AF April Abundance

[SnoopyC]

Good morning...

Cold here too, 32 degrees. I slept in a bit, so have to make this quick.

Cyn, can you hire someone? I miss our big yard but not the yardwork. I would think a chain saw on your own would be dangerous. Please be careful.

Lav, I am tired too, must be the weather.

Dill, the move has been great for boundaries with my son. How did you know?

Pauly, hope you feel better.

Have a good one.

[Lavande]

Good morning friends!

39 degrees & sunny here after yesterday's rain.
I have completed my 3 day kid watch marathon so I have the day to myself, yay!
My son & DIL have their little house on the market now & have begun looking for something larger to accommodate two growing boys & the Insanity Twins, ha ha!! They have already spotted one for sale right on their street - we'll see what happens.

Star, I sure hope this cold spell is brief. I really want to be outside at this point! Hope you have a good day!

Pauly, feeling any better? Between hormones, mood swings, full moons, family matters, etc it is difficult to maintain balance, it's something we have to keep working on. I am determined to never get overwhelmed again & begin the cycle all over again.

Greetings Dill & Cyn! Hope you both have a wonderful day!
Hi Papmom!

OK, going to Curves soon to get this day started off right
Have a fabulous AF Thursday everyone!

Lav

[paulywogg]

Morning ladies, yes Lav, it's something everyone has to work on, and it's going to always be like this so I'm trying not to over think it, it's just life, it's just accepting what I can't change and finding healthy ways to deal with emotions and discomfort/pain, I'm gonna be BAD today though and get a stuffed crust pepperoni pizza! It just sounds good anybody cooking anything interesting this week? I'm working on eating healthier but it's way more expensive than the normal stuff, and it's hard to try different recipes when time is limited, plus having been sick I didn't really eat anyways all week, supposed to rain today, I hope so cuz this air needs a good cleaning!been sneezing all week, hope everyone has a lovely Thursday

[treegirl]

Morning all -
Quick hello today. More high winds, and even hail/sleet last night, oh well! No trees came down, but it looks like some are dangerously leaning - but away from the house, thank goodness.

Star, I'm having an interesting times writing down my dreams. The book I use is by Betty Bethards 'The Dream Book - Symbols for Self-Understanding. I got it in the 80s, not sure if it's still available. It's very new age, talks about chakras, etc. If you're into that, it really is a great book about self-understanding.

Lav - glad you are finally getting a break! Dill - did you get tornado watches in the past few days? Sounded like OH was in the path. Pauly - maybe go slow on the eating since you've haven't had much food? Be kind to your tummy!

RE: trees and yard work. I'm still paying off having some major tree work done 2 years ago. It makes me mad that the previous owners didn't cull these messy trees when they were little - it's leaving a bunch of nasty, big, dangerous trees to deal with, too close to the house and the power wires, but I can't swing another $4,000 to get them taken care of. Going to do the culling of the small ones myself - I hire people to come take those away. The medium-bigger ones I'll have someone come and take down. The big dangerous ones - oh well, got to cross fingers on that. I just wish I didn't have to do so much bush-whacking because for decades no one paid any attention to the invasives, when I could be tending vegies and flowers instead. OK, rant over. No, I won't be using a chain saw myself (though it's tempting - my sawing arm is getting sore!)

Gotta meet some more deadlines....have a great AF day all....

[dill]

Hello All,

Cyn, lots of wind here but no tornado watches, thankfully. I know how frustrating it must be for you clearing out the invasive trees. Does Mr. Tree help with such tasks? I work on that here but Mr. D does too. He is quite handy with a chainsaw, thankfully. Of course we burn a lot of wood so he is constantly working to keep up.

Lav, glad you made it thru your 3 days with kiddos! I'll bet you really enjoyed your day all to yourself!

Pauly, I didn't have a dinner plan for tonight and I just couldn't get inspired to cook. After reading your post...well I simply will go with your plan! I'm ordering a pizza!
Sorry, no inspirational recipes in my corner today!

