Sunday, December 10, 2017

Weight 116.6, calories 1762. Calories up, weight down! It never ceases to amaze me. I somewhat intentionally had almonds last night as the fiber usually works a little like a laxative the next day (since we are traveling tomorrow). So I thought the weight would be up still until they worked...

I did walk with some of the ladies in the park yesterday morning, so I've got that connection now for when I get back. They walk for an hour per day Monday to Saturday with a different route each day. Two days go out of the neighborhood for coffee at the end. So it is a good social group. The golf car/bike/motorcycle decorated light Christmas parade came by the house around 7 last night and we went outside to wave. What fun! I guess some years there is a lot of gathering outside, but not this year as it was in the 50s by then. It is 42 now with a high of 60 expected (brrrr for southern Florida).

I am using the cool weather time to do indoor projects. Yesterday I mounted 5 of 7 windows of curtains whi*****luded shortening the curtain panels with my new sewing machine and installing new curtain rods. The sewing machine is great (nicer than my very old one at home). Today I'll do the remaining 2 windows and swap out the recessed lights over the breakfast bar with pendant lights. It requires a light conversion kit, but I did that previously at the Cape Cod house. I have one final light to install over the dining table, but I'm going to wait until we get back for that. While we are gone a pocket door is being installed on the den and a sliding "barn" door on the open entry to our master sinks. The wall the dining room table is on will be wider after the pocket door is put in, so I may reposition the table and don't want to have the light in the wrong place.

This all sounds like a lot of dithering nonsense when more important topics and plans are being contemplated by others. You are in my heart and prayers.

Have a soul-satisfying Sunday!

Don't feel bad about "dithering nonsense" Liz, I love to hear about your life and that of all the others on the board. I'll be happy when my contribution is a little less heavy of the heart! I think you and Dave could open a home fix-it business, you are both always so busy with various projects! The extent of my home fix-it was to weather proof the windows with plastic for the winter. The windows here are awful and the wind whips right in!

Church today and then I will meet up with a friend this afternoon. She lost her first husband to cancer about 12 or so years ago. That seems like forever ago, but I remember it well!

I should get my full 3 days of work in this week (finally!) No trip to Mayo! My 2 days off are booked with appointments (hair, blood work, financial planner, oncology) and then the usual errands like grocery shopping etc.

I like the soul-satisfying Sunday sentiment!

Weight this morning: 133.4 (up 2.4 pounds from Friday morning)

I haven't posted in day or so. Hubby's now feeling strongly the very yucky post-chemo effects. I slept only two hours Friday night, since he was so unsteady on his feet and has almost fallen several times while on his way to the bathroom. This morning he is doing better and moving faster than he was yesterday morning.

Last night I was in bed for 11 hours and slept for 10+ of those hours. Boy, was I tired.

Friday night, while I was up I binge-read the rest of the Galbraith/Rowling mystery series about London detective Cormoran Strike). And, ahem, I also did some hard-core comfort-eating -- cookies, candy, sandwiches, etc. (Yep, we now have candy/cookies in the kitchen because hubby will sometimes eat them when he won't eat much of anything else.) My comfort eating continued through midday yesterday, then eased off. And after last night's long sleep I'm feeling more stable.

Protip: Those AA people are not kidding when they talk about the dangers of HALT (hungry, angry, lonely, tired) situations and the increased seductiveness of drugs at those times.

The silver lining in all this is that I'm loving reading again. I have read and have seen from my own past experience that in times of great stress reading is a more restorative escape than watching TV. Yesterday I went to our public library and checked out three John LeCarre books. What a great writer he is. However, I'm having to read his books with Google.maps on my phone in the other hand.

Today's activities will be housecleaning, a walk around the woods, and LeCarre.

Now let me go find that damned horse I need to climb back up on!

Today's theme: Here, Dobbin!

Here, Dobbin: now I am fixated on that! Don't tell me what it is from. It is a scavenger hunt for my brain. I will pick up those books if I need --- I already wanted but now I need.

I am sorry DH isn't feeling well. (!!!!!!!) What is the chemo interval?

I'm trying go stretch before my hike so I am posting this in virasana. apple-asana. Macbook-asana. .....

Love your combo-asanas, Shel. LOL!

Chemo interval here is 3 weeks. We'll find out this coming week how many treatments (hubby forgot to find out that last week).

Supah Sunday to you!

Liz, I echo your comments about posting "dithering nonsense." I am the poster child of dithering nonsense. Paula, I appreciate your comments about it, too, so now I'm just going to go with my strength.

