Reflections of My Life

Sliverfox said:
I hope the counselor can help you resolve the problems.

You sound happy with your apartment & the folks living there.

Perhaps the manager is new at this type of job .
I suppose she thinks decorations in the halls are a fire hazard?
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Well, I did a bit of research on that myself. It is not her so much as the fact that previous managers let it slip by. As long as nobody was complaining about Christmas decorations they let them have them. I understand now, due to these apartments being subsidized housing, they have to follow federal rules and that is one of them. Happy Holidays no Merry Christmas. I guess that has been in effect since 2005 or so. Well, I didn't know. I didn't have anything saying Merry Christmas anyway. Doesn't really affect me personally.
 
It is a mad mad world on social media. fakebook tells me one thing, that my account is restricted for 90 days. But I am not banned for 90 days. They say my posts will not come on the newsfeed. Then when I tell everyone that and I will not be on there since no one will see my posts..........everyone says my posts came right up on their newsfeed as soon as posted it. Very strange site, it is.

I am not a follower. Never have been. I guess I just do my own thing. I don't trust the so called "professionals" or "experts" in whatever line of work they are in. They are just people like us. Most of them use the computer to research what to tell you and I do that all the time. Just because fakebook tells me something, it does not mean I have to believe it or do what they say. That is why they cannot threaten me. If they do, I will leave them for sure. I told my cousins and friends it may come to that. I know they could care less whether there is one less old lady on there or not.

It is not like I am a high level spy in some plan to take over the world (that's already been done). What I don't understand is if they do not want people sharing news posts on there, why don't they just not allow any news to be posted on there to begin with? None, period. At least they allow you to say Merry Christmas.
 
I had a busy day today. For starters I managed to take that container of hay (full to the top) out to the dumpster. I wasn't sure I would be able to lift it onto my walker. It has wheels so I figured I might have to drag it behind me. Didn't want to have to bend down and drag it all the way out. That would have killed my back for a few days! Nope, I lifted it right up onto the walker. And it was damp all the way through to the bottom. That is what happens when someone's hay has been rained on. Of course, they wouldn't tell the feed store.

After that I had to climb on a chair to fix the lights above the cupboards. The ones strung along my collection of vases. Some of them I keep Christmas bulbs in all the time and today I filled one that didn't have any. Most of the vases though are too small to put bulbs in. And too much would be overkill anyway. They look good and I did another difficult job myself.

Tomorrow my plan is to do laundry early, then vacuum once everyone is up. I hate to run the cleaner if others are sleeping. I try to do what I can early in the day and then can relax later. I have more energy in the morning.
 
I have been pretty busy the last few days. Not Christmas related. Just life. So like I think I told you, I had to let my aide go. So I am doing my own work again. Actually, I was doing it all anyway with the exception of the laundry, which she loved to do. I think because it gave her a chance to get out of my apartment. Didn't have to do work here while down there. And of course, taking the garbage out. I was happy to have her do that job, but it also took away the job I had to do every day which meant I was not going outside every day. Which I think I should. Go outside that is.

For the last month or so, I have been using a keto replacement meal for one meal a day. The reason is that I normally cook one meal, say breakfast, but after noon, 12:00 PM. I don't eat before noon. Just coffee with cream. By the time supper time rolls around, I am not hungry. Whatever time I eat supper, I have to be done before 7:00 PM. My eating window is between noon and 7:00 PM. So I am good with one meal. Yet I need more nutrients than that one meal provides. So now I use a meal replacement for one of my meals. Just depends on what I feel like for that day. I plan the meals ahead but don't always eat the meal I prepared at noon or supper.

This is the plan that works good for me. I am adapted to it and can live with it forever. I feel much better than ever before. I think it helps me have a positive attitude toward all things. I experimented with making the meal replacement into ice cream yesterday. It came out very good. I took it out a few minutes too early so it was softer than I wanted. But later when I scraped the container out after it warmed up a bit, that was just like ice cream should be. Very good! Ice cream has always been my downfall on any diet I have ever gone on. I like the cold, creamy texture in my mouth and throat. Now I can have it.
 
hollydolly said:
So what's happening with the Home help now Kat ?.. you clearly need some otherwise you wouldn't have employed the last one.. so are you going to get someone else ? :unsure:
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No, I am not going to get anyone else. I liked the aide I had hired and would have kept her but she called in more days than she worked. And she seemed to be sick all the time. I can't have someone coming here who has colds all the time. Plus she didn't clean very well. I usually had to go back after her work after she left. I am too particular, I know. So have decided not to have anyone else either. I will do it, slow, but at least it will be done.
 
