When Life Gives You Beautiful Lemons

Make lemon cubes  in ice cube trays. Aren't these the most beautiful lemons? I could not pass them up in the store.  And, at $2.99 for a 2 pound bag it would have been so foolish. That price is a lot better than 2 lemons for $1.00!!!

 

A lot of the recipes that I have been looking at lately ask for fresh squeezed lemon juice. And, I like the added flavor it gives to the food.  Tonight I will be having white fish baked in white wine, mushrooms, green onions, salt and pepper and a splash of lemon juice. No recipe, just fixing as I go.  At least that is what I think I will do.

I have had this juicer for many years. It isn't something that I use often. But, it sure is nice to have  when I want to make fresh squeezed orange juice for breakfast which is something I like to do when I can get nice "juice oranges". It is a nice size juicer and it does a great job.

There is a little more than 1  1/2 cups pure lemon juice. And, no seeds because they are in the strainer at the top of the juicer.

And, now I will have 16 cubes (2 in another tray) that are approximately 2 tablespoons each.  When they are frozen I will take them out of the trays and put them in a freezer bag. They will be ready whenever I need lemon juice. How great is that?

 

Even though I have an automatic ice maker in my freezer, I have kept the trays for this sort of thing. Every once in a while I use them for something and it reminds me why I kept them!

Hope you are having a Sunshiny Day. The lemons make me think of sunshine. 

My Bluebird Returns

The reality is that he never left.

But, was sitting nearby waiting for me to learn some new lessons that would make me a stronger, healthier person.  It is a nice refresher lesson to know that Happiness is so close if we just pay attention. Getting caught up in destructive behaviors serves no value but if we learn something helpful it is less painful. 

Listen! I think I can hear him singing!

We have had a couple beautiful sunny days.  I was out  'n' about and it was in the high seventies.  The Quince is blooming. Fabulous!

If interested, this is a little story about my tattoo ~ Hello Bluebird.

Mindy Came To Play And Hookie Business

What a fun Saturday evening. Lily had a visitor and I had a "doggie sitting" job while the parents were out for the evening. The best descriptor for the evening would be PLAY, PLAY and some more PLAY.  Wow, would I ever like some of that energy and stamina. And - - - then they fell asleep. But - - - not for long! I am surprised I could get these photos because these two little girls can move fast.

Since I am way overdue to enjoy some "hookie business", it was time to retrieve my Stripey Blanket from the deep recesses of my craft room and "get to hookin"! Oh, was I ever feeling excited with all those bright colors draped across my lap just saying "hold me - hold me". So much joy in the fact that I was doing something again that I really enjoy and that I have missed for way to0 long.

I am not caring much for the borders that I have already tried, so I am going to take a another look at these books for ideas.

And, after the border or intermittently while I do the border, I must start weaving in all the ends! As you know it is a rather mindless activity that can seem like it goes on forever. But perhaps, that is good for me at this time of decompression from the recent past super challenges. 

I hope you are having a Fabulous Day.



Is Something Burning

My laptop may be - - - -

 The hard drive may have crashed and burned! 

Please tell me it isn't so.

Don't you just hate that black screen?

                     I clearly need help!

Please send the Doctor - - -

For the past six weeks I have periodically been working (tinkering) on my laptop trying to get it in working order. I may have just dug myself a deeper hole. I have no idea what to do at this point. I guess it will just have to sit until I can get some professional help. And, I don't know when my budget will permit it.

It is so grand that I have the desktop computer which makes all this less painful.

Send out the fairies with some "fix it" fairy dust!

And, be kind to your computer.

Note: Does this post look like I have too much time on my hands? I don't ~ just having fun!

If Nothing Ever Changed There'd Be No Butterflies

I see the Butterflies. And, what a good feeling. I have started to "re-enter society" and WOW! The love I have received is making me feel breathless.

My stomach issues are healing and my body and mind have returned to a place of peacefulness and calm. I have been able to discontinue one of the medications that the Gastroenterologist prescribed. My healthy dietary regime has made a huge improvement in my overall health.

I am so happy to tell you that my epidural injections have continued to give me relief from the nerve pain (which is different from other pain) in my left leg. Occasionally, when I get up in the morning I feel some familiar unwanted sensations but it is minimal and soon disappears. It has been five weeks and what a difference it has made in my life. Along with all the other good changes in my life the absence of nerve pain is really "the frosting on the cake". I continue to experience periodic back pain but it is very tolerable.

