My People

My People
My matched set of grandchildren - Oliver and Cosette

Sunday, October 31, 2010

hey... good lookin'... whatcha got cookin'???

My weekly money shot... the gorgeous greens filling my fridge. No room for sodas or junk food! That's collard greens on the left... kale on the right... geen tomatoes, peppers and red tomatoes...

There's a face only a mommy could love... my bitty catches a nap IN the clean clothes pile...

panzanella... wheat berries, basil, green and red tomatoes, good artisinal bread... olive oil, balsamic vinegar... this stuff is soooo good! i've also got some fresh mozzarella to go with it...

this week's version of massaged kale includes winter greens (they have a bit of a fresh bite, just like winter green gum!) beautiful peppers and onions, canneloni beans, and a little red wine vinegar... oh! and some fresh garlic...

The bad news from my kitchen tonight is that my can opener BIT the dust. Maybe that's God's way of telling me not to eat canned food.
We also have some asparagus... big, heavy pomegranates... turnips...
I plan to make some red curry chicken this week... finally found the curry. I set aside some peppers to go in it while I was chopping
I'm making pimento cheese stuffed peppers...
And we're going to do a carb fest with the fresh pizza dough... with garlic, olive oil, basil.

Anyone want to stop by for dinner or picnic with me on lunch?
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48 hours...

I'm curled up in the nest with my feet propped up on the end of the recliner and a kitty draped across my feet... the window is open slightly so that the room is cool with fresh morning air... I've got a warm blanket over me... and a pillow propping my right elbow (the one with the bursitis - getting old is no fun).... the house is quiet and dark and although not "company clean"... it's cleaner than usual... or at the very least, clean enough for me to stand it.

Much better than yesterday morning with the angst and the mess and overflowing toilet.

In the past 24 hours...
I went to weigh in and didn't lose OR gain. Who stays the same? How am I talented like that?
I took a long drive in the mountains... windows open, cool air blowing through the car.
I went to the farm and stocked up on greens and hugs. I'm gonna miss my farm folks.
I posed for a dozen photos with my big State Farm shopping bag overflowing with fresh produce. "I'm always photo-shop ready"
I accidentally stole two tiny pumpkins that Philip added to my bag for the photos.
I watched a lot of football.
I went to the bakery to buy Austin's favorite cheddar bread... and pecan danish for the strays.
I drank a gallon of mint tea to try to rid myself of the headache that just. won't. go. away.
I made a walmart run for some essentials.
I made a fabulous dinner of stir fried green tomatoes, turkey sausage, winter greens and peppers.
I emailed back and forth with a new friend...
I texted back and forth all during the Florida/Georgia game with another new friend who is a GA fan.
I won a bet on the game - the prize? An oil change for my car!
I evicted two strays. "You don't have to go home but you can't stay here..."
I went to bed early.
I got up early.

And... in the next 24 hours...
I'm going to do my cooking for the week and blog about it.
I'm going to take my shoeless kid into civilization to make sure he has shoes for the winter.
I'm going to finish cleaning the house.
I'm going for a long walk.
I'm going to rest, relax and prepare for the week ahead.

Be back to show you what's cookin' later on ....

Saturday, October 30, 2010

KIDS! ARGH!

I normally know by this time on a Saturday morning whether or not I'm going to have a successful weigh in... but it's cool and I'm wearing a big sweatshirt and I haven't peeled off the layers to get an accurate account.

Bottom line... I may or I may not have a successful day at the scale. Either way... I don't have to feel any losers remorse... I stayed on plan this week and although I haven't got my butt in gear yet... I know that at the very least, I have no regrets. Headaches... earaches... aggravating numbers of kids... no matter the stress, I stayed the course AND... the best part is... I don't find myself craving bad food any more and that feels like a huge non scale victory.

PLUS... yesterday I was able to go down a jean size... to the smallest size i've been since the beginning of 2008 and that makes me feel awesome! It's working... even when I don't get the big bang at the scale every single week... it's a cumulative positive transition... and *I KNEW* it was going to take between a year and a year and a half to reach my goal... I'm not even 5 months in yet and already feeling soooo much better!

I voted yesterday morning. Got my civic duty done. I love our little county... such sweet people, always friendly... everyone greets you with a smile and it makes every little errand or chore completely pleasant. I asked the election officials how many registered voters we have in our county... they said 14,000. So if that gives you an idea of what a small town this is... conversely... when we lived in Duval County, Florida... there are 1.1 million registered voters. This is why ... everywhere you go... you run into someone you know. If not for tourists, we'd never have traffic. but we appreciate the tourists... they stimulate the economy, right?

I came home last night to find a house full of teenagers. I was aggravated... I mean... I'm glad that Austin has found a group of friends to hang out with. That was important to me. I'm glad that his friends feel comfortable at our house. I'm glad to know what my kid is doing. But honestly... at the end of the pay period... i couldn't afford to feed extra kids this weekend. And last weekend I felt like I was being suffocated with all the extra people in my house. I called Austin into my room and said, "ONE NIGHT ONLY"... everyone has to go home this afternoon.

They had a good time... they dueled yu-gi-oh cards... Logan's mom brought over a ton of snacks which helped IMMENSELY. What I don't understand... they stopped up my toilet... I never ever ever have a problem with my toilet stopping up but Austin's stops up all the time. I think it's because these kids don't eat enough fiber in their coke, mcdonalds and potato chip diets and therefore are creating concrete poops that stop up the plumbing. I made them unstop the toilet.

Last night they got a little noisy when I was trying to sleep but it wasn't that they were being obnoxious... it was things like late night showers, trying to walk thru the kitchen in the dark and bumping into things... going to the bathroom...things like that. I finally almost got to sleep and the cat started choking on a hairball. It was comical... a little frustrating but comical.

This morning my toilet is stopped up again... apparently my teenage plumbers are not that talented... so after a trip to Ingles in my pjs I have banned all persons under 40 from using my bathroom. I'm furious. If I can't have my normal routine... I'll have a gain that is nothing but the result of me not being able to go to the bathroom. If Austin's bathroom isn't clean enough for them... they can clean it. No more Miss Nice Guy. I'm about to clean house and kick a few teenagers to the curb... my own might be included in that.

I'm about to leave for weigh in... will come back and let you know what happens...

Friday, October 29, 2010

photo finish friday...

Just a few shots from my travels this week...






Not much exciting to blog about... that I haven't already blogged about in the past 24 hours...

It's sweatshirt weather and I'm loving it!
Yesterday was such a bipolar day... happy/frustrating. (see previous post regarding the headache that knocked me to my knees).

Made me feel like a huge slacker but... there was nothing i could do.
The headache is mostly gone. I think i really need a good massage... it seems to all be coming from the stiff neck that i haven't been able to get rid of since I had strep. If it continues, I'm going to have to break down and go see the doctor but you know how strongly I feel about pharmaceutical interventions.
Although I will be taking my allegra today... allergies are bugging me.
I made good use of my time at home yesterday... (really not)
I watched Gypsy... one of my favorite movie musicals.
I watched Oprah - she had a Sound of Music reunion. I recently read the book written by the girl who played Liesl. She indicated that Julie Andrews really hadn't had much to do with any of the kids from the movie - only at special televised reunions. And it seemed like Julie was trying to act yesterday like they've been one big happy family all this time. Christopher Plummer just seemed... creepy.
Things that make you go ... hmmm...
My coffee is awesome this morning.
It's casual Friday... wondering if I'll be able to go down a size in jeans this week...
Gonna get busy with the glam routine... hope you have a great day!

Thursday, October 28, 2010

one of those days you can't plan...

I went to work in a great mood... closed a car loan which made me happy... and around 11am I felt like someone slapped the back of my head... the pain was insane... I got nauseated... sleepy... dizzy... I thought... "I'll just take lunch early and nap in my car and I'll feel better"... I got to my usual picnic spot and laid my seat back and started praying for relief. Instead... I had an instant realization that it was going to get much worse before it got better. I don't have migraines like i used to but I still recognize when one is about to hit... and it was hitting... and the one thing I know for sure is that I shouldn't drive when it happens. So... I went home... called the office with my apologies and went to sleep. Or tried to. It eased up after about an hour so I ran out and picked up Austin's new phone (we did the Walmart.com site to store thing which works great)... and the bright light set things back off again. I tried to eat some lunch, thinking food would help. My appetite was completely gone. I rested... couldn't really sleep... just chilled until Austin came home. I tried to get up and clean up a bit, thinking that would help. Nope. So... basically... today has been a wasted day and I still have a headache.

Here's what I've eaten today:
roasted broccoli
1 tablespoon of pimento cheese on 1 piece of rye bread
1/2 cup of taboule
1/2 cup of edamame
1/2 a flounder fillet
a few bites of rice
1/2 cup of eggnog - full fat, organic
4 squares of excellent dark chocolate flavored with seasalt

Yep. That's it. If not for the eggnog and chocolate, I wouldn't have been close to my points for the day. I purposely ate those high point items because I don't want to screw up my metabolism with too many low point days in one week.

I'm thinking I'll be heading to bed soon... mercy.

i've got so much, so much, so much, so much, so much to be thankful for...

Just the fact that it's Thursday and the weekend is right around the corner... a beautiful, crisp fall weekend with lots of sunshine... much to do, but much to enjoy as well... that's plenty of reason to be thankful, in my book... but ... just like in an info-mercial... WAIT, THAT's NOT ALL!

I'm thankful that my little buddy Ben who had surgery for his club foot yesterday is doing great, pain free and that the hospital stay will be much shorter than anticipated!

I'm thankful that there are no grounds in my coffee today. It's actually a really, very good cup today and it makes me happy.

