Every Excuse in the Book (Part 2)

    

Last night's dinner

  

You can read Part 1 by clicking here.

     What did we find helped us the most? We started by using the website myfitnesspal.com. It also has an app for your phone or tablet. You simply log what you eat into it each day and it keeps track of everything from calories to carbs, sugar, fats etc. For us, it is so much easier than counting points (although that works for many) because so many foods and brands are already programmed into it. You can also scan bar codes with your phone app to add them to your meals and there is a way to type in any recipe you might make and save it to use in a meal listing. I go over on my sugar suggested amount almost daily and often on my protein, but I try very hard to not go over on carbs or fats. We eat about 1200 calories a day, but I have learned to stretch those to include everything I want and no fat free or fake food for me. You also log in your exercise for the day and you can have more calories if you exercise (I rarely use the bonus calories). You can link your page to other people, so we can watch each other progress (or slack) and send messages of support.

     We also started exercising 5 or 6 days a week. My daughter likes it. I hate it. I hate the time it takes. I hate to sweat. I hate having to take a shower after. I do mine at 5:00 pm, so now instead of being happy when my husband comes home from work, I tend to say, “great-you are home-I have to exercise now-crap”. However, I tried walking an hour a day for over a year before this and never lost an ounce. In order for me to be healthy, I have to sweat and feel as if I might die for at least 30 minutes a day. I opted to get a dance DVD (message me and I'll tell you which one) and it is as fun for me as exercise could ever be. I almost died doing the 15 minute program the first few times. Now I do 35 minutes and while it is a workout, I can do it. I always feel better after I have finished...always. Even if I am dragging and tired, I have more energy after I am done. It is just the starting that is difficult!

     There have been a few interesting things happen along the way. My husband started exercising when I did (he is competitive like that). He is just a few pounds over his high school weight, didn't need to lose an ounce and has probably lost 5 pounds as he is eating the same things I am, just in larger portions. He says he feels better and we have both noticed that big heavy meals, fried foods etc. (which were never a big part of our diets) don't even sound good anymore. We didn't eat a lot of beef before and we eat very little now. He had beef twice in one day a few days ago and felt horrible afterward. That doesn't mean we never go a little crazy. At my girlfriend's wedding (read here) I had 2 little pies, pizza and lasagna! I loved every minute of it. I just didn't do it again the next day! In the beginning of this process I was a grouch every weekend. I never cooked on Friday nights before and I didn't want to start now. The thing I have learned is that it is restaurant food that is really is toxic to me. One meal in a restaurant and I gain weight. There is so much hidden fat and calories in the food that even if you think you are ordering something healthy, it is bathed in butter and salt. For the first few weeks, I just stayed home on weekends and complained. Once I was seeing results, I would go to places that had true low-cal options (many have nutritional information online). Now, I will go where I want and have what I want...but I won't eat something that isn't “worth it” to me. If I gain a pound, I know it will leave again in a day or two. I do tend to want the healthier choices now...but I certainly had Crème Brulee in Epcot and I will have Fried Green Tomatoes the next time I see them on a menu. This isn't a diet, this is a life! 

     I asked my daughter the 5 things that most helped her change her life and she said:

1. Laughing Cow Cheese Wedges
2. Quinoa
3. A Food Scale
4. Kid's meals in restaurants
5. Sugar Free Jell-O

     My top 5 are:

1. Trader Joe's Savory Thin Rice Crackers (I swear I couldn't have done this without these. You can have an entire bowl for almost no calories. They taste like a cross between a cracker and a chip. I have had them with cheese, peanut butter, home-made hummus, in soup, in the car...I make a 100 mile drive to stock up).

2. Weight Watcher String Cheese Sticks (I like the plain ones best, but they do come flavored).

3. Wonton Wrappers- I have made everything from Crab Rangoon and Nachos, to Cinnamon Sugar Crisps and Chocolate-Filled Wrappers with them. I love pastry and these make things have that crispy, crunchy texture.

4. Non-fat Frozen Yogurt: Pinkberry, Menchies, TCBY or even McDonald's cones. I am a dessert girl and if there is a frozen yogurt place, I'm in. I put lots of fruit on top. Expensive some places (McDonald's is only $1) but I don't care...I need dessert!

5. Quinoa (I like it best with a T. of Brummel and Brown Yogurt “butter”) which is great for a side dish or cold with veggies in it as a salad or main dish.

 

From my daughter: It is hard to do this at my age because so much of our social lives revolve around “going out” for drinks, for dinner, etc. It is doable if you plan ahead and try not to walk into a situation where you don't have a game plan...you can't always know what food will be around but you can plan how you will handle it. Eat a snack before going out to dinner, order off the kid's menu (most restaurants will let you and it is instant portion control), exercise in the morning and get it out of the way so you can enjoy your day, look at your before pictures often-they will remind you why you are doing it, still enjoy life; it is not a prison sentence. Have a glass of wine or that slice of pizza every once in a while. Know that people will give you funny looks at first when you go from eating cheeseburgers and beer to grilled chicken and iced tea, but know that it will be worth it when they start asking you how you did it.

