I just went outside to see if I could get the texting on my cell phone to work. It’s been on the fritz for a couple of days now. I think I’ll call AT&T tomorrow to see if bringing my phone in to them would do any good.
Meanwhile, when I was on the front porch I saw one of my dumb bells in the front yard. It seems that Amber has decided to work on her arms some…
Filed under Amazing Animals, Challenges, Family
Due to the nice fact that I shed one size in jeans due to my efforts with Nutrisystem and exercise, I decided that today was a good day to go through my closet again.
The last time I did a good job was in the fall, so I have a full closet of warm/hot weather type clothing now. I’ve kept some of it because it was too small and “maybe” I could wear it ‘someday.’ I’ve kept other things because they were large enough to fit me. Other things have just gone back and forth from the guest room closet to my closet and back again several times. I hate to admit that, but it’s true.
This time I’m going through everything thoroughly again, trying everything on and making the decision to keep it or donate it.
The fun part so far was getting rid of some now-too-large jeans and a pair of dress slacks that was new when Methuselah was a baby. (Do you get the idea I usually wear jeans?) :0)
I brought down a big group of clothes I’m going to donate, but I got hot and tired and decided I would rest a bit and do something else, and then go back up for another session a bit later.
This time I’m not keeping something just because ‘it’s big enough to cover me.’ I’m also looking at the color, style, and deciding if I actually LIKE it or not. Imagine that! It’ll be a while before I can have JUST clothes I like, but little by little, I’m moving toward my goal.
I’m hoping that when I move the warm/hot weather stuff into the guest room closet in a few months and exchange it for the cool/cold weather clothes, I’ll be able to do the try-everything-on again job again and find more things that are actually larger than they need to be.
My goal will be to have a donation ready for The Disabled Vets Thrift Store by the end of next week. I’m also working on another donation for our local library, as well.
I hope you’re having a great Sunday.
This is my husband. He would HATE it that his picture is on my blog or that I’m talking about him (though he’s very supportive of my blogging efforts – treating me to lobster tail dinners when I hit landmarks on numbers of subscribers.)
I told you earlier that I was able to shed a size in my jeans, and that it felt good that it was something TANGIBLE in my efforts to get the lard off. I told my husband, of course, feeling really encouraged.
When we were going through the day’s mail later, standing by the dining area table, all of a sudden he looked over at me and said, “You ARE looking slimmer.”
If you knew my husband, you would know that this is rare, indeed. I could shave my head, or change the color to blue and orange stripes and he wouldn’t notice. He’s a wonderful guy, but he’s not very observant. Plus, living together and seeing each other every day makes it less noticeable when there are changes. And, to be fair, he says “he loves me no matter what size I am,” – but NOT something I want to hear NOW…
To have him say this quiet statement this morning made my day.
Filed under Delightful Surprises, DIET!, exercise
“Black and White” – Paul Militaru Photography
“Elegance 1” – Paul Militaru Photography
Filed under Paul Militaru Photography
“Dutch” -Laurie Schnurer – Laurie’s Creatures 2014
“Dutch” -Laurie Schnurer – Laurie’s Creatures 2014
Laurie Schnure r -Laurie’s Creatures 2017
Filed under Art From Found Things, Creativity
pngimg.com
I’ve lost almost 20 pounds now (not officially yet) and almost 18 inches down so far with the help of Nutrisystem and exercise.
I’m a ‘pear-shaped,’ ‘no-spring chicken’ (a kind description) and have been way too sedentary in the past several years. I have a long way to go in my efforts to lose the lard in order to be as healthy as I can be, but today I enjoyed another TANGIBLE sign of progress.
I like my clothes loose. This has always been my choice, even when I wasn’t trying to cover my lard. For the past several years, my sizes of jeans have increased as my “pear-shape” increased. I would have to unbutton or unzip my jeans in the evenings to be comfortable watching TV or a movie. My husband did, too. I also wear pretty large, loose tops. This has always been comfortable to me, and the same clothes I’ve had in my closet are the ones I’m wearing now, so no changes there. In fact, some of the ones I have are STILL too tight.
