A Time For Everything

Image courtesy Wikipedia.

So for our anniversary a couple of weeks ago, we stayed in and stayed cool with shakes from Jack in the Box and a movie.

Movie of choice was Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, which takes place in a realm of the Dungeons & Dragons world called the Forgotten Realms and was a really cute film. Click the link to Wikipedia above to read the plot (for more about the ode to D&D, click the movie title).

But what I thought was nice was that it was mostly a family film. There was violence and a few cuss words, but no blood to speak of when people were wounded. So if you're looking for something fun and relatively light-hearted, this is a good choice.

Okay, so this wasn't the expansive post I meant it to be, but things went awry for the post I planned on having for today...that one will hopefully come Thursday instead. Apologies...

Hope you had a good weekend.

This is just a quick hello!

For the last couple of months I've been learning financial stuff--my brain has been soaking up information like the parched earth soaks up rain and it's tired.

I've had little energy or brain power left to spend much time thinking up blog post topics much less crafting them...

I'm taking a break from the learning and have switched to the more creative endeavor of re-vamping some of my hockey patterns and working on my indie online store. Although I have to say that figuring out Word Press's block design elements as well as how the pieces parts of my store theme work together is a learning curve of its own. But I'm determined to snocker it.

Otherwise, life in general goes along well.

Hope you're keeping cool and hydrated.

Catch you next week -- there are actual posts planned.

Take care.

Do you remember me committing to a "no spending challenge"?

I think I did... >>> researches such post <<< ...and yes I did so in late January. To recap, no buying more tea or lip balm before I'm out or almost out. And no books unless I have a gift card. No other purchases unless necessary.

I've adhered to the rules pretty well, and I've limited any impulse buys to the bare minimum. I've bought maybe two books without a gift card when I couldn't find them via the online library systems either. But they were important enough for this journey I'm on. They weren't fiction.

Fiction books only get bought with the gift cards. Luckily, my two fave authors can only write so fast so it works out. :0)

And while I'm still sticking to that "no" mindset, I've added a new challenge to my life: the "no complaining challenge." And let me tell you, it's definitely a challenge. We're talking about not even disparaging the weather despite its oppressiveness.

So as I go through the days trying to eliminate the negativity of complaining from my vocabulary, I'm realizing how much we all do it. Are there legitimate gripes to express? Of course... but I'm trying to better myself in various ways and this seemed like a good habit to tackle.

* * * * *

An attitude of gratitude...

Before the "no complaining" notion came across my radar, the concept of gratitude was presented to me over and over, both from books and via a YouTuber or two. Both YouTubers culled it from the same root source--a source, specifically a book, that I have also read this year...

So I've been practicing an attitude of gratitude. Not just your general off the cuff, spare a thought kind of thankfulness, but deliberate consideration of what I'm thankful for and also why... So I've been writing those down everyday. And it's been a great exercise in manifesting positivity and joy.

Along with gratitude, I'm positively affirming the things I'm not only hoping for but most definitely working toward. The change in thinking / mindset is a great motivator.

One of my daily affirmations goes like this: "I enjoy eating right and exercising regularly because both habits give me energy and are an investment in my future."

Let me tell, saying that several times daily has worked its magic. I'm making better food choices and I look forward to exercising each morning.

* * * * *

Extra Large Funko Pops Go NHL

Not that I want this one...but it's cool that there's finally a hockey player in the XL version.

If they come out with a Sidney Crosby, all bets are off. :0)

* * * * *

NOOM

We're trying Noom now...

DH signed up, but I didn't. The intake form said it could help me lose my four pounds by mid-August and I really don't need to pay $169 and change to lose pounds in three weeks. I can manage on my own, thank you very much. >>grins<<

So far tho, DH has lost a few pounds, so that's awesome. And I really like the way they categorize foods, so planning meals and snacks won't become a huge chore.

* * * * *

I hope you had a good weekend. Mine was productive.

Here's to an equally productive week.

Catch you Thursday.

