MONDAY MANTRA

[DeeClutter]

What would be your 'mantra' today. Mine is simply 'work hard' -at anything that comes across my path. I'm up early this morning. Conversely I slept fairly well through the night but have been up since 4:20. I'm slowly getting myself to the point that I can work hard. Part of that is working on my weight. Part is getting things ready to go north. Trying to get myself ready to go at a moment's notice.

Anxious to talk with dh this morning to see how he's feeling. Know they were starting IV's on him last night with medication to help relax the bowel and perhaps take care of the obstruction. I'm really nervous at the thought of stomach surgery and praying hard.

DD's left for work. I want to get breakfast out of the way by sunrise and be able to go for an early walk before it gets hot out.

My thoughts are scattered this morning, so guess the first thing is to get things written down that I want/need to accomplish today. Off I go>>>>>>>>>>>

[LadyMaverick]

((((Dee)))))

Happy Birthday, RR!!! I hope it is an awesome start to your new birth year!

I too got up early. I woke up at 4:17am and knew I wouldn't return to sleep. So I got up and got started doing those million (so it seems) of little things that need to be done before we leave.

I needed to see which direction we should drive when we leave. I had almost made my mind up to go North and so I started mapping out the route. Then I realized Wed & Thurs are going to be raining/stormy so I decided to reverse the route so we will be driving in the rain where there are less sightseeing stops. We will drive west today.

DS9 did not want to get out of bed and is in tears with high anxiety because he does not want to go on a trip. ARGH! THIS WAS HIS IDEA! *shezzz* I told him we were going. He could do it with a good attitude or be crying. Either way, it is going to happen. I think he will quickly get a good attitude but just needs to process the emotions of leaving his dog and home for a few days. IMHO, this trip is actually good for him.

[Nancy]

Little by little bit by bit I can do this is my mantra, keep on keeping on. I am at or near the half way point with the yard work in the back and seems like it will never get done hard to see improvements ... yet.

I am trying to do inside stuff like home blessing early while it is wet out.

[Twins' Mom]

Lady M, poor DS! New things are hard, aren't they? I remember when I took my dkids for a trip west when they were 14 they were homesick. I told they they would appreciate the trip when they were older and I think they do - I called it the "Dead Presidents' Trip" we went to Springfield IL then eventually on to Mt Rushmore and a family event, west to Fort Laramie (where an ancestor deserted the U.S. Army) and eventually back through Independence MO to see the Harry Truman museum. They were pretty sick of it by then! We saw the Black Hills, badlands, prairie, ST louis arch, lots of things. I really regret not being able to travel with them more when they were growing up but dh would never take off work more than a long weekend.

And Happy Birthday to RR!

I need to get my day organized. A bit of a beef with dh - he can't tell me his schedule for the week of what nights he'll be out? It just makes me crazy that he keeps the work schedule at the office and can't tell me. DD and I are doing the family promise sleepover as "hosts" at the church with families tomorrow night.

Today:
-get plants into the ground
-research project - get close to completion

Right now:
-breakfast and meds/vitaimins
-clear kitchen counters and breakfast bar
-start a lol
-wash up, change clothes
-walk the ddog

[blessedw2]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY D ROSE!

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Lynlee: I could take our cooler, it has wheels and pulls behind me. But I can either take that or a suitcase, not both. And carrying a cooler up onto a train (there are steps) and up onto a bus (there are steps) is far harder than carrying a suitcase. So suitcase it is. I'll take my travel cooler bag which folds flat and can use that to keep food cool between the grocery store and the hotel (it is 4+ blocks and it should be hot then) but I won't bother with a cooler.

Usually when we go by car, the cooler and suitcase get put on the hotel cart and taken up to the room from the front door. But it won't work for this mixed form of travel. Traveling by train, the only reason I would do that is if I had medicines that had to be kept cold for the whole journey. Otherwise, it isn't worth the stress. I'll do my best once I get there since the mini fridges in hotels either freeze veggies or spoil milk by not being cold enough. But first I have to call and see if I even get a fridge. This is a fancy hotel so there may just be a computerized mini bar that charges me when I pull anything out of the fridge. This is why I prefer to stay in lower end hotels since the mini bar isn't a thing there (fridges are still crap unless you are in an apartment hotel with a full-size fridge.)

We have to leave the car on the outskirts of the city because 1) Parking is $150 for the 5 days, the train will be $45 for the four journeys) and 2) we are leaving on the afternoon of the first summer holiday weekend. It will take over 2 hours to get to place the train will drop us off. Therefore, it is quicker and less stressful to take the train to the outskirts (past the highways that lead to 3/4 of the cottage areas.) I'd take the train the whole way (total cost $200) except that we are not starting from home, but up the Valley so would have to drive 2 hours back home and then be tied to the train schedule arriving at 8 p.m.. And we would not get home on the Friday until at least 10 p.m. since we'd be tied to the train station. With the car we'll be able to get there by 5 and return home by 10 at the very latest but more likely 8 or 9 depending on traffic and how many stops we take.

I'm up, bed is made with fresh sheets, the first load of laundry is almost ready for the dryer and the next two loads are lined up. I've had breakfast and am dressed. Bedroom is tidied, kitchen is tidied (harder this morning since I didn't do dishes last night before bed. I spent tea and chocolate time on my planner setting out my goals for the week and for the month.

Missed my weight goal by 4 pounds. That's OK, this is an accumulation of missed aggressive goals since March 1. I'm still down this month, almost 4 pounds and that's great because I had the stress of the move (too tired or not enough time to cook) and the taxes and other stresses (which trigger the eat for comfort response.) So I'm just going to keep on keeping on since I'm moving in the right direction.

I've read enough of the glycemic index weight loss book to see that I'm eating that way naturally. No need to read the rest of it since that's about portion control (covered by the MFP calorie counting) and exercise (which has nothing to do with glycemic index but is part of all weight loss programs so nothing special there and I'm working on that in my own way since the book knows nothing about my current activity level and physical challenges so is useless from that point of view.)

I'll offer it to dd which is why I picked it up in the first place.

Next up work on refugee bookkeeping so I can get the report done by tomorrow as promised.

[blessedw2]

Dear dee I can't imagine you ever not working hard!
Thank you for starting us today! Hoping your dh is feeling better this morning.

hi d Lady good morning too! 4:17 am wow that is early! hope you have a great day! Hope once he wakes up more he will be up for a great day!

Hi d Nancy That's a good mantra! yay on your yard work!

hi twins - maybe he will take a picture of his schedule and send it to you! You are one of the most creative and busy energizer bunnies I know!

HI D KATHRYN and d LYNlee

I need to cut the inside grass this week (inside the fence)

So far on morning routine:
tossed in a load of laundry first thing while my coffee was being made
changed the animals water
turned on the dw
had my coffee and looked at my journal and cards

A NEW DAY!!!

[DeeClutter]

Happy Birthday, Rose. Hope it's a most beautiful, wonderful day -much like you!

[blessedw2]

My paper work took 3 x 15 minutes I had to get it done. emails checked. etc.

[Ramblinrose]

Morning....

Thxs for the birthday wishes

Right now I am folding laundry as I enjoy Perry and my second cup of coffee.

We enjoyed a great dinner last night at one of our favorite restaurants. Today we’re going to the new aquariums in our area.

Looking forward to where the day leads.

Waving to y’all ...