The Final Days of February

The weather is warmer and sunnier this week, which has been nice.  Seeing blue skies and sunshine is always a good thing. Some rain and snow is expected at the first part of next week. 

 

I've been reading Melania which is Melania Trump's autobiography.  I finished that book this week, as well as a romance book, Hearts and Hammers by an author friend of mine, Betsy Love.  Both books were good.  Now, I am reading a suspense thriller Not Our Daughter by Chad Zunker.  I got my latest book through Kindle Unlimited, which I have been using a lot lately. 

I've been listening to podcasts and watching Youtubes.  A couple of favorite podcasts at the moment are Dad Saves America and unDivided with Brandi Kruse.  Both podcasts deal with culture and politics,  and tend to be conservative in orientation.  I agree with a lot of the content (although not everything) and find both shows interesting and thought-provoking.   Another favorite podcast is Cwic Media which is mainly religion, theology, and culture.  It's pretty interesting stuff and I feel like I am learning something when I listen to it. 

I'm working on healing the broken bone in my right foot.  I taking everything slow and easy this week and staying in my boot except when I sleep.  

I'm also working on this puzzle that I just got out of the box and started earlier tonight. 

I'm thinking about how glad I am that I listened to Charly and went to the doctor about my continuing cough and congestion.  Charly has been been battling a lung infection for a couple of weeks, and he wanted me to get checked out.  Sure enough, the doctor thinks that I also have a virus caused infection so I am also on antibiotics now.  I really don't like to go to the doctor, and tend to put it off, but Charly was pretty insistent and I am grateful that I listened to him.  I was able to get a same day appointment and I really like the provider (a nurse practitioner) I saw. She was personable, professional and knowledgeable.

I'm looking forward to attending this book launch and live Youtube stream next week.  Charly and I got tickets before I broke by foot, but we are still planning to go. This is a Christian podcast group whose content I enjoy and the book is about to how we as Christians can combat the evil we see so much of in the world today.  It should be really good and a lot of fun. 

I'm also looking forward to attending BYU Women's Conference with my daughter Tiffany.  I got our tickets to the event last night.  I have loved this event every time I have attended and I'm so glad that my daughter wants to go with me again this year.

I'm loving this little pink hyacinth that Charly brought home just because.  He knows I love flowers and this one is now brightening my kitchen counter with a little touch of spring. 

I'm enjoying this new kind of soda, called Poppi. The drink has fruit flavors, is low in sugar, is carbonated just a bit (not as much as regular soda) and has prebiotics.  

In the kitchen, not much went on this week. One night, we stopped at Arby's on the way home from the doctor, and I got my favorite ranch chicken wrap and curly fries. Another night, we had pre-made deli-dinners. 

Another night in the kitchen Fish sticks, tater tots and salad were an easy and tasty dinner as I tried to stay off my foot as much as possible and follow doctor's orders. Between my broken foot and the respiratory infection I'm being treated for, I haven't been doing much cooking at all since Sunday. 

I'm grateful for the excellent care I got at the Orthopedic Walk-In Clinic I visited with Charly Monday night to find out why my foot was so painful and swollen. Several x-rays later, we had the answer.  I apparently broke my foot smashing cans for recycling on our cement driveway.  Believe me, I won't be doing that again! 

I'm also grateful for this guy who has been taking me to work every morning and picking me up in the evening because I'm not supposed to drive with the boot on my driving foot.  Charly has helped me with so many things this week.  He has truly gone above and beyond even what he normally does.  I am very grateful for him.  He is my best friend and greatest blessing!

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you've had a good week.  Have a good weekend! 

Until next time,

😊Deb💖

"Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, 

be constant in prayer."

~Romans 12:12 NIV

The Weekend

 Here is a little about the past weekend around here.

I had another "self-imposed" long weekend because I took Friday off as a sick day.  I have been coughing and not feeling well all week.  If I am not a lot better by Monday, I'll give the doctor a call.  I'm not sure that it should take this long to get over the flu, but maybe.  Before I put in for a sick day, I had made an appointment to take our Honda CRV into the dealership for some minor recall service. Being off for the day made this easier because I didn't have to drop the car off, then have Charly take me to and pick me up from work at the end of the day. We got the recall service taken care of, and also took care of a couple of air filters in the car that needed to be changed.

