I have been taking a lot of photos and figured I'd post a few for your viewing pleasure!
Ah, SUMMER!
From the headline you can tell I have a lot of stuff to talk about.
1. STOMACH ISSUES and STRESS are great buddies! Always had stomach issues. Runs in the family. Lately, just feeling like crap. Went to see my regular GP about my tummy today and got an appointment June 23rd with a NEW Gastro Doctor ... first available one they had. Geesh! Haven't been too happy with my current Gastro doc, so I had decided to try someone new. Personally, besides genetic factors, I believe a new part of my current problems are stress related. My hubby has been running for months in a long marathon of what's wrong now?!! Prostate problems, medical procedures, an Angio-plasty, and a nose bleed requiring cauterization. Presently, he has no new issues. I just need need a MONTH on a tropical island somewhere ....
Started seeds INDOORS ... about a month ago now. My babies (plants that is) are growing! Got Morning Glories and Moonflowers coming along nicely. Towards the middle of of May I'll move them outside in plastic totes to start the hardening off process. I find that to be a real PAIN. For a good week to 10 days ... Keep them under the plastic cover ... vent the cover ... remove the cover ... put the cover back on ... put them in the shade ... put them in the sun. The worst thing is the threat of a damaging LATE FROST. If that should happen, I put the cover on PLUS ... put a BLANKET OVER THE WHOLE SHABANG! Then hope they do OK. What's a girl gonna do ....?
OUTDOOR WINTER/SPRING SOWING. I planted some seeds OUTSIDE. I used 2 methods.
1. just scatter some seeds in large flowerpots outside. No covers. Just let Nature do her thing ... rain, sun, wind, whatever. If they grow, good. If they don't, OK. I've planted poppy and foxglove seeds this way and they have done all right in the past. The poppies will just need to be thinned out later, leaving just a few to flower in the pots. The foxgloves will be thinned out as they get larger, and later transplanted into a garden bed to bloom NEXT year. Right now I have TINY little foxglove seedlings popping up!
2. Method #2 If you have ever done WINTER SOWING, it's the same thing ... Only it's done in the Spring. Just have to watch and make sure the containers don't dry out.
Well, that's what's been happening in my neck of the woods.
Happy gardening and as usual ... some pics to you to love or hate !
On Thursday March 4th, hubby and I got our 2nd Covid vaccinations at 11:00 in the morning. No real difference from our first shots, 28 days prior. Sore arms and we went about our day as usual. To make a long story short ...hubby had no other reactions. Me? I spent the next 4 and 1/2 days in various stages of misery.
Friday - Friday morning I woke up with chills, fever (102 was the highest temp of the day ) body aches, fatigue, and super nausea! I have stomach issues anyway, so I had my meds to help me cope with the nausea. Tylenols took care of the rest. Ate nothing, but did drink small amounts of water. I basically slept on and off all day, and through the night.
Saturday - Pretty much the same as Friday. A bit of brain fog was a new addition. Did notice a rash on where I'd gotten the injection, and the area was warm and sore. I kept drinking water, chamomile tea (calms a queasy stomach and I love it anyway) and managed to get down some crackers or dry toast.
Sunday - Felt a bit better. Nausea has subsided a lot. Fevers hovered around 99 to 100. Headaches on and off. Still felt exhausted. I did eat some crackers, a toasted waffle or 2, toast, and jello. Hubby had picked up some Gatorade for me to give me a boost. Slept a lot, but was awake more so I binged on Netflix, Amazon Prime, whatever.
Monday - Fever was gone, headaches gone. Stomach issues still improving. Still had body aches and fatigue, but I was more functional. I did nap, but moved around more. Still eating light.
Tuesday (day 5) pretty much back to normal. Not really hungry, but snacked more often.
And now it's Wednesday March 10th. Feeling pretty much back to normal. Had a waffle for breakfast, went out with hubby for a ride to enjoy the beautiful weather. We shared a Subway sandwich on the road ... and I had my first REAL dinner. Chicken, noodles, and green beans. Still feel a bit tired, but nothing compared to what I had felt like almost 5 days ago.
Some folks might not agree with me ... but despite the side effects I've experienced, I'm glad I chose to get the Covid 19 vaccine.
