Gift number three

It’s a foot mask after massaging and waiting my foot will shed it’s skin like a snake

I made some purchases of my own this morning. A trip to Lowe’s to be able to create bird feet and bird glasses.  A trip to A.C. Moore for sequins feathers and other fancy fancies.

  

I made this bird and nest and have misplaced the bird and am feverishly knitting another so that I can play with sequins.

A very merry unbirthday to me.

So more packages arrived from drknitnightjustine.  A”foot mask” which was actually the one thing I knew was coming-more on that later, and this book

           

I really didn’t understand how fond I am of thinking about birds on the planet until I measured my response to this. Yowsa. Birds are fun and as soon as I saw the cover my brain started exploding with the possibilities.

My friends are the best

It’s a carbonated bubble clay mask.  Think mini scrubbing bubbles.  Because when I first heard about it I had a completely different mental construct of what woul happened and somehow confused bubbles with balloons.

Steam

I'm not losing steam but I've stepped back from full steam ahead.

First and foremost - Get Well Fast Lisa Simpson Closet Blog Reader.

Onto business-

Monday at the gym was a little bit brutal in retrospect.  There was more complaining than usual.  I think my body was tired.  I took yesterday completely off.  No strength-no cardio.  Hopefully I will do better today.  I understand that muscle weighs more than fat so it makes sense that the scale isn't my friend lately but it is still discouraging to be working so hard and have the numbers go up instead of down.

We get plus signs every time we go to the gym.  Each of my +'s is an hour.  Each of the +'s on the right is a visit for greathusbandbob.

It's hard to see- just know there are more +'s than not and greathusbandbob (unable to go more than once a day) has one for every day.

Yesterday I went to school to do read-aloud for the summer program.  The talented and clever 5th graders gifted me this-

I'm calling her Lucia.

I finished the baby blanket for most wonderful niece Charlotte last night.  It's for the baby in her belly- I'm going to make a stuffed toy for the big sister from the same cotton- it will either be an armadillo or a chicken.

I spent another 4 hours prepping for courses for next year. You go and go and then it just starts to feel overwhelming-  Who can hold a semester's worth of activities in their head before seeing it all unfold.  And yet I don't want to find myself struggling with what to do in September so I push forward.

Many hours of work- three solid weeks for each class- I'm hoping that 90 minutes is not as long as I think it is and that I have overplayed and actually have more like 6 weeks per class.  I'm going to keep working on things until we leave for vacation (Emerald Isle again) and give myself permission to take a break from it all once we return.  For now it's making for a good morning routine.

I cracked the screen on my iPad mini.  And while I know that I will be having the screen repaired eventually, reading was frustrating so I accidentally went to the online apple store.  While I thought I had ordered another iPad mini- what I had actually ordered was a regular iPad (6th generation) which meant that it was apple pen compatible.  I was going to ignore that potential at first but another late night shopping "trip" changed my mind.  My new favorite thing is the apple pen.

I love to physically write- I make better sense of organizing thoughts when they are scribed rather than typed. I will be wasting much less paper and am pleased with the purchase. It has a nice weight, quick screen response, charges quickly and holds a charge for a nice length of time. Also I will be less likely to lose all of the little notebooks that I use to keep track of things in my head with.

It is the heart of summer break-  I can feel it fleeting as I type.  Nothing else to do but stay calm and keep working.

Today's Agenda

But first we'll start with yesterday where I got three + signs for exercise and got all 10,00 steps.

  

It was a mile on the treadmill, a gentle yoga class and zumba.

Facebook told me that the number is 10,000 is arbitrary and based on the Japanese symbol for 10,000 - which looks like a running man.

Two more ukuleles have been restrung and I made some mini-art-

At last check-in our water wasn't working.  I'm guessing because the toilet was somehow broken and running.  Greathusbandbob came downstairs with bad words, flipped the breaker for the well and I haven't checked back in yet. HandymanJoe is likely coming to look later today.

This afternoon I will take aunt of mine for a roll in the mall.  Now that I don't have to worry about her falling, I mind this much less.  Treadmill and barre class later.  The trainer makes the treadmill work like this 30 seconds at a regular walk, 30 seconds at an almost run ten times.  This keeps you busy on the treadmill, gets the heart rate up and adds up to .63 of a mile.  I just extend it to make a mile.

One thing I forgot to post yesterday was my true confession of the day.  Before I married I used to sleep with books (more than one) and when greathusbandbob was out yesterday, I did it again.

A glad I remembered adventure

This is the Waynesburg University Eberly Library.  

