Remembering My Grandma Norma and My First Day On The Job

Posted on November 22, 2018 by DorothyMarie

Hello Readers!

I’m a little late with my post. I wanted it to post on the 21st. November 21, 1929 is when my Grandma was born. She would’ve been 89 today! Sadly she passed away December 26, 2000. She was my mom’s mom. I miss her so much. I can’t even believe that it’s been nearly 18 years since she went to heaven.

Here is a picture of her with my two girls. It was taken in 1996. My girls were so little then. Man, how time flies.

I’m doing okay now. However, this morning on my way to therapy, I cried so hard. I just started thinking of her and wishing her Happy Birthday. Yes, I was actually talking out loud in my car. I do that quite often. I have a lot of my conversations with Jesus that way too. Then thoughts of my mom popped in my head. She’s been in heaven since 2006. I happen to look over towards the left and all these sun rays were coming down through the clouds. It was so beautiful. I needed sunshine today. I got to therapy and we had a good session. She was thrilled to hear about my new job! I also told her about how much I was blogging and about Dr. Perry’s post about me. I let her read it. She thought it was so nice. I told her how good it made me feel. And how I’ve had an increase in followers and comments and that they’ve lifted my spirits. It really does make me feel good when someone calls you an inspiration or an overcomer! Thank you so much everyone.

After therapy, I did my first two Shipt shops. I only did two orders because they recommend you start slow. The first order had to be delivered between 1 and 2 p.m. I’m not going to lie, I was pretty nervous! It wasn’t a very big order so I was relieved. There was one out of stock so I had to do a substitute. Then the customer let me know she was stuck in traffic and wouldn’t be home so I needed to leave the groceries on her front porch. That turned out to be a blessing because my map app brought me to the wrong location and I ended up being a wee bit late. I was using Waze map app. I switched to Google map and found my way! Whew! First order done!

The second order was also not very big. And I actually got through that one a bit quicker. There was one out of stock (brown sugar) and no substitute. Then the customer texted and had me add two cases of pop. I managed that easy enough. I delivered that order on time. My total earnings was $27.32. The schedule goes from Monday to Sunday and payday is on Fridays. All in all, it wasn’t bad. I’m still trying to decide if I wanna go out on Thanksgiving or not.

Well that’s a wrap!

Wherever you are in this world, I wish you peace, love and happiness.

Happy Thanksgiving. 🍁🦃

🌻 Dottie.

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Busy Tuesday

Posted on November 20, 2018 by DorothyMarie

Hello Friends!

If you read yesterday’s post, then you’ll recall that a friend of mines (former coworker) daughter passed away unexpectedly on Nov. 15. Her name was Rebecca or Becca as many called her. She was only 35 years old. Today was her funeral.  

I started my day with my bible study group Girl Talk. I go every Tuesday morning at 9:30. I am so grateful to have this group. We generally meet at the local McDonalds for prayer and fellowship.  When we are actually doing a bible study of some sort, we’ll meet at the church office building. Today, there were only three of us. The others were busy working at another church in their food pantry.  I couldn’t stay long due to the funeral.

The funeral was at 11. It was my first Catholic funeral mass. It was so beautiful.  My mom was raised Catholic so I remember going to a few Catholic services when I was younger so not everything was completely foreign.  The service was much longer than your typical funeral.  I did shed tears though.  Becca’s niece did the eulogy. I’d say she must have been 12 or 13 years old.  She did incredibly well talking through her tears.  She told of how close the two of them were.  Becca was the older sister she never had. They did so much together, like sleepovers and played Barbies, went for coffee/hot chocolate. I cried so hard. And I didn’t have any tissue with me. I don’t know when I’ll learn to carry tissue with me in my purse like every other woman does!  Becca loved Barbies and had 300 of them from what they said.  She also loved The Wizard of Oz. That was another one of the times I cried…when they played “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”.  At one point we recited The Lords Prayer. However, the Catholics end it very differently from what I am used to.  They also did communion and from what I remember, you need to belong to the Catholic faith to participate so I sat out on that. Whether that is still the case, I really don’t know.  After the service was over, there was a luncheon that I did stay for.  My other friends Bonnie and Sharon were also there and we sat together to eat.  I did say hi to Brenda (Becca’s mom) and she was thrilled to see me and happy that I showed up.  She always called me Little Miss so that is how she greeted me.  I was happy to hear those words again.  We hugged and I offered my condolences.  

After the funeral, I went through the car wash and vacuumed my car out. It was overdue on vacuuming. I wanted to get it clean for my new grocery delivery job. I have put myself on the schedule for tomorrow between 1 and 2 p.m. and 4 and 5 p.m.  They recommend you start out slow. I’m a nervous nelly about it to be honest.  Please say a prayer and/or send me some positive thoughts!

