Weekly Activities

I’ve had some full days of a new exercise that consisted of 500 diddly squats. It was a hard week. I had only three days of walks due to my cart that carries the oxygen tank and miscellaneous needs, falling apart while the kids were gone and I was house/cat sitting.

It was a tough job to watch Gracie.

Sonar is a hard cat to catch.

The same day the cart fell apart, my suburban, that I gave my son, wouldn’t restart in the apartment parking lot. Dead battery that had worked fine only moments earlier. Fortunately, the pre-school was still open and one of the DIL’s co-workers came to get me so I didn’t have to climb that hill in the heat.

On the following Wednesday, I had three separate walks and by the end of the day, had 11,763 steps! I walked everywhere I needed to go that day since the kids had worked together when they got home to fix that poor old cart. I purchased it in Germany in 2000 and it’s been tagging along behind me a lot lately.

Cart parking

Side view of cart with tank plus room for a few groceries, etc.

Inside the cart

My days are usually packed full and I had a lot that needed doing but just felt like I wanted a personal day. I read a few blogs, looked online for gifts, (there is no good shopping here,) and edited a story I’m submitting to a friend for her anthology. We shall see how that goes. At least I’ve tried my hand at it.

In an effort to stay as independent as possible, I’m learning how the shuttle bus for this small community works. What I found out is an outing takes a lot of time and if I want to go to several places, I’ll need the better part of a day. It’s best not to go on extra hot days nor days we are expecting thunderstorms with lightning. That leaves almost no days to go out this month. I did ride the bus over the hill so I could walk the rest of the way to get my pedicure at the salon and then to the florist to order flowers for my DIL’s birthday. If you have to work, you need flowers to get through the day. My son took me the last few blocks in the car. It was quite warm by then.

DIL’s birthday flowers

In the next few weeks I hope to take the bus past the Walmart/Hospital stop and see all the stops and how long it will take.

I also tried my hand at machine embroidery again after almost a year. One of our ladies at Knit Wits is leaving for the valley permanently. That happens a lot up here so I made this card and then brought some sweet snacks so we will be remembered. She has a tough time ahead.

We all signed the inside of the card. Fits on half a page of card stock.

I also tried a more complicated machine embroidery that could have gone much better since (in the hoop applique) embroidery is new to me. I’m going to have to try it again until I get it right.

I need some serious practice on this. Not happy with the results.

How is your week shaping up? Full, frustrating, or a little bit of relaxation?

From my heart to yours,

Marlene Herself

A Party Atmosphere

Have you guessed that I love to celebrate pretty much anything? I do. Life is supposed to be a celebration, especially in the worst of times. I know way too many people that say they don’t want to celebrate their birthdays because they are getting old and it’s silly. Birthday celebrations are for kids. Well, I was never really a kid, so I’m making up for lost time. I’ve posted many of my birthday celebrations since not having a birthday isn’t on my “to do” list right now.

Celebrating by stuffing the face with lunch

I have this tendency to go around and ask people I see and talk to regularly about when they have a birthday. I write it down. I collect them. Here at my independent living complex, birthdays are no longer a given and many people here have no family available. To many, that day is just another day. Not if I can help it. Many people here stay to themselves and have no desire to interact but there are a few that are just too nice to ignore. Everett is now 87 and is a happy person who enjoys cheerful company. So, I mentioned to the kitchen how much he loved the chocolate cake they had baked for the director’s birthday and asked if they would make it for his.

Everett and his cake

Then I mentioned to several of the ladies around who he converses with regularly (when he’s not watching NASCAR) if they would like to help him celebrate on his special day. I was the last one to get to the dining room when the kitchen said they had no candles. I didn’t either but I had something that might do, though it was a bit irreverent. I brought down the candles and we had a sort of birthday ­­party. Everette had a good laugh at the candles trying not to offend anyone’s sensibilities. I’m going down the list and trying to find out who is next and what can we do for them to make the day special.

Looks like a party to me.

Birthdays aren’t the only thing that makes a party. Our stitching group, Knit Wits, collects a dollar each week from those that show up. I haven’t been here very long but there was a good amount in the bucket so we decided that we had ­­more than enough for several pizzas. We had enough to go have a real lunch.

Thoughtful bunch with food.

Unfortunately, one or two of our members have a hard time getting out and about so I suggested ordering lunch in from a guaranteed good restaurant. I would order early in the morning from the list we made and my sweet son would pick it up and deliver it halfway through our group time. Of course, he was happy to do that. I took an order for him and his wife too. That would be my personal treat for their kindness.

The oldest will soon be 94. That will be a celebration.

The group plus a daughter that delivers mom.

We are a very noisy group and had an extra good time that day. Our delivery man was smothered in gratitude by all of us hungry women then went to have his lunch at home.  There is still enough cash for a pizza lunch later.

Do you celebrate anything or do you shy away?

From my heart to yours,

Marlene Herself