Star, I just knew.:happy2: Speaking of your son tho, how are things going for him lately? I hope he is doing well. Does he like being an uncle?

Not much happening in my world today. Still working on my crochet lap quilt, but almost done. Also, I have been dabbling with origami lately, making several cheerful, bright flowers. I'll take a picture.

Have a peaceful, AF Thursday evening.

[paulywogg]

Tree,I can't hardly ever remember my dreams, wonder what that means?sorry about the mess in the yard but at least you don't have palm trees to be trimmed, the city will hand out fines when they're too overgrown and pieces start falling off,Dill,can't wait to see the origami flowers

[SnoopyC]

Good morning all...

Lav, hope you enjoyed your day off, you deserve. It turned out to be sunny yesterday, just chilly, in the 50s by late afternoon and when I got off work. Today, high low sixties and sunny, then tomorrow, rain and cold again. That's spring!

Dill, thanks for asking about my son. Actually spoke to him last night and he is going with a group from school to Cincinnati for a conference and presentation of some kind. So, close to you, maybe. A long drive for him, he is up around Chicago, but it will be fun. He is young and can pull an all night drive. Struggling in school, but mostly doing well, friends, and no dating for now. Too busy. He loves being an Uncle and he is an attentive one. I was asked to watch my grandson for a weekend this summer,and will ask my son if he wants to visit and help care for his nephew. Our family is very loving, the teen years ruined some of that but now with a baby, all the love is showered on him and spills over to all of us. With my dad sick, it is even clearer how precious life is and how uncertain.

Cyn, wow, that is intense. I know, at our last house, we had to have someone come and cut the trees from time to time and it was expensive. But, having said that, it was also so beautiful. I miss those trees very much. Sounds like you are working hard, me too. I want to relax this weekend. Hope you find time for your self. I am going to look that book up on amazon and see if I can get a used copy. I love stuff about chakras by the way. Thanks for sharing. Have you found things out that you are looking for? I always do, after several days of writing stuff out.

Pauly, we had pizza last night and it was soooo good. Someone told us about a new pizza place and it was fun to try it out. I would definitely go back there. Kind of heavy though, but delicious. It is hard on some days to just get through. I had done what Lav suggested a few years ago and looked up the ToDo Institute and studied Japanese psychology which led me to other things, including a practice of gratitude that has helped my mood. Most of the time. I still have those days and times, because we all do. Sometimes I feel really lonely, lost, other days I feel my life is pretty good. Last year was really challenging for me, I moved two times, changed jobs, and started a new life. Finally settling in, but last summer was scary and my mood was all over the place. Life throws you challenges and you get through them. With me, not always so gracefully.

Pap, where you been? Shout out to you.

Have a great Friday, the best day of the week.

[Lavande]

Good morning friends!

Star, you did very well with all your changes & challenges - give yourself a great big pat on the back
What doesn't kill us makes us stronger, huh?
I remain grateful for so much but mostly for the level of inner peace I have gained since getting AL out of my life. I'm sure you feel the same at this point.

pauly, there is no instant fix for all of the problems & challenges we face in life but staying away from AL is the important first step! Everything else will fall into place, keep the faith.

cyn, how are you holding up with the return of this cold weather? We've had frost warning the past few nights, not nice!

Dill, what are you up to today?

Papmom, check in when you have a minute. I do at least see you on FB

I'm off to Curves soon, then back for a bit of work. Have a great AF Friday everyone!

Lav

[treegirl]

Hi all -

Holy Moly, this winter is getting long! Snow showers yesterday, 33 degrees this morning, and THE WIND!! Eeek. Now I'm trying not to obsess on the fragility of the trees - lots are bending way over to the side, but I guess if they go down, they go down.

