My Journey Through Life

I think I figured it out, it is the dressing...I put oil and balsamic vinegar on my salad tonight and it was good...just had to share my breakthrough!!!

As I witness the close of another year (where do they go?) I feel a peace and certainty that 2010 will be a good year. Not that 2009 was bad, but I have the right frame of mind to really change the things about myself that I want to change. It will be easy for me to change because I believe that I can do it. My husband and I are both going to work toward better health and fitness, it is always easier when we are doing it together. I guess he just went out to shovel snow... we didn't get much, but when you live in town, you have to have your sidewalks cleaned off! I am starting my resolutions a day early, cleaning the dining room table off. I just have to get working on Lauri's wedding album, now that the table is clear, I think I can begin! I have been thinking about Feng Shui and how the clutter in my house probably adds to the clutter in my mind and life. I am just so disorganized. I have the right mindset, I want to change and it will be easy for me to change... Thank yo...

No walking today, but I forgot to mention that I did 30 minutes with Leslie Sansone yesterday! I started listening to Wayne Dyer's "Excuses Begone" book. It is really speaking to me, I feel so inspired to stop making excuses and just do what I need and want to do. I also bought Tao Te Ching and started reading it. I will get back into doing Yoga and I will start meditating. It is great exercise and helps to calm me. Maybe I will start tonight!!

Good morning! Only four days left in 2009, then the big push to lose this weight and get healthy will really begin!! I have been doing better with exercise, but my diet has been horrible! It is so easy to let go and say, its the holidays, I can eat what I want. I don't think my heart and arteries really care what time of year it is. There are roadblocks that I am coming up against that I didn't really face in previous attempts to lose weight. Salads just don't appeal to me anymore. I really have to struggle to get through a salad...I think it is the dressing I used to eat at least one apple a day, sometimes two...I have a hard time doing that now. I think it is the kind of apples I have, sometimes they are just too sour. What is the problem? Have my taste buds changed? I will have to work to overcome this obstacles! Off to work now!

Merry Christmas to all!!!!

Work yesterday pretty much sucked. I had a project I was working on and the people I was working with didn't deliver which in turn reflected negatively on me. I ended up really bummed out at the end of the day. I decided that I had two choices: 1. sit around and wallow in self-pity and let it ruin my holiday or 2. Suck it up, forget about it and strive to do better in 2010. I chose option 2! Had to get up and get to work early yesterday and today, so no walking. I am beat tonight, especially after all the lovely holiday travelers increased my 2 hour ride home to 3.5 hours!!! All I want to do is eat cookies and sleep...well, maybe a cup of coffee!!! Tomorrow is Christmas Eve!!

The radio started talking to me at 6am. I really didn't want to get up yet, mostly cause I know how cold it is. One round of snoozing...then I was up and walking with Leslie Sansone. My trips to the gym will be later in the day, I don't want to go out into the frozen tundra that early in the morning. On the other hand, that is a great way to wake up!! You don't have to worry about not being awake enough to do your workout, the blast of fridgid air opens the eyes quickly!! And now...upstairs to the scale to see if there is any improvement. Even if there isn't, I won't mind cause I just feel better knowing that I worked out 5 of the past 7 days!!!

Yesterday my exercise was shoveling snow. It is amazing how you use different muscles that you didn't know you had! I don't feel too bad, but my legs were sore this morning. I really need to get my Christmas shopping done, I really should try to get out and get it done today as there really isn't any other time to do it. Tomorrow is weigh in, we will see if my exercise helped!!

When I woke up today, I knew where I was...at home...warm in my bed...while snow covered everything outside! It is beautiful, especially since I don't have to go anywhere. Everyone is advising against travel. I will go out in a bit and measure the snowfall. It is still coming down and doesn't look like it wants to stop any time soon. It has been a long time since I have seen this much snow at one time. As long as it stays cold, we will have a white Christmas!

This morning I woke up in a hotel room and really couldn't remember where I was. I stay away for work frequently, but I was in such a deep sleep, I just didn't know where I was! I disappointed myself by not making my way to the exercise room for a workout. I guess one day off won't hurt as long as I get back to it tomorrow. I had intentions of working out tonight, maybe I still will. Some people don't like to work out late in the evening, but it helps me sleep better. We are supposed to get snow tonight...may not be working tomorrow if it hits us. I have to get my Christmas shopping done!! I have to get my house cleaned!!! At least that is one thing I can work on if I don't work tomorrow....hopefully...unless I just curl up with a cup of hot chocolate and my DH instead...that sounds like more fun than cleaning!!

