Bfth's Boring Blog

January is almost over.   As the first month of the year, it is a month of moves.   The most obvious is that we move forward into a new year.   We move forward into a fresh start.   I'm trying to do more moving.   While I'm not as where I was several years ago, I am doing more exercise (the ever-popular walk aerobics) in the morning.   I try to do at least 30 minutes and then move on to 20 (or more) minutes of pedaling (no stationary bike for me, just the pedals), which gives me a chance to do Wordle and Connections   (note I am getting better at Worldle but find Connections to be a challenge.   I'm old and I don't know some of the references!   UGH!)   I'm TRYING to move towards better health (and weight loss although that is becoming more and more difficult and frustrating).   While I've "failed" at dry January, I have cut back on my alcohol consumption.   (I also plan to give it up for Lent...you know that doesn't always go so well.)   The c

  I never thought January would be such a rollercoaster ride when it came to emotions for me.  While this is the year I am seeking some sort of peace, I keep getting overwhelmed (now that should be my word) with all sorts of emotions and I'm having difficulty "centering" myself. Take this past weekend for example.  I was anxious as I (along with my husband) went to the shore house.  Did water get into the house?  Did the frigid temperatures (following the flooding) result in burst pipes?  So I was a bag of nerves as we arrived.  And luckily, all seemed well.  ( https://bfthsboringblog.blogspot.com/2024/01/what-difference-week-makes.html )  I was able to relax.  I took a walk up to the beach (it was brutally cold).  A friend/neighbor invited me over to see her new house.  (Gorgeous just begins to describe it.)  My husband and I had a nice dinner.  I had some wine (so much for a dry January...I can at least say that it has been semi-dry as I have cut back significantly).  I

 You may remember (if you read this blog) that I had a big issue last Saturday when I tried to get into the house at the shore.  (If not: https://bfthsboringblog.blogspot.com/2024/01/hanging-on-craving-comfort.html) .  Last Saturday was not one of my banner days. While I knew that the water receded, I didn't know if water had gotten into the house. (It probably DID get into the crawl space under the house.)  Then we got snow and ice.  Not much, but...Then we got more snow and the temperatures really dropped.  There are plenty of reports on the news about frozen pipes, burst pipes and how to prevent it.  Worrier me wanted to get back into the house and check everything out.  I wanted to come down as soon as possible, but while I had Monday off, my husband had a doctor's appointment.  Tuesday through Thursday, I had to be in the office for my three days a week "requirement"  (For some fun watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJQz_NvakuM ) .  Friday, I had to hav

  With really no snow last year, it's a shock that we had snow on the 6th and are getting it again today (possibly up to 4 inches which I know is not a lot of snow, but...).  And they are talking about flurries on Thursday and another couple of inches on Friday.  What is going on here?  Are we getting a winter like we USED to get?  While I'm not a big fan of snow, it IS something that we are SUPPOSED to get in the winter.  I don't LIKE it, but I think we do need it.  (More so than rain...which has just cause a big mess around here and I'm still slightly panicked about the shore:   https://bfthsboringblog.blogspot.com/2024/01/hanging-on-craving-comfort.html ) Which is why I think we need to be REALISTIC when it comes to winter weather.  It's  not just about the snow; it's about snow, rain and ice.  It's not easy to navigate and if you're wise you avoid it.  If you can't avoid it, you should be cautious. It snowed (just a little) on Sunday when my son

 I try to be a positive person (although my family would probably argue that point).  Is the thought that the universe will bring what you put out there?  Or to be biblical:   "A man reaps what he sows." (Galatians 6:7).  Or as the full verse goes:  "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.  Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.  Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." Of the above, the phrase that leaps out at me now is "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up," because I TRY to do good. (I do not always succeed; in my 50+ years on this earth I've done my shar

