Fun

Friday Quote


Joy is the simplest form of gratitude. - Karl Barth

Hi Everyone, It’s Friday! So glad you stopped by today. I hope you have a great weekend. Stay safe. It’s hard right now but we have to live in our family bubbles so we can get past this virus.

In health,

Melinda

Celebrate Life · Fun · Health and Wellbeing · Mental Health

Just One Day Out Of Life

You don’t have to like Madonna to like the message of this song. We’re living in very unusual times and if we could just take a one day to celebrate life, maybe we could all find some peace of mind.

Take time for yourself today, your mental health needs you.

In health,

Melinda

Celebrate Life · Fun

#Weekend Music Share *All Right Now

It’s the weekend, I’m so glad you’ve joined me. This week I’m staying with Rock music, these are my coming of age songs and have great memories attached. I’m sure you have your own coming of age tunes.

What is your favorite music the time period?

In health,

Melinda



Welcome back to Weekend Music Share; the place where everyone can share their favorite music.

Feel free to use the ‘Weekend Music Share‘ banner in your post, and don’t forget to use the hashtag #WeekendMusicShare on social media so other participants can find your post.

Fun

Friday Quote


Life is the flower for which love is the honey. - Victor Hugo

Hi Everyone, It’s Friday! So glad you stopped by today. I hope you have a great weekend. Stay safe and please only be around your COVID FREE family and friends. It’s hard right now but we have to live in our family bubbles so we can get past this virus.

In health,

Melinda

Celebrate Life · Fun

Happy Birthday Gramps (1918-2012)

My gramps would be 102 today, it’s hard to believe it’s been almost eight years since he died. Gramps was the only father figure I had in my life and he was rock solid. On the first date, he made the guy give his driver licenses, car plate number, home phone number, parent’s name, where he went to school, and what movie he was taking me to see. I was mortified and remember telling granny if this is would happen every date I wouldn’t be dating.

My gramps loved me unconditionally, always living by example and telling me I could do anything, be anything. When I was a young girl we would watch Miss America and I would say I want to be Miss America, he said okay, you can if you work hard and really want it.

In all my life he only lost his temper three times, two I deserved. The other, well…..he was too sick, dying really and I don’t count that one. I had the privilege of being a caregiver to my gramps while he was dying. You find out what a person is made of and what you are made of when you’re faced with death.

He had kidney failure and we knew he would go into a coma a couple of days before dying. One morning he woke up talking but not making sense, I knew we were getting close. I made his favorite meal, potato soup, and called family. He would not get into the hospital bed until that day, he had refused. That day he knew the end was near.

We talked about how he would be with my granny soon and see his parents again. He loved my granny so much and was ready to see her, she had died several years earlier. I feed him or tried to, I ended up spilling soup down his face, we laughed.

There wasn’t a need to say a tearful goodbye, we had months to talk and share our feelings, say what we wanted to say and so there weren’t any tears. He was not in pain, just sleepy. What a beautiful way to die. Being able to talk about good times and then go to sleep.

My gramps loved to play Lotto scratch-off games. In this photo rendering, he is enjoying several cards we bought for his birthday. It was always the simple things that made him happy.

I know he’s proud of me and was the daughter he never had.

I miss him terribly and not a day goes by without thinking about him or the lessons he taught me.

Happy Birthday, Gramps.

Melinda

Fun · Travel

#Wordless Wednesday Fountain

Hi, it’s Wednesday! I’m thrilled you’re here! My interpretation of a beautiful fountain scene in Washington, D.C. from 2015. It’s not very colorful but I like the way the water feels coming off the fountain. What do you think? Did I capture the motion of water?

Fountain

In Health,

Melinda

Celebrate Life · Fun

#Weekend Music Share *Tough People Do

It’s the weekend, I’m so glad you’ve joined me. This request is from my husband. He knows how much I appreciate the grit of the older generation of my grandparent’s days. My grandparents overcame so much poverty before and after the war, my granny was a single mother until she married my gramps in 1950. Their life was harder than I’ve ever known it, in large part thanks to them. They taught me you have to get up and take the next step. I thank them for the lessons they taught me.

Keep dreaming of better days to come!

In Health,

Melinda



Welcome back to Weekend Music Share; the place where everyone can share their favorite music.

Feel free to use the ‘Weekend Music Share‘ banner in your post, and don’t forget to use the hashtag #WeekendMusicShare on social media so other participants can find your post.