I did it, I walked 2 miles with the Leslie DVD. I dont' have a lot of energy in the morning, but she really motivates you and I was determined to finish. I feel so happy that I am taking action to be in better health!

I woke up this morning around 7am to the sound of Christmas Carols on the radio. I don't have to go to work till later today, so I had the luxury of sleeping in. Decided to by-pass the gym for the quicker alternative of walking with Leslie Sansone on DVD. I don't have to put as many clothes on and I don't have to go out in the cold! I like walking inside, I can still get a good workout without leaving the house. I also like to have a variety of workouts in my routine. Walking is what my big focus is right now. I know that I have osteporosis, I don't know if that is why my hips hurt sometimes when I am laying on my side or if it is just the burden of an extra 50 pounds or so. We will find that out together, dear reader if you continue with me on my journey to good health. Have a wonderful day, whether you are in the frozen tundra of the North or basking in the warmth of a Southern Climate!

Made it to the gym...that's two days in a row!! Walked on the treadmill for 30 minutes, and I challenged myself, ended up doing 1.57 miles. I want to build up to being able to do 1 mile in 15 minutes, that is my next goal.

DH has a meeting to go to this afternoon so I am going to take the opportunity to go to the gym again. I have just over 5 months left on my membership, I want to get my money's worth. I also have to finish decorating our tree, I can't believe Christmas is so close. Maybe I will do some shopping today, too.

I did it! I got myself out the door and to the gym. 15 minutes on the treadmill was all I could take...no, no, not like that...there were to women on the two treadmills next to me and they were talking to loudly that I couldn't hear the news that I was trying to watch. I rarely watch the news so I like my time at the gym to be my catch up on what's going on in the world time. I moved on to an elliptical machine with a blissfully quiet man next to me! Between the two machines I managed 2.28 miles in 30 minutes. After a stop to deposit some checks at the bank, I came home to a nice bowl of honey nut cheerios for breakfast. Working from home today will pose a challenge to not snack all day, but when I start the day off well, it helps me keep on track, especially now that I have you, dear reader to follow me on my journey!

well, I am about to take my first step. I joined the Gym last spring and have barely gotten there. I have been lucky to get there one day a week. I don't expect to go everyday, but to get my money's worth, I need to go more than I have. Until I am retired and have no place to go, I won't join a gym again. It just isn't worth it. We have equipment here at home and I can walk outside or with a video of Leslie Sansone. For the next four months, I need to go at least a couple days a week. That is going to do two things: Help me lose my one pound a week Get me conditioned to do the 'big walk' Here I go...

Well...maybe not sick, but I sure do feel tired all too often. I just can't stay on track with my eating or exercise program. It doesn't seem to matter to me that my life and health depend on it! I get so aggravated with myself! I was inspired by, of all things, watching the movie Julie and Julia. Her statement in the movie that she never finishes anything and needs a deadline is so true of me. I have all these great intentions, but I never finish. When I have a project at work, I finish it because I have to. When it comes to my personal life, there is nothing holding me accountable for finishing, so I don't. I got to thinking, if I did what Julie did, set a time line and got myself into the habit of writing everyday, maybe I could actually complete my goal. So here is my plan, please follow me on my journey to see if I can be successful. If no one follows me, I am sure to fail... I need to lose 50 pounds and a good rate of weight loss is 1 pound per week, so...I will add a...

I am feeling angry right now. I don't know when it started, but at some point in the day, while it was a beautiful, perfect day, I got in a bad mood. It may have been when I was talked to in a way that I didn't like...then I found out that the whole process of going to a conference has become a mess! I made plans to go with a group because I wanted to go with a friend of mine and my sister and niece. We are ending up spending way more for the tickets than we would have if we had purchased them on our own and now my friend isn't even going! I don't blame her, she has a perfectly good reason for not going. The thing is that we could have purchased tickets for $79.00 for three sessions, the tickets that they got for us cost $75.00 and is only for two sessions. We thought we had tickets for all three, now we have to spend an additional $24.00 a piece for the extra session. I feel a little better just getting it out of my system and I know that this must be part of Go...

DH called me this morning on his way home from work, wanted to go out for breakfast. I called his sister and we met her at Bob Evan's. I had the fruit and yogurt crepes and turkey sausage off the fit from the farm menu. Big mistake! It was really good, but the crepes had lowfat yogurt, don't know what the crepes themselves were made of, but the total was 10 points on WW! That is almost half my food for the day just on breakfast! I had a meal bar and milk for lunch and plan on a salad, which will be almost no points for supper. We did go for a walk for almost an hour, I have been doing great with my exercise and plan to go to the gym the next two days!

