Last Day of the Year & Decade

It's hard to believe that we have come 10 years past all that hype from 2000. The meltdown and all that. I always have mixed emotions about New Year's. Actually, I've always hated it. And here's why. When I was a kid we would go to "watch night" service to "watch" for Jesus to come again. I didn't really want to, you know "leave just yet." So I was always fearful on New Year's Eve. Weird. Even tho I now realize it's not a bad thing( Jesus coming again) I always feel jittery on New Year's.
At the beginning of the year my blog was supposed to be the "Eating Well Blog." Whew. Time to get back to that. I kind of went "sideways" over the holidays. I've been thinking about changing the format or starting a new blog but I don't know I'm not sure. Don't really have the time.
Anyway be safe tonight!

Time is Running Out!

Got to get all the invoices and payables done. Hurry, hurry. It's almost the year end. Got to get everything in order for the tax man. And the Tax Man. ha ha Did alot today. Still working. Took a break and went to Sherwin Williams (whooo hoooo) and Italia Gardens. Then went to see Katie and Richie's house. They're painting and cleaning. They're trying to get all moved in by New Year's day. Took an old dryer to add to our own pile of (metal) junk. Lots of work~ 2 crews out tomorrow. Me? I'll be at home working on the puter. STAYING WARM:))

The Day After, The Day After

Time to "undeck" the Halls. Put away the Christmas gifts and take down the tree and all the decorations. Unplug the lights. etc...
Went to Michaels's yesterday for some 1/2 off to 70 percents off sales. Picked up wrapping paper and bows and even a few gifts for next year. Visited family and friends. Now I'm waiting for my dog to come home. He had a sleepover at his sisters.
Got a new game called "Apples to Apples." Can't wait to play it with the Renees. hint hint

Christmas Eve & Bread Pudding

Did the last minute grocery shopping. Everyone was in a merry mood. Even the bag guy. Still gotta make the bread pudding. And of course wrap a few last minute items. Bailey's bag of treats! The girls are at grandma's helping (and out of my hair thank goodness!) Tomorrow's breakfast is stuffed french toast and bacon and sausage. Have to cook for the kids you know. Nothing low fat/sugar there. Except I will use sugarfree jam for my stuffed french toast. I'm home alone jamming out to The Young Messiah, my favorite music to listen to at Christmas time.
Okay, here's the promised bread pudding recipe. (props to Grandma Rush)
grease 9 X 13 pan
butter 8 or 9 slices of day old bread and sprinkle with cinnamon; layer in pan
In sauce pan stirring constant: 3 beaten eggs, 1 qt milk, 2 C sugar, 1 stick margerine, dash of salt
scald then add 2 t. vanilla
pour over bread, let set 5 minutes
bake at 350 degrees about 45 minutes
Vanilla sauce
1 C sugar, 2T. flour, 1/4 t. salt, 1 can evap. milk, 3/4 C water
remove and add: 1 T. butter, 2&1/4 t. vanilla
Serve warm over bread pudding
**optional add 1/2 C raisins
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Let It Snow

It is officially winter time. :( But, on the positive side of things, the days are already getting LONGER!! :) Albeit, not by much, but it's a move in the right direction.
All gifts are bought and wrapped. All presents under the tree. The only thing left is the baking. I'm making bread pudding for Christmas Eve and Pineapple Upside down cake for Christmas day. Yikes, tons of sugar!
Oh, yeah and Sarah needs to finish painting the spare bedroom. It's going to have a theme of birds. My new obsession. Actually, I've always had an interest in birds. I have food and suet out in the back and we've been getting all sorts of birds. I especially like to watch the woodpeckers.

I Know You're All in Suspense

Yes I ate the chicken. One piece of breast meat with ALL the trimmings. The roads were terrible on the way to Frankenmuth. Cars in ditches and smashed up against the wall. It was frightening. Much better on the way home after they had salted the roads. Today is the Rush family Christmas. Turkey and all the trimmings. Oh boy. Another decision of whether or not to eat meat.

On The Seventh Day of Christmas

Wishing for a white Christmas. It looks like we just may have one. Now I want to drive around and look at Christmas lights. Just like we did as kids. It seems like there are lots up this year. I am done shopping and only one more gift to wrap. Then I can relax. A few dishes to make, but that's fun. Last night we are on our way to the movies, but then just didn't feel like sitting and watching a movie. So we went to the mall and walked around. Better exercise than a movie. Ate dinner at Don Pablos. (i hate the way your clothes smell when you eat there) Then went to Borders and read some veggie mags and books. Had an eggnog latte. Bad choice. I forgot to say, "decaf please." Yikes. Also, it made my sugar spike this morning. I know better than that. We are going to the annual Frankenmuth dinner tonight. Hmmmmm, will I cave and eat chicken or not....

On The Ninth Day of Christmas

Miscellaneous stuff.
Today will be the 7th day with no meat. Tonight is bean soup- yum. That's kind of boring but I am getting more creative with the meals. last nite was pesto pasta with mushrooms and tomatoes. It was very good.
Today is library day for me and Sydney. (and we go to McDonald's--shhhhhhh) I'll be having a salad, no chicken of course and the apple & nut snack.
Congrats to Robbie & Caytee and their new guy Riley! He is cute with lots of hair. Gotta run!

On the Tenth Day of Christmas

So much to do so little time. Finally got to the post office to mail the out of town packages. I had tried to go Monday; whoa-- no parking spots. So I made it there by 8:30 a.m. yesterday. No line! In the afternoon Syd, Evan and I made gingerbread peeps. That was fun. We broke a few legs trying to peel them up from the wax paper, but Evan did some surgery to fix them up. They still tasted fine! Last night a trip to the gym then a meal at Taboon. (mid-eastern) We counted at least 15 items + meals that don't include meat. We are trying to go meatless. That is not to say we are vegetarian, but heading in that direction. Haven't had meat in 5 days. This week's menu has 5 meals planned with no meat. Anyway, the dish we tried at Taboon was wonderful. A stirfry veggie dish over rice. Pita and hummus to start. Can't wait to return and try something else. Then off to do some last minute Christmas shopping. It was freezing and the roads were terrible. The wind was just whipping through my clothes. I hope that is the end of the shopping. I think we're done.
Anyway on this 10th day of Christmas I think I'll just stay inside. Wrap gifts, clean my messy kitchen, etc.. I am only goin out to pick up Syd from school. What will we do today? Probably play: house and playdough and maybe watch that kid (can't spell his name) on tv.

12th and 13th of the Month of December

Been a little hectic in the past couple of days. Friday we went to Sarah's uncle's funeral in Shelby Twp. That was quite a drive. Got home late in the afternoon. Then we had the 2nd annual KNS work Christmas dinner. We went to Mongolian BBQ. Then everyone came back and we played Monopoly and Balderdash. My 2 favorite games. Lots of fun. Got to bed late. Slept in. Then drove to Rochester to dine at a Vegetarian Restaurant. Very good. Had a potato garlic dip on toasted wheat pita, and we split an organic vegan veggie burger. Also very good. Then a trip to Whole Foods Market. It has moved to a larger facility. It was pretty awesome. Got some almond milk (that's what we drink now) some organic fruits & veggies, some soy cheese, and a whole bunch of other stuff. A really tasty cranberry & nut bread. Oh yes, and a bottle of organic wine that I can't wait to try.
Then rush home, change clothes to go to the concert at Cornerstone Church where my brother attends. He and my nephew were playing the drums. It was pretty awesome. Then we went out to eat at Olga's. Snackers & cheese and a salad. Niki & John (her new beau) came with us. I think they enjoyed the concert and the meal. He seems like a really nice guy. (so far).
Tomorrow starts the 12th day of Christmas.... and so on.

