New yoga mat

  

My old yoga (above) mat was actually loosing structural integrity. 

Clearly I needed a new mat, but it is super hard (psychologically) to buy a new mat because -

It is an investment

The right mat is important

Mats are pretty much on line

I asked and the two suggestions from classmates and instructors were Jade and Manduka. (Both companies have an online quiz, that can help.)

A classmate had just researched/shopped/bought a mat by Jade. I was able to see/touch it in class. 

I hesitated for a few weeks. I would not call it analysis paralysis. It was just paralysis. 

Finally, I took the quizzes and called oldest and his wife, they had been waiting for me to think of something I needed. This was a delayed Mother’s Day present. We wait until I really need something. 

My DIL took the mat ordering in hand. She bought from Dick’s so I could return it. It was a relief to have her just do it.

It arrived by fed ex and I left it on the porch for my husband because I knew it was going to smell. This is a thing with some yoga mats. 

He put it in the garage, on a bed sheet, with a fan blowing on it 24/7.

It stayed there for nine days. The pups made a beeline for it every time they were in the garage. We had to wipe a lot of puppy prints off it. 

It is now in full use and perfect. 

Catching up on Renovation series

We love a good renovation series. And we get quite attached to some of the people. 

I subscribe to Discovery Plus, one month at a time, a couple times a year, and catch up on the series we love.

Two of our favorites -

 

Ben and Erin started a second series -

In season two of Hometown Takeover, Jenny and Dave joined Ben and Erin. These two couples worked together. 

Season two started airing in April 2023, I watched it and really enjoyed the projects. (Although the greenery on the ceiling of the restaurant seemed questionable).

More garden pictures from my yard

I was walking the pups a few days ago and stopped to chat with a woman walking her own dog. In the midst of our conversation, she asked where I lived. When I pointed and explained, we were about a block from my house, her face lit up. She said - you are the house with all the flowers. Yes, yes we are.

Garden pictures from my yard

 

Too easy, The Plot

I enjoyed this book, but I have to say I figured out the plot very early in the book. 

Not only did I figure it out, I was confident I had it correct. 

I think I would have enjoyed the book a lot more if I had not. 

So, I am not planning on reading any more by this author.

https://www.npr.org/2021/05/16/996976488/the-plot-works-as-literary-satire-but-its-mystery-fizzles

Footwear

I culled my footwear this spring. I need very good support. I am careful with my back and neck, which means quality shoes. 

First, I have a pair of mud shoes that I can throw on to take the puppies out to pee in the rain or adjust the sprinkler. I do not wear these for any length of time. 

My mainstays are six pairs of shoes. 

I have three sandals which all stay clean. 

The middle pair are keens. The other two are Comfort Finns. The pair on the right are for to/from yoga, I can get them on and off while standing with my large yoga bag. 

Also in the rotation, bottom shelf from left to right, a pair of athletic shoes for gardening, clean pair to wear to a clean walking event, and my dog walking shoes.

The gardening shoes start out new each year and quickly look quite old. These have been going strong since early March at our house and our daughter’s (we are landscaping and planting grass at her house).

Still

My husband and I watched Still on AppleTV, mid June. 

We have access through our son and DIL’s account. This is not an app that I use very often. I saw the show advertised on my Roku, and was intrigued. 

First, let me share my opinion that this documentary had really  fabulous editing. Clips from various shows and movies were interwoven to help tell the story. The silhouette of another actor looks like it was used to fill in the holes and add dimension. 

I could not take my eyes off Michael J. Fox’s (contemporary) face as he was interviewed.  It was the face and the eyes. 

The whole thing was exceptionally well done, in my opinion.

My husband’s father had Parkinson’s. He had the misfortune to also have dementia. 

My mother’s best friend’s husband had Parkinson’s also. 

It is a very hard disease. This documentary serves to illustrate a family living with the complications of this disease as well as an actor’s life. 

Hey Siri

We had company this past winter. One of my husband’s cousins and his wife were here twice. 