 

     I found a new cookbook that I love. “The Looneyspoons Collection”    takes recipes for things we love and makes them healthy without using a bunch of fake sweeteners, fake eggs etc. I have loved every recipe (except for the scones-my recipe is more fattening but “worth it”). My daughter bought me Bobby Deen's cookbook, “From Mama's Table to Mine” for Mother's Day and it has many of Paula's recipes made healthier. The pimento cheese spread is wonderful. I will be sharing some of the recipes from both books in future posts. They have both really helped me be able to cook great food in a healthier way.

     Can my daughter reach her goal? I have no doubt she will, I have never seen her this determined. Will I maintain what I've done. I hope so. I certainly am well aware that I am one crisis away from eating those pounds back on, they go on much faster these days. Did I get rid of my clothes that no longer fit? No way. I know what they say...get rid of the “bigger” clothes.  I never thought I'd need to be doing this in the first place, so I'm not cocky enough to get rid of those clothes yet. I do know that at this point, I simply feel better physically when I am exercising and not eating heavy, fattening food on a daily basis. I never was a big eater, or a night time eater...but, look at what a portion of pasta is (2 oz.) and ask yourself how many portions you are eating. I think I was eating at least 4 servings. I know that I feel like I am back in my own body again instead of one that had 30 pounds of extra padding on it and I like the way my jeans fit (okay, we all have a little vanity about that, don't we).

     I also know that all those excuses that I listed at the beginning can be overcome if you go at it kicking and screaming (and sweating). It certainly helps if you have someone to push you when you feel like giving up or when you injure yourself (yes, we both have had sports injuries-that is such a joke for us). It also helps to have someone tell you the truth. I told my daughter she was too heavy and I wanted to help her...she reminded me that no matter what size I wear, my body is never going to look 25 again (darn it). We are 1000 miles apart and supporting each other daily with recipes, new food items we find and tons of those inspirational quotes and pictures. I told someone recently that the word “willpower” is so often used around dieting, exercising and healthy living. I think that is the wrong word. That sounds like it is a battle to fight, which sounds negative to begin with. That is the way I have approached this in the past. I like the word “commitment”. I am going to try my best to be committed to exercising regularly, eating more healthy foods than unhealthy and to also enjoy my life. So, some days...I'll have a cupcake, or two!

     One of the questions I have been asked is "what are you eating"? It changes daily, but yesterday I had:

Breakfast: Greek Yogurt (I always do, I did before this)

Morning Snack: 2 Weight Watcher Cheese Sticks (or sometimes an apple)

Lunch: Salad of baby greens, peppers, tomatoes, asparagus, shaved turkey and parmesan cheese.

Afternoon Snack: Skinny Cow Mint Ice Cream Sandwich

Dinner: (see above photo) Baked Rosemary Chicken, Baked potato with Brummel and Brown and Tomato, Basil, Mozzarella Salad with Balsamic Vinegar

Dessert: Pound Cake with Frozen Greek Yogurt and spray whipped cream.

 

     I drink lots of green tea, some coffee and try to drink water (I don't like it). The myfitnesspal.com website will help you figure out portion sizes to make it all add up to your daily recommendation. I am more than happy to answer any questions or give you recipes etc. and so is my daughter. We are absolutely not experts at this. We are winging it here as we find ways to feel better without feeling as if we are "doing without" the things we enjoy.

I am not endorsing any products, didn't get anything free...nada. I'm just telling you things that we found helped us.

 

How About A Little "Whine" With Those Decorations

     I hope no one minds if I start this blog post with a little "whine". You know, as bloggers, most of us tend to give the impression that everything just goes along beautifully at our houses. We wake up perky, prepare perfect meals and between jobs, children and husbands, we find all the time we need to create, craft and decorate our homes. Well, my life is never like that...but, the past month has been the extreme opposite.

     It started with my food poisoning event (it was an event) on October 28th, which landed me in bed on both my birthday and Halloween. It was 5 days before I had the strength to even get dressed and in truth, many more days of trying to feel like I hadn't been hit by a truck. Coming on a few days later, my husband and I both caught colds that we simply could not shake. I was functioning, but didn't feel great...and then last Tuesday, my cold turned quickly into a sinus infection and bronchitis. I lost my voice which has not returned, ran a fever until yesterday and my cough is like a barking seal and can't be controlled. Thanksgiving was spent in bed. I did get up for a few hours Thanksgiving morning to make a pie and put together a meal because my son was coming...but, he didn't show up (that is another story). Needless to say, my husband had more than enough to eat...alone...on Thanksgiving.

     Bronchitis isn't something new to me. From the time I was a child, if I caught a cold in the fall...I ended up sick for weeks. The problem now is, I'm an adult and Christmas is coming! I have been able to get a few things done between naps the past two days, but I am really having fantasies of sitting on a beach in the sun, breathing in the salt air until I feel like myself again. Instead, I am drinking so much tea I could float, napping between cyber shopping and I must be feeling a little better because I'm getting mad! Merry, Merry and a Ho Ho Ho...

