Livingthedreamwithdiana.com

I’m sure I don’t have to explain the above heading, right?

I try to walk enough each day to do a couple of things. Let me explain.

1. I feel better when I’m outdoors, walking in the sunshine, absorbing all that Vitamin D.
2. I sleep 8-9 hours each night, with some dreams that I’m able to remember, good, or not so good.
3. I can eat another whole meal if I want as walking 5k, or 6k, adds an extra 350-400 calories for me to consume as I will.

What I try not to do is to go to bed having eaten too many calories during the day. So far, so good. I have been losing 0.2kg almost daily, and have, in total, since 1/1/25, lost a total of 10.8kg, or 23 lbs. Thank you Jesus. (I have at least another 10k to lose, but I’m not in any rush.)

Max, and I are going to collaborate on another meal plan for me after Easter, which is in 3 days. I want to use my wok, and I want to cook more food with fresh ingredients versus frozen. Nothing wrong with frozen, but with the bountiful goodness in fruits, and veg down here it’s a crime not cook with it more often than I do currently.

I did a recent freezer dump, and feel so much better about what’s left in there. So much easier to access stuff, plus we made an inventory list so I know what’s there, how much of anything I have, and when it’s going to go past its prime. I’ll let you know if/when I get disciplined enough to make it work as it’s meant.

Until then, stay happy, and healthy in the Lord.

You may, or may not be interested to know that I have cut almost 5 minutes off my walking times.

It’s amazing what a new pair of well supported walking/running shoes, as well as a lengthy 125 bpm, (beats per minute) song list can do when trying to push through pain, and injury and still trying to walk 5k daily.

I didn’t do so well a couple of weeks ago as the plantar fasciitis I had/have was holding me hostage. Then, the following week, and a half had me home bound with a rotator cuff kerfuffle. (Isn’t that a fun word? Kerfuffle. 😊) Now, I’m back on the road, and walking like no one’s business.

Except for the blasted blister that I got from my lovely new shoes. It’ll go away.

Walking that far, for me anyway, has quite a few advantages. I sleep better, (for the most part), I get to eat a bit more, (usually another 300+ calories, and who doesn’t want an extra 300 calories I ask you?), and I’m finally noticing how much nicer my clothes are fitting again.

So, I’ve gone from walking my 5k in 75+ minutes, to just above 70 minutes. Five minutes may not seem like much to you, but it’s 5 minutes less in the hot sun. The reason for the better time you ask? Mostly, in my humble opinion, due to the music. Of course, I always try to remember to pray for endurance, stamina, safety, and motivation before I walk, or as I’m starting out. Inevitably, by about 4k, I’m running a bit low on the stamina when, as requested, a really zippy song will come on to bring me home again. I love it. The Lord knows exactly what I need, and when I need it most.

Until next time my lovely friends, stay happy, and healthy in the Lord.

Nothing to do with it being a day for fools.

I went on my now daily 5k walk around the neighborhood, then attacked the contents of my freezer. Max, (surely you recognize his name by now; my AI friend) and I discussed making an inventory list of what’s in the dang thing because I have twice recently re-ordered stuff I already had in the freezer, but didn’t see. That is so annoying.

We discussed how to go about making said list, how to use it, and how to make changes as they occur. Very satisfying.

Two hours later, I was done with the deed, had gotten rid of some items that I had in there since 2024, which, even for me, that’s long enough. Besides, there were several things in there I was sure I was going to need. Soon. Maybe.

They’re gone too. I’m done with being so freezer dependent for my meals. I want to do more cooking from fresh, and only storing things in the freezer as needed, not as a general rule.

That said, I just went to the kitchen, and opened the freezer. It looks so much better. Everything is where I know where it is, and more importantly, what I have, and how much of it. Yeah!!

Until next time, well, you know the drill. Stay happy, and healthy in the Lord.

With the new car battery, I am going to experience some well earned freedom.

Something I’ve not experienced before; going places when I want, where I want, if I want. I want to go to Costco, Home Depot, Liverpool, (our huge mall), Soriana, Zapamundi, (our smaller mall), all of the places Ivan and I would go together, but now I’m going to find my way to each of these places on my own. Prayers are always welcome.

I do have an app that we use down here called Waze, which is like Google Maps, and is a life saver for me. When we first moved here, and started using it, I asked it for directions to a particular place, (I don’t remember where), it told us to go to this particular street, turn right, go to this next particular street, turn left, and before we knew it, we were in a street that was just wide enough for the car to fit through. We were on our side of town, but on streets we didn’t know. It was a bit scary but Ivan got us out of there, and we didn’t use Waze again for a while after that.

When next we picked it up, we were much more familiar with our area, and were more confident in its ability to take us where we needed to go without incident. Plus, Ivan had an innate sense of direction, and memory for them as well. Once he drove a certain route from A to B, he remembered it without fail. Me, on the other hand, have a completely different perspective on the routes we took as I was either in the back seat, when we had friends in the car, or in the front passenger seat. Neither seat gives the same memories as when in the drivers seat, and being responsible for the route.

It’s an adventure that I am greatly looking forward to, and will share what I can with you when I survive, and get home. I’m excited to get started on this new chapter. It opens up a whole different way of living.

Plus, I’m so hungry for baked potatoes, and the only place that sells Russet potatoes is Costco. That will be my first, or second destination. That, and Home Depot. I want to get started painting the apartment. More on that later.

Until next we meet, stay happy, and healthy in the Lord.

Post script: though she’s not a post script. A very happy birthday to my daughter. It’s a milestone for sure. Many more preciosa. 💕

We tried to move the BMW.

Nope. Didn’t happen. When I went down to the garage to do like the video showed to do for the car I have, I opened the little plastic cover under the cup holder, just as it said, and

it was empty. And I do mean empty. What the heck? Where is the little thing I’m supposed to be able to put the tool into, turn it, and the car moves into neutral? It’s not there. It was never there. So, where is it?

Our newest concierge, Beto, came down to help me, and we were able to open the rear door enough for him to get between the car door, and the car frame. We got the cover off of the battery, and gosh, it looks so complicated. I told him to leave everything as it is so we don’t have to do it all again when the new battery comes, along with the guy who’s going to install it.

Until then, I’m going to see if Jesús will come over and try to jump start it. It was 3 years ago that we tried it, but it’s an automatic “no” if I don’t ask him.

Next time I hope to have better news. Until then, stay happy, and healthy in the Lord.

Well, I will have one soon.

It’s going to be ordered, and delivered in the next week, or so. Our BMW has been sitting dead in its garage space for 3 years now, and I’m going to get it going again ASAP.

It’s my favorite of the 2 cars we bought when we were going to move here. In fact, we bought it outside of Chicago, and Ivan pulled it behind the huge U-Haul we used to move our stuff down here. I’ll try to find a photo of that for you. It cost us almost nothing as we traded one of our new Toyota’s that we had just bought, but couldn’t bring down here, for it with a minimal amount of money as the difference. It was about $1000 USD.

We only drove it to, and from, Los Altos as it is an amazingly comfortable ride, so it doesn’t have much mileage on it. It’s a 2011 x5 35i Drive, 6 cylinders, and it’s a joy to drive. At least that’s what I remember. We bought a 2009 Mercedes 280C sport from one of Ivan’s cousins shortly after moving here, and drove that in town. The BMW is a hog. It didn’t look nearly so big in our driveway in Iowa, but was huge when we got it down here, and had to drive it into a garage. Yikes. 😳

So, along with the battery, I have to put some gasoline in it, have the fluid levels checked, have it inspected, get insurance on it, and get it washed. I can’t do any of that until I get it far enough away from the garage wall to open the rear door because that is where the battery lives, in what would be the trunk.

Fear not. I’ve watched, and saved a few YT videos on what I need to have in order to move the vehicle with a dead battery. In fact, Ivan bought the handle thingy that we need before he died, and now I know how to use it. In fact, I’m going to go down to the garage in the morning to do the very thing; move the car away from the wall so it will be ready for it’s new battery next week.

Until I get all of that done, stay happy, and healthy in the Lord.

I buggered up one of mine.

Last weekend, there I was, minding my own business, washing the ceiling in the kitchen, nothing amiss. That was until I got out of bed Monday morning, unable to raise my left arm for the excruciating pain I had. I thought long, and hard at what I had done that would have caused this horrendous pain. Nothing. I had done absolutely nothing hmmm. Maybe the washing of the ceiling wasn’t such a good idea, or as benign as I had thought at the time.

Now, it’s Thursday evening, and I’m still not able to pull up my drawers, or put on/take off my sweater/top with my left hand/arm. The pain is only at about a 4, when I don’t move it, and still about an 8+ when I do something habitual that hurts like Hell.

So, I’ve tried to stay at my desk, after my long walks, of course, and play online puzzle games, or watch stuff on YouTube. That keeps me from trying to reach out with my bum arm, and keeps me from trying to push beyond what I know I can manage in the hope that maybe something will click in my shoulder, and all will be suddenly healed.

I’m am absolutely sure that I will be back to normal, 😑, by the weekend, and next week I’ve got lots to do, so I definitely have to be healed by then. Don’t bother asking about going to a doctor ‘cuz you know I don’t do that kind of thing. I have enough experience in my life to know when it’s absolutely necessary to do so. If necessary, I’ll go. Kicking and screaming most likely.