I'm thankful that the rain is moving out and that my frizzy hair can be somewhat normal again.

I'm thankful that we're starting Beth Moore's Esther study soon.... I've been wanting to do that one since it first came out.

I'm thankful for the message that the kids got in youth group last night. They talked about nailing things to the cross... and they actually NAILED things to a cross... and Austin talked about how he needs to forgive Michael for the things he did to our family. He said he thinks he's forgiven him and then hears or sees his name and it comes rushing back.

I'm thankful that my brother is going to start teaching a Sunday School class for singles and that I'm welcome to go. I have felt sort of out of place at church over the past year or so and just haven't been connected... maybe this will help me plug in and get me motivated to have fewer pajama Sundays and more worship/fellowship Sundays.

I'm thankful that my grandma got good news from her doctor this week. She'll be 87 soon!

I'm thankful that my parents got their ancient plumbing updated yesterday and replaced their bathroom floor. That's one more step into getting them moved up and out of there one day.

I'm thankful that I've got some yummy edamame for breakfast this morning... and some flounder that I'm going to oven fry for dinner... not sure what else will fill in the blanks of my menu but there's good stuff, for sure. There's definitely broccoli and asparagus in my future and I'm thinking some roasted acorn squash with sage...mmmm!

I'm thankful for the abundance of awesome produce available... even though I'll miss my farm visits over the winter months, we won't starve. I'm planning to venture out and explore other farm markets, even in the city, if necessary.

I'm thankful for the new friends I've made this week and the possibilities that God is revealing to me. I feel like I'm coming up on a crossroads and I'm grateful to be in a stronger, more joyful place.

I'm thankful that this durn election is about to be over and we're not going to have to put with the ugliness. As much.

I'm thankful that truth has a way of rising to the surface, that people have a way of revealing their true character.... and that sometimes all you have to do is stay above the fray, take the high road and watch human nature run its course.

I'm thankful for the way my niece Jamie's face lights up every time she sees me. Sarabeth is happy but much more reserved. Jamie doesn't hide it... she just lights up like a jack-o-lantern.

And for the excitement in Stasha's face too.

I'm thankful to be finally... after five long years... planning another trip to NYC. No date is set yet, have to figure out the cheapest days to fly and find out when my brother will be working out of state and when Ryan will be home (because I want to make a side trip to Pennsylvania) but it's been a long time since I could even think about traveling anywhere and it's fun to have that on the horizon.

I'm thankful that I was able to find so much to be thankful for today... feel free to add your own!

love and hugs, y'all!

I HAVE TO ADD...

I had to change clothes this morning because what I was wearing was WAY TOO BIG! Ha!
And... I closed the car loan I was working on... cha-ching!

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

wednesdays wisdom...just a few random thoughts

Charlie Sheen = train wreck
French retirement age bumped up to 62? Cry me a river. I’ll be lucky if I ever get to retire.
I wish Prince William would just go ahead and get engaged. Make an honest woman of her already! I loved his parents wedding.
Ditto for one certain bachelor in my life who ain’t gonna ever do better’n what he’s got.
Pit bull + newborn in house = stupidity.
I cut my finger last night cutting cheese. Yep. I cut the cheese.
Telemarketers – you ain’t foolin’ nobody. Being sweet and sociable ain’t gonna suck me in.
I know… because I do the same thing.
Bert is coming out of the closet. Really? Because this is necessary?
To quote my friend Kristin regarding the musical, Avenue Q, “and to think… it took puppets to think of it!”
I’d rather see more of Sarah Palin and less of Joy Behar, Madonna and Lady Gaga. I’m just sayin’.
I don’t mind that Audrina went home on DWTS. I like Bristol. Sue me. She’s so vulnerable and… well, simple. She won’t win… but I enjoy that she’s going beyond her comfort zone.
I respect people who push the boundaries a little bit… walk on the edge… are willing to take a chance…
One of the blogs I read… the girl recently hit her WW goal weight and found out that… many things in her life were still the same.
Same disappointments… same character flaws… same emptiness.
This has been a revelation of mine in detaching from the bad scene I was in before… “wherever I go, there I am”.
You can’t get away from whatever is inside of you. You can improve, adapt, accept, evolve, move on.. but the same fundamental character remains.
Hiding behind a fat suit or alcohol or drugs or excuses or bitterness… pick your poison… won’t change what’s underneath.
This is why we find ourselves so often repeating the same mistakes… you’re still you.
Not that people can’t change. They just usually don’t.
Which is why I figure the girl who thought she stole a prize from me… deserves whatever she gets. If he’d cheat on me… he’d cheat on you. If he’d abuse me… he’ll eventually do the same to you… and because he’s always gotten away with it, it will only get worse.
Pretty much, I’ve observed, that karma is a boomerang. If you live by the sword, you’ll die by it.
Recently in my life I’ve dealt with a situation where someone was suspicious and paranoid and vengeful based on their perceptions… I wasn’t sure how to deal with them. I don’t live that way.
Although my trust has often been abused… I still give people the benefit of the doubt. I still live life openly and completely vulnerable.
Maybe it’s not wise but that’s who I am.
And the benefit of having lost weight before – a significant amount – is understanding what it will change in my life and what it won’t change.
It won’t make relationships any easier. It won’t make my kids more attentive. It won’t make my bills magically disappear.
I will physically be able to do more, have more stamina, and feel like engaging more in the world. Feeling better physically gives you the ability to process a lot more junk without being as overwhelmed… but the junk is still there.
I just booked another car loan! Cha-ching! With my end of the year bonus… November could be the month I actually catch up on bills and can start thinking about taking a trip somewhere…
I’m so ready to be a tumble weed… if only for a long weekend.
I’m taking Austin to get his learner’s license this weekend. I’m not sure he’s ready to drive but it’s time to start working towards some independence for him. Oy vey.
I’m postponing my own trip to the DMV to combine both errands in one. It may make for a yucky Saturday but at least it won’t take time off the clock for me at work. And Austin can stop complaining about me not letting him get his license… and start complaining about the fact that I never let him drive.
It’s always something.

whiny wednesday

Sometimes I have to use a little creative energy to put together a blog... sometimes these posts just write themselves...

first thing this morning... somehow the coffee filter got flipped over and as a result there are GROUNDS IN MY COFFEE. UGH!

we're under a tornado watch.

my computer is running slow... i keep having to reboot and i haven't had time to indulge in my usual early morning pleasures.

Austin is wearing a totally inappropriate outfit to school.

My hard copy of my license never came so I have to ONCE AGAIN take time off of work to go the the DMV to try to get one. Which will again have to be mailed.

This requires a photo... it's a high humidity day... major, epic, bad hair day.

Bad hair day + bad coffee day = unhappy heather.

The abandoned child from last week really needs a safe place to live. She was left without a ride again last night. I ended up driving her home thru the wind and rain and dark. Austin says, "why can't she just live with us?" I tried to explain... my resources are stretched so far already... he doesn't cooperate... he doesn't understand my budget limitations... I can't afford to keep him in decent clothes and shoes, how could I afford a GIRL?

But how can I, in good conscience, not do my best and trust God for the rest? It's worked so far. I'm conflicted.

Joy Behar. She's on my last nerve.

The cats knocked all my neatly folded sweaters off their nice little shelf in my closet... and knocked the shoes off the shoe rack.

My laundry hasn't figured out how to fold itself.

I've lost weight but no inches over the past month. Guess that's from not exercising? Hmmm

Time is running out... must get a photo-ready glam going... hope you have a beautiful, safe, well loved and joyful Whiny Wednesday!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

tuesday newsday...

Here's what's new at my house...

The shift key is working again, allowing me to use appropriate capitalization.
I've been dabbling in online dating sites again although I swore off them after my last epic failure (remember him? I took his last name)... call it a weak moment. I was bored and felt restless.
I still think these sites foster a certain measure of dishonesty... I find that people give themselves a favorable crop on their photos... gloss over some of their major character flaws... overstate their strengths...
BUT... I mean... who is going to be interested in a "42 year old woman with two failed marriages, a messy house, dry skin on her heels, garlic breath, two cats, a farmville addiction, a disagreeable teenager and a lot of baggage"...
Seriously.
I guess you have to market yourself to some degree and hope that you're charming enough that they don't notice that you only put away laundry every other weekend and shave your legs about as often.
You have to hope that your smile is dazzling enough that they don't mind that you iron on the floor and sleep on top of the covers, both out of laziness.
You have to hope that they don't mind your mostly vegetarian diet... or that you cook once a week and eat leftovers the rest of the week since you're such a great conversationalist.
Or that they appreciate your long emails so much that they don't mind that you absolutely HATE to talk on the phone.
"Perfectly imperfect lady seeks unattached man with no baggage"
Yep. That's me.
And did I mention my requirements of gainfully employed and not living in his parents' basement?
Ability to whisk me to Paris at a moment's notice?
Desire to have a wife who doesn't work?
I mean... if we're dreaming of a guy who loves sports AND theatre (and doesn't live in Nebraska, Mark!)... might as well shoot for the moon.
I can't believe the only item on my Tuesday News agenda is dating. I'm a one trick pony, aren't I?

BY THE WAY... thanks for all the helpful comments yesterday... BECKY! Where are you guys? Why is everyone so stinking comment shy?

