Reflections of My Life

Every morning when I first get up the first thing I do is hit the button on the coffee pot. Then of course, feed my bunny. Next I read a chapter of scripture and say prayers. Since reading Atomic Habits by James Clear, for the 2nd time, I have started reading a couple chapters in a book on my kindle. Today I finished reading (for the 2nd time.......for some reason I end up reading books (nonfiction) again instead of choosing a new one. Heaven knows I have tons of nonfiction books on my kindle that I should read for the first time but keep going back to the ones I got a lot out of the first time. ) Dr. Wayne Dyer's Happiness is The Way. He too, agrees with James Clear and Dr. Vincent Peale that you are what you think. So I am thinking of myself as healthy, happy and worry free.

Yesterday morning, my friend and I walked and it was difficult for me for some reason. My knee. So we only did about 5 laps. Then I did my laundry and I had to do it. I was way behind. If I see 3 nightgowns in the dirty clothes then I know it is time to do it. I think I had 5! Still only took two machines. The price was raised on them since the last time I used them. Went up a quarter so now they are $2.00. I suppose that is to be expected since the price of everything has gone up.

I placed an order with Instacart at Aldi's because Rabbit needed spring mix. I was planning on going to the Grand Union on Jazzy but it rained. So when I place an order on Instacart I have to do $35. or more to get free delivery. So I ordered some other things that I always use. It looked like even Aldi's prices are up.

Today if it is not raining, I am going to the library to get a pin number on my account. I didn't get one the day I got my card. To use their website I needed to login and it did not have a place to register. I am looking forward to exploring their site. After that I am going to do some food preps. Cooking up some ground beef for burger bowls. And stew beef for stew beef bowls (can you tell I am loving those bowls? Easier to eat when you have dental issues). Bowls are mostly whatever meat you choose with seasonings. You can add some vegetables if you like. I make three different types, Italian, Mexican or Cajun. I need to explore other types. It is changed just based on your seasonings and sauces, toppings or condiments.
 

I know a lot of people are going crazy staying home. Since I lived in the country most of my life and having lived here in a small city for only two years, I can understand city people in apartments feeling caged up. In the country, or at least in houses that have yards, you can go outside and sit in the yard or work on a garden depending on your weather. I do miss the forest and working in my garden. I had 16 raised beds made of rocks. Every year I canned so many jars of vegetables I grew. And I'd buy meat locally and can that also. Now my life is completely different but I refuse to be depressed about it. Every cloud has a silver lining.

Today I am making a chicken soup in my Instant Pot. Fresh vegetables. I am going to listen to music while I work. Tomorrow my herbs are coming for my preventative tea I make and use. So today I need to get some of my canning jars out of the storage room so I can put the tea in those to put in the refrigerator. I have my window open and fresh air coming in. It is cool, about 45 degrees right now, but feels good to me. I am always too warm.
:) Preventative tea?? Would you mind sharing your ingredients??
 
:) Preventative tea?? Would you mind sharing your ingredients??
It is called Essiac tea and is made up of four ingredients. The main ingredient is Burdock Root and the others are Slippery Elm Bark, Sheep's Sorrel and Turkey Rhubarb Root. I have the actual recipe for it though I order it under the name of 4-Herb Tea at an organic farm which sources only premium herbs from growers they trust.
 
It is called Essiac tea and is made up of four ingredients. The main ingredient is Burdock Root and the others are Slippery Elm Bark, Sheep's Sorrel and Turkey Rhubarb Root. I have the actual recipe for it though I order it under the name of 4-Herb Tea at an organic farm which sources only premium herbs from growers they trust.
Thank you, katlupe.
 
As dark as it was yesterday, it is very bright today. Our maintenance man is outside mowing and even though it is noisy, it is kind of a comforting feeling to me. Routines might be boring to some, but to me it means things are in place. Life is going along as it should. One of the best things about living on my own, means that I make my own routines. If they are not working for some reason I can change them. In an instant with no input from other person. Maybe from a bunny rabbit but nobody else.

Yesterday, Sonny had to have a chemical stress test for his heart which took hours. Then when that was finished had to have an ultrasound for his kidneys. The doctor is afraid he may have kidney disease. He has so many things wrong and has been taking all kinds of prescription drugs as well as over the counter ones as well.

He said the nurse or tech doing his test was surprised to find his liver was not where it should be. He told her to look at his chart. None of his organs (including his heart) are were they should be. Backwards. She asked if she could ask the other nurse to come in and see the x-ray. Next thing he knew, there were five of them in there. Apparently they had never come across someone like that before. I think he liked the attention.

