Letters

This was my fun project I started last year. I'm working to acquire the rest of the alphabet. I took the photos, edited them and had them printed up at Costco. I bought the frames at Michael's and assembled them with black paper as backing.

Capturing Thoughts

I wish at this time of night I had the energy and patience to tackle all the projects that drifted through my mind while I was at work during the day. It's never when I have the time to actually be doing something that I think about doing something because I'm usually doing something else. That sentence actually does make sense to me.

When I'm at work during the day there are moments where I run through a mental list of all that I want to accomplish at home in the evenings after dinner.

But here it is Friday night, after 9:00 p.m.; I have the second load of laundry in the wash, the kitchen is cleaned up, and there is a pile of paperwork sitting on the table. The same pile that has been there since Monday when I was looking for that one last piece of paper before doing our taxes.

And my bags I brought home from the Sewing Expo like two weeks ago are still sitting in the spare bedroom, full of fabric, patterns and papers. And the fabric I ordered through the mail is all over the spare bedroom since I took it out of the box when I was on a meeting call when I was working from home.

When does all that stuff get taken care of? I don't really know. But it will, it always does. Just not always when and how I planned it. Right now I just want to put the clothes in the dryer and go read in my bedroom. But I don't have a book started right now. And I don't want to start a book just yet because then I would ignore these things that need to be done. Because when I'm reading that's all I want to do, read.

I'm rambling now, I know that. I wanted to write tonight and I did. I also want to write a poem just for fun but haven't thought of a topic. I think I'll say something about all the rain we've had this month. Lots of it, every day. But with a little bit of sunshine here and there. Just to remind us that there will be sunshine.

I lay in bed

The rain taps gently on the roof

Sometimes it wakes me in the night

In the morning I awake

and it has stopped

The air is fresh

The grass green

The white crocus peeks out of the ground

It’s coming soon

I know it is

Spring

Flowers

Cut grass

And bicycles

Soon

Gym Dandy

This was a good week at the gym. Even though I have a cold I still felt well enough to get up at 5:30 and make it to the gym four days this week. I generally use the treadmill, some days a few weight machines and then today was a treat. I took my bathing suit and spent some time in the sauna, steam room, hot tub and pool. I love water and I love the heat so it was a nice way to start my morning.

I've been going to the gym in the morning now for about 3 years. I'm very accustomed to the morning "gym rats". The same group of us there at the same hour in the mornings. It's comforting. Mornings just work best for me. If I lived alone I would probably go in the evening and take classes, but for now mornings work best. 

Occasionally I'll go over to join a Zumba class on a Saturday. And I really like that.

Three years at the gym you might think would make me skinny, but it doesn't. It makes me fit and healthy (but still a little overweight). But I know I'm much better off getting the exercise than not doing anything. And I actually like exercising, I like going to the gym, I like the weight machines and I love the sauna.

Find a fitness routine that works for you. At home I have a hula hoop and free weights. I have a jump rope but not really any (private) place at home to use it. I just can't see me jump roping out in front of the house.

Whatever you do keep moving, keep limber and stay flexible. Learn to play and learn to relax. 

Sweets Surrendered

Before - my desk drawer

After - sealed (temporarily)

Hi, my name is Trudy and I love sugar (and Easter candy - big time). I've had a few weeks where my healthy eating just went right out the front door. In order to unlock the front door and invite my healthy eating habits to return I have put away my treats for a few days.

You're heard the expression, "she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth"? Well I think my expression is "I was born with a spoonful of sugar in my mouth".

Periodically I will give up candy, cookies, pastries, donuts (oh, now I'm getting hungry so I'll stop the list) for a few days to get my body back into wanting fruits and vegetables. After a few days then I can successfully have one piece of candy instead of 35.

That Milky Way Simply Caramel Bunny is delicious. I ate one a day or two ago. I digress. Anyway, this evening we are having stuffed cabbage rolls with spinach salad.

Tomorrow is day 2, I shall have my husband hide the scissors so the candy bag remains sealed. In reality what will happen is that I will forget all about the candy and 5 weeks from now when I'm looking in the cupboards for something I'll find the bag.

Down and Dirty - One Week Later

One week later here is the progress. The lettuce seeds germinated in about 3 days. The herbs have begun to germinate except for the cilantro that takes a little bit longer.

You have to look real close but you can see the green popping up through the soil.

