Ebay Rant

some kind of milkweed?

I have been busy the last few weeks and have not listed anything on ebay, except for some items for my boyfriend. I tried to list some postcards today, or at least make drafts, now that I finally got my new computer to recognize my printer/scanner. In the past I scan the front and back of one postcard then try to throw up a quick draft on ebay so I can delete what I just scanned. I do it that way so I don’t mix up which one I am doing at the moment or mismatch the fronts and backs. I am not sure if it is a stroke brain thing or my scanner app is totally shit thing, but I get confused too easy on what order the postcards are. Back to my rant EBAY IS CHANGING THEIR LISTING TOOL AGAIN!!! FFS!!! it is taking me longer and more frustrated, I barely got the front and back of one postcard on draft and only managed to rotate one and I give up. I was also reminded of how shitty their only two choices that come up to list postcards is shit too…Ebay is constantly trying to be something else and I just want to scream. I have sold about 2 or 3 postcards in the last 90 days…I am wondering what kind of videos I can make to show my postcards since they will be allowing videos on the listing tool soon.

I don’t want to try etsy because I am not going to pay to list my stuff, some of the postcards I sold the last year have been listed for almost 10 years. The listing fees would accumulate to more than anyone would buy a postcard for.

In other my calming news, my wildflower container is ready to bloom it’s second type of wildflowers. (not in the above pic, that was from a walk) The zinnias that I did not plant are blooming out front. I planted some in the middle of my wildflower container but mine are still puny. I will give them a little miracle grow this week after the storms are over. I decided if my bloom this year I will add zinnias to my list to plant every year. The county finished the garden in the apartment lot. It has tomatoes, peppers, swiss chard, some sort of cucurbits (nothing is labeled) and a few rows of radishes. Someone (not sure who) put a religious sign in it. I am not religious, and seeing the sign makes me want to puke.

When my granddaughter was here we saw some baltimore orioles. I purchased some bird feeders and put the oriole orange colored one out. I have not seen them since. I still need to put up another pole to hang the other feeders off. I don’t want them close to my patio since I think it would attract mice and squirrels.

July 12, 2022 by igneousidol Tags: #ContainerGarden, stroke recovery 1 Comment

Slow Gardening

I made my second bee waterer a few weeks ago. I used a thrift store plant stand and thrift store vintage aluminum dish with rocks, glass stones, small terracotta pot, and a gnome I had on hand. To the left is the wildflower mix seeds I bought a year or so ago and decided to plant in a container this year. My hopes of buying a small plot of land to put my garden, garden shed, and greenhouse to hang out at vanished with the rising property costs. (since covid rare offerings for sale) I still have my container garden outside my apartment. This year I also have some grow bags placed on stacked pallets that my son and daughter in law allowed me to have at their place. (pics will be shared if they survive) I am not done planting out my puny seedlings yet, I spent a few days last week and yesterday planting and have more to do tomorrow. It rained today but I went out between raindrops to get some pics. I want to make myself a chart of what I planted and where even though I have some things labeled. Today I noticed a few “holes” that some animal made and I can not tell if something is missing (eaten) or that I forgot to plant there (oops). A hummingbird buzzed by me two times yesterday, but did not drink from my feeder.

The county cooperative extension is supposed to build a fenced garden in the yard of the apartments. Yay, if it happens. It won’t be enough space for me to play in, but I can take pics of the progress of that too. Today it is 4 stakes with string making a square. I don’t know of the timeline, I just found out yesterday from my neighbor why the string was there.

I have not seen the fox family again, but neighbors have seen 5 kits playing in the yard and woods area. I am worried about them since I found out that the reason trees were chopped down were to build two houses in that swampy woods area. Someone came today and drove stakes with orange tape at the top not too far from where I saw the fox family. I can think of many better places to build new houses. I like the foxes being my neighbors.

June 7, 2022 by igneousidol Tags: bee waterer, gardening, stroke recovery Leave a comment

my first post from my phone

I hate using my phone instead of my laptop..how do people live without a computer? This is annoying as f, besides the screen being too small.

