Upsides

Time has gotten away with me the last couple of weeks ... pretty much since daylight savings. On the upside, it is finally light enough in the mornings that I can pick up dog poo before I go to work. This is a goal of mine ... to keep it picked up daily. The snow is finally all melted and the crocus made a visit this week. Everything else it behind.

Our neighbors moved out over the weekend. They are a super nice young couple and we'll miss them but we won't miss their dog digging holes under the fence and coming through. He did it twice last summer and blood was shed.

I am hanging in at work but my short timer's flu is no secret. I'm not gonna lie about that.

I know it's Tuesday and late for Monday Upsides so I'll just call it Upsides and scrap the Monday.

• 8 working Mondays to go
• Flowers are starting to bloom
• The taco crawl starts in two weeks!
• I have a couple of photo shoots on my calendar now
• The hubs is going to the west side tomorrow for 4 days, leaving me to my house alone (that never happens)
• We've decided to start a Pros/Cons list regarding moving at the end of summer

Hope you are seeing flowers come up wherever you are in the world. It was a long winter, wasn't it?

What are your upsides this week?  Tell me!

love, susan

High Tea for Me

Today was a floating holiday for me. Where I work, we are awarded one day a year called a floating holiday. It can be used any time, with or without approval. It's a freebie. I used mine to attend a tea party this afternoon.

I've never been to a high tea before and didn't know they serve snacks. I ate a big lunch earlier but I wasn't going to be rude and not try the beautiful finger food the ladies of the Moose Lodge prepared for this event. Along with scrumptious hand-made mints, miniature cupcakes, filled strawberries, little crab and chicken sandwiches, and crustless cucumber sandwiches on rye crackers, they had each table decorated differently. The ladies of the club brought tea pots and cups from their own collections to decorate each table. It was hard to choose which table to plant ourselves but I settled on one that had real bone china cups as I knew my tea would taste the best there.

There was a super interesting  presentation by one of the ladies who is a former teacher. She had brought some pieces of her Blue Willow collection and with it she had a made a poster report that would have gotten an A+ if I was grading it. She gave about an 8 minute talk on how bone china made its way to the United States in the bottom of ships. I'll never take old china for granted again. 

I really enjoyed sitting with a couple of retired women I did not know while I listened to some stories and enjoyed a few good laughs. We talked mostly about family reunions. One woman said her family once did a reunion in Ireland where 19 family members attended. She belongs to a couple of church groups and she helps in the kitchen at the Moose Lodge, and serves dinners there on the weekends.

To my surprise, the water for my tea was boiling hot when they brought it to our table and I  enjoyed two cups of green tea while stuffing my face with the above-mentioned snacks.

All I could think about is that I can't believe I am almost 60 and have never attended something like this before, and that I would love to do it again. It was nice to be among service minded women who came together to enjoy a cuppa in the middle of a Thursday afternoon. Add to this the fact I was being paid while not working, making it even sweeter.

After the tea party, I stopped by my friend T's dog grooming shop and was talking with her and another friend about my experience and was asked if they has crustless cucumbers sandwiches. Who knew that's a thing? Apparently, it's not a real tea party without this.

This may be a lot to do about nothing to you but for me it was such a beautiful surprise on an otherwise surprisingly beautiful day. Oh, I almost forgot to write about the Ireland/reunion lady talking about her hearing aid app.  Say what? Yeah, she has an app on her phone that adjusts her hearing aids for different places she goes. For instance, when she is in church, the music is too loud so the app automatically turns down her hearing aids for her. OMG, you know, a person only needs one good idea to make it big. Why didn't I think of that?

Have you ever been to a tea party? Did you enjoy it? Did you know there is a hearing aid app?  Have you ever had a crustless cucumber sand?

love, susan

 

 

 

 

Monday Upsides: Bring. It. On.

This last weekend was like a 48 hour party! Book club, dog photos, a birthday party Saturday night, a Sunday afternoon taco birthday party with best friends, and a nap. And, just like that it's Monday again. Yesterday, while walking to our car, the hubs and I saw two young boys outside playing. One was shirtless. Brrr! There is still snow on the ground but I loved his optimism. Are you ready for some Monday upsides? The snow is nearly gone. The daffodil greens pictured here were more crooked on Saturday from the crush of a months' worth of snow. Be a daffodil ... don't let winter crush you. Nine more work Mondays to go. I'm feeling less stressed about this retirement thing. You wouldn't think it to be a stressful thing but it's change. There is not a cloud in the sky this morning. Warmer weather is here. There is a full moon this week and it brings out the crazy is people.

