Janne Gerner – http://www.myowlbarn.com
livingvancouercanada.blogspot.com
Monthly Archives: May 2018
Nutrisystem Choices
We’re almost to the cutoff date in order to change our Nutrisystem Order for Month #2. I asked my husband to sit with me at the computer and go through his choices for next month. He was very complimentary about the fact that I had gotten on the computer immediately when he said he didn’t care for something and deleted it from next month’s order. He also said I had done a much better job of choosing things than he did and welcomed my help. (I’m still shocked :0) )
Nutrisystem emailed us that our deadline for changing our order was approaching. That’s a good really good policy. The reminder is also at the top of the page in red whenever you go onto the website. (I guess you could miss it, but these people are helping you out the best way they can.)
It’s easy to see what your current order is for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. You can order a la carte if you’d like, as well. You can change things as many times as you like. They keep track of the number of choices you’ve made in each category so you know when you’re finished. Technically, we have until 6pm on the 13th, to make changes, but I doubt we’ll need to do more. The end result is that each month you have more and more items you like – making it easier to stick with the program.
Good job, Nutrisystem!
Filed under DIET!, Healthy Eating, taking care of yourself
Early Voting
commons.wikimedia.org
I have trouble understanding why people don’t vote. Turnout is especially low in primaries, and I’ve come to think those are the most important of all. I’ve complained for years that I’m not for EITHER candidate in election after election, but it’s my own fault if I don’t help determine who is in the final election.
I’m particularly happy that Arkansas allows us plenty of time to vote before we have to stand in long lines. This year I think we may have two full weeks to drop by City Hall whenever the mood strikes us and it’s convenient to vote. How civilized is that! And the process used makes me feel secure that there is little – if any – fraud here. You have to have a photo ID to vote. You show it to the lady, she finds your information on her computer. You have to provide your address, your birth date and sign the screen, which is then compared to the signature on file from when you registered. I think it would be pretty difficult for someone to try to look like me, know all my information, and be able to produce a signature close enough to the one on file to qualify as ‘me.’ Then, after we’ve used the touch screen to choose the candidates, it shows you a summary of what you’ve input for you to okay, and then a printed ballot is produced by the machine. You verify that and then personally feed it into a machine. The printed ballots are available in case of any question.
This year I was unfamiliar with most of the candidates, so I spent part of two days looking up each candidate on the Internet, so at least I could compare credentials and background. Some candidates I dismissed because they gave all the standard answers. I call these ‘old political hacks’ whether they’ve held office or not. I’m looking for new blood, new ideas, thinking-outside-the-box people. Sometimes both or all of the candidates seemed qualified. Then I simply chose who appealed to me more for some reason.
I still cringe when I think of a wonderful friend of mine here in Arkansas, now passed, who, when she started talking about the mayoral race for Greenwood, readily told me who she voted for. When I asked her why she liked that candidate, she replied, “He’s some kind of kin to Cecil.” (her husband). And she voted every election – I assume with the same reasoning.
Whatever your political affiliation, I urge you to cast your vote. Each of us has a voice. It’s important that we study the candidates carefully and support those who we think would do the best job for our town, our state, and our country.
Happy Voting!
Filed under Acting Like a Grownup, Attitude
Pencil Sketches – Take 12
Dirk Dzimirsky-World of Arts.eu
drawingninja.com
Filed under Creativity, drawings
Now THAT’S Funny – Take 4
Funny Signs and Funny Headlines –
“Man Struck By Lightning: Faces Battery Charge”
He probably IS the battery charge!
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“New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group”
Weren’t they fat enough?!
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“Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft”
That’s what he gets for eating those beans!
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“Kids Make Nutritious Snacks”
Do they taste like chicken?
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“Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half”
Chainsaw Massacre all over again!
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“Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors”
Boy, are they tall!
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And the winner is…
“Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead”
Did I read that right?
