What's on your mind today?
Replies
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juliemouse83 wrote: »Now this was different ... never had the breadmaker do THIS to a loaf before ... LOL
a single, massive air-bubble juuuuuuuuuust under the surface of the top crust. Apparently DH had to "cut it out of the machine" (detach the 'top skin' from the inner surface of the lid)
🤪😂
At first I thought it looked like a castle, then I thought it looked like a popover! 💖 It looks delicious!
It always is delicious.1 -
juliemouse83 wrote: »From the healthcare front in eastern N.C...
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Check on your healthcare worker friends. Seriously! We want to talk about something other than this 🤬🤬🤬 virus!
Love you guys! 💖💜❤️
@juliemouse83. You (and other healthcare workers) are doing an amazing job. Many are indebted to your incredible efforts.
I hope in your PTO you are finding some time to unwind and forget about the rest of the chaos. Hopefully you can catch up with friends and family (even if only virtually) and get the support and contact that you need and wholeheartedly deserve.3 -
Hello everyone.
Oh, Friday. How I love you! I look forward to you all week in anticipation of the weekend ahead.
Many things to be grateful for this morning.- I awakened to another healthy day.
- It is Friday!
- Commute time savings allowed me to organize the pantry, start a load of laundry, organizing the refrigerator, and clean the power room.
- My job. I am able to continue working, collecting my salary and benefits, and look forward to the weekend.
Wishing all a great day/evening/afternoon.
Big hugs to all.3 -
I think too many of us define ourselves by our flaws. And, many times the flaws we see are actually are or can be very positive traits.
Some of what is mentioned here is being share due to my childhood and my mother being defined as "manic" which was the term used during those years. She was slow cycling so we, my brother and me, could see the episodes coming and had time to adjust to the low and then the high. I do feel some conditions are genetic. My brother definitely leans towards mania and I have hints of it. I am fortunate my condition is very slight and self-manageable, but do know I must remain diligent in analyzing my feelings and actions. I typically can fake it till I make it - again very slight and manageable.
@craigo3154 when I read through your posts I cannot imagine self-managing and am glad to hear you get counseling and have a supportive mate. I also feel you identify too much with your flaws (sorry if I am overstepping). When you say you are emotionally flat - I think you would be the person I would want next to me if the boat was starting to sink or the house was on fire. You would be the one to be able to logically think through the emergency without freaking the f--- out and bring all to safety. I also think it is good for managing your daughter. When she is going through a difficult time you are able to look at the situation logically and decide what she needs during that particular time without wringing your hands. And, without your experiences you can help guide her through with real experiences and how to deal with those experiences. Yes, we need the doctors and counselors, but let's face it, most are book and learned through watching others so can suggest but really do not know.
Again, what is typed here is from the heart and I hope I am not overstepping. It is not my intention to hurt but to share what others may see that may be not clear to you.3 -
Hello everyone.
Oh, Friday. How I love you! I look forward to you all week in anticipation of the weekend ahead.
Many things to be grateful for this morning.- I awakened to another healthy day.
- It is Friday!
- Commute time savings allowed me to organize the pantry, start a load of laundry, organizing the refrigerator, and clean the power room.
- My job. I am able to continue working, collecting my salary and benefits, and look forward to the weekend.
Wishing all a great day/evening/afternoon.
Big hugs to all.
MY commute time saved is spent (a) with a later alarm clock setting and (b) checking what @SuziQ113 put in today's gratitude list ....
I am not QUITE as bad as the following meme I saw recently (head and shoulders image of someone slumped on a couch with that 3-hours-into-bingewatching rather zoned-out stare)
"Will you please stop telling me what I could be doing while in quarantine? My life hasn't changed at all .... I do my work, I binge-watch Bravo for 5 hours, and I go to bed. I am NOT going to organize my pantry, Brianna !!"
Speaking of commute time, Heigh Ho! Heigh Ho! Upstairs to work I GOOOOOOOO!3 -
@SuziQ113. Thank you for posting. No, you are not overstepping. I find counsel and comfort in your words, not criticism.I think too many of us define ourselves by our flaws. And, many times the flaws we see are actually are or can be very positive traits.