     So, I hope that all of you are feeling better than we are at my house. I hope you are perky, cooking up a storm, crafting, decorating and enjoying every minute of the holiday prep. I am getting there...but I apologize for the lack of visits to your blogs and comments on your posts. I will try to do better, now that I'm sitting up and can keep my eyes open!

     I have done some decorating the past couple of days. Luckily, I had already decided on my "theme" for this year and it was much more simple than some years. I decided I wanted something more natural, outdoorsy and winter looking than prior years. I went back to traditional red and green and there is not one silver, gold or colored ornament out in my house. In fact, much of what I have out will be able to stay out all winter.

 

     I always decorate the top of the china cabinet almost as if it were a mantel. The picture is one we have had for many years, the wooden trees, birdhouse and moose are part of my attempt at bringing a winter lodge feeling to the decorations this year.

 

     The library table behind the love seat has been draped with a vintage quilt that my husband's grandmother made. Twigs, pinecones, birds and reindeer continue bringing the outside into the house this year. My husband made the twig garland for me. We saw one very similiar in Michigan for a much higher price than I was willing to pay for some sticks!

     I am happy to say that I'm finally joining Marty again at A Stroll Thru Life for Table Top Tuesday. Make sure you stop and say hello to her.  

This and That

     When I had my plate ready for dinner last night, I knew I had to share it with all of you. It was a simple turkey sandwich, a salad of baby greens, beets, goat cheese and a sprinkle of sunflower and pumpkin seeds and roasted asparagus. However, the bread really made the plate. We bought it at our local grocery store on Sunday and it was still warm when we bought it-rainbow bread, so pretty!

     I don't have anything exciting to share with you today, just a few things that have been on my mind lately. You may be bored by my random thoughts.

     I've been reading things about Pinterest and the possible legal problems associated with using it. I'm trying to decide if I want to continue to use the site. It hardly seems worth being sued just to save a few recipes and pretty pictures.

     I am a person with fairly strong political opinions. I choose not to write about them often on my blog. I used to be part of a writing website where we wrote opinon pieces and had major discussions...sometimes I miss that. I will say that the robo calls from Mitt Romney have been coming in at least 5-8 times a day at my house for the past week. I can't imagine that anyone actually gets all these calls and decides to vote because of them. Everyone I know, regardless of their politics finds these calls annoying!

     I've been watching the news about the teenager that was shot by a "neighborhood watch" member in Florida. The teen was "armed" with iced tea and Skittles. He was apparently doing nothing wrong according to the 911 calls. The man who shot him hasn't been arrested or had his gun taken away. I don't get it. 

     As I type this, there has been another 7.6 earthquake in Mexico. It has happened in tourist areas and it is spring break. My thoughts are with those who are involved.

     I've been trying to spend time reading blogs today. The change in the "code words" that we have to type in to some blogs to post comments have become almost impossible for my eyes to read. Am I the only one having this issue?

     Today is my daughter's last day at the Disney resort where she has been working. She has a few days vacation time and then she starts a new project at Disney.  She and a small group of managers from various Disney hotels have been selected to be on the opening team for the new Disney Resort, The Art of Animation. It is opening in phases beginning in May and it is going to be a wonderful Disney experience. It is an honor for my daughter to be a part of this team and she is very excited even though she is in for some very hard work and long hours over the next few months. You can read about the new resort here!

     We are still enjoying summer in March here in Illinois. I hope it is as beautiful where you are!

    



Computers...A Love/Hate Relationship

Yesterday wasn't a good day. For a week or two, I have been having some problems with Internet Explorer shutting down frequently and then restarting. Over the past few days I have done all the "normal" things I do when I have a computer issue. I ran my virus scan, checked for malware, upgraded from IE 8 to 9 and back to 8 again, checked the disk, defragmented the hard drive, tried several restore points and so on. You get the picture. I googled repeatedly looking for answers and as it was getting worse, I attempted a recovery suggested by someone I googled. Big mistake. Whatever I did...made things worse.

After my "repair" I started getting messages. The first sign of a real problem came when my computer didn't recognize my iPhone and I couldn't fix that. Shortly after that a message popped up that my virus protection was turned off, but I couldn't turn it back on. When I tried to Google to see what might be going wrong...I discovered that IE would no longer open. It was broken/fried/gone. My computer showed that it was still there, it even showed it was running-but it wouldn't open. Long story short, I started this process at about 10:00 a.m. yesterday and I finally went to bed at 2:00 a.m. this morning. I did learn a few things during the process that I thought I would share with you.

1. It was very obvious that my issue was with Internet Explorer, not the computer. I was extremely lucky that I had a secondary browser on my computer so that I could still research things to try. I happened to have Google Chrome and it was still working.

2. I was also lucky that I had a couple of USB Flash Drives at home and I was able to remove all my pictures and my taxes etc. from the computer before I took the last drastic step.

