A Son’s Love

 

Our son is giving me some lessons on how to get the most out of my iPhone.  I have access to a tutorial, but I never seem to give it first priority. Last night we sat down together and he showed me about six different things I didn’t know I COULD do –

• I have moved the icons I use most to the first page where I can find them more easily.
• I have learned to pull down from the top of my phone to access search.
• I have now used Google Maps to enable the GPS function.
• I can swipe from the bottom up to access airplane mode and other useful things
• I learned to use the button on the side of the phone to switch my phone from ring to silence, and back again, rather than going about it in a totally more bumbling, laborious way.

We’re going to continue my lessons, and I have to say I am feeling empowered!

Besides my phone lessons, I’m getting my hugs bucket filled. I’m laughing so much my stomach hurts at times. He makes me feel calm and better able to deal with a health issue our family is facing. My husband and I are SO lucky to have a wonderful, caring son. We treasure every minute with him.

Art From Found Items – Metal Art

artmajeur.com

 

marketplace.zibbet.com

 

shoppingzoneplus.com

The Art of Graham Colthorpe

“Golden Light” – Graham Colthorpe

 

“Sunburst” – Graham Colthorpe

Humor as a Stress Reliever

Sometimes we aren’t sure which way to jump, which path to take, what is in our future.

One of the many things my dad taught me was to stand back and try to see the humor in any situation. He had a bad accident, falling off a horse when he was three, leaving him with a shortened left arm with an almost useless hand. He learned to use humor to keep kids from bullying him. He would make them laugh so hard they forgot his ‘disability’ and took him into their group. He used jokes and sarcasm to make his views known. An example of this was he would say, “Nice skirt” to me – when he actually thought it was too short and I needed to change my clothes. Whenever he was in a group, you would soon hear laughing. He passed his ability to see humor in most situations on to me. Just before he died, he scrawled on a napkin, “Remember me laughing.” Though it took me awhile, I do. What a strong, smart man he was!

I have used his lessons many times over the years. I can never win an argument, for example, because I can either easily see the other person’s point of view, or I ‘see’ us having a ‘discussion,’ see the humor in the situation – or the fact that what we are ‘discussing’ has little priority in what is important in life, and the tension dissolves.

Many times life throws us curves that challenge us on seeing the humor.

We’re in the middle of one right now, and things have been difficult. Our son is now home with us, helping with the situation. He brings CALM, caring, good sense, a healthy sense of the ridiculous, love, and lots of hugs. He has had us laughing several times already and he’s only been home a day.

I found this on the net this morning, and it made me smirk. A good reminder to keep my head on straight and be extremely glad my two guys are together. Together we will figure out in which direction we should go.

 

I Need Real Help

Nice Way to Start Your Day

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

Monday’s Harvest

It’s been about a week since I’ve been able to get out to the garden. Needless to say, there is a LOT to do out there now.

I did some weeding and harvested this zucchini and some tomatoes. I’ll go back out there later and prune a bunch of stuff and do more weeding.

We have some cantaloupe!  I used several plastic ‘bowls’ with holes in them that allow the cantaloupe to grow while keeping them off the soil.  I have no clue if we’ll actually get anything edible, but I’m like a kid waiting for Christmas watching them grow!

I’ll try to get some pics of the garden later to share.

A Dog and Her Ball

We are having a bit of a confrontation at our house. WE want Amber to FETCH the ball. SHE wants US to play TUG OF WAR….

Amber truly loves a ball. She will tolerate the really hard ones, but prefers the soft, squishy ones. She doesn’t seem to have a color preference, but it’s obvious that her true love is one that squeaks loudly.

 

She squeaks the ball as she brings it to us, hopeful that THIS TIME we’ll grab the slimy ball and give it a vicious tug. She has a strong grip, so we can never take it from her. Finally, after we have failed to play her game correctly over and over, she drops the ball at our feet. We throw it, she leaps to get it, and brings it back – not to GIVE it to us – but to offer it again for a great game of Tug of War….

Encouragement

The Cincinnati Zoo Blog

Mainly my plateau continues.

