Time for a change

How many of us set New Year's Resolutions and then beat ourselves up for not resolving?  How many of us don't set any resolutions at all because we have figured out that we won't (and then feel guilty about it in a year) keep them?  I fall into both camps depending upon whether it is an even numbered year or an odd!!  In reality I start off setting them but then forget what the resolution was and consequently don't accomplish it.  I'm funny that way.  I can start out great attitude and by 5 p.m. I've forgotten all about it.  Our family watched a movie "50 First Dates" when it first came out.  It is about a man falling in love with a woman with short-term memory.  It's hard to laugh about a situation you face all the time!  I just don't seem to remember any of my resolutions I set in the morning.  Take yesterday.  I planned to have an all meal replacement shake day.  I drank my first one at 9:30 a.m.  By noon, I was sending the kids out to Whataburger to buy lunch for all of us.  By evening I was enjoying pancakes.  What the heck?  What happened to my "all shake" day?  Another character in "50 First Dates"-- you should really see it if you haven't already-- is 10 Second Tom.  I won't give anything away in case you haven't seen it, but his name should give a hint to his situation!  I feel like 10 Second Tom!  I don't think I'm early onset Alzheimer's but if I don't get my act together I'll be Two-Ton Strawberry.

I have pinpointed a few culprits that have gotten me off track.  I'll share them with you in case you have the same culprits lurking in your casita!

• Lazy Boy = lazy butt.  You know what I'm talking about.  Mine is so comfy and alluring and seems to call my name to sit and watch.....
• Netflix = no flex.  I am currently watching the past seasons of Doc Martin on Netflix.  Oh Netflix is so worth the money.  Just think; you can lounge on your easy chair and recline back and watch multiple episodes of Doc Martin.....instantly!!!  It's not like I have one disc and then that's it.  NOOOOOO.....I have a kazillion movies at the flick of my wrist!  Dangerous.
• stretchy pants are the work of the devil.  Your waist, hips, and butt can continue to stretch right along with your pants.  If you are only wearing those types of clothing, you'll never know if your girth is expanding.  At present I have 2 sizes in my closet: 16 & 18.  I know when the 18s start to feel tight that I have to get back on track.  Unfortunately I should have gotten rid of the 18s and just kept the 16 while working on getting down to a 14.  Career Girl and I were talking and she quipped "Don't invest in a size you don't want to be."  Wise words. 
• A final culprit is no routine.  I need a routine. 

 
 I've talked about this before but I have never been on a routine. I know routines will help me if I would just give it a chance.  Do you have a routine that keeps you grounded?  Has it helped you with weight loss?  I would love to hear about it.  

Back in the Saddle

Happy Belated Merry Christmas, Grainiacs!  I took some time off to be with family and enjoy the season.  I love being with family and friends, don't you?  Unfortunately sometimes being with family and friends means eating!  I have been in a constant state of full.  I have traveled from one feeding trough to another.  I was working a cryptoquip this morning and the puzzle produced this pithy statement: When I started to feel ill after overeating, could you say I was having a glut reaction?"

I definitely am feeling a glut reaction today.  I overdid the holidays in that sense and I promised myself I wouldn't!  This morning I started a walking routine-- hopefully it becomes a routine.  I was talking to myself--giving myself a pep talk, if you will, and I was setting goals for myself.  I thought WW encourages members to lose up to 2 pounds a week.  I decided my goal will be 2 pounds a week and in 6 weeks I'll be down 12 pounds.  But you know what?  Six weeks is a long time away!  I'm a procrastinator.  I know myself; my grain would be to set that goal and then fall off the wagon and try to lose my 12 pounds the week before my goal date.  I still do that in other areas of my life-- like planning a get together at the house and waiting till the last minute to clean, or read a book for seminary and think I'll read a chapter a day and by golly the assignment is due and I haven't opened the book since that initial goal!!!!

Time is funny that way.  It seems to fly by and I'm sitting there wondering where the time went.  So I'm not going to wait till New Year's to set my new resolutions.  I'm starting today and I'm not going to pick some obscure number in some obscure day in the future.  My goals will be weekly.  Just like any addict, I have to take it one day at a time or in my case, one week at a time taking it one day at a time.  My goal is specific and achievable:  watch what I eat for the rest of the week and aim to lose 1 - 2 pounds this week.  I'll weigh on Saturday and not beat myself up but accept what the scale says and work towards a 1 -2 pound loss next week too, but I won't worry about next week till next week.  I will also write down every morsel and glob that goes into my mouth.  Ta Da.  That's it.  Oh and I'll exercise too.  For real.  No excuses.  So far so good....and it's 10:28 a.m.!!!!  LOL

Houston, we have a problem

 Okay, I'm no longer the captain of my ship.  I am on a space ship spiraling out of control and heading deep into space!  I got a hankering for making cinnamon rolls-- for Hubby's staff gifts.  Since I had never made the recipe before and since it was getting close to 11 p.m., I asked for help...especially since I was doing this for Hubby's staff!