Fifty-four years ago today, the first human--Neil Armstrong--walked on the moon. I was just a month past my first birthday...needless to say, I don't remember any of these first lunar landings.

My experiences with space flight came with the advent of the Space Shuttles. In fact, Mom and I made our way out to Edwards Air Force Base to watch the landing of the Space Shuttle Columbia. Honestly, I'm not sure which one it was, but it was pretty dang cool.

Anywho, National Moon Day celebrates humanity's first arrival on a planetary body other than earth.

For some info, click here.

For more info, click here.

I mentioned the movie Hidden Figures a couple / few weeks ago...without those four Black women, three of whom are featured in the movie, Americans would have never made it off the ground.

One of the ways you can commemorate one of the greatest human achievements is by watching Hidden Figures and Apollo 11.

Have a super weekend friends!!

Thirty years ago this week, with my oldest little brother and oldest little sister in tow, DH and I ran off to Elk Point, Union County, SD to get hitched.

Turns out my brother and sister were too young to serve as witnesses so we had to enlist some employees of the courthouse, but all's well that ends well.

All DH's friends and coworkers thought it was a shotgun wedding, but Sonshine didn't come along until a year and half later in December of 1995.

It's been a long windy road. There've been a few rough patches. But we did it....

So here's to us and another thirty years. (And a few more cruises as well. :0)

Have a great week!

Ideas are a little thin on the ground this month--I've been focused hard on a few projects, so I'm just going to drag you on a trip down Memory Lane. :0)

Here we go...

Puck Soup Live Show in Deep Ellum in 2018. 

My first cruise December of...2014 I think.

Red Rock Canyon ~ October 2017

A view of the game from one of my first live games...

Frankenstein starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Naomie Harris.

221B Con in Atlanta ~ April 2016

Visit to Seattle to see Sonshine before deployment ~ September 2015

Icicles on the front porch ~ December 2013

A stop during my visit to Nashville ~ July 2013

Marching Band Program ~ Pyramids Along the Nile ~ Fall 2012

Visit to OKC / Moore, OK ~ August 2012

BBC Robin Hood Fan Friends Gathering ~ June 2012

First visit to the USS Lexington way back in I don't even know. Kids were all at home. Sonshine was in elementary school...

* * * * *

Lots of fun times to remember, but many more to look ahead to. DD and I are planning and working to fund our next Buc-ee's road trip. Tennessee here we come.

Have a great weekend.

Well here we are again...time to see how I'm doing with those 2023 Fresh Start Goals. Without having given it much thought before settling in to write this post--I'm feeling good about things. Let's see if reality bears that out!

1) Monthly postcards to Grandma are being dutifully sent. I think I've finally got this one snockered. A+

2) Finish & publish Finders Keepers, book five of the hockey series... I didn't even open any documents in the first quarter. In the second I dig up all pertinent files and set to making sense of what I had. But they're not making much sense. I keep coming up with questions...why did I do this? Why didn't I do that? What does "that" even mean...whatever "that" is.

I've concluded that it's a hot mess in a dumpster fire and I seriously considered writing book six and then swapping the two in publication order. Since they're not linked chronologically, it wouldn't matter.

However, my game plan has changed and writing has taken a back seat for a while longer.

3) I am definitely exercising 3X per week; more often usually. And I'm reaping the benefits. Go me!

4) I'm on pace to read 52 books this year. Ahead, actually. Very very ahead. And definitely on track for the six non-fiction reads. In fact, I think I'm going to probably blow right past six... I'm on my 4th non-fiction book at the moment. :0)

5) I'm definitely not keeping up with writers group duties on a weekly basis. However, I spent a lot of time in the last couple of weeks a) getting caught up and b) contemplating how to streamline the duties so I can start training other people. I have new fish to fry and I don't want to be locked into being treasurer forever.

6) My Etsy shop does have a couple of new patterns for Q2. :0) I've got several things in the works, so Q3 should be fine. I'm also working slowly, so slowly on creating my own online store so I can list all me creations rather than being limited because of listing fees.

