Cleaning Away Summer

It was was beautiful day with temperatures in the high 60’s. I have been itching to go outside. I do not like going outside in weather colder than my age. It was a perfect day to get out.

Looking out the windows I noticed the yard was covered in a blanket of leaves from our huge Dogwood tree. The branches were bare so it was a good time to clean up the yard. Though that is the only tree we have in the back yard, there are neighboring trees that frame our property. We get all the leaves.

Nick asked if I would like to go out and help him rake leaves. “Sure!” I said with excitement. This would be perfect to help me overcome this cabin fever. I threw on some old jeans, boots and garden gloves and headed outside. 

“Here are two rakes you can use”.He said. “I will be on the mower sucking up the Pin Oak leaves while you rake the larger leaves in a pile”.

. 

We spent three hours cleaning up the yard. I raked while he mowed. It felt good to do some laboring work. It was a great work out. I also cut back our butterfly bush in the front yard. It was still holding on to it’s leaves, but I knew it would be shedding them soon. This time last year it was already bare. We have had a warmer than normal Fall this year. 

Today I am sore and my hands are slightly blistered. My yard is groomed and there are no more signs of Summer. Now we sit and wait on the cold weather and frost in the weeks to come. 

It’s a new week

It’s Monday again. It’s been 5 weeks since I was let go from my job. It is not a good feeling (Previous post here). There is only so much you can do sitting at home. I spent two weeks taking some online CEU courses and renewed my Phlebotomy certificate.

Now I spend most of my days online looking for jobs. I am comfortable sitting behind a computer all day because thats all I'm used to. I have to say though that I have really enjoyed the time I have gotten to spend all day with my husband. With my severance pay, I was able to go ahead a pay my December health insurance. I paid my car off back in July so I do not have that hanging over me anymore. Thank God! I have Christmas money set aside too, So I think I’m good until next year.

Knowing a check is no longer coming in is scary! 

I have my moments. I will have feelings of panic off and on. I wake up in the middle of the night and sometime find myself in tears as my husband sleeps soundly beside me. I know he worries too. I say a little prayer and I can usually fall back to sleep. 

And then there are moments I feel happy and relieved to be away from the atmosphere I was working in. I loved the job I did and did it well, but It feels good to be away from the vulgar language, the smell of cigarettes, and the little 12 x 12 room I sat in all day long. This was my life for 26 years. Now Im free.

This is a new week and I will make new goals. I will continue my job searching. I actually had a couple friends send me a message letting me know places they work that may be hiring. This gave me a little hope at the time was feeling really hopeless. I hope to hear back from someone soon. 

My eating habits have been bad too. I guess between stress and boredom I want to eat the house down. Though I am still holding my weight loss, I don’t feel all that good. If you follow me on Facebook you may have seen some of the foods I have encountered. It is definitely not in my diet plan. In my defense, I don’t eat all of what I photograph. I’m usually stuffed after a couple bites. 

For example. We tried two new restaurants this weekend. One was in a little town of Belmont. Where I grew up. It was called Casa Vieja . It is a little Mexican restaurant that used to be an Italian restaurant. I ordered two tacos and Nick had a salad with grilled beef. It’s the nacho and dip before hand that is bad. 

The food was good. It was not as good as some of the other places we have been to but we are willing to give it another try. 

Sunday night we decided to try a new BBQ restaurant called The Smoke Pit. The food here was delicious! 

We both ordered a bbq sandwich on toast with a side of fries. 

They piled the meat high. I was full after eating the meat that fell out of the bread onto the plate. I have enough leftover for anther meal. 

It’s a new week. I will be settling back down to the simple and healthy foods so I can keep my weight down. This will also make me feel better inside and out. It’s amazing how bad fattening foods can make you feel after your used to eating lite and healthy. I think my body is craving carrots right now. 

It’s a new week. It will be a good week, I just know it. I will get myself back together and have a better attitude. Gods got me.