The Tenth Day of the Twelfth Month

Brrrrr! High of 23 degrees. Snow and ice! AND we're supposed to do an eviction today at 2 pm in Whitmore Lake no less! Sheriff said if there was inclement weather it would be rescheduled. I'm praying he feels this is inclement weather because I'm supposed to go! I cannot even imagine.
Movie Review: Julie & Julia. It was pretty good. Nothing real exciting. I read the book so I knew the plot. It might've been better had I not read the book. There were some cute moments. I'm glad I didn't spend $$ to see it in the theatre. This only cost me $1. I give it a B-

Wrapping Christmas Gifts

Wrapped gifts with a 5 yr old today. She was an excellent taper-er. She even helped to cut the paper. We watched Little Mermaid; one of our favorite movies to watch together. We cover our ears and eyes during the scary parts! (when Ursula the sea witch is on) When I was attaching the tags she informed me that mom doesn't use tags, she just writes right on the paper. Smart mom she has. She went to see Santa yesterday and told him she wants a princess castle. Hint, Hint! Almost done shopping. Lookin for 2 elusive gifts. Can't mention them here though.

The Nutcracker Ballet

We went to see my niece Sara in the Nutcracker. Way down in Pinckney. It was very good. She was beautiful; one of the snowflakes and again as one of the flowers. Great job Sara. Enjoyed the sugared pecans during the performance. Got the tree up last night, whew what a hub-bub! Lots of laughter telling old memories and even some arguing about the lights and ornaments. Then we had fondue. Katie's choice. We had to show Richie what fondue is all about. The girls said we hadn't had fondue since we moved to S.C. It was very tasty and loads of fun. Now I just have to clean up the mess in the kitchen! Lots to do. Gym, babysitting invoicing and need to get started on the Christmas cards before it's too late.

Day 5, December

Christmas is in 20 days! Bought the annual trip to FLA. tickets today!! FEB. 10 to 16. Going to stay with friends, plan to spend NO $$. Bye Bye snow and cold. Hopefully it won't be freezing down there. Busy, busy weekend. Card party tonite. Tomorrow niece Sara's in the Nutcracker ballet down in Pinckney. Sweet! Looking forward to that. Would like to get to the gym today or tomorrow. Lot's of work though. Everyone is out (cept me) working today and there is a full day for tomorrow and every day next week. It's either feast or famine. I'll take the feast, though-no complaints there. It just gets a little crazy. Psycho trash out today. Cash for Keys on Tuesday. Psycho eviction on Thursday. The people live(d) on a private road so the sheriff says we gotta load up the junk and drive it 1/2 mile to the end of the private road and UNLOAD it. Yeah, ok. Need some workers....

The Work Week Has Come and Gone

Already? How time flies. Did I get any work done this week? A little. So many other things to do this week. Unpacking. A trip to SVSU. Babysitting. Banking. FPU. A 1/2 day in the field. (no pics) Putting up the Christmas decorations. Cyber Monday shopping. Laundry. Ho Hum. Time to start the Christmas cards. Time to put up the tree. Finish up the shopping. Make the Figgy Pudding!

December

is the twelfth and last month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days.
In Latin, decem means "ten". December was also the tenth month in the Roman calendar until a monthless winter period was divided between January and February.
December's flower is the narcissus or holly. December's birthstones are turquoise, lapis lazuli, zircon, topaz (blue), or tanzanite.[citation needed]
December is the month with the shortest daylight hours of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and the longest daylight hours of the year in the Southern Hemisphere.

Pictures from Boyne Country

Bailey gets a little paranoid with all the packing up. We were looking for him. Found him in the open trunk! Picture of Reindeer in the Boyne City parade and picture of the car ferry at Charlevoix on the last day it was running for the year. Lucky us!

If You Get a Craving for Something Sweet

If you get a craving for something sweet, try Hershey's dark chocolate with blueberries, cranberries and almonds. All those fruits and nuts and dark chocolate are good for you. Plus you get to eat 2 big squares. Yumm. Home safe and sound. Rained all the way home. Bad traffic; had to detour and go thru Bay City to get back on I-75. Nice relaxing trip, but glad to be home.

Santa Parade in Boyne

Wow, how cute! There was a fire truck, 2 floats, 2 reindeer, and Santa. It lasted all of about 5 minutes. We almost missed it because we were in the New shoe store downtown. Woooo Whooooo. Then all the stores hosted an open house and had wonderful munchies and beverages. Some of favorites included, white chicken chili, mushroom & wild rice soup, kale chips, and for me even a mini long island iced tea; served by the drugstore no less. :) Don't know what we'll do today. Probably buy some bird seed so my dad has some for next week. The sun is shining and it looks to be a beautiful last day!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone

Sitting in my favorite hangout up north; Local Flavor. Sippin a cinnamon spice tea with steamed milk. Checking my e-mail, fb and such. Just had lunch at Red mesa. Still gotta go to Glen's and get the food for Thanksgiving dinner. :) Hope they're not out of stuff like, turkey, stuffing, green beans, pie, etc... If so then I guess we'll have to eat out. Already been to Charlexvoix. Went to the new cool Cherry store. Got some cherry soda, salsa and jam. Bought a fuzzy vest cuz it's a bit chilly. Sarah got a new pair of sweats for 7 bucks.
Enjoy your Thanksgiving; and BE thankful in all things. (IN) is the key word here!

Leaving Early

So, in a few minutes I'll be running around like a madwoman getting everything packed up and cleaning stuff. I hate leaving a dirty house. Love to come home to a nice clean home. I'm kind of thinking (hoping) we can get a jump start on this rainy weather that is supposed to arrive. Had to cancel my PT, :(
Boyne Country Here We Come!

I Might Just Ramble On

I'm trying to post more than last year so I may just ramble on and on. :)
Today I'm doing housework and beginning to pack for Boyne Country. Leaving on Wednesday. We decided to make a small dinner for Thanksgiving instead of blowing major bucks on the awesome buffet at the Perry Hotel. Dave Ramsey would be proud. Plus, our tummies will be happier. I hate stuffing my belly and feeling sick. I'm afraid that is what would happen at the Perry. We can probably eat 2 dinners out for the price the T-Day dinner would be at the Perry. Anyway, I love my own cooking, LOL!
I am thankful this year that I can stay home and work and even get paid for it! :))

The Weather Channel, Computer, Me and the Dog

On this fine Saturday. The weather is still holding out-nice. Just gonna hang out and maybe get some chores done and some invoicing. Been watching the weather channel, don't you just love the weather channel? We might go see the movie, "Blindside" later on tonight. It looks like a really good movie. Probably going to make a meatloaf and smashed potatoes for dinner. That's about it. Will start packing on Monday for the long awaited vacation to Boyne Country for Thanksgiving.

Wednesday is Field Day ~This Week

The Entry Way

The Parlour!

