My Weblog

Charging ahead..........

It's a new day! And I am walking 98% normally! Wow! Let's celebrate! 

I just did my planning for today. Sadly, it has a lot of tasks migrated forward from yesterday! Some of that is okay. I have a series of 6 tasks that I'm trying to do around the house on a daily basis. So, for now, those show up on my daily plan. Then there is the dirt moving project which will continue until I get that raised bed filled. So there's 7 things that I am repetitively planning on a daily basis. But, there are others that I just didn't accomplish yesterday! 

Those 7 repetitive tasks will be handled differently in the bullet journal planner starting March 1. I'm anxious for that to happen!

It's going to be decent around here today with a high of 60. There will, however, be winds of 10-15mph which will make it feel colder. 

I SHOULD go to the grocery store today. We'll see if that happens. I have a pretty good list of things to buy. I'm hoping to hit both Smart & Final and the 99 cent store this week, though probably not on the same day. I've discovered that if you're not brand conscious, you can get canned goods at the dollar store for less than anywhere else around here! So, there are some canned items on my list--some canned soup and some canned beans. If I find 'em again, I'll buy more canned clams! Before I can go to Smart & Final, I need to go back over the menu items for the month and make sure I noted everything I should be buying........

If I am going anywhere today, it makes the most sense to hit the dollar store. Smart & Final I can hit on my way home from work by detouring from one main street to the adjacent one, thus driving fewer miles and using less gas. I think I will make that a goal for tomorrow after work.

In that it's the end of February, I decided it was a good idea to do a budget review. On first glance, I almost puked. I thought I'd done so well......... Well, once I took a closer look, I calmed down. The mortgage category was really high because I'd actually timed two payments (February and March) IN February. 

I thought I had really pinched my pennies in the food category and, yet, it was over! Well, yes, but only $13 over and that included those two purchases from Amazon (paper towels and coffee pods) that I'd ordered before I had REALLY buttoned up the budget. Those two purchases totaled $55! So, in actuality, I did do well in the grocery category. Other than those two items, I actually spent $158 of $200 budgeted. 

The other category that got me was the Office Expenses category. However, when your printer dies, you have to do something, budgeted or not. And I also bought a book of stamps for $9.80. I had to have stamps because I will be mailing things to clients......... So, both of those items were unavoidable. 

All in all, I'm not ready to give up yet, LOL. There will always be oddball things like the printer, right? Stuff happens. That's the reason why you otherwise pinch pennies--so that when stuff happens, you don't get totally blindsided.

I am pretty proud of the work I did in my bullet journal yesterday. And, yes it was work because it really gave my brain a workout! I set up the menu plan for the month of March. Then I printed out the recipes for new stuff I'm planning to make and copied those into the bullet journal on the next two pages behind the menu plan. I will NOT be searching the desk to find the menu plan or the recipes this month! I DID waste time doing that in February, but the problem is now solved! AND, the additional menu items I finally added are heavy on the veggies and light on the budget. Also, each recipe will make freezer meals for April and May and so forth. For example, one item I added was zucchini boats--zucchini's with the middles partially scooped out, stuffed with Italian sausage, pasta sauce, and mozzarella. The recipe is for 6. I doubt I'll be able to eat more than 1. So 5 meals for the freezer. I'm looking at the cost of 1 pound of Italian sausage, some zucchinis, and some mozzarella. I already have pasta sauce. I haven't made zucchini boats in probably 30 years! Now how did that happen? 

So, anyway, I will get my veggies--not according to the nutritionists, but more than I would normally get. I'm happy with that in that it's an improvement. 

That's about it for now. I put one trash can out at the curb last night, but I think I'm going to bundle up a little more and roll the second can out there as well. I'll need a sweater before I attempt that. 

Meal Planning, Schmeal Planning.......

I had thought this would be easy. I had thought it would consume very little time. I would just roll over most of the meals from last month, maybe mix in 2 or 3 new ones, and I'd be done. But, I've been at it for a while and I still have 6 holes to plug! Geez!

Last month I had some leftovers in the fridge. I planned those for 4 meals. Well, guess what? I don't have any leftovers in the fridge this month. I've eaten them all! 

So far, out of 25 meals planned, 13 are meatless and 12 have meat in some form. I've got "dinners" that are just veggies--fried potatoes, zucchini patties, carrot salad, etc. And I have pasta, pasta, pasta......... 