Fun · Travel

#Wordless Wednesday Washington D.C. Monuments

Hi, it’s Wednesday! I’m so glad you’re here! These are three very important monuments in Washington, D.C., I hope you enjoy them. Pardon the date stamp, my husband forgot to turn it off.

WWII Memorial Washington D.C.
Korean War Memorial Washington D.C.
Vietnam Memorial Wall

In Health,

Melinda

Celebrate Life · Fun

#Weekend Music Share *Sweetest thing

It’s the weekend, YEAH! I’m so glad you’ve joined me. Did you know I take request? Drop me a line in the comments and I’ll get you on the air.

Bono from U2 like you’re never seen him before.

The world has been tested to the limits by the COVID-19 virus and we need to keep dreaming. There are better days ahead!

In Health,

Melinda



Welcome back to Weekend Music Share; the place where everyone can share their favorite music.

Feel free to use the ‘Weekend Music Share‘ banner in your post, and don’t forget to use the hashtag #WeekendMusicShare on social media so other participants can find your post.

Fun

Friday Quote

The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it.

Terry Pratchett

Hi Everyone, It’s Friday! So glad you stopped by today. I hope you have a good weekend filled with COVID safe family and friends.

In Health,

Melinda

Fun · Travel

#Wordless Wednesday Washington D.C.

Hi, it’s Wednesday! I’m so glad you’re here! This is my artistic interpretation of photos my husband took in Washinton D.C. in 2015. We were traveling to D.C. every month to see my Lyme doctor. He got to know the area well while I stayed in the hotel room resting over an 18 month period.

In Health,

Melinda

Celebrate Life · Fun · Health and Wellbeing · Men & Womens Health · Mental Health

The Top Things 2020 Has Taught Us

Photo by Lum3n on Pexels.com

2020 has been a year unlike any other. While it has certainly had its downs, there have also been a fair amount of happy moments, memorable moments, and things we have learned and taken away. No matter what situation you are in now, it is important to remember to keep positive, look forward and treat everything as a learning curve and something you can look back on and see how it made you grow. Here are three things that 2020 has taught us.

  • Never take anyone for granted

2020 saw us plunge into a lockdown where we could no longer see our loved ones that didn’t live with us. It taught us all a valuable lesson in just how much our friends and family mean to us. As the saying goes, “you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.” Without the privilege of being able to pop to a grandparent’s for a cup of tea, to head to a bar for a catch up with friends, or out for a working lunch with your colleagues, we all realized how much it meant to us. With this new realization, it is important to remember it once we can mix and socialize again. If there are external factors still meaning you can’t see your loved ones, such as a custody battle, it is important to meet professionals such as Eric Palacios & Associates Law Firm and get this sorted as soon as you can.

  • Never take anything for granted

Back in the deepest of lockdown, there were so many things we wanted to do that we couldn’t, and this taught us to never take anything for granted. Whether it was a simple picnic in the park, being able to go for a wander to the shops or to hop on the train and explore a different city or town for a weekend break, we all missed what used to be the normality. Having all of this taken away just went to show how much we can take for granted and that we should stop, slow down, and appreciate all the small things in life that bit more.

  • Life’s too short to do things that don’t make you happy 

With so much time to sit and think, or with having to make extra effort to work from home and keep the motivation going, this year taught us about doing what makes us happy. It gave a lot of us time to evaluate our life and career choices and to see if they were actually what we wanted to do. Many people decided to give running their own business a go, and it has worked out well for many and has been a learning curve for others. It’s important for your mental health to take care of yourself and do what makes you happy every day.

This has been an unprecedented year and one unlike any other. It is important not to focus too much on the negatives and instead look back and see what it has taught you. This way, you can grow as a person and better yourself for the future.

This is a collaborative post. 

In Health,

Melinda

Fun

Interview with New Photographer David Kanigan — For the Love of Art

How old were you when you picked up your first camera? How old? The wrong side of 50.  I’ve never owned a non-smartphone camera until COVID hit. And never really used my smartphone for “real” photographs, even though I loved the beauty of Photographs. How long did it take you to decide on the camera […]

Interview with New Photographer David Kanigan — For the Love of Art
Celebrate Life · Fun

#Weekend Music Share *

It’s the weekend, YEAH! I’m so glad you’ve joined me. Did you know I take request? I wanted to be a DJ when I was younger and love playing the music of all types and genres. Drop me a line and let me know what you want to hear next weekend!

This is a catchy song by Keith Urban and Pink. Such an unlikely pair but their voices sound great together.

The world has been tested to the limits by the COVID-19 virus and we all need to keep dreaming. There are better days ahead!

