Family caregivers: did you do something for yourself today? Big or little, post it here and celebrate it!

Lol, Llamalover! Yes, there has been some of that here. Mom sneaks her soiled things into the washer without telling me. Then I open up the door and get a whiff...WHOOO!

So is the tree all rested, Rainmom? Are you decorating it yet?

Today after I dropped mom off at dialysis, I decided to abandon the errand-running and take a long drive (alone) around the countryside. To heck with it! I love driving, especially through the grasslands and forests. LOVE. Needed it.

Dorianne this is a very uplifting thread that you initiated! Makes all of us remember that we too live and also helps us count our blessings.

I normally enjoy cooking, but today I didn’t make anything fancy, just good mashed potatoes, guacamole and beans from scratch (chicken already made). Gotta say I’ve became a much better “chef” since caring for my mom. I get this happy feeling when my creativity is released in any way!!

Also sat on the couch sketching furniture I want to have made here to hopefully sell!! 
See, I’m new to this country and finding a job here is a nightmare, so why not dream and even try to use my creativity and interior design “gift” to see if my 👁 for beauty and taste is liked here in Nicaragua? It’d be a great way to make a living while caring for my mother!

And went to local folkloric market for about half hour. I just needed measuring tape, but I always love to look at the colorful things they make...and the PURSES!!! OMG, if any of you ladies could see (there should be a way to post pics here!) the purses made here..pure wonderful leather (sorry, I love animals, but they’re just gorgeous!) you probably could not resist. When I lived in the US I used to buy those purses and I have a decent collection. Now I just purse-window-shop, but it makes me 😊!

Lastly, watched half hour of The Voice, I’m probably behind the US so please don’t tell me who wins if you know!  really enjoyed it!!

Rosses, welcome. It's always nice to meet another artist! Please tell us more about your furniture designs - are they modern, traditional, maybe even perhaps reproductions of classic styles?

Are they of wood, and if so, are you a woodworker? If so, you must be familiar with Norm Abram, a master carpenter who hosted the New Yankee Workshop, and Roy Underhill, also a master carpenter whether designated that or not. Underhill makes his own tools, doesn't use any electrical tools, and produces the most inspiring works of art. It tires me just to watch him chiseling or drilling by hand.

There are already some pencil artists here. Maybe we should start a separate thread for caregiving artists.

No, Dorianne - no ornaments on the tree just yet but I do think the tree has settled. The tip is still a little crooked- had hoped it would stand straight eventually but instead I’m either gonna have to cut it a bit or try to disguise it with strategic angle placement.

Got up before dawn so I could shower while Rainman was still sleeping- as soon as his companion gets here to take him out I’m off - doing something for me! I’ve got a gigantic tattoo project in the works.

So Rainmom, by gigantic tattoo project, do you mean one you're getting or one your giving? If getting, what are you having done?

@ Rosses and GardenArtist - I wouldn't mind an artists thread, but I haven't really done anything for a few years now, since I've been more focused on music, and then momcare. I did buy myself a new sketchbook and fresh graphite pencils a couple of weeks ago, but I'm ashamed to say I haven't even touched them yet. I also have a keyboard here to learn to play, and a guitar I should be practicing on! Lol. Maybe a "creative arts" thread would be nice? Maybe there are other musicians here, too. I could use a kick in the pants to get moving on any of these creative activities! :-)

Oh and I forgot my what I did for me comment! Derp.

I booked a massage therapy appointment for today that I really didn't NEED....but I wanted it. Lol. I probably go more than I actually need to, but it's my one "luxury" expense, so. :-P

GardenArtist,

Thanks for the welcome! This actually would be my first time attempting this furniture making idea, as since I moved to take care of my mother in her own home in Nicaragua I’m trying to find a way to make a living in a way that doesn’t interfere with my caring for her and doing something I love, and I LOVE anything design!!

It’s interesting how something good can come from anything we go through in life. See, before moving here I had an estate sale in my house selling most of my furniture and decor items, and it was very successful, everybody complimented my “eye” for decoration and style, which made me think that maybe I could take advantage of that and design furniture here! (There is beautiful and durable wood here and very talented people).

I’m an antiques lover, but by no means a connoisseur, just an eye for beauty I guess. My home used to combine beautiful antique pieces with more modern items. That’s where my love for interior design, and now furniture design come from!