Charly went back for a follow-up visit with the doctor because he is still coughing quite a bit.  A chest x-ray showed that he still has some residual infection in one lung so he is not on a different kind of antibiotic.  We are hoping that the antibiotic does the trick and gets him completely well. 

Meanwhile, I needed to get a few things from the grocery store, so I took care of that in the afternoon.  Once I got home, we were home for the rest of the day.  I took a nice nap in the afternoon, which really helped.  Sometimes, I don't sleep great at night, so afternoon naps keep me going.

Saturday was a nice, sunny day.  It was a little warmer than other days this week.  

Saturday, I slept in clear until 7:30 a.m..  We were home all morning, then about 11 a.m., we left and had a fast-food lunch, then drove to Provo, Utah which is about 30 miles south of us in Utah County.  We had tickets to attend a production of the Shakespeare play Henry V.  The play had been adapted for young people and there were a lot of children in the audience.  It was a fun production, and we had an enjoyable afternoon enjoying the play together.   

Sunday started out with some sun, but by the time I got out for a walk in the afternoon, it was gray and cloudy. Again. Charly and I decided to extend our hiatus from church for one more week while we both get back to feeling 100%.   My right foot has also been swollen and quite painful this weekend.  It could be arthritis, but honestly, I'm not sure what is wrong.  I didn't injure the foot, but when I went out to walk Sunday, it was so painful that it was hard even finish the walk.  I will be calling the doctor tomorrow morning and hopefully I can get an appointment right away and go in and find out what is wrong and how it can be fixed.  As the late comedian Gilda Radner famously said, "It's always something."

I finished this map of the world puzzle which was more challenging than one might think because the images on the puzzle pieces of the different countries were so small.  

Sunday dinner was chicken tenderloins (I made drumsticks for Charly - he's a dark meat guy), roasted baby potatoes, corn cornbread stuffing, and green salad with avocado ranch dressing.   It was all quite good. 

After dinner, I finished this book, which, politics aside, was better than I thought it would be.  I felt like it was an interesting, honest and authentic book about her life both before and after marrying Donald Trump.  I learned a lot and gained some more understanding and respect for our First Lady. I am giving it 4/5 stars on Goodreads.  

Thanks for the visit.  Enjoy the week ahead!

Until next time,

😊Deb💖

"Heaven is filled with those who have this in common:

They are forgiven, and they forgive.

~Dieter F. Uchtdorf

My Week in Gratitude

It's cold, snow, gray and dreary here where I live.  Honestly, this is probably my least favorite part of the year, and some days it gets me down a bit, but I know that looking for the good and being grateful is the best antidote for the mid-winter blues. Here are some of the things I am grateful for as another winter week wraps up.  As I do almost every Friday, I'm linking again with Susanne and friends over Living to Tell the Story for Friday's Fave Five.  

😊 I've been sick this week. Even though Charly and I got got flu vaccinations last October, we both ended up with the flu - chest congestion, achiness, coughing - all the classic symptoms.  It hasn't been fun.  Charly was on antibiotics for a lung infection and is going back to the doctor tomorrow for a follow up check. I'm grateful that, although we are still not feeling 100%, we seem to be getting better. I am also grateful for having an extra long weekend, which included Monday off for Presidents Day.  

😊 I am grateful for time to spend warm and cozy on the couch reading and resting and trying to get feeling better.   I finished one book on my Kindle, and listened to another audiobook.

😊 I also had time to finish this puzzle. When I started the puzzle, I thought it was missing one or more pieces, but I am grateful that all the pieces were in the box.  This was a fun puzzle with a nice picture that reminded me of spring - a season I am more than ready for!

😊 When I had to go back to school on Tuesday, it was a teacher professional development day. We had meetings in the morning, and then after lunch, I was able to go home early.  I am grateful that I was able to have another afternoon to nap, rest and try to get feeling better. 

😊 The Apple Watch I have had for about five years choose this week to die.  I loved my Apple Watch but didn't want to pay between $200 and $750 for a new one.  I searched Amazon and found this fitness tracker smart watch which was on sale for $25.  It got good reviews and high ratings and was delivered to me the next day.  It is a little different than my Apple Watch so it is taking some getting used to, but it has all the features I wanted and seems to work quite well.  In some ways, it is much easier to use than the Apple Watch.  I am grateful to have found this new watch with all the features I wanted at quite a cost savings.  

