Happy Birthday Week

Sushi and Cake for Monday
Day 1 of my birthday week
Just for me

It’s my happy birth week!

Is there such a thing? 

Oh yeah, I say, to you

Nothing wrong with celebrating

Celebrating my survival

Despite the challenges of parenting

Sometimes, I wonder

Should I help, should I not?

With their adulting, that is

That may be quite a lot?

They are able to work

And weak, they are not

They can earn like their mom

Pay their bills (most of them)

Not delay and what not

Things like reminding them to get up

To make it to work

Not be tardy or miss 

Their ride and miss work

Or make sure to make

College education a priority

So, they don’t end up on the mercy

To live on charity

Or be a burden to me

Or to our society

Please Save Me from "F"

It's February

It's a great time to be

Freely writing and word finding

Fun words for you to see

As often, the visual me

Have to find some inspirations

To add for considerations

To help with my creation

A flower collage seems like a good fit

With my daughter above 

Donning our fuschia knits

Below it is us sharing some food

To  the right are some flowers
That help boost my mood

And lastly, it's Snowball

Our furball who's small

He may not be that tall

But he sure can growl

------------------

From here I will stop

And boldly, I ask

If you're 65 and up

Will you help me out?

Please answer some questions

For around four minutes

I'll compensate you for  your time

(As you save me from getting an F)

For my college class online.

Here's the link: Survey
As of now, 2/14/2018, 5pm MST, I got enough participants. So thank you guys for reading.

Join the fun ABC Wednesday group!

The Quality of Life

At work, we talk about this often—quality of life. What is the quality of life? It varies from person to person, where we are at right now, where we have been, what we've been through.

To me, life is good, when I see my children smiling when they are successful in school or at work, and eventually when they become self-sufficient. It can be most of the parents' dream. Quality of life is good enough for me if I am free of life-changing illness that prevents me from providing for my family, free of severe pain, free of severe anxiety. I had been there and can't imagine going back.

At work, in intensive care unit, many families and patients face the situation of whether to go on and on with aggressive medical treatment. What is the best possible scenario? How much suffering does it take to have a chance of 5 percent or so in life and live with, maybe breathing through a tracheostomy, feeding through a tube, not being able to walk again, and be bedridden? Often times, the patients are too sick to decide so families decide. Sometimes the patient has a living will, a health-directive set up ahead of time. Sometimes, the family changes this, which they can do.

What is the quality of life for someone who cannot speak?

Amazon Fresh Review

Join us in ABC Wednesday in its new home.

The letter of the week from ABC Wednesday is the letter A. For the lack of ideas, I am writing about the new (to me) grocery delivery service through  Amazon called Amazon Fresh. I promise I am not getting paid by Amazon for writing this post.

How timely is that that I have just received my first grocery today with Amazon Fresh. What did I order? See the picture below including five grocery items not included.

Here is a review based on my first try with Amazon Fresh Grocery Delivery by Amazon in Denver, Colorado.

Pros:

1. One advantage of using the service is the convenience. I ordered online without having to walk the isles of the store and standing in line waiting for the cashier. The groceries are delivered right to my front door--kinda like the Uber or Lyft for my groceries. This service can attract home-bound adults, busy folks, or some people with transportation issues, like, maybe college students who do not have a car. I am thinking I can do this to friends who are sick or old who may have trouble getting to and from the store.
2. They have enough choices of brands to choose from.
3. I can choose to shop local from the "local" tab. This is especially useful for me when shopping for produce as I like being able to eat locally grown foods when I can if the price is right.
4. I don't have to live with the guilt of not tipping. Compared to Instacart app, another service I used in the past (with buttons for 10-20% tips), there is no tipping option when you finalize and pay for your order. I really don't have much room for tipping in my budget in addition to member fee.
5. It has a sales tab where I can buy the deals for the day. This makes their food more affordable to me.
6. The groceries are well-packed and came in great condition. The frozen foods remained frozen and the refrigerated items stayed cold. Frozen spinach frozen? Check. Juice cold? Check.

Cons:

1. I have to choose thru delivery time that does not necessarily fall the same day I ordered. I had to schedule for the next day six to eight a.m. My first choice was 6-8 pm the same day I ordered. I am hoping this will improve when the service gets more popular in my area and they hire more helpers to deliver.
2. If I choose to extend my service for another month after the trial, I have to pay $14.99 a month for membership. Also, if the total of my order is less than $40, I get charged the delivery fee of $9.99. Keep in mind, the service is for Prime members that I already pay an annual fee for. Anyway, I love Prime and use it more than once a month so I cannot complain about that.
3. The groceries are well-packed with one-way packaging, alright, but maybe with too much packaging. I think some items can be combined in one bag, for example. Imagine, each bag is paper-bagged, metallic-insulated bagged, masked-taped, cardboard-lined, and packed with ice packs or with additional dry ice. I am not sure if the metallic insulated bags are recyclable in my area here in Colorado. I am guessing not. And, I can only use so much ice packs. Perhaps my donation station would take them. 

