Category Archives: Life

Croc Around The Clock

A lot of campers (people who camp, not the equipment used to camp) have a dedicated pair of “shower shoes.” Shower shoes are the ones you wear to and from the bath house; they’re easy to slip on and off and dry quickly if they get wet. Heck, if you don’t want to stand on a possibly sketchy shared shower floor, you can even wear your shower shoes while you shower.

I have been using a pair of flip flops as my shower shoes for several years. They’re… adequate. Honestly, I don’t like flip flops. Never have. I hate the thong between my toes and if the path between the camp site and the bath house isn’t paved, flip flops live up to their name by flipping dirt and debris onto my clean feet. Ugh. I tried using a pair of hiking sandals but those suckers take forever to dry when they get wet. However, I had an epiphany during our road trip last fall. Crocs! Crocs would make the perfect shower shoes. (Many thanks to the unknown person whose Crocs were peeking out of their shower stall at the Vernal, Utah KOA.)

I have never owned Crocs. Let’s face it, they aren’t exactly things of beauty, but they get rave reviews from a lot of people – especially medical professionals. I’m hardly a clothes/shoe snob, so Crocs it is. I also knew the perfect pair to buy. Last year, I got an excited text from my daughter-in-law: “Did you know that they’re making Lisa Frank Crocs?” I did not, but, they are adorable (as are all things Lisa Frank) and I surprised my daughter-in-law with a pair for her birthday. Now, I had the perfect excuse to get a pair of my own!

Ta da!

My Crocs arrived in late October and have been languishing in my closet ever since. (I know, I know. I need to go ahead and put them in the camper so I’ll have them for our next trip.) However, since they are still easily accessible, I’ve been getting some use out of them while I’m recovering from my sprained ankle; they provide arch support and are easy to slide off and on, therefore not hurting my poor foot. I wore them to the doctor’s office last week when I went in for x-rays and all of the nurses loved them! I’m looking forward to adding a splash of happy to our travels with these shoes.

So, Crocs. Yes or no?

Brace Yourself

Last night, as we got ready for bed Kenn asked, “Is this what we’ve come to? Mouthpieces and braces?” The answer it seems is yes. Yes, we have. Kenn has been wearing a mouthpiece for his mild sleep apnea for several years. (A mouthpiece works better for him than a CPAP.) The braces are a new addition.

A couple of months ago, Kenn began complaining about pain in his right thumb. He has a touch of arthritis in that thumb but the pain level was much higher than usual. On cold days, he would come in from work and sit next to the wood burning stove with a heating pad on his hand. For an early Christmas gift, I gave him a hand brace that can be heated or cooled and it seemed to help. (Such a romantic gift, right?😂) A trip to the doctor and a steroid pack also helped for a time. The pain started returning a couple of weeks ago and last week, Kenn announced that he felt what appeared to be a cyst at the base of his thumb. Another trip to our general practitioner resulted in x-rays and a referral to an orthopedist since the issue was with the soft tissues of his thumb. The orthopedist diagnosed Kenn with a trigger finger. (Or, maybe in this case, a trigger thumb?) We are familiar with trigger fingers since Kenn had surgery to correct another trigger finger many years ago. Fortunately, no surgery for his thumb at this time. Instead, the doctor prescribed a brace for him to sleep in that will hopefully cause an improvement over the next few weeks.

Image from Amazon.com

Also, a big shout out to the orthopedist’s office. They told Kenn that since he hasn’t met his deductible this year, getting the brace through them would cost over $200 but that he could order the exact same brace from Amazon for roughly $30. The brace arrived yesterday and he slept in it for the first time last night. Here’s hoping that it will fix the problem with no surgery necessary.

My brace is also a new addition. Saturday evening I curled up in the recliner to read and watch Kenn play video games, like I usually do. He shut down and headed upstairs to shower while I read a bit longer. When I decided to go upstairs, I got up to turn off the lights as one does. However, I failed to realize that my left foot had fallen asleep. With my first step, my left ankle rolled and I crashed to the floor. For a moment, the pain was overwhelming and I wondered if I was going to faint. Once the light-headedness faded, I retrieved my miraculously unbroken tea mug, managed to get to my feet, turn off the lights and climb the stairs to our bedroom. By this point I was pretty sure nothing was broken (in spite of the crinkling/cracking noises I heard when my ankle rolled) but my foot was already swollen. When Kenn finished his shower he said, “I thought I heard a crash. Are you okay?” The answer was a resounding “No!” followed by multiple assurances that I did not need to go to the emergency room.

