The Last Day of July

 

Where did my favorite month go! I love July! It is my birthday month. I love the 4th of July with its red, white and blue colors. I had a nice birthday celebration with lunch with friends and dinner at Karen’s. 

I had a few coffee dates and had some ladies from church over for coffee. I greeted at the welcome desk at church several times. It is a fun job greeting people as they come to church. 

I went to a new cardiologist this week. I really liked him. He said everything is going smoothly and he doesn’t want to see me until December which seems a long way off. 

I worked on Brady’s scrapbook and made some cards to send out. And when it was cooler I sat on the deck and read. 

All in all it was a good July. I hope August doesn’t go by as fast. 

The Majesty of the Lord

 “The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty; The Lord has clothed and girded Himself with strength; Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved. Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭93‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

What wonderful verses of praise this morning! I used these verses when I was praying thins morning. 

Memories

My favorite store was Winklemans. I remember when I used to go with my mom, we would buy our hats there. What fun to choose one out among the many varieties of hats. The salesgirl would help out and then put it in a big hatbox. The hatboxes were very special and come to think of it, so were the hats! 

Years later, the hats were gone. The helpful salesgirls were gone and Winkleman’s became a middle class store with lots of good sales. I used to go there after work to buy my clothes. And sadly…they stopped selling clothes and closed all their stores. It was a good one gone by the wayside along with Federals and Montgomery Wards. Along came Target, Walmart and eventually Amazon. 

Time marches on. 

My Friend

 

“A true friend is not the one who walks ahead or behind, but the one who quietly stays beside you through every season of life. In moments of joy,  they celebrate with you. In moments of struggle, they remind you that you are never alone.” —Elevate Daily

“A true friend is not someone we have chosen for ourselves, but rather someone God has placed in our lives for a purpose.” 

This is my friend Irene! 

Special Guest

 My special guest yesterday was Irene Pizzimenti. She is here in town for a couple of days to help with her grandson while his parents go to a wedding today. We had a nice long talk and then we visited with her daughter and almost 3 year old grandson. How blessed I am to have Irene as a friend. 

Better Day

 

Today is a much better day! Right now I’m sitting on the deck and it’s 73 degrees with a light breeze. Don is next to me and we are talking. I drank a La Croix and signed up for Libby which is a library program where you can listen to books. I thought it would be good before bed and be very relaxing. The first book I got was a medical biography of a doctor in an er. That is my kind of book! I had to go to the library and renew my library card. That was fun because I bought some Bible story books for the two great grandchildren we are having. We just found out that Ryan and Alyssa are having a boy! So that makes two boys. The cousins will be two months apart Jonathan and Megan’s baby). How exciting! 

All around it’s been a nice day! 

Nothing much

 There is not much happening today. It has been a slow day and I feel kind of blah! I didn’t have a headache and that is the good news. Riley is at Kathy’s sewing up a storm; such a talented one! Brady is coming over for steak dinner at 5:30. 

I walked around the house because it was so humid outside this morning. I made some bracelets with small beads but that hurts my hands. I went to Michael’s and the traffic was bad. I did one load of wash and hung a few things outside that don’t go in the dryer. Of course I took a nap; more like a rest. I’m not sleeping too good lately. 

It was supposed to rain, but didn’t, so Don cut the grass. I just couldn’t get motivated today. Looking forward to tomorrow and especially Thursday when I have a special friend coming over. More on that later. 

Basil

 I grow my basil plants in pots; they seem to grow better. They are huge right now, however something is eating them from the tip down. I don’t see anything on the plants. 

They are also starting to bloom purple and white flowers. You are supposed to pick the flowers off so the plant doesn’t go to seed. 

What can you do with basil? It is good in tomato dishes and on homemade pizza. You can put it in white wine vinegar with other herbs to use for salads and cooking. It  is great in a caprice salad with tomatoes and mozzarella cheese slices. Drizzle a little balsamic vinegar on top. Also, of course, you can make pesto which freezes really well. You can also dry it or freeze it to use in cooking. I like to get a bunch and tie it with a rubber band and hang it where you can smell it. It has a pungent odor

There are also health benefits. It helps inflammation, supports digestion and protects cells from damage. It helps lower blood pressure and regulates blood sugar.Try to eat more basil! 

Basil is a tender annual. It does not like cold weather and withers up at the first sign of cold. It must be planted every year in colder climates. 

I have to do some of these things with my basil because I have a lot of it! 

Note; I used to teach herb classes in adult education in the schools. People used to sign up for them and I loved teaching the classes. I also had classes making wreaths out of dried herbs. I met a lot of nice women in these classes! 

Not So Bad

 I have changed my opinion about Kohls. Today I went to another Kohls with Karen because she gave me a gift card for my birthday. She also had a 40% off coupon. What fun I had! There was such a choice of clothes compared to my Kohls. I was able to pick out a pair of pants, a blouse, 2 shirts, and a necklace. I love everything! And to top it off, I went down a size! Thank you Karen! 

