Home Sweet Home

 As much as I enjoyed - and needed - the time away from work, from here, from life - it is good to be back. I feel rested and yet, I could have slept more this morning. LOL  Actually, my sleep patterns have not changed much this past week - and would you believe, I slept the entire night without waking up - at least not fully awake as I have in the past.  Got up at 4:30a, and been trying to get back into my routine.  Hubby got up about 5:30a and brought my coffee, which tastes much better than any of the coffee we had elsewhere while we were gone.  Even the coffee I made at the Airbnb.  I guess we are just used to the k-cups and since I told hubby to quit making mine 10 ounces and leave it at 8 ounces, they are perfect.  It's good to be home.

We actually left much earlier than we meant to yesterday, but stopped for breakfast on our way out of town. Had to make a stop in Payson cause those three cups of coffee and water told me I'd never go another hour to get home.   We stopped at a Burger King and I ran in to use the restroom, and because Heloise (remember her?) wrote back in my mama's day, (and I always say 'Mama says') that if we stop to use a restroom, we need to buy something.  So I went to the register to get two value-size drinks.  The young man at the register, bless his heart, said "I'll give you the senior price cause they are the same size".  Should I have been offended?  I just said "thank you" and got the drinks.  It was a safe trip down and I opted not to stop at White Castle... for some reason, they just didn't sound good. Imagine that.  Maybe I was just in a hurry to get home.  We got home and I unpacked.... while hubby immediately turned on the Diamondbacks ballgame for awhile then over to NCIS.   Four days without a TV was more than he could handle, I guess. Around 4-ish we headed over to the youngest son's for a couple birthday parties.  It was good seeing the great-grandchildren and we didn't know they were fixing dinner. We figured it would be pizza or subs, but she fixed spaghetti with meat sauce and it was pretty good.  After cake and a couple hours, we decided to head home. Surprisingly, the TV stayed off.   Hubby was on his phone (and I was for a short while) and I crochet'd some.  8:30 it was time to head to bed as usual.

Back to work this morning.... first thing to do is approve timecards, that I know. I have pretty much kept my emails cleaned up while gone cause I can see them on my phone.  Didn't answer any, but deleted some. I think there are about 28 that I need to look at this morning.  I'll talk to Sue as she will be messaging me about my trip.  All in all it was a good trip and we enjoyed it. It is definitely much hotter here.

Oh - one thing I did notice - on the way UP, we used up nearly 3/4 a tank of gas.  Coming home, we used only 1/4 tank of gas.  It was 34.4 MPH on the way back; I didn't look on the way there.  Interesting, right? We wondered if 1) coming down more than going up and 2) I left the air off until we ran into 94 degree temperature about an hour or so on the way back.  Both probably paid a factor, and a noticeable one. 

I think my computer missed me. I've been fighting it for the last 30 minutes, trying to get it to come up. At first my internet wouldn't connect (thanks, Cox), and got it connected. Then the web page wouldn't come up, my microsoft for work wasn't recognizing me.... finally got it up, had to restart a couple times. Finally was able to get in and approve timecards (very important) and now I can finish this before finishing reviewing the 26 emails that are still showing in my in-box.  I'll get messages soon from some of the admins that I chat with on a fairly regular basis, asking how my vacation was.  

So at the risk of repeating myself to you... vacation was good.  In fact, it was very restful, as it should have been. Boring in some respect as hubby didn't want to go anywhere except out to eat. We discussed it on the way back... NOW he says he would have gone if I had wanted to (thrift shop, antiques, lavendar farm, etc.) but at the time, every time I commented on stopping, he grumbled. Was that a sign he wanted to go with me?  Not if I wanted to enjoy it and hurry through the store!   But all in all, it was a good trip, a good time, restful, and my BP, which I took before we left which was like 137/81 or thereabouts, this morning it was 114/71.  What does that tell you about a few days rest?

2 Corinthians 10:17-18 (ESV):  "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."  For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

We all know 'those people' who constantly brag about themselves or what they have been doing.  Sometimes we roll our eyes, because we have our doubts of what they believe is true and what we see is true. Right?  So if we must boast about ourselves, boast about what the Lord has done, not about what  we in our own power have done.  Many times that will backfire on us, right?

I choose to boast in how God takes care of us.  It isn't anything I do, for sure.  God kept my plants alive while we were gone (yes, I do need to get out there and water them today!). He provides every need we have - and even lets us have some of our wants.  He is such a good, good Father!

I know this is short, but I am behind on work this morning and need to start getting through these messages and caught up.  But the good news is, I'm back home, safe and sound.  Got a good night's sleep, feel rested (will see how long that lasts!) and am already thinking of when I can take another day off work!  

Have an amazing day - and be kind to each other.  It might be a blessing to them - and to you - in disguise.

Blessings!

I did it for me.

