Beginning to look a bit like Christmas!

 

One holiday gives way to the next

While the Jewish family members and friends are already in Hannukah full swing, my own house is taking on the flavor of Christmas.  My sister #1 went in person to the community sing of Handel's Messiah yesterday afternoon.  I watched it live streamed, so I could sing along without worry of anyone's critique!  But honestly, the images of a new definition of "the masked singers" and the beauty of the music brought tears.

Decor changes, too:  The pebble jar calendar gets decorated as it moves to the dining room table as a centerpiece.  33 days left of 2021, if we include today.  Was it a year well spent?

And Frosty the demented cookie jar takes up his position on the end of the buffet/sideboard.  There's a little Thanksgiving leftover in the miniature pumpkins.

Frosty was a re-gift of a White Elephant party, but I glommed right on to him, and he's been a regular at my house, ever since.

This cardinal was a small business purchase, several years ago.  I think it was during my son's second deployment.  It is a Scentsy wax warmer that provides the pine scent for the mini ceramic tree.  

That little tree was from a craft sale at a local Senior Center, also several years back.  It reminded me of a larger ceramic tree my mother had crafted "once upon a time" when she took a ceramics class.  I have no idea which sister ended up with the original tree, if any of us did!

And it doesn't matter whether there's a holiday in the picture or not, when it's morning darkness, I have my ritual of lighting candles!

The little candle holders were either a purchase to support a work mate's child's fund raiser, also several years back, or a "Santa surprise" gift at work... I'm not sure which any more.  Pick your favorite story.  Lots of my memories are becoming that way.  Remember those old "choose your own adventure" books?  

This one, however, I know for a fact... an old, worn hand towel was the last Christmas present I ever got from my paternal grandmother, before she passed away.  It doesn't match any other towel or washcloth in the house, but it has become worn and soft over the years, and holds a place of honor as the cloth I use to clean my glasses.

My favorite memory about it was of a conversation with my son while he was deployed.  I told him I would never discard this towel and in return he told me about the set of sergeant's stripes they pinned on him at his promotion.  The soldier from whom those stripes were borrowed for the ceremony died within a month, and he will never discard them.

Today's pep talk

Time for us to remember that this is the only Monday, November 29, 2021 we will ever get.  Treat yourself with love, respect and kindness in this day.  Nourish your body with foods that support your immune system, and with activity to strengthen your heart, lungs and bones.  Nourish your soul with things of beauty and with music that speaks to your heart.  Nourish your mind with memories, and make some new ones while you are at it.

In 23 days the minutes of sunlight stop shrinking and start growing again in the Northern Hemisphere.  Pagan, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu... or any other faith or philosophy, on planet earth deals with the astronomical seasons; our holidays work in harmony with their rhythms.  May you have peace, and joy, and comfort through this season, however you celebrate it!

Life is good!  Spark on!

Good Morning, Sunrise!

 Advantages of the "darkening season" of the year:

My son's GF posted a photo of the sunrise from their deck, and it made me go out and take one of the sunrise from my own.  Ahhhh... the advantage of this time of year is that I'm awake for both sunrise and sunset... and they are so pretty!

Who is already decorated for Christmas?

I am not.  Yet.  The kids are (I already posted those stolen photos).  So are GF's parents, her dad posted photos yesterday.  And my sister #1 was at her church yesterday for the community "sing along" of Handel's Messiah.  

Guess I'd best start getting myself in gear for the NEXT holiday.  The younger sisters are already doing Hannukah, which of course operates on a different calendar, so it moves around every year.  Happy Hannukah to my Jewish friends and family.

What are you doing for activity today?

It's only 30℉ (-1.1℃) at the moment outside, but it will be walkable with a light jacket in a couple of hours, according to the phone app that tells me such things.  44℉ (6.7℃) should be good to go.

What about y'all?  Indoors or outdoors today?  Or is it a rest day?

Whatever your today holds, make it a soul-filling one.  Be kind to yourself, this one and only Sunday, November 28, 2021 we'll ever get.  You are worth it!

Life is good.  Spark on!

