July 10 Sign In
Mrs_Hoffer
Posts: 5,194 Member
Did I exercise for at least 20 minutes?
Did I stay within my calorie budget for the day?
Did I keep track of everything I ate and drank?
Did I stay within my calorie budget for the day?
Did I keep track of everything I ate and drank?
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Replies
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Pyrography, Gyotaku, or World Building, anyone?
Eating was a MAJOR JOY in my life. I loved the ease & fun of eating out. I felt special. I found it exceptionally relaxing. In fact, overeating was my “go-to” enjoyable and/or rejuvenating activity.
I realized if I wanted to maintain, I had to develop other non-food interests and activities that rejuvenated me & enriched my life instead of food.
CREATE the LIFE YOU’VE ALWAYS DREAMED OF!! is my Motto!
So, in late 2015. I finally decided to get healthy. I lost the weight. Decluttered the house like a madwoman - more calories burned & I felt lighter & lighter!
Suddenly I had a lot more time.
But I still needed to have things to do that were enjoyable and/or relaxing because I was not going back to using food.
I thought “Well, it took almost 3 years to lose the weight, why don’t I give myself 3 years to figure out what makes me happy and/or relaxed!”So, I took art classes online, trying many different media.
I worked some on a novel I’d written a few years earlier.
I took a nutrition class. HELPFUL
I tried to master making healthier homemade bread & pizza.
I made new friends & rekindled old friends.
I became enamored of my daily walk after I began calling it “ME TIME” & added music, phone calls, photography, and sketching to my exercise. (I found if I drove a mile or two from home, I was no longer bored with the same old neighborhood.)
I tried consulting from home.
I took a 40-days guided meditation class on my phone.
I volunteered to give a speech at a conference.
And recently, my husband and I (both non-gardeners) have dipped our toes into gardening. Such fun!!
So now, when I want to do something fun, OR when I feel like eating, but I’m
NOT actually hungry, I have a long list of options!!!RELAXING/UPLIFTING/CENTERING
* doodling, pocket sketching, blind contours
* hand embroidery
* Beading - 3-D or with embroidery
* Weaving (small loom)
* Sudoku
* Free drawing / mark-making
* Photography
* Friends
* Family
* Music of all kinds
* On-line art classes
* Guided visualizations
* IPhone art making
* iPhone editing of images
CREATING/MAKING
* Yarn and/or air dry clay baskets
* Book making
* Gold leaf
* Watercolor
* Collage
MOVING
* Gardening, pruning, weeding, watering
* Cleaning
* Decluttering small areas that have gone a little astray (yes, I find that relaxing & enjoyable!)
* Hiking / Walking
* Upper Body exercises
* Dancing
* Going to museums
LEARNING
* Watching online art groups & participating in Zoom calls
* Reading
* My World Country Project
* Machine embroidery
* Studying famous artists
I know many of you are very busy and some have already gone through this process. I also know I felt I didn’t have time for hobbies when I was working. But eating out took so much MORE time; I could have developed interests & been less stressed.
Warning: Here comes the audience participation part…
🎉🎶⭐️⛵️🧶🥾💃🕺🏽🐟☘️🌵🍄🌎🌻🌊
1. What pastimes do you enjoy? What draws you to them?
2. Are there any from your past you might like to try again? 🖍 Crayons are surprisingly fun now!
3. What might you like to dip your toe into & give it a try?
Let us know!! I made this my first post because I think figuring out how to design our lives for Joy is an essential skill for longterm maintenance.
Warmly,
🌸Maddie
Congratulations on being here the 10th day of the month (almost 1/3)!!!👏👏👏🎉
#NeverGiveUp
#We’veGotThis!!
THE BEST LIST I FOUND of all kinds of hobbies with great links!
https://www.thecuriouslycreative.com/creative-hobbies-for-adults/
If you still don’t think you need a hobby or pastime…check out #2!!
http://www.bestillandwrite.com/10-reasons-time-for-a-hobby/
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/article-globe-craft-club-beat-the-pandemic-blahs-and-get-creative-with-our-new/
(The creating miniatures video is mind-blowing! He creates an entire working kitchen AND THEN cooks a mini meal in it as a performance!!!
