Saturday, July 4, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
It's Me Again...
No, I'm not sick. No, I'm not on a cruise. No, I haven't left "healthy-land." I've just been preoccupied and not much in the mood to blog. I don't really have much to say lately because I haven't been doing anything extraordinary. Been just doing mundane stuff and since it doesn't interest me, I didn't figure it would interest you either.
I'm more or less stuck at 185-190. Tried to get down to 180 but I think my body likes it here, so here I'll stay.
Our summer weather has been rather cool. All the new summer clothes I bought are a little too skimpy for this kind of weather. Suppose it will get warmer eventually. I probably shouldn't complain because I know a lot of you are having heat waves, but I'm ready for warm enough weather to be able to open some windows and the door to let some fresh air in but haven't been able to do that more than a couple of times, and here it is more than half way through June. ::talk about a runon sentence:: It also has decided to be a wet summer so I'm having a hard time finding it dry enough to get out and mow the lawn on a regular basis. But I do take advantage of a sunny day once in a while and mow, mow, mow.
The weekend's just around the corner, working-blog-buds, so enjoy it to the fullest.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
I HATE TO CLEAN THE KITCHEN...
Well, yesterday (around 4:00 PM) I couldn't stand it anymore so I started on the kitchen. Ran some water for the dishes while starting to cook my supper. I finally got the kitchen done at around 11:00 last night. Yep, it took me that long. No, it wasn't that dirty or cluttered. I just couldn't make myself stick with it until it was finished. I'd wash a few dishes, then go to the computer, then back to the sink where the water had escaped and had to run more (that happened 3 times), then back to the computer. I think I'm addicted to the computer. What do you think? Maybe I need a life :o) Don't know if I've ever told you but I almost have my masters in computer programming (that's where I met my last hubby). Course that was before the Internet was so popular and they didn't offer classes on HTML and the other stuff that is so popular now (you know like back in the olden days). But that's how I got addicted to computers.
Thanks for all your great comments on buying clothes, it was fun and to heck with the gas costs. It's kinda funny because all I really bought was stuff to wear around the house. That's what I was lacking in. I bought 3 pairs of carpi's made out of t-shirt material and 7 t-shirts (all on sale of course), and some undies and athletic socks. I was so looking forward to the comfy carpi's that I put on a pair with one of my new t-shirts and pranced around thinking I looked grand, until I looked in the mirror. Oh, well, that's a story for another time. After having supper where I had spilled some on my new carpi's (but they wash well) I noticed a 6 inch row of little holes in them about mid thigh. ARGH! and I had already soiled them! Now I know why they were on sale. I grabbed the other two pairs and checked them out at length and they are ok. Think I'll just ravel out a piece of fabric and put a funky patch on them, after all they are just for around the house.
My eating was great yesterday and it showed on the scales this morning :o) Got outside yesterday afternoon and fired up the weed eater and hit the sides and middle of my gravel driveway. I almost fell about 3 times going down the steep part and decided then and there that I'm no spring chicken and I'll leave the driveway for someone younger when they come to visit. Got the replacement blade for my lawn mower and now I'm ready to get out there and mow, but it doesn't need it, durn. I'm not the type that likes a lawn cut too close. I like it green and lush looking so I'll wait a few days.
Have a great day blog-buds!!
Monday, June 1, 2009
My Weekend...
Spent 7 hours with the friend and I don't think she ever took a breath. She talks constantly!! But I love her just the same. Don't think I'll be calling her for a few days. Need some peace and quiet :o)
I had to go shopping for some summer clothes. I only had one pair of shorts that fit and jeans and they are too heavy for around the house in the summer. Found some good bargains but had to hit several shops to find them. We won't talk about all the gas I wasted looking :o) But I'm all set now.
Hope your weekend was grand!!
Friday, May 29, 2009
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall...
I keep looking at the forecast every morning to see if it will be conducive to mowing that day and it looks like it will be Sunday or Monday now. Then this morning as I was setting on the throne it dawned on me that my mower isn't in working order right now. The bent blade is in the back of my car and I had totally forgotten about it. So, if I'm going to get out there and cut that high grass I'd better head to the hardware store today and get that blade.
"Weight loss is relative." By this I mean...I've lost 70 pounds and when I started on maintenance I felt that I looked pretty durn good. And all my friends and relatives were calling me skinny and such. But now that I've been on maintenance for a few months I feel and look fat again. I can remember looking at my legs a few months ago and thinking, "Wow, they are skinny." Now not so much. So, what to do? Do I go off maintenance for a while and get more of this fat off or do I just accept myself as I am? I started out at 250 and have gotten down to 180. At 5' 4" that is still obese, but a lot healthier than at 250. When I started this weight loss/healthier me program I had 150 in mind for my goal. Then when I stalled at 180 and became obsessed with food and so miserable I decided to stop there. But now I don't know what to do. If I get down to 150 will I look at myself again in a few months and have the same thoughts? Will this turn into an eating disorder? That kinda scares me. What are your thoughts?
Have a great weekend!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
What is that Smell?...
Got an email from the company last night that he had cooked a burger for my dogs and left it on the grill. I ran out to the grill and opened the lid and whew, the smell hit me full force. That sucker got frisbeed into the woods.
Gotta head into town today to get some staples and stuff. Don't really want to do it but I must.
And the durn grass is going to drive me crazy with all this rain. I think I can actually see it grow. Looking forward (NOT) to a couple of dry days so I can mow. Now I know how my hubby felt when he looked outside and grumbled about the grass. It's right up there with all the dishes that keep getting dirty and needing washed. Think I'm lazy? Nah, not me!!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Hungry? Not Me...