Had to drag myself out of bed, but I did it!!! Went to the gym, 15 minutes on the elliptical, 15 on the treadmill! That is exercise 7 out of the last 9 days!!! I feel so much better, especially after the Yankees 20 to 11 shellacking of the Red Sucks!!

My legs were bothering me a lot...really stiffening up when I was sleeping or driving in the car a long way. I would stop after an hour or so of driving and I felt like the Tin Man looking for an oil can!! I would have to start out and they would loosen up as I walked. After just one week of eating more sensibly (I still have to make improvments) and consistent exercise, I notice that my legs are not as stiff and sore!

Alarm off at 6am. I did not want to get up and exercise, but since I made yesterday my day off, I had to! Took a brisk 30 min walk...1.53 miles. I am so glad I did!

Decided not to work out today. My leg muscles are sore and I don't want to over-do it. Having dinner with a friend I haven't seen in ages. Maybe I will do some Yoga tonight before bed...trying to incorporate lots of different exercises into my routine!!

My legs are not as stiff in the mornings since I have been working out regularly. I know a week isn't enough time to see big changes, but if after that time, I notice an improvement, just think how much better it will be after a month....six months....a year. I have to go for a bone scan this fall, I hope there is improvement there, too.

Worked from home today, so I didn't have a chance to workout this morning. I am very proud of myself though, cause I did workout tonight! That is a 5 day streak of working out! Still ate more than I should have today, but I feel good about my exercise. I even went to the store and didn't get any coffee or cakes or anything!!

Got up a little before six and went to the gym. I did 30 minutes on the treadmill. I was going to do weights, but decided to get rid of some pounds before I start into that. Once I feel that I have been consistent with the cardio and am really losing weight, I can start mixing more strength training in. I just don't feel up to it now. Off for a shower and then to work!

This is my third day in a row to get up and exercise!!!! It is funny how when you do one good thing, it makes you want to do more!! Taking my bike ride today made me want to eat a healthy breakfast with more fruit and less fat!!! This picture was taken on July 11, 2009. I can't wait to look better!

Got up this morning at 6:45 to go for a bike ride. I was gonna ride out to the hotel, but decided I didn't have enough time or energy for my first ride!!! Check it out: MapMyWalk.com - General Road Cycling: General Road Cycling on 08/16/2009 Shared via AddThis

Another good day!! Got up at 6am, 15 minutes on treadmill, 15 on elliptical! Bagel for breakfast, salad for lunch, left over Chinese food for supper....too many snacks, still too much food, but I feel better that I am not eating all the time and I have worked out to days in a row!!!! One thing that needs to change with me is my mental state...what I mean is I have to think like a 'normal' person...a person who eats meals, but doesn't have to eat all the time. That is not normal. Normal is what I have done the past couple days, eaten meals with some sensible snacks...not constantly pushing food into my mouth. I have to think myself thin as well as work to get thin!

Today went very well. After eating breakfast around 8am, I didn't eat again until 2pm!!! That is some kind of record! I ate dinner at 6:30. When I got back to the hotel, I ate two snack bars....more than I should have had, but at least I wasn't eating ice cream or cookies!!!!

Up this morning at 6am. I felt well-rested for being in a hotel, I don't typically sleep well anywhere, but it is worse in hotels. I fall asleep easily, but wake up frequently. I hope this improves with better health. Walked on the tredmill for 15 mins, bike for 15 mins. Back to the hotel room for a shower. When I am eating less fat, I need to remember to take my metumucil every night, that's all I am going to say about that! LOL! Had a banana, corn flakes and yogurt for breakfast. I am thinking of picking something up for lunch so I don't eat food at work. I love the food at work, but I need to cut back on sodium...that is hard with restaurant food!!! It is no wonder we are overweight as a nation!! The pictures of the chocolate lava cake and pizza and pasta stand out above the pictures of what I could look like if I ate Jenny Craig or Nutrisystem food, or did this or that workout program! We are bombarded every day with food, food, eat this...but you must be thin.....

Symptoms that will get better? Legs feeling stiff, feet hurting, tired, lack of energy. When I am exercising on a regular basis and eating right and losing weight, these symptoms will go away!!!!