Conclusion: So after all these cons, would I buy from Amazon Fresh again? You betcha. The pros still outnumber the cons. I am sure I'd use the service for a month during the free trial. After that, maybe so. I already just ordered the Amazon Dash Wand that goes with Fresh so I can scan items at home that I want to buy again or vocalize my order through the wand that automatically lists to the virtual Amazon cart. It costs $20 and I heard that I will get $30 credit for it. Plus it comes with Alexa (another "a").

What did I do with the extra time instead of grocery shopping today?  I went to a nursery instead to get the plants below--annuals, perennials, ground cover plants, aloe vera, rosemary, lavender, squash, bell peppers, and hot peppers! I love the extra free time!

Zippy

Meet my hiking partner, Velvet, in this zestful open space.

The letter of the week from ABC Wednesday is the letter Z.

I choose the word zippy.


I belong to a Facebook group on body transformation where each member defines his or own transformation. Whether the goal is to lose weight, shape your body, add bulk, etc, we all want to work on our goals with eating and exercise.

We talk about, among other things, what gives us energy or motivation to exercise and go to the gym.

What makes me zippy and energetic? I tell them my secrets of having the energy to exercise or workout.

1. A breakfast with 20 or more grams of protein makes a difference. It gives me this satisfied feeling and not feel hungry for hours. When I go to the gym, I do not think about hunger or food because I am not hungry. How do I get 20+ grams of protein? I cheat by adding protein powder to my green smoothie. I eat yogurt or eggs or ham in the morning.
2. I drink lots of water. By the time I hit the door leaving the house to go to the gym, I would already drink 4 cups of water and then two more in the gym. I am well hydrated. In the past, before I get conscious about my water intake, I get so thirsty and get a headache while exercising. I reach my maximum heart rate according to my age within minutes of walking in the treadmill. I think I was dehydrated, that was why. In 15 minutes, I was so tired and could barely continue.
3. Caffeine also keeps me going. I feel a bit hyper after 1 cup of coffee and 2 cups of matcha tea. I pour this energy in cardio and weight machines. It works. It extends my stamina. No need for me to use expensive pre-workout out supplements.
4. Meditation and yoga, I think, helps my mind and helps me to think about positive things too so my mind does not wander too much and I could concentrate on what I want to do--exercise, read, or work.
5. My dog Velvet, keeps me going as we walk outside. She is so fun to be with on a hike. To see her happy motivates me to go further.
6. A good quality sleep. To me, it can be anywhere from six to nine hours with a good amount of deep sleep. I use my Fitbit blaze to track my sleep and I notice, the more I spend time in deep sleep, the better I feel throughout the day.

How about you? What gives you energy? How do you motivate yourself to move?

P is for a Parent's Prayer

My gratitude for prayer is so great,

My family is good that I have faith

The years are gone when my teens were astray

Praise, the Lord my God, He wiped my tears away

His grace is great, now I have other things in mind

(Not just wishing) that is all I do,

While waiting for the moment

To reach the dreams that I can do

I have always like to learn more, either through reading or taking classes or lessons. My children's lives and activities got so hectic in the past that I did not have the sanity or the time. Things are better now for many months I actually can give time for myself. I even signed up for a gym membership and actually go every day. I plan to read more books. Maybe, I can devote some time studying for work. 

Nurturing My Teens

What have I done lately? Not blogging much, I admit. I did spend some time talking to my children. Nurturing them is not always an easy task, but I tried to show my love and support in small ways.

It's Better to Kiss

I admit I have been postponing to write about a K-word because the word that keeps popping out of my head is the word kill, LOL. I wonder why? Kill is such a strong word and so negative. I've got to write something positive, right?

Jump

A little depressed, nothing to do

I turned to my side

to the radio at the bedside

I picked a station

That gives me joy 

The one that plays

Jazz and  jingles that I enjoy
Soon, I'm not upset

I am not even mad

Instead, I'm glad and jumping 

Happy, just like that

(or at least, I got up from the bed)

ICU

Yesterday was a usual busy weekday in our unit. I work in adult Intensive Care Unit (ICU) as a nurse. I was going through my day, almost-without-intention or effort pacing in the halls from one end to another. I was logging 8 to 10,000 steps a day in my Fitbit. Well, that is not all I do, of course.  I help other nurses and patients grabbing things, getting supplies, pulling meds for others, until my first my patient arrives from surgery.

Happy Birthday Treats

It's my birthday today. I know, it is not a Wednesday, but I worked yesterday in exchange to today's whole day off. Aside from I-am-still-sick-with-a-cold, and I need a break from wearing a mask, I deserve a day off on my day. That is why I am late posting in ABC Wednesday.

Gizmo and Everything Good

Join us.This week's letter is the letter G.

Fish Fire

I have been checking (and have purchased) planners lately. Most of them I liked but not fully. There was always some parts I do not like that I think is a waste of space. I want to keep my planner small that fits in my everyday bag that is suitable for two small books like A5 size.

