Yes you read that right ~ cleaning! LOL if you have read my blog at all you should have picked up on the fact that cleaning just isn't my "thing" LOL hehehe. But when the living room looked like something had exploded & left the debris to rot it was beyond time to do something.
Of course you know I didn't accomplish it all by myself. Thank God for my wonderful husband. I moved a lot of stuff, sorted & threw away what I could. But he did almost all of the physical work that needed to be done. He even went to my craft room (* the one that has yet to be organized) and cleaned up there so all my stuff from down here could be relocated up there.
The results are that I now have just a little more work to do in my living room but at least now if our granddaughters stop by they can sit & play (yeah before they couldn't sit in my living room due to all the stuff everywhere!)
Changing topic LOL ~ I can't wait to see the dietitian this morning. I have lost 33 pounds thus far. Granted one week I was ill with the "runs" and lost 9 pounds that week but over all I have steadily been losing and I"m so excited. First off the whole "exercise" is key thing ... yep it's true. Second the portion control ~ huge key to weight loss! Now I don't pretend to know anything beyond my own experience with weight loss so please if you need to lose weight talk with your doctor first before starting any weight loss program, including any exercise program.
So for me the "activity" of choice has been Walk Away the Pounds (Leslie Sanstone) I worked my way up to the 2 mile workout but have some days where I do the 1 mile workout. I would like to get back to the pool come this winter for my water aerobics or aqua jogging ~ since that is my first "love" where activity is concerned ;)
Portion Control ~ yes the measuring cups & spoons have been in full use along with a food scale.
I feel so much more in control when I take the time to weigh &/or measure my food. Also key for me has been since getting past the first week (and possibly part of week 2?) I have no food cravings ~ no food mood swings to deal with. It is an incredible feeling. Free! Free from the urge to eat everything in sight. Free from the desire to have chocolate every couple of hours. Just free to be me. I honestly believe this is the time I will reach my goals. All of the other times I engaged in the weight loss battle I think I always held onto some doubt of my possible success. This time I have no doubt that I will make it to my "ideal" weight ~ whatever that may be... since my current view of this weight loss journey is to lose 10% of my current body weight (which I already hit the first 10% goal) and once hitting that goal then to aim for the next 10% until I am at the weight I should be (and as I get closer to that weight I will be better able to decide on my ultimate goal with my doctor & my dietitian's help). That is not to say that I don't have a number in mind it is simply the truth that I want to be realistic & as I lose this weight I may discover that the number I have in mind simply isn't the right number for me. Why be set up for failure when there is no need to have that final goal decided upon at this time? I'm taking the baby steps to this destination, no short cuts, no cheating along the way to reach the place I need to be instead simple direct and to the point goals that are reachable are my focus.
Ahh now to get to the best part of my blog ... the baby sweater I had started last year and had then set aside has been completed ~ & it is sooooooooo cute! I love it and can't wait to bring it to Sarah. I will take pictures & hope to post them before I leave if not at least I'm only going to be gone for 2 weeks this time.
I've completed the items for Kathleen & I even brought out the knitting ~ the sweater (back panel) for my friend Angie that I started 2 yrs ago I believe???
I have several projects that must be started & completed soon so God willing I will manage to do them & I have a quilting project in mind so I need to be more organized with my time.
I leave this Wed. & will be back in a couple of weeks so when I return I will share the highlights of my visit ~ we go to the 3-D ultrasound yay and I intend to stop by & visit with Freddie S. at Phootsy's Yarn Cottage while I'm in NC. So many exciting things for me ... maybe not so exciting to you but for me they are exciting. I will be able to see the new catalog that Discovery Toys has put out and see what new things they have that our grand children will be able to have lots of fun learning while they play.
Well the clock tells me I need to leave so I will say have a great day ~ may your projects be "frog free" and may the children in your life play joyfully with you :)
Wave hat
An original design of mine in the works
Monday, August 24, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Crochet 2010 Calendar ....