This was a good day!! I didn't want to eat everything that I saw....I didn't eat anything between breakfast and lunch!!! I will get up in the morning and walk on the treadmill. I even sucked it up and put my actual awful weight on my weight watchers profile!!!! What a breakthrough! I think that because I decided to take this journey publically, you, dear reader will help keep me accountable for my behaviors. It seems to me that the first day is always the easiest, I have all this fire and drive to do well. It doesn't last long enough for me to lose anything. I need to do like the girl on What Not to Wear is doing...until I lose the weight, I still need to embrace my body and my self for who I am now. I will not buy anymore clothes until I can buy a smaller size. I don't need clothes right now, so I don't need to spend money on clothes that won't fit the new me!!! Here's hoping tomorrow will be as good as today was! Follow me....

I got so involved in the family blog...getting ready for the reunion that I neglected this all together. I think I am ready to start my journey now. I am tired of being tired...tired of feeling like a failure when it comes to taking care of my health. I need to start creating what I used to call the 'total package'. I need to take care of my skin, eyes, teeth, body, mind, spirit, heart....Come with me........

Wow, it has been forever since I have been here, been busy on the other blog getting ready for our family reunion...and then there is work...not that my job is bad, it isn't...I like it, but it would still be nice to be a multi-millionaire and get to spend all my time with my DH! Back on the weight loss wagon again...joined Weight Watchers...I just needed a change. We also joined the gym again. I am two days into healthy eating and I feel great. I have to stop eating at 7 tonight so I can get some bloodwork done in the am...good excuse to keep me from eating late tonight!

My husband joined the gym again. I am glad he did, I hope he keeps up with going. He got a three day pass to give someone, so he gave it to me. We are heading out now. We belonged to this gym a year ago and we didn't rejoin cause we just didn't go enough. I don't really want to spend the money, but I am thinking that maybe since I haven't been exercising regularly, I should join. Maybe this time, if I join I will work out more. I would have to set guidelines for myself like, commit to going to the gym three days a week and working out at home three days. If I can get there more, fine, if not, then I will work out at home. That has been my stupid problem in the past. I was working out at home, doing well, decided to join the gym and then got the mindset that if I couldn't get to the gym, I didn't have to work out at all. Stupid, but it is the way my mind works. It is a challenge for me with my work schedule, but I am going to "untry" and just do it! ...

I wrote this shortly after my dad died last summer, just never felt moved to post it, but now, for some reason, I do. I’ve never been a poet But the feelings I have must be recorded somehow As a father, he had no equal As a friend, no one to compare I guess I’ll never know what Sacrifices were made Or what hopes and dreams may have been Left unfulfilled But we, his children and wife meant more than anything to him I treasure every moment of my childhood and my youth Spent fishing, and playing games And listening to silly songs And I feel certain that the dream of having A loving, happy family meant more to him Than fame or wealth And I wouldn’t trade those memories of anything And the best part is I know he wouldn’t have, either

My DH and I took my sister-in-law out for breakfast today. We went to Gettysburg, PA, to a nice little diner. We had a good breakfast, even though the service was slow...they were very busy. When we were done, we stopped and took a short walk on the battlefield. I don't know if you have ever been to Gettysburg, or have any interest in the Civil War, but that won't make a whole lot of difference here. We walked up to the Peace Light Memorial, if you have any interest in reading more about it, here is a link http://www.virtualgettysburg.com/exhibit/monuments/pages/cm040.html I have been to this monument many times, but was surprised to see several sheets of plywood, or boards of some type attached to stone walls. As we got closer, we could see that the reason for this is that some bunch of worthless, lowlife, rude, disrespectful, sick, disgusting beings...I say this cause they don't deserve to be called 'people' sprayed graffiti on several parts of the monument. ...

Got up early this morning and took time to cut up veggies for a salad. I thought this would go a long way to encouraging me to eat a salad for supper tonight instead of making an excuse to stop for fast food or get subs. My eating habits have been bad lately...way too much fat!!! I need to get with the program and stay with it. I fall off the healthy lifestyle wagon so easily! Say a little prayer for my success today!

My DH called me at 8am to ask if I wanted to go for a walk when he got home from work. Sure, I said, trying to be cheery, even though he had awakened me from a strange dream. My plan was to get back on track with diet and exercise today, so that was great timing. I put on some jeans that were less than clean, pulled my hair back in a pony tail, slipped on a t-shirt and sweatshirt and waited for his arrival. Shortly after he got home, I was checking out Yoville (almost have enough coin to buy my Cape Cod) when DH made a disgusted noise...he was trying to put my shoes on. You see, my feet are big and so we get our shoes mixed up easily. Anyway, we got our walking shoes on and away we went. It was cold...32 degrees! It was good to get out and walk...I have had so many things going on the last couple weeks that I have really ignored good eating habits and exercise has only been hit or miss. We were walking under the railroad underpass (highline as they call it here) and spotted a tin...