Now today he is going to the race and hauling his go-kart on a trailer to let someone else drive it. He will be officiating but at least someone will be able to use his cart. When I say to take it easy he says why. He says he'd rather drop dead on a racetrack than in a bed. Can't argue with that. He posted a picture of his cart on the trailer on fakebook and they took it down saying it went against community standards????
 
Our maintenance man is outside mowing and even though it is noisy, it is kind of a comforting feeling to me. Routines might be boring to some, but to me it means things are in place. Life is going along as it should. One of the best things about living on my own, means that I make my own routines. If they are not working for some reason I can change them. In an instant with no input from other person. Maybe from a bunny rabbit but nobody else.
I enjoyed this entire post of yours, but especially this part.
Thank you for your sharings!
 
As dark as it was yesterday, it is very bright today. Our maintenance man is outside mowing and even though it is noisy, it is kind of a comforting feeling to me. Routines might be boring to some, but to me it means things are in place. Life is going along as it should. One of the best things about living on my own, means that I make my own routines. If they are not working for some reason I can change them. In an instant with no input from other person. Maybe from a bunny rabbit but nobody else.

Yesterday, Sonny had to have a chemical stress test for his heart which took hours. Then when that was finished had to have an ultrasound for his kidneys. The doctor is afraid he may have kidney disease. He has so many things wrong and has been taking all kinds of prescription drugs as well as over the counter ones as well.

He said the nurse or tech doing his test was surprised to find his liver was not where it should be. He told her to look at his chart. None of his organs (including his heart) are were they should be. Backwards. She asked if she could ask the other nurse to come in and see the x-ray. Next thing he knew, there were five of them in there. Apparently they had never come across someone like that before. I think he liked the attention.

Now today he is going to the race and hauling his go-kart on a trailer to let someone else drive it. He will be officiating but at least someone will be able to use his cart. When I say to take it easy he says why. He says he'd rather drop dead on a racetrack than in a bed. Can't argue with that. He posted a picture of his cart on the trailer on fakebook and they took it down saying it went against community standards????
Jeez, you can't make it up.... :unsure:
 
As dark as it was yesterday, it is very bright today. Our maintenance man is outside mowing and even though it is noisy, it is kind of a comforting feeling to me. Routines might be boring to some, but to me it means things are in place. Life is going along as it should. One of the best things about living on my own, means that I make my own routines. If they are not working for some reason I can change them. In an instant with no input from other person. Maybe from a bunny rabbit but nobody else.

Yesterday, Sonny had to have a chemical stress test for his heart which took hours. Then when that was finished had to have an ultrasound for his kidneys. The doctor is afraid he may have kidney disease. He has so many things wrong and has been taking all kinds of prescription drugs as well as over the counter ones as well.

He said the nurse or tech doing his test was surprised to find his liver was not where it should be. He told her to look at his chart. None of his organs (including his heart) are were they should be. Backwards. She asked if she could ask the other nurse to come in and see the x-ray. Next thing he knew, there were five of them in there. Apparently they had never come across someone like that before. I think he liked the attention.

Now today he is going to the race and hauling his go-kart on a trailer to let someone else drive it. He will be officiating but at least someone will be able to use his cart. When I say to take it easy he says why. He says he'd rather drop dead on a racetrack than in a bed. Can't argue with that. He posted a picture of his cart on the trailer on fakebook and they took it down saying it went against community standards????
Interesting what you said about Sonny and how his organs are not where they should be, @katlupe !. Although on the outside, we appear normal, often there is something different inside of us and unless an Xray or test reveals it, we never know we have it.

This happened to me - indirectly, in the lab, when I had to dissect animals and found that some of them had their organs positioned a little different than the others (I wonder how surgeons operated in the old days when they didn't have x-rays!).

I also found out that I have certain sprinter muscles in my calfs that the majority of the Americans do not have (when I went in for a sports injury in my 20s). My father also had an extra artery somewhere in his body. You get the drift.

I also appreciate your saying about living on your own and making your own routines. Yep! That is something I love also.

Edited: Had to restructure my paragraph so it did not exceed the word limit, lol.
 
Interesting what you said about Sonny and how his organs are not where they should be, @katlupe !. Although on the outside, we appear normal, often there is something different inside of us and unless an Xray or test reveals it, we never know we have it.

This happened to me - indirectly, in the lab, when I had to dissect animals and found that some of them had their organs positioned a little different than the others (I wonder how surgeons operated in the old days when they didn't have x-rays!).

I also found out that I have certain sprinter muscles in my calfs that the majority of the Americans do not have (when I went in for a sports injury in my 20s). My father also had an extra artery somewhere in his body. You get the drift.

I also appreciate your saying about living on your own and making your own routines. Yep! That is something I love also.

