I am Alive!!

I'm still here, Grainiacs, but I'm barely floating above water.  It is getting towards the end of my semester and I'm sooooooo far behind.  What can I say?  It's me!

We watched College Girl walk across the stage but we were so far back that I missed "the hooding" part of the process.  We are so proud!  Two college graduates and both got through college in the proverbial 4 years!!! May I hear an "Amen?"  Ahem, we won't talk about how long it took me!  LOL  And look!  I'm still in school.  Well, this paragraph is not about me.  So I'll continue to brag and mention that Ashley graduated Cum Laude!!!!!  She asked me this morning "What's the big deal?"  A LOT!  While we were walking the dogs around the campus she mentioned that she served on the student board (that I knew) and that she worked on a "pet" policy for her college and it was approved....with the college President's approval (that I didn't know!).  She wrote up a proposal, researched, called other schools, etc. and next year or the next, one apartment complex at the college will be "the trial run" for this new pet policy....that my daughter presented!  =)  She is a pet lover; what can she say?

Well, back to the books, Grainiacs.  I'm not sure I'll be posting every day but I'll try to keep you up-to-date with my strawberry life.

P.S.  Happy Birthday yesterday to Banana!!!  I'm channeling some DQ ice cream....but only in my thoughts...I'm off sugar for the time being... too much sugar celebrating this past weekend.

Wacky Wednesday

Have you ever felt like some days would be totally wacky?  I'm getting the feeling that not only was yesterday a wacky day, but today will be too!  It took me all day yesterday but I got my assignment done.  That didn't leave time to start any new project (seminary-wise!) so I decided to make something on my new cricut play toy.  The final touch was to hot glue.  Do you think I could find the 2 NEW mini hot glue guns I bought several months ago????  Sometimes I really hate my lack of organization.  I was getting ready to head on over to Hobby Lobby to purchase another one (they don't cost much and I reeeeeeeaaaaaalllllly wanted to finish my project!) but the store was closed.  Awwww heck.  

I've done it again, Grainiacs!  I've moved somewhere with every intention to get my shit together and wouldn't you know....I'm just as unorganized/ disheveled/ a totally wacky mess.......as usual!  Dangit!!!

On the brighter side: 5 pounds are off the strawberry!!!!  I'm now 2 pounds away from the weight I lost before moving to Tortilla Town aka Potlucksville!  Oh, don't get me started on the homemade light- as- air flour tortillas!  But you know, since giving up grain for 2 weeks, even the thought of butter-drenched homemade flour tortillas doesn't phase me.  Pretty cool, huh?

Have I mentioned that one dog and one rat will be traveling north and living with their momma??  Yep, Brooks and Trevor will no longer be winter Texans-- they are heading north with the other snowbirds!

I told Cosmos....

Cosmos wishes you a wonderful wacky day!!!

Good morning, Monday!!!

Hope you, Grainiacs, had a wonderful weekend.  I did.  I didn't get as much classwork done as I'd hoped but I did get some cleaning and cooking done.  That's always a plus, wouldn't you say?

I stepped on Kaaaaa yesterday and I'm down 4 pounds.  Not a bad Mother's Day gift, eh?  Especially since he'd been sooooo mean to me in the past!

I have to brag, ok?  Hubby and I fixed a Mother's Day luncheon for our moms yesterday.  We had a great time and feel fortunate to be able to celebrate their day with them.  Both of them attended worship service with us and then we walked to lunch (it's not a far walk since we live next door to the church!).  Unfortunately I didn't take any photos of the occasion-- I know, I can't believe it either!  We dined on chicken salad stuffed in huge red "flowered" tomatoes with an assortment of fruit with a cream cheese dip and topped it off with "grain-free" cheesecake.  Everything we ate was on my grain-free diet.  I did serve rolls for them;  I don't expect EVERYONE to give up grains; ya know?

Totally off subject but I can do that if I want, many friends and family are going to see Gatsby.  I'm hoping we "might" be able to see it during College Girl's graduation weekend....or then again, after College Girl's graduation weekend.  I'll make time, but I really want to read the book again before I go.  If I do that, then it will definitely be after my seminary semester is over.  It's a horrible place inside my mind.  I continually fight with myself!

So now it's time to hit the books, Grainiacs.  Hope you have an outstanding week.

Flat Belly....is she related to Flat Stanley?

