Self-Improvement – Page 15

October 4, 2023October 3, 2023

Goal Update for September

I usually post my goal update at the end of each month, but September’s is running late. October was sneaky and arrived before I knew it. I even forgot to say Rabbit, Rabbit.

Category	Goals	My Progress
Literature	Read for Sarah Donovan’s Book Group Send out Postcards Blog Daily Write a proposal for writing group’s book	I participated in the September book discussion with Sarah’s reading group and look forward to reading October’s book – Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World. I’ll participate in this book discussion this month. Fellow blogger Tammi Evans recommended a book by Elizabeth McCracken entitled The Souvenir Museum, and I hope to explore this collection of short stories as well this month. I need a spooky book, too, to bring on the chills of October. I mailed 10 postcards this month from Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky. I continue to blog daily, and the daily writing and reflecting is a wonderful habit for me. I don’t feel complete without some form of daily writing, and the blog is a way of continuing the habit. My writing group is writing a series of new books, and I will spend time editing the chapters we have written. I will continue to add chapters as we receive feedback from our proposals. We are each sending our proposal out to some publishing companies.
Creativity	Decorate the house for fall Create Shutterfly Route 66	I am working on decorating. It’s a slow process this year. I picked up an orange and a bronze mum today from Home Depot, and I’ve also made the instant hot spiced tea and put it in Mason jars for the fall. I have added a couple of new pillows and a throw for the living room. Our decorations are simple around here in the country – – we have a lot of natural foliage, and I like using it in some wine bottles I’ve wrapped with twine using double-sided tape as vases. I have been trying to get to Shutterfly since July, so if I haven’t accomplished this goal by the end of October, I may give up on this one.
Spirituality	Tune in to church Pray! Keep OLW priority	We have been tuning in to church. With Dad preaching every Sunday in October and a few Sundays ahead of that, it makes the church home hunt take a back seat until my childhood church gets a new preacher, since I have the opportunity to hear Dad. My car is still my prayer chamber for daily prayer, and there’s so much to give thanks for. I continue my conversations with the good Lord each morning and afternoon. I’m still keeping my OLW my priority: pray!
Reflection	Write family stories Spend time tracking goals each month	I have shared family stories through my blog this month and will continue this month to do the same. I’m tracking goals, revising, and considering some new categories as I look at my goal table.
Self-Improvement	*Reach top of weight range	This is a setback for me this month. I’ve hit major stress and gained weight, despite joining WW. I need to set a firm date and get the mental mindset that it takes to stay on track. I have work to do. Update: every day, the diet is starting “tomorrow.” I seriously need a good mindset to start back.
Gratitude	Devote blog days to counting blessings	I begin the days this way and end them giving thanks as well. I enjoy tea on the porch, taking time to meditate on all that I have been given. And all that I have not been given, too. I’m grateful both ways.
Experience	Embrace Slow Travel Focus on the Outdoors	I’ve taken a trip in September to Augusta for a work meeting and to Kentucky to visit family. We visited Mammoth Cave National Park and the Bell Witch Cave – two caves in two days. I’m still focusing on the outdoors with birdwatching adventures and camping. It’s the best time of the day to sit outside on the porch (in the shade) and just listen and watch what is going on around me. I have also come to an interesting resolution: I like my own backyard for birdwatching. Over time, I begin to know where each bird lives, its hours of activity, and its preferred seeds and feeders – and there is a powerful science to the perch on a feeder. Take cardinals, for example. They will come to a hanging feeder, but they prefer platform feeders just like mourning doves do. I’m learning by slow birding.

September 25, 2023September 15, 2023

Signature Pedicure Night with Hot Rocks

My sister-in-law and I treat ourselves to a relaxing pedicure together once a month. We like to sink down into the massage chair, plunge our feet into the steamy footbath, and breathe in the aroma of the bubbling pool.

The health and wellness benefits are immediate – a pedicure works wonders for the stress level, and it gets the leg circulation flowing just right.

