Joe Bailey – LinkedIn
I love Joe’s creativity and talent. He also creates what he refers to as “serious sculpture,’ but he won my admiration and delight with these characters he created and sculpted.
Monthly Archives: November 2018
“Sally”
“Sally” – Niki Firmin – LinkedIn
It’s hard to believe that anyone can draw animals like this. Niki is a very talented lady who accepts commissions to make drawings you and your family will treasure. If you would like more information, her website is NikiFirmin.com
Filed under Amazing Animals, Niki Firmin - Pet Portraits
Ana Loreta Baicu Watercolor Art
Ana Loreta Baicu-LinkedIn
Filed under Creativity, Watercolors I Love
Unintended Flex Meal Diet Enforcement
Askideas.com
A funny thing happened on the way to our Nutrisystem “Flex Meal” at Arby’s. My husband and I had been being taunted by ads on the TV from Arby’s, advertising a ‘turkey BLT’ and a ‘deep-fried turkey sandwich’ over and over again. We decided that we would spend our flex meal on this, eating half for lunch and the other half for dinner.
We ordered, paid, and then came home with our wonderful smelling sack of goodies. Our 93 pound lab puppy, Amber, was salivating in the back seat, becoming more and more agitated as we neared home. (I felt the same, but didn’t drool, as she did.)
I opened the sack to distribute our wealth to find only ONE sandwich. The lady apparently hadn’t heard my husband order my sandwich. We ended up cutting the sandwich in half, as “I” planned to do with MINE, and shared it for our lunch, obviously having none left over for dinner.
I would have been much happier using our new-found trying-to-become habit of ‘cutting-things-in-half-to-enjoy-the-second-half-later’ to be exercised by US, rather than an innocent clerk at a local fast food shop….
Filed under Challenges, DIET!
Gorgeous Seagulls
“Flight over the Lake” – Paul Militaru Photography
“Seagulls 1” – Paul Militaru Photography
“Sunbathing” – Paul Militaru Photography
Sing Along!
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Wim Beunderman – LinkedIn
Tigers are so Beautiful
Catherine Lee – LinkedIn
Catherine Lee – LinkedIn
Catherine Lee – LinkedIn
Filed under Amazing Animals, Awe-Inspiring Photography, Catherine Lee
Fishing for a Compliment…
Our fish aren’t very good conversationalists. They don’t want or give affection, give compliments or give out rebukes. I feel good, though, that their aquarium is now bright, shining clean. I changed out the decorations in the tank, too, so they have a change of scene, as well as new filters, plus clean and treated water.
About the only thing they DO is bunch up in the corner when they want to be fed, wriggling their tiny bodies and making a big deal of seeing my face, even before I give them anything to eat. THAT makes all the upkeep worth it. :0)
I’m feeling lazy today since I spent most of the day outside yesterday cleaning out and pruning the plants in our planters. I finished all in the front yard – we have 11 in all (eight 8 foot brick planters and 3 of assorted sizes), plus the planters on the deck yesterday. I’m a bit long in the tooth for that much work, but we had an 80% chance of rain today (and the forecasters were correct), and my body is in protest mode today.
Now that the project for the day is finished, I’m going to go do some yoga to see if I can get stretched out again.
Otherwise, friends (Lunch Bunch) followed by food and football!
Filed under exercise, Family, Lewis projects
While You’re Here…
Wilferd A Peterson via Lisa Bearnes Richey
Filed under Attitude, Challenges, Encouragement
The Love of Elephants
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
Catherine Lee – LinkedIn
Going Up!
“Rudimentary Stone Stairs” – Paul Militaru Photography
“Stairs to the Hill” – Paul Militaru Photography
“To the Secret Place” – Paul Militaru Photography
Yet Another Plateau from Hell
KimberleyJanePryor – wordpress.com
I’ve reported to you that my husband and I have each lost about 30 lbs and several inches on Nutrisystem. Lately though, we’re on yet another plateau from Hell. We’ve been including flex meals, as Nutrisystem would like us to, and we’ve maintained, but not lost, any more weight and it has been at least a couple of weeks now.