Wow, we went to this really "sweet" old house in Pinckney today. I mean it was amazing. Like a real classic. The woodwork, the really old doorknobs and stained glass windows. The rooms, I would love to decorate this house. Sigh. I'm sore. We moved 62 gallons of paint from the basement. Loaded up a trailer full of "exterior debris." But it was a nice warm day for such work. Got lots of metal for scrapping. There was some strange and wonderful items. 2 vintage bikes that my sister would probably sell on e-bay, but we'll just put em in the metal scrap. Got a huge shop vac that actually works! Most of the rest of the stuff was j-u-n-k. We'll probably go back because the peeps busted the locks we put up, peed in the toilets, and tore down the stickers, and even turned the water back on. They left a lovely plate of mac-n-cheese and some dog doo-doo on the floor. So maybe I will get to see my dream house again.

While visiting the quaint town of Pinckney we had a chance to stop at the Zukey Lake Tavern. Kind of a neat place, right on Zukey Lake. I had been there once a long time ago.

Tuscan White Bean Soup

1 Tbl olive oil
1 onion chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
4 fresh sage leaves
6 C low-fat, low-sodium veg or chicken broth
2 cans cannellini or white kidney beans, rinsed & drained
4 C shredded kale
pinch salt
pinch pepper
1. Heat oil in soup pot over med heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery & sage. Cook until softened, about 5 min.
2. Add the broth, beans, kale, salt, pepper and cook, stirring occas, unitl kale is tender-about 20 min.

A Nice, Peaceful, Relaxing Day

I got to sleep in a little bit. Then I ran off to Home Depot to see if they carried the "red, green, white" Christmas lights that we needed to finish the job. Already tried Gilroy's and Big Lots. But, Home Depot doesn't carry them either. Went to Lowe's. Apparently no one carries those any more. So I bought a colored strand and a plain white (clear) strand and spent a few hours pulling out then snapping back in the lights in the correct arrangement. Then Susan called from Florida. Seems they finally downloaded SKYPE to their computer and wanted us to do the same. After downloading the program and making some adjustments we were able to connect! It was so fun! Little Mya (age almost 3) was pretty tickled. What a nice way to keep in touch. It is a video phone call and it's FREE!!
After visiting with them for quit a while I decided to get back to finishing the lights. I ran out of red and green. Another trip to Lowe's. More pulling and snapping. Finally got the lights up and working. [Check em out Renee] A quick trip to the grocery store and then some reading.
For dinner I invented a recipe. Pork chops smothered in apples, sweet potatoes, sweet potato squash, leeks all sprinkled with brown sugar, a little juice from an orange and Cinnamon. Served with fresh brussel sprouts w/walnuts coated with a little butter & brown sugar. It was all very yummy! After I see about tomorrow's work schedule I will see if I can finish my book. All the while enjoying my desert; brownies with black beans inside. (smushed up good of course!)

A Wonderful Morning at the Market

I love going to the Farmer's Market. Any will do, but especially the Ann Arbor market. First we enjoyed breakfast at the Broken Egg joint. I've been going there for years. Always get the same thing; Elizabeth's Breakfast Stew. It used to be called, "The Kitchen Sink." Sarah enjoyed her granola & banana pancakes. Then we strolled through the market. It was warm and sunny. I so enjoy the sights, sounds and smells! We bought fresh sage, 100% stone ground freshly made wheat bread, organic tomatoes, Brussel sprouts, apples, broccoli, several spices at the spice store at Kerrytown market. I can't wait to go back in December for a pine wreath and centerpieces. There were many fall centerpieces but they were lots of $$.
Now were getting ready to put up the Christmas lights since it's so warm out.

A Beautiful, Warm, Sunny, November Day

Why do you feel so much better when the sun is shining? I think I need to move somewhere sunny. I wonder how many sunny vs. cloudy days we have in Michigan? I will need to go for a walk when the temp. rises just a little more. I'm going to post the recipe for the pear crisp that Sarah made yesterday. It is lowfat and low GI food. It was so yummy! I will post it soon.

Tuesday is Field Day

Only one job in Brighton. It was very boring. The people left the house neat as a pin.; Bust the door knob, drill out the others, screw in the new ones. Blow out the lines, blah-blah-blah. The highlight of the day was meeting up with an old friend back from the Curriculum Services days. We met for lunch at TGI Fridays in Brighton. It was fun to catch up. We reconnected through good ole FB. Not much else has been going on.
Happy Birthday to my mom. Party in Heaven I guess. Sure do miss her!

A Low GI Eating Day

Yesterday was the first day of the rest of my life. Just being silly. I stuck exactly to the GI diet plan. Buttermilk/oatmeal pancakes for breakfast. (w/fruit) GI basic salad w/basic GI dressing and Tuscan Bean Soup for lunch. Then for dinner, broiled fish, with potatoes, carrots and asparagus. Th pancakes and soup were very yummy. The fish dinner, not my favorite. Tonight is Beef with eggplant chili. Smells good, anyway. I think it will be tasty. So far the Tuscan bean soup was my favorite. Let me know if ya want the recipe.

Sights, Sounds, Smells of a Walk in Early November

Whew, that was a long title. I just got back from a very nice walk.
The sky was blue and the air clean and crisp.
The sun peaking before setting in a little while.
The pungent fragrance of someone burning leaves somewhere close by.
Leaves on the lawn and crunching in the street.
The air with just a little bite on my face and ears and hands.
Pumpkins and fall decorations on lawns and porches.
Yesterday's Jack-o-lanterns glaring at me as I pass.
Fall is probably my favorite time of year even though it means winter is right around the corner.

Halloween ~ Last Day of October

Well here it is the last day of October, Unbelievable!! It is also the day before the clock goes back. "Fall back." That's how I always remember it. Also, tomorrow I am starting the Low GI eating plan. We went shopping earlier and got most of the food for the week. I will be reporting on the various meals. I also am giving up coffee. Apparently it has a bad effect on diabetes. So, I'm switching to tea. I am stocked up on a variety of flavors. I also swiped a teapot from the cottage until I get my own. Shhhhh, don't tell anyone.

The Day Before the Last Day of October

If I write 2 more blogs I will have a record number of blogs for one month. Let's see if I can do that. Still waiting for the results from Sarah's biopsy. Stressful. Raining= blah. But, still trying to maintain a positive attitude. At noon I'm picking up Syd the Kid and were having a field trip. Lunch at Donald's and then a trip to the library. Her mom is going to the brother's harvest party. I don't mind a bit. I can't really explain why I like being with kids. I always have. Their little minds are so active and the stuff they say is amazing. Syd's sister has commented; "a 50 year old and a 5 year old, I just don't get it." LOL! Seems like I have always had a special kid in my life from time to time. Well, they're all special! Kids are so fun. Maybe that's it. They can just be themselves and You can just be yourself! That must be it. Anyway, Happy Friday.

Field Day Tuesday

Took place right in Swartz Creek. I stayed home today. Did some cleaning and finally got a chance to unpack. Even did a load of laundry. Made some awesome spinach/feta/mushroom omelets for dinner. I would say I accomplished much. It was like a stay at home work day. Even tho I'm home 4 days a week, I don't always have a chance to do the household chores. Weird.