May 22, 2022 by igneousidol Tags: #StrokeRecovery, stroke recovery, thoughts Leave a comment

No Exercise Friday, I did not have pizza either

This goose was the third wheel, so he was warming up to the statue.

I did not walk yesterday, my free time was spent going to the laundromat and putting my clean clothes away. I did get extra quarters this time so I can do some laundry at my apartment building instead of sitting and waiting around for machines to finish their job. I set my alarm and walk back and forth to the laundry room. It is on the other side of my building so I have to go outside and use a different entrance. Also the public laundromat usually has people that reek of cigarette smoke. Yesterday there was less people there, maybe because it was so windy. My cloth mask blew off in the parking lot. I did have my N95 mask on underneath and no one was nearby.

I am counting down the time, just over a week now, that I can go into thrift stores to look around.

March 27, 2021 by igneousidol Tags: stroke recovery, stroke survivor Leave a comment

Waiting for more green (in nature and my stimulus check)

Moss and interesting roots at Sapsucker Woods near Ithaca NY

I walked almost an hour today. It took just under an hour. I did stop several times to take some pictures. My main reason for walking was to exercise not sightsee though. I did see a large snapping turtle, several robins, many Canada Geese, and heard loud frogs? My knees were hurting bad before I was halfway through. I can not wait for things to green up more. It was over 70F degrees today and there was still spots of snow in places.

Tomorrow there is high wind warnings and rain forecasted so I should get out my exercise mat and try to do floor exercises. Different ways of getting up are helpful after I fell a few months ago and could not get on my knees to get up because of the pain.

March 25, 2021 by igneousidol Tags: Sapsucker Woods, stroke recovery Leave a comment

I found this broken turtle shell

It actually broke when I tried to pick it up. Someone placed it on the bench before I found it. I drove by the other day and it was still there. I think I saw it back in November. The bag of garbage was still there too. I picked up some garbage laying around, but the black bag was in rough terrain and brambles so I could not get to it. I had ticks crawling on my clothes when I got back from that nature walk. It will be a while before I go back, and I will coat myself in tick repellent.

Today the weather was supposed to be bad. I did not go visit my mother because of the predicted “snow storm”. My son emailed me to ask to walk with him at the mall. So I met him there today at noon. That is very early for me to be anywhere. This is the second time we have met there to walk. We did one loop mostly on the main section. We walked slowly because my one-year-old granddaughter walks slower than me…lol.  Afterwards, I bought some groceries. The worst of the weather held off until tonight.

January 10, 2019January 10, 2019 by igneousidol Tags: stroke recovery, stroke survivor, ticks, Turtle Shell Leave a comment

PT is getting to be too much for me

My little Christmas tree it has the little snoopy mini ornaments my sister gave me, and this year my boyfriend bought me two little elephant decorations…they are so cute. He also got me a larger elephant figurine carved from stone. (that will probably make an appearance in a future post)

I got the boxes out of storage today to put all the Holiday decorations away after I got home from PT. They worked me harder today, I was actually starting to sweat. I am wiped out now. I did not get all the decorations down. I also had an easy dinner of a can of lower sodium soup.

January 9, 2019January 10, 2019 by igneousidol Tags: Christmas Tree, Snoopy, stroke recovery, stroke survivor Leave a comment

Back This Thing Up

A pic of my tree 2018 in my new apartment. My favorite part of the tree this year is the light patterns on the wall and ceiling and reflection in the window. I need to figure out how to get electricity on the patio.

I realised after yesterday’s hasty post, that I left out a bunch of events that have happened in recent months. I have a much nicer apartment, which I consider one of the best things to happen to me in 2018. It is still for disabled and seniors only, but this one is much quieter and cleaner than the last one. I have a better layout, no closed in superhot kitchen. I am on the first floor. I have a small patio that I call a catio, though my cat only ventured out there once since I moved in. It has been cold right after I moved here, I think she does not like the cold concrete out on the catio. I have a view of the woods and a bit of the main road. I have seen deer, birds, bunnies and I was told there were squirrels too. I also have seen a wandering cat, I am not sure whose it is, but it looks like a little bobcat. I hope it is not feral. I also hope I never see it dead because it likes to walk in the road.

