Goals - by Irish - 2011

In the year 2010, I learned lot’s about myself my strengths and my weakness. One thing I learned for sure is that I am not going to keep a New Years resolution for very long, that is one of my weaknesses.

What I learned about my self surprised me. I most always make my goals, one of my strengths.

So this year 2011! I have five goals I want to accomplish.

And the good thing about blogging them is that they are out there on someone’s server waiting for me to accomplish them or embarrass myself. So here goes for 2011!

Health and fitness
This month I got the bad news from my doctor that I have high cholesterol 259 normal is 199-200. My doctor has put me on that little white pill. Even though many time over the past few years I have made a New Years resolution to watch my diet, and exercise more, by January 31 it was out the door. This year it’s different it’s a goal.

Goal # 1 is to lose 10 pounds, get my cholesterol closer to normal, while building a stronger body by April 1.

Old Movies
Since I starting growing up in the sixties, seventies, and still trying to grow up! I get so amazed every time I see an old black and white movie. What they did with so little in those day really fascinates me.
Goal# 2 is to watch at least one old movie a month for the next year 2011.

Dutch Star

In the year 2008 Scott and I bought a 38 foot Dutch Star diesel pusher. Which we plan to live and travel in to see all the beautiful sights we want to see. However with the crash of the stock market and our bad economy our goals to retire are still on hold. However we have enjoyed our Dutch Star when we have been able to take it our for a weekend even though it is a bit expensive to run.

Goal # 3 is to take our Dutch Star out to at least three state parks this summer, close to where we work for a week at a time in July, August, and September!

After Retirement budget

Scott and I have always tried to save a little for a rainy day so to speak. Around seven to 10 years ago we got the retirement bug and we started saving more aggressively with retirement in mind. For the last two years that retirement dream has become a goal. Now it’s time to test that financial goal while we are still working and have a paycheck.

Goal # 4 is to live on the money, that we think we will have, after we retire from our jobs. Let me give you an example of what I am trying to say. If we think we can live on 3000 a month in retirement. We will test living on that amount until 2012. 

Retirement

Growing up in Ireland many years ago we had none of today's modern conveniences or money. With me being the second oldest of five children I had to help carry part of the burden by helping my mother and father feed my younger sisters. So we grew our own food, gathered sticks to heat our home, and carried drinking water for miles. It seemed like I learned to walk and work on the same day. At the tender age of fourteen I joined the 9 to 5 rat race. Now after 50+ years in the working world its time for me! Why have I set this goal so many time and failed. “Wait” this little voice in my head just said “ It’s an ending.” But now I’ve come to think it’s “Just the beginning”!

Goal # 5 is to retire from a job I love! To go out side and play, and be the child I never got to be in spring 2012



Five goals, a few are easy, and a few will be more difficult.
Someone out there hold me accountable.

January 2011 – by Irish

I love the first week of January for two reason: the New Year, and my Birthday fall around the same time. I enjoy taking this time to reflect on my past accomplishments, setting new goals, and to challenge myself to keep pressing forward for a better me! Happy New Year!

We are only one week into the coldest month of the winter in Minnesota.

With the snow up to our butt

I take a breath of winter air and my nose is frozen shut

Yes, the weather here is wonderful you might think I'm a fool

I could never leave Minnesota, cause I am frozen to the stool.

Minnesota - January 2011

If you are an average person working Monday through Friday the nine to five shift, you might already know about FRIDAY ITCH. Friday itch is when you spend the entire work week wishing it was Friday. But then when Friday finally arrives and just one hour before you are getting ready to leave work here comes the snow. First you have to get your car all cleaned off, then you have to drive home our most travelled road in Minneapolis 35W your Friday itch is suddenly a Friday bitch!

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I am trying to see beauty everywhere in this commute home. After an hour or two of looking at the taillights of cars I started to realize that I can no longer fool myself. “This is a drive from hell.” Then we turned the corner into a side street we were almost home, and there it was a rainbow tree with all her beauty standing tall in the beautiful clean white snow. Just when my heart and soul needed a reminder that yes indeed, there is beauty everywhere!

“Now for a glass of Wine”

Saturday 15th

Saturday Morning, not long after I got out of bed I was already looking at my planner to see what was on my to do list for the day. Then I hear that little voice in my head whispering do nothing.

