Five Simple Things (July 9)

Hello.

We had a fun week actually. With Fourth of July and a few other fun activities, it was a pretty good week, actually. We also have a trip to Bend planned this weekend to look at some land that may become part of our future. We are pretty excited about it and have our fingers crossed it all comes together, but we've been here before and it hasn't come through, so we aren't putting all of our chicks in the same basket just yet. But, we are hoping for a positive outcome. We also went on a nice bike ride this week and also laid a lot in our hammocks. We've been enjoying out backyard a lot this summer and are hoping it remains a calm summer and not an edgy one like last year. We also took this week to organize our camping equipment and get things in order for camping. We don't normally camp in the summer because of how warm it is, especially the last few years. We enjoy our camping time towards the end of summer and into the autumn months. We have a few new things we added to our supplies, and plan on adding a few more items soon. Here are five things this week.

1. These Flowers.

This plant is called 'Lucifer's Tongue' (Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’) and the honeybees and other pollinators love its bright red blooms.

2. This Salt.

Been spending a lot of time this year soaking in bathwater with a mix of dead sea salt, Epsom salt, baking soda, and Himalayan salt. The combination has been great for healing the scars from my surgery and overall helping with stress and anxiety. Upon doing my own combination of salts for the month this huge chunk of Himalayan salt was at the bottom of the bag. I ended up using it in the bath water for the night and letting it dissolve on its own. My mixture I use is as follows:

1 cup of dead sea salt

1 cup of Epsom salt

1 cup baking soda

1 cup Himalayan salt

40 drops lavender essential oil 

(Soak for at least 30 minutes)

3. These Cupcakes.

These are the best cupcakes I've ever had. They are from our local food co-op and are chocolate with buttercream frosting. The difference is that they are made with better ingredients and not artificial additives. It's interesting how our taste has changed by changing what we eat and put in our bodies. Chocolate even tastes better to me now and name brand chocolate tastes like eating a wax candle now. Once you make the change, you won't go back. And, you'll feel so much better.

4. This Dispenser.

We've been filling our own water bottles for a couple of years now and not drinking the city water here. We had a pump on the top of the water bottles, but the water was at room temperature. We still use the pump when we want room temperature water, but colder water was needed for the amount of heat we've had here lately. This water dispenser also dispenses hot water, but we mostly use the cold water side, especially this week and last. It's been great.

5. This Art.

Have you heard of Gus Fink? He's an artist with a different eye. I entered a contest and won this Edward Scissorhands art drawing done by him. I was excited to win, but I figured it would fit right in with our podcast room and add to the "horror" and "originality" of it. You can check out his other art pieces here.

Did you catch Mercury in the sky this week (3)?

Positive affirmations this week:

Trauma/PTSD, or even fight or flight response, is a sometimes difficult thing to navigate through from day to day. Some days you get through the entire day without issue, but some days it feels as though you're being crushed beneath a pile of wood and screamed at that you're a failure. These days are the hardest and the most undeserving. There are times I feel as though I may die, never get better, or wish I could end the pain as soon as possible. These days are getting better to navigate through due to my own strength and perseverance. I don't want to ever give up, or give into people that try to pull me under water. You, too can do this! You are strong, capable, and above all deserving of a better life. We are better than our past and our mental illnesses. Fight and never believe the negative of what your mind likes to trick you with. 

Have a nice weekend.

Fourth of July 2021

This Fourth of July we did our normal routine of shooting off a few fireworks, having some treats and foods we don't normally eat, and enjoying the night. Since last year, and the city allowing for larger fireworks, we got to see the city's firework display from our front yard this year. It was a pretty calm evening, other than the bangs and booms, we had a nice Fourth of July. Here's a recap of our day.

Five Simple Things (July 2)

Hello.

We're getting better from our accident, but I had a full blown panic attack on Tuesday and have been having nightmares. I was given a dream diary a few months ago and have started writing in it this week to keep track of when these nightmares happen and what's triggering them. My doctor tells me that at times the brain has an overload of information and it processes it in the subconscious when we sleep. A nightmare is just out brain's way of trying to figure it all out. My neck is still sore and my head, but not as bad as it was. I was able to brush my hair this week and it's still sore, but I just skipped over those areas. My bruises are fading and I no longer have to cover them up. I rode with Jeff to the store, too and was on edge the whole time. I don't know when I'll be able to drive again without feeling anxious. Time is what everyone keeps telling me and that's all I have right now. We didn't do a podcast episode this week because Skylar and I both just didn't feel like doing it. Our minds are overwhelmed at the moment. Skylar and I talked a lot this week and he told me a few things he's been feeling since the accident. I let him talk and get out anything he needs to, something my parents didn't do for me after a traumatic event, so I want to be sure he is able to have an open and judgement free space he can feel his feelings. Both of us are getting better and this week we really saw some positive changes with our physical, mental, and emotional recovery. On another aspect, we hit 119.7 here in the Willamette Valley on Monday and with Jeff's cooperative weather spotting with the NWS he may have had the highest recorded temperature in the state of Oregon. Two men with the NWS came to verify his recordings and as of right now it's the highest temperature. Jeff is pretty excited about that, because he literally made history. He is still waiting on confirmation, but either way, it's pretty exciting. Here are five things this week.