In other news... the drivers license I went to get a month ago has never come in the mail so I get the great pleasure of tracking that down.
I forgot to renew my library books yesterday so I'm headed to town on lunch to settle up that debt.
I'm almost out of flintstone chewables.
I let Austin order a cellphone from straight talk yesterday. We'll be accepting donations of phone minutes.
He is going to take his learners license test soon. *gulp* As soon as I get up the nerve.
My weight was down yesterday and is *slightly* up today.
I haven't used any flex points this week which means I've been eating less than 1150 calories a day for the past three days.
I will indulge slightly today and tomorrow, I think.
I haven't exercised at all this week, despite my best intentions.
I'm just lazy. What can I say? And my recliner is a big old magnet sucking me to it.
I think I'm going to stop by and do the early voting thing today. Or maybe I'll do it tomorrow before church. Hmmm. I like tomorrow better. Sometimes they're late opening the courthouse. If they were open right at 8, I could vote and be at work on time. But... it's a small country county and people sort of operate on their own time... not mine.
The fall colors are so beautiful right now... my drive home yesterday was almost spiritual.
I had another odd headache yesterday... it only lasted about 30 minutes but it was like a knife to my skull. And then it was gone. I wonder if it's more fatigue/allergy related than anything else. I wasn't stressed, I don't think.
I fell asleep before the end of Dancing With the Stars last night so I don't know how Bristol did. I imagine she's going home this week.
Poor trick.
Must glam and pack my lunch and head to the office.
Happy Tuesday, y'all!

Monday, October 25, 2010

reasons to love Monday

You gotta love Mondays, right? Here are the reasons I came up with today...

1. Rainy day ahead... rain makes the fall colors so beautiful!
2. Rainy day hair... no care hair... gonna have to go curly today... it's not as cute but it's waaaay easier!
3. My house has been completely and blissfully quiet for the past 12 hours... don't miss Austin yet and he'll be back home tonight before I have a chance to miss him.
4. Dancing With The Stars. I'm gonna miss Florence Henderson but it was time for her to go. Bristol will be gone tonight. Bless her heart.
5. I'm starting to just begin to think about dating. As promised, I've been directing possible candidates here. I mean... this is the real deal... no doctored photos... all my whines, quirks, complaints and miseries... it's all here. Audience participation time: If you were to leave any advice for anyone wanting to date me... what would you tell them?
6. It's the last week of October... speeding full steam toward November and my Booboo's 24th birthday.
7. White County is in the news again... first it was the sink hole at the Sonic... now it's a buffalo in a pool. Check out my facebook page for the video. We do weird here a lot, apparently.
8. I got most of the laundry washed over the weekend. No, it's not all put away but... well, I made some progress.
9. I was supposed to go to see a documentary that previews tonight about my friend's weight loss journey. I've made the decision not to go due to the bad weather... and I feel kinda relieved. That's a lot for me on a Monday. It's over an hour drive - plus traffic - and bad weather and Mondays both make traffic worse in Atlanta. I don't like driving after dark... especially if it's an area I'm unfamiliar with... and that's worse in bad weather. SO... just another normal Monday in my world.
10. It's LIBRARY DAY! Yay! Heading to the library on lunch today. Haven't even finished ONE book I checked out... will be renewing my current stuff. Actually... I think I can do that online... hmmm...

Wondering about the timing of the storms coming across Georgia... guess I better get the glam routine underway just in case there's a power issue. Hope you have an awesome day and find a lot of reasons to love Monday!

Sunday, October 24, 2010

random sunday stuff

ARGH! My weekend is slipping away!

I still have a house full of teenagers. They're changing locations tonight... they will go to Logan's and they can eat his mama out of house and home. She is a nurse. She can afford it better than I can.

Actually... they've been good. Not that noisy. Easily redirected when they get carried away.

I just am such an anti-social creature. Well... I'm actually a very social creature who needs occasional anti-social periods to recharge my batteries. It's odd, I know, but I've long since given up on trying to be someone I'm not. I'm social... until I don't want to be social. And that's just how it is.

And although it's Austin's company and he's been the one entertaining all weekend... it's just more social for me than it usually is.

Remind me of this when my nest is completely empty and I go entire weekends without any human interaction.

Speaking of which... Bitty slipped out again. He was bickering with Stubby all night last night. I guess he had some wild oats he needed to sow.

I'd kinda like to take a nap but I'm just afraid it will make it hard to sleep tonight. In my blissfully empty house. The kids are going to the corn maze with their youth group. I was gonna go too... I did last year... but I'm really craving time alone.

I took a little drive this morning through the mountains. It was overcast which made the fall colors look even brighter. I took a lot of pictures... may post them later. It's cool enough for a sweatshirt... or it was then. It's 74 now but still a little overcast.

I really love fall in the mountains. This is our third fall here and it's not old yet. I still really love it. I don't love the traffic in town but I do appreciate that tourism is important to the local economy. And I know the backroads so that helps some.

I watched a lot of football yesterday. I'm watching the Falcons today. Again, I think I make a perfect mate for a sporty guy... especially a sporty guy who likes to eat healthy and go to the theatre. Ok. Maybe such a guy doesn't really exist. A girl can dream, can't she? Maybe I should explore polygamy... find a sporty guy... a theatre guy... a guy who loves to cook and eat healthy...

I'm kidding.

Really.

Once again this weekend, I managed to get the laundry all washed but I'm procrastinating on getting it folded and put away.

I started looking at cellphones for Austin. I'm going to do the straight talk plan for him... just have to figure out which phone. The thing is... he's a bit rough on stuff so I think we're going to start out with a really basic model for now. I know he wants one with all the bells and whistles and cool apps and stuff... but... let's see how well he keeps up with one and we'll go from there. I can do either an unlimited plan for $45 a month or 1000 minutes talk and 1000 texts for $30. I think... for now... we'll go with the cheaper plan and he'll just have to economize. It's still more than he's got right now.

One thing that really has gotten on my nerves this weekend is that everyone is using my bathroom. That's kinda my sacred spot. Austin uses his own... but the other kids have been using mine and I don't want to be inhospitable and ban them from it... but... it gets on my nerves.

I told you... I'm anti-social.

But I wouldn't want to use Austin's either.

So. That's what's going on here in the hills today. Happy Sunday y'all.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

what's cookin'?

big ole pan of onions and peppers... i added sliced chicken sausage, garlic and a mess of collard greens... then served it over orzo... really, really good!

massaged kale salad... this is where you take chopped fresh kale and add olive oil and sea salt and literally massage it until it's limp... this time i added roasted beets and red onion... and red wine vinegar... and a little minced garlic...mmmm!

this is the peppers, onions, sausage and collards before the orzo was added... this will makes 8 servings at 4 points each... (but I had two servings for dinner because I had points to spare and it was soooo yum!)


austin thinks it's hilarious how i store my fresh greens... it keeps them crisp... that's some fresh sage in the middle, not sure what i'm going to do with it. any suggestions?

the colors in this photo have not been adjusted... you can see that the fall color isn't that bright yet - not at a distance - but the sky was so blue today!
this is the view from the farm... next week is the last farm market for the season. it's going to break my heart to not be able to go there every week and munch on whatever Nadine is cooking and get hugs from Rose and Philip... chat with Caroline... and just enjoy the beautiful views. they may catch me trespassing...

last night i had dinner with Joshy and Megan. We worked on their life insurance policies and then went to dinner at Pueblos in Clarkesville. Josh ordered this bubbly hot lava rock concoction which smelled amazing. Megan was working on a school project where she had to interview a parent of a child with special needs... it was really fun to hang out with them... dinner was awesome. I didn't cheat, not even with the tortilla chips and guacamole - a huge weakness of mine - i only had four chips and only one of those had guac!

close up of the lava rock... can you see it bubbling away like a witches caldron?

this is from last week's menu... my stew of sweet potatoes, turnips, collards, pureed pumpkin, kidney beans, etc, etc... i still have leftovers of it.

Austin has spend the night company again tonight. I don't mind... they're good kids and they've been cleaning up after themselves (with only a few gentle reminders). The girl from the other night has been here all weekend. I'm not a supporter of co-ed sleepovers but I think this little lady needed a place to feel safe. I'm not worried about there being any hanky panky going on because Austin is glued to them every second ... not because I asked him to but because he's socially awkward like that. Sometimes that whole aspergers thing works to a parent's advantage. We got a little bit of child support (not even half what it was supposed to be) so I ordered pizza for the kids tonight. Logan's mom brought over some more sodas. I bought halloween candy and cookie dough (Logan's favorite) and eggnog (Austin's favorite). Missy hasn't asked for much...
Tomorrow I'm rounding out the menu by making taboule and I think that's going to keep my lunchbox and dinner tray happy for the rest of the week.
For the rest of the evening it's me, the laptop and the remote... living large!








weighing in before the weigh in

Yesterday I got a facebook message from a guy who went to the same high school I did. I didn't know him... he graduated with my brother and likely our paths crossed but we never really interacted. He told me that I didn't need to lose weight, that I'm perfect the way I am (paraphrasing here...) ...

That's not the first message like that I've received. It's at LEAST the 4th. And... while I appreciate the sentiment behind the comment... it's just not the point. I'm not losing weight to find a guy. Conversely... any man who couldn't love me at any size isn't a man I'm interested in to start with. I dream of a guy who finds me beautiful, of course, what woman doesn't? But I also know that looks are fleeting... I need to be loved from the inside out, based on the content of my character, not on the outside appearance.

I'm losing weight because I'm living a half life. Pick up a 50lb bag of dog food (or flour or whatever) and go through your entire day carrying it. See how far you can walk... how many steps you can climb... see how quickly you tire out and have to sit down. I'm living in that fat suit, even now... I'm carrying that extra 50lbs on my body... even after dropping so much weight... there's still twice what I've lost to lose before I'm at a normal, healthy weight for my frame.

