Last night, Joe and I took a last-minute drive east of town. We captured this beautiful sunset over the Sawtooth mountains to the west. The narrow horizontal line in the middle of the image is the Snake River meandering through town, catching the reflection of the setting sun. I love moments like this!!
How often do you walk or run?
Every. Single. Time… I am chased by a bear!! 😉
They say anxiety may be caused by having too much cortisol in your system, like your body’s autonomic system is in constant “fight or flight” mode, which encourages your body to release the cortisol hormone. It is as if you are being chased by a bear when there is no bear in sight. It is not healthy for your body to be in a constant feeling of underlying fear or fight.
Do you know what helps reduce that feeling? EXERCISE! So keep walking or running. It is good for your health.
Have a happy day! 😊
What’s your favorite word?
Isn’t that a fun word to say! It is a humorous sounding word for a not so humorous situation. It means commotion or fuss, especially one caused by conflicting views.
I’m guessing there will be a kerfuffle or two in families over the next few weeks as we approach the “voting season.” Maybe there were one or two kerfuffles over the debate last night! Hee Hee!! 🙈🙉🙊
What are you doing this evening?
Watching the presidential debate between former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. Nothing earth-shattering to report. In my opinion, if an Independent was watching, I doubt they were swayed one way or the other.
I’m also thinking of my dad. Today would have been his 85th birthday. He passed away this last January. It would have been interesting to hear his take on the debate. He was a Trump supporter who liked the economy when Trump was in office.
It was a rough day. One thing I did not anticipate upon my dad’s death was my brother moving in with my mom and how that would change the dynamics of my relationship with my mom. He is divorced, and in his 50’s, so he is not responsible for anyone else. He and I have not really ever been on the same “sense of responsibility” scale.
My worry is that he will take advantage of our mom financially. But, I believe we are only taken advantage of as far as we allow it… unless there is a mind altering substance involved. In this situation, there is none of that. So, I just have to trust he has her best interest at heart. Maybe now that I know my mom feels good about relying on my brother, my husband and I can move to an area in a warmer climate.
I’m feeling a little lost. Our children are grown and raising families of their own. My mom doesn’t need us like I thought she would. My sister is happily married, working, and nearing retirement. Maybe I should quit my job, sell the house, and, as I mentioned, take my retired husband and move to a warmer part of the country. All of my family lives here in my hometown. There are a lot of memories here. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Maybe a new start in a new place with people our own age (haha) would not be so bad.
The question is, where? Nevada, where there are no taxes? California, where the governor scares me? Arizona? New Mexico? Southern Utah, where the dirt is red? Let the dreaming begin! (Or figuring out I am just feeling emotional and trying to run away from it all!)
My husband and his unconditional love amazes me! So grateful he is willing to ride this rollercoaster of a life with me!
The title makes this post sound more ominous than it is. I was awakened at 3AM in the middle of a bout of hiccups. They were going on at regular intervals and light enough they were not painful, only slightly irritating. After all, they woke me up before my alarm, two hours early. When I sat up and got out of bed to go to the kitchen to get a glass of water, the hiccups strengthened, becoming way more irritating. I opened my bedroom door and took a step out. When I stepped through the doorway, I was startled by a sound in the kitchen and glanced up to see if there was movement. Of course there was not anything there, so I walked to the kitchen to choose a glass to fill with water. I realized while reaching for the cupboard door that my hiccups had stopped. Apparently, that little startle in my doorway was enough to “scare” the hiccups away.
The cool drink of water was refreshing anyway. I took it back to my bedroom, set it on the night stand, and began perusing the news online. Nothing positive, same old stories. Trump and Kamala are racing for the Whitehouse, calling each other names and pointing out why one is more deserving of our votes than the other. There was another senseless school shooting resulting in more death. Oh, and there was a car chase in Florida that was caught on camera from high above the freeway where the chase took place. This one ended when the driver of the car being chased clipped the corner of a pickup, sending the pickup in a tailspin across the road, and slowing down the driver so the more than 16 police cars that were chasing after the him could slow to stop behind driver, get out of their cars, guns drawn, leaving their doors open as a shield while waiting for the suspect to exit the now-wrecked undrivable car. They made the arrest and, I assume, eventually opened the closed road, so the miles of cars backed up on the freeway could make their way to their destinations. That was 45 minutes of my life I will never get back.
It is now before 6:30 AM as I sit and type this. My simple morning routine is complete. I am ready for the day, whatever it brings. Hopefully, it will not include more hiccups.
