Okay, I have done the shopping and hung out the washing. I've put the groceries away and made the first of the soups I'm interested to try that one of LindaT's although I have the idea it may be a bit too chili for me. I'll try it with less first and then build it up to where I can still taste the rest of the stuff but it has a bit of a bite.
I have the planted the garden bed I dug out last weekend. I bought some plants today - blue and white petunias, primula and pansies, blue agapanthas - it already has white snowflake bushes in it and the rose is a peachy gold shade. I'll get some petunias to go around the rose later. So there you have it a blue and white bed with a splash of orange/gold . Should look okay. I'll take pictures as it grows.
Nearly forgot. Take a look at this tomato out of my garden. It's huge. There's about 5 others like it as well. This one fell off the vine when I went to check out the truss of tomatoes. It's called Black Russian.
The tomatoes behind it are the orange variety. supposedly less acidic. At least they will be orange when they ripen. Some cat I know knocked the truss off the bush while chasing a butterfly or some such insect. As I have said before it's a good job she's cute.
Time to go make a start on the second soup and then the ceiling. See you.
This morning i'm working on my fundraising project. As many of you know i volunteer with the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. I help them with the 10k that they have in the fall. So this morning making phone calls and getting some prizes donated.
Shad - what a beautiful tomato. I have not had any luck with the larger ones. Mine always seem to split or the bugs get to them. Of course I'm growing in containers so that might make a difference. But i do have plenty of grape, cherry and roma ones.
Just a quick call to let you know I am still living!
Nice tomatoe Shad ......... I am sure it will taste delicious.
My weight is still the same so I need to try and eat a little less this week to see if I can shift some of it!
Gotta go start the dinner.
Have a nice day all.
So, altho the calendar may say summer is half way over, the school calendar says it is all over!
My transitional program for the incoming freshmen went well last week. It ran Tuesday through Thursday. Friday I stayed home and cleaned. Today I did almost nothing. Not too many of these days left. I have training Monday, opening day is Thursday, and Friday is professional development, and I am doing the training for that with a group of teachers.
Shad: LOVE the pics of the tomatoes. Very cool. Nothing like home grown veggies.
Thin: Yes, I did receive the PM and email. Thanks!
Mornin' Chicks~~
It was a nice cool sleeping temp last night...but high 80's today and 90's Monday again! just hope the humidity stays down a tad. I guess i will be jumping in the lake again for some exercise. I have this floatie thing called
'Aqua Jogger'. You are supposed to wear it round the waist and go out deep and just do your jogging w/o any impact. I do try to do water exercises with it on. The jogging gets old, but i do some, then i do stuff from the water aerobics classes like waist twists and such. I finally did weigh in and have a starting point. Got to tone up some of this and change my eating patterns B4 i gain the whole lot back again. I saw some pics another gal took of me at the reunion and that sure made me see reality Guess i'd better get serious already.
Aug.6th is only halfway thru summer? Not up here. We end usually by Sept. You can get hot days in Sept. but one never knows. Hope to hear back from you soon HalGal~~
~~GREAT tomato Shad! That could be some kind of record here. Now is it good growing season tho' it's getting to be cold there? i guess i'm mixed up.
~~MOOZ~~ good to hear from you. Glad you are doing well, and keep on movin' ...are you still able to go walking w/your girlfriends as much? One of my good friends is moving away ...i guess it's not too far, it's about 4 hours away into Wisconsin. I will miss her tho. I hope she gets a computer soon so at least we can keep in touch via email.
~~1DAY~~ hope you got all the fundraising/soliciting donations done for the diabetes found. Congrats on doing such a great job for the juveniles that have this awful disease. YGG! I bet it feels good to help others.
OH, forgot to report in that alot of the grass seed did stay underneath that straw that we had put down! so hurray! some green is popping up with our consistant watering, since not much rain has come since the storm.
Got to run they are showing water exercises on the today show.
Hi to CAT~~NITA~~and everyone else lurking!