I did my usual meandering which I’ll save for another post.  I saw the white nationalist book in the new books section and thought-hmm maybe I should get my i.d. to check out books.  I wandered and meandered and finally found the Dewey decimal 700’s and realized that I would in fact be checking out books today.

I took a side trip here

To get my new favorite beverage- ginger beer.

And all that’s left for the afternoon is some time at the gym.  Also this morning I restrung two more ukuleles and found a new favorite singer/song-

Sunday recap and the week ahead

Chickens and birds in general were the topic of conversation at lunch today.  All I can say is that the neighborhood rooster is my muse. I'm going to the big city and pushing the aunt around the mall on Tuesday.  It should be entertaining.

We took a selfie before we went- I was trying to get greathusbanbobs Grandfather/Godfather shirt in the picture but feel really lucky to have gotten this one.

We're a cute couple- and my first attempt looked like this- so I'm no millennial.

This weekend's school work included a Spotify search of classical music pieces I want kids to hear.  The bonus find was Albinoni's Adagio in gm.  But Albinoni didn't write it. He's gotten credit for the past 400 years.  His friend wrote it for him when he died.  It's really the most lovely and sad sound I've heard in a while.

In the category of summer reading- I've been reading "Illuminations" a novel about the medieval polymath Hildegard de Bingen.  Learned about anchorites- they used to wall virgins into small rooms next to the church and they served as the anchor of the church.  Hildegarde remained trapped as the lady in waiting to the anchorite from the age of 8 until 38.  

Just so that I don't sound too pretentious I also downloaded Stephen King's sequel to The Shining about the story of Danny Torrence when he grew up. I love a good summer read.

Dinner's adventure- shrimp tacos.  Cut up shrimp, Uncle Ben's already cooked wild rice in taco seasoning.  Artisan lettuce (whatever that really is- still green- not round), stem tomatoes, shredded fresh mozzarella in a taco shell.  Millennial shrimp tacos- I know some millennials.

The meet with the trainer went well- no aching bones- today was the first day I've taken off-.  I've always been a teacher pleaser.  As soon as I think about not doing it I remember that I told the trainer it was going to be my summer job and I have to go. The worst part was the 30 second intervals on the treadmill- fast walk for 30 sec/run for 30 sec.  10 repeats.  I did not love it. But it felt good.

I'm going to take another break from school preparation tomorrow and go to the local university library and immerse myself in the stacks.  I'm hoping for this place. Quiet library stacks full of stuff I don't know- it doesn't get any better.

Except maybe this- a friend from college- and former band camp instructor colleague is a make-up artist and does facepainting at the Three Rivers Arts Festival. I share every picture she posts on facebook.  I'm kind of a groupie.  I told her I'd join her next year and busk for her. She was receptive to the idea.

Or this- also from the Three Rivers Arts Festival- Drknitnightjustine's dog Eddie at The Point. He also plays the ukulele.  I want all the dogs.  If birds were dogs, I'd be surrounded.

It's a trip.

A trip to Big Lots while waiting for the nail salon to open- purchased- a hard-boiled egg maker, birch beer, some bags of jelly belly jellybeans that were factory rejects (because of shape) and dried turkish figs.  The figs aren't as good as the fresh kind- a few years ago there were some fresh ones at the farmers market in North Carolina so I will have to remember to look.

A trip to the nail salon to get bright magenta switched to shorter less visually charged nails.  The dipped nails are by far the healthiest most successful option I've had in nail care.  Today I had to ask them to make my nails shorter so I could play the ukulele. The stylist, wanting to earn a little more and knowing my fingers would look like stubby sausages if I didn't, suggested the ombre look.  Then she suggested sparkles.  She was so happy with the sparkles, I had to say yes.

A trip to the Mart of Wal, which, yes I hate but now I know where everything is-  In addition to a large supply of high protein snacks (I have to quit eating bagels and donuts) I came up with some meal ideas-  I'm going to try to make some tacos using shrimp and rice and taco seasoning.  There is a white sauce for broccoli and pasta made of cream cheese, I got the walmart version of rye bread to make marguerite grilled cheese sandwiches and I bought some items to make a not boring salad. (including cashews,  canned beets and an apple) The start of the marguerite grilled cheese-

Last week I acquired some cream cheese for the pasta and realized how delicious it would taste on greathusbandbobs everything bagels.  This week I prepared for temptation and bought some celery to balance out the sin of cream cheese.  Let it be known that the dog does not care for celery. She will, however lick off the cream cheese.

