February is gone..

I can’t believe today is February 28th and that the month is gone.

Tomorrow marks the beginning of March-significant to me for two reasons. My first cancer was wrapped up, after chemotherapy and radiation with a total hysterectomy on March 1,1994. It’s always a spectacular milestone to pass.

Fast forward to March,2020, which marked my last days substitute teaching until it all shut down. I can’t believe it’s been a year.

Jim and I had some loss during Covid, the most important being my mother in law’s passing on December 1. January wasn’t kind:we got word our sweet Kasia has inoperable mast cell cancer. We are devistated over that news, and are determined to make each day the best for her.

I am praying that we all hang in for as long as possible. Perhaps spring can be kinder and gentler…..

…perhaps.

Losing It

My last day in school this year was March 16th.That was back when I had a mind.

Eight months later, I think I’ve officially lost my mind.

I am looking for things in the house that I’ve put in a safe spot.At least, 8 months ago, I’ve had a safe spot. Now, all bets are off. I’m praying to St. Anthony,good Catholic I am, but I think St.Anthony is social distancing.

Kasia seems to shake her head as I walk around trying to make sense of life eight months in. As long as we keep walking, she says we’re good….

Maybe I’ll ask Santa to bring my mind back for Christmas. After all, Penn State beat Michigan in football today.

Miracles can happen.

Wrapping up 2019

It’s been a while, but I figured I’d post to tie things up for 2019.

School, for the first semester, has been awesome. I actually wake up in the morning and look forward to what I’ll be experiencing during my day when I am in. There is never a dull moment, and being surrounded with wonderful co-workers in a supportive environment, I truly have never been happier.

My Kasia girl and I are enjoying our semester break, er, not so much. Jim and I have been pretty sick for a few weeks and are trying to get back up to speed. This sweet face looks at us and you know we need to get better for each other and for her. I have always tried to keep her content.

So with Jim, we had our seventeenth anniversary this year, and are trodding along toward number eighteen. It has been an experience, dealing with medical issues of late. As my buddy Bonnie says to me, “For better, for worse…” and indeed it is. We take care of each other as best as we can, because we have each other. Enough said!

Finally, I am beginning my sixth year of ” retirement”.

I am pleased to have ended one job, embarked on a part-time career, in an area with spectacular sunsets with my family that I love.

Who needs more than that?

I wish you, my friend, a wonderful and healthy 2020. Here’s wishing you smooth sailing and pleasurable days in the year to come.

Thanks for reading.

“Weather” or not

Kasia has been working me out with our walks. Tomorrow the weather is due to be unsettled, so we made sure we got long walks in, because tomorrow is Halloween. Unfortunately it’s due to be stormy for my local trick-or-treaters.

Tomorrow would have been the Halloween parade in school, but because of the weather forecast, the festivities in school are being held on Friday. I was on the hook, one way or another, as I’ll be substituting for second grade for the end of the week. It seems that teachers dress up, so I’ll be dressed as a scarecrow. I’m sure it’ll be an experience I’ll never forget.

School has been pretty good. I have been busy working and I love every moment of it. I am glad to have second grade this week. It is a great class, and with a good teacher, it’s easy to step in and run with the ball for a little while.

Have a wonderful Halloween!

October’s Party

I remember a poem I had memorized in grammar school. It was ” October’s Party” by George Cooper.

October gave a party:

The leaves by hundreds came.

The Chestnuts, Oaks and Maples,

And leaves of every name.

The Sunshine spread a carpet,

And everything was grand.

Miss Weather led the dancing,

Professor Wind the band.

It always boggles my mind that I remember this poem, after memorizing it over 50 years ago. It’s probably in my head because October was a busy month in my life. Luca, my youngest godson, had his birthday yesterday. My both brothers have birthdays a week apart and today would have been my Dad’s 99th birthday. Dad and I had memorable Octobers with Mom in later years. When they were still able to travel, we would go to Black Moshannon state park and see the changing colors of the leaves. Once in a while, we’d squeeze in a Penn State football game. I remember the delight my Pop would have at getting a strawberry ice cream cone and a chocolate ice cream cone at the Penn State Creamery. Because no mixing of flavors was allowed, he’d put one cone upside down on the other and have his double dip cone the way HE wanted it.

Perhaps it’s the fact that I am back in school as a teacher with young children around me that takes me back. Classrooms are adorned in student’s artwork of cornstalks, pumpkins and the like. I make no apology for it.

After all, “October gave a party…” How lucky am I to still be around to see it.

“Weighting”Patiently

Our dietician appointment is a week from tomorrow. We had to move it, because I had a chance to work that day at school. While school is still on, it goes without saying, that I jumped at the chance.

