Monday Musings - Bathing Suit Shopping, Sigh

 

Monday Musings - Bathing Suit Shopping, Sigh

It was a diverse and interesting week. And as usual, lessons were learned and goals set.

1.  Ten days of live, free TV is more than enough. My spouse really wanted to watch the Super Bowl last weekend, but we haven't had cable TV for many, many years, and I wasn't willing to give a streaming company our credit card in order to purchase short term live TV access, because my experience in the past is that companies are happy to take your payment info, but loathe to turn it off once started.

However, I've been very impressed with the ease of turning YouTube Premium streaming service on and off - they make it very, very easy to do so online - and so I signed up for a 10 day trial of their You Tube TV, which allowed us to watch the Super Bowl !ive, plus another 9 days in which to enjoy watching the Winter Olympics, both of which we did/are doing, and much enjoying. 

I cancelled our free You Tube TV Trial the moment the Super Bowl was over, but, nicely, per the email I immediately received, the service will remain active until the entire 10 day free trial period is reached later this week.

So we've been enjoying the Winter Olympics, a treat we haven't seen live in over ten years. However, after spending most of yesterday watching the Olympics in between reading and dozing, my spouse and I agreed we are fine with losing live TV access shortly, returning to our normal pattern of streaming one or two shows in the evening after dinner on the nights we are home. Our preference during the day when not otherwise occupied is to go for long walks, or to read. Not having access to live TV at the house continues to keep both things priorities in our lives, which we very much prefer.

2. Bought my first one piece bathing suit. Since entering my more senior years, I had switched from bikinis to shorts style two piece suits, but even with my recent weight loss, I've realized that having a smooth and taut tummy is probably now in my past. I needed a bathing suit for our upcoming Panama Canal cruise, as it's looking to be quite warm over the entire 16 day trip, so I bit the bullet and stopped by Target over the weekend to see what they had. 

They actually had quite a lot of swimsuit stock on the floor, and after just a couple of try-ons, below is the swim suit and swim suit wrap I decided on. I am pleased with how both the swim suit and the wrap fit and look, so hopefully I can enjoy the pool and hot tub on the cruise without feeling self conscious.

3.  Enjoyed a lovely and uncrowded Valentine's Day couples cooking class. I had to be quick on the trigger to snag one of the eight available couple's slots, but somehow I did get one, which was wonderful because both my spouse and I love the way this cooking school holds their couples cooking classes. We get three unhurried hours at the venue -  two hours in which to cook, and then one full hour to be served and to eat. We are always encouraged to bring wine, and encouraged to pour a glass immediately upon arrival, which makes for a fun group of 16 adults within a very short time.

The six course menu for the night was outstanding. We began with lobster bisque and ended with chocolate souffle (mine came home of course - still rockin' the no-sugar life. 🙂)

4.  Walked miles and miles over the weekend in anticipation of this week's anticipated series of rainstorms. Here are some of the views we enjoyed while we did so:

5.  Lost the two pounds I gained in January. I worked to get my head back in the game last week, and as a result of being successful in doing so, lost the two pounds I'd gained recently.

My home office has mirrored closet doors, which help me
see exactly how I am doing with my weight loss every time I enter it,
which I do multiple times a day.

I do still have losing three more pounds in order to reach 105 as a goal for 2026, and I'm optimistic that will happen rather 'naturally' on our upcoming cruise, as we are generally so active on them that we return home lighter than when we left.

We walk miles and miles around the deck each day, use the gym for strength training, take the stairs not the elevator, and often end the evening dancing in one of the ship lounge areas that are playing live music. That, combined with eating  'normally' on the ship, generally result in our returning home a few pounds down from when we boarded.

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How about you? Any Monday Musings you'd like to share?

Monday Musings - My New Unpaid Job

Monday Musings - A New Job (Unpaid!)

Life as an aging 60-something retiree continues to evolve. Sometimes the changes evolve a bit quicker, which is how this last week has felt.

1. I have a new, unpaid job. After years of just wanting to be a volunteer worker bee, not a hive queen, I finally caved and accepted a larger role in one of my volunteer organizations. The reason is that the role is something I'm very comfortable with - Acting Treasurer - and it can be worked around our ongoing travels.