I like the idea of bullet journal and Rituals, among a few, so I decided to make my own. Even the pages on Moleskine, I did not like because they are so faint, I have to squint my eyes to see the numbers. Maybe I need glasses too, but that's another story. I dated a hardcover notebook I purchased from Walmart. I also got some stickers, erasable pens, markers, and highlighters. Wallah, I have a planner/journal with the table of contents and pages I will use. I am happy.

I love the looks of fish growing up by the big pond, and I am Pisces, so I attached a fish on the bookmark. The whole thing makes me smile.

What also makes me grin is the city cleaning up the homeless tent in at the back of my house, not too far away. It is owned by the city, and I did not realize till lately, I can just report my concern thru the city app. In the same week, here they are. They are so fast, I did not get a picture of the John Deere thingy, hauling the stuff away. I now have a better view from the dining room where I sit and write.

See, a many years ago, there was a fire there, and the fire department had to be called to kill the fire. It was thought that the camper's fire  got out of control. A distant neighbor reported it as we slept. He lived eight houses away. It was late at night then, and my young family did not have a clue. It gave us a scare we thought we had to evacuate. The area is close to the main road but in a valley form area that is hard to see by others except by my next door neighbor and me.

To make me feel less guilty, the city reported that it appears that the camp had been abandoned. I did not displace anyone. Nobody had been sleeping there lately. Whoever the person was, I hope he or she has found a safer and warmer home this winter.

Well, those are my F's for the week. What's yours?

Join us!

Getting Education Early

I am sitting in the class with my third helping of breakfast and third cup of coffee.

Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today. --Malcolm X 

I had small talks with my son recently who just turned 18. He is on his last year of high school. I was wondering why he has not started looking for colleges yet.



"I want to take a whole year break from school to work and save up for a car."



In a program where he is now, he can possibly get assistance for housing up to a year. I don't know the details of this but I told him that I see this as a waste of his time. He can just stay home rent-free and concentrate on college. Working part-time can just be extra and not required to pay for necessities. I am not trying to make him stay under my wings forever but I do want to help him succeed as early and as least painful it is to him.

My Daughter and Our Dogs

I got up and did my routine chores on a Saturday morning. My seventeen-year-old daughter appeared only to use the bathroom, then back to her bedroom she went. I had to call her to come back out and eat something and take her medication. She did. Her phone rang a couple of times for the few minutes she was with me. Again, she left and went back into the room.

Charity and The Garden of Gods

Garden of Gods is one on the natural resources gifted by a man for all to enjoy. Once owned by Perkins, he donated this slice of heaven to the City of Colorado Springs in a condition that it remains free for all to visit. Look at my daughter proud of her climb and what a beauty this gift for all brings.

The alphabet this week is the letter C. What words inspire you to write? Today, I am thinking of:

1. Charity
2. Climb
3. Can
4. Church
5. Choosing
6. Changes
7. Choice
8. Charity Miles
9. Child
10. Contribution

This statement from church sticks to my mind this week. God wants us to want what he wants.

Is that like I want my teens to want what I want not simply do what I say without putting their heart into it? You betcha.

I'd like them to do good for themselves, nourish, not harm--their brain, body, and soul. I'd like them to put focus in school and pick good friends. I'd like them to be, someday, self-sufficient, and be helpful members of the society.

God wants us to helps ourselves so we can be of help to others. God wants us to be generous. It's only last Saturday, that I was convinced I should give more to charity and church. The right time in my definition will never come as I would probably never be satisfied with my income and expenses. But God wants me to give to others. In my preference, it would be to the church I currently go to, and the rest to a charity of my choosing (that changes from day to day).

I realize I do not have enough for my family yet to give ten percent but I deduct things like taxes, and my walking miles and photos I posted that is equivalent to a dollar a day. I also deduct loss income/support as my ex-husband fails to pay the minimum court-mandated child support since he left. My effort for walking and/or posting pictures in exchange to mentioning my donor pays the charity of my choice. Check Charity Miles and Donate a Photo.

My yearly contribution that I set up as a bimonthly deduction from my debit card still does not go over three digits but this is the most donation yet I have given in my life. And it feels great.

Deuteronomy 16:17 – "Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God which He has given you."

Wave a Wand

A cluttered house where clothes are not put away

My house today is just like yesterday

I think I will be organized someday

Paul with a grin says, "That's what you say"

V is for Velvet

The time she refused to go and walk outside with me
Velvet does not appreciate fake fur

V is for Velvet

My pet, my beloved

With me she likes to cuddle

In bed and play dead

Simple Ways to Bank Happiness

Enjoying a time outside, even if it's just
outside a new church.

It's the letter H week. What an inspiration to write on happiness.

I am working on building my reserves. Over the span of many years, I have been burdened with stress that made my happy bank empty. I compiled a list of things I do and will do to make me happy.

D is For Dogs

Colors made with Color Pop as watermarked

Inspired by ABC Wednesday and The Art Challenge, I am posting about my dogs tonight. And in the interest of time, an easy and quick entry for the art challenge is using what I already have--the pictures from today and the other day with my dogs.