Everyday Happenings

Remembering Buddy Dog

2011-04-22T07:23:00.000-07:00

As all of you know, Buddy was a huge part of my life. I'm celebrating the memories my little dog gave me. As I went through all the pictures I had of Buddy just from the last 2 years, I have to admit, he might be the most photographed dog in the U.S. What can I say, he like to have his picture taken.

Enjoy the pictures, as they remind me of all the good memories I had with my baby dog.

Let's Talk Protein Shakes

2009-12-15T07:46:00.000-08:00

So, this is my 26th day of protein shakes. I didn't know I could be so creative, but with a little almond milk, baking extracts and 3 different flavors of powder - the possibilities are endless!

My new favorite is banana - made with vanilla protein powder and banana extract. One of my daily mixes involves chocolate protein powder, chocolate almond milk, coconut and almond extract.

I'm now 7 days from surgery - one week! Lots of different emotions - excitement being at the top of the list.

Stay tuned...

Twelve Days to my Surgery

2009-12-10T11:31:00.000-08:00

On my first day to surgery my doctor said to me, you're doing great!

On my second day to surgery my doctor said to me, only drink clear liquids and you're doing great!

On my third day to surgery my doctor said to me, nothing after midnight, only drink clear liquids and you're doing great!

On my fourth day to surgery my doctor said to me, only four more days, nothing after midnight, only drink clear liquids and you're doing great!

On my fifth day to surgery my doctor said to me, no you cannot eat, only four more days, nothing after midnight, only drink clear liquids and you're doing great!

On my sixth day to surgery my doctor said to me, you're half way there, no you cannot eat, only four more days, nothing after midnight, only drink clear liquids, and you're doing great!

On my seventh day to surgery my doctor said to me, protein shakes are necessary, you're half way there, no you cannot eat, only four more days, nothing after midnight, only drink clear liquids and you're doing great!

On my eighth day to surgery my doctor said to me, sugar-free popsicles - it's only 3 degrees, protein shakes are necessary, you're half way there, no you cannot eat, only four more days, nothing after midnight, only drink clear liquids and you're doing great!

On my ninth day to surgery my doctor said to me, of course you can drink clear broth, sugar-free popsicles - it's only 3 degrees, protein shakes are necessary, you're halfway there, no you cannot eat, only four more days, nothing after midnight, only drink clear liquids and you're doing great?

On my tenth day to surgery my doctor said to me, don't forget to order your vitamins, of course you can drink clear broth, sugar-free popsicles - it's only 3 degrees, protein shakes are necessary, you're halfway there, no you cannot eat, only four more days, nothing after midnight, only drink clear liquids and you're doing great?

On my eleventh day to surgery my doctor said to me, maybe no more diabetes, don't forget to order your vitamins, of course you can drink clear broth, sugar-free popsicles - it's only 3 degrees, protein shakes are necessary, you're halfway there, no you cannot eat, only four more days, nothing after midnight, only drink clear liquids and you're doing great?

On my twelfth day to surgery my doctor said to me, 14 days of liquid, maybe no more diabetes, don't forget to order your vitamins, of course you can drink clear broth, sugar-free popsicles - it's only 3 degrees, protein shakes are necessary, you're halfway there, no you cannot eat, only four more days, nothing after midnight, only drink clear liquids and you're doing great?

Thanksgiving Day

2009-11-27T15:45:00.000-08:00

I know it's been a long time since I've posted on my blog. Facebook has replaced a lot of my blogging time. I'm not sure that's a good thing, so I thought I would try to get back into the swing of blogging. Yesterday was quiet, but I enjoyed the day a great deal. I cooked a turkey breast and as the smell filled my home so did the memories of past Thanksgivings.

Mom, Dad, Deanna and Terry called just as they sat down for dinner. It was nice to know that tradition carried on regardless of how many of us could make it home. I completed my day with a little scrapbooking and I took in a movie called "Blind Side". The movie was very good and was based on a true story. I recommend seeing it.

This morning I went to JCPenney's at 6:00 am - NOT A TRADITION, nor will it become one. I had some shopping left to do, however and the sales were too good to pass up. I was only there for an hour and I have to say it wasn't that bad. The checkout lines were relatively short and it was still early enough either people weren't quite awake or they just weren't tired enough to be grumpy. Either way, it was enjoyable.

I hope everyone else had a good Thanksgiving with lots of family and/or friends surrounding them. We are officially into the Christmas season, one of my favorite holidays.

2009-09-14T14:28:00.000-07:00

A few of my friends don't have FB, so I'm posting the scrapbook room to my blog. Still enjoying a nice clean room - I've even begun creating in it and managed to keep it neat and tidy.

Summer 2009

2009-09-11T13:16:00.000-07:00

My summer, like many of yours, want by fast. I don't usually vacation much in the summer so I can go in the fall. This year it just worked out differently. In June I went to my cousin's wedding. I drove across Montana to see my sister and her family at the end of July (2,300 miles round trip). In August my sisters came to visit me, as many of you already know. We spent four days at Wallowa Lake, very relaxing!!!! I had a great summer, but I can honestly say I'm ready for fall, my favorite time of each year. Enjoy Round-up for those of you in Pendleton. Maybe you'll see another post or two from me before the year has ended.......

Birthday lunch with the Girls

2008-12-28T09:00:00.001-08:00

The weather did a 180 today. Everything is melting, the streets are a mess, but that didn't stop the girls. It took Ronda 9 tries to get to the Interstate (Meacham is still getting snow), others put it in 4-wheel drive to get around town and I slid down the hill to get to our girl gathering. Kirsten (12/31) and I (12/28) are celebrating birthdays. Always fun to get together to visit (we don't do it often enough). I couldn't get back to my house afterward so Carla gave me a ride (thanks Carla).

Christmas Eve

2008-12-28T08:33:00.001-08:00

Here are a few pictures from Christmas Eve. I spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with Kerry and his family. We had a very nice holiday. On Christmas Eve we had spaghetti dinner and after the dishes were done a hot game of Monopoly got started that didn't end until the banker (me) called it quits at 3:00 am. (that made for a very short nap before getting up and opening packages on Christmas morning).

Buddy gave up and found a spot to rest around midnight.

The only two that didn't get caught up in the game of Monopoly were Dana (Kerry's sister) and Richard. They were sensible and went home and got a good night's rest.

Corbin (Kerry's nephew) wanted to show me his favorite ornaments from the tree. I don't think we were suppose to remove them from the tree, but we were careful to get them back on and didn't even get in trouble!

Morgan (Kerry's niece) wanted to stay up as long as the adults, but it was soon after this picture was taken that she fell asleep.

The next morning came early, but luckily we had the kids, so there was no sleeping in.

Miranda (Kerry's niece) made it a lot longer than her sister, but she was really tired and it didn't take her long to fall asleep once her head hit the pillow.

The tree was beautiful and look at those packages.

Snow Dog

2008-12-23T10:18:00.000-08:00

Well, I can't be too sad about the snow. Both Buddy and I love the snow. I'm disappointed about missing out on family traditions, but I love having a white Christmas. I hope everyone is planning a nice, relaxing holiday. Things can always get so hectic this time of year. Just remember to slow down and enjoy. Christmas will be gone again for another year before we realize it. Merry Christmas everyone.

Winter has arrived

2008-12-22T10:32:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd share a little winter with you. Doesn't look like the weather is cooperating for me to be able to go to Montana for Christmas this year. My first Christmas in Oregon. Hummmmm - I wonder how I feel about that.

Thanksgiving, just around the corner

2008-11-12T10:08:00.000-08:00

With the holidays just around the corner, it makes me think about traditions. Thanksgiving hasn't always been the most traditional of our family holidays, Christmas wins (no contest). When growing up however, I remember my Mom and Dad's house filled with aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and great-grandparents. There were times when 50 or more people came for Thanksgiving dinner. After my sisters and I were out of college and out on our own, Mom and Dad would travel to see us for Thanksgiving. Since moving to Pendleton, Mom, Dad and Deanna have come for a couple of the years. I've gone home for a couple. I've been to Renee's house for Thanksgiving and Ronda's too. I've even spent the day home, quietly tucked in my house with a couple good movies, my Buddy dog and leftover pizza. The worst Thanksgiving was one spent on my sofa, too sick to care about going anywhere, seeing anyone or eating anything!

I like making the traditional turkey, mashed potatoes, dressing, gravy and all the extras. It's just as fun to make the old recipes as it is to find some new ones to mix in. I even plan the table setting and usually make place card holders. While I don't really consider these my Thanksgiving traditions, they are probably the closest to tradition that I have for this holiday. What are your Thanksgiving traditions? Where will you be spending your holiday?

Whatever they may be, I hope you are planning to enjoy your Thanksgiving with family, friends or both.

Here are a couple of recipes that I'm planning to try this year...

Artichoke Parmesan Sourdough Stuffing (found in Sunset Magazine)
Serves 12 (makes 10 cups) Time: 1 1/2 hrs.

1 lb. mushrooms, rinsed, ends trimmed, & sliced
1 tbsp. butter
2 onions (3/4 lb. total), chopped
1 cup chopped celery
2 tbsp. minced garlic
About 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 loaf (1 lb.) sourdough bread, cut into ½-in. cubes
2 jars (6 oz. each) marinated artichoke hearts, drained &chopped
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 ½ tsp. poultry seasoning
1 ½ tbsp. minced fresh rosemary leaves or ¾ tsp. crumbled dried rosemary
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg

1. In a 12” frying pan over high heat, cook mushrooms, butter, onions, celery, and garlic, stirring often, until vegetables are lightly browned, about 15 min. pour into a large bowl. Add a bit of broth to pan & stir to scrape up browned bits. Add to bowl.
2. Pour 2 cups broth into bowl & add bread, artichoke hearts, Parmesan, poultry seasoning, & rosemary, mix well. Add salt & pepper to taste. Make a well in stuffing. Add egg & beat with a fork to blend, mix egg with stuffing.
3. Preheat oven to 325° to 350° Spoon stuffing into a shallow 3-qt. (9x13) casserole. For moist stuffing, cover with foil; for crusty stuffing, do not cover. Bake until hot (at least 150° in center) or lightly browned, about 50 minutes.
Make ahead: Up to 1 day ahead, make stuffing, put in casserole, cover, & chill. Allow about 1 hr. to bake.

