Are You Dehydrated?

This time of year we don't often worry about becoming dehydrated but there are many of us that don't drink enough water, even in the winter. 

We've all read about the importance of water, how our bodies are mostly water, and how much water we should drink each day.  I'm not going to go over this but I will say diabetics, cancer, and dementia patients can also have problems staying hydrated any time of the year. 

One of the diabetic sites I read had the suggestion to try these hydrating foods.  The article link is below the list. 

1. cucumber
2. applesauce
3. carrots
4. cottage cheese (with celery as a scooper) 
5. popsicles
6. watermelon 
7. iceberg lettuce
8. grapes
9. yogurt
10. broccoli
11. jello 
12. tomatoes and tomato sauce 
13. oranges
14. soup 
15. cantaloupes
16. strawberries and other berries 
17. bell pepper 
18. kiwi
    https://blog.thediabetessite.greatergood.com/eat-your-water/?gg_medium=content&gg_source=dbs&gg_campaign=water-health&gg_content=blog-link-last

I am perpetually dehydrated.  I drink very little in a day.  Even before I reached this glorious age of almost 70 with severe diabetes, my legs and arms were often showing the signs (read it as alligator skin) of dehydration.   

You know, of course, that coffee, tea, and coke do not count as substitutes for water.  I had a hard time teaching myself to drink water when I started trying to control my numbers.  Apparently, if there is not enough water your blood gets thick and your numbers go higher.  Come on.  Is there nothing that diabetes doesn't affect?  It doesn't feel like it.  

I have noticed on certain occasions that I wanted to each something wet.  Watermelon and cantaloupe come to mind so I was very interested to read this article about how I could add more liquid to my intake without grabbing another glass of water.  

Some of you may take a medicine that makes your mouth dry or some of you might be poor water drinkers like me.  This does seem like an easy way to saunter into good health. 

More later .... 

Mindhunter Canceled by Netflix

This post will not have any interest for some of you because (1) you don't have Netflix, and (2) you don't want to watch a show that is ultimately about the mind of a serial killer.  

That is ok, I understand. You already know I watch some strange programs.  I prefer cozy murders, a la Agatha Christie - there is a body in the library- but this show has appealed to me from an intellectual aspect that I find strange myself.  

What makes a killer?   Are some people born bad?  Why do you cross the road when you see one person coming toward you and not another?  Is it all about childhood?  Is it about nature or nurture?  

The series is loosely based on John E. Douglas and his book Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit.  The character of Holden Ford is based on Douglas. The character of Bill Tench is loosely based on Robert K. Reesler.  I was not familiar with either of these men or the book.  

I did kind of fall for the Bill Tench character with his smooth dry wit and everyman sensibility.  Apparently Holt McCallany the actor who plays Tench has been in the business some 30 years.  I didn't recognize either McCallany or Jonathan Groff who plays the wide-eyed gung-ho younger of the two.  

Here is a better description of the program from The Men's Journal - you can read the whole article by clicking on the link:

Mindhunter follows FBI agents Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (McCallany) during the nascent days of the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit in the late 1970s. The two agents travel the country teaching local cops federal investigative techniques, while developing the fields of criminal psychology and criminal profiling. How they get that done: Interviewing some of the most notorious real-life serial killers in U.S. history, including Ed Kemper (Cameron Britton) and Richard Speck (Jack Erdie).
The perfect way to sum up the series might be this line from McCallany’s Tench to the higher-ups at the FBI when he defends Holden’s new way of thinking: “How do we get ahead of crazy if we don’t know how crazy thinks?” Tench asks.https://www.mensjournal.com/entertainment/holt-mccallany-having-career-moment-mindhunter-its-about-damn-time/ 

While I truly enjoyed the program what baffles me is why Netflix canceled it.  Netflix never shares viewer information.  Popularity is shared through word of mouth, or word of social media I should probably say. 

