Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – Sisters

Tags

enjoy, family, Fun, Games, Good Food, Good times, Movies, Relax, Sister

My sister just left for home. It was a nice 5 days. We watched movies, got take out, hung out in the living room and chatted, and she even watched me play some Call of Duty with my brother. It was a great visit! She likes coming down and hanging out with Dad because we don’t know how much longer Dad will be with us. Last night, they watched some Star Trek movies (Dad loves those).

It’s terrific to have family visit. The folks get a kick out of it, and it’s always fun to catch up. When I have a family member visit, you’ve probably noticed a little inconsistency with my postings. I put everything I am doing on hold when family comes to maximize my time with them.

Anyway, I’m grateful for the time we had together. It was great fun!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Update – Sister Visit

Tags

Dad, Dad-Daughter time, family, Movies, Schedule, Shows, Sister, Television, time, Translation

Hi folks!

For those of you who follow my blog consistently, you’ll notice I missed yesterday’s posting and today’s is not a video from Ted Talks or TedEd. My sister is visiting. When she comes my schedule goes out the window, to accommodate her and her visit. We always have a great time when she comes over. So this is what I wanted to pass along.

Her schedule is pretty open, so I don’t know if she’ll be staying much longer or hitting the road today. Either way, my schedule of postings will be interrupted for a bit, while she’s here, so I can maximize my time with her. She lives a few hours away, and we talk over the phone and stuff, but it’s not the same as her being here. For those of you with family scattered all over, you know what I’m talking about. I always maximize my time with my sister and brother when they visit, because it isn’t often.

Right now, her and Dad are downstairs watching Star Trek on Amazon. Dad loves television shows and movies, and she and dad always get in one day of watching shows when she visits. It’s their time, and I squeak away to get some of my things done when she does this with dad. Dad has been deteriorating lately. He doesn’t eat as much, sleeps most of his day away, and that’s just what happens when people get close to passing. It’s like God prepares them for the next step on their journey by keeping them in the dream worlds more and more as they approach the end.

I realize this may sound a little melodramatic, but I noticed this type of behavior in our dog Goldie when she was getting close to passing. The elderly just sleep. When the passing time comes, we call it translation in Eckankar; the individual is well-prepared for it. This is what I see with Dad. So when Deb comes over, I let her maximize her time with Dad. I am with him every day, and I don’t need the time she doesn’t get while she is away.

Well, that’s it for today, folks. I hope you all are having a great Tuesday!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – A New Family Member

Tags

Bella, Covid, family, Grateful, Gratitude, new dog, Shot, Thankful

Today, I’m grateful for our new doggie, Bella. Here’s a picture of her, as promised.

Her name is Bella. We lost our last dog, Goldie, in 2019, and it was time to get another one. A family friend gave her to us. She is a little timid still, but she’s a great addition to the family.

So today, I’m grateful to have a new dog. It’s great to have these little companions. They add so much to the family.

I hope you have a great day!

Oh! We got our 2nd COVID shot, and it’s not as bad as people told us it would be. We were all achy yesterday, but most of the effects have subsided. I’m glad I got the shot. I feel much more comfortable about getting back to the gym next week, now that I have had it. If my folks and I do get COVID, the shot will minimize our chances of getting the nastier effects from COVID.

Have a great Thursday, folks!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Wisdom Wednesday – 5 Quotes

Tags

Charity, family, Feeding, Love, Mother Teresa, Selfless Service, Smile, Wikipedia

Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.

Mother Teresa

Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.

Mother Teresa

We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.

Mother Teresa

Peace begins with a smile.

Mother Teresa

If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one.

Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa was an example of selfless service. Here is the Wikipedia link, should you like to learn more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_Teresa

Have a great day, all!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Funny Friday – Sister Update

Tags

Disney+, family, Friday, Good Conversation, Good Food, John Wick, Siblings, Sister, Talking, Video Games

Well, folks, my sister is leaving today. We had a great time. We played video games (Call of Duty Black Ops – Zombies), watched some movies (John Wick), and had some late night talks. She brought some green pea and Thai chicken soup she made, and that made some nice dinners for a few days.

It’s always nice when my siblings visit. My sister lives a few hours away and my brother is in Arizona. It’s nice to connect with them and hang out with them while they are here.

Have a great Friday, folks. Daily Ramblings will be back to its normal schedule of postings and topics next week. Have a great weekend!!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Ted Talk Tuesday – Update

Tags

family, Family Time, Good Food, Have Fun, Movies, Relax, Sister, Talking

My sister is visiting and I’ve been spending some time with her the last few days. I’ll be back on schedule with my blog once she heads home. I hope all of you are having a great week!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – We Got a Dog!!

Tags

Animals, cozy, Dad, Dogs, family, Joy, Mom, pets, Warm

We have a new addition to the family. Her name is Bella. I’ll get photos up later. She’s only been here a few days and little skittish.