Edited: Had to restructure my paragraph so it did not exceed the word limit, lol.
Sonny found this out when he was 7 years old. He got hurt in an accident and was in the hospital and overheard the doctor talking to his parents. Then he thought for a long time that he was going to die soon so he got into all kinds of trouble. Eventually, he learned his grandmother had the same condition (Dextrocardia) and lived to be pretty old.

My mother had to have exploratory surgery due to horrible pain and was taken to the emergency room. It was her appendix which was in her back and she had to have it removed. Funny thing is eventually my father, my brother and me also had to have our appendix out too.
 
My friend has not been walking with me in the morning for almost a week now. So I have been walking outside. She does not like to go outside for some reason. Today I walked around the inside perimeter of our county office building complex. It was hot because it is out in the open and no trees. After I did that I walked through the park that is behind the library where it was cool. A hand full of homeless were there in the shade. They don't pay any attention to me.

The county office building I walked along that sidewalk this morning. Hot!

county.JPG

Yesterday, I cleaned off my windowsill, which is quite large. Then I put all my house plants along the length of it. Later I strung my fairy lights along the front of it and some through out a few plants and objects I have on it. Last night when I sat in my recliner to watch television, I turned off all the lights and it looked beautiful in here. I never turn off the natural fairy lights in the kitchen which are strung around the vase collection on top of the cupboards. The lights I put up yesterday switch from dark colors to pastel to natural/clear ones. They are not blinking but slowly changing from one to the other to all.

Last night as I sat in my recliner with the new fairy lights on, watching television, I felt content. My life has had so many changes over the years that I am able to accept changes easily. Life is constantly changing. I am always making some kind of change.........a change in my routine, a change in my apartment, a change in the way I prepare a food or introduce a new food, etc. Even the way I think about something.

Normally, I would have sat in the park for an hour or so today but I felt I had to get my feet up. I didn't wear my compression stockings yesterday because I had to wash both pairs at the same time. This morning they were not completely dry and I still put one pair on. They did not make my feet feel good as they usually do. So I was eager to get back and take them off.
 
Well, yesterday I rode in the elevator with that guy that I said gives me the creeps. He was okay. Asked me what floor I was going to and pushed the button for me. Sometimes I make the mistake of listening to gossip from others and judging someone based on that or their appearance. This apartment building is a building of people living on low incomes and senior citizens or disabled. So of course, their appearance may not be the best at this point in their life. I will remember to keep that in mind. And MOST important: do NOT listen to gossip. I usually say I have to see it to believe it. Sticking to that.

Today I plan on going to the Grand Union on Jazzy. Maybe I will walk in the park after I get back or to the dollar store. I want to see if they have a few things I need and I have never gone there on my own before. Once with Sonny in the car. Walgreen's is right next to the dollar store so it would be nice to add them to places I can go on my own.

It being Monday morning, there will be a lot going on outside on the street. With the road work being done all the cars are detoured around the corner. I am hopeful that when it is completed it will be beautiful and easy to get around.
 
I rode Jazzy to the store and got some groceries for my son. I expect he should be ringing my intercom soon. It was a nice ride there today with sun shining and the construction crew has moved a bit up the block. So not dusty or so loud. But I did not go to the dollar store. Going to try for that tomorrow. With my walker.

On my way back in the building I stopped in to talk to our assistant manager. She worked for social services for 30 years so I had some questions about Medicaid for her. This is the first time I ever sat and talked with her. I found her very pleasant and easy to talk to. She told me to stop in any time with a question or just to talk.

Sonny surprised me by buying that walker for going up and down the stairs! It will be delivered on Wednesday. I can't wait! I am going to learn to go up and down the stairs in this building now.
 
I rode Jazzy to the store and got some groceries for my son. I expect he should be ringing my intercom soon. It was a nice ride there today with sun shining and the construction crew has moved a bit up the block. So not dusty or so loud. But I did not go to the dollar store. Going to try for that tomorrow. With my walker.

On my way back in the building I stopped in to talk to our assistant manager. She worked for social services for 30 years so I had some questions about Medicaid for her. This is the first time I ever sat and talked with her. I found her very pleasant and easy to talk to. She told me to stop in any time with a question or just to talk.

Sonny surprised me by buying that walker for going up and down the stairs! It will be delivered on Wednesday. I can't wait! I am going to learn to go up and down the stairs in this building now.
Oh how exciting, I hope you'll be safe using the stairs with the new stair walker. At the very least that's going to remove the anxiety about the lift not working ..
 
Last edited:
Today I have a hair appointment. Now I do this appointment on my own without Sonny. It is the reason I chose this salon when I first moved here. So I could get there under my own steam. Even in the winter I can make it there with my walker. Or my mobility chair. Today I will be using the walker.