3. It was a serious mistake to make a repair without writing down what I'd done. The suggested repair had me looking up a file, clicking a couple of places and shutting a few things off. I think that I created more of a problem than I had originally and the steps were too complicated for me to remember how to reverse them. I should have taken notes as I did it-lesson learned.

4. I ended up taking my computer back to factory settings. In other words, it is the same as when it came out of the box. I have a Satellite L675 laptop and I really didn't want to have to replace it. Factory setting is a very drastic step, but it also cleans up all the junk we accumulate on the computer. It took a long time and several steps. I had to go online to find out how to do it as they no longer send a recover disk with a computer. It wasn't difficult, just time consuming.

5. So far, I have only found that my daughter's tax information didn't save to the flash drive  for some reason. I lost all of my favorites and the items in my favorites bar as well as the Swagbucks Toolbar. I also lost all of my songs on iTunes (I know-I should have been saving to The Cloud). That isn't a big deal as the songs are still on my phone. As of yet I haven't found a way to move them from the phone back to the computer and that isn't the end of the world.

So-my reminder today to each of you is to:

1) Backup your files and photos to a flash drive (don't just plan on it like I did).

2. Add a second browser, even if you don't use it.

3. If you make changes to your computer-write them down so you can reverse them later.

4. If you have iTunes/iPhone/iPod-use The Cloud if you are going to be upset losing your music.  

I am still a bit stressed, exhausted and very hopeful that I won't still have issues.

My tablescape for this week, isn't happening.

I also don't have to find a way to work a new computer into the budget!

I call that success!

Could We Talk A Little Bit About Paula?

     This morning I happened to see one more posting about how Paula Deen should be held accountable for "misleading" the public into eating food that could kill them. I have heard this said in various ways since it came out earlier this month that she has Type 2 Diabetes. This morning, the person who posted about it on my Facebook page linked a listing of Paula's 10 "deadliest recipes".

    I don't often use my blog to discuss what might be a controversial topic, but today I wanted to say what I was thinking and see how you all felt about it. I'm a Paula Deen fan. I admire a woman who was completely down on her luck and created her own business selling sandwiches from a wagon to help support her boys. I visited her first small restaurant in Savannah before she was a household name and she was right out there cleaning off tables and talking to the customers. I feel as if that even with all of her fame, she has stayed pretty humble and seems grateful for the life she has. When I heard she had diabetes, I felt badly for her...not angry.

     It seems to me that anyone who cares enough to prepare a Paula Deen recipe is smart enough to know it isn't health food. Anyone who can afford the ingredients, afford the magazine or afford cable television is probably intelligent enough to realize that if it has a pound of butter, 2 cups of cream and a few cups of cheese in it...it isn't good for you. I have never heard Paula suggest that you make her recipes 3 meals a day and eat nothing else. I've also never heard her claim to be a "healthy" cook.

     So, where does it stop if the media and the public are going to criticize her for causing others to have health issues or premature death? What about the other cooking shows? The Neeley's comes to mind...with their down home southern cooking. Would Julia Child have made the cut? I seem to remember a lot of butter in her recipes as well. What about our magazines, the Southern Living I got yesterday is full of rich, calorie laden foods.

     Isn't it really our responsibility to eat what is best for us? We all know that a diet of fruits, vegetables and lean meats is healthier than butter, sugar, cream and high fat foods. Don't we have to make the decision for ourselves to try to eat right most of the time and have a Paula Deen treat now and then? I think she only has to be accountable to herself and hopefully by sharing her story she may affect others in a positive way. I wish her well in overcoming this serious disease. I'm off my soap box now...I think I'll go make some macaroni and cheese!

Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Programming

     For some reason, I always think that I am going to get a lot of blogging done when I'm on vacation. I never do. I really should just hang out the "be back soon" sign and forget about it. So, today as I try to get back to some form of "normal" at my house...I thought I'd take a minute to let you know that I'm still here!

     I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas (or whatever you celebrate) and a safe and happy start to 2012. We headed to Florida on the 17th, arriving on the 18th. My dad came over from Sarasota to meet us for a few days before we put him on a plane on the 22nd and sent him back to Illinois to spend Christmas with my sister and her family and my son. We stayed in Florida and celebrated with our daughter, getting home on the 28th. It was our 5th Christmas in Florida and we had the best weather we have ever had with temperatures in the mid 80's the entire time. It was gorgeous! Of course, I caught a horrible cold almost immediately (do you think the 60 degree temp change did it) which I then passed on to my daughter and my husband. I didn't feel great, but believe me it is much easier to have a cold when it is 85 than when it is cold and gray!