Filed under Funny Signs - Humor
“Last Full Day at the Beach” – Vicarious Vacation
“Last Full Day at the Beach” – Mary Lou Lewis
Filed under Awe-Inspiring Photography, vicarious enjoyment
“Happy Water Dance”
“Happy Water Dance” – Paul Militaru Photography
Filed under Paul Militaru Photography
Now THAT’S Funny – Take 4
Funny Signs and Headlines –
“Miners Refuse to Work after Death”
No-good-for-nothing’ lazy so-and-so’s!
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“Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant”
See if that works better than a fair trial!
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“War Dims Hope for Peace”
I can see where it might have that effect!
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“If Strike Isn’t Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile”
Ya’ think?!
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“Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures”
Who would have thought!
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“Enfield ( London ) Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide”
They may be on to something!
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“Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges”
You mean there’s something stronger than duct tape?
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Filed under Funny Signs - Humor
Nutrisystem Week 2 – Progress Report
Since starting the ‘Nutrisystem for Fat Ladies’ program two weeks ago, there is less of me!
- Weight lost: 6.6 lbs*
- Inches Lost: 5.5 inches*
*(Couple this with what I lost before Nutrisystem – and my total loss since “MY WORST” is 19 lbs and 15.5 inches.)
My husband refuses to do anything but weigh, and he’s lost 3 lbs. He’s drinking stuff during the day, but doesn’t want to even think about drinking 64 oz of water per day. He’ll eat fruit and nuts, but fusses about anything else as his PFs and SCs each day, eating some of what I bring him, but not all. He will eat a salad, but fights other veggies, mostly, so I’m doing veggies and dip for lunch and salad for dinner. He’s on the diabetic program, and his blood sugar readings, which we take twice per week, are the best he’s had since we started monitoring him!
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I’m still feeling a bit obsessed with food, since I’m setting the alarm so I don’t miss one of our ‘feedings’ at the zoo, and am fixing PowerFuels, SmartCarbs and Veggies a good part of each day. I’m still needing to ‘read the list’ of what is good, but I’m getting better at it. I’m finding it easier to drink the 64 oz of water daily. In-between, I have a cup of coffee in the morning and another during the evening. My body is still trying to get used to the different eating regimen, but I’m gradually feeling more comfortable.
My husband and I are going to sit down together at the computer tomorrow and make final decisions about what will be in our order that will ship soon for month #2. He found he had chosen several things he didn’t care for. I’ve been letting him eat some of my choices to get him through this first month and he wants me to help him choose for next month.
I’m learning some general things on how to eat so that we can keep this weight off as we go and through the rest of our lives:
- Eating small amounts every 3 hours during the day keeps hunger at bay. The combinations keep your tummy happy and your energy on a steady level – probably keep my husband’s blood sugar from spiking, too.
- Making sure you get enough protein with meat, dairy and nuts, and good fruit rounds out your nutrition.
- A little bit of bread goes a long way.
- Meat is used as a flavoring, rather than the main course.
- The invention of turkey – as in sausage and patties – cuts way down on calories and tastes good, too.
- Cutting out fat, salt and sugar is a good thing and quite doable.
- Drinking lots of water is important
- Making a point of exercise is important for lots of reasons
- “What constitutes a Serving” is an eye-opener
- Learning how to eat when NOT eating Nutrisystem is a life skill important to develop a little bit at a time.
I think the weight loss after week 1 is supposed to average 1 to 2 lbs per week. I would be very happy with that. I want to get the lard off and KEEP it off, becoming healthier in the process.
On to Week 3!
Our First Sunrise on Our Vicarious Beach Vacation
“And She’s Up! – 1 by Mary Lou Lewis
“And She’s Up! – 2 by Mary Lou Lewis
“And She’s Up! – 3 by Mary Lou Lewis
THANKS, Mary Lou. What a beautiful way to start our day!