I am continually assessing what I will do with my gardening when the season changes. Generally, I would be getting anxious to get out there and "get to work". It really isn't the work that excites me but the RESULT of my efforts. In addition, the WONDERFUL SUNSHINE has always been a magnet and eases Seasonal Affective Disorder. However, since the large diseased oak tree outside my living room window was removed I have felt profoundly better than in the past. The additional natural light in my house has been a great blessing. 

It is nice that I have documented my previous gardens with photos and I can revisit "my garden" any time I wish.
 

Watch Carefully ~~~ You may see some butterflies! 

Fear Not

So, so many changes in my life. When I saw this charming little picture in blogland it really struck me in a way that it never would have in the years past. It is so great to have freedom to maintain my home and myself as well as come and go as I wish without constant questions!  However, I will always welcome healthy attention and sharing. 

I am feeling so good even though there is a long list of projects that need attention. And, that list includes repairing the kitchen sink reverse-osmosis water filtration system. Annoyingly, it hasn't been working for the past two years.

The front and back door need to be painted because Lily tends to scratch when she wants to come in. Because I did not start her with the pet door when she was very young she has a big aversion to it. One reason may be that it is spring-loaded. However, I recently removed the spring mechanism but it hasn't changed her behavior. I guess this shows how important "early training" can be!

With this cold weather that we are having at the present, I am constantly reminded that the weather stripping/insulation on the doors need to be installed. However, I would like to paint the door frames and doors before putting the weather stripping on. The weather prediction includes snow.

Those seem to be the most urgent tasks. And, of course, the under-cabinet kitchen fixture takes priority.

And, then there are the fun projects (sewing, knitting, crocheting, thrifting, home decor, crafting, cooking and baking) that I am eager to pursue again on a regular basis.

LILY UPDATE: She has resumed her Happy-Healthy behavior and personality. We are blessed.

Take Good Care of Yourself and Others.

I Love My Under Cabinet Light Fixtures

But, look what has happened. Firstly, when I turned on the coffee maker it would not work and I thought the coffee maker was broken which did not make me very happy since it is relatively new. However, the light on the fixture was working. For the past two days I have heard a sound (that I didn't like) when I turned the coffee maker on.

After determining that the coffee maker was not the problem (I plugged it into another outlet) and came to realize it was something different.

In my typical fashion, I started taking the light fixture apart. And, that is when I found the burned wires. At that time, I thought "This is the time to turn the power off". And, I will - when I decide to move forward and fix the "darn thing". Lately, I have to "be in the mood" before I tackle this kind of a problem. It falls into the same category as the computer repair!

So, that is where I am with this problem. And, I hope within a few days it will be put back together and work and look like new.

GOOD NEWS - GOOD NEWS!  Lily is showing signs of improved health, even though during the night she felt like she had a fever! She is not totally back to her usual happy, playful health, but I trust she will get there soon, maybe tomorrow. Thank you for your concern and good wishes. See - - - it alway helps!

Hug your pets today - - - and everyday. 

I Have A Sick Doggie

And, it worries me. Lily is "my everything". She didn't want to get our of bed this morning. I went in to talk with her frequently and she did not want to move. At 11 AM I picked her up and she was very lethargic and gave a little whimper and was quivering a little bit. I checked her hips and legs for pain issues and everything checked out OK. I took her outside and she "piddled" without problems. She walked very very slowly and just stood and didn't want to move anymore. I put her on the sofa and I will be watching her carefully. This is so out of character for Lily. Generally, she is full of energy!

Let's hope it is just an upset tummy and nothing more. It is now 5 PM and she is still about the same. Please send happy get well wishes to my sweetie. Hopefully, she will be her "old self" in the morning!

I Miss My Neighborhood Friend

I sure miss my close friend who is battling Cancer. She is away at her daughter's house and will receive her fourth and last chemotherapy on Monday. She has been quite ill following the previous treatments. It is always so sad. Soon after the first treatment, she lost all of her hair. She had beautiful hair and I know it will grow back. She may be having another surgery (additional lymph node dissection of axilla, shoulder blade and neck) before the radiation treatments. Lymphedema developed following the first surgery. She has a rough road ahead, but she is a FIGHTER.  And, that is what it takes. OH, I Miss Her.

She is the friend that usually takes care of Lily if I am away. She absolutely adores Lily and treats her like a little princess! She is such a good friend!

Get well my friend. We are all behind you.

Happy Computing

I did it ~ I did it!

I am so happy with my efforts in fixing the issues I have been troubled with on my Blog. The right sidebar no longer has big spaces between the elements. The issue seems to have been the use of "text widgets".  I am certainly no expert on these matters so that is all I will say.

And, then somehow I remedied the issue with the photo links on the sidebars not opening. All I'll say is that it had something to do with "robot.txt." which can disallow some processes.