😊 Thursday morning, I woke up to snow, but as you can tell, there was no overnight accumulation (even though we were supposed to get 3-4 inches).  I am grateful that my Thursday drive to work was just wet.  It continued to snow all day and into the evening, but we didn't get much accumulation where I live.  Most of our snow this winter has stayed in the surrounding mountains, something else I am grateful for.

That's all for right now. Thanks for stopping by to visit. Enjoy the weekend.  Stay warm, and remember spring is coming!

Until next time,

😊Deb💖

"Gratitude is the sun that drives winter

from the human heart."

~anon.

Tuesday 4 - A Blast From the Past

This week's Tuesday 4 questions were kind of fun so I decided to join in and share some memories of high school.  You can join in too here at  Tuesday 4. 

1. Was there a teen hangout in your town or near it where teens seemed to gravitate? What was a favorite place to go?

Dee's Hamburgers was a fast food place in town where teens liked to go. I seem to remember going there with a few time. Sometimes fights broke out there after football games, but I was never involved in one. Dee's Hamburgers does not exist as a fast food chain any more, but there are a few sit-down restaurants with that name around.

2.  Did you attend your high school varsity games? What high school activities did you enjoy the most?

I attended high school football games with friends and I think we just talked and laughed way more than we actually watched the game. (The picture is an actual photo of my high school football team in action, from the year that I graduated. We were the Bountiful Braves, but a few years ago, the name was changed to the Bountiful Redhawks because Bountiful Braves was not considered politically correct).

I was involved with the high school newspaper. I loved being on the newspaper staff. I was involved in the newspaper all four years of high school (9-12 grades) and even made it to editor my senior year.

3. Did you have any teen idols whose music or acting you just really enjoyed?   What  music did you enjoy most? What movies?

I liked Bobby Sherman for a while, until I realized that he absolutely could not carry a tune. He was just kind of a pretty face. I liked The Carpenters and to this day I think that Karen Carpenter had one of the most beautiful female voices ever. The first concert I ever went to was The Carpenters. When I was a little older, in high school, I liked Billy Joel when he first came on the scene. Piano Man is still one of my all time favorites.

As far as movies go, I saw a lot of them, but the only one I really remember was Earthquake, a disaster flick that haunts me to this day because I live on the Wasatch Fault, which is a major fault long overdue for a big earthquake.

4. Did your school have dances or sock hops and did you attend?

Yes, our school had dances, and I attended three - two girls choice dances and one prom. I don't remember any sock hops. If we had any, I didn't go. The dances I did attend were quite formal. They were a big deal at the school and a lot of fun. I have pictures somewhere, but don't know where at the moment.

That's it for these Tuesday 4 questions. Thanks for stopping by and joining with me for this look back at my high school memories.

Until next time,

😊Deb💖

"Sometimes small memories

cover a large part of our hearts."

~anon.

Mid-February Weekend

Here's how this past weekend was in my world.  

Friday, I had the day off as a comp day for putting in two 12-hour days during parent-teacher conferences.  Charly had not been able to do the grocery shopping, which he usually does, so I went out and got some needed items Friday morning. 

About noon, I went to the rec center by myself to get some exercise walking the track.    

Charly and I exchanged cards for Valentines.   We are planning to go to a play (Henry V) next weekend as a belated Valentines date. 

We got Chinese take-out for our Valentine's Dinner. Charly wanted to go in person to the restaurant, but he really wasn't up to  it.   I got Mongolian Beef, which is a favorite for me, and Charly got General Tao's Chicken.  The food was delicious and a nice Valentine's Day treat! 

This is what we woke up to Saturday morning.  Even though I am now battling the classic winter symptoms of sore throat and cough, I went out and shoveled the front walks.  I am encouraging Charly to stay inside out of the cold. He seems to be improving slightly, but the nasty cough hangs on.  He is supposed to call the doctor Monday and I am thinking he will get another round of antibiotics.  

About mid-morning, I needed to go back to the store to get the things I forgot to put on the list and get at the store on Friday.  The sun came out and melted much of the snow on the driveways, streets and sidewalks.  I thought of going for a walk, but it was still cold and breezy and I am taking it easy until I am feeling better and over the chest cold I seem to have. 

I got some laundry and house cleaning done, including the vacuuming and dusting.  I also took a little nap, which felt great! 

Late Saturday afternoon, I made a peach cobbler for our Saturday dinner desert.  It was super easy and delicious.  I got the idea and recipe from my blogging, turned vlogging friend, Kathy in Philly.  Here is a link to her Youtube channel This is Kathy's Life, where she explains how to make the cobbler.  