I can be upset about that, or I can compare myself now and about a year ago. I choose to spotlight the good things, of which there are many –

• I weigh 43 pounds less
• There are 48.2 inches less of me
• I feel healthier and my doctor is pleased at the positive changes in my numbers on each visit
• I have shed 3 sizes in jeans and top sizes
• I have almost entirely eliminated added salt
• I have eliminated all sugar
• I ate my first baked potato in over a year when we had a guest to dinner last night
• We almost never eat rice anymore
• We eat lots more veggies.
• I am exercising more (unless life gets in the way)
• I am trying new recipes that my husband loves from the Simply Keto Book by Suzanne Ryan.

My goal remains the same –

 

taolife.com

I hope that in another year I can look back and be able to say the same thing – with higher lard loss and inches loss – and minus the plateau…

Some Days

Bookish Buzz via Cathy Ruggiero

We got an email that the newest Nora Roberts’ In Death series paperback will be delivered tomorrow.

I decided to celebrate its coming by re-reading all the books in the series – 48 to be exact – before I allow myself to read the latest. I’m on book 7 right now, deep in Eve Dallas’ and Roarke’s world in New York City in the future.

Due to a health issue in our family, our son came home last night from Thailand. We picked him up at the airport about midnight, getting home about 1am this morning.

Two huge reasons to celebrate!

Fred Conion – Sugarpost Metal Art

Fred Conion – Sugarpost Metal Art

Fred Conion – Sugarpost Metal Art

Fred Conion – Sugarpost Metal Art

Fred Conion – Sugarpost Metal Art

Stephen McGuinness Art

Glencar Ireland – Stephen McGuinness

 

Norfolk Sky – Stephen McGuinness

Good Morning!

“Greenwood AR” – Jimmy N Carey

Unattended Children

Captain Safety – Yard Bird

 

Design You Trust

 

Sad and Useless

Sunday’s Cute

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

Don’t

Hunter Logan – LinkedIn

Paintings I Love

Aleksei V – via Ana Loreta Baicu – LinkedIn

 

Anwar Haq – LinkedIn – “Nature Surprises”

 

“Blue Rain” – Benny Norbert Smet- LinkedIn

Bethany Kerr Watercolors

BethanyKerrFineArt on Etsy

 

BethanyKerrFineArt on Etsy

 

BethanyKerrFineArt on Etsy

You Can Be Anything….

The Muse via Stephanie Youmans Wilson

Sweet Cubs

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

 

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

 

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

Glorious Pet Portraits

Memorial Commission by Bethany Kerr, BethanyKerrFineArt

 

“Barney” – Niki Firmin Pet Portraits

 

“Corey” – Niki Firmin Pet Portraits

Starting the Day with a Smile

email from Bill Lites

Notice

Terrance E Stock – LinkedIn

Choose Joy!

Sassypants via Carol Auclair Daly

Beautiful Birds

“At Swimming Pool” – Paul Militaru Photography

 

“Fight” – Paul Militaru Photography

 

“Swan Kids” – Paul Militaru Photography

“Awww” for Thursday

thanks to Bill Lites for his email

Wednesday Tomato Harvest

Our ‘nook’ planter (the planter between the porch and the back of the house that we converted to a square foot planter) is providing us with a wealth of tomatoes now! My husband just asked me to cut a cold one up for him for a snack.

We have been extremely lucky this season, even though it has been a weird one weather-wise, and we feel truly wealthy in tomatoes. :0)

If you come by the house in the next few days , I’ll be happy to share them with you!

Resilience

Wall Street Journal – Illustration – Brian Stauffer

 

“I think that life is difficult.

People have challenges.

Family members get sick, people get older, you don’t always get the job or the promotion that you want.

You have conflicts in your life.

And really, life is about your resilience and your ability to go through your life and all of the ups and downs with a positive attitude.”

Jennifer Hyman

String Art – I Really Love It

Cactus Garden Duo – Craft Addict

 

Creative Grain Studio

 

excitinglitingindy.com

 

Sunlit Tree – Reddit

Happy Wednesday

Inna Kashkovar – LinkedIn

Wonderful Squirrels

I have to tell you, I love squirrels. Jeff Jett on LinkedIn finds the most wonderful photos and posts them. I want to share them with you.

Jeff Jett – Linkedin

 

Jeff Jett – Linkedin

 

Jeff Jett – Linkedin

Your ‘Awwww’ for the Day

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn