Livingthedreamwithdiana.com

I just found myself, having walked, hurriedly, into the pantry, seemingly unaware of why I needed to be there. What was so important that I needed to come here, and so quickly?

No doubt some of you experience this same phenomenon, on occasion. It can be quite frustrating, depending on the importance of the need.

I stood there, hands on hips, just staring at the metal shelving, holding our pots, and pans, and whatnot; you have probably seen a photo. Then, I started turning, giving the area a full sweep of my vision; praying that something would spark recognition.

Ah, yes. Milk. I needed a couple of cartons of milk; one for the bowls of cereal I was going to make for the two of us, (Cheerios with banana), and two for the fridge. There. I remembered.

As I started walking through the laundry area, (the pantry is adjacent to, but beyond, said laundry area), I noticed that the washing machine had its little light on, signaling that the load was finished, and, therefore, needed to be put in the dryer.

Do I finish with making the bowls of cereal, or stop, and put the quilt in the dryer? I still have to cut up the bananas, add a Splenda to Ivan’s, then pour the milk, and deliver the prepared fare.

Or, do I stop, put the quilt in the dryer first, and get that started, then do the cereal?

There is also the vacuuming, and mopping that I have to get started. I have so many things to do, in what order should I do them?

Why am I standing in the laundry area? And, with three boxes of milk?

Stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.

Oh. Right. The cereal.

There are SEVEN flights of steps here, not five, not six; SEVEN. Damn shame someone cannot count.

I forgot there were two fights of parking garage, not one. That means it is somewhere between one hundred twelve, and one hundred nineteen steps. WTH?

Suddenly, I am so much more tired, knowing, now, that I actually went up an extra flight!!! Ugh.

Until tomorrow. I have to go lie down, and rest; for the rest of the day. Probably.

Stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.

Exhausted. 😉

First off, let me say that we must not ever forget today in our history’s recent past. I remember today even when I see 9/11 on the analog clocks we have. Onward.

Here is a quick photo of what I am so excited about. I see three new plants coming by spring.

The other day, I got to reading about succulent propagation, and decided to give it a shot. It cannot hurt to have more of the little beauties. Call them “backup”, if you want.

So, I took a few leaves from a couple of different succulents that I purchased recently, and placed them on a piece of cardboard. As there are several different ways to propagate succulent leaves, this one appeared to be the easiest way, (and safest), to my thinking, because it required no watering. (We all know how I do with that.)

In just three days time, there are small roots already forming on the ones harvested from this little beauty. As it is so small, it is difficult to identify. My app, however, calls it a Pachyphytum Compactum; such a large name for such a tiny plant. Personally, I think, if it is the PC, it should be a bit more compact; I will attempt to re-identify it when it gets a bit bigger.

There are other leaves, in varying degrees of dead, or dying, that I was trying to reproduce, but, alas, most of them are going to be compost. I will, however, continue to try.

As always, stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones. Delta variant does not care who you are; it just knows that it wants you.

Voy a subir las escaleras. Regresa mañana. 😉

I have a couple more interesting plants to show you, if you have the time.

This one is…. I was going to say it is one of my favorites, but they are all my favorites. Each one is a unique form of succulent that has my imagination reeling. It is called an Anacampseros retusa. Quite the mouthful for such a small plant. It, too, looks as if it is going to bloom, with three buds on the left stem, and one on the right. I will keep you updated.

We have several different varieties of this species, Anacampseros, but each is a different subspecies, if my research is correct. The ones we bought in LA are so small, it is difficult to determine exactly which subspecies they are. It appears that I have selected interesting ones, just in a very immature forms, at present. As they mature, I will continue to research what they are.

That is my story anyway.

Lastly, for today, is the Crassula ovata, circled in blue, in the above photo. This one is called Gollum, after the creature from the book “The Hobbit”, the prelude to the book, “The Lord of the Rings”, by J. R. R. Tolkien. Gollum ended up with small suction cups at the ends of his fingers, after his complete transformation, from the Hobbit called Sméagol, to the creature called Gollum. (Just a bit of trivia. I am good for something.)

Stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, wash your hands, again, and protect your loved ones.

As earthquakes go, that was a doozy.

We were just getting Jesús, Liz, and Gabi settled in their room for the night, when they jumped up, off of the bed, and, said we were having an earthquake. (They could hear the dogs barking, and the people out front of the building. Their bedroom window faces the front of the building, with the laundry room window right next to theirs. Our bedroom faces the back of the building, so we hear nothing.)