Aside from that I love painting! although I haven’t done it in a very long while. I prefer oil painting and charcoal sketches, love portraits. Still a long way to go for my portraits though!

So I think it’d probably be appropriate a thread about “creative arts or creative minds” like Dorianne suggests! It’d be very refreshing hearing about what others with an artistic vein or just arts inclined are doing or thinking of doing. :)

Dorianne: Wow! I hear you! I hope I don't do that same thing to my daughter. Good for you on that lovely drive!

Rosses: Yes, thanks for such an uplifting post!

Dorianne- it’s a large piece that I’m having done - beginning to end it will be a year in the making. Yesterday I had this part done - a small part from a loooooong poem by William Wordsworth:

“Though nothing can bring back the hour of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower,
We will grieve not, rather find strength in what remains behind”.

That sounds lovely, Rainmom!  Wish we could share photos here on the forum!

Rosses - I find decorating and design interesting too! But I'm more the Queen of Budget Decorating, lol. I never had much money, but I used to love to haunt thrift stores and doing things to improve my space.  Kinda let my own apartment go a little since moving mom here, and especially now I am staying with her. 

Today I spent the afternoon with BFF while mom was at dialysis. We went to a couple of out-of-the-way stores we'd been talking about, and also saying all the complain-y things about our elderly mothers that we can't say in front of other people, lol.

Thank you, Dorianne. I’m pleased with it so far.

I got my first tat about twenty three years ago - before it was so trendy, I might say - it was a symbolic gesture to celebrate my divorce.

I always planned to add on to it but as the great John Lennon said “life’s what happens when you’re busy making other plans.”

Finally, last spring I decided to get back to doing things that I wanted to do.

First, I did a tat that is a memorial to my parents. Mainly it’s for my dad - but I did include a nod to my mother. It’s really beautiful- turned out better than I had hoped for even. How often does that happen? Lol!

After that tat healed I moved on to giving my old tat a facelift and to do the additional art I had been thinking about for over twenty years. It felt good - getting back to thinking/doing what I want - instead of putting EVERYONE else first.

The project keeps getting bigger - but I don’t really know how to explain it - with each visit to my tat artist, I feel more free. Just free. Considering tattoos are a relatively permanent commitment- it’s a weird contradiction. But there it is.

@Dorianne - OFF-TOPIC thanks for the pointers on the blending of Prismacolor pencils!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE MINE...and have recently fallen off the deep end into Bible Journaling!! It's FANTASTIC! There are Bibles specifically for this, and you can illustrate the verses that are important to you - as you SEE them (I'm also an ADULT COLORED PENCIL ENTHUSIAST, and I buy individuals at CheapJoes.com, so I can get the ones that I need individually so I don't have to buy the whole set bc at this time I have 3 boxes of pencils...but when I do order individuals, I still end up ordering a ton of them, anyway, lol!!) Anyway, I would love to talk offline about what you do to blend the colors - right now I use the light colors for the same one (sky blue for the dark blue, pale pink for crimson red, etc) or WHITE, and that helps, but I'm always looking for a new techniques to enhance my journaling.

Anyway, back to TOPIC, I got my nails done and had one of the best pedicures out there (I do this every month, but usually I take my Grandmother with me, so this time I didn't have to worry about her being restless or impatient)...so it was DEFINITELY FOR ME!

Dorianne,

My love for design and antiques also live on a budget! I used to live about half and hour away from Manhattan and used to spent most of my weekends at the wonderful NY flea markets, that’s where most of my beloved antiques came from. That’s a big part of the fun, to “score” finding great pieces at great prices!! :)

But all that seems to be part of such an old, old, old life..! that’s I guess why I’m trying to adapt what I like to what I have.

And Rainmom, I love the deep meaning of the phrase you’re getting tattooed, very appropriate for us caregivers who many times lose hope and feel like life has nothing else to offer; yet there’s always hope, and therefore instead of longing for what is gone, we need to open our lives to what may come, which may very well be much more rewarding than what we have had and lived!

Thank you for sharing that, and I so hope we could see pictures here!!

