Vacation Week Two: Can I Do Less? Save More?

 

Friday:  Something from this past week that I meant to share.

The importance of crying.  It was just an Instagram post done in multiple frames, but boy did I learn a lot about the importance of crying from it.  I wish I could locate it once again, but it was a 'recommended for you' rather than someone I follow.  

So, this psychologist went through all the benefits of having a good cry.  

I've mentioned before that I often feel like weeping, but I seldom give in to it. When I do finally cry, it's usually an involuntary action after I have reached a point of extreme stress.  There are many times I 'suck it up', swallow back tears, refuse to let them go.  Well according to this psychologist crying is the natural reaction of a body to stress of all sorts, both good and bad.  And when you feel the need to weep, it's your body telling you that it is out of balance and needs to be fine-tuned. 

When we are stressed, we produce cortisol.  Cortisol helps our body to regulate fat and carbs that create calories, reduces blood pressure and blood sugar, regulates the body's wake/sleep cycle, and most importantly regulates the body's stress reactions.   Suppressing this natural release through controlling a tearful response, can increase cortisol to higher levels and once this happens, our body responds in the exact opposite way.  Suddenly we will have high blood pressure, higher blood sugar, find we're having issues sleeping, feeling aches and pains or experience inflammatory diseases, and that we're putting on excess weight.

There are many ways to control cortisol naturally and healthily and one of those ways is what the psychologist was suggesting: stop suppressing tears and allow your body to naturally 'reset'. She proposed that the next time you feel like crying, you give into it!  I'm inclined to agree.

According to this woman, we feel the urge to tears at both times of stress and good moments, too, but it's equally important that we give in to both good and upset urges to cry.  Honest tears, those that occur suddenly and naturally, are a sign that your body is healthily reacting to the need to be balanced once more.   And we need to learn to stop getting in the way and trying to prevent it doing what it naturally ought to do!

Which reminds me that Granny always told me when I'd apologize for crying that steam had to escape from a teapot...Wise as always.

Saturday:  Not exactly an errand day but we did do a couple of them today.  We dropped off trash, dropped off outgoing mail, and went for haircuts today since we'll be out of town next weekend.  Then we went out to lunch and last we stopped in town where I bought a small bag of cat food for Sassy Cat who has completely taken over as head cat of this property.

We went to a Pub type setting today that is small and intimate and not as loud and boisterous as the sports bar we went to in the same area last month.  However, we quickly realized today that this place, which basically serves burgers and wings, is a place to be cautious even if you're not buying alcoholic drinks.  We both wanted lemonade today, which was really good, and we got an appetizer.  That right there came up to as much as one of our meals.  Next time, we'll revert to our usual frugal habit and order water and skip the appetizer.  Which by the way, restaurants all refer to as Apps...Sigh.

While we were eating our yummy burgers, I asked John, "Are you glad we started doing this?"  "Doesn't it beat chasing someone down to try to go to the potty?", he asked.  Then he answered, "Yes, I think it's one of the best things we've done for ourselves as a couple."  I pointed out that while lunches out can be pricey, we can cut back come cooler weather because we can then revert to picnics or even parking the car someplace scenic and eating 'out' in that manner.  Today it was 97F with a 'feels like' index of 106F.  Too hot to be picnicking or sitting in a car either one.  Even if the AC is running.

Out of curiosity, I looked up next weekend's forecast in Florida.  It's only meant to be right around 90F at the highest.  I'm sure it will be humid as everything because rain is predicted every day, but then it almost always rains at some point in a day in Florida, especially along the coast.

On the way home, we discussed our planned time to leave, route down, and estimated time to arrive and I brought up meal plans.  We agreed I'd pack food for supper the first night and breakfast the next morning.  Then we'd plan to shop for the food we wanted the rest of our stay.  That suits me fine.  My big goal will be to have no leftovers to bring home in the heat on Monday's return trip.

Tonight, we all ate 'Catch Can' meals.  Made me happy because the fridge is pretty well free of leftovers.

Sunday:  It turned into a little bit of a hectic morning.  Caleb and Taylor got up and came out to join us as soon as we were up this morning.  I noted Taylor took Caleb to the potty, helped him dress and then got his breakfast together.  I think the little girl is enjoying playing at being a mom and Caleb is all too willing to let her tend to him.  

We arrived at church, stopping to speak to several folks.  I was in the middle of a conversation with someone when I heard the opening music start.  We all scurried to our respective seats.

