I didn't actually see the owl, but, over the din of the early-morning traffic, I could hear him clearly and close-by. I don't know what could possibly be more wonderful than awakening to the sound of an owl.
The day has been good. We began it with Wii Zumba in the Cactus Room, followed by breakfast and then exercise with Greg, a personal trainer who comes to our park and does a class involving strength and balance. I've come to the conclusion that, as we progress through life, if we don't work on strength, we lose what we have had. I surely don't want to lose what strength I have. Balance is another thing that we need to work on -- yes, you! I'm doing far better with both strength and balance since I've been going to Greg's class.
Jack and I went to the U of A campus today and took the shuttle to the bookstore and the Union Building. It's weird to be right in the same town with this great resource and not to explore it. So we explored a bit. It feels funny to feel so.... elderly... in the midst of all of the fresh-faced youth. We still had a good time, though.
I got my tablet hooked up to my laptop, and I played around a little with Photoshop yesterday. It felt good! Nothing worth sharing. ;)
Jack's banging around outside, working on some drawers for his closet. I think that he'd go crazy without some home-improvement project. I'm happy with my little hobbies -- my exercise, puzzles, games, art, music, and occasional cooking. Well, ok, I love home-improvement projects, too!
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Keeping Busy
I've been keeping quite busy in Tucson this fall, and things don't show any signs of letting up. The first phase of the construction project of Jack's cottage is coming close to a finish. He has the skirting and deck done, lighting for the outside, and a massive amount of interior remodeling. And he's moved in! He is enjoying the huge kitchen (huge for a 400 square foot place) and his fireplace. I'm enjoying the convenience of having him right next door!
What remains to be done? We are going to be building him a shed for his tools. Then we'll move his tools out of my #2 shed, tear down my #2 shed and build me a new one. Then my #1 shed will be taken out and sold. Landscaping of our "back 40" and of Jack's front "yard" will be projects for the rest of the winter, and maybe next year too!
We have been involved in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, associated with the U of A, participating in some interesting discussion groups, and going to dinners and parties. It's a fun group, and we're learning things. Classes we've been in have included "Rethinking Christianity"; "Marijuana: Wicked or Wonderful?"; "Exploring Tucson Theater"; "National Security Concerns"; and a group discussing cybercrime and hackers.
We have kept culturally alive by going to a play at U of A, seeing some performances of Arizona Symphonic Winds, and I'm in two choirs -- our church choir and the Tanque Verde Valley Singers. The latter is a group that convenes once a week to rehearse, and then does two holiday concerts in December.
Healthwise, we're hanging in. Jack was experiencing dizziness, along with a couple of passing-out episodes. Finally we had this diagnosed as an arrhythmia, which he's had corrected with a pacemaker. He had that put in just 2 weeks ago. He is just about up to speed now, although he's had to have a couple of tweaks and had his meds adjusted too.
We are exercising daily, doing walking or Wii Zumba, which we discovered that we both love. I got the latest edition -- Zumba Core, and we alternate between Zumba 2 and Core. It is a really great workout.
My weight has remained constant, which is a real source of pride and joy for me. After all the years of ups and downs, it's great to feel like I have a real handle on it. It's so exciting to finally know the secret to keeping it off. :)
Mary, Jack's Mom, had another bout of pneumonia, another hospitalization, and she got out just in time for the Thanksgiving Champagne Brunch at Broadway Proper. I hate to think of what would have happened to the doctors and nurses, had they decided to keep her another day.
Today Jack is baking his most delicious chocolate chip zucchini bread and I'm taking it easy, doing the puzzles from the AZ Daily Star, catching up on email, and ... this is the biggie: I finally spent my accumulated points from my bank's points program. They have discontinued it, and I had till the end of 2012 to cash them in. I chose gift cards for fun places. :) They will send them to me in a couple of weeks. I'm stoked.
What remains to be done? We are going to be building him a shed for his tools. Then we'll move his tools out of my #2 shed, tear down my #2 shed and build me a new one. Then my #1 shed will be taken out and sold. Landscaping of our "back 40" and of Jack's front "yard" will be projects for the rest of the winter, and maybe next year too!
We have been involved in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, associated with the U of A, participating in some interesting discussion groups, and going to dinners and parties. It's a fun group, and we're learning things. Classes we've been in have included "Rethinking Christianity"; "Marijuana: Wicked or Wonderful?"; "Exploring Tucson Theater"; "National Security Concerns"; and a group discussing cybercrime and hackers.
