A New Vow

Last night I finished binge-watching  The Tudors....and guess who I dreamed about?  Yep, Henry VIII. Oy vey...he is NOT the man I want to dream about.

I woke up with a new resolve: no more binge-watching.  I got on my glider and glided for about 10 minutes.  I'm going to eat healthy and not binge-eat! you know what I'm talking about....that mindless...WHAT! I ate the whole family size bag of chips by myself???!!!

Tonight I am going to practice the discipline of Examen.  (I'll post about that later).  I have to get ready for the big WI today.  Wish me luck!

July 14, a Thursday, is a good day to take a new vow.

Do you have one, Grainiacs?

Wednesday, July 13th

I have no catchy title today. Maybe it will come later.  My brain feels full.  Have you ever experienced that feeling? Brain Full. I think if one more thing is required of me, my head will burst like an overblown balloon!

I need a vacation from my volunteer work; seriously!  I know I keep saying this....so why in the hell do I keep doing this to myself?  Am I suffering low self-esteem that I need to make everyone like me?  Do I over-commit because I possess Savior Syndrome?  Do I have so many good ideas and I'm the only one who can do them? Yes, yes, and yes!!!  I suffer through all of them at times, but now the Trifecta has come home to roost in my little pea brain.

Sooooo....what to do?  Well, first of all I am binge-watching on Netflix instead of working.  I am hooked on The Tudors (a Showtime Original).  It is for mature audiences but I have to say, we are talking porn in some scenes.  Why?  Why? Why?  The content is so good.  The writing and acting are terrific.  The humping and nudity are, in my humble opinion,.....UNNECESSARY!  I use those scenes to run and refill the drink (think commercials only there are no commercials on these Netflix shows).  So this is my disclaimer: I recommend The Tudors on Netflix but beware!

Back to my saga, I think I see light at the end of the tunnel.  I think I've blogged before that when I get through July, my August is pretty smooth sailing.  The stepdad is going out of town the first part of August and I'll be down in B-town with the Graini-Mom.  If you want to eat a breakfast taco and have a cup of coffee....I'm game.

Until then...stay positive, Grainiacs.

Something New

When certain things are no longer working for you, you have to change or get them to change.

My old laptop was getting well,  old and slow and I worried each time I typed that it might break down, close down, or go "kaput!"  Have you been in the middle of a project/ letter/ reading an article online and zap...the screen goes black and boom, you are sitting there cussing at this inanimate object? The problem with changing something out is you have to get use to the new thing.  I'm still getting use to my new laptop.  My old files are condensed into a folder called "Desktop."  I haven't taken time to move them to my desktop on my new laptop so they are stuck in a folder...neatly hidden away.

Recently Big Black Beast chased the blonde cat and knocked over a full glass of water...right onto the built- in table in the couch. Needless to say we have A LOT of stuff on that horizontal space and unfortunately the TV switcher was not hidden away in a nice little folder.  It got wet as well as a bunch of papers.  The papers dried...

Have box. Have a home!

But the universal TV switcher didn't like getting wet....at all...and even when it dried it revolted by not working! Take that, Triple B and Blonde Ollie!

In keeping with this certain thread, I noticed the Batmobile was not working up to snuff.  It lunged and felt a little sluggish at the stoplight.  I prayed it would keep moving as I drove home.  I told Hubby.  Of course I don't know what I'm talking about when it comes to cars so he decided we would drive it to B-town 40 miles away.  No sooner had we lunged out of the driveway and down the street, I remarked "it shouldn't be doing that, right?"  I could tell he knew right away something was wrong and we were soon making a circle back to the house.  hmmmm   I drive enough to know when something is wrong.  It must have Hubby worried enough that he is now looking at cars on a website!

Thing come in threes, correct?  I pray that these 3 mechanical blips will be it for a while in the Strawberry Patch.

This got me thinking about weight loss.  I don't really like change when it comes to eating.  I like my comforts.  It is a struggle to not make mindless eating choices.  I have to constantly think about what I'll eat.  This morning was one of those choices.  I had a conference call scheduled and I was running late with my morning rituals.  Unfortunately it was 9 a.m. (time for the call) and I was hungry.  Former Strawberry would have grabbed a pop tart out of College Son's stash and nibbled on it while sitting down for my conference call.  New thinking Strawberry pushed the "mute" button and clinked and clanked the pans while making an omelet.  These choices will not be as easy as today.  I have to be a better planner.  If this meeting was out of the house, I would have been out of luck and not able to make an omelet.