Song by Jelly Roll
I am not sure who might need to read these words, but it is a song that inspires hope. Have you heard it?
I am not okay
I’m barely getting by
I’m losing track of days
And losing sleep at night
I am not okay
I’m hanging on the rails
So if I say I’m fine
Just know I learned to hide it well
I know, I can’t be the only one
Who’s holding on for dear life
But God knows, I know
When it’s all said and done
I’m not okay
But it’s all gonna be alright
It’s not okay
But we’re all gonna be alright
I woke up today
I almost stayed in bed
Had the devil on my back
And voices in my head
Some days, it ain’t all bad
Some days, it all gets worse
Some days, I swear I’m better off
Layin’ in that dirt
I know, I can’t be the only one
Who’s holding on for dear life
But God knows, I know
When it’s all said and done
I’m not okay
But it’s all gonna be alright
It’s not okay
But we’re all gonna be alright
Gonna be alright
Gonna be alright
I know one day
We’ll see the other side
The pain’ll wash away
In a holy water tide
And we all gonna be alright
I know, I can’t be the only one
Who’s holding on for dear life
But God knows, I know
When it’s all said and done
I’m not okay
But it’s all gonna be alright
It’s not okay
But we’re all gonna be alright
I’m not okay
But it’s all gonna be alright
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Ashley Glenn Gorley / Casey Brown / Taylor Delmar Phillips / Jason Bradley De Ford
I Am Not Okay lyrics © Sony/atv Cross Keys Publishing, Tdp Publishing, Hits From The Tape Room, Master Of My Domain Music, Poppy’s Picks, Tape Room Tunes, Track & Feels
In The Bible, New Testament – Matthew Chapter 10, we read where Jesus gathered his twelve apostles. Can you name them? (Simon, Andrew, James, John, Phillip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James, Lebbaeus, Simon, and Judas)
Jesus sends them out among his lost sheep to preach his gospel. He gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal the sick.
6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
Among many other things, Jesus tells them that it will not be an easy mission, using way more words than what I am sharing here. Read the chapter. He tells them not to worry and that he cares. In verses 29-31 he says:
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
Verse 31 is so comforting when I am feeling down, depressed or not good enough.
In further verses, Jesus says if they do not deny him. He will not deny them to the Father. Remember, Jesus is the advocate for us to our Father. We need him.
Endure to the end. It’s not as easy as it sounds, but, oh! So worth it. Read the chapter to fill in the blanks. 🙂
Why do you blog?
I like to blog for the challenge of filling the blank canvas (screen) with a thought or two. Plus, I love seeing the words fill the page.
Back in 2010, I started a blog because my friend and I were walking and talking and laughing and I said that we should write down some of our funny experiences from our daily walks. As it turned out, she was funny when talking, but could not convert those same thoughts in writing. So, I blogged my own thoughts and experiences… which was not quite as funny as when we were together, but it was ok… except the story about our bikes and a dog…
One time, instead of walking, we decided to go for long (in our opinion) bike ride. Our ride took us over five miles on winding country roads, ending at a bridge over the fast flowing Snake River, a favorite place for fly fishing.
We were enjoying our ride along farmground, trees, and houses spread out beautifully along the way. My friend was riding a little ahead of me when suddenly there appeared a medium-sized barking dog that came shooting across the lawn from the house.
When this sort of thing happens, you find out really fast who your friends are. My friend left me in the dust! She was nothing but a blur… GONE! I peddled as fast as I could to catch up to her. She finally slowed her bike to a stop. I started laughing when I pulled my bike up behind her. I said she must have learned that lesson about how to avoid being eaten by a bear. You simply have to run faster than your friend! She and I laughed so hard!
She shared a story about a time, as a teenager, she went to knock on the door at her friend’s house and the friend’s very large dog came running around the corner straight at her. She felt trapped and so scared… so scared that she fainted right there on the doorstep! She has had a fear of dogs ever since that day.
Anyway, we made it safely to our destination and back home again.
Sharing stories is also another reason I like to blog. 😉
What daily habit do you do that improves your quality of life?
I don’t do as many good daily habits as I know I should for better health and attitude. Oh sure, I get up early, shower, and brush my teeth every day before heading off to work.
The things I want to do are: get up before hitting the snooze button three times, exercise for 30 minutes to get my blood pumping and release those all important endorphins to start my day right, and read the scriptures to focus my heart and spirit on the good things. What a great start that would be for my body, mind, and spirit!