I have decided that any man who wants to date me must first read my blog. If he can get thru it, he might be able to put up with me because I blog the way I think, the way I speak, the way I live... sort of random, chaotic, extroverted, plain spoken, opinionated within a routine of sorts. It's all out there. I think it's a huge benefit to anyone who wants to know more about me. Not that I blog every thought that comes to my head... I've learned to censor some things to protect the innocent (and the guilty... ) but I'm pretty transparent here.

I'm reading a book written by Julia Child's assistant. She says that Julia was WYSIWYG. What you see is what you get. I think I'm much the same. No hidden agendas. Just me.

I'll be weighing in at weight watchers in about ten-fifteen minutes. Just have to straighten my hair and I'm out the door. I'm not sure about the results... I may stay the same. I'm weighing on my home scale exactly what I weighed last week but there's a slight variation between my scale and the WW one. We'll see. No stress either way. I ate dinner out last night and that inevitably, even though I was careful, it inevitably gives me a little bloat the next day. I also didn't have my usual morning ... ummmm... *routine*... because Austin had spend the night company last night and I didn't want to wake the kids up hearing me blow up a toilet. I'm jes' sayin'...

But... it is what it is... I'm still on track and feeling great about things. Be back later!

Friday, October 22, 2010

abandoned

It's friday and i have a headache and my keyboard is not allowing me to shift... therefore i cannot capitalize. for those of you who are bothered by such grammatical deficiencies... i encourage you to skip this post and save yourself the aggravation. i'm not lazy or ignorant. i'm just compromised.

the nice local computer guy can replace my keyboard for about $40 bucks. i may let him when i get a little breathing room in the budget. this is ok for now.

i have a terrible sinus headache this morning. will bow down to the pharmaceutical industry this morning and take an allegra. it pains me to do so but it pains me more not to.

big day ahead... having a picnic lunch with stasha and her boyfriend a.j. ... having dinner with joshy and megan... logan is spending the night with us... lots of young people in my life, which is such a huge blessing... which is not lost on me... i'm so grateful for the people that God (had to work for that capital letter but it would be wrong not to) has brought into my life.

logan hung out with us last night with his latest girlfriend... i took all three kids to walmart with me and had three teenagers tossing things into my cart and i tried not to stress over the budget. too much. it's good to have austin around and even better to have him have friends around and i know that i am blessed to be the koolaid mom every now and then... even though my house at the moment looks like a frat house. i'm promised a spotless house by the time i get home from work today. we'll see.

shortly after dark the boys came in and said they were going to walk the girl to the local elementary school so she could meet her ride... it was only about a half mile away but it was dark... i offered to drive her up there... on the drive i ascertained that she was actually going to be walking to the high school to meet her friends after the homecoming bonfire. um. not on my watch you're not. the high school is several miles away on a dark two lane highway with no street lights and no sidewalks and it was chilly and she had no jacket. i offered to drive her to the high school. we got to the high school and she couldn't find her friends... didn't have their phone numbers... i offered to drive her home. she didn't know how to get there.

obviously... at this point i'm perplexed, slightly aggravated at schlepping around the county after dark and have to figure out a way to get chicka home. she did know the address... so we plugged it into garmin (thanks again, boo!) and found that she lived back the other way... on the west side of the county... about ten miles from where we were... so we navigated our way to her house. i didn't say anything about it ... didn't want to make her feel bad... but after she got out of the car i started questioning the boys... where are her parents? who leaves a young girl to find her way home in our big rural county? wth? and apparently... she is staying with friends... parents kicked her out for some reason...

it just made me sad. she's so young to be abandoned in that way. i have no idea what she did... but how could any parent know their child was out there, unprotected, trying to find her own way in the world? it broke my heart. i made logan and austin promise me that they would never let anyone put themselves in danger in the way she would have by walking to the school in the dark... yes, i hate getting out after dark but... we have to take better care of the people in our world who are abandoned or in need. i haven't been able to get her off my mind. what else does she need? does she have clothes, shoes, school supplies, lunch money? who are these people she's staying with that there's no concern about her welfare...

and i couldn't help but think... as chaotic and messy as my house is... it is a place of laughter and contentment and a place to be fed, warm, safe... it is a home. and i hope that whatever time she spends in our home is a blessing to her... even with me hollering at them to calm down, quiet down, quit throwing pillows, quit wrestling, stop drawing on each other with permanent marker, finish the dishes, take out the trash... i guess even a shrewish mom is better than no mom at all. my kids' friends keep coming around... heck... i've spent more time with joshy this year than with my own boys... so apparently my house isn't to unbearable.

and i couldn't help but think about feeling abandoned. being alone is my greatest fear... i mean, for all intents and purposes i am alone, at least in the sense of being unattached to a significant other... but i'm never abandoned. when there is a crisis in my life, i have my choice of a couple dozen people who love me and support me financially and emotionally. i have a God who loves me, sets angels watch over me, protects, provides, guides. there is always someone around to catch me when i fall, or at least, help pick me up and dust me off.

what is it like to be abandoned at a young age... with no resources... no one to help... to have to face walking miles in the dark to possibly find a ride ... what would have happened if she got there and couldn't find someone? she didn't even have a cellphone.

it reminded me how blessed i am... how comfortable and coddled and protected i am. and it reminded me that i have a duty to be more alert and attuned to the needs of others around me. to make sure the young people who cross paths with me find a shelter in my presence. to do what i can with what i have.

i pray you do the same.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

thankful for the bigger picture

"I once ate at this garden place....mmmm... letmethinkaminute... yes, it was called the OLIVE Garden"... Emily, age 7 (I think, maybe 6)

"Jamie. JAMIE. JAAAAYMEEEEEEE!!!! Come over here. Don't forget to hug Aunt Heather before she goes to class". My sweet Sarabeth, age 8.

I love my little girls. Wednesday nights are all about girls... the little girls that sit with me at dinner and give me hugs in exchange for the little surprises I bring them... the big girls in my Hen Party class. I've grown up around so much BOY stuff... my girl nights are a treat.

I think Wednesday nights help prepare me for Thankful Thursdays.

For Sarabeth's birthday I gave her a trip to the mall... which we haven't taken yet as there hasn't been time...yet. She wanted to go THAT DAY or THE NEXT DAY. She loves the mall... and it's one of the most fun things we've done together this year... merry go round, Starbucks, shopping, riding the escalators (my little country girls love the escalators). I think I'm as excited about it as she is. We'll shop for an outfit or toy or whatever she wants (within Aunt Heather's budget). Good times.

Last night's dinner was a bbq pork sandwich on white bread. *grimace* It was really good but I'm feeling the pork today. My weight is still slightly up... and maybe it's the advil I've been taking over the past week to keep the headaches under control... I'm not going to panic but I am going to find time to walk today and tomorrow. FOR SURE.

Friday night I'm having dinner with Joshy - my boys best friend - and his wife Megan. There are a couple of good options near my office, they're meeting me there. I usually try to eat light the night before weigh in but I'm not going to be obsessive. This is about living a lifestyle that I can maintain for the rest of my life. People occasionally eat out. And... considering that throughout this WHOLE process there's only been one time I had a gain - of point two pounds... and one time I stayed the same... I think I've done far better than the average bear with this program.

Despite not getting the exercise piece of the puzzle into play. Yet. I will. Honest.

Yesterday was one of those "I didn't see that coming" days... I spent a big part of the day feeling like Alice down the rabbit hole. Odd things happening all around me. However... I just so believe in the "bigger picture" that God is orchestrating in my life that I just sigh and move on.

One of the odd things... Austin called asking me to bring him a clean shirt. He put his head down during his first class and realized there was cat pee on his shirt. It was very distressing for him... it would be for anyone but he has such a strong sensitivity to smells that once he realized it was there it took his entire focus. I knew it was going to lead to a meltdown, one way or another but... there was truly NO WAY I could leave the office right at that moment due to some other odd things that were happening. I called Jim. No answer. I knew Angie wouldn't really have access to a shirt for him. It was too early for Stasha to be up... so I called Natalie (Jorjanne's mama). Natalie runs an off campus program for kids at the high school to have bible teaching during the school day - they just have to be bussed away from the school. I thought she was my best bet to be heading toward the school. She wasn't... but the bus driver WAS... so she found a shirt for Austin and sent it with the bus driver (who also goes to our church... and whose wife was one of my first bosses back at the time that Austin was born... who I was on the phone with when Austin called because they just bought a new car and we have their car insurance... get the picture? It's a very small world up here!) I was highly amused that it came together in that way... and grateful that I have a happy little village here that I can count on in a pinch.

I also got to talk to Barry yesterday. I had a dream the other night... you know how I am about my dreams... I believe that God reveals things to us in our dreams (and there is a lot of scripture to back that theory up) and I believe the bible shows that there is symbolism in dreams. My dream was very vivid... Barry had a new baby. The woman who actually gave birth was older... definitely at the age where it didn't seem likely she would be able to give birth. I called him the next day and said... "Hey... I had a dream about you, just want to make sure everything is ok". Not because I thought he was really about to literally become a parent but because a new baby in dreams usually signifies a life change - new stage of life - that sort of thing. He finally called me back yesterday and I shared this with him. Well. As it turns out... his mother had tried to get conservatorship over his father (they have been separated for years) and the court decided that Barry was the better candidate as he was younger and has lived with his father for several years. His dad is 93... his mom is younger but disabled so it would have probably been difficult for her to handle. So that's your new baby from an older woman. Dad is in the early stages of Alzheimers so he's no longer able to handle his own affairs and he has some rental properties and assets that require management.