Salads and More

Well, we finally found out the parasite problem in food.  

It finally came out today that Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce sold to Taco Bell is the culprit. It is also sold to other stores but they haven’t implicated anyone else. I wouldn’t eat anything coming from Taylor Farms.  Now we can go back to eating salads and fresh fruits, hopefully without concern. 

And on another note, the smog from the fires is still with us. It is supposed to dissipate sometime today. But it is hanging very low. Rain is in the forecast and that is supposed to help clear things up. 

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

 There used to be a song called “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.” Well that is true today. The smoke from the Canadian wild fires is the hot subject of the news today. I got an alert on my phone to stay indoors today. Everyone is talking about it; first the diarrhea produce and now the smoke. Greenfield Village closed and so did a lot of other venues that are outside. 

It is easy to see and smell. The sun looks weird and the smoke is just hanging in the trees. I just found out we are going to have it until Saturday. Will I go to the farmer’s market Saturday? It is in a different place this week because of the Farmington Founder’s Festival. Maybe I can go and wear a mask. 

So much for going out in the fresh air for a walk. I guess it is the treadmill today.

Walking!

 It is hot out! Right now it is 94 degrees and feels like 104 degrees out! It is too hot to go outside and walk and I missed my opportunity early this morning. So I walked around the house and up and down the stairs. It was a good little workout and I feel better for it! 

I want to pick some flowers for a little get-together I’m having tomorrow morning but I think I will wait until early tomorrow morning before the sun comes up. 

The house is cleaned and dusted for that, between Don and me we got it done. Of course he does all the heavy work and I get to do the dusting. I’m not fond of dusting so I put it off. But it gets to a point where it has to be done. 

Thankful Heart

 I woke up today tired, not feeling good and a bit crabby. I felt like staying in bed but that is boring so I got up, washed the dishes, took some Amazon things back, and started reading my book “When prayer is a Struggle.” I had a lot to pray about this morning and I started by telling the Lord how I was feeling and that I didn’t feel like praying, but I kept going, still in a bad mood. I felt like I was not pleasing God with my prayer. 

The author of the book I’m reading, Kevin Hollaran, stares “A heart that lacks gratitude will not experience the peace of God. 

I was thinking that I need to have a thankful heart to pray; not one who begrudgingly prays. He further states that we are to be thankful even in the most frustrating of circumstances. It is very potent in challenging times.  

I will be thankful now when I pray, telling the Lord what I am thankful for. 

Talent

 She is so talented! That would be my granddaughter Riley. She is sewing beautiful journal holders out of the cutest fabrics. She made me two and I love them! 

We were at our favorite store (Hobby Lobby) this morning and when she was buying material, a lady asked what she was making. When Riley pulled a journal out of her purse the woman wanted her contact information so she could order one. 

She adds ribbon and cute little charms on the outside. I have four separate little journals in mine. I can switch the covers when I want. They are adorable! 

These are not from a pattern, Riley designed them herself, complete with a snap closure and a loop inside to hold a pen. She is thinking of selling them at a craft show in December and she is taking orders!

Oh, the fun we have when we are together; looking,  planning and buying for our crafts. She helps me out so much and it is pleasure being with her.

Lunch was in order after the store; I appreciate her driving and all she does for me. Fun, fun, fun! I am truly blessed! 

Goodbye

 I cried when they left. Ryan and Alyssa, our grandson and wife, stopped by to say goodbye today, the day before they leave for their move to Florida. We talked about the move, Florida and the baby that is due January 12. Next week they find out the sex of the baby! How exciting! 

We will miss them. We loved that he was a police officer in Livonia. We loved having her be our dental hygienist! Ryan would come over and help Don do yard work and then sit and talk with us while he ate a grilled cheese sandwich. 

They will be about 4 hours away from us in Florida and we are hoping we can visit them when we are in Florida.

Goodbye, drive safely! 

Saturdays

For as long as I can remember, I have gone to a farmer’s market. When Don was working I used to go to Plymouth early while the kids were still sleeping. I would buy my produce and always a bouquet of flowers. Then I would get myself a coffee and something to eat with it and sit by the fountain and watch people. It was so relaxing

Then I started going to the market in Farmington on Saturday mornings. I often took Riley with me and we went out for breakfast afterward. And then, everybody wanted to go; Brady, Karen, Riley (if she wasn’t working) and Karen. We all went to breakfast either before or after the market. That got to be too much money so everyone came over here after the market for breakfast and Don made pancakes. It was a fun morning. 

Now, Don and I go alone. We have a normal breakfast before we go and then go early. I mentioned to Don that it was a little lonely. But all is well and we bought some portobello mushrooms to grill tonight with burgers. I bought a pretty pair of earrings from a new vender and we bought salad mix, raspberries, green beans and broccoli sprouts. And then we went home…alone. 

I realize time changes things and I’m okay with that. Brady wants to sleep in, Karen wants to walk early before it gets hot and Riley has places to go. All in all it’s been a good morning. I got the laundry done and some scrapbooking done and I feel good. No headache yet. 