An Exhausting Day

Up early to get the guys off on their schedule. 9:00 biopsy for Sarah at the Imaging Center. She is sore and not feeling well. I don't think she got much sleep. The Doc said we should hear from the lab by Wed. or Thur. I hate the waiting. Then we ran to the bank and grocery store. Picked up some ingredients for tonight's Sesame Chicken Stir-fry. It was very good; and I'm not even the only one who thought so. The recipe is from The Biggest Loser cookbook. Then I met with my PT at 3:30 and now I'm sore and stiff. But it was a good workout and I am ready to get back to the program!

A Quick Trip

Up and back to beautiful Boyne County. It rained pretty much the whole time and was pretty darn cold. Maybe high of 45. bRrRrR. Did a few chores to get things "winterized." Had an invigorating trip to the Petosky area. Went to Bill's Farm Market for some fall variety type squash. Had a hot spicy beverage at Roast & Toast. Ate a deliciouso lunch at Park City Grill. Window shopped all the interesting little shops. Browsed the bookstore and bought a couple of books. I bought , The GI Diet Clinic. A 13 week plan for permanent and healthy weight Loss, by Rick Gallop. Following a low GI (Glycemic Index) diet is great for diabetics. So back on the ole bandwagon I go. I really want/need to make these changes for life. I've been NOT following my plan lately and have been feeling puffy and slugish.

Going, Going....

Up North to the cottage. Last minute thing. Someone has to go and winterize the cottage and machinery. Might as well be us since we haven't been able to go much this year. Once only in fact. Dad feels better knowing someone is going to close things up. Even tho we will be going up for Thanksgiving this year. He like the mowers and such to be winterized. It will probably be a rainy cold weekend, but .... oh well. Planing a trip to Bill's Farm Market and Roast & Toast and the book store in town, and, and... not sure what else. Definitely planning on some nice warm fires in the fireplace.

My new shoes came today. Personalized~New Balance.

Field Day Tuesday

The day began warm and fallish and started with a trip to The French Laundry for a bagel and some Kenyan Coffee. Delish! Then trips to Highland, Clarkston, Davisburg, and Ortonville. It was mostly sunny and the fall colors were pretty wonderful. I don't mind driving around on a day like that. Nothing major to do. Some bids, a few lawn mows, a few lock changes. A tarp to nail down to a roof. Sarah blames me for what happened next. She pounded her thumb with a hammer. She says I was talking to her and distracted the job at hand.

( No pun intended.....) Here is the pic of her ouchie. Then we couldn't find the band aids so we had to use a diaper wipe and some duct tape. Yikes! I later found a "hello kitty" band aid and applied to the wound.

I wanted to stop and buy some pumpkins but then we couldn't find a pumpkin stand, so I was denied. We ate lunch at the bullfrog cafe. Hey, I'm starting to enjoy Field Day Tuesday after all!

A Good Excuse to Clean

Nothing like company coming over for a good thorough house cleaning! Peeps coming over tonight for the monthly Euchre Tourney. All the cracks and crevices are shiny. Making baked spaghetti, salad and garlic bread. Hot spiced or cold cider to drink. MMmmM nice and fallish.

A deer jumped out and hit Katie and Richie last night. Did lots of damage to the car. But, thankfully they are both okay. Not the same can be said of the poor deer.

Tuesday is Field Day

Bowling Ball Fence

Tuesday is the day I go out in the "field" and do the P & P route for the day. (P & P = property preservation) Yesterday's route took us to Pinckney, Brighton, South Lyon and finally Milford. The lovely bowling ball fence line was in Brighton. The gas station is in Milford and I just like it. The decor is old-fashioned Mobil stuff.

So this is what I did yesterday:

drilled out door locks

reinstalled new door locks

plunge toilets and put in anti-freeze

do the walk around and list damages and debris

take pics of EVERYTHING

load the GPS with every new address

fill out the forms

stopped by Erwins orchard for some hot cider and a doughnut! I mean, well, we WERE driving right by....

Pumpkin Spice Latte OR 5 Servings or Lucky Charms

Coffee is one of the world's most potent elixirs—and one of its most controversial. Some studies suggest that it boosts brainpower and prevent Parkinson's, while others claim that it increases your risk for heart disease. Allow us to set the record straight: A cup of joe can improve your health. And that's good, because three out of four Americans drink the heady brew every day. Problem is, souped-up, sugar-laden coffee drinks aren't the same as the unsullied stuff—and many people are easily duped into trading their usual antioxidant-rich caffeine fix for a “special” seasonal blend. Why is that bad? Just one venti Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks has more sugar than five servings of Lucky Charms—

Bling

'Bling-bling' (usually shortened to simply 'bling') is a hip hop slang term which refers to expensive jewelry and other accoutrements, and also to an entire lifestyle built around excess spending and ostentation. In its essence, the term 'bling' refers to the exterior manifestation of one's interior state of character, normally displayed through various forms of visual stimuli.

Want to lose weight as you chow down?

Want to lose weight as you chow down? Your wish is granted! (I promise, this is no fairy tale.) Your supermarket is filled with foods that studies show have lipid-melting powers to help melt fat and keep you slim. Stock up on these fat-fighting super bites, and you'll be trimmer even as you indulge. Read on to discover the eight foods that deserve a permanent spot in your fridge—and in your diet!
Almonds These yummy nuts are high in alpha-linolenic acid, which can accelerate your metabolism of fats. In fact, dieters who ate 3 ounces of almonds daily slashed their weight and body-mass index by 18 percent, while those who skipped the nuts reduced both numbers less— just 11 percent—a study in the International Journal of Obesity revealed. Chomp almonds à la carte (limit yourself to 12 per serving to keep calories in check). I get a pack at Starbucks and nibble throughout my day. Or sprinkle them into a recipe such as Black Bean–Almond Pesto Chicken. Go nuts!
Berries I tell my daughter, "These are nature's candy!" Turns out they're also your body's best friends. Strawberries, raspberries and other vitamin C–spiked fruit can supercharge your workout, helping you burn up to 30 percent more fat, research from Arizona State University at Mesa has found. If they're not in season, buy the little gems frozen in a bulk-sized bag so you'll always have them on hand to whip up a Berry Bliss Smoothie or Strawberry-Sunflower Pops, regardless of whether berries are in season.
Cinnamon Adding 1/4 teaspoon to your plate may prevent an insulin spike—an uptick that tells your body to store fat. Sprinkle it on your morning cereal or coffee or on your yogurt in the A.M., or savor it in Apple-Cinnamon-Raisin Oatmeal.
Mustard It's heaven on a soft pretzel, but mustard may also be a weight loss wonder. Turmeric, the spice that gives mustard its color, may slow the growth of fat tissues, a study in the journal Endocrinology finds. Use it on sandwiches instead of mayo, or sprinkle turmeric on cauliflower pre-roasting to give it a kick. Try it on tuna salad—I promise it adds zest.
Oranges This citrus fruit, which contains fat-blasting compounds known as flavones, deserves to be your main squeeze. Women who ate the most flavones had a much lower increase in body fat over a 14-year period, a study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition notes. Eat oranges sliced or swig fresh OJ (including pulp!) to get the best benefit from the fruit.
Soybeans Reason to toss a half cup on your salad? Soybeans are rich in choline, a compound that blocks the absorption of fat and breaks down fatty deposits. Oh, and they're addictively delish! But if breast cancer runs in your family, experts suggest you should talk to your doc before adding soy to your diet.
Sweet potatoes The colorful spuds' high-fiber content means they keep your insulin steadier than their white sisters, which means less fat packed on your hips, research finds. Top a small baked tater with lowfat cottage cheese for a tempting side dish, or whip up Miso Soup With Sweet Potato Dumplings.
Swiss cheese Calcium-rich foods reduce fat-producing enzymes and increase fat breakdown, and Swiss has more calcium than many of its cheesy peers. Choose the reduced-fat variety, such as Sargento. Slip it into your sandwich.
By Lucy Danziger, SELF Editor-in-Chief - Posted on Thu, Oct 08, 2009, 3:32 pm PDT wich, put it on top of high-fiber crackers or use it for a healthier grilled cheese. Yum!

