Sweltering Wednesday

     Locally our temps hit 102* today, with a heat index of 106*.   I just got a breaking news email that the schools in our school system are only going to have a half-day tomorrow, which is their first day of school.  I'm not surprised.  According to the Superintendant, many of the buildings are not able to keep sufficiently cool.  

The air quality is particularly bad right now in our area (known as the Ohio Valley) -- and "particulately" bad, as well.  Ba dum dum!  I don't have asthma, but even I feel like I'm having trouble breathing right after I've been outside for a few minutes.

The kids and I have been a little under the weather.  Andrew started complaining of a sore throat and achy muscles on Friday.  Eler Beth followed with the same symptoms and a bad headache on Saturday, and I followed suit on Sunday, with the addition of stomach troubles.  Therefore, Saturday was the last day I went for a walk.  Sorry Martha.  But I have really been drinking a lot of water, in part because I've been sick, but also to make up for the fact that I'm not walking.  If I can get up and out early enough in the morning to escape the heat, I think I'll be up to walking again.  Thankfully Thomas hasn't seemed to have caught whatever bug we've had.

For the past two days I've done little more than lie in bed or on the couch with my laptop.  I've caught up on a lot of journal reading, and I've put together some music mixes, then burned them to CDs for Thomas and for myself.

I have kept up with the de-cluttering, though -- my car, two closets, and several cabinets.

Eler Beth's home schooling has been on an abbreviated schedule since we've both felt bad.  Perhaps tomorrow we'll catch up a little.   It's no big deal, though, since we started early, anyway.

More later!

Thank you Donna for the graphic.               

Tags: Ohio Valley Heat Wave

The Three Things Meme

The Three Things Meme  (from Dawn)

TheThree Things Meme

3 names you go by:
Lori, Mom, Mrs. Helms

3 screen names you've had
I have only ever had one -- helmswondermom

3 physical things you like about yourself
my eyes, my hair, my dimples

3 physical things you don't like about yourself
my weight!,  my height,  my hands

3 parts of your heritage
Scottish, English, Irish

3 things that scare you
heights, deep water, gas prices!

3 of your favorite bands
The Beatles, The Mamas and The Papas, The Dillards
 
3 of your favorite songs
I love so many!!!  I'll try to pick just three of the many -- Kathy's song by Simon and Garfunkel, Scotch and Soda as performed by Bob Shane of The Kingston Trio, Jackie Blue by Ozark Mountain Daredevils

3 things you want in a relationship
Trust, Tenderness, Compassion

2 truths and a lie in no particular order
I love to read, I hate those cavemen commercials, I can't eat walnuts  (guess which is the lie!)

3 things about the preferred sex that appeals to you
eyes, smile, sense of humor

3 of your favorite hobbies
reading, writing, genealogy

3 things you really want to do badly right now
have a glass of iced tea, finish this meme, catch up on some journal reading

3 careers you've considered/you're considering
writing, teaching, nursing,

3 places you want to go on vacation
The Wisconsin Dells, Ireland, Scotland

3 kids' names you like
(3 that are not my own children's... )  Craig, Micah, Joel (boys) Katherine, Tamsen, Beryl (girls)
 
3 things you want to do before you die
travel, see and enjoy grandchildren, be published  (these were Dawn's answers, and they are mine, too)
 
3 ways that you are stereotypically a guy
I am an excellent shot with various firearms, I can change a tire quickly, and . . . I can't think of anything else!

3 ways that you are stereotypically a girl
I love romantic movies, I love being massaged, and I love dressing up

3 celebrity crushes
Colin Firth, George Clooney, Tom Berenger (not necessarily in that order)

3 persons that you're tagging
Anyone!

Tags: Memes

August Challenges

I really love these old patterns!

Martha emailed me and reminded me that I had told her I would do a challenge this month and that I would write about it on Wednesday.   Well, it isn't Wednesday, so I'm going to write about it now.

For the past month or so I've tried to get in a daily walk around the neighborhood while Eler Beth accompanies me on her bike, but for the past two weeks it has been hit or miss.  So my August challenge to myself is to make a conscious effort to take at least a 30-minute walk every day.  I really do feel better when I walk regularly, but I have never been good about sticking with it on a regular basis.

My other challenge to myself is to de-clutter for at least 15 mintues every day.  I've really back-slid (is that a word?) this summer, and we've gotten more clutter than we've had in a long time.  So I'm going to pick an area each day and de-clutter for at least 15 mintues, and by the end of the month I should be back on track.

And yes, we did do our walks on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.  And on Wednesday I went through the bureau drawers and the top of the bureau in our bedroom and got rid of some things that were just taking up space and not serving any useful purpose.  My mantra for the day was "Do I love it?  Do I need it?  Do I use/wear it?"  Then on Thursday I did the same thing with the dresser in our room.  Today I have been very busy, and haven't de-cluttered anything.  So I am going to stop what I'm doing here and de-clutter my purse right now! 

I will try to update every day.

Tags: August challenge

Crisp And Clean As A Sweet-Grass Basket!

I have some old Vogue pattern books that I have been glancing through lately, and I've really been enjoying them.  The one the above page is from is a Summer, 1941 book.  How dated is that phrase -- "sweet-grass basket"?  I love these styles.  I think I'll share a few now and then.  Some of the descriptions are pretty cool, too.

Tags: Vogue Fashion

A New Ailment

Eler Beth came into the room this evening, rubbing her leg.

"I think I have a trolley horse in my leg, Mom!"

Fisher-Price Recall

Fisher-Price has issued a recall on 83 different products because their paint contains excessive amounts of lead.  Read the news article here.  Click on this link and go to "recall information". 

To read the Consumer Product Safety article, click here.

Tags: Fisher-Price Toy Recall, Mattel

Another Pink Ribbon

Yesterday Robin Roberts announced on Good Morning America that she has breast cancer.   

               "That very night when I went to bed, I did a self breast exam and found something that women everywhere fear: I found a lump."  -- read the rest of the letter she read on-air.

Her prognosis is good, in part because she detected the lump during a self-exam -- Early detection!  Do a monthly self-exam ladies, and schedule those mammograms.  Please!

 

Thank you Donna for the wonderful graphic above!                                                                          

Tags: Robin Roberts, GMA, breast cancer, mammograms, self-exam