Mental Health Monday

HEADACHE UPDATE

I think I've finally turned the corner. I didn't have any cluster headaches while I was at Nathan & Laura's last week. I stopped using my oxygen machine at night. I haven't had to take any sumatriptan since last Wednesday. There's a light at the end of the tunnel!

ROAD TRIP

Yesterday we got back from a week with Nathan, Laura, Calvin, & Claire in Eagan, MN. We had a great time. Gosh, those grandkids are cute. Claire wasn't too sure about us the first day, but she quickly became buddies with us. She rolls all over the living room floor, smiles, giggles, laughs. It was beastly hot all week, which limited our outdoor activities. Nathan took Calvin fishing twice, & I tagged along. We went swimming at Country Day. It took Calvin a little while to get his courage up, once he did, he scooted all over the pool with his water wings.

Nathan grilled brats & hamburgers. We ordered out pizza on Thursday night & Indian food on Friday night. I had lamb curry. We watched Calvin & Claire on Saturday morning while Nathan & Laura went on a date.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT *

* from Omaha World Herald, 7/4

"South Koreans have waited 16 long years for a savory, crispy bite that would satisfy their taste buds & right an infamous wrong. This week, they finally could fill a bowl with the cereal they wanted all along:  green onion-flavored Chex."

RESOLUTIONS REDUX

• Write a 365-day devotion book. It's written. Now I have to decide whether to self-publish it.
• Average one road trip per month.  Last week's visit to Nathan & Laura gave us 7 road trips for the year. We have a family reunion coming up in Omaha at the end of July, beginning of August. We'll probably go back to Nathan's for Labor Day weekend. We hope to visit my brother Mark & sister-in-law Christy in August. We also plan to spend time with David & Carmen at their chalet on Little Island Lake near Nevis, MN. Lois has Sister Bash in California in September. I'm signed up for a bus tour of Custer State Park & the Black Hills, also in Sept. We hope to spend a week in South Dakota in October.
• Add to our National Park & bucket list. Not gonna happen this year. Our Alaska trip was cancelled. Hopefully it's a go next summer, which will allow us to cross off Denali & Glacier Bay National Parks. If we visit Lois' sister Kathy in Florida again in February, we're contemplating a visit to Everglades National Park.
• Lose at least 10 lbs.  June was not a good month for me. I gained back a pound or two, so I still have 5 lbs. to go. I admit I'm shallow. One reason I wanted to lose weight was the anticipation of all the good food on our Alaska trip. That motivation is gone.
• Work out at least 3X per week. I'm doing pulmonary rehab 3X per week. I haven't been able to walk due to some kind of issue with my neck & upper back. I see a neuro-surgeon in a couple of weeks.
• No politics in my Mental Health Monday blogs. I think I've only slipped up twice.
• Receive a DNA report from Ancestry.com. I'm sitting at the dining room table, gazing at the test kit.
• Cut back on coffee.  I did a good job in Minnesota last week. No more than 2 cups of coffee per day & no coffee after noon. It's been a little more challenging since I'm back at Orphan Grain Train. There's almost always a pot of coffee brewing in the break room.

MENTAL HEALTH MONDAY

Sometimes I share insights about depression & anxiety, but the main reason I call it Mental Health Monday is because I find blogging, which is a form of journaling, to be helpful for my mental health.

I also don't imagine that you find my resolutions update very interesting. I keep track of them for my own good.