Never Give Up, Never Surrender

[Lady Celerity]

Soup & salad potluck; phone lines down; torrential rain, but then--rainbows! It's a beautiful, soggy mess. Is that a haiku?

13 Nov workout:
PT exercises - 15 min
EoD
WoD

Spicy fish stew for supper. Have a lovely evening!

 

[Anek]

How pretty!

 

[Lady Celerity]

Happy Friday! A busy day at work. Finished a complicated project and had to deal with several unpleasant people. *sigh* Looking forward to being a hermit over the weekend.

14 Nov
PT exercises - 15 min
EoD
WoD

Pizza & movie night.

Have a nice evening!

 

[Lady Celerity]

Happy Monday! It was a busy weekend. I went to a Hmong New Year celebration and watched some of our students perform a traditional dance. It was a fun event. Later, I raked leaves until dark. It rained a lot too so I was able to stay inside and watch my football team win.

15 Nov workout = yardwork!

16 Nov workout:
PT exercises - 15 min
EoD
WoD

17 Nov workout:
PT exercises - 15 min
EoD
WoD

Roasting veggies for supper! Have a nice evening.

 

[graoumia]

Soup & salad potluck; phone lines down; torrential rain, but then--rainbows! It's a beautiful, soggy mess. Is that a haiku?

13 Nov workout:
PT exercises - 15 min
EoD
WoD

Spicy fish stew for supper. Have a lovely evening!

View attachment 8214

I am not a huge fan of haiku, but i love rainbows. Once we drove inside one, it was ending on the road.....

 

[Lady Celerity]

Yesterday I skipped the workout and got a massage instead. Wow, I feel much better! There were knots in my muscles I never knew were there--but they are gone now. Drinking lots of water to flush the toxins out.

19 Nov workout:
PT exercises - 15 min
EoD
WoD

Have a nice evening!

 

[Lady Celerity]

Almost to our Thanksgiving Break....one more day....I can make it.....

Today's haiku:

Snow on the mountains
Billowing clouds in the breeze
Autumn is fading

20 Nov workout:
PT exercises - 15 min
EoD
WoD

Have a wonderful evening.

 

[Lady Celerity]

I made it to Thanksgiving week break--barely! It was not a good day at all at work except for the marvelous cafeteria lunch: turkey + all the trimmings. You'd never know it was school cafeteria food and it was better than most home-cooked dinners. I came home exhausted and just wanted to lie down but decided to do my PT stretches. After those it was easier to move on to the workout.

21 Nov workout:

PT exercises -15 min
EoD
WoD

Have a nice evening bees.

 

[Lady Celerity]

Yesterday was errands/housework/yardwork day. I managed over 14,000 steps so don't feel bad about skipping an 'official' workout. Today's pace is a bit slower.

I really want to get my Christmas decorations out! I also want to bake cookies though I've been doing a sugar fast for almost a month. It's strange that the longer I go without sugary treats the less I want them. I was at a potluck today and there were lots of pies, cookies, cakes, etc. None of them looked appealing. Eh, maybe my daughter can make cookies and I'll watch.

23 Nov workout:

PT exercises - 15 min
EoD
WoD

Have a great evening bees!

 

[Lady Celerity]

It's amazing how many steps I get in when I'm at home. And how many things I find around the house that need doing.

Yesterday I got sidetracked by spackling some large cracks in the walls that have been there for way too long. I had to get the extension ladder out for those on the high ceiling. Then back on the roof to do the final rain gutter clean up. After that I had the blower out taking care of the mess I made while cleaning the gutters. Then I decided to put up some Christmas lights on the outside of the house The deer were especially curious about the blue lights.

Today was more yardwork and then ended up doing vehicle maintenance. I'm looking forward to a quiet evening tonight.

25 Nov workout:
PT exercises - 15 min
EoD
WoD

Have a wonderful evening bees!

 

[TopNotch]

Christmas lights in November?

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

Christmas lights in November?

In my neighbourhood, the Christmas lights go up on November 1. (Except for on the homes of people who prefer Hallowe'en. Some of them still have their Hallowe'en decorations up, even now.)

 

[Lady Celerity]

Christmas lights in November?

Yes! I also listen to Christmas music before Thanksgiving.

 

[Lady Celerity]

I hope all of the U.S. bees had a nice Thanksgiving. I had a whirlwind of a week 'off' but it was back to the office today. Though I'm pleased with all of the progress I made on various things at home (read: yardwork, maintenance projects, paperwork projects, Christmas shopping, baking and decorating). Saturday I managed to get 20,000 steps! Also went to the local fireworks show and ate some kettle corn. I've been doing really well without the sugar though and think I'll save it for special occasions.