I had a fun afternoon playing mah Jongg with friends. My mom told me I have been gone a lot this week, and for the first time in 2 1/2 years, I didn't feel guilty. She exaggerates!! 😍

@ycatsms - For the mineral spirits, just keep a little bit of it in a jar beside you while you work. Dip a brush or a q-tip (yes!) in and brush or smear it over the parts of the coloured pencil on your paper that you want to blend. Brushes and q-tips will give different results. Also the MS will get dirty with use, so just put a little in the jar and change it every once in awhile.  Your paper MIGHT buckle slightly if it's thin, but I've used it on regular Strathmore drawing paper and never had a problem. Plus you can flatten the paper easily - just spray the back with a tiny bit of water, sandwich it between glass and put some books on top.

I got the mineral spirits tip and lots of others from this book, which I found years ago at the public library (I own it now): https://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Colored-Pencil-Techniques-Step/dp/0762401176

I also own this book, which is completed drawings and "paintings" - VERY inspirational, also found at the library at first:  https://www.amazon.com/Best-Colored-Pencil-No-1/dp/1564960498

I don't know how to message offline with people in the forum - no contact info. Did you mean private message? Or we can go ahead and start that Creative Arts thread!

@Rainmom - I find tattooing such a fascinating art. Mother of BFF's grandchild is a tattoo artist. I never had the money to do one before, but I've always wanted to. This might sound weird, but for decades I've wanted a tat of....Pippi Longstocking hoisting Wonder Woman in the air. :-P

@Rosses003 - what's it like for markets where you are? Like for used furniture and things? Are there any flea markets at all? Here in Western Canada I haven't found anything near what there is back east either, as far as Euro-style antiques...but I've found a lot of cool old things of Chinese and Indian origin, as Chinese and Sikh immigrants came to BC the same time as European immigrants. I've got a thing for hunting down old green glazed ginger jars. I found one with the lid AND the original label once and just about wet myself with excitement - SIX BUCKS! Lol.

@beejaycee - that sounds like a lot of fun! No guilt! You are an adult! :-D

Today while mom was at dialysis, I visited best guy friend.  He wanted to show off his new plants.  After, on a whim, I went to the nursery and bought myself two little ivy plants for my east-facing bedroom window sill at mom's.  I mean, if chain-smoking, rock guitar-playing, bachelor-in-perpetuity best guy friend can buy new plants. so can I!!

Mom has NO greenery here. I tried to get her some when she first moved here, but she kept killing everything from neglect. I NEED living plants. I went from living in peace on a tree-lined riverbank, to being six floors up overlooking a dang shopping mall, staying here at mom's. Blech.

Also I took myself over to BFF's when home support arrived tonight and didn't come home till nearly 11:30! Fortunately mom was in bed when I got back. I HATE being asked, at 49, "Where have YOU been?" Ugh. *insert many swear words here*

@Dorianne, no markets here, other than supermarkets! :-/ it’s amazing how you can’t find anything antique here, it’s like if there is no history, I don’t get it. just kind of old stuff without character. That’s why I’m trying to come up with “my own pretty” with my furniture design idea. We’ll see how that goes. So far I haven’t gotten too far because haven’t been able to leave my mom to go where the furniture makers are (about an hour away from where I’m).

And you definitely scored with that jar for six bucks!! Doesn’t it feel great to find those deals? That type of findings make ones day for sure.
If you ever go to NY I can give you ideas of flea markets that are awesome, but dangerous if one doesn’t stick to a budget..been there, done that unfortunately!

For my antiques I always gravitate to lamps, chairs, interesting prints and empty picture frames..oh, and my weakness, mirrors!! I realized that when I moved. Sold a bunch of mirrors and still have about four that I simply couldn’t part with! Some things you cannot let go of ;-)

Rosses - so what is the home decorating style like down there? Now I'm very curious how people decorate their homes! You said you're in Nicaragua, right? (I think?) Are you in a small town? Maybe there is a neighbour or a family friend who could stay with your mom for part of a day while you check out bigger cities and furniture makers?

I just looked up "Nicaragua home decorating styles" on Google image search, and there does seem to be a real diversity of furniture styles! So there must be second-hand stuff somewhere!

Well, I had a big bad set of painful muscle spasms in my injured leg this weekend, and I didn't really get to do anything for myself! So....pizza with best guy friend Saturday because I'd already promised, but nothing else to report except sleep, when it finally came.  I will probably be up half the night now, after so much sleep!

Yesterday we celebrated our grand daughter's 1st Birthday. We all went to the park. The kids and my other older granddaughters were there. we had a beautiful cake and we all celebrated Savannah's day. It was so nice to breath fresh air, watch all the kids and some adults play :-). My husband and I were able to relax and enjoy a day without all the demands of my Mom.

