So close!

Tags

barking dogs, daily steps, Fitbit One, fitness tracker

Well, I got my Fitbit One figured out a few days ago, after my initial set-up frustration, and it has been interesting to see how much I actually walk in a typical day.  The initial goal seems to be 10,000 steps daily.  Last Monday, my first full work day after I started wearing my tracker, I walked 8,353 steps — more than double my more typical “off” day total of 4,022 on Wednesday.  When we got back from Aunt Betty’s yesterday, after two hours in the car and a day sitting around visiting, I had clocked a measly 958 steps (yikes, right?), so I immediately went for a walk down the street and back, bringing my total to nearly 2,000.

We were SO busy at work tonight that it felt as though I never stopped running.  By the time I got home I was over 9,000, so I decided to go for another walk in the neighborhood.  Yes, it was after 11:30 p.m., but I would be okay.  I really wanted to hit that magical  10,000 steps.  So I started out the front door and the ridiculous yappy little dog across the street started barking.  He barked as I went down our walk, he continued barking as I crossed the street, and he hardly stopped to take a breath.  Then the dog next door to him started in.  As I walked around the cul-de-sac, they both were competing for sheer yappiness.  I finally gave up, not wanting to awaken every dog in the neighborhood.

My step count?  9,577 — a measly 423 steps shy of my goal, but with nine minutes left of today I’m not going to make it.

Tomorrow?  I hope so.

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A grand and glorious day

Tags

family, family relationships

One of the main reasons Joseph and Erika came to visit was to go see Aunt Betty and Uncle Phil in Fresno.  When a loved one has dementia, it is impossible to know from day to day how they “on” they will be…and the situation can change in a heartbeat.

So it was with a bit of trepidation mixed with lots of excitement that we packed up the girls today and set out for Aunt Betty’s.  I had already shared with Joseph and Erika that the majority of the time Uncle Phil doesn’t know me, his oldest niece and “practice child”.  So we were totally delighted when Uncle Phil recognized me and reached up with a hug, then understood when I reminded him that Joseph was my son, and Erika re-introduced herself as “Joseph’s sweetheart”.  Each time Uncle Phil reached up and hugged us and smiled.  It was so very wonderful!

We spent the afternoon hugging and visiting and sharing stories, all the while Lily and Olivia played with Aunt Betty’s doll houses and Build-a-Bear critters.  It was, to borrow a phrase from Aunt Betty, a “grand and glorious” day.

Eventually we went to fetch Chinese take-out from Panda Express while Uncle Phil napped.  When he woke up he was less alert, but it was still pretty good.  We left knowing that the day had been wonderful for all of us, and vowing that another visit would happen soon.

Of course we needed a family picture before we left.

After Erika and I each took a few pictures, Olivia decided to head in close for snuggles.

Olivia and Uncle Phil getting snuggles

I will be forever thankful for this day filled with love.

Happy

This mama’s heart is full of happiness tonight, with all my children under my roof.  I can hear Joseph, Erika, Nick, and Georgia visiting on the patio outside my bedroom window, Lily and Olivia are playing together in the living room, and Chance is snoring softly.

The girls and I finished our three days of “Camp Courage” Vacation Bible School today, and celebrated the end of the adventure with a camping menu of hot dogs, watermelon (from the church garden), and potato salad.  After our campers serenaded their parents, grandparents, and teachers with songs they had learned this week, we braved the 104 degree heat and roasted marshmallows over the fire pit.  (I think I remember now why we usually do s’mores late in the evening, after the day cools down!)

Roasting marshmallows on the porch of the Little House

Yesterday’s theme, the Courage to Love, found the kids learning about the story of The Good Samaritan, answering the question, “Who is my neighbor?”  They filled more of the yellow bags from Bishop David with items necessary for someone who is unhoused:  water, lightweight snacks, toiletries, and first-aid supplies.  The bags have now been christened “Samaritan bags” and each child took one to keep in the family car to share with a neighbor in need.  (There are still more for the congregation to give out, as well.)

Our campers, Suzy, and the filled Samaritan Bags.

All evening Olivia has been serenading us with camp songs she learned this week, from “I will make you fishers of men” to “This little light of mine” and “Ho ho ho hosanna”.  I hope the songs in their hearts will keep this week’s lessons of Jesus’ love fresh and warm for all our campers.

Life is good.

I love Facebook!

Tags

Daddy, detractors, Donnie, Facebook, photographs

These days it seems to be chic to bemoan and bewail the use of social media, especially Facebook.  Detractors say it is too negative, too strident, and too drama-filled.  And for some, perhaps, it is.

But I love Facebook!  I love it for the connections I make with family, friends, and friends-of-friends.  I am encouraged by the memes of hope and joy, the beautiful gardens and fabulous foods.  The news stories are often horrifying, certainly, but for each horrible story I can read countless tales of courage and kindness.

This afternoon I started moving the already downloaded photographs (from my phone) into folders by month and year.  It may take me forever to finish, but I am determined to get them uploaded and printed so that I can scrapbook them.  That won’t happen until I know where they are.

While taking a little break, I wandered over to my sister’s Facebook page to grab a few pictures from her last visit.  Of course, I ended up looking at every single photograph in her albums.  It does my heart good to see her with Daddy and know they were only three hours away.

Right now I am following (and encouraging) the Facebook adventures of a friend who has moved to New Mexico for a total change of scene, and appears to be thriving!  I’m also watching as another friend moves her small business from craft sales to a growing on-line store, and another whose elderly mother is healing from surgery.  I love being able to add encouraging notes to their posts and pray for them along their journeys.