1 Dec workout:
PT exercises - 15 min
2 Minute Mobility Challenge day 1
SOMA 40+ day 1 - back for another round!!

Tofu & veg stir fry for supper, enjoy your evening bees!

 

[Lady Celerity]

My sleep score was 67 last night and I had a bad headache most of the day. My boss was out of the office this afternoon so I put up some winter decorations and then I felt better.

2 Dec workout

PT exercises -15 min
2 Minute Mobility Challenge - day 2
SOMA 40+ day 2

Leftover turkey chili for supper. Have a wonderful evening bees!

 

[Lady Celerity]

Last night I slept better - not great - but better. My daily readiness score was only 15! It's never been that low. ???
We finally had a decent freeze overnight and I'm hoping it finally killed off all of the mushrooms everywhere. Seriously, I've never seen so many different mushrooms as we've had this year maybe because it's been foggy and cold but not freezing. My lawn is full of fungi. Weird. Here's a sampling from my Thanksgiving morning hike:

3 Dec workout:
PT exercises -15 min
2 Minute Mobility Challenge day 3
SOMA 40+ day 3

Green chile turkey enchiladas for supper. It's the last of the turkey (finally!!)
Have a nice evening bees.

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

Cool mushrooms! Thank you for sharing!

The cold weather won't kill them off. (Thankfully! They're an important part of the ecosystem!) Most species' fruiting bodies will die off after the first frost, but the mycelium should survive.

Green chile turkey enchiladas sound yummy!

 

[TopNotch]

So many cool mushrooms!

 

[Lady Celerity]

My daughter is very sick, again. We are still waiting for influenza & Covid test results (don't ask me why we couldn't get the Covid tests right away). Meanwhile she has a temp of 103F and can't keep food down. She has been ill a lot. We've discussed nutrition and exercise and lifestyle but when you're 20 you know everything, right? Seriously, I am concerned though recent bloodwork has been good. One has to be proactive about their own health and I can't do that for her. It was hard to concentrate at work today.

4 Dec workout:
PT exercises - 15 min
2 Minute Mobility Challenge day 4
SOMA 40+ day 4

Gonna hang out with my kid and watch some football now. Have a nice evening.

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

for your daughter. I hope she will find a path to better health soon.

 

[Mamatigerj]

for your daughter andto you; it's hard.

 

[Lady Celerity]

@Laura Rainbow Dragon @Mamatigerj thank you. Her tests came back negative; she was able to keep food down today and manage her fever. I'm thankful for that.

December is the month that I cram one month's worth of work in a little over two weeks. It's a grind, but I am looking forward to the time off over the holidays. The full moon must have been affecting my co-workers; everyone was very grouchy and tired today. Thank goodness for Friday!
I'm going to my first rehearsal for the town's Christmas caroling group tonight!

5 Dec workout:
PT Exercises - 15 min
2 Minute Mobility Challenge day 5
SOMA 40+ day 5

Making smoothies for supper. Have a nice evening.

 

[Lady Celerity]

My daughter has tonsilitis Thankfully, by the time we figured it out she had already been on antibiotics and was improving; so much so that she was able to sing a duet at the Community Chorus Winter Concert! Besides that, it was a very busy weekend.

There's a nasty sickness going around the school--so many kids were out ill! And there were the ones that got sick at school not fun to deal with. I'm washing my hands a lot and disinfecting doorknobs.

8 Dec workout:
PT exercises - 15 min
2 Minute Mobility Challenge day 6
SOMA 40+ day 6
Coconut Chickpea Curry , rice and homemade samosas for supper tonight! Bahut achchha!

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

Bahut achchha!

It sounds it!

Cheers for your daughter being on the mend.
Hope all of your hand-washing paid off and you escape whatever's going around at your school.

 

[Lady Celerity]

@Laura Rainbow Dragon thank you! She is feeling good again.

I wasn't feeling great yesterday, or this morning, but I think it's due to being a bit overworked and rundown rather than a bug. I've upped my vitamin C intake and am still steering clear of sugar (mostly-the holiday goodies are arriving at the office). Yesterday I intended to get some stuff done after work but when I got home all I could do was sit in front of the heater under a blanket.
Lots of students out ill again. It's that time of year!

10 Dec workout:
PT exercises - 15 min
2 Minute Mobility day 7
SOMA 40+ day 7

Wondering if I should do the Ornament Challenge again this year. It's fun, but it's also one more thing. I'll decide tomorrow.
Have a nice evening bees.

