Monet and Me

 

On Friday, I mentioned I had a gadget that helps with Hot and Cold Flash Relief.  The device is Embr Wave 2 First a disclaimer, I'm not a paid spokesperson for the company and I receive no percs for discounts for the product or its accessories.

Monet is modelling the device.  It also comes with a charger with a USB you can use in a plug or laptop. I've never charged off my laptop. The device is not cheap, but I think it's worth every dime. 

There also seems to be an option to rent the device for $20 per month. 

I have had the device, the first iteration of the device since 2019. In 2022, my Embr Wave would no longer hold a charge so I bought the Embr Wave 2 as I couldn't live without it. My only disappointment was the device wasn't available in Silver as the Embr Wave was. Embr Wave 2 comes in Rose Gold or Black. I thought the black looked too conspicuous so went with the Rose Gold even though my favorite color is Not Pink. 

From the website, How It Works:

Wear Embr Wave on the inside of your wrist. Embr Wave generates cool or warm sensations by moving heat away from, or toward, your skin in waves.

Press to cool down. Press to warm up. Precisely calibrated cooling or warming waves stimulate temperature-sensitive nerves on the inside of your wrist.

Feel relief throughout your whole body. The thermal stimulus triggers a natural mind-body comfort response that helps bring relief for sleep, hot flashes, stress, & more.

There's a phone app that allows customization of the Cool Down or Warm Up Buttons. Plus there are lots of other settings to choose from. Time for the sensation ranges from 1 minute to 8 hours. 

I'm not sure my cold flashes are entirely age related as I also have Reynaud's Syndrome  Hot flashes during the day and night have gotten worse since I began taking Tamoxifen to treat and prevent breast cancer from coming back. This little device has been a godsend.

Last week after an iOS update, the Embr Wave 2 would not connect to the Wi-Fi. It took a bit of searching to troubleshoot the problem, but the what to do worked. 

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Whenever I see pig figurines, I always think the pigs should have wings. I found this guy at Ocean State Job Lots. He has wings! 

Deep purple crocus bud

Calli watches me as I fill the bird feeders

Spring is slowly arriving. The daylilies are poking their noses out of the ground

A delicate flower

Buds on the Japanese Maple

I asked Quill to smile, but he decided he wanted a serious pose

How does your garden grow?

Happy, Little,Time Waster

 

How to Doodle 1 Flower 10 Different Ways

The Friday Five Good Things

 Five good things that happened this week.

1. Evening television viewing still making our way through "holy" movies. Quo Vadis, Samson, and we found a series Moses, the Law Giver starring Burt Lancaster and Anthony Quayle

2. We went to the old people's discount shopping hours (8 am - 9 am) at Ocean State Job Lots to pick up a bunch of herbs and spices. I was surprised at the variety they had

3. The scruffy bunny came out in the afternoon to nibble the grass

4. A little device I have to help with hot and cold flashes stopped working after an iOS update. After some fiddling, I was able to find a troubleshooting solution that worked.

5. Even though it really wasn't quite warm enough for ice cream, Teague and I wen to Dairy Queen and had Blizzards for an afternoon treat during our weekly session.

How was your week?

TBT: Reprints from CJ's Whine and Cheeze

 In 2003, Ma had a stroke. Dad was her full time caregiver until he he had a car accident that totaled the car. So in 2006, I became their chauffeur among other jobs.

At the time, to deal with the stress of running two households and working, I kept a blog entitled CJ's Whine and Cheeze. Egged on by some friends who enjoyed the first read through, you'll see your part when it comes by.

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Code in My Node

It started last night. First a snuffle, then a wheeze then a sneeze. I was tired all day. I felt like my caboose was 2 miles behind. This morning, I was all stuffed up, and my sinuses felt like an elephant was sitting on my face.

Stumbled out of bed and told Himself, "I dink I haf a code."

"That's what you get for sitting in the doctor's waiting room with all the Weebles.

Doodling for Stress Reduction

 

On Mondays via Zoom, I participate in a class where we spend  a half an hour doodling our stress away.  

For St. Patrick's Day we doodled four leaf clovers. Who couldn't use a little luck in their day?

T Stands for 2OLOTR: Authentic Women Circle and International Women's Day

The real reason Teague and took a trip to Ogunquit, Maine was to attend the Authentic Women Circle. Teague has belonged to this group for many years. I wasn't a member but have participated in a couple of the events. I taught a Japanese stab binding album for the group many years ago and also participated in the Circle when the group moved to Ogunquit 15 years ago and this weekend was the anniversary. The meeting also fell on International Women's Day so that was celebrated also. The leader asked Teague if I would like to tag along. 

