Monday is Here

Monday Ramblings – Tulsa Plans, Journaling, and Sciatica Struggles

Monday, May 18th

I am honestly surprised at how quickly May is flying by. Before we know it, Sherry and I will be headed to Tulsa for our little weekend getaway on May 30th and 31st, and we are both really looking forward to it.

I have been working on a list of places I would like for us to visit while we are there. One place high on my list is the Center of the Universe. I have always thought that sounded so neat and unique. I also want to visit the free farmers market and spend some time at Mother Road Market. I think it will be fun because there are so many vendors and food booths there, so Sherry and I can each pick whatever sounds good to us. We usually enjoy similar foods anyway, but it will still be fun to see what catches our attention.

Another thing I really want to do is take pictures of Tulsa’s murals and spend time exploring the art district downtown. Tulsa has so much character, and I know we are going to enjoy simply walking around and seeing where the weekend takes us. I do need to finalize our itinerary soon, just so we have a little guide to follow if we run out of ideas while we are there.

When I got home yesterday, I had such a sweet surprise waiting for me. Someone from one of my Facebook journaling groups sent me a random act of kindness envelope filled with journaling goodies. There were little pieces of paper, stickers, and other fun bits to use in my journal. It truly made my day. I need to remember to take a picture of everything she sent and tag her in the group so I can properly thank her for her kindness.

Last night Luther and I went to Lane’s game. We ended up leaving early, but the weather was actually pretty nice considering it was over 85 degrees. The wind was blowing hard enough to keep things somewhat cool, which made sitting outside much more enjoyable.

Once we got home and settled in for the evening, my sciatica nerve started bothering me more than usual. I told Luther that after work Tuesday I plan on driving to Lawton to go back to The Joint chiropractor. Since I signed up for their monthly plan, I can go four times a month for $79, and honestly that seems like a pretty good deal compared to paying $65 per visit elsewhere.

I do like Dr. Ellis in Marlow because he is much closer to home, but he mainly uses a machine for adjustments. I personally feel like I get better relief from hands-on adjustments and manipulation. Sometimes that seems to help my back and hips loosen up better.

Sciatica can really be frustrating because it happens when the sciatic nerve becomes irritated or compressed. The sciatic nerve is actually the largest nerve in the body and runs from the lower back down through the hips and legs. Many people notice that the pain becomes worse at night or after sitting for long periods of time. Thankfully, gentle movement, stretching, chiropractic care, and heat can sometimes help relieve the discomfort.

I also really need to keep working on my journal for Mora and get it completed. I feel a little behind, and the closer the deadline gets, the more I start to panic. I think I will be okay though. I have also started preparing another journal that I believe will be for July. I have already been gluing pages together and creating some background art pages so I can stay a little ahead before the journal officially begins.

As many of y’all already know, I truly love junk journaling and creative journaling. I enjoy getting little glimpses into other people’s lives and seeing how they decorate and create their pages. It is such a creative and comforting hobby for me.

Thank y’all so much for stopping by my blog on this Monday evening. I hope you all had a wonderful day, and I appreciate every single visit and comment more than you know.

#TulsaTrip #JunkJournalLove #SciaticaJourney #CreativeLife

Sunday is Here!

 A Quiet Sunday at Home — Little Wins, Books, and Caring for Mr. C

Hello everybody,

It’s Sunday evening, and I’m finally settling into the bedroom for the night. Today has been one of those slow, quiet days at our house — the kind where you move at a gentle pace and just take things as they come.

Unfortunately, Mr. C has been sick since Thursday, and I’ll tell you, it has been tough seeing him feel so bad. He’s been really dehydrated, and I’ve suggested more than once that we go to the emergency room just to make sure everything is okay. But if you know Mr. C, you know he’s pretty stubborn about things like that, and right now he’s not budging on the idea. So instead, I’m doing what I can here at home — making sure he drinks fluids, offering Pepto-Bismol, and just trying to keep him comfortable.

This morning I ran out early to Dollar General right when they opened at eight o’clock. I picked up some applesauce and a few bottles of Powerade with electrolytes, hoping that would help him get a little hydration back into his system. Sometimes when someone is sick like that, the little things are all you can do, and you just keep trying.

Mr. C. has been up and down throughout the day, resting a lot. While he was resting, I decided to tackle something that has been sitting on my to-do list for quite a while — the laundry room. I spent a little over an hour in there, and it honestly felt so good to get that space back in order. I hung up clothes that had been waiting patiently on hangers, put folded items into the dresser where they belonged, and just straightened everything up.

There’s something so satisfying about checking a task like that off the list. It might not sound like a big project, but those small spaces can really pile up when life gets busy.

I had also planned to move on to the bathroom and do a full declutter and cleaning session in there. I even had everything ready to go. But Mr. C gently protested and said maybe we should wait until he’s feeling better before doing that deep clean. Honestly, he’s probably right. So the supplies are ready, and my plan is to tackle that after work tomorrow evening and give the bathroom a really good scrub and sanitize everything.

For most of the day, though, I spent my time doing something I really enjoy — reading. I curled up with my Kindle app and continued reading Door Peninsula Passions, which is a three-book set. I’m currently on the third book, and I’m hoping to finish it tonight before I fall asleep. If I do, I’ll be able to write up a little book review sometime this week, which I’m looking forward to sharing.

Around three o’clock this afternoon, Mr. C said he was finally feeling a little hungry. That felt like a good sign. I made a simple can of cream of chicken soup, and we split it between the two of us. He had crackers with his, and I added a handful of oyster crackers to mine. It wasn’t anything fancy, but sometimes simple food is exactly what you need. Thankfully, it sat well with him and stayed down, which was a relief.

I didn’t get quite as much journaling done as I had originally planned, but I did manage to complete two entries. I’m still working on catching up from last month, and honestly, I’m really loving how this journal is turning out. I’ve been watching quite a few YouTubers who show different ways to make journal pages interactive, and I’m excited to try some of those ideas in my journal for Mora. Adding little elements like that really makes the pages feel more special and personal.

Later in the afternoon, I did what I like to call a quick “house reset.” Nothing major, just tidying things up a bit. I wiped down the kitchen cabinets, washed the few dishes we had in the sink, cleaned the bathroom counters, and emptied the trash. It’s amazing how those small things make the house feel fresh again.

One thing I always like to do on Sundays is plan out my outfits for the week. Today I grouped together about six different outfits so I won’t have to think about it in the mornings before work. I always include one extra option, just in case I wake up and change my mind about what I want to wear.

Now it’s about 7:30 in the evening, and I’ve made my way into the bedroom for the night. My plan is to spend a little time reading and hopefully finish that last book tonight. Tomorrow morning I’ll start looking for the next book I want to dive into on my Kindle.

Overall, it has been a quiet weekend — peaceful in many ways — though I do wish Mr. C had been feeling better so we could have enjoyed it a little more. My biggest hope now is that he starts improving soon and that I manage to avoid catching whatever he has. With two big vacations coming up this year, I really need to hang on to my PTO hours.

At my job we earn about sixteen hours of PTO each month, which is wonderful, but I tend to save most of mine for those big trips rather than taking random days off. So fingers crossed that I stay healthy and keep those hours right where I need them.

So that was our Sunday — quiet, simple, and full of little moments. I spent some time journaling, tackled the laundry room, read a good book, and tried my best to take care of Mr. C while he rests and recovers.

Thank you so much for stopping by and spending a little part of your day with me. If you’re reading this, be sure to say hello in the comments so I know you stopped by. I always love hearing from you.

Until next time — cheers, and I hope you have a wonderful day.

Cheers, Karen