Mindful March!

[dill]

Hello All,
I didn't realize it was Friday the 13th until the day was nearly over. So far, so good!

This is just a quick fly by to say hi and to wish everyone a peaceful AF evening.

[papmom3]

Evening all.

Picked up LM's ashes tonite. Cyn-any idea what those websites would be called? I would definitely do that. Or I might look around for some sort of locket. I'd like something. His ashes came back in a cherry picture box that I definitely did not order! I thought at first I had someone else's pet but his name is on the bottom. So either it was a mistake or a heck of a discount for using their service 3 years in a row.

Wind died down today and I walked to work and home plus lunchtime. With a little bit of shopping I managed to get my 10K steps in. Tomorrow I am not working after all so will go to water aerobics (not as intense as bootcamp) and then go pick up my neice from dance class. After that on the hunt for a memory box. Laundry and cleaning on the menu as well. God I can't wait for the snow to melt and the ground to dry up. I've got tons of dog poop to pick up (still frozen) and I think I'd really like to do a veggie garden this year.

I wish everyone a peaceful and relaxing nite. See you tomorrow!

[Lavande]

Good morning friends!

Raining like crazy here today, pretty dark & gloomy out, oh well. Tomorrow should be better!

Papmom, sounds like you are finally seeing some improvement in your weather situation.
I just saw the locket urn pic you posted on FB - very nice.
I have been getting out to work on the yard situation here as well. Between my two dogs & my BIL's dog there is no dog poop shortage, Lol

Cyn, one of the things I love most about going to Longwood gardens is that it is about the halfway point between here & the rest of civilization, ha ha. It's nice to be able to meet my daughter or friends there How far would you have to drive to get to the NY Botanical gardens? A day there is always quite therapeutic for me!

Dill, you have had a busy week, hope you can relax a bit this weekend.

Star, any plans for the weekend?

Have a great AF Saturday everyone!

Lav

[treegirl]

Happy Saturday all -

Off to the Farmer's Market (indoors) for some local shopping. Hope everyone has a restful day. We're having rain here, better than the sleet/ice predicted, so that's good. Will tell you some 'poop' stories, but suffice to say that because a certain dog is more interested in poop than he should be, there is very minimal poop pickup-age going on here. I had to keep up with it all winter!

I bought 2 little handfuls of daffodils at the store...it gave me a pang, as those were my Mom's favorite and her way of welcoming the spring. This morning, they are a big full-blown blaze of yellow - perfect for a rainy day. Wishing all lots of warm spring fragrance - to the light!

[dill]

Hello All,

Cyn, I love daffodils. It's nice that you feel a connection to your mom thru their cheerful presence. I went outside and looked for a sign of mine and found them just beginning to poke thru the ground! The daffodils are heeding your call, "to the light"!

Lav, thanks for the link to the orchid exhibit. I actually had visited there earlier in the day. Exquisite beauty! I'm glad you had a nice girls-only day.

Papmom, I think perhaps that cherry box was a gift from your vet's office. Are you going to ask them about it? I'm impressed, BTW, with your 10K steps! Is that a daily goal?

Star, What's cookin'? I put a bunch of veggies and barley in the crockpot today in some vegetable stock. I'm anticipating a healthy bowl of veggie soup with my meatloaf tonight.

I was looking for a mindful minute quote for the post today but didn't really find anything that struck me. But I did find a couple interesting articles about mindfulness being incorporated into corporate settings. I'll include one here in case any of you might find it interesting. I did.

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/d9cb7940-ebea-11e1-985a-00144feab49a.html#axzz3UMWFA7Ld

Have a peaceful, AF Saturday.

[papmom3]

Hi All,
So wish we had a farmer's market around here Cyn! I hate this city more and more. Its lacking in so many things. Have to make do with the local Stop and Shop.
Lav-we have a very nice Botanical Garden in the next town over (where my sister lives). I used to be a member and go to the annual plant sale with her until I stopped gardening because of the dogs and an individual membership went up to over $80. I think its only about $10 for a day pass so I should go and visit soon. I went last year curtesy of a friend soon after the heart attack. She just knew I needed to get up and out. So sweet.
Dill-I just love how you throw a bunch of things in the crock pot and end up with something delish. Wish I could be that adventuress.

I ordered a locket last nite that is just perfect. It even comes with a small funnel to get the ashes into the canister. I also found the perfect Memory box at Michaels today. I've already filled with with LM's stuff. Haven't figured out what to do with the urn. I think I want to find another container for his ashes to place in the box and use his urn for my kitty who died last year. She can stay on my bureau with Freddy.
Heres the locket:
12212.pastellobutterfl_lrg_0.jpg

Didn't get to sleep until 3 am this morning so missed water aerobics. picked up my neice from dance then did some shopping. Have spent the rest of this cold rainy day on the couch in front of the TV. Hope I feel more motivated to do something tomorrow! My youngest nephew's hockey team won all three of their games today at a tournament. They play again tomorrow and I'm tempted to go but it's pretty far away. I'll think about it. So much to do around here and next weekend I'm all booked up.
Have a great nite all!

