Five things that made me happy today – 7/31/21

Walk with the wind. brothers and sisters, and let the spirit of peace and the power of everlasting love be your guide.

Representative John Lewis

1. Warm and muggy this morning when I got up – 68 deg and overcast. As the clouds held on it got cooler not warmer through the morning until it was 64 deg when I got home from the Farmer’s Market. By mid afternoon the temperature was still hovering around 70. The house is cool and it will be nice to sleep tonight.

2. I was careful not to overbuy at the Farmer’s Market. I got one peach, two tomatoes, two ears of corn, some small potatoes (hooray!), one Walla Walla onion, two scones and one lemon bar, and fresh flowers.

3. I finished my Intentions Review for July, I hope you have a chance to read it.

4. We had bagged salad for lunch, tricked out as each of us wanted. I added sliced ham, tomatoes, onions and mozzarella cheese to mine, with Ken’s Steakhouse Lite Honey Mustard dressing. Al did his with thousand island dressing, and he ate the rest of the sliced peaches from the refrigerator on the side.

5. Went over to the Wellness Center and pedaled on the NuStep to get most of my steps for the day. I finally finished Virgin River (or at least all Netflix had made) so I started rewatching Unforgotten on Prime.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Intentions Review for July 2021

My Star Word for this year is “Affirmation”. The internet says an affirmation is a positive statement of agreement.

I am a child of God, holy and beloved.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future nor any powers, neither height nor depth nor anything in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Here are my intentions for 2021.

(After the dumpster fire of 2020, you’ll notice I’ve pared down my intentions for 2021, and I intend to hold them loosely.)

Physical Health

• Eat real food. – Check
  • Eat more vegetables – Fresh corn on the cob is in season. The green beans are really stringy so I’ll try again next month. Tomatoes are coming in strong. New potatoes are in VERY short supply. The heat dome in May and lack of rain in June really messed up the truck farms.
  • Be sure to get 25 grams of fiber every day – Check
• The itch is gone (TBTG). I’m being really careful to knock it down as soon as it starts.
• Big Al and I got our second Pfizer shots on February 13th, so we’ve been fully vaccinated since the first of March!
  • The rise of the Delta variant has me wearing my mask to the grocery store and farmer’s market, and picking up a curbside order from Safeway again.
  • I’m struggling over what to do about my grandchild who isn’t vaccinated and (so far) refuses to get a shot. I’m on the verge of telling her father not to bring her to see us until she gets the jab.
• My blood work showed my cholesterol and blood sugar was elevated, so rather than add any meds I’ve been more particular about what I eat, how much exercise I get. My blood sugar numbers are good. I’m hopeful the cholesterol will show a similar drop at the next blood work.

Emotional Health

• Remember that I am a child of God, holy and beloved.
  • If I can say it for me, I must grant it to every other person on the planet, whether lovable or not.
• Continue to post “Five Things that Made Me Happy Today” every day on my blog – Check

Intellectual Health

• Expand my leisure reading.
  • Major Pettigrew ‘s Last Stand  by Helen Simonson – finished
  • Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie – finished
  • The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie – finished
  • The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie – finished
  • Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry – finished
  • A Great Deliverance by Elizabeth George – finished
  • How to Avoid a Climate Disaster by Bill Gates – finished
  • Stargazer by Anne Hillerman – finished
  • Standing in the Rainbow by Fannie Flagg – finished
  • Beneath a Scarlett Sky by Mark Sullivan – finished
  • The House on Vesper Sands – Paraic O’Donnell – finished
  • Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven – Fanny Flagg – finished
  • Payment in Blood – Elizabeth George – reading
• I’m doing better with my “outrage obsession”. I don’t obsessively follow the stories of Trump’s latest stupidities.
  • Listen to NPR – Check
  • Watch Rachel Maddow – Check
  • Follow Heather Cox Richardson for perspective – Check
• Participate in Creative Writing classes here at Franke Tobey Jones – None available at this time.
• I subscribe to the New York Times and try to work the crossword puzzle and read several columns regularly, including the cooking column.
• I subscribe to the Seattle Times and read several of their newsletters.
• I subscribe to the Washington Post. and read several of their newsletters, including Travel, Fitness, and Cooking.
• Support aspiring writers via Patreon and Substack – Check
• Participate in Great Decisions here at Franke Tobey Jones – The chapter on the Two Koreas and the DVD information was very outdated. It’s interesting to note how different International Relations seem with the change in administration this year.
• I subscribed to MasterClass. I’m looking for another series – maybe storytelling or photography.

