A Day of Remembrance

Happy Memorial Day ... and THANK YOU to all who serve and have served.  I'm especially remembering today those who gave all ...

I pledge allegiance to the Flag,

of the United States of America,

and to the Republic,

for which it stands ...

One Nation under God,

Indivisible, with Liberty and

Justice for all.

Strawberry Season Is Here!

This absolutely YUMMY receipe was on the "Mennonite Girls Can Cook" Blog this morning. With strawberry season here I thought I'd pass this along through my blog as well. I can't wait to give this recipe a try.  Of course, knowing me, I'll probably BUY my pie crust dough from the grocery store, and use Cool Whip for the topping!

Mennonite Girls Can Cook: Strawberry Sheet Pie

This dessert serves 20 good sized pieces or up to 30 smaller ones.  Make the pastry for the crust a day ahead and you will have half the work finished for the day of your party.   You'll only need half of the pastry. .the other half can be wrapped in two separate discs and frozen for double pie or two single pies.

Dorothy's Pastry

• 5 cups flour
• 4 teaspoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 pound tenderflake or other lard  (not shortening)
• 1 egg and 1 tablespoon white vinegar and enough COLD water to make 1 cup

1. Put the dry ingredients in a very large bowl.
2. Stir it up with a pastry blender to evenly spread the ingredients through the flour.
3. Cube the lard and cut it into the flour mixture until it is the size of oatmeal.
4. Drizzle the water/egg/vinegar mixture over all the dry ingredients and stir with a fork until a shaggy dough forms.
5. Dump it onto a pastry mat and pull together to form a large ball.  Don't over mix.
6. Divide the pastry into half.  Divide half into two parts so that you will have three pieces all together.
7. Wrap the three pieces separately in plastic wrap.  Chill.
8. Preheat oven to 400 F.
9. For this dessert, take the large piece of pastry and roll it onto a floured pastry mat or well floured counter large enough to come up the sides of a 13 X 18 X 1" cookie sheet .  Roll the pastry up onto your rolling pin and transfer to the cookie sheet.  Trim the edges along the top of the cookie sheet.
10. Prick the dough with a fork every couple of inches and line the pastry with foil, pressing firmly onto the pastry, covering it all. ..extra does not need to be trimmed.
11. Bake 10 minutes and then remove the foil and bake until evenly browned.  Do not under bake ..you want the pastry nice and crisp.  Cool for an hour before adding the first layer.

Cream Cheese Layer

• 2 - 8 ounce packages cream cheese. ..may be light
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• juice of half a lemon
• 2 tablespoons instant vanilla powder
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• Beat the softened cream cheese together with the remaining ingredients and carefully spread evenly over the cooled pastry crust.

Strawberry Filling  ( I had enough strawberry filling left to make a small 8 inch pie which is really handy if you want to enjoy pie the next day but know there will be no leftovers)

• 4 pounds strawberries diced (it makes it easier to cut nice slices if the strawberries are diced to about 1/4 inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 4 cups water
• 1 large package strawberry gelatin

1. Combine the sugar, and cornstarch in a large pot and stir to blend the cornstarch with the sugar.
2. Add the water and bring to a boil, stirring the whole time.
3. Add the package of gelatin and stir.
4. Add the diced strawberries to the pot and allow to cool for to room temperature.
5. Spoon the filling over the cream cheese layer and chill.

Beat 2 cups whipping cream, 1/2 cup sugar and several packages of whipping cream stabilizer or several tablespoons of vanilla instant pudding.  Using a pastry bag with a large star  tip. ..decorate and then slice and serve.

Super Simple Peanut Butter Fudge

1 - 16 oz. Jar of Peanut Butter
       (creamy or chunky - your choice!)
1 Can of Vanilla Frosting

Mix together - spread in pan and let it set-up (doesn't take long).

YEP - that's it!  I've thought of trying chocolate frosting, but haven't yet.

Keeping Busy?

I recently read this during my devotional time:  “People who are trying to be friendly sometimes ask, ‘Are you keeping busy?’  The question seems harmless, but in my mind it carries a subtle message.  Beneath the surface is a test of personal value.  If I can’t rattle off a list of things I have to do, I feel as if I’m admitting that I’m not worth much.  But does God determine our value by how busy we are?  Does He calculate our worth by how much we accomplish?  Does He reward us for living on the edge of exhaustion and not taking care of ourselves?”