Today's dither: Hike with Linda, super neighbor.

Buster now knows my hiking boots mean fun. He is snorting and prancing to show me he is ready to go, too Just kidding: he is literally snoring by the fire but I am sure snorting and prancing will commence when I begin my final prep. He can't go today. There is a bit of rock scramble up top and apparently those rocks are now icy so I don't want to risk him getting hurt, 4 miles from the car.

That rock scramble description is giving me some pause. Onward!

Ate more than I wanted/needed yesterday and don't have much appetite this morning which I am going to honor. I am definitely a breakfast person so it is sort of a big deal to mostly skip it. That next-day appetite suppression is new since VSG. That surgery is more than a stomach reduction, for sure. Yesterday's foods didn't cause much restriction so nice to have some benefit this morning.

Peace and hope,

Shel

Weight 164.8, calories 1465

The biannual Christmas decorating has commenced! And now I remember why I got a real tree two years ago when I have a beautiful, expensive artificial one in the garage. The artificial one stinks like plastic. Grrr. I think I'll donate it after this Christmas. I passed on a real tree this year because it's been so dry and windy here, I thought all the cut real trees in the lot would be kindling by now. I could get that scented tree spray, but I'm sensitive to smelly stuff so I think I'm stuck with the plastic odor.

The outside looks really cute though once I figured out my terrible drawings of how to line up the strands and cords.

Tonight I am going to a Christmas concert at my knitting group's church (I was "adopted" by the group, so I'm the only non-church member). They have an amazing choir who was invited to sing at Carnegie Hall last year, so I know it'll be wonderful. And hopefully it will help me embrace the season!

Liz, your home improvements sound great!

Greetings Wonderful People

143 today. Not surprising since I nibbled my way to hell last night. I decided to give up my evening wine as I was verging on overdoing it. I am fine without it but then I wanted to eat nuts and cheese in its place. So today I will stop and get some skim milk, assorted fancy teas, sf hot coco and such to have an evening drink. Hopefully I am just full of you-know-what.

Gallery duty yesterday and more today at the studio today for our holiday sale. We sell loads of stuff there mostly very cheap because so much is produced, we have to get rid of it. But everyone in this county is an artist and there are other art events everywhere.

Hey Shel, I am the queen of dithering. Spent all morning trying to figure out how to scan a real estate offer back and getting DH to do it for me. Then he lectures me on how to do it and its like starting in the middle of the book for me and then I say "just do it for me". He gets annoyed with me because he has explained it 10 times but I just don't get it.

Ann, sorry your DH is now feeling the chemo. Good for you for keeping his favorite treats around and no self flagellation if you eat some too.

Cecily, I hear you on the plastic tree smell. I hate that smell. There is this one sort of junky sporting goods store here that I won't go into anymore because the whole place reeks of plastic when you walk in.

Chicken in lime and butter last night plus peas. It seems like I am constantly going to the store yet there is nothing to eat. I suffer from acute lack of organization. Monkey Mind.

Cheers to all. Diane S

No wt. I slept until 8:30 this morning. I was in the bed too long and took a while on the heating pad and pain meds to get me going again. Didn't feel like I got my money's worth out of the day starting so late. I cleaned the shop up a little. Picked up tools and put them back in place. Also it is cool out and I have Raynauds syndrome so haven't wanted to be out in the wind. I wear heating pads in my shoes and that helps. DW and DD#1 are at the hospital and she is having mild contractions and dilated 1cm. The least invasive start of labor procedure didn't work so they are going to give meds and break water tomorrow morning. My job is to stay behind in the woods and take care of the dogs. I'm ok with that. I will go tomorrow. The Vet thinks our small dog, Bosco,has food allergies. Bosco has been itching and chewing on his legs til they are raw. We have him on a special diet until mid January. Allergy testing can be done but it is $500. 2 month diet trial is 45 a bag that lasts a month. We normally fed 'taste of the wild' or 'blue' foods. The vet seemed to think that could be the problem in smaller breeds. Bosco does not like it at all. He smells his bowl and then comes right to your feet to give a look that says... 'Really, this crap again? I'm just not going to eat it.' It would be funny if he weren't so miserable. We keep his legs bandaged with steroid cream and he takes Benadryl too. The pit bull was mistreated in early life. She is the most grateful dog we have ever had. Food 2 times a day. A soft place to lay down. A brooder light over her bed on the cold nights. She is good to go. She guards the house well. I have dithered on long enough. David

Also, just wanted y'all to know that I "like" all of your post ... in my head. I have no like button on the iPad. Must be a format thing.