I'm so pleased to say my crocheted square Anne's Square has been published in the Crochet 2010 calendar... it's July 16th. I hope you will purchase this calendar & enjoy all of the beautiful projects therein.
I would also suggest that this square may be used for baby afghans (you determine the size), for shawls, for full afghans, and for just about anything you can use a motif for!!!
I'm so excited and just had to share. Be on the lookout for this cool calendar so you can have one for your very own.
I would also suggest that this square may be used for baby afghans (you determine the size), for shawls, for full afghans, and for just about anything you can use a motif for!!!
I'm so excited and just had to share. Be on the lookout for this cool calendar so you can have one for your very own.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Mama Blogga's group writing project ~ Before I was a mom....
http://www.mamablogga.com/august-2009-group-writing-project/
So the topic of this post is : Before I was a mom.
I know some of you may think what does she have to say now? Her kids are all out of the house, married and with children or expecting children of their own. All of that is true but I'm not so far gone that I can't recall life before becoming a mother. I feel equipped to compare life before & after the arrival of the first child to stretch my imagination & take me to new heights in living life.
Before I was a mom I was in high school. My wedding day took place 2 days after my high school graduation. Before I was a mom I walked daily, basically everywhere. (Not so ever since.)
Before I was blessed with children I had an idea of what I wanted my life to look like (mind you this was before I met "the ONE" who changed that forever) ... I had even gone so far as to map it all out during a discussion with my girl friend ...we were sitting in her room and she was telling me how she knew what she wanted to study in college and how she wanted to be married and have several kids etc ... so she asked me what I wanted to do with my life after high school. I told her I wanted to go to college and I would go into an area that revolved around counseling. I wanted to meet my husband and get married around the age of 24, have the house with the white picket fence around our yard & have lots of room for our babies to grow. Ahh what a day dream that was. The fact is before I was a mom I was just a teenager with day dreams. During the last couple of months of my junior year of high school I met my husband. By the age of 16 I had already had 3 marriage proposals. I had turned them all down ~ first because they were all wrong for me and secondly because I knew what I wanted & expected out of life. Marriage wasn't top priority. In fact 2 weeks before I met my husband I had told my grandmother that I was done with boys for a while. I had decided to concentrate on finishing school and not bothering with guys. (mind you this followed 2 of the 3 marriage proposals) Then I met my husband and all that changed. In the very beginning of our relationship we fought. We fought on the day we met. We fought the next time we met. We fought the third time we met. ... see a theme here? It was around this time I had a phone call from a long distance guy friend ... he was soooo cute but too far away for me... anyway we were talking & I mentioned this guy that I had met and how every time we got around each other we'd end up fighting. For a second I thought the phone had gone dead. Then suddenly he starts telling me how I can't marry this guy because he has our life all planned. He basically proposed marriage to me but the catch was he was going into the service and then following how many yrs he planned on signing up for duty then we would marry at the age of 36. Needless to say he wasn't happy when I told him no thank you.
My husband and I had only met and seen each other for two weeks when he drops this on me ... (the scene: local ice cream parlor Sunday afternoon relaxed atmosphere) suddenly I hear him say; "So when are we getting married?" I respond; "Well I'm certainly not getting married until after I graduate high school." He asked me when graduation was, I pull out a small date book and look it up. He looks at the date book and said, "We can get married Sunday June 25, 1978" ~ yes he set the wedding date for 2 days after my graduation. Mind you I thought this was a joke. He was extremely serious. He went home and told everyone he was getting married and our wedding date was set.
Before I was a mom I was an engaged woman who didn't even realize she was actually engaged.
Monday in school I met up with my friend who had introduced me to my husband. She congratulated me on our upcoming wedding. How could he be serious? I thought he had been joking. And how could he have told everyone so quickly? I went home and that night I poured my heart out to God. I told God how I knew the first 3 marriage proposals were without merit. I also told Him how I had 'planned' what I was going to do with my life. Then I asked God to help me. I pleaded with Him to let me know what I was supposed to do. If this was really the man for me then I didn't want to lose him. But if he wasn't the One for me then I didn't want to lead him on either. Before I was a mom I prayed.