I have to admit I’m drawn to miniatures 🏡and fairy 🧚🏿♀️ gardens ⛲️, but I haven’t taken the plunge yet.9 -
My goodness, I don't know where to start with hobbies ... I am semi-retired, so I should have time, but I also look after a partner with Alzheimer's. He doesn't live with me any more, but he comes round every day and I do all his finances and administration for him. Part of my income comes from a couple of flats in UK I rent out and one here in Montpellier and there are a lot of emails to deal with every day. I need space in my head to devote time to myself and my activities and more often than not that space is taken up by daily doings and worries. Often it's all I can do to stick to UAC stuff: exercise, walking mostly, but I am trying to get my butt to the swimming pool again, now open after Covid restrictions, and also my Yoga classes- only once a week at the moment, as it's holiday time. I do like cooking, but planning meals and cleaning up afterwards takes time - I am a messy cook. I also want to bike more, but it gets hot during the day, so I have to get in the saddle before 8am.
I run a Play Reading group for the British Cultural Association here and that also takes up time and thinking space. I would like to play the piano more, but mostly I would like time to work on Art History projects. Museums are open again, so are libraries, and I have got at least three ideas I want to follow up... Today I have to clean up my terrace, and I am taking my partner to a concert of French chansons tonight ...7 -
10th July
Yes yes yes
Great topic @MadisonMolly2017 and funny cos i was literally just telling hubby how important hobbies are to avoid turning to food or in hubbys case alcohol. My hobbies are jumping on Uac and going for walks. This week wen i had my me time i got a massage instead of getting a food treat like coffee and bannana bread. So not sure if a massage is a hobby but it sure did feel great. Looking forward to seeing everyone posts as i need sum other hobbies. Xoc
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Maddie what a wonderful and insightful topic for today. I am enjoying reading about everyone in the posts this month and altho work keeps me busy during the week it is nice to take a breath during the weekend and write a bit more.
I think if it were not for Bandit my life would have been very different and I expect I would not have been so active. I have been riding since I was 4. I stopped after college for a few years but after I moved to Austin I went on a trip to Sedona and after taking a trail ride there all the sights, smells, feelings returned with a passion so I ended up back into horses again. I actually do have a plan because Bandit is 29 and I will be lucky to have a few more years with him (I treasure every day!) to go back to playing tennis again which was also something I did with a passion for many years. Hopefully I will have the physical ability to do so when it is time.I always feel like I have won the lottery when I see Bandit's happy face and get to play with him. I have owned him for 27 years now. We competed in dressage all the way up to the grand prix level because he was so talented. I see him everyday and we go for rides in the hayfields. The middle set of photos is my birthday surprise party when I was a teenager. They gave me a portrait of my horse I had then call Cotton Weaver which still hangs in my house.
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July 10
Yes to all questions.
Pass days 2/3
All the hobbies I can remember now are : reading, drawing, baking and knitting. I do have cats to look after, but they are not like dogs, which requires walking them out and actively playing with them. But this year, we owned a pet turtle, which count as a new discovery to me. I knew nothing about them, and we are still discovering the aquatic world. We also bought, last week, five baby blood parrots fish that the turtle tried to attack them, so we separated them immediately to a different tank. So, to some degree its an active hobby, but I do want to find a hobby that does not require looking down, since I'm always with nick pain. According to the doctor, I just need to change my pillow. I did, many times, but I still feel pains whenever I keep looking down for some times, so I need to find a new hobby that's more suitable to my current condition. I'll chech the links for sure, than you.
Goodnight 💜💛.9 -
3xYES8
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Another pass day. Lots of walking (15,000 steps), but my meals were difficult to estimate. (And I just had a chocolate muffin that was extra to my proper meals).
To today's topic; I do feel that I need a hobby. I read a lot, and I enjoy my bike rides, but I could do something more creative. I have a sewing machine and used to make my own and the children's clothes years ago. But haven't done that for nearly 40 years. I thought I would pick it up again when I retired but didn't get into it. I have a few half finished projects - patchwork, knitting, crochet - nothing gets finished. Sigh.
