Random Tuesday Brain Wanderings

 

Since my musings on Tuesdays and Thursdays tend to be rather scatty/random, I actually grabbed my paperback Roget's just now to see if I could find a synonym for "random" that started with T, so I could be alliterative with my subject line.....further proving what a big ole grammar nerd I am. Alas, Roget's crapped out on me...

Quarter past noon and I'm finally awake....all hail coffee!

Been married almost 13 years now, and for a good chunk of those years, dear Husby has spent them on the couch, because his darn head/pain issues screw up his sleep patterns, or he gets dozing and forgets to come to bed. This means I've had the big king-size bed all to myself. Comfy, but lonely.

However, his time at the family house in SC on various beds and couches brought home to him just how godawfulfriggin' uncomfortable our couch is for sleeping, and he's been making an effort to hit the sack, in the actual bedroom, ever since. This makes me over-the-moon happy (sleeping together?! like a "real" married couple?! eeeeeeeeee!!!), but also means I usually nudge awake when he finally climbs in, and my brain turns on. I don't even mind that, or that he needs to drift off with the TV on...but I'm realizing it may mean a smidge less sleep for me until we both get used to the new arrangement. Hilarious that this is a new arrangement after 15 years of living together, but hey, it is what it is...and so long as those big brown eyes still greet me every morning, I'm happy.

I'm reacquainting myself with the concept of "to do" lists. Between interviewing for the manager position and dragging my feet on planting anything (because I don't want to start anything unless I can also spend the money on a mini-greenhouse set-up that will keep out the squirrels, feral ducks, and other critters that obtain access to my tiny porch, as well as shield it from the damn Western exposure), I was a little discouraged recently about how far off my little homestead still seems. But Jenna's been yelling at us quite a bit lately in a rather "Nike" tone of voice about how nothing's gonna get started until you, y'know, frickin START already!, so I brought the Backyard Homestead to work today to read on my lunch again and get my brain wheels turning...

Besides, the sense of accomplishment when you cross stuff off a "to do" list is so satisfying...I may not have fresh eggs or even a backyard yet, but I'm still on my way.

This was brought home to me early this past weekend as well, on a different topic. I've been wanting to get back into sewing, maybe quilting, maybe garments, maybe home decor stuff, who knows. I have 2 frickin' sewing machines collecting dust and quite a few books on the subject. But reading about quilting, you quickly become aware that that line of thought has its own language attached, and I realized I needed to re-educate myself, because with the exception of the occasional hem or patch job, I really haven't studied or performed sewing, oh, since my 7th grade Girl Scout sewing badge, for gosh sakes! So the idea would get set aside, again and again and again. Until my inner voice said, hey dummy, don't you already have books on the subject? Like The Sewing Bible, which is rather perfect for reacquainting oneself with the craft?

Pull from shelf, crack open, sigh, self-flaggellate some more, finally get reading...

Why is it that most often, WE are what's standing in our way...?

Image snitched from here.

Recharge

That's how the weekend looked. I had no idea how badly I needed it.

The TNT and USA networks aided and abetted my slackerism with the usual marathons, the Kindle got so much use on Saturday I'm pretty sure my continued neck ache is caused by Mah Jong, and I napped both days and was still tired at the end of the night. My body needed a recharge badly, and thanks to my Husby's enabling attitude (go relax! take a nap!), I did just that and feel better for it.

We Lyons' don't do relaxing well....always gotta be goinggoinggoing...the Energizer™ neurotic. But the kitchen still got tidied, the laundry still got done. There's a lesson there.

I completely blew off the Independence Days Challenge on Friday. Not going to make that a habit, but also not going to even try to record what, if anything, occured in that arena last week. My body was still going through the shingles recovery process, and my heart wasn't in much of anything. This week will be busy; I'm interviewing for a promotion so I doubt there will be much to report this Friday either...but I'm thinking with a clearer head this week and that's what counts.

Happy Monday, y'all!

Image from here.

Taking Stock

Food photography is evil. And apparently I'm in the mood for self-flaggellation. Dear gods, those look good!

Outside: overcast, threatening rain next couple of days. Determined to ignore thermometer.

Inside: boring. Blogger is sleepy.

Wearing: beige slacks, red sweater, oxfords.

Reading: Backyard Homestead, Amish Knitting Circle series, Clean Food, Rodale's Whole Foods Cookbook...list not comprehensive. Nose in book or magazine constantly these days.

Creating: nada...juju has been temporarily misplaced. And this is also practically the first day in 2 weeks that I've wanted to lift my arms anywhere.

Going: nowhere. For at least a month. Hibernation time.