I loved the blue, wooden, fish sculpture that was in our suite. I was tempted to put him in a Fish Relocation Program and bring him home with me.

Saturday morning, March 8 was still cold, but not as windy.

The function room set up for the Circle. There were 12 women in attendance. I was the only new person in this group though I knew the leader as she and Teague are good friends. We have also visited her at her home when we have traveled to Ogunquit. Her daughters also attended the group, I had heard about them when they were little.

The Circle opened with music performed by Teague and her guitar. The format of the group is that each person gets a chance to talk. So I introduced myself as Teague's imaginary friend as so many people said to me "Oh, so you're CJ!"

We had been asked to bring photos of women who had inspired us. We did a show and tell about our women and what they meant to us.

At the other end of the function room, tables were set for luncheon

We had a wonderful view of the ocean

and a delicious, buffet lunch. Pictured are Avocado Caprese Sandwiches which I did not take as I do not like cheese. I was fascinated by the apple swan. There was also a lovely squash and apple soup, salad with chicken, green beans Almondine, and cranberry upside down cake. Water, coffee, and tea were available during the entire Circle.

In the afternoon, we had a half hour craft session where we chose a name from a pot. We could make a card or write a note to the person.

I received this lovely card

filled with wonderful affirmations: You are so loved. You are enough. You are such a gift. You are special.

The afternoon continued with learning some of the history of International Women's Day. 

Gorgeous orchid

Then we were asked to comment on something that was a highlight of the day. I think it was at this point or it might have been earlier, that a woman who had been sitting across from me said she had been in the Japanese Stab Bound Album class and still had her album!

The Circle ended with another song from Teague and the group joined in the chorus.

A shadow box table filled with gifts from the sea

An amazing day ended with  a beautiful 

sunset.

Drop by hosts, Bleubeard and Elizabeth's blog to find out what the rest of the T Stands For gang is up to. If you want to play, include in your Tuesday post a beverage or container for a beverage. Don't forget to link your blog to Bleubeard and Elizabeth's page.

Happy Mail

I'm always tickled around St. Patrick's Day to receive St. Paddy's Day cards. I'm amused to be honorary Irish 

Deb from Learning 2 Just Breathe sent me a delightful card. I loved how she used the Year of the Snake stamp on the envelope. I know things are bigger in Texas, but I have never seen a cancellation mark that large.

Her note included some fun stamps and washi tape. She also pointed out that her littlest granddaughter had applied the shamrock stickers on the front. Didn't she do a great job?

Good friend, Nan, never forgets me on St. Patrick's Day. She sent an adorably twee card. Find Your Luck and Share It. Now, she never forgets to send a card, but she forgot the stamp and the post office delivered it without stamping postage due in red letters all over it. The envelope didn't even get a cancellation mark

though the front and back have a faint orange bar code. Maybe the card was delivered by Leprechauns.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Spring must be here as a mangy bunny emerged to nibble the grass

Clumps of crocus

that some bunny planted in the grass

are springing up all over

Still no buds on the daffodils

I was hoping I would see signs of the Fern Leaf Bleeding Hearts that Anne Cornucopia had sent me last Fall. The shoots in the left foreground are Narcissus according to Pl@ntNet

More crocus

Annual Weed

Common Blue Violet

How does your garden grow?

Happy, Little, Time Waster

 

Blooming Tulip Flowers Timelapse

The Friday Five Good Things

 

Five good things that happened this week.

1. Friday night fish and chips during Lent started.

2. Daffodil shoots are poking out of the ground

3.  I'm not good at cooking St. Patrick's Day corned beef. At least the Irish soda bread was good. Next year I told Himself we'll have something I can cook like lasagna or ravioli.

4. Calli without too much fuss got her nails clipped. We couldn't find Quill so had to make another appointment for him.

5. After a two week, hiatus, another play day with Teague

How was your week?

TBT: Reprints from CJ's Whine and Cheeze

 In 2003, Ma had a stroke. Dad was her full time caregiver until he he had a car accident that totaled the car. So in 2006, I became their chauffeur among other jobs.

At the time, to deal with the stress of running two households and working, I kept a blog entitled CJ's Whine and Cheeze. Egged on by some friends who enjoyed the first read through, you'll see your part when it comes by.

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Waiting

Yesterday, took Ma and Dad to the doctor's office. I was hoping the doc would be on time as I needed to be out for the afternoon run to driver training and school pick up. Ma was ready, waiting, and half way out the door when I arrived.

We were 15 minutes early for their appointment, and Ma was hoping the doctor would take them early. The waiting room is set up like a bus station with two rows of seats facing each other. Nearly every seat was taken. Blew Ma's idea about the doctor seeing them early. Ma and I found two seats at one end of the room, and Dad took a seat by himself at the other.