Filed under Awe-Inspiring Photography, vicarious enjoyment
Kiss a Sandpiper for Me…
I told you that my Sister-in-law, Mary Lou, is at the beach soaking up the ocean, sandpipers, and trying to find teeth in the sand. :0)
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Today she sent me TWO videos that allow us to hear the SOUND of the waves, as well as the DELIGHTFUL sight of sandpipers skittering back and forth as the waves move in and then move out again.
ENJOY! I’ve tried to provide links to the videos here. I hope they work! THANK YOU, Mary Lou Lewis. These are two of the nicest gifts I’ve ever received. I’m STILL laughing and smiling!
Filed under Favorite Videos, vicarious enjoyment
Now THAT’S Funny – Take 3
On a repair shop door:
“WE CAN REPAIR ANYTHING. (PLEASE KNOCK HARD ON THE DOOR – THE BELL DOESN’T WORK.)”
Proofreading is a dying art, wouldn’t you say?
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“Man Kills Self Before Shooting Wife And Daughter”
This one I caught in the SGV Tribune the other day and called the Editorial Room and asked who wrote this.
It took two or three readings before the editor realized that what he was reading was impossible!!! They put in a correction the next day.
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“Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash,” Expert Says
Really? Ya’ think?
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“Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers”
Now that’s taking things a bit far!
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“Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over”
What a guy!
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Filed under Funny Signs - Humor
Pencil Sketches – Take 11
Filed under Creativity, drawings
“Mountain Yellow Flowers”
“Mountain Yellow Flowers” – Paul Militaru Photography
Filed under Paul Militaru Photography
A Little Progress
BuzzFeed
I’ve told you I’m a lousy housekeeper, and that almost anything takes priority in my day. Yesterday and today, though, I was determined to get our screened back porch cleaned up after the long winter, lots of wind and rain, and even more dust and pollen. When I took Amber’s kiddie pool off the porch, I was choking from all the ‘stuff’ I stirred up!
Yesterday I cleaned off the table, then cleaned each thing on the floor as I piled it on the table. I then swept. I dragged the garden hose onto the porch and hosed everything down, then scrubbed the floor.
Mohkam_Mopping-commons.wikimedia.org
Today I swept again, and then used a mop and combination cleaner and shine stuff to finish the floor. The porch actually looks pretty good right now.
Look quickly! The wind is blowing and we have a chance for rain tonight, so this won’t last. I’m planning for us to enjoy our lunch there today.
Wake Up Call
We have a subscription to The Family Handyman magazine. To be honest, we considering dropping our subscription each year, not because it isn’t a good magazine, but because very few of the projects pertain to us. About once a year, though, we find a really great project or article that reminds us why we renew. This year it’s an article called, “Avoid Insurance Surprises” by Lucie Amundsen, June 2018.
This was a wake-up call for us. We have house insurance, of course, but the article suggested that we make an appointment to have our insurance agent explain our policy in plain English, layman’s terms, so we really understood what we had. Were we SURE we had replacement insurance, rather than a lump sum that wouldn’t cover everything? How do they determine replacement cost? What do they think our house is worth? Is the well house covered? What about the shop? The greenhouse? Are we covered if our basement floods due to septic tank backup? Are all our contents covered? What restrictions do we have? What ISN’T covered? What has limits? Are there any discounts for the security stuff we installed? What would we do if we had a claim? What information would they need? Are there any endorsements or coverages we SHOULD have, but didn’t think of?
After spending 45 minutes with our agent this morning, we feel MUCH more secure. We did increase the coverage on our basement because that was limited and the limit was iffy, in our case. We DO have some homework to do. We make a DVD which has a picture of each thing we have that cost over $100. We take a pic of the receipt, too. We update it every 6 months, burning a DVD for our safe deposit box at the bank and another for our insurance agent. That’s good, but we could do better.
The first thing you’ll have to do in case of fire loss, or being blown to smithereens by a tornado, is to fill out endless forms listing each thing you lost, where you bought it and when, what you paid, etc. I’m going to do a spreadsheet using a copy of a claim form our agent gave me, so that I can go through our DVD and have a typed list I’ll put in the safe deposit box at the bank. I’ll also take more pics (like 4 views of each room) because I want to be sure that all we’ve lost can be identified.