The last time this happened, I was advised by one of the counselors to switch lunch and dinner entrees. That helped for a bit, but not long term. We’ve been eating large salads for dinner. I’m beginning to suspect that we need to scale those back. I know that salads are an area where you can unconsciously pile on more calories than you meant to.
The other thing I’m going to do this afternoon – while the weather is forecast to be yucky – cold, and an 80% chance of rain – is to reread my notes and the articles I saved from Nutrisystem to see if we’re glossing over something that is causing this aggravation. My husband’s response is to stop eating anything except grapes, apples, nuts, NS cookies, and the salad we have for dinner, other than our flex meals. I’m trying to talk him out of this, since NS advises not to skip meals, and to eat what is on your plan – but this is falling on deaf ears at the moment. I’m doing better about staying on the plan, but my results aren’t great, either, so I can see why my husband wouldn’t put much credence in what “I” am telling him he ‘should’ be doing…
So – I’ll do some reading and see if I can figure out why we’re not losing the lard lately. Wish me luck?
Kanga and Baby Roo
Catherine Lee – LinkedIn
Title is mine. Gorgeous photo is by Catherine Lee.
Filed under Awe-Inspiring Photography, Catherine Lee
Whew!
Kinderling Kids Radio
I just came in from my third session in the yard cleaning out planters, pruning, etc. I’m about to do some SERIOUS eating (lunch) and RELAXING for awhile. I might even nod off.
I feel good that I finished out in the yard – though not even THINKING about the leaf mulching yet – because we have an 80% chance of rain all day tomorrow with colder, yuckier days after.
Filed under Gardening
A Perfect Day
Angie’s List
We aren’t doing anything special for Thanksgiving this year. We are thankful to be enjoying what we call a “main meal salad” this evening.
Today we have the PERFECT day to be outside cutting down things that froze during the last cold snap, pruning plants, and cleaning out for the winter. I’ve done one session out there so far today, cleaning out the brick planters that run across the front of the house. Now I’m working on the trio of 8 foot brick planters that go between our yard and the top of our driveway. I’m hoping to finish that, plus cleaning up and winterizing the planters on the deck before I run out of time, daylight, and energy today.
It’s supposed to be rainy tomorrow, followed by colder weather. so I’m pushing myself a bit to get the pruning and cleaning out done today, saving the leaf mulching for other days after the leaves dry out again.
The sun is shining, the doggies go outside and play with each other or scurry around, finding interesting things to smell, dig up, or otherwise chase, plus bringing bones of deer in the yard for a good chew. (I never know where they find them, or what happened that the sweet deer are gone, but the doggies never fail to find the bones and bring them home, chewing on them until MEAN OLD MOMMA takes them away and disposes of them.)
I’ve been resting awhile after my first session outside. I’m about to do another.
I hope you’re enjoying your day, too!
Filed under Gardening
Momma and Baby
Jeff Jett – LinkedIn
I Just Want to Be With You
Catherine Lee – LinkedIn
Filed under Awe-Inspiring Photography, Catherine Lee
Happy Thanksgiving 2018
Kings County Politics
“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” ~ Melody Beattie
“Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving.” ~W.T. Purkiser
Have a wonderful day, everyone!!!
Filed under holidays
Tangible Motivation
I’m only halfway to my weight loss goal, but a few TANGIBLE things are helping motivate me:
I showed you several weeks ago that I am finally able to wear a sweater/jacket top that I’ve moved back and forth between closets for several years now.
Today I was finally able to wear a snuggly, soft, furry vest that my husband bought me years ago in the Grand Canyon Gift Shop.
And I’m actually able to zip it up without a problem! It has coyotes, bears, moose, evergreen trees, half-moons and other things all around the bottom third of the vest. I loved it when he bought it for me, and now I feel as if I have a ‘new’ vest. I love it again!
We were talking about our efforts on the way to town to do our errands this morning. I pointed out that it was a big deal that my husband has been able to change his 38/30 jeans for 34/30 currently, and soon will need to go to 32/30! TANGIBLE differences make you feel as if your efforts are worth it.