What a good idea I thought! And so it was born, every Saturday for the rest of the winter will be my “Do Nothing Day”

You might be wondering what happens on a Do Nothing Day? It’s a day free from striving, achieving or a to do list. On my “Do Nothing Day” I took a nap, read a book, watched a movie, held my Husbands hand, and played with my computer. What a fun day!

The coldest week of the year so far has just flown by.While it did nothing for my health and fitness goal, it was a great week for me the hibernator. With temperatures from zero to 40 below in Minnesota you can guess what we were doing. Yes we were sliding, back and forth in our rocking chairs.

Everyone has been fussing’ and fussing’ about this cold weather, those very same people will be fussing’ about sweating in the heat in no time. I myself do not mind our Minnesota winters, I stopped short of saying “I love them.” So as not to get my friend Scott in a rant.

The last weekend in January is here: We have been enjoying a little warmer weather in Minnesota this past week with temperatures in the high 20th and 30th. Oh yes: we call that warmer weather here in Minnesota. You will not be seeing us wearing our shorts anytime soon: but it has made it a little easier on my friend Scott the cold weather hater, to get out of bed.

Saturday 29th

If you have been reading my blog so far this month, you know by now that Saturday is my newly found Do Nothing Day! After not sleeping very good during the night I crawled out of bed at 7:30 yes 7:30 that is very late for me. Then I heard that little voice in my head saying its Saturday its your Do Nothing Day! I got that feeling of joy that I have enjoyed on my last do nothing day! But then another voice said we should go to yoga this morning. That other voice was my friend Scott. Knowing he was right I did need the exercise to reach my Health and fitness goal, So I said ok.

I stumbled back into the bedroom to get dressed to face the world that I was not ready to face on a do nothing day. I grabbed my gym bag and off we go out into the world to accomplish a few other errands we had to do before we would go to the gym.

We get to the gym with a little time to spare which I was more that glad to have because I had to change from street clothes into my yoga clothes before class. I went into the locker room to put my yoga pants on and you guessed it no yoga pants in my bag. These are the kind of things that happens if you try to do something on a Do Nothing Day. So what do I do now I thought? but then that little voice in my head came to the rescue. It said you have come a long way baby to get to where you are at this morning so go to yoga in your street clothes!

Ok, now I am laying on my yoga mat on the floor with my street clothes on, with a gym full of yoga people wearing their cute little yoga outfits! I was just hoping the teacher would start class a little early so everyone would be to busy doing yoga to notice me. It never happened for a matter of fact because the teacher never showed up at all. We all had to leave the gym without a yoga class!

I went back in the locker room to get my coat and gym bag. We were almost out of the gym when Scott said to me did you forget your coat? Indeed I did forget my coat, back again into the locker room to get my coat. So the moral to my story is if you have a Do Nothing Day do not allow anybody talk you into doing something, because you will only work twice as hard to do nothing anyway!

Sunday 30th

Unlike Saturday everything went as planned we went to yoga in the morning, and yes my yoga pants were where they were suppose to be in my gym bag. The teacher also showed up to teach class like she was to suppose to. We had homemade pizza and a beer for lunch other that a few pieces of pizza Scott dropped on the floor everything went like it was suppose to. We watched an old movie, washed the jeep, took a nap, and before we knew it Sunday was over.

Monday 31rd

No one looks forward to Monday morning that I know of, especially those of us who works the nine to five shift. So how do we kick the Monday morning blues. I always look for something or somebody to make me smile.

If you remember one of my goals for 2011 was to watch at least one old movie a month!

Movies watched in January were!

True Grit - John Wayne – old Movie.

Great Scout & Cat House Thursday – Lee Marvin – old Movie.

Mama Mia - New Movie

Laugh Eat Pray – Julie Roberts - new Movie.

If you look up in the right hand corner of A New Day I rated my favorite movie of the Month.

Thought For The Month – The happiest people aren’t the ones who have everything, they’re the ones who make the best of everything they have.

December 2010 – by Irish

We weren't ready for the snow that crept in while we were sleeping. It fell silently on the car’s rooftops. What made it a great day for this blanket of snow was, it was Saturday. I did not have to go to work. I have been in hibernation mode since my trip to Ireland and this just was a perfect way to just enjoy the weekend from our cozy little apartment window.