1. This Rug.

We purchased an outdoor rug for our deck. We weren't sure if we wanted to repaint it this summer, but for now, this outdoor rug is perfect. It's quick-drying and it's easy to clean. It's made from recycled plastic bottles, so it makes us feel good we are repurposing something that would have otherwise ended up in a landfill.

2. This "Puppuccino".

We had a a few extremely hot days this week and we spent a lot of time outside and in the water to cool off. We even kept our pets cooled off during those days, too. One way was to allow Hardy to get a Starbuck's "puppuccino" on the days we went there for our own drinks. Ultimately, it's low fat whipped cream, but to Hardy it was the best!

3. These Temperatures. 

Ridiculous temperatures this week and one day was over 119 degrees. Jeff still tracks the weather changes for the National Weather Service in Portland, Oregon, and some men with the NWS came out to check the gauge and make sure it registered the correct degrees and it did. With that said, it was the highest and hottest temperature recorded in state history. Jeff was pretty thrilled with that information and to know that, even in 100 years, people will look back on his recordings. I posted something about it on Twitter to the NWS in Portland and it caught their attention. Without me doing that it may have been lost in the shuffle with all the other high temperatures coming in this week.

4. This Box.

The summer box from Fab Fit Fun was a pretty good mix of items this season. The items I liked best were the salsa and guacamole bowls, Living Proof dry shampoo, citrus press, and the highlighter pencil. My favorite item was the PMD Smart Facial Cleansing Device. It's amazing! You can snag one here.

5. These Foods.

With the quite warm days this week the lack of cooking was a solid decision. I'm not much of a cook, or baker, but not turning on the oven was a plus. Our poor air conditioner has been working overtime, that's for sure.

Did you catch the moon between Jupiter and Saturn this week (28), or Venus last night (1)?

 

Positive affirmations this week:

Social media. A lot of people lose a lot of time sucked into social media. Some are so far down a rabbit hole I'm not sure they even realize how bad it's consuming more than just their time. The best thing I've found to do is to gear my social media to what I want to see. This week I took the time to unfollow, unsubscribe, and unfriend a lot of accounts and people that I no longer want to see on my timelines, or main page. I started with Instagram and then Twitter. After those, I deleted accounts and unsubscribed from email lists, as well. It's a lot better to look at things that encourage positivity, and encouragement, than negativity, resentment, and judgement. My Instagram is a lot better to look at now, as you can see from the video above. I love the accounts I follow now and see on my timeline and when I log in. I left Facebook for the very reason I mentioned above. Negativity is not something I welcome into my life anymore. I have cut people out of my life that continue to bring negativity in. Some of those people were family, too. We have to do what's right for out own mental health and if certain people can't understand that, shut them out. It's better to take some time away from them than to argue trying to explain why. If you are at these crossroads, good luck to you. You can do it!

Have a nice weekend.

End of June 2021 (1 Second Every Day)

 

Jackite Flight

Have you heard of Jackites? These paper kites are used as kites, but also used as a stable pole flyer, too. 

They are made of Tyvek, which is a synthetic material that is water-resistant, tear-resistant, and withstands a lot of "abuse" over time. The Jackites are durable and can be left out in the rain, or even the worst wind conditions. We picked ours up at the local Wild Birds Unlimited in Corvallis, Oregon, but there are several other retailers that carry them. 

Ours is placed on a fiberglass pole with braided fishing line, with a swivel hook attached to the pole and the kite's top. There is a fiberglass rod across the back of the kite to keep its wings out-stretched. When the wind picks up the kite takes flight and actually flaps its wings as if it were really flying.

Even in the strongest winds that we get here in the Willamette Valley the Jackite flies strong. 

We mainly got ours for a companion for our ducks, but unfortunately they are wise and knew it was a decoy. Other birds seem to enjoy it, though. The Starlings will land near it and chatter away with it, or the Doves will perch on the pole and when the wind picks up they fly with it. 

Ours is the Mallard Jackite, but there's several others that are just as cool. We didn't get the birds of prey because we didn't want to scare our ducks, or backyard birds. A few of our favorites are below. You can get your own Jackite by clicking on the image of the one you like best.