Category: This crazy life

March 14, 2023 – My spirit animal

Which animal would you compare yourself to and why?

In all honesty, I would have a hard time picking just one animal.

The first animal that comes to mind is the sloth. Not because I’m lazy, at least not all the time, but because I am slow. I’m not quite as slow as this sloth, but there are days that I feel it is an accurate portrayal of me.

Animal number two is the T-Rex. It’s the tiny little arms that I identify with. I can’t reach ANYTHING!

Another animal I can relate to is the Mockingbird. No, I don’t always mock people but I do tend to make up songs about my day…all day long. It is an endearing and annoying quality of mine.

Next up, the slime mold. Not because I’m disgusting or slimy (at least not today). It’s because the slime mold works smarter not harder. A slime mold can figure out the fastest way through a maze. Did you know that? Sure enough, a single cell organism without a “brain” is considered intelligent. Here’s is an article about it. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/02/210223121643.htm

I find ways to get the job done faster and easier by slinking through the maze like a slime mold.

My final animal is the bear. I admire their ability to nap through the bad weather. I too am a fan of napping and I don’t like to be cold. Therefore, an animal that sleeps through Winter is definitely a friend of mine

So, that’s my story. How about YOU?

And, if you know me, comment below and let me know what animal you would compare me to.

Thanks for reading.

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January 21, 2023 – Egg substitutes

Have you checked the cost of eggs lately? I just looked and Walmart has a dozen Great Value Large White eggs for $4.64. I saw a package of 60 eggs at BJs Wholesale for $22.99. I am at the point where, the only time I use eggs is if I’m eating eggs for breakfast of hardboiled eggs. I don’t want to bake with them. What can you substitute for eggs? Well I found the following on Facebook and thought I’d share it with you.

I hope this helps you to bake and eat healthier and save some money.

Thanks for reading!

January 18, 2023 – Stress and self-care

Stress relief and self-care is very important in my wellness journey. Probably yours too. Yesterday was extra busy, lots of phone calls, but it was not that rough. I had a hard time getting to sleep last night. That probably didn’t help things when today got crazy and a bit rough. Not only were there a lot of calls but so many of the callers were borderline abusive. Let’s just say that I am currently suffering from a bad case of compassion fatigue.

Photo by Pedro Figueras on Pexels.com

Stress causes me to eat comfort foods. I had the presence of mind to NOT fall into that old trap today. Instead, I removed myself from the situation for a mental health break. I went into the lunch room and did 15 minutes of yoga. I felt better afterwards but I still needed something.

Photo by Madison Inouye on Pexels.com

My Apple Watch came to the rescue. The mindfulness app (formerly Breathe) is a gem. Three minutes of guided breathing helped a lot. If you find yourself in a stressful situation at work, try the 4-7-8 breathing technique. Sitting in your chair, place one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest. Take a deep breath for a count of 4. Hold that breath for a count of 7. Then, as silently as you can, exhale slowly for a count of 8. Repeat as needed.

Photo by Vie Studio on Pexels.com

Tonight, I am going to do some yoga and then put my headphones on and listen to a relaxation recording to help me let go of the knots in my shoulders and back. I hope this helps me get a good nights sleep.

I hope you all are doing well. Remember to be kind to yourself, especially when others aren’t.

Thanks for reading.

How is everyone?

So, it has been a while since my last blog post. I guess you could say things have been a little busy here in Southwest Florida. I hope you all are well.

It has been 49 days since Hurricane Ian smashed into Florida causing major damage and 114 deaths from Lee County north into Charlotte and Sarasota Counties. Because the storm was so huge, it caused problems all over the state and then headed to the Carolinas for some more havoc.

Mike and I were very lucky. Although there is damage to the house, we can live in it. There are many people in our surrounding communities that weren’t so lucky.

Just when we thought hurricane season was about over – here comes Nicole. Oy! We had a rainy, breezy day. Those on the East coast of Florida weren’t so lucky. Did you all see the pictures of the homes washed into the Atlantic Ocean. So sad.

So, now that things are back to “normal” (really – you CAN see the normal if you look over the giant piles of debris everywhere) I plan to get back to reading and reviewing good books and talking about eating healthy and being good to your body.

After 46 days of erratic eating, I’m back to eating more fruits and veggies, lean protein, and fewer carbs. I’m looking for healthier recipes for Thanksgiving- including apple pie croissants!! Now that stores here have milk, eggs, butter, and fresh veggies – we no longer have to go on our evening grub crawl to find food trucks so we can eat. Next time you see a food truck, stop and buy something. If it weren’t for them a lot of people wouldn’t have eaten anything in the days after the storm. That is how bad things were.

So, hug your loved ones and enjoy every day with a smile on your face. Remember to be kind, especially to those who are in helping jobs. (Keep in mind, if you are dealing with storm aftermath, your local grocery checkout person, receptionist, public works staff are working to help YOU when they should be home getting their own situation fixed).

Be kind. Be patient. Be respectful.

Thanks for reading.

28 Disastrous Dates by Poppy Mortimer

When I think back on those magical dating years, I either get nostalgic or horrified, depending on the dating scenario I am remembering. Luckily, my dating life was nothing like Poppy Mortimer’s. The 28 dating stories she has written about range from laugh-out-loud funny to down-right scary.

28 Disastrous Dates made me laugh and feel so happy I am not dating any longer. If you want a good laugh, read the book. Just a warning, even though the author doesn’t swear and has kept the stories rather tame, some of the situations are for mature audiences only.

Have a laugh. Reminisce about dating. Enjoy!

Thanks for reading.

The author and her publisher provided me with a copy of the book through Book Sirens in exchange for my honest opinion.

Trying to get back on track

After several stressful months, I think I might be ready to get back into the swing of blogging. I hope that 2021 has been good to you, kind reader. It has been quite the year and it still has a month and a half to go!

So many things happened and/or changed in 2021. First, my wonderful mother fell ill and sadly passed away. After six months, I am still having a hard time with her passing. Not a day goes by that I don’t think “Oh…I should call Mom and tell her about this” or “I wonder if Mom knows how to do that”. I really miss her.

Work changed A LOT. In the past three years I went from covering supervisor duties (banking, training, programming, etc.) to not having any responsibilities at work. It’s not a demotion because I was not promoted to supervisor or even paid for those extra duties. Once they finally hired someone and I trained them…that was it. So, I found another position within the company and I am happy and loving it.

The crafting video YouTube that I started with two friends has been put on hold due to the friend with the studio selling her house and moving. I’m working on setting up something at home but it is going to take some time. I will probably blog, with pictures, some craft projects until I’m ready to go with the videos again.

Last month Mike and I went to Orlando for vacation. We met up with family and went to several Disney parks. If you have been a Disney park visitor in the past and plan on coming back, be prepared for massive changes. We are not happy with the way things are going there, so it will be a long time before we visit again. It will take years for us to save up because of their new ticketing and Genie+ charges. Needless to say, it was NOT the happiest place on earth when we were there.

So, friends, I think I’ll be back to writing book reviews and commenting about life here in the blogosphere. Looking forward to interacting with everyone again.

Thanks for reading.