Good Morning and Happy New Year!

Well, we are having a gray, icky start to the New Year here in North Texas.  I think it is supposed to evolve into something better later today but right now it is a little iffy.

We had our usual New Years Eve celebration last night meaning nothing.  We did nothing.  We went and got a hamburger which elevated Hubs sugar too much and then we watched an episode each of Jane the Virgin, Atypical, and The Crown which I have started over because I never went past the first season. I then took the pupper to bed because she didn’t like the fireworks and I went about my new nightly routine and took myself to bed with my book.

I haven’t signed up for my 2020 Goodreads challenge yet.  I am trying to decide how I want to do it.  I am thinking of following my daughters lead and read an adult fiction, a YA or children’s fiction and a non-fiction book each month.  That is a lot of reading but that is my escape of choice so I should be able to do it.  I am currently finishing up “Plantation” by Dorothea Benton Frank and the autobiography of Freddie Mercury.  I won’t have any problem finding children’s books because Bean keeps me well stocked on those and most of what she reads are really pretty interesting.  My daughter has already suggested a non-fiction book issued in England to explain to the British people exactly what was going on with Hitler and why they were going to war.  It is supposed to be a really good read so that might be one I add.

Sugar.  The only thing that I am doing that is going to look at all like a resolution is to reduce my sugar intake.  I had done well with that but somehow backslid and here I am eating too much again.  I don’t look at that as a resolution, though, more like just a change of habit.

I am working toward meal planning and tonight we are having street tacos.  I love tacos.  I have always loved tacos.  Tacos will pretty much fix anything.  So, we are having tacos on these cute little street taco tortillas.  Growing up in South Texas and eating in public schools pretty much wired me for Mexican on Wednesday so.....it is Wednesday and it is Mexican and that is part of my new plan!

So, on that note, I am going to put in another load of laundry and read a chapter in my book after I see what the dog is so viciously chewing on.  It could be my chair.  Who knows.

I am leaving you with this — a photo of my first cuppa of 2020!  Have a wonderful day!

The Bean and Me Book Club — El Deafo

The Bean and Me Book Club has been on hiatus for a bit while the Bean works on getting her OCD under control.  Anxiety in an old lady like me is one thing, but in a 9 year old who is supposed to be enjoying life, well, it hasn’t been a fun time.  Steps are being taken to deal with her issues and make life easier for her to learn to cope with her little overactive, worried brain.

Things seem to be getting better though and she is beginning to enjoy all the things she used to before       OCD became a part of her life.   One of those things is reading.  She always wanted to read and once she could, it was her main activity.  Now her goal is to surpass one million words on her AR tests by the end of the spring semester.  She is, once again, sharing her books with me and we are reading and discussing them as usual.

My latest read is “El Deafo” by CeCe Bell.  It is the story of CeCe who contracts meningitis at a very young age and, while she survives and thrives quite well, she is left hearing impaired.  It is the story of her journey through the process of discovering her deafness, learning to live with it and learning to live in the world as a child with a challenge.  It is a great story of acceptance. It is also a great story of learning about people, their strengths and their shortcomings, and how to discover and deal with the people who come into your life, how to choose your friends and do what is best for you.

This is a very good book, especially for a child going through a challenge but it is an excellent read for any child learning to understand people with differences — we all have them, right?

So, yes, this is a definite recommend for all ages and being written in the graphic novel style, it is a quick and fun read.  And, there are enough “adult” references that make it tolerable and not oh-so-serious for adults as well.

Revisit and Plan

It is getting to that time of the year that we all sit back and take a look at the year we have just lived.  I don’t much believe in resolutions because I tend to break them before the ink is dry on the list.  I do, however, like to look back at what worked, what was successful and what needs to be re-evaluated.

I have been doing some thinking about planning — planning meals, planning my days, planning projects — just planning in general.  I buy lovely Erin Condren  planners every year and I do use the calendar section for the ever increasing doctor appointments and school schedules and such but I think I could benefit by using the other sections for meal planning and housekeeping schedules.

Now, you are probably wondering why an old lady like me needs to plan things.  We are retired, shouldn’t I just be able to “be” (as my daughter likes to say).  Well, the problem with that is that when I just “be”, nothing gets done except tv watching and net surfing.  Before you know it, there is nothing in the house to eat and the laundry has piled up and I can write my name in the dust on the furniture.  But, the net has been duly surfed.