Step 1-  recruit, guilt, persuade Hubby to "scald" the milk.  Neither one of us had done THAT before so I thought he should do it.  Hubby has way more patience than I.  I would have kept turning up the heat (actually I think I did-  it was closing in on midnight!). 

Milk reached that point just before boiling (that's what "scald" means just in case you'd never heard of the phrase-- let's face it, how many of us make our cinnamon rolls from scratch, huh?  I mean Pillsbury is soooooooooooo convenient). 

Actually, the first photo is the scalded milk.  This is just milk, sugar, and veggie oil in a pan!  LOL

I was so tired I forgot to take photos of the process but you can check them out on any other food blog... so there.  I think I'm a little tired.  Oh this reminds me: the other day Hubby and I went shopping at an extremely packed Wal-Mart.  It's Christmas season, I reasoned.  We had to park far away.  Great exercise.  As always, we came out of the store and someone had parked close to our vehicle.  In order to get our cart and ourselves in between the two vehicles, we had to lean our door against that other car.  Now I'm not one to swing open my door and scratch/ dent/ abuse someone's car so I gently (no, really, I was gentle) opened my door and touched the other car.  A minute or two later the car alarm went off on the car.  I turned around and no one was messing with that car.  No one was around.  Soon the old man owner of the car came walking up.  I continued putting my groceries in my car and then he tells me, "Your door is hitting my fender."  Always the quick wit I am, I replied "Well."  He must have thought "Wow, what a quick wit; I better leave her alone" because he went around the other side of the car and that ended our conversation!  In my mind I was planning to tell him how I'd been gentle opening my car door.  Or that I wasn't some inconsiderate person who slammed my car door against someone else's car door.  I guess that was too much work.  Instead I basically retorted "Derrr."

Back to the cinnamon rolls.  I made these....

I frosted these with a Cinnabon icing clone recipe.  They were yummy.  And that is why we have a problem, Houston.  I love bread!  I'm wondering if it is wise for me to have a no starch day.  I seem to go overboard the next day!  I really blew it.  I didn't eat ALL the cinnamon rolls.  I really did give them away but I had a pan for family to "test" out.  They must be someone else's kids because they can resist cinnamon rolls!  I ask you: who do these kids belong to????  Surely they cannot possess my DNA.

Mona, on the other hand, cannot resist cinnamon rolls in any form or fashion.  Zip....no willpower...and that is why I can tell you, they were yummy!

I guess I better have a no starch day....no wait,  that's not right.  Well......der......

First Port of Call

Captain's Journal Day 1

Yesterday was a no starch day.  Began with 2 cups of coffee-- no creamer.  Oh how I love my creamer.  My cup of morning coffee just doesn't taste as decadent without the the fat-free french vanilla flavoring.  So it's for one day.  I can do this.

Lunch at the church.  It is our monthly Bag & Gab.  Bring your own lunch and come and gab.  Most people stop by Subway or Whataburger and pick up a sandwich.  I brought my own hamburger patty minus the bread.  No one said anything....like "Oh, you must be on a diet."  They might have thought it, but nobody remarked.  So thankful for that.

Had a lot to do in the kitchen.  Rev. Hubby received a gift box from the funeral home (a gift to all the revs in the area).  The whoppers and peanut butter crackers were calling for me.  Each time I looked, I told myself  NO.  I can do this!!!!

Our weather has been wonderful.  For kicks I looked up Rural USA to see what's happening there.  Their high is 43* and as of now, they are enjoying a cold 28* PLUS it's windy and I do mean w~i~n~d~y.  I am enjoying a crisp 64* with a high of 67*-- can't get any better than this.  The plants are enjoying the weather too.  Love it!

Don't look at the yellowing leaves; can you see the red bloom about to burst on the right hand side of the photo?

My hibiscus loves this weather.

I forget the name of this gal but we call her my funeral plant.  It was left after a funeral and the church secretary asked if I wanted it.  Why sure!  She is a living, growing creation and she represents new life.

See the white flower about to open?  I'll try to remember to take a picture once these babies are fully open!

Tulip bulbs are expanding and little green shoots are coming up.

I don't know if they will flower but here's hoping.  This is the season for anticipation!

Hard to see but my gerbera daisy is either producing a bloom or another leaf.  Either way, she loves this weather!

The cyclamen is loving her new home.  Look at all those buds.

Even Hubby's shallots are sprouting up green.  It's winter, folks!!!  Look at that one bulb refusing to stay under covers.  It looks like a rock, but it is a tiny shallot.