In February my primary veggies were fresh spinach, fresh green beans, canned corn, canned beans, and cabbage. Looks like this month I'm looking at carrots and zucchini and I just haven't figured out what else yet! Ugh!

One thing I know: I am going to love having the meal plan in my bullet journal! I had some difficulty keeping track of last month's plan. I used a single sheet format I downloaded from the internet. But, from now on, the meal plan will be secured in the bullet journal and it can't wander off! Good thinking, it seems to me.

Well, thank you for this short break from wracking my brain over what to eat in March. I guess I'd better get back to it, preferably finding more veggie dishes to fill the gaps! Currently I'm scouring menu plans that have popped up in my blog reader rolls. 

Not very pleasant........

Today is not going to be a very pleasant day, weatherwise. While the temperature is tolerable, we've got winds predicted up to 23 mph. And it's cloudy and overcast. That will bring on a chill in spite of a decent temperature. And, I am still hauling dirt so I will have to be out in it for short periods. 

I didn't get much of anything done yesterday. I'm feeling bad about that. But everything was slow motion anyway....... I slept a lot. I didn't feel like there was much choice in that. I want this leg thing to heal! I kind of figure if I managed to sleep THAT much, I must have needed it. 

I have set up my "plan" for today. Now, if I can only do a better job of doing what I've planned than I was able to do yesterday, I'll be much happier........

I need to work on my meal plan for March. Mostly I plan to recycle the things that were on my meal plan for February though I may add in one or two different things. I also need to pull together a (minimal, I hope) shopping list to go with the meal plan. I know I want to hit a dollar store for some canned goods. And I need some fruit and veggies from a regular market of some sort. Last month, I used a pre-printed form for the meal plan. I'm thinking of trying to do it in my "bullet journal".

I am still lusting over a "real" notebook for the bullet journal. And, I bought some pens on advice, but I really don't like them. I'd love to drop some $$$ on different pens. It's possible I could tolerate the pens I have with a "real" notebook. This composition book has paper that is so cheap/thin that the "fine" tip pens actually make an impression that shows through to the other side of the paper and it's distracting. And, I'm still seeing bleed through from the highlighters I'm using which I don't like either...... What to do???? There are so many other things I need to buy.....

So far, except for yesterday (with extenuating circumstances) I am finding that this bullet journal is doing what I need it to do. It is making me more productive, reminding me of what needs to be done and I am doing better at pushing through this stuff as well. 

Some folks whine about having to draw out the framework for the pages and about the amount of writing, etc. I think those things are a lot of what makes this thing work for me. I am such a visual person and for my whole life I have also found that "writing" solidifies what will stay in my head. I have always outlined material I needed to learn and I have always done it manually. I read recently that doing note taking or that sort of thing online does not engage the brain in the same way as doing it manually. Well, apparently my brain needs the act of writing to function the way I want it to. If that is what has worked for me for as far back as I can remember, I can't think of any reason why it would be any different now. 

I still have mucho dirt to haul. In my van there is still a bag and a half waiting for me. And once I get all of that moved to the raised bed, I doubt I will have adequately filled even a third of it. I DO like this stuff I've been buying. It is supposedly designed for a raised bed. It is a very rich, dark, loamy soil, not at all like our native orange clay. And another thing that is really good about this stuff is that it seems to have some vermiculite mixed in. Given the hot dry summer days, anything that will help the soil hold water is okay by me! I think, maybe, if I haul one more bucketful of dirt from the half bag to the raised bed, I may be able to just move what's left in the bag to its ultimate destination without the bucket. Friday is another payday and I'd like to have no more bags of dirt in the van so I can buy a new bag and start all over again, LOL. 

At the moment, the leg is doing well. I do feel a certain "tightness" in that big muscle in the calf, but it's not hurting. However, I can achieve a somewhat normal gait by the time I cross this room. A few days ago, I hurt badly with every step taken between here and the far side of the house. Now, to keep it that way.........

So, that's it for today. Boring life but for the challenge of walking, LOL. And the challenge of getting things done. YOU be BLESSED today!

Hopalong signing in........

So, yes, I'm still walking funny. I've laid down several times today. As far as I know, it's about the only way to straighten the leg for long periods of time without standing on it. And, when I've laid down, I've found it to be better when I get back up. However, over the intervening time between lay downs, it gets painful again. For most of the day, the pain has been occurring when I am trying to get my butt into a seat and, later, when I've been sitting for a while. I haven't found it possible to get that leg out perfectly straight while sitting......... Now, however, it's kind of worrisome because I am starting to feel the muscle in the calf tighten up. It's that ball of muscle in the back of the calf I'm talking about. That muscle has been involved all along, but less so as the pain has been up in the knee area. Anyway, it's a pain, LOL.