Too nice not to walk in nature

 

Can you believe it's almost December?  A few of the days are getting chillier, and the light is definitely on the wane, but the temperatures compared to averages?  We've been spoiled this year!

My friend Gerri rescued me from sitting on my you-know-what this afternoon.  She invited me to come tramp around a nature preserve.  It was 64℉ so "no excuses"!

I did not catch a photo of the white tailed deer that darted across the field from one tree line to the next, but we got a good view of first the adult deer, then the adolescent, bounding through the long grass across where we had recently walked.

The sun was bright, the sky a blazing blue.  There was a definite breeze, but a sweatshirt was enough, and the pockets to keep hands warm.

There were plants we might want verification of identity for.  I'm thinking this one was a juniper, because of its blue berries.  But I'm not a big student of horticulture, so maybe someone reading will confirm or correct my thought!

There was a nature ninja obstacle course that a group of youngsters were starting in on, but other than this group and a couple other pairs of folks wandering about, we had the place pretty much to ourselves.

It's like a little oasis, very near to the East suburbs of Lincoln, but it's quiet amid the trees.  A perfect respite for today.

Here's hoping if you have good weather where you are, you got out to enjoy it, too.  It's a good day to have a good day, to feed your spirit, as well as your body!

Spark on!

Good breeding, or raised right?

The torch has been passed.  If the results in dog-behavior are any predictor of whether a couple would be good parents (NO, THIS IS NOT AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF ANY SORT) they pass.

Carl waited his turn and was only a *little* whiny.  He sucked up to all three guests, parents of the young couple.  Of course Carl is still convinced he is a lap dog.  GF's dad says he envies me having known Carl as a puppy!  

GF's Dad, who claims to be the soft touch.

GF's Mom, who says you don't need a weighted blanket if you have Carl around.

And me, flopped with lousy posture after both Carl and I have been "well fed".

It was dark when I drove home between 5 and 6 p.m., and of course that meant I was ready for bedtime routines when I arrived at my own house.

Today I had a morning workout with the trainer, and that felt good after the excesses.

We held a family Zoom across the miles in the afternoon, but the only folks who showed were the four sisters and our brother's daughter.  Our own offspring declined having, you know, jobs and such!

Before I knew it, the sun was setting again, as it is wont to do, this time of year!  

Sending vibes of peace and contentment to all!  May you take good care of yourselves, body and soul, as we move forward, one day at a time!

Happy Thanksgiving, US

It's the end of my Thanksgiving to Thanksgiving postings on FB

Those gratitude a day posts are a perfect preparation for Advent and Christmas seasons for me.  It is the coldest day of the week, just perfect for heating up the oven and putting the sides and pies together!  Into the oven goes the classic.  And almost an hour later, it comes out to cool.

Thankfully, I'm not cooking the turkey this year.  I will be spending the meal at my son's house, defending my portion from Carl!

Son's GF has already posted her nervousness over the fact that Carl has discovered how low the holiday table is (compared to their normal "breakfast counter" height table... hmmm... with five folks around the holiday table, some of us "soft touches" he's bound to have a good day.

Courage, humans, pup must be praised for discipline, not cuteness!

Patient time leads to pie cooling.  Both cats have been banished to the outdoors, for sanitation sake while cooking for others!

The day before the turkey

You Spark refugees who are working hard to "stay on track", close your eyes now.  My partner in crime and I have been sucked into a big TikTok sponsored thing... Kyle Sheele, children's author and motivational speaker did another one of his crazy stunts, and it resulted in a promotional meal at Kum & Go shops, nationwide.  All within a week.

I, personally, think he just hit a time in our country where we all need something goofy to keep us from going completely 'round the bend.

The meal, and why I said Sparkies should look away, consists of two slices of pizza (smooshed together into a sandwich, but its self-serve so nobody's watching), and a Red Bull (which since I've given up carbonation for the past nearly 12 years, I did not drink).  We had a good giggle over how fast this thing blew up, but did nothing about it.  Until today.

Phone rings yesterday morning:  "will you drive up with me?  The nearest Kum & Go is at Gretna."  That's 37 miles up the interstate highway, on the busiest travel day of the year.  Right.  I hemmed and hawed for a bit, but then, "why not, let's go".  