A trip to the big city to pick up new lenses in old frames. Driving in the big city- even without the student traffic- is never much fun.  We go there on Sundays- traffic isn't bad then- I went there Wednesday this week and am scheduled to go again on Friday.  When I arrived at the optical center, the technician smiled and said "they told you only one pair came in, right?"  Wrong.

In further complaints about the optical center- When I checked in yesterday (just in case I missed the call while with aunt and cousin) I had to fill out a slip of paper with my name and why I was there.  The kid at the desk handed it to a technician at the door to the lab who handed it to another technician  just coming to the door of the lab.  These people were not more than 10 feet apart.  It would have been just as effective for someone to peek into the lab, say my name and answer yes or no.

Today, having completed the requisite technician request form I waited patiently and saw no less than 6 technicians on the floor (in an area that might be 12'x15'- three of them were trying to solve a computer problem,  (actually one was- the other two were watching) and two were with customers.  One stood at the door of the lab in case any technical request forms had to be passed along.  It was the most ridiculous set up I have ever observed.

A trip to zumba is on the schedule for later this evening.  And while I wish I would just shut up and play the ukulele, I foresee a trip to nap time in the near future.

Rasta Bob

In case everything drives me crazy today, there is at least this-

Like Pampaloma only easier

Can I just say how impressed I was with myself that the name of the city where the running of the bulls just jumped into my brain?  I didn't even know I knew that.

Anyway- the yearly event (like the running of the bulls) of sorting through, folding and putting away clean clothes that had been neglected was this morning's goal.  It looks like this now.

Why yes, there are some jeans and scarves that don't have a home yet but it's much better than it was when I started.  The box is full of unmatched socks and poor fitting underwear.  That it is a small box is also a notable achievement as usually it is a large garbage bag.  The clothes in the closet have not been addressed.  I'm thinking about waiting to see what I can wear at the end of the summer before doing any culling.

Those of you who pay close attention to the furniture arrangement of the dog's room will notice that there is a little cart missing.  It has been moved to the other side of the room where the light is better so I can give this a try.

It's one of three paint by number kits I purchased.  The cool part is that it is on canvas rather than paper.  This is the one I like the least- I want to improve my skills before trying the one I like the best.    Another new thing for summer 2019.

Speaking of new things... Our air conditioner had babies- really the bird that built a nest on top of the air conditioner in our bedroom had babies.  Each morning-and many afternoons- we hear this-

Which is actually more adorable than annoying.

This afternoon calls for laundry, zumba and grocery shopping and a trip to pay for the meds at the vet.  Also mental preparation for the big outing with aunt and cousin tomorrow.  I hope my brain doesn't explode.

I gave LizaJane the muscle relaxers prescribed by DrAmyZumba.  I had nightmares about pets paralyzed from the waist down (which is how she looked at the end of the night last night- one leg was unusable.  The other was sagging.)  This morning she was back to normal. What the actual what. She's a little reluctant at getting up on her own bed but she was fine with flying off of ours this morning.  I'm just glad she's o.k. and that I didn't paralyze her.

A Day in the Life

A pause in the curriculum project- other than researching interesting  facts about previous presidents to make them relevant to 8th graders. For instance-

Calvin Coolidge- would push buttons and ring bells to get his staff to coming running and then hide from them just to watch and see who was working.

Herbert Hoover’s son had two pet alligators which were occasionally permitted to run loose throughout the White House.

Jimmy Carter- filed a UFO report in 1973.

After that exploration it was time to play some piano music. First some easy pieces that Mozart wrote when he was 5.  That's more than a little humbling.

Next was the Reader's Digest Family Songbook which, in fact, contains many songs from the 1910's to 1930's- which completely connects with the work of last week.  Where else can you find sheet music to My Merry Oldsmobile.

After that was a trip to meet knitnightgina and Drknitnightjustine. We went to-

in Washington, PA- where they name their sandwiches after their kids.  I had-

And it was fabulous.

In other news-the dog was shivering in fear this morning- woken up by thunderstorms- I gave her 1mg of xanax as prescribed.  It was too much- she later jumped off the bed and hurt her leg- she spent the day doped up and limping and unable to hold herself up when trying to do her business outside (I held up her ass again)

Fortunately new friend DrAmy was at zumba tonight and she goes back to the office to pick up her dog Henry.  I followed her and got an anti-inflammatory and will pick up some pain meds tomorrow.  I told her I was on call for any musical need she may ever have.

Mat Pilates and Zumba rounded out the night.

Saturday entertainment

So we got a catalogue from a company named Uline.  The first 100 pages contain cardboard boxes of various styles and sizes.