 

[Lady Celerity]

This morning the internet was out at work for several hours. My boss decided to use the down time to decorate the office. We hung sparkly lights. Students had made dozens of paper snowflakes and we strung these on fishing line and hung them from the ceiling. They fluttered each time the door opened. We turned the overhead lights off and played some holiday music. It was amazing to see the effect all of this had on staff and students alike. Everyone was a little less stressed and smiles appeared. A good day.

11 Dec workout:
PT exercises - 15 min
2 Minute Mobility Challenge day 8
SOMA 40+ day 8

After some consideration, I've decided not to participate in the Ornament Challenge. I am maxed out. I will cheer everyone on though!
Pizza + football tonight. Have a good evening.

 

[Lady Celerity]

It was another very busy and hectic day at work. I've a brief time at home before going to Christmas choir/caroling practice; our performance is tomorrow and tonight's rehearsal will go late. It's been a lot of fun.

12 Dec workout:
PT exercises - 15 min
2 Minute Mobility Challenge day 9
SOMA 40+ day 9
Have a nice Friday evening bees!

 

[Lady Celerity]

Hello bees! I finally have time to catch up here. Caroling was a lot of fun! We had an outdoor performance and then caroled up and down our historic main street area. I saw a lot of smiles! It's been full tilt ahead ever since. I've had to go easy on some exercises as the tendon on the inside my right elbow has been very painful. Not sure what that's about....
There's only a few days left until winter break at school. Silly me, I thought this week would be chill. Nothing but kids vomiting, nose bleeds, injuries, fighting, and general naughtiness. I'm not sure why I expected anything different!

16 Dec workout:
PT exercises - 15 min
2 Minute Mobility Challenge day 10
SOMA 40+ day 10

Peace on earth; goodwill towards all.

 

[Lady Celerity]

Up at 3am this morning to drive my daughter to the airport, then off to work. The cats were very distressed to see her suitcase out last night. When I got home today they were so happy that one of the humans was still around! I'm tired though, the extra coffee no workee. It will be an early bedtime tonight.

17 Dec workout:
PT exercises - 15 min
2 Minute Mobility Challenge day 11
SOMA 40+ day 11

One of the students brought me homemade tamales today! Muy bueno!

 

[Lady Celerity]

Yesterday I drove to Civilization after work to grocery shop for Christmas. The fog over the mountain pass was very thick, and visibility was only about 10ft. On the way back home it was dark and raining as well. Very stressful! I hope it's gone by Sunday when I have to drive back.
Today was the last day of school before winter break. It should've been so easy...class parties, kids watching movies, no problem. Not! The norovirus continued to work it's way through the students. I had to send five children home before school had been in session for 30 minutes due to . ugh. Then I worked late to attend a mandatory safety training on how to use a torniquet and stop bleeding on wounds, administer Narcan, EpiPens, etc. All very helpful and necessary but not the greatest thing to end an already crummy week. But finally, my break is here! FREEDOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

19 Dec workout:
PT exercises - 15 min
2 Minute Mobility Challenge day 12
SOMA 40+ day 12

Time to wrap some gifts while no one is home. Have a lovely evening bees.

 

[Lady Celerity]

Hello Bees,

Catching up on stuff around the house today. Pixie and Ginger are happy to have a human around for once. They are missing my daughter and don't understand why her bed is empty. Pixie just walks around the house yowling.

20 Dec workout:
PT exercises - 15 min
2 Minute Mobility Challenge day 13
SOMA 40+ day 13

Taking my mom to dinner tonight for her birthday!

 

[Lady Celerity]

Happy Winter Solstice!

More busyness today. I've wrapped half of the Christmas presents. I haven't had any time to bake, though, and am hoping to at least make a batch of my famous chocolate peppermint bark cookies.

21 Dec Workout:
PT exercises - 15 min
2 Minute Mobility Challenge day 14
SOMA 40+ day 14

Taking my mom to a concert tonight as Part 2 of her birthday present! Have a nice evening bees.

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

Then I worked late to attend a mandatory safety training on how to use a torniquet and stop bleeding on wounds, administer Narcan, EpiPens, etc. All very helpful and necessary but not the greatest thing to end an already crummy week.

Deliberately scheduling overtime at the end of the last day before a scheduled vacation is just mean.
Couldn't they have gotten the trainer in at literally any other time?

 

[Lady Celerity]

Deliberately scheduling overtime at the end of the last day before a scheduled vacation is just mean.
Couldn't they have gotten the trainer in at literally any other time?

