day 1 - saturday

Hello lovely friends.  This week I am attempting to give you a day by day account of what my life looks like now bc many of you had questions about my dailies.  I am going to loosely follow Refinery29 money diaries.  Instead of grouping the whole week together I will do each day of the week separately.  You will see just how ordinary my days are as I'm no longer working and have lots of free time.  Also, not every minute of the day is accounted for bc who can do that?  Also also, some details/times are approximate for safety reasons.  So lets give this a go...

Saturday morning 4:30am

Despite being 4:30 am this is still my favorite time of day. I wake up this early most days bc I'm still trying to break the 3am medicine schedule that Larry was on for over a year.  Some days I will sleep later but now I don't fight it.  I figure my body will sort it out one day.  Today is not that day tho.  I turn on the hot water for my french press.  I go around and open all the windows in the house to let in the cool air.  When my coffee is ready I get back in bed and begin thinking about my day.  The first thing I check is the weather to see just how hot it's going to be and plan accordingly.

This truly is the most special time of my day.  It's so quiet and peaceful.  It's my time for prayer, meditation and journaling.  This sets the tone of my entire day and I love wondering how it will unfold.

6am-ish

Ready for another cup of coffee and a slice of ezekiel toast.  Then I'm dressed in walking clothes and get out for my morning walk.  I usually see the same walkers each morning which is nice.  It's a gorgeous walk and I'm grateful each day for it.

7am

Time to do the watering and small garden chores.  I don't have a sprinkler system so its all by hand which in this heat is almost a full time job.  I will deadhead and pull weeds, trim ivy etc. Nothing too strenuous this time of year, big things can wait til fall.

8am

Back in the house and I'm starving.  I made my breakfast oats the night before.  They normally consist of oats, soymilk, 1/2 banana and 1/2 cup blueberries but last night I made a carrot cake bowl of oats.  It consists of oats, soymilk, 1/2 cup shredded carrots, raisins, a drizzle of maple syrup and cinnamon.  It's really good but I prefer the simpler blueberry and banana.  Wash up dishes & sweep kitchen.

Time to put myself together.  I rinse my face with water and apply my moisturizer.  I've had horrible allergies this year and so I'm not wearing any eye makeup a all. I apply my Revlon Foundation and a slick of On Fire Red lipstick.  I'm as shocked as the next person that I'm using drugstore cosmetics but circumstances were what they were.  Before hospice I spent hours and hours at my pharmacy.  Literally on a first name basis with everyone there.  My life was upside down and I could barely think straight.  I bought these products and now I'm hooked.  Not saying I'll never change but they still fit my lifestyle and esp. my budget these days.  Wipe down bathroom sink, swish loo, fold towels.  Make my bed,  straighten closet, decided against doing laundry.

11am

I usually start thinking about lunch now.  I almost always go to a 10 am or noon yoga class so I want to have something in my stomach bc otherwise my energy will be too low.  Today it is tortilla soup which I've blended in my Vitamix.  I just recently discovered the recipe and I love it.  It's basically veggie broth, garden tomatoes, celery, zucchini, onion, jalapeno, spinach, garlic and a teaspoon of taco seasoning.  I chill it in the refrigerator and it's so refreshing on hot summer days.  If I'm ambitious I'll throw a corn tortilla on a skillet to accompany it.  Wash up.

1pm

Yoga was lovely.  I love my studio and instructors.  The owner really has created a serene place of healing.  She adds so many little niceties like cold eucalyptus towels, deodorant, hair ties and clips.  All the things you need if you are running errands or going back to work.  I really do adore this place.

2pm

I'm starting to  think about a snack.  I make peanut butter with celery.  I'm working on my blog this afternoon.  If I'm taking pictures for the house I usually do it now because the afternoon light in here is perfect.  I always shoot anything outside in the morning because of the shade.  Now that I have a small tripod and remote I can shoot whenever I want and that's a game-changer for me.  Larry always took my photos of me prior so I really had no idea what I was going to do and how I'd be able to keep the blog going.  My daughter in law suggested the tripod/remote and it has opened up a whole new level of creativity for me.  I received a pair of Birdies yesterday and they are so pretty I wanted to figure out a way to shoot them properly.  The photo above is what I came up with.  I now look at my blog as a small job, something I never did before.

Quick review of the Birdies - Beautiful, absolutely beautiful sandals.  They call them slippers because they are so comfortable.  The reviews said to size up if you are unsure.  I went with a 7 and they fit but a half size up would have been fine too.  They are like bedroom slippers but you can wear them outside because they have a very durable sole.  We still have a good 6 to 8 weeks of summer here so they are much appreciated.  Pretty & comfy period.


4pm

Okay don't make fun of me but my guilty pleasure is TMZ news.  I know I know.  But it's lighthearted and I love the banter between Harvey and his staff.  I call it the real news.

5pm

Dinner.  The other day I made a big batch of zucchini fritters so I'm having them cold on homemade bread with a slice of homegrown tomato with a peach and a pear for dessert.  Nothing fancy but it's delicious.  Prep my morning oats and coffee.  Wash up.

7pm

It's cool enough tonight so I'm taking a quick evening stroll through the park.  It's just beautiful out and the sky is pink!

8pm

Bath - my 2nd favorite time of day.  My hips are extra sore tonight from yoga so I add Epsom salts which really do work. I use Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap on a bath poof to help exfoliate my dry skin.  I wash my face with Osmosis Purify Cleanser, the orange scent is intoxicating.  Since I'm going to be soaking I apply the Osmosis Barrier Repair Mask.  You only need a nickle size amount so it lasts a long time.  When I get out of the bath I apply olive oil to the bod while still damp and then Osmosis Epidermal Repair Serum and then finally Osmosis Quench Moisturizer.  I switched from Aveda to Osmosis about 4 years ago and I can't believe what a difference it has made.  My skin has never been this smooth!

9pm

In bed I watch one or two episodes of Veep which I'm addicted to.  I'm running out of episodes so any suggestions in the comments will be much appreciated.  Finish the day with prayers and then Zzzzzzz

Daily Total - $0