My "something new" is my new planner.  Career Girl introduced me to The Happy Planner last year and the crazy thing about this planner is it starts in July!  Remember my "you are not behind" mantra?  How cool that it is July 1st and these Happy Planners are in stores now starting the year in July???!!!!  On Instragram I have joined a Happy Planner challenge.  Day 1 challenge is to decorate your intro page.  I received this card from the b-i-l/s-i-l.  I love it.  It says "It's not just the clothes, it's the attitude" and it looks like a young Strawberry!  I really love this card.  I decided to decorate my happy planner with it and yes, I smile each time I open my planner.  Now I've decorated my first page....

It's the attitude!

I was talking with Graini-Mom on Tuesday remarking that life is sweeping by. She said "Yes, time is marching on." 

Try something new today, Grainiacs.  Love life.  Live.

Happy Friday, Grainiacs.

Today is Now

Today’s the day! I’m stepping back on a Kaa…not my Kaa…Weight Watcher’s Kaa.  There is a wedding coming up….and pictures for the church directory.  I don’t want to look like this.  I told Hubby he’d have to go with me.  I cannot do it alone.  I need support.  I need someone to hold my hand and take me to the meetings.

Hubby is off the hook.  A church friend also has a wedding to attend (not the same as mine) but she does have a church directory picture coming up too.  We are going together.  Today.

My problem is not going that first time. Heck, I can even get to the second meeting.  The hard part is sticking with it.  I'm going to stick with it...hopefully my buddy has more willpower than me!  LOL  I sure don't need a buddy to help come up with excuses.

July 1st is tomorrow.  My perfectionist/ OCD/ Fiddle-Dee-Dee mentality makes me want to start something at the beginning instead of in the middle or the end.  June 30th is the perfect day to start.  It is today; it is now....really, she is coming in a minute to pick me up so I'll close with

Don't wait.

Begin now.

As FlyLady says "you are NOT behind."  I love that.  There is no catching up.  There is only now.  And today for me is Now.

Happy Thursday, Grainiacs.

Sunday Sunday

Today is June 12th.  A week has passed since Graini-Mom's horrible fall.  Life has gone on.  The in-laws have celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary; Hubby and I have celebrated our 31st; Master College Girl has celebrated her 25th birthday; Mum-in-law has celebrated her ??? birthday; and we all celebrated on Saturday!  It was good to be with family.  It was good to laugh. 

 Did I mention that the in-laws have had their own medical issues???  My mum-in-law recently had her gall bladder removed. The Dr said it was close to rupturing and she possibly would not be here today.  My pops-in-law's blood pressure soared one day to 200/100 (not sure if it was on his home BP machine or the Dr's....I'll have to investigate!).  So....yeah.....glad to be with the family this weekend.  Life is precious.

Now for a zen moment.....

I'd rather be on the beach!

I've gotten into fairy gardening.  I love this beach scene.  I want to purchase a little rake so I can rake the sand and "ommmmm."  I need more zen moments and less stress moments.


Mom and Me update:  She went to the ENT last Monday.  Sure'nuff there WAS blood IN the left ear.  The right ear/jaw seemed fine but he was concerned about the left ear.  Unfortunately the CatScan done at the hospital did not show all the way to the ear.  They just took a frontal picture.  So, the ENT ordered another CT scan....of course!  The dried blood in the ear, he thought, was a burst blood vessel from when she fell and jarred her jaw back into that space.  He mentioned seeing her aneurysm coil and I laughed "from your exam? That doesn't sound good!"  "Mom, he can see straight through; you really ARE losing your mind!"  Disclaimer:  you DO have to laugh about some things!!!  And PS**he saw her files and the CT scan.  Her coil was not falling out of her head and into her ears!  ;)  So we left that ENT with a smile on our faces (he would wait for the CT scan but did not think her jaw was broken.).

Funny thing:  he stuck 2 "wicks" in her left ear to help the ear drops reach where they needed to go.  Mom kept saying "there's something in my ear."  I reminded her of the wicks to help the ear drop meds.  At Subway I went to get her a drink and when I got back PLOP...something fell to the ground.  I looked and yes, you guessed it....2 little bloody ear wicks!  bahahahahahaha  So much for the medicine getting to where it needs to go.  You're on your own, ear drops!  Tomorrow we head back to the ENT so I'll have that to report and I haven't mentioned her oral surgeon appointment!  Poor woman- hardly spent any time at Drs' offices in her younger days (the only time she was in the hospital was 50+ years ago having children).  I guess she is making up for lost time.