And perhaps the best bonus is being able to “meet” the children and spouses of my generation of cousins.  It is a delight to watch their schooling, their career choices, and still be here online for backup.

Sweet dreams.

You’re crafty!

Tags

Close To My Heart, Creative Memories, creativity, Olive Garden 1630

There comes that moment when your boss looks at you and says, “You’re crafty!” and you know you should probably run away, but that is not an option.  Then you are handed a to-go bucket for soup and asked to decorate it to hold the tickets in a contest.  Of course, being a good employee, and at least a moderately crafty person, you rise to the challenge and take said bucket home with you.

Then you sit and think.  You get out your scrapbooking supplies and tools, dragging them all over the  kitchen table.  Then you do anything BUT decorate the bucket for the next 36 hours or so.

Finally you are out of time.  You have two hours to deliver said bucket, pleasantly decorated, so you have to stop thinking and DO SOMETHING!

The initial plan was for the bucket to be covered with wine-colored card stock, which I would then embellish with stars and other bling.  As the bucket sides tapered towards the bottom, this plan proved unfeasible.
I stumbled upon the Shimmer Trim in my Medium Organizer.  I realized that my Shimmer Trim was in proper wine colors:  gold, red, purple, and bronze, and that the flexibility and “stickiness” was just what I needed to cover the sloping sides of the bucket.  (To buy any of these products, visit my Online Business Address.)  After developing a pleasing horizontal striped pattern, I decided to follow the same plan for the bucket lid (first cutting a slice out of the center to put the tickets through).
When the bucket and lid were covered, I punched a tag from a scrap of Whimsy Paper Fundamentals using my old Creative Memories tag punch.  I wrote “tickets” on one side of the tag, and “wine flights” on the other, then tied the tag to the bucket using the Thistle Diagonal Striped Twill, and it was done!

My completed ticket bucket, using Shimmer Trim compliments of Close To My Heart.

I am happy to report that my boss LOVED the completed basket, especially when I explained that I can remove the current tag and change it whenever her contest changes.

Fitbit

Tags

Close To My Heart, electronic devices, Fitbit One, frustration

I have been intrigued with the Fitbit since the first one I noticed someone wearing a year or so ago.  I have been wanting one, but it seemed like a rather expensive electronic toy.  That hasn’t dampened my enthusiasm, just made me put my purchase off for a while.

At the Close To My Heart Convention earlier this month I was questioning one of my room mates about hers, and she offered to send me her old Fitbit One so that I could try it out.  Needless to say, I was thrilled by her generosity and so excited when it came in the mail.

I have been wearing it for the past three days, but hadn’t had time to download the software, etc., so that I could actually get all the benefits (like having the clock set to the right time so that my “day” didn’t end in the early evening and zero out any walking progress I had made, etc.).

So tonight I decided to do it right, and started the set up process.  Got my software downloaded and was moving right along, until my computer told me it could not communicate with my device…please try again.  Well, I tried again, to no avail.  And again.  And again.  And once again.

I am now frustrated, grumpy, and tired.  I will try again tomorrow when I’m rested.

Good night.

Sky

It is too late tonight and my brain is tired, so I’m simply sharing the just-before-sundown sky from two evenings ago.  We had been celebrating my best friend’s oldest daughter on her earthly birthday, and this was the glimpse of Heaven that I was given.

Happy birthday a couple of days late, Cindy.  May Heaven’s angels accompany you along your way.

This was the glorious sky just before sundown on Cindy’s birthday. Rest in peace, Beautiful.

Goodbye

Tags

Close To My Heart, good bye, Jeep

I walked away from my Jeep for the last time today.  Even though from the outside it just appears to have a little damage, they tell me the whole front end is crushed underneath.  The insurance company has declared it totaled, and all that is left is determining the payoff.

This is the first car I have ever had that I wasn’t sad to let go of…just relieved.  Relieved that it was totaled, that they weren’t going to patch it back together.  Relieved I wasn’t more seriously injured.  Relieved that I have good insurance coverage.

The body shop guy who helped me clear out my things asked if I was sure I was all right.  “You took a really hard hit, you know,” he said.  Yes, I know.  I know how scared I was, and how after my Jeep stopped moving I just sat and shook from the pain of whacking my head on the window…that and the adrenaline rush.  I know that I’m still sore, and that working was harder today than I expected.  I also know that I was incredibly lucky and it could have been so much worse.

Goodbye, my Jeep.  

This Is (not) A Test

While Rawra was in prison her husband kept all of her readers in touch and passed along her messages; to read her first post “back outside” today and realize that he had died at 35 made me very sad. I’m reblogging today’s freedom post from her as a tribute to their love. – Fawn

Just checking in

Tags

car accident, car insurance, Close To My Heart

I’m just checking in quickly tonight, with nothing even close to profound to say.  I spent a lot of today talking with insurance people, tow yards, and police officers, getting the ball rolling on this whole accident mess.  My answer to the question, “How are you doing?” has been “I’m achy and grumpy,” because that sums it up so well.

The ER doc gave me pain meds and muscle relaxers; I’m afraid to take both because I will turn into a puddle.  So I have been alternating them throughout the day.  My friend Dr. Nancy says 36 hours is pretty much the magic time for soreness, so I’m sure tomorrow will be lovely!

I had great plans to work on my scrapbooking layouts from Convention, but that took entirely too much brain power, so I stopped.  I’ll try again tomorrow.

Sweet dreams.