Five things that made me happy today – 2/28/23

In the stillness of the quiet, if we listen, we can hear the whisper in the heart giving strength to weakness, courage to fear, hope to despair. 

Howard Thurman

1. It was 35 deg and mostly cloudy this morning when I woke up, but the wind blew the clouds away before breakfast. We had clouds and sunshine all day with a high temperature of 45 deg.

2. Bill’s plane was on the ground by the time I got out of the shower, and he arrived after picking up his rental car and breakfast about 8:30. I got my Intentions Review for February 2023 done before breakfast!

3. After Bible Study (John 3:1-17). I finished packing my suitcase to go to the Cottage tomorrow. Al says he’s ready to go. Bill worked from here with calls all day.

4. We went to Moctezuma’s for lunch. I had a chicken enchilada, Al had a taco and a beef enchilada, and Bill had a beef enchilada and a chicken enchilada.

5. Greisser Girls Gab this afternoon. It was good to talk to them, as always.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Intentions Review for February 2023

My Star Word for this year is REJOICING.

I’ve been struggling with setting some intentions this year. After my heart attack on December 21, 2022, I realized that I really don’t know what I want for this year, or even for the rest of my life. At age 78-and-a-half, I could have another 20 years left, or I could easily not even have another year.

I’m tired of the pandemic, I’m tired of politics, I’m tired of pushing myself to DO SOMETHING. I’m ready to just let life happen and observe for a while. I’ll keep on writing my “5 Things”, and I’ll stick with my regular groups and activities, but I’m ready to find out why I’m REJOICING. Maybe I’ll try just REJOICING about my regular, ordinary life.

Therefore, I’m leaving the same general categories that I had last year, and I’ll use them as a wish list and fill in markers for a “diary” of events and activities.

Health and Fitness

1. Recovery – I’m feeling fine after my heart attack.
   • I had a blood test in late February and my cholesterol numbers were exactly where they should have been all along.
   • I have an appointment with Cardiac Rehab early in March.
2. Exercise
   • I continue to work with my personal trainer on balance and strength.
   • I try to spend 55-60 minutes a day, five to six days a week on the NuStep.
3. Diet – I’m trying to be much more proactive about the kinds of things I eat.
   • The dietitian who counseled me, said the same things the dietitian said when I lost the 70 lbs back in 2014. It was good to have a reminder.
   • Three fruits and two vegetables every day – limit red meat – eat more fish
   • Weight
     • I was keeping steady on the .9 lbs a month loss from last year until the latter half of this month. I slipped a little with all the brouhaha of moving to temporary housing, etc.
     • It’s still an average of .8 lbs a month since May of 2022.

Friends and Community

1. Gazebo Group – We meet regularly once a week
2. Greisser Girls Gab – This is sacrosanct time for me
3. Other Residents at Franke Tobey Jones
   • Lunch with Jett Brooks
   • There’s a new resident in the Duplexes that I haven’t met yet

Learning and Knowledge

1. Great Decisions
   • January – we met and got out assignments for leading the discussions
   • February – Energy Security – There wasn’t much I didn’t know already, but it was nice to have a conversation about it.
2. Creative Writing Classes – None scheduled so far

Travel and Culture

1. Visit Harriet (upstate New York) and/or Betty (Texarkana)
2. Visit Kennewick and Bill’s Family
3. Visit Chicago and Ray’s Family
4. Visit Victoria, Canada

Hobbies and Creativity

1. Reading
   • This Body of Death by Elizabeth George – finished
   • Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver – reading
2. Writing
   • I am still writing, but more sporadically.
3. Blogging – 5 Things that Made Me Happy Today continues daily
4. Memoir

Spirituality

1. Bible Study – I attend regularly on Tuesday mornings – We are in Lent
2. Bethany Presbyterian Church – I attend via You-Tube every Sunday
3. PCUSA Nominating Committee – No meetings scheduled

Money and Finances

1. Quit obsessing
   • I finished the 2022 taxes and sent the return off in early February
   • I planned very well last year, and owed $3.00 that will be deducted from my bank account on April 18.
2. Keep Al informed – I try to let Al know where we stand.
   • Al may be eligible for the PACT Act. If so, it will increase his VA check to up to 100% disability.

Photo a Day – Lent 2023 – 2/28/2023

Dazzling

Five things that made me happy today – 2/27/23

I am especially glad of the divine gift of laughter; it has made the world human and lovable, despite all its pain and wrong. 

W.E.B. Du Bois

1. It was still cold this morning when I got up – 32 deg and cloudy, but no precipitation. We had drizzle off and on all day, along with a few sun breaks. The high temperature crawled up to 42 deg this afternoon.