When researching why this show was dropped, I read this on Popculture - you can read the whole article by clicking on the link: 

For Netflix, there is more value in variety than longevity, argues Showbiz Cheat Sheet. The company keeps its subscribers hooked with a seemingly endless catalog, not by making them come back for the same show year after year. https://popculture.com/streaming/2019/08/10/why-netflix-keeps-canceling-their-shows/#5

The show is also set in the '70s which is a favorite time in my life and the clothes, music and social standards are all a joy for me to watch.  But there must be more than this because there was a series, HBO, I think, called Deuce.  Set in the same time frame but to me, it was an ugly, grimy portrayal of the times and I didn't like it.  

I kind of hate the fact that there are more really dumb shows out there on the channels I am paying for and then they cancel the ones I like.  Is it me?  Am I old and set in my ways?  Yes, probably.  If no one liked the show but me, why not say it was canceled for lack of an audience? That I could understand.  Frustration.  It is not just this show but the fact that I feel unappreciated and treated irresponsibly as a fan of and subscriber to Netflix.  

Just sayin' ....

What is a Bread Store? And does high fiber bread effect dogs?

Since some of you had never heard of a bread store, I thought I'd talk about it a little bit. 

My first experience with bread stores was in Alexandria, Louisiana.  There was a Bunny Bread bakery off the main drive.  The aroma floated for miles in all directions.  It really is true, there is nothing like the smell of fresh-baked bread.  There was a Bunny Bread Outlet in town but I never went there at the time. 

Go even further back in my history to somewhere between the age of 3-4.  After my parents got divorced we lived with my grandmother in a house not far from where I am now.  Across the street from that house was the Borden Milk Company.  I was fascinated as a child with the glass milk jugs (four in a crate) that came out of one opening in the building, followed the path on the conveyor belt to where the crates were loaded on Borden Milk trucks.  I don't know if these trucks were home delivery or being delivered to the stores but I do remember that we did get home delivery back then.  Because this was such a big and pleasant memory, I think my interest in company stores might have started here. 

To continue, my first experience with bread stores was not until much later.  I was quite a coupon cutter when my kids were little.  They thought it was great fun for us all to sit at the table and cut the coupons out of the Sunday handouts and loved to see how much we saved.  They were also great about taking a coupon for, say cereal, and searching the isle for the exact item.  Bless their little souls. 

Not until I had grandchildren did I discover my first bread store.  I took some side road one day and there it was,  a Mrs. Baird's outlet.  It smelled like there was a bakery behind the store but the smell was not as strong as the Bunny Bread in Alexandria.  One day I stopped and went in.  I was amazed at the number of foods that were there besides loaves of bread. 

Whenever I was in that area I would stop but it wasn't often.  However, the grandson loved going there so when we could, we would pick out those odds and ends of breakfast treats (honey bun, donuts, pies).  I never figured out the relationship of the bread store to the bakery.  Was it made on sight?  Was it day-old bread? Store returns?  I never thought to google it -- now, of course, I google everything. 

The Sunbeam Bread Store I go to now is easy to swing by on my usual routes.  I even stop there when I am on the way to my grocery if I'm low on bread.  I have never looked at the dates so I do not know if they are prior to or just past their sell-by date.  I know that I have been very happy with the bread.  It always seems fresh to me.  I usually buy three loaves at a time and immediately freeze them.  They are 75 cents a loaf with a 20 or 30% discount for seniors on Wednesday.  If you compare that to the $2.25 or so you pay for a loaf at the grocery that is quite a nice bit of change in my pocket. 

I do eat a lot of sandwiches just because they are easy.  Tuna, egg salad, and pimento cheese are my go-to.  I love pimento cheese on toast for breakfast.  Strange, I guess.  This may all come to an end with the Nutritionist/Diabetes Educator so I only picked up two this week - one white and one the mighty Nature's Own Life Double Fiber Wheat Bread.

By the way, when I looked for an image to share I found the Double Fiber for sale at $8.99 on one web site!  That really makes me feel like I've saved compared to my 75 cents purchase. 