My feelings exactly. In all fairness it is difficult to schedule trainings for staff when students are not on campus; it only happens maybe twice per year.

 

[Lady Celerity]

Yesterday turned into the ultimate marathon day! After a little last minute Christmas shopping I went to the airport to pick up my daughter. But......her last flight was delayed for almost three hours. And her bag did not make it. We were too exhausted to wait around for another two hours and drove home. Today the airline delivered her bag-yay! We are both utterly spent. I'm looking forward to 'a long winter's nap'.

23 Dec workout:
PT exercises - 15 min
2 Minute Mobility Challenge day 15
SOMA 40+ day 15

The weather man says we might have a white Christmas!! Have a nice evening bees.

 

[Lady Celerity]

Today I've been busy making my traditional lasagna for dinner tonight. And ended up helping a neighbor locate an escaped steer that's been AWOL for two weeks. It showed up in the woods behind my house. It was really spooked though and ran off again but at least the owner knows the vicinity it's in. I'm keeping my eyes open for it as we're in for some nasty weather and the steer looked cold and hungry.

24 Dec workout
PT exercises - 15 min
2 Minute Mobility day 16
SOMA 40+ day 16

Time to set the table, light some candles and celebrate. Wishing everyone a very blessed Christmas.

 

[Anek]

Merry Christmas

I hope you can bring the steer to safety soon!

 

[Lady Celerity]

@Anek No signs of Mr. Moo, sadly. I hope he's okay.
We had a nice quiet Christmas. Have you ever noticed that other people give you gifts that they want to get? A clue is when they preface the gift with "I know you don't like "x" but..." Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining at all. I just find human nature interesting. I do the same thing, btw. By Christmas afternoon I wasn't feeling very well and spent the last day and a half on the couch reading and drinking tea. I must've needed it; I feel much better now. Some weird virus? Or sheer exhaustion?

The sun was out at last so I made an extra dump run and finally hung up my new curtains in the dining area. Away with the 1990's teal green vertical blinds!!

27 Dec workout:
PT exercises - 15 min
2 Minute Mobility day 17
SOMA 40+ day 17

Football beckons....have a nice evening bees.

 

[Lady Celerity]

Took yesterday as a rest day since this pesky virus had me feeling yucky again. Watched waaaaayyyyy too much football but both of our teams won!!
It was very cold last night/this morning 17F / -8C ! I waited for everything to thaw and managed to plant some daffodil bulbs for spring. The guy at the nursery assured me that if I got them into the ground before January 15 they would bloom; albeit a little later than normal. Fingers crossed and hoping for some pretty flowers in Spring.

29 Dec workout:
PT exercises - 15 min
2 Minute Mobility day 18
SOMA 40+ day 18

Wondering if I should make some New Year's resolutions. I don't feel very goal-oriented lately and seem unable to finish a lot of things. Why add another list of things to fail at?

 

[MangoTux]

I feel you on the resolutions. I've always taken the stance of "why pick a date to start something rather than begin when I'm ready?". However, a failure isn't necessarily a bad thing. If there's something you want to achieve, and you set a goal, make a plan, and come up short, it just means that your initial goal may need a bit of calibration - it could be the wrong time, it could be insufficient resources, or it could be something completely random. Whatever the case, there's hopefully something in the experience you've taken away.
I've left tons of half-finished things in my wake. Some are things I'd like to revisit, and some are things I've learned just aren't working for me. Still, they all left an impression that I try to use when forming new goals.

This isn't to say I'm advocating for you to set up a resolution - it should be your choice, but I hope you don't feel discouraged if things don't perfectly match the initial goal you set.

I hope the daffodils do well! Cold stratification is a really cool mechanism, and I'd imagine there's still enough winter left for them to do what's needed for spring.

 

[Mamatigerj]

 

[TopNotch]

Most New Year's Resolutions fail because they're not specific, and not really wanted. If you're wondering if you ought to make any, I'd say no, don't. There's nothing in your mind that is driving you right now, and so any 'resolution' you do make now is bound to fail. And indeed, why set yourself up for failure? Better set yourself up for success. When something does light your candle, commit to it, regardless of the date. Why should one date be any better than another for starting to do something you really want to do?

 

[Lady Celerity]

@MangoTux @TopNotch I appreciate your thoughts. I've come to the conclusion that the only reason I was thinking about setting a New Year's resolution was because of societal pressure; how dumb is that? But after careful consideration, there is one resolution I feel I need to make: to do less. Less saying 'yes'. Less time worrying. Less time at work. I'm still thinking it through and this will probably be a gradual change but I have to slow down and live, it's not enough to just do. What a challenge for this Type A personality / single mom / elderly parent caregiver!