Even though we know we overindulge in the comforts of the kneading and percussion of the massage chair combined with the leg massage, we splurge by going all out on the hot rocks, too. I first had a hot rock massage while on a cruise, and it’s been my favorite kind ever since.

According to the real experts on various sites on the internet, hot stone massages are beneficial for anxiety, back and leg pain, depression, insomnia, and osteoarthritis and can also reduce muscle spasms, tension, and chronic stress. I once had a friend whose doctor recommended them for all his female patients over 50 with desk jobs to help with circulation.

In fact, my brother called about a month ago and shared that he had enjoyed his first-ever pedicure and was feeling the benefits. HIs girlfriend took him and introduced him to a whole new vista of foot pleasure. I encouraged him to try the hot rocks next time.

The leg masque time is soothing. My sister-in-law and I both picked the eucalyptus for its relaxation and amazing scent. They apply the masque and wrap your legs in steamed towels to help the moisturizers set in, and it’s a few fantastic minutes of heaven.

Next comes the pop of color. I went from Hazelnut in August to Tropical Teal (508) in September, and next month I’m thinking of Queen of Grape as a deep purple frost for Halloween.

We always carry our flip flops or slides along with us so we can get home or to dinner without any dings on our polish. It’s fun to watch reactions when you walk into a restaurant wearing professional clothes……and flip flops. We’ve considered showing up somewhere in the complimentary pedicure flops somewhere just for kicks, like when we are meeting the family for dinner afterward.

I need a good November color – – a color of Thankfulness and Gratitude. I welcome your suggestions in the comments. The color choice is more difficult than an ice cream choice for me, because at least with flavor, I know the few I like best. Color is different, though – I love them all! Please help me choose!

September 15, 2023September 15, 2023

Mammogram Day! Pick Up the Phone to Schedule Yours!

Yesterday I shared about switching veterinarians to avoid having to drive out of our own county to get shots for our dogs. Mammograms, though, still require a drive. We don’t have a mammography facility in our county.

So once a year, I drive a half hour one county to our south and plop the girls on the cold machine to be pressed flat like hot paninis in an iron press at 90 and 45 degree angles – top to bottom and side to side -and imaged for a health inspection. And the drive isn’t bad. It’s not all that ironic that I drive across two large hills to get there, and one is so tall that no one on a cell phone can get over it without dropping the call. I park and enter the hospital, where I already have my driver’s license and insurance card in hand for the paperwork. I get my plastic ID bracelet and then go down to Radiation and Imaging, where I check in and change into a flowery cape that opens in the front.

When I’m changed, I step into the next room for the procedure. This is the reason I always switch to decaf coffee two weeks before coming, and the reason I take Evening Primrose – – to lessen the pain of the fibrocystic tissue that is aggravated by caffeine and eased by the primrose capsules.

I always leave wanting pancakes after this procedure, simply because that’s what comes to mind. I think that IHOP should e-hop on board and partner with preventive breast screening marketing by giving women a free pancake breakfast once a year after enduring the double-digit pounds of compression. Surely they could come up with a new pancake to help support breast cancer research. We could scan our hospital bracelets for the free pancakes and sit in silence, sopping them around in the syrup as we recover from the stress of it all, sipping decaf.

Have you had your mammogram this year? If not, it’s time to schedule it!

September 1, 2023September 1, 2023

Ethical ELA Friday Teacher Scenes

By far, the most uplifting group I have joined as an educator is Sarah Donovan’s writing group at EthicalELA. Our book discussions and writing times have been both professionally and personally enriching. The networks and friendships formed with some of the top experts in the field have challenged my thinking and opened my eyes about the importance of writing alongside students and the importance of choice in reading.

Someone in our group once said, “Teachers of writing should be writers, writing and sharing the journey with students.” We all froze at the weight of the simple power of this truth, letting it seep into our souls.

Today, I am sharing an article that I wrote for http://www.ethicalela.com as a guest blogger. You can read my article here.

Enjoy these ideas as you consider your own reading identity. And share a book blessing in the comments below!

