Three Things Thursday: Deep Thoughts

I used to enjoy writing the Three Things Thursday posts, so I don't know why I stopped doing them. When I was a kid, my older brother had a book called "Deep Thoughts" (as well as the sequels "Deeper Thoughts" and "Deepest Thoughts") by Jack Handy. They were kind of like coffee table books--a random (often very funny) thought on each page. Just a few sentences and nothing profound; just a tidbit of something that is usually relatable.

When Twitter became a thing, I started seeing screenshots of tweets pop up everywhere, and many of them looked like something from a Deep Thoughts book! Here are a few that made me laugh. And then I'll include a few random ones of my own as...

This guy, @simoncholland, is HILARIOUS. I follow on Instagram (his posts are just screenshots of his tweets, like this one).

Does anybody?! I'm genuinely curious.

When I was deleting everything from Facebook recently, I saved a lot of my old "status updates". I mostly wrote funny things that my kids said or did and I stopped writing them years ago, but there were some fun ones that I found. Here are three that made me smile...

Listen, if you ignore the hairstyles, the 1990's was the greatest decade ever.

Noah was 11 years old at the time.

(Eli is right-handed)

And a fourth, because it was hard to narrow it down to just three! ...

Back then, friends used to tell me that I should write a book about the funny things my kids say/do; while I don't think they are book-worthy, I'm so glad I wrote these sorts of things down. I wish I'd have continued these posts through the years--they are so fun to look back on. Kids are so funny when you take the time to really listen to them! I wish I'd written down more of their teenage things, because I most certainly wasn't ready for *that* ;)

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Three Things Thursday: Veggies

I feel like the past couple of weeks I've been pretty zealous about getting vegetables into my diet. Remember when I first became vegan and *everything* seemed foreign to me? I had no clue what I was doing, but I had to learn fast. And once I started cooking with new ingredients, my eyes were opened to an enormous world of food prepared in ways I'd never tried.

Cooking became FUN again!

Eventually, I fell into a pretty good routine, although I still liked to cook new recipes. And now that my main goal is getting in more vegetables, I've gotten to that "Ohmygosh, I want to try *everything*!" phase. I bought the "How Not To Die" cookbook (as well as the "How Not To Diet" cookbook) and I've loved all of the recipes I've made so far. Soon, I'll do a whole post on what I've cooked.

I'm just so excited to have that fun attitude back. I actually really enjoy cooking; a couple of years ago, I never would have said that.

My focus now is making recipes with lots of veggies. So, I thought I'd write three things that have happened or habits I've made in respect to vegetables...

1. I eat a salad before every dinner.

This was taken from Dr. Gregor's list of 21 tweaks for weight loss (proven tidbits that have been show to elevate weight loss). One of them is to start each meal with a "negative calorie" food--he suggests a small salad or an apple--that is less than 100 calories. So, even though I'm not a huge salad person, I know I can handle two cups of greens. I just add some spring mix to a bowl and top with a little of a dressing that I made (again from his recipe).

The reason for this isn't just "to fill you up" so you eat less dinner. There are studies that show there are several benefits to doing this (it would take a lot to explain here, so I suggest reading the book How Not To Diet. There is even a difference in eating before the meal versus during the meal.

This has actually been really great! I enjoy the salad, which I never though I would--maybe because of its simplicity--and I feel like it completes the meal. This is a habit I think I'll continue beyond the two week challenge between Jerry and me.

2. I sit down at the table for my dinner meals.

This has always been SO hard for me, especially when I'm home alone. I want to sit in front of the tv. However, I realized that I was spending too much time trying to figure out what to watch rather than just eating. Also, having the salad *and* my meal seemed like too many dishes to eat at the coffee table. Instead, I sit down and eat my salad and then my meal. And most of the time, I'm too full to even finish the meal. (All the fiber and veggies are so filling!)

3. I have never found it so easy to NOT snack at night!

This is something I never expected to happen. I eat dinner pretty early--5:00 or so--and I always worry that I'm going to be ravenous by 7:00 or 8:00 and then I'll go digging for more food. However, because of the filling foods I've been preparing, snacks don't even really cross my mind. If I'm very hungry, I might have a single date or a couple of prunes.

Overall, I'm so glad that we're doing this experiment! It's MUCH cheaper than I thought it would be, even when I count the new spices that I got. A whole week's worth of produce was only $50.

My very favorite meal so far was a sweet potato shawarma bowl--sweet potatoes, cauliflower, shawarma seasonings, on top of quinoa, with toppings of onions, cucumber, and lettuce. Drizzled with an amazing tahini dressing. This BLEW MY MIND.

Not all mine! Just the bowl on the left. I then topped it with the good stuff :)

And last but not least, I have to mention the taste of all these recipes I've been cooking. Because what good is all that without it tasting good? I will say that probably 7 out of 9 or so recipes have been very good! There were only a couple that I didn't like (and one of them was very overcooked).

This has been such a refreshing experience. I feel happy and excited to be cooking again!

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Three Things Thursday: Jerry's Christmas

I am the first to admit that I am a total grinch when it comes to the holidays. The weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year's are definitely not my favorite time of year. I don't like the cold; I don't like the commercialism; I don't like what gift exchanging has turned into; and I don't like the stress of get-togethers (families pulling everyone back and forth and getting frustrated with each other).

In the words of Tim Allen on Home Improvement: "Christmas isn't about being with people you like! It's about being with family." Hahahaha.

When I was a kid, I love Christmas! I enjoyed the tradition of going to my aunt's house on Christmas Eve for dinner, then going home and being SO excited to go to bed and open gifts in the morning. A lot of times, we went to the movies or out for Chinese food on Christmas (the only things open). Otherwise we stayed in pajamas all day, playing with our new toys.

It's all changed so much! (Even for today's kids.) So, I am a grinch. However, rather than make a total downer of a post, I thought I would enlist Jerry's ideas for three things that he LOVES about Christmas. Jerry has always been ridiculously into Christmas. He really doesn't like how it's gone downhill over the years, but he keeps on going with the nostalgic feelings he gets around Christmastime.