Our pastor had a rousing sermon for us this morning.  At one point he and several of us got to laughing over something he said.  "It doesn't matter if it's served on the best China or a paper plate, Baloney is Baloney!"  I confess I got so tickled I had a hard time controlling myself, as did two or three others on my row.

After church we tried to get the front steps where they were having baptisms.  We didn't make it, because we ended up in conversation with several more people.  

We hurried home to make dinner. Sam was sitting talking to Katie when we came in.  He brought over Japanese and White Eggplants, Cucumbers and some of his homegrown garlic since I'd mentioned that I wanted to plant some this fall.  I so appreciate his generosity.

Taylor had to leave earlier this afternoon, so we rushed through lunch.  

And then, do you know what I did?  I took myself off to bed and had a nap.  I purposely went to lie down, pulled a pillow over my head in order to block out noise, and went right to sleep.  I didn't sleep long, perhaps 15 or 20 minutes but it was enough.  

We had sunshine all day yesterday but this evening we had a proper thunderstorm...twice!  The little garden will appreciate that good deep watering.  

And so, we come to the end of a rather nice Sunday.

Monday:  I was sure I'd sleep well last night but the weather brought in aching knees and that kept woke me and kept me awake into the wee hours.  I was still up well before 8am this morning, despite that.  

I had made up my mind that this week we'd eat what we had on hand for breakfasts and lunches.  Well...we have.  I pulled frozen sausage biscuits for breakfast, and frozen 'grilled cheese' too.  I organized that particular bin that I keep in the fridge freezer.  I don't have loads of stuff, but there's more than enough for this week. 

 For my money, I'd rather have home cooked sausage and homemade biscuits.  These biscuits are just about two bites each.  But nevertheless, they aren't bad.  It's no punishment to eat them.  I'm grateful they were given to us.  

After breakfast, I took Caleb outdoors to play.  I wandered around and inspected my 'garden'.  I found the one last tomato on my bought plants had started to blush yesterday...and was split from the rain today.  I do have more tomatoes coming on, but the plants definitely slowed due to the intense heat we've had.  

I sat down and worked on bible study while he played.

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I came indoors and put up two quarts of pickles.  Then I wandered around and cleaned up my bathroom, bedroom and the kitchen.  Does it sound like I've given up on vacation?  Not at all.  I did eventually sit down and do a little more work on that Bible study before getting up to put lunch together. 

I opened the cheese sandwiches.  They said they were 'grilled' but they are essentially toasted bread with unmelted cheese, and no mayonnaise or butter.  I decided to doctor them up and grilled them.  They were rather good.  The cheese in the sandwiches was more than generous, the bread wasn't stale.  They pretty much tasted like homemade sandwiches to me.  John and Sam seemed happy enough with them, too.   

The chips I served were some I'd bought earlier in the summer.  Stale.  Fortunately, there are only about four packets left.  I wonder if I can reheat them in the stove and crisp them up once more?  I served the sandwiches with applesauce cups.  I noted that the best by date on those is September.  I'll be sure to use those up prior to that date.  If it was a jarred item, I'd be less concerned about getting them used before the best by date.

I've pulled a frozen entree from the freezer for tonight's supper.  Caleb requested spaghetti and I had a frozen item in the freezer that I put up early in the year.  

I'm calling the day done from here.  Supper will be easy enough with a salad and vegetable added to the casserole and served up with warm Italian bread.

Tuesday:  I slept in this morning until past 9.  I was a bit surprised because I was awake in the wee hours after sleeping about 3 hours.  I felt much better and far more rested this morning.  It's amazing how getting a decent amount of sleep can improve pain levels, help body functions normalize, and give you a sunny outlook on life.

John made us breakfast.  After that I vacuumed the living/dining room, made our bed, then cleaned up the dishes.  

I decided to process the eggplants Sam gave us.  I had a plan of making a Parmigiana.  Turns out there wasn't enough eggplant for that.  I'd chopped the two Japanese eggplant, planning to put them into Armenian potato casserole which is smelling about awesome just now.   I salted the eggplants and left them to sweat.

I also chopped up six Roma tomatoes I'd gotten for $1 at the local store.  I put about two into the Armenian potato dish and the rest flash froze in the freezer.

Lunch was a gathering of things from the fridge to make our lunch nachos today.  I combined Sloppy Taco mixture and Refried Beans.  I'm afraid that the chips were stale.  I put them in the oven, and it helped a bit, but I'll watch the expire dates on those chips a lot closer in the future.  I know that they do have a limited shelf life, but I wasn't aware that these were expiring, nor the ones yesterday either, simply because I failed to look.