Spiritual Health

• Continue to participate in weekly Bible study, and weekly Worship – Check
• We have returned to “In Person” worship in the Sanctuary, and I was Lay Reader twice during July. I confess I’m mostly staying home and attending church on Facebook Live. My inner introvert is happier.
• We are starting the Mission Study in preparation for calling a new minister. I agreed to take notes in my small group in the middle of August. (I guess that means I’ll have to attend in person.)
• Continue with General Assembly Nominating Committee – No meetings yet

Social Health

• Tend the relationships I have at Franke Tobey Jones
  • Wellness Center – They have returned to weekly walks off-campus. Unfortunately, with the rise of the Delta variant the walks may be in jeopardy. We shall see in August.
  • Gazebo Group – Everyone really enjoyed the potluck picnic on the 4th of July. We all ate too much – so that’s a sign of a successful dinner. The weather has settled down to low 60s in the morning and high 70s/low 80s in the afternoon. There’s usually a good breeze which make 5:00 pm in the shade fine.
• Tend the relationships I have at Bethany Presbyterian Church Bible Study – Check
• Continue to connect regularly with the sisters, virtually – Check

Social Justice

• Participate in Town Halls and face-to-face meetings with elected officials – Not much on this front (not too much need, either.) I follow my local, state, and federal representatives on Social Media and send messages about things that matter to me.
• I have regular contributions to the DNC and my US Representative. I also contribute to reps in other states if they seem particularly outstanding.
• Support the Southern Poverty Law Center, the American Civil Liberties Union, and MoveOn – Check
• Support the election of officials who are champions for Social Justice issues – Check
  • Climate action
  • Racial justice
  • Health Care Availability
  • Wealth Inequality

Five things that made me happy today – 7/30/21

The pandemic shows us above all that twenty-first-century survival depends on an ability to handle chaos.

Bill McKibben

1. Nice day today, but. a little warmer. 61 deg when I got up. This afternoon warmed up to the mid 80s – not the threatened 90 deg from the forecast.

2. I spent the morning working on a spreadsheet for Big Al that has all the regular bills and regular income on it. Most of those are automatic payments where the vendor sends the bill to the bank, and the bank pays it. I did one for him in 2017, but I’ve added quite a few subscriptions, etc., since then. He seems happy.

3. Lunch was ham, sweet potato, and I had black-eyed peas, while Al had red cabbage. I had originally planned on asparagus, but, alas, it had gotten limp in the vegetable drawer since we went to the commissary. One of these days, I’m going to learn not to buy too much produce at a time, even if it is cheaper.

4. The staff brought ice cream to us at the Gazebo (other buildings get their ice cream where they live). They had Ice Cream Cones this week – and there was much rejoicing.

5. Several of us sat out there and ate the ice cream and visited for a while, before taking our cones and returning to our own houses.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 7/29/21

Detachment doesn’t mean you should own nothing It means nothing should own you.

Anonymous

1. A really pretty day. High-50s this morning early, with birds singing in the trees behind the house. Mid-80s this afternoon, but still pleasant if you were in the shade.

2. Safeway pick-up after breakfast. Didn’t need much but I was out of wine, so I included 6 bottles of chateau screw-top in my order. Food is noticeably more expensive this summer. But by the same token, we were eating out three or four times a week before the pandemic, now it’s only on Sunday, or the rare occasion when we have to be out and about at lunch time.

3. A big surprise about my grocery order was that Safeway didn’t have any Yukon Gold or small red potatoes. Last year they were giving them away – now they are in really short supply. Funky weather seems to be the problem. I’ll try the Farmer’s Market on Saturday and hopefully can get some grown locally.

4. We had several things going on between noon and 3:00 so we opted to do personal sandwiches or salads for lunch today. I fixed krab salad to put on crackers and sliced tomatoes for my lunch. Big Al fixed a sandwich for himself.

5. We met with the supervisor for the housekeepers today to arrange to have some more extensive cleaning done – tops of doors, tops of cabinets, inside window washing, clean the oven, chase the cobwebs in the garage, etc. The stuff that gets pushed aside in regular housekeeping. We haven’t had it done for about 5 years, and it’s time.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 7/28/21

Summertime is always the best of what might be.

Charles Bowden

1. Cool, pleasant weather when I got up – 60 deg with blue sky. Warmer this afternoon – 84 deg. for the high. Still pleasant.

2. I spent the morning slicing peaches to go with my scones/shortcakes, and slicing an English cucumber to make German cucumber salad.

3. We had bratwurst and sauerkraut for lunch today. I made the German quick pickles to have with it.

4. I met with Sarah, my personal trainer, after lunch, and worked on balance, strength, and agility; I’m still pretty wobbly walking on uneven pavement, but I think I’m improving.

5. After Sarah was finished with me, I spent some time on the NuStep (in the air conditioning) wile I listened to “Now and Then“, Heather Cox Richardson and Joanne Freeman’s podcast. Today they were talking about the Toll of Human Infrastructure. Very interesting.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 7/27/21

Wanting more and more and more is the virus that results when we are not content with and grateful for what we already have.

Jan Edmiston

1. 59 deg when I got up this morning with blue skies and a gentle breeze. The weather topped out around 80. Nice!

2. We continued in Revelation’s Letter to the Seven Churches with Pergamum (Revelation 2:12-17). This letter is very much “inside baseball”. Places and symbols in the letter don’t mean much to us – but we assume they were familiar to the Christians of the day. We learned that Satan’s throne referred to the temple to Zeus, located there. The references to snakes reminded us of snake handlers in Appalachia and also of Moses who held up the caduceus to cure the Israelites in the desert.