How often do we feel “guilty” because the house isn’t spotless?  Or, even if it is presentable, the refrigerator that needs cleaning out, or the overflowing laundry hamper that’s stuffed behind closet doors, nags away at us!  “You need to do more!  You need to do more!”

I’ve been especially reminded of this during the past couple of months.  The church I work for has been doing “The 90-Day Challenge”.  The goal is to read the entire Bible, cover-to-cover, in 90 days.  In order to accomplish this you would need to carve out “an extra” hour (or so) each and every day for 3 months.  My first thought, “yeah, like that’s going to happen!”  And since I had such a negative attitude about finding that “extra” hour each day it DIDN’T HAPPEN for me.  Today they are on day #69 – I wish I had been doing that reading for these past 69 days.

But, back in January, I just couldn’t seem to wrap my mind around how I could make that happen.  I honestly don’t know how working women, who are married with children (and/or grandchildren) do it!  I’ve said that for years!  I always feel “behind” … and it’s JUST ME!  I only have my meals and laundry to worry about – yet I stop way too often and grab something for dinner on the way home from work because “I’m too busy to cook” … and let’s not even discuss my laundry!  For the most part I only have dishes for one – but they still manage to stack up in the kitchen sink.

I used to feel more like I could “keep up”.  Of course for the last few years my health as been a huge issue (and a good excuse?) – my energy reserves often feel like they’re in the negative digits!  And the past couple of years issues with my parents have taken up a lot of my extra time.  That’s been especially the case since August when my mom made her journey to Heaven.  My dad missed her so much that he completely fell apart physically.  He’s still working on trying to regain his strength and health from those bad couple of months.  It does take a lot of time to support another person through such a significant life change.

So I guess I do have “reasons” … or excuses!  But even with legitimate reasons, I still feel the guilt of not being more on top of things.  UNTIL …

… the other day I was reading the blog of my friend’s daughter-in-law.  She was writing about talking to several of her friends who felt overwhelmed, stressed out, and not able to stay on top of it all.  She shared this:  “On one side of a piece of paper make a list of all the things you do.  On the other side of the paper make a list of all the things you don’t do.  In order for you to be able to do the things you do, you also have to not do some other things.  In other words, you only have so much time … and so you need to choose to invest it on the ‘things I do’ side.  If you want to add something new to that side, then you probably have to move something off of it to the ‘things I don’t do’ side.  Then whenever you see someone else who, for example, bakes their own bread, and you think to yourself, ‘Wow, I wish I baked my own bread … I don’t measure up.’  You can remind yourself, ‘No, look at all the things that I’ve chosen to do … I could do that too, if I’m willing to give up something else.”

She then went on to list 10 things that she does NOT do.  She ended that with, “There are many, many more things that I don’t do because doing them would suffocate the life and beauty out of the things I do do.  Things like playing with my children and listening to my husband share about his work, or taking a walk with friends.  All the things on my list would be good things to do.  Beneficial, even.  But they can’t take the place of the other good things I’m doing.  And I am learning that I don’t need to compare my dos and don’ts with anyone else’s.”

I started to share my own list of things I don’t do – but then changed my mind.  God has made each of us different, with different talents and skills and capacities for doing.  So there is no need to compare, and therefore, I decided my own list wasn’t necessary to post.  The DO lists and the DON’T lists will be constantly changing anyway.  The idea is that we shouldn’t be pressuring ourselves into “doing it all” … or even thinking that we should try.  There will always be some new things to take on, or things we need to hold off on while we finish other things.

We are meant to live with limitations, so setting boundaries for ourselves is a good thing.  Instead of wishing you made your own bread, ask the friend who does if you can buy a loaf from her once in a while!  Think outside the box … or, maybe, it’s going to be something that will have to stay on your DON’T list indefinitely.

God doesn’t want us to feel defeated … especially about things that have no eternal value.  Deciding to put “making my bed everyday” on your DON’T list isn’t going to keep anyone from going to Heaven!  But it's hard to feel motivated to ask a non-Christian friend to attend church with you if your mind is mush because you’re stressed and frazzled from not putting more things on your DON’T list.

If we could do it all we wouldn’t know our need for God … so for that reason I’m glad my DON’T list is so stinkin’ long!!

