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!!!

img_7677

3 Healthy Habits

Several weeks ago a storm came through our area and blew over a huge tree in our backyard.  It barely missed our deck and house.  We were very fortunate that nothing was damaged.  Shortly after the tree fell the rain set in and it rained off and on for days.  We did not have a chance to cut up the tree and get it out of the yard.

 

img_7301
Just look at that!!!  This was the morning after the tree fell.

So as I said with rain and our jobs and everything, we had not had a chance to get the tree cut up and removed.  On Monday there was no rain and Mark did manage to get half of the tree cut.  I couldn’t  believe it when I got home and half of the tree was gone. But trying to cut the tree and the horrible vines that had grown around the tree, which was probably what killed it to start with, took him half the day.

So today Mark planned to get the rest of the tree removed.  I was very excited to help.  We just recently purchased a new electric saw.  Now I know you are probably having your doubts about an electric saw that has to be recharged but I am a believer.  The saw is an Echo and it takes a minimal amount of charging to be ready to go.

So this morning being Saturday I had my usual Saturday morning things to do.  I had to buy groceries.  Not because of the virus or anything but Saturday is my day to get groceries.  I also had a few other errands I had to get the mail, get gas, and put some air in one of my little bitchy tires that has a slow leak.  I will have to take it in on Monday but I am trying to wait until then.  I then went to the grocery store for groceries.  I was prepared for whatever I might see.  Maybe there would be no groceries left, maybe there would be no one at the store.  But no, things were as usual.  Now I will admit there was no tissue paper or paper towels but I wasn’t after those anyway.  As far as everything else it was pretty much business as usual.  I felt comforted by that.

Once I got home I grabbed a quick lunch and put on my work clothes and headed outside to help Mark with the tree. I was also dying to use the new saw.  It is AHHHHHMaaaazing!!!  You don’t have to pull a cord or anything like that.  You simply push a button and squeeze the release and it is ready to go. As I said I was skeptical about how long the battery would last but it lasted for several hours.  I was impressed.  I cut and cut and cut and cleared and pulled vines until my body was worn out.  The day was about 60 degrees and overcast.  It was a wonderful day!!!  Just what I needed to get my mind off of things. Physical work, physical energy, I so needed that.

But I am totally off topic my blog is supposed to be about 3 healthy habits, I am on day 14 of the 30 day blog challenge,  so here are my 3.

  1. Get physical.  I cannot tell you how much I believe in this.  I am not saying I always do it but I totally believe in it and am at my best when I work hard and use my body.
  2. Listen.  Listen to what your body is telling you.  Listen to what your loved ones are telling you.  Listen to what the world around you is telling you and learn to keep what you need and discard the rest.
  3. Be True to Yourself.  Whatever  that may mean to you in your existence.  Eating well, living well, being well.  Be True to you.

So that is 3 healthy habits that I think are important.  How about you?  What do you think?

Always remember,

Love your day your way!!!

img_7677

 

The Contents of My Heart and Soul

It is finally Friday.  Following along with my 30 day blogging challenge I was supposed to be blogging today about the contents of my refrigerator.  Well I’m not going to do that.  First of all I am not really sure what all is in my refrigerator and I think I would find that about as interesting as watching grass grow so I can only assume you would find it even less so.

This has been quite a week.  With the Coronavirus updates constantly, closings, the rush on tissue paper and hand sanitizer and every other scary thing it’s just been too much.  I feel exhausted just thinking about it.  I feel like I want to go to a remote area and just be for awhile.  Wait!!!  I do live in a remote area so that much is already taken care of.  But the constant threat and fear that is consuming the nation is growing and growing by the hour.  I am a christian and I have faith but it still doesn’t keep me from being concerned.
I am more concerned about the hysteria and loss of common sense by people than the virus itself.

 

I work at a tourist attraction.  Will we be shut down because of the amount of traffic we have coming and going?  If that happens how long may we be out of work?  How will this affect me and my co workers?  Who in our family will get the virus? how will they be affected?  Will regular medications be readily available?  My husband takes immunosuppressants will he have any problem getting those?  I know I am not the only one with these concerns there are literally millions of day to day concerns by everyone.

My mother in law lives in an assisted living center, it is currently on lock-down.  They are not allowing visitors. She doesn’t seem to be too upset by this yet.  I am sure if goes for much longer she will become very unhappy and agitated.  I am calling her everyday so that she will have a connection to us.  She doesn’t have a cell phone, she doesn’t face time or anything like that so I am sure she is feeling somewhat isolated. I do know however this is the safest things for the residents.

Along with all of the coronavirus issues it has been less than two weeks since the Tennessee Tornado that ripped through much of Tennessee, killing, wounding and leaving many many people homeless.  Volunteers are still working around the clock to get people back in their homes or relocated.  The area hardest hit was about 3 hours from where I live.  I see the faces on the news of the ones who lost their lives several of them were children.

So tonight I came home from work and snuggled my family I will just sit and enjoy being near them realizing how much I appreciate everything that I have.  My heart hurts for all that is going on.  I guess we will all just have to take it one day, one hour, one minute at a time.

So you can see that the contents of my refrigerator are not as important to me at this very moment. I’m sure they’re not to you.

Always remember

Love your day your way

img_7677

My Favorite Childhood Book

Do you remember what your favorite book during your childhood was?  I remember mine and it was also my younger brother Joe’s favorite book. Ribsy by Beverly Clearly.  And guess what? I still have it!!!!

 


  Look how worn this book is it has been loved and read over and over.


  Amy and Kim are my nieces. They left their mark here when they were little.  This is on the first page of the book.  They are both grown now with children of their own.  They were probably about 4 or 5 years old at the time. 

Beverly Cleary is an American writer of Children’s and Young adult fiction.  She wrote all of the Romona Quimby and Beezus Quimby books as well as the Henry Huggins books. She is still one of America’s most successful authors.  Born on April 12th 1916 she is still alive and well at the age of 103 very soon to be 104.

I loved all of the Ramona and Beezus books but my brother didn’t’ get into those.  He loved the Henry Huggins books.  His favorite was Ribsy.  As soon as I read Ribsy it became my favorite too.  I guess the fact that I am such a dog lover had something to do with it.

Ribsy is Henry Huggins’ dog and best pal.  They do everything together.  In the Ribsy book Ribsy gets lost in a shopping center parking lot and is desperately trying to find his way back to Henry.  This little escapade sends Ribsy on quite the journey.  It is a wonderful book.  You will be holding your breath hoping for Henry and Ribsy to be reunited.

Several years ago after my mama passed away, we were cleaning out her house to get it ready to sell.   I found the Ribsy book in a box of other old books.  I screamed!!!  It’s Ribsy!!!! I took the book home and read it for old time’s sake.

My brother and I were very close in age.  I can still remember fighting over the Ribsy book.  I can see him standing in the doorway of my room saying “hey where’s the Ribsy book?” He would have it for awhile and then I would take it back to my room. I even remember looking into his bedroom, after he was practically an adult, and see him lying across his bed reading Ribsy. It was comforting and familiar. A piece of childhood.

My brother passed away a couple of years ago. We had grown apart as we had gotten older. He had many demons he wrestled and just couldn’t seem to get ahead of them. I still loved him like crazy and though he was my younger brother he always “thought” he had to take care of me, but he never could. In the end I had to help take care of him. We always laughed about how much we loved the Ribsy book. I will keep it forever and have only the best memories with it.

What is your favorite childhood book?

Always remember

Love your day your way!!!

img_7677