Reboot:day 3

Another good day, although I ate a little more desert/carbs than I should have.... I did exercise in the morning and that felt really good.  

I worked on the screen and then had to put it aside because I needed to pick up supplies to finish it.  I went out shopping with my friend and picked up the first of my Christmas items.  It was fun and nice to get out.  We went to Starbucks and sat and chatted and enjoyed a coffee.  Well, I had a latte and she had tea. 

Today I ate

Eggs and chicken sausage, sourdough toast with blueberry sauce

1/2 mini bagel with butter
Avocado toast
Handful of nuts

Nonfat grande latte with whipped cream, mini vanilla bean scone
Spaghetti squash 

Exercise

7 min rebounder
2 min health rider
19min yoga

This is pretty basic, not to strenuous or hardcore....  my husband calls this technique winning by under-achieving.  Often we give up or give in because it's too hard or we don't have the time for a workout... so his philosophy is go for 5 min on the treadmill or elliptical, or just walk around the block.  But usually once you've get going you'll do a little more.... and so you are winning.  And don't beat yourself up because you are doing a little that probably more than most people!  Have a wonderful day!
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Yesterday eating was good, 
Sour dough toast,  oatmeal with pecans, blackberries, cinnamon and blueberry sauce 

chickenvegetable soup, potato chips

Mushroom, spinache and cheddar omelette

Vino
Black cherry yogurt

I snacked on a couple cookies, a couple mini cinnamon apple muffins, and  a handful of Cashews

17 min yoga
5 min hoolahoop
Rebounder

Day 2: reboot

Feeling positive... yesterday was busy... I found myself going to the cupboard and opening it numerous times during the day.  I'd open it and look to see what was in there... dangerous business.  Cookies, nuts and chips and crackers... then I'd shut the door and think why are you doing that girl? So eating wise yesterday.
Oatmeal for breakfast with pecans, apples 🍎, cinnamon, and homemade blueberry sauce.
Lunch was a ham, egg and cheese on sourdough.
Dinner was mystery squash and spaghetti sauce with ground beef.  We had some squash come up in the garden from seed from last year... it looked like a spaghetti squash but it may have been a cross between a pumpkin and spaghetti squash.  It was ok.  My husband seemed to really enjoy dinner.  But I was disappointed that it didn't quite string like spaghetti squash.  It tasted fine... just the presentation wasn't quite right.
I drank more water. And ate less snack stuff.  A couple cookies with coffee after dinner .  A glass of vino too.

Exercise
The rebounder aka mini trampoline.  My health rider for a couple minutes.  And then a 14 yoga stretch.  So that was good... I looked all over for my hoolahoop but couldn't find it.  It must have gotten tossed out.  That made me sad.  I'll have to see if I can pick one up.

Today we have church and after that work to do around the house.  I'd like to start a new sewing project.  Maybe use one of my old sewing machines.  They are so pretty.  Love my old singers!

Well, that's about it for now.... might add to this post later.                                                 

Ok, church was great!  Enjoyed the message.  Today was a good day, busy day.  Good eating... not too much snacking.  The boys cleaned the garage.  They found my hoolahoop which was hiding in there.  Woohoo!  I started sewing a screen for the dogs so they don't fall through the stair railings.  My dogs are both developing cataracts so they can't see very well.  I'll finish up the screen tomorrow.

So that's that.... and that's not too bad!

Day 1: Reboot, restart, move forward, hopefully lose some weight

Life has been quite crazy for the last 4 years.  Our family has gone through so many changes.  Disappointment, Cancer, Death, travel, a wedding, semi-retirement and through all of that, with my emotions up and down it has not crushed me because my faith in God and that this is all part of His plan.  Oh and my husband is a rock.  He always puts things into proper perspective.

Over the last few years my weight has slowly creeped up.  I'm now at my pregnancy weight.  Thankfully I didn't gain a ton when I was pregnant. None of my clothes fit and I don't want to buy anything new because if something doesn't change I'll be buying clothes again when they don't fit anymore.

So I plan to journal my reboot and restart- which starts today at 150 lbs
     Daily exercise- not killing myself though,
     Eating well- cutting sugar, less carbs,
     More water, a little less coffee
   
I have a birthday in February-  so it would be wonderful if my clothes to fit better and I could lose 10 pounds.  Also sometimes my hip bothers me.  It was hurting sometimes when I fast walked.  I don't know if it was my old running shoes or tightness.  If I can do some yoga, maybe I can stretch it out. I bought a little rebounding trampoline at a restore.  Now I just have to use it.

The weather has turned cold almost overnight.  We lost power yesterday for about 8 hours.  Thankfully not longer than that.  No power here means now lights, no heat, no cooking, and no water.    I don't really like walking outside in the cold, ice and snow.  But it's ok.  The power is back on and all day I've been praising God, thanking JESUS for the electricity that powers things that make life easier for us.  So that was a little reminder not to take things for granted, blessings large and small are all around us everyday.

