Tired of being tired?

Five Simple Things (February 28)

 Hello.

Coronavirus cases are a bit more here, not too bad, but still enough to cause concern. I am only two and a half weeks away from my surgery, and it's still a go, as far as I know. My surgeon's office contacted me yesterday to confirm my appointment time and I asked them if I should be concerned and they told me, they are still keeping it on the schedule until they are told otherwise. So, that gives me a bit of relief. I don't watch the news, so I am mainly getting information about the situation here in our state of Oregon, from Jeff, and Twitter. On February 24, President Trump tweeted: "The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA and the CDC and World Health have been working hard and very smart." Hopefully, he is correct. We have purchased a few more things to prepare for my surgery, body pillows, wedge pillows, bed pads for underneath my body to catch any bleeding, etc. I have reading a lot of information online on what you should and shouldn't have before and after major surgery and a lot of it is great information and pretty much common sense. Tips like, "don't have pets in the room," "always have water nearby," and "never get up without assistant," etc. We still have a few more things we'd like to purchase and have before the actual day, but we still have some time, so no stress. For now, here are the five simple things this week.

1. These Chairs.

Skylar and I took a little jot over the mall this week, which is weird to say, 90s flashback to mall time. But, I needed to get a few things at some of the stores there and Skylar always likes to play the games that sit in the middle of the mall. One of his favorites is the Jurassic Park game, where you shoot the dinosaurs as they escape their enclosures. I thought it was funny, that the design of the chairs for the game, looked scared as they faced the screen.

2.  This Carwash. 

I couldn't help but be mesmerized by the way the soap hit my windshield when I went through the carwash earlier this week. Sometimes, and I've been told my entire life, I see things differently and not what other people can see. I think that's a gift, but it does, at times, get me called "weird." I embrace my way of seeing things, though. Who wants to be labeled "normal," anyway?

3. This Bumper Sticker.

I laughed at this because all I could think was, at least they're honest. 

5. This Recipe.

Did you catch the jalapeno popper recipe I posted here? They are delicious and we made them again this week. They are hard to stop eating because they are so good. I am pretty pleased with this recipe, because I can't cook all that well, so it's one I can say, success to.

Positive affirmation this week: "Do you like who you have become?" 
I like how far I've come, but we are all still works in progress. Perfection is not achievable, but satisfaction is. 

Have a nice weekend.

Five Simple Things (February 21)

 Hello.

Looks like the Coronavirus pandemic has hit Oregon with a few confirmed cases here. It's worrying me more about my surgery coming up. Hopefully...hopefully, it doesn't get worse. I am not a political person, at all, but our president doesn't seem to be putting forth the required effort to keep things under control. I hope he changes his views on things and stops being so racist with his comments on the virus, itself. Regardless of where it started, he really should think before he speaks. Where we live, here in the Willamette Valley, this area is pretty heavy with his supporters, and the stress they bring seems to be very odd. I hope things don't get worse as this progresses. So, that aside, here are five things that are positive this week.

1. This Kid.

We have been downsizing a lot of clothing and other items throughout our house and coming across some cool things are always a treat. This sweater was actually my dad's. He wore it when he was in college and first married to my mom in the 70s. It fit Skylar pretty well and it's a cool piece to hang onto, for sure.

2. This Closet.


Along with going through items that aren't earning their place in our home, Skylar cleaned out a few things from his closet that he no longer needed. When I say "a few" I mean, quite a lot of things, actually. He says the more downsized and streamline of his closet now makes it easier to get dressed in the mornings and find things. We are going to hit his closet with a fresh coat of paint this summer, too.

3. More Miles.

A couple more miles logged this week. Skylar has been going with me now, too. It's nice to have someone with me, just in case, and I'm not alone. Jeff did get me some pepper spray, but having someone there with me is always nice. This week we did the same amount of miles and the same path. It's nice to have a known path because we know what to expect, too.

4.  These Houses.

I love the modern look of these homes and how they are designed. Boxy houses are some of my most favorite house designs. We've been looking into buying land and have plans to build on it eventually. I would love to incorporate a boxy house into our land terrain and these are definitely what we have in mind. These homes are in Bend, Oregon, near Mount Bachelor. 

5. This Cupcake.

Skylar loves snails, so it seemed fitting to get him a snail-like cupcake at Whole Foods this week. He and I went to eat lunch and run some errands in Portland, Oregon, and as soon as we saw the snail cupcake, we had to have it. He said it was strawberry shortcake flavor and was delicious. 

Positive affirmation this week: "What brings you comfort no matter what?" 
Knowing I am happy with my family/tribe-as long as I have them, I'm good.

Have a nice weekend.

Cascade Mountain Hike











Oregon Spike Moss hanging from tree branches

Bracket Fungi on the side of a wooden fishing pier

Cascade Mountains in the snow

Since we didn't get any snow on the Valley floor, we decided to head up into the mountains. I've been a bit feeling down lately and I'm not sure what it's from. Since Baz died, I haven't really been "myself," or whatever that means. I think I'm just in a transitional period of change. I sort of like to imagine our minds and bodies go through changes similar to seasons. With every seasonal change, we, too change. The snow helped me sort of remove myself from the present moment, for a time. I still love the fact that I live only a short drive from this. That part makes me happy.