So up the road we went, the intrepid driver and me... and yes, we downed those slices of pizza!

Eye closing goodness!

Now, here's hope we all make choices that balance our health, physical, mental and emotional, this one and only Thursday, November 25, 2021 we'll ever get.  I'm about to go starting veggie prep, as my own balance will include roasted Brussels Sprouts to be enjoyed BEFORE the pie!

Ivy covered walls and the bare vines

 A couple of months back, my son's GF admired the ivy covering the walls of my brick house.

This photo was taken in July, when it was at the height of green foliage.  A few years back, I had stripped it all off so the workmen could put up new gutters, and paint the easements and window frames as well as the siding.

A couple of weekends ago, we had a strong wind go through (remember the fence repairs a week or so ago?)  Since then, it's just the bare vines covering those walls.  

Truth to be known, there is a function to this ivy.  In summer, all leafy, it keeps the sun from baking the bricks quite so hot.  In the winter, leafless, it lets the sun do that, so that overnight, when it's cold, the warmed bricks radiate their heat into the house.  Saves me heating/cooling dollars.

Just pictures - the kids Christmas Critters

 

Carl's latest demonstrated skill

Yesterday, when "the kids" came over, we were letting Carl romp about the overgrown back yard.  He loves that.  He was barking at imaginary squirrels and cats, remembered from past visits, and at a certain point, my son said to him "Carl, you're done now."  And he quit barking, and was still.

Impressive!  I'm going to have to remember that command for future reference!

Today I got my canine fix in the form of Barnaby, the rough coated collie, who is growing up fast.  I told his owner, Bill, that I can't tell if he's twice the size or three times since I last came out to say "hi"!  He's learning, too.  I tested him on "sit" and "lie down", and he did!  Awesome.

Last night's supper was a variation on the pasty that my ex-husband taught me to make.

In the version he gave me, it was made with ground beef, onions, potatoes, and an unbaked pie crust, folded around the ingredients, then baked.  This one has ground turkey, onions, celery, sage, and some cream of chicken soup for seasoning, baked in an unbaked pie crust.  It turned out very well, in my opinion, and will probably be added to the mix of "meals to warm up the house" I rotate through in the Winter time.

Meanwhile, The Prisoner has reclaimed his "King of the House" status.  This chair is his property, and the only reason for a human to be occupying it is to provide him a lap!

And the kids have now decorated their yard.  (Naturally I swiped the photo from GF's FB story):

When it gets dark and they light it up, I want another photo!

Meanwhile, even though the day started out chilly, it's sunshine out there now (as shown by the yard decor at son's place) and that tends to cheer the heart!  Now let's live the best we can for the remainder of this one and only Sunday, November 21, 2021 we shall ever get!  Be kind to yourself, so that you feel warm inside and can also extend that kindness to others!

✨💖🔥🦃  Life is good.  Spark on!

I like quiet birthdays

No drama.  Greetings mostly on-line.  A quick visit from the kids.  And the grand-dog.  Presents not needed, but when they show up anyway, they should just be small and thoughtful, and preferably consumables so one doesn't have to deal with "stuff".

Here's the haul for this year:  coffee and licorice.  Perfect!

Since the kids were here, I sent the Thanksgiving lendables home with them:  a large table cloth and napkins that go with it, the carving knife and fork (son is not comfy using electric knife), a gravy boat, platter, and serving bowl.  Hee-hee... have I managed to pass the torch.

Carl was a good boy during the visit, and GF got to see the back yard he romps in at Grandma's house.  She even wore her N-95 and came through the house, but our visit was mostly outdoors, as we are being careful for the sake of loved ones at risk.

Son let me know that the coffee was from one of his Army buddies who opened a coffee roasting outlet.  I've had my first mug which is, if one can believe it, DECAF French Roast!  I'd never seen French Roast in a decaf version.  Decent.

About an hour after the dog had departed, I did my usual back deck announcement, in plain English, for the cats (both of whom put on an amusing chase scene when Carl showed up at the back door).  Rubia makes a pretty fluffy tree climber.  Prisoner popped back up from the drain ditch and sniffed carefully before re-entering the house.