I'm having a rough time sticking with this "diet" thing right now. Don't know what is wrong. I'm not eating the wrong stuff but just too much of the right stuff. I gotta get my butt in gear and quit this. And the worst part of it is I'm eating when I'm not hungry. Don't know what has gotten into me. And instead of my usual one cup of soup, I am sometimes eating another cup, thinking that tasted so good I'll just have another. There is one day's menu that will keep me on the straight and narrow but it gets so boring that I can't seem to stick with it for more than a couple of days. And if I go off it, I over eat. I just have to get this 9 pounds back off so I can continue this maintenance correctly.
Been having some trouble with one of my doggies. He has been nipping lately and out right bit me the other day. There was another dog involved when he bit me but he wasn't in the middle of a ruckus with the other dog. He was nipping at him from across the room for no reason and when I reprimanded him he turned and bit me. It didn't bring blood but bruised my hand. I'm going to keep an eye on him and try to find something that he has done wrong and try the reprimanding again and if he turns on me again, I'll have to have him put down. It's just too dangerous to have a biting dog around. The worst part is he has always been the gentle one all his life and his sister has been the high strung one and now she is the gentle one. They are 10 years old now and that isn't really old for a small dog but maybe he is getting senile or maybe it's because he only has one eye and the sight in that eye isn't very good. I just don't know.
Have a great Hump Day!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Bat and Carpenter Bee Update...
Monday, May 25, 2009
My Sunday...
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Company and Walknng...
Waiting for the rain to start today and last all week.
Enjoy the last two days of your long weekend.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Grass Cutting Disaster...
I waited for him to leave and stripped down on the porch all the way to my undies (Bet you can't do that) so I wouldn't track grass all over the house. Boy that shower felt good.
Grabbed my Kindle and hit the swing on the front porch. So the day ended nicely.
All I had to eat yesterday was a chicken sandwich, a couple of ounces of cheese, some pretzels and a huge salad. Then before bedtime, some rice pudding and a granola bar.
Company called last night and are heading my way this morning, so I've got a lot to accomplish before they arrive. I thought they weren't coming until tomorrow but they surprised me.
Have fun this weekend y'all.
Friday, May 22, 2009
My New Technology...
It's making me realize how long it takes to form new habits. I will sometimes be online and wonder if someone tried to call while I was online. Well, DUH, I would have heard the phone ring. But I catch myself picking up the phone to check my voice mail. And there's the times that I'm setting here and get hungry and jump up to get myself a sandwich and think to myself, "I'd better disconnect first in case someone wants to call." Then it hits me that I don't have to do that anymore. It's been almost a month now and these thoughts are getting fewer but they still happen.
Hey, I didn't share with y'all what I got for Mother's Day.
I'm a lovin' my new Kindle. It is a little weird getting used to not turning pages to read but I think this habit will form eventually too. Well, gotta fess up, I bought it for myself for Mother's
Day. But the girls were both thrilled that I'd gotten it so I just think of it as being from them. I don't want either of them spending their hard earned money on me. And what on earth could they get me anyway. They know that if I want anything I'll get it for myself.
I just finished cleaning all my windows and am having a bite of lunch before I go out and cut the grass. (Of course I'll let it settle a while first, don't want to get sick.) Got company coming Sunday and will have a lot to do Saturday to get ready for them so I couldn't put it off any longer. I hate cleaning windows!
Have a great holiday weekend!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
A Welcome Critter...
Just had to share another "critter" with you. At least this one isn't inside the house. But I was really happy to see it. I have a family of ravens living near the cabin. You can't tell by this picture but they are huge. They are bigger than either of my cats and almost as big as my dogs.
I do enjoy watching them, though. I can sometimes see them flying off my porch and more than once there was something in their mouths. So I'm pretty careful not to leave anything laying around out there that I want to keep. I did catch sight of a clothes pin once.
Hope you have a great Friday.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
More Critters???
The past couple of nights I was hearing something downstairs after I went to bed. Sounded like one of the cats roaming around, but...the cats are outside. I kept coming down here to check it out and found nothing. Just before bedtime last night I heard it again near the back door. I have a huge box there that I collect junk mail and old bills and stuff to burn. It was coming from the box. I picked it up and shook it a while and no sound or site of anything. Then I picked up a another small box that was in there partially crushed and EEEK, a mouse! The whole big box is now on the front porch on it's side hoping the mouse has escaped. But it will stay out there for at least another day to make sure. I'm not really afraid of mice (I think their cute), but I don't want any in my house.
My eating has been good but I'm back up to where I was when I started trying to lose this 9 pounds. Drats!! I'll keep at it though. Have to get out there and mow the lawn in the next day or so and that will help burn some calories.
My Internet was down from yesterday until just now and I was really having withdrawals. Guess I could have cleaned the house instead of pining away for Internet, but...that's too much like work.
Have a great day!
Sunday, May 17, 2009
EEEEEWWWWW...
I was lyin' in bed, night before last, just sleepin' away and all of a sudden felt myself being pelted with little thingys. I jumped up and turned on the light and found bat droppings all over the top of my bed. These were dried up ones and they look a lot like mouse droppings except they're a little bigger. (Now comes the EEEWWWWWW's) So I surmised that a bat had just entered the cabin and dislodged some of the droppings he'd left while hiding out up there in the daylight. I ran downstairs and grabbed my rainbow sweeper with all the long attachments, I paid extra for, and proceeded to climb on the bed and sweep up as many droppings as I could from the crack in the apex, and of course from my bed.