Haven't been able to get on here much lately, so I have lots to catch up on. Last night I got home from a business trip to Dallas, TX. First time in TX, it was so nice and warm! I missed my husband, but the meetings were good. Weighed in last Sunday since I had to stay overnight Sunday night so I could be at the airport early Monday morning. Another big surprise, lost another half pound!! I have now lost 10 pounds this year. The only problem is that I gave in to temptation way too much on the trip...ate somc cookies and pizza one night and didn't work out like I should have. I did hit the work out room on Wednesday night and we walked a lot around a mall. Fresh start today... got up and did an hour with Leslie Sansone walking! Oatmeal and a banana for breakfast! I plan to do an hour for the next two days and really watch what I eat. Hopefully I can rebound from the overeating and at least stay the same. Next week we go on a short vacation to celebrate our 10th anniv...

I was sick almost all last week. Starting Tuesday night my legs were achy...Wednesday, achy all over and chills, later that night ran a fever. Slept 9 or 10 hours Wednesday night. Still felt tired and miserable, cold and cough through the weekend. Finally Monday morning felt much better. My voice is even almost back to normal! I didn't have the strength to work out much, but got on the scale this morning and there it was...a three pound loss. Got to thinking about what I did differently while I was sick...water! I hardly drank any soda or coffee...but I was soooo thirsty all the time and I drank a ton of water! I am attributing the loss to that, it is a good motivator to keep away from the soda...even diet has a lot of sodium. Half a pound and I am at my first goal of 10 pounds!!!!

Tomorrow is Monday, weigh in day. I am not sure how I feel about it... I know I have exercised like I should and not eaten too much, but I never know what the outcome will be. Some weeks I do all that and don't lose an ounce...other times, like last week, I see a big change. Trying not to eat after 9pm but it is hard...drinking tea instead. Already made me lunch to take to work tomorrow, but I have to decide what to have for breakfast. I want something portable, since I have to leave early in the morning, but I want to avoid my favorite...bagel from Panera! Maybe a protein drink! Hope tomorrow brings good news on the scale!

I didn't get a chance to write about this yesterday. I was so happy to see that I have lost weight again this week! I feel so much better! I am sleeping better, even hot flashes seem to be less intense! I want to eat better. I don't want to eat the bad stuff...really, I mean part of me wants it, but I make the good choices instead! It feels great to choose fruit or veggies instead of empty calories. The fruits and veggies also fill me up more, so I don't feel like I have to eat as much. I eat when I am hungry, and only eat till I am full, not stuffed!

Roy hurried home after closing the store for the evening. He wanted to make sure he had time to clean up and look his best for Ellen, although he didn’t want his mother to know that. She was so particular and he thought if he waited around for a girl who suited her, he’d probably never get married. He was so fond of Ellen and Leah was such a good child. He felt as though he had missed out on something going a whole year without seeing them. He was quite surprised that his mother invited them for dinner, but he supposed she felt obligated to, since they were Luther’s family. “Well don’t you look nice?” Peggy said was Roy walked into the dining room. “You would think this was a special occasion.” “It kind of is, I’m so glad to see Ellen and Leah again.” Roy could share feelings with his sister that he would never dream of revealing to his mother. He knew that Peggy understood how he felt about Ellen and she would keep his comments to herself. When Luther’s knock came on the door, Roy jum...

Seems like it has been a long week. I guess it is cause I spent three days working in restaurants with a new General Manager. Thursday I got up at 5am, drove 2 hours, spent 3 hours there, then drove back 2 hours and was on my feet till 6pm. I was beat. Today I slept later, but was on my feet from 8am till 4pm...tiring! Have the weekend off, so I can recover. I will have to work out longer tomorrow cause I skipped today, my legs were just too tired and overworked. Been doing well with my eating and exercise. I am proud of myself!

I am very frustrated! I ate less all week and worked out every day and there is no change in my weight! I am thinking it may be my sodium intake that is holding me back. I will work to cut that back, plus this is the week of portion control. I do weigh most of what I eat, but still snack on some 100 calorie packs that I don't need. Snacks this week are fruits and veggies, not salty and sweet.

Tomorrow is weigh-in day and I don't really know what to think. I know I have done well, exercised every day and cut back on eating. I still need to cut my sodium intake, but that is hard when eating fast food several days a week. Need to think of something delicious and nutritious to make for dinner tomorrow night. I will be working from home all day so I can make something while I am working. Just found a cookbook that I forgot that I had with healthy recipes, think I will take a look at that and try to get an idea. It is very cold here, it looks sunny but it is only in the 20's so I don't even want to go outside. I do have a few things to get from the store, maybe I better take a shower and get moving!!