I don’t know what it is about pets, but they tend to change the whole family dynamic. To be honest, my Mother loves animals, and I knew that it would only be so long before her and Dad got a new family member. At times, I think Mom enjoys animals more than she does people. She just gets along with animals and the outdoors and is most happy when she’s outside in her garden or on her deck with a cup of coffee in the morning, watching the squirrels, rabbits, and chipmunks do their thing.

So today, I’m grateful for our new dog, Bella. She’ll give Mom some comfort, and she’ll make our home a little more warm and cozy.

Have a great Thursday, folks. I’ll get pictures up later. Promise.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Workout Routine – Final Stretch

Tags

breaks, family, Friends, health, Holidays, Home Workout, physical training, Relax, Video Games

This year has been a crazy year for exercise enthusiasts. My wife, who is a competitive bodybuilder, all of her competitions were cancelled, and all of her gyms were closed off and on. The one thing she kept consistent was her diet, which she rocks, by the way.

This week, I’ll be doing another alternative exercise program. For those of you who know me, you know I’m an avid video game player. My current game of choice is Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War. Because the game was just released, most of my holiday month (December) I will be gaming, hanging out with the family, and eating all the great food this time of year brings.

One of my buddies who served with me in the military had a cool habit that I joined in with him on. It was called commercial physical training. This is how it worked: We watch a television show, and each time a commercial came on, we would do one exercise for the duration of the commercial. I’m going to adapt this technique to video game playing. The “matches” we play on Call of Duty, last about 5 minutes each. So each time a match ends, I’ll do an exercise with as many reps as I can during the intermission between matches, which lasts about 2 minutes. I’ll concentrate on each body part, starting with the larger ones as I play. Once I’ve hit the entire body, I’m done for the day, unless I’m motivated and will add some stair step exercise to get in some cardio (walking up and down stairs for a minute or so).

You will be amazed at how taxing these routines are. I remember watching The Bob Newhart show overseas in our barracks, and you’d be amazed how many commercials play during one comedy show. My buddy and I were smoked by the time the show ended.

This will be my last week of posting for 2020. I take the last couple of weeks off each year, to review, organize, and plan for 2021. For those of you who follow this scheduled post every week and none of my other pages, I wish all of you a terrific, fun, and relaxing holiday season.

See you at the finish line!

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Final Stretch of 2020

Tags

2021, Covid, family, Friends, Goals, Holidays, Planning, Recharging, Relax

As we approach the end of the year, I take some time to myself and review the current year and begin thinking about all the things I want to accomplish in 2021. Some of my friends think things will return to normal next year. I’m a little more pessimistic. I think many companies, organizations, and people have realized that with nasty bugs like COVID hanging around out there, we will not be able to conduct our lives the same way again. Change is inevitable. We all have to adapt, whether we like it or not. So as you make your 2021 plans, set your goals, and get your calendars set up, keep in mind that you may face many more interruptions and lockdowns, should this virus take another weird turn.

This will be the last week of posts for the year, as I move into holiday mode and take some time off from blogging to get myself aligned with my new set of goals in 2021. So, this Thursday will be my last post of 2020.

This week, if you haven’t already, take a look at what you’ve done this year. What goals did you hit? What goals did you miss? Did you miss your goals because you set the bar too high, weren’t motivated enough to push through to the finish line, or did COVID get in the way? If you’re not motivated enough to hit a goal, rethink why you set the goal in the first place. Did you really want to achieve it, or did you set the goal because you thought it was what you should do?

When I set goals, I think about what it will take to accomplish them. Do I really have the time? Do I really enjoy doing what that goal requires. If either answer is no, don’t set the goal. Do something else. Use contingency planning when setting your goals for the year. What happens if we get locked down again? What happens if I get sick? What happens if the resources I need to accomplish this goal become unavailable?

I’m assuming we will see a few more lockdowns in the upcoming months, depending on how quickly the vaccine is distributed to the public. With that in mind, my goals are going to concentrate on the things I am in 100% control of, regardless of lockdowns or no lockdowns.

Folks, it’s that time of year to enjoy family, friends, and relax a bit. If you’re like me, you’ve been working your tail off this year, pursuing your dreams and desires. For me, it’s a well-deserved break.

With that, I bid you adieu.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursdays – Winter

Tags

cocoa, Coffee, December, Exercise, family, Reading, reflecting, tea, Winter, Writing

Many people cringe when the snow comes. Not me. I love the cold, the snow, and the comfort of looking at all of that while I drink a cup of coffee. The winter in Michigan is a long one. We typically do not get moderate weather until late April.

What do I do? Pretty much the same thing I do every day — Read, Write, Learn, Socialize on this site and others, stick with my religious disciplines, exercise, and squeeze in some leisure time. My favorite things to do for fun are to read a good fiction book, non-fiction book, watch a show or a series, and play video games. Now that most games are networked, my brother and I can play in and around his work schedule. It’s great fun.

So today, I’m thankful for the Winter season. The holidays are terrific, the in-house time is relaxing and rejuvenating, and it’s a great time to reflect on the past year, and get ready for the next.

I hope each of you has a terrific Thursday!

Until next time…

Dave