Thankful for My Life

On Tuesday afternoon, we flew down to San Francisco and will be staying a few days with my husband’s best friend of 50 years. 

Tuesday evening, we had dinner with friends and relatives at a favorite restaurant.  Yesterday afternoon, we went to the gym with our friend, and last night we had sushi for dinner.  This afternoon, we will be going for Thanksgiving dinner at our friend’s niece’s house. 

Tomorrow we’ll visit my husband’s brother, and then Saturday we’ll head to Palm Springs for a week for some sun and more relaxation. 

How lucky am I? 

Very.

My mother is now well cared in her Adult Family Home, for so that’s a lot of worry off my shoulders. 

The lady who stays with our dogs while we are gone is a good friend so no worries there either.   

I love that we can afford to travel and that we have fun places to go and friends in those places.

I love that I don’t hate my job (does that make sense? Lol) and that even if I did, I’ll be retiring in April. 

I have the best life.

So I’m thankful, very thankful.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Indulging my OCD

Getting my mom into an Adult Family Home has changed my life. 

Knowing that she is well cared for (even if her mind is mostly gone) has  freed me up both emotionally and physically. 

Since I'm not taking care of her all the time, I’ve been able to spend more time on my own self-care.  Oh, not the stupid “self care” that all the InStAgRaM InFlUeNcErS talk about endlessly...the Botox, the facials, the eyelashes, manicures, etc etc.

Who has time for that?  For me, self care means eating right, working out, getting enough quality sleep, making medical appointments, spending time doing the things I enjoy.

So what do I do for relaxation?

I indulge in my OCD tendencies.  After years of therapy and medication, my OCD isn't cured but it's managed.  So now when I clean, I actually enjoy it.  I organize. I rearrange.  I straighten up.  I “futz around” as my husband calls it.  Sometimes it makes him nervous, because he remembers how I used to be.  But now he sees that I'm enjoying what I'm doing and not cleaning because I'm stressed or distressed.  (It's kind of an inside joke for us "I can quit anytime I want!" but the truth is...now, I CAN.)   

Now that I don’t have so much on my mind, I can just go with the flow and enjoy the feeling of accomplishment one drawer, one box, ONE ROOM AT A TIME. 

I’ve started in the basement and over the last 2 months, I’ve gotten rid of so much stuff.  Yesterday, I started setting up my office downstairs.  I got to clean up an old desk in my husband’s office, and re-arrange the space my own tidy image.  

I love how my house and yard are looking really nice…  clean and tidy.  I feel so accomplished.  So now my OCD has become productive, relaxing therapy!  That’s progress.