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ThisHappyMom.com

I’m Not Sure I Bend That Way…

Ground Zero Web

I just finished doing the “Lower Back” session on my “Gentle Yoga” DVD set by Sixtyandme.com. This is the 2nd time I’ve done this one since I got back in the saddle of eating RIGHT low carb and doing daily yoga again, and I have to admit it was a bit easier this time than last week.

That said, I seem to have spent YEARS stiffening up. I particularly notice that my arms and shoulders are stiff. It is very uncomfortable for me to lie on my back, lift my arms to about shoulder height or higher, and just lie there. I really feel an uncomfortable pulling telling me that people aren’t meant to open up that much. That’s MY problem, though, because clearly that shouldn’t be a problem. So each day, when we’re doing the final relaxation pose, I purposely put my arms in this position and concentrate on breathing into the tension I feel. I don’t know how long it will take for me to loosen up, but it’ll be worth whatever time that is.

I also find I cannot SIT on my feet from a bent knee position. The front of my thighs really scream. SO – after my relaxation, I get into that position for just a few seconds, hopefully longer each day, breathing into it.

I’m determined to get my body to loosen up. Each day I feel that I’m doing good things for my body. I used stupid excuses of what else I needed to do for a couple of months and lost ground, but I’ll get it back. As each pound leaves and each inch goes, I feel more and more confident that my lifestyle is the right one for me.

TaoLife.com

 

Not a Word Was Spoken – Take 6

 

 

 

 

Thanks to my friend, Marsha Koenig, for her email.

Button Art – Take 18

scottie dog collage art in buttons-thefuchsiashoe on etsy

 

 

mixed media and button art-pinterest

 

 

owl – pinterest

 

 

Panda – Pinterest

White

“Chamomile” – Paul Militaru Photography

 

 

“White and Pink Waterlily” – Paul Militaru Photography

 

 

“White Dahlia” – Paul Militaru Photography

 

 

“White Flowers of Shrub” – Paul Militaru Photography

 

 

“White Ornamental Flowers” – Paul Militaru Photography

“Aquarium” Hand-Painted Apron

“Aquarium” Hand-Painted Apron by Linda Lewis

 

Seawater aquarium fish adorn this one-of-a-kind hand-painted apron by Linda Lewis. Two layered apron – a smaller apron is sewn onto the top of this apron, then decorated with buttons and outlining paint. 26″ long and 19″ wide. 50% cotton, 50% polyester canvas. Treated with Scotchgard to prevent stains. Hand wash and dry flat. Iron on wrong side.

See all apron designs available

See other items by Linda Lewis on Artfire

Don’t

Journey to Happiness via Cathy Ruggiero

Mountains

“Bucegi Mountains” – Paul Militaru Photography

 

“On Mountain Paths” – Paul Militaru Photography

Not a Word Was Spoken – Take 5

 

 

 

 

Thanks to Marsha Koenig for her email.

“Antique Raised Metallic Floral”

“Antique Raised Metallic Floral” Hand-Painted Champagne Flutes by Linda Lewis

 

One-of-a-kind pair of flutes first frosted by hand with a sand blaster, hand-painted, then placed in the oven to make the paint permanent. Initialed and dated. “Antique Raised Metallic Floral”. You can FEEL the design on these flutes!

Please use the link above if you would like to purchase these. If the link doesn’t work for you, here is the URL to the item on ArtFire –

https://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/product_view/lindalewis/142835/flutes_-_hand-_painted_-_pair/fine_art/glass/glassware/flute

If you would like to see more of my work on ArtFire, here is a link to my page –

https://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/home/LindaLewis

 

Button Art – Take 17

“Beagle with Leash” – CherCreations.etsy.com

 

 

BellePapiers.etsy.com

 

 

Horse – Pinterest

Eating and Chewing

Eating and chewing. Chewing and Eating, Our lab puppy, Amber, lives for these two things. She would LIKE to have US for chew toys, too, but we’re discouraging that. We have to watch her like a hawk, catching her when she makes it through to the stuffing or the squeaker, and trying to eat those. I won’t buy any more toys with a lot of stuffing, but the squeakers are a particular joy in life to her, so those will continue. You can see a favorite hollow plastic bone in this picture. One end is fine, but the other end has collapsed, having a tear in it. She hasn’t been able to pull bits off yet, so it will remain in the toy box (at least some of the time.) *

 

This is a plastic ball with small plastic soft nubs sticking out all over it. It has a squeaker and Amber loves it. She WANTS to play tug of war with everything. She is slowly figuring out that, if she wants us to participate, she has to give us the toy first. It’s more fun when we throw it. So even though she wants to pull and tug, she’s starting to actually give us the ball (or other toy) occasionally.