Bring. It. On.

love, susan

March Mood: Don't Give Up

Have you ever met people for the first time and you just have to know more about them? It happened to me yesterday when I showed up for book club. Let me back up a minute. 💝 A casual friend mentioned on FB that part of her New Year's resolution was to do a few things she'd been thinking about and one of them was to start a book club. I have always wanted to be in a book club but never had the courage to either start one or join one with people I don't know. 💚 Long story short, a couple of women who all know each other got together for coffee and we started a book club. Ironically, the idea person hasn't been to a meeting since that first one but we are not giving up on her. We just keep making it go and grow. Two new women joined us for coffee yesterday and after a lot of discussion, we discovered all of us yearn to be creative in one way or another. 💙 One of the ways I stay creative when I haven't energy for anything else is my breakfast presentation. I like color and texture. Give me a serving of oatmeal and I will add cherries and almonds to it in just the right way to make it look gourmet. 💋 Our little club decided to read The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown this month. Luckily, I already had purchased it on Audible and I'm now looking forward to hearing it and having a reason to meet for coffee with these fantastic women.

THE MORAL to this story is don't quit just because there is a lull. I had a lurking feeling that perhaps book club was not going to make it past March but my commitment-junkie friend came through with some new blood and it's just what we needed. Our original founder may even join us again at the next meeting. We never know what is happening in other people's lives that pulls them away so my motto is to just keep showing up and see what happens.

Do you belong to a book club, or have you ever wanted to? If so, how many members do you have? What book are your reading right now? 

love, susan

Monday Upsides:

Day light savings has me dragging this morning. You wouldn't think an hour could have such an effect on the body but it does. I could barely get out of bed this morning, which is highly unusual for me. I'm a get-up-with-the-chickens kind of girl.

 

Running late so here's my Monday upsides:

 

• Only 10 more working Mondays.
• Got all my laundry done over the weekend.
• Ran the hubby's car through car wash yesterday and it feels good to see it clean.
• It's not snowing.
• I'm no longer sick.
• Because of my day light savings time stupor, the dogs got fed twice this morning. They are not moving very fast right now but fat & happy.
• Plans are coming together for a road trip with a friend to Denver in early summer.

That's about it for now.  Tell me your upsides today!

 

love, susan



Monday Upsides: Get the Poop Here

(I couldn't get enough of these two)

Oliver

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

🐾  This Monday Upside is a little late posting as I was sick Monday and Tuesday. I got to dog/cat last weekend for these critters I had not sat with before. They are the sweetest fur kids. I had a bed to sleep in but preferred sleeping on the couch so they could sleep with me. They nestled in and never move an inch all night. Really warmed my heart. The cat is the most friendly feline I've met in a long time. He could make a cat lover out of me. 🐾 The weather is still very cold and the snow we received in February is still on the ground. There is an upside to that. See below. 🐾 At the end of this week, I have an appointment with a speech therapist. According to my ENT doctor, I have bent vocal chords. He thinks it can be corrected with therapy. We'll see. I cannot imagine the rest of my life with this hoarse voice but I will accept it if I have to. I'm just thrilled it is not cancer. 🐾 Not much else on my calendar this week accept doing my best to stay warm. I'm wearing long underwear in March. That's just not right.

 

MONDAY UPSIDES:

• The snow is still so deep that no dog poop has surfaced so no poop pick up just yet.
• Only 11 more Mondays to retirement.
• It is light now when I leave work at night.
• I got a box mailed off to my kids that has been hanging around.
• I get to drive my garaged car with its heated seats to work this week now that the snow has packed down on the side streets. Warm car, happy woman.

How about you? Anything good going into this week?

 

love, susan

Kai and Twinkles

I have perfected doggie massage

Monday Upsides: Learning to Sit Still

It's snowing again. This is the 5th snow storm we have had in February. There seems to be no end to it this week. Snow through Thursday and the temps are not warm enough to melt it. All I can think of is the many layers of dog poo that await me in March.