Here’s my own book blessing: I’m reading Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. This is the next book in Sarah’s reading group The Healing Kind, which we will be discussing on September 17th in our Zoom meeting. Come join us! Details are here. I like it because I love the idea of time travel, and of course I enjoy imagining a cup of coffee in a quiet little cafe with all the magic it brings. I think anyone who enjoyed reading The Midnight Library by Matt Haig would like to read this book.

August 31, 2023August 30, 2023

Monthly Goal Update

Category	Goals	My Progress
Literature	Read for Sarah Donovan’s Book Group Send out Postcards Blog Daily Write at least 2 chapters for writing group’s book	I participated in the August book discussion with Sarah’s reading group and am almost finished with the September book – Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. I’ll participate in this book discussion on September 17th. I haven’t sent out any postcards this month, but I visited in person to meet my newest granddaughter. I continue to blog daily, and the daily writing and reflecting is a wonderful habit for me. I don’t feel complete without some form of daily writing, and the blog is a way of continuing the habit. My writing group is writing a series of new books, and I will spend time editing the chapters we have written. I will continue to add chapters as we receive feedback from our proposals. This is a work in progress, but I have only edited this month and not written any new chapters. I edited based on feedback from Anna Roseboro, a well-published member of our group.
Creativity	Make a rag quilt for a new grandbaby Create Shutterfly Route 66	I have a new granddaughter, and I’ve finished the rag quilt with the Nana tag on it. I’ll include a photo at the bottom of this post. I created a video, but I didn’t accomplish this goal, so I’ll continue this one: I’ll create a canvas or two, along with a photo book using our Route 66 photos! Update: I still haven’t accomplished this goal. I need to get busy in Shutterfly.
Spirituality	Tune in to church Pray! Keep OLW priority	We have been tuning in to church. With Dad preaching every Sunday in October and a few Sundays ahead of that, it makes the church home hunt take a back seat until my childhood church gets a new preacher, since I have the opportunity to hear Dad. My car is still my prayer chamber for daily prayer, and there’s so much to give thanks for. I continue my conversations with the good Lord each morning and afternoon. I’m still keeping my OLW my priority: pray!
Reflection	Write family stories Spend time tracking goals each month	I have shared family stories through my blog this month and will continue this month to do the same. I’m tracking goals, revising, and considering some new categories as I look at my goal table.
Self-Improvement	*Reach top of weight range	This is a setback for me this month. I’ve hit major stress and gained weight, despite joining WW. I need to set a firm date and get the mental mindset that it takes to stay on track. I have work to do.
Gratitude	Devote blog days to counting blessings	Gratitude needs more time in September. I need to devote time to Sarah Ban Breathnach’s Gratitude Journal readings. I get busy and forget to truly commit time to thanking the Good Lord for all the blessings, even though I am grateful. Remembering to thank Him, while I do this in prayer, needs more emphasis in the moments of walking on the farm or driving through the beautiful countryside at sunset.
Experience	Embrace Slow Travel Focus on the Outdoors	I’ve taken a trip in August to see the baby and now am finishing the month in Athens on a business trip. Both fast. Not slow and lingering as I would like. September will take us camping and possibly to visit a daughter, and I hope that we can slow down on those trips. I’m still focusing on the outdoors with birdwatching adventures and camping. It’s the best time of the day to sit outside on the porch (in the shade) and just listen and watch what is going on around us. We have seen the owl several times this month.

July 26, 2023August 1, 2023

Strawberry Pigs

Lately I’ve been grounding myself in my rural Georgia blessings by rereading Gladys Taber‘s books about her life on her farm, Stillmeadow, in the hills of Connecticut. Every sentence she writes, it seems, takes me to comforting places that fill me with the joy of memories and the inspiration to carry on the traditions and legacy that my mother left.

In the August chapter of Stillmeadow Calendar A Countrywoman’s Journal, Gladys shares, “Corn stands silken in the field, chicory stars the roadside, and goldenrod mints her coin. The kitchen smells of spices and syrups, ming and sweet pepper. It is the time of “putting up,” a rewarding time for country-folk. I believe it is an instinct in man to store things against the winter, even when there is a supermarket a few blocks or miles away. It is part of the rhythm of life.”