From the car wash, I went to Mel Trotter thrift store. I still had the $30 in gift cards that a woman from church gave me and I wanted to see if they had a winter coat in my size.  I looked for that first and I found one! I don’t know if it’ll be the most warm but it’s better than just a hoodie which is all that I had.  I also picked up a few other things.  If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, then you’ve seen them.  Or, if you happen to be one of my followers on YouTube, then you’ll see my Thrift Store haul video.  Yes folks, I also vlog!  Here are some photos:

  • Jingle Bells
  • Santa Joy
  • Owl Doggie Sweater
  • Less than $20

I also got a couple pair of holiday socks. I just didn’t take pictures of those. I’m slowly feeling the Christmas spirit I guess.  Perhaps I’ll feel it more after Thanksgiving? I really don’t know. 

Usually I want to get through my daughters birthday before thinking about Christmas.  My oldest will be 26 one week from today! I can’t hardly believe it. Where does time go! She has grown into a fabulous young woman and I’m proud of her and Jon (that’s her boyfriend). They have had their struggles but they have worked through them. I have two cute grand dogs (Labradoodles) named Bella Boo and Jax Aroo.  I have gone off on a tangent.  Let’s save Kayleigh talk for next Tuesday.

My final excursion for the day was GriefShare.  That’s my support group for grief and loss.  This is my fourth session I believe.  It is hosted by my church and I love to go for the fellowship. I usually pick up on something new each time and I love the things we share about each other’s hurts with regard to our losses.  The group has been incredibly helpful to me.  My losses are many and they’re not only in the form of human loss. But also pet loss, job loss, marriage loss, etc.  Loss is a loss is a loss.   Tonight at GriefShare, I told everyone about my blog and that the writing has been therapeutic for me. I also told them about Dr. Perry writing a post about me introducing me to his viewers. They were so proud of me for sharing my story. One of the women in my group has always called me an overcomer.  This based on what she has seen in me over the past year with my job loss and divorce.  When I think of it, I really am. 

Wherever you are in this beautiful world, I wish you peace, love and happiness!

🌻 Dottie May

Posted in life, Wellness | Tagged , , | 15 Comments

Weigh In Day

Posted on November 19, 2018 by DorothyMarie
Image from Pinterest

Hello Readers!  

I’m so excited about the increase in blog viewers/readers.  I hope I haven’t missed anybody’s comments.  I thank you so much for those that have stopped by to say hi and give me a follow. 

Today marks 29 weeks since I had my Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy weight loss surgery (VSG).  I had surgery on April 30, 2018 at St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Rapids MI with my surgeon Dr. Randal Baker. He works out of Grand Health Partners also in Grand Rapids.  I started at a pre-op weight of 355 pounds.  Today, I weighed in at 271.8 for a total loss of 83.2 pounds! My loss for this past week is 2.8 pounds. I’m really happy with that.  My BMI started at 62.9 and is currently at 48.1. I think that’s pretty good progress.  

I haven’t been taking good measurements as I probably should, but I’ve noticed that there have been inches lost.  My bras and underwear are too big! My pajama pants are falling off me.  I can fit into some clothes that didn’t fit me before!  

I’ve been doing pretty good with the activity. I try to get out and walk a few times a week. I’m dreading the upcoming snow and winter months. But I really want to try to embrace them and get out and be active and take in nature as I can. I know my shopping job will take priority. And, it gets dark out a lot earlier now so I’ll have to schedule in my walks. I’m going to try to get out in the snow. It’ll depend on if I can find a warm jacket. You know, I used to hate summer. I was always so big and miserable. I would never wear shorts or go swimming so it was just a miserable time of year for me. The heat really got to me. This year, however, I LOVED summer. The lakeshore/beach became my happy place. Sunday nights, I would attend worship on the waterfront with my aunt and uncle. Following worship, we would stay for the musical fountains.  It was the best time. Live worship music and then beautiful, colorful water fountains set to music. Perfect! I was so sad when the season ended.  Technically, we’re still in the Fall season, but it’s been very cold, more winter-like.  

This Thursday is Thanksgiving! I can’t even believe it. The holidays are creeping right up on us so quickly. I’m really trying to be strong.  I already know that I won’t be spending the day with my kids. Kara is working and then has plans that evening. Kayleigh is doing things with her boyfriend Jon’s family.  So I am planning to go up north to spend it with my brother and his family.  It’s going to be a very different day for me this year. But I think it’ll be better this year than it was last to be honest.  Last year, even though my now ex hadn’t told me his feelings we didn’t do a traditional dinner at the house. He didn’t want to cook like we had always done in the past. He had steak I think. I don’t remember what Kara did. I made my own little turkey roast and I made a corn casserole that nobody but me ate.  Then he went out Uber driving. I was left alone for the evening. I remember being so hurt and alone.  Why couldn’t I see what was happening? Why was I in the dark? 