 I'm a reader.  You should know this.  I believe I read 89 books last year. (Although it shouldn't be a numbers came and I did [temporarily?] abandon my attempt to read all of Agatha Christie in chronological order.)  I do an annual best books post (since 2017) which I can't seem to keep to just 10 books.  Several years back I attempted to read every Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction since the category was created in 1918.  (I "finished" in 2016, so there are probably a few I should catch up with as the last winner I read was 2017's  The Underground Railroad .)  When I forgot to bring my Nook with me back in 2021 when I went to the shore, I practically had a breakdown ( https://bfthsboringblog.blogspot.com/2021/11/addicted.html )  I don't (necessarily) read for knowledge or self-improvement (more on that later), but for pleasure.  I love a good book (and good is totally subjective), whether it be physical or on an e-reader. However, I am generally a one bo

 On the first day of the year,  TCM  showed back to back Godzilla movies.  That day also happened to be the day that Japan suffered a 7.6 magnitude earthquake.  It was bad timing for  TCM .  Of course their programing is planned months in advance (or maybe more) and there was no way that they could have known that an earthquake was going to happen in Japan that day.  Could they have changed their programming?  Perhaps.  But it was a holiday.  Bad timing. Here in the Northeast of the US, we had our first real snow on Sunday.  It hadn't snowed in my area in over a year, so it was a big deal.  It was also a big deal because it was snow, rain and some ice.  It was not awful, but it was a mess, especially as this area has gotten a lot of rain over the past several months.  I didn't go to the office on Monday because of the left over snow and ice.  Yes, I'm an old lady and I don't want to slip and fall on my way to the bus stop.  Tuesday into Wednesday a nor'easter covere

We're a week into 2024 and I'm TRYING to hold out hope for this one, but thus far 2024 isn't impressing me.  (Come on 2024 you can do better than that.)  Here are my observations thus for (or may rehash of experiences over the past 7 days...or 7 1/2 days). Conjunctivitis:  You came in at the end of 2023.  One the very first day of the year hubby had his first telehealth appointment about it.  He got drops and oral antibiotics and was doing well.  On the second day of the New Year, I got it.  I did a telehealth appointment and got different drops and oral antibiotics.  I started to improve.  Then one night (I think it was Friday into Saturday) I woke up with semi-glued eyes again.  So I put drops in early (around 4 in the morning) and it seemed to help.  Late last night/early this morning, my husband woke me up...his eyes were glued shut with gunk again.  (He had just finished his prescription.)  So it's off to the doct

 My mom said it always snowed on her birthday.  That was not the case last year (see photo above), the first January 7th without you.  ( https://bfthsboringblog.blogspot.com/2023/01/dear-mom-its-your-birthday.html)   I felt it was important to go down and be with dad on that day.  And if it had been snowing up North, I would have given it a pass. It's a year later and it's snowing:   It started yesterday afternoon (earlier than they said).  The first real snow storm we've had over 600 days.  Now I'm not a big snow fan, but even I now that we NEED snow in the winter in NJ.   It's been unnatural and unsettling that it hasn't.  When the flakes started to come down, your grandson wisely came home and backed his (your) car into the driveway.  Then I carefully (and nervously) backed the white Buick into the garage.  (It took a lot of back and forth, but with guidance from your grandson I did it.  I know the garage isn't getting smaller and we've cleaned a lot

  A new year and a new "fun" story to share with you courtesy of  Computershare .  Never heard of them?  (I know I hadn't)  Well they are: "a global leader in transfer agency, employee equity plans, mortgage servicing, proxy solicitation, stakeholder communicatio​ns, and other diversified financial and governance services." If that doesn't make sense, don't feel bad.  I don't quite get it either, but... Here's the deal...they are the company I have to go through in order to get some stocks that were in my mother's name into mine.  And yes, I realize that I should have done this a LONG time ago.  My "excuse" is that I was dealing with a lot of other things that were more important (my dad, my family and my job) and the two stocks that were in my mother's name that I needed to change to mine were providing annual dividend checks to my mom of less than $80.  (One would send a check for eighteen cents to my mom every 4 months...ca