When my children were young, I’d meet my mother at the halfway point so that the kids could visit a week every summer with their grandparents. Just a few weeks ago, as I was visiting one of my girls, we passed a Dairy Queen.

“That makes me think of all those times Mimi would take us to get a Cotton Candy Blizzard,” she shared. “Those were the best days of my life. I loved making strawberry pigs with Mimi.”

My mother had a fig tree, and they’d all go out and pick figs in the back yard and strawberries from a neighbor’s patch. Mom would get out the pressure cooker and a box of clean Mason jars and lids. Everyone had a job to do well beyond the picking – – washing figs, hulling strawberries, slicing fruits, measuring sugar, stirring. It was a day-long event with everyone fully-aproned, and they stocked our pantry and theirs with all the toast topping they needed for the coming winter months.

My grown children still call strawberry figs “strawberry pigs,” from their days of childhood mispronunciations.

When we moved onto the Johnson Funny Farm in 2008, I found a little twig of a scratch-and-dent turkey fig on the clearance rack at Home Depot and bought it for $3.00. My husband put up the orange plastic netting around it to keep from running the tractor over it, and today it stands taller than a clown on stilts and is more solid than any prize bull.

I walk out to the fig tree this morning, inspecting the forthcoming fruits, anticipating their ripening. A fig harvest heralds the end of summer and beginning of fall – my favorite time of year! And I feel my mother’s arm around my shoulders, erasing all distance between heaven and earth, assuring me that the time spent doing simple things with those we love is the best gift of all. The simple act of making memories transcends years, space, and distance and preserves the togetherness and belonging – – the “putting up” of love scooped and slathered freely like a medicinal balm at the twist of a jar lid when it’s needed in the winters of our lives.

July 13, 2023July 13, 2023

My Soul Dog Has Surgery Today

Fitz; “Wait, what? Why am I here? I know this place. I don’t like this place.”

CUPS Disease has claimed my dog’s spirit. Canine Ulcerative Periodontal Disease produces painful, life-altering mouth ulcers caused by a reaction to the plaque buildup on a dog’s teeth.

For several months now, Fitz has taken to the underbed and doesn’t want to come out and live life.

This four-legged son of ours is no stranger to medical conditions, either. When we rescued him, he was recovering from a badly broken back leg, and later developed a growth on his back that was a benign tumor – which was surgically removed. He had such bad breath (his top end smelled worse than his bottom end) that when we took him for a dental cleaning, the veterinarian ended up removing eleven rotten teeth. Our mission was to love him and give him the best possible life, so as part of our commitment to treating our animals like family, we have spent a small fortune keeping him healthy.

This morning, I took my soul dog to have his canines removed, which will help reduce the contact between gums and teeth, thus reducing the intensity of the ulcers that he will develop. There is no cure for CUPS Disease, but there are ways of managing the symptoms, and removal of teeth is one.

On our way to the vet this morning, we had a heart-to-heart talk. Fitz made it clear that he wants no part of any of this, but I’m pretty sure I convinced him that it is the right choice, and equally sure that once he feels better in a couple of weeks, he will forgive me for all I have put him through today. I’m thinking I’ll coax forgiveness while he is still on medicine and has no idea what he is saying.

I could tell when I handed him off to the veterinary technician, Fitz was not happy. Just look at that face!

This is my boy who lets NO ONE kiss his mama, who is a fierce and mighty lizard hunter who brings down trophy lizards from the brick walls outside, and who chases off all the deer and wildlife so that they pose no threat to his family. The dog who snaps at his brothers for barking at “his” deer, because it’s “his” job to keep us all safe – and he puts them in their place. The dog who sleeps right next to me so that no night ghouls or goblins or ghosts would even think about coming close to me.

And now this.

I’m clearly in the doghouse.