So, here are three of Jerry's favorite things about Christmas:

1. Christmas movies and music.

Even though I'm a grinch, the weeks from Thanksgiving to Christmas are entirely Jerry's--I always promise not to complain about the Christmas music or movies or having the Christmas tree take up a big corner of the living room. I make a special breakfast on Christmas day. I basically follow Jerry's lead when it comes to stuff like that because I want the month to be special for him since he loves it so much.

Jerry's very favorite Christmas movie is "It's a Wonderful Life". I think that's so random! I watched it with him a couple of years ago and I absolutely don't see the appeal--my favorite Christmas movie is "Bad Santa" with the hilarious Billy Bob Thornton, or "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation". When I'm looking for something sappy, I go for "The Christmas Shoes". Jerry watches, other than "It's a Wonderful Life" and the ones I mentioned, "Home Alone", "A Christmas Story", the Christmas specials like Charlie Brown and Rudolph, and pretty much any Christmas movie he comes across on tv.

Jerry and his sister, Laura. Remember when getting photos taken at Sears was a thing?

2. Decorations.

Jerry loves Christmas decorations. Unfortunately, we really don't have any except for our tree! Without having a basement or an attic, buying a ton of decorations would take up a lot of garage space for 11 months out of the year. However, he does like to drive around and look at Christmas lights and decorations that people have outside, so I'll do that with him.

Speaking of decorations... just for fun, here is a short video of Duck making his way DOWN from the Christmas tree. HAHAHA. (This was after he'd already climbed up, knocking down decorations and even the star on top.) [Normally, I am NOT a vertical video person, but it worked better for this moment.]

3. Nostalgia.

I asked Jerry what Christmas was like as a kid for him, and this is what he said: 

"We had big family Christmas parties which were pretty much like family reunions--everybody was there and all of the kids received gifts. I always hope for a white Christmas, because I can remember having heavy snow back then. I was always so excited about getting new toys on Christmas morning--I remember going through the Sears or JC Penny catalogue and circling the things that I hoped Santa would bring me. I can still remember the feel of those pages, and the catalogue was probably thicker than the Bible. 

I can remember celebrating at school with classroom parties and secret Santas. And Santa's Secret Shop! At school, they had a little shop set up where you could bring money and buy gifts for people on your list. It was all total junk, but it was exciting as a kid. I can also remember making cut-out sugar cookies and loading them with frosting. The shapes of the cookies never looked like they were supposed to, and somehow always ended up looking phallic. The good old days."

 I do have to agree with Jerry on the nostalgia. I also loved to go through catalogues and circle the things I wanted. I wish catalogues were still a thing (the old-school ones). I think Christmas is just more exciting when you're a kid; you don't have to do any of the work or deal with the stress and you reap all the reward! The parents were the ones who put parties on the calendar and told us what to wear. They dealt with relatives and trying to please everyone, or at least compromise. They cooked the food and did the shopping at chaotic stores that were packed with people and then they came home and wrapped the gifts.

Once you become an adult, Christmas is totally different, haha ;)  But I'm glad that Jerry still has the spirit of Christmas. He has been positively giddy while listening to Christmas music and watching Christmas movies. It's kind of cute to watch his excitement!

I'll leave you with this picture to laugh at. Go ahead and make fun! ;)  I don't know what my mom was thinking with those clothes or my hair.

Christmas 1985

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Three Things Thursday: Life Lessons

I woke up yesterday thinking that it was Thursday. I then spent all morning working on this post. And you know what I realized just before I published it? It wasn't Thursday, after all; it was WEDNESDAY. So, the good news was that Thursday's post written. But then I had to work on Wednesday's.

I chose this topic because November 1st was Marks actual birthday, and since I learned so much from him in the final months of his life, I thought it would be a good idea to share some of the lessons he taught me (without realizing it). Here are three things that I learned from my friendship with Mark...

1. Be grateful for everything.

Mark was, without a single doubt, the most grateful person I've ever known. By a long shot. Living in a group home for men with special needs, he had very few possessions--I believe he was only given a small "allowance" from the money that was given to the home by the state for his care--but I never once heard him complain about or even ask for anything.

My dad actually met Mark because he'd frequently see Mark walking around the neighborhood looking for empty cans and bottles so that he could collect the 10 cent deposit on them, which he used for "pocket money" (he liked to buy cigarettes).

On his birthdays, we would like to get him a little something; it didn't matter what it was, he would open it and exclaim that it was just what he wanted. He went on about how great it was. If it was a shirt, for example, he would put it on immediately and feel proud to wear it.

When he was in the hospital and a nurse would come in to give him some sort of medication, he would always say, "Thank you, thank you so much." Even if it was a shot!

When he received hundreds of cards from my blog readers, he was grateful for every single one. I read each of them out loud to him. And in the ones that contained a gift card or some money or a gift, he couldn't believe that a stranger would give him something like that. When the nurses or cleaning staff came in, he'd sweep his arm in a gesture across the walls where his cards hung, saying, "Look at all these people that care about me!"

Another big one was coffee. Mark only drank instant coffee (the kind that you scoop into boiling water and stir around until it dissolves). Well, I'm pretty sure most of us would agree that it's, well, far from appetizing. The first time I offered to bring him a fancy coffee from Starbucks, he waved his hand and said, "Oh, I already have coffee right over there. I don't need anymore coffee."

Still, coming from a world that he wasn't really aware of, I wanted him to try something he'd never tried before. I bought him the most ridiculous coffee on the menu, all the frilly so-and-so mix-ins and toppings. (I'm not a coffee person so I am clueless when it comes to all the words I hear in the movies of people ordering coffee, hahaha). Mark was blown away! He was still more than happy with his instant coffee, but he was excited each time I brought him a "fancy" coffee as well.

I try to keep his grateful attitude in mind when I find myself thinking something negative. I think the fact that he grew up with nothing made it easier for him to be grateful for the small things in life; and since I grew up in a middle-class family, I find it harder. However, I do try to see things from his point of view, *especially* when receiving a gift from someone. When people put any sort of time, money, or thought into a gift--I don't look at the gift itself but at the person's thought and meaning behind it. It's impossible not to feel grateful that way!