Hoping...
Wow, is this the first time I've taken stock since Dad J. passed? : (
This section had taken on a theme of prayer for him in recent months. Reminded me of the nightly prayers I'd say as a kid, that roteness: God bless Mom and Dad and Cyril (pre-Meara)...and Grandma and Grandpa and Nanie...and all my relatives and friends...and help me to be a good girl tomorrow with school...
What do I hope for today? I hope I'm there emotionally and physically for Husby whenever he needs me, as his brain processes his loss. I hope the shingles continues to heal, and I can get back to more activity. Energy level is still sapped. I hope I can get back into yoga and meditation; those activities have slipped big-time. I hope I can dig into the apartment without it making me too nutty. Such first-world hopes, I know, but that can't be helped.

Image from here.

The random ramblings of a shingles-addled web editor

Valentine's Day. It's definitely easier to handle when you wake up to yellow roses, a box of chocolates, and the sweetest guy in the world in your house. SO good to have him home!

Interesting, learning how your body reacts to stress. Yesterday I took the day off to recover from the driving back and forth to SC. I puttered, watched the tube, read, played, and reveled in the fact that Husby was home. Neck and shoulders felt considerably better, both when I initially woke up and as the day progressed.

Today I'm back at work, the sledgehammer is back resting on my right shoulder, and it's making me grumbly.

I'm pretty sure if I cut repeats out of my TV watching, I'd be down to 2 shows: House and NCIS. And House is done after this season. Food for thought, to be sure...

I'm definitely a student of religion right now. Glad I've reached a point where I accept the Christianity of others without feeling like they drank the Kool-Aid and need to try out free will sometime. But I'm definitely a Unitarian in my own beliefs. Been researching Hinduism, because I've watched/read Eat Pray Love one too many times, and my Lil Sisinlaw's study of the craft has me digging back into the works of Scott Cunningham and Margot Adler, while also keeping a hold on my Buddhism studies, seeing how I can blend Hindu/Buddhist meditation into a daily practice in my own life. This kind of needs to occur, I think. I'm in the right place for it right now.

I couldn't make it into Heather's workshop in time. Was disappointed briefly, but it's OK. That money can be spent buying Terry Walters' books, maybe another whole foods cookbook, and investing in kitchen appliances that will assist me in my clean, healthy food endeavors. Like an electric rice cooker, so I can stop having to steel wool my medium-sized pot, because I've become rather skilled at burning rice, beans, anything I'm not steaming, b/c I'm too scatty to keep an eye on it.....sigh.....also want an air popcorn popper, one of those easy onion choppers, and I'm hopefully inheriting a waffle iron from Lil Sisinlaw. There's some serious weekend food prep and menu planning in our futures.

Been having delusions of grandeur about the dang tax return, thinking of ways to spend the sucker. I know how precious the extra dough is though (OT is a faint memory here unfortunately), and it'll probably go right into the savings account once it arrives, until we determine what things we need vs. what things we just want. I'm getting a lot better at that, and the purse moratorium I declared this year helps. Still...

Image from here.

Independence Days Challenge Week 1

Man, pancakes on the brain this week! Still haven't made 'em...hopefully Monday...

Oh nutterbutters! Amazing how selective our memories can be. Was just saying that to Lil Sis today, because I was craving one of those heavenly artisan sandwiches from Starbucks. I've been trying to remove dairy (or switch to organic) and factory farmed foods from my diet and I've had at least one of those suckers this week. Habit is a serious bitch.

So I kind of already forgot about Independence Days, though in my defense, it's been really hard to focus on stuff this week; so I'm giving myself a half-pass on account of the shingles. My shoulders and neck have been a new experience in pain for me this week, and not much home preparedness has been occurring at all. Still, gonna go through the motions, because it'll be good for me to see all the places where I want to improve.

Plant Something: not a darn thing, but thinking about a pizza garden to start...tomatoes, peppers, and basil. Cuz I heart pizza and REALLY want to be making it from scratch rather than via Domino's. Supply buying hopefully next week.

Harvest Something: hmm...kind of have to have stuff planted to harvest anything. I'm counting the purchase of carrots and cukes under here, because I did juice with them this week, which is a step in the right direction.

Preserve Something: not yet. Until the Florida strawberries show up, I'll content myself with reading Ashley's book to learn how, and buying the needed supplies (the Ball beginner's kit, more mason jars, etc.).

Waste Not: I did pack lunch at the beginning of the week, then backslid (though I count eating @ Chipotle as a good step too), but again, the damn shingles has me barely wanting to lift my arms, let alone cook for myself. I have been working from the cabinets...only thing I bought this week after the big shop was shampoo. I'm determined on this one though, and I have plenty of beans, rice, and veggie options in the larder to feed myself with right now.