AND I’m going for a gold star on my calendar today for doing my session of yoga! :0)
If you have things that have motivated you in your efforts to lose weight or exercise, I would love it if you would share them with me.
Dancing Waters
“Dance of the Water” – Paul Militaru Photography
“Elegant Dance of Water” – Paul Militaru Photography
End of the Kitchen Drawer Project
Well, I threw away things, put extra supplies in the pantry, and reorganized the rest, having the things I use most often easily accessible now.
Our driveway beeper went off just before I took these pics. It was our wonderful Tri-Hill bug guy, on a follow-up trip to treat the outside of the house that he couldn’t do due to rain when he treated the inside recently. I found out that his last work day this week is today, and he has until Tuesday morning off!
While we were talking, I again noticed a BUNCH of frozen, dead foliage around the porch and in the planters, plus a gazillion dead ladybugs on the front porch. I was embarrassed that our outside was such a mess, so I’ll put in some time out there this afternoon. I’ll get rid of the poor ladybugs, cut down the dead stuff, and maybe get started on the leaves all over the front yard. I want to make mulch for the flower beds. If they’re dry enough, I might get started on that today…
I hope that YOU are having a wonderful last-day-before-Thanksgiving, too!
I’m a “Stash-a-holic”
Believe it or not, this is a very nice double pull-out drawer inside one of my kitchen cabinets. The bottom holds cooking vessels of various kinds and stays in good order. This, however, is a horse of a completely different color, to coin a phrase.
Ziplock bags, sandwich bags, aluminum foil, etc. are stashed in here to the point it’s hard to get one thing out without other things coming with it.
So this drawer is today’s project.
Here it is from another angle. I would be embarrassed to show it to you – or admit that it’s MINE – except you KNOW I’m a slob and that I’m on a mission this year to go through areas one at a time, sometimes – in this case – one DRAWER at a time to declutter, give away, throw away and then reorganize our over 30-year-old home.
My husband, thankfully, is oblivious to my slobbiness, and I overlook his championship pack-rat skills, as well. While this makes for a happier marriage, it results in messes like this.
The first step was taking everything out of the drawer, cleaning and relining it.
This is one view of what came out of the drawer.
And here’s another. Hopefully, later in the day I can show you a much-improved supplies drawer – putting it all on the island insures that I won’t leave it until later. We can’t fix lunch unless I clean this up! :0)
Sky
“Sky” – drawing by Niki Firmin, LinkedIn
Filed under Amazing Animals, Creativity, Niki Firmin - Pet Portraits
Family
Jeff Jett
This Week’s “Flex” Lunch/Dinner
Buzz Feed
If you’ve been reading my blog, you know that my husband and I are on NutriSystem, trying to get the lard off. Since we were on it the first time, many years ago, they’ve added lots more food choices, plus frozen foods, plus a new emphasis on making this a lifestyle change, rather than a ‘diet.’ They are including ‘flex’ meals, one breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack each week to help you learn to function in the real world.
By trial and error, mostly (on our part) we’re learning to –
- ask for a doggie bag when we order our food. I am putting half of the meal in it, and my husband is adding part of his meal to the bag.
- modify our eating the rest of the day to make up for the larger calorie real world meal so that it fits into our plan, not blowing our efforts out of the water. (For example, since we ate our big ‘lunch’ today, we’ll have a salad for dinner if we’re hungry. If not so hungry, we’ll be satisfied with a snack. (We’ll eat more of what we brought home tomorrow.)
- we got combo seafood dinners at The Dari, today. We learned that next time, we can order ONE dinner, split it between the two of us, and still maybe bring some home.
Eating out takes the curse off of dieting for us. We’re happy enough with the Nutrisystem meals, but since we can eat out, we don’t feel deprived. If we want to share a meal with friends, they don’t even have to know we’re dieting. Eating a real-world meal is a quality of life thing, making it much more reasonable for us to stay on Nutrisystem until we both meet our goals.
We’re also learning how to modify our cooking so that we are building healthy eating habits with a much better sense of what a ‘portion’ is.
Filed under Acting Like a Grownup, building good habits, Challenges, Changes, DIET!, Healthy Eating
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