In other news, we went to see The Hobbit.  What was I thinking on no starch day?  What's a movie without popcorn?!?  Succumbed to temptation.  Woe is me, she says smiling.  Why am I beating myself up?  I had an extremely successful morning and afternoon and almost evening.  The weather is terrific and the plants are blooming.  It's beautiful here in Cucaracha-ville.  How about in your neck of the woods?

Getting a late start

Oh, Grainiacs!
What a time I've been having here in my new Cucaracha-ville!  I have connected with friends from long ago; I've stayed connected to friends near and far (thank you, Facebook!); I'm meeting new friends; and I'm ready to go postal on the educational system here.  Would you think it would be hard to get your child into a public school?  Think again.  We've been jumping through hoops and dancing and crying and all to no avail.

I recall many moons ago (before children) I boldly proclaimed "I will not home school my children!"  If you've known me, we home schooled all four.  The last little chick-a-dee is still in the nest and I'm tasting my freedom and I held up my fist and shouted "I will NOT home school Boy through high school!"  Well guess what?  God has such a sense of humor and our schools and area are such that I can't get Boy into public high school.  And I've tried.  Oh believe me, I've tried.  I have sat in offices and pleaded with officials, but here's the problem.  Our schools are over-crowded.  Our teachers are pushed to extreme limits to educate children whose parents (now, not all....don't send me hate mail) are looking to get those kids out of the house.  They don't have time to school them and teach them morals.  The casino is calling; the 3 jobs they work just to "get by" is calling; the extreme lazy-ass society we are creating is beckoning and promising-  let the government take care of your kids, your paycheck, your life.  Do I sound cynical?  Heck yes.  I'm tired of my school system educating children from across the border because we  have a don't ask (or rather "can't ask")/ don't tell mentality.  I'm all for equal educational rights unless I can't get my own United States citizen child into a U.S. high school!!! Something is just wrong with this picture.  Reform....reform....reform.....re-calculate! 

Which is what I did.  Yesterday I called the third or fourth school here.  I was so excited.  Boy and I went down to talk to the principal (because she is "The One" who I needed to talk to) and sat for 40 minutes while she was in conference with another parent.  It must have been serious because the step-father was called in.  I know this because the sibling was sitting out in the waiting room with me and Boy and I struck up a conversation with her.  Sweet girl.  Anywho, after 40-some odd minutes, the receptionist said "I talked with the principal and she said your son wouldn't be able to attend because he would be coming in as a second-semester sophomore."

  I asked for more info and was told that they only accept fresh-people and sophomores.

 Yes, and my son is a sophomore. 

Yes, but he is a second semester sophomore. 

Are you worried he can't keep up with the work? 

I'll let the principal explain it to you. 

Yes, but she is in conference and you don't know when she'll be done.  Are you telling me I'll be waiting just so the principal can explain that you won't accept my son into this school?

 Yes. 

I'm outta here.

The first school wasn't any better.  Only our conversation had more to do with "we can't prove we live here."  Our house is owned by the church.  The church pays everything and consequently nothing is in our name.  Round and round we went with that conversation.  My eyes were crossed and I thought "there has to be a better place."  Second school called.  Can't get him in second semester but fill out form for next year.  And so it goes.  Meanwhile, Boy was enjoying a nice Thanksgiving and Christmas break and I was worried I'd have a high school drop-out on my hands!  LOL

So, Graianiacs, when all else fails, there is a Plan B or C or D or even F.  We are strong and will prevail. Which brings me to the reason for the blog: I had a good day at WW.  Lost 1.8 pounds.  Unfortunately I let stress and anger and despair take over my eating.  I'm not going to tell you what all I ate yesterday due to sheer frustration and other emotions I just mentioned.  Suffice it to say, I was horrible.  Mona stepped out and took over.  Today Mona has gone on vacation and Strawberry is back.  I've resolved to take over the ship and get back in control.

I have a plan.  I have a goal.  I'm getting Boy taken care of come hell or high water, but we will not sink.  Yes, we are on a new course but it is not un-chartered waters.  I'm the captain and now I say "I WILL home school my child through high school and I will not eat everything in sight just because."

Snap, Crackle, Pop

Nope, not talking about cereal....I'm talking about my pants!!!!  I'm having a déjà vu experience.  Have I blogged about this before?  Have my pants felt this way before?  Why yes, I do believe they have!

I know what's happening.  I have attended too many potlucks!  My pants are starting to tighten and pretty soon they will pop if I don't stop the potluck madness.  My new community LOVES potlucks and quite frankly-- I love them too.  I'm in Social Strawberry paradise here.  It is so true to watch what you pray for.  I've been praying for this type of situation and now that I'm here I need to keep my dieting goals in check.  I can tell you I DO NOT want to weigh today but I have to.  I have to keep it real.  