Barry's dad has always fascinated me... old people always do because they're living, breathing history lessons... but can you imagine what a black man born in 1917 would have witnessed in his lifetime? Most likely he was only two generations removed from slavery in the deep south. I wonder what stories he could tell... and what stories his parents and grandparents may have shared with him. Even Barry faced hard core racism... the restaurant that fed his high school football team their pregame meal every week did not allow black people - yes, even in the 80's - but they made an EXCEPTION for Barry when he was with his team. He's not activist about it... it only came up when I asked him to meet me for breakfast at that restaurant. I knew that - even though the area around the restaurant is now predominately African-American, you almost never see a black person there. That's why. I don't understand it... I will never understand that kind of hate for people just based on their skin color.

But that's a whole other post, now isn't it?

Thankful Thursday... hmmm... I'm thankful for a lot of things... but today, I'm most grateful that there is a bigger plan in place than anything I could put together in my own finite wisdom and understanding. I'm thankful for little girls and old men and all the life that happens in between. I'm thankful for the twists and turns that life takes and the lessons we learn on those little detours. I'm thankful for ages and stages of life. New adventures. Every new morning. Every new opportunity. Just happy to be here, y'all.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

whiny wednesday - it's all about attitude

It's all about attitude, isn't it? I mean... no matter how grim your circumstances... no matter how long the journey... no matter how complex the problem... the right attitude makes a huge difference.



I've often mentioned that I'm an "fan of fans". I love observing passionate people. I love being around people who are excited about what they're doing or where they're going. This is one reason I love airports... people are reuniting with loved ones or going on fabulous trips or maybe just going to work. But they're going. I love watching sports because of the passionate fans and their enthusiasm for the game. I love being behind the scenes at the theatre because people who work in theatre are a breed apart... they have such a love for creating a visual story for others to see.



Conversely, I avoid negative people. My weekly Whiny Wednesday posts are pretty much tongue in cheek. I complain... I whine... but it's mostly frivilous stuff and it's rarely a true grump. Honestly, the things that hit me the deepest, the things that I might really whine about are the things that I tuck under my wings and just keep to myself or to a few trusted confidants. I think it's appropriate to fight for truth, justice and the American way and I think it's appropriate to call a spade a spade... but I don't think anyone likes to be around people who are all gloom and doom and Chicken Little-ish "the sky is falling".



What I'm trying to say is that so much in life is about perspective. We tend to attract and be attracted to like minded people in similar situations. So if your outlook is negative, pessimistic, downtrodden, victimized, victimIZING... this is what you'll find yourself in the midst of. And if your perspective is optimistic, hopeful... if you believe beyond your circumstances... if you embrace life and look on the bright side, you will soon find yourself surrounded and supported by like-spirited people.



Everything in life seems to be about hope. I could assess my circumstances, my lack of resources, my less than perfect health and my singleness and on any given day I could go thru life really depressed and discouraged. I could JUSTIFY feeling that way. The thing is... I don't want to live that way. I want to live a life of hope... expectation... I want to live above my circumstances... I want to be an inspiration to others and I hope that my transparency in sharing the shortcomings and disappointments in my life helps you realize that it's possible to live beyond the boundaries of what you can see. I try to celebrate the flavors, colors, joys, delights... that I believe can exist in anyone's life.



The darker the circumstances... the brighter the light will seem in comparison... if you'll just turn toward it.... and the more obvious it will be.



Now... having said all of that...

1. My weight is up and I don't know why. I've been on plan all week. dang it.

2. I still have a lingering headache. I've had a headache every day for more than a week now.

3. We just changed the litter box last night and the cats saw that as a challenge. It already stinks.

4. I cooked orzo last night and it was awesome but now I have little bits of orzo stuck to my pot, my strainer, the measuring cup I used... what the heck? I picked at it last night for a half hour and got frustrated and gave up.

5. I fell asleep before the end of Teen Mom last night and I wanted to see the whole Dr. Drew interview.

6. It's rainy... which no doubt will mean a bad hair day.

7. I stepped on a piece of glass this morning. Not sure where it came from.

8. It's only Wednesday.





Ok... that's all I've got. Truly, life is good. I continue to believe that life - my life, even! - is a gift and that although it's not the life I thought I would have, it's

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

newsday tuesday

This morning I'm enjoying a big bowl of greek yogurt with banana and walnuts sprinkled with ground flax seed. It's awesome. The cats are dying to try it... so I keep having to swat them away.

It's another crisp fall morning... fifty degrees... open window... this weather can last all year as far as I'm concerned.

We've been trying to socialize Bitty. First we started walking him on a leash... then we started trying him on car rides in his carrier. Yesterday we took him for a ride out of the carrier (but on the leash, just in case) and he decided he likes to ride on my shoulders. It was really cute. If we're gone overnight we don't really want to leave both kitties that long. Stubby is a loner, he does fine by himself. Bitty needs people. We want to be able to take him with us when we go to see Mawmaw and Pop.

My bursitis in my elbow is acting up.... it doesn't help that my arms are bent using a computer about 18 hours a day between work and my online gaming addiction. It's a wonder I haven't gone blind from it. I definitely need to lessen my screen time.

I had such a great SIMPLE dinner last night... I broiled salmon and tomatoes. The salmon was good... and I need it because my good cholesterol was low so I've been trying to make sure I get in my happy fats like salmon, avocado, olive oil, walnuts, etc... but the tomatoes were UH-mazing! I just quartered some smallish tomatoes (a little bigger than a golf ball) and drizzled them with olive oil, sprinkled with sea salt and topped with shaved parmesan.... and broiled them right along with the salmon until the parm was deeply browned and the tomatoes were good and mushy... then I used them to top this great roasted garlic artisinal bread... it was like an upscale tomato sandwich and that would have been PLENTY by itself, even without the salmon, which was also very good. The entire thing took less than ten minutes to prep and cook... less time than going thru a drive thru and soooo much better!

I preach it all the time... eating good is not that hard. I'm not a great cook... I don't have a lot of money... I don't have much free time... and I manage. Even on weeks like this one when I wasn't able to do my cooking on the weekend due to budgetary constraints. Although... I did make that awesome stew and I'm having it for lunch today... I can't wait!

We really loved the pasta with collards and chicken sausage that I made on Saturday so I bought more of that great sausage. If I'm not wiped out after work today, I'm going to try to run by the farm (they have a Tuesday night market) and pick up some more of those crisp, fresh collard greens... and beautifully colored peppers... it's just a great way to get some greens into my teen.

I guess it's about time for me to post and start the glam routine... hope you all have a wonderful Tuesday!

Monday, October 18, 2010

reasons to love Monday...

I posted a facebook status last week that said, "It's not that I don't love my job... it's just that I love my weekends more"... and that's so true. And honestly... the only reason Monday is tough is because it's the farthest we get from the weekend all week. Other than that, Monday isn't bad. Right?

Here are my reasons to love Monday this week:

1. It's PAYDAY! Praise God... we made it through another long pay cycle even with the added expense of a trip to the southside and the absence of child support. Again. It took a loaves and fishes miracle... but God always provides.
2. I had a great weekend with Austin. He had been so moody last week... impossible to deal with... disagreeable... but this weekend, he was downright pleasant.
3. I think I've found a phone plan for Austin and I that I can maybe afford. We will be checking that out when we get child support again. It's still a pay as you go plan, but it is a better deal than what I have now so I should be able to actually use my phone instead of drastically rationing.
4. I fixed my hair last night so I just have to touch up, add war paint and the glam routine is done.
5. I also got out of my magnetic nest that had sucked me in all day and put up laundry for the first time in three weeks. It only took twenty minutes... Austin timed me... and we listened to a cd that his brothers had made me years ago. It was fun.
6. I have reached a lower weight so I have fewer weight watchers points now... and so far, so good. What this really means is that I have to, have to, have to... no way to avoid... exercise from this point forward because I'm going to need those activity points or I'll truly be eating twigs and berries to stay under my point total.
7. Caramel apple coffee creamer... I added a few grains of seasalt - try it, it's yum! It feels like an indulgent expensive Starbucks drink but it's not.
8. And while we're loving on the morning shot of liquid courage... I've been drinking Folger's black silk coffee and it's an excellent bold blend for people like me who love strong coffee. Plus... the container makes a handy dandy storage container once the coffee is all gone. I'm planning to redo underneath my bathroom cabinets with my folgers tubs.
9. Mild weather is forecasted all week for us... it looks like I'll be able to go a whole nother week without having to use the a/c or the heat! The longer I can go... the lower my power bill! My goal is to get ahead on my power bills while I'm in this honeymoon phase with them.
10. I found the library book that I had misplaced.
11. Leftover pasta with chicken sausage and collards for breakfast... mmmm!
12. 3 bean salad for lunch with some fresh bread from the bakery... lots of good eating for me today!
13. My potato soup alternative for dinner... can't wait to warm up a bowl!
14. I'm officially at my lowest weight since I left Florida... my lowest weight since summer of 2008.
15. Fall in the North Georgia mountains is so beautiful that our weekends are packed with tourists... our weeks are back to normal and those of us who are smart enough to live here can enjoy the views without the crowds.
16. Bitty Kitty curled up UNDER the covers with me last night... it was the sweetest thing!
17. New guilty pleasure: Sister Wives. I really want to hate that Kody guy but he's really suave and charming. I can see how he could convince four women that they don't mind sharing him.
18. One last reason to love Monday... it only comes once a week!


I'm sure if you dig deep and think hard... you'll find reasons to love Monday too! Hope you all have a great day and don't worry... Tuesday will be here before you know it!

Sunday, October 17, 2010

new answer to potato soup...

It's not potato soup but it's warm, tasty and creamy... and soooo healthy!