I spent most of Sunday in the recliner with my foot elevated with ice packs balanced on it. We seem to have an assortment of elastic bandages but most weren’t giving me the relief I needed. When Kenn went out to pick up a few groceries he stopped by CVS and picked up an ankle brace for me.

Image from CVS.com

This brace has worked wonderfully. It stabilizes my ankle, provides compression, and supports my arch. As a precaution, I saw our general practitioner this morning. Per the x-rays, there are no breaks; I just have a nasty sprain. (My poor ankle. My left ankle is already weak from a couple of sprains as a kid and now I’ve damaged it again.) Now to decide if I’m going to go in to work tomorrow or wait until Thursday.🤔On that note, it’s time for me to go take more ibuprofen, elevate my foot, and apply an ice pack.

So, who wants to sing Soft Kitty to us?

A Promise to an Unknown Neighbor

Look at me posting on a Monday! Actually, look at me posting at all, LOL. I’ve been posting on Thursdays but that hasn’t been working for me recently so I’m switching to Mondays instead.

Several weeks ago Kenn came home and announced that he had a surprise for me. He then handed me a beautiful stack of colorful bowls. “I know you’ve always wanted some colorful mixing bowls and I found these at an estate sale.” This man loves estate and yard sales and I love that he knows me so well. I have wanted colorful bowls for years. I have an eminently practical, totally boring, set of stainless steel bowls that I’ve had forever. I have a newer set of clear bowls with colorful lids that are closer to what I’ve always but still not quite there. My new-to-me bowls fit the bill perfectly.

My new bowls

The bowls weren’t in a box but they had the original corrugated cardboard dividers and looked like they had never been used. This made me sad and of course I had to wonder why not. Were they a gift that was appreciated but unneeded? Did they get stuck in the back of a cabinet and forgotten about? (Hey, it happens. Side-eyes the Christmas goblets in my kitchen cabinet.) Or, maybe they were wanted and loved but too heavy for an elderly woman to use. (The estate sale was held at the home of an elderly woman a couple of streets away.)

So, dear unknown neighbor, in honor of you, I will love and use these bowls the way you were unable to. The colors make me smile and I think of you (and how heavy they are, LOL) each time I pull them out of the cabinet.

What do you do with unwanted gifts? Hide them? Regift them? Donate them?

Calendar Girl

I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. Why bother when I’ll just break them, probably before the end of the month? However, there is one thing I love about a new year: calendars! Yes, I am a calendar girl. No, not the Neil Sedaka variety, just a girl who really, really loves calendars.

Image from depositphotos.com

Prior to retirement, I always had three calendars at my desk, even when I was in a cubicle. I had a wall calendar, a small Daytimer, and a page-a-day calendar. My wall calendar varied from year to year, sometimes it was video game themed, other times it was inspirational quotes or snarky toys. My page-a-day calendar was always a Christmas gift From Kenn; he knows me well so I don’t remember ever not liking his choice.

Now that I’m retired, I’m down to two calendars: a wall calendar in the bedroom which is where family birthdays and anniversaries are listed, and a second calendar that gets posted on the fridge monthly and lists appointments for both humans and felines. I’ve developed a definite fondness for the Note Nook calendars by Lang; these are the calendars I use for the fridge. Not only do I love the colorful scenes, the “pockets” give me a place to store the appointment cards in case of one of those “I didn’t know I had an appointment that day” discussions.