Pioneer Woman’s Whiskey-Glazed Carrots

2 - 3 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into thick circles
1 stick (1/2 cup…1/4 lb) butter
1/2 cup Jack Daniels or other whiskey
3/4 to 1 cup brown sugar
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper

Melt 1 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over high heat. Add carrots in two batches, cooking for 60 to 90 seconds each batch. Remove from skillet. Pour in whiskey and allow to evaporate 30 seconds.Reduce heat to medium, and add remaining butter.When butter melts, sprinkle brown sugar over the top. Stir together, then add carrots to skillet. Cover, and continue cooking for 5 minutes.Remove lid and add salt and pepper. Continue cooking until carrots are done and glaze is thick, about 5 more minutes. Pour onto a platter and serve immediately. Sprinkle with chopped chives if desired.

More Montana Memories

2008-11-05T10:11:00.000-08:00

Everyday I would torture (the children's word, not mine) the kids and make them go with me to do a photo shoot (need pictures for the calendar you know). It was amazing to me how the girls would pose nice and smile, but the days when I could grab "the boy" for a few shots I got the silly, fun and spontaneous pictures. I LOVED IT, except when I really did want just one posed picture of the three of them, that didn't go so well.

It was just fun to let them climb and pose and do whatever they wanted. I just kept taking pictures. I know for some of you that comes naturally, but I came from the family where pictures were taken around the dinner table at each birthday party. Cameras weren't considered a part of everyday life. When I actually break from the "family norm", I get some really fun pictures and memories too.

The picture above makes me laugh everytime I see it. I can hear Will saying, "Aunt Jo, hurry take a picture of my "man bridge"!" With his voice changing and cracking, it was just funny to me.

I was trying to get the whole picture, but just as I snapped the shot, Spike (Mom and Dad's dog) jumped off. They were quite a site, the three of them riding out to the highway to get the mail.

Dakotah "hammed" it up a little when she jumped on Grammi's toy tractor and tried to ride it around the carport.

See, when it was just the girls, they posed and smiled. These were fun too, as Saige would dream up the next pose and Dakotah and I would tag along for fun.

I LOVE FALL

2008-11-03T13:52:00.000-08:00

Wow, long time no blog! Needed a break from the whole posting pictures, blogging thing. I'm going to get back to blogging, but it may take me some time to get everything back on track. Keep checking back.

I went to Montana in October to visit friends and family. I didn't see everyone, but I did get to meet one of the two newest members of the Drugge family. This is "Montana Rose", she is my cousin's daughter. I took Dakotah and Saige (nieces) up to my Aunt and Uncle's house to pick out pumpkins. We were lucky enough to time it so that we got in on the pumpkin photo shoot with Mon'TANA'. She was lots of fun. She couldn't quite figure it all out, but she would smile big for us. Her Grandma grew the pumpkins and so it was lots of fun using them for props.

Lucky for everyone, this was one of the days that I actually fixed my hair! Some of the other days were pretty scary. Tee Hee!

Spending time with my Nieces and Nephew is very precious. This visit seemed too short, but I was happy to get any time with them. This is Will's first year to hunt. He got his antelope on the second day and was very happy. I didn't see as much of him, but still had a few chances for pictures. The girls were lots of fun and helped me make dinner and dessert, went for walks and just caught up on all the happenings in their busy lives. Very relaxing!

Dakotah is a Sophomore this year and it's all about school, friends and the next big "school" event. She loves school (her social outlet) and keeps busy with all the extra stuff like choir, band, school plays, dance, piano lessons, etc....... (Oh yea, and the boyfriend).

Saige is 8 years old and she is all about independence. She wanted to ride the four-wheeler and my Mom and Dad's dog, Spike never misses an opportunity to ride. She too keeps busy with all the extra (dance and piano).

Montana Vacations..... I recommend them to everyone!

Surprise Amy

2008-09-04T15:29:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I took a mini album class at Heart of the Home from Miss Amy. She had made the cutest travel album and I completely copied her to create this "Buddy Book".

It took a few file folders, paint, scraps of paper, some stickers, ribbon, a brown writer and some embellishments and POOF! - I had an album all ready for pictures. I liked this album so much that I couldn't wait to get pictures in it. Thanks Amy for a great idea (she tells me that she copied an album from a book, but when I looked at the one in the book I didn't see it, probably because I liked Amy's album MORE!).

There aren't too many projects that I finish from start to pictures, but here's proof that I do actually have pictures that I can put in albums.

THANKS AMY FOR A GREAT AFTERNOON and for sharing your leftover stickers, brads and embellishments from your album project!

Huckleberry Season

2008-08-18T09:51:00.000-07:00

Renee and I spent the day picking huckleberries. I went last year with Renee and Ronda and I told them "been there, done that". This year was much more enjoyable. The berries are plentiful, the spot we picked was flat and we didn't have too much trouble finding shade to keep us cool. It was a very enjoyable day.

I picked just over a gallon of berries, much better than the crop I picked last year. I think I have this whole berry pickin' thing figured out. Don't go on Renee's first day - instead wait until the second day. She's a little bit tired and it's a lot easier when trying to keep up with her. She still out picked me, but that was a given before we even started. I'm proud of my silver medal finish.

I did manage to get distracted towards the end of our adventure. Found these cute little strawberries and I mean little tiny!

Yes, that's Renee peeking out from behind a tree. She just kept a pickin'. It was so hard to leave because there were so many berries still around us. We just couldn't pick them all.

Here's about half of my picked crop. I don't know what I'm going to do with my 16 cups of berries, but I'm looking forward to at least one huckleberry cobbler!

Buddy's Birthday

2008-08-15T11:38:00.000-07:00

I don't know who likes his birthday more, Buddy or his Mom.

Dear Diary......

2008-08-06T11:36:00.000-07:00

Day 1: Karen and Don have left for Sturgis and I'm taking care of the tomato plant. It's healthy. Lots of tomatoes, not ripe, but with some good hot days they should start to ripen.

Day 2: I think I'll trim the plant so the nutrients go to the fruit instead of the plant. Yikes, I hope this goes well, I don't want anything to happen to this plant.

Day 3: Plant looks good, I don't think I did any damage to it. Nothing looks brown or dying. Hooray!

Day 4: Well, now that I have it all trimmed up maybe I should give it some plant food. Tomatoes are starting to ripen, but I think they need a little extra boost.

Day 5: Still just the one tomato, others will be ripe soon. No harm done with the Miracle Grow!

Day 8: Well, I skipped a few entries, but as you can see I've finally got to pick some of the tomatoes. Can't wait to enjoy these little babies.

Day 8 (Second entry): Yummmmmmmm, there's just nothing better than a BLT sandwich with a home-grown tomato. Well, I used turkey-bacon, not quite the same, but much healthier for me and fewer points on the Weight Watchers diet!

Well, there's the proof that I can take care of the tomato plant. I have a few more days and the temperature outside just keeps going up. I don't want anything to happen to their little plant. Keep your fingers crossed it survives another few days, then my responsibility will be over.

Renee's Birthday

2008-07-28T10:25:00.001-07:00

The Queen turned another year younger and yes we celebrated. Carla crowned her and she proudly wore it all through dinner and evening festivities. We love you Renee, so glad we had a chance to get together, why we think we need a reason, I'll never know!

Mr. Frog

2008-07-24T10:27:00.000-07:00

Everyday I have Mr. Frog to greet me when I come to work. He was a gift from a client and while I can't say I've ever been a "frog fan", this one is pretty cute.
He enjoys laying around on top of my computer. Sometimes he gets bored and wishes I would play a game of solitaire, but for the most part he's pretty good about keeping quiet while I work.
He's a pretty good listener and seems to perk right up when I'm on the phone. I guess he thinks he's going to hear something important, hummmmmm, maybe, but not likely.
Sometimes he's a total goof ball and tries to distract me from my work, but I never let him win.

He's a pretty good frog. Behaves most of time and really seems to understand when I just need to be left alone to get my work done. Everyone should have a Mr. Frog at work, he can really brighten your day.

Happy 16th Birthday Dakotah

2008-07-21T13:37:00.000-07:00

Wow, my niece is 16 years old today. Just doesn't seem possible. The day she was born, I sat at my Mom and Dad's dining room table, waiting to hear the good news. My sister had to be taken to Denver, Colorado because she had a 25 pound cyst that had to be removed along with little Dakotah.

Everything went well and here we are today, celebrating 16 years!

Happy Birthday Koda. I love you and miss you very much!

Lazy Days of Summer

2008-07-21T13:16:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you but my summer just seems to be running right along just like every other season. I don't really have memories of family vacations. We didn't take vacations. I have summer memories of baling hay at 4:30 in the morning, getting ready for the fair and walking through mud up to my ankles as I irrigated the alfalfa hay. I love those memories. There are days that I would love nothing more than to go back to Montana and play "farm girl" again.

I have enjoyed reading the different blog posts about the "not so" lazy days of summer. Everyone is busy creating those summer memories with families. There have been trips to far away places, trips to the coast, tea parties, camps, camping, fishing, water parks, river rides, trips to weddings, trips to the pool and on and on and on. Thanks to everyone for sharing your summer memories with me. Makes me want to create my own memories, but that's just going to have to wait. My vacation is planned for this fall, my favorite season of the year. Until then, I'll continue to enjoy my summer as I read about all the adventures created by so many fabulous friends.

Raspberry Season

2008-07-14T12:10:00.001-07:00

Nothing like a few raspberries to enjoy on your morning cereal. I've been picking raspberries in my backyard for about a week now. Yum! I don't have a lot, as you may remember they are volunteer from my neighbor. Last year I just picked from the branches that poked through the fence. This year I actually have a bush in the back corner of my yard and it's a good thing, since the neighbors took their bushes out. Sadness! Anyway, the berries are wonderful tasting and just about the right amount for me to enjoy on a daily basis. It's the little things in life that I enjoy the most.