     We drove home once again on our wedding anniversary! We celebrated 37 years, riding in the car. Our son called the morning of our anniversary as we were leaving our hotel in Alabama, to tell us he was headed to the ER with chest pains...so, it was a long drive home, a stop to pick up the dogs at the puppy hotel and we went straight to the hospital. By the time we got there, they had decided he was suffering from stress related chest pain, they kept him overnight and told him to eat healthier and sleep more. He has 2 jobs and lives on chips and beef jerky...we hope he listens to the doctors. We picked up Steak and Shake and had a romantic anniversary dinner (haha) while unloading the car and doing laundry.

     My dad arrived at our house the next day and was here until yesterday afternoon. Somehow, I did get the Christmas decorations taken down, but very little else got done. My husband was off work until today and between the 2 guys and the massive amount of football games on television...I have spent the last several days feeding the men and trying to make some progress on the laundry from the trip. Dad is flying back to Florida today, my husband went back to work this morning and while it was a really nice holiday, I'm ready to get back on some kind of schedule. So, I will be trying to finish all that laundry today, trying to find the top of my desk and hopefully get back to regular blogging.

     So, what's new with you??



This and That

     We survived our garage sale. It certainly wasn't one of my most successful, but we did get rid of some things and that was most important. We have an area wide sale coming in a couple of weeks and since things are already priced, I think we may just pull them out on the driveway that morning before packing things up and heading to Goodwill. I'm just glad it is over and I had garage sale "let down" when we were done. I had a hard time forcing myself off the couch the rest of the weekend. However, our yearly block party was Saturday night and it is hard to pass up a live band just a few houses away! It was cold enough here that I had to dig out the a sweater, a jacket and boots. By the time we came home, I was ready for gloves! It is supposed to be in the 80's later this week, don't you love this time of year? 

     I was contacted last week by two different sources wanting me to do sponsored giveaways. I don't always say yes, but both of these are fun and things I would like to win. They aren't huge prizes, but one of them you can eat! I'm all about winning yummy things to eat! So stay tuned!       

     I'll leave you with a bit of the nature around me this weekend.

    

Going With the Flow

     It has been an interesting few days at our house. My daughter, who lives in Orlando, flew into New York's JFK airport on Thursday, with plans to stay until late Monday afternoon. She was supposed to be going to a wedding on Sunday, at an aquarium on Long Island. She was staying on Long Island with friends at their home. Well, we all know what has been happening along the East Coast. I wasn't thrilled that she was going on Thursday, but I also knew that at 26, I would really have to "pull rank" to get her to cancel the trip. I really wanted her to make her own decision about what to do. 

     By Thursday night, the wedding had been pushed up to Friday evening at the home of one of the bridesmaids. The gorgeous cake wasn't ready, the caterer couldn't prepare the food, so the food came from Costco. The groom was from Australia and most of his family got in ahead of the wedding, they Skyped the ceremony to those who couldn't make it. It certainly didn't turn out to be the lavish wedding that was planned, but my daughter said it was still wonderful. On Friday morning my daughter called after watching the reports that Irene was going to make a direct hit on Long Island. She was ready to get out of there. She wasn't afraid for her life, but she was afraid of being stuck in New York without power and water. She is supposed to be back at work on Tuesday and really needed to get there. Our family has been through 2 hurricanes in Florida, so we know how bad it can be. So, we started to scramble. We flew her from JFK to Chicago O'Hare yesterday morning. We drove to Chicago to pick her up and brought her home until tomorrow morning. We will then take her to Indianapolis to catch a flight back to Orlando.

     Unexpected airline tickets...$600.

12 hours spent in the car driving to airports...$200

Having my daughter out of harms way...PRICELESS!

Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do and as my mother always said,

Go With the Flow!

Why Do You Blog?

     Late last night I read a blog post written by someone I consider a friend. She spoke of her recent struggle with the good, bad and the ugly of blogging. After seriously considering her words and sending her off a quick email, I went to bed thinking about the topic of blogging.


     The most common question I get when I tell people that I have a blog is, “do you make money doing it”? I find myself trying to explain that while I might make a little (very little) money, that I am much more likely to be given something free from a sponsor. I am most likely to be working lots of hours for free! I try to explain that it is possible eventually to make “real money” but that it takes time and lots of work. “Well, then why do you do it?” is often the next question. I have no doubt that some people would like to tell me to get a real job and quit wasting my education. However, is the only reason we blog to make money? Obviously not.

     Recently my local newspaper advertised for a freelance writer. What should have been my dream job, I ignored. You see my local newspaper has a definite political agenda that goes against everything I believe. I just couldn’t write for an organization like that. So for me, blogging for peanuts is better than writing for a paycheck if I can't write what I want to write.

     When I started my blog 2 years ago this month, I had no idea what I was doing or what direction I would take it. My original goal was to offer some advice and hints that I had learned from over 30 years of marriage and from raising 2 kids. I love to cook, I have a few skills with flowers and entertaining and I like really nice things for a good price. So, my target audience was actually the 20-30 set. However, after 2 years of reading, writing and bonding over blogs…I now have readers of all ages and all skill levels. Some may learn from me, but I also learn from so many others.

