The Last Week of August

Let's do a random post and catch up as August is about to get away from me. I had a pretty long list of things I wanted to accomplish in August. I haven't checked off nearly enough of those things, but that is generally the way things work. I am always a bit too ambitious in my plans.

I have been slowly getting my body back in order from being a lazy girl this summer. I love summer because you do relax and go a bit slower. The days are long and I have found that the routine is just different even in retirement. However, at some point you have to get some order and discipline back in your life. I think next year I need to probably start putting myself in gear with a bit more a schedule when school starts. 

I have slept a bit later,

 eaten a little more, and

stayed up a little later. 

My biggest slip is going to the gym. I am having great trouble getting that back into my routine. I know I feel better when I do a little bit of light weights with my bike riding and walking. I am typing this so I will feel a bit MORE guilty than I already do for not going this summer.

This is what happens when you lay the catalog that you were looking at on the floor by your chair and leave the room. Thanks Gus.

I have been spending a good bit more time with Mama these days. I try to make sure I get her out of the house everyday. It takes a good bit of my time, but I think she needs to stay busy and active or I will be spending it with her going downhill. She has bounced back from the fall in May. I think the whole family thought that was going to be bad news bears, but she has done well. She is about 10 weeks in and has a bus trip to Virginia planned with her sister at the end of September. All good thing.
She has had an ear problem for a while. I got her into the eye, ear, nose doctor. In all our visiting him, they did some balance and vertigo testing this week to check her out good. Y'all it was like a trained elephant performing for peanuts only the peanuts were praises from the therapists. She impressed all the people in there and came out smiling like crazy. They told her how wonderful she was for 83 which all in all tells me that a good bit of her problem is all in her mind and spirit. Hence I am working on that by getting her out more. 

I totally missed national dog day. Of course, I never really pay much attention to all those holidays until they show up on Instagram. Gus and Lemony make life fun around here. They both love the water. The view below is quite typical when I head out back to water plants or just sit outside.

It is virtually impossible to get Gus's picture in the water because he is ALWAYS in motion.

Let's see this is one of my usual posts filed with much randomness.

I didn't share that two Sundays ago, I changed my serving duties at church. I have been working with preschoolers for ten years now which is a story unto its own, since I don't do little ones. Apparently I do and have for 10 years. It was kind of nice not to teach elementary while I was still working.

Anyway, this year when everyone moved up I asked to move up and teach upper elementary girls (my sweet spot) at one of our three services. It is the least attended service and has a smaller amount of girls. I hope to build it up. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I hate that I will be out for several of the Sundays in September which we don't usually miss too much on Sundays, but I will be there with bells on when I can. It was a good change and one I was ready for.

It takes me a long time to type the post, because I have to keep stopping to throw the turtle across the room for Gus.

I am falling out of whack on that stitching rotation. I lasted lots longer than ever before rotating projects. I am sharing my progress on all the stitches. I think though I do better with having one large project and one small going at the same time.

I don't feel so crazy about finishing, but just enjoying stitching.

First I sort of stopped on one Christmas ornament and picked up another and actually worked on it until I completed it. I see more of the Santas in the future, but first I will finish my Christmas window.

This was not in the scheduled rotation, but I just simply veered off and did it in a couple of days.
40 count Belfast linen stitched with 1 over 2. 1986 Prairie Schooler Santa. I see a couple more of these in my plans.

I have made a little progress on my schoolhouse series.

Not so much on my Helen Keller piece.

Some on the space shuttle.

Lots on the Spell of the Moon.

I still haven't made an outfit for Tucker. I do have fabric and a pattern and hope to make him a Christmas romper. I don't think I am going to be doing too much sewing. I just don't enjoy it like I once did.

Speaking of sewing, I really just haven't made time for it and I have about 5 cross stitched pieces waiting for me to finish them into something and about to be finished with the owl, so I better get busy on those soon.

Fabric and notions are all picked out for ALL finishes. Just need to find some uninterrupted time.

We are heading out to Auburn today to celebrate our 34th anniversary. We met at Auburn and have been going back ever since graduation. We are not going onto Atlanta for Saturday's game. We are just going to watch it on TV and then heading out to my favorite restaurant for supper. Can't wait.

We are looking forward to a few days away.

I do have one more post in me for Friday morning. I have been telling myself I was going to do a linky party which is a rarity for me, but this time I am getting ready early and scheduling it for Friday morning.

Off to celebrate marriage and being blessed in that union,

Sandy