Ouch!

2008-07-03T11:18:00.001-07:00

Buddy started licking his paw a couple of days ago until he had it so sore and was limping that I decided he had to go to the vet. I thought he probably had something in his paw, but that wasn't the case. He has a bacterial infection and it had to be shaved, scrubbed and medicated. Needless to say, he is now on pain killers and antibiotics to get the whole mess cleared up. Just the way he wanted to start off his 4th of July celebration,
one that he has grown to hate over the years. The fireworks never used to bother him, but seems the last few years he doesn't particularly care for them. Oh well, he'll have his mommy to hold his paw.

Who'll give me 5 for that?

2008-06-18T09:00:00.000-07:00

My sister Deanna arrived last Friday in preparation for my yard sale. Well, I hope she came to visit as well, but I'm not going to ignore the fact that I wasn't going to do the YARD SALE without her. She's been working everyday sorting my piles of stuff, pricing and organizing for SATURDAY'S SALE.

It'll be at my house, 811 SW 6th Street beginning at 7 am and ending at 2 pm. Cross your fingers for good weather!

I've rounded up some scrapbooking stuff, plus size clothing, cake pans, holiday decorations and all my old living room decor' (rustic, outdoor, cabin etc....)

If your in town and you like YARD SALES then come see us, I just might have that very thing you've been looking for.

Buddy's Bath

2008-06-13T10:39:00.001-07:00

Buddy has to have a bath for 5 days in a row with this new shampoo from the vet's office. He's a pretty good sport about it. Last night I told him it was time for his bath and he begrudgingly walked to the bathroom. It's usually me herding him toward the bathroom and discouraging him from taking the wrong turn into the bedroom or scrapbook room.

When we finished he run all over the house, rubbed on the carpet and tried to dry himself off. He finally settled in his bed. I went off working on my next few chores for the evening. In one of my passes through the living room I noticed he was shivering and shaking, so I covered him up with his blanket and he settled in for a long evening nap. I couldn't resist a picture or two. This June weather is one for the record books.

A Pampered Party

2008-06-13T09:38:00.000-07:00

So I hosted an Arbonne party a week ago and we tried out the new foot soak and 24-hour lotion. Rachelle came prepared with bath mats, tubs and towels. We had a great time visiting and snacking as we pampered our feet. I think we were "detoxing", but maybe I wasn't paying attention....hummmm

It was a busy time for a lot of people so I'm thinking we might just have to do this party again sometime later in the summer when our feet have seen a little more sunshine and need a little more pampering.

Thanks Rachelle for showing us all the new stuff and answering all those questions we have concerning our Arbonne products. You do a great job and spoil us too!

If I wrote a book.....

2008-06-12T10:22:00.000-07:00

If I wrote a book it might have the same title as the one you see in this picture. Or I could call mine "The BIG BOOK of Excuses!" Without boring you with a lot of details, I have finally broke the plateau and pushed through for a loss this week of 2.4 pounds. I really can't make any sense of it. One week your down, one week your not! Weight loss is funny in that you can do the same things over and over yet come out with very different results. I've decided that even when we weigh every week and we expect that we will have a continuing downward pattern that we really aren't in control. WHAT? I'm not in control? That's right, you can do everything right and still get on that scale and have it be disappointing. I've found in the past that giving up makes me the only loser, so while it has taken 4 or 5 weeks to get off of this plateau - the determination with a fair amount of whining has finally paid off. Watch out scale I'm back on track to reach that 100 pound goal.

For those who have been keeping track, my blood sugars are much improved. I'm starting to get my energy back and now if we could just get some consistency in the weather, I would do a little more yard work and maybe get back to my walking. Have a fabulous week everyone... My sister arrives tomorrow and we will be preparing for my yard sale.

Along for the ride.

2008-06-05T11:14:00.000-07:00

Well, this is becoming an interesting adventure. The 2/10 of a pound that I lost last week has found me again. I'm back at 89 pounds lost for a total. The good news however is that I had my first blood sugar reading in my range yesterday. I checked it before I left from work and it was 120 (my range is 80-120), the top of the range but I'll take it.

It's a real balancing act and maybe now since things have settled down for me in the blood sugar range I can get back to focusing on weight loss. Although I really don't know what exactly I need to do differently in the diet, but I'll figure it out.

Having my blood sugar down is a real relief. I don't want to give up on my weight loss, but I just felt that focusing on my diabetes control was a priority right now. Until next week......

Change is Good!

2008-05-29T11:05:00.000-07:00

Well, it's Thursday. It's weigh-in day. It wasn't as bad as one had thought. I lost 2/10 of a pound. Small success, but success none-the-less. I'm also happy to report that my new medicine seems to be working. It's a little too early to tell, but I don't have any blood sugar numbers in the 300's and I'm starting to see some in the 100's. It will take four months before I will really know if the new medicine is working.

You'll notice that I posted some new inspiration along the side of my blog. I thought they were cute and wanted to lighten the mood of this blog. I'm always better at the "not so serious" side of things. I think I was just getting too serious about this weight loss - the adjustment over the weekend was a good move for me.

So for now, I'm content. I'm trying some new things along with my new medicine and yes EXERCISE is one of them. Not just talking about it this time - actually getting the bum moving!!

Stay tuned as I continue to sneak up on 90 pounds!

Finding that balance

2008-05-23T11:44:00.000-07:00

I think most of you know that I'm diabetic. For those of you that didn't, you do now. (Smile) Anyway, it takes a lot to balance weight loss with control of blood sugar and it hasn't been going so well lately.

I'm really struggling with weight loss these days. I looked back at my older posts, clear back to January 11th, when I set a goal of 25 pounds by Easter. Well, Easter has come and gone and I'm still posting and hoping for that next 25 pounds. I'm very close and when I think if it that way it seems better than to think that I haven't even lost 25 pounds since January. The year is fast approaching half over, one more month and we will be there.

I went to the Doctor yesterday because my blood sugar levels have actually been getting worse rather than better. The last week I've had blood sugar levels as high as 366 and none below 300. For those of you not familiar with diabetes, my blood sugar should be between 80 and 120. Not good! It was determined that the new medicine (from last fall) is not working. Not really a big surprise there, but more of a mystery as to why it has taken so long for my blood sugar to get bad. The only thing the Doc could come up with is that I had enough of the old medicine in my system that it took a while for the blood sugar levels to elevate and with my weight loss I was able to stretch that out until now. For the most part I guess that's right, but my bad attitude says, "WHATEVER".

It's frustrating to think a person can lose 89 pounds and still have to be on 3 medications to control blood sugar. The positive side is that I'm not on insulin, YET! The Doctor mentioned that awful word yesterday, but I get to try a new oral medicine before having to consider insulin.

The good news is that I was able to drop my blood sugar 100 points overnight just by taking one dose. That too will slow up and my blood sugars will gradually go down (we hope). Between the high blood sugars and the low weight loss, my bad attitude has really picked up. I guess I'm just venting. I'm trying to get all of this frustration out so I can get back to focusing on my goals.

It's very hard to stay positive. I've been at this a year and I'm so close to the 100 pound mark - but I just can seem to stay focused. I want to get there but you wouldn't know it by the way I've been eating the last 2 weeks. I can't explain it. I know what I need to do, I know what I shouldn't do, yet I keep tricking myself into believing that one little piece of chocolate or that extra handful of potato chips isn't going to hurt me, but in reality it isn't helping either. This week was a 0 (zero). I didn't lose anything and I didn't gain anything. To me, it's a week lost. I can't get it back, I don't get a do over and then with the added "blood sugar" thing I seem to be getting a little frustrated.

I hate complaining, but this blog helps me vent and I decided not to worry about it, because as readers you can just skip over my whining. I'm going to set some goals this weekend. I'm going to re-evaluate and start over. I'm changing up my blog and removing some of the stuff. I need a change. I need to mix it up. I need to get my bum in gear and get serious about my weight loss. So, now you know why the changes. Hang in there with me. I'll get back on track and thanks to all of you for your positive reinforcement. I need all the help and encouragement I can get.

"The Phantom"

2008-05-19T09:09:00.000-07:00

This picture arrived in my email box over the weekend. This is my truck driving brother-in-law's brand new "Phantom Gray" Kenworth T660. I don't think Terry has ever had a new truck, but he can't say that now. Oh, excuse me - I think half of this truck is Deanna's and I know she's never had a brand new Kenworth!

Congratulations you two. I hope the improved gas mileage gets you further down the road! Happy Haulin'

How slow can you go?

2008-05-15T12:28:00.000-07:00

"Proceed with caution. We don't want any crash dieting taking place here."

Consistently, I lose a little or none one week and the next I come out shocked and wondering how could I repeat that 4 pound weight loss for next week? Hummmmm.....

I'm happy with my six-tenths of a pound. It is small, but noteworthy. I feel like I'm sneaking up on 90 pounds. Don't want to scare it away. After all, it has taken over a year to chase it and I'm sooooo close.

The exercise thing, well it just plain didn't happen for me. I thought about it a lot, but never really did anything about it. Maybe this week or maybe not. I like keeping you all in suspense, wondering.... will she exercise or not. Tune in next week as I continue my journey down weight loss avenue.

Saige

2008-05-08T12:37:00.001-07:00

Some of you have had the pleasure of meeting Saige, others of you have not. She's our funny girl! Always there to make you laugh, giggle from your toes or just plain burst out with an unexpected roar of laughter. Last weekend she was in a dance competition in Bismarck, ND. Her group had dairy cow or Holstein cow costumes. Her Mom was helping her get ready and when she finished Saige walked over to the mirror. She put her hands on her hips and said, "Well Mom, let's go find the rest of my herd!" Their dance group got the highest award, which I believe is "diamond". Outstanding Saige! Great Job!