I suppose holidays and travel are hobbies?8 -
✅ - Exercise 20+ Minutes
✅ - Calories within budget
✅ - Tracked everything
2️⃣ Pass Days Remaining
I’m retired so have time to indulge my passion for arts and crafts, writing, dancing, gardening, and a host of other activities too numerous to list. I lean towards being creative a lot of the time, but also take time to just sit and watch the world go by.
Life is full and interesting. I'm living my dream.
@MadisonMolly2017 - Great topic for discussion. I choose to fill my life with joy and possibility.
@Chinkiri - It's true that often mundane tasks interfere with what we really want to do. The trick I use is to fit the everyday tasks into my day in short bursts, and to lower my standards a little. The house doesn't need to be perfect, just clean. No one lies on their deathbed thinking "I wish I'd done more housework."
@donna25trinity - self-care is a habit that we all need to practice more often. Your massage is just as important as any other hobbies that you could do.
@SummerSkier - The pictures of Bandit are wonderful. Your enjoyment and love for your horse shine through in this post. I do feel an empathy with you because I love horses too, although I haven't ridden for many many years.
@thabit11 - I'm sure your cats and the fish keep you very busy. I do hope you can find the sort of hobby that you're looking for that doesn't aggravate your neck pain.
@lesdarts180 - Holidays and travel most definitely are hobbies. I know I have done a lot of travelling in the past and it's most enjoyable. Hopefully we can get back to that soon.
It's coming up to midnight here so I will say good night and hope to see you again in the morning.
Night night, sleep tight, and don't let the bedbugs bite. 😂
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July 10
✅ - Exercise 20+ Minutes
✅ - Calories within budget (20 under)
✅ - Tracked every detail I consumed (yep)
0 Pass Days Used
Personal Challenges Met: 7/10 days (2nd, 4th, 5th)
✅ - Net Carbs 30g or less (20g)
✅ - Protein 180g or more (196g)
✅ - All Scheduled Workouts Completed (0 - Rest Day)
I was active today, just no timed workouts as it was my weekly scheduled rest day.
As for hobbies, the only things I can count as a hobby right now are running and MFP! LOL! There is no time for other stuff, my days are filled and quite routine, and any disruptions tend to mean some normal daily task has to not get done.
I have had a number of hobbies though. A few years ago I was creating projects with maker boards like Raspberry Pi, Arduino and others. Prior to that I spent a dozen years doing competition BBQ and outdoor cooking. Also spent some time really getting into wine making, including trying to make wines from other things than grapes, most memorable of those was jalapeno wine. More failures than I care to remember though.7 -
7/10
✅ Exercise - 60 min personal training session, 60 min treadmill
✅ Calories.
✅ Tracking
Tomorrow I am attending a birthday party for one of my BFFs 2 year old, so perhaps I shall put some of the strategies you all shared for celebrations to go use tomorrow.
Hobbies. Hm. Between work, exercise, house stuff, and my kid I don’t get much down time. But, ideally, if I had some I enjoy doing the following:- Art. I was an undergrad Studio Art and Art History major. My forte was bronze and stone sculpture, which is hard to manage outside of a studio environment. I draw from time to time, and I dabble in glass lamp work (beads) but I don’t really get much done anymore. I try to satisfy my Art tooth with crafty things - like I have bags of paper flowers. They are soothing and check the “sculpture” box some days.
- Gardening. I gave up my 3 4ftx16ft beds when we moved from Maine to NY and now only have a deck garden, but it does the trick and there are way fewer wars with squirrels happening. Maybe a good thing for my stress levels 😂
- Reading. I need to get back into this. Problem is, much like dessert, I have no moderation ability when it comes to reading. When I start a book, i finish it. Sometimes it takes two sittings… but rarely. I just end up not sleeping and being like yay I finished… poop it’s 5am.
- On the flip side… Writing. I love writing. I think I might be good at it too, based on all the horrific times my teachers/professors have read what I wrote to classes and almost caused my death. Trouble is the idea of someone reading what I write gives me a panic attack. Honest to god panic attack. I’ve written the first drafts of several novel length stories. All end up on the garbage, if they’re lucky. I’ve legit burned printed copies, and once I even ripped it up and put it in a blender with water to completely distroy it… just incase. Yep. I’m totally normal 😂😂😂 Anyhoo…
- Knitting/crocheting. I’m a hat girl because I like instant gratification, and those get done quickly. But I’ve been know to make a blanket or sweater or stuffed animal here or there. My carpal tunnel is kind of a bummer on this one though.