[SnoopyC]

Good morning...

Wow, we had a great day weatherwise, 58 degrees and sunny in the afternoon. I was able to babysit and so it was a good combination: spring and babysitting.

Dill, I loved that article on mindfulness and meditation you shared. Marvelous. What a good way to learn to take care of yourself. I liked how the article emphasized it is not about religion. Just practice. So interesting. I'll bet you had nice weather too. Bring on spring. We need it.

Lav, hope you get better weather today, you need it. Lots of flooding around here, standing water as the snow melt.

Cyn, I just love daffodils. I had lots at my last house that I planted. I will plant some this summer if none come up. I was thinking about no poop patrol for me anymore. Just one kitty makes it easy. I had dogs in the past and part of spring was picking the back yard. Yuck. But we had really healthy grass!

Pap, the locket looks beautiful. I have a special place in my heart for my pets who have passed on too. I love all of them so much. Nice that you had some time yesterday to just relax. It's good to do that sometimes. I have to after being busy all week.

We are going to make chicken soup and chicken veggie fried rice for the week. Lots of cooking on Sunday, then just left overs till later in the week. I am trying to eat lighter and focus on losing a little bit of this extra weight. Exercise is on the agenda, too. I love this time of year!!!! Have a good one.

[Lavande]

Good morning friends

Hoping for some sunshine & a good drying out after yesterday's day long rain. Yes, we have mud!

Cyn, did you find anything exciting at the farmer's market?
I feel very spoiled having so many markets around here, some operate all year long. I couldn't get any yard work done yesterday, too damp out but am hopeful for today.

Dill, I had to smile reading that article on mindfulness & seeing all those folks on yoga mats. A program like that would have been so helpful to us working in the hospital but who would be watching the patients? We didn't even have time to go pee all day (UTIs are very common in health care workers unfortunately). Believe it or not I have Eckhart Tolle on my FB page & this morning his message was - 'here is a new spiritual practice for you: don't take yourself so seriously'. I like that

Papmom, I honestly consider my Longwood Gardens membership fee to be an investment in my mental health/wellness. And you can log in many thousands of steps with each visit. It's nice having a safe & beautiful place to get close to nature. It is my mental gym membership
I hope you can get out & about in your neighborhood soon. It's heading up to 60 tomorrow, woo hoo!

Star, funny you mentioned leftovers. Just last night I said that I have a new appreciation for leftovers these days! I just don't feel like cooking every day, who does? Right now I have chicken noodle soup & vegan minestrone in the fridge. Looking forward to the arrival of Spring on Friday although it is supposed to be cold again by then. It's fun exploring your new gardens, see what comes up & what needs to be planted. Enjoy the process.

Wishing everyone a great AF Sunday!

Lav

[dill]

"The most difficult times for many of us are the ones we give ourselves.”
― Pema Chödrön, When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice For Difficult Times

Lav, I think I heard somewhere that UTI's are common for teachers too, because they can't leave the classroom when on duty. I happen to agree whole-heartedly with Eckhart on the notion of not taking one's self too seriously.

Papmom, that is a beautiful locket. A butterfly. How perfect!

Star, speaking of religion, have you found a church that you think you might like? Also, I just read that the producers of the 10 hour History Channel Miniseries called The Bible (2013) are doing another 10 hour mini series called "A.D. The Bible Continues" which will be aired on NBC starting Apr. 5. I thought they did a good job on the History Channel miniseries so I am looking forward to seeing what this one will be like.

It's a beautiful Spring day (nearly). I think we finally made it!!

[SnoopyC]

Good morning all...

What a nice Sunday it was. We went to a Flower and Home show, viewed all the latest porch furniture, yard toys, and lots of flowers and plants. It was so fun and by the time we left, it was warm and sunny, so we were outside. Opened the windows, let in fresh air and sunshine, it was really good. Back to work today, and another nice day. I will try to walk at lunch.

Lav, the ground here is really muddy and squishy, too. If we have a week with less rain, it should dry up. Leftovers are the best, we have some for the week. Any special plans for you on the agenda this week? I cannot imagine having a job where I could not run to the bathroom if needed. Yikes, that would be tough.

Dill, love the quotes, and tried to go to church yesterday, but took a wrong turn and would have been late. I did not want to be late the first time at a new church, so will try next week. Moving is stressful because everywhere you go is a journey. You just can't take for granted the way to go, and moving twice in six months, I am used to leaving more time, but still it doesn't always work out. Darn. I have not seen the bible series, but watched the Red Tent and now the sequel, the Dovekeepers, will be on soon. Both old testament based, but also fiction.