I realized this morning that I am even sleeping better!!! For a long time, I was waking up several times through the night for no apparent reason. The last two nights, I have only awakened when I had to go to the bathroom and this morning, that was only 15 minutes before the alarm was going to go off! I guess the better diet and exercise has many benefits. I heard a commercial for some weight-loss product last night...they said the most obvious thing making it sound like it was some startling new revelation: "Excess body fat accumulates due to poor diet and lack of exercise" Wow, they must be rocket scientists!! Do they think we don't know that? I wonder how many people sat up and said "oh, wow, you mean if I get up off my butt and move and don't eat a dozen donuts every day I will lose weight?!" Oh well, I guess if it motivated one person it was good.

This is me (obviously in the blue dress) last summer...I gained a couple more pounds after this, can't believe I let myself gain all that weight back. I've been thinking a lot lately about my renewed desire to eat right and exercise. I tried so hard for so long to get back on track and just couldn't do it for more than a couple days. I made every excuse to eat more, and not workout. Suddenly, as if I awaking from a bad dream, I have the desire and determination to do this. I did it before, I will do it again. I keep reminding myself that I am going to take baby steps. I am not going to change my plan if someone else challenges me to do so. I am going to stick with my plan and my goals. It is for me and my health. I will continue to be happy with small wins, or, I should say, losses. My goal weight is based on past performance, not any weight chart. When I get to that weight, I will work to maintain it...if I lose more, great, if I don't, I will be happy with where I a...

I am working at home today, doing administrative work, so the challenge will be to not eat constantly. Pretty much think that my big loss last week will keep me motivated, so wish me luck. Walked with Leslie Sansone this morning...off to a good start. Time for breakfast, a shower and then time to work! I have an appointment today, but I am going to call and try to change it to tomorrow so I don't have to take the time away from work that I must get done. My dh is working outside today...poor thing, the high is only supposed to be 25! God Bless him and keep him safe and warm. Happy Tuesday!

I decided that I had to stop making excuses for getting up an exercising, so I set my rooster alarm clock for 6am. The warmth of my blankets held me back a little, but I decided I would get warm while I was exericsing. First thing first...jump on the scale, it is Monday morning, after all. I expected to see a loss of a half pound or so, I exercised a couple of days, but didn't eat as well as I should have. Imagine my surprise when the scale showed a 2.5 pound loss since last Monday!!!! Well, that was enough to get me going. I walked with Leslie Sansone for 30 minutes, then had a bowl of Honey Nut Cherrios and took a shower. Kept my calorie intake low all day, I feel good!!! I feel like I can do this...really, really do it!! I will lose this weight. Total pounds to lose as of January 1, 2009: 55.5 Pounds lost as of January 19: 3.5 Maybe when I have lost most of the weight I will divulge what my starting weight was! Stay tuned!

My sister-in-law sent me an email with this on it...it is interesting...check it out... http://www.businesswriting.com/tests/commonmisspelled.html Getting ready to watch the Eagles game. I made some chili, thought it would be a good thing to have to eat on a cold day while watching football. I don't do a lot of cooking, but my dh said the chili was good, especially after he added his XXX sauce to it. I don't think I can stand that much heat! Good luck Eagles!

It is so cold here! 7.6 degrees at 8pm! I have the weekend off, dinner planned with a friend tomorrow night and I am not going to feel like going out. DH mentioned the other day that Tuesday shouldn't be too bad 'cause it will be up in the 40's ! BRRRRRRR! I was challenged at work today. A decision that I made was questioned and there was a back and forth with two co-workers. We ended up with a good compromise, but it is very frustrating when there are two people who you want to trust and you know that one of them has to be lying. It's done and it is always a learning experience for me. I am going to set quarterly goals for myself cause I have been in this job for almost two years and I want to be better at it than I am!!! My mantra this year...stick to my guns!! When I make a decision and feel in my heart that it is the right one, I am not budging unless someone has a valid argument for why it should be different, then I will listen and we can work something out. My c...

It was raining, but that wasn’t abnormal these days, August had been a very wet month, it seemed like it rained every day. Roy’s friend, Luther had driven to pick up his sister and her daughter and they would be stopping by any time now. Roy was glad that they were coming to visit. Over the past year, his thoughts had often turned to Ellen. He wanted an excuse to go back to Luther’s home so he could see Ellen and her sweet little daughter, Leah. Finally, he didn’t need any excuse, they were coming here! He heard a car pull up, but was disappointed to find it was just a customer pulling up for gas. His sister Peggy headed out to the pumps, but Roy stopped her. “I’ll get it,” he said, “You don’t need to go out there and get soaked.” As the day wore on, he began to think that they weren’t going to show up. “Maybe it would be tomorrow,” he thought. “You look like your waiting for someone, Roy, what’s going on?” his mother, Jane asked. “It’s just that Luther and his sister should be getting...