Have a great Sunday. thinlizzie
Gosh, what a beautiful time of year. It is very, very dry here - so it could be greener, but the flowers are doing well. I don't believe mine are as beautiful as the ones Mooz has, but I enjoy them immensely. My new canna plants now have flower buds that are 6 to 8 inches long! These should produce nice flowers for the next few months.
I stocked up on seasonal fruits (strawberries and blueberries) at the supermarket yesterday. They smell so good! There is no doubt if I eat more nutrient dense foods, and fewer empty calorie foods, my weight will benefit. I've been watching (too much) of Rachel Ray on the Food Channel. She says to always, always clean fruits and veggies before putting them in the refrigerator. Well, I'm doing it, and she is right. I am much more likely to eat the fresh produce, rather than throw it out because it got too old. I just hate that.
Also, I am a flax seed fan! Any of you guys familiar with the oh so healthy grain? I have been picking up a flax seed oat bran bread at a local bakery every other week or so. It seems to stay fresh longer, more than likely due to the fat content of the flax seed. It has the good type of fat. The one that actually takes fat from the blood stream and returns it to the liver to be metabolized. Way cool. I also purchased some bulk flax seed to add to my 1/2 cup steel cut oatmeal breakfast and snacks I make during the school year. Did I say school year?
OneDay: WTG with the fundraising activities. My school club, FCCLA does a fair amount of this during the school year for a variety of good purposes. Nothing feels better than helping others that are in need. Yesterday there was a 10K motorcycle run here that ended up at John Michael Montgomery's new restaruant with a luncheon. He is a country singer that is from this area. I without any doubt believe the more we give, the more we shall receive. My Grandmother Preuster has inner ear problems, and I know how very much she suffered when this problem acted up. Hang in there! I hope you are feeling better, and soon.
CatLover: I took Rocky Road Ketchum to see the vet on Tuesday afternoon. She took blood for a heart worm test, which came up negative, so I'll now give him the monthly medication. She gave him some type of steroid pills for the allergies. He is immediately feeling better, but begging for more food. I've given him an extra bowl of food each day this week! Bless his heart. Naturally, he has to 'go' more frequently on this stuff. He starts the lower does tomorrow, and in 10 days will be done. He is much happier now, he was really 'on edge' with the itching. So, add a flea treatment to the heartworm test and allergie meds, and call it yet another $112.00! I have had an over $100 expense for the last 4 weeks. Add this to the time of year when I don't have extra income from doing extra things at school. Anyway, Rocky is doing well. You are right on the heartworm. He chases all bugs, and tries to eat them. He is a wild child.
Nita: I hope all is well with you and Gene! Write when you can! Don't forget the pics of your embroidery.
I was talking to a waitress in a cafe a few weeks ago about weight loss. After talking a few mintues she told me she has lost almost 200 pounds, and she just began exercising and going to a nutritionist to learn how to eat. She was very sincere. She told me flat out she rarely eats out, and takes extra time to prepare her meals. Makes since. Anyway, I've been interested in going to a nutritionist since our converstaion. Here is an article I found on the topic:
What It's Like to Visit A Nutritionist
Barbara Bourassa Nubella LLC Editor-in-Chief
I consider myself a healthy eater, but with my history of high cholesterol and high blood pressure, my doctor recommended I visit a nutritionist. I have to admit--I was curious to see what a nutritionist would recommend, and I wanted to learn something new. I wasn't disappointed on either front.
The nutritionist I visited started by taking my weight and calculating my body mass index. For women, a BMI of 25 or lower is considered healthy. She then asked me about my medical history, including what medications I take, as well as my exercise schedule and my eating patterns. After she learned that I exercise regularly, she recommended I get my body fat percentage calculated, as this will give me a more precise baseline measurement for my health.
When the discussion turned to food, she brought out a copy of a 2003 article from Eating Well magazine that outlines Walter Willet's Healthy Eating Pyramid. Willet, a well-known professor of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, has long been a critic of the USDA Food Pyramid, and in 2001 his book, Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy, replaced the existing USDA pyramid with one based on years of research conducted at HSPH.
