A great read…

I just finished reading The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict. I really like historical fiction and this is a great read. Mileva Maric is brillant and has worked hard to get into an elite school in Zurich to study physics and Mathematics.  She is determined not tolet anything stop her but she meets and is eventually courted by Albert Einstien.

It’s a tragic story in a sense because she does marry Einstein and then is overshadowed by him. She is the one ( in the story and in some believe ) that has the brillant idea of special relativity that later Einstein is awarded the Nobel peace prize.  At some point they are or actually she is writing all this in a paper( which is how he wins the Nobel Peace prize) and later when it is published he does not put her name on the paper. OMG, talk about deception. She should have left then but she doesnt.

It is a brillant book and you should read it.

On another note, if you like period pieces like I do, masterpiece has Poldark  on. It is really well done and beautiful scenery of Cornwall.

Well, I’ll do an upate post soon.

simple sunday

It’s been a quiet day here. I went to the gym and it was really empty which is the way I like it. I’m working on 15 min. of cardio, then 20 -25 on the machines.  I have a little routine and I am being really careful. I think once you’ve had a compressin fracture and know the  pain it’s like a memory in your body. So I always lift carefully and never do something that feels too hard. Fortunately, with my Myeloma right now, i dont have bone issues but it’s always a reminder that it does happen. I’m especially susceptible in my ribs, where I have had fractures just from moving the wrong way. But for now since my numbers are all normal I feel it’s go for it so that when the inevitible happens I’ll be stronger.

Then B and my daughter went to Costco to pick up her dogs antiseizure meds, but alas, the pharmacy was closed. But they did pick up some fruit, and other misc. stuff. She still had to stop at the vets to get some meds refilled till I get back down to Costco.

All in all a nice Sunday.  I was doing the Minimalists decluttering challenge this month and right now I’m on 90 things. so far from the mark of 400. So if you want to try it , it’s 1 thing on day 1 , 2 things on day 2 , etc.  Most of my stuff was just odds and ends. I have our old flat screen in the barn my son was using so I’m going to take that to good will this week plus more Life magazines. Fly lady aones this week are the Living room and then on the 1st the entry way. Our LR is very easy, few knickknacks and so I dust and wash windows and that’s about it. Out entry is always a problem this time of year. Shoes, bags etc. There’s no place extra so it definetlry is a hot spot. Plus now the dog food bucket is there and off to one side is a covered cat box. Fortunately we use a cat litter called Swheat, which helps keep smell zero ( almost). So there you have it.

Tonight is pinto beans in the crock pot. Tortillas ,cheese and salsa. all the avacodas are too hard to add.image

No Black Friday here!

We don’t do Black Friday especially since we’ve become minimalists. We did go to the gym and get going. My muscles are a little sore but I’m taking it very slow.

I wont go today but B will as it’s his first real day as a member.

We had a lot of fun getting the tree permit and tree.img_0280img_0291We also saw a huge paw print. Yikes i was ready to just sit in the car.img_0279That’s a glove!!!

Any way, we had a fun time of it and now the tree is up and decorated.

Tonight it’s turkey and wild rice soup. Left over nut loaf for the veg.

Tree hunting and budgets

I’m not sure the two go together but that’s whats happening.

We’re heading up to Tahoe City to get a forest service tree permit to cut a Christmas tree. Yes, I know it’s an hour drive to get a $10 permit but it’s fun to tromp around and look for a tree. Although, I’m not sure we’re getting the tree today as it depends on the areas they designate. But the permits sell out so that’s why we’re going today. Plus, we get to go out for lunch somewhere.

My budget is set for December and I only have a few Christmas items left to get. Wine for my sister in Connecticut, cash for my son and a few odds an ends. Both our gym memberships are our christmas presents. The anytime fitness has a joining sale this weekend so no intiation fee and one month free so a great deal. Mine was 39 to join but only 9.95 a month. I met with the trainer yesterday and she showed me how to use some nifty machines. So I feel ready to get going.

We’re going to push hard to get rid of all debt except maybe my dentist bill in the next 3 months. I feel we can do it if we’re focused. This is credit card stuff form the trees coming down and we just had to pay my son’s spring semester( more than I thought). He’s not getting the board of govenors grant this year so it does impact the bottom line. We have one more Allstate bill and thenn that’s done till spring. So overall I’m feeling positive about it.

We are in for cold and rainy weather this weekend. It’ll begood to stay home and keep the fire going. Well, I’m going to the gym at least twice but after that.

Dinner is taco tuesday!

Saturday Stuff

It’s starting to rain here but at least it’s not too cold.

B is out burning big piles of branches from the 2 trees we took down. It’s a good day for that.

I’m trying to not read too much in the news with Trump stuff. It’s just too much right now. I did look at getting a digital subscription to the NY Times. It’s a great news source but i’m not sure I want to pay.

I’m going to try to cook risotto tonight. I’ve actually never made it so I’m soaking some dried mushrooms for a broth and will make an herb risotto later. I’m going to either do salmon or shrimp with it.  Plus  a salad. I’ll grill some tofu too.

Well, I may take a blogging break as I want a media break but I’ll see how it goes.

I’ve been to the gym a few times and next week I’ll meet with a trainer to go over more weight machines. I like it so far and I think it’ll be good for me to add another activity.

 

Dark and Cold…

Wow, it is cold out this morning @ 32 and darkish. Actually the moon is up so 5:30 isnt too dark. But lots of frost in the park.

Today I’m going in to have a GP appt. My last refill for my thyroid they hassled me about not seeing the doctor. It’s like it’s normal just refill the damn thing. Anywasy, off I go. Then depending on the mood, I’m going to go the gym and do more arm exercises.

Yesterday I did and ecart grocery shop. Really brillant. You add stuff to the cart( I did my turkey) and then click when you want it. You call when you get there and they bring it out. I was going to pay cash but then the turkey was slightly more and I didnt bring extra for some reason. I wont do it all the time but for this it was convienent.

If you want to read a good blog on the whole election thing, if youre not completely fed up with it all, go to susanbranch.com

susan branch

She has a huge following and I love her down to earthness plus her take on life. She’s an amazing artist and lives on wonderful marthas vineyard.

Joining a gym??

 

For Christmas my husband is going to get a gym membership at Anytime fitness. It’s a national chain with over 3,000 spots. When he travels he can use them anywhere. It seems like a good thing. It’ll be $30 a month with a 2 year contract. I’d rather not have a contract, but most gyms dont work that way. Theres a free 7 day trial that I’m going to try.

Mostly I’d like to build up some upper body strength while I’m off any chemo. But I’m not sure I want that commitment. (the contract).

So, do any of you  belong to a gym and what is your opinion?  Has it helped to get stronger?

We belonged to a gym ages ago just for the pool. That would be my first choice, but our only local pool now is a fitness facility that is very posh and expensive, so that’s off the table. My walking is great, but I’d like to do a little more while I can.

Did you keep to the gym going even on chemo?? I know too many questions, but really any ideas would be helpful.

Labs look great!!

Labs came in :

no detectable m -protein  yeah!!!

kappa 11.7 mg/L

lamdba 11.4 mg/L

ratio 1.03

 

happy dance……maybe champagne…wait I dont have any except some really expensive stuff I was saving for Thanksgiving….

Going into month 5 off all chemo and drugs. (except acyclovir and my regular stuff, thyroid, Lisinprol… asprin.IMG_0100

the ‘non consumer advocate’ Katy says it all.

Today I’m Mad as Hell