On a not so funny note, she also got hurt the same weekend. She somehow had a fight with a piece of exercise equipment and lost. She has what was described as looking like a blood blister on entire bottom of her foot. This is from damage she has done to the muscle. In addition, there is also a hair-line fracture. She has a cast and has been told that there will be no (absolutely none) weight on the foot for 10 days. I'm guessing my funny girl has lost a little of her sense of humor. I wish I was there to spoil her, but she's just gonna have to settle for a care package from Aunt Jo. Love you, Saige - take care!

Food Allergies

2008-05-08T12:10:00.000-07:00

Recently a friend told me she got the results back from her allergy test. While she always keeps an upbeat attitude, I could tell that she was kinda thinking...."What's Next" She was listing foods like flour, eggs, sugar, milk, soy, peanuts and bananas. Yikes, I take all this stuff for granted. Her son has food allergies too, he has pretty much grown up with it and I'm not sure if that's not better then finding out in your 30's that you have allergies to foods that you have loved for so many years. My sister has food allergies too and she was in her late 20's early 30's when she developed these allergies. While I'm thankful I don't have food allergies (ok I tell everyone I'm allergic to shellfish, but really I just don't like it) I think maybe I should pretend to be allergic to some foods to help me with my temptations. Maybe I could tell myself that I'm allergic to sugar and flour. I wonder if it would work? HUMMMMMMMMMMMM, probably not! So, to my friend, her son, my sister and all those with food allergies - my heart goes out to you. I'll be thinking of you as I make good food choices for myself, because while for different reasons we are avoiding some foods, we probably are faced with many of the same frustrations.

The Right Direction!

2008-05-08T11:26:00.000-07:00

Well, I bet you all thought I was skipping weigh-in last week, but that's just not true. I missed my first weigh-in since September 25th, not by choice! I had a meeting at 9:00am in Hermiston, so I had to skip the weigh-in. As some of you might have noticed my last weigh-in was very discouraging, I was up 4 pounds and really couldn't pinpoint what happened. Having 2 weeks before the next weigh-in made me take a look at some of the habits I was developing and I think with anything you get into a routine and eventually the habits evolve into something more than when you first started. I guess what that means for me is portion control. It has always been a battle for me. The 4 pound weight gain was a system check for me. I had to take a step back and figure out what had changed without me noticing. So for the last two weeks I've been eating more salad, veggies and fruits. I love them all, but I had gotten in such a routine with them, that I found myself bored with the foods I was eating, never feeling satisfied and therefore going back to the kitchen to find something more to eat. I went shopping in the fruits and vegetables to find something different to try, something that maybe I wouldn't ordinarily buy. I had fun with it and I think it's helping. I lost 4.8 pounds this week. So I got rid of the 4 pounds I gained two weeks ago and lost an additional .8 (almost another pound). This week I'm focusing on exercise again (and again and again). I just seem to fall out of that routine so fast and once you quit exercising it's ten times harder to get going again. So wish me luck on the exercise thing, it's a personal goal set for the week!!! I'll keep you posted.

Man it feels good to get back into this blogging thing. I missed sharing with all of you!

Ronda's Birthday Celebration

2008-04-24T14:49:00.001-07:00

R is for real. Ronda is real, what you see is what you get. Nothin' phony about this girl.

O is for organized. Oh how she likes to organize, be organized and teach some of the rest of us slackers how to be organized.

N is for nice. Plain and simple - you are all that and more.

D is for deserving. Ronda is deserving of many things. Most of all I wish her health and happiness.

A is for appreciative. I appreciate Ronda and I'm so happy to call her my friend.

Never a dull moment when a group of us gets together. Ronda celebrated her birthday this month and so we met at GP to share some fun and laughs.

Goofing off and not always posing (or maybe we were) for the picture is just a part of us

Good times, good memories. So glad I could be a part of the fun.

Thanks Ronda for turning another year older so we could have an excuse to get together.

Disappointing

2008-04-24T09:33:00.000-07:00

I'm going to keep this short. I gained 4 pounds this week. I didn't even want to weigh in today, but I promised myself good or bad I would weigh in. Then I made another stupid rule about posting my progress on my blog, good or bad. It was bad, now I'm moving on.

Biggest Loser

2008-04-23T11:36:00.000-07:00

OK so it wasn't until last night when I sat down to watch a little TV that I realized that the Biggest Loser season is really over. What am I going to do? That's my TV inspiration. Oh no, what's going to replace it? How will I survive? Can't we start the next season NOW?

I didn't realize how much I relied on that show for inspiration. Last night was a let down, I wanted to see them all weigh-in, I don't want them to be done.....after all I'm still weighing-in! So after 30 minutes or so passed, I decided I'm going to have to find something to replace it and then it hit me. I went downstairs and got on the exercise bike. I'm going to replace the TV minutes with EXERCISE minutes. It's going to take me a couple of weeks (months) to get worked up to a full two hour workout and really I think it might be beneficial (ok so I know it will be beneficial) for me to workout more than one day a week.

So, here I go again mixing it up, trying something new. OK, well exercise isn't new, but tell my lungs, legs and buttocks that when I'm a huffing and puffing because I'm so out of shape. And yes the bike seat gave my buttocks a real workout last night.

So,until I look like the girl on the left in the picture above, I guess I keep on keepin' on!

Asparagus Galore!

2008-04-21T10:59:00.000-07:00

'Tis the Season for ASPARAGUS!

I bought 50 pounds of asparagus this past week so I could make pickled asparagus. I love canning. The asparagus was really fresh so it should make for some great pickles - now I have to wait. The more patient I am the better the pickles.

It takes a lot of water and a lot of different kettles, but since moving to Oregon pickled asparagus has become a favorite for me to can.

This is the bottom of the jar before I start packing it with asparagus. This year I added a slice of onion to each jar. I'm always trying something new, you just never know when you might find that prize winning combination!

I leave the asparagus in cold water after I have cleaned it. It helps to plump the spears and make them nice and firm for packing.

I like to get my jars packed tight because as I water bath the jars, the asparagus shrinks down a little. Isn't that a pretty jar?

Water bathed and now cooling. I love hearing the sound of the snap as the lid sucks down and you know you have a good seal!

There they are. All sealed and ready to be put on the shelf so they can pickle to perfection or at least I hope so. I got 18 quarts out of my 2 boxes. Had to leave a little for eating fresh - it's just so yummy!

Seeing Results

2008-04-21T10:29:00.001-07:00

I was digging around in a pile of clothes to find a pair of shorts to wear. I was looking for that favorite pair, you know the ones... they are comfortable, loose and have a drawstring in the waistband. So after about 20 minutes I found them. I pulled them on and WOW - the waistband was too big. In the picture above I measured from the knot that was in the drawstring from last summer to my waist - it was 4 inches on each side. I guess seeing is believing for me. Oh, by the way, I tightened the drawstring, went and looked in the mirror and then promptly went to find something else to wear. I'm thinking they looked bad last summer and it didn't get any better with weight loss. P.S. - it kinda tricky to take a picture with one hand while the other is holding a ruler and a drawstring, all the while trying to avoid getting too much of your belly in the shot! OK - I guess a little giggle would be ok.

Oh yeah, last week's weigh-in was successful - I lost 2.4 pounds! Yippee!

Stinkin' Thinkin'

2008-04-14T09:28:00.000-07:00

Looking back at my weight loss there seems to be a definite pattern. On average I have one pretty good week with a pound or more weight loss and then the next week there will be a decimal point in front of the number. This past week was one of those decimal point weeks. I lost .2! I can't really attribute it to anything. In the beginning I would get a little bit frustrated, but finally had to tell myself that any weight lost is good. So now I'm looking at my 2 week averages to help my brain with positive thinking only.

On my way to work today I heard something that reminded me of my struggle to stay positive. One of the DJs was talking about how her mother would tell her to "get rid of that stinkin' thinkin'" The other two DJs were making fun of the phrase until she explained that every time she was thinking negative her mother would throw this phrase out at her. So for now, I'm going to try to throw away the stinkin' thinkin' and stay focused on the positive.

The above picture was pulled from Google images and while I couldn't find exactly who to give credit to, wanted to make sure that you all knew that is was not something I created for this post.

My motorcycle friends!

2008-04-04T13:04:00.001-07:00

Don and Karen Kendall recently purchased a new motorcycle. Neither one wanted their picture taken today, but I told them I was going to get at least one shot, since I didn't have a camera with me the first time I saw the bike. Besides I know their daughters will appreciate this post! Don offered to give me a ride, but I told him I would have to wait until summer when it was a little bit warmer. I'll probably chicken out then too!

Buddy got new Toys!

2008-04-04T09:44:00.000-07:00

So, I couldn't resist! Auntie Gwen got Buddy three new toys yesterday and one was this big orange bone. I had to see if Buddy would balance it on his nose......and he did.

I hurried to take the picture before he dropped it, so the angle of the shot makes it look fake, but he really did balance the thing on his nose.

New Chairs Too

2008-04-04T08:59:00.001-07:00

As promised, here are my new dining room chairs. The table isn't new, but I did fool a few people because they've never seen the top of it cleared off.

I'm really enjoying my newly painted living/dining room. It has a nice warm feeling to it.

Food vs Weight Loss

2008-04-03T10:13:00.000-07:00

I've been pretty lazy with my weight loss posts. Last week my family was here and I just didn't get around to posting my .2 weight loss. Today I weighed and I've lost another 3.4 pounds. Hooray!

I'm now 15 pounds from my 100 pound weight loss goal. It feels great and I feel great. I'm getting excited about getting so close to this major milestone. I'm trying on new-old clothes and digging out new clothes that have never had the tags off. I'm excited to be so close to such an awesome goal. My one year mark is also coming up - May 1st! While it would be nice to have lost 100 in 1 year, I'm going to be happy regardless. Besides I'll have a reason to celebrate both my 1 year anniversary and my 100 pound weight loss if they don't happen at the same time.

I've noticed that even though I've been successful so far with my weight loss challenge, I still could make better food choices. Now that spring is arriving (not counting last weekend's cold spell) I'm getting hungry for all those wonderful fresh vegetables and well maybe some fruit too. It's amazing what a little sunshine will do for a person. It changes their whole outlook and it energizes a person. I forgot how the sun makes me feel until spring comes back around.