     Once I saw that a few people were actually going to read what I had to say, I decided I wanted to work very hard to make it grow. I wanted to be the next Pioneer Woman (she is getting a television show, how exciting). It didn’t take me long to realize that I was no Ree Drummond. I didn’t have the interesting lifestyle, the skill or the time to be the success that she is. Every time my stats started to grow quickly, we had a family emergency and I had to step back for a while. I knew that I would never be able to put the blog first and I also learned that when my life is stressful, creativity goes right out the window.

     So, why do I blog? I blog because I love to write. I also love to share places, foods and creative ideas when I find something that I love. I blog because of the wonderful community of people who support me, inspire me and make me laugh. I haven’t looked at my numbers in several months. I didn’t want to know how bad it got when I stepped back to get through the last of our family losses. I haven’t written as often and I haven’t stuck with the “party of the day” as of late. I’ve just written what I want, when I want and tried to find time to visit blog friends when I can. Guess what? I’m still here and so is my blog. So, thank you for sticking with me. It means more than you will ever know.

Why do you blog?

This and That

     It is Monday, a day when many of us in Blogland join Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch for Met Monday. We show off our new projects, the changes we have made in our homes or wonderful things we have transformed from ugly to beautiful. Well, unless you want to see pictures of my refrigerator before and after I clean it, the wrinkled clothes before and after I iron them or the dust in the house before and after I attempt to get rid of it...I've got nothing to share. My husband told me to take a picture of the puddles on the deck because WE GOT RAIN yesterday afternoon. It wasn't much, but the sky got dark, the thunder rumbled and the temps dropped 19 degrees very quickly. Bliss! We are heading right back up to dry and dangerous by Wednesday, but it was wonderful!

     We made a final trip to my in-law's house on Saturday. The second auction is coming up this weekend. It will have the household items and the rest of the antiques that we didn't have time to sell at the first auction. This one is combined with another family at their home and we aren't stressing over it. We don't even have to be there (but we probably will go). We took a cutting from my in-law's lilac bush. It is sitting in a bucket of water and we have no idea how to transplant it at our house. Any suggestions? We would love to save it.

     Since we were in "the big city" to check the house, I finally got to a decent Farmer's Market. I was so hot that I can't say I even enjoyed being there. We practically jogged through the aisles, grabbing things as we went. I was complaining, melting and even managed to hug some dirty zucchini against my white t-shirt. However, I have rainbow kale, fresh peapods, beautiful orange beets, purple and white baby carrots and various other goodies to show for the effort.

     I also crossed over to the "dark side" since I had access to a "real" Verizon store and finally had the time to explore my options. I have been an iPhone holdout. I am definitely a gadget person. In fact, I had a hard time getting out of the store with only the phone. Those iPads and Samsung Galaxy Tablets were calling my name. I just hated adding the fee for the data package to my already loaded cell phone bill. I hated the $10 package that I was forced to add with my last phone. We have 3 phones on our package and I already pay enough! Our Verizon salesperson was great and he did some research on our usage habits and found that we were paying for minutes we didn't need. A few tweaks and our bill with the new phone will actually be a little less than it was before. I've been playing with my new toy since I got it and I love it! I'm having a little trouble adjusting to texting with this kind of keyboard, but hopefully it will get easier. I'm obsessed with all the apps available, if you have a favorite let me know!

     I'll leave you with a picture of a store display from our trip to Michigan. Maybe it will inspire you...I could certainly use a little decorative inspiration this summer. How was your weekend?

Blessings

     It has been a stressful time around our house the past weeks. I'm sure that most of you know what has been going on and I really appreciate the fact that I haven't lost any followers during my time away. I hope I can gradually get back to blogging next week. Along with all the sadness, I wanted to share with you some of the good things that have been going on. My dad is still here visiting and as you can see, our little grands just love their great-grandpa. He has always been wonderful with little ones and didn't even mind getting wet from the sprinkler, sticky from cotton candy and kisses laced with fruit punch. 

     I also had this wonderful surprise from Flo @ Butterfly Quilting. She is a wonderful blog friend, who was recently participating in a "Pay It Forward" blog event featuring a handmade item. She knows that I don't exactly have the ability to make anything and she paid it forward to me anyway. She told me I could bake cookies for my neighbors! Do you see the darling bag she created? She also sent a wonderful notebook, some yummy candy and some jam from Canada. Her gift arrived just as we were leaving for my father-in-law's service and it was such a sweet surprise. Please go visit Flo, you will love her.

     So yes, things have been a bit difficult for our family the past weeks and months, but our blessings are many. Thank you all once again for the messages, comments, support and prayers. You have no idea how much they help.

I Need Your Advice

     One of the best things about having a blog is that it reaches so many different people all over the world. It is a great resource for information gathering. Today, I'm hopeful that some of you will be able to use your experience to help me.