I sincerely love the organization itself, and I very much enjoy interacting with the other folk that keep the organization running. So after 15 years of retirement, I've come out of my self-induced shell of retirement lifestyle 'protection', and taken on an official, defined role of responsibility.

2. Bought this really great new Hot Air Popcorn Maker. As I continue to work hard at keeping my lost pounds truly lost, I saw a little write up about the Dash Fresh Pop Popcorn Maker. At first I thought, oh no, I don't need another source of carbs to try and avoid, but then I did a little research and learned that popcorn is actually a good source of fiber. Which I definitely can use more of. So after looking up the calories involved, and additional low calorie ways to make the popcorn palatable, I went ahead and ordered it (it was only $20).

It makes a batch of popcorn in just a couple of minutes, leaving impressively few unpopped kernels. Three cups of popcorn with 1 tsp of olive oil and 1/2 tsp of popcorn flavoring salt comes to 125 calories total, a very reasonable amount for a mid afternoon snack.

3.  Friends and Sunsets. We have fallen into a routine of inviting friends to join us at our Social Club on Friday nights for guitar music, Happy Hour and Sunset viewing over the water. The pace is so relaxed at our club, and the wait staff and other members all so friendly, that all the couples we've taken to it so far have said they just might be interested in joining as well. So, we'll see . . . 

4.  Gorgeous long beach walks. Not to be too repetitious, but our weather has been summer-like for the last few weeks, and my spouse and I have enjoyed numerous long beach walks from or near the house. We do not take either the weather or our coastal proximity for granted. We are deeply grateful for each one.

5.  Simple, but still delicious, home dinner meals. Increasingly I want to be outside, or with people, or on the move, or busy and involved. And, also increasingly, I'm less interested in cooking elaborate meals. I don't tend to eat much at dinner, if at all, and my spouse is very appreciative of anything I serve him. With good reason, I assure - I work hard to find simple but delicious recipes, and making the ordinary fancy by way of fresh herbs, fresh nuts, good cheese, and good oils.

A recent simple, but gourmet-quality meal I made him was a grilled bacon and cheese sandwich on fresh bakery sourdough bread, one side of which I slathered with a savory fig jam. Savory and slightly sweet - my spouse loved it, and the small bite I had was absolutely delicious.

And I made this couldn't be easier pork chile verde the other day, that I fancied-up by serving it over rice,  topping with plain Greek yogurt and chopped cilantro. I served a piece of crumbly corn bread on the side - the corn bread crumbles are great in the chili verde as well.

I also added two cans of white beans to make the chili a bit less sauce-intensive.

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How about you? Any Monday Musings you'd like to share?

Thursday Thoughts - Our Weather Has Been Sublime

 Thursday Thoughts - Our S. California Weather Has Been Sublime

We have had a run of absolutely gorgeous weather, but I elected to keep that to myself last week, when so much of the country was suffering under frigid weather. This week, however, appears to be much improved across the US, so I feel comfortable sharing (exclaiming!) that our weather has been insanely fabulous, and I have done my very best to embrace and enjoy every minute of it.

Taken during the long walk my spouse and I did yesterday -

It's been pinch-me weather this week, really, and I have gotten much joy from hearing young voices having fun at the beach, and at our nearby association pool. Everything just seems better, and problems a bit smaller, when the weather is gorgeous.

My girlfriend and I kayaked earlier in the week, and, again, the beautiful weather was a topic of both conversation and enjoyment. 

Otherwise, I have been increasingly engaged with the groups I've joined since our most recent move two years ago, and today will be quite busy accordingly. I'm helping to welcome attendees to a monthly lunch with one of my groups, plus staying afterward to help clean up. From there I'll head out to do my weekly grocery shopping, then return home to do some essential trip planning (shuttle service, and summer UK Visa submission - yep, still procrastinating on that one!).

My spouse is gone this evening, so my dinner and after-dinner plans are simple - soup from a can and a Louise Penny mystery thriller book. When on my own, I am so easy to please, food wise!

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How about you? Any Thursday Thoughts you'd like to share?

February Mini Goals

 February Mini Goals

I enjoy the feeling of a fresh start that each new month presents - I may have stumbled the month prior, but the 1st of any month is an invitation to try, try again. 