Some of what is mentioned here is being share due to my childhood and my mother being defined as "manic" which was the term used during those years. She was slow cycling so we, my brother and me, could see the episodes coming and had time to adjust to the low and then the high. I do feel some conditions are genetic. My brother definitely leans towards mania and I have hints of it. I am fortunate my condition is very slight and self-manageable, but do know I must remain diligent in analyzing my feelings and actions. I typically can fake it till I make it - again very slight and manageable.
@craigo3154 when I read through your posts I cannot imagine self-managing and am glad to hear you get counseling and have a supportive mate. I also feel you identify too much with your flaws (sorry if I am overstepping). When you say you are emotionally flat - I think you would be the person I would want next to me if the boat was starting to sink or the house was on fire. You would be the one to be able to logically think through the emergency without freaking the f--- out and bring all to safety. I also think it is good for managing your daughter. When she is going through a difficult time you are able to look at the situation logically and decide what she needs during that particular time without wringing your hands. And, without your experiences you can help guide her through with real experiences and how to deal with those experiences. Yes, we need the doctors and counselors, but let's face it, most are book and learned through watching others so can suggest but really do not know.
Again, what is typed here is from the heart and I hope I am not overstepping. It is not my intention to hurt but to share what others may see that may be not clear to you.
It is good you could see your mothers "manic" episodes in advance and were able to adjust.
I am also sure that there is a genetic component to what both I and my daughter are going through. ASD has a strong genetic tendency.
I am calm in a crisis. This is what makes me good at my chosen profession (IT consultancy in high pressure situations). The underlying price for this seems to be that the emotion system can "burn out". This manifests as an emotional disconnect between stimulus and response. I can be fine one minute, then be almost completely unable to function the next with no identifiable cause. I am completely predictable (95+% of the time), except when I am not (<5% of the time).
There are days I feel I, or my daughter, will get passed our current conditions. There are days when I don't (and they are the hardest).
I know this is hard for people to understand, but for me the choice to continue is a daily one that I have to consciously make.
I agree with you comment on doctors and counselors. The challenge is finding ones that are prepared to look beyond the text book learning and try discover and remedy the core problems rather than just the symptoms.
Thank you again.6 -
Just checking in. I’m hanging in. It’s a struggle, for sure and I have had more than more than my share of moments. I didn’t cry at all today, so that’s a major improvement, but then, I didn’t work. It was my mandated PTO day.
Things I am grateful for:- My husband. Always.
- My best friend, who is now furloughed, but still checking on me daily. 💖 (We work at the same facility.)
- My employer, even though they imposed a mandatory PTO day each week. They are doing the best they can for those of us that remain, although not as much for my boss, who is a nurse. He can’t seem to get his head around why those of us who aren’t nurses don’t understand nurse-speak. 🤦🏼♀️🤷♀️
- My pack of always loving and sympathetic doggos that know when I need a hug.
- The demotion to hourly from salaried, as the forced work/life balance is a godsend to me right now.
- That the new 200+ confirmed cases in my county today are confined to the correctional facility outside the city limits, and not in the general population. That’s not to say I’m happy about it; just relieved.
- That lasagna I made a few weeks ago that I froze for lockdown dinners. 🤣 We ate some tonight for dinner.
- The gorgeous weather today! ☀️🌤☀️
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@BMcC9
The meme cracked me up because that was exactly what I did with some of my "commute" time savings yesterday. Everything is also in date order with the oldest up front. As you can imagine all of my closets are organized down to shirt sleeve length and color (darkest to lightest). I have always been this way, but do find it is a great time saver because I do not have to search for things. And, to tell you the truth I have let many things go over the past few years and decided it to use this time to get back on track. I am finally recovering from the loss of my DH (11 years ago this June) and BF (3 years ago this January). It has been a journey reconnecting to my inner child and fusing her to the person I am today.
@juliemouse83
Tears are good. They are an emotional release for us and it is one of the reasons why I feel women out live men. But, am seriously glad you did not cry today. That said, Charlie (DH) used to say to me when I cried over work or something out of my control, "You have got to listen to Mr. T," "Don't cry over something that will not cry over you.". It is a tough practice but when I am finding myself giving too much emotion to something other than what is most important to me I do repeat that quote a few times to myself. I also remember some yoga teachings/readings .....it is not how a person acts towards us it is how we react to it. Again, tough practice, but seriously, is "work" going to cry over you, if you were to suddenly leave for a different job/experience? There may be a few work friends/friends who may be saddened and happy at the same time. But more than likely if you were to leave gen pop would probably just b---- that they have more work to do or use you as a scapegoat for something or another.