Wednesday:  Having given myself permission this past week to cry when I felt like it, I have shed tears several times.  Not deep heart-rending sorts of sobs, but just releasing the tears that naturally come from frustration, remorse, worry.  It has been helpful, but I can't say that it's a miracle working thing.  However, it does seem to release the tension that will build up.

Has it been a stressful week?  A tiring one perhaps, which creates some stress in itself.  Poor sleep for a couple of nights, being overly tired, worrying over things that I have no control over, or which have not occurred as I feared (and isn't that almost always the way of it?), that sort of stress has been upon me. 

This morning when I woke, I decided it was time to begin the packing process. My goal is always to be fully packed by Thursday evening, save the last-minute items that must go into the toiletry bag.  I have a bag of miscellaneous items we generally find helpful to have with us for the condo kitchen.  I have a few (very few) food items set aside that will offset the overall costs. I have asked John to retrieve the luggage which I believe is under our bed.  We generally only carry one suitcase and in that one we can usually fit our toiletry bag which also contains a flashlight, a clothespin to pin gaping bedroom curtains, a small box that contains a tealight, matches, and a small glass to use for Shabbat candle lighting.  

In the meantime, Caleb has been both a trial and a blessing.  He's associating this time of year with going to school and daily asks when he can go.  Wouldn't I just love to send him?  Yes, I would!  But I'm still rubbing up against the lack of consistently going to the potty.  He's made one or two attempts to do Number Two with success, but mostly he doesn't.  And he's very stubborn at times about going for Number One.  Though there are moments when he'll go off to the bathroom all alone and we'll find him doing it himself.  

As well, he's gotten much better overall at picking up his toys when it's time to clear up and he often asks to help when I'm in the kitchen.  Last night, he put away the cold items and leftovers into the fridge.  On nights I am planning to wash a load of dishes, he's right there ready to push the buttons to start the machine.  He puts dirty clothes in the dirty clothes basket.  

And he's also still three, very much so, and at times can frustrate and irritate and seemingly does so with every intention of seeing how hard he can ramp up those feelings into adult anger....and does it well!

Katie had a second interview with a company that had actually hired someone else a few weeks ago.  That person took another job entirely at the last moment and so she got called for a phone interview and was set up for an in-person interview yesterday evening.  The employer was very encouraging, and it appears she has that job once the background check is complete.   This is a normal process for an insurance agent.  And since she's passed this background check four times over the past few years, I don't foresee any problems with it this time either.  

She told her dad last night that it only took 144 applications and countless phone and in person interviews overall to finally land this job...I was speaking with someone recently and they said they had experienced much the same with their son-in-law.  "And yet just everyone has a sign, Help Wanted," she told me.  I told her I was too well aware!  

What will this change here?  Not much.  Since the end of July, Katie has been going out to do independent work with Lyft.  Oddly enough, this time around the peak hours are all daytime hours, which relieves me as I hated having her out driving late into the night.  However, it's meant that Caleb's full care is once again resting upon me.  It's easier in some ways than it was.  If it would only cool appreciably so that I can easily take him outdoors at least every morning.  

I should have Millie tomorrow if I'm not mistaken.  They both will appreciate someone to play with once they get over their stubbornness of refusing to play together.  

Thursday:  Millie didn't come this morning.  I spoke to Bess later and told her how Caleb had stood at the window watching for her to arrive.  He kept telling me he was going to open the door for her...I felt a little sorry for him and vowed I'd not mention her coming in future until she was here.  I asked Bess though to just plan to send her over on Thursday mornings whether they are working or not.  I think Caleb will very much appreciate someone to play with.  

After I'd heard that she wasn't coming, I took him outdoors.  We went to the compost bins to dump compost and look for the lizard that sometimes hangs out there.  I pulled weeds in the shed flower bed, while Caleb talked to me.  Then we walked across the yard to the patio where he played for a bit.  He asked to walk down the hill and stopped in the sandy part of the drive to dig.  I watched as he observed things around him.  He stood in the sunlight dappled shadow and took note of the shade and the sun.  He looked up through the leaves into the sky.  He watched a butterfly fly by and then watched leaves waft to the ground.  He watched the limbs move in the wind.  I wonder if he will remember this...Will this peaceful play stay with him?

We have packed.  I am ready to go.   I need this...