For the Ace, no, the kids did not take me up to Gretna for a Kyle Scheele Meale.  I don't really need two slices of pizza smashed into a sandwich OR a Red Bull, now, do I?  But it made for a fun conversation bit to explain to son and GF just how this all came about.  More and more I get dragged into the current day technology, and I kind of "get" how influencers work in the TikTok world now.

The kids headed home and started in on Christmas decorations, maybe?  

They are advertising in their yard who runs the house, the pointer and the bird.  When she first shared this photo and I looked at it through my fuzzy old eyes, I thought... Snoopy and Woodstock have been put into different colors... seriously, it's got that kind of silhouette.

She's also got a dinosaur (Dino, the Sinclair dino) for the yard, and several others.  I truly love this GF's artistic flair and enthusiasm for truly living life!

Speaking of which, that's what we all should be doing, one day at a time, best we can manage with whatever that day brings to us.  Be as honest and kind as we can all manage, this one and only Saturday, November 20, 2021.  Life is good.  Spark on!

New things as the world spins

 Life goes on... 

This morning I left my house with the thought of going to the bank's ATM to deposit a tiny little check that showed up in my mail yesterday.  Yes, a physical check.  Haven't seen one of those in, well, a while.  I have written some (the kid who mows my grass, the dentist...) since the pandemic hit, but this is the first one that came to me.  Everything is electronic these days.  I have not even spent all the cash that I withdrew to use as tips in March 2020!  I have gone to all on-line.  No touch credit cards, ordering and paying online, etc. has accellerated, even for many of us senior citizens.

I figured I might even dash into the grocery store and get some bananas (I'm out) and brussels sprouts, in case they have some better looking ones, because I plan to roast some for our little Thanksgiving get-together.  But as I turned the corner toward both goals, I saw flashing lights.  There has apparently been some kind of accident where the grocery turn in is, and the fire engine and other emergency vehicles are up there, flashing away.

Re-setting, I turned toward the bank drive-thru.  When I got there, all the drive-thru windows were marked CLOSED, and the ATM had extra protective rails around it... and... I chickened out, turned the other way, and came on home.  (Turns out it was just before they opened... when I drove by later, the drive-thru windows were open.)

At the time though, that meant I was about to be pushed in another direction.  Another nudge of accelleration toward the future (the present for the young folks in the world).  For the first time evah, as the kids would say, I used the bank's mobile app on my phone to deposit a check!

I had used the mobile check in app for my doctor's office last year, so I could see the advantages of such a thing.  I mean, using the phone's camera, that one would record my insurance card.  Why shouldn't a bank be able to do the same with a photo of your endorsed check?

And I could be safe at home.  I still haven't explored the feature that allows one to pay other ordinary people from the phone.  Nor have I set up the other phone as payment features, but I understand the Scandanavian countries have been paying with their phones for several years already.  I know it is how "the kids" pay for parking meters downtown, but I have yet to do that, either!

... as the case counts surge

One of the motivations for coming home lies in being in a "lagging" state that is only now surging with the rest of the upper midwest, in terms of Covid 19 cases.  Thursday we posted the highest case count identification, locally, since the beginning of the pandemic, according to the local news.  Of course, most of these are either people who have not been vaccinated, or those whose vaccination was more than six months ago, and they had not yet gotten a booster.  Still, as an "older" person, it's a scary time.

I have gone back to picking up my groceries curbside again, for the most part, in the past two weeks.  I don't feel particulary unsafe, though.  I am fully vaccinated and boosted.  I feel that I am choosing the people I am around unmasked carefully, and otherwise, if indoors or in a crowd, I mask.  I have done what I can, and I don't feel any more at risk than if there were a bad flu season.  I have perhaps become more cautious over the course of the past year and a half about these things, but it feels more normal now.  Adapting.

And the pep talk!

Time to get out there and live our lives, eh?  Best can do, this one and only Friday, November 19, 2021 we'll ever get.  Fuel for our bodies, activity for our minds, inspiration for our souls.