@craigo3154
Yes, very difficult to understand as it is not something I perpetually experience. But, until we walk in someone else's shoes we can never fully know another being. Even the same exact experience, such as the death of a spouse, is felt and experienced differently. I agree 100% with your comment regarding getting to the root cause. Although that is a personal journey and it takes a great counselor/doctor/friend to help guide a person through the journey. It takes a lot of soul searching and emotional ups and downs through the process. And, if a person is not ready for it can cause more damage than staying in the same place. It can take years just finding the right doctor. Sending strength your way......
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Hello everyone.
So many things to be grateful for today.- I awakened to a new day on this planet we call earth.
- The much-needed rain. SFL is approaching drought levels and we need all of the rain possible to make it through the summer.
- My home. It provides security and shelter.
- The healthy food in my house.
- The wet day. It will force me to complete a few indoor chores I have been putting off for a rainy day.
I am a little disappointed with our Governor's decision to open the beaches up today. Florida is one of the hot States and I think it is way too early to open the beaches. There are limited hours and one can swim but cannot hang on the beach. I think the police are going to have their hands full monitoring this situation as most of our beaches are very crowded and not everyone is on board with social distancing. I am praying this does not cause another spike of cases here and simply feel it is an irresponsible decision. I think there are many more controlled businesses/operations that could have been opened. I will be staying at home and will continue my very limited outings for essentials. I am actually more nervous now with the rush to open things up.
Since these decisions are out of my control I will not dwell on them. I can only protect myself and will continue to monitor what is going on and be sure to protect myself.
My cynical self thinks they want more of us to get sick in the hopes to speed up herd immunity. From everything I am hearing/reading it will take a minimum of 70% of the population. Something to think about.......
Well, it is off to the races for me! Lots to do and enjoy.4 -
Good morning. I have been reading all the posts here daily and it makes me feel we are not all alone in our individual yet shared experiences. I am keeping you all in my thoughts.4
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The Google Doodle of the day cycles through thanking groups of all the helper professions they have been thanking individually.3
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Time to haul out the sewing machine and start prototyping the proper fit for DH. If all goes well, I can actually try making "the real thing" with sturdier material - to check if what I had in hand / in mind will work or if I have to go with a second (or even third) option / weight for the inner 100% cotton layer.
Still planning on the "real thing" OUTER layer to be all-over multi-colour M&Ms (yes, I DO mean the candy) printed broadcloth (a poly-cotton blend)
Have I mentioned here how DH & I delight in being considered the "eccentric auld codgers on the block" ?5 -
The Google Doodle of the day cycles through thanking groups of all the helper professions they have been thanking individually.
And if you haven't seen them for yourself ... every one of the helpers has been the "e" and masked ... thanked at a distance by a heart blown by the "G" at the far opposite end and everything in between is static.3 -
Hello everyone.
Yesterday was not a washout as predicted by the weather heads. Since it was quite wet from the overnight rain I managed to get some indoor chores done. Once the sun came out it was nice to get outside regardless of the 90+ degree temperatures and 80% humidity (yes, summer is mostly here in SFL). Late afternoon we had a cold front come through and the temperatures dropped to the lower 80s. What a difference!
For what am I grateful for this morning.- Another healthy day.
- Hitting my initial goal weight!!!!!
- The ability to entertain myself.
- My mental fortitude.
Another morning awakening at 3:30 am. This has been happening on and off since the time change and has been more prevalent since the shelter in place orders came through. After trying everything I can (no advice needed here - I have tried just about everything) I decided I am not going to fight it and follow my body rhythm. I am not worse for wear over the situation and my mind and body are functioning well.
On that note - my DH was an English tutor to KC Chung who came to America from Korea. KC Chung owned Tae Kwon Do studios and was an nth degree black belt. He slept for approximately 60 minutes a day (2 sleep breaks per day). He had such control over his body and mind he was able to meditate himself right in to REM. Absolutely amazing.