NOW, I hope I can fix some issues with my Laptop that have rendered it almost useless! But, that will have to wait for another day. I can only take so much of this tedious stuff and then I must walk away from it!

Wishing you a Day Free Of Computer Problems. 

A Sweet Little Surprise

Remember these cookies that I made a week or so ago for the Heavenly Chocolate Festival at my church. As I said, I did not take a photo of the presentation  before I took them to the church. I wrapped them in pretty Valentine's cellophane with a big red bow. Since I did not attend the event, I did not realize that they were taking a vote on the many "goodies" that were brought for the event.  They had a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winner along with 10 Honorable Mention winners. AND, I was one of the Honorable Mention!

It's really not a big deal - really.  But, when I read the email  I was totally surprised. During this challenging time that I am going through it was a very nice little piece of sweetness to be recognized in this way.

I hope you are having a SWEET DAY.

Computer Problems

Why - Why - Why? That sounds like figure skater, Nancy Kerrigan back in the 1994 Olympics scandal! Those three words have come to my mind several times during the past few weeks. It's one thing to have stress in your life but it is another thing to add the stress of computer problems. I certainly do NOT have the patience for this right now. And, I have a headache!

My laptop is almost useless at the present. It seems as though most of the issues involve the new Blogger interface that does not want to work with my browser. Many of us that use Blogger have experienced periodic annoying problems. Since I am a self taught blogger with a big curiosity, I often get myself into situations that take me a lot of time to resolve. For me, it is very helpful to have a desktop computer as well as the laptop. Often, I can ask google or other search engines a question that help me to fix the other computer. I really am NOT in the mood for this! I know my computers need to be tuned up. I wish I could call my computer tech.

Another issue I have had for the longest time is my design template. I can not seem to get rid of the gaps of space in my right sidebar between a couple widgets. Drag and drop refuses to fix it. I believe the issue is in the HTML and with my state of mind I do not think "tinkering" with that is a wise thing to do at this time. I am afraid it could cause me to take a walk out to the garage and get a HAMMER! Yes, you heard me right. Given that I usually am a very calm person that tries to resolve "things" in a kind and logical manner, this is not good! I think it would be good for me to go somewhere and MEDITATE!

Oh, HAPPY DAY.

Looks Good And Is Good

Yummy, yummy home cooked food. Nothing fancy, just good cooking and good flavors. I am really enjoying cooking again. And, cooking healthy food is more important now, than ever in the past. As Ricky Gervais said on the Pierce Morgan show,  "Life is good and I don't want to blow it".

Now, don't get me wrong. I love food ~ pretty much ~~~ all food and especially desserts. And, you can't go wrong if it's chocolate! 

This is what I came up with for dinner. No recipe, just some of this and some of that.

 

Now, don't misunderstand me. Restaurant food can be "mind blowing". But, moderation is important. And, given the expense of eating out in these recessionary times, I would like to think of "dinner out" as a special treat! Actually, that is how I have always thought about eating out unless it is a quick pickup.

During these times, there are so many people that can use some help. And, I wish there was more that I could do. It just doesn't feel right to spend money frivolously for self gratification, indulgence and exhibition on a regular/daily basis! It seems rather hedonistic. I have always felt this way and I guess I will never change that attitude.

Perhaps, I can return to some charity knitting/crocheting. I'm going to think about that. 

Help someone today, if you can. Even a "kind word" can be a huge gift for someone in need!

It's A New Day

And, what could be better. Oh, I guess if you are still working  ~  Friday would be better. Isn't retirement grand?

The week-end was challenging for me to stay focused on the present. So, I vow to do better today. It makes such a difference for my well being if I don't get "crazy in my head".  It usually occurs  if I start talking to friends (which are wonderful) about what has been going on. I know some of that is necessary for healing but it is time for me to put myself in high gear and get on with life.  After all, this wasn't my "first rodeo".

I know I have to gradually pursue more physically active activities.  I am still ecstatic that the nerve pain in my leg is almost non-existent. I will have to make some decisions about what I am going to do regarding gardening and some of the other physically intense activities that I have trid to do for so long. Even though I always tried to pace myself, It may be wise to try to make some more changes. I love my garden so much and I know it will be difficult to let it fall into disarray. If my budget wasn't so restrictive I would not have any concerns and I would promptly hire help. Actually, I could use a cleaning lady, too.

Well, it is time to make breakfast - a healthy breakfast. Maybe chopped fresh fruit and greek yogurt. Sounds pretty good to me. Wish you could join me.

Take Good Care of yourself today.