She was a little mind blown by my Siri.  I use it constantly. 

She commented that they were too old for such a modern convenience. 

I would argue it is a necessity as one ages. 

First of all, we have it set to “Hey Siri”, so just mentioning her name does not activate her. 

Next, yes one could just use a timer, but a conventional stove timer only holds one thing at a time. 

Siri holds an infinite number of times with a message attached to each one. 

If I have six steps going on cooking dinner, she can keep track of each one. 

If middle and I are going to be gone for the day and my husband is home with the pups, Siri can remind him to refill their water bowl or feed them dinner. 

I often set it to remember the washer/dryer, put something on the front porch for pick up, leave for an out-of-the-ordinary event. 

After my rice steamer and microwave, Siri is my most helpful kitchen appliance. It lives on the shelf above the refrigerator. 

It makes a positive difference in my day and helps keep things running smoothly and safely. 

Gardening String

Large balls of string are an important part of my gardening life. I use it to mark the property lines when I am working in an area. 

The photos, in this post, show a dedicated string that is just the right length for one side of our property. I use this string at least once a year. It makes things very tidy (and polite/fair for our neighbors) to mark the property line as I adjust beds. 

This first photo (below) is the string looped on the front property stake. Our street is behind me, neighbors’ house is on the left, our house is on the right, in this photo. 

Yes, my ivy has jumped the line. This photo was taken after my mom cut it back last month. The neighbor does not mind that the ivy is over the line. 

My husband and I will trim all the way around this huge bed soon. You can see the ivy is creeping in the grass in the front. 

This second photo (below) is the same string line. It is a red at this end. This long length is actually three sets of strong/thick  string tied together. It was a great use of odd lengths. 

I am standing in our backdoor neighbors yard looking toward our street. Our house is in the left, neighbors’ house is on the right.

If you look carefully, the stake with its yellow cap is visible in this photo. I hook my strings directly on these permanent property line stakes. Yes, a tree is a little in the way. 

Dani Shapiro

Dani is one of my favorite people. 

I was introduced to her through the Happiness Podcast. 

Gretchen and Elizabeth featured Dani’s book, Inheritance, as their first book club pick in 2019. The nice thing about their book club is they interview the authors. 

https://gretchenrubin.com/podcast/212-inheritance-book-club/

https://gretchenrubin.com/podcast/more-happier-what-its-like-to-uncover-a-family-secret-the-value-of-refurbishing-your-office-and-maj-jongg/

Normally if I like an author, I listen to their books in chronological order. I am a methodical person. With Dani’s collection, I started with the contemporary Inheritance which I read in 2019 when it was released.

I re-listened to Inheritance recently, spring 2023. Loved it just as much the second time. Dani read the Audible version herself, I really like that.  This is a non fiction book. Quite the story. 

Next I listened to Signal Fires on Audible, fresh off the press spring 2023, I liked it very much, great fictional novel. Read by Dani who has a great voice. I like the new trend of authors reading their own works. 

Next I went to a 2007 release, Black and White on Audible. It is the only one not read by Dani herself. Also a great fictional novel.

Then I listed to Hour Glass, 2017 release, on Audible, memoir read by Dani. 

Please note - the books were added to Audible in a mixed up order. Older books were added to Audible after she became a more popular author. So use the publication dates (below), rather than Audible’s dates. All Dani’s memoirs are on Audible. Not all of her other books are. 

Hour Glass was released just two years before Inheritance. The perspectives are very different, super interesting (to me) to compare. This comparison turned into a project of sorts. 

Next I listened to Slow Motion, Audible, 1998 non fiction memoir, read by Dani. And here, I guess, is my point. Normally I would have listened to this book first, long before Inheritance (and Hour Glass). But because of Gretchen Rubin’s book club selection and author interview in 2019 and then my rereading in 2023, I heard the end of the story (Inheritance) from the contemporary Dani first. And I got more out of Slow Motion written by a much younger Dani, than I would if I had read it first. She added a note at the end of this book (recently, Audible version) talking about this fact. After she wrote Inheritance, she went back and reread the older memoirs herself, for the same perspective reason.  