Well this got long. My bad. Lol.7 -
A little self reflection after reading my post - I realized I ended every one of my hobbies with excuses why I can’t be bothered with them. Perhaps that’s something to think about how I can change.6
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@MadisonMolly2017 - great topic today! What mediums do you have left that you haven’t tried?
@Chinkiri - I’d love to tak art history projects with you!3 -
7/10
Exersised yes
Caleries yes
Logged?-yes
I like to read, do counted crosstich, color, bake.
I'd like to get into painting.6 -
July 10, 2021
Did I exercise for at least 20 minutes? Yes
Did I stay within my calorie budget for the day? No
Did I keep track of everything I ate and drank? Yes
Kitchen Closed? Yes
Going "nuts" with nuts today? Yes
(8 days-free )
(I go "nuts" with nuts most times, trying to continue a good habit this month. Counting the number of "nuts" free days.)
Pass day 1/3 (this is for accountability to myself and my records).5 -
A little self reflection after reading my post - I realized I ended every one of my hobbies with excuses why I can’t be bothered with them. Perhaps that’s something to think about how I can change.
That's the interesting thing I find about these questions. You end up realizing some things.
I do things but I don't see them as hobbies. Reading, baking, one new recipe for dinner every week...is decluttering a hobby?! I enjoy it 😃4 -
Oh, and no workout but I was in the kitchen all day and tracked and stayed within range. 4/10 days of sugar, 2 pass days.4
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@MadisonMolly2017 - great topic today! What mediums do you have left that you haven’t tried?
@Chinkiri - I’d love to tak art history projects with you!
@Chinkiri & @mshawski Me too! Me too!!
I’m captivated lately by Louise Bourgeois and the 1970’s Decorative & Pattern Movement
Yay!!
re: mediums I have not tried…LOL
Oil painting (toxicity scared me off)
Pastels/Chalks except occasionally as accents in a drawing or mixed media
Sculpture: Stone, metal, wood, paper, clay ; never welded
(Just did a couple of small pieces that were well-loved.)
(Funny since I’m likely better at 3-D than 2-D art.)
Almost all printing that requires big or expensive machines
Graffiti
😄
It’s such a fun life; we have so much to explore ❤️
PS My favorite is poking shapes into paper with a soldering iron!!
PPS my husband is the same as you re: reading. Once he begins a book, he cannot stop! I, on the other hand, lose interest close to the end.When I was decluttering my books, I made a stack of over 10 books that I just needed to read the last 1/5. Of course, I had to re-read the whole thing by then. I’ve finished 4 so far! LOL2 -
WhatMeRunning wrote: »July 10
✅ - Exercise 20+ Minutes
✅ - Calories within budget (20 under)
✅ - Tracked every detail I consumed (yep)
0 Pass Days Used
Personal Challenges Met: 7/10 days (2nd, 4th, 5th)
✅ - Net Carbs 30g or less (20g)
✅ - Protein 180g or more (196g)
✅ - All Scheduled Workouts Completed (0 - Rest Day)
I was active today, just no timed workouts as it was my weekly scheduled rest day.
As for hobbies, the only things I can count as a hobby right now are running and MFP! LOL! There is no time for other stuff, my days are filled and quite routine, and any disruptions tend to mean some normal daily task has to not get done.
I have had a number of hobbies though. A few years ago I was creating projects with maker boards like Raspberry Pi, Arduino and others. Prior to that I spent a dozen years doing competition BBQ and outdoor cooking. Also spent some time really getting into wine making, including trying to make wines from other things than grapes, most memorable of those was jalapeno wine. More failures than I care to remember though.
@WhatMeRunning
What fascinating hobbies!! I made some things on a lasercutter & toyed with combining my art with arduinos etc. Such possibilities!
When I was training hard (hills) for 100-mile bike rides for Lymphoma & Leukemia Society, I did 3 things each day: Work, Ride, Sleep. I eventually stopped the intensity because my “free time” was so limited & my knees were sore almost all the time.
You impress me!3 -
@summerSkier I love seeing the pictures of you and Bandit! What a gorgeous horse!