A Brisk Walk

This morning was the Making Strides walk for Breast Cancer. It was 40 degrees at the start. Maybe 43 at the finish. It was pretty cold~ but we warmed up once we started. No rain! 3 miles through downtown Flint. I made about 2 & 1/2. Oh well. I'm out of shape again. Need to get back to the ole gym. Now I am sleepy and need a nap. Think I might just go and do that! After some hot spiced cider!

Cuban Shredded Beef

Cuban Shredded Beef ~ Recipe This falls in the category of: "among other things."
Get you a big hunk of beef LOL
Ingredients:
Pot Roast
1 can tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
1 green pepper
1 onion
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
2 cloves garlic, chopped
salt/pepper
Directions: cut up the pepper and onion and place on bottom of crockpot.
Place the roast on top.
Mix up the spices with the tomato sauce.
Pour on top of the meat.
Cook for 8 hours.
When beef is tender, shred with 2 forks. Serve over a bed of rice. (brown)

Stuck ~ In a Rut That Is

Seems a lot of folks are "blogged" out. Don't have much to say. It's getting colder ~ our fingers don't work so well on the keyboard. I've been working quit a bit so time is hard to find. Here is a news flash. We found out the "home invasion" on the next street over was really a suicide. I guess the guy called 911 so his wife wouldn't be the one to find him. Tragic. I'm still making sure windows/doors locked up tight. Went grocery shopping with my $75/week budget. Only spent $53. Yea for me! Making a delicious smelling dinner tonight called Cuban Beef. I'll report on how that works out. Really simple and in the crockpot it all goes. Well, gotta get back to work.

October 1st - Brrrr!

First frost of the season. Marlene called me yesterday to bring in my basil. So I picked it all and washed it and threw it in a baggie and into the fridge. Gonna make some pesto and freeze it.

October's birthstone is the opal. The opal is thought to have the power to predict illness. This is because the opal responds to heat. If you are sick your temperature increases before signs of illness appear. The increased body heat causes the opal to lose its shine, leaving it dull and lacking color. It is also said that the opal will crack if it is worn by someone who was not born in October.
Its birth flower is the calendula.

This is breast cancer awareness month. - One week until I walk. 3 miles...

Last Day of September

"Come," said the Wind to the Leaves one day.
"Come over the meadow and we will play."
"Put on your dresses of red and gold."
"For summer is gone and the days grow cold."



September's birthstone is the sapphire. The meaning is clear thinking.
The birthflowers for September are the forget-me-not, and aster.

A Baby Shower, Tea Party & Family Antics

Saturday was my niece Michelle's baby shower. She is expecting a boy in November on my Mom's birthday actually. The shower was a tea party. Very pretty. We had tea and little tea sandwiches and scones. I made cucumber sandwiches, which were very dainty and tasty. They were a big hit. She got lots of nice stuff. Here is a picture of her with the diaper cake I gave her. (Renee made it!) After the shower my sisters and nieces and I spent some time together reminiscing and being silly. So much fun. My poor brother-in-law Don. Other then baby Brady he was the only guy there. He hung in there with us though, and even played Uno,Uno,Uno with us! We ate left-overs for supper. Yumm all over again. I won't even tell you who peed their pants. (not me!) We laughed till we cried. A very nice time.

No Rest For the Weary

Work Work all day long ~ sounds like a country song. Hey wait a minute, it is! I scammed out of going back to the eviction house today. Didn't feel good. Neighbors woke me up. Drunk and laying in the yard.. Might be funny if it didn't keep me up. (No NOT the Renees.) Thankfully the peeps took at least 2/3 of their junk.( from the evict house) We saw pictures that an inspector took a couple days ago. I will stay here and keep plugging away at getting the accounts up to date.
Looking forward to the FPU class tonight. Financial Peace Univ. by Dave Ramsey. I highly reccommend it for anyone who feels frustrated by:

• not having cash on hand
• not having a savings account (with actual money in it!)
• not having a $1000 emergency fund
• having debt: small or major
• not having a 3 mos expenses account for when stuff happens

It's really enjoyable, you watch a dvd and then discuss with the people in a small group. People who messed up with their money, just like you. It's really an eye opening experience~especially regarding that six letter work; CREDIT.

Here is an excerpt: Imagine... Having absolutely no debt--no car payments, no credit card payments, not even a house payment. How would it feel to actually get to keep your money instead of mailing it out to a dozen creditors month after month?

Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

Views From A Live Eviction

A Very Busy Day!

Wednesday dawned bright and sunny as we headed down to Howell to do the "live" eviction. The PO-po were there. (Just in case.) They cased the joint, but no one was there. So we broke in and started moving stuff out. Tons and tons of stuff! About an hour later, a car speeding down the road honking came to an abrupt stop. A lady jumped out and started cursing us all. It was the homeowner. The 2 sheriffs had to calm her down. At one point I heard the sheriff tell her, "do not touch me again." She was pretty upset. We just kept on moving stuff out. The neighbors tried to help by putting stuff in their garages. Apparently her husband or "ex", we're still not sure which, was out of town. She tried to tell the sheriff that the governor said she could stay. It took 8 of us FIVE hours to get all the stuff, and I mean ALL. The sheriff said EVERYTHING; even the fridge and washer/dryer! The garage was packed with junk. Now we are waiting to get the "ok" to go and get all the stuff they didn't take or move. sigh.... After a while the neigbors were getting tired of sorting through all the stuff the lady wanted to keep. The next door neighbor bought us all Little Ceasar's pizza and some pop. She wouldn't even take any money from us. I think maybe they appreciated the fact that we were not throwing the stuff any old which way. At any rate it was extremely nice of her.

To Be Continued....

Nothing New Under the Blue Skies

Work, work, work all day.
Make more money, better pay.

LOL - that's a rhyme I just made up.
Just got back from PT so I am tired~whew!
Making fish tacos, fresh green beans, Waldorf salad for dinner. Oh yeah, and sweet potato chips!
Tomorrow is the "live" eviction. I will report on that tomorrow.
Ok, gotta go back to work.