The long and short here. I simply think my body is getting enough rest and is telling me, "ok, enough already, get moving". A plus side to this is I have many more hours in the day to get things done, read, exercise, catch up online, research, etc.. So I am just going to go with it. Once we get back to the new normal I am sure the additional stimulation will change this pattern (or not).
Hugs and prayers to all.5 -
@SuziQ113 I tend to wake up between 4.30 and 5.30 am. If I hold off going to sleep until after 11.30, or better even midnight, I can sometimes stretch until 6am. I don't seem to suffer from fatigue or tiredness, so I have just resigned myself to the fact that I just need some 5 - 5 1/2 hours a night. Sometimes annoying when I feel I am the only person awake in a still very dark world in winter, great in summer. I love the time differences here on MFP: when I wake up, @RangerRickL is just about to close down the previous day and open up today's new posts and @craigo3154 is about to follow at the end of his day, eventually followed by the people in my timezone who are waking up....4
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@SuziQ113 I tend to wake up between 4.30 and 5.30 am. If I hold off going to sleep until after 11.30, or better even midnight, I can sometimes stretch until 6am. I don't seem to suffer from fatigue or tiredness, so I have just resigned myself to the fact that I just need some 5 - 5 1/2 hours a night. Sometimes annoying when I feel I am the only person awake in a still very dark world in winter, great in summer. I love the time differences here on MFP: when I wake up, @RangerRickL is just about to close down the previous day and open up today's new posts and @craigo3154 is about to follow at the end of his day, eventually followed by the people in my timezone who are waking up....
@Chinkiri. @SuziQ113. I am only getting 5 - 5 1/5 hours a night, but that is not enough for me. I really need about 7 hours. This shortened sleep is only recent (last few months) and is a by-product of medication and what I am going through. I can force myself back to sleep, but then it is not really restful sleep when I do that, so I may as well get up and do something that does not require high levels of concentration.
Unfortunately, the shortened sleep is contributing to difficulty concentrating at other times during the day too.
If I need to get up at a certain time, usually I do not need an alarm. When I was travelling a lot and getting up 4:00am for travel to the airport, I would use the phone vibrate alarm so as not to wake my wife. However 90+% of the time I was awake just before the alarm and disabled it before it would go off and got up.
Sleep well (even if briefly).5 -
Hello everyone.
Ah, it is the start of my work week. It is going to be another busy one as I have quite a bit of "if" analyses to do. I will be stretching my brain which is always a good thing for me. I am so very fortunate I was a production planner in my early days. The experience has paid off through the years.
And, yes, it is that time of the day for me as there are many things to be grateful for today and all days.- I awakened to another beautiful day.
- I have a challenging job.
- I have a comfortable home.
- I am healthy for my age.
- I live in a day and age where I can perform almost all essential tasks from my kitchen counter.
I hope everyone has a beautiful moment today.
Hugs and prayers to all.5 -
Hello one and all.
Our slight cold front has come through and instead of yesterday's high of 97 degrees we should hit a reasonable 90 degrees. Oh, how 7 degrees can make such a difference!
I am grateful for so many things this morning and all days.- Awakening to another healthy day.
- Being gainfully employed and in a position which allows me to stretch my brain.
- The rainfall today. We are in need of a decent soaking.
- The peace of the early mornings in my neighborhood.
- Living in a country/place where trash is picked up twice a week without fail.
I know some of these things seem a little out there. But can you imagine living in a time and/or place where basic sanitation is not available?
Hugs and prayers to all.3 -
and.... it is snowy-blowy outside MY window .... what a difference 7 degrees can make indeed! (seedlings still can't be planted yet ... may have to start a whole new set in several weeks. But there were two bunnies in our backyard yesterday4
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And sanitation workers were a main "Thank-you to the helpers" category in the Google Doodle set.
So I am echoing @SuziQ113 and her "thankful for"
[*] Living in a country/place where trash is picked up twice a week without fail.I know some of these things seem a little out there. But can you imagine living in a time and/or place where basic sanitation is not available?
Hugs and prayers to all.5 -
Aaah!
It's is my joy to see how the UAC community is working together to support each other!
Carry on!
love to you all, Rick2 -
Greetings from sunny Florida.
The days are flying by which is good and bad. One would think they would slow given the current situation, but I am finding they are moving very quickly. I think by keeping busy and sticking to a somewhat normal schedule has helped keep boredom and depression far, far away. Work certainly helps too.