After I get my housework done today, I am planning on experimenting with making homemade Jello using beef gelatin. I have some various extracts and sweeteners that I use for other things. I used to love Jello with whipped cream. So I think this could be a nice treat now and then. Thinking about making the one that is like a salad with bits of celery and carrot (tiny bit of carrot due to carbs) in it. Maybe a lemon one since I have lemon extract and lemon Stevia too.

Yesterday I did 10 minutes using the LegExerciser. I could have done more. I have to adapt to it slowly because I don't want anything to make my knees worse by hitting it with a lot of something all at once. Today I will try for 11 minutes. But depends on how my knees are after walking to the dumpster. I did not get to using the hand weights yesterday so hopefully, I can work that into my day. I will develop a routine.

In my previous life, I had a pretty nice gym in my house plus belonged to a health club. At the health club I used free weights and used the machines for lower body exercises. I also race walked. I miss all that so much. I don't know if I had kept up with it after I got with my last (and present, though separated) husband if I would have never gotten to the shape I am in now. So I am trying to do what I can now, at this age, in this shape, to remedy my situation. I would love to be able to walk now living where I live! It is all I want.
 
Yesterday, I walked out to the dumpster and then thought that on such a nice day, I should go farther. I walked around my building and to the end of the block and back. Not very fast. Making sure to push the walker looking straight ahead.......never down at my feet. Keeping my shoulders up and back, proper posture........not hunched over. Like I told my residents in the nursing home I worked at, walk proud. I am not sure how long I walked but I'd say about 15 minutes or so. Need to keep track since I am now using Cronometer to keep track of my food and it does exercise as well.

I can't believe it! I slept the whole night in my bed! My back hurts now and it was hard to get up. But I use Bob's (from Bob & Brad Physical Therapist YouTube channel) method of getting out of bed and it does work. My back pain goes away after I am up awhile. So having coffee and being on the computer is about all I can do. Their channel has helped me in so many different ways. I highly recommend them.

My friend was here yesterday and she brought a handful of blueberries for Rabbit. She is going through some bad times so I love how he cheers her up. He comes right to her when he hears her voice and she really smiles when he does. Yesterday he was talking to her because he ate all her berries and he wanted more. I wish I could have gotten a picture to show you but didn't have my camera near me.

I never did go shopping yesterday because Sonny had a sudden doctor's appointment. I think I will use Instacart to order the groceries I need......mostly stuff for Rabbit but I will get whatever I need too. And hopefully I will finally do the vacuuming since I am not going to walk anywhere until that is done. Laundry too.

We are going to have a vacation! The manager and maintenance man will be on vacation from tomorrow until the 3rd! Happy about having some peace around here for a whole week.
 
Rabbit in his cage, which is near my bed and the heater. The door is fastened to be open at all times.Rabbits like to eat hay where they poop so most of his hay goes in there along with his water dish (which is fastened to his cage or else he will dump it on purpose). There is absolutely no odor from it. Rabbits are very clean animals and are constantly grooming and each other if you have more than one. He will spend a few hours in there off and on through the day.

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I can't wait for this Christmas/New Year's season to be over with. I am already tired of the decorations. Tired of the stores being packed and trying to stick cheap gifts and seasonal sweets in my face every step I take. As of this moment, I have no plans for either day and I like it that way. Now Sonny (my bf) presents a problem. He has a huge family and could spend his day with them. They would actually love that. He wants to be with me. I do not want to go anywhere that day. I also do not want to spend the day cooking any kind of special meal.

I feel sorry for him that he got hooked up with me. I know I am an old stick in the mud. Standing for long periods in the kitchen preparing, cooking, serving and cleaning up is not my idea of a holiday. I swore I was done with those days and I am. I can't do them just because I feel sorry for someone, even though that someone is extremely good to me. I should sacrifice I know, I have in the past, but I am trying to work on my health and this would set me back a good week even if I only prepared keto food.

It snowed during the night. So not sure how much at this time because I block my windows at night and cannot see out there right now. Sonny is taking me to the store today. Aldi's for sure. Price Chopper too, where I do not usually shop but I need to find some good salad greens for Rabbit. The ones I buy from the other stores are being recalled. Instacart sent me an email with a long list of the ones that had Listeria. Came from the FDA. Fresh Express and Marketplace are both on the list. They are the ones I usually buy. At Price Chopper, I can usually get organic salad greens that are not in packed in plastic containers. Loose, Fresh. So have to do that.
 