Now, for the too-much-information part, Buddy usually eats some of the crust off my sandwiches.  So Buddy got to try the Double Fiber bread also.  Hahaha.  Three times on one walk yesterday and twice on one walk this morning.  Yep, it definitely works on dogs too.  So, no, I won't be feeding him any more crust bits of double fiber. 

Speaking of the goofball, I have been trying to teach him to roll over.  He HATES it.  He runs around in circles and barks at me.  I'm going to have to find a really good treat to convince him to try this trick. 

More later......

Dumb Things I Have Done Recently

There is a gremlin in my computer and I keep losing things I have typed.  First an Alien and then a Gremlin, time to call Ghost Busters! This all fits in with the comedy of errors happening to me. 

via https://www.stereogum.com/1885140/something-weird-indeed-the-music-of-ghostbusters/franchises/sounding-board/

-  You know that I listen to my tv through blue-tooth headphones.  I have more trouble hearing in rooms with hard floors, not carpet, or high ceilings.  Since I prefer hardwood floors this has been a real conundrum.  I do have carpet now but have continued to use my headphones to protect my neighbors from loud tv.  So when I set off to do chores the other day I still had my headphones on.  I got in my car. Drove around to the laundry.  I started loading my clothes in the washer and the headphones feel off on the floor when I bent over. Luckily there was no one else in the laundry to see this. I had also taken a bag of garbage to the container earlier that morning.  I can't don't know if I had them on then also. 

- No, that is not the only dumb move.  When I backed out of the non-parking place I had pulled in to by the laundry,  I thought I was ever so clever being able to pull in and then back my little Honda out between two telephone/utility poles.  When I walked back to my car after my last errand I saw scratched paint and then a long line of yellow paint on my bumper.  The pole I thought I had cleverly out-maneuvered was the winner in that little test.  My car is a 2006 and looks like it has been rode hard and put up wet, as we say in Texas, so a little yellow didn't really ruin it, but it hurt my feelings anyway. 

- I ordered my new glasses this week.  I wasn't particularly impressed with Warby Parker because I am used to the practice of having all these measurements taken when the order is placed.  They do not do that whole process there and I asked why.  Why did I even ask why when I knew it felt wrong and I was not going to be satisfied with the answer?  Then I remembered buying some glasses at Costco and they also did not perform the whole process and yet I was pleased with their glasses.  So, I placed my order based on their happiness guarantee.  We'll see.  I am not afraid of going back.  Hopefully, it will not be counted as one of those dumb things. 

- I buy most of my bread from the Bread Store that is near my house.  I forget which brand it is but I think Sunbeam.  The shelves were low on stock and my eyes wandered to the next shelf with Nature's Own bread.  With carb count in mind, I found that one variety had a few carbs less than the white bread I had been buying (I know.  I know.)  So I picked up a loaf of Nature's Own Double Fiber Wheat with 2x the fiber.  See where I am going?  I do like the taste of the bread but I did not realize what 2x the fiber would do to my digestion.  Let's just say I'm pretty clean these days.

I'll end here before all of the above disappears .....

How to Tell if Your Body Has Been Invaded by an Alien

Just how do you tell if your body has been invaded by an Alien?

When you start doing things YOU would never do.

Thursday I texted my son to tell him I was available if the Grand Girls wanted to come over.  (Doesn't that sentence sound strange even though my family lives by texts).

In order for the Girls to visit I had to put up Christmas which was boxed and just waiting on me.  In order to do that I had to clean out the closet which was half my storage and half Grand Girls storage area.  In order to do that I had to remove and repack a rolling cart that held their papers and craft supplies.  Then I had to move .... .  You get it.  I worked so hard I got overheated twice and had to sit down. 

It was like something crazy took over me and I had to keep moving, changing, reboxing, and recycling anything and everything in there.  I was possessed by an Alien from the Planet of Declutter.

Can you imagine what your life would be like if you didn't have a dedicated place to put Christmas away?  Maybe an Alien would invade you too.