I decided to eat something, take a muscle relaxer and head back down the hall. I'm not tired. It's just that I can't deal with the idea of this thing getting worse. I guess it's time to do what makes sense............

I've had two dreams that are pretty disturbing. I am not into "dream analysis" or any of that stuff. I leave that to Biblical characters--Joseph, Daniel, etc. But God and I DO have a deal. If I dream about someone I identify and remember, I will take a few minutes and pray for them. Yes, I dreamt about someone I knew. But, spookier, both times, I dreamt about the same thing happening to them. And it is a once in a lifetime event I've dreamt about. I've prayed over this person several times today and I'm sure I'll throw in another prayer for them before I sleep again. However, I've awakened both times feeling VERY emotional. And the dreams coupled with the inability to get around the way I normally would--well somehow the result is something of a downer day. I suppose I'd better start counting my blessings and thanking God for them. That unfailingly cheers me up. 

So, I'm going to put some food away in the kitchen and then I'm off to pray, praise, sleep, and hopefully heal a bit more. I've had regrets about not being able to go to work today, but I think it was the right decision. I'm pretty sure the trouble I'm having now would be worse if I'd tried to do the work thing.

Saying goodnight...........

Oy! Not a happy camper.........

I have ended up calling the store to say I can't come in today. I can walk, but it still hurts some. And, now, bending my knee is painful. For example, you grab your sweatpants and bend your knee so you can get your foot shoved in there and then you want to holler. My concern is the loss of several more days of mobility if I go walk my usual 2 miles and stand for 5 hours on concrete floors. Just because the pain has let up some doesn't mean it won't be aggravated by my being too frisky. I couldn't convince myself it was worth the risk, long term. I am sad, however, to not be paid for those 5 hours.......

I went to bed early last night and slept about 3 hours. Then I ended up back out here for several hours. And the pain was intense, let me tell you. Then I went back to bed.

I am taking the "new" non-narcotic muscle relaxers. They do the trick, but they take longer to do it. If I had taken Soma as I used to, I'd be on my way to work now. But, you have to work with what you have......... I am still limping and I am wishing I had a cane. The first few steps are still pretty shaky........

So, I don't know what I will do today. I don't know what I will be capable of doing. The last thing I want to do is make this mess worse again. I have decided to do some research and try to figure out if one of my meds is making this worse. Even the best of drugs has side effects. I am doing everything "natural" I can do. I am guzzling water because dehydration will cause muscle spasms. I am taking a decent dose of potassium, recommended by a pharmacist, to help prevent muscle spasms. I am also taking the maximum recommended daily dose of magnesium which is needed to help potassium do its thing. 

I would have loved to soak my leg in a hot tub filled with Epson salts last night. Epson salts is basically magnesium. And the good thing about Grandma's remedy (soaking in Epson Salts) is that magnesium will pass through the skin barrier. In other words, Epson salts can get into the blood stream just by exposing the skin to it. However, to soak the leg I would have had to get into the bathtub. Getting in would have been painful, very painful. And then, worse, I'd have had to try to get out. I didn't dare take the chance that I'd be marooned in there..........I know from long years of experience that if I can tolerate the pain of getting into the tub, I can get back out because there will be less pain--when it's my back. I have no clue how this leg thing would react. This is a whole new ballgame for me!

So, that's all I know for now and it isn't much, is it? Anyway, YOU be BLESSED today. Later, maybe.............

 

I can't decide.........

I took another muscle relaxer around 6:15. So it's been around 3 hours since then and I'm sorry to say I haven't had as much relief this time around as I had with the first dose. Just moving my leg hurts, let alone straightening it in preparation for walking on it.......... I am either going to grit my teeth and try to get a bit more accomplished tonight, or I am going to cash in my chips and go to bed. I'd love to get more done, but I am scheduled to work tomorrow. I an concerned that if I push it tonight, I'll be in worse shape rather than better tomorrow......... So far, I haven't been able to actually make a decision as to what I should do. I think I am leaning toward finishing this post and going to bed. I NEED the money from the five hours for which I am scheduled tomorrow more than I need to get a few more things done tonight. Let's face it, I may wake up tomorrow feeling much better which means I would be able to make better use of my time tomorrow rather than working in slow motion tonight..........

I've gotten a few things done this evening. I think I will do my planning for tomorrow and go to bed............

