my baby brother.
Rested some more.
Researched on Vitamin D deficiencies and obesity.  Yes, there's a connection.
Popcorn and a movie.
Lights out.

I had a very pleasant day.  Thankful.

NEXT DAY.  I started checking where I can get a shampoo for the least expense besides my own HOME.  When leaning over the KITCHEN SINK to shampoo my hair, it hurts my back.  We no longer have a shower so I have to shampoo it at the sink.  Very challenging.  It can be done, but I really think I need some help getting my scalp and hair extremely clean.  It seems like Great Clip ($8) and WASHBURN TECH ACADEMY ($5) have the most reasonable prices for just a shampoo.  I figure if I'm going to TOPEKA for my thrift treat that I could go to the Academy for an early morning shampoo and allow it to air dry before going to medical appointments and/or thrifting.  Sounds like a winner. 

👧👧👧👧👧👧👧👧  

Took my blood pressure and it was way too high.  It's been about three weeks since tapering off Olmesartan/HCTZ.  My BP has raised some.  Closely watching it.  My Blood pressure is rebounding.  I have to give myself at least a month before the rebounding goes away.  A month mind you.  

Taking BP SUPPORT supplements, drinking Hibiscus Tea and Green Matcha Tea.  I'll start taking some potassium and magnesium supplements plus drink some electrolyte water.  These will help lower my blood pressure in a natural way verses prescription drugs that has side effects.  

I'm concentrating on Vitamin D therapy as well.  I am taking high potent Vitamin D2 pills once a week for 8 weeks.  I'll be getting my Vitamin D levels checked in 7 weeks to see if the levels are better.  Having a Vitamin D deficiency can contribute to high blood pressure and obesity.  I know that Vitamin D3 is better absorbed than D2.  Visited with my MD about Vitamin D3 injections and he'd consider giving these to me.  After my levels are checked in 7 weeks, if I'm still too low then I'll ask him if we could do the injections.  Truthfully I believe that I am having more challenges with losing weight and fatigue than I should because I am deficient in Vitamin D.  

Old age, obesity, bad absorption of nutrients, medications, not enough sunshine, eating the wrong foods all contribute to low D which is actually a hormone and not a vitamin at all.  Why it's called a vitamin, I'm not sure.  Will have to check into that.

Blessings to you,

~d

GREAT FRIDAY NIGHT MOVIE...RADIO

I HADN'T HEARD OF THIS 2003 MOVIE BEFORE, but wanted to see it when I saw the trailer.  RADIO.

  

Inspired by a true story.

~d

GOING SLEEVELESS EXERCISES, FOOD PROGRAM and TAKING INTEREST IN FURNITURE

I'D LIKE TO GO SLEEVELESS!
~d

THIS MORNING I WOKE BEFORE THE ALARM WENT OFF.  Thinking about heading to the football field and getting two miles in early.  Shall I do this?  Think so. After I walk, I get a surge of satisfaction that I actually did it.  I know there have been a number of times that after I headed out the front door to walk the neighborhood, I'd hear myself say, "Well, you're doing it!  You're actually out walking!!!"

A beautiful day for a walk and to begin the arm exercises with light hand weights.  I know I am well able to do these four arm exercises without too much trouble.  I sorely need some improvement in my arm's toning.  I never dreamt that I'd be so out of shape in my life, but here I am at 70 shaking my head that I allowed my body to disintegrate so badly.  It's a sad story. Cheer up and move on, Child.

There goes the alarm.  I have already groomed myself for the day and taken the dining room chair down off the table replacing it with another chair.  Yesterday, I cleaned one chair then OLD ENGLISH oiled it until the wood was soaked with oil.  The chair dried through the night and looks beautiful.  Almost like new.  Each day I'll do the same to the next chair.  I've only got 4 chairs so I should be done by Saturday.

As I cleaned the chair on top of the table, there is no denying that the table it's sitting on needs stripped and refinished.  The sealer that HUBBY painted the table with years ago is in such bad repair.  This old table has been around.  We purchased it from my Mom so many years ago that I cannot remember when we got it.  The table is originally from the late 1880s or early 1900s.  An old, round oak table with a large base to it that my brother David played under using the bottom of the table as a space ship.  He'd stuck paper controls to the bottom of the table when he was a little boy and would sit under the table playing that he was a pilot.  Creative.

I'd like to strip the oak colored table and stain it a darker shade like the other pieces we have. We have a china cabinet, a side board, a victorian desk and a corner cabinet in the dining room that are this darker color.  I'd like to stain the table to match.  I can see this project finished in my head.  Maybe by 2026, she'll be finished. That's a generous amount of time.  The sealer that is on it now is partially peeled away.  The old gal looks rather shabby and this is one piece of furniture that I don't want to look shabby anymore.  So, this means I have to do something about it.  

Just like my body, I have to do something about it.  Off I go to the track to walk in the cool of the day.  I need to walk 2 miles this time and enjoy the scenery as I walk in circles.  The countryside at the field is breathtakingly beautiful to look at as I walk.  The countryside is so beautiful with the greenery and gentle rolling hills in the background.

Off I go checking the temperatures at 66 degrees with humidity at 96% with the wind 1 mph. Fantastic walking weather for an old lady like me.  Now to get out the door and do this thing.

UPDATE:  I walked my 8 laps around the track cheering myself on for the last 3 laps.  I was HOT and sweaty.

I talk to myself as I go.  It helps.  By the time I got to my car, I was slightly wobbly and I was so ready to sit and drink some spring water.  It took every bit of 50 minutes to walk the course in constant motion.  This is a miracle and a half that I am doing this without passing out or stopping.  

I turned the air conditioning on to blow cool air onto my hot face.  It felt super.  Ahhhhh and off I drove the car making my way HOME.  Hubby greeted me at the door with a tall glass of ice water.  Sweet of him.  

Today looks like a day at HOME.  Throughout the day, the dining room chair will be cleaned and oiled.  By bedtime it should be ready to dry and take on a healthy glow.  Some laundry should be done.  A nap will be in order for recovery.  A couple of plants need repotted.  What else? Studying and reading.  It's all good.  A vegetable salad with chickpeas and black beans for SUPPER for sure.  No BREAKFAST today, but rather an early LUNCH of 4 scrambled eggs (280 calories) made with a 1/3 cup cottage cheese (107), 1/2 an avocado (130) on the side, and 4 turkey sausage links (145).  Water and Hibiscus Tea throughout the day along with supplements. That's a whopping 662 calories before noon.  If I aim for 1000 calories in my day today, I am doing well. Want to add some fruit and veggies for the rest of my calories.  NO SWEETS.  Amen. 

TO GOD BE THE GLORY GREAT THINGS HE HATH DONE,

~d