I find all of this just makes my anxiety and my depression explode.  It has come to my realization that just because I don’t have children in the house doesn’t mean that I don’t need a schedule.  I have also realized that, because of my mobility issues, I put things off until I have a monumental task to complete and not nearly enough energy to do it.  So..........I must rethink things.

Now, since Hubs stroke and hypoglycemia issues, we have been following a much better diet and things have been going well with that.  It does make cooking easy because there is more of a formula and he is helping by grilling a good deal.  Steak or chicken with salad and a vegetable and a small amount of carb is the order of the day and is much less taxing on me but my problem is that I don’t plan and I am always forgetting something at the store which means I don’t always have what I need and that is frustrating.  So, I need to plan my meals.  We are eating out again but he is making good choices and his blood sugar has been in excellent control — to the point that his meds have been reduced and he might even be able to get off of the injectable.  So, that is great and the eating plan is making it easier for me.  But, I still need to plan.

The housework is a big problem for me.  I am lazy.  I don’t like to dust and dragging a large vacuum cleaner around is not my idea of something I jump up in the morning and yell “yay, let’s vacuum”.  So, I bought a Dyson cordless stick vac — the one for animal hair even though the Trixster doesn’t really shed.  It is a lifesaver.  And, the canister releases from the “stick” and I can use it to vacuum the furniture with the nifty little attachments.  It has been a good thing.  I have also gone from mop and bucket to the Bona floor care system.  It is helpful as well — especially with the untrainable Miss Trixster.  She is doing better with the potty pads and almost always “hits” them — expect for when she doesn’t but things have improved.  I feel accomplished in learning these new ways to do things but now I have to continue decluttering.  Today I am going to work on the massive magazine collection.  I love to take magazines but I need to move past saving them.  I have gotten to the point that I read them and toss them but I do have a rather large basket full of them to plow through.  That is on the list for today.

So, while I am not contemplating sharing any huge resolutions with you, I will be sharing changes I am making in my day to day life to try to make things easier for me as I age (yes I actually said that) and am finding things more difficult.  I don’t want to have to struggle and I don’t want to wallow in depression and anxiety because life is changing, I want to find new and better ways to do things so that I can continue to do the things I enjoy.

On that note I am off to Walmart! I never thought I would say that — I don’t like Walmart but the Hubs has a mission so off we go.

Have a great day!

Post Christmas Review

Well, Christmas 2019 is in the books and I have to say I am glad.  This whole year has been a challenge and I am ready to bid it adieu.  I have been absent from my blog for a long time and for good reason other than trying to type on an iPad is icky. I have been struggling with anxiety and depression, brought on I am sure, by my worsening arthritis and increasing immobility.  So I am hoping for a better go in 2020.

I have done a lot of reading lately but failed to meet my Goodreads goal.  I will do better in the coming year.

I have started seriously decluttering areas of the house.  I have learned there is a significant link between anxiety and clutter and I am making an effort to declutter on a daily basis.  My closet has gone well as has my makeup drawer but the craft stuff is going to be a bear.  I am passing on a few books but those are the hardest to get rid of.  I really value books, even yellowing, brittle paperbacks but there is only so much room.  I have succeeded in lessening the amount of reading material coming into the house by using my kindle or my kindle app on my iPad but I will never quit buying books.

We did a little dressing up of the upstairs craft room to make it more kid friendly. I have my craft table which is really a work bench but it looks really nice.  We got it at The Container Store.  Then we added a red leather sofa and a coffee table.  We took some of our paintings out of storage and hung them, refurbished some lamps, added a new, larger tv and voila, a good place for everybody to hang out.   I will take some photos the next time I venture up there but right at the moment my joints are laughing at me even thinking about going up the stairs.

I might go later and buy a keyboard case for my iPad to make typing the blog easier than this one finger hunt and peck action going on.  I have thought about buying a new computer but can’t get excited about it at the moment. Maybe later.

So, anyway, I thought I would check in to let everybody know I am still amongst the living although I am not very mobile at the moment and less motivated.

Hello, All!

Good morning!   Finally had a few minutes to chat for a bit.  Things have been very active of late between doctor appointments, trying to help get Bean straightened out, having some work done around the house and forever trying to housebreak this little fur monster we live with, it is never ending.

