08/08/19, Thursday

1. Within Range: yes
2. General Wellbeing: 9 on SS
3. 10,000+ Steps: 9435
4. Fitness: walking
5. Self-Care: meditation
6. Fun: listening to America while walking
7. I learned/relearned: If not now, when ?
8. Intentions: Seek balance & relax, rejuvenate, & recalibrate !!

Listening to everyone preparing to go back to school makes me so grateful to be retired. Welcome Miss Bonnie ! Providing security, stability and hope in this crazy world is all consuming....then, inspiring learning in ways that have to be measured... positive energy coming your way !!!

Heat and humidity building again...hoping for relief tomorrow. My garden, too, is thriving! Garlic and tomatoes are ready for picking daily. Our two Roses of Sharon are just about to bloom...can't wait.

Missing Ann, BB.. let us know you are okay.

145.8

Lazing 'round drinking coffee w/ DH and supposedly paying attention to a review of last night's baseball highlights (not)...

I had a follow up appointment with oncologist yesterday. I have been so waiting to hear a definitive statement of conclusion- of, a complete passing-ending of this particular medical experience. Nope- while "regular blood work looks good, and nothing is showing on scans, marker values will take a few days; no news is good news (and then), so we'll see you again in 3 months " (more blood and new scan of some kind). Reading this over, I realize just how whiny it sounds. I'm so very grateful and relieved- good news, right? but at the same time stress and anxiety flows over me just before these checkups- like living with a messy kitchen and not being able to definitely clean it up for all and good. Lesson to be learned-

Life is messy; deal with it, and learn how to do it with a bit of grace and tranquility. Life's homework is a ***** but must be done.

Today I'm off to Saint Vinie's. It's sack sale day- $2 a bag-o-bring it home and play dress up just for the fun of it. Sometimes I actually stumble upon some very nice things, but mostly, back in the bag and return. Shopping therapy with out sacrificing the checkbook.

Also expecting a delivery of a few- well, alright- some - lovely w.c. Brushes and can't wait to play......(ya, the checkbook took a bit of a hit -

Time to be out and about.... Enjoy your day- play, smile, and enjoy.

There is so much ambiguity with cancer. Since my Mom's diagnosis 8 years ago, she has had scans every 3 to 6 months. They could never say she was anything but "stable". 7 years later she did have a reluctance and treated with chemo, now we start the scans again in September. So no, I don't think you're making too much of it, it's very disruptive.

Totally normal to feel as you do around these appointments. My SIL has the same anxiety.

My good friend had a very aggressive sarcoma in her arm. They are often deadly. She is now at the scans every 6 months stage and still needs a Xanax prescription for the days leading up to it as her anxiety is so high. My dad reacts very similarly to his scans. Very normal, but no less scary!

I agree that life is very ******g messy. Its ongoing (can't EVER get everything all cleaned up and finished) messiness provokes my anxiety, too.

I have a doctor's appointment this morning. I also need to drop by the local medical lab for my annual bariatric blood tests.

And yes, I'm writing every day.

Yesterday morning I also spent three hours going through and tossing old business/consulting files, throwing away business books, and packing up "literary" books to take to the second-hand bookstore. I'm not even close to being done.

Then there are my mother's remaining clothes to package up and give to the local hospital thrift store. The physical work is tiring, but the hundreds of decisions are exhausting.

Bear with me, friends -- I'll eventually feel better.

Good to hear from you Ann! Life is so messy. You know that feeling when you're moving, or reorganizing, or cleaning out when the chaos reaches a point where you just want to set fire to it all and walk away? And then miraculously when you can take no more, it all turns a corner and you can see the finish line? And it's then you realize it was all worth it? I hope you reach that corner soon.

DH is off to daycare and I went out and bought some new tops: Shopping therapy. They were on sale of course! One is a Lilly Pulitzer 3/4 length sleeve top for $12 at the consignment store. Score!

I am making Salmon burgers later. I have a great recipe and can use the remaining salmon from the whole fish DS used for Tuesday's dinner. I am making 2 extra for SIL. I got this recipe from my other SIL in Portland OR and it meets my criteria: easy, tasty, nourishing, not too many calories.

Here is a pic of DH on the sail yesterday. He got a little upset at the beginning (don't know why because can't understand him these days), but he (and the rest of us) has a great time!

Have a timely Thursday!

It's so loving how you continue to find ways to provide DH a way to stay connected to others and to life. He chose his life partner well. I know my DH would do the same for me, I hope I could do the same for him.

Love your shopping score! I don't see a lot of Lily Pulitzer in the consignment shops around here...

Why does OH eat the posts you put the most effort into??

Today I went to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore to do some hiking. It was beautiful and I wished Shel was there. I even tried to take a sun through the trees pictures to see if she or anyone else was along for the journey, but I don't think it worked. I ended up doing 5 miles. The pic with the water has a bald eagle in it. There were actually 4 riding the thermals, but they were not interested in being in my pictures!