Before I was a mom I had a dream. A dream that set the course for my life. That night I dreamt of my wedding. I could see my groom. It was this man I barely knew yet felt connected with. I saw things in great detail. I saw the wedding gown, the veil, the church including the carpeting. When I woke up I prayed again. I told God that I would take that dream as an answer to my prayer of the night before but that as I lived through the year leading up to my wedding day if at any time something proved to me that I was making a mistake I would call it off. Before I was a mom I was a woman determined to make the right decision.
July 4, 1977 I was invited to attend a church picnic with my fiance's family. I heard how God wanted a personal relationship with everyone. God was alive and willing to have communication with us. Mind you I already believed in God and I had faith that He answered my prayers the dream of my wedding was not the first time I had felt that God had responded to me. When the Pastor asked who wanted to accept Christ as their personal savior my hand was up in a flash. Before I was a mom I was a woman in need of a Savior.
During that year I spent some time with my future mother in law. She asked me one day if I would consider wearing her wedding gown. As we climbed the stairs to go look at the dress I saw her wedding photo on the wall at the top of the staircase. It was the dress I saw in my dream. The veil was different but that was the same dress. I accepted her offer.
As the time drew closer I went shopping for a veil and I came across the same exact veil I had seen in my dream. I felt such confirmation everytime something happended that reflected my dream. One day while we were just relaxing we talked about some things and I mentioned that I wondered if we were really going to get married since he had never actually asked me to marry him. He got down on one knee and asked me to please become his wife.
The day came when we were going to the church (mind you I had never been there before in my life) and when we walked in I knew where everything was... it was exactly the same as in my dream. Right down to the ugly carpeting. (I'm sorry after all this time I still think that carpeting was ugly and it was a detail that proved beyond a shadow of doubt that God had shown me this was the man I was supposed to marry). Before I was a mom I was a woman in love, willing to spend forever with this one man. A month and a half after my 18th birthday I graduated from high school and two days after my graduation I married the man of my dreams (literally)!
Before I was a mom I was a bride. 31 years of marriage, 3 children, 3 children in love (our daughters & son in laws) and now grandbabies too ~ before I was a mom I could only hope and dream of all that life would hold for me and my family ... now I am a mom and a grandmomma and my best advice to share is to LOVE your family every day no matter what!!!!
So the topic of this post is : Before I was a mom.
I know some of you may think what does she have to say now? Her kids are all out of the house, married and with children or expecting children of their own. All of that is true but I'm not so far gone that I can't recall life before becoming a mother. I feel equipped to compare life before & after the arrival of the first child to stretch my imagination & take me to new heights in living life.
Before I was a mom I was in high school. My wedding day took place 2 days after my high school graduation. Before I was a mom I walked daily, basically everywhere. (Not so ever since.)
Before I was blessed with children I had an idea of what I wanted my life to look like (mind you this was before I met "the ONE" who changed that forever) ... I had even gone so far as to map it all out during a discussion with my girl friend ...we were sitting in her room and she was telling me how she knew what she wanted to study in college and how she wanted to be married and have several kids etc ... so she asked me what I wanted to do with my life after high school. I told her I wanted to go to college and I would go into an area that revolved around counseling. I wanted to meet my husband and get married around the age of 24, have the house with the white picket fence around our yard & have lots of room for our babies to grow. Ahh what a day dream that was. The fact is before I was a mom I was just a teenager with day dreams. During the last couple of months of my junior year of high school I met my husband. By the age of 16 I had already had 3 marriage proposals. I had turned them all down ~ first because they were all wrong for me and secondly because I knew what I wanted & expected out of life. Marriage wasn't top priority. In fact 2 weeks before I met my husband I had told my grandmother that I was done with boys for a while. I had decided to concentrate on finishing school and not bothering with guys. (mind you this followed 2 of the 3 marriage proposals) Then I met my husband and all that changed. In the very beginning of our relationship we fought. We fought on the day we met. We fought the next time we met. We fought the third time we met. ... see a theme here? It was around this time I had a phone call from a long distance guy friend ... he was soooo cute but too far away for me... anyway we were talking & I mentioned this guy that I had met and how every time we got around each other we'd end up fighting. For a second I thought the phone had gone dead. Then suddenly he starts telling me how I can't marry this guy because he has our life all planned. He basically proposed marriage to me but the catch was he was going into the service and then following how many yrs he planned on signing up for duty then we would marry at the age of 36. Needless to say he wasn't happy when I told him no thank you.