We have kept culturally alive by going to a play at U of A, seeing some performances of Arizona Symphonic Winds, and I'm in two choirs -- our church choir and the Tanque Verde Valley Singers. The latter is a group that convenes once a week to rehearse, and then does two holiday concerts in December.
Healthwise, we're hanging in. Jack was experiencing dizziness, along with a couple of passing-out episodes. Finally we had this diagnosed as an arrhythmia, which he's had corrected with a pacemaker. He had that put in just 2 weeks ago. He is just about up to speed now, although he's had to have a couple of tweaks and had his meds adjusted too.
We are exercising daily, doing walking or Wii Zumba, which we discovered that we both love. I got the latest edition -- Zumba Core, and we alternate between Zumba 2 and Core. It is a really great workout.
My weight has remained constant, which is a real source of pride and joy for me. After all the years of ups and downs, it's great to feel like I have a real handle on it. It's so exciting to finally know the secret to keeping it off. :)
Mary, Jack's Mom, had another bout of pneumonia, another hospitalization, and she got out just in time for the Thanksgiving Champagne Brunch at Broadway Proper. I hate to think of what would have happened to the doctors and nurses, had they decided to keep her another day.
Today Jack is baking his most delicious chocolate chip zucchini bread and I'm taking it easy, doing the puzzles from the AZ Daily Star, catching up on email, and ... this is the biggie: I finally spent my accumulated points from my bank's points program. They have discontinued it, and I had till the end of 2012 to cash them in. I chose gift cards for fun places. :) They will send them to me in a couple of weeks. I'm stoked.
Monday, October 01, 2012
Celebrating Love
Today commemorates the fifth anniversary of Michael's last day of life. I've been sort of silently weepy, since I'm thinking about him alone.
It is odd to me that more and more, and in increasing numbers every day, people whom I know now didn't know Michael. I've even been asked if I'm divorced. That always makes me bristle.
And, while Jack knew Michael, I know he doesn't like hearing about him all the time. So it's just you and me tonight, Michael. It's us! Oh, how I miss you! How I ache to feel your arm around me, to hear your laugh, and your gentle and reassuring counsel. How I miss your unquestioning, unwavering, and unconditional adoration. I wish I could kiss your cheek one more time. I wish I could feel your hand in my hair. I wish I could hear you telling me you're proud of me.
God, will this pain never end? I know that it has abated some. I go sometimes a month without crying now. I still long to find my creative spark again. I know Michael would want me to, and I want it for myself. Bbbbb... Enough blubbering. Tomorrow will be a new day.
Location : Mohave, Tucson, AZ 85710,
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
What happens in Big Rapids
We spent the next two weeks in a single-minded pursuit: getting Jack's stuff sorted and ready for the auction. We sorted into essentially 6 categories: sell at auction, take to Tucson, take to Indian Dr, take to Michele's, donate, or recycle/garbage. The job was huge, but we took it one object at a time-- deciding, and then on to the next. The difficult thing was in coming up with places to put the various piles. With so many things, we were both in an extended state of stuff-overload much of the time.
For three weeks this continued, with just one or two days off. But the day came, and with some great help from a few of Jack's men's group friends, we got a large truck taken to the metal scrapper, a large truck taken to the dump, many boxes of stuff taken to recycling, a few boxes packed for Michele and Tom, a few things chosen for Indian Drive, a few boxes packed for Tucson, and a yard- and driveway- full of things to be sold.
Saturday, the day before the auction, was the real biggie. That is when the men were all there, tables were set up, and things were mostly hauled out. The weather reports were calling for strong storms with damaging winds and hail for that night, so we did our best to cover everything with tarps. I kept all of the items of fabric, paper, and wood inside for now. And we crossed our fingers that the tables would at least be standing on Sunday morning.
Sunday we awoke to the startling reality that it had rained only about 5 drops at the Valley Dr house! We missed church, instead opting to worship at the altar of commerce. LoL. We worked, pulling the rest of the things out of the house -- bedding, pillows, lamps, furniture, books, and most of the rest of the tools out of the garage. By noon, we were set to go, our auctioneers were there, and people were showing up.
The atmosphere was a festive one, as the proceedings got underway. We had rented a portalet, and there was a food cart, from which people could buy sandwiches and snacks. Many of our friends were there, along with 300 others we didn't know.
They ran two rings, with two auctioneers working steadily for four hours. And everything was gone at the end of the day. People were universally happy with their treasures, and we and the auctioneers were pleased with the money that changed hands. Of course, some things went very inexpensively, but other things made up the shortfall.