 

She likes playing with several toys at once. I have a toy box in the corner of the office where at least once a day I throw all the toys. If she’s inside, that lasts approximately a minute. We’re learning to watch where we step. Here she’s chewing on the softer bone while keeping the harder KONG bone in reserve….

She’s spending more and more time inside with us. She really likes being with her people. She’ll happily stay in the office with us, or stay in her PLACE on the big dog bed in the living room, as long as both of us are there. We don’t have to be interacting with her – just there.

The other animals are becoming more resigned to the onslaught of Amber at least a couple of times per day. Thankfully, her exuberant behavior doesn’t last quite as long these days, so our family is beginning to meld.

*While I was typing, she started pulling off bits of the orange bone. I don’t THINK she ate any of them from the number of pieces on the floor. That toy is now history, but it lasted about 3 months – a record for a new toy for Amber.

Arresting Faces – Take 5

Arresting Portraits by Jonathan Rosserby Christopher Jobson

 

 

 

Vita Kan

 

 

 

Pinterest

Inside Day

Fotolia.com

Yesterday we worked in the yard and did the grocery shopping a day early so we wouldn’t have to get out in the rain today. I’m happy we’re getting the rain – in fact, I’ve been walking around in it this morning. But I like to do that when it’s MY choice, NOT while I’m trying to get groceries in the car, return carts, etc.

I also love it when I’ve mowed the grass, gotten lots of weed whacking done, some weeding, etc. before the rain starts. THEN I can smile at the rain, curl up with a book and enjoy the day – doing inside have-to’s in-between chapters. :0)

I’m reading Book # 35 in the “In Death” series by J.D. Robb aka Nora Roberts. I ordered the last of the available ones yesterday – a thing that gave me a bit of a pang since I’m almost caught up with all she’s written in the series and will have to grow up a bit when I have to wait for the next one to be available.

I’ve had a productive morning so far, taking care of animals, starting the first of several loads of wash, changing the sheets on our bed, starting a roast in the crock pot for dinner, and more. I’ll continue to check off more jobs that have been waiting on me ‘inside,’ while I was giving ‘outside’ stuff priority.

When I went out on the back porch to get Amber to go for our first walk of the day, we were having a pretty good storm. I didn’t much like having to grab the umbrella, trying to keep a rein on the puppy as she did her usual mad dash for the spots she likes to take care of business. AND, of course, we had to stop while she got treats, being a food-driven dog.  It was then a challenge to get her BACK on the porch, put the umbrella up high where she won’t eat it, and get back inside to make her breakfast. Whew!

I’ve had to put her back on the porch for a while, due to hyperactivity around Molly, the old while dog, and Abby, the old fat cat. While I was trying to get her under control, there was much hissing and spitting from Abby and Molly was trying her best to become invisible and go to a different planet. I’ll bring Amber back in soon, giving the animals another chance to ‘visit’ when Amber is hopefully more calm.

I hope the weather is pleasant where you are today, and that you’re enjoying a great Sunday.

Not a Word was Spoken – Take 4

 

 

 

 

Thanks to Marsha Koenig for the email.

“Light Among the Trees”

“Light Among the Trees” – Paul Militaru Photography

Star Reflections #1 Stained Glass Piece

“Star Reflections” Stained Glass Piece by Linda and Harvey Lewis

 

7.25″ in diameter. One-of-a-kind stained glass piece by Linda and Harvey Lewis. Glass pieces are cut by hand, ground, foiled, and soldered. Came is affixed to finish the outer edge nicely. Center is striated orange glass. “Star” is striated orange and striated green glass. Background is a nice striated purple. Design by George Rough. Hole drilled for hanging with fishing line in a window. You can also hang it on the wall, affix it to a cabinet, or set it on a table with a table easel.