Here's a tidbit for you: I've been looking at the bullet journals of lots of folks. Some of them are completely utilitarian. Some of them are works of art. I wish mine would end up being works of art, but I don't really think I have much artistic talent, beyond a good color eye, so I'm doubtful on that. But, I would still like it to look presentable. So far, mine looks pretty bad. I don't really have a good idea of what I'm doing as of now and so there are bazillion misfires and mistakes. Guess what I discovered today? Some of these "artists" do everything in pencil and then, once they've perfected everything, come back and redo in ink. No wonder theirs look so fabulous. Apparently it's not just talent. There's some common sense to it as well. I've been working in pen because THAT is the part they show you. You have to be a detective to figure out what they're REALLY doing, LOL. Well, I've got it figured out now! My bullet journal will be looking better from here in.

Another thing that is on my mind: I've been complaining about the elastic in the waistbands of my work pants. Today I decided that fixing waistbands would be something I could do with a bum leg so I set out to do just that. And, Lord help me, I cannot find my lifetime supply of good elastic! I certainly didn't throw it out. But what I DID do with it is beyond me. I searched all the obvious places in the sewing room and I can't find it. So, nothing of any value was accomplished on waistbands. Darn it! It will apparently require a trip to the store and the spending of money to solve the problem if I want it solved any time soon. Yes, this frustrates me.

I DID call my mother today. She sounds much better than the last time I spoke with her. Thank goodness! She was SO congested last time I was really concerned. She still has a cough but it is nowhere near as scary as the last time we talk. Today she has other problems. And one BIG solution to her current problem is to DRINK LOTS OF WATER. That, of course, was also important in helping to break loose that congestion in her chest last time we talked. I keep beating on this horse, over and over, in vain hopes that she will get it someday. I should just give it up, I guess. She's certainly not "getting it". Today she started telling me about how she's drinking fruit juice. And, at age 96, she has a tiny concern about diabetes. And what's in fruit juice? Sugar, of course. She also has some bottles of the "flavored water" that she's been messing with. And, what's in those? Sugar, of course. Geez..........

So, that's it as far as news. I have a request concerning one of my grandchildren. I would very much appreciate your prayers..........

I'm declaring a lay down day.......

I have come to the conclusion that the problem with my knee isn't my knee. It's at the back of my knee. I have analyzed this ad nauseum. Here is what I've noticed. The pain is 95% involved in bending or straightening my leg. If I have been on my feet, walking around, then sit down, there is level 6 pain. If I have been sitting and then stand up, there is level 8 or 9 pain until I've gotten my leg straightened out. Once the leg is actually straightened out, I can walk almost normally. It is not putting weight on the leg that hurts. I can be putting my weight on my right leg and the left leg still screams as I go to straighten it. What is that? I THINK it's muscular. At least, I'm going to test that theory. I think there is some sort of muscle spasm going on. So, I'm taking a muscle relaxer and I'm going to lie down. IF I lie down, my leg will be straight. If I need to get up, it will not be such a big deal to do that. So, I figure it's worth a shot. 

See you later, maybe.

Edited to add:

It's now several hours later and I've been back up for about an hour. I hobbled in to bed. I made sure my leg was perfectly straight and I went to sleep. I woke several hours later and got up and wandered back out to the office, almost pain free. The pain level was so low that I had to acknowledge it was there, but it was of no consequence at all. Then I sat here, trying to wake up. When I stood up, the pain was back, probably at a level 6. I walked into the bedroom, then walked to the kitchen and finished unloading the dishwasher. And walked back out here with very little pain. 

Summarizing: I think this really IS a muscle thing. I can't see any other way that that muscle relaxer would have helped as much as it did. So, I guess I'll keep taking them til this mess stops.

3rd day, last day

So I'm off yet again today. And tomorrow it's back to work, but only for 5 hours. I can do that, right?

I am still limping. My knee still has symptoms. I don't know the reason for the symptoms, but, yeah, mucho pain. It does even out as I get moving. I just limped to the hall bathroom and it hurt the whole way. However, coming back was not quite so painful. So, once I get going, I can keep going. However, it's the "get going" that is the problem......... I am glad it's too cold to stay outdoors and paint. I'd feel guilty to have good weather for painting and not be able to climb a ladder.......

My to do list for today is shorter than yesterday's. For one thing I have washed all 5 loads of clothes. Four have been hung up to dry and 2 have been put away. I did not put that heavy cotton sweater out to dry because I would have had to lay it out on top of items from Loads 3 and 4 which would have prolonged how long it took those to dry. This morning those should be dry and I should be able to clear those and put out the sweater to dry. 