So now my bed is in the middle of the floor and I'm thinkin' about changing things around up there and making it catty cornered, but don't know if it will work or not. I really can't sleep under that apex anymore until I can find someone that can climb up there and seal things off. I've tried to get someone to do that but can't find anyone that is willing to climb that high on a ladder and do it for me. And believe you me, I'm not getting on a ladder that high up. It's about 35 feet off the ground on the outside and I'm too old for that sh&%.
Was going to mow the grass again today but it's still too wet. Looks like I'll have a good opportunity to do it any day this week as there's no rain predicted.
Have a great Sunday!!
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Two and a Half Pounds...
And when I do get back down there I'm going to remember something I saw on Biggest Loser a couple of weeks ago when they sent everyone home for a month. When Jillian showed up at her teams homes she stressed allowing ourselves some comfort once in a while and just remember that we all have to allow it and learn to deal with it through our calorie counting and exercise. I'm going to have to find a way to allow myself the little extras without going overboard.
Have a great weekend!
Friday, May 15, 2009
Life of a Mountain Woman...
Then...I'm lying in bed reading last night trying to get sleepy and see something out of the corner of my eye. I look that way and there's nothing there. So I go back to reading. Then it happens again. I put the book down and look really good this time and find nothing. I got up and walked all over the bedroom and look over the balcony to the living room and find nothing again. So, it's back to bed and the book. When it happened again I was quicker and discovered a bat flying around. Oh, joy! I watched it for a while and since there was nothing I could do I just read some more and then went to sleep. I've come to find out that they won't bother me since they are just flying around up toward the top of my ceiling. And...there's no way I could ever reach them to take a broom or anything to them to bat them down. I'm just a brave mountain woman, I guess.
Eating was really good yesterday. Hopefully today will be the same.
Have a great Friday and weekend!!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Disillusionment...
Eating was much better yesterday, mainly because I was afraid to eat too much. I didn't want to spend too much time in the bathroom. But that part of it passed after a few hours and the "feel bads" took over. I spent most of the day lying around. So far today I feel fine. Must have been something I ate on Tuesday.
The fun of the new Mini computer has worn off. Actually it is more like a disillusionment. That thing may be 3 years newer than my main computer but it is 3 times slower than the main one too. You would think that being that much newer it would be faster or at least as fast. Setting down with it and surfing the net is almost like having dial up again. It's not quite that slow but almost. My first thoughts when I got it were that I'd use it for the web and that way I wouldn't get viruses on my main one but I can't stand the slowness of it. I did a defrag on it last night and haven't tried it this morning to see if that helped or not.
Not much planned for today except waiting for the Orkin man. At least he told me he'd be here between 2:30 and 4:30. That's when he usually comes. Was going to take the walk around my driveway and take pics for you guys but the weather isn't going to be conducive for that until Monday at the earliest.
Have a great day!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Does any one know what the names of these flowers/plants are? The purple one, I found in the woods around here several years ago and transplanted it by my porch. I've never been able to find out what it is but it is definitely a wild flower. The other two are ground cover that has been given to me and I wasn't told the names of them. The bushy one with the yellow flowers on top is really soft. Even the leaves are as soft as a feather. It sends off underground shoots and pops up just anywhere it wants too, as you can see in the last picture of the little lone plant.
My eating wasn't any better yesterday than it was the day before. Still famished all day. I didn't "splurge" on anything, meaning that I ate all healthy foods but there was still too much of them. My official weigh-in day has changed since I started on this on Saturday. So we shall see what this Saturday brings. But I have been hopping on the scales every day and have watched it go down and up for the past 5 days. Today it's back to where it was when I started again on Saturday.
Did you watch Biggest Loser last night? It was great. I was so pleased with both winners. Since this was the first season I've ever watched I didn't know what to expect or how things worked. Needless to say I was glued for 3 hours. Thank goodness for my DVR so I could go potty and, unfortunately, hope up and make myself a salad.
I almost missed the beginning. I was so tired around 7:00 that I was lying on the couch and dozed off for just a little while. Then what do you know but I couldn't get to sleep when I went to bed. Kept turning the light back on and reading some more until around 2:00. And with a busy day ahead of me. Have to take the dogs to the groomers and go back a pick them up before Orkin gets here. My carpenter bees are back.
Have a great hump day!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Ups and Downs...
I did get in some exercise on Sunday. Got outside and mowed the lawn with my self propelled push mower. You do remember that I live on a mountain, right? That's why I have the self propelled kind. It's "fairly" flat where I have to mow but there are some places that I couldn't push the heavy thing around without the automatically turning front wheels. It took me 48 minutes to get just the mowing done. When I paid a young whipper snapper to do it he had the yard mowed and the weed eating done in 30 minutes. Me, I didn't get the weed eating done around the flower beds or fire pit. I couldn't get the durn thing started. I just don't have the strength it takes to pull that cord to start it. So the weeds will just have to wait until my daughter and her fiance come to visit or I may get out a pair of scissors and set on my bum and scoot around them and clip away. At least I did remember to put on my heart monitor and found out that I'd burned 850 calories in that 48 minutes.
It's supposed to be pretty again today so I'm going to walk around my place and see if I can take some halfway descent pics of the new spring growth. You'll find out tomorrow it the pics were good enough to post.
Have a great week!!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Happy, Happy...
And for you non-Mothers, you need to have a Happy Day too!!
Award time!!
Thanks VRaz60 for the award. Now I feel really special.
And I'm passing it on to 5 more super bloggers:
Cammy of The Tippy Toe Diet: You've helped me so much along the way. You have been my true inspiration. Thanks.
Maryfran of A New Start Losing Weight: You have given me insight into eating healthy while still cooking the things I love. Thanks.
Grammy of The Kintz Family News: You are always a delight to read. I enjoy your little stories and the wonderful pictures you post. Thanks.