My mother-in-law and I may not have had a good relationship, but she did do one thing for me that I have continued with my own daughter-in-law and potential daughters-in-law to be. Our first Christmas as a married couple, my mother-in-law gave me a calendar with all of their family’s birthdays on it. I greatly appreciated it and did the same for my daughter-in-law her first Christmas with our family; she loved it so much she asked it I would continue the tradition every year. An excuse to buy another calendar every year? Sign me up! I gave my youngest son’s partner her first family calendar last year and asked if she would like for me to do so again this year. She said yes! I start calendar shopping in October and enjoy choosing calendars that I think match the girls personalities and interests. This year I gifted my daughter-in-law a Bluey calendar. For those of you without young children, Bluey is an Australian animated preschool series. However, the show seems to be as popular with adults as it is with kids; the Bluey calendar was sold out on Amazon and I got one of the last ones available from Calendars.com. (Whew!) Almost daughter-in-law is as much of a nerd and critter lover as the rest of us so she received a Movie Cats calendar. She was thrilled!

For a couple of years post-retirement, I invested in Happy Planners. However, I haven’t really used them so I didn’t get one this year. It turns out that, for me at least, a planner is just an excuse to buy a lot of stickers, LOL.

Any other calendar/planner lovers out there?🙋‍♀️

There’s an App for That

If you have embraced technology at all, you probably have oodles of apps on your smart phone. I do, though, admittedly, there are only a handful that I use on a regular basis. Did you know that there’s an app that can help answer the ever popular (and sometimes dreaded) question “What do you want for Christmas?” Giftster to the rescue!

Image from DepositPhotos.com

We were introduced to Giftster several years ago by our youngest son’s (now ex) girlfriend. I think we were all a little leery but decided to give it a try. Now, many years later, we’re still using it. (One of my daughter-in-law’s lists is even named “I concede. This was a good idea.”) Giftster allows you to create a group and then invite members; each member can then create multiple lists. This app has allowed us to stop the annual tradition of “harassing” everyone about what they’d like; it’s easy to just stop and add an item to your list whenever you think about it. When someone purchases a gift, they can mark the item so that others know it is taken. And, no worries, Giftster does not tell the list maker which gifts have been purchased so they can still be surprised on the Big Day whether it be Christmas or another gift giving occasion.

Of course, some are still resistant to the app. The only two members of our group who are inactive? Our sons.🙄For the most part, our oldest son is fairly easy to buy for, the youngest not so much; once the youngest out-grew dinosaurs and Transformers knowing what to get him has been… difficult. I have to give our daughter-in-law props – not only does she maintain her own list but she also created and maintains lists for their three kids.🏅Thanks to Giftster (and those who maintain their lists, LOL) I’m almost finished with my Christmas shopping. Stocking stuffers are the only thing left and that is my favorite type of shopping.

What are your favorite/most used apps?

Cat Math

In one of my last posts I wrote about the death of Marvin (one of our outdoor cats), my plans to move his sister indoors and stop leaving food out for animals passing by. (And how Kenn and I somehow completely reversed our normal positions on the topic of cats.)

As of this writing, Nellie (Marvin’s sister and our only remaining outdoor cat) is still outdoors and is ignoring all of my attempts to get her to try the cushy life of an indoor kitty. We also have at least four cats coming by to partake of our food on a regular basis. (We’re going through so much more food, LOL.) I was surprised that the presence of Marvin and Stumpie was such a deterrent as they were both neutered males. (Nellie is spayed as well so she is not luring in new cats with her feminine wiles, er, pheremones.)

Proof that anything can be found on the internet.

Since we now have regular feline visitors to whom we have never been properly introduced, we decided to come up with our own names for them. These names get used when we are talking to them (from whatever distance they will allow) which is one of the first steps in helping them learn they can trust us. Here are our regular visitors (for now):

  • Tiger – Tiger is one of the cats cared for by our elderly neighbors and is the only one who’s name we actually know. Confusion arises because Tiger is our Nellie’s doppelganger. I’ll think I’m talking to Nellie and only realize that it’s Tiger when s/he freaks out because I’m getting so close. Or, I think I’m talking to Tiger only to realize that it’s Nellie. (Tiger and Nellie are both silver tabbies.)
  • Crow – Crow is a handsome black cat. (I love cats of all shapes, sizes, and colors but have an extra big soft spot for black cats.) Kenn announced that he would be calling the black cat Crow or Calypso depending on if it were male or female. Crow rarely gets closer to us than ten feet which would have made the sex determination difficult if he had been neutered. However, even from ten feet away – with the right angle and lighting – it was easy to determine that Crow is an unneutered male. However, if we can ever get him socialized, this situation will be rectified.
  • Bruiser – Bruiser is an unneutered brown tabby with white feet. Bruiser made it a point to square off with Stumpie on a regular basis so I was forever running him off. Now that he’s not stirring up trouble I have no problem with him coming over but I’m probably going to have to work extra hard to earn his trust.
  • Ghost – Ghost, appropriately enough, is a gray cat and by far the most skittish of our new visitors. I have only seen Ghost twice. Both sightings were only glimpses of a gray blur disappearing across the back yard after I apparently scared the crap out of him/her by walking across the deck to the car port.