Today I put on a clean pair of jeans and noticed that they were definitely baggy. I rooted through my stack of jeans and finally found a size smaller. I grit my teeth, thinking this was an exercise in futility, but not only could I pull them up, I could fasten them – EASILY! I’m sitting here typing and am completely comfortable. No wanting to give myself ‘breathing room’ by unfastening them!
So, today I’ll gather up the size I had been wearing (please don’t ask WHAT size) and will take them into the guest room closet. I’m not confident enough yet to actually put them in the donation bag for the Disabled Vets yet, but if I continue to get positive signs, they’ll go there soon!
Filed under DIET!, Encouragement, exercise, getting the lard off, taking care of yourself
As I told you recently, I’m having lots of fun with a new toy – a 4 LED Tracing Board. It’s a light box, but extremely thin, and plugs into my computer. I can trace my own artwork, grab pics from the net or books or magazines. Then I can transfer the tracings to my sketch book using carbon paper so that I can concentrate on learning techniques for adding fur or feathers to the drawings. If I had to draw each from scratch, I would be totally intimidated and the learning would be stopped in its tracks.
Yesterday I added tracings of pics I’ve taken of our doggies, Amber and Molly. Today I’m going to add these of Abby (above) and Smoke (below.) Once I get these into my sketch book, I’ll start trying to learn from a really good book I’ve had for a long time, Keys to Painting Fur & Feathers, edited by Rachel Rubin Wolf. There are drawings and hints on adding realism in various media. Since I really love mixed media, I can play with techniques to my heart’s content, learning a ton with each tracing.
Filed under Amazing Animals, Family, learning new things
I took these pics of Amber (above) and Molly (below) today and am adding them to my sketch book so that I can practice trying to get fur to look more realistic with the aid of my book, Keys to Painting Fur & Feathers. I’ll see if I can get good pics of the two cats, get tracings of them into the sketch book, and then I’ll start reading and trying to do what it suggests. This is really a fun, challenging, engrossing project!
Filed under Family, learning new things
“Interesting Liana Tree” – Paul Militaru Photography
Filed under Paul Militaru Photography
I’m having a lot of fun adding to the tracings in my sketch book in preparation for practicing trying to add fur or feathers to drawings. I wasn’t sure I would use the new 4LED Tracing board I got enough to warrant the purchase, but I’m really enjoying being able to plug it into my computer in the office where I can work on stuff and not ‘lose myself’ upstairs. We can go shopping in the middle of a tracing, or I can stop when I’m working on transferring the tracing to the sketchbook. I can do things I need to do and have fun at the same time. :0)
Filed under Uncategorized
We took down Godzilla and put up the Hookah Smoking Caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland on the way to town today.
We had a good time making this one because of the 3-D quality of the tube and metal fasteners to go from his hand to the pipe. Since school starts August 13th here (can you believe it?) this will be the first of our decorations the school bus kids will see. We hope they get a kick out of it.
Filed under Lewis Art, Lewis Mailbox Decorations, metal art
I bought an aquarium vacuum quite some time ago, but didn’t use it until yesterday. It’s a siphon-type apparatus. You sink the main part, getting it full of water, then turn and bump it up and down a few times to get the siphon action going. (This proved to need two of us yesterday, though I think one person is supposed to be able to do it by themself.)
Once we got it siphoning, it did a good job of sucking up the gravel and separating the debris from it, sucking it out through the tube and into the sink.
I then added the decorations, new filter cartridge, etc, and topped it off with the fish. They’ve been smiling ever since, and the water is nice and clear today.
Filed under Amazing Animals, Family, Housekeeping - Maintenance, I'm a slob
adelightfulhome.com
I’m about to hit another milestone in trying to get the lard off – almost 20 pounds gone. I’ve lost almost 19 inches overall.
A good friend asked me what the next goal was – and I immediately responded, “40 pounds off.”
But that’s not really what my long-term goals are.
One quote I love says, “Old age is always 15 years older than you are.”