 

 

Monday Upsides:

• I'm home after an 11 day house sitting job
• It's starting to be light at 6:30am
• Only 12 more working Mondays to go
• I finally cut and colored my hair this weekend
• I am halfway through Amy Poehler's book Yes Please on audible
• I watched the Oscars last night all the way from beginning to end. I am learning to embrace sitting still. Wasn't Bradley Cooper dreamy when he smiled at Lady Gaga at the end of their song together? I heard his talk with Oprah on her Super Soul Sunday podcast. He's a sweetie!

I've been talking to and emailing the retirement benefits person in Juneau. All I am asking for is some kind of confirmation letter that my benefits are in place and that there will be no hitches on June 1st. That seems to be like pulling teeth. All I can say is that when these people who are in charge of retirement get to be my age, they'll understand the importance of being stressed about lapsing coverage. You don't want that to happen at my age. So, I am preparing myself to have to work a week or two into June to guarantee that I don't have that happen. If I receive medical insurance cards in the mail prior to the middle of May, I can adjust that but right now all I can do is wait. I'd like to give my employer an ending date but it is not in the cards for me to do that yet. It's gettin' real!

 

Okay. Well, no text from work that we are on a 2 hour delay. Guess I'd better get moving. Is it wrong I should go poke at the hubs to get up out of his nice warm bed?
 

love, susan

Side Hustle Observations

I'm home now from an 11 day dog/house sitting gig. I enjoyed my little side hustle job but was definitely ready to come home to my own dogs. Some observations I made about myself while there were ....

 

I eat terrible when no one is watching.

It sort of feels like a vacation when I house sit. This is bad thinking on my part. If I am going to make this a side hustle for real, I need to give this a lot of thought and plan what I'll need to take with me to eat well. A bag of chips and buttermilk, not so much.

 

No matter my plans for reading, if there is a movie to watch it will trump time with a book.

I don't know. I don't think I need to beat myself up over watching movies. I don't do it very often so it felt like a huge treat to myself. Due to my lack of technology, I ended up watching a free movie channel that plays movie after movie with no choices. I watched movies that I would not have ordinarily picked from a line up. This, me thinks, was a good thing. I watched The Last Castle (starring Robert Redford), The Gambler (starring Mark Wahlberg),The Duchess (starring Kiera Knightley), and a couple others whose titles I forget already. I also watched Netflix on my phone and finished the latest seasons of House of Cards and Shameless. Glad to check those off my list.

 

I don't think I can ever live alone. I need people. But, I did enjoy watching whole movies without interaction or interruption from anyone. 

I did go out and meet a friend for dinner one evening but for the most part I crashed after work each day last week. We have had 4 winter storms in the last 14 days and it was stressful. Today, we are in the middle of our 5th winter storm, perhaps a record for February in eastern Washington. Weather can be isolating.

 

My gig included a home
sauna. It was heaven.

I had many ideas

I really like dog/house sitting for dog lovers. It is a service that is sorely needed and I am glad I am in a position to be able to do it. It isn't about the $$ because trust me, there are easier ways to make money but the reason I really love doing it is that it creates a different path for what seems like a rut in my life. My dogs hate going to the kennel and I know most people would much prefer to have a house sitter. I get to enjoy other people's dogs and it feels a bit like a vacation for me. While I was sitting alone, I was thinking that I would like to start a business (side hustle) that goes beyond dog sitting. I would like to be that girl that gets called to do things for other people that they either don't have time for or they just hate doing.  Little side jobs. Gigs that don't take more than 2 hours but pay enough to make it worth getting dressed for and driving across town. Let me be the girl that helps you sort and file those huge stacks of paper on your desk. Call me if you are expecting company this weekend and need someone to come do some topical dusting, change the sheets, do some grocery shopping, wash windows, whatever. It's not that I need the money. I really like helping others in ways that are to find help for. A personal assistant, that's what I envision. It would be word of mouth kind of thing.  Hey, I hired Susan to come straighten up my garage. It only took her 2 hours and didn't cost me an arm and a leg and now it's done! The dog sitting gig has been word of mouth and has really caught on. I have a job line up again for this coming weekend but it is only 2 nights. I'm glad it's a short one.