Location : 22, Tucson, AZ 85710,
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
High Time...
...for an update!
Jack and I left Tucson on Sunday, 7/8, and we made it quickly back to Paris. Tucson was hot when we left, with very intermittent monsoon rain. We had made some admirable progress on Jack's deck and skirting, but, with a combination of heat, humidity, things on order, and pressing business back here, we made the decision to head out.
Our trip back was mostly uneventful. There was a big rain and hailstorm as we went across the pass near Ruidoso, NM, but otherwise, the weather was fine.
We spent our first night out at Willcox, AZ, just 80 miles from Tucson. We like doing this. Sunday morning early, we did our laundry, including sheets, towels, and blankets. After church, we took care of our last-minute business, bought some groceries, packed our things into the RV, and prepared our cottages for our absence. Then, at 4pm, we put the RV into Drive and headed down the road. This keeps our day relaxed but gets us started down the road.
We drove through New Mexico, stopping for lunch at White Sands. We stopped north of Alamagordo at the Pistachio Tree Ranch, one of our favorite places, where we picked up some souvenirs. :)
Onward we drove, stopping at Clovis, NM for a short night. Tuesday was a day of pure driving, taking us to the KOA on the outskirts of Joplin, MO. This was another short night, and we were up and driving by 6:10 am on Wednesday.
Wednesday night, we made it to Avon, where we stayed with my sister and brother in-law. We went out to dinner and then talked till late. We slept in on Thursday, and, after our walk (we have been walking every day, without missing a day!), we had breakfast, and left.
A short and leisurely drive took us to Elkhart, Indiana. We did stop along the way at the Wakarusa Dime Store, where they sell fantastic huge jelly beans and other sorts of wonderful candies. Friday morning, we dumped and cleaned the tanks before getting back on the highway. We arrived in Paris at about 1 -- early in the day!
Arriving early carries with it a huge advantage -- a long day to get the house reopened, water heater turned up, things plugged back in, outdoor furniture put back and cleaned up, things taken in from the RV, and the RV cleaned up. We were able to do all of this well-rested and with no rush or tension.
We got the van's batteries reconnected, and it started right up. Into town we went, running errands, getting groceries and our mail. We visited Jack's house that he has sold. His things are still there, and he has plans to hold an auction. The new people are doing lots to make the house their own -- painting and installing new carpet, and replacing the garage door. And all of this while Jack's stuff is still there. We have some work ahead of us.
Jack and I left Tucson on Sunday, 7/8, and we made it quickly back to Paris. Tucson was hot when we left, with very intermittent monsoon rain. We had made some admirable progress on Jack's deck and skirting, but, with a combination of heat, humidity, things on order, and pressing business back here, we made the decision to head out.
Our trip back was mostly uneventful. There was a big rain and hailstorm as we went across the pass near Ruidoso, NM, but otherwise, the weather was fine.
We spent our first night out at Willcox, AZ, just 80 miles from Tucson. We like doing this. Sunday morning early, we did our laundry, including sheets, towels, and blankets. After church, we took care of our last-minute business, bought some groceries, packed our things into the RV, and prepared our cottages for our absence. Then, at 4pm, we put the RV into Drive and headed down the road. This keeps our day relaxed but gets us started down the road.
We drove through New Mexico, stopping for lunch at White Sands. We stopped north of Alamagordo at the Pistachio Tree Ranch, one of our favorite places, where we picked up some souvenirs. :)
Onward we drove, stopping at Clovis, NM for a short night. Tuesday was a day of pure driving, taking us to the KOA on the outskirts of Joplin, MO. This was another short night, and we were up and driving by 6:10 am on Wednesday.
Wednesday night, we made it to Avon, where we stayed with my sister and brother in-law. We went out to dinner and then talked till late. We slept in on Thursday, and, after our walk (we have been walking every day, without missing a day!), we had breakfast, and left.
A short and leisurely drive took us to Elkhart, Indiana. We did stop along the way at the Wakarusa Dime Store, where they sell fantastic huge jelly beans and other sorts of wonderful candies. Friday morning, we dumped and cleaned the tanks before getting back on the highway. We arrived in Paris at about 1 -- early in the day!
Arriving early carries with it a huge advantage -- a long day to get the house reopened, water heater turned up, things plugged back in, outdoor furniture put back and cleaned up, things taken in from the RV, and the RV cleaned up. We were able to do all of this well-rested and with no rush or tension.