Personally, I felt nothing; for about thirty second. Then, for the first time, we had to actually leave the building. Jesús had just finished saying that we needed to do the very thing. Not us, brave couple from the North! I asked why? This is no big deal. Well,

Seconds later, I was on my way to the laundry room, where we have our “earthquake alarm” wind chimes, and, sure enough, they were going crazy. We could not hear them because the sliding door to the laundry area was shut. As I tried to open the door, the whole building was trying to get out from under my feet, and trying to knock me to the floor. This one was so much stronger than the last one, it was incredible. We could actually see the walls of the building moving.

Of course, we lost electricity within the first few seconds, but, even without lights, we could see everything moving.

One begins, at about this point, to hope that this is going to stop, like right now. Alas, it did not. In fact, it went on for probably three or four more minutes. The building was still shifting as we were making our way down the steps. It was raining when we got outside, of course; nothing much, but enough that we were all wet within minutes.

We ended up making a few trips back into the building, for charging blocks, water, phones, flashlights, jackets, etc.; those important things you should have at the ready, but do not.

I am very happy to report that there were no casualties, human, canine, or feline, from our building. (All of the dogs were outside with their humans, carrying on something fierce. Another great earthquake detection system. No batteries needed)

I am also happy to say that we did not have a single thing break; none of the jars in the pantry, nothing from the living room, nothing in the bedrooms. Nothing. Period.

This building really was meant for us to inhabit. It is amazingly strong, and well built.

We are going to try to get some rest now. Hahaha. Right. Anyway, stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hand, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.

And, leave the building when you are told to; before Elvis.

I told you, in a recent post, about the new plants we got in Los Altos, that I would find out the names of all of them, once the internet was more cooperative. It is, and I did.

No, I am not going to identify, here, what each one is called, so relax. Suffice it to say, most of them are different species of Echevería, and we will leave it at that. Supposedly the easiest succulent to grow. Hah! They never met me.

One of the plants that I received, as a gift, from Alicia, mother to Lizbeth, has become leggy as it matures. When I researched that, it showed how to make a few changes that might help with its growth. This is what I did. (Turn your head away if you are at all squeamish about theses things.)

Yes, I cut its little head off. That is how brutal one must needs be when one finds a plant getting older, and, too leggy, and unruly; cut off its head.

Relax. I planted its little head, and hopefully, other plants will grow around the base of the original, and the top will root, and grow another of itself.

I just did this about five days ago, so it needs another day, or so, before I can water it, gently. It needs to toughen up at the area where it was severed from the stem of the main plant so it will be less prone to disease, and fungus. The two leaves that are just laying on top of the soil, in front, and back, will also, hopefully, grow into other plants. It will take months for all of that to occur, so I must be patient. (I have moved the above plant to a part of the window box where I do not see it every day.)

Here is another interesting plant, just the leaves, actually. The internet tells me it is a Swedish ivy; could be. What do I know?!

Do you see how the leaves grow out of the prior leaf? Is that not an amazing thing? That is why I bought it; I love to see, and appreciate how Nature makes amazing things like this. We just have to “see” them.

Be happy, be healthy, be safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones, will you?

(I hope you understood the Frankenstein referral there) 😉

The reason for such a title? I have found muscles I had forgotten I had! They must have been inserted, surgically, at some time in the past, when I was not paying attention. Possibly on a night of overindulgence, concerning my favorite liquid anesthesia.

As those days are gone, however, it is a mystery to be sure. The reason I am aware of said muscles is because I have had to, inadvertently, use those muscles while I, wait for it…

Exercise. There. I said it. I loathe exercising, as a general rule. It is time consuming, sweaty, and, usually, too difficult to maintain. Plus, it seems to take forever to see any results. Boo hoo!!!

This time ‘round, I do not care how long it takes, I am doing it. S#)t, or get off the pot!

As this is day two of climbing the stairs, I timed myself. (I also kept counting the stupid things, and kept getting confused, even in English. I have not had to count so high in quite a while.) 😉 Six minutes, and six seconds. That is the complete six flights, including any breaks. (Read gasping for air.) Not bad, to my way of thinking.

After that, I got out my yoga mat, and did thirty crunches. I thought, briefly, about sit ups, and decided, immediately, that that would just be insane. Crunches were difficult enough. I did fifteen each of the aforementioned torture, both forward, and reverse leg. Yippee. (It will be highly unlikely, however, that I will be able to move tomorrow. And, as tomorrow, for us, is Saturday, I really do not care.)