3. It was “fix your own lunch” dad at Casa Watters. I. had a ham sandwich enlivened with fresh tomato slices, and a wonderful sweet onion.

4. I’m really proud of Simone Biles for prioritizing her mental health over a possible medal. I was particularly struck by what she said in her statement – that she had a hard time performing for an organization that had let her and the other gymnasts down over Larry Nassar.

5. Greisser Girls Gab this afternoon. The best part of talking to them is the fact thatI I can scream and holler about the Olympics, and sport, and vaccine deniers and global warming, and Congress, etc., etc., etc. And they don’t think the worst of me because of it.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 7/26/21

Knitting teaches you that one small action does matter. That one small action, like knitting a stitch, isn’t unimportant. It’s vital. One small action repeated many times is a sweater. Or a shawl. Or a pair of socks to hold the feet of someone you love.

Anoonymous

1. Warm, summer day, today. It was in the high 50s when I woke up. It was 81 this afternoon but there was a good breeze blowing and it was pleasant if you were in the shade.

2. I got all the laundry done before lunch, and finished up the folding and drying after the trip to the park (see below).

3. Pork chops, tomato slices, corn on the cob, and green beans – veggies compliments of the trip to the commissary, and my haul at the Farmer’s Market.

4. The Wellness Center sponsored long walk was to the rose garden, and daliah garden in Point Defiance Park. I also took the opportunity to walk around the lake and check in with the ducks and turtles. Only one turtle in sight, on the shore, but there were LOTS of Canada geese wandering around and terrorizing the ducks who live there.

5. Gazebo Group this afternoon. I really enjoy a time with those people.

BONUS: My (fully vaccinated) New York sister had a COVID scare over the weekend. She had a stuffy nose, and scratchy throat – probably from the West Coast smoke that blanketed upstate New York. She took a rapid test and it was negative, then she got a PCR and has been waiting for the results. The test came back negative today, and there was much rejoicing!

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 7/25/21

By bringing a soulful consciousness to gardening sacred space can be created outdoors.

S Kelley Harrell

1. Pretty day today – a carbon copy of yesterday. Low of 60, high of 80.

2. I was Lay Reader in church again this week. With the Delta variant, we are back to masking up in the church because the kids can’t get vaccinated yet. I’ve done my duty for this year, and I probably will tap out if asked to do it again. I’m getting too old to stand up and sit down in front of other people. Introvert that I am, I really prefer being able to watch from home either on Sunday morning, or on YouTube later

3. Moctezuma’s for dinner today. Big Al had Habanero-Mango Chicken and I had Chimichanga Del Mar. Very good!

Big Al and Gilbert – our favorite waiter

4. Another lazy day rocking in my chair and reading my book. I’m working on the second Inspector Lynley, Payment in Blood. All the Elizabeth George books are good.

5. Once I put myself to sleep with that, I watched Netflix to binge some more on my current show – Virgin River, with occasional time out to see what was happening in the Olympics.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 7/24/21

A lot of what weighs you down isn’t yours to carry.

Anonymous

1. Pretty morning when I got up. Temperature hovering right around 60 deg and clear. 81 for a high this afternoon. Great day.

2. Farmer’s Market first thing after breakfast. I scored tomatoes this time, along with corn on the cob, peaches, scones, flowers for the table and fresh lavender. Last year’s lavender is ready for some sachet bags.

3. In honor of yesterday’s National Hot Dog day, we had hot dogs in buns, and baked beans for lunch. That used to be a standard Saturday lunch/dinner, but we haven’t had it in a long time. I remember my grandmother would have a hot dog if by chance she was alone for lunch – like when my grandfather had Rotary Club.

4. I went over to the Wellness Center and got all my steps for the day on the NuStep. Air conditioning is nice when you’re exercising..

5. I watered the front porch flowers and the back porch flowers before I settled down to read my book. I wanted to sit on the back porch, but this time of year the sun is full on it and it was too hot for real comfort. (You people in Texas quit laughing at me saying 81 deg is too hot.)

How about you? What made you happy today?

Five things that made me happy today – 7/23/21

We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.

Abraham Lincoln

1. Beautiful morning – mid 50s when I woke up with blue sky and bright sun. Mid 70s this afternoon which made it great for ice cream.

2. Big Al and I voted at breakfast. Election Day is August 3, but we’ll drop off the ballots at the Ballot Dropbox by the police station the next time we’re out.

3. We had steak, mashed potatoes, and asparagus for lunch today. The steak came out of the freezer and the asparagus came home from the commissary yesterday.

4. Ice cream this afternoon. I picked up ice cream for Al since he was in a class. It’s in the freezer waiting for him.

5. Big Al and I alternated who got to use the car today. I went to the Wellness Center at 12:45 and came home one hour later. Al took the car to a Senior University class at 2;00, and returned it to me at 3:00. I had an appointment with my Personal Trainer at 3:15 and I left the house as soon as Al got here. WHEW!

How about you? What made you happy today?