Work, Sleep, Repeat

Hello friends how are you? I have been back at work now for a few weeks. I feel that all I get done is working and sleeping. I hate to say that I miss quarantine but man things were so much simpler then. Don’t get me wrong I am glad to be back to work and doing things day to day that I have done all my life. However, the quiet time that I spent in quarantine was not bad. I had a chance to recharge, reenergize, rediscover, etc. etc. It was an easier way of life.

My work opened back up Saturday. We had a soft opening with very few customers. All of our employees are required to wear masks. We have sanitizing stations throughout the property. We have 4×8 feet panels of Lexan, it is better than Plexiglas, between the registers and our customers. Only ten people per tour. I guess this is our new normal for awhile.

I have had so many things to deal with at work, when I get home I feel mentally unable to do anything but eat dinner and catch up for a minute with my husband, care for the fur babies and collapse on the couch or go straight to bed. Luckily this is all I have to do right now.

During the time I spent in quarantine I noticed that my stress level had gone down considerably. I mentioned that in a previous post. I decided then that when I did get back to work full time I was going to leave work at work. And that once I got home, home would be my sanctuary and a place to rest and relax. I have done pretty well. This helps me to recharge and be ready to start the next day.

Of course I always take time to stop along the road and take pictures. That will never change.

This field is full of yellow wild flowers. It makes the entire field look yellow. I love it.

My daisies. I love having them for as long as I can. They last for only a short time. I have an entire field of them behind my house.

Fields of hay. I love the look. I can stare at these bales for hours. I am quite intrigued by them for some reason.

And now the honeysuckle are blooming. A sweet welcoming smell.

I think that taking pictures is sort of an outlet for me. No matter what is going on in this crazy world some things like nature and beauty never change.

A friend that I know from another attraction quite suddenly quit her job last week. She had only been back to work for a week. She had been at this job for about fifteen years. She said that being quarantined had made her realize how much her stress level had been reduced. She didn’t want to go back. Man, that is pretty powerful. I don’t think I have the courage nor the means to do that. I am not sure about her financial situation but she is not near retirement age. Oh well!! If it works for her it works. I am happy for her and maybe a little jealous. I always thought I wanted to work forever but after being at home for three weeks I am not so sure. I love being out around people I always have, but there is something to be said about the solitude of being at home and nowhere to go. Ahhhhh life where will you lead me? I shall see. It will be an adventure no matter what.

Always remember

Love your day your way!!!

Happy Mother’s Day!!

Hello friends and Happy Mother’s Day!!! I hope you have had a wonderful day with your family and loved ones. It has been a beautiful day here in the south. It has been really really cool. I told you last week we were in Blackberry Winter so the mornings here have been almost cold. If you missed my post about the different winters in the south check it out here This morning it was only 36 Degrees F. A lot of people have covered up their outside plants to keep them safe.

The roses are blooming. This one was at my father in law’s house.

A full weekend. I did the Saturday morning grocery run yesterday. Things are still somewhat tense at the grocery store. It’s like if you get near anyone you jump back like they’re on fire or something. Still very uncomfortable.

In honor of Mother’s Day, I decided to wear my Dog Mom cap to the grocery store yesterday. Please excuse the no make up look.

My little mother in law lives in an Assisted Living Center in Sweetwater. Because of the quarantine we haven’t been able to visit her in over two months. She has been dealing really well with it. We call her every day. For Mother’s Day I have been taking photos all around the house of us and the babies and the flowers and things. Walgreens had a special on 4×6 photos, .10 per copy if you printed over 100. I did, no problem. I got a photo album for her and put all the photos in it. I also took her some of her other favorite things and some flowers. We took all of the things over to the Center yesterday so that she could have them today. She called me and told me how much she liked the photo album. She said “Do I get to keep it here with me”? I laughed, of course you do, I said. It is so funny how happy you can make someone with a small gesture since she can’t see us she can at least look at the pictures. We also took flowers to the cemetery for my mother’s grave and Mark’s grandmother’s grave.

So today was Mother’s Day and usually it is a hard time for me. I did a post a couple of years ago called I survived Mother’s Day. You can read it here. I don’t have human children and Mother’s Day has always been sort of a hard time for me. But you know what? This year it wasn’t at all. I am trying to figure out exactly what is different. Of course dealing with COVID-19 this year has put a lot of things in perspective for everyone. I also think that as I get older and more comfortable in my skin I am happy with me just the way I am. Instead of thinking about surviving I rejoiced in the day. I am happy with the way my life is. I had a wonderful day. I cooked a rack of baby back ribs in the crock pot, they were amazing!!! I will share the recipe for the rub I used soon. I worked on some cross stitch and some knitting. I read. I spent time outside, I spent time with my precious sweet family and it was just awesome!!!