2. Embrace the outdoors.

This one is hard for me. I've never been an "outdoorsy" person; I like to stay inside, out of the sun, and have control of the temperature, the lighting, the sound, etc. I get very distracted by certain things, especially noises; and birds drive me CRAZY. It's so hard for me to concentrate on anything at all when I can hear birds. I know that many people love the sound of birds; I am just not one of them.

Mark loved the outdoors. He would prefer to be outdoors more than anywhere else. Being in the hospital and group home was torture for him, because he couldn't leave as he pleased. In his group home, he could go for long walks outside or spend time working on the grounds at the home. My dad would take him fishing in the boat sometimes and Mark lived for those days. The staff told my dad that he couldn't have gotten there soon enough, because it was all Mark could talk about.

I believe this is from a time that his brother brought him camping

I will never forget the last day that I saw Mark, when he was propped in front of the TV at his nephew's house. Mark's eyes looked kind of empty and I felt terrible. I knew he'd rather be outside. When I asked about it, his nephew said that it was really cold outside. I decided that the next time I went, I would bring some warm clothes with me to bundle him up and take him for a walk outside (although he passed away before I could do that).

After that, I started going outside more frequently to try to see what Mark loved about it so much. That's about the time when I discovered just how much I enjoy squirrels. Sitting outside on the back deck and watching the squirrels was actually pretty entertaining! I started to think of them as pets, and they became more and more tame as I fed them "the good stuff" (walnuts, hazelnuts, and pecans in the shell).

One of the greatest feelings (to this day) is seeing how the squirrels came to trust me. I've never once tried to scare them in order to see them jump and race up the tree. I've always been patient and kind, and I speak in a soothing voice so that they get to recognize me and that I won't hurt them. Knowing that they trust me brings me so much joy.

Sitting outside and watching/feeding the squirrels brings me the happiness that I think Mark got from being outside. He enjoyed walking all over the place (and especially fishing with my dad), and while I do occasionally like a long walk when the weather is great, I prefer sitting on the deck or even around a fire at night.

3. Don't take time with people for granted.

One of my biggest regrets in life is that I didn't *truly* get to know Mark until after his cancer diagnosis. I always looked forward to seeing him on Halloween and on the occasion my dad would pick him up to go fishing or just come hang out at the house. It never occurred to me that having interaction with my family meant SO much to him.

Mark didn't have any family (that we knew of). He was orphaned as a child, and his brother died a long time ago. We didn't know about Mark's nephew until after he was sick. So basically, other than the staff and other residents in the home, we were what Mark had as far as family/loved ones.

This hit home for me one day when it was my duty to pick Mark up from the home and bring him to the park where we had a surprise 60th birthday party for my dad. When I went to the home, the owner told me that she was so worried that nobody would show up to get him because he hadn't stopped talking about "Reggie's" birthday party. For days!

He felt so included that day. The fact that he was *invited* to the party and we wanted him there. I think he had a great time just fitting in as part of the party. A lot of the people who attended were people who knew of Mark because they lived in the neighborhood where he walked. And they knew my dad befriended him, and that he was important to my family. He wasn't ignored; people talked to him and I think that meant a lot to him.

I think of this frequently in these post-pandemic days, when people seem to want nothing to do with getting together with people. For the people who crave interaction, like Mark, the only way they can get it is with other people who enjoy interaction. And with so many things being online now, it feels like we never see people in person anymore.

I am very much an introvert and making plans with people is super hard for me. I usually don't want to do it, right up until I'm actually there! But I am almost *always* happy that I go, and that I talk to friends and remember just what it is that I enjoy about interacting with them. There are so many things that you can't do over the internet or via texting or even talking on the phone. Being with people in person is something that can't be modernized in every way. I feel sorry for people whose love language is physical touch!

Jerry has said that the pandemic has made him more introverted, which kind of scares me. He has always been my opposite; when I didn't want to make plans, I would go ahead and make plans anyway--knowing it was best for him. And then I always enjoyed going! So now, I've been pushing him to make plans with friends before he stops doing it altogether.

Mark knew nothing about computers or smart phones, or texting... his only interaction was done in person. As terrible as it sounds, I can see a little bit of good in the timing of his death. Yes, he was young when he died. But if he was around much longer, he would have had to be around during the pandemic when he wouldn't have our visits to look forward to. And he wouldn't have understood why that was.

We were able to visit him very often while he was sick, and for that I'm very grateful. I know it meant the world to him. He loved his interactions with people--even the staff at the nursing home, who weren't exactly the friendliest--and without that, I think he may have lost his spirit. And Mark's spirit was the brightest I'd ever seen!

And a bonus... The words "I love you" have SO much meaning.

I'll keep this part short, but it's important. Since Mark was orphaned so young, and his brother died years prior to Mark's death, he grew up in a group home setting. On the last day that I saw Mark, just before we were leaving, he still had that sad look in his eyes while he was in front of the TV. I gave him a hug, then looked him in the eye and said, "I love you". It was the first time I'd said it to him, but if it was going to be the last time I saw him, I wanted to make sure he heard it.

At that moment, his eyes sparked to life. I can't explain it, but the physical change was like a light switch turned on and his eyes lit up--it was very noticeable. And it occurred to me at that moment that Mark had probably never heard those words, at least since he was a child (or possibly from his brother). My heart felt like it was breaking and I wished I'd told him that sooner.

Ever since my kids were babies, I've *always* made sure that I tell them "I love you" several times a day. Every single time they leave the house. Every single time we hang up the phone. Every single time we end a text. At the end of every argument. They know that I love them; but I want them to hear it all the time so there is never any doubt. I want it to be the last thing they remember me saying.

Everybody should hear those words from loved ones--partners, kids, family, and friends. Even when overused, it really does mean something. Mark taught me just how important it is to hear those words out loud.

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Three Things Thursday: Witness

Even though I said I was going to wait until the entire season had aired, Jerry and I watched the second episode of The Golden Bachelor yesterday. I absolutely loved the first date that Gerry chose to experience with one of the women. As opposed to the tired, over-the-top dates from The Bachelor (like a helicopter ride to a beach for dinner at sunset) they went to an old-school diner where they split a milkshake and fries. Much more my style!