It was not so cozy a few day later when Mr. snowman decided we needed a few more inches of his white stuff. This time we were at work with a 20 mile drive to get home through one of the business roads in Minnesota 35W.

We left work a little early trying to get ahead of what looked like a few little snow flake, but you never get ahead on our most famous road in Minneapolis 35W… so what do you do?

You just go out there and do what you have to do. Be careful of the ice that is the color of the road, go slow which is no problem since you cannot move anyway, try to keep your windshield wiper from frosting up. “Reach out there and clean those wipers off Margaret” WHAT!!. Hours later we are home in our toasty little apartment, watching the weather channel. Lucky for us that we did leave a little early, there is a much worse traffic jam out there now. Yes we are Minnesotan! We just go out there and do what ever we have to do.

Saturday 4th, Sunday the 5th

Another great weekend has come to a close, not much going on here this weekend. That is just the way I like it these days!

It snowed on and off all weekend. We went to yoga Saturday, and Sunday, seems like it’s the only time I get to breath these days.

I also spend a lot of time on my computer making Christmas cards and reading blogs. Scott is also working on a few new hobbies.

Friday 10th

We rushed out of work today at 4oclock. Our Minnesota snowman has been warning us all day that a big storm is on its way. Our first stop was at the grocery store. After fighting the longest lines I have ever seen in a grocery store we got enough food to get us through the weekend. Then it was off to the liquor store to get wine, and beer. No snow storm is complete without a party in Minnesota. Since we were in the same block as our gym we went to yoga. Yea we even made it to Yoga!

Great! we are finally on the way home to our cozy little apartment to enjoy whatever mother - nature has in store for us.

Do you see our apartment building yet honey!

Saturday 11th

Mother nature did as promised! It’s here, a big beautiful snow-storm we are enjoying it all from our cozy little apartment window! If you wish you were here enjoying this storm with us come on over to Minnesota! It’s going to be around for many month and we share our winters here in Minnesota with anyone who is brave enough to embrace them. We will even give you some to take home.

Sunday 12th

It’s over 17.5 inches! of snow here in Edina. Most Minnesotans' except our “Minnesota Viking football team with a deflated Metrodome roof” are returning to life as usual. Our snowmen are out playing in the snow and there is snow everywhere here in Minneapolis this beautiful cold, sunny, Sunday morning.

Now for some other news.

For those of you that have read my stories over the last few years you know that my sister Angela and I have taken two trips back to our homeland together!

We share great memories and have lots of pictures of those trips. With Christmas around the corner… I decided to make Angela a digital photo frame of those memories! What started out to be just a few pictures of our trip together turned out to be a digital picture book.

I have learned so much about sorting pictures in Angela digital photo frame that I will redo my own digital photo frame to sort and display my pictures better.

Friday17th

Just in case you have heard of unexplainable explosion in Edina Minnesota it’s just me. I am so excited!!! I just finished my last full week of work for the year of 2010. Even though I have to work the next two weeks they will be short, we have time off for the holidays. I made it another year!

HOOT HOOT!

Saturday 18th

Scott and I went to yoga this morning after yoga we had a nice cold beer and lunch. We just hung out at the apartment for the rest of the day. No need to go out there to fight the Christmas shoppers when we do not have to. Any gifts I will give this year are along the lines of a “Massage certificate” or some “Life is Good” socks.

What do I want for Christmas?

Actually, there really is very little I want, and nothing I need. Most of my wants are not Things but rather experiences. I really want to do a lot more hiking, and camping. I want to take a road trip in a convertible. Someday I want to take a cruise, a train trip someplace, and I do want to see Alaska. The list goes on and on.

Sunday 19th

Other that the usual get up, get dressed go to yoga, there was not that much excitement to the day. I spend a a lot of time reading retirement blogs on my computer. What did I learned from all of the experts, NOTHING! I am more confused now than I ever was. “But I have a plan”

Monday 20th

Monday is always a hard day after having all weekend to hibernate and play with my computer, but when you have a Monday and another Minnesota blizzard together it can make for some tough going even for a positive thinker.