I'm taking a trip and I'm loading up Flat Belly.  Sure, some of you have seen and heard of Flat Stanley having all the fun on family vacations; but why should he have all the fun?  Summer vacations are coming up (teachers everywhere are shouting out an Amen! while parents are lamenting "Oh, Lord!") and students are assembling Flat Stanley to get ready to go. But how many of us pack up FAT Belly to go on vacation?  How many of us pick up FAT Belly on the vacation???  I prefer to take Flat Belly with me when I travel to seminary this June.

Do any of you watch Dr. Oz?  About a month or two (boy, how time flies) ago he detailed a flat belly plan.  Have I mentioned this before (boy, how the memory flies)?  I decided to look it up and reacquaint myself with his program.  After all, what have I got to lose....except for FAT Belly and her ton of luggage!

I'm not going to air out all the laundry in the suitcase, but here is a carry-on size synopsis to get you off the ground:

#1- eat 6 oz of Greek yogurt before EVERY meal.  We can do that, right?

#2- eat plenty of MUFAs- monounsaturated fatty acids-- think avocados! Yum

#3- no more inflammation. uh, yeah right, Dr. Oz...how do we do that?  He suggests eating flavonoid rich foods such as eating a sliced yellow bell pepper with hummus or a bowl of mixed berries drizzled with dark chocolate.  CHOCOLATE??  I can do this!!!! 

      Strawberry also recommends cutting out soft drinks.  I've noticed a world of difference in my joints since going cold turkey on my diet cokes....update: I've fallen off the wagon and have had a diet coke every day since my trip to West Texas.  (oh the shame of it all)  I have noticed a little stiffness in the fingers again.  Note to self- Yay Me!  congratulations on cutting out the diet coke for almost a year (can you believe I hadn't had a diet coke in almost forever!!!!); now try cutting it out completely.  My procrastinator mantra says "okay, tomorrow."  Grainiacs, please don't be disappointed in me.  I used to drink gobs and gobs of diet coke daily.  Just ask Pansy or Jelly Bean or Peaches or Mom!  Limiting myself to one a day is a huge landmark for me.  In going against the grain, I might fall off the wagon now and again.  It's expected, I think-- I'm going against MY grain which states "eat, drink, and merry, for tomorrow (procrastinator oath) I'll diet or abstain from diet coke!"

Where was I?  Oh yes,

#4- drink some sort of concoction on the website.  You'll have to look it up if you want it.  I've made it and quite frankly, it doesn't taste like Fresca (my new get off diet coke drink of choice.  Don't worry Coca Cola....I've still got your back.  Sales and stock will not plummet!).

Dang, I'm sneezing again.  I thought I was better this morning.  Time to clean out the sinuses.

If you want to work on the "flat belly" plan with me, shoot me an email or a comment.

aaaaaaaa-chooooooooooooooooo

Achoo!!!

The Strawberry patch has been feeling droopy and going through the kleenex.  Hubby, Boy, and I are passing our sneezes back and forth.  The dogs are even sneezing and feeling lethargic.  Maybe it's allergies.  Surely it can't be a cold-- I mean I'm on penicillin because of my dental extraction!

I was beginning to think I was allergic to Ollie the cat or my seminary studies; then I thought I was allergic to mornings.  I was chalking it up to my horrible (lack of) housecleaning.  Even the model in the commercial I'm watching has a red stuffy nose..now that's bad.  It must be allergy season here in the valley (or it's a summertime cold....crap!).

Today is my oral surgeon check up appointment.  The stitches are dissolving as I type or I've sneezed them out!  This is really the pits.  P.S. Dr. says everything looks good....he can say that because I didn't sneeze on him!

Well, it's back to work.  I've played on the computer long enough.  Sorry I haven't been better at blogging, Grainiacs, but I really have had my hands full with this unit's assignments in all three classes.  I was looking at the course schedule and nothing is being offered next semester for me (can you believe I've taken all the classes that are being offered?!).  I will have to pick a directed study.  I'm planning to see if I can take 2 directed studies so I won't get even more behind!  I'll let you know because I know you are sitting on pins and needles waiting to hear....yeah right!  I hope your strawberry patch is sneeze-free!

Feeling Scrappy

Saturday was National Scrapbooking Day and anyone who knows me knows I LOVE arts and crafts type stuff!!!! Lots of it.  Doodads and thingamajigs and fancy scissors and stickers (OH the more stickers the better) and all sorts of scrap to junk up the house.  I love them....LOVE THEM!!!! (Have I mentioned that before?)

