Feeling Fat And Other Things

Ever since returning from our little trip to Yosemite (post will be coming soon) I have felt like this little guy/gal in the photo. I think I ate every thing in sight. The buffet breakfasts were very fresh and wonderful. So, given that information I am telling you that I am finally motivated to do what it will take to get back to the weight and appearance that I was prior to meeting my special gentleman friend over two years ago.  Eating out a lot and ice cream in the evening is "killing me"!  And, it is going to stop. I am now strictly counting calories. And, I will go out only for Sunday Brunch and one other "dinner out" in the week.

The fact that I am not very tall, there is no way I can find decent clothes unless I loose a few pounds. AND, I refuse to start wearing "moo moos"! And, that is that!

Other Things - Lots of outdoor work. Planted some more in my raised vegetable planter - a couple more varieties of tomatoes, sweet banana peppers, red cherry peppers and zucchini squash.

Also, planted some flowers in pots and planters. I did some weeding and raking!

I ran an errand to the Welder's Shop to get an iron plant stand welded where a junction broke last year. Turned out great.

I worked on my Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration System in the kitchen. Filters needed to be replaced and sanitized. And the water reservoir needed to be pressurized. Tomorrow, I will know if all is working well.

Packaged up new Vacuum Cleaner to return because it was defective - big time! Drove to UPS in next town so it can be shipped.

And, perhaps most important, I was able to schedule a consultation appointment regarding my back/leg pain with another highly recommended Neurosurgeon for August 28. Now I must copy and send several medical records and my MRI.  It is something  to look forward to with optimism.

It is so nice to get some of these things taken care of.

I hope you have a Wonderful Day.

Never Forget Our Soldiers

PLEASE Take time to Thank A Soldier.



White As White

The White Garden is starting to show off its beautiful variety. Before long the Oriental and Asiatic lilies will be coming into bloom, as well as the Star Gasmine, Day Lilies, Guara, Fairy Lily, Mock Orange, Dahlias, Asters and more.

Be sure and check out the White Flower 2009 mosaic photo on the right sidebar. Just click to enlarge.

This is a lovely book with lots of suggestions for white blooming plants. It would be nice if my white garden looked special enough to photograph as a whole from a distance. But it never seems to be filled in enough to do so.

The Color Garden (White), color plantings for dramatic landscapes - text and photography by Elvin McDonald. I bought this book many years before I ever had a white garden with the wish to have one. Dreams do come true. 

LOOK who came to visit just as I am blogging this post. Lily started barking and wanted to meet this sweetie. I took this photo quickly from the dining room window as the cat is looking at Lily. I think she/he looks great with the white flower photos.

I am leaving you with a photo I recently took at Amador Flower Farm in the next door county. I do not think this is a typical sight at any nursery. Also, a tram is available for short tours around the grounds. It is a nursery that specializes in Day Lilies and it covers acres of land filled with Day Lilies "almost" as far as the eye can see. And, they have a fabulous gift shop. I hope to go back for another visit this weekend when the lilies and many other flowers and shrubs will be in full bloom.

Our weather has taken a turn to cooler days, In fact, we may experience some rain!

I hope you Enjoy Your Day.

Activity Overload

Today is my Knitters and Hookers Day. I have so many things to do outside in the garden and I feel like I am going in circles. Not good. And, I also have many things that need to be done in the house. I better use the following words as my mantra throughout the day and stay calm.

And, maybe, intersperse it with a little laughter.

I am still working on the photos for my Yosemite vacation post. For some reason I have a lot of difficulty when working with a lot of photos for a post.

Must run. No - Must Slow Down.

Have a Great Day.



Hilltop Nursery

This beautiful sight is where we went to shop for vegetable plants and some flowers to put in pots. This nursery is a small Mennonite owned business a few towns away. Last year was their first year and this year they have been able to expand significantly. But, most of their stock is limited to small size plants that are great for planting at this time of year. Everything looked fresh and healthy.

As soon as I have time I will be planting Tomatoes, Peppers and Cucumbers. As well as Petunias, Geraniums and Calibrachoa which I love for my Tipsy Pots.

Today I am taking my friend who is recovering from cancer to the hospital to have a CAT scan prior to starting her radiation therapy. Last Friday we went for her appointment with the radiology oncologist. Afterwards, we plan to go out for some lunch and spend some time visiting. We usually talk on the telephone daily but it is nice to see each other.

It is such a busy week. Tomorrow there is a visit to the opthamologist and Thursday is my Knitters and Hookers meeting!

There really is so much to do and not enough time - - - especially at my age when the body just won't and can't do as much as I want it to do in a day! And, of course, most of the work is what I lovingly call "dirty work" which means it takes me a lot of  time cleaning up to go "out in public".

Have a Fabulous Day.

I Am Back Again

Life is a little calmer, I think! However, I've been very busy in the garden and trying to do some home/garden maintenance. Have you ever used a pressure washer? It is very dirty work. But, usually does a wonderful job cleaning up mildew and moss on cement patios, sidewalks and driveways. I try to do it every couple years because my cement work around the house always attracts lots of moss, etc, because of all of the shade. It was way overdue and the walkways were getting very slippery and lots of the dirt was "tracking" into the house and on the carpets.

This is the pressure washer that I use. Can you see all of the muck on the driveway cement and what a difference it makes to clean it?

There was a lot of dirty muck to clean up. Before I started, the cement was really black. Not pretty!

And, I am so happy how all of the cement turned out. Lots and lots of hard work. But, I am really happy with the results. I am looking forward to having some guests for some patio dinners. 