Easy Chicken Divan

2 (10 oz.) Pkgs. Frozen Broccoli
3 Chicken Breasts, Baked and cut into smaller pieces
         (or just pull it apart - that's what I do!)
2 Cans of Cream of Chicken Soup
1 C. Mayonaise
1 tsp. Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp. Curry Powder
1/2 C. Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Cook Broccoli and arrange on the bottom of your baking dish (spray or grease dish).  Arrange chicken over the broccoli.  Combine soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and curry powder.  Pour over chicken and broccoli.  Sprinkle with grated cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees until bubbling (30 minutes or so).

Ready For Spring

Aren't these pretty?  So fresh, and springlike.  So whimsical.  I love them!

I saw this in Google Images the other day when (once again) I was actually looking for something completely different.  Don’t you just love how you can type something into Google, thinking it’s the MOST OBVIOUS word or phrase to get you where you want to go, only to have a plethora of things pop-up that have nothing to do with what you were really looking for?  But I guess that’s another blog!

Anyway, I’ve been feeling a little “discontent” with some of my home décor.  Nothing MAJOR – just the feeling of wanting to do a few different things here and here.  Change some things up, freshen things up … you know what I’m saying.  When I saw this picture I was immediately gripped with an “I WANT THAT”, gotta have it, my OCD “I will search until I find these dishes” mentality.  Does that ever happen to anyone else? 

I doubt I’ll ever get these dishes – but I still want to freshen some things up.  I ordered some new shelves off of eBay that I want to put in my bathroom.

I think these are going to look FABULOUS with all of my vintage pharmaceutical bottles and tins on them.  Once they come, and I make the change I’ll post pictures so you can see how it turned out.

Also ordered this mirror (YES, this seller had things that made me go a little CRAZY!) – I think I’m going to put it over my fireplace.  But I’m going to have to see if that’s really it’s spot once it gets here.

I suspect I’m starting to come down with some Spring Fever – it’s usually this time of year when I start thinking that things in my house need to be changed around in one way or another!  Won’t be long now until we have LOTS of flowers blooming.  Remember to move your clocks ahead tonight.

Maybe I Just Needed Incentive?

While at work today I was trying to find some information about the location for this year’s Men’s Retreat (for some promo I was working on).  You know how that goes sometimes – you’re looking for one thing, you stumble onto another thing, you click a link here, you click a link there …

Anyway, that’s what I was doing when I stumbled onto a place I’d never even heard of.  It’s absolutely beautiful, it’s right here in Oregon, and I’d never even heard of it!  It’s a place in the Mount Hood area called Ramona Falls.

GORGEOUS eh?  It looks like a painting - but it's a photograph!

Right away I just knew I wanted to see this place for myself!  But when I started to read about how to get there my excitement sort of deflated.  It’s a 7.1 mile moderate to difficult hike.  Whoa … it’s been a long, long, long time since I’ve WALKED 7.1 miles!!  And I’m pretty sure I’ve NEVER HIKED 7.1 miles!

But then I got one of those “Oprah ‘ah ha’ moments”, and remembered the new exercise DVD’s I ordered.  They were waiting for me when I got home from work yesterday.  I didn’t have a chance to even open them yet … but now that they’re here I certainly plan to use them!  So the little wheels in my head started to spin.  Maybe that 7.1 mile moderate to difficult (eek!!) Ramona Falls hike is the incentive I need to really kick-start my motivation!  Just what I’ve needed to STICK to the Weight Watchers eating plan, start using those DVD’s, work my way up to more challenging exercise, and viola RAMONA FALLS!!!

Ramona Creek, on the trail to Ramona Falls

I know with CERTAINTY that I won’t be making that hike in 2011 (sadly).  Even if my motivation for diet/exercise were at 1000% - my heart issues would make it IMPOSSIBLE to condition my body for something like this so soon.  So MY GOAL – to make this hike in the summer of 2012!!

I’ve already emailed my brother and made him say he will take me here and do the hike with me!  He and my sis-in-law like to do hiking in the summer – it will be a fun thing to look forward to doing with them.  I’m going to make myself a copy of this Ramona Falls picture and keep it somewhere in my house where I can look at it and remind myself of one of the things I’m working toward.

Ramona Falls or BUST!!!

Company Casserole

This is a recipe I found years ago in a Mennonite Cookbook.  It’s kind of like Lasagna.  I love this recipe so much that I haven’t made Lasagna since I found it!