Hello to Cyn and Pap, have a good week.

[Lavande]

Good Monday morning friends!

We have a cloudy day on hand with temps in the mid-forties but no rain, yay.
I am heading out soon to go watch my granddaughter while my daughter attends her classes today. The regular daycare provider has the day off for some reason. Tomorrow afternoon & evening I will have the grandsons here. Looks like the week is starting off in a busy way! I am grateful to be able to help out

Star, I can understand the stress of not knowing where anything is. I still remember not being able to find a Christmas tree the first year we were here, ha ha. Just goes to show how small your world can become of you stay in one place for too long, ha ha. I hope you find everything you need without too much fuss!

Greetings Dill, Papmom & Cyn!
Have a great AF Monday everyone!

Lav

[treegirl]

Hello all, Happy Monday.

So glad to hear all the spring news...things are still pretty raw around here, and a full foot of snow still on the lawn, but it's going down each day. The back dog yard is so torn up (from the septic adventure) that between the mud and the ice I'm not even letting the dogs go out there...too much clean up. At least they can get their feet clean in the snow on the front lawn! Ah well, this too shall pass. Although I don't have any idea how to fix the back dog yard. I think it's beyond my muscle-power to level and re-seed, but there's no wiggle room in the budget for anyone else to do it...I may just have to get creative!

Pap - so glad that you found the right containers for everything. Love the butterfly!

Lav - must get back to at least looking at FB! I'm hopeless at this stuff - I can barely find time to post here. Dill, the dinner sounded good to me, hope it all turned out well. Star - I admire you cooking on the weekends...going to try to get human food cooked ahead as well as the dog's food. HB is agreeing to eat more of the stuff I can have - hooray! These double-dinners were getting tiresome.

We drove yesterday to SD's to see her and have a brunch. There was a little flower show at a park close by, so we poked our heads in and got wonderful scents of hyacinths and narcissus. Today is the anniversary of my Dad's birthday, and I'm making another little film with all the pics of him and my mom in Hawaii, their special place. Sad but wonderful to see them so happy in the pics.

Dill, my daffodils won't be seen for awhile yet, but hopefully they are heeding the call 'To the Light!' Take care all, and good luck Bear and Lizanne.

[dill]

Hi All,
Cyn, I too have a hard enough time finding time to post here and cannot let myself get involved in FB. How lovely that you made a slide show commemorating your Dad and Mom. That's a very special thing to do and I hope it helped you feel a special connection.

Lav, sounds like a busy week for you! Mine started out much the same way. I was called upon to have my granddaughter over night last night bc she was not well enought to go to day care and her Dad couldn't miss work after missing all last week due to his hospitalization. Little gdaughter just went home a short time ago. I think she will be fine to go to day care tomorrow, but if now, I'll be on the hook again tomorrow! At least it was a pretty day and we got to walk outside a little bit.

Star, I remember you told me you read Bill O'Reilly's, Killing Jesus. I just read that it has been made into a movie and will be aired on the National Geographic channel on March 29. I plan on seeing that one. I always like to see movies made from books that I have read. Usually they are no where near as good as the book, as you know. I thought the Killing Lincoln movie was really good. I didn't read that one tho. I watched the Red Tent and enjoyed it too. Sorry you didn't get to the Mass on time Sunday. Now you know the way, so that will help.

Have a peaceful AF Monday night everyone.

[SnoopyC]

Good morning...

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!! Made Irish food for a potluck at work, and looking forward to wearing green.

Lav and Dill, lovely you can babysit, enjoy.

Cyn, reseeding the yard may be tough. You might have to call someone in for assistance, depending on the soil. Years ago we added onto our house and the yard was a mess, but the soil was sandy and easy to move, so I was able to rake it out flat, seed it, and spread hay on it. Watered it daily for 10 days and in a month it was lawn. I have lived in places where the soil was clay and there was no way I could have worked the soil without help. So, it will depend. You have time though as the snow will melt slowly. Last year we had tons of snow and it took a time to melt, but the plants were beautiful with all the moisture.

Pap, hello, hope your week is starting out well.

Have a good one.

[Lavande]

Happy St Patrick's day to all
Not a drop of Irish in this girl but I always enjoyed the day anyway!

I have to hit Curves, the supermarket then get back here to get something started for dinner. Then I will pick up grandson #2 from his preschool at 2:45 pm then wait for grandson #1 to get off the school bus at 3:40 then bring them both back here. And then the real fun begins, ha ha!!!

Have a great AF Tuesday Star, Dill, Cyn & Papmom!

Lav