We hope we’ll never need to file a claim, but losses happen in a matter of seconds sometimes, and it would sure be harder to list things when we’re wearing the only clothes we have on our backs and have a pen and a claim form in hand……
Moving These Old Bones
YourEllipticals.com
Week 2 of the Nutrisystem program suggests that you resume – or start – exercising. No longer having any excuses, I’m trying to work in a session on the elliptical trainer and a session of deep stretching through Yoga each day.
The first day I could only do 15 minutes on the elliptical. Yesterday I was able to do 30 minutes. I wear headphones and an MP3 player clipped to my shirt as this poor old body works out. I use the elliptical trainer because it’s so much easier on the joints than other exercise machines. I can move as fast or slowly as I need to. I can decrease or increase level of pressure needed to move the pedals. I can choose how many minutes I exercise. You can smile, picturing this old broad slogging away on the elliptical in my garage, eyes closed, singing along with my favorite tunes…. :0)
fffound.com
I’m not yet using my DVDs for my yoga. I’m moving really slowly on my mat, holding stretches for as long as I can, breathing into them, trying to get my muscles to relax. Relaxing seems to be more of a problem than anything else. That – and getting back up off the floor! :0) I feel much better after I’ve finished, though – more loose and flexible – so I’m determined to get on the mat every day.
The biggest problem at this point is that with eating every three hours, drinking four 16 oz bottles of water each day and the running to the bathroom that causes, plus the exercising leaves a much shorter day to do everything else that I’m used to doing.
I’ve decided though, that my health is my first priority. I’m trying to do ONE thing on my to-do list otherwise each day, and see how that goes. Today it’s cleaning off the back porch so that we can enjoy meals out there before summer hits.
We finish Week 2 on Thursday and I’ll provide an update then.
Vicarious Vacation at the Beach
My Sister-in-law, Mary Lou, always kindly allows me to enjoy her trips to the beach vicariously by sending me photos. It ALMOST works! I can ALMOST smell the ocean, and I DID laugh, imagining the sandpiper moving, skittering across the sand on its long, long legs.
“Beauty on A Cloudy Day” – Mary Lou Lewis
“Sandpiper” – Mary Lou Lewis
THANK YOU, Mary Lou, for taking us along with you! Have a wonderful, wonderful time.
Filed under Awe-Inspiring Photography, vicarious enjoyment
Garden Update – May 7, 2018
This afternoon we went out to check on the garden – weeding, harvesting, and taking pictures. I got hot and tired, so I didn’t do any harvesting today, but will tomorrow. We got the weeds taken care of, and everything seems to be very happy.
I was surprised to see how the broccoli has grown! Last week I had to look really carefully to see any sign at all of the broccoli head. I’ll harvest some of this tomorrow. I learned last year that the broccoli goes from this to really spread out like a bouquet and not good to eat fast. I’m hoping that I can encourage shoots off the main plant to produce more.
I lost one lettuce plant, and I have no clue what happened, since all the rest looked like this. We have romaine and iceberg head lettuce.
The onion plants are tall and strong looking. The spinach is still looking happy, although it prefers the cooler temperatures.
I planted several squares of radishes last week, and you can see them here.
I decided to spread my plants out a lot more this year. I think that the square foot garden guy, Mel Bartholomew, gets a lot more involved with his garden than we do. My plants grew into each other last year and where the plants met, they seemed to smother. Everything seems happier this year, so far, with my idea of more air circulation around each plant.
I didn’t get pictures today of the two tomato planters on the other side of the house, but I’ll try to get some soon. They seem to be happy right now.
We turned on the irrigation system for the planters in the front yard and found where we had a blow-out. My husband said it looked like a ‘critter’ had been chewing on the pvc pipe that runs across the front of the yard, down over the edge between the ‘civilized’ and ‘woody’ parts. He had ordered a special repair tape a couple of years ago. This seemed a perfect time to try it. He wrapped the pvc pipe where the chew marks were and we’ll test it tomorrow, after it has time to adhere to itself fully.