Here's my dilemma: I have a goal- to lose weight.  This is Christmas season and I'm desperately trying to get out of that "It's Christmas season" mentality where I have to eat, eat, eat.  Why does Christmas have to be a time of gorging oneself all in the name of Christmas???  Did Jesus pig out around this time?  Did Jesus even encourage stuffing our pudgy little faces with fudge and divinity (hey, it has the word "divine" in it, it MUST be spiritual, right?)?  I think not!

It is time to start celebrating the birth of our Lord and not the girth of our waistlines.  Of course Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem, et al, bank on the fact that we will stuff our faces during this time and then make a New Year Resolution to get it all off...quick....with their program.

I say "Put down that fork" now. I am fortunate to have an exercise center at my church.  I have not utilized that place; actually I haven't used it at all.  Please don't be disappointed in me, Grainiacs.  I am the Queen of Excuses.  But not anymore.  This is my new hot spot...my go-to- place.  Now I just have to learn how to use all this equipment.  HA

Pretty cool, huh?

Okay, I've seen these on TV. Next time, I'll pay attention!

Friendship Friday

I am officially declaring every Friday a day for friends. I think I'll call it Friendship Fridays! It all began with an email from a friend in Austin.  Then a phone call from a friend in Virginia.  Then an actual visit from a Victoria friend and Brownsville friend.  That evening I met with my paper craft friends for our holiday party and card exchange.

It was a great friendship day; unfortunately it was a horrible staying on plan day for me.  Yikes.  I must be better about that because I definitely plan to keep my Friendship Fridays going....  Plus I weigh on Tuesdays. Yikes Yikes!!!!!

I wanted to share my photos with you.  Some of you have already seen them on Facebook, but those of you who do not subscribe to it (you know who you are....MOM!), here they are....

So many great giveaways.... (foreground of the photo)  My prize was a little Christmas bag filled with paper craft embellishments....just what I need-- more stuff!)

So much wonderful, delicious food.... (now why are my pants shrinking?)

And the extremely creative and beautiful cards....

My little camera and my attempts at photography are not doing these cards justice!!!

Oh and lest I forget my earlier Friendship Friday group--the two crazy girls who came to lunch....Love them!!!!

What's a photo without a dog and a cat?

Yep, I'm definitely declaring Fridays my Friendship Fridays!  Come and see me anytime.  I'm here.  I'm the one with cat and dog hair all over my "tight" pants.

Eureka!!!

Eureka!!!  I just realized I am a creature of habit.  I can't believe it has taken me this long to figure it out.  Maybe it is a new strawberry trait.  I always thought I was spontaneous.  Could it be?  Could Hubby be rubbing off on me?  This is a man who for years and years and years....possibly 10....has had oatmeal in the morning.  Spontaneous Strawberry says "Where's the variety?"  I would get bored with oatmeal every morning.  But it is his routine.  He is like a homing pigeon walking down the hall, fixing his coffee and instant oatmeal.  In Rural, USA he had to pass the kitchen to get to his bathroom (don't ask....weird layout of the house!).  Every single morning, he would gather his undergarments ( ahem, you know what I'm talking about!), walk to the kitchen, fix his oatmeal, take his shower, dress, and like Goldilocks' three bears, by the time all that took place his oatmeal was just right so he could gobble it all up.  I got to the point where I could tell time by his morning routine.  Shower going?  Must be around 7:45.  He's eating his oatmeal? Oops, it's close to 8:05 and I better get off the computer and get ready for work myself!  LOL  I love being married to this guy!!!

So, what does all this chatter have to do with me?  Yesterday I got off my routine.  First thing that happened was Ollie was sitting on my side of the couch.  So you think I sound like Sheldon on the Big Bang Theory?  Well, yes.  My devotional stuff is on THAT SIDE OF THE COUCH!!!  I just realized this morning, by letting Ollie continue to sit on my side of the couch, I never sat over there and consequently I never read my morning devotions and furthermore, I never gave it a second thought until this morning!!!!  Now how's that for a creature of habit?!? Huh?  Second case in point, when we first moved into this place, I stored my brushes and combs on the right hand drawer to the sink.  In re-arranging stuff (remember, it's still me we're talking about!) I decided that my make-up should be in that drawer and so I put all the brushes and combs on the left hand side of the sink.  Where do you think I reach when I go to brush my hair?  Yep, the right hand side.  I am slowly re-programming myself to open the left hand side.

So again, you ask....what are you talking about?  I'll tell you, dear Grainiacs.  I HAVE to establish some dieting habits and work on them everyday for about a week so they will become ingrained in this noggin.  I really think I'm on to something here; I'm really getting closer to understanding myself.  What do you think?  Am I on to something?