After I recovered from that, I heard the warnings about the terrible weather reported to be heading our way so I removed my planters from the balcony rail and sat them all securely on the balcony floor. They are pretty heavy since I put some pea gravel in the drain chambers on each long side of the planter.  I made them just heavy enough that I could lift but weighty enough not to fall off and land on another resident.  LOL.

This picture is pretty fuzzy but it gives you an idea of how long and thick the flowers had grown.  When I was pulling one of the planters up the green and purple wandering jew got caught in the trellis and literally pulled the whole section of wandering jew out.  It really hurt my heart.  I collected the two feet of flowers and stems and soaked it in a bucket until I could decide what to do.  

I recently picked up a nice large vase that I had intended to use as a beta aquarium.  This morning I decided I had to do something about the whole plant situation.  After I returned all the planters to balcony rail since the bad weather has not arrived (knock wood.  please don't make me get up at 3:00 in the morning to move the planters because the weather has finally blown in.)  

Then I took the large vase intended for a beta and started separating stems, removing dead leaves and ends, and prepared my poor wandering jew for a life as a water growing plant.  I placed the vase on the buffet which gets plenty of light from the window.  There is a good chance it could prosper there.  I'll post a picture as soon as I can tell if the plants will live or if they will be replanted into something else.   

More later ....

Four Days of Walking does not a new exercise routine make

I'm having brain fog today so this will be short and sweet. 

Buddy and I have been taking extended walks for the last four days.  Now a Buddy Walk is not fast so the amount of calories burned is minimal but it is good for my hip joints to be moving.

I'm still sleeping nights and have accomplished much this week.  Finally went to take my blood test after the Doctor called and left a nagging message.  I was supposed to go last Thursday or Friday but I was waking up at 3 am then and could not go that long with eating.  Anyway, mission accomplished. 

I also went to the eye doctor and got my new prescription.  I am happy to announce that my eyes are free of any diabetic damage.  So thankful.  Since the cataract surgery this summer I have had terrific distance vision and almost nonexistent close-up reading.  She knows I am retired (insert and poor) so she recommended I go without any glasses by using cheaters for reading.  Now those of you who have problems with your close-up vision whether naturally or after cataract surgery, know what a pain finding and/or putting on your cheaters is.  I have decided that I will get the prescription with the close-up and something she added to distance for driving at night.  Money is tight now so maybe next month. 

And if that wasn't enough, I have emailed with the nutritionist/diabetes educator several times and she will help me set up my meal plans.  I laughed when I had to tell her that I don't like to cook, can't afford much in groceries and it all has to fall in line with my diabetic restrictions.  Hahaha.  She'll be earning her money.  My appointment is something like Jan. 24.  She must be good if she is booked up till then. 

More later.....

My Very Own Cindy Lou Who

We had our Family Christmas with the Grand Girls yesterday.  They have been out of town all this time so it was a nice low-pressure meal and presents with the family.  I had to share this one part:

My very own Cindy Lou Who

The DIL used thin pieces of wire to curl the youngest Grand Girls braids up like the cartoon.  

My DIL's family call their after-Christmas Christmas Parties "Grinch Christmas Party".  I'm not sure what the background story is but the kids loved the idea and fun was had by all.  Here is the fireplace decoration.  So cute.  

I have more to share but it will have to wait until the next post.  .....

New Year. New Me by FaceApp.

This is me but it is absolutely not what I look like.  My DIL turned me on to a phone app called "FaceApp".  If you'll remember she hosted Thanksgiving this year and bless her heart didn't put on makeup when she prefers to look all dolled up.  She didn't want me to post photos of her to Facebook without her makeup so she told me about this app and improved her naked face pictures before they were posted.  It costs about $20 a year although there is a free version with fewer options.

I picked this picture of me because it is a full-face photo.  It was neither a good picture nor a bad picture to start off with.  Just a picture of somebody's nearly 70-year-old grandmother.