¾ lb. Hamburger

1 pkg. Dry Spaghetti Sauce Mix

1 (15 oz.) can Tomato Sauce

½ C. Sour Cream

1 C. Cottage Cheese

8 oz. pkg. of Cream Cheese

12 oz. pkg. Egg Noodles (wide or fancy cut)

3 T. Melted Butter or Margarine

Brown and drain hamburger.  Stir in dry mix and tomato sauce.  Simmer.  I also like to add 1 can of sliced black olives.  I add them right into the sauce while it simmers.  Cream the 3 cheeses together.  Cook noodles and drain.  Put half the noodles in baking dish.  Cover with cheese mixture.  Add other half of noodles.  Top with meat mixture.  Drizzle with melted butter.  Bake at 375 for 45 minutes or until it bubbles.

NOTE:  This is the BASIC recipe.  Once you’ve made it you can adjust things to your taste.  I normally just use the 1 package of cream cheese – but SELDOM do I use only ½ C. of Sour Cream and/or 1 C. of Cottage Cheese.  Same with the hamburger – the amount depends more on what I have on hand and want/need to use up.   I don’t always drizzle the melted butter on top … but it really does make it taste a little more “extra good”.  This is a super easy recipe … ENJOY!

Ruby ... Keep Inspiring Me!

Anyone out there, besides me, who watches “Ruby” on the Style Network (or on Comcast’s On Demand)?  When it first came on a couple of years ago it took me a couple of episodes to decide if I actually liked the show.  Not sure what my issues were in the beginning, because now I love it!

Ruby once weighed over 700 lbs.  While I haven’t quite reached that number (thank you Dear Lord) … the number I do see when I step on the scale FEELS nearly as insurmountable.   It’s people like Ruby who are so inspiring to me.  I know that everyone has at least somewhat of a problem shedding excess pounds.  If that weren’t the case the diet product industry wouldn’t make zillions of dollars every year from those of us “desperate” to lose the weight.  But until you’ve had 75, 100, 150 lbs. (or even more like Ruby) you can’t truly understand just how insurmountable it really feels.

Not only is Ruby attempting to lose the weight – but she’s trying to do it the right way.  She’s trying to eat more healthy foods, she’s exercising, and she’s seeing a therapist to help her understand (or figure out) why it is she gained all that weight in the first place.

I can identify with that.  I’ve asked myself a million times why I did this to myself (more than once I might add!  grrrrrrrrr).  How can I have it “figured out” in my head … and yet it feels like my head is the problem?  How can I KNOW exactly what it is I need to do and not do it?  How can I be intelligent enough to push through in other areas of my life where I resist, but I can’t seem to give the big heave-ho to all this weight?

Like Ruby, there are so many things in my life that have been controlled by my weight.  Even when my weight wasn’t the issue that it is right now – I still convinced myself that my weight was such that I couldn’t possibly do “fill in the blank”.  I don’t reach as high as I could because the weight makes me feel like no matter how high I reach it won’t be enough.  I make excuses, that often border on ridiculous, because I fear my weight will put me in a position where I'll fail – and then have to actually face just how far I’ve let myself go.

I admire the things that Ruby pushes herself to try.  Of course with this being a “reality”show – I think they are pretty sure of the outcome before the camera’s start to roll.  Though the outcome isn’t always good – it’s different when you know that when going into it – it’s not the same as complete real life reality!  But still – seeing her ride a horse, or fit into a go-cart, or walk 3-miles in a Relay for Life Walk.  It helps one to realize that if Ruby didn’t break the horses back when she got on, then maybe I could try riding a horse too.  Probably NOT … but maybe! LOL J

I posted once before about “my plan” for losing weight – which will be Weight Watchers.  That’s a proven plan for me.  I like it, so I’m sticking with it.  I ordered some exercise DVD’s that you can do while sitting down.  Right now that’s an important thing for me since the added weight I’m carrying kills my back when I’m on my feet for very long.  I was happy after doing some research to find this kind of exercise option.

Recently, on a blog I follow, I read this:  “I have this deep rooted weed within myself that I am watering with food.  It’s as if there is nothing that can satisfy its hunger.”  That really struck me – because sometimes I feel that same way.  I need to figure out WHY I choose to eat chips instead of an apple.  Well, besides the obvious reason! LOL J  But seriously – there has to be a reason that I continue to sabotage myself by abusing my body and my health is this disastrous way.  As Dr. Phil would say, “so how’s that working for you?”  Uh, well, it’s not!