I have exactly 4 weeks..... Keep coming back and checking my progress and once again thank you everyone for your support. You just don't know how much it means to me!!!!

Buddy Dog

2008-04-02T11:42:00.001-07:00

Can you say, "One tired dog!" After his surgery on Wednesday, Buddy crashed on the sofa. My family came that same day and then for the week we had everything that is familiar to Buddy moved, covered or impossible to get to - including the dog toys and bed. He did well with his surgery, but this is our first day back at the office and he is sleeping like he hasn't rested in weeks. Probably good that he is getting back into his usual routine.

New color, new inspiration!

2008-04-02T10:51:00.000-07:00

So, I decided that if I was going to have a newly painted living room, that maybe I could update my living room decor. On Sunday, my family and I went to an Arts and Craft Fair in the Tri-Cities. I immediately fell in love with all the things in one of the booths. So looked at it carefully and then I walked away, telling myself that I really didn't need it. However, the entire time I was walking through the other booths I kept thinking about how nice that window frame would look in my house. Finally, I couldn't stand it anymore, I had to go back and I bought the window with two accent pieces. I LOVE IT VERY MUCH!

Here's the finished product!

2008-04-02T10:40:00.001-07:00

I'm still trying to decide what will go on the "accent" wall. I don't really have anything in mind, but Renee and Ronda tell me that I don't have to be in a hurry to hang something on the wall. They forget that it might be another 8 years if I wait too long. Oh well!

It's hard to see the other color, but it's a very light brown, almost cream color. I love it and it makes my living room so warm and cozy!

I also got new dining room chairs, but I haven't taken a picture yet. Maybe tomorrow.

New Living Room

2008-04-02T10:14:00.000-07:00

My Mom and Dad and Aunt Dorothy arrived on Wednesday evening and left today. Time sure does fly by quickly. Of course my Dad likes to work when he comes to visit, so I decided that we would paint my living room. Here are a few pictures. I took all my pictures a safe distance from the paint can and promptly put the camera back in the bedroom, far away from any wet paint! Dad, Mom, Aunt Dot and I painted the room and hallway. With that many hands we made quick work.
Dad stopped long enough for a picture, but then told me to put that camera down and get back to work. Hummmmmm, I think he just didn't want his picture taken.
Buddy Dog got in on the painting too. He conveniently sat in the middle of the floor until I went down to the basement. Then he followed and brushed up against the wet paint. Good thing he matched the paint!

Aunt Dot was willing to help too.

Thanks to my family for working so hard during their visit. My place feels so nice and clean and room is so much warmer looking with the new color. I LOVE IT!

Buddy has Surgery

2008-03-26T13:22:00.000-07:00

Although I've never been a mother, I have to say that today when I left Buddy at Pendleton Vet Clinic so he could have surgery, I was as nervous and anxious as any mother would be with their child. I hate taking him to have surgery. I was glad to get the phone call at noon today telling me that everything went routine. Routine - now there's a word I don't usually look forward to hearing, but today it was music to my ears.

Just before noon these flowers were delivered to Buddy, wishing him a speedy recovery. I'm pretty sure he's going to share with me, since his take on the world is sniff it, chew it up and spit it out, unless of course it's food!

Thanks to my office crew for thinking of me and my Buddy dog.

26 Consecutive Weigh-Ins

2008-03-20T10:53:00.000-07:00

Septebmer 25, 2007 - my cell phone rings. Caller I.D. shows Queenie (aka Renee). The conversation went somthing like this......

MJ - hellooooooooo

Q - ARE YOU WEIGHING IN TODAY?

MJ - NO!!!!

Q- Well that was a quick answer

MJ- Yep!

Q - Why not?

MJ - I cancelled my weight watchers membership, I haven't been going so why pay?

Q - So, rejoin

MJ - I don't think so

Q - Come on, you can do this

MJ - I'll think about it

Q - OK, weigh-in starts at 5:00 pm

MJ- I'll see what I can do

Q - OK, I'll see you there, gotta go.

MJ - OK, bye

So that call was 26 weeks ago. Today I weighed in for the 26th consecutive time. I lost 3.6 pounds this week. That's 43.6 pounds since I rejoined and 83.6 pounds since May 1, 2007.

Thanks Renee for making that phone call.

Thanks for ignoring me when I told you, NO!

Thanks for encouraging me.

More Pictures from the 40th Birthday Party

2008-03-13T11:59:00.000-07:00

So the party was great. Both Rachelle and I had a great time visiting her family and our friends from Montana. The ice sculpture was just too fun, had to post another picture of it.

The food was good, the music was awesome and a good time was had by all.

Another Milestone

2008-03-13T10:11:00.000-07:00

I did it! I finally got to 80 pounds lost! I lost 4.2 pounds this week. After last week, I would have been happy with a 2 pound loss. I'm keeping this short, will post later this week. Just wanted to share the good news.

2008-03-06T10:00:00.000-08:00

Well the ol' weigh-in didn't go so well this week. I'm up 1.8 pounds! I guess my walk in the park yesterday wasn't long enough. Smile.

Weight Watchers offers two kinds of plans, a the flex plan and the core plan. I've never tried the core plan for any length of time, mainly because my lifestyle doesn't easily allow for such restriction or should I say discipline. For example, I have two lunch meetings this week and while I'm getting pretty good about making good choices off of the menu - I don't really think it's feasible to think that I could stick to the core plan diet for an entire week.

However, that being said I think that's what I need to do. I think it might be the jump start I need to get back on track. I feel myself slowly slipping back to old habits. It is so easy to fall back into old patterns. A little margarine on the muffin when before I've been completely satisfied without the margarine or drinking a diet coke before you have your water in for the day or my all time favorite - 1 bad day, 1 good day - it will all even out; even though I know that is not logical, I find myself thinking that way.

This blog is good for one thing if nothing else - true confessions. My weight gain is self-inflicted, I know that and having to put it on this blog is painful, but I'm guessing that next week I'll have a whole different post because I'm truly not having any fun posting my results this week.

Moving on, forgiving the bad choices from last week and making today the start of a new week! If anyone out there has been struggling with their goals this past week, don't fear, you are not alone.

A 1000 Whales

2008-03-04T09:56:00.000-08:00

Do you ever feel like you just can't get full or the food you're eating just isn't satisfying? Well, today I woke up wanting everything bad for me and mostly in quantities that one should not have if they are trying to lose weight.

Does the blowing wind make you hungry? I can't say for sure but since it's blowing so hard today I'm going to blame the wind. It's the wind's fault that I want to eat everything in site today. It's that rushing sound when gusts of wind hit the windows. It makes me anxious and when I'm anxious I want to eat!!!! However, I've managed to get through most of the morning without eating everything in site. Maybe because I was in a 2-hour meeting or maybe because I immediately had computer problems throughout the entire office first thing this morning. Who knows - now I just need to keep up the good fight and make good choices for the rest of my day.

So, to all of you reading this and fighting to keep yourself satisfied with good choices, may you avoid the temptation of eating food in the quantity of a 1000 whales!

Happy Healthy Living to You All!

Healthy Heart Lasagna

2008-03-04T09:25:00.000-08:00

So a very, very long time ago I promised a friend that I would share my recipe for Healthy Heart Lasagna. I got this recipe when I was going to a nutritionist for weight loss. Since that time I have calculated the points for this recipe. There are 6 points/serving. The recipe makes 10 servings. These are healthy portion sizes and so it makes you think you are getting away with something. Enjoy!

Healthy Heart Lasagna

6 oz ground beef, very lean
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 clove garlic - minced

Brown the above ingredients and drain off all fat.
Stir in:
1-16 oz tomato sauce
2- 8 oz mushrooms (fresh can be used)
2 tsp. basil

Cook according to directions 8 oz lasagna noodles

Mix together the following and set aside:
2 eggs, beaten
2 c. cottage cheese
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
2 T parsley

Thaw 10 oz of frozen chopped spinach. Squeeze out excess liquid and moisture using paper towels. You want to make sure you have this well drained.

Shred 12 oz mozzarella cheese.

Layer ingredients in this order.

1/2 noodles
1/2 cottage cheese mixture
1/2 spinach
1/2 cheese
1/2 meat mixture

Repeat. Top with 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes.
Let stand 10 minutes.

Another friend joins the ranks of 40

2008-03-03T12:39:00.001-08:00

Rachelle's surprise 40th birthday party was first a very big surprise and secondly a BLAST! We had so much fun celebrating 40 together and giving all our soon to be 40 friends a bad time. The food was great, the dancing was fun and I enjoyed visiting with Rachelle's family, some I haven't seen for over 10 years.

I caught Rachelle long enough for her to pose (just call her Vanna) in front of the ice sculpture. How fun!!!!!

Inspiration

2008-02-21T09:53:00.000-08:00

I had to go to Salem last week for a couple of days of training. It's been a while since I've made that trip and there were several people there I know through work and mutual meetings that we attend. In the evening a group of us decided to meet at Olive Garden for dinner (I had to bank a few Weight Watchers points for that one). We had about 30 minutes to wait and so we were all standing around in the lobby area when some more people came that we knew from the training. One of the ladies came up to me and complimented me on my weight loss. She said she didn't recognize me until I spoke and then realized that it was me. WoW, didn't recognize me - I think that's a first. It made me feel good and inspired me to continue on my journey.

Then just yesterday I had a scrapbook friend tell me that she has been reading my blog and I have inspired her to get back on her Weight Watchers plan. Me, inspire someone? Again, my only thought was "WoW".

I can honestly say that sharing this weight loss journey with my family and friends is making it so much easier for me. I have always had the love and support of family and friends; encouragement and reassurance that I have the strength to overcome this weakness in my life. I know this battle would be a 100X harder if it weren't for my circle of supporters. THANKS!

So, drum roll please....... I lost 3 pounds this week........ WoW!