Blue Skies and Butterflies

The saying has been circling in my head all week. It's been such a beautiful week weather wise, plenty of blue skies. Then I saw a few butterflies flitting about. Cool, crisp early mornings, warm days, breezy evenings. Very nice. First day back to school, or first day of school for Sydney, Riley and a few more. I haven't had time to write or much less think because ever since we got back from up north we've been blasted by work. (a good thing I assure you!) We found out we are the number one vendor in our Flint zone now. However, we were already the number one vendor in our Oakland/Livingston zone. So, they've been crankin out the work orders. Need to hire new employees because we just lost 2. Anyone know of anyone who is trustworthy?
Upcoming Events~
Today - Happy 20th Birthday to Katie; age 20!
Wednesday - we are doing a "live" eviction in Howell; exciting!
Wednesday - 2nd class of "financial peace univ." - enjoyed the first class alot
Saturday - Creek homecoming

Bye Bye Beautiful Boyne

View from the top of Avalanche Mt. Lake Charlevoix in B.C.

It was a beautiful weekend weather wise. Mid to upper 70's and lots of sunshine. The water was a bit cool, but that didn't stop us from taking everyone tubing. Took the Sheicks and Bailey's sister Phoebe. We took in the sights and sounds of the last "stroll the streets" in Boyne City and dined at Red Mesa Grill. Went to a classic car show, and climbed Avalanche Mtn. to see the sailboats arrive. (Red Fox Regatta) Had B.C. Pizza, grilled fresh whitefish. Went to the Farmer's market, bought Johnecheck (correct spelling) corn. Ice cream at Kilwins. Some biked up Boyne Mtn. All the way. Then Phoebe tried to follow them and almost bit the dust because she went out to that crazy Deer Lake Rd. Luckily the driver saw her and screeched the brakes. Whew! Scary!

Copycat Sandwich from Dale's Natural Food's

Oh man, this sandwich is sooo good!
Pita bread
hummus
cukes
tomato
red onion
sprouts
lettuce
topped with avacado slices
I cannot begin to tell you how good it is. You just have to make one, right now! That's what I did and now I'm eatin it! Then I'm goin to PT to punish my body.

Packing to Go Up North and Other Things

Doing laundry so I can pack. Leaving tomorrow for Boyne, yea! Supposed to be nice weather, yea! Taking Sarah's cousins Mike, Chris and T. (Trenton) I'm going to be doing some vicious driving of the boat. There will be plenty of whuppins! Then the farmers market on Sat. with some good ole "Johhnychec" corn--yumm.
Other Things~ While I'm thinking about it~ getting a start on my Christmas list.
Christmas list:
flat iron
Sonycard for my book reader
MP -3 Music card
TEA POT - not the one you pour in your nose when you have a cold. ha ha
Expensive warm sweater from LLB; the one in the cataloug
work out clothes - SIZE L :)
CHIA herb garden
That bump thing you put in your hair to make a beehive hairdo tee hee, jk
food processor
Not much, this year; really...

I've Been Cooking Creatively Again

Homemade marinara with tomatoes from the garden. Dressed up with herbs from the herb garden. I am really loving fresh basil! Then I made a salad with baby greens, pears, walnuts and goat cheese. Dressing: 2 tlb balsamic vinegar, 1 tlb oil, a little basil, 1/4 t stone ground or poupon mustard. Very good and low cal.
Tonight's dinner:
grilled chicken
corn on cob - local
salad - listed above
grilled peaches!!!

RoseMary's Freezer Pickles

A little birdie told me that some peeps were wanting my mom's freezer pickle recipe. Tis the season, so here it is. ( I of course have the recipe :) I don't really like cukes but I remember that these are yummy.
Freezer Pickles
5-6 3 inch sliced cukes
2 C sliced onions
4 t kosher salt
2 t water
1 t dried dill weed
1/4 C vinegar
3/4 C sugar
mix cukes, onions and salt. Mix in 2 t water in 2 qt bowl (non aluminum)
let stand for 2 hours. Drain, do not rinse
Return to bowl, add sugar, vinegar and dill.
Let stand until sugar dissolves liquid covers the veggies
Put in containers and freeze.

Did You Know You Lose 8,000 Hairs A Day?

That is what Niki told me the other day. That got me to thinking about the verse in the bible about the matter. It is this. "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of our Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Mt 10: 29-30 Pretty cool huh, that God knows how many hairs on each one of our heads?
By the way losing 8,000 hairs a day sounds extreme to me. I wouldn't even think I have 8,000!
Busy today getting ready for Niki's birthday tomorrow. Having homemade Sloppy Joes and homemade mac-and-cheese.

Gone Again

Making the mad dash~ getting everything ready...
Going Camping for the extended week end.
Be back Monday.
Hope it doesn't snow!!

Didn't Your Mother Always Say

If you don't have anything nice to say then: don't say anything at all.
Some people really need to grasp this concept. Oh yeah, and I think this applies to written communication too.

Ephesians 4.29 ~ "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

Philippians 4.8-9 ~ "Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-thing about such things." Here's the kicker (my words) the benefit in verse 9. "And the God of peace will be with you."
Yes people I am reading and quoting God's Word. Fan yourself. :-)
P.s. I know this applies to my big mouth as well....

The American Cancer Society:

The American Cancer Society:

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A Packed Fun-Filled Day

My day yesterday started off with a breakfast for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk that I'm doing in October. StridesEastMI@cancer.org Then I went to the Northville Farmer's market with Karen and Riley. That was fun! Got a few veggies and a cool Mexican Pepper plant. Then we shopped at Trader Joe's natural food store. Sure wish we had one here. Then we went back to my sister's house. Karen made some awesome nachos for lunch. Riley and I played Crazy Eights and had a coloring contest. I lost! :( Played with Brady, played Uno, Uno, Uno with Karen and Riley then it was time to go home. Immediately left for pizza and salad with Sarah's parents then off to the "Back to the Bricks" curise. We "cruised" in their 1987 Chrysler LeBaron Convertible. The cruise was on Saginaw Street from Grand Blanc to Downtown. Quit fun car AND people watching. Got home about 9 p.m. and fell into bed sound asleep by 9:30 p.m.

Tick, Tick, My Weight Ticker Finally went DOWN

Finally, whew! Moving in the right direction. Lost a lb and 1/2. Had to get back with the program.Got to stick with it. This is a way of life.
Get with the program
Get on the stick
Run with the ball
Keep on Truckin
Get a move on
Follow your dreams
Please add any motivational sayings as comments! I need to hear them!!

Where'd the Power Go?

Blink, blink, zzzzzzzzzzz, pift! Power is gone. The neighbors all gather out in the road to discuss what was going on. No response from Consumers. Vrmmmmm, vrmmmmm as the generators started one after another. At one point there were 7 going in a small area of our street. When we saw Mr. Yeller dumping buckets repeatedly we offered our second generator to them. They were very grateful. It was crucial to run the sump pumps as we had just gotten 3 inches of rain in the morning. We have a back up sump but alas the battery was dead. Good thing for the generator. After the Renee's grilled some burgers (i think) they came over and we enjoyed some yard games in the front yard. Tom and Sarah went to get gas to run the generators after we heard that it wouldn't be back on until noon on Sunday. Collective groan as we all had heard about the forecast for the hottest day yet ~ 94 degrees. We were enjoying ourselves despite our circumstances despite the noise from the various generators. Sydney kept holding her hands over her ears. Cathy (yeller) came over to say Jennifer (neighbor) just heard from Consumers that the "on" time was moved up to midnight. Mac had gone to get gas for himself and the Yellers. Not 5 minutes later another neighbor (don't know her name) walked down to say, the power was on! Whew! The quiet was immediate as the generators buzzed off one after the other. Ahhh! We stayed outside until the lightening bugs and mosquitoes came out. Had to go in because Renees is scared they Will fly up her shorts. LOL. Staying inside today with the air cranked on.