JC of This and That With JC: You are a wonderful person to get to know. Your faith has boosted me more than you will know. Thanks.
Donna of Losing the Fluff: You have shown me that even if we stumble we can pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off and get right back on the wagon with fervor. Thanks.
I hate this...only 5? There are so many more that I want to mention...I gotta make it 6.
Cara of Cara's Weight Loss Journal: I wouldn't be your healthier Mom if it weren't for your inspiration. And you are the one that introduced me to blogland and all my blog-buds. Thanks.
Ok, I still don't like to be limited so consider every one else that I visit regularly on this list too...You have all helped me so much.
Just right click on the award, save it and post it on your blog somewhere and pass it along to other deserving bloggers.
Have a great Sunday!!
Saturday, May 9, 2009
I Miss You Momma...
I've been thinking a lot about my weight and my childhood lately. I've heard and read so much about eating disorders being caused by an unhappy childhood. My weight problems didn't come from an unhappy childhood. Oh, don't get me wrong, my childhood was not a happy, happy one either. The first 7 years were wonderful and then along came my brother. He was the apple of my Mother's eye and he could do no wrong. I have been so jealous of him all his life. He joined Mother in February of this year and I'm here without either.
I didn't realize until Mom was on her death bed that she loved me too. She was in a drug induced coma for comfort during her last few days. The nurses had a hard time cleaning her unless I was there. She would fight them even in a coma. When I was there I'd get real close to her face and talk to her really sweet and ask her to just concentrate on my voice and the cleaning would be over soon. She'd stop struggling and do just as I said. They tried that with my brother and the struggling would just continue, so they got to where they'd wait until it was my shift with Mom to do anything that she didn't like.
So for those of you out there that faced similar emotions growing up, just remember that a Mother's love is a wonderful thing. Even though you may think she doesn't love you as much as a sibling, she does. Maybe she just doesn't show it when you want her too. And for those Mom's out there raising children now, remember to make sure you divide your affection equally so they won't feel this way.
My weight problem came from LOVING food and a "fat gene" inherited from my Dad's side of the fence, not an unhappy childhood. I can't remember even one time that while unhappy I turned to food for comfort. Don't know if it was because of being raised in the times that I was or what. Maybe it was because I didn't stay in the house much as a kid. Anything interesting to do was done outside, even in the winter. I was born in the times before television and even after it came along there was only one channel and it was boooorrrrrriiiiinnnnngggg to a kid (except on Saturday mornings...cartoons, yay).
Mom was a great cook. We always used to laugh that all she had to do was stick her finger in the food she prepared and it would come out wonderful. That's what she passed on to me. A LOVE for food and her cooking skills. I even LOVE all those green stinky veggies that a lot of people turn up their noses at. But most of all I LOVE butter. Real butter not the fake stuff. Mother always cooked with lots of it and it began to show on my body in my early 20's. Guess I was too active before then for it to show.
Mom would be so proud of me and my weight loss. She never put me down because of my weight but would in subtle ways let me know that she wished I was a healthier weight. She worried about my health so much. Wish she were here to see me now and know that I am healthy for the first time in 40+ years. She'd be amazed to find out that at this ripe old age I take no meds for my health. But...maybe she does know and she is probably smiling down on me now with that proud smile you only see on a MOTHER.
I LOVE YOU MOMMA!!
Friday, May 8, 2009
A Reveltion and Some Other Stuff...
1. I think I'm back!! Decided this morning while waiting for the coffee to brew that I have really been missing blogging and reading blogs. I think I'm all caught up on my blog-buds. I visited most and commented on most of those. I didn't scroll down too far and get all caught up on what has been going on in your lives but I did read the past 2 or 3 that I've missed. Reading all of your past posts that I've missed was just too daunting and I was afraid I'd quit before I visited everyone. I got some inspiration back that I really needed. I read so many that I don't remember who said what but they all helped me in some way to get back the control that I need.
2. When Linda and her little family came to visit weekend before last I had bought some cookies for the 4 year old. I brought them home and placed 3 each into little snack size zipper bags for her. Just wanted to do a little something extra for her to remember visiting grandmother's house. It did tickle her and she was a doll in offering to share with every one else too. At least she only wanted to share one cookie with me. I'd have loved to eat the whole big bag but I kept telling myself they were for her not me. When they left to go home I packed all the little left over snack bags up in a larger bag for her to take with her and was relieved when they were out of the house. Then came the bad surprise. A few days later while vacuuming I found one of the little snack packs under my ottoman. Oh, DARN!! I purposely hadn't bought my favorite cookies, but cookies are cookies and I had to have one. I closed the bag up and threw it on my kitchen counter and continued to vacuum. I found the bag on my counter last night and they started haunting me again. So in the trash they went and I don't mean just throwing the bag in the trash but emptying the cookies into the stinky stuff so I wouldn't fish out the bag and decide they weren't ruined. One demon gone!!
3. Exercise is hard for me. I hate to do it to begin with (and I realize I'm not the only one) and I hate it even more by myself. I haven't done anything all winter. The Wii even fizzled out after about a month. I guess I'm one of those people that sees something that I don't have and want it and am sure that I will use it all the time and realization sets in and I've found that I've wasted my money. So while this rain continues and I can't get out into the woods and walk I've got to make myself get on the Wii. How about once a week to begin with and then work it up from there? And I've been thinking that I may go out in between the rain drops and hit the driveway. Go down the steep part and up the curvy part. Think I'll take pics on the trip and show all of you. Think that will help until I can get out there where I want to and enjoy the woods?