Ode to Blue Camera

2008-02-17T10:51:00.001-08:00

The plan was to paint the scrapbook room
Little did we know there would be doom

Documenting the moments with my blue camera, brand new
Renee painting the edges and Stacy rolling on paint too

Ronda delicately painting with her brush and
Beth sharing surgergy stories, none of us in a rush

Melisa turns, bends down to grab a rag
Strangely enough something falls from her pocket, but not a tag

This next part is not for the weak, as you might just faint
My camera took a swim in a gallon of paint

Quickly I grab the camera strap
But it is too late, the camera is chocolate brown, oh crap

I hand the camera to Beth as it is dripping wet
Ronda scurries to get her camera, afterall we don't want the paint to set

A few shots are taken of this chocolate covered mess
Then I take it to the sink, ruined I guess

I began wiping it off as if maybe there will be hope
But I soon realize - NOPE

A Christmas present from my Mom with much need and want
Is now a hunk of metal, with memories that are sure to haunt

What was once a functional scrapbooker's toy
Is now a gummed up mess, giving absolutely no joy

So ladies be careful, hold your cameras close to your heart
I'm going to Wal-Mart to put a new camera in my cart

Weigh-in on Valentine's Day

2008-02-15T08:48:00.000-08:00

It's nice to get flowers on Valentine's Day. My Dad sent these three roses. He sends 3 roses each to his three daughters on Valentine's Day. I thought this year's flowers were very pretty and fragrant too.

Also, it's very nice to get a special delivery on Valentine's night. I had a little knock on the door and there was Landon, with a Valentine for me. He said, "Happy Valentine's Day Anut Lis, I've gotta keep movin' cause we are going to Joe and Stacy's next." I kissed him on the top of the head and wished him a Happy Valentine's Day. My card was very cute and I have it displayed on my table at home (sorry no camera so I couldn't take a picture).

So now for the weigh-in.....

I lost a pound this week. I thought it might have been more, but after sitting in a car on Monday, sitting in an all-day training session on Tuesday and then sitting in a training session and then riding in a car on Wednesday I guess I'll be content with one more pound gone.

I'm 5 weeks from having weighed-in every week for 26 weeks (1/2 of a year) and I'm one pound closer to my goal. Wow, time flies by.

Rags to Riches

2008-02-11T09:46:00.001-08:00

20 reasons you too should have friends like mine.......

1) They will give up a weekend to help you paint and organize your scrapbook room
2) They will document the moment when you drop your 45 day old camera in the bucket of paint
3) They will boldly paint the ceiling
4) They will sit endlessly and sort eyelets, brads and other miscellaneous embellishments
5) They will bring Mardi Gras beads to make the event more festive
6) They will sort stickers, die cuts and ribbon
7) They will leave the carpet down and resist the temptation of exposing the hardwood floor
8) They will meet for breakfast on Saturday to kick start a very long day of organizing
9) They will assemble scrapbook furniture
10) They will wear silly outfits
11) They will haul boxes of STUFF to the basement
12) They will paint their favorite quote on the wall as a finishing touch to the room
13) They will conveniently have empty boxes in the back of the truck to help with the move
14) They will threaten you to make sure you never have a messy scrapbook room again
15) They will stay late at night to finish painting and put in a full day following
16) They will spend their weekend helping even though they have a long-time friend unexpectedly fly in for the weekend as a surprise
17) They won't complain when they get a bowl of soup and some chips as payment for their hard work (some didn't even get that)
18) They will allow you to have a couple of bags of stuff that can be easily transported, rather than having 100% of everything sorted into 1 location
19) They will laugh with you or at you, just depending on the moment
20) They will still be your friend after spending an entire weekend with a stressed out, unorganzied, somewhat cranky ME!

THANKS TO ALL OF YOU. You're the BEST!

It's ugly, but it's mine......

2008-02-07T10:38:00.001-08:00

I lost .8 pounds this week, which got me past my much needed .2 pounds. I got the WW keychain. I had seen one before and remembered that it isn't the cutest thing, but it's mine and I earned it. I have spent so much time focused on this one little goal that today I almost feel a sense of relief. I can now move towards the goal I set at the start of the year. Twenty-five pounds by Easter (which if you haven't noticed is very early this year - YIKES!) I've lost 6.8 pounds toward this goal, but the weight is coming off a lot harder these days. I love playing the numbers game, so for anyone that was wondering, I have 6 weigh-ins before Easter, I have 18.2 pounds to lose to make my goal and that averages to 3 pounds a week. Well, it's a goal, just keep checking back, as I'll continue to post my progress, good or bad.

Fat Tuesday!

2008-02-05T15:20:00.001-08:00

Buddy celebrated Fat Tuesday with beads from Miss Patti's Restaurant.

Clean Sweep

2008-02-04T14:27:00.000-08:00

I think some of us have the spring cleaning bug in the middle of winter. I was looking at Stacy's blog and admiring all of her hard work on the bedroom. Painting, new furniture....how fun. Lindsay's blog shows new furniture too, love those new red chairs!

This weekend I stopped by Renee's house to find her in the middle of a living room remodel. She was up to her eyeballs in fun and I carefully slipped out the door and returned to my own project......

I started cleaning the scrapbook room because next weekend is the BIG project. I am switching the spare bedroom with the scrapbook room. Painting, moving furniture and organizing are all going to be a part of this project. As the weekend approaches, I'm getting more excited. I have recruited reinforcements and for those of you that know the amount of scrapbook stuff I have accumulated throughout the years, know how blessed I am to have friends willing to help. Actually, I will give the credit to the one that planted the seed. Thanks Renee.

Check back next week for the results. I can hardly wait to show off the new rooms!

Free Countdown Generator

TODAY'S WORD IS.......

2008-01-31T09:29:00.000-08:00

PLATEAU

pla·teau/pla-toh; - noun

plural -teaus, -teaux /-ˈtoʊz, -toʊz/[-tohz, -tohz] verb, -teaued, -teau·ing.

So if you look at today's word and the definitions you might get a bit of a giggle if you think of it like this....

1.
a land area having a relatively level surface considerably raised above adjoining land on at least one side, and often cut by deep canyons. Yes, I can see it now. My body is one BIG land area and while it may not have a relatively level surface, it definitely has raised above adjoining land on or at least one side and why yes I believe I can see canyons or at least little dimples.

2.
a period or state of little or no growth or decline: to reach a plateau in one's career. Career? Did I say I wanted to make a career out of weight loss.

3.
Psychology. a period of little or no apparent progress in an individual's learning, marked by an inability to increase speed, reduce number of errors, etc., and indicated by a horizontal stretch in a learning curve or graph. OK, I'm definitely thinking this one fits for today. I apparently forgot how to eat properly this week, therefore having a period of little, or no apparent progress which is indicated by the horizontal line on my weight watchers progress chart!

4.
a flat stand, as for a centerpiece, sometimes extending the full length of a table. –verb (used without object) Well, I'm still pretty short, so I don't know if I could extend the full length of a table, especially if it's Renee's table, but I like the idea of being a centerpiece.

5.
to reach a state or level of little or no growth or decline, esp. to stop increasing or progressing; remain at a stable level of achievement; level off: After a period of uninterrupted growth, sales began to plateau. –verb (used with object) I have reached the state of "I can't hardly believe I only lost .2 pounds this week!"

6.
to cause to remain at a stable level, esp. to prevent from rising or progressing: Rising inflation plateaued sales income. Well let's see..... the cause for my lack of progress, I'm not quite sure. I will just have to try harder for next week. To be continued........

Just Another Everyday Happening!

2008-01-28T10:10:00.000-08:00

The scrapbook weekend was good, but we could have done without the ice, snow and winter conditions on the way home. We made it home safely and we were glad that we chained up the 'ol Impala!

It seemed to get worse as we headed toward Pendleton and we were happy to see the miles get fewer as we travelled 40 mph.

Scrapbook Weekend

2008-01-28T09:49:00.000-08:00

Karen and I headed to Portland on Friday so we could scrapbook all day Saturday at the Expo Center in Portland. We started our day off with a nice breakfast with Karen's daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter, Lylah. She wasn't too sure who I was, but she likes her Grandma Karen. We had a great time and got a lot done during the crop. The trip home was another story, but that's for another post......

Maybe next week?

2008-01-24T10:35:00.000-08:00

So, have you ever been so close to a goal that you just know this is going to be the week you will achieve it? Well, that's what I thought and I thought wrong. I wanted to lose 1.4 pounds this week, which would put me at a personal goal I set for myself but it wasn't meant to be this week, I lost 1 pound. I'm not discouraged, which is kinda funny because for 2 weeks now I've been thinking "I'll make it this week" and well for 2 weeks I didn't, so........................I'll just keep thinking "I'll make it this week" and wait until next week to see if I actually achieve this small but rather significant goal of mine. If nothing, this makes me all the more determined to keep on keepin' on. My friend Renee (and who knows where she came up with it) said, "If I have to start stripping off clothes next week to make the scale go down, I'm doin' it - one piece at a time until the number drops!" We both laughed, knowing that she might just do it and that everything will freeze over before I do that!

Well until next week - that's the update.

Meet Moon Face

2008-01-23T10:20:00.000-08:00

Well, imagine my surprise when I came across the picture on the left when sorting through some stuff this weekend. Yikes! Bad hair, bad double chin, bad color for a shirt.........
Who knew I had a neck? The picture on the left was taken last August and the picture on the right was taken on Christmas day. I'm posting this as inspiration for myself. I've spent a good amount of my adult life dieting and feeling guilty when I wasn't dieting. But for most of the last 10 months I've been seriously working to melt these pounds off, I have a long way to go and finding this picture was just the boost I needed to keep going. Weigh-in is tomorrow. I hope the "weight lost" number on the left goes up!

Today's Happening

2008-01-15T12:58:00.000-08:00

Well, I can't say this is an everyday happening, but it happened today and I caught with my camera.

Gwen and I were having lunch in my office today. After we finished, Gwen set her bowl down for Buddy to lick. A few minutes later he was sitting next to her chair with the paper bowl hanging from his collar.

The edge of it was stuck in part of his collar. We laughed, wondering if he was proudly displaying his clean bowl or begging for more to be put in it. Knowing Buddy, I don't think he was looking for praise, but rather more food. Just had to share our funny moment for the day.