Another night stuck on 35W

Tuesday 21th

Back in November shortly after my return from my homeland, my health care provider came into the company I work at for a day and did a health screening on all of the employees there.

I just got my results back a week ago with the bad news that I have a high cholesterol level of 258 normal being from 100-199.

Wednesday 22nd

Welcome to the world of prescriptions drugs Margaret. Yes that was the bad news my doctor give me today. With my cholesterol level so high even diet will not bring it down. I should not be complaining because it is the first time in my life I have had to take a little pill for anything. Sooner or later that day comes for all of us for some reason or another. Maybe just maybe I can bring it down, go off the pills, and live happily ever after. “Just Dreaming”

Christmas Eve 2010

We had the day off work today, for a three day Christmas Holiday weekend. That is what I like the most about Christmas these days. We even got another snowy day with beautiful big white flakes, around 4 inches more!

OH,how much fun we had today, when Scott and I went out to play,hey it’s our Minnesota way!

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Christmas Day!

Merry Christmas everyone! From beautiful snow cover Edina Minnesota.

Friday 31th

We had the day off work again today for another long weekend to celebrate the New Years!

I started out the day getting my hair done, after I was all prettied up I had lunch with Scott. After Lunch we went shopping to my favorite store in the whole world REI.

Since my “Life is Good” purse was getting old and worn out (Ha Ha), I had to replace it with a new one. My new purse got welcomed into the family with Scotts usual response “ How many purses do you have?.”

Tonight we have to say good bye to 2010 which was a good year, to welcome in the future!

We will welcome in 2011 with a glass or two of wine and a salmon and vegetables supper, at our cozy little apartment!

Happy New Year Family and Friends!

November 2010 – by Irish

After a very busy month of October, I still feel like I am in a bit of hibernation/quite mode. My travel experience to Europe has been wonderful! I wish I could share more of it with you, but I am just at a loss for words to write! I feel like I need to take some time to try meditation and DE-Clutter my mind.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

October 2010 – by Irish

I am very tired. I have to take a break. With all that is going on this month I will not be able to work on any of my goals for the month of October.

We have made progress on most of our goals for September! Those goals are on hold now, because… I am going home to visit my Irish family!

Saturday 2nd

For the past two weekends we have had plans to go up to our lake lot to mow and just enjoy a nice fall day there. Like I have said before we can make all the plans we want but, at the end of the day it’s what life has in store for us that wins out.

Last weekend mother nature won out with 10 to 15 inches of rain and this weekend life has win out so far. Just as we were putting out stuff in the jeep Scott noticed a low tire, taking a better look we had a bigger problem. Now it’s seven clock in the morning and Scott is at the jeep hospital trying to get his tire fixed. I am blogging, I know, I know, I should be making the bed, washing clothes, or cleaning the apartment. But blogging is life now, and life win’s out!

Scott is back from the Jeep hospital with the jeep fixed. How much money? Let’s hear Scott's story.

After a bad start to our morning, we ended up with a beautiful fall weekend at our lake lot. We got our chores done and enjoyed some beautiful fall colors with a good bottle of wine.

Monday 4th

It’s back to work to pay the Jeep Hospital bill.

Tuesday 5th

Today I got that feeling of excitement again. I talked with my sister on the phone. We made a few plans for our trip home to Ireland. One thing we have decided on we are going to take less luggage. We will try and not have to check any bags which will save us so much time and trouble.

Wednesday 6th

Today my boss has officially signed my time off from work request, for my two week vacation to go on my trip to Ireland. It’s all starting to come together.

Friday 7th

Scott and I got up early. I mean very early like 3:00 in the morning we had a cup of coffee and some apple turnovers for breakfast. We had a big day ahead of us our Dutch Star got recalled again, for some nuts and bolts problem. We also have to take it to get stored this weekend for the winter.

The little deck always looks a bit lonely when it is not serving it’s big master the Dutch Star.

We closed another weekend, and another summer at the lake, with great weather and lots of memories. Scott is ready to share our last two weekend with you! "Closing the lake Adventure”

What a week? Scott was out of town all week, I was very busy with my day job. I did take time to get together with some work friends for supper one night. I have all my appointments made on my to do list. with one week to go before the big trip!