 Anyway, maybe each day I'll poke at some of the things that have been going on over the last few years... good and bad... maybe.... I don't know.

Times a wasting.... waisting.... where's my hoolahoop.   Sounds like a fun way to start to get moving....

Busy as a bee 🐝

Another trip.  This time I'm back in California.  My nephew and I flew out last night as he needed to get home and my lovely daughter is having a bridal shower this weekend.  I'm happy and excited to attend.  Her BFF has planned and delegated and I'm certain it will be a wonderful day.  My sisters and nieces and BFF will be there.  But I am very tired from all this traveling.  Still have two more trips a wedding and a reception.... then calm.... hopefully not before the storm.

I finished the wedding quilt.  I sure hope they like it.  It was a lot of work.  The most challenging one I have done.  Curved piecing, on point and mitered borders. Plus the size- a large quilt gets cumbersome to work on as it goes together.  I like the way it turned out.... but.... it never looks like much until it is quilted!  That's when the magic happens!

Right now only half a dozen have seen it... I don't want anyone to slip and show my girl.  Or her to somehow see a picture of it.  It goes to the quilter this weekend.

So I actually put the quilt in my checked luggage on a direct flight.  Last time I came into LAX there were so many delays. Oh boy, I felt so bad for my future SIL because he was there to get me but the flight sat on the tarmac for 40 min then my bag was forever getting off the baggage claim and I was meeting him for the first time. I felt so bad that he had to wait and wait -  So yesterday, we came right into the gate, the last gate right by the stairs to go to the carousel at baggage claim.  My daughter said, "Call me when you get your bag...." well, she called to see how things were going. I told her, "We just got to baggage claim and the bells are going off that it is starting to drop bags.... I'm confident (hopeful) that my bag won't be one of the last off."  BA-BAM!  Who's bag was the first off the carousel! Yes, it was mine.  And we walked outside and got in the car.  That was crazy.  I guess the little things get me jazzed.

So I guess that's about all that's happening.  I think when I get home I'm going to get together with my other BFF and we are going to teach ourselves silk ribbon embroidery.  So I can have some handwork to do on vacations, on a flight, at night or whenever it's not convenient to use a machine.
I may help my daughter do some  mending and alterations.... her fiancé has a pair of Levi's that look as if he somehow managed to evade Wolverine just by the seat of his pants.

Have a lovely day, and a wonderful weekend.  Whatever you do, and wherever you go, share a smile and a kind word or deed.  God bless you!

Camping Trip

We are having a great time with my nephew.  On Tuesday he flew out to see us for two weeks.  We picked him up from the airport and drove home.  It's a 50 or so min drive.  He seemed a bit timid.  See we have never lived close to his family and so it's hard to have a relationship.... maybe easier now with social media to stay in touch but he's 15 so while there is so much love.... we have to get better acquainted.  

So he and my son stayed up late and played some video games.  In the morning we finished packing the little RV and got the boys up, ate breakfast and on our way to Big Bone Lick State Park we went.  We ended up bring our little dogs because they are so backwards that we didn't feel comfortable leaving them without a resident house sitter.  They are so needy.  And we didn't want our neighbor to have to clean up after the girls.... grrrrr.  Or deal with it when we returned home.

So far things have been fine.  It's too warm to leave them in the RV in a parking lot... so someone has to stay with them or check on them.  It's not ideal but that's what we are dealing with. 

Today we went to the Creation Museum.  It was cool.  We got to hear Ken Ham speak.  Really enjoyed it.  It was interesting.  In one of the exhibits about race.... the fact that all people are of the same race, going back to Adam and Eve, until the Tower of Babel, scattered and split folks up.  A Caucasian woman said to an African American woman , "Isn't it wonderful that we are all of the same race."  Instead of saying yes, or amen, or you got that right.... she said I wish the president believed that.  It made me sad.  That we can't just be nice.  Why put a negative spin on that conversation.  

We came back to the campground took a walk and well, let's just say I told them we were taking the wrong fork in the trail but got out voted.  So the very winding, hilly, muddy, and slippery .5 mile walk ended up being over a mile.  But we found the bison and I was thrilled to find a beautiful butterfly to photograph.  Then we walked back on the road... probably a little over a mile.  More butterflies of different varieties.  One which landed on my hand.... and as we were about to melt from the steamy hot weather and the walk up the steep hill a fawn crossed the road a little over half the way up the hill in front of us.  Very, very cool.  I literally felt like I was melting.  I headed to the showers to wash, shampoo and change.  I felt like a new woman.
  