Many things to be grateful for today.- I awakened to another day on this sweet earth. The planet that continues to support us even with all of the abuse we have given to her over the years.
- The hot cup of coffee I am enjoying.
- Smokey the cat who is my cheery, early-morning companion.
- The ice maker! It continues to crank out ice no matter how much I use. And, it has been a lot over these past 95+ degree days.
Sending positive thoughts and prayers.3 -
I love reading @SuziQ113 grateful lists ... even if she gets 95+ degree temps while I keep seeing bands of snow-squalls going past my window! And the WIND! Has such a bite to it these days.
Which makes ME grateful for:- the hot (Belgian Chocolate flavor) coffee I savored this morning
- a working furnace and sound walls / windows / roof around me
- an INDOOR home-centric way of getting my exercise in as my default - until it FINALLY gets CONSISTENTLY warm enough for able-to-count-on evening walks outside.
- DH, MY cheery (but not-so-early-morning-type) companion.
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I hope none of us are even tempted to make this kind of 'food'!
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/mark-warner-tuna-melt-recipe-video-senator-virginia-a9478701.html?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=15875727002 -
Hello one and all.
For what am I grateful for in this moment.- I awakened to another beautiful day.
- My beautiful garden which provides so much peace and comfort.
- Central air which has been heavily used the past two weeks when the temperatures were hitting will over 95 degrees.
- My strength which was instilled in me by my mother. It was one of the greatest gifts she gave me.
Hugs to all and prayers to those in need.
SuziQ - SFL
PS: Thank you all for reading through these lists. I decided I would dedicate the month of April to write down things for which I was grateful when I found I was slipping in to a slight depression over the world's situation. I will say it has helped me greatly and I hope it has helped some in this group.
Interestingly enough many of the counselors are suggesting this is a good practice during this point in time. So.......I am asking for someone pick up the baton for the month of May. I would like to see if the experiment works as well for someone else as it has for me.3 -
@SuziQ113 I'll do it. I reckon it will do me the power of good and keep me on track. If I falter, I'll warn and there will be someone to take over..
Looking forward to seeing your posts! I still have 7 days to go. I will tell you there were a few days when I said, oh, not this morning, but got on with it and actually felt better.
Hope the rain is slowing! We need it here. The weather heads keep promising, but I find myself pulling out the hose to water all of the outdoor plants.3 -
I love reading @SuziQ113 grateful lists ... even if she gets 95+ degree temps while I keep seeing bands of snow-squalls going past my window! And the WIND! Has such a bite to it these days.
Which makes ME grateful for:- the hot (Belgian Chocolate flavor) coffee I savored this morning
- a working furnace and sound walls / windows / roof around me
- an INDOOR home-centric way of getting my exercise in as my default - until it FINALLY gets CONSISTENTLY warm enough for able-to-count-on evening walks outside.
- DH, MY cheery (but not-so-early-morning-type) companion.
Snow, oh, no snow. Makes me shiver just thinking of it. I will say I do miss those pristine snow moments. I loved walking after a heavy storm and seeing everything white and clean and the quiet......especially out in the wilderness.3 -
@SuziQ113 "gratitude" was my word of the year in 2019. "Balance" was supposed to be the word of the year in 2020, but that didn't happen, so I went back to "gratitude" after the first two calamities of the year in January and February.
I'm glad I did, because I don't think anyone thought it was going to be this bad back then. Reminding one's self what they are grateful for does really help. I have a tendency, on really bad days, to add the words, "in spite of" (I'm so grateful for my job in spite of the fact my boss can be a colossal tool) because, that, too, reminds me that good can be found in a toolbox, if you will.
So today I'm grateful for:- The best night's sleep I've had in a long time;
- Our coffee pot with the timer on it;
- That it wasn't raining on the way to work;
- That I will be home in four hours and counting.
It's a short list. Today's been a struggle.
It has been a very trying week and it's all I can do to return messages my friends are sending. When I am home, my nose is in a book. It's a struggle to be social right now for me. Good days and bad usually, but mostly bad this week.7 -
juliemouse83 wrote: »... When I am home, my nose is in a book. It's a struggle to be social right now for me.
Nose and head (and shoulders, knees, and TOOOOEEEESSS) is a VERY good place to be putting yourself when at home these days.
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