(Warning: Mild spoiler of The Golden Bachelor second episode) During their conversation, Gerry used the line "don't stop believing" and then the song by Journey came over the radio in the diner. Then it turned into a whole flash mob! It was this scene that inspired my idea for Three Things Thursday today...

Three Things That I Hope To Witness Someday:

1. A Flash Mob

I am obsessed with flash mobs. They completely amaze me in just how the whole thing has to be coordinated and fall into place just right. I've seen them on TV (the one that I shared on my "jaw droppers" post was completely stunning) but I've never actually seen one in real life. And it's something that is on my secret bucket list! (I don't actually have a secret bucket list, but this would be at the very top if I did.)

I don't care whether I just witness it, participate in it, or am the subject of the surprise--it would just be so cool to experience someday.

2. A Birth

When Becky was pregnant with Luke, we went out to dinner and the subject of birth came up. Becky is a registered nurse and she said that she thinks everybody should experience seeing a birth and a death (preferably not on the same day) in their lifetime. (She said I could be there when Luke was born, but Brian wanted it to be just him and Becky. Besides, Luke was born less than an hour after she started having contractions!)

I can understand experiencing a death as well, although that isn't something to be excited about, of course. I thought I would be with Mark when he died in 2014, and even though it would have been so heartbreaking, I feel like he would have liked having me there. I would have done it for him.

As far as a birth, I feel like the emotions in the room--from leading up to the birth, the birth itself, and immediately afterward)--would be SO strong and, assuming there are no complications, a true joy to witness. If I had any desire to be a nurse, I think working in labor and delivery would be my choice.

The chances are very slim that I'll ever witness a birth, but it's a (not so secret) hope that I will one day.

Jerry got so emotional when Noah was born, the nurse thought he would pass out so she made him sit down, haha. My best friend Sarah (behind him) was there too, as were my mom and sister.

3. A Jury Trial

This isn't so much to witness, but more to experience. I'd love to sit on a jury for a big trial! Not only am I very curious about how it all works, I feel like I would make a good juror. Knowing how emotional I can be may make it seem that I wouldn't be very objective, but I think it would be quite the contrary. I've always been good at looking at things objectively and I'm a "rule follower" for the most part. If given instructions, I can follow them right to the letter.

I don't believe in capital punishment, however, so I wouldn't be able to sit on a jury for a trial where that is on the table; otherwise, the experience of listening to a crime being laid out, hearing witness testimonies, reviewing evidence, and shouldering the responsibility of paying super close attention to detail would be pretty amazing.

I've received notice of jury duty a few times, actually--when the kids were very young, I was excused (twice) because I didn't have childcare; when we went to Punta Cana, I was obviously out of the country; and then last year, I was so excited to get notice again, but received a second letter telling me I wasn't needed.

Interestingly, while I've been summoned four times, Jerry has never been summoned! Hopefully, I'll get another summons someday; if selected, I'd be happy to do it.

And there it is... three things I hope to witness (or experience) someday! Have any of you experienced any of these? Are they as awesome as I imagine?

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Three Things Thursday: Good News!

Since I've done more than my share of complaining over the last year of tough luck, things seem to be looking up. Let's hope this post doesn't jinx that ;)

I thought I would write, for Three Things Thursday, about three *good* things that have happened recently. In the spirit of being more positive. And it's October--my very favorite month--so I'm probably going to be in a pretty good mood all month!

So, here goes... three things that have made me smile recently.

1. Paying off the house.

Tomorrow, we are going to write the final payment for our house! We *finally* got the insurance check from the Jeep (it only took six weeks--eye roll--but I'm not going to complain because it's finally here and the amount is more than what I was even hoping).

It's going to feel amazing to get the house paid off. And since we've been paying $1300 a month between the house payment and Jeep payment, that's an extra $1300 a month we won't be paying anymore. My plan is to have it automatically transferred to our savings account, so we can build that back up after wiping it out last year on unexpected expenses.

Jerry is still browsing for a truck, but he's not in a rush anymore since Eli bought his own car. If I need to use the Edge (what Jerry drives now) then I can either drive Jerry to work or I can use it before he goes to work. It hasn't been a big issue thus far, so hopefully we'll get used to it.

Anyway, I'm just excited to not have ANY debt. We paid off the credit cards in 2018 and haven't carried a balance since; and now we won't have any other loans to pay. Unfortunately, we need a new dishwasher and we're going to look at them this weekend; but we can use some of the insurance money to buy that.

2. Jeanie, my sister, adopted another special needs basset hound.

I've written a lot about my sister through the years, and it's clear how much she loves basset hounds. She doesn't have children, but her dogs are treated like such (better, even, haha). She and Shawn (her husband) are the BEST dog-parents and her dogs are so lucky that they wound up with them!

They've had Bentley for a long time now (I can't remember his age, but it's up there). A little over a year ago, Walter joined the family. He is a senior basset as well, and he has a heart condition. Jeanie and Shawn wanted him to spend the rest of his days happy and healthy, despite his special needs. (I can't even tell you how spoiled he is now!)

And a couple of days ago, they welcomed Sophie into their home. Her story is SO sweet. Here is what Jeanie wrote on Facebook:

"Sophie is an 8 year old special needs senior from the Guardian Angel Basset Rescue.  It seems she was a dumped puppy mill dog that was used for breeding. Once she came into the rescue, she needed a hernia repair, a tummy tuck, a cyst removal, her rotted/poor teeth removed and treatment for heart worm 😢.  But GABR made sure she received all the necessary medical treatments.

Then, because she is such a sweet hound who has endured so much, they named her the 2023 Queen of the Basset Hound waddle parade! (Walter didn’t want just any Basset girlfriend… he wanted the best). And we were lucky enough to be the ones to adopt her!!! Just like with Walter and Bentley, we plan to let her live out her best life with us ❤️❤️❤️."

Sophie being crowned queen

Jeanie said Sophie also has a heart murmur and eye issues, needing medications for both. Her hair is very thin, likely from malnutrition, so she has to take supplements for that also. They are also going to get her a winter coat because her fur isn’t thick enough to keep her warm.