4. I've got to get the eating under control. When I started on maintenance I quit journaling my calories. I figured I knew what to eat and how to eat. I just added a little more splurges than I did while struggling to lose this 70 pounds. Now I know that this is the wrong thing for me. I've got to get control back and the only way I can do this is to count calories again. I've got to do a little research to see what the right calorie intake is for me to maintain or even lose a little more. But I'm ready to do that now. So, Spark People, I'm coming back.
There's more I want to talk about and I've made myself some notes on them. I'll just save them for another post so that I don't exhaust you any further.
Enjoy today and look forward to tomorrow. And to coin a phrase on one of Jimmy Buffett's songs, "Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move on."
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Rain, Rain, Go Away...Come Again Some Other Day...
Still haven't received pics from my daughter of our trip down there. She's been having Internet problems off and on and it seems when it is on she is too busy to set down and send them. She will eventually and I'll share them when she does.
One nice thing with all this rain is that the leaves are on the trees now. There wasn't a leaf to be seen weekend before last and now they all have them. So things are starting to get green again on the mountain. I know it has been all the rain we've had but the bad thing is that my yard needs mowing really bad. Can't do it in the rain so it will just have to wait.
I just finished reading Deception Point by Dan Brown and it as a good one too. I've either read it before or it was turned into a movie and I saw the movie. But which ever it was, even though I remembered the basic plot I didn't remember most of the things that happened or who the "bad guy" was.
My durn dogs!! They started growling and boofing early this morning and wouldn't let me sleep. I wasn't ready to get up yet but they relented so I couldn't sleep. I just let them back in and the little boy went back upstairs and back to bed. I think when I'm finished here I'll go upstairs and bounce on the bed so he can't sleep. Pay backs are hell.
Eating has been ok. Not good or bad. I haven't gotten off the pounds I put on yet but at least there's no more creeping on.
You'd of laughed at me last week when the guy came to install my DSL. Lazy ole me wasn't lazy that day. He was supposed to be here between 8:00 and 10:00. By 10:00 I had two loads of laundry done, the dishes washed and put away, the sweeper run and showered. Actually the shower came first just in case he came at 8:00 but he didn't make it until 10:00.
Have a great weekend out there in blog-land.
Friday, May 1, 2009
What an Alarm Clock...
My weight is up a little more than I feel comfortable with so I'm going to start today to do something about it. Think if the weather clears some I may go to the falls by myself and do some walking. And take some pictures of my own since my daughter has never sent me copies of the ones she took last weekend. She's been really busy and I understand but I am by nature an impatient person.
There have been some personal things going on in my life that have had my mind pre-occupied. That is why I have not been too regular on here and why I haven't left many comments on your blogs. With the mind on other things it's hard to come up with encouragement for someone else. Hope you will forgive me.
Hope you have a great weekend!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Pics as Requested...
I haven't gotten on the scales since last weekends fiasco but I have been eating correctly and healthily since then.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
I HAVE DSL!!!
Got hooked up this morning. I had to call the telephone repair man out again last week because of my phone cutting out and while he was here I mentioned that I wanted DSL and lo and behold he said he could get it for me. They were having a promotion and I got a mini Dell laptop free for getting DSL. So I'm setting here on the couch and trying like crazy to type this on this LITTLE computer. Sure isn't easy with long nails.
Haven't received pics from my daughter yet but I will post them as soon as I get them.
Happy Wednesday, out there y'all.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Nice Weekend...
New Jersey daughter and her family came to visit this weekend and just left this morning to head back home. I had a wonderful visit and hated to see them go, but that's always going to be the case.
We went to the Falls of Hills Creak yesterday and I am so out of shape I only went half way down. Was hard to get around all evening after that. Will have to work on my stamina now that the weather is better. I'll have pics for you later in the week cause I forgot to take my camera but Linda took hers and will email me the pics. There has been so much rain lately that the falls were awesome this time. Instead of the trickle last summer the water was roaring.
We went to Food and Friends Saturday night for supper and I over did it a little but it had been so long since I had gone out to dinner I just wanted something special. They do have a lighter fare on their menu but I wanted to try something that I hadn't had before and I got their stuffed chicken breast. You'll have to check out their menu and see all the scrumptious stuff they offer, or maybe not because it'll make you drool. But, hey, I worked it off at the falls the next day so I hope that compensated for it. At least now that I know how to eat and have been at this for almost 2 years I'm sure if I gained anything I will be able to get it off soon. It's also really cool that I don't eat nearly as much as I used to even when I over indulge. It amazes my daughter that I only eat half my meals now and am full. She remembers the old me that used to eat everything that was put in front of me.
Hope your weekend was a wonderful as mine and hope you have a great week.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Alive and Kickin'...
I went out to eat Friday before last, celebrating a birthday. Ate a little too much of the wrong things (pecan pie, yummmmmmmm) and gained 4 pounds. It's back off now and I'm not panicking like I was that morning that I had gained. I've just sort of given myself a 5 pound leeway in either direction since I've been on maintenance and really wouldn't care if it dropped below that 5 pound lower range I set for myself but definitely don't want to go above the high mark.
Was really pretty here yesterday and I was able to go out and sit on my swing for a while. Looks like today is going to be about the same and then the cold will be hitting some more. Sure hope we don't get that snow storm that is hitting Colorado. This has been a really long winter, not a bad one, just long. And I'm really tired of it. That may be part of the reason I've been absent lately.