For one thing, I had it draw a smile on me.  My lips have disappeared in my old age.  I think they fell down under my chin and helped form my double chin.

I also had it put eye makeup on my eyes which is something I only do on special occasions - like if I know there will be picture taking - and color on my poor eyebrows which now have equal numbers of white and brown hairs.

I'm not sure what it did to my face color but does tend to look healthier.  It was fun playing with all the options.  Hahaha.  So funny.

More later.  Off to Christmas with the Grand Girls who have finally come back to town. 

And a Happy New Year to You

We had gorgeous weather for Christmas and I was so happy for the young Jedis, new bike riders, skateboarders or whatever else the kids were into this Christmas.  The weather has continued to be beautiful, or slightly rainy, or slightly muggy.  Perfect for sending those young 'uns to play outside - that is if they even get to go outside in your area.  Speaking of Jedis, have you seen the commercial with the young girl that has her hair in the three knots and jedi costume where she tries to turn the fridge water off or washer on with her jedi powers?  Precious. 

I wanted to stay up and see the fireworks New Year as we have a great display over the bayou but I didn't make it since I am sleeping early afternoon to early am these days.  The good thing is that my sister gets up very early so we are able to talk yesterday around 4 am and it was good to have a catch-up.  

I had my appointment with the endocrinologist and my blood sugar (A1C) has dropped a whole point.  I told you I had taken it in hand and decided to treat myself according to what my body told me. I guess I did pretty good.  I'm not recommending this habit to anyone else. However, I am encouraged and have contacted a nutritionist/diabetic educator who takes Medicare. So exciting.  She hasn't contacted me back but I'm going to try her once, at least.  

There is a health club near me that has a pool and I have talked with them once about joining but wanted to be sure before I signed on the dotted line.  I'm only going for the water aerobics, at first, anyway.  The problem is my energy level.  Many days I can only make it from the bed to the couch.  Something about the sugar in your bloodstream being converted to energy.  I guess with my bouncing sugar levels the energy comes and goes.  So will I have the stick-to-it-ness to make a go off it.  I'm really thinking about trying it.  The good thing about this gym is that they are open crazy hours - very early and very late for the young professionals.  So I thought that might work with my crazy sleep schedule.  

Like all things involved in my diabetic lifestyle, the nutritionist and gym take money.  The money is well spent if I take it to heart, wasted if I don't.  

I'm feeling chipper today whereas yesterday while talking to my sister on the phone I could barely make sentences.  Dadgummit.  I'll be really mad if my mind goes after I've spent the money to make my body healthier.  Hahaha.  Seriously, the New Year is starting off great.  I hope yours feels just as hopeful.  

More later.  

The Two Popes and Holiday Calm

I watched The Two Popes on Netflix today.  First, let me say I am not Catholic so my views on this movie and the Catholic doctrine are simply those of a movie watcher. 

I thought the acting, the script, and the movie, in general, were great.  There couldn't have been two better actors chosen.  The idea I got was that the Old Pope was strictly by the book and the New Pope was we have to come around to the world our people are living in.  From my view, it seems the Catholic Church has been struggling with that for a long time.  In fact, from my view, it seems the whole world is struggling with this and I believe many of the ideas espoused by the New Pope were absolutely on point.  However, it was a movie and I don't know how much of the dialogue was close to the actual words or thoughts of each priest.  I'll just say I really enjoyed it. 

I have an appointment with the endocrinologist tomorrow.  Happy New Year's Eve to me.  She had her office barraging me with phone calls to come in.  I only agreed because I was almost out of insulin and knew she would not refill it without my coming in.  Hahaha.  I'm getting really tired of these doctors not refilling my medicine unless I come in.  My GP upped one of my prescriptions and wouldn't refill this month so I'm just going to take the stash of drugs I had from before she upped my prescription.  I'm sure you are going through something similar.  If politicians want to complain about the cost of Medicare than they should tell the physicians not to force us to come in every three months and bill Medicare a small fortune.  I appreciate the hell out of Medicare but I wouldn't go in so often if I was paying for it so I don't want to waste Medicare's money either. 