Keto

This is my 4th week on the keto diet. I’ve done very well keeping under 50 carbs…except for last night. I went to 51 carbs because of the keto ice cream bars which have 9 carbs in them. They are chocolate with a chocolate coating and are delicious! I was alone last night and I just couldn’t resist. Some of the things I eat are not that great but they have a lot of protein so I eat them. This morning I had cottage cheese with chocolate protein powder in it. It was gross but that plus a 1/4 of avocado held me all morning. I did not get hungry until 1:00 PM. I can put the protein powder in yogurt or ricotta cheese but the yogurt gives me a headache and the ricotta cheese has less protein in it. Maybe tomorrow I will put the cottage cheese and protein powder in the blender with some almond milk.

There are some real good-looking recipes on Facebook that I have saved. I will have to try one of those. I guess I will try Karen’s egg and Parmesan cheese recipe. I don’t know why I have such a hard time eating eggs. 

Is it worth it? It is if my blood sugar and A1C go down. As a bonus I have lost 10 pounds and my clothes fit better. 

Headache

 A headache got the best of me today. I was out for coffee, sitting outside with a friend. I could feel it coming on and I tried to drink more water. But it kept getting worse. 

I don’t feel like doing anything and nothing is making it go away. I’m am caught in the nightmare of a bad headache. 

I’ve been doing better this summer so far, by drinking water and not taking anything for the headache. I don’t want to have rebound headaches which you can get if you take meds every day. I also take an antihistamine every morning. All that seems to be working most days. 

I will probably have it the rest of the day and evening until bedtime. I’m thankful I am home and not out somewhere. 

The Day After…

 I can’t believe the day is over! The day I wait for all year! I woke up tired and groggy at 4:15 a.m. because I went to bed early. I did sleep again around 6:00 a.m. but it took some coffee at my Bible study this morning to really wake me up!

I decided Kohls isn’t so bad after all. Karen got me a gift card to Kohls so I plan to wait for a while and go to her Kohls which is a lot bigger. I found quite a few things last year after my birthday. 

Riley and I went to Hobby Lobby today and used a gift card I got for my birthday. Riley got me a gift card too but I didn’t use that one. I got some paper pads, washi tape, and stickers. They had quite a bit of new stuff. It was fun to pick things out knowing I had gift cards. Everything was on sale too!

I appreciate all the calls and texts and Facebook wishes! It was a fun day!

The Day Of…

 My birthday! We started the day off getting up early and going for a walk! There was expectation in the day ahead. 

There were messages on Facebook and texts and phone calls. I showered and ate breakfast out on the deck.Then I got dressed and Don took a few pictures. I went to the scrapbook store; they were having a sale and I got a few things. Then we went out to lunch with our friends Jack and Pam. I tried to stay on my keto diet by having walleye and cooked spinach and a side salad. I didn’t have a roll which was hard because at Rocky’s they are hot and delicious! We stopped at a consignment shop where a got a pretty eyelet lace top one size smaller. I still haven’t gone down a size-it has been 3 weeks since I started this journey, but the top ran a little on the bigger side. 

I’m looking forward to a restful afternoon; after all, I am 78 now! Tonight is dinner at Karen’s house! All in all it’s been a pretty good day so far! 

The Eve of My Birthday

 This is the last day of being 77. Age seems relative now unless you are turning 80 like Donaldo in August. The thing that we keep talking about is how fast time has gone by! 

I get kind of nostalgic on my birthday remembering past birthdays. And of course I always think of my mom on my birthday. She told me that she was three weeks late on the 4th of July and it was really hot. She spent all day lying down in front of a fan, and then I was born three days later. 

I have a scrapbook of memoirs that I made and it has baby pictures and things I have written. It also has items and pictures from my school years. I got it out yesterday and looked through it. It is nice to remember things you have forgotten. 

I remember my life in increments of ten years. I feel like I am in the last ten years of my life and that is a little sobering. I want to finish well in this life that God gave me and thankfully I am still growing in my Christian life. It seems like I should have “arrived” by now. But God is never done with us. He still has lessons to teach us. 

I thought I would buy myself something for my birthday; something to wear tomorrow. I went to Kohl’s and realized why I don’t like Kohl’s; it doesn’t have anything good, especially my Kohls. I ordered a dress from Amazon, my old stand. 

I am so excited for my birthday even though I will be a year older. It feels like a special day. 

Heat and Rain

 After all the heat we had last week; heat indexes were in the low 100’s, it stormed Friday night. The storm came with lots of wind and rain! Thankfully our power stayed on! Our church which is a block over lost electricity and there were no services today. A lot of trees and limbs came down and traffic lights were out. 

Today it rained all morning. The sun is out now at 3:00 p.m. It is still humid out but it is a lot cooler. 

I did my walk in the house, around and around and up and down the stairs. It’s just been too hot and humid outside! 

Hope you enjoyed the comeback of my blog. It’s been several years since I have written. Tomorrow’s blog is Birthday Eve.