05/03/19, Monday

1. Within Range: 1 pound over
2. General Wellbeing: 8 on SS
3. 10,000+ Steps: 2274
4. Fitness: walking
5. Self-Care:
6. Fun: niece's reception
7. I learned/relearned: Time with family is worth just about anything.
8. Intentions: Seek balance & relax, rejuvenate, & recalibrate !!

I have renamed #6 (was leisure/play) to Fun, channeling Shel's recent reminders to us. I added relearned to #7 because I often need to reactivate important life lessons. We went to Syracuse over the weekend for my niece's hometown wedding reception. She was engaged to be married last summer in Chicago, but groom got cold feet and called it off. They decided to get married in November and I flew out, but many could not make it last minute, so my sister held a modest reception for hometown friends and family this past weekend. Every time I get to see my 90 year old mother is a blessing.

We are headed out to Watkins Glen State Park with SS in a bit. We were supposed to go yesterday through Thursday, but it was pouring. It is supposed to rain again late tomorrow through the weekend. Part of me wants to just stay home and mow, as we'll have to brush hog our lawn if we can't mow between rain drops soon !

Looking forward to Shel's cupcake and graduation pictures, more adorable pictures of Fergus and his Michigan frolicking, Dave's lumber establishment and his adorable assistant, Paula's new house, Ann's superpower, Diane's yummy suppers, Miss Bonnie's gardens, PEPS leaving his classroom for the summer, BB's patio and family.... Bring it on !

Weight: 140
Macros: Calories - 1,767, Carbs - 170, Fats - 76, Protein - 106, Fiber - 32
Sleep: 9.5 hours
Veggie/Fruit Servings: 2
Water glasses: 1
Exercise: ? (pedometer malfunctioned again; is fixed now)

Monday morning is a good day for new beginnings. :) And I'm grateful for new beginnings. Honestly, beginning anew is starting to feel like one of life's sweetest blessings.

This week will be a busy one. I must mow a lot today, because the weatherman promises rain all week starting tomorrow. It's another summertime. I'm going out there and enjoy it!

Today's theme: It's a brand new day! Sting

P.S. DianeO, I really do like your morning thoughts about Fun and Relearning. Lately, I'm appreciating so much the metrics you've chosen.

Good morning, all!

I made progress in the house but not what I had hoped. So, I took DD's advise (thanks!) and am bringing in cleaners later this week to finish up anything I don't get to. I specifically put down that that I want the refrigerator cleaned which is a relief. They have the unfortunate task of finishing up DD's bathroom which the grandparents have to use. That bathroom is going to get remodeled in the next year. BB, protect your bathrooms!!!!!!

My parents come in Thur. We should be ready. Honestly, they are easy keepers. I need to get out a coffee maker, and have Folgers, oranges and cabbage available. I'll make a lentil stew and maybe a chicken noodle soup to have in fridge. They get tired of eating and like simple food. These days, that is easy to honor.

Fun today: definitely will get Buster out for a walk. There is a park nearby that I never knew about, we shall find it. To get there requires going up a steep hill so that will be interesting physical test. Shirl, I can't believe my news, either! Heavens to Besty!

DH has always had an artistic eye, much better than mine in almost all ways. I would say in every way except he has such ridged views of balance (for example) that he doesn't appreciate many things that I love. So, check out the picture below. Is this "fun" or is it just ugly?

We have talked about it just once. DH's explanation: "They were cheap and I thought they were fun. The rocks light up at night." He offered to get rid of it and I (ever the saint) said that if he enjoyed it he should keep it. I truly mean that, it is a small (hideous) thing although I have to point out that he bought other (hideous) resin creatures which are scattered about.

I don't mind yard art but prefer natural materials. Those little plastic tulips in the back light up at night, I think. WE ARE NEVER AWAKE AT NIGHT!

Go do something fun. (Ann, I did enjoy Girls just Wanna video the other day! Memory Maker from my Iowa City days when MTV was coming into its own)

Yea! I was pretty sure Girls Just Wanna Have Fun was right in your generational sweet spot. It was in a different generational sweet spot for me -- I was in my mid-30s and newly single in L.A. :)

And (don't hate me!) ... I think that silly pelican and those bright stones are fabulous! If I drove by that house I would think: "There's someone who isn't afraid to do something different!" In a good way. :) Now, I'm not saying the pelican and those stones couldn't be a seasonal thing. Maybe one season. But for that season, I'd dig it.

This aesthetic thing can be hard. I like the rocks, resin animals not so much, but definitely not an eye sore or ugly. My retired Father, one time country veterinarian, carves for a hobby. He has gifted us beautiful things, a rocking horse, a dolls cradle, treasure chests... he has also made a life size sea turtle, which I do like, a big waving bear(that when the kids were little I used to dress for the season, like a summer hulu skirt) a two foot mushroom, a birdbath with a carved post, the carving being a cat crawling up said post, a football sized fish head with a big hook, and now a very large and intricate totem pole with an eagle, bear, etc. My house is grey with white trim and shutters, and a sweet little porch with Victorian spindles. None of this stuff looks like it belongs in our yard, but what do you do? The fish head rotted so I got to throw it away, the bear and mushroom are tucked into some bushes, the totem pole cannot be seen from the street... I grow vines up the birdbath....

Shel, it's the zit boots of garden design!

No. Those colorful rocks surrounding a resin bird trump the zit boots by several circles of Hell! Sorry, Shel, they are hideous in the setting. No getting around it. They are simply wrong.

I'm gay. I win on all design topics! END.OF. SUBJECT!

Ha!!

Boom!

(I am glad you remembered the zit boots. I deliberately didn't mention them in the post though I dearly wanted to)

Weight: 175.6. About 11lbs. to get back to prepregnancy weight. Hoping that part comes off pretty easily. 10 more lbs. to be at happy weight. (21 total) Trying not to be too aggressive as I'm less than 2 weeks postpartum!

Shel I just think you are amazing. Your daughter is so lucky. I can understand not wanting the stigma or sympathy of being a sick person. You just want to enjoy life. And it sounds like you're doing a good job of it! As for cupcake displays, it depends on what you're looking for/your décor. I love my tiered tray for a variety of things, including cupcakes. For my law school graduation, I used the classic-looking law books to add height to various platters of things. But this is highschool right? Don't have to buy books? Ah those days are so very far behind me now. I could probably buy a nice car with all the money I spent between undergrad, graduate, and law school!!! I've also seen people use like those tree trunk rounds to display cakes. I can't think of a better way to describe it but I feel like with your area's natural beauty etc. a nice white tablecloth and maybe some of those tree trunk "platters" could be really pretty.

So nursing is pretty much kaput, again. The more I look into it, it seems that this problem is more prevalent among women who were obese during puberty. Ugh. Another thing that fat stole from me. BUT I'm really trying to focus on all my blessings. Life's too short, man. I am very very fortunate that I was able to have children at all--something that it seems so many of my peers struggle with! I am extremely fortunate to have such easy and enjoyable pregnancies, labors, and deliveries. My children are happy and thriving. I get to look at their beautiful faces while they eat out of a bottle. Thank God for formula.Another advantage--DH can give bottles!! And I'm not attached to being at home! They also sleep longer.

This baby is honestly the most chill baby. My nieces were asking if she ever cries. And for the most part, that's only during a diaper change! She's already sleeping on a schedule of about bed at 10, up at 3, back to bed fairly quickly and up at 8. Couldn't ask for any better. Hoping this isn't the calm before the storm!