 

I have soup in the crock pot and I'm going to kick back the rest of today and just pet my dogs.

 

How about you ... if you could hire someone to do a job you hate doing, what would it be?  I can use your ideas!

 

(photos below are random from this week)

 

love, susan

 

 

This is Brady. He sat on my lap every day for 11 days. So
stinking sweet.

 

Jill and Jax. They were my bed buddies.

 

This was at the end of 11 days. We're getting another half foot today.

 


This is our granddaughter on her first official
paid photo shoot. It was for a bridal company.
Can you believe she is only 17? She is as sweet as
she is beautiful.

 


My roommates for 11 days.

Monday Upsides: Even Though It's Tuesday

Monday upsides: only 12 more to retirement.  As I write this, it is Tuesday. President's Day was welcomed and now we're having a busy day to make up for it. I cling to the though t I have so few working Mondays remaining. It's not snowing. The hubs doesn't have an aorta aneurysm. I had two great conversations with my son and a friend yesterday. And, lunch out with hubs yesterday left me good memories. We tried a new dish (Jungle Curry) at our favorite thai place. I got my Mini Cooper out of the garage after a one week, non-stop snow storm and we're running the streets again. Seems like a lot of good stuff happens on Monday. Who knew?  love, susan

Stopping Dragging My Quilt Around

I've been dog/house sitting for a friend. We're on day 4 right now. Last night I arrived at my home away from home to find a queen sized quilt, two towels, my denim jacket, and two canvas shopping bags out in the snow. All were frozen solid. How'd they get there? Through the doggie door, of course. I had a good laugh about it. I had been warned that perhaps if I left my shoes/boots on the floor, they'd end up chewed up but this dragging things out to the yard surprised me. So, I dragged everything in and got it laundered. This morning I placed the towels down in front of the doggie door to help soak up some of the snow as the dogs come in. I took a shower and came out to find Jill proudly guarding one of the towels she had dragged back out. I decided to take up the towels until I arrive home tonight. 🐾 Dogs talk to us in ways that force us to listen. As much as I am doing my best to make their lives as normal as possible but they surely miss their person. It's all good. I'll just be more mindful to pick up anything that looks like it can be dragged thru a small door. Otherwise, these sweet babies are keeping me good company and they love to guard me when I'm sleeping. The little one burrows under the covers and honestly, I have woken up every night to check his breathing. How can they breath under the covers, that's what I want to know. 🐾 I am looking forward to having some time to spend outdoors with them tomorrow, throwing a snowball or two. And, then after I wear them out a little, perhaps they'll sit to watch some Netflix with me. I finished House of Cards and now I'm finishing the last season of Shameless.

Do you have any Netflix recommendations for me? I've got a 3 day weekend!

love, susan

Monday Upsides: Snowmageddon 2019 Carries On

We are in the middle of  Snowmageddon 2019  in Eastern Washington. I finally dug out enough to get out on the main street for a trip to the grocery store and gas station. We have seen dozens of cars high centered in the snow on side streets. Imagine my surprise when I look to my right while filling up gas and see this guy in his shorts. I think it is a bit optimistic to think he isn't going to get stuck somewhere along the lines today, but maybe he's gonna get on the highway and drive to Portland. A bit judgy on my part, I suppose.  (giggles) A friend I am supposed to be dog/house sitting for has been trying to fly out to Seattle since Saturday. It's not looking good for today either. Her final destination is Belize. Never give up, that's my motto!

 

Monday Upsides:

• It is not snowing at the moment.
• Fred Meyer is within walking distance so if I get stuck again, I'm not gonna starve.
• We had delayed start today at work.
• Winter is almost over but she's telling us who is boss.
• My dogs LOVE LOVE LOVE chasing the Kong in the deep snow.

 

MONDAY COUNTDOWN TO RETIREMENT: 

13 Mondays to go!

 

Hope you're safe and warm wherever you are.  Got any Monday upsides?

 

love, susan

This dog belongs on the Iditarod trail!



That's not a cold foot she is holding up. She is anticipating
me throwing the Kong I am using to get her focus!



I love this girl.



Winter is tough on the critters.



My daughter-in-law made this and sent a jar
all the way from Denver.
It is SO YUMMY!