We are still writing our food and carbs down. Jim is going still crazy for variations on menu. Me? Well, I am still losing, albeit slowly. I am trying to eat for the rest of my life, not being hungry, moving and exercising, but hey, I still want to lose slowly.

It is hard now that it’s getting hotter, to enjoy a good walk with Kasia,but I “keep on keeping on.” I am trying to adapt my wardrobe to work with my weight loss. I am so tired of buying smaller clothes and then having to buy larger clothes. I promised myself “No more,”

I have found Breyers’ carb smart fudge bars for 70 calories and 3 carbs. I am looking forward to that, as I sorely miss my ice cream. Embracing salads, especially in the heat, is something I have no trouble with.

Once school is over, I need to get our home ready for visitors. Flowers are planted, as are veggies, I think it’s safe to say that summer has not officially entered from a calendar standpoint, but it is officially here in “Amity”.

Lemonade, anyone?

End of the Month

It’s Memorial Day Weekend, and officially, today is Memorial Day. I always preferred to acknowledge it on the 30th of May, which was the first ” Decoration Day”. Either way, I have taken thought of those who served and still do serve, and thank them for their service. It is hard to want to celebrate this in the Washington Area today, as the American Vice-President is leading the ceremony in Arlington National Cemetery. The “President” of the United States is in Japan, where he gave an award to the winner of a Sumo wrestling competition last night. All I have to say is….wow.

Tomorrow marks the last week of the month, work-wise, and I have school through the rest of the week. It’s hard for me to believe time has gone so quickly and summer vacation is around the corner. Here in “Amity”, our population is bursting at the seams. I will get through the summer, and wait patiently with Kasia, for our quiet time, which is after Labor Day.

Here’s hoping that you honored the Veteran in your life today, and enjoy the start of the summer months.

Ten Day Hiatus

You can say I was stopping to smell the roses along the way.

Work has been too good. So good, as a matter of fact, that I came home and ,outside of walking Kasia-girl, I had a hot shower, got into my pj’s and crashed to the bed. I worked 4 out of 5 days for two weeks, and, OMG, how different it is from sitting at a desk. With smaller elementary school pupils, you are up and down, and walking and moving constantly, for those of you who wonder why I was not here. Quite frankly, I was beat.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, the school year is almost over, and as of right now, I am only working two days this week. Kasia doesn’t know quite how to behave, as I’m back with her, and now she only has to contend with the laptop in order to get her walk.

There really hasn’t been big diet splurges, except for a short stack of pancakes after church yesterday. I am due at my new doctor tomorrow for a check up and we’ll see what’s what.

I’ll tell you one thing, though.

Brownie Batter dessert hummus. OMG!

It is carried by my local Aldi store, which is a “healthy” grocery store, as opposed to the bigger chain stores. Two tablespoons are 60 calories and with a smidge of Redo-Whip on it, it’s believable to both your brain and stomach as chocolate pudding. I kid you not!

I would add more pictures, but my iPhone has conveniently had a dead battery that I needed to ship to California for, so hopefully I won’t go through the DT’s until it’s back in my hands sometime this weekend.

I’ll be on here, so those of you who normally would read my post and chat with me know I am still kicking.

Stay tuned!

Off-Day or Day Off

Jim has the basketball game on as I type this, and I am taking my first breather of the day. It has been a while since I had a weekday off. It is only my fault, as I figure school is almost over and it’s due to be a long summer.

What I don’t figure out is how tired I am.

They always say you can’t hit a moving target. I can see why, because I could have gotten hit a ton today, moving rather slowly. I have to admit though, I was constantly moving slow, as opposed to being off my feet. It has to be the lighter package I am carrying these days that is the answer. We came home from an early dinner tonight and I actually had some energy perking. The breeze felt good and I had a few plants that had to be repotted or put in the ground. I took care of a few chores that needed to be done and even tried to figure out my medication snafu with my prescription provider.

It’s good to feel good.**

**Except for this damn cough that is still lingering on, and now I have more things to try to treat it with.

Weight a Minute!

Between the exercise of walking Kasia further, school and counting carbs and calories, I am officially down 12 1/2 pounds.

Take the picture above. Where Jim and I go out for dinner on Thursday nights, they have introduced this roasted red beet salad which is delicious. Six months I wouldn’t have thought so. Incredible what accountability will do.

The dietician looked at me as though she didn’t think I would do as well as I did on the scale. Easy to do, when you are tired of lugging the extra inches on your body.Our appointment today gave us a few ideas on trying twists in the menu to keep us satisfied and keep up our good work.

So we are going to keep on keeping on. This appointment marked one month since the initial appointment with the dietician. I’m going to keep doing what has been working for me, and not kill myself, as I realize that an almost 60 year old body goes slowly in some areas. Fortunately, there is no race. My body is happy, and I intend to keep it that way!