It's All A Matter of Perspective

"Hey, why don't you learn how to drive?" Shouted the guy out the window he rolled down and then up, just to yell at me. Little did he know that I never drive the work truck and rarely drive the truck with the trailer, never full of roofing material and NEVER the afore mentioned on the expressway! I thought I was doing pretty good. It got a little shaky when I approached an over sized modular hogging up a lane and a half, let alone on a huge curve in the expressway. I started to get mad, then hurt then I thought, how many times have I been frustrated at someone doing something that pissed me off. Maybe I will be more patient next time. Because little do I know what is the situation that exists.

Granola, Gronola Bars & Muffins

My niece Karen called today to get my recipe for homemade granola. Then I told her about my awesome nut-raisin lowfat, low sugar muffins. She took that one too. Then she gave me her recipe for Granola Bars - yum they sound good. I made the granola tonight and plan to make the granola bars for when we go camping on the weekend.
Homemade Granola:
6 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup oil
2/3 cup honey
2/3 cup each of pecans, almonds, walnuts
1/3 cup warm water
1 and 1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried cherries
mix together water, oil and honey in small bowl
mix oats and nuts in large mixing bowl
then put oil mix into dry
put in 2 large cookie sheets and bake on 325
bake 10 minutes,, stir, then bake 10 more minutes
let cool completely then add raisins and cherries

The Garden Is A Mess O Weeds

Weeds, weeds, and more weeds! Whew. The garden is not doing so well. One of the farmers at the Farmer's market said it's not been good weather for the plants because we havn't had warm nights. Then with being gone so long the weeds took over. Spent some time this morning pulling out 3 foot weeds. So far we've had 2 cukes, a yellow squash, a zuchinni, and a handful of beans. Got some corn, plums, tomatoes and cantelope from the F.M. Gonna grill a steak, boil the corn and make a fruit bowl for dinner.

Pictures from the Great White North

It was a rather cool week up north. Bailey spent most of his time on the deck watching for the squirrels. There were a few nice sunsets. It rained a few times. We only took the boat out once and rode our bikes once. We went to a farm market but they mostly had cherries. It felt kind of nice to get back home.

Packing Again!

Getting ready to go up to the ole cottage in Boyne. Can't believe I haven't been there yet this year. Hope the boys can hold down the fort. And Renee of course, who will keep them in line. Got the cutest bird house from my sistopher Jan. It's a wooden camper. I will have to post a pic when I get back. See ya!

Pictures from Algonac Campground

Home Again ~ But Not For Long

Added 2 extra days on to our camping trip. Weather was nice, the spot was awesome. Right on the St. Clair River. I will upload pictures tomorrow. Stopped in Port Huron for lunch. Drove through a brief shower, then got home to sunny skies. I had 77 e-mails waiting for me in my "inbox." Gotta hurry up and clean the house and get the billing done so we can leave to go up to the cottage in Boyne on Friday. My bff Syd came over for BLT's tonight. Of course hers was just a B on toast. Then apples and peanut butter for a snack. We played "house." The garden yielded some beans and a cuke while we were gone. Gave the cuke to Syd cause she is the one who wanted us to plant them. Gonna cook the beans tomorrow.

Going Camping

To the Algonac State Park - It's right on the St. Clair River.
Come and Visit - Just call first.
Happy Birthday to me!

Big Dawg Water Ski Competition on Lake Jepawhit

When we lived in Gaines we heard about a private man made water ski lake that was built a few miles from the house. Whenever we drove by the gates were always locked. We were always curious about the place and just wanted to see what it looked like. Yesterday I was watching the morning news and they were talking about a ski competition on Lake Jepawhit in Gaines. Ah Ha I thought. That must be that lake we always wanted to see. So yesterday afternoon we drove over there and low and behold the gates were locked. Then we noticed a side road. Sure enough that was the access road to the lake. We could've seen the lake years ago, but we never knew about that side access road. Too funny. So we watched the Big Dawg slalom competition and had fun taking pictures and videos. Here is my favorite - shot by of course - me.

First Ever 5k Walk = Success

So, I started and finished my first ever 5k (3.1 miles) walk. No matter that I finished next to last. The point is after all that I set a goal to complete the walk and I did. It was amazingly hard. Couldn't have done it with out Sarah's gentle positive encouragement. It was a nice evening and pleasant surroundings. Crossroads Village. The only incident came when at the end the idiot who was running the finish line took it down about 5 minutes before we were done. Nice. Not so nice words I had for the race personnel. Needless to say we are supposed to get a full refund. I am expecting a written apology ~ or watch out they will get a scathing letter from me.

Blue Bird Family Returns

The bluebird is a symbol of happiness and optimism in numerous cultures around the world.

I am so excited. Mr. and Mrs. Blue bird came back to dwell in the old bird house again. We can hear the babies peeping every time their mommy and daddy bring them a fresh bug. They were very busy this afternoon going back and forth to bring the meal. It's so interesting to watch.

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay
My, oh my, what a wonderful day
Plenty of sunshine headin' my way
Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay
Mister Bluebird's on my shoulder
It's the truth, it's actual, Ev'rything is satisfactual
Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay
Wonderful feeling, wonderful day.

Eggplant Parm

Went to Rich's Farm Market today and got a wee little eggplant. Made some awesome Eggplant Parm w/spaghetti on the side. It was quite tasty. Mom and Dad always liked it when I made that. Cleaned the house today, whew it was dirty. Watered my plants, you know the usual. Got my hiney kicked at the gym. Did laundry. Guess I was pretty busy today. Oh and Ricky came back to see if the garage sale was open and plied Sarah for another can of paint. Put in an application at the Know Place (teacher's store) yesterday.
Please pray for Sarah's cousin Chris's mom. She had a stroke and is not really doing well.

Independence Day

Fourth of July Fact:

304 million: The nation’s population on this July Fourth.Source: Population clock <http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html>

Today's activities:

Me and Bailey sittin in the garage again w/ G. Sale ~ made $4.50 so far

Bugging Sarah to weed wack the yard

Going to Katie's in-laws for picnic and fireworks

Running up to Kroger to buy something to take to the picnic

Trying to motivate myself to do some kind of exercise

Happy Independence Day Everyone! Let Freedom Ring! Be thankful for our freedom today.

Just Me and Bailey Running the Garage Sale

Selling some of the leftover "stuff" from last weekend's garage sale. I love getting rid of "stuff." I always swear up and down that after the garage sale I will buy NO MORE stuff. Actually doing well for a second sale. At least the sun is out today and it's quite a bit warmer than the past few days.Sorry to hear it was only 58 degrees up north where my sistopher and brother-in-law-opher are. It's supposed to be summer after all! Ricky from down the street was here 13 times. Funny kid. He took some free house paint and painted his bike with it ~ tires and all. I gave him a free item though because he went and checked my signs and then pounded them in with a hammer. Now he's mad at my because I wouldn't give him an electric scooter or tv for five bucks! He'll be back tomorrow, I'm sure of it.