The premise of Willett's pyramid is fairly simple: it puts heavy emphasis on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beneficial fats, and exercise; moderate consumption of fish, seafood, poultry, and eggs; and 1-2 servings/day of low-fat dairy products. Several items are categorized as "use sparingly," including saturated fat, red meat, butter, white starches such as rice, bread, and white-flour pasta, and sweets.
The nutritionist then gave me a range of advice, some of it based on my medical and genetic history. First, she recommended that I take a multivitamin daily just to cover my bases, and a calcium/magnesium/vitamin D supplement to protect my bones. With regard to fiber, I should aim for 35 grams of fiber per day, and look for whole grain bread, crackers, or pasta with 3 grams fiber/serving. On the fat front, I should aim for 10 grams of saturated fat or less per day, and she gave me an example that helped put that in perspective. A 4-ounce serving of pork tenderloin has 1.9 grams of saturated fat, while a 4-ounce serving of pork spareribs has 12.6 grams of saturated fat.
With regard to specific foods, eggs are fine, but I should limit red meat to 1-2 servings per week, and when I do eat red meat, select very lean cuts such as 91 percent lean ground beef, top round, or eye round. Legumes and beans can be used to replace white rice or pasta, and I can eat up to 1/4 cup of nuts per day. And last, but not least, my lunch and dinner plates should contain 50 percent vegetables.
I won't lie--some of these are big changes for me, although many are things I already do. But it was an eye-opening experience all the same, and one that I recommend everyone consider. Here's a list of the top 10 ways such a meeting might benefit you, assembled by the American Dietetic Association:
1. You have diabetes, cardiovascular problems or high blood pressure. A registered dietitian can help change your eating plan without compromising flavors.
2. You are thinking of having or have had gastric bypass surgery. An RD will help develop an eating plan for your new needs.
3. You have digestive problems. An RD can help fine-tune your diet so you don't aggravate your condition.
4. You're pregnant or trying to get pregnant.
5. You need guidance and confidence for breastfeeding your baby.
6. Your teenager has issues with food and eating healthfully. A registered dietitian can assist with eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia and overweight issues.
7. You're struggling with weight issues and need to gain or lose weight.
8. You're caring for an aging parent. A registered dietitian can help with food or drug interaction, proper hydration, special diets for hypertension and changing taste buds.
9. You want to eat smarter to stay fit. A registered dietitian can help you sort through misinformation and get you on a healthy eating plan.
10. You want to improve your performance in sports. A registered dietitian can help you set goals to achieve high performance whether you're running a marathon, skiing or jogging with your dog.
I believe in ANGELS and honestly felt as if an angel brought this young lady and myself together for this conversation on weight loss. I was having a quick lunch and recognized a former work friend that I knew almost 15 years and 110 pounds ago. I sat quietly hoping he would not recognize me. He did not. Whew. I told her about this, and she just began talking about true weight loss, the difficulities and realities and how she did it. You should know she has the best of best of carrot cake, German chocolate cake and you name it facing her daily - all locally made and beyond belief. She says, she does not eat it.
I hope everyone had a GREAT weekend! Off to finish chores to prepare for a semi busy week, before the real deal the next week!
Okay today feels better. A bit more life in me I guess. Don't know what happened yesterday unless.........yes I do........ eating was not so good and so the energy lagged and all I wanted to do was sleep. I was supposed to return to the gym yesterday, had all my gear and stuff, but I left work late. I was working with on of the guys and we just kept on going until it was more or less finished. So no gym. I have my stuff again today so will try once more.
Yesterday I met up with a friend from Townsville days. She had an interview for a job down here in Brisbane and we had lunch together. Years ago she had a stomach band put in to help her lose weight. She did lose an awful lot of weight, however now she is at a stage where nothing is moving. The band has not taught her how to eat properly only to eat slowly. Every so often she has fluid put into the band to squeeze the stomach a bit more, and then she gets reflux and has to have water taken out. So it is a catch 22 situation. I doubt whether she will ever get much smaller than she is now, but as she says, she is no longer huge and that is a huge plus. I had chicken and mushroom soup and she had a caesar salad for lunch. Oh it was nice to see her again. I hope she gets a job back in Brisbane and then we can go out for dinners on Fridays like we used to in Townsville. A bit of social life might just do us both some good.