I’m sitting here in tears now reliving the memories from when I worked so hard on the relationship way back in 2005 when he initially cheated. Why didn’t I see then that I was the one working and he wasn’t putting as much effort in? I’m the one that went to counseling, he had no interest. Why didn’t I listen to my therapist then all those times when she said “why do you put up with that?” “Dorothy!!!” I sometimes wonder what my life would be like right now had I been a stronger person back then.  But I just couldn’t see myself being a single mom. I was so incredibly afraid to be a single mom. Plus, my own mom was knocking on death’s door.  I couldn’t fathom two losses so close.  My kids were in middle school at the time.  I can’t believe it’s been 13 years since those initial events.  Sometimes I can’t believe I’m divorced. But then I think, it was for the best. God knows what’s best for me even though this year has been what feels like the worst. I have gained so much inner strength.  I’m a completely different woman from what I was.  It really is like night and day.  

I just received news that a former coworkers daughter passed away on the 15th. She was only 35. I’ll be attending the funeral tomorrow. I hope I can handle it emotionally.  May God be with the family during this time of grief.

I’m going to end it here. I’m feeling a bit down at the moment and think I’m going to cuddle with the dogs a bit and curl up in a blanket because I’m actually cold again.  I am always cold! 

Wherever you are in this world, I wish you peace, love and happiness! 

❤ Dottie May

Posted in divorce, life, Weigh In | Tagged , , | 12 Comments

Thank You and A Cold Walk

Posted on November 18, 2018 by DorothyMarie

Hello Friends!

First of all, I need to say a great big thank you to Dr. Perry for writing about me on his blog yesterday.  If you didn’t see it, I’ll include a link below.  I was ever so grateful for him to introduce me on his blog. He is a fantastic person, blogger and Psychologist.  Anyway, here it is  Meet Dottie . If you don’t already follow him, I think you should.  

I also need to say thank you to all of you who are new followers as a result of Dr. Perry’s post.  Thank you so much for not only following me, but for stopping by and leaving such great and comforting words, prayers, positive thoughts and wonderful compliments. I really do appreciate it. Your words really lift my spirits.  I’m certainly blessed.  God bless you all.  

Today after church, I drove out to my happy place. There was no snow or rain and the roads were fine so I took advantage of the decent weather.  I missed my happy place so much. It had been a little bit since I’d been out there.  I decided to walk the pier again.  Boy, was it cold!! The temp in my car indicated 35 degrees, but being there on the lakeshore, it could’ve been colder.  I tracked my walk with an app on my phone called Map My Fitness.  The walk totaled 1.52 miles.  I was happy with that.  I really need to find a warmer coat though. And, I should’ve layered my pants as well. It was breezy and the wind went right through the coat and pants.  With this weight loss, I find I’m just cold all the time too.  I usually wear a hoodie around the house all the time.  I can never seem to get warm unless I’m curled up in a big blanket.  I’m not going to complain too much though because I’ll take the weight loss over being super morbidly obese any day! Here are a few pictures from today:

When I got back to my car, my finger tips were numb. I was wearing gloves and I kept my hands up inside my coat sleeves.  The coat I was wearing was my daughter’s old coat.  It was big…we both had shrunk out of it.  It’s a size 5X.  But it was better than nothing.  I also had a shirt and hoodie on underneath it.  Despite it being quite cold, I was so glad to be able to take a walk and enjoy the sounds of the water crashing up against the pier.  It’s music to my ears and soothing to my soul.  I don’t even listen to any other music while I walk out there. The water/waves is music enough for me.  I love nature.  God’s country is beautiful.  

On another note…a woman from church gave me $30 in gift cards to Mel Trotter Ministry thrift store. And, another woman gave me a coupon for 25% off one item for the same store.  I’d like to go there and see if they have a winter coat in my size.  There are two stores, one in my town and one in Jenison, MI.  I will check both stores.  It would be fabulous if I could find something in one of the two stores.  I’m so blessed with a beautiful church family. They have been of great help as well lately.   

Lastly, I have to thank one of my newer followers for donating to my GoFundMe.  I really appreciate you for that!  God bless you.  

Wherever you are in this world, I wish you peace, love and happiness.