7) Self care...has been a work in progress. I'm not sure what I actually had in mind. Some of it was making sure I was seeing doctors and dentists in light of my mom's cancer and death, which I have done/am doing/will be doing. But it was also going to be things like pedicures and coloring my hair and taking time to do puzzles and cross stitch and read. All of which I do. But nothing seems part of a routine. And maybe that's okay as long as I stay in touch with myself...

8) There are no home improvement projects on the horizon at the moment. Mostly because I don't have the money right now. But perhaps I should create a fund and award myself some paltry amount each week. I did eliminate the monthly fee on my savings account...

9) I haven't regularly read anything / listened to anything / watched anything from any of the articles I've saved or the conferences I've purchased...and in light of me taking a longer than expected break from writing, this isn't a priority.

10) Doing pretty good on cooking / eating healthy -- as in I'm cook and eating more regularly. Is it all as healthy as it could be? No, not really. Is there a food plan and do we stick to it? Mostly, yes.

11) I'm doing well with the housekeeping plan. Finally. The little planner sits on the end of my desk so that I look at it each day when I get home from work. it takes me about an hour to accomplish my chores each day and every room in the house gets touched every week. Is there some deep cleaning that needs to be done? Yes. Am I going to be the one to do it? No. It'll have to wait until I can fund hiring a body to come in.

I do have a name though. A friend got robbed by one of her housekeepers and while I don't have any expensive jewelry lying around, there's still a fear that something meaningful or expensive will go missing.

12) I'm blogging. I'm blogging. I haven't missed in quite some time.

13) I've written a couple of articles for my writers group newsletter, but it's been a couple of months since the last one, so I guess I should come up with something soon.

14) Much as I love my Personality Strengths, I'm not sure when I'm going to get around to studying them in general, in depth. I own the books, so that's not the problem, but so many other books that pique my interest in that moment get my attention. But I imagine there will come a time...there is a time for everything, after all.

15) Bible reading / listening is on track. I haven't missed more than a day and I get caught up right away.

16) A visit to Goodreads is on the weekly schedule weekly, so it's going well so far.

I'm making progress on the important things, so I'm counting last quarter a win. Do I have room for improvement? Sure... Leaves me something to keep striving for. :0)

Hope you had a lovely weekend and here's to a great week.

If you haven't seen this movie--WHY NOT?

I'd been meaning to watch it for forever and just didn't for various and sundry reasons. Then last Saturday, DD and I sat down to watch something and as we were looking for the movie we intended to watch, the card for this movie popped up and I said that first sentence to DD:

"Ive been meaning to watch that and have just never taken the time."

She suggested we watch it instead, which we did and WOW. I was blown away.

What didn't I love about this? Nothing but the racism as befit the period of the movie, but no helping that. Racism was an unfortunate fact of life then as now.

The performances were fabulous.

The three women showcased by the film, Katherine Goble Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe), represented a cadre of about thirty to fifty Black women who were labeled "Colored Computers" according to the film. The book featured a fourth human calculator, Christine Darden, but she wasn't featured in the film by name.

The composite character of Al Harrison played by Keven Costner turned out to be a good guy, and John Glenn has always been a class act and Glen Powell did him justice.

Again, if you haven't seen this--what are you waiting for. It's currently streaming on Disney +.

Hope you had a great holiday and I hope you enjoy the upcoming weekend.

Take care!

Usually I just post some sort of Independence Day related pictures, wish you well, and go on my merry way.

Well, this year I decided to add a few fun facts to the mix. :0)

Did you know that...

...July 4th is one of the most patriotic days of the year, but it wasn’t until 1941 that Independence Day was declared a national paid holiday.

...The tablet held by Lady Liberty has July 4, 1776 engraved on it.

...Not one, but two signers of the Declaration of Independence died on the same exact date? Thomas Jefferson and John Adams both died on July 4, 1826.

And some new pics I took on my way to Granbury a couple of weeks ago...

Happy Birthday, America!

Have a great week, friends.