Aside from the doctors' offices nagging me, I have had a calm and enjoyable Christmas - mostly at home and mostly alone.  The main reason for that is, of course, my sleep schedule.  Not too many friends and family awake to talk to at 3:00 in the morning!  I have New Year's Day at my Sister's and then Girl's Christmas that weekend.  I hope to be awake for both of those events.  My son and daughter are buying me new glasses for my Christmas present, but again my eye doctor is not open at 3:00 in the morning.  I'll get it done soon I hope. 

More later.....

Hahaha

Nothing new.  Just a laugh.

A sure sign that you are overstressed this Christmas. 

Change to Comments

I've changed my comment mode to pop-up window.  I am getting lots of comments held on blogger for moderation and I am no longer notified like I used to be.  I've heard others of you comment on the same thing.  I've never used pop-up before so I'll just see how it goes.

My Christmas is going well aside from the fact that I am sleeping days again and that is causing so many problems. 

Since it is dark so early and Buddy's last walk is sometime between dusk and dark, I have made it an event to walk around and look at Christmas lights.  I love these old Victorian homes and the colored lights and decorations makes them even more special.  I've taken several selfies in front of the houses. None are good quality but I wanted to remember this so I would do it again next year.
I'll share one next time. 

Throwback: Youngest Grand wearing the pink wig

my daughter wore to the Pink Concert.

My youngest sister and her husband are coming to town on the 21st.  We are meeting at the Mexican restaurant in the neighborhood where we grew up.  My son and family will be out of town and several others are on standby.  It is a big noisy restaurant so it will be fun.  

I am truly enjoying this Holiday Season because I have made myself slow down and enjoy each little event as something special.  We get so used to big parties and large family celebrations that we sometimes forget to enjoy the little things.  I hope you are enjoying your big and little things. 

More later .... 

Something to Laugh About

Just a few smiles to share with you. 

My Son.  What a great Dad playing with the Girls.

I just love this.

I might just be in the mood to laugh but

this tickles my funny bone. 

This was probably posted for Pearl Harbor Day and I just now saw it. My Dad would have so loved this.  He was there when they took the picture.

And finally me a couple of years ago.  The little Girls must have been over because we always put on costumes.  I can guess when it was by the glasses I am wearing.  Do you tell your age in pictures by your eyeglasses?  

More later.... 

Mid-Month Wrap Up

 

I am having a lovely quiet December so far.  The house is decorated with odds and ends of decorations I picked up from the Thrift store.  I knew my daughter would be out of town for Thanksgiving which is when we usually pull out the decorations and since we combined households, our decorations are boxed together and I didn't feel like taking that task on alone.  So I started gathering odds and ends at the Thrift store that were Very inexpensive and I ended up with a nice little collection of used decorations to go with the few new items I had purchased at Michaels and Joann's when they had good coupons going.  One of the great things about being retired is that you can go to Michaels or other stores in the middle of the day when there are just a few people.  

We are doing Family Christmas on January 4 which is when all the children will be back from other parents' houses and my Daughter's Partner's Son will moving in with them permanently.  

I've spent a bit of time reflecting on the changes going on in my family.  I feel like I'm living through the "empty nest syndrome" again.  I remember that strange feeling when each of my children left home.  I'm glad they have each found a partner, a family and happiness but I do feel like there is something missing from my life when I don't see or hear from them constantly.  Even the Grand Girls are seeing their Mother every other weekend since Son has taken her back to court for custody.  That used to be my time.  I purchased lots of crafts and books to share with them over Thanksgiving and Christmas but their time was booked up.  Of course, having more time with their Mom and the other weekends spent as a family unit with Dad and Girlfriend (I am going to start calling her DIL to make it simple) and her kids is a really good situation.  My son has always been the "let's grab up all the kids and do something" kind of person.  I'm sure I'll see the Girls more when the court battle is over and the holidays are behind us.  