Doesn't that break your heart? But she is the luckiest dog to be able to go live in the upper peninsula at "Jeanie's Dog Park" (Jeanie and Shawn have a cabin on a large piece of property up there that they recently moved to permanently). We let Joey "vacation" there in the summer of 2022 as well as this past summer, and I loved seeing pictures of his adventures. I even felt bad making him come home, haha.

Jeanie said Sophie is doing really well so far! I love this picture of the three dogs on the bed.

3. Well, I'm going to stop at two. I was hoping to come up with a third as I wrote this post, but I can't think of anything I haven't already written about. Besides, these two "good things" are pretty big! (I'm sure something will come to me tomorrow and I'll wonder why I didn't think of it sooner, but my mind is blank right now.)

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Three Things Thursday: Fall

I really need to make a list of all of the "Three Things Thursday" topics I've done. When I try to come up with an idea each week, I can't remember if I've already done it or if I've just thought about it. A couple of times, I've even written the post before I realize I've already written about it before, haha.

Today is such a perfect fall day. It's been overcast and kind of drizzly on and off all day, and the temp is perfect for wearing a hoodie and jeans. This is my very favorite time of year, by far, and it never fails to lift my mood. With today really feeling like fall, it got me in the fall mood... so I thought I'd write about three things that I hope to do this season.

1. Bury a time capsule with my family.

I bought a time capsule ages ago (literally probably four years ago) and we still haven't put things together to bury in it. With my kids being so grown up, I don't want to waste another year without putting together this time capsule; I think it will be a fun thing for us to do together. I have no idea when we'll open it--we'll have to come up with a date or event--but it's fun to think about what we can put in there!

2. Watch football.

This is something I never in a million years expected to be interested in! Jeanie taught me the basics in the summer and when I watched my first game a couple of weeks ago, I actually really got into it. I've watched a couple more games since then and I found myself acting like a "real" football fan--covering my eyes (but peeking a little) at the really nerve-racking parts, yelling "Go go go go!", jumping up in excitement and, being me, tearing up a little when a rookie got his first NFL touchdown.

I'm writing this as I'm waiting for the Lions game to start, actually! Jerry and Noah went to a wrestling event, and Eli is at work. I find it so funny that I'm home alone and I'm *voluntarily* watching football. I've lost my damn mind! Hahaha.

I have no recollection of the reason behind this family photo in 2017, but I was told to wear a Lions shirt.

3. Go apple picking.

I feel like I'm probably the only person in Michigan to never have picked apples at an orchard (or maybe I have and just don't remember?). I know Jerry would love to go, and we'll force invite the kids to go as well. And of course, I romanticize the idea of making applesauce, baking an apple pie for my dad, and maybe making a vegan apple cobbler.

(I just opened my photos app to look for a picture of some sort to go with this post and found a picture of the fake apple that my dad attached to the apple tree in my yard a few years ago! That was hilarious and one of the most random things he's ever done. You can read the story here. I just realized I didn't update that post to show that after I replaced the apple with an orange, my dad then retaliated with a ginormous fake apple--see below)

I wish we had this fall weather year-round. I'm hoping we get a lot of these days this fall!

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Three Things Thursday: Dad

I almost skipped writing today because I just couldn't come up with anything to write about! "Three things" is such a broad category that you would think I'd have no problem coming up with a topic, but I was struggling.

Today is my dad's birthday, and it just occurred to me that I could write about him! So, here are three things that I love about my dad...

1. He's a hard worker.

This sounds like a cliché line, but my dad is probably the hardest worker that I know. Starting when he was a kid! When he was 16 years old, his family moved to Florida but he wanted to stay here in Michigan. He was 100% independent and had to work just to support himself--while he was still in high school.

Lately, I've asked his advice a few times about what to do with my kids as far as finances go. I couldn't remember what my parents still paid for when I was a teen (car insurance? gas? entertainment with friends?). My kids have been very spoiled and I wish I'd done things a little differently, but knowing what my dad went through as a teen has made me feel confident about being a little tougher with my kids (making them work harder for what they have/want).

My parents were 18 and 19 when they got married, and my dad continued to work hard to support us (four kids!). He's been an auto mechanic in some form for his entire life, which is not easy money--it's a lot of tough, physical work. Countless people have trusted him to work on their cars for decades, knowing that they'll never get that kind of quality service at a shop.

When he taught me how to change the oil in my car

2. He taught himself to paint.

This talent seemed to come out of nowhere at all; in fact, of any talents that may run in my family, art is definitely not one of them. Once in a while, my dad would catch Bob Ross on TV and I can remember watching with him. We would both be amazed at Bob's work, and then gasp, "Oh no!" when Bob would decide at the last minute to just paint one huge black line down the center of his painting--only to turn it into the most lifelike tree and make the painting even more mind-blowing.

My dad actually learned how to paint by watching Bob Ross.

We may have gone overboard with Bob Ross novelty gifts that year. The painting he'd just finished was of a bridge that we used to go fishing on when I was a kid.

And seeing the evolution of his paintings is unbelievable. I don't have pictures of any of his recent ones, unfortunately, but this one below is one of my favorites. It's hanging in my living room now.

We still have a couple of his first paintings and it's stunning to see how far his work has come. That he taught himself to paint like this is unbelievable.

3. He's very resourceful. 

You've seen on my blog when I've made projects out of wood or fabric or things like that, and I use up every last scrap of materials that I can. I save all of my wood cuts offs and find a way to use the small pieces to build things. I sew things without having to buy fabric (I like to use old clothes or bedding or whatever I have on hand). Rather than buying new furniture, I use leftover paint that I already have and refinish old furniture.

All of that comes from seeing my dad do it all these years. For him, it was about money; when he was younger, he didn't have any choice but to make do with what he had. Even as an adult, he continues to use and repurpose things, because why spend money on something new when you can use what you already have? (There have even been a couple of times where I've given him a gift and had to tell him I got it super cheap or that I got it for me and just wasn't going to use it, otherwise he wouldn't accept it, haha.)

I will say, though, despite the fact that he doesn't like to buy things unless absolutely needed, he's extremely generous. If you tell him you like something, you just may come home to find it on your porch. He likes to do things that he knows will make people happy.

I could list several more things that I love about my dad, but these were the first ones to pop into my head. He turned 72 years old today! I made him his favorite pecan pie, which has become a tradition (I make one for Father's Day and one for his birthday).