We got the van's batteries reconnected, and it started right up. Into town we went, running errands, getting groceries and our mail. We visited Jack's house that he has sold. His things are still there, and he has plans to hold an auction. The new people are doing lots to make the house their own -- painting and installing new carpet, and replacing the garage door. And all of this while Jack's stuff is still there. We have some work ahead of us.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Calories and Combos
I guess this posting is a little bit about social responsibility. Now don't get me wrong. I believe that we're the captains of our own ships; but I also believe that we have a right to a clear view of the sea ahead.
I am more than a bit calorie-conscious. I think that one has to be, in order to be successful for very long in losing weight, after all. And one game that Jack and I have been playing of late is to guess how many calories in things. We frequently chuckle about serving sizes, too.
For example, a candy bar might say that it contains a mere 175 calories per serving. But, upon closer inspection, we see that this candy bar actually contains "2.5 servings." So this candy bar, which a person normally would just eat as a serving, actually contains 438 calories! It's a fun game, and we're always surprised at the results.
We were in Lowe's yesterday and were looking at the alluring display of snacks, placed cleverly by the cash register, easy for the working men and women to pick up on their way back out to their job site. We've done that, too.
One of their snacks was Nacho Cheese Combos. The calorie count was a modest 130 calories. The bag size looks like something that I could easily eat for a snack. But the bag contains *seven* servings! Seven! This comes to 910 calories -- 3/4 of my daily calorie allotment. And this is for a food that is otherwise a nutritional wasteland with no discernable vitamins, little protein, little fiber, and plenty of salt and fat. The per-bag sodium content comes to 2170mg, which is more than most of us should have in a day.
Ok so it's junk food. Where's the problem? Just don't eat it if you don't want it, right? Well, ok, but I maintain that the snack makers, package designers, and even Lowe's are not playing fair. The bag looks like a snack-size bag. Most people would assume that it's a snack-sized bag, since it's being displayed next to bags of chips and candy bars.
Even if someone were to take a glance at the nutrition label, they'd first see the 130 calories and think... "Not so bad -- let's go for it!" without continuing on to discover the seven-serving-secret.
I'm not intending to pick on Combos; all of the snack foods are doing this same thing -- packaging large quantities in one bag and then marketing these in the grab-and-go section right next to single-serving portions of other snacks.
I have a better idea for all of these marketers and for Lowe's, Home Depot, and Menards. Sell a "Job Site Package." This would consist of a larger box (or bag) of serving-sized portion bags. Of course, someone could still eat seven servings of the things, but they'd at least have a fighting chance of knowing what they were doing.
I am more than a bit calorie-conscious. I think that one has to be, in order to be successful for very long in losing weight, after all. And one game that Jack and I have been playing of late is to guess how many calories in things. We frequently chuckle about serving sizes, too.
For example, a candy bar might say that it contains a mere 175 calories per serving. But, upon closer inspection, we see that this candy bar actually contains "2.5 servings." So this candy bar, which a person normally would just eat as a serving, actually contains 438 calories! It's a fun game, and we're always surprised at the results.
We were in Lowe's yesterday and were looking at the alluring display of snacks, placed cleverly by the cash register, easy for the working men and women to pick up on their way back out to their job site. We've done that, too.
One of their snacks was Nacho Cheese Combos. The calorie count was a modest 130 calories. The bag size looks like something that I could easily eat for a snack. But the bag contains *seven* servings! Seven! This comes to 910 calories -- 3/4 of my daily calorie allotment. And this is for a food that is otherwise a nutritional wasteland with no discernable vitamins, little protein, little fiber, and plenty of salt and fat. The per-bag sodium content comes to 2170mg, which is more than most of us should have in a day.
Even if someone were to take a glance at the nutrition label, they'd first see the 130 calories and think... "Not so bad -- let's go for it!" without continuing on to discover the seven-serving-secret.
I'm not intending to pick on Combos; all of the snack foods are doing this same thing -- packaging large quantities in one bag and then marketing these in the grab-and-go section right next to single-serving portions of other snacks.
I have a better idea for all of these marketers and for Lowe's, Home Depot, and Menards. Sell a "Job Site Package." This would consist of a larger box (or bag) of serving-sized portion bags. Of course, someone could still eat seven servings of the things, but they'd at least have a fighting chance of knowing what they were doing.
Tuesday, June 05, 2012
Choco-Date Oaties
Great recipe for delicious and actually not 100% nutritional garbage. Still a treat!
Choco-Date Oaties
6 T butter, melt
Add 3/4 C brown sugar & stir till smooth.