Same here. Plus I don't want to risk passing or getting covid. I also am on the Keto diet and it is certainly not traditional. I have had the same conumdrum. Misa's family is near here and for a long time I would go because of her, not because I wanted to go. Plus, I have a hard time walking, and have other health issues that are quite disturbing on a daily basis. My answer to "What am I doing for Christmas/New Years" now is "Nothing special, I just take one day at a time". :)
 
I am not sure if I wrote about this on here before or not, if I did, I apologize. One Christmas when I was living at my house with my husband, we had a wicked snow storm. We were expected at my in-laws' home and they always had a huge Christmas dinner and lots of family. My husband cleaned up the snow best he could and got the solar panels cleaned off and started the generator. Then he was going to call his mother to tell her we could not go. I knew she would be mad!

We could not leave the house with the wood stoves banked back all day because it would get too cold, for our cats and for when we got home late. In the dark, not much light there at night. Also our horses drink more water when it is cold. So I told him to go without me and I would stay at home. He argued at first not wanting to leave me home alone on Christmas day...........I talked him into it. It was one of the best Christmas's I ever had! Alone! Just me and my critters! The snow surrounding our house was silent and I loved that.

Of course, my MIL was livid that I did not go..........haha.
 
I guess it must have snowed a bit this morning because the snow plow woke me up at four. And now I hear it back again. That is good since we are now on our own here until January 3rd. No manager and no maintenance. Just an emergency number.

Last Friday we had our coffee hour in my neighbor's apartment. There were 8 people there and it was so nice. Two of the people who have been causing trouble for us, were not invited. In the coffee and suppers in the community room one of those people is constantly writing while we are talking. I suspect she writes everything we say to take back to the manager and other woman trouble maker. So we were comfortable. We could talk and be ourselves. I try to get the conversation on more fun topics and not dwelling on health issues, management problems or politics.

One thing I noticed when I worked in nursing homes was that I took care of the residents daily. I cared about and loved these men and women in the last phase of their lives. Some had been in the nursing home for many years. When they died, I would read the notice in the newspaper and would be shocked to find out what they did in their lifetime! I remember one man was the founder and president of a local candy factory that had operated for many years. Who would have known?

After that I made it a point to read new residents' charts on my break. I wanted to know who they really were. Then when doing my care for them, I would talk about it. They would light up! Some people could not tell you who their visitors were but if you started talking about their past, they could tell you every detail. It was easy to get them to like me because they knew I would actually talk to them not at them. Not treat them like they were a child. I hated that and I know they did too.

I am trying an experiment with people in my building now. Instead of saying, "How are you?" I am going to say, "What did you do today?" Or "What are you doing today?"

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas! Thank you for taking the time to read my diary. It means a lot to me and I think of you all as my real friends even if we have never met in person.

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I am trying an experiment with people in my building now. Instead of saying, "How are you?" I am going to say, "What did you do today?" Or "What are you doing today?"

I try to do that when I talk to young people. It's much more interesting if you can find something that requires more than a one-word answer to break the ice and get the conversation started.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas!
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@katlupe "I am trying an experiment with people in my building now. Instead of saying, "How are you?" I am going to say, "What did you do today?" Or "What are you doing today?""

That is such a great idea. Instead of the person immediately focusing on how their problems are interrupting their present time, let them focus on "plans", or creative ventures. :)
 
there are cats in this neighborhood that we moved to....used to be rabbits...cats are a problem...
we saw a rabbit that has moved to a lemongrass bush in our yard...also...drinks at the fish pond and eats dropped seed from bird feeders......
we got some hay and other pellet food for this precious little creature...he stays in the bush even when we come out or spend time out there...
I worry over critters and this little rabbit will hopefully make it thru winter...
 
bingo said:
there are cats in this neighborhood that we moved to....used to be rabbits...cats are a problem...
we saw a rabbit that has moved to a lemongrass bush in our yard...also...drinks at the fish pond and eats dropped seed from bird feeders......
we got some hay and other pellet food for this precious little creature...he stays in the bush even when we come out or spend time out there...
I worry over critters and this little rabbit will hopefully make it thru winter...
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Wild rabbits can handle the winter. The thing that gets them is other wild animals. Especially owls! An owl is what got my rabbit and thankfully, he must have struggled and the owl lost his grip on him. He had wounds on his one side and I was just looking at it today. I printed it out and hung it on my closet door and for the first time I noticed how swollen he was. He would not let me near him so I could not doctor him. But he healed completely.

Hay is good for rabbits. Anything you feed a horse is usually good for them....well, not sweet feed. Sweets rot their teeth. Small pieces of fruits, though I am guilty of overdoing it on the bananas and berries because I can't say no to my bunny boy.
 

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