Please use the link above if you would like to purchase this one-of-a-kind stained glass piece. If the link doesn’t work for you, here is the URL to copy and paste into your browser –

https://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/product_view/lindalewis/142812/star_reflections__1_stained_glass_piece/fine_art/glass/stained_glass

See all my work on ArtFire

Yesterday’s Harvest

Fast Fish

I have decided that it’s almost impossible for me to get pictures of my aquarium AND the fish so you can see both well. My sister-in-law, Mary Lou, mentioned the fish today and wanted to see more pics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the best I could do, Mary Lou!

Not a Word Was Spoken – Take 4

 

 

 

 

Thanks to Marsha Koenig for her email.

Playing with Your Food – Take 13

May Satchlin

 

 

 

The Art of Nutrition – Pinterest

 

 

 

Octopus – Pinterest

 

 

 

Owl Fruit Display – Pinterest

 

 

 

Spring/Easter Food Fun – Pinterest

I wish my brain worked this way. These creative people delight me.

 

Truism

Edmund Wilson via I Love Reading Books via Cathy Ruggiero

 

This is true whether we’re talking about books or movies, seeing an exhibit at a museum, enjoying a state fair, etc. We each see and experience things through the lens of our own lives, our own experiences. I love talking about a book with another person who has also read it, asking what they thought of the book, what they liked, disliked, what they ‘got’ from it, would they read another one, etc. Since my experiences change, each time I reread a favorite, my ‘take’ is a bit different. What a wonderful life we lead!

 

Hand-Painted Floral Thank You Notes – Set of 5

Hand-Painted Floral Thank You Notes – Set of 5

Thank people in style with these hand-painted floral cards by Linda Lewis. Blank on the inside for whatever you care to write. Each one is hand-painted on heavy card stock with a correspondingly painted envelope. 5 different designs in a package. Since these are painted especially for you, please allow approximately 2 weeks for delivery.

Please click on the link above to go to the item on ArtFire. If it doesn’t work for you, here is the URL –

https://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/product_view/lindalewis/140935/hand-paintedfloral_thank_you_notes_-_set_of_5/handmade/paper_books/stationery

Here is a link to all of my items on ArtFire

Gorgeous Gourd Art – Take 9

Marilyn Sunderland – GourdGallery

 

 

Modern Gourd Art

 

 

Pinterest – Artist Unknown

Bouncing Back – Getting the Lard Off

cookingpanda.com

Since I got back on the horse with MyFitnessPal.com and my goal of under 40 carbs and under 1200 calories per day last Saturday, I’ve lost 3 lbs. Total lost is now 23 lbs.  Since MyFitnessPal allows you to ‘play’ with various scenarios of what you’ll eat on a given day, you can work in things that are technically on the ‘not-to-eat’ list. An example:  we found some really nice-looking bicolored corn on the cob. By trying different ideas out, I was able to incorporate an ear of corn into my low carb day! Happily, it was some of the best corn on the cob we’ve ever eaten. Hooray!!!

 

I’m consciously moving more, having physical stuff outside or inside each day to add to my daily steps. I’m now averaging 5,000 steps per day, AND getting outside goals accomplished. On measurements, I’ve lost a total of 15 inches.

 

Ranker

I’ve done yoga sessions on “Joints,” “Neck and Shoulders,” “Lower Back,” “Spinal Health,” “Hips,” “Legs,” and “Balance.” Today I’ll do the last session on the DVD set, “Overall Flow.” I FEEL better. Though I’m a bit sore from stretching in ways I haven’t for too long, I’m feeling looser and a bit more energetic. If I’m tired and sleepy during the afternoon, I take a nap, but I didn’t feel the need for the first time in a long time yesterday.

I’ve had a good starting-over week. I’ve made some progress and feel a difference. I feel more in control of myself.

On with Week 2!

TaoLife.com

Learning What NOT to Buy as Toys for Amber

We’re learning a lot about what toys are NOT good for Amber.

Take the football above. It lasted 30 seconds before Amber started biting chunks of foam and trying to eat them. I bought a sweet Lambchop type stuffed toy last week. Amber was pulling the stuffing out and eating it within a minute or two. Both ended up in the trash.

She LOVES anything that squeaks or makes weird noises. The unstuffed animals toys are good, particularly if they squeak. The KONG bone is now good – after all the tennis ball type felt and the stretchy rubbber thingie that went all the way around the bone were removed (by both the dog and me). Heavy rope tug of war toys are good. We have a large plastic ball that has an irregular service and makes really weird noises as it rolls. Amber really likes it.

There is a stuffed long, green, weird animal with ears that she likes. I have to sew it together to keep the stuffing in, but she’s not bad about getting the stuffing out, so for the moment, it’s still in her toy box.

Each time we buy a toy, we’re getting a bit smarter. Since labs are supposed to be ‘puppies’ for a couple of years, maybe we’ll start getting it right more often before she grows too old for toys…

 

Heat Index

The Best Years in Life

 

Since I wrote this morning, the rain stopped and the temperatures soared. It’s only 90 degrees F. outside now, with humidity around 65%, but if you’re working in the bright sunshine it’s HOT.

I’ve been doing a first-pass session of weeding in my raised bed, square foot garden. With all the wonky weather we’ve been having, the weeds have tried to take over.

I harvested some grape tomatoes, some celery stalks,  and a spaghetti squash. I’ll take pics in a bit and share them. I spent about 45 minutes, and that was really all I could do. I’m drinking cold water and wiping off my head with paper towels now, I’m so wet. UGH.

Still it was nice to know that some things are still doing well in the garden even now.

The new celery I’m starting, and the new experiment with the tomato suckers, and anything else, will stay in the house until it’s time to transfer them to the fall garden or the greenhouse. I’m supposed to be starting lettuce and spinach from seed at the end of August or the 1st of September! I’m hoping to have some nice, healthy transplants to go out in the fall garden and I’ll move any happy tomato plants into the greenhouse this fall. (Right now the thermometer in the greenhouse is still ready above 120 degrees F.)

I’ve had a lot of fun with my garden this year. As usual, I’m still learning a lot of what NOT to do next time, but I’m encouraged that I actually got celery and spaghetti squash to grow for the first time, and we had a really nice season of fresh tomatoes. I got a real harvest of sweet Georgia onions for the first time this year. They’re hanging in mesh bags in the pantry so that I can simply reach in and get one any time I would like. :0)

I’m hoping to have a nice crop of lettuce and spinach for the fall. Last year I lucked out and was still cutting leaves for salads into January!

Still reading about what else I can plant for the fall garden, and when I need to starts seeds. Will report back later.

I hope you’re having a happy day.

Broken

Zen to Zany

“Old Roots”

“Old Roots” – Paul Militaru Photography

This is August in Arkansas?

Love This Pic

 

We’re supposed to have a high temperature today of 86 degrees F. and it’s raining.

I feel as if I’ve been dropped onto a different planet! Usually, it’s in the hundreds, hot, dry, no rain, the heat hitting you in the face the minute you step out the door, unrelenting until almost dark. Day after day of weather that makes our grass turn ‘crunchy brown,’ boiling a lot of our plants even with irrigation systems.

It’s supposed to rain through at least Monday. This is really unheard of here in Arkansas. This is the burn-your-hand-on-the-steering-wheel time of year, and I keep finding reasons to step outside and let it rain on me.

We’re about to join our friends for Friday Lunch Bunch, and I look forward to taking my time getting into the restaurant, enjoying the reprieve from the heat.

We were going to put “Hot Man” on the mailbox on the 15th,

but I’ll choose another decoration this year. This one just isn’t appropriate when Mother Nature is being so kind to us.

I hope the weather is wonderful where you are, too.

New Highs

This dog may LOOK innocent, but she’s plotting her next move as you look at her.

We feed Amber on the back porch after she goes out and takes care of business each morning. Today I went to let her in. As I opened the door, she was jumping DOWN from the porch table!

My husband had pulled out the one chair we have down, sitting in it to rub a towel over her, since it was raining heavily this morning. She apparently first chewed part of the mesh of the chair off (GRRRRRRRR!!!!!!) and then jumped up onto the table to try to get at the other stacked chairs, water jug, and umbrella in the corner.

I reminded my husband that he wasn’t supposed to leave the chair away from the table and that it was now partially destroyed.  Sweet Amber has reached new highs on destruction and being able to get places she couldn’t get to before.

We’re supposed to be smarter than our pets, aren’t we?