Here's what I did:

sauteed 1 red onion (chopped) and 1 cup of hot red pepper rings in a tablespoon of olive oil...
I added two large cubed sweet potatoes - one was orange and one was yellow - gorgeous!
I added two cups of chopped carrots...
I added two cups of fat free chicken broth and one can of pureed pumpkin. Yes, pumpkin. Stay with me...
to that... I added two diced turnips...
cumin, nutmeg, cinnamon and turmeric... all very healthy and helpful spices...
I added a teaspoon of tahini (sesame paste)... a little sea salt...
two cups each of chopped collard greens and turnip greens...

and it's all happily bubbling away on my stove. I've had a sneak taste and it's a really thick, rich, hearty stew. It calculates out to about 2 weight watchers points per cup so it's filling and low point.

Man... I think I'm going to have as much fun making soups and stews this winter as I had making salads this summer! Cooking is cool!

what's cooking?


I have a nasty sinus headache this morning... It's been traveling between one side of my head and the other since yesterday. I took my allegra - grudgingly - and I'm hoping to be clear headed soon.


How cute was my little Junie-Beth Jones yesterday? I posted the whole album on facebook. It's public so even if you don't have facebook, you can click on my little facebook picture on the side and find it, I think. Austin made a great Mr. Scary. We drew his mustache in with eye liner. It looks sorta real. We made his glasses by poking out the lenses from an old pair of scratched up sunglasses. Good times. As much of a pain as Austin has been over the past week, I appreciate how kind he is to his little cousins and how indulgent he is with her little friends.


I haven't done my big meal prep for the week... child support didn't happen so there's no money for a big grocery trip until after I get paid tomorrow. I've got lots of 3 bean salad leftover, though and I picked up some good stuff to round out the menu- probably will last us thru most of the week. I don't subscribe to the "I can't afford to eat healthy" mentality. If NOTHING ELSE black beans and brown rice will go a long way and provide lots of protein and fiber... add some cumin and garlic and it's really a tasty meal. I've also got tuna packed in water. I've got lentils. I've got turkey burgers in the freezer. Nobody here will go hungry... or have to eat junk.


Yesterday was such a beautiful day... the farm was busy. It's tourist season here in the mountains... lots of traffic thru town (which gets on my nerves but it's vital to the economy of this area so you try not to resent it much). I picked up some incredibly crisp collard greens at the farm... and several different kinds of pepper and variations of garlic. i also bought some turnips and greens... and two colors of sweet potatoes... Nadine's pimento cheese for Austin. I bought a loaf of fresh baked cheddar cheese bread at the bakery... picked up some chicken sausage at the grocery store... I didn't spend a lot yesterday but we do have some good things to eat.


For dinner last night I sauteed an onion with about a cup of pepper rings and garlic... added about three cups of those awesome fresh collard greens... added in the chicken sausage..... and served it over whole wheat pasta with fresh shaved parmesan cheese. There were so many layers of flavor and it ended up being about 4 weight watchers points per cup of pasta.


At the farm yesterday Nadine made some potato soup... and it got me craving it... but it's not point friendly. I've got to figure out a way to make something similar that's more nutritious and lower calorie. That's my cooking project for the day. I know I definitely want some kale in it... I love a rich hearty stew with kale. I also want to make good use of the turnips... big, fresh, organically grown turnips. Last week I used turnip in my turkey-veggie aka fingertip loaf... and i used diced turnip in my 3 bean salad. Raw turnip has a peppery bite like radish. I'm wondering if I could do something with white beans... turnips... kale... hmmm... just sort of thinking out loud. Most people use bacon to flavor their potato soup and I really try to stay away from preserved meats because of the chemicals involved.


Anyways... I did have birthday cake yesterday. It was good... Angie made it herself because the lady who usually makes the girls fabulous cakes was overbooked and couldn't do it. I just don't get the same thrill from sweets that I once did. We're so accustomed to the flavor and texture of sweets and fats in the American diet. Once you remove those two blinders and start really enjoying food the way God intended it... going back to something sweet isn't as big of a treat. I enjoyed the pasta dish far more than I ever would any cake. Even when I bought angel food cake from the bakery two weeks ago... it was the strawberries that I added that really gave me the level of flavor I was looking for... and I'd much rather have my 3 bean salad with cilantro and red wine vinegar and red onion than a boring hamburger. That carbfest last week? The roasted garlic, basil and olive oil were the flavors I enjoyed... much more than the actual pizza dough.


And that, my friends, is what you call a BREAKTHROUGH! An EPIPHANY! To realize how much better real food tastes than artificially enhanced, oversweetened, fatty foods.


Weight Watchers emphasizes that you can eat ANYTHING in the right portions and you'll be successful. Yeah. I guess. But... ultimately... if you're not changing WHAT you're eating and have to rely on constant self-discipline to keep those portions small enough... and if you're eating stuff that isn't filling or nutrient dense... you're going to continue to be hungry and NOBODY is disciplined enough to live their life hungry. It's just a recipe for failure. As long as your taste buds are wearing sugar/fat blinders you're not going to enjoy healthy food. You're going to keep craving the fatty sugary stuff and you're never going to be satisfied. The problem with that for me is that if everything is going well, I can dig up the discipline. But when I'm overtired or under stress or depressed or sad or happy or whatever excuse I have at the moment... I don't have enough discipline to consistently eat only acceptible portions.


It's true that I have placed restrictions on the foods I eat... but it doesn't feel restrictive at all. It actually feels quite freeing. If I want to eat a huge amount of something healthy... then I've only overdosed on nutrients instead of gorging on unhealthy food and feeling sluggish and uncomfortable. And it's cheesy to say it but it's true... nothing tastes as good as losing weight feels.


I guess I'm on a diet. It doesn't really feel like it, though. Sure, there are things that I choose not to eat. I'll pass on the biscuits or donuts that they bring into the office. If Austin eats a huge plate of spaghetti (like he did last week) I'll have 1 cup of spaghetti as a side dish with my stir fried chicken and squash (like I did last week). It doesn't feel like deprivation. If I really want something... like birthday cake... I'll eat it and just accomodate for it with my points instead of looking at it like "well, I've blown it for today anyways" and use it as an excuse to binge. I'm not living on grilled chicken and steamed broccoli. I eat a huge variety of really good tasting food. I constantly research to find new flavors and textures of food. It's more like an adventure... a hobby... than a diet.


I've lost 26.2 pounds. I've got about 52 more pounds to go to my weight watchers goal... so I'm only about a third of the way there. It doesn't feel tiresome, though. It doesn't feel like a chore. I'm not counting down the days until I can go back to my old way of eating. I don't miss it at all. And for the first time in my life, I feel like I'm no longer condemned to be fat because I'm no longer addicted to the things that made me fat.


Now if I can just get my butt in gear to get this house cleaned and get a good solid exercise routine going...

Saturday, October 16, 2010

the week in pictures...

"Mrs." and "Junie B. Jones" at Sarabeth's themed birthday party...

the awesome school bus cake that my sister-in-law made...

I love this kid and I love this picture! This is Emily... daughter of our youth pastor... the light was just perfect as it peeked thru the trees to catch her static electric hair in the hammock.
I'm not REAL sure what they were doing... but Jessie, Sarabeth and Aunt Mimi strike some kind of pose...

Come to mama! This is our ALMOST FINISHED Starbucks that is being constructed inside of our Ingles... less than two miles from my home!

I did it!

I lost 2.4 pounds this week for a total weight loss of 26.2!

weighing in before the weigh in

No blog entry yesterday! Yikes! I know if I'm quiet for more than 24 hours y'all start to worry and gather into little Hen Parties and text each other and decide who will call the White County Sheriff out to do a welfare check on me. I exaggerate. But... I know you worry if I'm quiet for long.

It was just one of those wordless days for me. I actually did type an entry last night... posted and then deleted it. I'm struggling with Austin. Raising a teenager, they say, is like nailing jello to a tree. Add to that the monster that Aspergers Syndrome can sometimes be... and subtract any consistent male role model... multiply it by him having a mom with her own bag of troubles... and you have an occasional perfect storm of drama. He has exhausted me this week... between absconding with my tv, breaking his own tv and our only landline phone... and his daily demands, wants and needs... his messes and tantrums. It's just sometimes more than I can handle.

Last night I reached my own meltdown point and just curled up in my nest in a big sobbing heap. He heard me crying... changed gears and came in and hugged me. Aspie kids don't hug to comfort people. They hug because they realize that in some social situations it is appropriate to return an embrace... but they don't offer a hug to console. That was truly a Helen Keller "water" moment for us. He truly felt remorse... also a rare thing for a kid with Aspergers. They often resent the consequences of their actions but usually the resentment is for the person doling out the punishment, not a true sense of "gee, I should have done that".

Everything with Aspergers is about perception becoming their reality. Whatever he considers to be the norm... to be the way things ought to be... that's what he expects his life to be like. When he was two and things didn't live up to his perceptions... he bit. He was so bad about biting his little playmates that one of my closest friends came to me in tears one day to tell me we could no longer spend time together because she was tired of her child being bit. Austin couldn't explain what frustrated him then... and he's not much better now. Instead of biting... he curses, breaks things, kicks the wall, slams doors. He's bigger and more violent and his tantrums have grown with him. And his perception of life is still skewed, often far beyond what anyone, especially me, can provide for him. It's exhausting.

What does this have to do with my weigh in? Well. It's been an odd journey for me since the last weigh in... I've fought a dozen battles with Austin over the last week. We had a really long day last Saturday - driving to Atlanta and back. I had a carb fest (on the lovely white pizza I made) last Sunday. I've battled migraines all week (probably related to the ongoing war with Austin) and I've stressed over finances since child support, once again, is nowhere to be seen. Do I settle my finances by taking the kids' dad to court... if that means alienating all of them? It seems like winning a battle only to lose the war.