The Italian job (next years holiday) is coming along slowly. I am reading my guide book and checking the 'net for places to go, see and do as well as stay. Trouble is, I want to go, see, do and stay just about everywhere. I would like to do the hilltop walks in Cinqueterre. Apparently there are five villages built in and on the hilltops and hillsides about the coastline in Northern Italy. It's about 14 kilometres from first to last and a relatively easy walking track. Check out the pics of Riomaggiore on the net. I know Chris will not want to walk that far, so it could be a day trip on my own. There are buses which go from town to town as well. Maybe part of it and bus the rest??? Will have to discuss this with her.
Meantime I am still trying to find frequent flyer seats for Japan in October. It's a fairly unrewarding occupation at the moment.
Okay, duty calls. Time to get on with the day. I've included a pic of my African Violets now in bloom. Hope you enjoy them.
RE: It is suppose to be near 100 degrees here this week!
Good Monday Movers and Losers!
OK, today was a full day of preparation for a presentation to be given on Thursday to our faculty and staff. It was fun, and we laughed a lot. That seems to generally be in short supply when anything school related is going on, but not today! I have some more work to do to finish up my part of the presentation and I'll do that tomorrow. I carried home bags of new textbooks as well as the materials for our presentation. It looks like our maintenance dept will be entering my room for the next few days to strip and wax the floors, and then they do the hallway which means we cannot enter any of the rooms in our hall for 2 days! The week before school starts! Things have been helter skelter for the maintenance folks working around outside contrators. Anyway...
Shad: LOVE the pic of the flower. I agree eating poorly will zap our energy. If I eat simple carbs, I may as well plan for a nice nap. We ate out for lunch today and I ordered a cheeseburger, and only ate the veggies (nice slices of tomatoes, lettuce and red onions) and hamburger meat with the cheese. I ordered steamed brocolli in place of the fires. This really works for me, I am satisfied after I finish eating this.
I hope this finds everyone else doing well. NITA where are you?
Shad--beautiful flower! Hope your friend gets to come back near you.
Hal--glad you had fun with the preparation for the presentation. Too bad about the cleaning. I should think you would have more to do to get your rooms ready than, say, the English teacher, so I'm sure that is a problem.
Right now I am working on acu-yoga (it's yoga that is specially planned to stimulate the acupressure points) and Eating Awareness Training. Haven't done it long, and lost 1/2 inch off hips and thighs, tho not waist. I think measuring is healthier than weighing. At least worth a try.
Having trouble with Kitten--she wants to get somewhere, just zooms up my back. Usually she's gone too quickly to do anything, but today I swatted her twice. Not to hurt her, just to let her know not to do it.
Sorry I haven't written lately. I have been trying to get my act together. This Sunday I checked out some new furniture for our family room--two great reclining loveseats. I also found a dinette set--a glass table with four chairs on wheels. It has been rather hectic today trying to find someone to haul away the old furniture. However, it looks like this will happen Thursday while I am at work. Tomorrow we are going to have a carpet cleaner come in and do the carpets. Perhaps having these new items will cheer me up and I can get back on my program. Even though it has been rather hot and humid here the last couple of days, I managed to get on my treadmill both days for at least 20 to 30 minutes.
Gene is progressing rather slowly but I am thinking positive that we will hear some good news on Friday from the urologist. Tomorrow is his birthday and I am going to try and take him out for dinner.
Well I had better get moving--I really think I need a nap, and I may just take one!
Guess i'd better get serious already.
thinlizzie
My Grandmother Preuster has inner ear problems, and I know how very much she suffered when this problem acted up. Hang in there! I hope you are feeling better, and soon.