My mini goals for the month are:

1.  Cook a new Hot Air Fryer recipe. Currently I'm guilty of using it for primarily two purposes only - making sweet potato fries, and reheating leftovers back to their original crispiness. So this is an effort to get out of my hot air fryer rut.

2.  Run a mile in less than eleven minutes. My best speed in my peak running years was about nine minutes and low change. But anything under 11 minutes at this point in my older life is a win. Oh, how things have changed!  😄

3.  Organize my tee shirt drawers. I have two drawers full of close fit tees in a variety of colors and styles - from white to black, spaghetti strap to full sleeve - and I know that more than a few of them should be tossed due to either overwear or now being too large for my smaller frame. Plus I want to refold them the Marie Kondo way once done, so I can see exactly what I have, as opposed to having to root through stacks.

4.  Talk to neighbors about trimming their trees. I really do not want to do this, but my plan is to approach each neighbor from a place of assumed cooperation, and also to offer to pay for the first trim if they might agree to carry forward on their own. Sigh. Maintaining our blue ocean views is both a blessing and a curse, even as they are protected via our HOA CC&R's.

5.  Lose 5 pounds. I gained two pounds in January (so currently 110), and I had losing three pounds as a general 2026 goal, so I want to focus on both now ahead of our upcoming Panama Canal cruise. I have no issues maintaining my weight when we cruise - we walk and walk and walk while on the ship, plus I love the slow, steady service in the Dining Room more than I enjoy the food itself - cruise food is never going to be memorable given how much needs to be prepared in advance for any one meal.

 

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How about you??? Any new goals for February you care to share?

Friday Five - Lots Of Sunshine

 Friday Five - Lots Of Sunshine

1.  We have embraced this week's beautiful weather here, walking and spending time outdoors each day. I feel a renewed sense of appreciation for S. California's year round temperate climate after watching last week's Arctic storm level so much snow, ice, and sub zero temperatures in Middle Tennessee, where my daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughters live. I am so thankful they did not lose their power at any point during the weather event.

2.  I spent a lovely afternoon with my brain cancer-stricken girlfriend. We sat outside in the sun for hours, first enjoying lunch, then iced coffees. She spoke about accepting that she will not likely beat the cancer this time around - it's her fourth bout, though first with it being in her brain. She seemed somewhat at peace, which is my only wish for her. That, and that she remain pain free.

We see her and her husband again tonight, for dinner at our water fronting social club where a guitarist, Happy Hour, and hopefully a beautiful sunset awaits.

3.  Speaking of which, the sunsets this week have been other-wordly in their beauty. They have literally stopped me in my tracks. And I wish to never, ever take them for granted.

4.  The Giant Birds of Paradise in the HOA area next to our home have been removed, and the opened up views have been wonderful. We're now enjoying sitting outside as often as we give thought to doing so, particularly at dusk when the homes atop the ridge begin to light up and twinkle.

During the day I'm enjoying watching the many birds fly overhead, particularly our local population of Cooper, red-tailed, and red-shouldered hawks.

5.  I am cooking up a storm for a series of entertaining events occurring this weekend. So far I've made and frozen this Old Fashioned Banana Cake with Candied Ginger & Marscapone Frosting, made the base for a sundried tomato bruschetta I'm bringing to a wine club event tomorrow, and prepped for making pumpkin and sausage chili in the morning, so it can meld a full day in the refrigerator before I serve it on Sunday.

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Today's Healthy Focus Plan - Walk four miles to and along the beach, file for online UK Visas for upcoming summer trip to British Isles (I am so badly procrastinating on this one, oof!), pick up this week's loss leader supermarket sale items, go through my shoe closet to remove shoes that I can no longer bear to wear due to my bunion, and also to make room for the six pair of new and comfortable boots and shoes I bought yesterday. Yes, six pair - it's how I roll! 😆

Friday Five - Happy To Pay The Weather Tax

 Friday Five - Happy To Pay The Weather Tax

1.  I had not been paying attention to the weather because, well, Southern California, and so this morning was the first I heard of Winter Storm Fern. My dad lives in one of the projected-to-be-deep-cold areas, and so I spent time this morning chatting with him about his preparations. He has been through this before, so I knew he'd have already prepared (which he had), but I still wanted him to know I was aware and concerned.

