Grab Bag

This summer is flying by. I am in complete and utter disbelief that it's nearly August. Summer is ALWAYS a busy season for us. So much fun stuff to take advantage of before the rains dampen the soil and our will-power to be outside very long.

WALKING

We have two dogs (beagles; who do not cry all-day) and I love that I can take them for longer walks. Walking helps me clear my head. Running not so much because I have to remain focused. But walking thru the neighborhood or picking a Pac Northwest trail is super relaxing. The dogs help keep me motivated, if the truth be known. I start to feel bad that their inside so much, so I force myself, even when I feel crummy, to take them outside for a walk. Plus they love me a little bit more because of it.

BACKPACKING

B is working night and day it seems. We are looking forward to when this particular project is completed so that he can take a few days of R&R. We are planning our very first backpacking trip and I couldn't be more excited about it.

We haven't done any over-night hiking or camping since before I got my feeding tube. We are way past due for an adventure. A few years ago we purchased a full-fledge hiking pack for me, which has been collecting dust. Today, we took it out and started day dreaming of all the cool camping/packing items along with their estimated weight for me to carry lug thru the Deschutes National Forest. I am simply beside myself with excitement so much so that I wore it around, like I used to wear my new school clothes, for nearly 2 hours. My excuse for looking like a fool was that it's better to test it here at home, then in the middle of the woods!!

I am a list maker and this backpacking trip has me making a list at least a mile long if not longer. The one thing B said I forgot was my nebulizer meds, I am working extremely hard with compliance. We both quickly realized that in order to do the nebulizer meds and remain complaint I would need to bring my nebulizer which requires plugging into a outlet for power. UGG!! B, said he was very nervous about us traipsing thru the woods with only half my meds. So, I quickly got on the World Wide Web and found this awesome battery operated nebulizer machine. 

It's all tiny and cute and perfect. Living in today's world is stinky amazing. I can go camping and do my treatments. This little sucker arrives at the end of the week and you best beat your bottom dollar I'll testing it out.

SEWING 

For my brithday my mother surprised me with a new sewing machine. This baby is way out of my league. It is intimidating. I sat down a few weeks ago and started another pillow case dress and quickly found out just how intricate this little do-hicky is. The dang thing can even embroider letters. I learned the slow-sew-by-hand-method of embroidering for which I still do from time to time, but this sew it in zero-point-two-seconds thing is awesome. Now I really need to get my self registered for some sewing classes at the local fabric store down the road, because as much as I am in awe of this new piece of fun I am terrified of it, in fact it took me almost 2 hours to figure out how to use the back-stitch button!!

PURGING, CLEANING and BOXING-IT-UP 

I don't have a single clue as to what got into me today. I started the morning out with a cup of coffee and thought I would start picking up the office. Our desk gets cluttered with mail that I hate avoid opening. It started with just clearing the desk, then work its way into cleaning up the closet which lead to making piles of: keep, give away, throw away. By the time I realized what my Saturday turned into I had gone thru 3 rooms. Leaving 2 trash bags to throw out, 3 boxes to give away and probably too much stuff kept. I was thinking about driving down to the local donation center but remember that some friends are having garage sales this summer to raise moola for their second adoption. They also have a site to buy some cute stuff. Check it out: The Hall-Closet or you can buy coffee and the proceeds help bring their child closer to a family: Coffee to Bring Little Bird Home

QUOTE ON MY STICKY PAD TODAY

"When life gives you a hundred reasons to cry, show life that you have a thousand reasons to smile" - Unknown

~Doodlin'