I have been binge watching the series, Family for the past couple of weeks. On YouTube! I went through all my old soap operas before these. I tried to find St. Elsewhere but so far the only channel on YouTube that has it has the picture very small. On my television it makes it hard for me to see. My chair is back from the television so need to find a better channel.

I think I like watching old series that I used to watch because it brings back good memories for me. Anyway when watching shows that were on in the 70's and 80's is refreshing (to me) since there are no cell phones or computers. And the families actually eat meals together around the table. That is they way I was raised and how I raised my son.

I have not made it to the dollar store yet. Just have not had the time to do so. I am hoping to do it tomorrow or on the week-end.
 
Today walking to the hair salon, I asked one of the DOT workmen to help me get across the street. He stopped traffic and got me across. The area between the street and the sidewalk was all torn up and they were putting down blacktop and cement in some places.

When I finished there I stopped into the Chinese restaurant down the street, then the drug store across the street. From their back door and across the parking lot I came to my building. A nice walk. There was a lot of activity with the road reconstruction and then the Blues Fest is going on this week-end. Starting off with a free concert in the park tonight which is every Thursday through out the summer.

My water delivery came this afternoon so that is all done too. No more bills for the rest of the month. So I can enjoy the rest of the month and not worry about anything. Now I am really tired but have to wash a few dishes and make coffee for the morning. I will surprise my bunny boy with blueberries tonight.....none last night because the ones I got at the Grand Union were all moldy inside (hidden from view because I look closely inside the containers when I buy them), but the drugstore (of all places) had blueberries and they look good (so far).
 
Today I have a hair appointment. Now I do this appointment on my own without Sonny. It is the reason I chose this salon when I first moved here. So I could get there under my own steam. Even in the winter I can make it there with my walker. Or my mobility chair. Today I will be using the walker.

I have been binge watching the series, Family for the past couple of weeks. On YouTube! I went through all my old soap operas before these. I tried to find St. Elsewhere but so far the only channel on YouTube that has it has the picture very small. On my television it makes it hard for me to see. My chair is back from the television so need to find a better channel.

I think I like watching old series that I used to watch because it brings back good memories for me. Anyway when watching shows that were on in the 70's and 80's is refreshing (to me) since there are no cell phones or computers. And the families actually eat meals together around the table. That is they way I was raised and how I raised my son.

I have not made it to the dollar store yet. Just have not had the time to do so. I am hoping to do it tomorrow or on the week-end.
Like you, @katlupe, I like to watch old TV series, and yes, they do bring back "good memories" which leaves one with a nice feeling. I am enjoying reading also about your walks and daily adventures. Keep up the good work! Thank you for sharing all this!
 
Hey Kat, I was sorry to read that Sonny has many heath issues but at least he has meds for them. Since I never heard to Dextrocardia before, I looked it up.

"Dextrocardia only needs treatment if other heart issues or genetic syndromes are causing problems." So that sounds encouraging.

I just love Sonny for getting you that up and down stairs walker. Whatta guy, huh? No more elevator issues.

You had your hair done; do you like it?

Sounds like you are busy and all over the place lately. Good for you.

We're having lots of rain down here.
 
I was going to ask if you ever go to the weekly concerts in the park. I have several relatives that do and my niece sends me pictures on Facebook.
I don't because by that time I am ready for watching television and going to sleep. A lot of people in my building go and they love it. I am more a daytime person. Sometimes I can hear the music.
 
Hey Kat, I was sorry to read that Sonny has many heath issues but at least he has meds for them. Since I never heard to Dextrocardia before, I looked it up.

"Dextrocardia only needs treatment if other heart issues or genetic syndromes are causing problems." So that sounds encouraging.

I just love Sonny for getting you that up and down stairs walker. Whatta guy, huh? No more elevator issues.

You had your hair done; do you like it?

Sounds like you are busy and all over the place lately. Good for you.

We're having lots of rain down here.
Sonny has had 2 heart attacks and has a pacemaker so that is why they watch him so closely. It doesn't have much to do with the Dextrocardia. more to do with his past lifestyle.

Yes, I like how my hair turned out. It is not different, just my color and trim to keep my style. I love my hair stylist and she does a great job.

We had rain last night. Thunder and lightning too. Still looks dreary out this morning. I would rather have rain than hot temps.

I haven't had a chance to practice with the new stair walker yet. I went up a few steps and came back down. That is how I am going to do it because it hurts my knees a lot. I just want to be able to go up and down one flight to the first floor. I can get out the front door after that because those stairs are easier.
 


Back
Top