Then there were thes pictures which seriously cracked me up. Because the coverall with hood would be useless without the complimentary Sexy Zebra Knife.  I really would like to get the crowd control posts and rope for secretarysandy but 6 feet is just too long.

Add to that a morning of Barre and Zumba class, and it’s a perfect day.

Quest for knowledge

This morning's art work- meh.

This morning's discoveries-

St. Hildegard of Bingen-  a medieval nun who was an artist, healer, poet and musician.  A nice contrast to daVinci.

Andy Goldsworthy- a nature artist with a documentary called Leaning In.

All inspired by yesterday's Mandala book.

Daily Report

The morning began by meeting Rachael the athletic trainer.  She's not the cute perky type.  She's more the I studied my ass of at school and I'm really good at this type.  I think I'll like her. She's both an athletic trainer and a physical therapist- 2 for the price of 1 so I got some rehab exercises for the knitters elbow.

After that hour I went to school and visited the counselor and the secretary- knowing that they had to work extra days.  I also picked up a keyboard stand to go with the keyboard I should have put into use in the first place.  I also picked up this-

It's a 5-gallon bucket and drumsticks- if you go to bucketdrumming.net, you'll see the cheesy guy that may save my life in the 8th grade general music class.  He's really kind of hilarious.  I didn't like him at first but he is a good teacher and we'll see what happens.  One thing I must do is get good at it.  I'm thinking the goal will be to take it outside to practice- get some sun while I'm dong it.

Cousin's cell phone spritzed out during the last lightning storm- or so she says- I don't know how that could have happened.  I'm thinking it's just as possible she dropped it or it fell into the sink which is next to where she leaves it. Either way it doesn't matter, but she will always be worried about "getting in trouble" no matter how easy going greathusbandbob and I are.

I spent some time reading- well- like 3 minutes before I fell asleep for a nap. And then went to zumba.  Fried eggs and hummus for dinner. White sweet potato smoked paprika Hungarian casserole was not my favorite.  Too much onion.  I'm gong to have to secretly dispose of it tomorrow- slip it in to a plastic baggie and find a trash can in public.

Doesn't every summer start like this- strong blogging, organized tasks, plans for the day.  In three weeks I'm going to be proud of myself if I manage not to play Candy Crush Soda all day.

art goals

Art is always on the summer list.  It's always easier to list it than to do it.  One of the tricks this year is to dedicate myself to looking at one of the art books or online art courses that I have and while not committing to making art, at least commit to reading about making art.  As one would expect, reading about making art tends to turn into making art.

I've also given myself permission to make art across days rather than finish something every day.

Today's book of choice was this one-

About 15 pages into it I saw this-

It's called Rangoli ground art. So I googled it and loved it and experimented with it.  It's from Northern India and uses chalk dust, rice dust, often dyed.  I have no interest in the medium itself but the designs and patterns are ones that I love.  After several explorations, the first art of the summer begins like this-

It has absolutely taken my doodle brain to a place it had not been before, so mission accomplished.

In Other News- Lillizajane had a trip to the vet this morning.  She has fatty lumps under her skin.  I just wanted to make sure they weren't more than that.  She had to be sedated- the vet tech called it "twilight."  

I have her the pills 2 hours before.  At appointment time she had trouble standing on 4 legs.  I took her to the grass to  pee before we left and she collapsed to the ground in pee position.  Then laid down all the way.  I picked her up and she peed on me.  All the way home she kept saying I love you, man. As drunks do.

And yet, when Dr. Amy aspirated the lumps, Liza was still able to show her displeasure with an attempt at snapping. She also prescribed some xanax for thunderstorms. I hope it helps.

She got her full exam and a complimentary nail trim and I'm calling it mission accomplished.

At The Gym-

I have a dr appointment in the afternoon (the usual mat pilates time) so I forced myself to go to "drumming" for group exercise today.  I did not love it but it was an o.k. workout.  Big giant gray ball, drumsticks, squats, crunches and twists while drumming.  And there were 5 million people there. (which by 5 million I mean any number greater than 15.)  I like the instructor- she does the barre class as well but drumming is only if I can't make something else in a given day.

Tomorrow is the first meeting with the trainer.  This is the first and last time I'm going to think about it until it happens.  It makes me anxious.

Check it off

Today-hatha yoga, Zumba, mani-pedi, knit night and some investigation into bucket drumming.

I don’t love mani-pedi’s but I can’t go to barre, yoga and mat Pilates with uglier ass feet.  The nail technician earned hazard pay.