I will still be hauling dirt today. In fact, I hope to move more dirt today than I moved yesterday. I have moved maybe 40% of one bag. I hope to have all of one bag moved by nightfall and if I happen to have cracked into bag #2, I'd be quite happy. With my knee complaining, moving the dirt is not a lot of fun. And the amazing thing is how little of the raised bed is actually filled in spite of what has been moved. I am obviously going to have to fill one end and plant there and then slowly fill in along the length of the thing. I should have enough done to plant some lettuce and spinach, early, cooler weather "crops", this week.

I started working on decluttering and organizing the top left drawer of the desk. I'll finish that up today. The second drawer kind of intimidates me, but I can easily do the third drawer today. Most of what was in that top drawer has been sorted into like items so the trick now is just to get those like items put away where they "belong" in order to make the best use of the space. 

I have two returns in the works. One is a corporate return and a pain because I really cannot afford to buy the "easy" software with which to do it. The second is an individual return. It's the old guy who spends his time in the casinos. I KNOW he lost over the space of the year. However, he got a bunch of information documents from various places with large wins on them. Once again he has really shot himself in the foot. Gambling wins are reported on the front page of the return; gambling losses are reported on Schedule A if a person can itemize. But the wins on the first page cause his Social Security to be taxable. He also had some unemployment compensation which is taxable. In the past he's had withholding on both of these items but somehow that all went away this year. So, he's going to owe a substantial amount to Uncle this year and it breaks my heart because he really doesn't have deep pockets. In previous years, he had big problems with his hip which kept him from getting out so much. In his case, a hip replacement has made things worse. Now he can get around well and goes to the casinos more often. Arrgh! I keep grinding on him as to how much damage he is doing to himself financially, but a gambling addict is a gambling addict til he decides to change.......... This year he did not give me all of his betting slips as he usually does. And what he DID give me does not support the "he lost it all" thing. I'm sure he has the betting slips, but if I ask him for them, I have to carve out time to go over there again and then carve out more time to go through all the betting slips. Worse, he's gonna get cranky if I tell him he "forgot" something. Yeah, it gets complicated some times!

Well, in that I'm not winning any speed tests today, I should get crackin'. That trip from here to the indoor drying rack takes longer than usual, as does the trip to the van. If I want to accomplish this stuff on my to do list, I'd better get an early start......... 

 

As it turns out,

things are a little sticky around here. I have no clue how, but somehow I seem to have twisted my left knee. By now, doing the job I do, after 9 months, I am pretty used to joint pains and muscle aches, etc. But THIS is worse. Usually, after a day at work and a day at home, I am fine when moving around. Today I am limping through half the house before my knee acknowledges that it REALLY is going to have to walk and support me! So, I am more reluctant to move from this chair than ever. 

I just fixed myself what I am calling "lunch" (you probably wouldn't call it that), and now I'm going to take some ibuprofen. Given a half hour or so, I should be limping less........ 

I have managed some work, though. The first load of laundry, washed last night, has been dried, folded, and put away. The second load has been washed and hung to dry on the inside drying rack. The third load is in the washer. The 4th load is whites which will be bleached and the 5th load is a cotton sweater I want to wash on "delicate". Those last two loads will be small and easy to deal with. I figure it will be evening at least before the loads that are drying are actually ready to fold and put away.

I have a real blast piece of news: my 2016 tax return is done. I couldn't tell you the last time I filed by April 15th. But, this year I will. I haven't printed it yet, but I'm officially calling it done. I could keep digging and I'm sure I could come up with additional deductions. However, my taxable income is already negative so that would be wasted effort.

I think a couple of things have contributed to this "achievement". 1) I have been diligent with keeping up with the budget program this year. 2) I just adapted last year's spreadsheet to total everything up for this year. Easy peasy. Also, I somewhat revamped my budget system since last year to do a better job of accumulating tasks in the various categories which feed right into the tax return. Anyway, doing that tax return has occupied some of my time this morning and it's a load off my shoulders. In reality, I don't need to worry about it and haven't had to worry about it since 2011. My income is always too low to generate any tax liability anyway. And where there is no tax liability, there can be no penalty. But, being engaged in this tax business for decades, making sure all the bases are covered is ingrained in me! 