The most negative thing in my life, and I have to confess I am quite worried, is the periodontal disease that is eating my gums away.  I did not know until recently that uncontrolled sugar in the saliva from diabetes makes gum disease quite serious.  I have avoided the dentist since Medicare does not pay for it but I'm running out of time.  I need to research and see if the periodontist might be covered.  Does anyone know?  Maybe since it is caused by the diabetes I can get some coverage.  You've got to be willing to research when it comes to diabetes.  

I have all the strangest ailments from diabetes!  I guess it is better than having heart or circulatory problems.  There is always a silver lining and that's mine.  

I hope you are all enjoying this mid-month December except for Margaret, Peggy, Peg who doesn't have a chance in H#%% of having fun.  We are all thinking of you Margaret. 

More later. 

Thanksgiving Follow-Up

My Thanksgiving with my family was wonderful.  My sister, her family of five and I were hosted by my Son and his Girlfriend and it was so lovely.   Girlfriend is a wonderful addition to our family and really put on a feast.  Their house was big enough to hold us all and her mother was there and I just loved her too. 

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday.  Food, family, and lots of laughs.  No worry about gifts or money.  Just make a couple of dishes and come on. 

My sister usually hosts Thanksgiving and we have a few basic we always have with a few new and bring different sides to try out.  Girlfriend made dressing from her Grandmother's recipe and made mashed potatoes instead of sweet potatoes. Girlfriend also made sweet potato cookies which was their preference over pie so I brought pecan and sweet potato pies as well as chocolate brownies - not Thanksgivingy - but I have to have chocolate. 

Girlfriend's dressing and mashed potatoes were delicious and a definite for Thanksgivings to come.  Bless her heart, it was her first time to cook for a dozen and she wore herself out.  I don't think I could cook for that many anymore. 

I did fairly well on how much I ate but my blood sugar still went through the roof so I went home and napped and hence the previous Buddy napping post.

I usually make a little video with all the Thanksgiving day photographs but my flash was turned off and many of my photos were too dark.  Here is the Son and I taken outside. 

As Margaret mentioned in her post the Father/Son french commercial really makes my day so I had downloaded the song, Come and Get Your Love by Redbone, to add to my video but, alas, it was not to be.  You may just have to wait for the Christmas video to get the Miller version of that song/commercial.

More later ....

Buddy says there is nothing like a good nap after Thanksgiving Dinner.

Hey folks.  Just checking in.  A cold front is on its way and the wind is blowing beautiful leaves all over the place.  It looks like an animated scene you'd see on the internet as the leaves toss and turn in the wind.  It was lovely.  I'm still in shorts.  Been so for a couple of days.  But the long pants are out of storage until next Spring as the cold temps will come and go until then. 

Big plans for Thanksgiving at Son's house.  My Sister and her crew who usually host most holidays will be coming as well as DIL's mother who I have not met.  Grandson, who I have not seen since he got his own apartment will be there!  So excited to see him.  Grand Girls will be home for Thanksgiving but gone for Christmas.  DIL's sons are the opposite and I think DIL is planning an after Christmas Christmas for when the girls get home. 

I had a doctor's appointment yesterday with the young female doctor I like so I could get my happy pills refilled.  I have issues with anxiety, startle response and claustrophobia.  Ever been stuck in traffic and had claustrophobia?  You want to jump out of the car and run down the road like Godzilla is coming after you.  She said my blood pressure was high again and upped my medicine again.  My sugar was pretty decent for me the last couple of days but my energy was really dragging.  I didn't even think to check my blood pressure.  What do you do if your blood pressure is high?  It is not like sugar levels where you can take a shot to bring it down.  Brother, life sure is complicated sometimes. 

Has anyone watched Mandalorian on the new Disney plus channel?  I won't spoil it for anyone but I thought it was excellent if you are a Star Wars fan. 