This was from a couple of years ago. I wish I'd taken a picture of the one I made today, because it was probably the best looking one I've ever made!

I'll end this post with a little essay I wrote--I don't know what my age was, but I'm guessing about 10 or 11? I wrote it at church to nominate him for Father of the Year, haha. My mom came across it a few weeks ago and gave it to me. It's a little cringey, but cute! ;)

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Three Things Thursday: Appearances

I just got done walking laps around my house, looking for inspiration for a "Three Things Thursday" post. I have 3,600 posts on my blog(!) and it's very hard to come up with anything that I haven't already written about at least ten other times. I briefly thought of writing about my three favorite clothing transformations, but nixed that idea when I realized I'd just written about them in relatively recent posts.

That, however, led me to trying on a few items of clothing, and looking in the mirror gave me the inspiration I needed. Three things about my appearance that have been pretty much the same throughout my life and will probably never change.

1. I will never be a "girly-girl".

Growing up, I *always* wanted to be girly. I wanted to wear cute trendy clothes and make-up and jewelry and style my hair and paint my nails. When I started getting teased about my weight at around nine years old, I became the total opposite.

I didn't *feel* girly; I felt ugly. Instead of dressing how I wanted, I started dressing how I thought I was meant to be--baggy boyish clothes, hair a total mess, no make-up or anything like that. I'd given up on trying to be one of the "pretty girls". (This isn't a sob story, honest.)

Seriously, though... was there really any hope? BAHAHA, I can't believe I'm posting this photo:

That best friends necklace really makes a difference though!

A few times over the years, I felt inspired and tried to do the girly things. After losing weight, I bought lots of feminine clothes because I felt like I finally deserved to wear them. But it just didn't feel like ME. I felt uncomfortable and like I was trying to be someone I was not. I don't know if it was because I lost that desire to be girly or if I was never meant to be that way in the first place, but either way, I'm not her.

And now, I'm totally happy with that! My favorite clothes are jeans, hoodies, cotton socks, and a pair of Chucks. On the very rare occasion that I put on a dress, I feel extremely uncomfortable--physically and mentally--and it feels like it just doesn't belong on me. I try not to dress like a slob, but I definitely choose comfort over anything else.

2. I will probably never go to the salon.

I literally can't remember the last time I had my hair cut professionally. It might have been in 2010 when Jeanie treated me to a fun makeover after I'd lost 100 pounds. It may surprise people to know that I actually have naturally curly hair. If I scrunch it in my hands while it's wet, it'll dry curly. When I was a kid, I *hated* it. My mom said it was "like a bush", hahaha. It was so thick and curly and I wanted it to be thin and straight, like a lot of the "pretty girls" I knew.

A bush, she says. I just don't see it!

When my hair is short, it's impossible to keep it from curling while it dries; and since I can't pull it back into a ponytail or (my favorite) a messy bun, and then the curls just get in my way. I can't stand having hair in my face! So, I've had long hair for just about my entire adult life. It's more practical for me.

My hair routine is super simple. I cut it myself about twice a year (keeping it long, but getting rid of split ends). Since I started getting grays, I dye it every so often (definitely not frequently enough, because my grays are pretty obvious much of the time). And I wear a messy bun 99% of the time. It takes all of five seconds and it keeps my hair out of my face.

3. I will likely never be a regular make-up wearer.

I only wear make-up a handful of times each year, usually if I'm going to see someone I haven't seen in a while or if I'm going to be meeting new people. And honestly, make-up is something I wish I was into! My skin is kind of a mess--I have vitiligo (patches of skin without any pigment) and sunspots (which are a big contrast to the vitiligo spots). The vitiligo around my eyes gives me a raccoon look, only in reverse:

I am STUNNED when I see the amazing things people can do with make-up! I don't aspire to be anywhere near that level, but it would be nice to at least even out the color of my skin. I didn't take care of my skin at all when I was younger and it's something I really regret now. When I *do* wear make-up, though, I keep it super simple.

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Some people may read this post and think I don't care at all about my appearance. That's not entirely true; I just prefer to be low-maintenance, mainly because I don't have the attention span to take so much time with my appearance.

I have good hygiene and I wear clothes that I'm comfortable in. I'm just a very practical person, I guess. Sometimes I think it would be fun to do all the girly things; but I would surely sweat through my make-up, chip my nail polish within a few hours, get blisters from uncomfortable shoes, and my hair would be a frizzy tangled mess by noon!

So, this is me... jeans, hoodie, Chucks, messy bun, sans make-up. It works for now :)

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Three Things Thursday: Habit Changes

I feel like I'm finally starting to get out of the funk I've been in for a VERY long time. Even though our luck still sucks, my anxiety isn't as bad and my mood has been more pleasant. The weather definitely helps; we've had what feels like fall weather several days in a row. Ordinarily, the issue with the car would have sent me over the edge, but I've been taking it in stride and haven't panicked about it.

I finished listening to the Atomic Habits audiobook and it gave me some ideas for habits I'd like to change. So, for Three Things Thursday, I thought I'd write out three habits I want to work into my daily routine. I'm going to follow the guidance in the book about how to structure them, but my plan is to make these three things habits:

1. Stretch my back.

When I was in chronic pain from 2018 to 2022, my body got so stiff. I had such a hard time getting comfortable and I lost any sort of flexibility that I may have had. (I've never been a very flexible person, but it got really bad when I was in so much pain.)

This is from 2012, and aside from the super cringy sweatpants, I can't believe I could actually do this. Just looking at it hurts my back!

Eli has been really into golf lately, and I told him I'd never swung a golf club in my life. I've played putt-putt, of course, but never hit from a tee or anything. I asked him to show me how to swing, and we were trying to figure out if I was right- or left-handed. Yes, this sounds odd; I am right-handed for everything except for holding a hockey stick or mini-golf. Or closing one eye--my left eye is dominant? Or something.

Anyway, he showed me how to swing and GOOD LORD my back would not let me twist. As much as I tried (both right- and left-handed), I couldn't get my body to make the motion. I tried out some stretches on the floor and I realized that my back has no flexibility whatsoever.

