Sunday Inspiration: Value

 

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Thankful Thursday: Septwmber 12, 2024

 

I Am Thankful For:

Ice cream

Pumpkin Spice coffee

A beautiful fall-like day

Getting my yearly vaccines

Football Sunday

White chili

Root beer floats

Appointment scheduled

Cute videos of grandson

Candy corn

The peace of not engaging

Finding a new (to me) podcast to listen to 

Sunday Inspiration: What are you living?

Thankful Thursday: September 5, 2024

 

I Am Thankful For:

Air conditioning

My little dog playing while wearing the cone

Apple pancakes with vanilla ice cream

Werthers Maple Creams

Afternoon thunderstorms

Hanging out with my husband

Afternoon nap

Homegrown tomatoes

A quiet day

My husband making a smoothie for me

Steaks cooked on the grill

My dog's eye is better

Learning skills for the future

Hello, September

It's here!!  September has finally arrived!  Fair warning - I am breaking out ALL the Autumn-ness.  Yes, I know it's technically still summer until later this month.  But I have been stifling the urge for all things pumpkin for the past couple of weeks. So, now that it's September, I am letting it run wild. 

September is always a quiet month for us.  We don't have any immediate family birthdays this month.  And no major holidays.  It's the quiet before the storm.  A shirt break before the months that are jam packed with our birthdays, anniversary, and the holidays begin.

With that in mind, I plan to use this month to Prepare for the upcoming months.  That's why I have chosen Prepare as my word for September.  It's time to take care of some things before life potential gets crazy during the last three months of the year. 

The only books on my Reading list for September are "Tangled Hearts" by Sara McClaflin and "Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone" by Benjamin Stevenson.  I am taking part in the virtual book tour for "Tangled Hearts". "Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone" is our book club selection for September.  After that, I'm going to do a little mood reading and open whatever my little book heart desires.  

My big project for September is getting my Etsy shop ready to reopen next month. I'm switching up my business model just a little. And hoping I can avoid the stress and anxiety it was causing me when I shut things down a year ago

My Goals for September:

• Decorate the house for Autumn
• Prepare Etsy shop for reopening in October 

What are your plans for September?

Sunday Inspiration: September

August Ends

Is anyone else feeling like August was just a complete blur?  I honestly feel as if this month was about two weeks long!

My father's birthday was earlier this month.  We celebrated with a lunch at his favorite fish place.  Last year, we found his biological mother's family just a few months before and I gave him a framed photo of her for his birthday.   This year, I was able to give him a framed photo of his biological father.  

I had the MRI on my knee in mid-August.  The results weren't exactly what I was expecting.  There was no tear to the meniscus.   But that didn't mean I was out of the woods.  I have some seriously messed up cartilage in there as well as a couple of cysts. And a few "loose bodies" (probably pieces of cartilage.) I am probably looking at arthroscopic surgery to remove the "trash" in my knee and see if any repairs are possible to the cartilage. Waiting on the orthopedic surgeon office to call and schedule my consult.  

I also had the follow-up appointment for my endoscopy.   There are some changes to the lower esophagus due to reflux, but nothing alarming.  I need to continue to make sure my gerd is well managed to avoid further damage and get rechecked in three years. I am also able to try cutting back on the dosage of gerd medication.  So, that was all good news!

The oldest grandkid started back to school this month, which means I'm not getting to spend time with him a few days each week anymore.  We did some baking during those last couple of weeks: chocolate chip cookies, brownies, and pumpkin muffins.   

One of my little dogs hurt his eye earlier this week.   I was out running errands and when I came home I noticed that he was squinting one eye. Looking closer, it seemed a little puffy and had some discharge.  Fortunately, I was able to get a same day appointment for him that afternoon.  He has a corneal ulcer (probably from a scratch to the eye).  We've been having to apply drops a few times a day and he has to wear a cone to avoid further injury.  He has a follow-up next week and hopefully it's healed by then.

Also, happening this week: my Canadian cousin and I did some more "together, but apart", cooking.  August brings the anniversary of our grandmother's passing. So in her memory, we made one of my cousin's favorite things that Grandma Janina used to make -  Racuchy Z Jabłkami (Polish Yeast Apple Pancakes).  They were SO delicious!  

I can't brag about my goals for August.  I still haven't cleaned and reorganized the linen closet.  I'm still trying to figure out my morning routine.  And while I did write or journal more often this month - it certainly wasn't an every day thing.  

All in all, I would say that as far as months go - August gets a C+.  

How was your August?

Thankful Thursday: August 29, 2024

 

I Am Thankful For:

The full moon

Baking brownies with my grandson

Finishing the first section of my new sweater

Cooler mornings

Pumpkin muffins

A good appointment with the gastrointestinal doctor

Lunch with my dad

A beautiful late summer day

Laundry folded and put away

My son cooking dinner for us

Comfort foods

Catching deer on the security camera

His covid test was negative

The first leaves starting to change

Getting a same day vet appointment

My husband fixing dinner while I'm at the vet

Making Racuchy z Jabłkami (Polish Apple Pancakes) with my cousin

Reset

I'm going to be honest with you - the last several months have felt like a LOT. I'm not going to go over all the details. I've probably already whined about most of them here at one point or another. At first, I felt like I was spinning my wheels.  That led to a feeling of being completely mired down and stagnant. Somethings need to change. 

And that's why my word for August has been RESET.

I definitely need to Reset my morning routine.  It has been feeling stale for a while now.  It hasn't been inspiring and invigorating me like it used to, and I find myself getting completely distracted from it on most mornings. So, I completely tossed my usual routine out the window and have just been trying to figure out what works for me and what I need from my morning routine right now.

I've been having a little more quiet time to just sit with my cup of tea.  I’ve also been trying to keep time for doing some more journaling, which is something I had struggled with for the past several months. I just can't quite figure out what I want to change, what I want to keep, or how it should look now. (Suggestions?)

My health could use a Reset.  I have been eating healthier out of necessity.  My stomach issues kind of forced me to do better about that.  But there's still room for improvement.  I need to be moving more, but my knee has put that on hold.  Hopefully after my follow-up with the sports medicine doctor I'll have a better idea what's going on and can make a plan to heal and be healthier.

I have also been struggling since I closed my Etsy shop last year.  It never really set right with me how and when it ended.  And I didn't think I would miss it as much as I do.  So, it's time for a Reset.  I am making some changes to my business model and will be reopening my shop sometime in September.

What's something in your life that could use a Reset?

Sunday Inspiration: Repeat

 

Thankful Thursday: August

 

I Am Thankful For:

One less thing to worry about

A bear in the pear tree

Sleep

Open windows

Egg salad

Day break

A great day for curls

Baking cookies with my grandson

A hawk in the pine tree

Flirting with my husband

A treat from Dairy Queen

Sleeping in

Laughing with my husband

Making plans for our future

Leftovers

Cooler weather

Time spent with my grandsons

Learning nre things

A decision made

Sunday Inspiration: Decisions

Thankful Thursday: August 15, 2024

I Am Thankful For:

A cool morning breeze

My grandson making me laugh

A trip to the library

An afternoon cup of tea with a muffin

Turkey burgers

My dad's birthday lunch

A trip to Sam's Club's with my husband

Feeling beautiful

Pictures of Henry

A change in dinner plans that made things easier

Taking a chance

MRI completed

A good Book Club meeting

Two dragonflies hovering over my car

Quick results

A beautiful morning

Not needing to turn on the air-conditioning