Hours of yardwork

Looks like, weather permitting, I will be doing yardwork this Saturday. An April project. The yard needs to be raked, sticks and limbs need to be removed. My husband wants to dig the evergreen hedge from the front of the house. It makes me sad because for years, each December, I have decorated the bushes with colorful nets. However, I know the bushes are woody and barren in some places. I guess my fear is that the front of the house will look empty and colorless. We have rhododendron in front of the porch, but the bushes do not add much. Fear the same will happen to the other side of the house. I also need to be proactive and kill the ground ivy which is threatening to take over the poppies that we got from husband's grandmother. We talked about building up a garden bed by the back deck. We would like to plant successive blooming plants...daffs, tulips and hyacinths for early spring, lily plants for later, and summer plants. I generally plant begonia and impatien in my planter boxes. We have a huge silver maple which needs to be cut down. My husband would like a garden of yellow marigolds.

Grateful

I was at home, getting ready for work, when I decided to put the store keys in my coat pocket. I looked through my purse and the keys were not there. The last time I remembered seeing them was at the grocery store the previous day. I didn't know if I lost them at the grocery store or in my husband's car. I tried calling my husband, but he was out on a delivery. I decided to call my son as he has store keys also and he lives 5 minutes from my home. I arrived at work 17 minutes late. When I finally reached my husband, the keys were not in his car. I called the grocery store and a kind woman looked and told me they had been turned in! My son was helpful and told me that he would pick them up. I am so grateful for my husband who took time to check in his car, the person that turned the keys in to lost and found and my son for making a special trip to pick them up!

Parallels

I would hope that eating and living a healthy lifestyle would parallel the fasting that I am attempting during Lent. It is difficult, however. I don't just mean fasting from carbs and refined sugar. I also am trying to eliminate those areas in my life that are ugly. I motivate myself with the Lenten "Little Black Book" and a daily inspirational derived from Pope Francis' homilies given to me by my daughter for Christmas. Words of Pope Francis: "Fast from hurting words and say kind words. Fast from sadness and be filled with gratitude. Fast from anger and be filled with patience. Fast from pessimism and be filled with hope. Fast from worries and trust in God. Fast from complaints and contemplate simplicity. Fast from pressures and be prayerful. Fast from bitterness and fill your heart with joy. Fast from selfishness and be compassionate to others. Fast from grudges and be reconciled. Fast from words and be silent so you can listen." Pope Francis also says to have a tender heart. Not so easy to do when people drive selfishly or are rude or unhelpful. So you can see what a struggle I have both with eliminating carbs and sugar from my life (I enjoy them) and getting rid of hurting words, sadness, anger, pessimism, worries, complaints, pressures, bitterness, selfishness, grudges and blabbing.

Feeling sick with a cold

My husband has been coughing and sneezing for the past two weeks, and I could feel a cold coming on last week. It struck me down on Tuesday. On Wednesday, I threw my low carb life style to the wind, enjoyed chips and cookies and gained some weight. I have been eating healthier..chicken veggie soup, oatmeal with apples, omelets. It's amazing how muzzy headed a cold makes me feel. I am practicing for a hapkido tournament on Monday and can barely say my name, let alone ki yup. But it is what it is. I have written down some considerations for my form--BIG motions, face the proper direction, high hands and bow wrists in the hoi jeons, count so I don't lose my place, nd FOCUS! Also land squarely on the balls of both feet. I plan to spar also so hope that my weight loss and kickfit training will help! A few months ago, my sister suggested that I let my friendship with my mentally ill friend lapse. At the time, I thought I'd continue friending her, but lately, perhaps because I feel crummy, I am giving some thought to the idea. My friend doesn't want anyone to overhear so she mumbles on the phone so that I can't understand her. She uses foul language and calls her housemates ugly names. We were supposed to get together to celebrate her birthday, but she canceled. A blessing since I am sick and it is hard to take her out. She will be moving into an apartment with two other women and attending a new day program in the next couple weeks.