I've also gotten some filing done and worked on the main file drawer in my desk as to organization. There's still mucho in that drawer to sort through, and most of it will be archived, but there's progress.

So, now that I've eaten something and bragged on myself, I'm going to take that ibuprofen and try to get in shape for this afternoon...........

 

 

Dunno about this day!

I have already blown the first thing on my plan for today. I need to get a blood test to make the doctor happy. I figure he deserves to be made happy in this one thing because he also wants a mammogram and a colonoscopy and I have absolutely NO plans to make him happy about those. However, it has to be a fasting blood test. Black coffee would have been okay but I screwed up and put half 'n' half in mine. Since he's testing lipids and cholesterol and all that jazz in addition to some other things, the results will be skewed if I go do the blood test thing now. So, I have 3 days I can do this next week. With regard to being stuck with needles, "put off til tomorrow what you don't want to do today" works for me!

I have a really long to do list today. I got "ambitious" or maybe I just had flights of fancy after my productive day yesterday. Not sure which! A couple of the items are real quickies--for example there is one thing I still need to pay--my tithes for February. The kitchen is in pretty good shape so rounding up the few dirty dishes, loading the dishwasher, and making sure the counter tops and stove are clean should go pretty fast. Of course, there are some items that are going to eat some large chunks of time.

One time-eater is decluttering. I actually started to list out all the places in my house that need to be cleaned out/organized. Every drawer, flip top, cabinet shelf, closet........... Holy Toledo. There's a lot of hidey-holes to get to. I made a list like this once before, and then I promptly lost it. THIS would be a good reason for a bullet journal--a "permanent" place to put things that are ongoing so they don't get lost along the way. Anyway, there are three drawers in this desk I haven't gotten to yet. I've done 2 desk drawers, the two drawers in the computer desk, the hutch over the computer desk, 4 drawers in the credenza, and the center part of the credenza itself. It's not that I couldn't organize those areas better than they are set up now, but I don't have a lot of "supplies" to work with. At least, there is some sensibility to where things are in those areas now and there's something to be said for that, right?

I have to do about 3 loads of laundry today. Again they take up space on the to do list, but they don't really represent huge blocks of devoted time. I can do other things while the washer is doing its thing. 

I decided I am going to write a letter to my grandchildren each month. For various reasons, some of them good, I doubt they will respond. But, when they are grown, maybe they will remember that their Grandma loved them enough to take time to do that. I hope so. I did just one letter to the littles. They are living in the same house, and are only 2 years apart, and best of friends, so sharing a letter will work for them. The oldest lives elsewhere and there's 7 years difference in age from the oldest "little" so he will get his own letter. The letter to the littles is finished but I'll add a sentence or two in the letter to the oldest before I close it. A truly remarkable thing: I even have stamps! That's a shocker!

I did not deal with "Dirt" on my to do list yesterday. I have a lot of it to offload into buckets and carry around to the raised garden bed. I actually got up and got dressed for my appointment with clients yesterday. Then I decided in that I was clean, it might be a good idea to stay that way til after I had finished with them. By the time they left, the wind had picked up, and it was getting even cooler outside. It was one of the few tasks I did not do yesterday. So, it's high on my list of priorities today!

I managed to haul myself to bed early last night, anticipating heading out to the doctor's office as early as possible. I think I actually got about 8 hours of solid sleep. I should be okay to push ahead with the day. We're still expecting a high in the low 50's, but with less wind. So, it should be fine for being outside for short spurts with the dirt hauling. This has to happen because the wind actually picked up one big hunk of cardboard out of the raised bed and blew it around yesterday. That cardboard is there for a reason--to stop weeds and grass from coming up in the bed, so I can't be having the cardboard blowing around. The dirt will help to hold it down........

Oh, with regard to the journal............ I have decided I am going to have to carve out $$$ for a "real" journal with decent paper soon. I've been using a cheap composition book, and because the quality of the paper is poor, I'm having a terrible problem finding a way to use the journal properly without bleed through of various inks. It makes the thing look awful and I look at it all day long, every day! I'm also having a tough time finding a pen I am willing to write with long term. I scoured the various lists of pens that were published on blogs and websites. Then I bought some of what was recommended. I really don't like what I bought. It has a REALLY fine point and, with the bleed through, it's hard to read what I've written. The whole purpose of the bullet journal is that it be useful and to be useful, it needs to be readable. So far, the combo of paper and pen flunks that test! 

So, I think that's all I'm going to write this morning. I want to get a start on the day. YOU be blessed today and please hold me accountable on my day, okay?