This morning 12-11-2017

I got up early and sat quietly reading my Bible and Devotionals. I got to do that and enjoy a cup of coffee...before anyone was awake :).

Bookworm, I LOVE your flapper poster - it's so lovely!

I shuddered when I thought about sitting in a park. Winter has at last arrived, as has the cold weather. Poking my head out to get the mail is all right, but anything farther than that induces an uncomfortable chill.

Hot chocolate is the order of the day in this section of Michigan, so my thermos will be filled with that when I venture out to go visit my father.

@Dorianne, we are in Managua, the capital, but most people go for a more modern style, pretty simple lines. It’s what most stores sell. But there are also talented furniture makers, beautiful wood products, that’s what I’m trying to get into, but I’m limited with time and transportation.
Although we do have family that live here unfortunately I cannot count on anybody’s help (part of why i decided to move here to take care of my mom).

On a different note, I meant to suggest to you to try growing succulents, they’re beautiful and relatively low maintenance, orchids too, many people say they cannot keep them alive but they’re really good plants. Plants always make life a little happier.

As far as what I’ve done today, I called a dear friend of mine in the US for her birthday and it was nice to still feel connected to my ‘former life’.
I also had a good day with my mom, we didn’t do anything special but she was in a good mood. We both even laughed when she almost fell face down on her bed as she was going to seat down! It wasn’t a dangerous situation, just funny. It had been a long long time since I laughed with my mom! :)

@GardenArtist, the one thing I don’t miss at all from the US is the cold and snow! I’ll send some warm thoughts infused with sun rays to Michigan! :)

Bookworm and GA - I had the same reaction as GA to sitting in a park, lol! It's only -1 C (about 30 F I think?) but it just feels...brrrr!!

Rosses - when I looked up pics from Nicaragua, I saw a lot of Spanish colonial furniture as well as modern....maybe people just refuse to give it up to flea markets? I have grown succulents successfully at my own place, but I face south and mom faces east. I do love them! And this is such a dry, hot part of Canada in the summer that I can put them out on my south-facing balcony in summer. Best guy friend has some hens and chicks that are descended from his grandma's plant. I might take a snippet and see how they do here in the windowsill.

What did I do for myself today....I feel like I never stopped today! But that's because I was making soap with BFF. Which was actually quite fun! We have a friend who would like handmade soap to sell in her store, and her usual supplier has stopped making it, so we thought we'd give it a whirl. We used melt and pour soap (glycerin-based), but I think the experience has taught us that we'd like to try making real cold process soap. You can do so much more with it, especially where colour is concerned.

We bought some essential oils to scent our soaps. We both cursed and cursed our friend for her love of patchouli. That stuff is RANK. Of course, a lot of her customers (she runs a metaphysical store) apparently love, love, love their patchouli. Which is why we included that oil in our purchases. But I just don't honestly get it. If I could make a custom scent for me, it would be crisp greens and citruses, light spring florals, and woody undertones.

What is everyone else's "perfect" scent? You don't have to know what's in it, but do y'all have a favourite perfume? (I like 2, both by Alfred Sung: Jewel and Shi.)  Or maybe a favourite aromatherapy scent?  (I like ylang ylang and sandalwood.)

I swear I won't judge you if you say patchouli, lol!

Giving this topic a bump!

Today I set up an android emulator on my laptop so I could play Angry Birds without squinting at my phone, lol.

Dori I also HATE patchouli.. i also hate musk. As for my scents,, I love anything by escada! But Bath and Body Works is my daily fix.. can't wear strong scents at the hospital!

I wonder if patchouli is like cilantro? You know how some people love it, and some people's taste buds are totally offended by it? Maybe it's similar.

I had a co-worker with scent allergies once. I got out of the habit of wearing it most of the time. It would get to where she couldn't breathe, what an awful thing to experience. :-(

Lol @ patchouli being like cilantro! I honestly would have a hard time smelling patchouli, let alone wearing it!

It’s not a soap but my perfect match as far a scents is gardenia, it’s just so soft and perfect!

I ignore everything about the soap making process but I’m sure aside from interesting it is very relaxing. Good for you Dorianne!

What did I do today for myself? I made a flan! 🍮 Love cooking, and every day I try to come up with something new to make. I added some Baileys to it and some rum..my mom has no idea about my “secret ingredients” but she loves it! ;-)