Saturday Solutions

[Harmony]

What will you solve today? Homemakers are the solvers, the figure-it-out-ers.
Did you "sleep on" a puzzle and come to a conclusion?
Is there a "Try, Try Again" in your future?

I hope I did that quote right. I have a to-do list that I made last night. I'm trying to solve that. I did sleep on this puzzle of how I could get control of things around here, I have so much needing done and just feel stuck. So I'm trying again this morning. Thank you, Harriet for the good start.

Last night I made a list and I keep adding to it. There are 14 items on it. Some easy things, some take brain power, some are longer chores. So far I've marked 4 things off the list. Answered the letter got it to the mailbox. Phone call done and that paperwork filed away properly. Helped DH move the tree limbs back to the fire pit, they were long and awkward. Figured out a statement. We've been running a credit balance and now I have a chart to make sense of it when we finally do have to start paying on this (next month). Not easy, I'm still dividing stuff up between personal and business banking. Think I finally got that straightened out.

I should do something easier, something that makes me smile...I need some encouragement. I'll check back in if I manage to get some other things marked off the list.

Adding here: Kathryn, I'm really impressed with your weight chart idea. I wish I had one like it. I keep a calendar, a little one in my bedroom where I note my weight every morning before I get dressed. I also have a BMI chart I printed out (black and white printer here) so I colored in the sections with highlighter and put a line down at my height. I'm in the middle of overweight and can't seem to budge into the normal section. I can definitely see trends, think that's helpful.

[blessedw2]

hello d harmony
hello d Lucy
hello d Dee
hello d twins
hello dear everyone!!!!

d dee I really don't know - I assume you would have to - my d brother put up a system - I will ask him what it is - He said I had to have a google account. I will ask dd younger for you.

I am drained and things are feeling out of control bc I have visual clutter right now. I miss my video clutter free time.

I would love to say hi to all of you individually but I am a bit overwhelmed. I do care! I hope each of you have a wonderful day.

What I need to do so the really overwhelms go away:
put away the new paper towels/tp
cut up boxes
pull garbage cans into the garage and put garbage in them.
take laundry off chair in kitchen and dining room table and put away
when dw is done - empty it out
exercise
pull sheets off bed and wash


dd older and dd younger are going to ll bean to get dh long sleeve tee shirts as he is going through everything fast. I also need a garage can, Kleenex and a laundry basket for his dirty cloths.
I didn't visit him yesterday as I was panicking a bit but dd younger and older went there - d brother needs dd younger to go back and I know its time. I have to talk to dd younger. Otherwise he will have to hire someone or she comes back here and I am not sure how that will work in winter.

I can feel the stress growing which I need to give up to God and hopefully I can so that I can maneuver through my day. I used to be able to do this when dh was sick before but I am struggling to do so now. I don't know - I was so positive in his last illness that he would be able to move forward. Oh well - focusing on what I can do should help.
Just saying this - helps release some of the stress!

chicken stock is slowly cooking.
for dinner: wine braised chicken with leeks and cream, a French salad, green beans.

[Lady Maverick]

need internet to have video surveillance?

No. You could use cell phone data. Or you could go completely off grid and have camera without electricity (use battery) and recording to a simm card or DVD. There are pro/cons to all of the opinions. Using wifi camera like your ring gives you instant access and ability to have the recording in the cloud (even if someone steals the camera you still have the video). Using off-grid requires you to go to the site frequently and do hands-on review of the recordings. Also off-grid camera recordings can be stolen because they are easily accessible & portable.

I made cheeseburgers and fried potatoes for lunch meal.

I have dread starting to form with weather prediction for next week. Three days of freezing rain falling with 96 hours of below freezing temperatures. Ice storms are my least favorite weather. I am trying to ignore the predictions and remind myself the weather models could be wrong.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Adding here: Kathryn, I'm really impressed with your weight chart idea.

I'm pleased I was able to make use of the data I'd saved for no particular reason over the years. It takes nothing to transfer a few entries into a book from a calendar. It took time to type in all the entries (I actually skipped many and only entering no more than 2 a month when I was obviously in the middle of some program and tracking almost daily.) I knew there were ups and downs but looking at the 20 year chart, it isn't quite as I remembered it.

I'm glad I kept records, I'd have sworn I gained 10 pounds over the first 6 months of Covid but it was only about 5. I've spiked a couple of times but have stayed pretty steady at 184 until last month (spikes up and down but all without a concentrated health plan, just 'watching what I eat' when the number gets too scary.)

I eat pretty poorly compared to in my 40s and 50s and I am not exercising, even walking, at all these days (although I was for most of Covid, it stopped after I injured myself in August.) I'm sort-of intermittent fasting but not really. Some days, I'm 'fasting' between 6p.m. and 7a.m., have 2/3 oz of chocolate and then have breakfast at noon or later. Some days 'fasting' starts at 9 p.m cuz I'll have cereal before bed. So, if you don't count the tea and chocolate, that's 18 hours or 15 hours. But I don't limit calories or focus on quality calories. My fruit and veggie intake is way down as well. Barely 5 a day although I've been working on getting that back up to 5 - 10 which used to be my effortless norm.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

The day is getting away from me. I'm going to step out for a bit (I can't remember the last time I went for a walk.)

[Nancy]

I slept in today till 8:00 My rx alarm woke me. I forgot to turn off my phone. That was a good thing.
BS was in ack land this morning.
I am figuring out how long to bake my cookie dough got the test cookie better now.
Listening to a sermon as I type.
Journaling done.