I do believe everyone needs some zen moments....especially if you have this guy!

who? me???

ommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

I get it

"Pull over and stop the car and call me!"

This was the message given to me that Saturday as I was barreling down I-35 in Austin traffic.  I asked my traveling friend to answer my phone and take a message for me.  Austin has a no-hand held policy for phones AND I was frantically trying to find Hubby's car miles ahead of me (note to self: when in Austin, DO NOT follow someone...get the directions on MY own GPS; there is no keeping up with someone in Austin especially on I-35).

I get it...I finally get it....I CANNOT go out of town ever unless I want these types of calls.  My friend pulled my earbuds out of my purse and redialed the number for me.

Mom fell flat on her face in the driveway that Friday night after having a "wonderful" dinner.  Poor stepdad couldn't pick her up so he called EMS and they took her to the hospital.  Unfortunately her primary care giver said this was out of her expertise and Mom needed an Ears, Nose, Throat specialist and none were on-call (Drs and Stepdad are thanking ObamaCare).  The closest ENT Dr was in San Antonio and they were discussing AIRLIFTING her to San Antonio.  Okay, does anyone else think this is a problem???  I don't even want to think of the expense much less the emotional trauma my Mom would endure.  Stepdad recommends an ENT an hour away ( a Dr. he saw years ago). That Dr. said come in on Monday; by what the hospital was saying, it was not an immediate thing.  She is released.

Stepdad calls and said their nurse maid was over and was helping Mom shower and getting the blood out of her hair.  Also she still has blood coming out of her ears.

WHAT????  That's a sign of concussion!  They let her go?  What does the nursemaid say?

I'll ask after she gets out of the shower.

I'm still on the road traveling home.  I get a text from the nursemaid.  She says Mom is better and she finally got the bleeding ON her ear to stop.  I decide I'm going to that ENT appointment.  Bleeding IN the ear and bleeding ON the ear are two different things.

By the time I get home on Saturday, she is asleep and I pray she wakes up on Sunday!  Sunday I attend early service and put her on the prayer list and then travel down to see her.  I'm imagining the worst....

Smiling...no pain at this point...thank you hospital meds!

Stepdad goes for breakfast meals for the both of them.  I wonder if she'll be able to eat it without any pain. Sure enough...STILL no pain (you've gotta love the hospital painkillers!!!)

I can't believe I ate the whole thing with a possible broken jaw!

 
Monday morning before Mom's appointment I called a certain commitment I made and begged out of it.  I cannot be a camp chaplain and do my job effectively while waiting for the call and more than likely have to leave.  I'm sorry.  I do not like breaking a commitment, but I get it!  Something happens when I leave.  I get it, universe!!!

Fumes

You will not be surprised that I can find the one thing of housecleaning to do wrong.  Here is a hint: DO NOT pour a whole bottle of Clorox onto a towel which is on the floor of your shower.  Something happens.... the fabric disintegrates AND you sniff in a bunch of Clorox fumes.  Bad, bad, bad!

The towel was old but did not have holes!

The good news is the mold is gone; of course so are the airs in my nose!
I've always said housecleaning like exercise is detrimental to your health.  I mean it!

"Mom and Me" Update:

This morning we met up with friends and enjoyed breakfast while visiting. I know Mom won't remember it but I think it's good she gets out and does the whole social thing. Each week I ask Mom "How are you?"  The answer is always the same== "doing fine, I think."  She had an oral procedure last week so I asked about her mouth, any pain.  "No, should I have pain?"  She didn't remember going to the oral surgeon.  She doesn't remember much...although she can still surprise me!  More and more I'm seeing shades of my Grandmother.  Mom is perfectly content to be with others but like Grandmom, just to observe.  She doesn't contribute to the conversation.  If you mention an event or person I can tell she is searching her memory banks.  I have stopped asking if she remembers, because her fast answer is no.  At some point I want to ask her about specific events to see if she can recall periods in time.  Right now, it is just easier for her to say no.  So I'll continue to ask how she is and then proceed to tell her about what's happening with us.