Today was a pretty good day at work. I conducted a meeting and it went well. I have been told, and I can tell that my level of confidence in myself has improved. I am learning to be more assertive and stand up for what I believe is the right decision. I will improve by leaps and bounds this year. I am planning quarterly goals to keep myself on track and move ahead in small steps. This will be a great year!

I feel pretty good today! I weighed myself and I have lost a whole pound...might not seem like much, but the longest journey and all that...it has been a long time since I have seen the number on the scale go down! I guess it inspired me, or maybe I just found the trick. I made an egg beater and turkey sausage sandwich and ate it on my way to work this morning. I took a salad along for lunch and was only hungry enough to eat half of it. I didn't have anything else to eat till I was on my way home...an apple at about 4:30. My stomach has been bothering me a lot lately, indegestion...I don't know what it is caused by since I can't narrow it down to any particular food. I had a string cheese when I got home since I was waiting for DH to arrive so we could have dinner. I am thinking the protein for breakfast today helped keep me full longer so I didn't want as much to eat for lunch. That may seem like a no-brainer to some people, but it never really helped me in the pa...

August 1951 Ellen was scrubbing the kitchen floor when the phone ran. She was happy to have a reason to take a break from the job, and even happier when she heard her brother’s voice on the line. “Ellen”, Luther started, “I am going to be off work for a while, would you and Leah like to visit?” “Of course, that would be wonderful!” Ellen said, almost jumping up and down. The first thought that came to her head was: ‘I’ll get to see Roy again’. One year had passed, but Ellen hadn’t forgotten about Roy. She thought of him often and longed to see him again. She had practically been praying that they would meet again. Luther made the three hour trip to pick up Ellen and Leah and bring them back to the quiet little town he had settled in. “Do you think Roy will remember me…us?” Ellen asked on the way. She didn’t want to seem over anxious, but she couldn’t help herself. “He has asked about you, so I am sure he will.” Luther answered with a smile. When they arrived in town, their first st...

Last week I noticed that my brakes were making an awful noise, so I took it to the dealer where I bought the car, they do all my service. It is walking distance from the house, so very convenient. I took it to them on Friday, January 1. They called back to tell me it needed a caliper, brake line and pads and rotors...for a total of $555.00. I didn't really have a choice, so I told them to fix it. They said the parts wouldn't be in till Monday. I asked if they had a loaner car and they said sure, come over and pick it up! Several years ago, I thought of getting a Buick LeSabre, but that didn't mean that I wanted to drive a 1995 one as my loaner car!! Beggars can't be choosers so since it was free...just make sure it is full of gas when you bring it back...I didn't complain. It didn't look that bad from the outside, except for a mark along the door where it looked like some decorative strip had been ripped off. When I sat in the car, I realized what I had been tak...

Ellen awoke early the next morning, dressed, did her hair (for Roy) and went to work baking an angel food cake, all before the boys woke up. They slept late since they were tired from their long trip the day before. After breakfast, Roy and Luther took Leah outside. Roy had a camera and was taking pictures of the Leah. Ellen watched them out the window, as she prepared icing for the cake. Leah was having such a good time, it made Ellen smile to see her little girl so happy! She was so distracted that she burned the icing, but decided to use it anyway; it couldn’t be all that bad. Ellen prepared dinner and when the time came to gather around the table, Roy was seated next to her. She was glad to be so close to him. As they ate the angel food cake for dessert, she made mention of the burned icing. Roy was so nice; he told her that it tasted good. Ellen felt like hugging and kissing him for the compliment. They spent the afternoon sitting on the porch. Ellen sat with Leah on the swin...

I wonder if I am the only person who has such a hard time driving sometimes...I don't know how many times I have missed a turn,them tried to turn around, and miss another turn or end up on a stupid one way street...I could see the hotel I was trying to get to but couldn't get there!!! I finally made it! At least the hotel is nice...the restaurant was good and the wait staff was very friendly. Now I just want to relax and not do anything! Oh I almost forgot, the battery went dead in the loaner car I have...thank God I was somewhere that someone had jumper cables!!! Glad the roads weren't icey...it is still raining tho! Time to sit and relax while I study materials for my meeting tomorrow!