By the way, the Butternut Risotto was a hit; interestingly, I brought home almost a whole plate of fudge.  I ordered Hubby to take that fudge with him to his evening meeting.  The meeting lasted over two hours.  I assumed they were all sitting around the plate of fudge and devouring it.  Nope, Hubby came home with little less than half a plate of fudge.  What's going on?  Do people not like fudge anymore????  I guess I won't be making plates of it for Christmas gifts.  I LOVE fudge and that is why I had 2 pieces last night.  I am ordering Hubby to take the fudge with him to the office this morning.  This fudge is like a bad dream that keeps coming back!  Arrrgggg  I do not want to get in the habit of eating fudge.

Speaking of fudge...it's in the kitchen.  Here are some photos of my work in progress kitchen.

This is the kitchenette

 I moved a coffee bar over by the kitchen table.  Come over and have a cup of coffee with me.

These are my Xochimilco plates.  A festival garden in my kitchen!

 A friend made these plates.  Unfortunately she no longer lives in this neck of the woods but I think about her every time I look at these plates.  She is one creative and talented lady!

 Here is my work station (or Hubby's coffee bar).

 One great thing about this house is the storage.  This is one built-in storage area.  Don't look too closely at the recycling piled up on the left.  I still haven't figured out how everything is going to work out so the recycling is piling up by the utility room.  Kitzilla is checking it out.

Nice BiG storage spaces here.  My goal is to NOT fill them up.  I'm still in the habit of de-cluttering.

So what routines or habits can you suggest?  Remember, we are all on this journey together.

Oh Yikes!

Where is my morning going?  I just looked at the clock and it is 9:49 a.m.  I haven't done my devotions or put on my make-up, but I have made two dishes for the noon potluck!  Since moving to the valley we have already attended two and have at least 4 more to attend!!!  This place LOVES potlucks; good thing too....so do I!  LOL

Hopefully this butternut risotto I've made will be a hit.  I got the recipe out of the WW weekly flyer.  Unfortunately it calls for orzo (an ingredient I couldn't find here in my new city) but I did find risotto-- Italian Risotto! Yum.  I logged the new recipe into the e-tools recipe builder and my recipe has 5 points in contrast to the 6 points for the original recipe.  I'll let you know how it tastes.

And just in case the butternut risotto is not a hit, my fudge is sure to be!!

 

 Oh my gosh....I am so hungry.  I haven't eaten breakfast yet and my stomach is growling up a storm.  I better close today and get some breakfast in me.  Remember, it is the meal for champions! Or something like that.

Have a blessed day today, Grainiacs.  I'll try to post some house pictures tomorrow.  I might even have a surprise or two!

12/12/12

Happy 12/12/12!

Twelve is a good number unless you are counting WW pointsplus and your drink is 12 ppt!!!!!  Yesterday Boy and I went shopping.  We rewarded ourselves with a Sonic happy hour drink (actually I could have had a "loaded" drink for less calories than my diet cherry limeade).  I was happily drinking away my 44 oz diet drink and in the evening I logged onto the WW website and tracked my points.  Holy Moly!  The program said a small diet cherry limeade is 5 points!!!!  I had a huge Route 44 diet cherry limeade!!!!  I drank almost all my points in that one drink.  Could this be true???  Please, someone tell me I'm dreaming.  Quick, brink me a drink.  Surely a diet beer is less than that!

NO more Happy Hour at Sonic.  I would be tempted to buy a diet coke and I haven't had a dark cola since July. I do have willpower-- why can't I use that power for good instead of chocolatey evil???

Right now I'm enjoying a nice cool glass of water while I type this.  No, it's not as yummy as a diet cherry limeade but I found a great alternative at Wal-Mart.  0 points for their diet cherry limeade. 

Oh, grainiacs!  The air is crisp and cool outside and that means the animals are on a cool, crisp high.  Cosmos is chasing Kitzilla all over the house.  Brooks jumped on the couch to get away from Cosmos and Oliver is just daring Cosmos to chase him.  Actually Cosmos does chase Ollie but the results are not as fun as the others.  Ollie doesn't put up with those shenanigans unless he instigates them!  Period! Cosmos couldn't stand Brooks being alone on the back of the couch so he has jumped up there too.  Such silly creatures and so entertaining.

Today I have taken a picture of the backyard for you to see.  Hubby and I are leery of digging up any grass at present so we are enjoying pot decorating....no, not that kind of pot, but I hear it's legal in some states.  I wonder how many ppts it has?!  Just a thought!

HARK! Do I hear something?