I'm also pretty lonesome. No company since December and that has added to the longness of the winter. I know, I know, some of you remember me complaining about all the company I had last spring and summer and are laughing for sure now. But I really didn't mean to jinx it all by complaining and then no body visiting at all. I could hop in the car and go to visit some family that's only about 4 1/2 hours away but it just seems like too much of a hassle for me to do that with my dogs. They are welcome at the families homes but it is a hassle to have to take them out to potty on a leash all the time and I found out about a year ago that I can't trust them not to run off. I got a real scare when they disappeared on me and only the little girl came home. Luckily a neighbor found my little boy and called where I was staying to see if they knew who he belonged to. Since then I have gotten name tags with my phone numbers on them but it is still a hassle that I just don't want right now. They aren't happy being boarded and it just adds to my stress when I have to do that. So I guess I'll just stay home and hope someone comes to visit soon.
I'm into the Jesse Stone books by Robert B. Parker and they are really good. I discovered them when watching a Jesse Stone (starring Tom Seleck) movie and noticed that it was adapted from a book. There are 7 of them and I went on Amazon and order all of them. The really nice thing about reading the books now that I've seen one of the movies is that I can picture Jesse as Tom. Whew, and that is a nice picture!!!
Have a nice weekend!!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Good Reading...
Just had my first whole wheat pasta for supper. It was yummy, 'course the cheese I put on it probably helped the taste a whole lot. Will try it with my spaghetti sauce this weekend. I won't be buying the white stuff ever again.
Happy Hump Day!!
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
More White Stuff???
Good grief, I thought we were through with this stuff. It started snowing here yesterday late afternoon. We've got about an inch and they were predicting less than a tenth of an inch. It's funny how the entire community/county was talking about getting ready for the snow on Tuesday. They started talking about it last Wednesday. It amazes me how the people in this area are better at predicting the weather than the meteorologists.
I am sick to death of washing dishes. I guess I'm gonna have to just quit cooking. Wonder if I quit cooking then I could quit eating too? Probably not a good idea. It seems that every time I get all the dishes cleaned up I decide that I want to play "Suzie Homemaker" and start cooking again. Oh, well, it's just a vicious cycle, I guess.
Got the test results on my mammogram and bone density test and all is well. Guess I'm all set for another year. There's only one other test the doctor wants me to take and I have refused to do it. She wants me to have a colonoscopy. My problem is that the only place they will do it is approximately 60 miles away and I can't just go there in one day and have it done, nooooooo, the doctor there wants to see me first then set an appointment for the procedure. Then there's the problem of not having anyone to go with me and drive me home after the procedure. That's the biggest problem. So that one is not going to happen any time soon.
Have a happy day out there in blog-land.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
The Phone Again...
Other than that, things are fine with me and nothing new's happening.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
And...News...
I stopped on the way to the tests and had lunch at Ruby Tuesdays. I had a petite sirloin, 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli and a salad. Washed it all down with water :o) I was such a good girl!!
Hit Wal-Mart on the way home and guess what....go ahead and guess.....I'll wait.....
I got a new pair if jeans, and guess what size they are....go ahead and guess.....I'll wait....
I'm so excited!!
I got a smaller size bra!
They had whole wheat pasta.
Still no whole wheat tortillas but they will get them eventually. It was just six months ago that I was complaining that they didn't have the pasta. Guess WV is a little behind the times in getting the up to date stuffs.
Looking at myself in the full length mirror at the test place made me feel really good about myself. I don't look half bad. I don't have any full length mirrors in my home and the ones in Wal-Mart where you try on clothes are the pits. So when I went to Wal-Mart I threw my shoulders back and acted like I was the most beautiful person in the whole store. That really lifted my spirits. You aught to try it sometime.
And all of this is not an April Fools joke either!!
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Love, Love, Love...
I had a banana with peanut butter for breakfast and wasn't looking forward to a cold lunch and possibly a cold supper but there was nothing I could do about it. While talking to SIL the power came back on. It was only off for a little over 2 hours, YAY!! By then my tummy was growling a bit so I decided I'd hop up and start supper. I was so hungry and was going to try a new recipe and decided to have it for lunch instead. I made Grammy's Cabbage Burgers, YUMMMM. I made way too much filling for them so I ate a few of the burgers for lunch (they were real small) and had the left over filling for supper with a salad. Never did get the chicken salad made but did get the rice pudding done. Chicken salad is on the agenda for today for sure.
David tagged me with a love thingy.
The rules are that you list 7 things you love and tag 7 bloggers that you love.
1. I love my daughters (does that count as two?)
2. I love my dogs (there goes another two)
3. I love God.
4. I love my cabin.
5. I love my mountain.
6. I love reading.
7. I love ALL of my blog buds.
Have a great, great weekend out there.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Spring? Weather...
Thursday, March 26, 2009
The Weekend's Getting Closer...ARGH...
Anyway back to the eating part. I had a ham sammie (210 calories) for breakfast then talked my self into heading to town to grocery shop. (And believe me that was a long and hard talk I had there.) I had intended to eat out while there even though it wouldn't have been healthy eating. I just thought it would perk me up a bit. I was on my way home when I realized I hadn't stopped to eat. Well, I wasn't going to turn around and go back so I just came on home and fixed myself a frozen french bread pizza (432 calories) as a treat for lunch. Then the ails came and I took a short nap. I had a large salad for supper with creamy Parmesan dressing and an ounce of whole cheddar cheese (169 calories). My snacks included a serving of rice pudding (60 calories) and a banana (106 calories) with peanut butter (190 calories) on it. Bringing my total to 1167 calories. And I wasn't hungry when I went to bed! Got a good nights sleep last night so maybe things will be better today.
It's so funny about me and grocery shopping. I hate it like the plague and put it off until I just can't wait any longer. Then when I get home and get everything unloaded it feels like Christmas. I'm so happy that it's done and the cupboards and fridge are full. I've been that way all my life.