I looked up some stretches for the spots that are particularly bad and I tried those out. I still have a chronic issue with my T10-T11 vertebrae (it's been a problem since I was kid), which makes twisting movements painful, but I want more flexibility altogether. It felt really good to stretch.

Atomic Habits is super helpful in the sense that I don't feel like I have to do *everything* right now. Ideally, yes--I would have a whole routine of full-body stretches. But I also know that I would never stick with it. I've tried that numerous times in the past. So, I picked three stretches for my back that I felt would make the biggest difference, and I'm going to do those every night before I get in bed. I'll do them for 30 seconds each. I've been doing them for the past week and I've found that I don't dread it or put it off because it's literally just 90 seconds and then done.

2. Running.

I know I'm forever saying I want to get back to running, and I'll do it for a few weeks before I just stop. After listening to the book, I realize that I always stop because I feel like I have to do enough to make it worth my while--three miles or so. And I "just don't wanna".

This was in 2014--I looked so happy, considering I'd just run 13 miles and was finishing up the half-marathon.

To get into the habit of running, I'm going to put my running clothes on immediately after I wake up. Rather than procrastinating, I will run one lap around the block; I think the distance is about one-third of a mile. That sounds like nothing, compared to what I'm used to, but the whole point is to make it automatic--something that I don't even think about. I'll add more eventually, but I don't want to think ahead yet. Knowing that it's just one loop around the block will definitely make me likely to do it.

It'll only take me about four minutes, so even on super busy days, I won't have an excuse not to do it right when I wake up. I'll take Joey with me and I think he'll like looking forward to the routine as well. Now, we walk him at sporadic times throughout the day, so he doesn't know when it's time. By having a routine, I'm sure he'll look forward to it. And that would make me feel too guilty to skip it!

3. Cleaning the kitchen counters every night before bed.

Yes, this is very simple as well, but I tend to wait until the following day to wipe down the counters after dinner. If there is one thing that makes my house feel messy to me, it's when the counters have crumbs and clutter. I already have the routine of scooping the litter box and bringing in the peanuts from the squirrel lunch box each night (raccoons get into the peanuts if I don't bring them in); so I will add wiping down the counters to that as well. It'll take all of two minutes at most, and it will boost my mood when I wake up. I know that sounds odd; I just feel happier when my house is clean, and the counters are what makes the biggest difference to me.

This was right after I finished the remodel. My kitchen will never be this clean again, but I can at least make sure the counters are ;)

Okay, this is it! Three things that will take a grand total of less than 10 minutes a day. The whole goal is to make these things as automatic as possible so that I don't even think about them. Once they are pretty mindless, I can work on adding to them (adding stretches, running longer, adding another quick cleaning task to do in the evenings).

I know I've said this several times now, but I cannot recommend Atomic Habits enough! (That's not an affiliate link.) I bought the Kindle book because I'd like to read it (I only listened to the audiobook) and I think it's a book I'll read at least once a year. It was recommended to me by several readers, so THANK YOU--I wish I'd listened/read it a long time ago.

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Three Things Thursday: Steps!

Today is August third, which means I've only been doing my 10,000+ steps per day challenge for three days. It's so much harder than I thought! I realized that most of the work I do around the house, even heavy duty work like when I was hanging drywall in the garage a couple of summers ago, the steps take a while to add up.

This morning, I "pruned" our apple tree in the front yard (I put that in quotes because I'm pretty sure I pruned so much that it will die). I'll have to take a picture of it tomorrow. I'd never pruned it before--I didn't know it was needed?--so I had no idea what I was doing. I watched several YouTube videos and checked out websites, but they all say different things (pruning in summer vs. winter was a big one; since ours was *really* overgrown, I decided to just do it).

It's kind of funny; when we planted this tree, we chose a Granny Smith apple tree because it was Noah's favorite apple. Now, nobody in the family eats Granny Smith apples, hahaha. So, if it dies, I won't be sad. I'll just plant another Asian pear tree and keep trying for that. Maybe by the time I'm 100 years old and have no teeth, I'll finally get some Asian pears, haha. 

I did prune that one as well, but I kept it *very* minimal. I really don't want that one to die! It's way too tall and probably has way too many branches, but I'll check it out in the winter and see what it looks like when there aren't a bunch of leaves on it.

After that, I went in the garage to work on painting a large armoire (actually, I think it's meant to be an entertainment center). I bought it ages ago from Facebook Marketplace and I was using it in the garage, but I *really* need a spot to put all of my craft stuff. So, Jerry and I figured out a place to put it, but now I want to paint it first. I had to clean it all with TSP, then prime it, and finally paint it. I won't be able to finish painting until it's dry (I have to turn pieces over). 

Anyway, after all of that, I only accumulated 2,000 steps and it was 4:00 pm! So, I took Joey for a walk and hit my 10,000 steps. I'm going to eat leftovers again tonight because I'm beat. With Jerry doing a special project at work, they're feeding him--and he's getting some good stuff! ;)

Well, that was a long intro for this Three Things Thursday post. I thought that since I'm doing this 10,000+ steps per day challenge, I'd write a few ways that I've gotten steps in. (I did this challenge way back in 2013(?) and had to get creative.) I'll try *not* to state the obvious ones like going for a walk or run. Here goes...

1. Put away laundry one item at a time. (Dishes work, too.)

Yes, I have gotten desperate enough to do this. Actually, I did it today! I put the hamper on my bed, took out one item at a time, folded it, and put it away in my closet. Over and over again. It sounds really boring and tedious, but I turned on a podcast and listened to that while I put the laundry away and I didn't mind it at all. If you're curious, it took about 1,000 steps to do one basket of laundry. When the kids were little and I did this, I got in a LOT of steps back and forth in the house.

2. Talk on the phone. (While on a walk.)

I didn't want to say "go for a walk" because it's so cliché, but today on my walk, I called a few friends. I never, ever make phone calls--I get super nervous about talking on the phone for some reason!--but I figured I could do two things at once. I could get in my steps as well as call a couple of friends that I've been meaning to catch up with.

I am working on a "favorite things" post, and my earbuds are absolutely one of my favorite things, so I will write about them on that post. They are amazing for talking and walking. I took Joey with me, and it was nice to put my phone in my pocket and have a real conversation while I walked.

