Valeria Out Loud

Hello guys! It is day 21, Sunday, and I am feeling great! Going strong still not drinking, continuing being active and conscious portion control when eating. I have seen and felt many changes in myself. I feel that inner peppiness again, which is nice. My face and skin look so healthy and my body is starting to curve the right way, in rather than out. 😆

It has been a great weekend, jammed with lots of fun. Yesterday was a day of cleaning and a night with our friends taking out Kowloon (Chinese food). And yes, those who know me know that I was dreaming of scorpion bowls, but you know, trying to stay sober. I love tiki drinks! I did drink hot black tea though. I also love tea, and it goes real well with greasy Chinese food ..and other people drinking. Again, these moments of restraint prove a lot about myself to..myself. I actually know I am a strong minded person. I have the willpower when I want it. I just always want it after Sober October, and never seem to find it.

Heyyy! My husband just handed me a tea now. ☺️

Ok so. Today was a perfect day. Perfect after an early af field hockey game and CCD. My parents came over to ‘help’ me with some yard work in the mid afternoon. I put quotes around help because my parents are older, my dad will be 81 next month and my mom will be 72 in two months. They look great for their age, but I can start to see age creeping up into their actions and mobility. They always ask to help me out around my house, so I figured today would be a great day. I had them play more of a foreman role than kneel and dig in the dirt. But they always surprise me with how much they end up doing.

Today’s plan was to plant, plant, plant. Remember a few posts back when I sounded like a centenarian mentioning tulip bulbs that I had to plant? Well, I had 36 tulip bulbs ready to go, then on Friday night, my husband and I had our errands ‘date’ where I bought a bag of 50 crocus bulbs. Yes! I have always wanted crocuses, too. There’s just something about seeing Spring flowers as I walk around that brings me so much joy. I want to feel that joy looking out my windows.

Along with the crocus bulbs, we grabbed a few plants. My husband had come home with about 10 plants a few days ago and we evened the number out to 14. Our yard is pretty big and we have a lot of gardening to cover. Our yard will always be a work in progress because of the amount of space. The past three years, however, have really brought more color and coordination to the yard. This year we saw a lot of the work starting to pay off!

I am so excited about my yard!!

My parents helped me layout the plants in the front yard. They brought me a big plant too! So make that fifteen plants. I forgot to mention that somehow. They brought me a sedum, and I planted it in the front corner for everyone to share in its beauty in Summer and Fall. 😊 it is so pretty.

Earlier this year, in early Spring, we had planted over 50 bulbs and plants. AND THE FRONT STILL LOOKED BARE!! Today we planted what I feel may be enough to cap it off on the left side. We put in a variety of pink azaleas and large catmint; it should fill up a lot of space year after year. Which is what we need desperately out there. After those plants went in the ground, I tucked in some tulip and crocus bulbs in rows between the plants. The tulips are pink, three different color and shape varieties in varying heights. The crocuses are the typical purple with yellow centers. Once everything starts blooming next year it should be a sight of consistent color out there. I am hoping they turn out next Spring. I’m praying!!

My parents stayed for a long while, they rested up with coffee and this amazeballs zebra striped caramel/chocolate popcorn that I got at Costco..on Friday night. Remember date night? 😆 Once they left, my oldest daughter’s bestie came over to bake brownies with her and her sister. They watched a movie, Halloweentown, and he ate over, too. Then they decided it was a good idea to ‘BOO’ some neighborhood friends since we got ‘BOOed’ on Friday night.

Do you know what ‘BOOing’ is?

It’s also known as neighborhood ghosting. If you don’t know what it is, it is covertly gifting Halloween treats and goodies to a couple of neighbors or friends. You place the gift, usually a filled Halloween bucket, on the person’s porch, ring their bell then dash so when they answer the door they find the gift only. They usually can figure out who it is from if they talk to other neighbors/friends who also got gifts, or if you were like the group of boys Friday night, you haphazardly hide behind the one lit telephone pole outside our door so I could see every single one of them. 😂 Too cute but they came so friggin late, it was like 11, and my kids went nutty trying to figure out who they were..till their friend emailed them their Ring doorbell video. 🤦🏻‍♀️ Technology ruins almost everything.

So yeah, each kid tonight got to ‘BOO’ a few kids in our neighborhood. Luckily I always have Halloween goodies around. It was a cute way to end a great weekend. 😃 I mean, a scorpion bowl would have been better… but ya know.

Well, I am going to dash now. Hope you had a great weekend! Thank you for reading. Till next post. Xo