2. For a month that has fewer days than any other, February certainly feels like it lasts forever. I’m ready for flowers, and warmer temperatures.

3. I started a pot of chili before I went to the Wellness Center. By the time I got home it was just about ready to eat. Great dinner on this cold damp day.

4. I managed to get all the laundry washed, dried, sorted, delivered, folded and hung up by shortly after lunch.

5. Gazebo Group is meeting this evening in the Wellness Center. It will be nice to catch up with everybody. Fingers crossed that the rain/sleet/snow holds off.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Photo a Day – Lent 2023 – 2/27/2023

Shone

Five things that made me happy today – 2/26/23

If only we’d stop trying to be happy, we could have a pretty good time. 

Edith Warton

1. It was 35 deg with wet streets and a dusting of snow in the grass and bushes when I got up. By time for breakfast the sun was out and we had blue, blue skies. It clouded up while we were out for lunch, and we had a little sleety shower, but now the blue skies are back. Temperature is 44 deg. And now it’s raining and cloudy again…

2. Good sermon that urged us to figure out whether Jesus had to be tested, or whether he was tested just to confirm his divinity. Interesting.

3. They’ve recently opened a Chipotle restaurant and we went down there. The barbacoa still tastes just like I remembered. I had a bowl with brown rice, pinto beans, barbacoa, pico de gallo, guacamole, queso blanca, and vegetables. Al had a bowl with white rice, pinto beans, chicken, vegetables, pico de gallo, and shredded cheese. VERY TASTY!

4. I’m trying to take a day off from worrying about what to pack, what to throw away, what to save, what to eat, etc., etc., etc.

5. I’m afraid my diet is completely shot and will continue to be until this move to temporary housing is finished. I HAD been doing so well, but I guess it’s impossible when I’m not in charge of my own life.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Photo a Day – Lent 2023 – 2/26/2023

Celebrate

Five things that made me happy today – 2/25/23

Change is brought about because ordinary people do extraordinary things. 

Barak Obama

1. It was 25 deg with clear skies and sunshine when I got up. The high this afternoon after sunny skies all morning was 42 deg.

2. #2 son arrived while I was fixing breakfast. While Al and I ate, Bill reached stuff in closets that were too high, and generally did everything we couldn’t to throw away stuff we don’t want to bother with moving/storing.

3. When we finished with that, Bill helped Al transfer a lot of programs and photos that were still on his computer and a couple of additional drives to his Dropbox. He also helped him begin to understand that the data was still his and even more accessible with his iMac, iPad, and iPhone.

4. Bill disconnected everything possible and stored it in the garage. He tried to instruct me about how to disconnect the network so we could store that. We realized that Al and I really wanted to have our computers with us and set out to make plans to carry them over to temporary housing.

5. Bill must have seen the abject fear in my eyes at the idea of disconnecting everything, so he used his frequent flyer points and free car rental and free night to arrange to fly over on Tuesday morning, rent a car, and reserve a motel room. He will get here Tuesday, help finish up with packing, and then come here early Wednesday and help move us over to the Cottage.

BONUS: Big Al and I hit the jackpot with our kids. I know Ray would be helping if he were here, but having Bill go out of his way and use his points and free-bees to help us is especially wonderful.

How about you? What made you happy today?

Photo a Day – Lent 2023 – 2/25/2023

Worship

Five things that made me happy today – 2/24/23

Take your good fortune and lift your life to its highest calling. Understand that the right to choose your own path is a sacred privilege. Use it. Dwell in possibility. 

Oprah Winfrey

1.  It was 24 deg when I got up this morning, with bright blue skies. Today is the first day sunrise was before 7:00 am. Spring is DEFINITELY coming. The sun was out all day and it managed to get up to 40 deg. It looks like we’ve got one more night in the 20s and then it won’t be freezing any more.

2. I went over to the Wellness Center before 11:00 and got my steps for the day. I met with Colin and he had me do my balance and strength exercises.

3. I picked up Al and we went down to the Veterans Affairs at American Lake, south of Lakewood. Based on the PACT Act, Al may be eligible for more disability payments. We went down there to check and get the paperwork to send in.

4. We were STARVING by the time we got back to Tacoma, so I got beef pho for lunch. Big Al is trying to clean out the freezer, so he had shrimp.

5. #2 son is on the road headed for Tacoma so he can help us pack up the electronics before we go into temporary housing next week. Last time I checked he was headed north out of Portland.

How about you? What made you happy today?