I was a little disappointed with myself last night. While talking to a friend that is having trouble with his cholesterol and weight. I was sharing a couple of recipes with him and realized that I'd forgotten to get any turkey smoked sausage. Bummer! But there's no way I'll go back into town today and pick it up. It will just have to wait until next week. I'll get it when I head to Lewisburg for my bone density test and mammogram on Wednesday.
Anyone ever had a bone density test? Wonder what they do to you? I really don't think that I need one since I'm prone to calcium type kidney stones but the doctor suggested it and one of my daughters talked me into keeping the appointment to use it as a baseline. And I guess at my age I should have stuff like that checked out.
Hope everything's rosy out there your way.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Tears on My Pillow...
My eating wasn't so good yesterday, after I went and bragged about how it was going great. I ended up going to bed with a really full stomach and I knew I'd pay for it. I did. NIGHTMARES! It seems that I just can't find what satisfies me and I continue to try to find just the right thing. Maybe it's because I'm just tired of my own cooking. There just isn't any where around here that I can go to have a healthy meal out. Does that mean that I have to have an unhealthy one once in a while to make me stay on track at home? I don't know... I'm really bumfuzzled about this one.
Hope you are having a stellar week!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Better Eating and Phone Problems...
I think it's hormonal. Not sure so I'm keeping a diary for a week documenting my cravings, sleep habits, times that I eat and what I eat to see if there is a pattern. I may keep that up for a month and see if it is hormonal or not.
I am more bored than usual on the weekends. Since I'm retired I don't have a set schedule during the week that is much different from the weekend. But my girls are busy with their families and I don't get to talk to them much then. Weekends have always been especially hard for me. Usually when I get really bored I can turn on the TV and watch a movie or some old reruns of NCIS or JAG or something I've saved on my DVR from the nightly programming and the boredom goes away. But on the weekends there isn't much on to watch unless I have some stuff taped. My hobbies are crocheting, reading and drawing but unfortunately they don't keep my mind off food.
Yesterday was a whole lot better eating wise and so far today it's been great.
Been having phone problems today. It's been cutting off while online or talking and when I try to redial I don't have a dial tone. Then after a few minutes it works again. This went on for several hours this morning. The repair man just left and of course he couldn't find anything wrong. But at least he did give me his card with his local number and cell number so I can call him directly if it happens again instead of having to go through the 800 number and waiting for a scheduled appointment. He said that if it happened again he'd try to get right over to catch it while it was occurring. Guess it's like when something happens with your car intermittently. If it's not happening when you take the car in they can't find the problem.
Had planned on going to the grocery store but had to wait for the repair man and now I'm just out of the mood. Will have to go tomorrow for sure because I'm almost out of TP and that's just one thing you can't run out of. For some reason my list is twice as long as it usually is so I'm not looking forward to the trip. I HATE grocery shopping.
My daughter and son-in-law have created a new website.
It's really cool. Go check it out!!
Hope you're having a great Tuesday.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Monday, Monday...
That reminds me of a TV doctor I listened to a couple of Sundays ago. He said that Monday is the time to start eating healthy. He said to just make it through Monday. Then think about Tuesday when it comes and continue what you did on Monday. He said to keep that up every day and if you falter one day try the next and if that doesn't work there will be another Monday at the beginning of next week to start all over again. He stressed that even if you can't keep it up all week that the days you did succeed will help greatly in increasing your health.
Hope your week was better than mine :o)
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Mental Vacation...
Sorry I've been away for a few days. Actually I haven't been away physically but mentally. Just wasn't in the mood to blog or read blogs. You know how that goes sometimes.
My life has been pretty boring this week. The highlight of my week has been receiving the Biggest Loser cookbook that I ordered. Wow, it is a great book. It has lots and lots of great recipes in it. And to beat it all they don't have weird or hard to find ingredients. There are some spices that I don't usually keep
Yesterday morning while I was using the bathroom first thing, I glanced out one of the windows and there were 4 deer on the bank behind my house. I stood at the window and just watched for a while. Then went into the kitchen to gt my cup of coffee and there were 3 more in the front. I ran back and forth to see if it was the same ones or not but it wasn't. That was a real experience to find my house surrounded by deer. I really love where I live!!
Monday, March 16, 2009
True Confessions...
I bought cookies last Wednesday at the store. There it is out in the open. I've been thinking about them for so long and I do love cookies. I'd prefer homemade but I have found out with experience that homemade cookies have a real hold on my willpower. So I decided to try store bought. And before you ask, I did get my favs in the cookie category. The first and second nights I dove in...but...I did stop myself at 4. I just kept telling myself they would still be there tomorrow and that worked. Since then I've "allowed" myself two per day, again telling myself they'd still be there tomorrow. And I have had a day or two without cookies at all. I've put them out of sight so they are not reminding me they are there but in the back of my mind I know I can have one if I want. It's working! And I'm counting them in my daily calorie intake, and enjoying a little treat.
I did this same thing with potato chips and now I don't buy chips often at all. As a matter of fact I haven't bought them in well over a month.
I used the 100 calories snacks in the beginning of this journey and got to the point that I was having several packs a day and decided that wasn't a good way to lose weight much less healthy for me. I broke myself from them by having a piece or two of cinnamon toast as a sweet. Using Splenda instead of sugar and light butter on the toast. It really worked well and the whole wheat bread was so much better for me than the processed stuff. Now I do buy a box of 90 calorie Quaker Oat granola bars about once a month but they don't have the hold on me that they did in the beginning. Maybe it's the fact that I do keep them in the house and know I can have one once in a while if I want but they have lost their hold over me.
