Fourth of July 2021

This Fourth of July we did our normal routine of shooting off a few fireworks, having some treats and foods we don't normally eat, and enjoying the night. Since last year, and the city allowing for larger fireworks, we got to see the city's firework display from our front yard this year. It was a pretty calm evening, other than the bangs and booms, we had a nice Fourth of July. Here's a recap of our day.

Five Simple Things (July 2)

Hello.

We're getting better from our accident, but I had a full blown panic attack on Tuesday and have been having nightmares. I was given a dream diary a few months ago and have started writing in it this week to keep track of when these nightmares happen and what's triggering them. My doctor tells me that at times the brain has an overload of information and it processes it in the subconscious when we sleep. A nightmare is just out brain's way of trying to figure it all out. My neck is still sore and my head, but not as bad as it was. I was able to brush my hair this week and it's still sore, but I just skipped over those areas. My bruises are fading and I no longer have to cover them up. I rode with Jeff to the store, too and was on edge the whole time. I don't know when I'll be able to drive again without feeling anxious. Time is what everyone keeps telling me and that's all I have right now. We didn't do a podcast episode this week because Skylar and I both just didn't feel like doing it. Our minds are overwhelmed at the moment. Skylar and I talked a lot this week and he told me a few things he's been feeling since the accident. I let him talk and get out anything he needs to, something my parents didn't do for me after a traumatic event, so I want to be sure he is able to have an open and judgement free space he can feel his feelings. Both of us are getting better and this week we really saw some positive changes with our physical, mental, and emotional recovery. On another aspect, we hit 119.7 here in the Willamette Valley on Monday and with Jeff's cooperative weather spotting with the NWS he may have had the highest recorded temperature in the state of Oregon. Two men with the NWS came to verify his recordings and as of right now it's the highest temperature. Jeff is pretty excited about that, because he literally made history. He is still waiting on confirmation, but either way, it's pretty exciting. Here are five things this week.

1. This Rug.

We purchased an outdoor rug for our deck. We weren't sure if we wanted to repaint it this summer, but for now, this outdoor rug is perfect. It's quick-drying and it's easy to clean. It's made from recycled plastic bottles, so it makes us feel good we are repurposing something that would have otherwise ended up in a landfill.

2. This "Puppuccino".

We had a a few extremely hot days this week and we spent a lot of time outside and in the water to cool off. We even kept our pets cooled off during those days, too. One way was to allow Hardy to get a Starbuck's "puppuccino" on the days we went there for our own drinks. Ultimately, it's low fat whipped cream, but to Hardy it was the best!

3. These Temperatures. 

Ridiculous temperatures this week and one day was over 119 degrees. Jeff still tracks the weather changes for the National Weather Service in Portland, Oregon, and some men with the NWS came out to check the gauge and make sure it registered the correct degrees and it did. With that said, it was the highest and hottest temperature recorded in state history. Jeff was pretty thrilled with that information and to know that, even in 100 years, people will look back on his recordings. I posted something about it on Twitter to the NWS in Portland and it caught their attention. Without me doing that it may have been lost in the shuffle with all the other high temperatures coming in this week.

4. This Box.

The summer box from Fab Fit Fun was a pretty good mix of items this season. The items I liked best were the salsa and guacamole bowls, Living Proof dry shampoo, citrus press, and the highlighter pencil. My favorite item was the PMD Smart Facial Cleansing Device. It's amazing! You can snag one here.

5. These Foods.

With the quite warm days this week the lack of cooking was a solid decision. I'm not much of a cook, or baker, but not turning on the oven was a plus. Our poor air conditioner has been working overtime, that's for sure.

Did you catch the moon between Jupiter and Saturn this week (28), or Venus last night (1)?

 

Positive affirmations this week:

Social media. A lot of people lose a lot of time sucked into social media. Some are so far down a rabbit hole I'm not sure they even realize how bad it's consuming more than just their time. The best thing I've found to do is to gear my social media to what I want to see. This week I took the time to unfollow, unsubscribe, and unfriend a lot of accounts and people that I no longer want to see on my timelines, or main page. I started with Instagram and then Twitter. After those, I deleted accounts and unsubscribed from email lists, as well. It's a lot better to look at things that encourage positivity, and encouragement, than negativity, resentment, and judgement. My Instagram is a lot better to look at now, as you can see from the video above. I love the accounts I follow now and see on my timeline and when I log in. I left Facebook for the very reason I mentioned above. Negativity is not something I welcome into my life anymore. I have cut people out of my life that continue to bring negativity in. Some of those people were family, too. We have to do what's right for out own mental health and if certain people can't understand that, shut them out. It's better to take some time away from them than to argue trying to explain why. If you are at these crossroads, good luck to you. You can do it!

Have a nice weekend.

End of June 2021 (1 Second Every Day)

 

Jackite Flight

Have you heard of Jackites? These paper kites are used as kites, but also used as a stable pole flyer, too. 

They are made of Tyvek, which is a synthetic material that is water-resistant, tear-resistant, and withstands a lot of "abuse" over time. The Jackites are durable and can be left out in the rain, or even the worst wind conditions. We picked ours up at the local Wild Birds Unlimited in Corvallis, Oregon, but there are several other retailers that carry them. 