BUT... despite all of that... I think I'll have good results on the scale today. It's possible... not definite but possible... that I'll reach my 25 pound total today.

I'm proud that I have finally realized that if hunger is not the problem, food is not the answer. Comfort food doesn't bring comfort... for me, it just drains my resources of money and energy... makes me feel bad... pushes me further from my goal... makes me feel like a failure. Even if the scale stays exactly the same this week... to have gone thru a week that a year ago would have driven me to gluttony and to have stayed on plan throughout, is a huge accomplishment.

Today is Sarabeth's birthday party. The theme is Junie B. Jones - a series of childrens books that she loves. I'm playing the role of "Mrs." the teacher.... and I have my outfit all picked out... right down to the sensible shoes. Austin is playing another teacher in the book... Mr. Scary... and he's very excited about it. I wish my parents, Cody and Marquee were going to be with us. It will be odd not having them at one of SB's birthdays... but mom is still not up to that much travel and Cody and Marquee have other plans. The sun is shining bright, there's not a cloud in the sky, it's crisp and cool but will be mild during the party. It's a perfect fall day... and I am blessed to be here in these beautiful mountains and be able to enjoy it all. I love Saturdays.

Will post my results later... have a great day, y'all!

Thursday, October 14, 2010

thankful for 8 years of wonderful!




The headache... oddest one I've ever had... covered a yarmulke sized spot of my head... on the crown of my head... kept me out of every planned activity for the day. Yep. I was completely worthless. I napped in my nest and watched just about every miner come out... one of those indulgent days that I can ill afford but found myself powerless to avoid. Still not sure what caused the headache... it was just such an odd place to have a headache... and it lingers mildly... but I'm functional today. I can move without feeling the stabbing pains... I wouldn't attempt to run a marathon... but I can move around.


I did a trial run yesterday morning, taking a shower and trying the glam routine and it was definitely not happening for me. Later in the day I tried some housework and that, too, was uncomfortable. Finally... I decided that I would rally and make it to bible study... but first I had to go to Walmart because we were out of cat food and coffee... two necessities in my life... and by the time we left Walmart, I knew there was no way I was good for another 3 hours. I fell asleep before 8pm AFTER sleeping 3 hours in the middle of the day. Something was definitely out of sorts.


I am proud to say that I stayed 100% on plan while feeling icky... and once again I was so glad that I pre-cook my meals and keep ready to eat healthy stuff stocked in our house. I did not feel the least bit like cooking... but I had taboule and grapes and chicken salad... walnuts, pumpkin seeds... lots of healthy stuff with minimal effort. I spent a lot of fat years thinking that losing weight was too hard... that I couldn't afford it... didn't have time... etc, etc... excuse, excuse... and honestly, it's much easier than NOT eating healthy. I can rush around at mealtime figuring out which fast food restaurant is going to over charge me for mass produced, nutrient deprived, heavily processed "food"... or... I can put a few hours a week into careful meal planning and preparation and during my busy weeks (or sick days) I can reap the benefits of those efforts.


We had Subway for dinner... I had a veggie sub on 9 grain wheat bread and it felt like a feast. For under $3.

Anyways... that's my sermon for the day... it's not that hard... and I'm thankful that I've been able to maintain this lifestyle for 4 months and 3 days! Yay!

Since today is thankful Thursday, I want to share with you two things that I am most thankful for and both entered my life 8 years ago today. First - 8 years ago today I started working with my Uncle Bruce at State Farm. I had jobs... and I wandered aimlessly... without a college degree or any special skills other than my charming personality and ridiculously fast typing speed... Bruce had dealt with some dishonesty with his employees and needed someone he could trust. I needed a job in a bad way. He tested me... I scored well... so he brought me in at a good salary ... and made sure that I had marketable job skills. State Farm has been good to me, it's allowed me to support my kids apart from reliable child support from their dad. It's allowed me to find work wherever I've lived and it's brought a lot of interesting people into my life.


The other blessing that entered my life 8 years ago was my precious niece, Sarabeth. Our family had not had a girl born to our family since me... so we had a 34 year "It's a GIRL!" drought! My nieces Tiffany and Elizabeth joined our family by way of marriage and we love them as if they had been with us their entire lives... there are no steps in our family... but we had no biological Gant girls born in all that time. Then came Sarabeth... my legacy... my pride and joy... my treasure... many, many times, my reason for living. We bonded right away and we have always enjoyed a precious relationship. I had a wonderful aunt growing up who spent a lot of quality time with me... who took me out of my all boy environment and made paper dolls for me... let me spend the night with her... and just always made me feel special. I wanted to be that kind of aunt for my Sarabeth. I hope I have been. Thanks to digital photography, I have more photos of Sarabeth than I do of my own three kids... thanks to the stage of life that I'm in, I've had more unrestrained, carefree time to spend with Sarabeth than I did with my own kids. She is beautiful, brilliant, extremely well behaved and funny. She is the best big sister that Jamie could have ever hoped for. She is a deep thinker... an over-achiever... sensitive... kind and loving. Truly, she was worth the 34 year wait... so, Happy Birthday Sarabeth Leah Gant! I look forward to spending many more birthdays with your sweet self!

Time for me to glam and dash! Hope you all have a really wonderful day!

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

just another whiny wednesday

Everyone needs a reason to get out of bed in the morning... my head was killing me but I got up to harvest my crop so it wouldn't wither. I know it's pathetic... but it got me out of bed.

Remember that song, "Just another manic Monday..."? It came out in 1986. I'm sure of that date because it used to play incessantly at the time that I was pregnant with Ryan and suffering with violent morning sickness. Even now when I hear it, I get sick to my stomach.


In honor of Whiny Wednesday, I woke up (went to bed AND woke up) with a nasty headache. I referred to it as a migraine but in truth, I don't know if it's migraine or barometric related or a blood pressure headache - because it eases up if I'm perfectly still and somewhat reclined - and it intensifies like someone has my head in a vise if I move so much as my eyebrows. I have advil on board (on an empty stomach, which may not work out well but I'm not able to navigate well enough to prepare food yet this morning) and I've got around one hour to pull it together to make it to work. I need my whole paycheck this time... every minute I can possibly get... and I don't want to miss work unless there's absolutely no way I can drive.


It's Wednesday so it's a short day at work but long day for me... with dinner at church and my Hen Party bible study tonight. I want to be able to do all the things I need to do today.


My friend Amy (commonly referred to as "Amy in Bruce's office", although she obviously no longer works for Bruce since he's retired from State Farm)... Amy was raised by her grandmother who she calls Nanny... she called on Monday to let me know that Nanny was in a local hospital (up here... Nanny lives here and Amy lives on the southside near my parents). Nanny has COPD and poor circulation. She developed an infection in her leg and it has gotten out of control to the extent that they scheduled an amputation of Nanny's leg above the knee... it was supposed to happen yesterday. In the midst of treating her infection, Nanny stopped getting her stomach meds and her bowels backed up... she had to end up having her stomach pumped on Monday evening... and then yesterday her kidneys started shutting down. Amy called me crying hysterically while making the long drive to the hospital. By yesterday afternoon they had stabilized Nanny enough to consider the amputation again. Nanny's a fighter... it looks grim but she just might beat this. My heart breaks for Amy... she's been through a lot this year... lost her job with Bruce and then was unable to transfer to another State Farm agency due to some bureacratic stuff... was out of work... had to move in with her mom... it's just been a tough year.


Yesterday I got home from work and Austin and his loser married friend "It's not my wedding night - we eloped, we didn't have a wedding" (that guy) had MOVED my tv... my big tv that I LOVE... that I could never in a hundred years afford to replace... the one we made a second, scary trip back to Jacksonville to take from It. Austin and this Loser had turned my living room into their big loser game lounge. I LOST IT. I was so angry that I said, "I'm giving you ten minutes to get my house back in order... " and I grabbed my purse and left. They did get the house back in order but they didn't think they had done anything wrong. WHY NOT steal my tv? I mean, after all, Austin BROKE his tv the day before when he was rearranging the living room. Certainly he wouldn't drop an older, much heavier tv. I yelled at Loser Boy... "MY ROOM and EVERYTHING IN IT... is NEVER TO BE TOUCHED, looked at, breathed on... GOT IT?" I stopped short of banning him from the house but if he's wise... he'll stay away. Not welcome.


It rained last night... the humidity is high... it's not boding well for a good hair day but I'm going to try to get a shower and see if I can get this dog and pony show on the road... it may not be pretty and I may not be 100% but I want to give it a shot.


Drinking tea instead of coffee this morning... Austin was supposed to clean the kitchen last night as punishment for the Gamer Lounge... he ended up NOT doing it and my sink is so overflowing that I can't even get to the coffee pot without a lot of aggravation. Wonder why I have a headache? Every time I complain about Austin, I get comments about "setting boundaries" and "taking control". I can't beat him. He doesn't have anything that I can take away... no cellphone... he's lost his gamer tv... we live a very simple life. I can put him on restriction but I can't KEEP him on it because I'm not here. I have to work. There's no back up for me... there's no guy to whip him into shape. It's just me... and this kid has no respect for me, his stuff, my stuff, rules, boundaries... he's just going to have to have an epic fail where he has outside consequences bigger than what I can create. And I'm going to LET HIM FAIL and dare anyone to bail him out (literally or figuratively).


Headache is not getting better.


Gonna stop the pity party and try to make something of this day. Wish me luck... love and hugs, y'all!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

tuesday newsday

Here's what's new around the homestead today:

Austin decided to rearrange the living room yesterday. It's an interesting configuration but... ultimately... I rarely use the living room so I don't really care.