Lav, ditto on the inner peace reward of an AF life! Dill - no, HB is pretty much not in the yard-helper category. He grew up in a city in a large flat, and has never gotten used to what it takes to run a household and grounds. I would never want to see him with a chain saw in his hands! I'm the one that's used to all of this, but it would be nice to have a partner to help. I won't let him near the woods, though - he is immune-compromised, and Lyme could be deadly for him. Better that he cheers me on from the sidelines. But he's out of town for a month now, so I can get some serious work done without him calling me inside after an hour! Pauly - I used to live in the desert, and I sympathize - those palms are nasty! Seemed to me there that everything I had to trim had thorns - thanks for reminding me. Star - yes, I am getting messages: clear out, let it go, move on. (overflowing garbage bins, junky yard sales in dim light, illness, uuuugh. But the messages are pretty darn clear!) Pap hope you are OK.

I am doing massive paper management - shredding and tossing lots from previous years (got up at 5:30 AM and did a major clean-out until 9:30). Also last night let go of a pro bono job I've been agonizing over for a couple of years. Sheesh. Who needs it?! I'm doing my best to set boundaries and stay focused.

Wishing all a good Thursday!

OK

[dill]

IMG_0283.jpg IMG_0285.jpg

Voila! My flowers sitting on the window sill and then a bit of an up close shot. Kind of fun! The books are due back at the library soon though.

Star, I found it interesting when you said you are a loving family but the teen years ruined some of that. I knew exactly what you meant. It is such a blessing to watch our adult children grow into these different roles as parent and as uncle/aunt because I see the love pouring out and I realize it has been there all along, just muted somehow because of all the difficulties of the teen years. It's funny you mentioned that because it was something I had been thinking about and it's nice to know that it is more universal than I thought!

Lav, what I am up to today is cleaning the garage. Unpleasant, but necessary! I agree with you so much about the inner peace. I thought I started drinking years ago to find the feeling of peace, but I wish I hadn't started down that rabbit hole! The instant peace poured from a bottle turned into something quite different over time.

Cyn, I don't think the battle of the boundaries ever ends! Good for you making a decision about letting go of that pro bono job. Breathe.

Hey Pauly, my carry out pizza was really good last night! Thanks for the suggestion. For today I put 2 lbs of frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs into the crock pot with two packets of taco seasonings. After a few hours I pulled it apart with two forks. I'm going to use it to make a spicy chicken quesadilla. That's our dinner. I have some left over Spanish rice and some refried beans to go with it. Easy and quick.

Hi Papmom!

I am starting a book by Eben Alexander, author of Proof of Heaven. This book is called, Map of Heaven and I have only read the introduction so far, but I think I am really going to like it. I'll let you all know as I get into it. Have a peaceful AF Friday evening.

[paulywogg]

Dill,those flowers turned out really nice you did a good job, the chicken sounds good for dinner, very easy,I love crock pot cooking

[papmom3]

Hi Everyone! Just a quick driveby tonite. I only was able to read today's posts.
Star-hope your son has a blast at the conference!
Dill-those origami flowers are gorgeous! You have some serious talent!!
Lav-hope you enjoyed your Curves workout!
Cyn-I'll have to read back to find out what is happening with your trees. If you need a consult from an arborist, let me know. I'll send my bro to you. Congrats on letting go of the pro bono. that was a tough decision I'm sure.
Hi Polly!
It's been a busy couple of weeks!! My agility trial last week went great! we Q'd with 1st places on both runs. I bought the 2 videos as a keepsake of my debut into AKC agility. Everyone was super nice and really like DD. Can't wait to do more.
Tomorrow is the Muckfest! I'm getting a bit nervous-it's going to be cold but no rain-but I think I am blissfully naive as to what Im getting into LOL!! I hope I survive! Sunday is a fundraising 3K walk for a local shelter. I'm bringing DD because Mickey isn't up to a 3 mi walk. I hope DD does OK and doesn't aggress towards anyone. At least he'll get some exercise!
My boss has been in Aruba all week. It's been fairly quiet. Im starting to see the true dynamics of the office. Not the rose colored view I had when I first started LOL!! But still, it's way better than anywhere I've been!
Great visit with my cardiologist on Monday-numbers are awesome, he's very proud and impressed and gave me a hug! I started out the day at 7:30 with an eye exam. After the heart doctor I worked out at my gym and was able to run 1.75 miles on the treadmill. Then I ate lunch and spent the rest of the afternoon picking out 3 pairs of glasses. Talk about one stop shopping!
I've been a lug ever since due to some back pain I woke up with tues. Feel much better so should be good to go tomorrow.
Hoping spring will get here soon!
Will try to check in tomorrow nite if I'm still alive!!