I have a new primary care doctor, although it is frustrating my old doctor has not faxed over my records.  My blood pressure has been both high and low.  I am back at PT. My PT is only a few blocks away. There is a walking trail nearby, it comes right up to my apartment parking lot. I only walked on the trail once, mostly because it has been rainy, snowy, or otherwise gloomy most days. I walked one day indoors with my older son and grandkids at the mall. The mall will be my go-to option to walk when the weather is too bad to walk outside. I drive my 19-year-old son to work once a week. He lives with my oldest son, so I get to see two of my grandkids more often. I still go to Syracuse most weekends to see my boyfriend. He has actually been here a few times. I still have a lot more to explore in this area.

Just a short while after my grandson’s third birthday, he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I am trying to learn as much as I can about that. I am sure that sums up the last few months. I also planned to squeeze in a few trips to see family. Providence to see my daughter and family including my Ashley who they are taking care of. Dogs her weight are not allowed here. Also up to the Adirondacks to visit my mom and sister. Both of those road trips will be coming soon.

January 8, 2019January 8, 2019 by igneousidol Tags: Christmas Tree, life, stroke recovery, stroke survivor, type 1 diabetes Leave a comment

This Year Could Be Epic!

This pic is of Lights On The Lake near Syracuse, NY. We drove through one night with a free ticket my kids could not use.

It probably will just be the same old same old, unless I put in a little effort. I still have hope in staying positive and making changes for the better. I have been going to PT,  I do not see immediate results except for being tired more often. I hope to be able to walk farther and more often by summer. I can only do just over a mile now. I have also gained so much weight, I weigh the most ever in my life, including at the time of my stroke. It is scary to me to think I have not kept off the weight I lost my first year after. I bought myself an exercise ball again, the next step is inflating it. I am on an austerity spending budget. I will be charging my dental work this year. I have not been to the dentist in years only going once since my stroke to get a tooth pulled.

I am still trying to get used to my awesome apartment. I find more and more that makes it less than perfect, like a visit from a mouse. The doorway I tripped over, and finally took a fall comes to mind.

January 6, 2019January 6, 2019 by igneousidol Tags: stroke recovery, stroke survivor Leave a comment

Hello Old Friends and New

I am still kicking. I spend way too much time wasting my time, so I am going to try to be more productive. I started this blog, and posted almost daily at first. I was bored and trapped with by my stroke recovery with limited physical energy. I still hit “the wall of fatigue” way too soon, but I can get by most days without a nap now.

I went hiking a week or so ago at Clark’s Reservation NY State Park. That is where I took this photo from. We went on a slightly more difficult trail and I had to have a little help getting up a few rocks. Most normal abled people could do it easily. I even saw some older ladies come in with sandals on. I really should hike more often, I think I weigh the most I ever have now. A yearly pass costs $80 vs paying for parking everytime you stop by. But it does not cost offseason, or when you have their approved disabilities you can get a free pass. Unfortunately, my disability is not on their list…though I might try to go in person to see if I can get one. I think I deserve one because I would write about their parks more than they do…lol.

My boyfriend put my training wheels on my bike, so that will probably be my next form of exercise trying it out…if I don’t fall and injure myself again. If I fall again, I will be so discouraged I will probably let my daughter have my bike and I will buy a tricycle. I am determined to make that bike work for me though, it is so pretty and I can ride on bike trails with the goal to someday ride the whole East Coast bike trail…but not all at once…I will print out a map of it and fill in the sections as I cover them.

I will try to post more often, maybe almost daily.

July 19, 2018July 19, 2018 by igneousidol Tags: blogging, life, NY State Park, stroke recovery Leave a comment