 And I feel so good today.  What did I do?  Hubby had his bible study with his friend last night and I really needed to work on my tax stuff.  It's on the table. I still need to print some things off my computer.  I have a lot of time and work to put in on it.  I also need to work on the message that I am to present on Sunday.  I did get through it all yesterday - a very rough draft - and need to retype it.  But I didn't do any of that.  What did I do - since I mentioned what I did NOT do?

Nothing.  Well, that's not exactly right.  I fixed myself a TV dinner.  I did a few minutes of Tai Chi that I am learning, well not learning, but attempting to do just to loosen up the body.  I watched a movie I like.  And then I read.  It was a nice, quiet, comfortable evening, and I loved every minute of it.  Hubby came home before I finished a chapter and of course wanted to talk.  Sigh.  So I put my book down.  Then he wanted me to do the reading from the devotional (after we had a talk about devotionals) that we have tried to start doing.  When we finished that, discussed it, it was definitely time for bed.  So I paused long enough to finish the chapter I had left to read.  And you know what?  I slept the best that I have slept all week!!  I slept deep, and I feel I slept well.  Still did not want to wake up this morning, and would have slept longer - but I do have to work right now.   

In fact, since I had to stop my reading, etc. this morning, I am typing this on the work computer, as I know that you will be looking for a post, right?  Not that I say anything interesting, as a rule, but because it's become routine for you and I do it as well.  I have my son's blog that I check out daily - at least once.

Remember my breaking my toe in two places about two months ago?  No, I have not 're-broken' it - but this morning it is acting like I JUST broke it.  What's up with that?  It should be healed by now!  But it is hurting.  I suppose it COULD be the dreaded arthritis dropping into it?  My knuckles are telling me that I am fighting against it again.  I dig out the Voltaren and put on my knuckles and it takes the pain away.  I've had arthritis in my knuckles for years - I have used these fingers for typing since I was in high school, learning how to type!  BTW - for your information, I learned to type on a manual typewriter.  The second year I was moved to an electric typewriter.  At one type I could type 91 words per minute with one error.  Can't do that anymore, I'm afraid.  I still type fairly fast at times, but I do make a lot more errors.

Did I tell you I went to the eye doctor last week?  Yeah... after testing it was real interesting. He showed me how my eyes have changed over the last 5 years.  All I can say is 'wow'.  They changed a lot!  And, I am getting new glasses.  Love my VSP insurance. I intentionally got the highest coverage because of aging (and I cover hubby as well, since Medicare doesn't cover vision) - and I was able to get a new pair of glasses, transitional, tinted gray in the light, and I forget what else - and all it cost me was $140 and $35 of that was a special test that they do, looking at the retina.  So - my 'old' eyes are changing and I need stronger glasses.  He said I need to wear them ALL the time.  He had asked, and I told him only when I read or drive or work on the computer. He told me I should wear all the time. Maybe I will; maybe I won't.  They annoy me when I'm eating.  But I need them to even read off my phone! Oh well, all part of aging, I guess.  But - with that said, I'm looking forward to getting my new glasses in a couple weeks.  

Next week will be a light week and I am hoping to get all my board stuff completed.  That's my goal, anyway.  Sue goes on PTO Tuesday through the following Wednesday - and Brett goes on PTO Monday and will be out until the following Monday.  Oh darn, right?  A very light week, I'm hoping, as I do have board minutes and board decks to prepare for the next board meeting.  Of course we go do our taxes Tuesday afternoon but I'll only be gone an hour or so. No biggie.

Psalm 118:24 (NLT):  This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.

We often joke "another day, another penny earned" or something along those lines - but have we ever stopped to think that each day that God gives us life - it is a gift?  What a precious gift that is!  We don't appreciate it, until we know that our days are numbered.  I don't really think of myself as 'old' and I fight against 'aging' as much as I can (although with hubby, I feel like I'm dragged into 'old' all the time!) because I want to be able to move about, to do things, to be clear-minded as much as I can.  That's why I workout.  In fact, yesterday I told Morgan that the devil was whispering in my ear "why are you doing this? You get hurt. You are old; too old to be working out!"  All wrong, of course!  I see these women in their 90's running marathons - and I'm jealous!  Seriously!  I see women with toned bodies and muscular toned arms and abs and toned legs - and I'm jealous.  THAT's why I work out. I don't want to be old and flabby and unable t move about!  Each day I have to do SOMETHING - even if that is just jumping on my rebounder (trampoline) for a few minutes.  It causes the lymph glands to do something - I forget what.

But - we need to be happy in each day we are here.  And rejoice with others that they are!  Right?  Life is short, be kind.

And with that - need to get off here and get to work, since I'm on work time.  But I'm watching my emails and responding so it's all good.  Hope that you have an amazing day.  Be kind to others; you don't know what kind of day they are having.

Blessings!