Ours is placed on a fiberglass pole with braided fishing line, with a swivel hook attached to the pole and the kite's top. There is a fiberglass rod across the back of the kite to keep its wings out-stretched. When the wind picks up the kite takes flight and actually flaps its wings as if it were really flying.

Even in the strongest winds that we get here in the Willamette Valley the Jackite flies strong. 

We mainly got ours for a companion for our ducks, but unfortunately they are wise and knew it was a decoy. Other birds seem to enjoy it, though. The Starlings will land near it and chatter away with it, or the Doves will perch on the pole and when the wind picks up they fly with it. 

Ours is the Mallard Jackite, but there's several others that are just as cool. We didn't get the birds of prey because we didn't want to scare our ducks, or backyard birds. A few of our favorites are below. You can get your own Jackite by clicking on the image of the one you like best.

 

Five Simple Things (June 25)

Hello.

Last Friday evening we were in an accident. We were on our way to the coast to surf and a woman hit us on the driver's side towards the back and spun us around. In the process I hit my head on the driver's side window and had a concussion from it, as well as a bit of whiplash. I don't remember much after that, but I recall clearly before. I had gone to do a U-turn to see if something had fallen off the top of our car from our surfboard, and a woman coming down the road behind us wasn't paying attention and hit us. I still have no idea how she hit us other than she just wasn't looking. There aren't any obstructions or blind areas on that area of the highway. I never saw her after the wreck, but was told I kept asking if she was alright. Even in my worse position I was asking about someone else over myself. I do hope she is okay emotionally from what happened. Skylar and I still have some issues, but we are getting better. My car has damage on the diver's side, but it's still drivable and Jeff has been helping out a great deal with everything. He has dealt with the insurances back and forth, the Benton County Sheriffs that have called, as well as helping me get up and down and be able to remember things again. I've been having memory issues, but they seem to come at weird times. I forget if I've eaten, or what I ate, if I showered, or if I did a simple task like change my clothes, or where I put something. My head is painful on the side that I hit and I can't brush my hair right now. Jeff, Skylar, and I have been talking about it a lot just to get it all out. Skylar had seatbelt marks across his chest, but otherwise physically he is okay. Other than dealing with that this past week, we are all alive, the people in the other car are alive, and we are all okay. That stretch of highway sees a lot of car accidents that don't have good endings. I am glad to say we aren't one of those statistics and everyone involved is able to walk away. I wish I could say thank you to every single person that stopped to help us that day. No one cared about race, religion, political views, or even gender that day-everyone just wanted to help. I don't remember anything that day after the wreck, but I do remember a woman named Jane holding my hands and talking to me. I don't know if I will ever see her again, or if she was even real, or it was all in my head, but I want to say thank you to her. As well as, thank you to all of the people that stood with Skylar and comforted him while I was being cared for and taken in the ambulance. If for some reason anyone that was there that day sees this blog post, thank you so much for everything you did that day! I an forever grateful. Here are five things this week.

1. This Sunset.

Sometimes the evening sky here is amazing. We've gotten to naming this pink/red sky at night to Meirezsky and this week is was beautiful.

2. This Detergent.

I received Seveneth Generation Power+Laundry Detergent free for testing purposes from Seventh Generation as part of their Generation Good Advocate program. We normally use Purex for sensitive skin because Skylar and I have extreme sensitivity to certain perfumes, dyes, and even certain soaps. Most of the time we are fine with using Purex for sensitive skin, but we still have a few issues from time to time. We decided to give this detergent a try and the best thing about it is the fact that it does deliver on claims of being a powerful cleaning agent. It gets stains out that are normally stubborn or hard to remove even with scrubbing. The detergent is derived and powered by plants. The smell is less harsh than most detergents and has a light scent that doesn't linger on clothing. I've used it to wash out bed sheets, jeans, and even delicates and haven't had an issue with sensitivity. Only thing I didn't like, the giant plastic container it came in. Although it can be recycled, I would prefer something more environmentally friendly. There are pros with this detergent, though. It uses enzymes and surfactants to really get rid of some stubborn stains, it has 97% bio-based ingredients, and it's EPA Safer Choice Certified with 0% dyes, brightener, or artificial fragrances. 

3. This Sun.

From the morning sun to the evening sun. The sun hits the east windows around 6:00 a.m. and sets in the west windows around 9:45 p.m.

4. These Edibles.

 

Another edible I'm trying out for sleep. I can't take these for too many nights in a row because I don't seem to be able to shake the sleepy feeling the following day. I found using them on nights I am having a hard time falling asleep is when they work best. 

5. Summer Solstice.

June 20 marks the beginning of Summer Solstice and we are feeling the heat already. Our hottest day this week was today at 97 degrees, but we are supposed to get up around 100 this coming week. I love the heat over the cold, but too much heat is miserable. 

Positive affirmations this week: 

Staring at the ocean puts everything into perspective and makes my problems seem so small. The ocean-whether you love it or hate it, it remains the ocean. That is where I want my mind to be. At peace knowing that I am either loved, or hated, but overall I am just going to be. 

Have a nice weekend.