What's in the FUTURE for any of us ... who knows? I am a Breast Cancer Survivor, and if I've learned anything, it's this. Life, itself, is all about making choices. Simply, you should do what you feel is RIGHT for YOU. Your life is your ... journey.
Oh Happy Day, we had company for a few days! My sister-in-law Julie (my hubby's youngest sister) & her hubby came to visit for 2 days! They live in New York (Long Island) and had been visiting their daughter up at college (Pottsdam, NY) for her 19th birthday which was 2/13. On the way back they came to visit with hubby and me for 2 days.
Julie and I share the same birthday (2/6) me turning 70 and her 50 ... so we had a chance to celebrate ... after the fact. Throw in Valentine's Day & and hubby and my 22nd wedding anniversary ... we all had a LOT to celebrate! Julie is just so wonderful! Julie is 20 years younger than me ... and we are so close. I almost consider her my "little" sister. Yet, in a way, I sometimes think of her as a "daughter". I have 2 sons from a previous marriage, and my oldest son is 48. So, Julie, in a way, is the "daughter" I never had! Anyway. we all (Julie, me, husbands, 2 stepsons, and daughter-in-law) went out to dinner last night to a Japanese Steakhouse for dinner. The food was fabulous. My hubby tried Sushi for the first time and really liked it. I stuck with the Hibachi style of cuisine ... Jumbo shrimp, veggies, and fried rice. There was the typical "fire show" along with dopey jokes, a chef hat on fire, and flashing and flying knives!
Let me tell you about the "Balloon Crowns". The restaurant was VERY crowded for a Tuesday night, and along with the Fire Show, there was a magician there to entertain both kids & the adults. He was busy doing "tricks" and making balloon animals , swords, ray guns, etc, for the kids. Anyway, it turned out that I KNEW the magician personally. We worked together about 10 years ago at family resort called BROOKDALE, long since gone. Anyway, we talked and had a lot of laughs! While we were talking he was busy working with the balloons. And VOILA! he handed me 2 "Balloon Crowns". One for Julie ... and one for me! Laughs! Balloon Crowns! What could be better!
I have to say though, the best part of this weekend was simply ... BEING WITH FAMILY!
Anyway, as usual, I've posted some photos for your viewing pleasure ... or displeasure. Wildlife, funny stuff, unusual stuff! Oh, the cat is mine - Hunter!
P.S. I don't have any pics of our "balloon crowns" at the moment, but I know someone in our family group took some. I'll post them another time.
SNOWSTORMS. Snow is a beautiful thing, but it can also be a pain in the a...! In my neck of the woods we haven't had terrible winters the last few years, but this year has started out as a doozy! Over 2 feet of snow, plus another 5 inches on top of that within a little less than 2 weeks, is not FUN. Now, we are expecting snow on and off for the next week. Not too much predicted ... but who knows?! Maybe a snowy Winter for us this year will bring an EARLY SPRING! We are half way through February already. Keeping my fingers crossed.
TV. Since we are spending so much time indoors - between the Covid-19 Pandemic and the snowy weather - we have been binging on TV watching. One of our kids gave us a FIRESTICK for Christmas. It was a bit daunting at first (being ELECTRONICALLY CHALLENGED) but we have lived up to the challenge. Currently hubby & I have become addicted to MRS BROWN'S BOYS on Britbox. It's a comedy sitcom about a large Irish family and their problems. If you are not offended by some foul mouthed language and very ADULT humor, you won't be disappointed! At times, I have laughed so hard I cried!!
Now, as to BIRDS ... I have been out and about taking pictures. I have 2 cameras (which I've had for a long time) that I have been making good use of - - a small, dependable Canon point & shoot camera ... and an older Nikon 3100 DSLR camera. I had almost forgotten how much I had enjoyed taking pictures! I love taking photos of Birds and other wildlife!
FOOD. Sure, I could be spending more time cleaning out closets ... dusting ... rearranging furniture and stuff to pass the time ... but that's NO FUN! FOOD is FUN. We still have to eat, so experimenting with food can be an ADVENTURE! I'm making meals I have never made before! New favorites now are Chicken Tacos ... Apple Crisp from scratch ... Baked Fish which ACTUALLY tastes YUMMY! I still have to CONQUER Cabbage ... just haven't come up with anything interesting.
So, there you have it!
As usual, some photos for your viewing pleasure ... or displeasure!