❤ Dottie May

Posted in exercise, life, Wellness | Tagged , , | 12 Comments

Good News Update

Posted on November 17, 2018 by DorothyMarie

Hello Friends!

Wow! It has been awhile since I’ve posted. Quite a bit has been going on as well. First of all, I was pretty depressed and anxious about my power being out.  It was out from Friday November 2 until Wednesday the 7th.  I was sleeping here at home at night and it was cold. I slept in the family room on the big chair bundled in layers of clothes and two blankets, plus the dogs kept me warm.  During the day, I spent time at my friends house. She had given me a key to her home and let me spend time there so I could use her WiFi and try to get things done.  God bless her! School was getting difficult to focus on. I was trying hard to find ways to pay to get my power restored.  I did get a few donations to the GoFundMe I had set up so that was a huge help.  By that Wednesday, I had had enough of being without power and water and had no luck in finding any assistance so I called Consumers Energy back and just said I need my power back. Can you take the $55 and put me on that payment plan you offered?  This time I talked to a really nice woman. She said she would take the money and put my account on hold for 9 days and gave me the name of another place to try for assistance. So my power was turned back on! Hallelujah!! I did lose all the food in my refrigerators/freezer though.  I had just went shopping too. So that was a bummer.  I tried calling the place the woman at Consumers recommended but they just referred me back to DHS. It was a nightmare.  So when Consumers called me back we just put me on the plan which is $193 a month.  It’s pretty steep I know and I’m a little nervous because it’s not the only monthly bill I need to worry about.

On the night I lost power, I applied to be a Shipt Shopper (someone who grocery shops and delivers groceries). I did the first part of the application process that night. The second part, I did on Saturday morning in the parking lot of a McDonalds restaurant. I had to do video responses to their questions.  I was so incredibly delighted to wake up on November 9th to a text that said:

“Congrats, Dorothy! You’re an approved Shipt Shopper. Your shopper gear will arrive in a few days! Check your email for more information!!”  

My friends, I will tell you that I literally cried with excitement when I read that text! I stood up and danced and praised the Lord right then and there. I am not even kidding! Finally, I would be getting some income.  There were some more things I had to do in the process. I had to go through some online orientations, alcohol training in order to be able to deliver alcohol and I had to go to an in person orientation training as well.  I’ve done all those.  I downloaded the app to my phone and took a picture of myself in the Shipt sweatshirt I got.  I’ll put that below.  The only thing left was to get insurance on my car because they needed proof of insurance and to be honest, mine had lapsed due to non-payment.  Here’s where my anxiety crept up again because I had no idea how I was going to pull this off as I didn’t have a lot of money in the bank.  I stopped by State Farm Insurance. That’s where I had insurance before and they quoted me over $700 to get started back up due to it being so long since I had insurance. That wasn’t going to work! So I came home and looked online and checked Progressive. I was able to get started online through them with $149. That worked for what I had! I was so grateful! So now I’m insured and provided that to Shipt. So as far as I know, I’m good to go. I just want to read through their online help again.  I will admit that I’m a bit nervous to do my first shops.  There are two reasons…. 1) Winter/Snow, my car sitting low to the ground and me not being very sure footed. I hope people keep their driveways, walks and steps clear and 2) Thanksgiving…it’s going to be busy I’ll bet.  Pray for me!  Other than that I’m excited!  Here’s me in my gear!  Here’s a link you should consider Shipt if it’s in your area!  Check Shipt out!

ShiptSelfie

On the 7th, I also had my therapy appointment and my med management appointment with my Psychiatrist.  I had been struggling with focusing on school and had been in contact with my professor and had let him know the situation. He had suggested the possibility of taking a break and suggested I check with my academic advisor.  So I emailed her and filled her in on the situation.  I also talked with my therapist about it as well.  I had a very emotional day on that day because I broke down in tears at therapy and then again at my med management appointment. And, my blood pressure was up at my med management appointment as well.  I hadn’t had issues with anxiety in a long time but due to the issues with my power being off and struggling with money and bills for so long, it was coming to a head.  My academic advisor, therapist and Psychiatrist all agreed that it was probably for the best that I take a break from school and focus on the other issues in my life.  My Psych also said that he could prescribe a med for me to take just as needed for anxiety.  Because my rosacea had also started to flare up a bit and that was bothersome. He said the med would help with that as well.  He prescribed Vistaril.  I’ve only taken one so far since he prescribed them.

