Sam Squared

      Nothing to do with the post, but sweetness overload.       Not a mopey post, but a coping post. My mind is full pretty much 24-7. Part is filled with worry; finances, my kids happiness and futures, my health and access to health care, the awful direction this country is heading towards. Part is filled with plans, wishes and hopes; travel, home improvements, getting a garden started, creating a backyard oasis. The last part is just day to day life admin and figuring out making the best choices for myself and being a good support to family and friends.       Part of the life admin intersects with both worry and wishes. I pay bills on time to avoid late fees. I look for better prices on services and look for ways to reduce energy and other consumption, lowering utility bills. I'm dreading what my bills will be in March with this cold snap that's becoming more than a snap. But, it motivates me to make sure I'm setting the heat low...

                The world is crazy now. I'm trying for sanity in my little corner of it, taking care of my needs and helping family and friends when I'm in a position to do so. I'm still a bit nervous about my financial picture when I have no paycheck and will need to live entirely off retirement savings, give or take a bit of side earnings. Life's sure expensive, but I'm focused on maximizing my finances without being like Scrooge. This is my summary for Friday, February 7th to Thursday, February 13th. Avoiding Spending/ Saving on Needs Skipped an in office trip this week, saving gas My thrifty but ample and dare I say decadent Super Bowl spread was well received. I used what we term "orphan" paper plates, napkins,  beer and wine left from other events. I did have some football napkins and serving piece's to pep it up a bit. It was just my family and a friend but still made an event from it. You never know what Dollar Tree may have. I l...

      Photo Pexel.com      I've lost some weight in the last two years. Part was just no interest in food while trying to just get through the early days. Then, living alone, meals were very simple and just enough to feel satisfied, often just eating a piece of fruit and vegetables with something like an egg and toast. When the knee surgeon requested that I lose another five between the scheduled and actual surgery day, I took it to task and lost 10. Despite limited exercise outside of the PT exercises, I kept it off during my recuperating, probably because I didn't have a good appetite with the serious meds to manage pain and swelling. The time from Thanksgiving through New Year's though was not good, and at one point I weighed in 7 pounds heavier. I've lost four, but honestly I'm still far from being in what is considered the normal weight range for my height. I can't use the excuse that it's muscle weight, because I have a lot of strength to get back....

      I've nothing to post about really, but trying to get back into a Sunday-Wednesday-Friday routine. It's one of the things I'm doing as part of my overall therapy and mental alertness as I age. Spo's Sunday morning post,  Spo Reflections on Being Older Than Usual started me down these aging thoughts this morning. I need to get a good walk, and get my balance, strength, and hip exercises done. I'm doing my ankle flex as I type. Using every opportunity to move seems more important with each year.      My oldest sibling, my brother as you've read, has been ill, hospitalized since January 18th. Finally, he broke out on Saturday, but alas, just to a care facility. It was decided his daily care needs for a while are too much to put on my SIL, even with help. It's a tough situation as he needs to heal enough to start chemo, but then that starts new challenges. He's in town so much easier for his kids, grandkids, and other family to visit. He can have a r...

              The last few weeks I was very off kilter and not posting.  I'm trying hard to wrap up work and not be all things to all people. I feel bad when I look at the new manager  as she looks positively terrified. It was, is, a huge job. After today, just 8 more full weeks...I can do it.              It feels important to take any control in my life I can. I should be able to have a certain degree of control on my finances, but we all have seen the crazy up and down swings of investments, insurance costs, groceries, and every other good we need just because big business can charge what they want, so I'm trusting nothing. My spending recap is for self accountability on how intentional I've been the last week and if I can find flaws that might help me make fiscally better decisions in the future.  This is my summary for Friday, January 31st to Thursday, February 6th. Avoiding Spending/ Sav...

      Doesn't this look serene? I'm looking forward probably too much when I can flop in my bed, mornings with coffee and free evenings with a glass of wine, and just write and write.          Photo Pexel.com      Other than my brief post yesterday about the shit show of the first weeks of the new executive branch, that became a shit show of it's own via the comments, I know I've been quiet the last few weeks. I've had a rough time of it the rest of January and the start of February, and was not fit company in person or on-line. With that political post, I was in a fighting mood, and crossed lines I don't normally cross in my comments, so unpublished the post. Then was told I must not stand by my words, so I hit the publish button again. Not my finest blogging day, taking the bait, but as I would say the same thing face to face as behind a keyboard, it seemed appropriate to keep it published.       I've always ha...