Monday, May 17, 2021

May 17, 2021 Monday--11am

Good morning! 

We had a mallard couple wander past this last week.

Everyone is looking for nesting places, I guess.

With all the construction that is going on around here there are less spots left for our feathered couples.

Such a busy week I can hardly move today.  I did more coloring samples but that was put on hold by the Silks.  Unlike my other acrylics that fared well, the Silks have dried up a lot.  So I will be adding distilled water to each one and stirring and shaking to see if I can bring them back to life.

Did laundry, made soup and did some baking early in the week.
Thursday Leah dropped off the new tincture, the rest of the supplements Elliot suggested, and some big black plastic bags for packing up bedding.

I started the tincture on Friday.  Whether I put it in a little water or a lot it doesn't taste very good--so I use a little and swig it down like a shot of whiskey!  (Which I also think tastes terrible--lol!)  Only been a few days so nothing to report.

The name of the cat/wild animal disease is bartonella.  I have been too busy or too exhausted to research either that or lymes, to be honest.

Dagan and Leah came to move things around for me on Sunday.  I was cleaning and rearranging and packing stuff for days.  Have some "before" pictures.

The gatefold table in the living room.
My bedroom in upheaval.
The corner of the closet I needed to turn into an Annie hiding place now that the bed is going and she can't hide under there anymore.
The patio.
Earlier in the week I decided to cheat.  Yes--you heard me--cheat.  I have been feeling so cruddy for months and haven't been able to get back to my Wanderlust classes.  I was in need of doing something creative--especially after playing a little with paint samples.  :)  

The next WLclass I was supposed to draw a self portrait.  And the one after that we were to paint a dandelion along with a lot of other decorative things.  Well, I had this tiny bottle of black gesso so I slapped on some paint...  
...and glued down copies of pictures.
Cheating!  
Going to use my favorite photo of me and the boys (which means it will always be in my art journal, Gramma smiles).  I can always go back and practice drawing faces at some other time.
I found this photo of a dandelion and printed that off, too.
I will be adding to these two pages--am definitely cheating--but it still feels good to have been able to do a little something toward these two classes.  When you have limited spoons and you know you have a lot to do in the near future...well, you do what you can.

I moved everything that didn't have to be unplugged from the headboard of my bed.
I hauled out things from the closet floor to make room for a big cat bed for Annie to use in the corner of the bedroom closet.
Packed up some things for storage and some for donations.
Dagan and Leah took a couple big pillows and a blanket to use on their couch.
Was a very busy day yesterday for Dagan and Leah.  They took apart my bed, vacuumed, carried the bed pieces to my garage, brought in the bins of my summer clothes, brought out the donation and storage bags, brought in my patio furniture, cut up my memory foam bed topper to fit my chair (an idea I had for my back), brought in a fan, brought the old plastic planter boxes to the dumpster (Ian and Liam helped with that part)...so many trips and so much to move from here to there.  Liam fell asleep in the little tan lounger chair for a couple hours.  Ian did some art and watched The Magic Schoolbus--his new favorite show.  Leah ran to pick up dinner for us all...and she even ran back later with a couple things she forgot to bring over.  I'm sure there was more but my foggy brain is worn out today--lol!

I did take some "after" pictures yesterday before I collapsed.
Grandpa's desk.  
Fits perfectly!  And I have my sound machine for going to sleep again after two years!!  I love listening to rain and thunder.  If I wasn't in so much pain I would have slept longer...but it was a joy to fall asleep to that rumbling after such a long time!

The bedroom is a total disaster--LOL!   
Will be slowly dealt with over the coming week.  (After I recover from last week--lol!)  I really need to switch over from winter clothes to summer clothes.  Was 80-something highs all weekend, I believe, and it's suppsed to get up to 85 again today!  Then be in the 70s all week.  I have the AC on for the first time today.

The patio.
The old planter boxes are gone--just stains where they have be parked for five years.  My chair and a kids' chair with the little tables are back for the summer.  The two round pots and the bird water dish.  Soon--new planter boxes!!  :)

A lady who lives here was pulling her little dog by in a wagon over on the sidewalk when Ian and I were outside yesterday.  Ian was dragging the planter boxes out on to the lawn.  She stopped to tell me how much she loves all my flowers every year and to tell Ian what a good helper he is.  When I told her there will be new planter boxes this year that are bigger and wooden to they won't blow over...she got all excited--LOL!  I do have several of the ladies here who always comment about the flowers whenever I am out on the patio.  They remind me of my mom.  Flowers were like crack for her--ROFL!  

Just another thing I am grateful to Leah for helping me to set up every year.  Ian's been a great helper, too, the last 2-3 years.  I am truly blessed.

Well, somebody actually guessed what is going in the corner of my bedroom!  Jinxxxygirl!!  Deb, you are right!  A sauna!
Of course, I will not look as glamourous as this woman--ROFL!  Neither does my bedroom look so nice--hehe!  But I will have an infrared sauna in my little bedroom.  Supposed to help get rid of toxins...and I have good memories of a sauna when I was a kid.