     A few weeks ago I mentioned that my mother-in-law was diagnosed the week of Christmas with pancreatic cancer. She has been going through chemo over the past 4 weeks. The chemo hasn't made her sick, her hair isn't falling out and a recent scan shows the cancer is not spreading. This is all great news. However, she is exhausted, confused and not at all the person we knew just a few weeks ago. She has been the primary care person for my father-in-law who has suffered balance and memory problems since a car accident 3 years ago. He too seems to have rapidly gone downhill over the past 2 months. They have insisted on staying in their home and my sister-in-law arranged to have someone come in the mornings and two hours in the evening. This isn't working.

     I've been asked by my husband and sister-in-law to make calls tomorrow to find out options. The research I've done online, says that a nursing home costs about $5000 per person, per month. Assisted living with services might be a bit less, but not much. They are currently paying $18 per hour for the woman to come to the home. That would be around $3000 a week if they hired someone to stay around the clock. My in-laws are not wealthy, but they are also do have some assets such as their home.

     I really have no idea where to start this process. I don't know what questions to ask to make sure we pick the best place to "put them". I have read that unless a person spends 3 full days in the hospital and then goes to a nursing home, they are responsible for paying the full amount. I don't know what resources might be out there that could help with expenses. I think most people would find it difficult to pay $10,000 a month for care. Eventually we could sell their home, but something has to be done right away. We don't live where they do and my sister-in-law can't be with them all the time.

     This has all happened so quickly that they weren't prepared. The only thing I know about nursing homes is that the quality is very different. My mother's brief stay before her death was in a beautiful place, but we knew it was short-term, my dad is still mentally and physically competent to make decisions and their financial situation didn't limit my dad's choice of care. In the case of my in-laws, it may be long-term for at least one of them and they are neither one able to make decisions at this time. It is a mess to say the least and I don't even know what agencies to call to start asking questions.

     So, for those who have been through this with a loved one...what questions should I ask? Who should I call? How did your family member afford this? Is a reverse mortgage a good idea? One thing I'm learning very quickly is that long-term care insurance is a "must have" for my us to protect our kids. We will be looking into that for ourselves over the next 10 years. If you have any information that might be a help to me before I start making calls tomorrow...I would love to hear it. I've decided over the past year that aging is a bit more frightening than I realized. Thanks in advance for any help you can suggest.

Don't Make the Mistake We Did...Please Read!

     I almost hate to write about what happened to us on the way home with the grandsons Friday night, but I decided that if it happened to us...it just might happen to someone else. We met our grandson's mother about an hour from our house at 6:00 p.m. Friday night. After making certain that both boys were secure in their car seats, had Happy Meals (ugh) in their laps and were all settled in, we started for home.

     We have a large SUV. I know, we aren't being very "green" but we travel often and we like the space. It does have child locks, but we had disabled them because to be honest, most people don't like to be forced to be locked into a vehicle and have to ask the driver to "let me out of here"! Considering that we raised 2 children of our own and had 100's of others in our cars over the years without a problem, we simply didn't consider what could happen.

     As we were driving down the interstate at somewhere between 65-70 mph, our just turned 2-year-old grandson opened the car door. I heard the air sound and yelled at my husband to STOP THE CAR! Luckily, we were in the right lane. Luckily, the door didn't swing wide open until we stopped the car. Luckily, no one hit us from behind as we pulled off the highway. Luckily, it was a full 10 minutes after getting back on the interstate that the same busy 2-year-old unhooked his seat belt and therefore was no longer attached to his car seat. This was a new car seat, as the old one he crawled out from under the straps the last time he was here. He was 2 last weekend. At 2, my kids were still lumps. They sat where we put them, they didn't unlock house doors, climb out of cribs, go outside without asking or open the door of a moving vehicle.

     Needless to say, our child locks are now hooked up again...but it certainly didn't stop him from unhooking the seat belt again yesterday. I am only talking about this because it scared me to death...not so much what did happen, but what could have happened. We have our grandsons about once a month, so we had no idea that he could do the tricks he can. Don't get me wrong, he is as sweet as they come and is just curious and fearless. We are just so careful with them and yet we still could have had a tragedy. We learned our lesson about the door locks. I wish I could say he learned a lesson too, but I doubt it! I hope that we are the only ones out there that had disabled the child locks, but somehow I doubt that too! We did have a great weekend with them and I'll have more pictures later in the week. Thanks for reading this.

Miracle In Chile

     I find myself unable to think of anything else today, as one by one the trapped miners in Chile are being rescued. I turned the television off last night after the 4th miner was on the surface, but I kept waking up and turning it back on to make sure nothing had gone wrong. As I type this, the 11th miner has been reunited with his family.

     I can't imagine what it must have been like for these men. The first 17 days with little food and no idea if they would ever be found, the remaining days in a small space, temperatures like that of a sauna and only their faith to keep them hopeful of a rescue.

     There is so much bad news in the world. Seeing so many nations work together to save these men is a miracle in itself. The fact that we have the technology to go a half mile into the earth and bring up these men, another miracle. The rescue workers who unselfishly volunteered to go down into the hole, leaving safety to save others are heroes. There are many more men to bring to the surface. I feel as if the world held their collective breath when they brought up the first miner and won't exhale until the last has climbed out of the capsule. Isn't it wonderful to see something on the news that is positive, hopeful and makes your heart sing?