 Doggies enjoying the great outdoors.  They are spending more time out there.  Our alley is always buzzing with cars passing by.....or dumpster divers checking out the businesses' garbage.  Such a busy place for curious doggies!!

pretty hanging gardens

 Hubby bought another pretty hanging plant for me!

It is in the foreground.  Isn't it beautiful?

the patio is still a work in progress....what can I say? We have a lot of "works in progress" right now.

Ollie wanting OUT! See him in the door?

I guess I should close now.  I just heard a crash and the little pitter patter of Cosmos chasing a cat.  I might have to put away my Christmas decorations till next week when the weather is sure to rise again to the 80's.  My animals are just too active in this wonderful cool weather.  darn it.

Mi Casita

I was thinking about posting my before and after photos of the house and then I received a sweet note from my graini-aunt requesting them so in order to keep her happy, I will oblige.  Ha, it doesn't take much arm twisting, does it?

As you ALL know, I'm not much for house cleaning.  I do love house decorating or more specifically, house RE-decorating or re-arranging.  As a child, I loved re-arranging my bedroom.  When I bored of that, I would talk my little brother into changing rooms with me and I had a whole new playground to re-arrange and re-decorate.  As I bored with that, it was not uncommon for my mom to come home to a totally re-arranged living room.  One of my kiddos has caught that re-arranging bug and before she left for college, I sometimes arrived home to a whole new looking house!  I loved it.  I don't know whether Mom or Hubby appreciated my changing their environment, but this strawberry was bursting with pride the first day I walked in and my family room was totally different.  Ahhhhh I digress.

Our new digs came already furnished!  Everything's comin' up roses.....and I DO mean roses.  I've never seen so many flowers in one room as I saw that first day we laid eyes on the house.  Well, the second thing.  The first thing I saw was the baby grand piano in the corner!!!!  Can you believe it??? I have a baby grand!  (Well, it's not mine, but in my house....well, not my house, the church owns it, but you get my drift!)

Here is a picture of the room BEFORE we moved in.  Let's face it; we could have moved in that day before loading up our own stuff.  Do your eyes concentrate on all the roses.....or the baby grand?  Be honest.  Yep, those flower patterns on the couches and the flowers in the rugs and the flowers on the wall and the flowers in the lamps.....YES, there are flowers in the lamps that match the flowers on top of the piano!!!!  Gosh, I love these people!

But really; what's a house without your own crap, I ask ya?

Notice my Lone Star throw blanket?  YeeHaw!

Now realize, this is a work in progress.  My Christmas stockings are on a chair because I haven't found a place to hang them.  We don't have a fireplace anymore and wall space is very limited so they might just wind up staying on that chair!

Graini-aunt: this is the only room that is worth taking a picture.  If I get off my fanny and get to work, I'll have more photos to show you.

Welcome to my new Strawberry Patch!

Off Track but moving towards Reality-ville

Grainiacs, again I confess, I've gotten off track.  It is easy to do for this strawberry.  I try to go against my grain, but my grain is too ingrained!!  I've found myself eating too much ice cream.  I've thought I'll just have this one more bowl and then tomorrow will be the day.  Oh how many times have I duped myself into thinking tomorrow will be the day?  I recall my mantra to "get back on that horse" as soon as I've fallen off, but again, my grain has gotten in the way.

Here's my question: can a person really go against their grain... in the long run?  I seemed to have an easy time last year around August.  It lasted until October and then my long ingrained grain set back in.

I am an unashamed optimist so I say Yes you can go against your grain.  We have to believe that we can change, but it takes work.  In some weight loss or self-help programs they ask participants to "imagine" yourself skinny or in control or whatever self-help state you need to see yourself.  So what if you CAN imagine yourself skinny or in control or whatever?  As a matter of fact, you are living in such a fantasy world that you already imagine yourself that way!  What then?  Then you have your picture taken and boom....what a shock to your system.  You think, WAIT....who is that fat/ out of control/ or whatever person?  Or worse-- you refuse to have your picture taken and never know what you really look like!

So there has to be another tool to use to help you achieve your perfect state, right?  The imagining tool isn't working.  What's next?  Maybe plastering your house with the reality photos you've tried to hide or cut (thanks to scrapbooking, we now have permission to cut photos!).  Possibly a dose of reality scrapbooking is in order.  Maybe decorate your house with wall to wall mirrors, but don't buy those circus mirrors that make you look long and lean.  If you have to purchase non-reality mirrors, buy the ones that make you look short and dumpy.

I don't have the answers, Grainiacs.  For some, losing weight is easy as deciding you will cut out sugar or sweets.  For some of us, it is a chore.  It zaps our energy.  It just goes against our grain.  For those who are fighting the weight game, all I can say is I'm with ya, sister.  I feel your pain.  Let's not give up, though.    Today IS the day.