This is the heart cross stitch I have been working on for quite a while. I had hoped to have it done by Valentine’s Day. But it will probably be next Valentine’s Day, maybe, HA!!

Me, my sister Carolyn, My Mom, my sister Sandy, My sister Pat. This picture was taken a few years before my sister Carolyn and my mom passed away. We were on one of our famous “Sister Trips”. These women have played such a role in my life. I can’t begin to tell you how they have guided me and made me the person I am today. They were and are amazing mothers!! They mean everything to me.

Always remember,

Love your day your way!!!

Why I Started a Blog

Happy Monday!!!! Today is day 30 of the 30 day blog challenge. What??? Wow, these 30 days actually passed by pretty quick. Of course there’s nothing like having a pandemic to take your mind off of things. Actually I think it has been the other way around. Having this blog challenge helped me keep my mind off of scary thoughts and worries about things I can’t control.

The topic for the challenge today is “My Hopes For My Blog”. I thought it would be more interesting to tell you first why I started a blog.

For several years I had been thinking about starting a blog. This was back in the day when blogs were more popular than they are now. I liked the idea of sharing things and keeping an online diary of pictures and happenings.

I know that with Instagram stories, Vlogging, and YouTube, blogging seems to have taken a back seat. But I think that blogs still hold a very important part of people’s lives. I follow many blogs and I feel that I learn so much from them. I have made some wonderful friends and learned a lot of new things from these people. In many ways it has opened up a whole new world of discovery.

A little more than two years ago. I started my blog. I cringe at some of the very first posts but I guess that’s the way you learn things. It has been quite a learning experience and I have enjoyed it so much.

What are my hopes for my blog? I hope that it will continue to draw readers in, and that my readership will grow. I hope to meet more people from all over. I hope to learn more about blogging and sharing posts and photos etc. I hope my blog is something that you enjoy reading.

So there you have it the end of the 30 day blog challenge. If you missed any of the blog posts I hope you will go back and check them out. If you have read all or most of them I thank you for following along and I hope you continue to do so.

Please stay safe!!

Always remember,

Love your day your way!!!

Where Do You Want To Be In 5 Years?

Happy Sunday, I have been the laziest of lazies today. I think we all need a day like that sometimes. And at the time I am being my laziest I think, oh how delicious is this? And then a couple of hours go by with not getting anything done and tomorrow is Monday and I have to go back to work, blah, blah, blah. But you know, like I said sometimes lazy just feels too good to be anything else, ha ha.

I took this picture several years ago at the Missouri Botanical Gardens. I love the Chihuly exhibits they are so beautiful. This was almost 5 years ago and it seems like yesterday!!!

So today my blog topic for day 15, of the 30 day blog challenge, is where I want to be in 5 years. Do you think long term like that after you get to a certain age? Do you know where you want to be in 5 years other than alive and healthy. Here is what I think for myself:

I hope to still be working at my job at the same capacity I am now. People, 5 years will fly by faster than a Romulan Warbird. Sorry my Trekkie came out in me. Now 10 years might be a different story but I will have to see about that after 5 years goes by. I am not saying I am not preparing for my future with a retirement plan and savings and such. I am just saying at what point will I want to dip into that. I have more than 12 years before I can draw full benefits from Social Security. If there still is Social Security at that time.

If something should happen to my job within 5 years or God forbid illness prevents me from working then I will regroup and look at it. So as far as a job goes in 5 years that is where I want to be. Now here are a few other things I hope to be doing in 5 years.

I would like to write a lot more than I do now. I would like to freelance and maybe even have a group of writers to work with me. I would like to publish a book or two or maybe more. I have a Children’s book in the works. I hope to have that published soon. I have a few ideas for other books. I would like to be in better shape, physically, be stronger. I would love to be able to make money creatively. I love to make lotion bars and bake and knit and do lots of things like that. I would like to take that to another level, whatever that may be. I would like to be able to volunteer more for a good cause. I visit my mother in law at the Assisted Living Center a few days a week and I see people who never have any visitors. They go weeks, months or forever without anyone coming to visit and talk to them and just spend some time with them. I would really like to make this something that I do on a regular basis. My husband and I want to travel to several countries that we haven’t visited. We also want to travel to parts of the United States that we haven’t been. I WANT TO HAVE FUN!!!! I love learning new things. I think the more you learn, at whatever age, your brain will have to stay active.

So that is a few things for me and gives you an idea about what I would like for myself. Now, how about you? Where would you like to be in 5 years? Anything different from what you are doing now? Nothing is too big or too small if that’s what you want.

Always remember,

Love your day your way!!!