I know I can do this!  I’ve done it before!  I’ve lost the weight before, and I’ve exercised to the point that I was able to raise (my heart) ejection fraction from 25% to 47%.  I couldn’t believe how much better I felt … and yet I let it slip away.  Why did I do that?

I MUST make better choices!  If you’re reading this please say a prayer for me J

Pumpkin Muffins

Anyone who is a Weight Watchers member, or former Weight Watchers member, most certainly is familiar with this recipe.  But for those who aren't ... give this a try.

1 box of Cake Mix - either Spice or Carrot Cake
1 small can of Pumpkin (not Pumpkin Pie Mix)

Mix together - just these two ingredients.  It's very thick, and a little hard to mix, but just when you think it's not all going to mix together ... it does!  Spoon evenly into muffin tin.  Makes 12 muffins.  These are very dense, and very flavorful, and very delicious!  (I always mix mine by hand, but you could probably use a mixer).

Hashbrown Casserole

This is certainly a recipe that's been around for a long time ... and one that I'm sure many of you have, and have made often.  But I'm planning to include this in dinner that I'm taking to my dad this weekend ... so thought I'd go ahead and post it here.

1 Bag of Frozen Hash Browns
1 (10 oz.) Can "Cream of ....." Soup (I prefer Cream of Celery ... but use whatever you like)
1 Pint Sour Cream
2 Cups Grated Cheddar Cheese
1/2 Cup Melted Butter or Margarine
1 Pkg. Onion Soup Mix
Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray an 11 X 14 baking dish with cooking spray.

Mix all ingredients together, except butter, and place in prepared pan.  Drizzle with the butter and bake for about 45 minutes, or until bubbling and brown on top.

TAKE NOTE:  I thaw my hash browns usually.  I normally only use about 1/2 to 3/4 of the Onion Soup Mix.  I find that using the entire package makes it a bit too salty for my taste.  I also omit the salt.  These are sinfully rich, and so easy to make.  ENJOY!

I'll Have the Medium ... Or is that the Small?

We’ve all heard the evils of fast food.  Too much fat and the wrong kind of fat.  Too many calories.  Too many carbohydrates.  Too much sodium.  Not enough nutritional value.  The list could go on and on.  It seems like every week the facts from “a new study” are released to tell us of another reason to avoid fast food.  Yet fast food is a (probably) trillion dollar industry!

Today at lunch I think I found the REAL REASON people will (finally) stop eating fast food!  It’s called “Product Size and Ordering Confusion” … yes, I named it that, but once everyone tells us the reason they stopped eating fast food I think this title will stick!

I believe, (and I’m not proud of this), that I have as much or more fast food ordering experience as anyone.  “Yes, I’ll have the Chicken Enchurito, no onions”.  “Yes, I’ll have the fish sandwich, minus the tarter sauce, minus the cheese, add Big Mac sauce”.  “Yes, I’ll have the Shrimp Taco, no salsa, light on the cabbage”.  You get the idea.  But it seems that no matter how much ordering experience I have, I just can’t seem to get the “sizing thing” right for any it!

What ever happened to just plain old small, medium and large?  “I want a small.”  “We don’t have small – we have medium, large and super size.”  “So wouldn’t the medium be small?”  “No, it’s medium, we don’t have small.”  But then you get your medium, which is the size of a large, but it’s really a small – which is a medium!

I went to Arby’s recently.  I ordered the SMALL Roast Beef Combo.  “Would you like to medium or large size that?”   I wanted the SMALL – but since small is really medium (or is it medium is really small – oh never mind!).  Since I wanted the SMALL I said, “I’ll do medium”.  I then drive up to the window and the gal hands me a SUPER SIZED Diet Pepsi.  I said, “oh that’s not mine, I ordered the medium.”  “This is the medium”.  “I thought I ordered SMALL, but said medium because I thought that was the small”.  “No, you ordered the medium size combo of the SMALL Roast Beef.”  “Yes, that’s what I wanted, the SMALL.”  “But you ordered the medium”.   “No, I ordered the SMALL, but said medium because … oh, never mind … I think I’m getting old”.  She didn’t VERBALLY agree with me … but the expression on her face said it all!!!