So, somehow losing two cats has resulted in gaining four. Cat math is weird. Sigh. Lucky for them, I’m a complete sucker for animals in need.

Color Street vs. Lily and Fox

Fair warning: this post is a little different from most of my others. This is primarily for my FB friends – and anyone who appreciates pretty poIished nails, LOL.

I was a nail biter for the first twenty or so years of my life. I realized a few months after I moved into the college dorm that I had stopped biting my nails. (Who knew that college life would be less stressful than home?) I also discovered that I loved the look of polished nails but traditional nail polish and I just don’t get along so I rarely went to the trouble. Then, about four years ago, I discovered Color Street nail polish strips. The strips are 95% dry so you just apply them and go – no dry time required. In roughly twenty minutes I could have fully polished nails on both hands with no smudging or peeling. I was in heaven and had “fancy” nails most of the time.

Hypothyroidism made my fingernails brittle; they would break if I looked at them sideways. In spite of trying numerous products to strengthen my nails I was having more and more problems with them so, in 2022, I took a break from polish for several months in an effort to get them in better shape. While the break helped, my nails still weren’t as healthy as I wanted them to be so even though I started wearing polish again, I limited it to once every few months. Then, earlier this year, I accidentally found the product that worked miracles on my nail health – Vaseline Intensive Care Healthy Hands lotion with keratin. I grabbed a small tube to keep at work and after using it 2-4 times a week for 3-4 months, I suddenly realized that my nails are healthy: they’re strong, their color is good, and – most amazing of all – the ridges on my nails are starting to fade. Mind. Blown.🤯

Say what you will about FB (and believe me, I have opinions), their algorithms work well (except when I’m the one running the ad) so I frequently see ads for nail polish strips. The ads for Lily and Fox piqued my interest and I took the plunge and ordered a few sets. The main thing going for Lily and Fox is price. I ordered three sets for a total of $12 dollars including shipping and handling. With Color Street, $12 will get you one set (maybe). Lily and Fox also included an extra set as a “tester” for those who aren’t familiar with the process and an adorable origami fox.

Lily and Fox has a lot of cute sets but I’m a glitter girl and they have very few full glitter sets. Most Lily and Fox sets are a gloss with glitter accents. I have now used 2 of the sets I purchased and the verdict is in… Color Street works better.

Both Lily and Fox sets went on easily but they are much thicker than Color Street strips so they don’t have that little bit of stretch that comes in handy if you chose the wrong size strip or accidentally apply it off-centered. The extra thickness means that I also need scissors and a nail file to remove the excess portion of the strip instead of just my fingernails. Also, the Lily and Fox sets lose their gloss quickly. I don’t want to have to apply a top coat to keep my nail strips shiny. The biggest problem with the Lily and Fox sets is how well they adhere. Even though I prepped my nails by washing my hands and cleaning my nails and finger tips with an alcohol prep pad there were issues with both sets. The first set formed bubbles under a few of the strips and the number of bubbles increased each day. The second set was fine – until the next day; the strip on my left ring finger started peeling off. I could push it back down, but the next time I checked, it would be peeling again. I have no patience for this. However, due to the fact that Lily and Fox strips don’t adhere like actual polish, I was able to simply peel both sets off with no damage to my nails.

CAUTION: Do NOT attempt to chip/peel off traditional polish or Color Street nail polish strips. Use nail polish remover. Attempting to chip the polish off will damage your nails.

I’m glad I tried Lily and Fox but, going forward, I’m going to be sticking with Color Street. I’ll pay the extra money to have an easier application and a longer lasting product.

Any other nail strip users out there? If so, which brand(s) do you use?