Saturday night after dinner, we watched a documentary about the O.J. Simpson case on Netflix.  It was quite interesting.  I remember that case, and even read a couple of "true crime" books about it. 

While we watched the show, I finished this puzzle that I have been working on for the last week.  It was a fun puzzle and a nice picture.

Sunday morning, we did not go to church because we were both sick.  I did however, get a pot roast and vegetables in the crock pot.  

I did some reading and listened to an audiobook.  In addition to making dinner, the only productive thing I did Sunday was to reorganize my puzzle shelf.  I decided to donate a few of my puzzles to the local library that has a take one, leave one puzzle table.  

I started a new puzzle Sunday, but it is a puzzle that I got at a thrift store and I can already tell that a few pieces are missing.  If that is the case,  this puzzle will will go into the recycle bin. 

The books I read Sunday and will continue reading in the coming week are The Monkey's Raincoat by Robert Crais, Saints -Boldly, Nobly and Independent and Melania.  I hope to get at least two of these books finished in the next week.  

Weekend Gratitude:

• Getting the grocery shopping done.
• Having a four day weekend.
• Having time at home to reset and feel better. 
• Having a nice text conversation with my oldest grandson.

Coming up this week:

Monday - President's Day - no school

Tuesday - Teacher meeting and training day

Thursday - Dentist appointment after school

Friday - Appointment for recall service on the Honda

Saturday - Shakespeare play, Henry V, at BYU

That's all for this weekend.  Have a good week. 

Until next time,

😊Deb💖

"There is only one happiness in this life: 

to love and be loved."

~George Sand

Gratitude on Valentine's Week

Happy Valentine's Day!  During this week when we focus on love, we must also be grateful. To do that, I am joining again with Susanne and friends over at Living to Tell the Story for Friday's Fave Five. 

😊 Charly has been battling a lung infection since last weekend.  I am grateful that he was able to get in to see his doctor on Monday so he could get started on the antibiotic and on the road to recovery.  He still doesn't feel great, but today (Thursday) he is sounding a bit better and not coughing quite as much.  I am grateful for that, and for blogging friends who have kept him in prayer. 

😊 Parent-teacher conferences were Monday and Tuesday of last week.  On conference days, we are required to be in our classrooms to talk to parents until 7 p.m., so we have a full 12-hour day and it is exhausting.  Overall, the conferences went well and I am just grateful that they are over for another school year, and that I have a comp day on Friday and a long four-day weekend. 

😊 We are always provided dinner by the school on parent-teacher conference nights, which is helpful and something I am grateful for. 

😊 On Wednesday, we had a modified lockdown at school due to a shooting in the area.  The picture is part of a news article about what happened.  Lockdowns are every teacher's least favorite thing, and I am grateful that this one was resolved quickly so that everyone could safely go on with the school day.   I am also grateful that the police found and arrested the shooter.  Turns out that the whole thing was caused by a drug deal gone wrong. 

😊 Thursday, the weather forecast was for a major winter storm, that would start about noon.  I was at school when the snow began and it was almost a blizzard at times.  I took this picture from my classroom window just about the time the snow started.  Within a few minutes, the roads and parking lot were covered with snow.  Wind drifted the white stuff up to several inches in some places.  I started receiving alerts on my phone about slick roads and accidents across the area.  By the time I left school, I was ready for a very dicey drive home.  I am grateful that I was able to drive safely and avoid problems, including a pretty bad accident that happened just before I got to a major intersection I turn at to get to my house.   The snow is expected to last into tomorrow, then start again on Sunday and go into Monday.  I am also grateful that I have a long, four-day weekend and won't have to get up and drive to school in the ice and snow.  

😊 Finally on this Valentine's week, I am grateful for this guy, who soul mate, my best friend and the love of my life.  We have been together for 48 years and married for 46 years.  I am grateful that God brought Charly and I together when we were much younger (yes, I was a teenager).  I am also grateful that we both had enough sense to see God's hand in our relationship, fall in love, and build our life and family together. 

That's all for now. Thanks for stopping by to share my gratitude from the last week.  Have a Happy Valentine's Day and a good weekend.  

Until next time,

😊Deb💖

“Love wholeheartedly, be surprised, 

give thanks and praise – 

then you will discover the fullness of your life.”

– David Steindl–Rast