Beautiful Day of Nature
We’ve spent almost all day outside. The weather is truly glorious – sunny and a pretty warm 91 degrees. The temperature surge was a bit unexpected, but we rested a lot and drank lots of water.
First, we did errands – and even there nature was all around us. ‘
As we started backed up off the driveway pad and started to go down the driveway, we saw TWO road runners running away, toward the garden. They both stopped when they heard us – tails up and as still as statues – then their heads and tails went down simultaneously and then headed away from us, streaking across the yard.
About half way to town we get to pass several neighbors who have horses. I always wave to them. Amber, our 93 pound yellow lab “puppy” was in the back seat of the car, taking a great interest in all the sights, sounds, and smells along the way.
On the way back, we saw
It was hot by the time we got home, so I got the baby pool from the back porch, squirted the dust off, and then started filling it. Amber was immediately by my side looking really interested. Last year was the first time she saw the pool, and she would tentatively get in, dance around a bit and then jump out.
I was only able to get this picture, but she actually laid down a few times, looking blissfully happy, drinking some as she enjoyed the feeling of being wet and cooled off. We’ll need to figure out how we’ll handle this if she totally immerses herself each time we let her out…
Filed under Amazing Animals, Mother Nature
Now THAT’S Funny! – Take 2
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Notice in health food shop window: “CLOSED DUE TO ILLNESS…”
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Spotted in a safari park:
(I sure hope so.)
“ELEPHANTS, PLEASE STAY IN YOUR CAR.”
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Seen during a conference:
“FOR ANYONE WHO HAS CHILDREN AND DOESN’T KNOW IT, THERE IS A DAY CARE ON THE 1ST FLOOR.”
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Notice in a farmer’s field:
“THE FARMER ALLOWS WALKERS TO CROSS THE FIELD FOR FREE, BUT THE BULL CHARGES.”
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Message on a leaflet:
“IF YOU CANNOT READ, THIS LEAFLET WILL TELL YOU HOW TO GET LESSONS.”
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Filed under Funny Signs - Humor
“Mountain Vegetation”
“Mountain Vegetation” – Paul Militaru Photography
Filed under Paul Militaru Photography
Walk Around the Yard
We hurried to mow the grass and blow the debris off the sidewalks and driveway pad, just in case the rains would come swooping in. Tonight we’re supposed to have a chance of rain, but the day has been gorgeous. I took a break and took some pics to share with you. My husband loves clematis, and we’ve been trying to get the vines to grow up over the deck. Failing that, and finally admitting defeat, we planted some in plastic barrel halves on the east side of our property between the house and the greenhouse.
For a very short time each year my camellias bloom. Usually they are immediately beaten down by a rain storm, showering petals everywhere and giving up for another year. Right now they’re blooming, so fingers are crossed they last for more than a day or so.
Filed under Gardening, Mother Nature
Now THAT’S Funny!
SIGNS –
In a Laundromat:
“AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINES: PLEASE REMOVE ALL YOUR CLOTHES WHEN THE LIGHT GOES OUT.”
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In a London department store:
“BARGAIN BASEMENT UPSTAIRS…”
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In an office:
“WOULD THE PERSON WHO TOOK THE STEP LADDER YESTERDAY PLEASE BRING IT BACK OR FURTHER STEPS WILL BE TAKEN.”
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In an office:
“AFTER TEA BREAK, STAFF SHOULD EMPTY THE TEAPOT AND STAND UPSIDE DOWN ON THE DRAINING BOARD.”
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Outside a second-hand shop:
“WE EXCHANGE ANYTHING – BICYCLES, WASHING MACHINES, ETC. WHY NOT BRING YOUR WIFE ALONG AND GET A WONDERFUL BARGAIN?”
Filed under Funny Signs - Humor
creativeartworksblog 