Tuesday, July 4, 2023 - Independence Day

Yesterday ended up being a decent beach day and not as rainy as forecasted. This muggy weather is so unpredictable. Today is a similar forecast and it was just raining a few minutes ago. Sun/warmth or rain/humidity? What will be will be.

CC, yes I think the PT is helping. The cortisone injection in the shoulder has been a miracle so far partially because without it I wouldn't be able to do the PT. There are two goals: increasing flexibility/range of motion which had gotten compromised over time and increasing muscle strength particularly in areas needed to better support my shoulder when I use it. I hope I come away with a manageable set of exercises to use on a regular basis to keep it in shape. If they take too long to do I am likely to skip them. I am also asking about future activities. Any racquet sports are out of the question which correlates with my feeling that trying them would hurt like crazy. Now I can definitively say no to the people in Florida telling me that Pickleball is easy and good for everyone (not me). Water aerobics and yoga (with care) are good. Golf is probably okay.

The cookout with Mike's family and friends was fun yesterday. Today we have a cookout at friends nearby and all of my family in the area is invited. Hopefully it won't rain!!!

Have a fantastic Fourth of July!

I sleep so well here. So much better than AZ. The sun comes up a little later and my room is on the west side of the house. And no 5 am hot air balloons, coyotes, screaming toads, mystery animal screeching, etc. I think I need blackout blinds in AZ. And ear plugs.

More humid today and warmer. I turned the a/c on already. Not much rain in the forecast. MI needs it. Very droughty here. I forgot how much my hair hates humidity and now it's too short for clips. It's going to be an ugly summer! Somehow I forgot to pack shorts. Just ordered some like the ones I left on Zappos.

I made my smoked beans yesterday and will smoke ribs today. Yes, DianeS, the fish visitor does crustaceans. She's having salmon though.

My dad's wife is so nice. She's powerwashing my deck. I went around and sprayed Iron Out on the rust stains from the sprinklers... I need new outdoor furniture. It's teak and it's so much work to maintain even if you let it silver. Plus the wasps love it.

Food has been good thus far here. i really tried not to buy much. Eggs for breakfast, keto appropriate stuff for lunch. No snacks. Though the beans I made are loaded with sugar and we're having roasted potato salad (which is AMAZING. Here's the recipe: https://midwestfoodieblog.com/roasted-potato-salad/ ) Then back to being sensible. I definitely move more here. It's a big property and I get more steps.

Not much else to report. Take care all!

Funny how the light has such an effect on sleeping. It comes up way earlier here than in Florida or any of the places we traveled to this year. I have used earplugs for years - makes a big difference in my sleep.

Good morning and Happy 4th! We skipped the traditional community pancake breakfast today. Both of us were tired. Plus, I went to bed thinking about how I dislike eating like that the first thing in the morning. I don't do well with a sweet meal early in the day. i generally come home and collapse after that breakfast. Eating that way makes me sooooo drowsy. I'm guessing it's the sugar spike followed by the insulin induced low.

The Mastiff drools A LOT! I like the dog very much, but between the drool and the shedding i doubt I could ever have one full time. Plus she weighs 140 pounds!

Will do some dog trimming today and a few chores. Will probably run to the supermarket to pick up some grilling eats for tonight, too.

The mini heat wave broke last night. We had great sleeping weather. This morning it is sunny, very gentle breeze and deep blue sky. Perfect holiday weather.

All of you busy, yet organized ladies have my envy! I just don't seem to have the same mojo for keeping my house clean and life in order. Ron is worse than I am, so you can imagine the paper clutter two "absent minded school teachers" might accumulate. We also both have 30-40 years of teaching mementos cluttering up the garage, stuff from his mom's house, stuff from my dad's house, plus all of our own crap.... At times the amount of "stuff" seems overwhelming.

Not much else going on. Have a lovely, fun filled 4th!

You cannot believe how cluttered my home is as DS has spread out everywhere!

I can't deal with any drooly dogs - the drool just disgusts me no matter how sweet the dog is.

Greetings all

Just to be clear, I am the supreme disorganized one. I talk and talk about doing something about it but little happens.

Today was scrabble day. I beat the supreme killer player twice! Not by much but it was my lucky day there. Then I stopped at the store and the studio. Not very busy there (think it might be a holiday somewhere). When the weather is nice in the summer everyone is out at the beach and rivers. Not moi. I just like the overall coolness plus sun.

CC I had no idea Arizona was a noisy place. Screaming toads!!! We have tree frogs here in the winter that are quite loud but somehow peaceful. Glad you are sleeping well up north. Enjoy the BBQ stuff.

Yeah Liz don't do pickelball. Too close to tennis though it does look fun.

Peps where did this Mastiff come from? Are you showing it for someone? I had a friend with bloodhounds years ago. She never went to shows without a supply of goober rags which she also kept in her house. You have to wear a kitchen towel on your belt! I will likely see you at the Ferndale shows one day. Maybe Saturday since borders show mid day.

No word on the floor schedule yet. When it happens it will be chaos.

Tesla got a dose of CBD oil last night. Likely another tonight. Yesterday there was some kind of shooting incident with a million cops west of here close to the ocean. The social pages are asking to ix-nay the fireworks for awhile. Gotta find out what happened.

Pot pie tonight. Leftovers abound. Diane S

P.s. before I forget I wanted to share a dream I had last night. I was rushing around trying to feed people. The doorbell rang. I answered and no one was there. It rang again, I opened the door and old dog chip came bounding in! It was such a sweet dream. Ds

You had a visit with Chip. That's a wonderful dream. It is such a good feeling when our loved ones return to us that way even if briefly and rarely.