On November 12, I took a beginner knitting class offered through North Kent Connect. It was free to me and upon completion I get a $20 card to use in their thrift store. I get to pick up the card on Monday the 19th.  The class taught us how to cast on and do a wash cloth. Well, it was only a two hour class and I was a bit frustrated trying to get those needles to work for me.  Needless to say, I didn’t get much done at all.  I got to take everything home with me and hopefully I can figure out how to finish the thing.  I do have directions. And YouTube has everything.  Here’s what I got done so far:

Knitting

I hope you’re not laughing too hard!  I got a little more than that done now, but I really struggled with it.  The needles they gave were called circle needles I guess and they’re made of wood.  I really want to finish it and be proud of my accomplishment.  It’s already been several days since I’ve touched it so I’m afraid I’ll be confused and not have a clue what I’m doing again.

As far as my activity goes, I’m trying.  The weather is getting colder and the snow has been flying on occasion.  The other day, Oaklee and I went on a two mile walk on the White Pine trail.  It was freezing cold but I was proud that I got out and did it.  The first mile was pretty easy, but the mile back, I started to feel the pain in my upper thighs.  Here’s a pic of each of us. This was at the end of the walk by the Rockford dam.

After our walk, I decided to take Oaklee to TSC (Tractor Supply Company) to give her a bath at their self wash station. It was easier there than doing it at home.  It’s $10 and after 10 washes, you get a free one.  I already had one wash because of giving Kaya one the other day.  She didn’t care for getting a bath but I hope to do it more often.  Now I just need to get my Xena in there sometime.  Here’s a picture of Oaklee looking pitiful but cute in the tub:

OakleeBathNov2018

I’ve been doing so much cleaning around the house the last few days.  I got my huge refrigerator ready to sell and it’s now posted on the Facebook Marketplace.  I think I’m going to post it on Craigslist as well.  It’s a very large commercial size side by side.   It’s a Sub-Zero brand and I’m trying to sell it for $950 but hope to go no lower than $800.  I’m just hoping it sells because right now it’s just sitting in another part of my kitchen.

I’m struggling with the colder weather and not being able to get out as much. I know you can still walk and hike during this time of year but I don’t have a winter coat yet.  A woman from church did give me $30 in gift cards for Mel Trotter Ministry thrift store so I want to go there and see if they have anything.  I do want to stay active as much as I can.  And being outside is what I like most to be honest.  I already miss the lakeshore so much!  Maybe the weather will be cooperative and I can drive out there tomorrow after church?  Hmmm.

My GoFundMe is still active as is my PayPal.  My PayPal is over in the side bar.  I only say this because I am still so far behind.  But I know this is a tough time of year for everyone because Christmas is right around the corner and Thanksgiving is this coming Thursday! Unbelievable!

I could keep going but I think I’ll save some writing for tomorrow.

I wish you all well.  Wherever you are in this world, I wish you peace, love and happiness.

❤ DottieMay

 

 

 

Posted in Anxiety/Depression, life, School, Wellness | Tagged , , , , , , | 25 Comments

Rough Day

Posted on November 3, 2018 by DorothyMarie

Hello Friends!

Today (Friday 11-02-2018) has been a bit of a challenge I must say. I woke up to find that my power was shut off during the night! I was so disappointed. I had tried to apply for assistance through the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) but I was denied. They said it was because I hadn’t made enough payments within a six month period! Well that’s only because of being unemployed and divorced and trying to adjust to a single income and no income!

I called Consumers Energy to see if they could offer any help but without me having any income there wasn’t much they could do. They gave me the number of some agencies I could try calling. So I called Salvation Army and I was denied there because DHHS denied me. They’re both state funded agencies. I didn’t have any luck finding help. I didn’t know what to do!

I decided to leave the house for awhile and go to my happy place. While out, my iPad and phone could be charged in the car. I didn’t do much walking at the lake but I did some reading. I also prayed and did some thinking.

When I got home, I set up a GoFundMe campaign in an attempt to get some help. I hate asking for money but I feel desperate to be honest. I’ll be keeping track of donations so I can pay back eventually. I’m leaving the link here as well. GoFundMe

I also decided to apply to be a Shipt shopper. I’ll complete the interview process later when there’s daylight as it involves video. I’m also going to apply to do DoorDash which is restaurant delivery. I will admit that I’m a rather shy person so I’m nervous about both of these. But say a prayer and send happy thoughts that I may land one or both of these to start bringing in some money.

To end this post, I’ll leave a couple photos from my happy place at Grand Haven City Beach.

Beach

Sunset

Wherever you are in this world, I wish you peace, love and happiness.

❤ Dottie May

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My Adventures 11-01-2018

Posted on November 2, 2018 by DorothyMarie

Hello Readers!