Ellen awoke to the crowing of the rooster. The sun was just peeking through the bedroom window, and her cat, Sammy was lying on the bedspread, stretching to wake up. Ellen sat up and stretched herself. She looked across the room to see that Leah was still asleep in her crib. After pulling on a pair of old work pants and a faded button-down top, she put her hair up in curlers and covered them with a red bandanna. By the time she was done with her hair, Leah was awake and standing in her crib. “I want waffles for breakfast, please.” Leah asked, still sounding sleepy. “Waffles it is, then,” Ellen said as she picked the girl up and carried her downstairs. Once breakfast was over, Suzanne volunteered to take Leah outside to play while John and Ellen got to work on the floor. An hour of work passed before John broke the silence. “Your mother tells me that you have been complaining about Luther bringing his friend Roy home to visit. Why are you being so disagreeable?” “I don’t mean to be, ...

It's funny how things strike you when you aren't expecting it. I was baking in preparation for brunch tomorrow, and I was looking for a pan to bake my coffee cake in. I found a pan that was my mother's. Just a round blue pan that she used to make shortcake in. I wanted to cry, it was incredible the flood of memories that accompanied that little pan. My coffee cake is baking and I think it will be good, but it won't taste as good as the memory of mom's strawberry shortcake.

Step-son and his family will be coming tomorrow to have our Christmas with them. I am making a brunch...they will be here around 11 am. I have the menu planned out, just have to go shopping to get the food. I don't like grocery shopping, my husband does the bulk of the grocery shopping. He is so good with figuring what is the best buy and knowing where to buy different items. He will probably be sleeping, after working all night, so I will be on my own in the grocery store. The house cleaning is almost done, I want to finish it before getting a shower and going to the store. I plan on making some of the things ahead of time today, so it isn't as much work tomorrow morning. Better get to work..I hear my coffee beeping in the microwave!

Second day of the year...had an odd phone call this morning that my ex husband had given my phone number on a credit card. Of course, my OCD kicked in and I had to call the CC company to find out what was going on. Turned out he probably didn't give them the number, it came up in a skip trace. Now, I read Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum novels, so I know what that is...I think. Well, I guess it makes sense since he was arrested for selling drugs last month... Anyway, didn't make anything to eat till 11:30 am, so that was good. Breakfast and lunch in one small meal and I am not hungry. Took my car to have the brakes looked at...I fear it will not be good news. Had a great time doing Karaoke with my friend at her house last night. Playstation is great, we can sing and make fools of ourselves without having to go out in public. Was just thinking about this cool website my dh found...if you like music, check it out: http://www.jango.com/

Some of the movies listed here are my all time favorites, and some are movies that I have seen recently that I thought were good. A couple are movies that I never heard of till I watched them and they were surprisingly good. Check them out.

I wrote this story based on my parent's meeting and subsequent 57 year marriage The story is based on a love letter that my mother wrote to my dad after they were married (we think). The letter told of their meeting and how she felt about him. I suppose you could call it fact-based-fiction.

August 1950 Ellen sat at the kitchen table peeling an apple, the goal, as always, was to peel it in one continuous strip. She was the champion apple-peeler in the family, but today she was off her game. Her sisters, Elaine and Maria were doing a better job today. “I can’t believe Luther is bringing some total stranger here for dinner!” Ellen finally said, no longer able to contain her annoyance with her brother. “He’s not a stranger to Luther,” Elaine stated, smiling at the long curl of apple peel she had just completed. “Well he is to the rest of us! I really resent being expected to bake a pie for someone I don’t know, and probably won’t even like.” The girl’s mother, Suzanne, walked into the kitchen just in time to hear Ellen’s grumbling. “Now, now, Ellen, you’re far too old to be acting so childish, a friend of your brother’s is a friend to us all. We taught you better than that, where’s your Christian charity?” Ellen rolled her eyes, but kept a still tongue. Even though she was...

Went to see my dh at work last night, was there with him to see the ball drop, not the most exciting night, but we were together and that is all that matters to me. Got home and took a hot bath, I guess staying on my feet for a full 10 hour shift is more than my fat little legs can take! Didn't go to sleep till after 2:30, so I slept late. We are going to a late lunch today for pork and sauerkraut. I should do something productive, but so far today haven't done anything but play on Facebook! It is such a great way of staying in touch with my family. Not too much excitement here today, will wake up dh later and then go to dinner. I have to get motivated to clean the house. Here are my resolutions: Eat right Exercise Keep the house clean Be proactive at work and do the best job I can Call my mom at least once a week All do-able, right? Okay, time to get started, I have to get the house clean before I can work to keep it clean!