So Saturday I attended a national scrapbooking event at our church.  I had $10.00 in my pocket (I knew that some ladies would be selling things there- a mini-garage sale).  Well wouldn't you know?  Someone was selling a brand new/ never been used nor opened "cricut" machine for $75.00! That's unheard of.  I fought with myself.  I still had some Christmas money left over so I walked across the parking lot--okay, that's a problem with living so close to the church and there's a national scrapbooking event going on and you only have 10 bucks in your pocket but your Christmas stash is so close!  I am now the proud owner of a new cricut (look it up if you don't know what I'm talking about) personal cutting machine.

In addition to all the mini-garage sales going on, they also had a free table-- full of stickers and scrapbook papers and ribbons and zigzag things.  Oh gosh, I was in heaven.  We also were given a number.  Every time our number was called, we got to go to the prize table and pick from it.  I'm still giddy!!!  Free stuff left and right.  I was so full and so happy but then it was time for The Grand Prize.  The number was called and 



Surprise!!!!

It was yours truly!!!!!!  I won this huge bag of more papers and stickers and folders and you name it, I've probably got it!

Here is my dining room table with the free stuff and my cricut.

This is a water bottle- with a decorated paper pouch including an individual sugar-free fruit punch drink adder.  These ladies are creative.

This is a decorated paper matchbook with a goodie inside.....

 ummmm, York peppermint patty!!!!

 Here is my dining room table with the grand prize stuff.....

 Start expecting a homemade card from now on.....just saying.


That afternoon, I got home by floating on Cloud 9 and turned on my computer and BAM, instant downer!  Several classmates had been instant messaging each other on FB and I missed the chatter because I was living it up at church.  It seems our Worship and Sacraments professor is leaving the country for 3 weeks so in addition to the already full week of reading and writing, she has added a dialogue paper AND an event to be planned AND implemented ALL before May 24th!!!  Did I mention it is supposed to be a 2 hour event complete with lesson plan, evaluation forms to be completed by the participants AND a self-evaluation????  I just fell off Cloud 9 with a thump.  Hubby said "I guess you won't be playing with all your toys for awhile."  That's an understatement.  I wonder if my 4 kids at College Girl's graduation could constitute an event?  Now what fun worship and sacrament thing can I plan and how can I work in my cricut paper cutter and stickers????

P.S. Our creative ladies are planning another scrapbooking event (wish it were worship and sacrament related!) in January!  Whoo hoo!!!!! =)

Success!

Update: Tooth is gone.  Hallelujah.  Hubby had a wonderful BD dinner at his folks house with all the family.  Hallelujah.  And as one- tooth-less- Strawberry couldn't eat anything hot or of substance that first day, she enjoyed watching everyone eat Cornish hens and wild rice and salad and rolls while she licked her yogurt off the spoon.  I have to admit my Special K vanilla breakfast shake hit the spot while they ate devil's food chocolate cake with the gooey icing (Hubby's favorite).  I think my body went into starvation mode because I got on Kaaaa (that slithery bathroom scale) and didn't lose a pound!!!!  I told you that bastard lies.  I'd kick him out of the house if I didn't love him so.

Today I have 2 huge papers to write for Worship and Sacraments and Education class.  I put it off till the last minute.  I was hoping being doped up on codeine yesterday would give me some sort of "aha" moment to write.  Nope, didn't happen.

This was my journal entry to my supervised ministry professor:  

This past week I enjoyed the cool mountain air and being unplugged in West Texas (that’s West Texas as in “go west, young man”…not West, Texas as in the central Texas town where the devastation occurred.).  It was relaxing but in the back of my head I knew I had papers to write and journals to read.  I spent the majority of that Monday road trip reading.  We were traveling in a super nice RV so I sprawled out on the bed in the back and tried very hard to concentrate on Piaget’s human development theories and not the exciting conversation happening in the front of the rig.  Once I succumbed to the traveling talk and a mean game of Skip-Bo, there was no turning back. I was out of cell phone and wi-fi range and Worship and Sacraments/ Human Growth and Development/ (and yes) FBL range too!

Walking the haunting trails in old Fort Davis or standing atop Mount Locke peering through a telescope looking at Saturn and Jupiter and marveling at God’s beautiful creation up above in the stars and down below in the valley of the mountain makes one very aware that we are mere specks of dust in a grand scheme.  Are we damaging the ozone layer?  Is it possible to overpopulate to the point that we send ourselves spiraling out into a space abyss?  If the sun is really going to implode at some time, should we just go ahead and eat, drink, and be merry?  The Bible makes it clear that we are to be good stewards of all that God has given to us.