I noticed on my last trip to Del Taco that they offer small, medium and large sizes.  I was pretty thirsty that day, but I figured a small Diet Pepsi would be enough … after all, the small is really a medium … right?  Well, apparently NOT at Del Taco.  I got a Diet Pepsi in a cup the size of which I haven’t seen in 25 years!  It was SMALL … really SMALL … like child-size SMALL … which 25 years ago would have been the medium … or maybe the large!

Small should be small!  Medium should be medium!  Large should be large!  If we need larger than large then, okay, go with the extra-large!  Someone needs to decide this – where is government regulation when we REALLY need it?

Today I ordered a medium Diet Pepsi and the guy gave it to me in a 32 oz. size cup.  In what universe is 32 ounces ever considered a medium?  I THOUGHT I was getting the small, which one would normally get by ordering the medium … right?  I kept my mouth shut - but now I'll never know if I got the medium, or if they accidently gave me a large!  Oh I’m so confused!

Schilling Advertising Cards

These are my my latest acquisition for my Schilling Collection.  These would be from the late 1800's through about 1910.  I know this because the products are referred to as "Schilling's Best".  After around 1910 they dropped the "Best" part.  They cards were given out, collected mostly by children.

Front side:

These are the back side:

Time to get serious!

You might say I took a “blog break” … which sounds odd since it’s hardly been more than a month since I started it in the first place!!  I’ve actually wanted to blog about something that consumes far too many of my thoughts … weight/weight-loss/exercise … uuuugggghhhhh!!!  I guess I just needed to find the “right” time to do it.

It’s no secret, to anyone who knows me, that I’ve NEVER been a skinny-mini.  I got kind of close to “skinny” for a couple of years in my 20’s … but it’s otherwise been a struggle (to one degree or another) for most of my life.  It feels like I’m always trying to figure out what the key is to motivating me to stick with the things I KNOW I need to do … I literally think about it every single day!  How can I want something so much and do so little to get it?  It’s so frustrating!  I know what I want to do, I know what I need to do … so why can’t I do it?

You would think, after 40 years, that I’d have at least somewhat of a handle on it … but I don’t!  In fact, the last 3 years my struggle with it has been the hardest … and my weight has completely spiraled out of control … and again – uuuuugggggghhhhhhh!!!!  Yes there are reasons … the last 3 years have pretty much been the most difficult of my life.  My mom and dad invested what little they had into a “scheme” that ended up causing them to lose their home.  It was horrendously heart breaking to see them go through that … and to see my dad breakdown over the realization that he couldn’t take care of them.  Helping them pack-up their house, and sell a good portion of their belongings was so hard.  I stuffed down my feelings about the entire situation with just about anything, food wise, that I could shove into my mouth.  At the same time all of this was going on … MENOPAUSE decided to invade my life!  Wow – I was soooooooooo unprepared for what that was going to do to me!  I’ve never, ever felt so mentally fragile.  It felt like I was angry and emotional, both at the same time … with my nerves on edge 24/7!  I’m still on that ride to a certain degree … but it’s soooooo much better than it was.  At least I feel human most of the time now.  So the weight-gain has been tremendous, but the worst decision I made during that time was to discontinue my cardiac rehab.  At the time it felt like I didn’t have a choice … the old “only so many hours in a day” excuse.  But wow – I had come SO FAR with cardiac rehab … to the point of it making a huge difference in my life function.  It’s gone now … and my heart function has dropped to a new low.  That puts me in a vicious cycle … I need to lose weight so I can exercise (the weight is just too much on my joints right now to try to do much exercise) … but I can’t seem to stay motivated to lose the weight!!!

Now, the icing on the cake (probably not a good analogy!) … I had a test yesterday (no results from it yet) that will most likely confirm that I’m now diabetic … and again … uuuuugggggghhhhhh!!!!  That will mean yet another medication to add to the zillions (it feels like zillions) that I already take!

I need to turn my life around while I still can (HOPEFULLY I still can!)!!  I’ve tried pretty much every diet out there – diet pills, Atkins low-carb, Stillman high-protein, the Dolly Parton Diet, the Daniel Fast, low fat, Slimfast, Full-bars, diet shakes other than Slimfast, some Diet Center type of diet from years ago, vegetarian, the Cookie Diet, the Ice-Cream Diet … need I go on?  But I ALWAYS come back to Weight Watchers.  It’s the plan I’ve had the most success with.  So the eating plan for me is Weight Watchers!