31 Dec workout:
PT exercises -15 min
2 Minute Mobility day 19
SOMA 40+ day 19

I hope all you bees have a happy and enjoyable New Year's celebration whatever time zone you're in!

 

[TopNotch]

If I may... I wouldn't suggest working on anything with the word "less" in it. It's a negative word. My mum drives me mad sometimes. I ask her how she is, she says "not bad." I say, "so you're good then?" She's beginning to get into the habit of answering me with "I'm good." It may mean essentially the same thing, but it's phrased positively. So when you say you want to do less - less saying yes, less worrying, less time at work, I'd gently suggest you use instead the word "more" and rephrase your wants. More saying no, more time focusing on you, more time relaxing/enjoying your hobbies, more time with those you love. A focus on "more" rather than "less" is inspiring - it gives you something to work toward, not turn from. More importantly, it gives you a reason.

 

[Lady Celerity]

@TopNotch Thank you! You are correct that a small shift in mindset can make a big difference. I think I've been overwhelmed for so long that telling myself I'll do more seems impossible so I revert to taking something off of my plate rather that adding 'one more thing'. However, as you said, positive phrasing makes the difference! Thanks for pointing that out.

Last night was the quietest New Year's Eve in a long time, which was just fine. I slept in this morning, did some chores, and spent some time going through my jewelry collection and putting aside all the pieces that I no longer wear or wish to keep. Pixie kept me company by snoring away on her cat tower. She's so loud!

1 Jan 2026
PT Exercises - 15 min
2 Minute Mobility day 20
SOMA 40+ day 20

7-layer bean dip for dinner. Have a nice evening bees and Happy New Year!

 

[Lady Celerity]

It was a dark and stormy day...again. I'm okay with it since rain means I don't have to do any yardwork. Instead, I took the Christmas tree down and packed all of the ornaments away. I always feel a little sad and nostalgic going through all of the handmade things from loved ones who aren't with me anymore. I'm grateful to have so many good memories.
The cats aren't thrilled that their little hiding place is now gone. Pixie has a new wand toy with a bell and is dragging it everywhere, insisting that I play with her. She really is more like a dog than a cat!

2 Jan workout:
PT exercises - 15 min
2 Minute Mobility day 21
SOMA 40+ day 21

Have a nice evening bees!

 

[Lady Celerity]

Just like that, my lovely time off is over. It has been nice to decompress, get a few little projects done, and breathe. One of the nice things about working at a school is the days off during the year --even if we don't get paid for most of them. I've seen a few students and co-workers out and about this week and no one is ready to go back!

Catching up on logging:

3 Jan workout:
PT exercises - 15 min
2 Minute Mobility day 22
SOMA 40+ day 22

4 Jan workout:
PT exercises - 15 min
2 Minute Mobility day 23
SOMA 40+ day 23

Trying a new soup recipe for dinner tonight and then off to bed early. Have a lovely evening!

 

[Lady Celerity]

Monday back at work was surprisingly quiet. My workload was very manageable and folks seemed rested. Today....well, today it was back to 'normal'! Students were a bit whiny, technology kept having issues and all the interruptions were back. Still, I've had much worse days.

Catching up on logging:
5 Jan workout:
PT exercises - 15 min
2 Minute Mobility Challenge day 24
SOMA 40+ day 24

6 Jan workout:
PT exercises - 15 min
2 Minute Mobility Challenge day 25
SOMA 40+ day 25

Pixie is obsessed with her new toy and insists on me playing with her. Time to serve the kitty! Have a nice evening.

 

[Lady Celerity]

There's been a variety of weather today. Drizzling this morning, then sunny/partly cloudy, next very windy and now possibility of snow. I'm feeling tired today and kept yawning at work but all in all it was a good day.

7 Jan workout:
PT exercises - 15 min
2 Minute Mobility day 26
SOMA 40+ day 26

Time to figure out something for dinner. I have no idea.
Have a nice evening.

 

[Lady Celerity]

No snow last night but the freezing rain left everything covered in ice. It was like driving on a skating rink this morning. Later the clouds cleared and it is cold and clear and brisk. Lovely, but I do miss having snow. There's plenty of winter left so we'll see.
I'm thinking it's time to tweak my meal composition to avoid the after lunch slump. So tired! The boss doesn't appreciate me yawning at my desk.

8 Jan workout:
PT exercises - 15 min
2 Minute Mobility day 27
SOMA 40+ day 27

Spaghetti squash carbonara for supper tonight! Have a nice evening.