On Saturday’s, we do not have to change out of our pj’s; we can remain in them all weekend long if we choose. Come Tuesday, back to civvies. Reasons for said ritual are unimportant, but, it works for us. (Less laundry, too.)

I will continue to update you on my progress through this “ordeal”, as I am sure you already know. I will see it through. I am determined to look good, not just better, in my leggings, and Pico tops. Determined, I say.

Please, stay happy, stay healthy, and, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.

So, I told you, yesterday, (your yesterday, my last week), that I was going to start climbing the ninety-plus stairs for some exercise. And, I did.

There are, however, one hundred three steps, not ninety five; I forgot the stairs up to the roof. So, a total of one hundred three buggers.

How do I know this, you ask?

I counted them; incorrectly twice, then, correctly the third time. You read that right; three times I counted them.

The first time was completely in Spanish. When I got to the PH floor, level five, however, and saw more steps, I realized I had forgotten about the roof. I went up said steps to the roof, checked on the gorgeous succulents growing in our neighbors storage unit, said good morning to Jesús, (and Liz, via cellphone), then went back down to try counting them again; correctly.

I also realized, that by the time I had gotten to the fifth floor, and had seen the rest of the steps to the roof, I had forgotten how many steps it had taken me to get to the PH level. Well, s#!t.

The second time I counted them, it was a mix of Spanish and English. The third time, however, was one through ten, in Spanish, but I used a finger for every ten. Aha! I guess I just needed to use my fingers. Who knew?!

So, three times, up and down the steps, and nothing happened. I can still breath; I sweat a lot, (that is good. It is a start); and I am definitely still alive; ready to do it again, actually. I did the walk twenty seconds, rest ten seconds business, which worked well. But, for this altitude, and, the stress on this overweight body, I will, tomorrow, walk two flights, rest twenty, then two more flights, rest twenty, ; until I become accustomed.

Winner, winner. Chicken dinner. Ready to go again.

I would, but I have to go to la dentista in an hour. I would prefer, (she would too, I will wager), not to smell like I just walked up three hundred steps. (Did I mention it was in less than ten minutes?) Yay!!!

Stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones, will you?

By the time you read this, things will be very different, here, at the apartment. Whether I am still here, or not, you will have to wait until tomorrow to find out.

Tomorrow, (for me, it is a week before you read this), I start a daily walk up six flights of stairs. I will be taking the elevator to the first floor, walking down one flight to the basement, then up to the penthouse level, on five. If I live through the ordeal, you will know by reading a post in the morning. No post, no me. 😉

Each flight contains fifteen or sixteen steps, as I recall, so, that will be quite a few steps for this old girl. (Ninety to ninety six steps.) I plan to treat this as a Tabata workout; twenty seconds of intense exercise followed by ten seconds of static rest. That means that I can, run, (read walk faster than normal), up one flight in time for a ten second rest. Repeat. Breath. Steps. Rest. Breath. Repeat.

I can do that. No big deal. I am not going to think about the slight change in altitude, from the basement to the PH, as that may be a bit discouraging. I like to breath; it makes me smile. I do not like being out of breath, and unable to recover said breath easily. Going up the stairs, here, even worse in Los Altos, makes me feel like an oxygen tank, and mask, would not go amiss.

I am determined, however. I will prevail. The challenge is on, and the game is afoot.

Here goes nothing. (Except a few pounds!!) 😉

Stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.

Actually, this will post on Saturday, the fourth of September, and we will be in Los Altos for a few days. Please, give me until Monday, the sixth before you begin to worry. Or, congratulate me; either way.

A HUGE thank you to my sister, Nancy, for sending me a video from rumble.com on an antiviral medication called Ivermectin.

I will attempt to add it here, as a link, but, if it does not want to work that way, go to rumble.com. If you have an account, look for Temporarily Grounded, as a website, then scroll down to the video. They have only two videos posted at present so it is not difficult to find, once you find the site. This video is overwhelming.

Here is the link to the video. I hope it works for you. The video is twenty four minutes long, but I think you will agree with me that it is worth every second. https://rumble.com/vlpecw-the-story-of-ivermectin.html

I am not going to say anymore than I hope you stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones. And, if you can get ahold of some Ivermectin, take it. Live long, and prosper.