Happy New Month! I can’t believe it’s already November! It’s been a couple days since I’ve blogged. Did you miss me? haha . Did you all have a good Halloween?  Me, not exactly.  Well, I shouldn’t say it was completely horrible. I did take Oaklee out for a walk at a really nice park during the day. I haven’t taken her out in such a long time that she was practically afraid to leave the house. And, I had to lift her into the car and that wasn’t easy. She’s a bit heavy for me.  But once we were at the park, she enjoyed it as did I. She was so good too. I was very proud. She didn’t even growl or bark at other dogs. She was curious at times and pulled on the leash a bit, but never growled. I was impressed.  The day was nice.  The evening wasn’t as great.  I just sat at home and watched movies by myself. And I was doing alright until I got on Facebook. I then saw all the families and their kiddos all dressed up and celebrating. I then lost it emotionally and broke down in tears. I guess I missed the events of Halloween more than I thought. This was my first as a single person.  I probably should’ve just stayed off Facebook.  I’m going to have to come up with some ideas for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I’m so dreading them. I’m afraid I’ll be alone again. I’m more concerned about Christmas than I am Thanksgiving. I’m really not much of a cook anyway.  Enough about that…

Today’s adventure took me to PJ Hoffmaster State Park. I hadn’t been there in probably five years or better.  The last time I was there was with my ex and youngest daughter when we took her there to take some senior pictures. She graduated in 2013 so it had to be around summer/fall of 2012.  I first walked along the beach. It was so peaceful. The waves were very mellow. I found a place to sit for a little bit and just took it all in. It was just perfect.  The only thing that would’ve made it better is to have the perfect man there to hold my hand.  Yes, I do sometimes think of that. The perfect lover.

From the beach, I went to another part of the park where you can climb a dune (via a large staircase). When I reached the staircase and looked at it, I began to have second thoughts. It really looked rather intimidating.  But, I took a deep breath and began the climb. I decided to count the steps as I went.  After some time, I reached the top and counted 176 stairs! That’s quite a bit if you ask me.  I was so incredibly proud of myself. I even cried a little which I captured in video. If you follow me on YouTube, you can see that in the video I uploaded today.  I dreaded the idea of having to go back down the stairs. However, it didn’t take as long as I thought it would and it was a bit easier than I thought it’d be too.

I will admit though, that my knees are quite achy this evening. And I’m a bit tired. I’m sure I’ll sleep well tonight. All that fresh air! I still don’t know what I’m going to do when the snow comes. I enjoy getting out in nature so much. I’ll feel like a caged rat! I’ll get depressed.  I may need to try to find some warm clothes and still try to get out in the cold.  I don’t know.  Hopefully, I’ll find a job soon!  Speaking of which, the link to donate to my PayPal is still over on the side bar.  I hate asking for money, but I’m in a rough spot.  If it’s in your heart, feel free.  Thank you!

Here are a few pictures from today.  I hope you enjoy.

Overall, I enjoyed my time out there.  I got over 4,000 steps in according to Sweatcoin.  I’m now up to $181.84 total.  I had a YouTube friend of mine transfer her coin to me. She transferred $116.42 to me! I was so excited and so very grateful! Now, Sweatcoin just needs to update their system to pay out to PayPal! That’d be awesome.

I’m not sure if I’ll be going on any adventure tomorrow.  I cleaned out my closet the other day and put several items on Facebook Marketplace for sale. My niece is actually buying a few pieces and I’m meeting her tomorrow afternoon so she can get the pieces from me.  It might rain too, I’m not sure.  Plus, I wouldn’t be surprised if my knees ache even more tomorrow than they do now. I may need to give my body a day to rest.

Well, I suppose that’s all for now.  Wherever you are in this world, I wish you peace, love and happiness.

❤ Dottie May

Posted in Emotion, exercise, life, Wellness | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

My Friday Adventures – 10-26-2018

Posted on October 27, 2018 by DorothyMarie

Hello Friends!

I’m posting this a day late as you may be able to tell? I was busy with other things when I got home last night.

I left yesterday with one destination in mind as a fall color tour.  But I actually ended up stopping at two other places that I didn’t intend on. One because it was new to me and I had never been there and wanted to check it out. The other because I was just so close that I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.  If you are a YouTube subscriber or follow me on Facebook or Instagram, then you already know where I went. If not, then you’ll be surprised.  I really enjoyed my time despite being alone.  Except for one part.  I was sitting along side the road taking in the scenery and there was this young couple setting up to take photos of themselves.  It just struck a nerve. A year prior, I had been up there to the same place with my ex. Although, he was unhappy so we were nowhere near as happy as this young couple was.  I don’t know what it is exactly, but sometimes I have a really hard time seeing other couples holding hands or kissing or just being genuinely happy. How sad is that? I think maybe it’s because they have what I desire.  I sat there in my car and broke down in tears!  I cried pretty hard for a bit.  I briefly thought back to the year before when I was up there with my ex. I recalled the photo we took together and how absolutely miserable he looked while I smiled. Here I loved this man and here he had every intention of wanting to leave me but for whatever reason chose to wait until the new year.  That picture is long gone. I’ve deleted so many photos from my past. I don’t need the reminders.  Some photos I did put in a file for my girls. But I deleted everything from my phone and iPad and Facebook and Instagram.  The only place you’ll still see him is YouTube because I haven’t dared gone back and looked at old videos!

