Half of a new weekend (Friday and Saturday)

Back to the quilt photo for today, because the chore of the day was washing the bedding.  Including the pillows, which I swear I bought before I found out the company owner was off the walls down conspiracy theory rabbit holes and insurrection planning.  They are still very fine pillows, washable to re-fluffed pristine-ness.  But I'm not sending any more money that fellow's way.

I was hungry this morning for something a little different and had a grilled cheese sandwich for breakfast.  I declared it a carb renewal day, in my mind, with a baked potato, and my goulash for additional eating before closing the window at 12:45 p.m.  I feel well fed, not over-fed, and that's where one wants to be.

Friday afternoon was swallowed alive by the taxes.  I was printing out receipts and forms I receive online and using the tax software to enter and calculate.  I guess I must be some kind of control freak because I do my own, don't hire a pro.  The one time I did hire a pro to do our taxes, he messed it up, but I'm satisfied with my tax software.  

I'm not quite as much a control freak as my brother was.  He not only volunteered to help others with their taxes, but he also critiqued the tax software for not handling things in quite as precise detail as he would have liked.  And his sisters all smiled and nodded.  Tax software handles most of what I have to deal with.  It's an annual double check (for me) that I know where the retirement finances are coming from and that I'm doing my bit giving back, too.  I still have one major tax report due, and it's coming in about a week, but now I know that when it comes, it will be a simple matter to finish up.

Saturday morning I was doing a bit of digital cleanup, and tripped over this old collage from my first triathlon, in 2012.  Ten years ago last Summer, it was.  Oh, my, the memories.  This is my "fall down seven times, get up eight" series.  You see, when I took that fall, I wasn't too far from the finish line, and it was right in front of a professional photographer.  As I was getting up, shaking my finger and laughing, I said, "if you took that photo, I'll buy it".  I was true to my word.

This is not the only time I have fallen while racing or training.  Those falls, especially the one that resulted in six stitches and a concussion, are one of the major reasons I no longer race.  But the bug starts to bite me when I'm feeling good, or when I get new running shoes.  As the gal who fitted me on Thursday afternoon said, "we still feel like teenagers", and that's something my mother used to say, too.  You don't notice it until you get a bit older, but when "nothing hurts", you really do still feel like a teenager.  Of course when the joints ache, you sometimes feel every day of your lifeline, maybe even longer!

Saturday was also grocery day.  There's this feeling of accomplishment because I remembered to pick up a birthday card and actually got it in the mail... I'm usually terrible at this sort of thing!

Felt so proud of me I decided I deserved a reward walk, so I put on the pink mud shoes.  And went and walked around the lake, casting a thought toward the ice fishermen out there in 49℉ temperature with some open patches of water in parts of the lake.  But then again, it's been good and cold for a matter of a couple of weeks, so the ice is probably pretty solid.

It was a longer walk than I've done recently, but felt OK.  There were muddy spots, and icy spots requiring "penguin steps", and lots of other people also taking advantage of a nice day.  Dog-walkers, baby strollers, even some runners including a shirtless young man with admirable delts who whizzed by as only the young and immortal can!

Home again, back to my streaming of Endeavor, and thinking of brewing some Earl Grey, and contemplating an early bedtime.  It's been a satisfying Saturday.

Here's hoping for a satisfying, peaceful weekend for all who drop by to read, doing what it takes to preserve health, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.

Life is still good.

Keep on Sparking!

🔥👀✨💖