In Health,

Melinda



Welcome back to Weekend Music Share; the place where everyone can share their favorite music.

Feel free to use the ‘Weekend Music Share‘ banner in your post, and don’t forget to use the hashtag #WeekendMusicShare on social media so other participants can find your post.

Celebrate Life · Fun · Health and Wellbeing · Mental Health

Do You Have Quirky Things About Yourself? I sure do!

 

We all have our quirks, it’s who we are and when I thought about a few of mine today, I had to laugh.

I have to sleep on the side of the bed closest to the door.

Sleep with a heating pad all year.

Always sit with my back to the wall.

All of the clocks in the house are set 15 minutes fast, I’ve done this since I was a teen.

I can eat a fruit smoothie everyday for lunch, my last blender broke.

I only speak English but know couple of words in Spanish, Cyrillic, and French. I took lessons in Spanish, French and Cyrillic to no avail.

I can’t read music even though I’ve made an effort since I was a child. I’ve taken lessons for clarinet, piano, guitar, twice. I accept that if I can read music or learn by ear, playing a instrument is not for me. I recently thought about learming the harmonica for which my Gramps played but then realized learning is no different.

I like my things in it’s place and only that place unless I move it. There’s comfort in organization.

Do not adjust my office chair, that’s my privilege.

I eat with a half of a paper towel, as an adult how often do we use the entire paper towel?

I save all extra water and ice to use on my houseplants, why waste water?

No doubt there are many quirky things who make up the sum of me and I’m proud.

Let’s have some fun!!!! Tell me what some of your quirks are.

Melinda

Fun · Travel

#Wordless Wednesday Gothic Architecture

Hi, it’s Wednesday! I’m so glad you stopped by today. This is an apartment in St. Petersburg, Russia with great Gothic architecture. It’s a shame I can’t blow the photo up. The original is not on my new computer. The apartment building sits next to the beautiful Kazan Cathedral.

Kazan Cathedral-Russia

In Health,

Melinda

Fun · Health and Wellbeing · Men & Womens Health

Meet Jet

Many of you have asked to see a photo of my new pound puppy, so meet Jet. He’s around 10 pounds and will probably get a little taller, not much. He came in as a litter fo four and I picked the cutest runt there was. Jet’s a terrier mix and that’s all we know but he has the hunting thing down, you should see him go after the bees in my rosemary bush. I’ve also included a photo of him and sister Griffy. Our three-year-old Brussels Griffon mix. 

Did you get a new pet during the pandemic? So. many animals were being adopted in the surrounding cities it took us three months to find any dog. We were looking for an older dog but Jet came up for adoption and I couldn’t pass up his little personality. He’s me snuggle bunny. He’s also the reason I’ve lost 27 pounds! Keeping up with him non-stop is giving so much exercise. That and cutting out the cookies! 

 

Celebrate Life · Fun

#Weekend Music Share *Tribute Eddie Van Halen

It’s the weekend, YEAH! I’m so glad you’ve joined me. Be Safe. This week we lost one of the great guitarists of our days, Eddie Van Halen. You don’t have to like rock and roll to appreciate his ability to play the electric guitar. Of course, loving rock and roll makes you appreciate his ability even more. Here are a few of my favorite Van Halen songs. 

I need your help this weekend! I’ve upgraded my site and have a couple of concerns. Can you read this font? It looks very light for me. I’ve changed fonts since last week and hope this is better. What is your loading time like? If you would, please comment and let me know how your loading time was I would really appreciate it.  

The world has been tested to the limits by the COVID-19 virus and we all need to keep dreaming. There are better days ahead!

In Health,

Melinda

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Welcome back to Weekend Music Share; the place where everyone can share their favorite music.

Feel free to use the ‘Weekend Music Share‘ banner in your post, and don’t forget to use the hashtag #WeekendMusicShare on social media so other participants can find your post.

Fun

Friday Quote

Hi Everyone, It’s Friday! So glad you stopped by today. I hope you have a good weekend filled with family and COVID safe friends. You can always have a small gathering and social distance, just not many people at a time. 


Nine Favorite Things. - Half Baked Harvest
 
Unkown
 
 

In Health,

Melinda

Fun · Travel

#Wordless Wednesday Gothic Architecture

Hi, it’s Wednesday! I’m so glad you stopped by today. This is an apartment in St. Petersburg, Russia with great Gothic architecture. It’s a shame I can’t blow the photo up. The original is not on my new computer. The apartment building sits next to the beautiful Kazan Cathedral.

