bethsblog

Summer Blogcation

I'll have Princess Sophia and and Cass-a-bunny along with other assorted characters like Auntie Sara Beara visiting here through August 1st and I doubt that I'll have time to post during that time, but I promise photos and videos of the hilarity when the party's over.

Thanks to Roboranch for the great photo!

"Keep it simple."

Checklist

breakfast
bike ride
shop
lunch
dust
teach
dinner
read
bed
perfect

"Keep it simple."

"Keep it light" or what I learned from Dad and Facebook

In spite of illness, financial reverses, and a difficult marriage, my Dad had a knack for "keeping it light". He knew when it was time to launch into airy banter that oft defused difficult situations.

For the month that I ventured into the world of Facebook, even though I felt overwhelmed because I don't know when to WALK AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER and get on with my life... I really enjoyed the snippets of light-hearted news that friends and family posted there.

So yesterday I started a new category in my 2009 Post Archives called Bits and Pieces. In honor of my Dad I'm going to try to "keep it light" from time to time and archive it there. Refreshing, since I have spent the entire winter and spring groveling around in my health problems and dragging you along for the ride.

"Keep it simple... and light."

delicious

70 degrees
blue sky
calm breezes
a positively delicious summer day!

"Keep it simple."

The Calm before the Storm

This time next week my house will be overflowing with the noise of my two grandchildren, my refrigerator will be overflowing with the vast quantities of food required to feed a family of 6, and my heart will be overflowing with the joy of having many of my most favorite people here with me for a week. We plan to spend much time making art, building sandcastles and cooking yummy meals with all that food.

It seems like the weather might just decide that it's time to act like summer. Warmer temps are predicted. Perhaps Lake Michigan will be swim-able.

I am well recovered from my thyroid meltdown. On three occasions my endocrinologist has set me up on a trial of Cytomel, (T3) but within a few days, each time, I have felt overly anxious and have had difficulty sleeping. So the plan is for me to stay with Levothyroxine alone. Forever.

I've been off the anti-anxiety medication Klonopin for over a month. I got a clean bill of health from my psychiatrist last week and was sent on my merry way. If I feel anxious, it's pretty low-level... at least compared to the panic attacks I was having in February and I have tools like positive self-talk, yoga, and relaxation breathing that I can use instead of medication. I have recovered about 90% of my normal energy and strength. My only complaint is a lingering face rash and a "burned" tongue senastion. These symptoms will probably dissipate in time. I hope so. Only in rare cases do the after-effects of having taken "benzos" prove to be permanent.

This week I'm teaching a few students, stocking the refrigerator, and getting ready for the hilarity. I plan to enjoy every minute of it!

"Keep it simple."

Vacation Central

When you live in a place as beautiful as West Michigan, land of sun and sea and sand, it's only natural that folks want to visit. I am fortunate to have a house large enough to accommodate family and friends so they can spend a few days enjoying our sugar sand beaches, moderate temperatures and take a refreshing dip in Lake Michigan, our nearby inland sea.

I am really looking forward to a visit from "my girls" in two weeks. Amy, Sophia, Cassidy May and Sara will be here and I am hoping that Lake Michigan warms up a bit for them... so far the lake temps have hovered in the 40's and 50's due to an unusually cool summer... but even if it doesn't, we'll still have fun at the beach in our sweatshirts and long pants. Brrrr.

"Keep it simple."

Mind's Eye

Most nights, when it's time for bed, I usually fall asleep just fine, but I usually wake in the wee hours of the morning and have a hard time falling back to sleep. A girlfriend of mine shared this simple insomnia busting tip with me... count backwards.

Well, I've tried that before with limited success... in different variations like counting backwards from 300 by 3's which just makes me angry... but her version really works:

Starting with 100, visualize drawing each number as you count backwards slowly. She said that drawing the numbers helps reset the right/left brain connection allowing the mind/body to relax.

I have been using this technique for the past 3 weeks and it works like a charm. Here are some more insomnia tips.

"Keep it simple."

Sand Castle

Here's a little video clip of Sophia, Amy, and Cassidy May collaborating by the shore of Muskegon Lake. Fun in the sun!

"Keep it simple."

Storytime

Sunday and Monday were spent caring for our grand-kids while their parents took a trip to Chicago. Just before the exhausted Sophia and Cassidy May headed back to Ann Arbor with their mommy and daddy, Gary got one more chance to work his grandfatherly magic... moments before this idyllic scene took place, both girls were pitching fits about getting ready for bed.

It's reported that they slept in the car all the way home.

Thanks Amy and Stephen for entrusting your beautiful children to us for a couple days. We had a wonderful time.

"Keep it simple."

Computer Butt or Why I am Pulling the Plug

I've always been the sort of person who jumps with both feet into whatever I decide to do... I'm an all or nothing sort of gal... yet, I'd rather do a few things well that a whole lot of things half-baked, so today I am pulling the plug on Facebook. I have allowed it to suck way too much of my time.

I joined up because I thought it would connect me with people, but instead of feeling connected, I felt bombarded by a random assemblage of random banter that required me to sift and winnow through tons of randomness at random times adding to the random scatter of my already random brain until my mouse finger was sore and my butt was beginning to assuming the size and shape of my desk chair.

I'm emancipating myself from the randomness and returning to my first online love, my blog, blogging, and reading my favorite blogs. By letting go of my Facebook page, my precious computer time won't be divided between the blog and the "wall".

Anybody who really wants to keep up with me can find my news, what I'm thinking, my photo albums and videos, my email address, links to SCD resources, my Art Gallery and Zazzle products here. 

Returning to this tagline... appropriate for today:

"Keep it simple."