Oh, and yesterday I opened my mailbox and found out my old work team has not forgotten me... a card signed by the gang!  Made me smile... and ponder what nasty little bug they found in my code that made them think of me!  

Sunset, moonrise

 Another Sunset

When I see it out my bay window, it calls me to the camera.

Followed by a moon-rise

And from the back deck, we get the moon rising in the East.

Today's accomplishment

Dexter, my 2012 Honda Fit, got his semi-annual oil change and his tired rotated.  The weather was so gorgeous that I did my morning walk around the car dealer's "big block" instead of in my own neighborhood.

Here's hoping my fellow Spark refugees have had a good day, whatever the weather in your own neck of the woods!  

Nature, seasons, and us

Sunset last night, in the suburbs in which I live.

I looked out my bay window at sunset last night and had to step out on the porch to snap a photo of the sky.  Ah, a great image to end the day!

Speaking of ending the day, it's getting dark oh, so early of late.  My mom used to talk about shifting into hibernation mode as the darker months advanced.  I kind of do the same thing.  It's easier to cozy up to a streaming TV thing, or dive into a book, and just snuggle in for the day/night.

Soon I will have to get out, though, hopefully during one of the warmer days we've been promised, and fix THIS:

It would seem that some of the big winds lately have decided to start deconstructing my deck rail fencing.  This simply must be put to rights before I can have Carl over again!  He would wriggle right through and play hide and seek in the whole neighborhood!

Thank goodness, the board did not go far.  It's mild enough right now that I'm going to interrupt this blog to go out with my hammer and nails and give it a shot at a fix.

And, done.  Carl will not attempt to escape when it looks like this.    

He should be due to come visit next weekend, and I feel better having got this particular repair completed.

Meanwhile, in the news this week:

Humans aren't the only ones who can get seriously ill from the Covid 19 virus.  Two Sumatran tigers survived it, the three snow leopards did not.  This was at our Children's zoo.  Just announced Friday.  We've known they'd come down with it since mid-October, and the zoo staff did their best to tend them... but... sadly, the precious cats died.

I also saw on the news that the local white tail deer are coming down with the virus and spreading it amongst themselves.  As in wild herds!  Not a good thing.  Apparently these studies involving the deer and other wild animals have gone on for a while, and the most recent ones have come out this past week.  

So, keep on being careful, people!  However you define that.

Whatever you decide, one day at a time, let it be "best can do", and it will be enough.  This is life, this one and only Sunday, November 14, 2021 we'll ever get.  And life is good!  Spark on!

Wisdom

I can't believe how many people respond to memes of the sort "drop your son's name here".  I saw this one on Facebook today.  Then I saw another one:  "What year did you lose the most important person?"

Be savvy.  This kind of response is used by scammers to steal identities or to con you out of money.  Note they are public posts.  They are the kinds of questions that lead to "social engineering", guessing passwords, or used to verify identity.  

I would like to think that my fellow Spark refugees are smarter than that, but clearly not all my FaceBook friends are.  These posts don't show up on my feed until one of my friends has responded!  Yikes!  And with the real answers, too.  Scary.

Holiday planning, two weeks out

So what are all the US folk doing for Thanksgiving?  Anybody have a split family?  Some of whom are vaccinated and some of whom are "never vaxxers"?  Are y'all planning a Thanksgiving together?  Did some of the unvaccinated kind of "omit" that they were unvaccinated when planning and counting noses?  Eventually did someone ask a question and the real status came out?

Apparently the kind of "shuffling" done by Aaron Rogers is not unique to him.  

It resulted in one family's Thanksgiving plans being scrubbed.  And it garnered me an invitation to a small "we're all vaccinated and boosted, and don't want to put one another at risk" gathering.  Five people.  All trusted.  All vaccinated.  All boosted, and all very good about canceling if ill!  Carl will be one happy canine.

This is the crew, back on Memorial Day weekend.  Back then we figured we were all fully vaccinated and the end of the pandemic was nigh.  