I don’t want to live forever, but I would really like to feel good enough to do most anything I would like to do until I croak. Since they haven’t come up with pills that do it for you, it’s up to ME to try to
I don’t really know how much weight I want to lose. I would like to be in the normal range according to BMI charts. If I keep on keepin’ on, eventually I’ll get there. I’ll see how I feel when I get there and then make more decisions. I have high blood pressure that is now finally reading normal WITH medication. I would love it if I can one day stop these. I would like my blood test numbers to be all in the ‘normal’ range one day. (I never really appreciated what a delicious word “normal” is before. We’ll see the fruits of my efforts so far at our quarterly appointment with our primary doctor Monday.)
treatshappen.com
After better health, it would be really nice not to have to avoid clothing stores that don’t carry clothes large enough for me, having to head for the ‘fat lady section’ in the limited stores that do. It’s not really a vanity thing. It’s emotional. I would like to be able to choose something I like off the rack and know it should FIT, but only to be concerned if I like the way I look in it. When I have to avoid stores altogether, or have to only be concerned about it being ‘large enough,’ it chips away at my feelings of self worth. I will enjoy feeling much better about myself.
SO –
Anything else is gravy.
First short-term goal is getting the 20 off officially so that I can get another ‘bear’ from Nutrisystem – hopefully in our next order!
adoptabot.deviantart.com
Filed under Art From Found Things, Creativity
“Through the Fence” – Paul Militaru Photography
Filed under Paul Militaru Photography
Since today is the first day of August, I’ve been dashing around doing lots of ‘stuff,’ like cleaning out the aquarium, washing and re-filling hummingbird feeders, using Rid-x, giving our animals their monthly meds, etc. I did manage to get the bird tracing transferred to my sketch book.
Filed under Childlike Fun
I’m having so much FUN this afternoon! About two months ago I saw an ad on Facebook (I know, but there it was) for a “light box” or “LED tracing board.” Since I’m currently trying to learn new techniques for adding fur and feathers to animals, being able to trace a few outlines and distinctive features of drawings or pictures I like and then being able to concentrate on the techniques for making feathers and fur more realistic in various media seems like a wonderful idea.
It doesn’t mean that I won’t continue to try to draw the animals and birds from scratch as time goes on, but – to be honest – I’m intimidated and it will take a while to work through that. With the light box or tracing board, I can bypass my insecurities, learn, and have fun!
This gives you an idea of what I ordered. It came today and I’m like a kid in a candy shop. It’s ultra thin and you plug it into your computer. There are three intensities of LED light settings.
I hooked it up, then ran upstairs to get my sketch book, tracing paper, carbon paper, pencils, plus my “Keys to Painting Fur & Feathers” edited by Rachel Rubin Wolf, and plopped down in front of my computer. I’ve now traced a bird and am now using carbon paper to transfer it to my sketch book. I have the outlines of two drawings I did years ago already in the sketch book. When I get several sketches (tracings) added, I can then concentrate on the suggestions for adding feathers to these beautiful creatures in colored pencils, watercolor, pastels, acrylics, pen & ink, and mixed media.
Here is my drawing of a kingfisher
And my drawing of a parrot
and this is the first step in the tracing of another bird I found that I like. This is being transferred to my sketch book using carbon paper.
I know this isn’t easy to see, but you can get the idea of what I’m doing.
I have to stop and get lunch for us now, but I’ll get back to this ASAP. :0)
Filed under Creativity, Watercolors I Love
tia-www.pinterest.com
I had a bit of trouble reading Tia’s writing, but she’s saying what I’m feeling – “I feel comfortable & empowered & strong. It’s encouraged me to work out – a pretty incredible feat. And it’s helping me lose weight & feel better.” – Tia.
It’s a day early for my progress report, but I’m feeling like I’m finally making a difference with the help of Nutrisystem and exercise. My husband and I went for blood tests this morning and our quarterly appointment with our primary doctor is next Monday. I’m hoping that those tests will also show we’re serious about trying to get healthier.
I’m down almost 19 pounds this morning. And down almost 18 inches.
I don’t think I’ll ever be a ‘workout person,’ but I AM trying to do the abdominal exercises for pear-shaped people (0-6 Pack Abs DVD) every other day, yoga stretching every day, and either the elliptical trainer or the ‘annoying Leslie’ walking DVD the days I’m not doing the ab exercises. When I get comfortable with these, I’ll see what else I want to add to the mix.
taolife.com
Filed under DIET!, exercise, taking care of yourself
creativeartworksblog 