Now I'm trying the same thing with the cookies to see if I can get them to release that hold.
We all have to experiment on this journey and find out what works for each of us. I've found that if I am too strict on myself and cut out ALL "treats," I won't stick with this at all.
I also got some strawberries and made my Strawberry Pie last night. Haven't had any yet but am looking forward to a piece tonight after supper. If you're on WW, the pie is only one point per piece!!
In the past I've always said that I wasn't addicted to sweets but I'm beginning to reevaluate myself. I must be addicted to sweets or I wouldn't be wanting them so often.
I still miss my salty snacks but I have found substitutes for them. Mostly I use roasted, lightly salted almonds. When I'm having a craving for salt I grab a very small hand full (about 10) of almonds and eat them slowly one at a time. That does it for me and I'm getting such wonderful nutrients from them. When I started this I did it about 3-4 times a day but now it is down to 1-2 times a day. I can't find almonds locally so when I go to Wal-Mart I do have to stock up. Thank goodness they are sealed and have a good shelf life.
Next I'll have to find a substitute for the cookies. I haven't made my bran muffins in a long while and maybe that will work. After the cookies are gone I will give it a try.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Fog on the Mountain and Run Boys Run...
Silly me, I've already eaten the left over smoked sausage. I had it for breakfast. I just couldn't help myself because it was calling my name really really loud (or is it loudly).
Not much on my agenda this weekend. Well, actually there's nothing on my agenda this weekend. Don't you wish you were me and didn't have anything to do? Well, I don't. I wish...never mind what I wish. I could change my life if I wanted to but I'm just to lazy to do that.
Hope you have a great weekend.
PPS: Cammy's having a giveaway so go check her out.
Friday, March 13, 2009
I added one more thing to my plate after I took the picture. Didn't want to do it before because I didn't want you to throw up on your keyboard. I like ketchup on my Brussels sprouts :o)
A Reminder that Spring Isn't Here Yet...
Woke up to about 3 inches of the white stuff on the ground. Supposed to turn to freezing rain sometime today. But I'm gooooooood. Stocked up and ready for anything. Errr, better make sure I have water drawn in case the freezing rain takes down a power line. But I do have a couple of book lights so I won't have to balance the flash light on my shoulder to read. I'm talking about this because the last time I did the power didn't go off with our freezing rain. Maybe that will help this time too.
Got some turkey, smoked sausage links the other day and am going to try that with sauteed onions and green peppers tonight for supper. Will let you know how it was.
TGIF bloggers!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
The Evolution Continues...
I didn't find out until I stopped at my mail box that yesterday was my Orkin appointment. They just say they will be here the second Wednesday of every other month and being the "oldtimer" that I am, I just can't seem to remember that. I've been relying on the bill they send in the mail to give me fair warning. It's going on my calendar after I'm through here so I won't forget again. And to beat it all I never can remember what time of day they are coming.
I dropped the dogs off and headed to Wal-Mart (an hours drive). Called Orkin as soon as I got within cell service and found out that the last two times they came between 3:30 and 5:00. Whew. That gave me enough time to do what I needed to do and get the dogs picked up and home before they arrived. Got home in time to unload the car and put away the cold stuff, run the sweeper and get started on the dishes in the sink and here he came.
He is such a nice young man. I told him that I had tried to time it to where we would both arrive at the same time so he could help me unload the car and he said he would have been glad to do that for me. He even fixed an elderly lady's bathroom sink last week for her during one of his scheduled appointments.
Now on to the "evolution." I was so stressed and getting really hungry that I stopped at Wendey's and got a single and fries with water. I figured since I'd been really good that it wouldn't hurt to do that once in a while. I could only eat 1/3 of the burger and fries and I was full AND disgusted with myself for not making a better choice. I think the main reason I was full so soon was that it just didn't taste as good as I remember it tasting. When oh when will one of my favorites taste good like it used too? Guess my palate has changed along with my body. I'm really wanting to try a Taco Bell Burrito Supreme but there is none anywhere near me. I think Tex/Mex is my favorite food and I just can't find the stuff here to make my favs or I'd make it myself.
Okay, back to the hectic day... When the Orkin guy left I was exhausted and tried like everything to stick it out until bedtime. I couldn't and crashed on the couch at 6:00 and woke up around 7:30. And I was sore all over! My back hurt, my thighs hurt, my calves hurt and the bottoms of my feet hurt! I hobbled around the kitchen to fix myself a salad and sandwich and sat down to eat thinking that I'd probably be up all night after the nap. Boy, was I wrong! At 10:30 I couldn't keep my eyes opened long enough to read more than a couple of pages of the novel I keep by the bed. Guess that was too much of a day for an old person. I sure miss all the energy youth has to offer. And now I realize why my Mother couldn't keep up with me as she got older.
Lesson leaned. From now on I'm not planning a full day like that one. When the dogs need grooming that's the only thing I'm putting on my plate for that day and a trip to Wal-Mart will be the only thing I'll plan for that day.
It's really hard for me to leave the dogs at the groomers because it really stresses them out and they are as exhausted in the evenings as I was yesterday. I don't think they mind the grooming and all but the groomers helper has two little Chihuahua's that yap at their heals the whole time they are there and they are just not used to being around other dogs. So when I put them in the car to take them I never tell them where we are going :o) But I'm sure by now they know because that's the only place I ever take them. My little boy hates riding in the car but the girl loves it. So to keep from stressing him out I just don't take them for rides. Just in case you wonder why I don't just take her, it's because they act like they are joined at the hip and I don't want to make either of them sad because the other one is not around. I guess I should start separating them some to get them used to being without the other for when I loose one of them.
Happy Thursday, blog-buds!!