Down and Dirty

It's the end of February and it's not to early to start planting some seeds indoors. Before I could plant my seeds, I had three houseplants that needed re-potted. My 1 year old Christmas cactus that did bloom again this year and my three year old orchid that bloomed for the second time last year. The kalanchoe was a recent gift from a friend when my husband was in the hospital.

I have not replanted the orchid before but I know it needed a little more space. The orchid mix is extremely light and airy. The roots aren't really attached to any soil. Hope it will be happy in it's new pot.

For my seeds I mixed starter mix with regular potting soil. I plan to keep my herb pots indoors. Seed starter is very light and airy. Adding regular potting mix gives it a little more weight for the roots to grow in. I planted a lettuce mix in a larger pot. I planted chives, tarragon, oregano and cilantro.

Read the planting instructions on the seed packet, each seed has a different depth to cover the seeds. Once I've planted the seeds I lightly spray the top of the pots with a spray bottle. I do not soak the soil at this time. I have cut juice containers in half and set them on top to help keep in the moisture.

The seeds needs to stay moist. I will spray them at least twice a day during the next couple of weeks.

Most seeds will start to germinate in 1 to 2 weeks. Once they are a couple of inches tall the plants will need to be thinned. You thin them be removing some of the little sprouts, pull them up roots and all. This makes room for strong healthy plants and no overcrowding. Since they are in pots they will be more crowded than if I was planting them in rows outside.

The seed package will give you an approximate time for maturity which is when you can harvest your herbs or veggies. I've never grown lettuce indoors, but it grows very good outside in pots so I thought I would give it a try.

You can use this same process and put seeds in individual peat pots to start indoors then move them outdoors when it warms up. I will start some veggies indoors in peat pots in a few more weeks.

Happy Planting!

For now I just wanted to get some herbs started indoors. And I also planted a lettuce mix.

These are sitting in the windowsill of a south exposure window. The juice bottles will help keep moisture and heat in while the seeds germinate.

Bearing One Another's Burdens

A friend recently commented that I hadn't posted on my blog recently. The reason was that last weekend the one word that stuck in my head that I would have titled the post would have been "Wallowing". And I prefer to be more positive in my blog posts.

But I have to admit there are times where it is perfectly acceptable to allow yourself to wallow. Along with my wallowing there were occasional bright spots and signs of better things to come.

This wallowing came from a variety of things that piled up on top of me. And most of the time it's not really about me, but about feeling the pain and suffering of those around me. So this week I thought more about how we bear one another's burdens.

Rather you think you do this or not I believe that we all do this, or I would like to think that we all do this at times. I wondered if those that are suffering and in pain (not just physical) understand our journey with them. I know they don't want to impose their suffering onto us and they don't do it with intent, but it is there for us to receive and to help them bear it.

We do this by listening, by providing any physical assistance we can and by providing emotional assistance, encouraging words along their path.

Here is an excerpt from the Liahona Magazine, Nov 2006 that captures this much better than I can.

By Elder Dallin H. Oaks

He Heals the HeavyLaden

Healing blessings come in many ways, each suited to our individual needs, as known to Him who loves us best. Sometimes a “healing” cures our illness or lifts our burden. But sometimes we are “healed” by being given strength or understanding or patience to bear the burdens placed upon us.

The people who followed Alma were in bondage to wicked oppressors. When they prayed for relief, the Lord told them He would deliver them eventually, but in the meantime He would ease their burdens “that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses … that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions” (Mosiah 24:14). In that case the people did not have their burdens removed, but the Lord strengthened them so that “they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord” (v. 15).

This same promise and effect applies to you mothers who are widowed or divorced, to you singles who are lonely, to you caregivers who are burdened, to you persons who are addicted, and to all of us whatever our burden. “Come unto Christ,” the prophet says, “and be perfected in him” (Moroni 10:32).

At times we may despair that our burdens are too great. When it seems that a tempest is raging in our lives, we may feel abandoned and cry out like the disciples in the storm, “Master, carest thou not that we perish?” (Mark 4:38). At such times we should remember His reply: “Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?” (v. 40).

The healing power of the Lord Jesus Christ—whether it removes our burdens or strengthens us to endure and live with them like the Apostle Paul—is available for every affliction in mortality.

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,” the Savior said, “and I will give you rest … unto your souls” (Matthew 11:28–29).

As we struggle with the challenges of mortality, I pray for each of us, as the prophet Mormon prayed for his son, Moroni: “May Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, … and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever” (Moroni 9:25).