My husband and I had only met and seen each other for two weeks when he drops this on me ... (the scene: local ice cream parlor Sunday afternoon relaxed atmosphere) suddenly I hear him say; "So when are we getting married?" I respond; "Well I'm certainly not getting married until after I graduate high school." He asked me when graduation was, I pull out a small date book and look it up. He looks at the date book and said, "We can get married Sunday June 25, 1978" ~ yes he set the wedding date for 2 days after my graduation. Mind you I thought this was a joke. He was extremely serious. He went home and told everyone he was getting married and our wedding date was set.
Before I was a mom I was an engaged woman who didn't even realize she was actually engaged.
Monday in school I met up with my friend who had introduced me to my husband. She congratulated me on our upcoming wedding. How could he be serious? I thought he had been joking. And how could he have told everyone so quickly? I went home and that night I poured my heart out to God. I told God how I knew the first 3 marriage proposals were without merit. I also told Him how I had 'planned' what I was going to do with my life. Then I asked God to help me. I pleaded with Him to let me know what I was supposed to do. If this was really the man for me then I didn't want to lose him. But if he wasn't the One for me then I didn't want to lead him on either. Before I was a mom I prayed.
Before I was a mom I had a dream. A dream that set the course for my life. That night I dreamt of my wedding. I could see my groom. It was this man I barely knew yet felt connected with. I saw things in great detail. I saw the wedding gown, the veil, the church including the carpeting. When I woke up I prayed again. I told God that I would take that dream as an answer to my prayer of the night before but that as I lived through the year leading up to my wedding day if at any time something proved to me that I was making a mistake I would call it off. Before I was a mom I was a woman determined to make the right decision.
July 4, 1977 I was invited to attend a church picnic with my fiance's family. I heard how God wanted a personal relationship with everyone. God was alive and willing to have communication with us. Mind you I already believed in God and I had faith that He answered my prayers the dream of my wedding was not the first time I had felt that God had responded to me. When the Pastor asked who wanted to accept Christ as their personal savior my hand was up in a flash. Before I was a mom I was a woman in need of a Savior.
During that year I spent some time with my future mother in law. She asked me one day if I would consider wearing her wedding gown. As we climbed the stairs to go look at the dress I saw her wedding photo on the wall at the top of the staircase. It was the dress I saw in my dream. The veil was different but that was the same dress. I accepted her offer.
As the time drew closer I went shopping for a veil and I came across the same exact veil I had seen in my dream. I felt such confirmation everytime something happended that reflected my dream. One day while we were just relaxing we talked about some things and I mentioned that I wondered if we were really going to get married since he had never actually asked me to marry him. He got down on one knee and asked me to please become his wife.
The day came when we were going to the church (mind you I had never been there before in my life) and when we walked in I knew where everything was... it was exactly the same as in my dream. Right down to the ugly carpeting. (I'm sorry after all this time I still think that carpeting was ugly and it was a detail that proved beyond a shadow of doubt that God had shown me this was the man I was supposed to marry). Before I was a mom I was a woman in love, willing to spend forever with this one man. A month and a half after my 18th birthday I graduated from high school and two days after my graduation I married the man of my dreams (literally)!
Before I was a mom I was a bride. 31 years of marriage, 3 children, 3 children in love (our daughters & son in laws) and now grandbabies too ~ before I was a mom I could only hope and dream of all that life would hold for me and my family ... now I am a mom and a grandmomma and my best advice to share is to LOVE your family every day no matter what!!!!