Why so careful now?  Well, despite the fact that many places are looking good, with cases on the down-slide... we've had the numbers bump up the past two weeks.  Our state, and several around us.  In the past, when those other surrounding states saw surges, ours followed soon after.  Cases are up 17% in the past two weeks.  The hospitals are still stretched to capacity.  Unfortunately, deaths from Covid are also still happening here..

And three of these five, despite being vaccinated, qualify due to age and/or underlying conditions, as "high risk".  So even though vaccinated, we're saying, "Maybe next year" to the wider world.  But last year Thanksgiving was on Zoom, so this is progress.

How about you?  Do you have a safe space to gather, and safe (or worth the risk) folks to gather with?

So my wish for your Tuesday, November 9, 2021, is that you're taking care of yourself, one day at a time, caring for your physical, mental and emotional health, and being kind both to yourselves and to others!

Life is good.  Spark on!  ✨🎇💖🔥🦃

Marathon memories fueled

New York City Marathon is underway!

Yes, and it's got my blood pumping.  So many memories of the whirlwind trip to NYC two years ago.  As many readers might know, my brother had qualified to run the NYC Marathon for 2019.  He died one day before his training plan started.  But we had already booked the flights, we had already booked the hotel.  And it was the perfect memorial trip.

Me, in the 2019 Abbot Dash

I was signed up for the related 5K event, the day before, and ran it in his 2018 Boston Marathon celebration jacket, which was a fine conversation starter for fellow runners.  Those who know Boston, know those jackets.  "That was the year of the monsoon marathon" they might say when seeing it.  

Today I am tracking a local runner who qualified, and a TikTok star (Mrs. Space Cadet) who has been updating everyone on her training / charity fund raising to get to this marathon.  Today, it is "Fall back" on the clocks, but since I sleep according to the sun, anyway, I woke at 5:11 new time, got up and started my day.  I tuned in CBSN New York, and found starting line coverage, and it transported me back to that day, that healing day, two years ago.  Yes, I am fueling those memories!

In other mundane news

A couple of weeks ago, I had my annual heating system check, and the service technician noted (as I had) the loudness of the furnace motor when it starts up.  It's been that way since they cleaned it following the check LAST year.  It works, but it's loud and whiny.

Generally when equipment starts sounding different, something's wrong.  Based on this, I had them order the part, and Friday, the technician came back to install it.  Now that furnace is blissfully quiet!  And the house is warm.  And hopefully this means that I won't wake up to silent and cold come mid-Winter.

Speaking of noisy things, it's also the time of year that I listen for the "chirp" of dying batteries.  Some folks replace the batteries in their smoke detectors every six months whether they need it or not.  Me?  I kind of rely on those chirps.  In the past couple of months, I have replaced three of them.  The one in the garage, the one in the pantry hallway, and this morning before the furnace guy came, the one in the furnace room.

The Pep Talk

Let's all get out and just live the best Sunday, November 7, 2021 we can, right where we are on life's path.  After all, it's the only one we'll ever get!  Take care of yourself, because the world needs you, even if you don't think so!

Life is good.  Spark on!  ✨🎇💖🔥👟👟

It's November... a month of contrasts

This is my early birthday present to myself.  Every couple of years I wear out my tea-kettle.  I was pleasantly surprised to find one that didn't cost a lot in RED.  Normally in Nebraska, or at least in my memory... everything red cost more, as we are the "sea of red" state.  It's a whistler, which I like.

Tomorrow will be the 12th anniversary of the Fort Hood terrorist attack, where my son experienced the loss of people with whom he trained.  At the time and for several years after, he described it as the worst day of his life.  Nowadays, only those of us most directly impacted seem to even remember it happened, but since I've retained online contact with several of the "November 5th family", meaning others who were part of those units and their spouses... it has become a day to check up on one another.

Then we get Veteran's Day, honoring all who served, within a week.

In a couple more weeks, we will celebrate Thanksgiving in the US.  I have already promised to lend out my crock-pot to son's GF's family who apparently are planning a large get-together and are running out?  Anyway, I sure don't need the big one... I can cook for myself with the small one.

The water thing?  Ehhhh... working on it.