I read this when the last cold front came through recently.  I thought the early winter was all in my mind but I guess not. 

With clouds and rain Thursday, we managed to only hit 48° for a high temperature. That was the third consecutive day of Houston not getting above 50°. When is the last time that occurred in November? That would be November 27 to 30, 1952.

1952 was a long time ago.  Just look on a drop-down menu.  It's way down there.  Hahaha.

More later ...

Kayne West and Joel Osteen

I'm sure most of you have heard of Joel Osteen and Lakewood Church which is here in Houston.  I have never been to a service there but went many times before the Church bought it when it was an entertainment venue.  I'm sure most of you have heard of Kayne West and his Sunday Services and his new album, Jesus is King.  In the various newsfeeds, I read there is always something about Kayne or Kim Kardashian so I see just the blurbs.

At any rate, I pulled up Youtube yesterday to see what the bruha was about.  Well, I nearly died when Kayne told Joel and the audience not to say anything because he was all about a stream of consciousness and comments - like Amen - caused him to lose his stream.  Who tells Joel to be quiet at his own service?

I also thought it was interesting that Joel stood right next to Kayne on the stage.  I wondered if it was to grab the mike from him if he went off on some tangent!  Truthfully I only listened for about 3 minutes.  Ok, maybe seconds.  Kayne sounded so much like Muhammed Ali saying I am the greatest.  Maybe it's an act or maybe he believes it, I don't know.  I'm afraid I don't keep up with the young people's music anymore. 

I think maybe he has an attention disorder in which he gets easily distracted.  I had a friend once that couldn't have the tv on while trying to talk.  Maybe that but then again, I've never been on a stage in front of gazillions of people so who am I to judge?

I guess my take would be that I'd rather see him dedicate himself to religion than of the other paths music stars might follow.  I've also read that he dictated that his young daughter would no longer wear makeup.  Hum.  Then how is going to handle naked pictures of his wife being shared with the world?  Now that, I think, will cause a big bruhaha.  We'll see. 

Hahaha.  Just my own version of stream of consciousness.

More later ...

What is your best time of day?

Author Elizabeth Gilbert on time management:

“If you’ve reached a certain age then you know what works for you. You should know by this point in your life what time of day you’re 'good' — like what time of day is your brain at its best. Because the reality is we all get, maybe, two good hours a day where we actually feel awake and alert.

"And the big, important question is: Who currently gets that time from you. The best time from your brain every day—who or what currently gets that? And would you be willing to take it back so that it’s yours and then give the world the 'second-rate' version of you (which is the other 22 hours of the day)…"

This was a clip from JamesClear.com.  I couldn't find the link back to where he got it but you can find Elizabeth Gilbert (author of Eat, Pray, Love) at https://armchairexpertpod.com/.

As I've mentioned before, I am an avid audiobook listener.  I have Overdrive on my old phone.  I can access my library through Overdrive and listen to and place on hold any book that interests me for free.  I could also ebook it but I haven't gotten to that yet.

So back to the article.  I remember when I worked.  The starting time was usually 8 to 8:30.  Like the song, I would stumble to my desk and grab that cup of coffee before my brain kicked in (Working 9 to 5).  While I was drinking coffee, I would read my emails from the boss - as emails from him were either information to know or tasks to perform.  With that information in hand, I would review the work for the day and separate it into groupings and by 10:00 I was at peak performance.   I can still remember that feeling of being ready and really hitting it.  Such good memories.

My daughter sent me a picture of her cubicle from her new law office and it made me so nostalgic - but not nostalgic enough to go back to work.  Hahaha.

And just a little humor to close. 

More later ...

Hunkered Down

Anytime it is sweater weather here it might as well be -20.  Hahaha.  Little Buddy and I are hunkered down.

I covered my plants on the balcony but the wind blew the cover off and it's looking pretty sad.  Here is before.  

Memories.  Light the corners of my mind.  (The Way We Were) And, I'm afraid that's all that will be left.  

More later.