Look - look - look at how great the driveway looks. The patio and sidewalks look equally as good.

So many flowers are starting to open in the garden. Here are a few photos I took a few minutes ago.

In the next day or so, I will share some of my Yosemite National Park photos.

I hope you are having a Good Week.



Fast Hello

Hello! I have been away on a little vacation.  When I have more time I will be back with more to say.

I wish you a Wonderful Weekend.

Mother's Day Brunch 2012

Our favorite waiter greeted us with his usual smile.

And, we enjoyed a very pleasant and delicious Mother's Day Brunch at The Copper Grille Restaurant at Saddle Creek Resort.

I sure hope you enjoyed Your Day wherever you were.

Happy Mother's Day

Take Special Care of your Mother.

"One Bug" Fly Fishing Torunament

It's that time of year again when the Fly Fishing Club has their High School Scholarship fund raiser. This is "The Man" getting ready to take his pontoon boat down to the water at White Pines Lake.

And, here we have some of the other anglers and their boats. Women, too!

The concept of the tournament is that the fishermen may use only one fly, chosen before they hit the water, and fish it for the duration of the tournament which is usually about a half day. Once the fly is lost or damaged beyond repair, the fisherman is done fishing for the day. The fishermen fish in two person teams with each measured fish over 12 inches adding points to their team total.

This is "My Guy" on his way out to the other side of the lake. These pontoon boats seem like a lot of fun. Along with the use of the oars, the feet with flippers are used to pedal the boat which works well especially when moving only small distances. A day on the lake can give the legs a "super workout". No fitness center needed for leg strength is you are a "pontooner".

Following the tournament, a nice lunch is served and the awards are presented.  The weather and the lake were beautifully perfect.  It was a nice day for all.

Get out and Play!

Friday At The Lake

A beautiful day to stroll with the babies!

These Canadian Geese clearly have Places to go, Things to do, and People to Meet! So, on their way they go.

They are so beautiful!

Please take some time to stroll, today.



How Clean (Dirty) Is Your Carpet

I have wanted a new vacuum clearer for about two years. My Hoover Canister Vacuum has been repaired, taped with duct tape and properly maintained including frequent bag changes. But the time had come for serious evaluation of just how clean I was able to make my carpets. Having a doggie (that sheds long hair) in the house certainly contributes to difficult carpet maintenance. Take a look at this disgusting photo of dirt and dog hair! Embarrassing! - to say the least.

No longer will I have to live with this in my carpet because my new vacuum has removed it. I imagine it will take a few times of vacuuming before it is the cleanest. At this time, I am very pleased with this Hoover Wind Tunnel Baglass Canister Cleaner with Powered Nozzle S3765-040. A little expensive. I hope it is worth it.

For the past few months I have been sneezing and having allergy symptoms.  And, I have been thinking that maybe it could be partly caused by the dog hair and dirt in the carpet, even though the carpet looked clean!  I like getting something new. Even though it is a household appliance!

Have A Wonderful Day.



Eat Your Veggies And Grains

For the past few months I have been making a very sincere effort to eat as healthy as I can even though we go out to eat quite often. Frequently, I saute a  variety of vegetables in olive oil with seasonings and put them in serving portions along with brown rice for the freezer. Today I am using what I have handy and that is: carrots,  red, yellow and green bell peppers, red onion., celery, broccoli and mushrooms.

I have found that if I have some healthy food handy in the freezer I do better at eating healthy. Also, I have stopped buying all snack food. My biggest weakness is Ice Cream! But, I try not to have it in the house.

Don't they look good - and healthy?

 

Recently, I started making brown rice by baking it. And, it turns out perfect every time.  It is so simple. I really like the nutty flavor of the rice and it goes nicely with the veggies!

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place 1-1/2 cups brown rice (medium or short grain) in an 8-inch square glass baking dish. Bring 2-1/2 cups water, 1 Tbs. unsalted butter and 1 tsp. kosher salt  to a slight boil and stir into the rice to combine. Cover the dish tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 1 hour.  After the hour, remove cover and fluff the rice with a fork. Serve.

Look at my new Rachael Ray stoneware set for my olive oil and vinegar. I really like the way they pour. And, the color is great for my kitchen.  They look nice with my yellow Peugeot salt and pepper grinders.

I hope you have a Wonderful Day.

Knitting On The Prayer Shawl

I am trying to knit "some" on the Prayer Shawl (for Charity Knitting) every single day. It can be just a single row or maybe many rows while watching television in the evening. It is a simple triangle shawl that starts with three knit stitches with one increase at the beginning of each row thereafter to form the triangle. It is all knit stitches so it "should be" a fast knit. It is kind of a challenge to fit knitting into my schedule  since I am trying to spend time in the garden. The next "Knitters and Hookers" get-together is tomorrow afternoon. I better get "clicking".  

I want to say something about the wonderful concert we attended on Sunday afternoon. It was called Composers' Corner III and was held at 3:00 in the afternoon. The beautiful original musical "works" were presented by four of our local artists who included two people who are members of our church. One of them is our Musical Director and the other is our Choir Director. Pretty impressive - don't you think? 

There were many highlights in the concert. It would be impossible for me to identify a favorite. However, a presentation of Improvisatory Poetry and Music at the piano was a performance like nothing I have ever witnessed.

According to Wikipedia, "Musical improvisation (also known as Musical Extemporization) is the creative activity of immediate (in the moment) musical composition which combines performance with verbal communication of emotions and instrumental technique." It was transfixing!

That's it for today. My To-Do list is calling me.

Wishing you a Fabulous Day.