The med tech saw me and said, "Are you here again?" (Since the Weebles have a doctor for every toe, we were there two weeks ago to see the heart toe. Yesterday's appointment was to see the primary care toe.) Two weeks ago, the med tech and I had an OPD Support Meeting. "So, how's it going?" she asked. "The same. You?" "Same." We both laughed. She was busy so I couldn't chit chat with her.

After ten minutes, she looked out from the lab area, "Wow, they're really quiet today." Ma had nodded off in her chair, and Dad was reading a magazine. "Oh," she said, "You have them separated." I winked.

Their first appoitment came and went. Their second appoinment came and went. They weren't called until a half hour after the first appointment. Why can't doctors keep their appointments? It's so rude. Makes me want to send the doctor a bill for the wait time, and then a denial to pay from the insurance company.

We were there almost an hour and a half just for them to have their blood pressure taken. Still, I got them there and back and made it home in plenty of time for the afternoon run.

Doodling for Stress Reduction

 

On Mondays via Zoom, I participate in a class where we spend  a half an hour doodling our stress away.  

The facilitator made a wavy line down the left side of her page. The divided it into pizza slices and then fill in with patterns. When I saw the wavy line, it reminded me a calla lily. We are always free to follow her suggestion or work on our own design.

T Stands for 2OLOTR: Two Old Ladies on the Road - Breakfast at the Beachmere Inn

Even though the days are sunnier, March is off season in Maine. Many of the resorts, hotels, and inns might start opening on the weekends, but a lot of the restaurants are still closed for the season. We stayed at the Beachmere Inn and their restaurant was open. Rather than drive around looking for a place, we decided to just have breakfast at the Beachmere.

A chalkboard on the outside porch wall. Beach. Best Escape Anyone Could Ever Have.

We each ordered French toast. I had mine with blueberry compote. Teague's orange juice is behind my cup of tea. There weren't many guests in the restaurant. There might have been another couple. We had a nice leisurely breakfast.

Back in our room, I was thinking of going for a walk along the Marginal Way, the coastal walking path that winds from this area in Ogunquit to east (I think) to Perkins Cove, a mile and a half away.  The wind was fierce and whipping the waves and sand. After we saw a lawn chair fly by the window, I decided I'd save the walk for another, calmer day.

Surprisingly, the wind didn't knock over the tree made from lobster traps and decorated with buoys and shamrocks.

The geese didn't seem to mind the wind

We puttered around and talked until it was time to go searching for lunch. We ended up driving to Wells, the next town North and stopped at the Bull and Claw. Towards the end of our lunch, the lights flickered off and came back on several times. One of the waitresses quipped it was like working in a disco. Another gust of wind, the lights went off and didn't come back on.

The waitress came over and said there might be a problem with not being able to print out our receipt. I was surprised the restaurant didn't have a backup generator. As it turned out, the waitress had printed out our receipt earlier and we were paying in cash. 

The lights were out on US 1 until we got to the Ogunquit line. Dinner was easy as we both had leftovers from lunch and took them in a doggy bag to heat up in the micro.

Drop by hosts, Bleubeard and Elizabeth's blog to find out what the rest of the T Stands For gang is up to. If you want to play, include in your Tuesday post a beverage or container for a beverage. Don't forget to link your blog to Bleubeard and Elizabeth's page.

Monet and Me

 

While looking for an item in the studio, Monet and me came across a project I had done a long time ago. I had made a box of chocolates. The original box I made was crushed, but I had a small box from the treats I bought from the candy house when I went looking for the gold elastic I needed for a project.

The chocolates are made from shiny brown paper and folded into a small folder. When Ma was 16 she worked at a candy factory. She could read the swirls on the top of fancy chocolates which told whether the inside was a cream, nut, nougat, jelly, etc. 

I made swirls for the chocolates using Elmer's glue and walnut ink.

The filling inside the chocolate was/is an accordion folded, strip of Arches Text Wove. A chocolate saying was written with walnut ink. You can see the back of the folder in the photo.

Today's chocolate saying is: If it ain't chocolate, it ain't good.

Happy  Birthday, (106th ) Dad. One of the biggest chocolate lovers.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Outside, the daffodils are starting to pop up

Inside, Himself has taken over the dining room with the hydroponic garden and all sort of things to be planted outside in another month or so.

In the meantime, we share the dining room table with Jack's Bean Stalks,

Heavenly Blue Morning Glory

Some other green things

Dirt or pumpkins and squash

Broccoli. Broccoli? Himself doesn't even like Broccoli. Oh, and Eggplant

How does your garden grow?