@MollyMadison2017 What a great topic today! Yes, we definitely need hobbies besides eating!
I enjoy reading mystery/suspense novels with a little non fiction and Christian lit thrown in. Often I take my chair and a book to my favorite lakeside spots to read. I also enjoy hiking with my hiking group as we explore different trails within a 2 1/2 hour radius from here, mostly in the Smoky Mtns. We also do kayaking trips together exploring different lakes, rivers etc within a couple of hours from here. Before we moved to TN, I did a lot of biking. Now I confine my biking to my spin bike mostly. Another thing I enjoy is exploring different farmers markets around here and then making salads and cooking with all the fresh produce.
Exercise:✅
Tracked:✅
Under:✅4 -
@MadisonMolly2017 - Have you ever looked at Magdalena Abakanowicz? She’s one of my fav sculptors and her work is similar to Bourgeois.1
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@SummerSkier I always love seeing pics of Bandit! Great pictures!
@victorious55 I think you're doing a great job on 8/10 days being "nut free".
@MadisonMolly2017 What a great topic! And you are sooo talented! I'm impressed by the variety of artistic things that you can do! I'm not artistic at all!
Although I do enjoy coloring!
I enjoy baking (although I don't do as much as I used to since I'm trying to LOSE weight!), reading, walking, and crochet. I also would love to learn to paint, but just don't have the time right now.
Jul 10:
✔️ EXERCISE: 60 minutes walking.
✔️ CALORIES: 1472/1600
✔️ TRACK: Yes.
PASSES USED: 3/3 (3Jul)(4Jul)(Jul8)
✔️ Yoga/stretching (daily) 8/10 (Jul4)(Jul7)
😃 Strength training (M,W,F) 😃 Rest Day. 4/4
Personal Challenges Met: (5/7) (Jul4)(Jul7)
"Every new day is another chance to change your life." ~Unknown."3 -
@MadisonMolly2017 Thank you for your artistic and articulate posts!!
@SummerSkier Thanks for sharing your photos of your life with horses and in particular beloved Bandit.
@mshawski You are a brilliant and talented person!!2 -
I fall into the "work takes a lot of my time" category. When I am into crafting, I'm all in. But when I'm not, I'm really not. When my daughter left for Uni 2 years ago, I tried to take up some crafting activities, starting with crocheting. Couldn't do it, felt like a huge chore. Totally not into reading anymore. Really not feeling crafty at all atm - the thought of picking up my old crafting activities again stresses me out. I think sitting at a desk all day and then sitting doing crafts or reading at night just doesn't appeal to me.
So what do I still enjoy? I love cooking; I have always found it relaxing. I love to eat lol. Finding quick but yummy meals while working and on this weight loss journey has been challenging & fun. I love hiking & going for walks but that is over for a bit now due to my plantar fasciitis. I LOVE to swim; luckily we bought a house with an outdoor pool 3.5 years ago so I get to do that. I used to love to bike ride and since November, I have been trying to get into it again. I love keeping my house tidy and yes @MadisonMolly2017, I love to declutter also (although I have been doing less of it lately). Decluttering became a new hobby after we moved from our old house of 25 years. I also enjoy keeping the house tidy as it gives me a state of calm that I crave now. Having the little hurricane I call my daughter out of the house has greatly helped with that.
This weight loss/changing old habits/creating new habits journey has been a hobby. It certainly takes a lot of time. After I work through my Stop Self Sabotage book, I have another lined up: "Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Dummies". Self care routines and strength training/muscle building/flexibility exercises are a goal that I plan to work on soon.
I'm also looking forward to my daughter coming back home in the autumn. Spending time with my favourite person will be fun as we enjoy a lot of the same activities. So much easier to get up and do something when you have someone you love hanging out with to do things. We will have to come to some kind of compromise on her tidiness though. For some reason she just can't keep it together. But I will have the pleasure of her company as a trade off.
Thank you for the post Maddie! As I get closer to retirement I will have to do some thinking on how to create the life I've always dreamed of
This house is certainly one of the things I've always dreamed of. Now what else...
Yes x 3 today.5 -
P.S. Could someone tell me how to create spoilers in posts please?