It is snowing now not sticking much.
There is a dinner tonight for class - not sure about that ethnic food I have not clue what they will serve foods from another
country africa I have no idea what carbs counts will be. I could take a pp san in my purse, that is no fun.
Other concerns are being dark slick roads new address to find / I am familiar with that area.

Protecting my health
having energy for two back to back dinners and also
a donation load up Sun. after church tomorrow & bus. meeting.

-----
Got the dev. eggs done
Cookies are baking now as I type this.
Ent. center and a few other items have left yea!

[Ramblinrose]

Kathryn… my weight s down but I’m not getting on my scale at the moment. My bra and undies are not as tight as they were and I’m down a notch on my belt.

I just eating sensible; a protein shake in the morning made with2% milk… I hate almond milk….with fresh strawberries, a Greek yogurt for lunch and meat, chicken, beef but mostly fish for dinner along with cooked veggies or a large salad. Course I’m trying to drink more water as well. After giving up diet soda for months I am drink a diet soda very few days, but only 8 ozs as a treat.

And I am finding for some reason I am not continuously hungry through out the day. Not sure why but it’s working. Sometimes I cook different meals for Sweetie, bu that there may be mash potatoes, rice or noodles in what ever I am fixing and if it something like pizza that I mead for him last night I ate a very small piece along with a huge salad with baked chicken in it and I’m finding I’m not craving food after dinner.

Course I do my exercise class 4-5 days a week and am making my daily steps and I am getting my steps in during the weekend. I’ve got to stay health considering Sweeties health and that’s keeping me very motivated as well. Up until Covid my weight constantly stayed around 135, but I’ve always used my clothes as an indicator of where I am. Course Covid showed up and I had to shift from going to train with my guy to sitting home. Didn’t even have a dog to keep me busy.

That when I discovered I could work with the horses. Loved it besides the obvious because it was very hard physical work which is just what I needed. Then came the selling and packing up my home and moving across the country with another move involved once I got here. And just when I thought I could catch my breath my moms problems appeared and until just last week was helping my brother with all the estate stuff. Thankfully the worst is over, fingers crossed. And somewhere in between, Ian paid a visit and screw up a bunch of stuff….

In the meantime I took inventory of myself and came up with this eating plan, plus being more physical and it seems to be working. I am also extending myself to joining more groups in the community so that I can hopefully make some friends. I knew when I moved I would be leaving an entire community of friends I had for 20 years to start out new a fresh at 72. Not for the faint of hearts.

I could very easily sit here on my couch all day long happy to have my nose stuck in a book and live my life vicariously but that’s not who I am. It takes a lot of mental strength and courage to push the cover off of me in the morning and get out of bed. And unfortunately now that I can afford it and now have the time to explore the world like I planned I have to put that on hold and accept that may never happen because of Sweeties state of mind.

My favor phase that I have always lived by is sometimes you make the right choice and sometimes you make the choices right. I’m all for being positive.

[Harmony]

Sometimes life gets busier and occasionally that shows up in our weight. Sometimes things get quiet and we need to use our self control to keep ourselves going.

I am not making much progress because I ran into some problems. I had decided to do my big statement which is time sensitive. Then I could do some easier, more fun things. Well, doing the statement was not easy. I've been all afternoon at this point glued to my desk straightening it out. DH had some things messed up (if I could keep that from happening I would, but I'd have to be on call every time he goes to the computer). That's a subject for another thread in here. But I finally got that straightened out and DH was so stressed out over the whole thing that he went outside and jumped on his bike and rode away. That's what he does when he gets upset about things.

So, I guess I could do something easier now.

I found my book of stickers. So far in my journal this year I've just been writing. But I actually found 3 stickers that fit the subject and I put them in. Not going to do much of that, but it was fun today.

[Twins' Mom]

We're home again - it was good for me to get out of the house and it was sunny and nice on the river. Good for my soul, even if I didn't get things done here at home.

Need to s2s and we go out again.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Rosie: High protein start to the day really helped me. I used to eat my breakfast and as soon as I did, I'd eat all the day long until supper. Now, even if I have my greek yogurt and berries with 8 oz of milk earlier in the day, I don't feel like I have to keep eating all the time.

Every once in a while I switch for a day or two to my old breakfast of shredded wheat and berries with 8 oz of milk because I crave it so answer my body's call. Sometimes I need more fibre and that's why, sometimes I assume I need more carbs/grains that day. (It's the same with the evenings I have cereal before bed, I figure I need carbs/grains for some reason.)

The walk felt good but mostly because I was extremely well bundled up. It isn't cold but it is fairly windy (25mph gusts.) I only did part of the walk with dh and walked back on my own, stopping for a long chance with another resident who I've never met (he's having a prostate biopsy on Monday - dh asked "how did that come up in conversation?!" and I figure he just needed to talk to someone and I'm the kind of person who takes the time when I realize someone needs to share.) Plus I had a long chat with our next door neighbour. She'll loan us a shower stool and knows someone with a hospital bed to loan out so is contacting them.

Now I'm supposed to be working but I got distracted again. Sigh....

________

Later:

I got really distracted and this sat here. I visited with the grands online and had a snack and made a mess looking for something for dgs in the storage cupboard. So....

1. Clean up that mess

2. Go back to working on Residents' stuff. While I was distracted I did create a new document and did the first draft of the AGM agenda plus I found two receipts I needed so now I can toss out the piece of paper reminding me to do those things.

3. Dinner tonight is reheated pizza and should be soon. I'm still starving despite the snack.