I am listening to Devotion and Still Writing presently/next. 

Dani also has podcasts. 

The first one ran during lockdown -

The second one is ongoing -

Another good gift idea from 2022

I send a gift to a girl we have known for years who lives several hours from us. It can be tough to think of things. Last Christmas I sent this three pack -

This company sells individual items and also has a subscription program. Good gift ideas for kids. 

I mention this now, because summer, when kids usually have school breaks, is a good time for projects. 

The second quilt hanger

I am a quilter. I have made dozens and dozens and dozens of quilts on my lifetime, all shapes, sizes and styles. A lot.

At one point I taught quilting classes in my area. I also had a line of original quilt patterns that sold nationally. 

My kids have long ago laid claim to some of my larger quilts. Each was given an allotment of their favorites. A tremendous amount also are on beds or in the common areas at my house. 

Somehow, hanging the quilt for my mom (last week’s post), lead to me pulling out my substantial collection of wall sized quilts.  

My husband helped me take quick photos of these mid sized quilts to text to the kids, who each sent me a private list of their favorites. I then divided who got which by myself. Since no one saw anyone else’s list, there was no squabbling. They each got a pile, it was simple. 

And that lead to quilt rack hanger number two, at middle’s house. 

That is a long black curtain rod (below). We chose the one on the left, smaller knob at the end is required to fit against the wall. 

The hooks are from Lowe’s.

I sewed the tabs on this one. 

Quilt hanger, simple inexpensive

My mother received a quilt in the mail from a dear friend and wanted to hang it. 

We looked at quilt rack options. It was hard to find anything long enough. They were super expensive. 

We figured out a $13 solution and it was done and hanging in one week. 

My mom sewed the tabs. She had the fabric.  I helped her figure out the math and how to attach each tab in the front and the back so the quilt hangs evenly. 

That is a curtain suspension rod which youngest used in college. 

The three hooks are from Lowe’s (the $13). Black screws came with the hooks. We had plastic anchors for the screws, none of the hooks hit where there was a stud. 

It was a sad day, but the solution was simple

One Saturday I was cooking a Green Chef bag as an early lunch. 

I grabbed my salt and pepper grinders and my hands could no longer do them. I have arthritis, my hands are the most impacted. 

It was this type of store bought grinder -

I was pretty sad. My list of things I can no longer do, grows a little each year. 

I called my youngest and she happened to be near her large mall, she stopped by William Sonoma and ordered a battery set for me as an early birthday present.

They come prefilled, including batteries. 

They are automatic, turning them upside down, starts the grinding. There is no button or twisting. 

The clerk told youngest that they have carried this style for years, it is very popular, and they sell a lot to special needs people (like people with arthritis).

Three Genealogy podcasts

https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/announcing-generations-cafe-genealogy-podcast/

Amy Johnson Crow started a genealogy podcast (link above) in 2018. It does not appear to be active now, but the archive (72 episodes) is fantastic, in my opinion. Her sound quality is excellent. Her topics are helpful and she has a nice, simple presentation style. If you are just getting started in genealogy or would simply like a refresher, this is a good place to go. 

Amy Johnson Crow has one book available - 

Her website lists workshops in 2022, I am not sure if that is continuing. 

After you finished this series, my next suggestion would be a mother daughter team, Diana Elder and Nicole Dyer, podcast -

https://familylocket.com/the-research-like-a-pro-genealogy-podcast/

There are 240+ podcasts in this series as of this writing. These podcasts are longer and more detailed. They do an outstanding job. 

This pair offers webinars and classes. They have two books - 

An excellent British Genealogy Podcast - 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/journeys-into-genealogy-podcast/id1541830347

Great guests, great topics, great accents. This podcast has about 50 episodes and has been running since late 2020.