My husband and I were reading scriptures and praying together every night before bed. It was great for our spiritual growth as well as connecting us at the end of every day because of the great discussions we had while reading. Then, he had a major surgery that kept us apart for 10 weeks while he was recovering. We got out of the habit of reading and praying together.
Not only that, but I started down a destructive path of reading material that put questions in my mind about everything I believed. I began to question my faith, and I flirted with other destructive behaviors because of my new way of thinking… you know… thinking that we only go around once, so what does it matter if I do this or that.
People tend to get hurt when we start behaving in ways that are not in keeping with what we value. If we value our marriage, we develop habits to keep that relationship strong. If we value building our understanding of our relationship with God, then we keep in the habit of doing things to maintain that. If we value family, then we spend quality time with them. ETC.
Daily good habits will improve our quality of life in the areas where we focus those habits. The opposite is also true. If we do not make time in our lives to form and maintain good daily habits, others will fall in their place.
“Your beliefs become your thoughts,
-Gandhi
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny.”
Here is a great blog post about creating new habits:
What’s your favorite time of day?
Easy. Anyone who knows me very well knows I love mornings! The air is cool and crisp…well, not so crisp in the dog days of summer, but still cooler than midday in mid summer. 😎
Mornings are when everything good happens, like the start of a trip, a morning walk before breakfast, or….picture this….
A stay at the cabin on the 8th Crow Wing Lake in Northern Minnesota. It is early in the morning. You wake your family, grab your lunch and fishing gear gathered the night before, and head from the cabin down to the lake.
The light is barely peaking through the cloudy sky. The steam is lifting from the lake, creating a misty appearance all around. The water is still and glass-like, the air so quiet that you can not avoid hearing the creeking sound of the wooden planks beneath the tip toes of your feet. The rocking as you step down inside the boat breaks the glassy appearance, forming the first mini waves across the water, and the quiet talking and laughter is an indication of a family fun day ahead.
Starting the motor cuts through the silence, deafening the tinkling of the lures dangling at the end of each fishing poles that are clanking while being secured for the chilly morning boat ride toward the perfect fishing spot near the lilly pads on the other side of the lake. (Because the lilly pads on this side of the lake are not good enough for fishing. One must always boat to the other side!) 😉
Crossing the misty lake, zipping my jacket all the way up, stretching the sleeves over to warm my hands, creating fresh wake behind the boat, I can’t help but smile a sleepy smile looking forward to a day of fishing with my family, each of us hoping to catch the first fish!
Yes! Morning is: awaking to a fresh start, a new day, the beginning, the start of something great. It represents hope for good things to come. And if you are lucky, it starts with a beautiful sunrise!
For several months now, I have been driving for Uber and DoorDash, delivering food to hungry people. And it has been a fun way to earn a little extra money. My daughter and my niece jumped on the gig bandwagon, and they really like it as a way to make extra money, too.
About the same time I signed up for delivering for DoorDash and Uber Eats, I also signed up with Amazon to be a flex driver. I was put on a wait list for Amazon. A couple of weeks ago, I heard from them. They invited me to apply to be a driver. This afternoon, I accepted my first 3 hour block of deliveries as a flex driver. It consisted of 41 packages that needed to be delivered to 40 places.
I was nervous to pick up the order, but that app made it easy to follow the directions. The deliveries were all in a good part of town. I had a few apartments to deliver to, but that was good exercise. I made $67.50. It was a lot of work and an exhausting 3 hours, but it was a new experience. And I did not let fear keep me from accomplishing it. It was a great adventure, but now this 58-year-old body is ready for a good night’s sleep.
Zzzzz….
What are your top ten favorite movies?
Who has time for movies? I dont know if I have seen 10 movies! Although, Footloose is one of them! It’s a favorite
Seriously, my husband likes movies. He likes to go watch movies at the theater. I like popcorn. I go to the movies for the popcorn. And.. to nap. 🤷♀️ It has to be a pretty good movie for me to stay awake through the entire movie, especially when the popcorn is gone. I can’t help myself. The chairs are comfy. It’s dark. And, I’m relaxed. I have nothing to do, so I sleep.
My husband is ok with it… until I snore. Then I get the gentle nudge that stops the snoring… and the sleeping.
Next time he invites me to a movie, I’ll encourage him to take us to the matinee for half the price.
Enjoy your day!!
ChatterLei 