Garage Sale Extravaganza

4 days of garage sale bliss. What a sale. We grossed over $750 dollars. (Total of all people in sale.) Long and tiring days. Now we're gonna do it all over again. Have another sale this weekend at home and see if we can get rid of more "stuff." Why not. Not doing anything else. No money to spend anyway. There was a few funny moments, you know the weirdos you'll never forget. Some old dude asked for a bag and filled it up and then asked if he could have it all for $3. Uh, noooooooo. It was getting crazy though. The people had 7 dogs at their house. Yikes! Bark-O-Rama.
Happy Anniversary (H.A.) to Mar & Don AND Tom & Renee!

Finally Over The Hump

I hadn't lost a pound in over 3 weeks. Finally today I hit the mark! That's because I sweated it off yesterday, I think. And because my pt session was brutal. Anyway, yea!

Hot, Hot, N More Hot

Just trying to stay cool. Packing the trailer full of stuff to take to the BIG garage sale at Katie's mother in law's. Hoping it's a success. They live on a main drag. Getting rid of lots of stuff. Will probably be over there helping this weekend. No fire works in Flint this 4th ~ they said they don't have any money.



**stuff = junk in this blog.

Proud Lake, Wicked Thunderstorms & The Zoo

The camping trip to Proud Lake was lots of fun ~ cept for the wicked bad storms that kept us all up 2 nights in a row. Oh yeah, and the part where we arrived at the Detroit Zoo on Friday and found out it would be closing in 2 and 1/2 hours for a private event. So we drove back to the campground and decided to return back to the zoo on Saturday. Meanwhile we went to Kensington Metro Park for a picnic and some wildlife viewing.

Saturday we went to the zoo - whew it was hot! We walked til we dropped. Saw a lot of cool stuff. Pictures of some of the more unusual animal sights. The sloth in the rain forest exhibit was actually on the move (very slowly) to it's food. The docent said we were lucky to see it move - it normally sleeps up to 18 hours at a time. The next pic is one of the polar bears that decided to sit right on top of the viewing tube! The last pic is of some free roaming mammals - cute huh?

Gone Campin

Going camping with the Renee's to Proud Lake campground for the weekend. We are planning to go to the zoo on Friday. Hopefully no bad weather! I would like to go canoeing on Saturday. The storms need to stay south of us. See ya later...

It's Raining, It's POURING ~ June 17th

Happy Birthday Sarah (41) and Riley Rose Fisher (5). We have wet, soggy, soaked TP all over our front yard and trees. Sigh...... The idea was good, but now I'll be picking up TP all summer. It is so hard to get off once it's been wet. Going to make a birthday lowfat/sugar strawberry cheesecake. Can't wait to try it. Probably going to Mongolian BBQ for dinner. Coupon for free BD dinner.

I Love Good Morning Time

It was a beautiful morning this a.m. Just the right temp & breeze. Smells so fresh in the morning. I inadvertently scared some birds off the feeder when I put the blind up. Opps. The phrase "Good Morning Time" I stole from BFF Sydney. That's what she calls morning. Went to the Doc for my annual. He said my BP was perfect, my EKG was great, couldn't even make up something wrong. Hoping my A1C is down also. (blood sugar) He might let me take off one diabetes med. Depending on how the test comes out. Anyway, it was nice to hear the doc say, "you're doing awesome." For once!
We are cleaning blinds & windows today. Love the way the house smells after you clean. I think I'm a very sensory person. Especially as far as the olfactory goes. Nik is gone to her dad's for the summer. It is rather quiet. We will see how that goes...

Going to start the Dave Ramsey $$ stuff. I just kept hearing the name so I decided to look it up. Would really like to be debt free. That is not even a concept that sounds remotely do-able. Worth a try.

Ristorante de' Wheat Way

Ristorante de’ Wheat Way ~ Swartz Creek, Michigan


Main Course ~
Parmesan encrusted grilled grouper sandwich
On Grilled onion-rye bread with dill mayonnaise

Side Dishes ~
Homemade fresh low fat/sugar Slaw
Grilled seasoned asparagus spears

Choice of beverage tonight ~
Water with lemon slice
Red wine fruit spritzer

French Laundry, Karen Pianki (Mayes), & Chicken Salad

Had a wonderful breakfast with Karen who I haven't seen in way too many years. It was fun to catch up! I am glad to know I am not the only one who can't believe I'm 50! We met at the French Laundry in Fenton. They serve wonderful food. I am happy to report that I didn't over do. For dinner I made an awesome Grilled Tarragon Chicken Salad over a bed of spinach, drizzled with raspberry vinaigrette. Even Nik said it was deliciouso! Secret ingredients were: tarragon, apples, walnuts, dried cherries tossed with a little light olive oil mayo. Oh and of course grilled chicken.

10th of June

Went to Pt ~ now I can barely move! That's good right? Making my famous shrimp kabobs for dinner. Yum-o. Meeting Karen Pianki (Mayes) for breakfast tomorrow. Can't wait. We haven't seen each other in a million year. Actually 20 or so. Drinking a protein shake; supposed to put the oomph back into my muscles. Like spinach to Popeye. Just rambling here. How about a list.
Things I hope to do this summer.

Walk in a 5k Hustle
Keep losing weight
Go to the cottage
Cut down at least 1 med
Go camping
Go to the Detroit Zoo
See Riley & Brady
Have an awesome garden
Read a book or 2
Ride on a rail trail
See a bird I've never seen
Go to the Melting Pot
Turn 51

Walking At For-Mar Nature Preserve

Friday was a beautiful day so we decided to venture out to For-Mar Nature Preserve. Where I worked for a few months a couple years ago. It was warm and sunny and not many bugs. Near perfect. We walked a few different paths and visited some new spots that I had not been when I worked there. Got a map that showed several different parks where we can walk or ride. We decided to stop by Sports Authority to get a bike rack. Also got some fanny-pack water bottle holders. Now we are all set. I think tonight we will check out the park in Flushing. (biking)

Tonight is Sesame Chicken w/Noodles and steamed broccoli. The recipe is from the Biggest Loser Cookbook.

Feelin The Pain!

Oh my! My trainer is working me hard ~ let me tell you. I could hardly move yesterday when she got through with me. But, I am getting stronger ~that is a good thing. I can walk faster and longer. Couple days ago went for a 1MILE walk. We are signing up for a 5k run/walk at Crossroads Village on July 9th. Hopefully I can make the whole thing. Sarah says next year we will run - we shall see.
This morning we were getting ready for Niki's regional playoff softball game and for a joke I decided to try on Sarah's size 16 jeans. ( I'm supposed to add that they didn't fit her anymore anyway.....) Well, it ended up to be no joke. They fit and I swiped them! I can't breathe too good, but that's ok. ha ha I guess I get the hand-me-downs, but she will get to go shopping for the new stuff. It's all good. By the way the Dragons lost, but played an excellent game; 0-1. A real tear jerker.

Hit The Mark!

Yea me ~ I entered that new "century" of weight.
Ok, so I tried the hummus recipe from "Biggest Loser" (the one I gave you Jan), it's yucky. I have to work on it. For now I'm going to buy store bought til I can perfect one of my own.

Funny of the day ~ went to the grocery store and forgot to buy ANY lettuce. One of the huge staples of any diet, eating well, nutritious program. ha ha Have to go back now.