My college daughter has a pet rat, Trevor.  Since Trevor is living with us till college daughter graduates in May (thank you, God!), Trevor accompanied us on our West Texas adventure.  I have mixed feelings about treating a rat so royally while there are starving children in this world.  I am conflicted that our pet rat gets to travel outside our city walls when bright beautiful children because of their situation in life will never experience life outside of Mission, TX.  I am keenly aware that our pet rat has traveled in a rolling house (complete with all the comforts of home) when others in my community do not have the luxury of running water.  Yet, I am a good steward to that rat.  I promised my college daughter that I would take care of her precious possession.  Sometimes I feel like that rat.  I am a rat in the bigger scheme of things.  I am privileged where others are scrounging around for their next meal.

Reflecting on my vacation this past week, I have to say I am a grateful rat.  God is good.  So how will I express this gratitude to God?  To my neighbor?

Part of my professor's reply: 
 
So you have just provided me with the most poignantly hysterical image in my career at UPSem: a rat riding in a luxury RV. Talk about an ethical conundrum. 

Strawberry's thought: I'm so glad to entertain!

Cockeyed Optimist

Have I bemoaned the fact that I'm having horrific dental issues?  I think I've probably posted almost everyday about it.  It is constantly on my mind: the fear of dental chairs, long needles, and pliers.  Not to mention blood, chipmunk face, and P-A-I-N.  I've been dealing with this since March.  I've felt like a ping-pong ball...getting bounced from one dentist to another....from one specialist to another.

So yesterday I get a call from the oral surgeons office reminding me I have an appointment with them.  I confirm and say "Now I'm supposed to have someone there to take me home, right?"

Pause.... "Ah yes, when you have the surgery but I have you down for a consult."

No pause...."Ah no, I need my tooth extracted and I'm ready to have it done tomorrow.  I'll fast and do whatever....I'm just not leaving your office with this tooth."  (well, I really didn't say it with that much authority; I think I whined.)

So being the optimist, I'm fasting; I'm not wearing make-up or fingernail polish or jewelry; I'm bringing Hubby and I'm not leaving till this dang tooth is outta here she says as she's crossing her unpainted fingernail bitten hands.

Oh and as a topper to the day, I thought I'd add this.

You've seen those cute video clips of the little kids carrying the zillion pound dog food bag and oops, dog food all over the place!  Well, they aren't so cute anymore...maybe to the viewers and the dogs (and possibly the cat) but not to the poor shlup who has to pick it all up.

It could have been worse and was getting that way, but I changed my strategy!  Yep, positive thinking.  This tooth IS coming out today.

P.S.  Happy Birthday, Hubby.  Sorry you are having to spend it in an oral surgeon's office with a whiny wife.  Love you.

Sneezy Sneezy Night

I am either allergic to my cat or to nights!  I woke up on Sunday with a little tickle in my throat and by Sunday evening it was a full blown sneeze-fest.  Yesterday I felt a bit better but by 9 p.m. I was sneezing my head off.  Ollie was beside me-- I think he is scratching and flinging cat dander at me.  Maybe this is his little payback for leaving him home alone with Kitzilla!  I surrender, Ollie.  You win.  Keep your dander to yourself.

Captain's Log Stardate Day 2: On the road again! The Rolling Enterprise got packed up and off we went...heading west.

(actually this is a day 1 photo but I forgot I had it in a different folder) Onward Trevor!!!

Me and the Momma

First or second stop: Langtry (a ghost town with a visitor center!) and "Judge" Roy Bean's place.

There is a sign that says these items are alarmed AND there is a camera on them.  And they mean business!

I ran across the street to mail a few postcards and met back with the group to visit the saloon.  We came rolling into Fort Davis park (nice place if you ever get out that way!) with plenty of time to get to the Observatory's star-gazing party that night and dinner at the local Mexican restaurant.  Happy Strawberry!  About the night star-gazing...  Can we say "bundle up?"  Up in the mountains/ outside/ cold!!!!  Hubby, Boy, and I snatched some glances through the telescopes and saw Saturn.  So surreal.  So cool.  Then gazed upon Jupiter and her 4 moons.  Then looked at baby stars in the orion nebula and then the moon and then a specific crater on the moon.  Then it was time to go inside because I had lost feeling in my extremities!

Have I mentioned what a great trip this was???

Can't see much of the park but there's The Rolling Enterprise

such a pretty place...such pretty ladies!