Biggest Loser - Couples

2008-01-11T10:26:00.000-08:00

Don't know how many of you are tuned into this season's Biggest Loser Couples, but wanted to share with you the water bottle challenge. Here's the link.....

http://www.filterforgood.com/

IT CLICKED!

2008-01-11T09:31:00.000-08:00

Well, it's my sixteenth week with weight watchers (since I last joined). Little did I know that when you stick with it for 16 weeks you get a little prize. I now have two charms, but still don't have my keychain. Maybe next week!!!

I lost 3.6 pounds this week. This is the first weigh in since my new goal of 25 pounds off by Easter. It's kinda funny. I'm working toward my ultimate weight loss goal, but it seems different this time. I don't get frustrated when I don't lose. I don't beat myself up if I eat more than I intended. I don't even talk myself out of weighing in (something I was famous for in the past). At weigh in this week I was telling the WW counselor that it just seems different this time and as I was saying this I looked over at her and she got this big grin on her face and said, "It clicked!". I guess she's right. Everything is clicking and I'm moviated more than ever.

Looking down the road I think it's probably going to take me years (let's hope no more than 3) to get down to my goal weight. But instead of being discouraged by it, I'm excited by it. I've been overweight my entire life (yes all 40 of them) and now I feel excited to think that I might be at my goal weight in 2-3 years! I'm taking one day at a time; I have a very supportive group of family and friends, which always makes this easier; and let's face it this is a lifestyle change, not a diet!

Well, onward and upward. Until next week........

2008-01-07T13:51:00.000-08:00

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

I have a challenge for you........

2008-01-03T11:15:00.000-08:00

Most of us have a bad taste in our mouth for those New Year's resolutions. Maybe you've thrown your hands in the air and said, "No more resolutions, why disappoint myself?". Well, I'm challenging you to set a goal, something you can achieve in the next 24 hours. Sounds silly? Well, maybe it is, but I bet you can find something that you have been wanting to accomplish, yet you keep putting it off. Even when you know it would only take you a couple of hours or an evening to achieve.

I'm a big believer of resolutions. Can't say that I've had great success, but there's always something in me that wants to set a goal and work toward achieving it. At times I have made unrealistic goals, doomed for failure before I even got out of the gate. Other years I attempted small goals, giving myself a month to achieve it and then setting the next goal for the next month. It was a great concept and looking back I probably did better with that strategy than any other.

As most of you know I've been posting my weight loss progress on my blog. Well, it's time to set a new goal. I didn't meet my first goal, (lose 10% of my body weight by the time I turned 40) but I was only 3.4 pounds shy. I'm not disappointed, only more determined that I can achieve my goals, just a little more hard work and determination.

So, my next weight loss goal is set for 25 pounds by Easter Sunday - March 23, 2008! I weighed in today to get my starting weight (for the record I lost .2 pounds for the week). It doesn't seem like a big goal, but considering I lost 66 pounds in 2007 - I think this might be a goal I can achieve, but with some work.

So, remember.... I'm challenging you to set a goal, something that can be achieved in 24 hours. Let me know how it goes. Post your results so everyone can share. My 24 hour goal is to clean my kitchen. No more stuff sitting on the floor in the corner, clean dishes put away in the cupboard and everything wiped down. I'll let you know tomorrow, how it went!

Thank you to Everyone!!!!

2007-12-31T11:33:00.001-08:00

I want to thank everyone that helped me celebrate the big 4-0! I had such a great weekend and feel very blessed to have so many people I call friends. After all the fun, came the scary drive home for many. Imagine a snow storm in the middle of winter in the mountains. Luckily, everyone made it home safely. After Renee's road updates, I decided to take Ronda and Lon up on their offer to stay the night. The next day this was the road - considerably better than the night before, given you can see the road.

THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!!

Celebration continues on Saturday........

2007-12-31T11:13:00.001-08:00

The group of sledders headed out to find a hill to sled down. As you can see, I'm much further behind as the snow was up to my hips. After taking this shot, I turned around and settled back in the house by the fire.

The sledders returned just a few minutes later and continued the snow festivities behind the house. The kids had fun riding that tube down a little snow drift out the back door of the house.

Just doesn't seem fair that every time I snapped a picture of Renee it was as if we were doing glamour shots. Love your snow chair!!!!
Kirsten was all bundled up and ready for some snow fun. I was worried one of the twins was going to disappear in the snow bank - they are so small in a world of 3 foot of snow.

Buddy dog had a great time in the snow until the pads of his feet started hurting from all the snow that was stuck to the bottom of his paws. He got stuck a few times, but he never gave up and eventually got to the sledders.

Birthday Celebrations

2007-12-31T10:39:00.000-08:00

My designated driver (Kerry) was a good sport since he didn't feel well Friday night. I guess the trip to the bar was just what he needed because after drinking "Red Bull" he felt much better on Saturday.

Well, this 40 year old couldn't have asked for a better bunch of events to help celebrate. We started out on Friday night at the Eagles in Pendleton. We had a great time or at least that's what they tell me. Pictured above: Gwen, Rachelle, Rob, Melisa, Karen, Andrea and Kerry. The party went until about 12:30am.

The party kept rolling along and somehow my drink (yes that jar in front of me) was always full.

Rachelle came from Walla Walla to help celebrate. We've been friends since freshman in high school. Wow - that's 25 years.

Karen and her daughter, Andrea helped me celebrate too.

Travel Checklist

2007-12-27T15:34:00.000-08:00

1) Buddy dog, complete with dog blanket, water dish, water and treats
2) Sunflower seeds with a plastic cup and lid to spit shells
3) Cell phone and charger
4) Mints.... after a while you can't eat any more sunflower seeds because your mouth is raw
5) At least one stop at a Taco John's (more if you can squeeze them in)
6) Cooler with bottled water and diet Coke
7) Snacks (a sandwich, crackers and string cheese)
8) Music -I usually try to have at least one new CD to listen to, but always shuffle back to the oldies but goodies.
9) Heated seats so that Buddy dog and I can stay warm as we travel North (-20 when we got home on Friday night)
10) Scoop shovel - my brother-in-law gave me a scoop shovel just in case I get stuck. I carry it hoping I never have to use it
11) Warm coat, boots, hat, gloves
12) Garbage sack so I can throw things out at the next stop and keep the car somewhat tidy

I don't know about you, but I've made enough trips to Montana that I am completely in a routine. Everything has its place in the car, easily accessible so that I can reach everything while driving. Buddy has the whole back seat, but prefers to sit in the front next to me.

Buddy traveled especially well this trip. He used his new blanket from Aunt Karen to keep warm as we went from 40 to -20 in about 80 miles. It was a crisp, bright night as we had a full moon or near full moon to travel by.

Bumper cars anyone?

2007-12-27T14:40:00.000-08:00

So, I'm driving along yesterday. Just got off the phone to let everyone know that all is going well. I've driven close to 200 miles and the roads are bare and dry...........
Twenty minutes later I'm on the first mountain pass for a total of three and things are not as "clear" as they had been. Luckily, I managed just fine. Coming off of Lookout Pass, coming into Idaho, me and 6 other drivers were having fun practicing our winter driving skills. Unfortunately one driver had a little problem, but she finally got her vehicle stopped and the rest of us managed to safely move over to the left lane to avoid the famous winter bumper car races. Don't worry, I was being really safe when I snapped this picture - I was going all of 30 mph and there wasn't a car anywhere behind me. Smile!

Christmas in Montana

2007-12-27T14:05:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a nice Christmas. I sure did. I left on Friday, December 21st, drove all day to get to my Mom and Dad's place. The rest of the family that had to travel came on Saturday. We had Christmas Eve at my Aunt's house just like we have always done for all of my years. It was fun. We exchanged gifts among aunts, uncles, cousins and more cousins. Just 23 of us this year, but we managed to fill the back room when it came time to exchange gifts.
Deanna and Terry live close by and that's were I stayed this Christmas vacation. Deanna had my room all ready, complete with two beds and two heated blankets. I always had one kid with me when it came time to head to the "homestead" (the name we have given Deanna and Terry's - not really the homestead, but as with any nickname, it stuck).
Christmas is never the same when the kids aren't there. This year everyone was home. The first thing Dakotah showed me was her driver's license. I even let her chauffeur me around a bit - that was nice. Will got his electric guitar that he has been itching to have for quite some time. I don't think I've ever seen him speechless, but that did it. He was so proud of it and eager to learn his first three chords. Saige never stops entertaining us either with her quick wit or her smiling face. Just a few times we had to ask her to turn her frown upside down. Joining the picture this year is Saige's new doll, named Sam (it's a "my twin doll").
OK, so in order for everyone to cooperate while getting their picture with my NEW camera, I had to smile for the camera as well. Buddy wouldn't look at the camera so he got cropped out.

Just like a kid.......

2007-12-19T09:40:00.000-08:00

I gave Gwen her Christmas present this morning and the entire time she was opening it Buddy was sitting next to her and whining because he wanted to help. Buddy has always liked to open packages and can usually sniff his out of the pile because they smell the best. Don't worry if you don't have one for him he'll just pick one out of the pile. My sister Deanna likes to conveniently set one package aside so she can be the last one to open a package on Christmas morning. Buddy out smarted her when he went looking for another package. We were all so busy opening packages that we didn't notice that he hauled one off to open. It wasn't until Deanna went looking for her package that we realized that Buddy had helped himself. Isn't he so cute?

BRANSON

2007-12-13T16:34:00.001-08:00

Most of you know that I flew to Branson, Missouri and met my family there. We went to 6 different shows. The group of us had a great time. In the picture above you'll see my sister Deanna standing behind me and my Mom is next to me in the red vest. My 2 Aunts and a friend of the family completed our little subgroup.
It was very hard to get a good picture during the shows, but Deanna and I kept taking pictures in hopes of getting a couple of good ones. I think the trip will always be memorable for each of us and even though the pictures don't really do the performance justice, we will remember everything we liked when we see these photos.
Because we went after Thanksgiving, we got to see mostly Christmas shows. They were fantastic and the stages were so beautiful with the 1000's of lights everywhere.