I think talking on the phone is a great way to catch up with someone (even though introverted me finds it difficult to just dial the number). And why just sit on the couch and talk? I'm not sure how far Joey and I walked (I've been leaving my Garmin at home) but when I got home, I saw on my Fitbit that I'd reached the 10,000 steps mark. AND I'd called a couple of friends.

3. Mow the lawn.

I know I just wrote about this yesterday, but I couldn't believe how many steps I got just from the lawn alone! I pushed the mower for a while, then I took the bag from the mower (where the clippings go) walked them to the dike across the street and dumped them, then walked back to the mower and kept going. Our yard isn't enormous, but it certainly felt like it when I was mowing! Other ways to get in steps while doing yard work is to walk around and pick up stray sticks, weeds, poop scoop, etc.

Since I just wrote about mowing the lawn yesterday, I'll write one more as a runner up...

Runner up: Tidy up the house.

Basically, I just pick up one thing and move it to where it belongs, and usually I'll see another thing out of place, so I'll grab that and move it... over and over. This is how I end up cleaning my house, usually, too. I start with one task and then never end up getting to it because I notice all the other stuff while I'm doing it. The house winds up being tidy (and then I may vacuum and/or mop the floors for even more steps) and it adds up to a surprising amount of steps.

Well, I'm going to go take another shower; I already took one after painting, but I didn't realize how hot it was going to be while walking Joey and I definitely worked up a sweat. For those of you doing the 10,000 steps challenge, I hope it's going well for you! I give you credit, because it's harder than I thought.

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Three Things Thursday: Cat Quirks

I'm actually really excited about this post. A lot of times, I think of good topic ideas for "Three Things Thursday", but then I have a hard time coming up with three things that fit the topic! For this post, I had SUCH hard time narrowing it down; I literally considered making this a one-time "Thirty Things Thursday", hahaha.

So, what has me so enthusiastic with ideas? Cat quirks that make them the coolest pets ever.

Here are three things that are quirky, but awesome about cats.

1. Their curiosity.

"Curiosity killed the cat" and "curious as a cat" are sayings for a reason. When it comes to wondering what things are and how they work, cats are like toddlers (to the tenth power). If you bring something new into the house (it doesn't matter what it is) they simply MUST find out everything about it. Why is it here? What is it? Where are you going to put it? Of course, it belongs to them (regardless of what it is). They sniff all around it, tentatively touch it, then whole-heartedly touch it, and then sit on or in it.

Their favorite things are boxes. I've seen a bunch of memes about "how to catch a cat" and it's literally just placing a box on the floor. Within 60 seconds, you'll have caught a cat, guaranteed. ;)  Buy them toys that come in boxes, and they'll ignore the toy but most certainly go inside the box. They also have no doubt that their body will fit into any size box. Just ask Duck--today, he decided to "sit" in this tiny box. I was cracking up at how chill he was, hanging out in the box.

Some cats need constant attention (i.e. Duck), and the easiest way to entertain them is to keep them curious. So, all I have to do is move something from one part of the house to the other--even if it's just across the room--because all of the cats will be dying of curiosity. If I just tip their scratching pad on its side, all four of the cats have to go inspect it. Or I'll drape a blanket over a chair, and suddenly, the cats want to see inside the fort--then hang out in there for a while.

Here, all I did was put their scratcher on a couple of chairs. Entertainment for HOURS.

2. Parkour Skills

If you're not familiar with parkour (pronounced par-core), Britannica describes it like this:

It's really amazing to watch people do it, but to see CATS do it? Hilarious. Sometimes one of the cats (or both Chick and Duck together) will suddenly act like they snorted six lines of cocaine. They run as fast as they can through the house--up and over the couch, across the treadmill console, sliding underneath chairs, jumping completely over the coffee table, using my lap or shoulders to leap as far as they can, yet they still somehow maintain enough grace not to step on unintended objects. They make it through all of the obstacles like they're David Goggins during SEAL training.

There is nothing that compares to the entertainment of watching this happen. When one or more of the cats goes completely crazy in my house, all of us stop whatever we're doing and just watch. It's been extra funny since we replaced the carpet with vinyl planking--the cats will try to go from 0 to 60 mph in a millisecond, and they end up running in place for a second until they're able to propel forward.

"This treadmill looks like a comfy place to hang out."

I'm not sure if cats ever stop doing this. Phoebe is 15 years old, all of 5 pounds, and once in a while she'll just tear through the house like a bat out of hell. The kittens (I still call them that, even though they're THREE years old--can you believe how long we've had them already?) like to chase each other in this way. Let's say Chick is chasing Duck--they do all of the parkour moves all over the place--and then somehow when they race back through the living room, it'll be Duck chasing Chick. At some point, they switch!

"I'm just gonna hang out here on your knee for a while, so don't move."

3. Their finickiness.

This sounds like a negative thing, but it's SO FUNNY how finicky cats can be are. (There are also a ton of memes about this.) "You may pet me exactly four strokes. Don't test me by attempting a fifth." "You may touch me here, but not a single hair over here" (a centimeter away). "My toe beans are off limits. Most of the time. You can try and see what happens." "Whatever happens, do not scratch above the base of my tail for more than 1.6 seconds." (You get the idea.)

Phoebe, just waiting for Jerry to make a wrong move.

Basically, cats know what they like and what they don't like and they are not afraid to let you know. Once you learn what is "acceptable" to them, it's natural. But they may change their mind at any moment about how many times you may pet their face before moving to scratch their chin, or whether it's okay to pet their belly. It's basically a gamble that we cat-people are always willing to make. Just look at the scars on our arms.

This may not fit under "finicky", but cat-people will also attest to the fact that you should never, ever, under any circumstances, move a cat that is asleep. And God forbid you move that cat if they're sleeping on your lap.

They are so sweet when they sleep that it just seems cruel to move them. So what if I stop drinking any beverages to avoid having to get up and pee or if I'm late to an appointment or ignore someone knocking on the door? Moving the cat? No way! ;)

As obvious as it is, I am a total cat-person, through and through. They are so entertaining, loving, fun, curious, and hilarious!

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