Monday, August 10, 2009
What's that in the ???
What's that? In the where? Oh NO it isn't!!!! Yes it was. Okay so far so good.
Yes it's that kind of a day around here so far. I have found spiders, mind you they don't bother me as long as they are allllllll outside! But there is one living in my living room (okay so his brothers & sisters, aunts & uncles are all in hiding, and he is the only one I can "SEE") ... and one of these days he will be no more because I will be brave enough ~ or I will give in & call my hubby in to do the dirty deed. As long as he seems content to stay put I think I can arrange to ignore him... but the minute I have to wonder where he's gotten off to then I will not be able to stand it any longer.
I will let you know besides the uncharacteristic humane side of me showing up on behalf of the spider (and yes it's a rather small one or else it would have been history long before now) ... I have been under the weather. Oh it really didn't seem like such a big deal at first ... just came across as something that disagreed with me (no gall bladder = lots of times when food doesn't agree with me) ... but then one day became two and before I knew it an entire week of "running" wasn't so much fun. In fact I had actually stopped eating as much as I could in order to see if I could get things back under control. It didn't work. It had gotten to the point where even just water made me "run". But as of a couple of hours ago I have to say I feel the best I have in just a little over a week. I think perhaps (*& I hope I'm not jumping the gun a bit here in stating this) that it is finally under control. In the meantime I have lost an incredible amount of weight during this past week. Not the way I wanted to see it go but if it decides to stay gone I certainly won't be complaining!
So far I've managed to remain focused on my goals ~ the food has been great until this past week's episodes... but I know I can & will remain steady on this course now that my stomach seems to be feeling better. I am very close to having lost 10% of my weight. Which simply means I will reset my goal to lose the next 10%. I'm going to see this through even when it is hard. My ultimate goal hasn't been determined yet (weight wise) but I do know I have a very long slow journey ahead of me, and I'm ready and willing to reach the end of this journey no matter how long it takes.
Any of you care to share your tips on keeping your activity level up? Or what foods you enjoy the most that are also "healthy" choices please leave a comment & share away.
Wishing you all a happy healthy day & may all your projects remain "frog free"!!!
Yes it's that kind of a day around here so far. I have found spiders, mind you they don't bother me as long as they are allllllll outside! But there is one living in my living room (okay so his brothers & sisters, aunts & uncles are all in hiding, and he is the only one I can "SEE") ... and one of these days he will be no more because I will be brave enough ~ or I will give in & call my hubby in to do the dirty deed. As long as he seems content to stay put I think I can arrange to ignore him... but the minute I have to wonder where he's gotten off to then I will not be able to stand it any longer.
I will let you know besides the uncharacteristic humane side of me showing up on behalf of the spider (and yes it's a rather small one or else it would have been history long before now) ... I have been under the weather. Oh it really didn't seem like such a big deal at first ... just came across as something that disagreed with me (no gall bladder = lots of times when food doesn't agree with me) ... but then one day became two and before I knew it an entire week of "running" wasn't so much fun. In fact I had actually stopped eating as much as I could in order to see if I could get things back under control. It didn't work. It had gotten to the point where even just water made me "run". But as of a couple of hours ago I have to say I feel the best I have in just a little over a week. I think perhaps (*& I hope I'm not jumping the gun a bit here in stating this) that it is finally under control. In the meantime I have lost an incredible amount of weight during this past week. Not the way I wanted to see it go but if it decides to stay gone I certainly won't be complaining!
So far I've managed to remain focused on my goals ~ the food has been great until this past week's episodes... but I know I can & will remain steady on this course now that my stomach seems to be feeling better. I am very close to having lost 10% of my weight. Which simply means I will reset my goal to lose the next 10%. I'm going to see this through even when it is hard. My ultimate goal hasn't been determined yet (weight wise) but I do know I have a very long slow journey ahead of me, and I'm ready and willing to reach the end of this journey no matter how long it takes.
Any of you care to share your tips on keeping your activity level up? Or what foods you enjoy the most that are also "healthy" choices please leave a comment & share away.