Want Not: yea, this is kind of a biggie...the impending tax return has me thinking about shoes, big time. Again, this can be explained though, and it's not really a rationalization...I want to spend more money on shoes now that will last me for several years, rather than spend money on crap shoes that will last a year at most and make my arthritis worse in the process (a cycle that has been the norm up until now). I have my eye on more Eastlands and a pair of dress sneaks from LLBean, and I'm planning to call the new podiatrist and spend the money on fresh orthotics, so I won't have anything to bitch about as it gets warmer (my current orthotics can't be worn for long periods without socks, because the top's separating from the bottom and could cause blisters...but this is Florida, where socks are barely worn, so...). I'm also planning to register for Heather's workshop the minute the tax return comes in...I'm SO ready for her knowledge in my life!!!

Eat the Food: yea, another one that won't be worked until the planting and preserving really begins...

Build Community Systems: thoughts only, no action. I am thinking of calling RAM on the carpet for advertising Reed's Groves as a "local" farm source; pretty sure the only thing local about them is their citrus - they're really a distribution company.

Skill Up: nothing...blame the shingles...things on this list for future attention include bread baking that doesn't produce a brick, the preserving (salsa! strawberry jam! tomato sauce from scratch!)...hmm, what else?...refinishing the Dad cabinets, that's been on the back burner for like, ever...

Man, I'm so glad I'm doing this! Great ideas and progress in store this year! Have a great weekend, y'all! Kidnapping the husband back to Florida this weekend, yay!

Image from here.

Taking Stock

Comfort food. Could def use some of that.

Outside: pleasant, not too warm.

Inside: meh.

Wearing: remember the crazy patterned sweaters that Cosby used to wear on the Cosby Show? Inherited one of those from Dad J. So. Comfy! Jeans and oxfords.

Reading: Clean Food by Terry Walters. Def need to own both of her books.

Creating: not much this week, shoulder/neck pain heeding desire/progress.

Going: prob SC to pick up Husby this weekend.

Hoping...
So rash plus neck/shoulder pain equals shingles. Fantastic. I'm sitting there in the doc's office, not surprised by the diagnosis really, but when he said it was a mild case, I had to bite my tongue to keep from saying "so you're not going to give me the good stuff, huh?" I haven't been with this doc office long enough for them to know I'm not normally a drug seeker, so I stayed quiet. Being the spouse of a pain management patient, I'm used to the dance that's required with medical professionals, the need to tread lightly if you're gonna get any relief from them. But goddamn, the pain sucks! He did give me antibiotics and steroids, and I have some supplemental sources of relief beyond ibuprofen that should get me through the next few days. Say some prayers that this resolves itself quickly though. I'm annoyed, grouchy, and mopey.

Image from here.

Coming back to me

I hate when it seemingly takes me forever to ramp up and get moving on a day, but damn, it feels good once I'm there. Coffee and vegetables...

Today's shaping up nicely. I'm eating healthy (well, except for the coffee, but baby steps), because I'm tired of feeling like crap. My neck's still sore, but I'm taking Advil and getting the hell off the foods that could be causing excess inflammation. I know I can't stop arthritis from traveling to other parts of my body, but if that's what this neck pain is, I'm over it already! Gotta slow that shit to a crawl...and pondering a Sobakawa pillow purchase too, cuz I'm curious about the hype.

Vitamin E appears to be helping the pain of those weird sores on the back of my neck at the hairline. I'm getting off dairy and simple carbs. I'm reading Clean Food by Terry Walters (another one for my bookshelf someday soon), and I'm hoping Heather will accept late admissions to her workshop, because I want to register for her course the minute the tax return comes in.

I've been trolling the web for a decent menu planner page to handwrite on weekly and place on the fridge or other common area. I'm sitting here at work with at least 3 ideas for dinner, but by the time 5:30 p.m. rolls around, I'm so emotionally hungry I always look for the quick feed instead, regardless of nutritional value. So the OA books that I bought and have been ignoring have to get some read time tonight. Also, working the menu plan before the week arrives may help Husby, since he gets way indecisive on food with his sketchy appetite, plus the fact that I'll be trimming the amount of meat I eat again. Unless it's grass-fed/organic, I don't want it in me, so that cuts a LOT out, given our budget. And planning on the weekends means more food prep on the weekends, so I can grab stuff out of the freezer or jars for quick heat on the weekdays.

LOVE how strong I feel once I make some healthy choices! Today I juiced my lunch and followed it with a banana, and I think I can steer clear of the vending machines and rampant chocolate nearby with the snacks I still have to go through (orange, baby carrots).

Image from here.