I made an awesome dinner last night... just sort of thrown together... I had leftover grilled chicken, fresh collard greens, onion, and this interesting yellow/green fleshed sweet potato... I microwaved the sweet potato and then cut it in chunks... sauteed the onion and collards... then tossed in the chicken and sweet potato... the flavors meshed well and it was a nice, healthy, low point dinner and really filling.

I've had a headache for the past two days... an unusual one... it feels like I'm wearing a hat that's too tight. It hits me when I move... if I'm still, it mostly goes away... it's some sort of pressure thing, maybe sinus pressure, who knows. It's only mildly distracting. For the most part...

The Braves season is over and the Bobby Cox era is over. I haven't followed them much this year, except in mild collateral interest based on Ryan and Cody's interest. I like baseball alright but I get bored with it.

I had a really exciting entry all planned out in my head and then my computer froze up and I had to reboot and forgot what I was going to write.

Child support is missing again... should have gotten it on Friday and the kids' dad is playing gopher again... ducked out of sight as usual. Loser. Ultimately... whatever aggravation he's caused me over the past ten years with his refusal to honor his obligations to his kids is so much less aggravation than I would have suffered had I remained married to him. So there's that consolation.

A bird flew into the office yesterday and splattered poo everywhere. The new girl helped me clean the poo... and we laughed about the things that find their way into our job descriptions that you would never have imagined. I didn't mention that there are *some people* who believe that a bird in the house is a sign that someone is going to die. I've seen it happen a few times but I don't necessarily BELIEVE in it.

Brett Farve reinforces my belief that all men a lying cheating pigs. Ok. Maybe not all. All men except my daddy. And my brother Jim. And possibly my brother Bryan... he doesn't like change so I don't see him straying. I'm sure there are a few others. Farmer Brown. And I know you probably know one or two that would never cheat... but seriously... there is an epidemic of infidelity in our world and it makes me MAD!

At any rate... yay. It's Tuesday. Have a good one. Loveandhugsy'all.

Monday, October 11, 2010

reasons to love Monday

Reason to Love Monday

1. Our computer system is down today… making for an unusual morning... but we’re trudging along quite nicely. My customers have all been understanding. There was the one woman who asked if I had the number for Farm Bureau. I did not.
2. I took an early lunch in hopes that our system would be restored when I got back. Not so much.
3. Since I went early… the weather was quite mild and pleasant on lunch whereas later it might be a bit too warm.
4. I went to the library and there was a good selection of “new” books… of course “new” is a relative term in our little rural library… that means that it was written this century. But I’m excited about what I have ahead of me in the literary world in the next two weeks.
5. My lunch was good… healthy… not too filling… 3 bean salad and red grapes.
6. Breakfast was also yummy… nadine’s chicken salad on blue diamond nutcrisps… cooked squash…
7. Not sure about dinner yet but there is some grilled chicken in my fridge that would be good… and some unusual, yellow fleshed sweet potatoes from the farm.
8. My mom went home from the hospital yesterday. No word on the pathology reports yet but she’s following up with an oncologist, either way.
9. My friend Amy’s grandmother – the one who raised Amy – is in the hospital battling a serious leg infection and appears to be headed for an amputation. Barring a miracle, it’s scheduled for tomorrow. That’s not a reason to love Monday… but it’s a reason to appreciate trudging thru a complicated work day and to realize that my worst problems are minor, momentary troubles, not life changing events.
10. Another friend from high school has a sister who last year had a ruptured aneurysm in her brain that kept her at the brink of death for months. She survived and has fought hard toward recovery… relearning to walk and talk and trying to regain independence. Just last week in therapy she fell and broke her hip… and the surgery to repair the hip revealed metastasized, malignant colon cancer that has spread throughout her body. Her prognosis gives her weeks, not months to live. The family is trusting God and believing… and accepting that this time her healing will likely come in Heaven and not here on earth. I’m so grateful to be able to witness their fortitude and peace.
11. Last week’s struggle gave birth to a new, closer relationship with a friend. I’m glad to be on the happy side of things.

Hope you’re loving your Monday, too!

Sunday, October 10, 2010

ten top tens on ten/ten/ten

In honor of the historic date of 10/10/10... I'm going to offer ten of my top ten lists...

Top Ten Favorite TV Shows
1. The Office
2. Friends
3. Big Brother
4. Guiding Light (still sad it's no longer on)
5. Parenthood (if you haven't seen it, you MUST)
6. The Nanny
7. Jon and Kate Plus 8 - before the divorce - I miss long suffering Jon and shrewish Kate
8. Good Eats
9. The Amazing Race
10. The Rosie O'Donnell Show - back when she was the queen of nice, before she came out as a mean, activist lesbian

Top Ten Bad for you foods
1. yeast rolls with butter
2. key lime cremes from the local bakery
3. pot stickers
4. lasagne
5. Glenda's bacon biscuit dipped in gravy
6. North Georgia BBQ pork ribs
7. North Georgia BBQ banana pudding
8. jelly belly jelly beans
9. Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte
10. steak fajitas with guacamole, lots of cheese, sour cream... mmmm!

Top Ten GOOD for you foods:
1. watermelon
2. red grapes
3. taboule with tomatoes
4. steamed shrimp
5. broiled tilapia
6. caprese salad with fresh homegrown tomatoes, fresh picked basil and fresh mozzarella...
7. broiled tomatoes with parmesan
8. hummus with carrots
9. black beans and brown rice
10. baked sweet potatoes

Top Ten Movies:
1. Fried Green Tomatoes
2. Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
3. Mona Lisa Smiles
4. Where the Heart Is
5. Gone With the Wind (of course!)
6. Yours, Mine and Ours (the original one)
7. The Long, Long Trailer
8. Father Goose
9. Hairspray
10. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Top Ten Vacation Destinations (that I've actually visited)
1. New York City
2. San Francisco
3. Boston
4. Chicago
5. St. Augustine
6. Myrtle Beach
7. Monterey, California
8. Orland0 (Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios, Disney)
9. Cades Cove, Townsend, Tennessee
10. Las Vegas

Top Ten Dream Vacations (places I have yet to visit)
1. Italy
2. Vermont in the fall
3. Yellowstone National Park
4. Asheville, NC - Biltmore
5. Ryan's house - Zionville, PA
6. the Grand Canyon
7. Ireland
8. Australia
9. the Swiss Alps
10. New Orleans

Top Ten Local Places to Visit
1. Loganberry Heritage Farm
2. the library
3. parking lot behind Piedmont College baseball field (where I have my car picnic lunches)
4. The Country Bake Shoppe
5. my nest
6. North Georgia BBQ
7. Jim and Angie's house
8. Helen
9. Dahlonega
10. Weight Watchers

Top Ten Musicals:
1. Hairspray
2. Les Miserables
3. Wicked
4. Avenue Q
5. Fiddler on the Roof
6. Mamma Mia
7. Chicago
8. the Sound of Music
9. The Fantasticks
10. Damn Yankees

Top Ten Secret Crushes
1. Max - the blonde surfer guy on TMZ
2. Dax Shepherd (Crosby on Parenthood)
3. Tony Curtis
4. Anthony Bourdain
5. Cary Grant
6. Tim Tebow
7. George Clooney
8. Maks on Dancing With the Stars
9. Jeff Schroeder from Big Brother Season 11
10. Anderson Cooper

Top Ten Favorite Places to Shop
1. Macys in New York
2. Old Navy
3. Publix
4. Whole Foods
5. Ikea
6. Target
7. Barnes and Noble
8. any thrift store
9. Costco
10. Trader Joe's

That took way longer than I thought it would... anyone still reading?
Yesterday was our day trip to the Southside of Atlanta... first I went to Weight Watchers for weigh in - I lost .8 pounds. I was excited about that number because I thought I was going to be plateau'ed... then we went to the bakery, gassed up, stopped by Ingles to buy fingertip bandaids for my sliced open finger, went by the farm to pick up some goodies ... and then made the trip down south.
My mom has been in the hospital for 12 days now and it just seems like it's never going to end. I know she and my dad are both sick of being there... but she's still not able to eat solid food and is still in a lot of pain. I wish we were closer so we could visit more often but honestly... she doesn't seem to feel like visiting and I hate being at the hospital. It makes me feel claustrophobic.
We hung out at the hospital awhile and then went grocery shopping with Cody and Marquee to buy stuff for dinner... then back to their house to cook. We grilled chicken, made jasmine rice (which is really high in points but it was soooo good!) roasted asparagus, cooked zucchini and yellow squash, had a salad... it was very weight watchers friendly and really, really good.
After dinner we went back to the hospital for a quick visit and then Austin and I headed back home. My goal was to get through Atlanta before dark. If you've never driven in Atlanta... there are two interstate highways that converge running from North to South in the middle of Atlanta and driving through town is not for the faint of heart. You really have to know what lane to be in and you have to be prepared to avoid people who DON'T know what lane to be in... and although I now have glasses and can see better at night... I don't like driving thru town after dark. We made it, just barely, thru town by dusk.
Today I have a ton of housework I need to do and I'm so drained that I don't want to do anything. I made the mistake of making a homemade pizza... just pizza dough, olive oil, roasted garlic and sea salt - thinking that Austin would enjoy it. He didn't and I've eaten half of it. I can't even begin to figure the points in it so I'm going to consider it my weekly flex points and for the first time ever on Weight Watchers, I'm not going to count something I've eaten. There's no way... and to repent for my carb indulgence, I'm going to be sure to exercise every day this week.
And then next Saturday when I'm whining and complaining about having gained weight, you can all remind me of my CarbFest.
So that's what's happening here in Hooterville today.
You want to share any of your thoughts regarding my top ten top tens? Leave me a comment...
Happy Sunday... love and hugs.