July 6, 2023July 6, 2023

Kissing the Blarney Stone in Shamrock, Texas

To prepare for our own trip, I’d been watching YouTube videos of people who had traveled Route 66 and documented their experiences through videos, and that’s how I learned that there is a chunk of the Blarney Stone from Ireland right here in the good ‘ole US of A! There’s a husband and wife team who have a YouTube account called Yankee in the South, and they taught me all sorts of things about Route 66 that the travel books didn’t teach me – – including the bit about this Blarney Stone in Shamrock, Texas!

My brother-in-law kissing the Blarney Stone

Since my brother-in-law and his wife (I call her my sister-in-law, even though he’s the technical in-law) have loved their trips to Ireland, I thought this was worthy of a stop along the route. We had to do a little searching, but we found the Blarney Stone right along Main Street in Blarney Stone Plaza. Sure enough, it was brought here in 1959 after being knocked off the original stone and was ceremoniously installed in the town to bring the luck o’ the Irish to all who kiss it on this side of the pond.

I’m now one of the lucky ones, sprinkled with magical rainbow dust by the invisible leprechaun who dwells within the stone. (Side note: my husband was sitting in the car, waiting for us to return from all the kissing).

There are other places to kiss part of the Blarney Stone in the United States, I have learned: Emmetsburg, Iowa; Irish Hills, Michigan; and at Fitzgerald’s Casino Lucky Forest in Reno, Nevada.

If you’re traveling through, make the stop ~ pucker up and luck on up!

July 2, 2023July 3, 2023

Goal Update for June

At the end of each month, (or beginning), I review my yearly goals and spend some time reflecting on how I’m doing in living the life I want to live ~ a way of becoming my own accountability partner and having frequent check-ins to evaluate my progress. I’m still in the process of revising some of my goals as I encounter successes…..and setbacks. I’ve worked on learning new photography techniques, and that knowledge is being put to great use for my nephew’s new dog business website (success!), but it’s hard to travel Route 66 with all its burgers and fries, coneydogs and shakes….and great desserts….without gaining weight (setback!). So new goals have asterisks for the month of July, when I will report on them in a few weeks. For the month of June, here’s my goal reflection:

Category	Goals	My Progress
Literature	Read for Sarah Donovan’s Book Group Send out Postcards Blog Daily Write at least 2 chapters for writing group’s book	Ethicalela.com has a new book group! First Book: Healer of the Water Monster by Brian Young (https://shorturl.at/coAHN I continue to send out postcards – I would estimate about 30 this month alone, with travel along Route 66! I continue to blog daily, and the daily writing and reflecting is a wonderful habit for me. I don’t feel complete without some form of daily writing, My writing group is writing a series of new books, and I will spend time writing chapters for these in July.
Creativity	Improve blog photos Make a rag quilt for a new grandbaby Create Shutterfly Route 66	My nephew asked me to make photos for his new business website, so maybe the new techniques I’m learning mean that I’m improving in photography! I am having a new grandbaby this month, so a new quilt will be on the month’s menu! I’ll create a canvas or two, along with a photo book using our Route 66 photos! (Oh, and I got creative with spray paint, too – graffiti is fun!).
Spirituality	Tune in to church Pray! Keep OLW priority	We will tune in to church by radio or YouTube and catch up with services missed while on the road traveling. My car is still my prayer chamber for daily prayer, but I’m shifting it to the shower for summer, since sometimes I my habits change when I’m off contract at work for the summer. I’m still keeping my OLW my priority: pray!
Reflection	Write family stories Spend time tracking goals each month	I’ll be sharing more family stories through small moment experiences along Route 66 in the coming days. I’m tracking goals, revising, and considering some new categories as I look at my goal table.
Self-Improvement	*Reach top of weight range	This is a setback for me this month. Part of May and all of June was not a good one for weight. I’ve gained back about a third of the weight I had lost, and I need to transition to Weight Watchers point counting, which has been the plan since starting Optavia. I need to make the shift for July – and stay out of the retro diners with burgers, fries, and shakes.
Gratitude	Devote blog days to counting blessings	The gratitude category was strong for the month of June. At every turn of the corner along Route 66, I realized the beauty and wonder of our great nation and its history. I shared the amazing experience of travel with Briar’s brother and his wife this month. I also visited one of my children last month in Kentucky and will visit another one this month in South Carolina. Life is good!
Experience	Embrace Slow Travel Focus on the Outdoors	While I covered a lot of distance in the month of June with road trips through Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico (NINE states in ONE month!), the pacing was relaxed. I didn’t try to do too much in one place – – I enjoyed the moments! I visited Dunbar Cave State Park in Tennessee, Palo Duro Canyon State Park in Texas, and Sandia Peak in New Mexico to enjoy the outdoors and the grand views of nature and experience time in the great outdoors. I’ve been way far up and way far down on landforms and in goals, but it just goes to show that the peaks and the valleys can both be beautiful places that give us unique views!