Wishing you all a happy healthy day & may all your projects remain "frog free"!!!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
I'm still around :)
Okay time for an update. First off I couldn't be happier. I have almost lost the 20 pounds I gained earlier this year. And as any of you who have tried to lose weight knows it goes on way easier (and Faster) than it goes off!
I have not experienced any drastic food cravings, I think whatever was happening to make me "food crazed" before has come to a complete stop (and that was within the first week) ~ now I simply figure out what I'm most hungry for and then see how it fits into my daily allotment of calories & carbs. Now my husband has read that it is more important to keep tabs on fat (saturated fats) along with the carbs becasue there are too many low to non carb choices out there that are very high in saturated fat!
What this all means is that together we have "embraced" this lifestyle. I am getting in my "activity" (simply put Exercise!!!) LOL by doing my walk away the pounds workout. I like that I can get up & turn it on any time I'm ready in the morning. Once done I can go about my day.
Also I have been really enjoying my fruits & veggies.
On a crochet note ... I'm sorry to report that I've been super lazy. I did make the beret & scarf for Kathleen... but I am lacking the baby sweater for Carter, and the completion of a baby sweater for my new grandchild due this November... and I need to make one for my grand baby due late Jan. (early Feb?).... so I need to get moving ~ the truth is my hands have been bothering me a bit and I have been lazy. Lazy Lazy Lazy!
I also need to get the shawl for my sister in law done... er, well , um... started! (& then done)
Not to forget the sweater for Angie that has been set aside & negelected. I need to get back to work on that!!!!
So I admitted my faults ... & am now making baby steps of progress on correcting them ~ how about you? You certainly do not need to confess anything to me but to yourself you do. You know what it is that you have put off repeatedly. Face it cause it is actually much easier to do it than to have to deal with it later. (like dusting off my mantle... ugh it would certainly have been much easier to do months ago when I first realized how dirty with dust it had become)
With that note .... I will leave you with this thought ...
May you find the strength you have within you all along is more than you need to accomplish that which you need to accomplish the most whether it be a crochet or other craft project, or losing weight, or increasing your activity level or cleaning your clutter.
May you have a "frog free" day :)
I have not experienced any drastic food cravings, I think whatever was happening to make me "food crazed" before has come to a complete stop (and that was within the first week) ~ now I simply figure out what I'm most hungry for and then see how it fits into my daily allotment of calories & carbs. Now my husband has read that it is more important to keep tabs on fat (saturated fats) along with the carbs becasue there are too many low to non carb choices out there that are very high in saturated fat!
What this all means is that together we have "embraced" this lifestyle. I am getting in my "activity" (simply put Exercise!!!) LOL by doing my walk away the pounds workout. I like that I can get up & turn it on any time I'm ready in the morning. Once done I can go about my day.
Also I have been really enjoying my fruits & veggies.
On a crochet note ... I'm sorry to report that I've been super lazy. I did make the beret & scarf for Kathleen... but I am lacking the baby sweater for Carter, and the completion of a baby sweater for my new grandchild due this November... and I need to make one for my grand baby due late Jan. (early Feb?).... so I need to get moving ~ the truth is my hands have been bothering me a bit and I have been lazy. Lazy Lazy Lazy!
I also need to get the shawl for my sister in law done... er, well , um... started! (& then done)
Not to forget the sweater for Angie that has been set aside & negelected. I need to get back to work on that!!!!
So I admitted my faults ... & am now making baby steps of progress on correcting them ~ how about you? You certainly do not need to confess anything to me but to yourself you do. You know what it is that you have put off repeatedly. Face it cause it is actually much easier to do it than to have to deal with it later. (like dusting off my mantle... ugh it would certainly have been much easier to do months ago when I first realized how dirty with dust it had become)
With that note .... I will leave you with this thought ...
May you find the strength you have within you all along is more than you need to accomplish that which you need to accomplish the most whether it be a crochet or other craft project, or losing weight, or increasing your activity level or cleaning your clutter.
May you have a "frog free" day :)
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