My first stop was actually an unplanned one. It was Deadman’s Hill. What an amazing view!! I’m so glad I saw the sign as I was driving on 131N! Here’s a few photos that I took with my phone:

My second stop was my actual intended destination for the day. It was the Tunnel of Trees. That’s what it’s known as. It’s in Harbor Springs, MI. It’s a 20-mile winding drive along Lake Michigan that has amazing fall color and lake views. There’s also some pretty darn nice houses as well. I couldn’t see living there in the winter, but man would it be a nice Summer/Fall place.  Although you really don’t have direct lake access at least not all the places did.  But man, amazing views!!  I tried to get some decent pictures.  Here are a few:

My final stop was the other unplanned stop, but I just had to make the extra 30 minute drive! I don’t really have many photos because it was SO cold and misty.  Surprise! It’s the Mighty Mac! I wasn’t far from the Mackinaw Bridge so I just had to drive just a little bit further north from the Tunnel of Trees!  It was pretty blustery and cold though!

Mackinaw Bridge

Mighty Mac

After visiting the bridge, I got some gas and an energy drink and some chips. I know that’s definitely not the best choice for someone who has had weight loss surgery.  The energy drink proved to be a bad idea when it came time to go to bed too. I couldn’t sleep for anything. Normally, I will fall asleep watching YouTube videos or listening to music. But nope! I was up until 5:30 before I fell asleep! Crazy! Then I was awake again by 8 or so.  I definitely didn’t get enough sleep last night. Lesson learned!

So, aside from the little emotional breakdown at the Tunnel of Trees, I enjoyed my little day trip and it was pretty therapeutic. I got some beautiful views. It did lightly rain in a few areas, but that didn’t ruin my trip at all. I’m glad I went.

On another note, today marks one year since I signed the severance papers and walked out of Meijer. That’s where I worked for 28 1/2 years before being let go due to a department reorg. It was a bittersweet memory to wake up and see on Facebook.  I had no idea I was leaving that day and walking into the most difficult year of my life! It’s true. This past year has been the most difficult, with the job loss, divorce and another job loss! I’m still trying to find a job. I’m so far behind on my bills. I’m struggling. However, some good came out of the year too! I was baptized, I became a member of a great church, I started school, I’ve been losing weight and have learned just how incredibly strong I am!  Sure, I have my days and moments still.  This past year has been a hell of a ride!  But you know, I can say that I’m on the right path now. I feel some anxiety about being without a job and behind on bills currently, but I know God has something better in mind for me! I’m waiting patiently for the door to open to income.

Before I go, I have to should a huge THANK YOU to Eric! No last names because you know who you are. He donated to my PayPal and I’m ever so grateful! May God bless you. You’re beautiful. Keep blessing others with your amazing work! I know I’m in awe!

Wherever you are in this world, I wish you peace, love and happiness!

❤ Dottie

 

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Tearful Goodbye – See You in 6 Months

Posted on October 24, 2018 by DorothyMarie

Hello Friends!

I wasn’t sure what to title this blog post.  I’m just going to share what I did today.  I got a call from church and they said someone dropped off an envelop with my name on it. It was from “anonymous”. So I went and picked it up. Got in my car and opened it. It contained $160! I sat there and cried and thanked God for this person or persons. I couldn’t believe it. I am so blessed with such a wonderful church family.

After my tears dried up, I went to my gym (YMCA) and turned in a form to put my membership on hold for three months. This way they won’t pull any money from my account (there’s no money there anyway, but still). Hopefully, I’ll have a job before they start pulling again. I’m so glad they offer this option. The other option was to completely cancel the membership and re-join when I could.  But right now, I get a good discount so I didn’t want to lose that either.