I had my annual oncologist appointment and all seems to be well, don’t need to see him for another year. I do believe I need to visit a cardiologist though, and I am due for an eye appointment. I dread the eye appointment because it is all the way across town by our old house and I really want to find somebody closer but I don’t care for breaking in new people, do you?  I have given up on dealing with my knees and just figure they are part of getting old.

The hubs has been painting the inside of the house which is going much quicker than I thought it would. Several weeks ago we ordered plantation shutters for the windows and they have been delivered and installed.  We need to work on the bathrooms which are covered in rather dated wallpaper. Dealing with wallpaper removal is dreadful. We might end up just re-papering over it. A pain either way.

Girl Scounts has been particularly active.  We had a birthday party for Juliet Gordon Low, the founder. It was supposed to be outside but the weather had turned so we had 17 girls and a few parents in the house. It worked out ok though.  Not Scout related but Bean made a lovely Evie for Halloween.

The pooch is getting better about her business. She has finally gotten what the puppy pads are for so the moment some of the frantic pressure is off her.  She is ringing the bells more often than not and the accident are few and far between but when there is one she manages to make use of the pads so life is easier.

So here we are, already November.  Can’t believe this year is going so quickly!  Not ready to think about the holidays yet even though my neighbor has already put up lights. Too early in my book.

For now that is all the news.  That is ok with me, I like a little calm.

My Absence

I haven’t been around my blog much lately and it isn’t because I have lost interest. There are two main reasons — one, my iPad and the second is my granddaughter, not in order of importance.

My laptop bit the dust a while. Back and I replaced with a more powerful iPad.  I am finding it to be difficult to use for my blog. That makes it a lot less fun to do.  It is more work and it has sort of put me off but I have no intention of not blogging. I will make it work.

The other thing that has been taking a good deal of my time, thought and energy is the Bean.  She has been diagnosed with  Obsessive Compulsive Anxiety Disorder.  Looking back she was probably born with it.  It appears to be genetic and I know the disorder existed in members of my family and still does.  Something caused a flare, however, in the last school year and I believe it was an unfortunate teacher.  I know it is easy to blames somebody like a teacher, my daughter gets that all the time, but this particular teacher was a real train wreck.  She would say inappropriate things and have full on panic attacks in front of the children.  It was horrific yet she retained her job through the entire year.
We felt this year would be a new start but, alas, the  demon reared its ugly head and now we are all working to make things better.

The way this presents in her is different than you see on television programs —she isn’t oddly tidy, she doesn’t aphabetize or count or line things up.  She has intrusive thoughts that she can’t control and they keep her from concentrating on what she should be thinking about.  The thoughts concern the weather and her health.  She is terrified of stormy weather and she is worried about being electrocuted or having her arms dislocate or getting a concussion.  This comes directly down the DNA pike from my grandmother who was terrified of weather and her health.  My daughter says she wishes she were tidy.  Oh yes, my daughter is clearly OCD as well, even though it presents differently in her, there is some overlap and yes, she is tidy.


So, the Bean is under a doctors care, receiving medication and seeing a therapist to help her control  the situation.  She has a new friend  at school who has the same thing although it presents differently in him but they have become each other’s support group and it is working well.  She is back in school, her grades are good, she has taken up dance as a new endeavor, she seems to be back to her old self and doing well but oh my goodness, this has all happened so quickly and so intense, it has made this Nona’s head spin.

She is reading again so I hope to have some more entries in the Bean and Me Book Club soon.  She will be fine, not sure about the rest of us.

On a more upbeat note, autumn has arrived here in North Texas and it is glorious!

The Secret Orphan by Glynis Peters

The latest book I have  completed for my 2019 reading challenge is “The Secret Orphan” by Glynis Peters.  It is the story Elenor from Tre Lodhen, Cornwall and Rose, a child from Coventry.  It is set in World War II Britain.

This is a historical novel chock full of mystery, espionage, secrets and a little romance but it definitely isn’t a romance novel.  I think it provides a small window into the lives of the British during  that very frightening time and gives good examples of how resourceful they were.

For me this was a page turner.  I simply couldn’t put it down and I recommend as a great read for all.