As a side note - I've been trying to talk him into returning to California in order to be closer to me as he continues to age into his 90's, and perhaps this will give some added weight to my 'push' in this area.

2.  I restarted HRT, after weaning off of it last Fall. Within weeks, the hot flashes returned, and after a couple of months, they began to affect my ability to sleep through the night, leaving me feeling increasingly exhausted. So, I threw in the towel and restarted HRT a few days ago. Nicely, already, the hot flashes are diminishing, and I am able to get through the night without waking in a sweat. I'm still waking up unreasonably earlier, however, even after hours of exercise, so looking for improvement to occur there as my body continues to adjust to the resumed hormone medication.

I'm also encouraged by the recent release of studies indicating that remaining on HRT, once begun, for pretty much the rest of a woman's life, turns out to have some benefits not previously noted. 

Link to FDA study here.

3.  So happy to have received a call from a girlfriend that is dealing with brain cancer to say she was done with treatment for the time being, thus feeling stronger and better, and would I like to get together for coffee? And also, would my spouse and I like to get together for dinner with her and her spouse? 

Yes and yes!!

I was not about to put something like this off, so she and I now have plans to meet up for coffee next week, followed by a couples get together the day after at our water-facing social club for conversation, music, sunset viewing, and dinner. What a gift to have another opportunity to enjoy her company, and the company of her spouse.

4.  Slightly annoyed that I didn't stock up on pumpkin puree when it was on sale everywhere this past Fall. I needed to hunt some down yesterday for this absolutely amazing Pioneer Woman recipe for pumpkin & sausage chili I'm making for an event next week, and it was nowhere to be found at Aldi's, so I had to resort to, horror of horrors, the regular supermarket. I found it, but at what I consider a stupid not-on-sale supermarket price of $2.99 a can (vs the $1.49 a can it was at Aldi's during the Fall season). So, lesson learned - I'll buy a few extra cans next season.

In the meantime, I really cannot exclaim enough about this rendition of Pumpkin & Sausage Chili. It's incredible, and even more so if topped with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of roasted pepitas and cilantro- 

5.  Looking forward to a social wine event we are attending tonight, and also looking forward to wearing a gray knit dress that I tried on last night after putting it in the back of my closet years ago when I felt it made me look thick. 

It doesn't make me look thick anymore after last year's Herculean weight loss efforts, and I'm excited to wear it after wearing it only once previously. I'm pairing it with gray suede boots and a chunky silver and pearl necklace and earrings.

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Today's Healthy Focus Plan - Walk six miles, blow patio clean, finish off pre-Panama Canal cruise plans in Fort Lauderdale (booking a Segway tour among other things - fun!), file for online UK Visas for upcoming summer trip to British Isles, pick up charcuterie board supplies from Trader Joes for an upcoming dinner event here, leave early for social wine event to help with setup. 

Tuesday Tidbits

 Tuesday Tidbits

Just some minor tidbits happening in my life currently.

1.  Reading and loving this book that I downloaded from the library for an upcoming Book Club meeting. I haven't laughed out loud this much while reading a book since I read my first P.G. Wodehouse book some decades ago. Well done, Mr. Graeme Simsion!

2.  Scanning an online menu for a Korean cafe I'm going to today with my spiritual community ladies group. I've eaten only Korean BBQ up until now, and so this is a new cuisine for me for the most part and I want to be ready with my selection before I arrive. 

3.  From the restaurant I'll head straight to ukulele group play, and I'm looking forward to it, even though I'm generally wiped out mentally when I leave. It's so much fun to play with the other group participants, but my guitar-trained brain still has to hyper-focus on playing the ukulele version of chords.

4.  If I'm not brain dead at the end of ukulele practice, I'm planning to head to a Toyota dealership to see if they have a Camry hybrid on the lot in this gorgeous color for possible purchase for hubby later this year -

5.  Since I know I'll be wiped when I get home, happy to have leftovers from last night's dinner, Chicken Parmesan, ready to go. Before dinner, hubby and I will make an effort to go out to catch the sunset, as they have been outstanding. Last night's was brilliantly pink, the night before a fiery red, the night before that a deep orange. So we'll see what tonight's brings.  

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What small things are you looking forward to doing or dealing with today? Inquiring minds!