The trainer took me through a couple of new balance oriented things today.  Yikes.  I giggle apprehensively, as these are not my strong suit.  But I got through it.  One was step ups, but with a medicine ball press up at the top.  The other was just a balance square of foam one side to the other.  He started me out where I am, which is leave the opposite toe tapping lightly on the ground, just focusing the weight on the one leg, then switching to the other side.

Upcoming:  this Sunday will be the 2021 running of the New York City marathon, which touches all five boroughs.  Some of you will remember that Alicia and I went (as spectators) as a memorial to Kevin in 2019.  That was my own last trip before the pandemic set in.  I have downloaded the tracking app, as I have a friend running it this year.

TicTok star Mrs. Space Cadet is also running it and her post today let us know that 1) packets must be picked up in person, 2) The expo requires proof of vaccination and is closed to the public, and 3) athletes must wear face coverings until they cross the starting mats, and as soon as they cross the finish line, too!  We are learning new ways to deal with races in the pandemic world.

Rubia is wishing you a fine remainder of your Thursday, November 4, 2021, the only one we'll ever get!  So make the best choices you can in the moment in which you are living... and call it enough!

Life is Good!  Spark on!

✨✨🎇💖🔥

Foggy day, Lincoln Town...

 

It is rare for fog to still be visible at nearly 10 a.m. but today it is!  We had 31℉ when I got up this morning.  That's a nice little round ZERO, in Celcius.  OK, a shade below.

My trainer has shifted my spot later today, so going to blog before I head over.  It just happens to also prevent my driving in the fog!

October was a not so great month in terms of my adherence to healthy habits.  Between three weeks with trainer conflicts resulting in only one weekly workout, and the candy (yes, guilty), and other food comforts... well, like I said, not such a great month.  But November is a new month.  Fresh start.

There are holidays ahead; it's time for me to be pondering them NOW, not two weeks from now, or even later. 

My first goal for November is to re-start the water drinking.  I've not been averaging my full allotment in October.  Eight glasses of 8 fluid ounces should be doable, but for some reason, I've been more like six in recent days!  

I can do this.  We'll try this for the next week, and see how it goes.  I had fallen off the tracking wagon, and we all know where that leads!  But one small step at a time.  Recovery takes its own time, and the gentler I am with myself the less likely I'll rebel.

Here's to making today, Tuesday, November 2, 2021 the best we can, right where we are in life's journey.  After all, it's the only one we'll ever get.  And we are worth taking care of, each and every one of us... the world needs us, and needs us as healthy as we can manage.

Life is good.  Spark on! ✨💖🔥

There were some human littles, too.

 

Batman and Spiderman did their rounds together, thus answering the question for all us comic fans:  do DC and Marvel live in the same universe?

A shorter version of Batman brought his own Robin with him, and the little ladybug and her mom came along for the fun.

I asked who this young lady was, she said "I'm a Marine!"  I told her she was a bad-@ss one.

The candy it was "self serve" and socially distanced.  

Her brother, hearing me compliment the marine, asked his mom if it was OK to pose with his weapon.  He was so pleased about this opportunity he dang near forgot to take his candy.  Make of that what you will...

What kind of neighborhood do I live in?  Well, when I was down to just two little baggies of candy I turned out the lights and tucked myself in for the night, leaving those last two baggies on the rail.  When I got up this morning, they were still there, wet from the rain, but there, untouched by any mischief makers.

Some more littles, including a unicorn in a stroller with her mom dressed modestly.

The unicorn doesn't eat candy, they were just here for the fun.

This Queen of Hearts was making the rounds with the two marines.  It was an awesome makeup job!

This mom had to help her little reach the candy.

And now, as suddenly as it came, Halloween is over.  I had forgotten how fast the littles dash around, and I played grandma-aged lady, reminding them to be safe, watch for cars, stay with their designated grown-ups, etc.  

Now we pick ourselves up and move into the new month.  It's full of challenges... with weather changing, US Thanksgiving, baking for the holidays, and of course, adapting for whatever your local Covid situation happens to be.  And we just do the best we can, each day as it comes!  Because that is enough.

Life is Good!  Spark on!