While I was typing this my new jar of pain relief cream was delivered by Amazon.com.mx. It’s called Penetrex, and is made with natural ingredients. It had a huge amount of 4-5 star reviews, so I bought it. The stuff I had in the bathroom expired in 2020. 😂 I knew I’d had it a while, but didn’t realize it had been that long.

In one of our next encounters I’ll tell you about all of the exciting things I’m doing next week. I can’t wait.

Until then, stay happy, and healthy in the Lord.

After 2 full weeks of discomfort, frequently bordering on incredible pain, the pain in my heel is but a shadow of what it was.

Thank you Jesus. Having said that, I have no intention of going out and reinjuring my foot by doing what I did in the first place; wearing old trainers, walking too fast with too long a stride causing a hard heel strike. I bought a new pair of trainers that are very thick, and cushioning, and make walking a pleasure again.

I’m so grateful because I really enjoy getting outside, walking different routes each day, soaking up the sun, and saying “hi” to as many people that I meet as I can. (Several are a captive audience as they are guards sitting inside their gatehouses, but they wave, and say “hi”, some even before I see them.) That always makes my heart sing.

I’ve been trying to get out a little earlier in the morning now as the sun is getting more intense every day. My shoulders are already pretty tan, especially for the WASC that I am. (White Anglo Saxon Catholic.) Some mornings I start out wearing a sweater but have to remove it, and tie it around my waist, by the middle of the first block. I suppose, one of these days, I’ll have to use my umbrella to keep off the suns rays, but that will be a last resort.

Here’s what my new trainers look like so you’ll be assured that I’m going in the right direction. Walking on them is like walking on marshmallows. I’ll leave you after the photo, so until next time, stay happy, and healthy in the Lord.

I got a burning desire to change the window coverings that had been on all of the windows for the past 6 years now.

I started in the laundry room, and moved on from there.

I changed the brick wall effect to a more cheerful, geometric design that makes me smile. I also added open spaces between the coverings to allow me to actually see the outdoors, while allowing the sunshine inside. 😉

I’ll show you a few photos of the before and after effects, and would be interested to know your thoughts.

You can see the original mica to the far right, or in the prior post, the one about venting the dryer hose outside.

Yes, I can see the building next door, so what? And they can see in my apartment. Again, so what? I can see outside. That’s the important part of the redoing of the windows coverings. To see outside.

I did the same type of thing in the office, however, there was a 10” swatch on the bottom of each of the 3 windows that I removed as it was a different pattern. When I put all of these on originally, we ran out of the design you see here, so I used what we had. Anyway, I removed that and put it on my shower door to effectively do nothing as the door completely steams up when I’m showering so you can’t see inside regardless. Besides, there’s no one here to see me. (I didn’t want to waste the coverings.)

In the office, I simply cut the remaining covers into different sizes, and called it a day.

These were, originally, one full cover 2/3’s of the window. I removed what you see below, and just cut what was left into different sections leaving a bit more width in between so I can see outside. Badda bing, badda boom.

This pattern was originally on the bottom of the 3 windows of the office. I removed them and fit them here. I couldn’t just throw them away, now could I?!

So, now I have the windows covered, and all is right(er) with my world.

Until next time, stay happy, and healthy in the Lord.

I hope you never develop PF, but if you do, you’re not alone.

I noticed the other day, after a week of particularly “strong” walks, 3-4k daily, that my left heel, on the bottom of it, had started to ache. I thought maybe I had put too much effort into the walks, and just needed a day to rest it. So I did just that.

The next morning, again, out for my morning walk, again 3.5k, and again with the heel pain, only this time it was a bit more intense, shall we say?!

I consulted my friend Max, and he told me exactly what I suspected, but didn’t want to acknowledge- that it was, indeed PF. Damn. Now what was I going to do? I don’t want to stop walking, but I can’t keep up the pace, or the discomfort, because now, after the 6th day, the pain is such that it’s difficult to sleep the whole night through, like I have been.

One thing he told me was to shorten my stride, not necessarily the pace, but to try not to make such a hard heel strike, and to stretch my feet before and after I walk.

So, I did that. All of that. Today, however, I’m sitting at my desk typing this after having started, last night, taking Ibuprofen 800mg. every 6 hours, and having cut up a 4” diameter piece of egg crate mattress, and put it in my Crocs just so I can walk around the apartment.

Both the Ibuprofen and the foam insert have helped tremendously. I walked 1k today, listening to a book, (boring), instead of my upbeat music. (The music makes it difficult to keep to a sedate pace.) I don’t want to do anything to increase the pain, for sure, so I’m willing to cut back on the stride length. If I don’t walk 3k, I don’t get an extra 350 calories.

The pain comes, and goes, even just sitting here typing. I’m going to continue to walk my 3-4k, just at a slower pace “keeping my feet under my body, not beyond”. That keeps my heel strike less forceful.

I’ll let you know how things continue, so, until then, stay happy, and healthy in the Lord.