[SnoopyC]

Good morning...

It's raining today and in the 40s so that is not as bad as snow and cold. But, it is pretty typical some springs to not have spring. My new town is in spring, this is the worst day of the week, then 60s for the rest of the week. I am good with that, we have to have rain. Plus, then I have a reason to stay cozy and read for part of the day.

Dill, the teen years at our house were difficult, my kids fought with each other, themselves, us, not all the time but enough to make it ugly. Now, we are all getting along pretty well and enjoying each other as adults. Hey, I loved those paper flowers you created, so colorful and pretty. Have fun cleaning the garage.

Lav, thanks for the support regarding all the changes. I am so glad to have things settled, a beautiful new home and a job I really love. Unbelievably lucky. I never would have thought at this time last year that I would be moving. It all happened so fast.

Cyn, I ordered the dream book and will get it in the next week or so. I am interested in starting to again explore my dreams. Do you live in a forrest or woods? There is so much work with big trees, I did some of it but it was ongoing as trees shed leaves, branches, sticks, sometimes more. It is a great way to get a workout. I think it may be one of those years where you get little to no spring. Hopefully summer will be long and beautiful.

Pap, so great to hear from you and that you are well. Every office has its drama right? Mine too. I just try and stay out of it. I was happy to hear you still like this job, so do I. We are lucky.

So, today just cleaning, reading, cooking, shopping. It is all good. Have a great Saturday.

[Lavande]

Good Saturday morning friends!

Chilly, just above freezing here. Grateful that the snow out in the western part of the state hasn't reached here, yikes!
Nothing special planned for today just a lot of running around

Dill, love the flowers, nice work! Are you seeing any snow out your way?

Cyn, I hope you are staying cozy & not worrying too much about the yard work!

Star, better rain than snow, huh? I hope you have a good weekend.

Pauly. what's on your game plan today?

Papmom, good luck with the Muckfest today! I think my nephew's girls will be there today in honor of their mother who is dealing with MS. Be careful with your back

Wishing everyone a great AF Saturday!

Lav

[treegirl]

Saturday. Happy Saturday. Thanks everyone for overlooking the fact that I had no idea what day it was yesterday! These days go so fast, and I pack so much in that I really do lose track of time (obviously).

Well it's nippy here, but BRIGHT and not a gale-force wind, so in my book that's a good day. Snow coming my way from the west?! Eeek.

The reason I'm a little obsessed about the property is that I know that this is my window of opportunity to get these big things done. Better to do before leafing out, better to get the invasives early, and because of our summer schedule, I won't have time from the beginning of June onwards. I'm annoyed that after all this work, I won't get much time to put in a vegie or flower garden, but at least I won't be frantic all summer about not being able to get outside and take care of the nasties.

Sounds like everyone is doing well. I guess there will always be work dynamics and family dynamics going on, eh? I am enjoying a completely new relationship with my brother (7 years older than I am) since my mother's death. So sad that we weren't able to connect this way for all those years, but grateful that we can now.

Dill - those flowers are great! Maybe you found a second career? I have the Proof of Heaven, but haven't read it - will give it a go. Lav - hope you plan some 'me' time in the running around. Star - hope you enjoy the dream book. Pap - I have no idea what a MuckFest is, but have fun. Congrats on all the wins in agility. Pauly - take care this weekend.

OK, off to bundle up and pull out some bittersweet (and take down some deadwood, and...). Cheers all -