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Hobbies are often misunderstood as mere non-productive frivolity. Today’s posts illustrate that hobbies are often our most important and fulfilling part of our experiences.
I love outdoor activities. Since 1994, I have lived on a farm with hay fields, barns, horses and wildlife too.
In the 90’s and until 2003, we added long distance bicycle tours with our family. Rose really loved it when we got a tandem bike. It greatly improved our ability to start and stop together.
About 6 years ago, we became “late in life” hikers of desert trails in Arizona.
Like @SummerSkier for me a beautiful trail ride makes a perfect day.
7 -
Exercise: active stretching plus walking
Calories: well under my limit
Tracking: good5 -
It's certainly a rich medium to bring pizzaz to artistic projects. I don't have artistic bones though. That's more of my brothers space. I just cover the tech side. LOL!MadisonMolly2017 wrote: »WhatMeRunning wrote: »July 10
✅ - Exercise 20+ Minutes
✅ - Calories within budget (20 under)
✅ - Tracked every detail I consumed (yep)
0 Pass Days Used
Personal Challenges Met: 7/10 days (2nd, 4th, 5th)
✅ - Net Carbs 30g or less (20g)
✅ - Protein 180g or more (196g)
✅ - All Scheduled Workouts Completed (0 - Rest Day)
I was active today, just no timed workouts as it was my weekly scheduled rest day.
As for hobbies, the only things I can count as a hobby right now are running and MFP! LOL! There is no time for other stuff, my days are filled and quite routine, and any disruptions tend to mean some normal daily task has to not get done.
I have had a number of hobbies though. A few years ago I was creating projects with maker boards like Raspberry Pi, Arduino and others. Prior to that I spent a dozen years doing competition BBQ and outdoor cooking. Also spent some time really getting into wine making, including trying to make wines from other things than grapes, most memorable of those was jalapeno wine. More failures than I care to remember though.
@WhatMeRunning
What fascinating hobbies!! I made some things on a lasercutter & toyed with combining my art with arduinos etc. Such possibilities!
When I was training hard (hills) for 100-mile bike rides for Lymphoma & Leukemia Society, I did 3 things each day: Work, Ride, Sleep. I eventually stopped the intensity because my “free time” was so limited & my knees were sore almost all the time.
You impress me!
The most colorful sort of creation I ever came up with......was a light system for my daughters room. The perimiter of the room along the walls just below the ceiling were run with individually addressable RGB LED strips that I wired together (over 4000 total LED's). They were driven by an Arduino stored above her closet along with two power converters. The Arduino was connected to a custom made control panel which I mounted where the light switch was. It housed a Raspberry Pi inside with a 7 inch touch screen. On booting it would run the software I wrote that had a main screen with a color wheel to set the color and a slider to set the brightness anywhere from off to full white (chosen color would be center of slider). Swiping to the second screen had a grid of buttons with 24 functions, like solid, gradient, rainbow, spin, sparkle, and so on. For options where multiple colors were needed it would prompt with the color wheel and slider for each color. So for gradient you could pick red and blue and it would give a gradient from red at one end to blue at the other. Spin would take whatever the last setting was and scroll it, so with gradient as an example the color gradient would move along the strips, around the perimeter of the room making it look like the gradient pattern was spinning. The changes would be sent to the Arduino which was set to pick up the commands and change the lights to the proper function, which was also custom software.
It was really cool.
Sadly, while I had the foresight to think ahead and have the control panel custom made out of aircraft aluminum so it would be as indestructible as possible to an autistic girl fascinated by breaking things open to see how they work, I did not foresee her putting holes in the walls to climb to the ceiling to get to the LED strips. So it all had to be removed for safety.
Sigh.5 -
@WhatMeRunning
That project for your daughter’s room sounds amazing and I’m sure it brought her joy even if the installation was short lived!
Also just the idea of jalapeño wine gives me heartburn 😂3 -
Oh, and @MadisonMolly2017 you impress me as well! I didn't know you were a long distance cyclist as well (even if "retired" from it).
When I was a teenager my mom got into cycling and did long rides for charity just like that for many years. I was always in awe of her biking across entire states and such, and she did that a few times.
Never knew how people could actually do that until just a few years ago.3