Exercise … being on my feet for any length of time right now is almost impossible – it KILLS my back.  But I recently bought some walking poles – and I’m hoping to try using those in my home with the Leslie Sansone Walking DVD’s.  So the exercise plan is in-home walking!

I also need to start putting more effort into keeping my house in better order.  By doing that I will also be getting some additional exercise.  And by going back to cooking more I will not only be eating things that are better for me … but the effort I put into food prep will (hopefully) also be an element of “exercise” (or at least maybe helping to strengthen my back??).

So I’m putting this OUT THERE.  Not sure who will read it, or if anyone will read it, but by it being “out there” I hope it will cause me to think about things I put into my mouth (BEFORE I put them in mouth!), and give me some motivation to get up off the couch and move around a bit more.

I don’t plan on my blog being about “dieting” … but I will plan to “report in” every now and again.  Until then, anyone who is reading this, would you please pray for me to find the motivation I need, and that God would give me that little boost of energy, and back-pain relief, that can start and keep my exercise groove going?  Pray that God will keep my “Diet Pepsi” train a movin’, LOL

My Dad

I spent the evening with my dad last night.  I brought a pizza and we enjoyed dinner together and watched the OSU men’s basketball team ALMOST beat UCLA!

Generally speaking my dad is a pretty easy person to be around.  He’s normally in a good mood, he’s a happy guy.  But, sadly, I sometimes feel like I’m watching him slip away.  He’s gone to that place where he can remember every detail about something that happened when he was 10 years old … but can’t remember (sometimes) what happened yesterday.  Sometimes I have my dad there, and am enjoying a lively conversation with him … but other times he’s telling the same stories over, and over, and over again.

His body is failing him too.  He mostly walks now with a walker.  His shoulders cause him so much pain that there are many things he can no longer do.  He told me last night that he cancelled his subscription to the Albany Democrat-Herald because his shoulders/arms will no longer allow him to raise the paper, to turn the pages, so he can read it.

Since my mom died, in August, my dad has had a rough time.  It’s really affected him physically.  It’s hard to watch it all.  But it’s making the time I spend with him even more precious.  The good news is that the last couple of weeks he’s been doing much better.  Hopefully he’s making at least a small turn around with his health.  I’ve appreciated all the prayers that have been said on his behalf … they’re helping … but don’t stop!

All Things Old

I’ve never quite been able to figure out my crazy obsession with “all things old” (vintage, antique).  It completely goes against my want/need for CONVENIENCE!  I can’t even begin to imagine my life without my washer and dryer … or my microwave.  And how does one clean their house without their DYSON?  It’s unthinkable to think about getting hot water from anywhere except the hot water heater!  And heating the house with wood?  Or not having an air-conditioner in the summer?  I don’t think so!  So to say that I LOVE modern conveniences would be an understatement … yet I can spend hours in an antique store or daydreaming through the zillions of antique and vintage items offered on eBay.

The older furniture pieces were so beautiful.  Kitchen utensils were so sturdy.  Items from the 1920’s, 1930’s, 1940’s … they look like pieces of art to me.  While others see the beauty in a Rembrandt painting, I see the beauty in a framed vintage piece of advertising.  Nothing catches my eye quicker than a 1930’s Baking Powder Tin, or a huge wooden bobbin.  I love old windows and doorknobs.  Old and distressed china is more beautiful to me than anything brand new.  Sometimes I feel like I was born in the wrong era … well, except for the fact of the many NECESSARY modern conveniences that I also enjoy!

Thinking about it though, I guess I was born in the right era … this way I can have the best of both worlds.  I can enjoy all of my modern conveniences, and can also enjoy the vintage and antique items that threaten to crowd me out of my own house!

(soon I will try to post some pictures of my Schilling Tin collection … and my wooden bobbin collection … and my vintage kitchen utensil collection … and …… uuuuuggggghhhhhhhhh).

Maybe This Time?

New year ... new thoughts and ideas?  Maybe!  This is my 1,056,174,317th attempt at a blog ... will it take this time?  I guess we'll see.  Mostly tonight I've worked at getting it up and going ... seeing if I have the techno capabilities to even do this.  The real test will be the date I manage to actually write something!

Anyway, thought this might be a good way to keep track of some of my thoughts and feelings ... maybe see some growth in SEVERAL areas of my life by this time next year.  So until that first post ... happy 2011, and I hope this is an amazing year for all of us.