Saturday 16th

I started out the weekend with the first appointment on my to do list, my hair appointment. I do a little color once in a while. I do not have to do much upkeep on myself, as you already know. I am damn near perfect!

Next thing on my list is to visit Scott’s mother and father in St James Minnesota. We went Saturday afternoon and came home Sunday. We had a great visit. This is the last time I will see them for some time. When I return from my trip to Ireland they will be on their way to their little winter home in Arizona. With hugs and safe trip wishes we were on our way.

Sunday 17th

We got home from our visit with Scott’s family around 12:00. I caught up on a few blogs that I like to read. Scott and I went for a walk in the park.We are just having a relaxing night at the apartment, getting ready for a hectic week of fear, excitement, and my to do list.

Monday 18th

Scott’s is working in Mankato today. Margaret went to her day job and marked one more to do thing, off her to do list!

Tuesday 19th

Today I got my little carry on suitcase out. I am not ready to pack it yet just need to keep working on that to do list.

Tuesday 19th

Tonight, which camera to take with was on my to do list. I will not decide tonight which one or two, I will just make sure they are all charged up and that I have an extra disk for whichever camera I take on my trip.

Wednesday 20th

I skipped working on my to do list tonight. I had a glass of wine and enjoyed the evening with Scott at our apartment.

Thursday 21th

Today I called my sister to make some last minute plans to start our exciting trip! My sister and her husband will come here to our apartment in Edina for supper Sunday night around 5 o’clock.

I also had my hair trimmed today. The last thing on my to do list for today was to see my ear doctor. Everything checked out normal for me. What more can I ask for.

Friday 22th

OMG! I did know I would not have that normal Friday feeling before I left, because all day I was going to be trying to get my work flow in order for two weeks while I am gone.

I will not bore you with any more work details or try to explain my job. What I do want to share with you is what a great bunch of co-workers I work with. I was called to what I thought was a meeting only to find out that it was a surprise “you will be missed party.”

The cake had a picture of many of my coworkers waving goodbye on it! Wait!…. I am only going on a two week trip to see my family! I am coming back!

I also was able to get my flue shot today just one more thing off my to do list. With a hard days work behind me I sat down to have a glass of wine, and a quite evening with a special person, my husband my friend Scott!

Saturday 23th

We had a busy morning. What was on the to-do list today? Shopping, Macy’s had a big one day sale, and I did needed some clothes. Something I just hate to do, but I did it. I not only got a few things to go on my trip, I also got enough clothes to take me to retirement day, Wow!! did I say that “retirement day” now that scares me.

Any man who goes shopping with his wife would love Macy’s. According to Scott he found a very comfortable little sitting room with a TV in it. He had a great time watching TV until he had to pay my bill.

We had pizza and a beer for lunch in our cozy little apartment, then it was time to pack.

When Irish eyes are packing!

Sunday 24th

With everything packed and ready to go. The only thing on my to-do list for today was to get my nails done! This is something I only do on special occasions.

With everything on my to-do list done! Scott and I squeezed every minute out of the day to enjoy this last Sunday together for two weeks OUCH!

And finally my sister Angela and her Husband Jeff arrived. We had a drink and some oriental food together at our apartment before we to went to the airport!

Ready to go to the Airport?

And now I am sitting here wondering what the next two weeks have in store for me?

We did it!

I will share just a few of the highlights of my trip with you.

We had some great walks in the beautifully countryside of Donegal Ireland

We enjoyed celebrating my mother 92nd birthday!

We had many cups of tea together.

We enjoyed many of the beautiful thatched cottages in Ireland!

Yes….. all this beauty is just outside our front door of my family home!

A great place to do a little Yoga!

I just have to get my feet in the ocean!

I used to slide down these sand hills growing up as a child. No I pads or computers in those days!

We visited my father grave.

I am thinking… what if there isn't anymore?

As my sister Frances turned the key on the gate to our family home for the last time on this great family reunion, I also turn another page in the book of life!

With a month of planning, a great family reunion, and a visit to my homeland over, high up in the sky on my way home I caught the sunset over Edina!

Welcome home.. I missed you!

Life is Amazing!

September 2010 – by Irish

As I shuffle down the path leading through the park,
As the days grow shorter now and soon it will be dark.
I realize that life is like the seasons we live through,
Life is like the changing seasons always changing too.