One thing I'm trying not to do is play the blame game.  Yes, I moved.  Yes, there are butt-loads of restaurants and new places to explore.  Yes, I feel like exploring all of the tastes and sights here in my new Reality-ville.  But, I will not blame my circumstances--it was me....all me.

So again I say....Today is most definitely The Day.

P.S. Here is my reality photo.  I will paste it all over my casita.

Living La Vida Loca

We are here, Grainiacs, and what a whirlwind move it has been!

Sunday, November 18 was Rev. Hubby's last sermon in the Rural USA pulpit.  The church celebrated its annual Thanksgiving luncheon after church and had a farewell celebration for us.  It was a bittersweet day.  We were loaded and ready to leave for Sun Town USA but had to pick up the fur-mily back at the manse.  I don't think they'd look too kindly on us if we left 2 dogs and 2 cats especially if they didn't check on the house for weeks.  P-U!!!  Plus God wouldn't look too kindly on us either and I know YOU wouldn't look too kindly on us.

That evening we had a celebration dinner with our college kids.  It was fun to see them but again, time to hit the road.  Halfway between Rural Town and Sun Town, Strawberry got sleepy.  So we spent the night in Temple, TX..fitting since MY temples were aching and I needed sleepy-time medicine.  Not really easy to sleep soundly with 2 cats and 2 dogs and 3 people occupying 2 double beds!  But we managed and thanked God for the respite (truth be told Hubby wanted to make the whole 800 miles in one trip....of course he had plants in his vehicle and I had 2 cats/ 2 dogs/ and Boy!).

Monday afternoon, we arrived in Sun Town, USA (also will be known as Cucaracha-ville....everything is bigger in Texas...even the cockroaches!).  By Tuesday afternoon the movers came and dumped all our worldly belongings (aka crap) and by Thursday morning 2 a.m. the college kids + friends and OK Girl (aka Career Girl, the Eldest) were home.  By Thursday afternoon the in-laws were at our house for Thanksgiving lunch and Hubby, Boy, and I were content....REALLY.  We were among family and friends and had many reasons to give thanks. 

Saturday we were excited to receive more guests: my mom and step-dad.  Life is good.

Sunday, Nov. 25th was Rev. Hubby's first Sunday in Sun Town pulpit.  It was a joyous occasion with a baptism and 288 people in attendance.  There are 3 sections of pews and Hubby remarked it is truly a panoramic view.  The music was outstanding and we felt the love (even with all the Aggies in attendance!  Hook 'em, Horns! =)  ).

Hubby is "supposed" to be on vacation but he is too excited to stay home and unpack boxes.  His office is right across the parking lot from our house.  The church has internet so he stays connected with the outside world.  I am still in honeymoon state so I don't want to look at clocks or have to be somewhere at a certain time or (horrors) c-l-e-a-n!!!!

Life is good in Sun Town.  We still don't have internet.  Boy is still schooling at home. And our fur-mily is happy as little cats and dogs could be!  So many new sights and sounds and smells to bark at and pee on.  Kitzilla is still a terror.  Cosmos is still wreaking havoc on everyone and Brooks is tearing his hair out on his hind quarters.  Ollie is still King of the Roost.  Yep, we're living la vida loca.

Help! My clutter is trying to attack me!

Ah my beautiful grainiacs,

Life is grand; life is beautiful; life is stress-free in the strawberry patch.  NOT!!!  I am meeting myself coming and going.  I have cleared, de-cluttered, and cleaned and it is still overwhelmingly a pig's sty and not a rosy beautiful strawberry patch.

This is a post to let you know you probably won't be hearing from me for a week or two.  I have to concentrate on packing-- and oh yeah, that reading and paper I have to turn in this Friday for my seminary class.  Is it wrong to pray for a tornado to sweep the stuff away so I don't have to deal with it????  I know; be careful what you pray for.  I'm a sinner; I confess.  I really don't want my treasures to be destroyed in a tornado but I'm upset that stuff means more to me than worshiping and giving thanks to a benevolent God who is there for me always and in all situations.  I do not want my stuff to rule me but it is feeling that way right now.  Do you know what I mean?

Yesterday was a productive day.  Hubby was home from work and he boxed up video tapes and books and I boxed and cleaned and it doesn't even look like we made a dent in the packing.  THAT is what upsets me, truth be told.  We still have...too.....much......stuff!


On the brighter side, I bought a wonderful gadget and cleaner to "deep" clean the rugs before I roll them up and pack them.  This little gizmo is wonderful and works like a charm.  I wanted to share it with you.

Wonderful product to clean and get animal fur out of the rug

I don't know if you'll be able to see the difference in these photos, but here goes....

junk piled in old dining room

Yesterday I moved the junk and got rid or packed it up and decided to clean the rug.  Can you see how dull the flowers are?