Kids are Great!

2007-12-13T10:15:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you just can help but laugh. My nephew is one the most entertaining guys I know. Always hamming it up for the camera. Family photos are always a risk, because there isn't anyone on the other side of the camera watching Will to see if he is making a silly face. Doesn't matter to me, I love his faces and them make me laugh.
At school they had "weird hair day". He got the idea to have his sister put mini pigtails all over his head. I don't think he thought it was much fun until it was all done and he could goof off in front of the camera.

2007-11-21T11:10:00.000-08:00

So, to my surprise Aunt Gwen has taught my dog yet another bad "but cute" habit. This is one of the cupboards in my office. It just happens to be the one were I keep the extra dog treats. This morning Mr. Buddy Dog showed me how he can open the door with his nose and then help himself to a treat or 4. And they say you can't teach an old dog new tricks!

37 days....and counting down

2007-11-21T10:28:00.001-08:00

Double click on the cartoon... then you might be able to read it. Sometimes I just don't have the patience for fixing what I think should be soooo easy (like resizing this cartoon)!

Well to my surprise I had a great week. That makes 56 pounds lost for the year and 21.2 pounds lost since I started my "Biggest Loser" challenge.

The Countdown Continues...43 days

2007-11-15T09:03:00.000-08:00

Well, I've been a little lazy when it comes to posting on the 'ol blog. Don't think for a minute that I have skipped my weigh-ins. I went last week and this week for a total loss of 2 pounds. That makes for a total weight loss of 49 pounds for 2007 and 13.4 since I started Weight Watchers again.

So, I hope the rest of you are all getting one step closer to your goal. Keep up the good work!

Pirate Dog!

2007-10-31T10:36:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween Everyone. I weighed in last night. I lost 2.2 pounds, now if I manage to keep my fingers out of the candy bowl I'll have a good start to a new week. Happy trick or treating to you all. Looks like it's going to be a nice day/night for the little ones.

Buddy is less than happy with me. He's already ditched the hat, but seems OK with the rest of his outfit.

66 days.......

2007-10-24T14:32:00.000-07:00

Just a quick little post to let you know that I hunted up a weight watchers meeting last week while in Montana. I lost 1.8 pounds. Yesterday I weighed in and knocked another 3.4 pounds off. Slowly, but surely...... Hope everyone else is doing well. Our toughest months are ahead with Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas closely approaching.

The munchkins

2007-10-24T14:13:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun together. I loved spending time with each of them. Dakotah just liked to sit and visit all about high school, she's a Freshman this year. Will wanted to play cards or go for a walk or play some other kind of game that required him to match wits with his Aunt Jo or Aunt De. Saige and I crafted together, girl after my own heart.

How blessed......

2007-10-24T13:41:00.000-07:00

There is nothing like going "home" for a visit. The first thing I wanted to do was take a walk. I walked to the river, through my Dad's alfalfa fields and back around to the driveway leading to my parents home. It's the same path I would take when I lived at home. I always had a dog or two with me or my bum lambs and maybe a cat or three. I never walked alone...

This trip was so needed and I so enjoyed my time with family. I'm so blessed to have a family as great as mine. I love coming back to Pendleton too, as I have so many great friends. I'm just one lucky gal.
The alfalfa was so beautiful, but Buddy didn't think so as he tried to walk through it with his short legs. This was toward the end of our walk and the poor little guy was getting pretty tired. We had to stop and rest a couple of times, which made for good photo opportunities.
Spike, my Mom and Dad's new puppy went with me every day, just to torment Buddy I'm sure. He went twice as far because be ran back and forth between Buddy and I. On this particular day we couldn't get him to hold still for a picture until we put him on top of a round hay bale. Then he sat there wondering how he was going to get down. Will climbed up there to just to make sure Spike didn't take a flying leap off the bale.
It's easy to get a picture when the dogs are getting tired. Believe me, it wasn't easy getting any cooperation out of the puppy. On this particular day, it was a little windy and cloudy, but still made for some beautiful pictures of fall.
This road leads into my Mom and Dad's place. Off to the far left you can see the shop, which in is in the yard behind their house. I remember all the times my sister Shawna and I would walk this road, whether it was after school or during the summer when we walked all over the place playing.

79 days

2007-10-10T08:36:00.000-07:00

Well I almost talked myself out of going to Weight Watchers to weigh-in, but I'm glad I went, I lost 4 pounds this week. I'm leaving on Saturday to go to Montana. I think last night's Biggest Loser show was just for me. They all went on vacation (OK Jamaica is quite a bit different compared to Zurich, Montana) and still lost weight. So, while I'll have the temptations of my mother's cooking - I will also have my days free to go for walks or even ride the exercise bike in my Mom and Dad's basement. Don't worry, I'm not letting myself of the hook. I will be posting to this blog after weigh-in next week. Yup - I'm going to find the nearest WW meeting and weigh-in.

So, I hope the rest of the "Biggest Loser" groupies are doing well. I haven't heard from some of you to know whether your healthier eating habits are paying off!!!

Until next time......

Onward and forward.....

2007-10-03T15:13:00.000-07:00

Well I did it, I weighed in. Essentially I lost nothing. According to the 'ol scale I GAINED .2 (2/10 of a pound).

I'm not discouraged. I just know that now I have to do a little more this week to reap some benefit.

Thought this picture was kinda cute and no it is not symbolic in any way, shape or form!!!!

88 days until...........

2007-10-02T10:52:00.000-07:00

It's weigh-in day girls. So a small group of us have committed to losing weight, getting smaller or just plain practicing healthy eating habits. My personal short term goal.... I want to lose 10% of ME before I turn 40!!!! I have 88 days left and after work tonight we will see how much closer I am to my goal. I had a tough week to try to stick to my weight watchers plan, but I think I did alright. Guess we'll know sooner rather than later.. tick tock.. 5:00 pm is approaching quickly!

Tune in later for the results of today's weigh-in and then don't forget to watch the "Biggest Loser". Reality TV, I love it.

DISGUSTED!

2007-09-28T11:37:00.000-07:00

OK, I just need to take a little minute of your time to tell you how disgusted I am about something so trivial.

This morning I decided to go through downtown Pendleton on my way to work, rather than hitting the Interstate (first mistake). On my way I pulled into Dave's. The parking lot was busy so I was going slow as I drove between the parked cars and the gas pumps. Just as I get to the other end and was going to make a left turn to get into the drive-thru line, I see a little yellow pickup coming like a "bat out of you know what" from the right. I stopped, thinking they were trying to beat me to the drive-thru and I was perfectly happy letting them go ahead of me. Instead, this person (guessing high school age) pulls up just a little past me and yells right at me a profanity that I wouldn't repeat if a truck was dropped on my toe and then drives off.

I guess my disgust is actually more like amazement. How does someone that young get so ticked off that early in the morning at such a trivial little matter. I might (and I say that with hesitation) excuse the behavior if our vehicles had just missed each other by a few inches, but that's not even the case.

I guess I just want to state my concern I have for a person that is so angry. He's going to have one long miserable life if that's the attitude he chooses over the little stuff.

My Buddy Dog!

2007-09-20T10:52:00.001-07:00

More Pictures of SPIKE!!!

2007-09-16T10:52:00.000-07:00

It's pretty hard to compete with the cuteness of a puppy, but then you remember all the cute little things they do and you begin to appreciate that mature dog that is the center of your universe.

Deanna caught this shot just as Spike was taking off with the broom, he almost got away with it. He's all puppy!! When talking to Mom on the phone yesterday Spike decided that he should own a pair of slippers. It reminded me of the time that Buddy decided to own a pair of purple flip flops that belonged to my sister, oops!

Spike hasn't quite figured out what he's supposed to do with the cats, so for now he follows them around and every once in a while tries to scare them..... personally I think they scare him right now.

Here's Spike doing his frog imitation.

Spike, puppy extraordinaire

Mom and Spike walked over to one of the alfalfa fields to get the pickup. Having legs that are only 3 inches long makes a puppy kinda tired.

Move Over Buddy........

2007-09-12T15:00:00.001-07:00

Well, my Mom and Dad got a new puppy, his name is SPIKE! Buddy and I will be going to Montana to meet him next month. It will be interesting to see if Buddy tolerates a new puppy. As usual, Buddy will rule "the house", or at least we think so. He's pretty cute from what I can see in the picture.

Only because I wasn't trying!

2007-09-05T14:55:00.003-07:00

Just as he finished his dog treats, I thought I'd zoom in and get a closeup shot.... Out comes the tongue.

Spoiled? Not my dog!

2007-09-05T14:46:00.001-07:00

Auntie Gwen found a sale at D & B today, sooooooo guess who got two new toys. I had to work for this picture, but he stayed still until I could get the shot. He had a toy similar to this one that he would balance for as long as I would leave him there. It was always funny to see him sit there for 5 minutes, or more if I got busy doing something.

August Ends - Bring on Fall

2007-08-31T13:11:00.000-07:00

OK, so as far as I'm concerned summer can come to an end. I'm tired of hot, even though I have to say I really didn't begin to complain until this past week. I'm ready for the colors of fall and the brisk air. I know I don't have the same opinion as many of you when it comes to old Mr. Sun, but aren't the sun bunnies ready for a change?

Can't really explain my love for fall. It's always been my favorite season. It's colorful, the air is brisk and the leaves crunch when you walk through them. I can remember taking long walks on my Mom and Dad's place in the fall. The big cottonwood trees would drop huge golden brown leaves. Sometimes I could find places where the leaves were 3 or 4 feet deep. My sister and I would walk along the river and as you looked down the river bank you could see all the colors of fall...red, orange and yellow with a hint of summer green peeking through. It all sounds delightful.

If I were to scrapbook all the pictures I've taken during fall season, I could fill 5 or more albums. Fall inspires me. It makes me want to set new goals and it makes me want to start something new. Kinda weird since fall is suppose to be the beginning of the end of the four seasons....but there's just something about that cool air.

So, all you summer lovers out there......enjoy your remaining days cause I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of fall!!!!!