We started dinner when I got back.  We had brats.  Well, we almost didn't.  I left them in the freezer.  There were eight of them frozen together solid.  So the water I was heating for corn on the cob, we put the brats into until I had 8 not 1, then grilled them.  Then I started some new water for the corn.  So dinner was brats, corn on the cob, sweet potatoes, and broccoli and chips.  For dessert s'mores.  My husband made me the most perfectly created s'more and brought it to me while I was doing dishes.  Mmmmmm.  Yum yum yummity!

We are comfortable here at the campground.  We have electricity and water.  The RV keeps the bugs outside.  But in a sense we are roughing it out here.  We have no tv, internet or cell coverage.  It's actually nice.   It is strange though to be unplugged. 

Now we are settling in for the night.  They may make a campfire tonight.  To be honest I'm pooped... tuckered out... spent.... wasted.... so tired.  

Tomorrow is the Ark Encounter.  Up early, breakfast and go.  Then back here for a trip to the little museum here at the park.  Probably walking... I hope my legs are still working tomorrow!  Hahaha.... that was a treacherous walk today. My footing slipped numerous times but I was being careful so I didn't fall.  Anyway, life can be  wonderful, eventful, exciting, disappointing, sad and yet we can still be happy if we understand that it is not always gonna be rosy..... roses have thorns and life isn't without pain, because of sin.  But we can have hope in the God of the Bible -that all is not in vain.  He will sustain our needs and give purpose to our lives and that thought gives me peace and joy. Even when I'm feeling a wee bit sad.  It keeps me from falling into a deep chasm of depression.  Knowing the best is yet to come.

New Normal

Things have settled into normalcy around here.  I still think about something, experience something or remember something and want to call my mom and tell her about it.... but it's not several times a day everyday.  Moms husband has moved on, he's dating.  No comment.  I want to keep things positive here.  I knew he would find someone else to share his life with and I want him to be happy but this is pretty quick....

I've been working on a wedding gift for my daughter and her fiancé.  It is coming along.  So far I've got about 150 hours into this quilt. Cutting and piecing the blocks and I have started sewing the rows together.  I probably have another 10 -12 hours to finish up the rows and cutting and sewing the borders and binding.   Then it will go to Lorna, my best friend and quilting superstar.  She will quilt it and probably sew the binding on.  Big project- definitely a labor of love.

I love sewing quilts.  I have been giving them away as gifts.  I've had several wedding this last year and new baby's... hahaha new baby.... that reminds me of a comedians skit about new baby cards ... as opposed to old babies.... anyway.... back on track. Quilting has been very therapeutic for me.

I'm getting ready for my nephews visit.  He is going to spend 2 weeks with us.  And we have quite a few activities planned for the time while he is here.  A baseball game, an art museum, the rock and roll hall of fame, some camping, and the Ark and Creation Museum, biking and kayaking.  So 2 weeks will go by fast!

We have been doing some house repairs and updates.  Some long overdo.  So that's going to be nice.  New cordless blinds a couple new doors and maybe new gutters.  Right now the gutters are so bad that they are ruining my flower beds when we get a good rain..... too much water too fast and hard.  So I'm excited at the prospect of that improvement. And I can do some planting afterward.  Lots of work to do all the time.  But it's all good.  We try to keep busy and when I'm busy I'm more productive and much happier.

So that's what's up.  I think it's important to focus only on the positive things in life.  If you are reading this,  my prayer is that God will bless you with peace and comfort today.

Less Funky

Saturday night... tomorrow is Mother'sDay.... first one without my mom.... weird.... I should have sent cards to my sisters... I meant to and I didn't.... I still haven't sent out my thank you notes... maybe I will get them done tomorrow.

I have a headache tonight so I wasn't very productive tonight. But today,  I did get my Purple Hop Quilt assembled and the binding made.  I also got a package packed to send to Lorna with the backing for EQ2 and the Purple Hop and some fun things for her.... and it is mailed.

It was a lovely day but rain was expected and for the next week!  So we went for a bike ride and it was great.  The thing about the motorcycle is when your out zooming along it's a sensory experience.  Today the lilacs were amazingly fragrant... the wind was blowing us around a bit, but the birds were enjoying the wind.  I enjoyed watching them as they soared high.

The Gardenia I received was struggling.  After repotting it and worrying over the yellow leaves that were appearing, it may be coming out of its funk.  There's a spot on the front porch for it, but the temps are still dipping into the 50s or lower so I've been bringing it in at night.  Hopefully it will pull through.

I woke up early, to sew, to get that stuff in the mail by noon.  Success.  But tonight I'm fading fast.

Hahaha, this was a backwards post... today was a good day. Maybe like the Gardenia, I will soon get out of my funk.  Thankful for my family and hopeful for the changes on the horizon.... expected and unexpected.