Now look:

Nice clean rug

How about this photo?

Even if you can't see the difference, I can!  Now it's time to get back to work.

Oliver says "Gloom, despair, and agony on me."

Check back next week.  I'll upload a picture gallery of the move!

Blue Thursday...No Way

This is the time of year when more people become s.a.d.  The first time I heard this acronym was while Hubby was in seminary.  I told a friend that I just didn't feel right.  I couldn't pinpoint a pain or ache so I felt reasonably sure it was not physical.  It just seemed to be a general all around feeling of yuck....blue....lethargy...and she told me "you know there is a name for that.  Seasonal Affective Disorder."  Another name for it is winter blues.  I can feel this blue depression coming on with the time change.  It gets darker outside a lot faster.  It also gets darker inside my home.  We don't have the best winterized window treatment at the little strawberry bungalow so we tend to keep the curtains drawn.  This is really a no-no if you suffer from SAD.

Today I'm feeling a double whammy because not only is seasonal change happening but life is changing at the strawberry patch.  Going through storage and deciding what stays and what goes is just too much.  I'm ready to get rid of all of it and start all over.  Don't get me wrong!  I'm excited as excited can be!!!  I really am.  I'm leaping for joy on one side of my big belly but the other side (like the animals in yesterday's post) is sensing something is going on...inside the bungalow and outside.

So to combat my inner SAD coming on, I opened all the window shades and have let the light shine in.  There is nothing like sunshine.  You know I'll have plenty of it where I'm going!  I'm so thankful I'm in tune with my seasonal cycles.  I can be proactive.  Now if I could just be proactive with the weight loss again!  Good grief.

One another note:  Someone who always makes me smile is waiting patiently to send you a message  too.

Ready?

What a theologian that Mickey is!

Did you ask me....

The animals are restless in the strawberry patch.  They are asking "And did you ask US about this move?"  Oliver isn't happy at all that we took away both of his dining room tables.  They have been his perch since the day we brought him home.  Ask any of the students staying in this house!  If they dared to leave paperwork, drinks, pencils, laptops on his table, they were scooted off the table by morning.

Yesterday I made an appointment for all 4 four-legged babies.  They will have an adventure to the boarding house for the two days the movers will be here.  I would be heartbroken if anything happened to them.  Actually I just don't want the hassle of trying to find Kitzilla.  The dogs...especially Brooks would be under-foot making sure the movers were doing it right.  When the church calls the plumber or the handyman (not being sexist; he IS a man), Brooks wants his undivided attention!  You'd think we ignored that dog (right, Rat Mom?)!!!

So next week, they will be visiting their vet/ boarder for two days and getting beautified for the move.  They are kind of scraggly.

We need a haircut; we'll be snowbirds too!

I took yesterday and today off (personal days....Gee, I love those days) and really got a lot done even though I was on FB a lot too!  Cosmos decided to help get packing.  What a helper!

I'm ready, Momma!  I've packed my rooster toy and my dog bowl.

And just in case, I'll sit here on a packing tub so you don't forget me!!!

 

Ch-ch-ch-changes

I've mentioned the Flylady program.  One statement she preaches that has stuck with me is get rid of those things you don't use or don't love.  Quit holding onto them and let them bless someone else.  It is that wonderful sentiment that the great theologian Dolly Levi tells Horace Vandergelder about money....or in my case....stuff: pardon the expression, is like manure. It's not worth a thing unless it's spread around, encouraging...

This past week Hubby and I had an exciting experience by letting loose (get your mind out of the gutter, I'm talking about stuff still!).  A co-worker's mother is a single lady taking care of her quadriplegic 50+ year old son.  My co-worker happened to mention the other day that her Mom is looking to buy a dining room table with sturdy chairs.  She lamented that when her family gets together they can't all sit around the dining room table and especially her wheelchair-bound brother.  Hubby and I have an extra dining room table!  The manse we are moving to already had a dining room table.  To take a step back, when Hubby and I first moved to Rural USA we were in desperate need of a china cabinet.  We went shopping and we found the perfect china cabinet.  It was cheaper to buy the whole dining set rather than just that cabinet so for six years we've enjoyed "the extras."  On Monday, my co-worker gave me a smile that let me know our old dining room table was a true blessing to someone.  My heart danced a happy dance as we smiled at each other not saying a word but knowing that God is Good All the Time.

As the days move forward and change, I'll keep a photo diary.  If you've ever moved, you know these pictures won't be pretty but then beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  You might see a mess; I see progress.  You might see empty; I see blessings.

The "old" dining room....

 

Present dining room....

Future dining room minus the Strawberry touch!

 

I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?  Isaiah 43:19

Yes, LORD, I perceive it...now may I have a little help???  ;)