Labor Day weekend 2010

Scott and I are taking half a day off work Friday to get a head start on this Labor Day weekend. We
have lots of chores to do up north to close up for the season. I will not bore you with them, I will let Scott bore you. Read – Last of the Summer

Now if you want to find me doing my chores it’s early in the morning. You will find me hunkered down in a corner by the lake waiting to get a picture of that early morning sunrise!

While I am waiting for the morning fog to burn off so I can get that Labor day sunrise!



I got a surprise visit from the baby eagles soaring overhead!



And their Mother keeping an eye on them!



And then finally my Sunrise! Yes all that in one morning.



Of coarse we did end up this labor day weekend with happy hour by the bonfire!



It was suppose to be a short week but it sure did seem long. I was very busy with my day job.


September is that Month that I have my body checked over. Monday I went to the the skin doctor, Wednesday I got my hair done, and Thursday I had my eyes checked. Later this month I will do my physical and my teeth. I will update you when my reports come in.
Hooray!! The weekend is here! I am free to blog all weekend, just joking. Scott and I will go for a walk in the park, Yoga, and just enjoy our freedom from those nasty chores.

Apartment life can be great!



Monday 20th

What a day today was, fear, excitement, and adventure, yes I had all those emotions today!
Ireland is calling me, Now I’m going home! I have said it before and I will say it again it’s so hard to be an emigrant.
Yesterday my sister and I got our tickets to go back to our homeland to see my 93 year old mother,  drink some Irish tea, do an Irish jig, sing an Irish song or two, and just enjoy being home!


October 24th is our take off date, with many details still to work out. I will update you on this exciting adventure as we get closer to our date.
Tuesday 21th
Scott and I are having another busy week with Scott working out of town for the next 3 days.
Wednesday 22th
With Scott out of town for the night my carpooling friend suggested we stop and have a glass of wine and get something to eat on the way home from work. Even though I am a home body now it was fun to get a little wild with my time.
Friday 24th
Scott and I got off work a little early today the plan was to go up to our lake lot. Its been almost 3 weeks since we have been there and we do need to mow the lawn and enjoy our Dutch Star for the weekend. Even though I get tired of that road trip all summer I was looking forward to going this weekend.
Mother nature had plans of her own! and her plans did not fit into our plans. Mother nature gave us many inches of rain here in Minnesota this week with more to come all weekend up north. Since we cannot mow anyway we decided to stay in Edina for the weekend.
Saturday 25th
A downsizing Junkies nightmare! Scott has been wearing on me for a couple of years now. When I say wearing that is a habit Scott picked up from his beloved grandfather! When his grandfather wanted something new that grandma did not think they needed he would just wear and wear on her until she had no energy left to fight back. Guess what grandpa got what he wanted and guess what again, grandma usually loved it, and wondered why, she fought back for so long.But of coarse grandma loved grandpa so what ever he really wanted she loved it in the end anyway!
Back to my story “A downsizers nightmare” like I said Scott has been wearing on me for over two years about getting a new foam mattress. At first his wear was he just wanted one because our mattress was worn out it’s about 15 years old. “I Love our mattress” The next six months was, I just have to have it! Now… we are up to the first year of wearing. Ok the next six month back pain enter into the wear and of course that new foam mattress would take care of that.
Over the last six month some stiffness in his arm and leg when he got up in the morning came into the wear, and the new foam mattress would take care of that also.
Well Saturday 25th October 2010 Scott ordered a new TEMPUR – PEDIC mattress. Scott’s new mattress will be delivered Monday 27th October and today Sunday 26th of October, the pain and stiffness Scott was experiencing is a lot better already. Imagine that! Scott has not even sleep on his new mattress yet.
Now I am starting to wonder If grandpa and grandma was cloned and the results is Scott and I. Or is it because I am Irish and just like to tell stories.
Monday 27th
Today I said good bye to my beloved mattress of 15 years!

Tonight we will welcome home our New TEMPUR - PEDIC Mattress!

The jury is still out on out new TEMPUR – PEDIC mattress. I am sure over the next month or two Scott will share some of his TEMPUR – PEDIC dreams with you!
For me it still is a downsizers nightmare.