June 13, 2023June 13, 2023

June 13 – Hydration on the Road – The Clear Winner

Last Friday, I started reviewing tumblers for my trip down half of Route 66 later this month. I’m heat sensitive and prone to lightning-fast dehydration, so my cup choice matters a lot to my physical ability to enjoy outings. On Saturday, I reviewed the 40 ounce Hydro Flask tumbler, on Sunday the Stanley 30 ounce Iceflow, and on Monday the Stanley Flowstate Quencher H2.0 30 and 40 ounce tumblers. Today, I’m declaring a winner to make the roadtrip with me. If I had been reviewing for another purpose, there may have been a different tumbler trophy awarded, but I know which will make my best travel companion.

For the past six months, my buddy has been the 40 ounce Hydro Flask that I bought on a Black Friday deal and have used daily. Before that, I carried a Yeti, and before that, a Tervis.

I was looking for a tumbler that is leakproof, that can get me through 3 or 4 hours without a refill, and that can keep ice cold overnight. I stuck to the name brands not because of their popularity on TikTok (which I don’t even watch), but because I tend to be very hard on shoes, bags, and cups and feel that name brands bring a durability that knockoffs don’t always offer. Plus, I have fond memories of Stanley since childhood when my grandfather took us camping in Fernandina Beach and drank coffee from his Stanley thermos all day. When he wasn’t on vacation, he took that thermos, with its side luggage-like handle, to work with him every day. Perhaps that’s why my heart leans toward Stanley products.

Before we were married, my husband and I would make a pot of coffee and fill our own green thermos for a long drive daytime date. We’d stop at a roadside food market to sit in rocking chairs and share a dessert and a cup of coffee from the lid that doubles as a cup.

Fond memories, indeed.

There was one clear winner as I searched for the best tumbler to take on my trip. It’s not without its weaker points, but its strengths catapulted it to the blue ribbon platform almost immediately for the purpose of traveling.

The traveling tumbler trophy goes to……

The 30 ounce Stanley Ice Flow Flip Straw Tumbler

This Pool Swirl beauty has a design that brings back the psychedelic 1970s and that woman dancing with the radiating colors all around her to Aquarius Let the Sunshine In by the Fifth Dimension. And what a fitting song – – all the aqua of aquarius, and the sun shining in, too.

This tumbler doesn’t leak when the lid is fastened correctly, it fits in both RAV-4 front seat cup holders, and even fits snugly down into the side pocket of my backpack. The non-bottlenecked lid makes adding ice a simple task. The handle pops up from the top and so does the straw, making it a more compact design than the Quencher model with the handles that can only be carried one way, unless you purchase the shoulder strap and make it like a purse.

The Hydro Flask and Quencher models both have their winning merits for different purposes; I’ll use the Quenchers for work and for drinking coffee, and the Hydro Flask for hiking when we go camping.

But the winner for compact travel for those needing high-tech hydration is the Stanley Ice Flow Flip Straw Tumbler!

Cheers to staying hydrated this summer with your favorite cup! And cheers to a great way to start the day with The Fifth Dimension!

The Fifth Dimension – Aquarius: Let the Sunshine In

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