Sunday Morning Musings — As I peer out my living room window, a lady in a black maxi-length parka walks her little dog, the species unknown, encased in a pea soup green dog sweater. They gingerly cruise over the shoveled sidewalk and become yet another moment of this peaceful Sunday morning.

My Turkish coffee has no sugar, but I’ve grown used to it, while I ration my quota of sweets for the day. I’ve become more cognizant of what foods yield inflammation in my body, and I’ve limited gluten and foods that process into higher blood sugar. Not that I have diabetes, but in trying to avoid that becoming reality for my husband, we have modified our dietary choices. He reportedly feels better, and he starts each day with about 16 ounces of filtered water before breakfast.

The quiet morning is disrupted by the sizzle of the gluten-free steel cut oats boiling over onto the stove top and I hasten to switch burners because the first was doused out by the overflow. We’ll put walnuts, cinnamon, butter, and use monk fruit or stevia to sweeten it, in lieu of sugar.

The house remains still at 9:38, although we are now five in our family sharing this abode. One son has moved out and is working in the city as a nurse, and one has come home to visit before returning to his studies and job at college in Chicago. There is a lot to do before splitting my time this week between my home, my work at school, my father’s house, and a trip to LA scheduled for later this week.

For now though, I take in the white view and once again the lady with the dog appears, but this time she is on the opposite sidewalk allowing her dog to make his deposit by the red fire hydrant. She turns squarely to face me, but her focus is on her dog’s duty and her own trained hand to retrieve his waste in a doggie baggie.

The temperatures have risen to the mid 20’s Fahrenheit since last night when my youngest son and I trekked nearly 3 miles while listening to tunes on our phones and breathing the fresh air while most neighbors either were asleep or watching TV. I hope that today someone from my clan will join me for a hike in the woods nearby. We may even be lucky enough to see deer, as we did last time.

Next, I’ll need to write lesson plans for the temporary high school English teacher position I assumed at my former school. It’s great to see the kids!