From there, I went to visit with my grandma and uncle. They are leaving to go back to Florida for the winter on Sunday. So this was my last visit with them for 6 months. I’m going to miss them so much! Grandma said if I’m in the area, I can always stop in.  I’ll have to seriously consider a visit. Problem is, I have no money and no job at the moment so that seems highly unlikely.  But if I get a job, I would have to seriously consider going to visit. I would drive down. And that would be my longest drive that I’ve taken by myself. As of right now, my longest drive so far has been to Tennessee to visit my other uncle. That was a great visit too.  I had a great time at my grandma’s today.  We did a lot of talking and watching TV. She made me dinner too. I’ve included a picture of it.  It was roast beef and gravy over mashed potatoes.  I also included a picture of the kitty cat that my uncle rescued at the beginning of summer. The cat was basically living outside around their house. He’s been taking care of her all summer. Now he’s taking her with them to Florida.  That cat has been so spoiled. She’s a sweetheart though. Her name is Skipper.

The last picture I’m including is a picture of myself.  I’m wearing my Cornerstone University sweatshirt. It’s special to me because when I first got this sweatshirt, it didn’t fit. It does now. It actually fits quite nicely.  I’m glad it fits too because this week is Student Appreciation Week and they’re holding a contest. You have to take a picture of yourself sporting your school attire showing your school spirit and post it to Facebook. Apparently, the best one will win a prize.  I was just happy to be able to participate. Don’t know that I’ll actually win anything. Doesn’t really matter to me.  Just being able to fit in the sweatshirt now is prize enough for me.  76 lbs. down!! Yes!

Here are the pictures:

My Dinner – Yum!
Cornerstone Pride
Skipper Kitty

That dinner was actually really good. Not shown are the few little pieces of Brussel Sprouts I had.  I normally don’t care for them, but I told grandma I would try them. They were actually pretty good. I was surprised that I liked them.  And isn’t Skipper kitty so cute?

Well, I hope you all are having a beautiful day. My thoughts and prayers go out to all affected by the hurricanes and other natural disasters going on in the world.

I wish you all peace, love and happiness.

❤ Dottie

 

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Tuesday Workout and a Thank You!

Posted on October 24, 2018 by DorothyMarie

Hello Friends!

Good evening friends! Or do I say good morning at this point? It’s now 12:04 a.m. and technically now it’s Wednesday.  I haven’t gone to bed yet so for me it’s still Tuesday and I’m going to refer to it as ‘today’. hahaha

So, today I went to a new park in Ferrysburg, MI called Ottawa Sands Park. I hiked around the lake there. I’m going to insert some pictures below. It was a nice day as well. I’d say it was about 50 degrees and the sun was shining. I wore two sweatshirts, one being a hoodie. The trail around the lake was all sand so it was quite the workout. I actually stopped after the half way point and sat down for a little bit to rest.  I could have turned around at the half way point but I didn’t.  I walked the entire trail around the lake. The last length of the lake, the wind picked up and I swear it made it 10x harder. My nose started running and I didn’t have any kleenex on me. I was so grateful when I finally got back to my car.  If I calculated correctly, I walked 1.76 miles.

At one stretch of the walk there’s a Bald Eagles Nest and there’s signage that asks you to stay on the trail and be quiet. I took a picture of the sign and of the nest that I saw. Unfortunately, I didn’t see any eagles. That would have been so cool if I had though.  I thought the park was very nice. They could place a bench or two on along the trail, but I survived it.  Here are some pictures:

After I finished my walk, I went down the road to the other park that is right on Lake Michigan. I just love being on the lakeshore. The waves are so soothing. I opened my car window just a little so I could hear the waves and I pushed my seat back and leaned it back and I just relaxed. I nearly fell asleep! It was wonderful!

After spending some time relaxing and doing a little reading in my book “Book Thief”, I headed back to Sparta so I could go to my GriefShare group.

I have to shout out and say a great big THANK YOU to Jim!! I really am so very grateful for your donation to my PayPal!! I appreciate it more than you know. Please know that once I’m established in a job and am caught up on my bills, I will pay you back. I’m not giving last names or second names. You know who you are. With all my heart…thank you and God bless. ❤ .  If you’re a non believer, may the sun shine upon you. And may all your wishes come true.  If by chance you’d like to donate to my cause, you’ll find the link over on the right under My Links. I thank you in advance for your generosity. Please know I hate asking for money. I intend on paying everyone back!

I’d say I had a pretty good day today. I know I’ll sleep pretty good after all that fresh air. My legs are already sore. They’ll probably be even more sore tomorrow.

Oh and because of my financial situation, I am putting my gym membership on a 3-month hold. It is no cost to me to do that. And I pray to God I have a job by the time the 3 months are up.  I wish I could do that with every bill!

Wherever you are in this beautiful world, I wish you peace, love and happiness.

❤ Dottie

 

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