Apology

I feel I must apologize for not being here.  It isn’t that I don’t want to be but there has been a lot going on lately and I am not really doing anything of importance or interest to write about. Even my reading has hit a lull and my crafting has ceased altogether.

As .you know my husband had a couple of diabetes related issues back in the spring.  Well since then we have been to a specialist and seen a diabetes counselor about his diet and I have to say it is all going very well.  His blood sugar is staying quite normal and his doctor visit this week was stellar.   It isn’t a bad eating plan and we are living very normally now although I never thought I would see the day when he would eat yogurt and oatmeal but here we are.

We sold our former home recently which is a big relief.  I loved the house but it was a bit smaller than we needed and the distance from the kids was taking a toll on our energy and our gas bill. So now that we have completed the sale we are embarking on some much needed projects here in our current home. The Hubs has painted over half the interior, we have changed out a number of light fixtures and we have ordered shutters for the windows. We are painting the interior the same color as the old house which is called Wise Owl.  The trim will be white to match the shutters. It is going to be lovely!

I will share photos when the shutters arrive and all the clutter is cleared away.  It won’t be long.

So just letting you know I am still kicking but more than a little tired,

Another Manic Monday

It is hard to believe it is Monday again, much less that it is mid-August AND the first day of school for the Bean!  I know, I know, before long it is going to be Christmas!  Not ready for that but I am ready for some cooler weather.  We have bee under heat advisories for several days with more to come.

It looks like my blog plan didn’t work so well, can’t stay on task or really focus lately,  Things will be better when this house sale is completed.  It seems to be sapping all my physical and mental energy.  Hopefully the 23rd will come and go without issue and we can pass the ownership over to somebody else.  Yesterday was strange because we went to check the mail and there were six cars in the driveway and people all over.  Seems the buyers had family in town and wanted to show them the I know that is allowable but it seemed strange.

Today is errands and back to picking up the Bean from school.  All four grandkids are going to be in the same school so I will probably see all of the at some point.  That is going to be different but they are looking forward to it.  I wish they didn’t have to go back so early as it is just too hot.

So, off to make oatmeal and get the day started.  The morning will go fast and I have to make a grocery run and a trip to the bank.  So uninteresting!  I will try to do something exciting for the next time.  I promise you Trixie’s life is much more interesting.

Normal?

Needless to say life around here has been a bit wonky lately.  I have been spending the majority of my time in the back yard holding a leash muttering things like "potty" and "do good girl".  I am sure the neighbors think I am certifiable.  I think Trixie is beginning to get it or maybe I am just reading her better but things seem to be improving.

The selling of the house has hit a snag. It sold the first day on the market and we had the inspection but either the inspector is stupid or they are trying to put one over on us but they reduced their offer price and are requiring us to fix things that aren’t broken. So, the saga continues.

Today we meet with Hubs endocrinologist to re-evaluate his situation and see how to continue moving forward.  We are also meeting with a diabetes counselor which is new to us.  With all that is going on I am probably going to have to meet with somebody with a couch and some happy pills.  Hopefully all will go well today and hopefully the house situation will work out.  I am feeling very Pollyanna today.

I have finished reading "Wish" and have now started another Made in Savannah cozy mystery.  They are very relaxing and that works well for me right now.

So off to see the doctor in a little while.  Will be back with any news.

A Little Off Course

Ah, the best laid plans of mice and men.......seems my blogging plan has gone awry.  Not without good reason though.  We have been prepping our other house for sale and have been away from home and when I get home I am too tired to even care so I am falling behind.
Also, in addition to Trixie, I am caring for Bean’s pets while they are away.  I have a hamster named Sprinkles and a guinea pig named Dot here.  The hamster isn’t difficult at all but the guinea pig takes more time and care and affection.  Yes, affection.   So, between brushing the pig, cuddling the pig, washing vegetables for the pig and giving her hay, I am really up to my ears in guinea pig care.  I will post photos later.
I have to speak to Bean about her participation in the book club postings.  I think she needs to write her opinions as well as me.  So, going to work on that when she gets home which will be soon.
I thought Trixie killed herself this morning.  She was jumping up to grab a dog biscuit from me and slipped on the kitchen floor and banged her head on the tile floor.  She didn’t miss a lick though and got right back up and continued jumping so I guess all is well.
Well, off to meet the realtor so fingers crossed this house sale will go quickly.