We had relatives on a farm who only had an outhouse, an outdoor steam sauna, and the kitchen sink pump for all their bathroom needs for many years.  My folks always told me how I slept in a dresser drawer when they visited Bill and Helen when I was a baby.  All the ladies and girls went together in the sauna and then all the men and boys.  Us kids took turns pouring water over the hot rocks--which was a real thrill!  I just remember how clean I felt when we were done...and how hard it was to breathe in there--LOL!  

But I never knew there was such a thing as a free-standing sauna--or an infrared sauna without steam, for that matter.  Leah had been paying a nearby gym just to use their sauna before the pandemic hit (for oxalates and in general).  She felt so much better and missed it...so she had been researching online to buy one for a year.  We are both getting one!!  They'll be delivered to Dagan and Leah's and they'll put theirs together so they know how it is done.  Then they'll unbox mine, borrow a vehicle from a friend, deliver mine and put it together!  Supposed to arrive in May, but you know how things have been going with mail and packages here...so could be later, I would imagine.  We are getting ready, though.  :)

Dagan and Leah laugh at me as to how I say sauna.  Hey, I learned it at the knees of Swedish relatives--ROFL!  I'll have to do a video when it is finally here so you can hear me say sauna.  Feel free to chuckle.

I will have to slowly work up to staying in there longer.  You don't just settle in for an hour right off the bat.  I can almost imagine, though, how refrshing it will feel to go jump in the shower after and rinse all the toxins away.  As a kid we had to use towels to roughly, vigoursly dry off before we put our clothes on.  I never understood why the drying had to be so violent.  Maybe that's why--to rub off the toxins from your skin?  Maybe they never knew why they did that after the sauna--just felt good?  And no--we never rolled in the snow.  We only did the sauna when we were there in the summer for visits.  Maybe Bill and Helen rolled in the snow--who knows?

When my brother dropped off Grandpa's desk we were talking about it and his daughter has a freestanding sauna!  Small world!  I had just found out they existed!  

Anyways, that's the goings on here for the last week.  Today--pajama day and Aleve and probably naps...but I am happy-happy-happy!  Got so much done!  And I'm looking at Grandpa's desk in my living room.  Happy, happy me.  Till next week, my friends!   :) :) 
****
"Whatever our individual troubles and challenges may be, it's important to pause every now and then to appreciate all that we have on every level."
Shakti Gawain

13 comments:

Bonnie said...

I love your Grandpa's desk! It will give you lots of useful storage as well as many happy memories. I never would have guessed that you are getting a sauna! I can't wait to hear how you like it. Did you say it does not have steam? That's a new one to me but it must serve the same purpose. You are definitely a cat person and a very loving one too since you have considered Annie and gave her a place to hide in the closet!

Take care Rita!

Jo-Anne's Ramblings said...

No pyjama days for me although this morning I am wearing pyjama pants as I have no track pants.

I just spent 4 days helpng to clean out my parents house.

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

Gosh, Rita you got a lot accomplished and so did your incredible helpers. I misunderstood what you were asking last week. I thought you wanted to know what kind of BED you were getting to replace your bed. I'll have to look into that sauna. It sounds like a lifesaver. Hope your week is great and you get your Silks to work. Smart to only use distilled water.

Deb J. in Utah said...

What a perfect place for your grandpa's desk. It looks great there. Wow, a sauna in your bedroom - how cool is that!?! You have been busy, busy busy! That is such a sweet picture of you and your grandsons. Hope you have a great week. :-)

David M. Gascoigne, said...

You had a busy and productive week. It's too bad the ducks have fewer places to live. As human populations everywhere keep growing wildlife gets squeezed out.

Anvilcloud said...

I love that desk. Mt grandpa had one with a dropdown leaf, but it wasn't as fancy otherwise. It became my desk for a time. On one move, my parents gave it away. I was a little disappointed. It has been a long time since I was in a sauna. Enjoy yours when the time comes.

DJan said...

I would never have guessed a sauna, but it sounds like a good thing to do. And your home is definitely filled with lots of good stuff. You are lucky to have McFamily to help you! Loved this post, and I do hope you will soon recover more strength.

Darla said...

Wow! Your own sauna. How great is that? I like the old gate leg table (we all them drop leaf tables). I have one that is used mostly for jig saw puzzles.

Far Side of Fifty said...

Your desk looks wonderful in that spot! You will like the sauna, we have to get back to using ours...we like it better in the winter than summer! You had some big project days no wonder you are tired:)

Divers and Sundry said...

I enjoy watching ducks. Your soup looks delicious! That desk has found the perfect home. It looks great there :) I've never heard of an infrared sauna. I used to love the sauna at the YMCA, but I haven't used one in decades. I'm googling them now. It sounds wonderful!

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

WOW, Rita, you have had so much going on in this post. Now I have to backtrack and read the previous posts as I was away for a few days. A personal sauna sounds intriguing and we will all be awaiting the verdict on how you enjoy it. The cleaning up and rearranging does bring a sense of accomplishment I'm sure. The weather is also starting to heat up here, so it will be goodbye to jeans very shortly.

Janie Junebug said...

I've never been in a sauna. How lovely for you to have your very own. I hope Annie likes her special bed.

Love,
Janie

Harvest Moon by Hand said...

That's awesome that you are getting a sauna! I have wanted one for years, but have never got one. I'll be interested in knowing what you think of it and the benefits you're noticing with using it. Looking forward to seeing your new planters.