Flags

I read this this recently:

“Prime your environment to make the next action easy.”

I do this. I call it setting flags.

The night before I plan to cut my toenails, I set out the clippers to remind me.

On Sunday, when my newspaper’s on-line comics are expanded, that reminds me to do my weekly computer backups.

When a box of tissues somewhere in the house is getting low, I set a full box on the bathroom counter as soon as I enter the bathroom to remind me to take it with me.

When I need to go somewhere, the night before I put my hearing aids on the desk so I don’t leave them at home by my TV watching chair where they normally sit. (No I don’t wear them all day. Just when watching TV or Dave and I sit down to discuss something.)

When I need to take medicine at regularly scheduled times, I set the medicine in a visible spot, though I sometimes set a timer, too, to remind me. When I have a cold or something that makes my brain foggy, I also write down what I took when since I can’t count on my memory at that point. That flag keeps me from overdosing.

During the pandemic, I hang a mask from the water bottle that stays with my TravelScoot so I won’t leave the house without one.

Do you set flags?

TTYL,

Linda

Campaigning

Dave and I got quite a laugh out of this one:

I collected lots of data then made a list of candidates for whom I wished to vote. Unfortunately, my list was not in the same order as those on the ballot so it took a while to vote even with the list. I sure did appreciate being able to go to Plymouth City Hall and vote early, though, instead of all the hours I’ve spent waiting in line to vote previously. Yes, there was a line but it was not long and moved quickly.

I’m not sure voting makes much of a difference but I have a policy that, if I don’t vote, I don’t get to complain about the results. 🙂

TTYL,

Linda

Minimalist support of the economy

We’ve been told that, if we stop buying things, our economy will crash. Wrong!

We forget that there are plenty of ways to inject money into the economy without buying something we don’t need.

We can buy things that are not things.

We can spend our money on experiences.

We can spend our money bettering the lives of others.

Give to a non-profit organization, and your money enters the economy when the hungry are fed and the poor are housed.

Save or invest, and your money strengthens the economy when entrepreneurs borrow your money as capital to start a business or develop a product or idea.

In spite of what we are regularly told, our economy will not crash if we do not buy things we don’t need.

TTYL,

Linda

A Simple Meal

Sometime I am unwilling to put time and effort into a meal when I need to eat. So I have a few simple meals that I rely on for those times. Here’s my current favorite:

Cottage cheese and raisin bread with butter

Think about it. All the food categories are included:

Protein, carb, fruit, dairy, and fat.

And the nutrition looks like this:

Kemps 2% cottage cheese 1/2 cup per serving:

Calories 90, fat 2.5g, cholesterol 15mg, sodium 480mg, carbohydrate 5g, protein 13g, calcium 110 mg, potassium 150 mg, and vitamin A 60mcg.

Pepperidge Farm Swirl Raisin Bread 1 slice per serving:

Calories 100, fat 1.5g, cholesterol 0mg, sodium 105mg, carbohydrate 20g, protein 2g, calcium 20mg, potassium 80 mg, iron 0.8mg, thiamin 0.1mg, riboflavin 0.8mg, niacin 1.3mg, and folate 50mcg.

Land O Lakes Butter 1 Tablespoon per serving:

Calories 100, fat 11g, cholesterol 30mg, sodium 90mg, carbohydrate 0g, protein 0g, and vitamin A 90 mcg.

Adjust quantities to meet your needs. For me that means more cottage cheese and less butter.

Simple yet tasty.

TTYL,

Linda