Dad's Coming! Tablescape Thursday

     My dad is coming home today for a couple of weeks. He actually is driving the 1000 miles this time and I will admit that I've worried a little about him making that long trip for the first time alone. When I asked him how it felt, he said it was "boring". I think my mom would be glad to know he was bored without her.

     So many of you have kept my dad in your prayers since my mom died 4 months ago. You have no idea how touched he is when he reads your comments or I tell him about emails that I've received. He told me not long ago that he understands why I love my blog, because the people who read it are so kind.

     Dad has done remarkably well. He misses my mom so much and yet he has made a huge effort to keep going and to enjoy his life. He has been to visit my Disney daughter twice. He took homemade chicken and noodles (he even made the noodles) both trips. He didn't want her care packages to stop just because mom wasn't here. He has switched from the huge church where they felt invisible, to a small chapel on the island and is slowly getting involved there. He survived the birthdays of 3 twenty-something granddaughters and made sure that each one had a special gift along with their check from grandpa and he proudly informed me that he has started his Christmas shopping! He is actually coming home for my sister's 50th birthday next week. We are really proud of him and my mom would be so happy with some of the things he has done.

     When my dad is here, my son is also here for most dinners. So, it becomes "boys night out" every night around here. I wanted to set a table for dinner tonight that looked like it was for the guys, but also reminded them that there is a woman in the house too!

     I've had this table runner (HomeGoods) for several months and couldn't really find a way to use it. When I decided to set a black and white table for tonight, I decided the pink would add that touch of whimsy that I love. Black round placemats (Kohls), white square American Atelier Bianca Leaf dinner plates (HomeGoods), round black plates (WalMart) and small Gorham Newport Scroll bread and butter plates with a touch of pink in them, create the table setting.

     I added black stemmed wine glasses (garage sale) and also black spotted tumblers (Macy's) along with the charcoal flatware that you have seen me use many times.

     For the center of the table, I took a cylinder vase and wrapped it with a piece of scrapbook paper for a slightly masculine look. The hot pink roses are from my yard. I used tape to secure the paper to the vase, it took about 2 minutes to create. I used 2 tall candles in Lenox crystal vases (thrift store) to keep the center of the table simple so we can visit.

     The napkins are dish cloths from Walmart.

They are pefect for a "manly" dinner.

Please visit Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch

for Tablescape Thursday.

It is the party of the week, every week!

Where Were You When The World Stood Still?

     For as long as I can remember, the first thing that I do when I open my eyes in the morning is turn on one of the news channels. Usually, I turn on CNN just to see if anything has happened during the night, and at 7:00 a.m. I flip over to Good Morning America. September 11, 2001 was just like any other day. I was getting ready for work, the television on in the background as I showered, dried my hair, put on my makeup and grabbed a yogurt for breakfast. I was supposed to be at my office at 8:00 a.m., and it was only a 2 minute drive. At some point, I realized that the news “noise” had taken a different shift, and something was happening. I recall sitting down on the couch, and watching the screen, thinking that there had been a terrible accident in New York.


     I picked up the telephone and called my co-worker (who was my closest friend) and I remember saying to her “are you watching this?” She was, and for a brief moment we quietly spoke about the magnitude of this “accident.” Seconds later, linked by telephone line from our houses a few blocks from each other, we watched together as the second plane flew into the tower, and we knew. The world as we knew it changed at that moment, as two friends in a small Midwestern town hung on to our telephones for dear life and cried together.

     We did not have “normal” jobs. My friend is the co-pastor of a Presbyterian Church. My official title was Administrative Assistant which I always said meant “church hostess.” I did everything from the church finances, newsletter and bulletins, to running interference for the ministers. There were also times when I was cleaning out a refrigerator, arranging rides, or simply talking to someone from the congregation who was having a bad day. We both knew that this was going to be a bad day for everyone. It was also my friend’s birthday, a day we were going to celebrate…a birthday soon forgotten.


     We watched in horror for quite a while. Neither one of us willing to hang up the phone. Her husband, our other minister was in Chicago for the day, and she was afraid for him. My son had just started college 3 hours away, and I wanted him home. After about an hour we decided we had to do something for the people of our church. I grabbed a television set, and we met at the church. We planned an evening prayer service very quickly. I called all the members of our church, and we put an announcement on the radio for the community. All through the day people stopped into my office. They didn’t want to be alone. They just wanted to be in the church. They wanted to be doing something, even if it was simply folding the programs for the special service, or bring us donuts or lunch to get us through the day.

     It has been nine years, and I still remember every detail. I was living in a small town in the middle of nowhere, and I knew that my town would never be a “target” but I was still afraid. I knew that life had changed forever. I knew my children would never feel completely safe again, and that the young daughter of my minister friends would not remember a time before 9/11. We as friends had been through something together that would link us forever.

     We must never forget.