A Time For Everything

National Sunflower Day is the first Saturday of August.

So it turns out that I've loved sunflowers for longer than I realized. The "bouquet" above, in that vase, has been a fixture in my bedroom since we lived in Nebraska. We moved to Texas in 1999... That's a long time.

I'm sure I don't have to explain why anyone is drawn to them...part of it is the name. Sun. I love the sun, and sunlight and vitamin D is vital to everyone's health and well being. Now I get that some of us love it more than others.

I read the "National Sunflower Day" write up, and I would encourage you to go read it for yourself, but here are a few amazing take aways:

• On average, one sunflower can produce up to 2,000 sunflower seeds per head.
• Some archaeologists believe sunflowers may have been cultivated by Native Americans before corn was.
• A sunflower head can be bigger than your own.

And here's an article directly from North Dakota's Tourism site

DD and I are thinking of planting sunflowers around the birdbath to help provide some natural shade for the birds as well to brighten up the yard. I'll have to research the best time to plant them, but my guess is spring...

Hope your week is going well so far. We're on the downhill slope.

Take care and have a great weekend.

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.

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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!!