Kazan Cathedral-Russia

In Health,

Melinda

Celebrate Life · Fun

#Weekend Music Share * I need Your Help!

It’s the weekend, YEAH! I’m so glad you’ve joined me. Be Safe.

I need your help this weekend! I’ve upgraded my site and have a couple of concerns. Can you read this font? It looks very light for me. I installed Goggle Fonts and my site feels like it has slowed down. If you would, please comment and let me know how your loading time was I would really appreciate it.  

The world has been tested to the limits by the COVID-19 virus and we all need to keep dreaming. There are better days ahead!

In Health,

Melinda

 
 


Welcome back to Weekend Music Share; the place where everyone can share their favorite music.

Feel free to use the ‘Weekend Music Share‘ banner in your post, and don’t forget to use the hashtag #WeekendMusicShare on social media so other participants can find your post.

Fun

Friday Quote

Hi Everyone, It’s Friday! So glad you stopped by today, I’m sending good karma your way for a great weekend.

The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives.

Albert Einstein

In Health,

Melinda

Fun · Travel

#Wordless Wednesday Fall In Alabama

Hi, it’s Wednesday! I’m so glad you stopped by today, I appreciate you being here. This week I’m taking you to the state of Alabama. I love the photo and how it captures all the different shades of red.

In health,

Melinda

Celebrate Life · Fun

#Weekend Music Share *Dream Baby Dream

It’s the weekend, YEAH! I’m so glad you’ve joined me. Be Safe. The words to Dream Baby Dream are more relevant than ever. The world has been tested to the limits by the COVID-19 virus and we all need to keep dreaming. There are better days ahead!

Melinda



Welcome back to Weekend Music Share; the place where everyone can share their favorite music.

Feel free to use the ‘Weekend Music Share‘ banner in your post, and don’t forget to use the hashtag #WeekendMusicShare on social media so other participants can find your post.

Fun

Friday Quote

Hi Everyone, It’s Friday! So glad you stopped by today. Please be safe this weekend by wearing a mask.

Photo by Musa Ortau00e7 on Pexels.com

We cannot change our past. We can not change the fact that people act in a certain way. We can not change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude.

Charles R. Swindoll

In Health,

Melinda

Fun · Men & Womens Health

How To Deal With 3 Common Gardening Problems

Photo Credit – CC0 License

Gardening is such a therapeutic hobby to take up. In fact, it’s been shown to help a great deal with your mental health during the pandemic. You can spend so many hours in your garden tending to your plants and making everything look perfect. Things don’t always go your way, as there are lots of common garden issues to face. If you’re a garden novice, the advice below can help you deal with some of the most frequent problems in your back garden:

A lack of sunlight

Plants need sunlight to grow big and strong. They take the energy from the sun and use it to grow and carry out other plant functions. You may have a lack of sunlight in your garden that’s not caused by the climate. It could be sunny as hell, but your plants are stuck in the shade due to big obstacles.

Combatting this can be both easy and hard – depending on what the obstacles are. If it’s something you can move with ease, then the problem is solved in minutes. However, trees tend to be the biggest culprits. So, you may have to have yours chopped down or trimmed. Don’t attempt this yourself; companies like the Sydney Tree Company can do it for you. It’s never a good idea to attempt to cut something big down as you have no idea where it can fall!

A lack of water

This is a problem for lots of gardeners during the summer months. The sun comes out, the rain dries up, so your garden is left with no water at all. In some areas, this can go on for a good few months. While your plants need sunlight, too much of it and too little water will cause them to burn up and die. 

As such, you need to be strict with your watering schedule. You’ll have to be out there at least once or twice a day giving your whole garden a little shower. Personally, I think sprinkler systems work the best as you can turn them on and do something else while they water your garden. Plus, there’s no danger of overwatering the plants as the sprinkles distribute the water evenly. 

Too much water

Yes, you can have too much water! As you can probably tell, gardening requires a fine balance of sunlight and water. When the rain clouds come out to say hello, you may be inclined to rejoice. However, if it pours with rain and waterlogs in your garden, your plants will not be happy. Too much water will basically drown the plants and turn them a strange yellow color. 

To rectify this problem, you need a good drainage system for your plants. Some people like to hang theirs in plant pots, while others install a proper irrigation system in their lawn. The choice is yours, just be sure there’s a place for the water to run down when it rains. 

On that note, you’ve come to the end of today’s tips. I hope they will help any aspiring gardeners deal with some of the most common and annoying issues. Now, you can start gardening with more confidence and fewer problems.

This is a collaborative post.

In health,

Melinda