Combine
1/3 c all-purpose flour
1/3 c whole wheat flour
3/4 t baking soda
1.5 c reg oats
1/2 t salt
And combine all.
Add and mix well
1 egg
1 t vanilla
1c chopped pitted dates
5 oz bittersweet chocolate chips (I like Ghirardelli)
Drop by tablespoons-full
onto greased sheet.
Bake at 350 about 12 mins.
Leave on sheet for 10 mins.
I want to try these with coconut and pecans too.
Location : 46, Tucson, AZ 85710,
Friday, June 01, 2012
Dinner Tonight
This was delicious. Recipe was my own creation.
Penne with Salmon and Vegetables (4 servings)
Cut one med zucchini into thin medallions.
Mince 1/2 med onion.
Mince 4 cloves garlic.
Cut one small carrot into thin medallions.
Boil water for pasta in lg saucepan.
Heat 2T olive oil in a large skillet.
Add carrots and stir-fry a minute or two.
Add zucchini and stir fry another minute.
Add onion and stir-fry all till onions are translucent and the other vegs are starting to brown a bit.
Add garlic and stir-fry just one more minute.
Stir in 4 oz smoked salmon.
Stir in 1/2 small jar sundried tomato pesto. Let this wait while you boil 8 oz whole wheat penne. (I like Barilla just fine.)
Stir 1/4 C Parmesan into the sauce and reheat.
Drain pasta and dump it into the skillet, mixing in.
Serve with more parmesan and be prepared to serve seconds!
Location : 7727 E Broadway Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85710,
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Good times
Things are going well in Tucson. While it is heating up, now it's time! Now would be a good time to tell you of one of my pet peeves. It is not fair for people to complain when it's too cold....and then, a few months later, to also complain that it's too hot. I think that everyone should choose one. I choose to complain about cold, and to enjoy the heat. :-)
Jack came through his carotid artery surgery, and he's now back to all his normal activity. His scar is hardly visible and he feels fine. The only lingering effect is that his voice is weaker now, particularly toward the end of the day. Vocal chord paralysis is a pretty common side effect and it usually is temporary.
Jack's been doing good work with remodeling his new cottage. Supplies are on order for his skirting and deck, and we're getting stoked to begin on these. He's been working on his kitchen. First, he made room for his range, which he loves for the big and very capable oven. This involved removing the existing stovetop and the drawers underneath. He had to redo the dominate top. The other big thing has been taking out a corner cabinet to make a panel which will accept a wall-mount tv.
I have helped just a bit. Mostly I've been taking it easy-- working on puzzles and reading. This is sort of a big deal. I've just started doing crossword puzzles and discovered that I rather like them! And cryptoquote...and jumbles...and ken-ken...and sudoku, of course.
I've been staying responsible with keeping track of what I'm spending. And I'm maintaining my weight (120) with my good healthful shopping and cooking, careful eating, and daily -or more frequently - exercise.
I am a little frustrated with my body image. I go to buy jeans, like today, and I pick up a pair that is size 6 and look like they should fit. I go try them on and they totally fall off me.
There are two things going on here. First is my messed up body image. I literally do not know how big or small I am. I look in the mirror and see a fat girl. I know that I'm not fat bc all the scales cannot be wrong. But it is stupid to not be able to tell what I really look like. Frustrating.
The other thing that's going on -- and the dillards saleslady affirmed this -- is that the clothing companies are doing "vanity sizing." That is, they want us to feel good about ourselves, so they make it so that, if you were a size 10 (and you didn't actually change size), the clothes that will now fit are now labeled 8 or even 6. These women told me today that I'm now a size 2. LoL that's just silly. I have not even thought about the nightmare of bra-shopping! Eeek!
Location : 7727 E Broadway Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85710,
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Lunch for two
This is a great little recipe for an easy, nutritious lunch or summer supper for two. This is my own creation and I will call it Smoked Salmon Salad.
Put into a small mixing bowl:
2 green onions - chopped
1/4 of a red bell pepper - chopped
2T Shredded or grated parmesan cheese
1/2 t mild curry powder
1/4 t garlic powder
1 T dried parsley
Stir these together and then stir in
1/2 C (about) Kraft mayo with olive oil (or your own fave mayo)
Now stir in 4 oz smoked salmon.
Serve with whole wheat bread rounds, pitas, crackers, or lettuce leaves, and carrot sticks and the rest of that red bell pepper, cut into strips. Yummy!
Location : 25, Tucson, AZ 85710,
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