A Good Day

Today was a good day. There was nothing special about it. I didn't go anywhere. There were no visitors. The Publisher's Clearing House didn't ring my doorbell and and announce, "Rhonda Roberts. You've just won one million dollars!!"
This morning I slept in until 8:00 and had a quiet breakfast with my husband. He did the cooking. I had a second and third cup of coffee which were sipped while watching the birds at the backyard feeders and reading the newspaper. Rick walked Maddie early so she wasn't nagging me for her walk. Since it's Saturday, there was no mad dash to get Trellany to school, plus she was with her dad this morning.
I piddled at my computer reading emails, tweets, blogs, and most important of all, watching Naomi videos on You tube.(Thanks Jim!) My industrious husband in the meantime gathered the ingredients to make a big pot of shrimp gumbo. I did my Wii Fit routine for 20 minutes. I can make that hula hoop go around pretty fast! :o
I then felt a little industrious myself and cleaned out the linen closet. I ended up with a bag full of trash, a bag for Goodwill and an empty shelf. I was a happy woman! I really like it when I can open a closet door and see exactly what I need.
My closest friend called. It was good to catch up on things with her. She is the sister of my heart. I had a cup of tea in my favorite tea cup. I walked Maddie mid afternoon. By this time Rick's gumbo was really smelling good! After supper Trellany and I did some Wii bowling (I had 5 strikes!), tennis, and baseball.
Well here it is evening. I plan on getting into my comfy PJs, climbing into bed and watching a movie. As you've read there is no big special thing that made my day great. Instead there were many small simple things that came together to bring calm blessings in a usually busy life.

Simple Pleasures

Simple pleasures can be an absolute joy. They aren't complicated. They don't require much money, if any at all. They just make you feel good. So here are a few thoughts that bring me enjoyment.

1. A clear blue sky on a very cold day. (We don't have very many cold days here in LA.)
2. Making a pot of chili on a very cold day.
3. Doing cross stitch sitting near a sunny window.
4. Snuggling with a Dachshund.
5. Watching Martha Stewart in the afternoon.

Being Around

I had an appointment with the new doctor who took over my old doctor's practice when he moved. I like going to a female doctor. She is about my age and really tells it like it is, which is what I needed. After reviewing my cholesterol tests from last April, she asked why I wasn't taking Levostatin. As I explained to my previous doctor, I said I was trying to correct the situation with diet and exercise. I had to admit I was not doing so well in that area. It was then that she told me my numbers were too high to reduce them with diet and exercise alone. The overall total was 266. The bad cholesterol total was 166. I didn't know it had been that high. This was in April. I've since gained 10 pounds so it is probably higher by now. My old doctor never really pressed home the urgency of this. He was content to let me do it on my own. The new doctor kindly told me that diet and exercise are good, but to lower these cholesterol numbers "you can't get there from here" with out some help. She was pretty convincing so I took my first levostatin tonight. It is supposed to be taken at bedtime and on an empty stomach. That gives me incentive to skip the bedtime snack and maybe lose the 10 pounds I've gained in the bargain.
It also makes me realize that I need to take better care of myself. I want to be at the weddings of my beautiful granddaughters some day. I know that it will be quite some time before these events take place after all one is 12 years old and the other is 12 days old today. The point is I want to be there and I don't want to be there in a wheelchair! I want to walk in wearing high heels, looking and feeling great. So that said, I'm going to take the medication faithfully and have my cholesterol checked in 4-6 weeks. I'm going to exercise daily (easier said than done) and eat more fish and less red meat.
All I know is I want to be around for a long, long time. One day you'll see me riding around in a red convertible VW Beetle with the top down at the beach with Trellany and Naomi. I'll be the one riding in the back seat with my hands in the air singing some rowdy rock song!

Sunsets

This picture was captured this evening in Fairhope.  I saw the opportunity to work on goal #4 (See previous post) and I took it.  This was the view I enjoyed tonight as I dined on a thermos of vegetable soup and a Subway sandwich.  This was a view that really fed my soul.  I'm really going to have to do this more often.  After the sunset, I admired all the beautiful lights in the trees in downtown Fairhope. No wonder Fairhope was chosen by Southern Living magazine as the third best small town to live in in the southern USA.

Another New Year Already!

Yes, it's true 2009 is here. That means a new round of goals. Some of last years goals were achieved, some are a work still in progress. I guess my goals for 2009 are more abstract this year. As you've read from my 2008 blogs ( the few I've done), my life is very hectic. I guess I've found myself so busy with the dailies of life and my LA family's needs that I lost myself some where in there. 

 So that said, here are my goals for 2009.

1. Simplify, simplify, simplify.  Stop knocking myself out to be perfect, try doing things the easy way & just be happy!

2. I want to get to know my new granddaughter Naomi. Naomi has such awesome parents, so I'm thrilled that I get to do the fun stuff that comes with being a grandmother.

3. Visit WA state where I can work on goal #2. I miss my WA family so much! I loved WA. when I visited lasted year.  The life there is more in tune with who God made me to be. 

4. In the meantime, try to bloom where I'm planted right now. By this I mean watching sunsets from a pier on the bay, making time to walk on the beach, playing Wii more, conquering Miss T's Raymon Rabbid Nintendo game, spending time doing things I want & enjoy doing.  

5. Do more needlework. It soothes my soul.(Naomi's baby blanket helped keep me from insanity on many a day!) I could have included this in #4 but I've done this for 30 years no matter where I've lived and want to get back into it. Maybe  come up with my own designs. 

6. Just say NO! If my heart isn't in it don't do it.

7.  Laugh more and be spontaneous sometimes!  It's sad when you "always" have to plan fun!

(And last but not least)

8. Be happy with myself. After all, I am a child of the Most High God and He doesn't make junk!!