Monday, August 31, 2020

My Latest Little Project Done...

Somewhere along the line, I started collecting salt and pepper shakers. Don't ask me me why. The first set was so cute, I couldn't help myself. The next one was easier, as was the next, until I found myself with six sets. Then I bought a set for DH and then a few weeks ago I got another set as a gift. They've been sitting in a nice display on my dining room table, but they often had to be moved in order to work on various and sundry craft projects. No, eating doesn't happen at the able often. :0)

So I went from this:

And this:

To this:

I'm tickled with the way it turned out.

In other news, SPRINKLES all around!! my Dallas Stars won their game last night, putting them ahead in the best of seven series, 3-1. They play again tonight and could eliminate their opponent and move on to the third round for the first time since 2008. It's not going to be easy by any stretch of the imagination, but they've come this far--farther than I honestly expected them to, so remember to send all the good vibes to Edmonton.


HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!



Friday, August 28, 2020

Human Rights Are More Important Than Sports

That's the message coming from the approximately 250 NHL Players who requested and received a  postponement of games scheduled to be played Thursday, August 27th and Friday, August 28th, 2020 in response to the latest instance of police brutality toward a person of color. Toward a Black man.


Players of all colors and nationalities came together to shine a light on a major issue plaguing not just the U.S. but Canada as well.

We all know that boycotting or postponing sporting events of any stripe isn't going to rid the world of racism, but what it does do is start the conversations. What's so important that athletes willingly don't play the sport they love enough to have committed their lives to? Especially right now when two of those sports are in the middle of their playoffs...?

Jacob Blake's status as a Black man is the only important thing here, not his arrest record. Our country supposedly has laws and procedures for arresting people. Unless the officer's life is in the balance, he or she should do everything in his or her power to get the person of interest under arrest with as little harm/permanent damage done as possible and let the judicial system handle the rest. (I know there are issues there too, but that a whole nother can of worms. *sigh*)

I understand that there are nuances and layers to every arrest situation from both sides of the equation. I understand that there are multiple nuances and layers to the greater issue at hand. I also understand that there are no easy answers. But the conversations need to happen.

Have a great weekend.


Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Sustained Ketosis

 

It took me a while to get back into eating a keto diet after my trip to the lake, but back into it I finally got. However, since my foray into eating keto back in the spring, the results were hit or miss, variable, discouraging.

Eating a keto diet means, at its basic level, that carbs make up 5% or less of a person's macronutrients on any given day. Macronutrients are carbs, protein, and fats.

 And in looking that up, I realized why I was having such a hard time.. I was operating under incorrect information. For some reason, I thought I needed to stay under 20% carbs! And all I was doing was making sure anything I ate was less than 7% of the % Daily value as listed in the nutritional value panel. Ha!

This screen shot is from today after I quickly added my breakfast. I don't actually use the Fitbit anymore. It taught me what I needed to know. Obviously, I have a ways to go for the day, in terms of caloric intake and leveling out the percentages of the macronutrients, but that's were I'm sitting as of posting time.

Last week I opted to give up the yogurt (7%) I was eating to see what would happen and everything else I've been consuming has been 1% or less carbs. And so... Sustained ketosis!

I eat a lot of protein and need to up my fat and veggie intake for sure--which, salads with creamy dressing are just fine with me. I've been on a Ceasar salad kick again, so win-win.

I'll be staying on track through next week so that I can eat whatever is put in front of me while visiting my family. There may be pizza and ice cream in my future or a big fat juicy burger and fries! Maybe not.

Sadly, however, Blue Bell and Pecan Pralines and Cream is not a staple in Nebraska, so I might have to settle for something...else.

Hope you're having a great week. Catch you Friday.



Monday, August 24, 2020

A Long Time Coming

 

We finally got a new bed. I won't tell you how long it'd been, but a new bed has been way past due. While we were at it, we upgraded from queen to king, which meant all new bedding and some new pillows for decoration. Painting and new window treatments will come when it cools off so I can have windows open...


The old setup...


Sweeping and mopping with a little help from Karma kitty.


The elves putting the bed frame/platform together.


Letting the mattress expand after being shrink wrapped.


I still need pillows for the shams and the king size pillows for decoration more than sleeping, but here it is. First night's sleep in the new bed was most excellent.

And my Dallas Stars won game one of Round 2. They needed the win to keep wind in their sails. Tonight is game 2. BE LOUD. WEAR GREEN. GO STARS!!


Have a great week.

Friday, August 21, 2020

Second Round Sprinkles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Our boys in Victory Green won last night in spectacular fashion, going from 3 goals down to 4 goals ahead for a 7-3 victory over the Calgary Flames, which allowed them to advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

In the process, they set a couple of records, not just for the franchise, but within the NHL as a whole.

Their second round match-up is the Colorado Avalanche, a team who is on a tear, but whom we beat every time we faced them in the regular season. Now the regular season was a million years ago and the Avs have their star players playing like stars (unlike our star players), so I don't know how much those wins mean now.

On the other hand, we don't have to face the St. Louis Blues for whom we have some sort of mental block--they knocked us out last in year in double overtime of Game 7 in round two. Depending on what happens in their game tonight--we may not have to face them at all... Of course, if we don't get past the Avs, it won't matter.

Sooooo, say it with me:

Have a great weekend!!

Wednesday, August 19, 2020

Winners Get Sprinkles and I get Ice Cream

 

Darryl "Razor" Reaugh--color commentator for Stars' broadcasts started the idea.

Perhaps surprising many of their fans, the Dallas Stars have played pretty decent hockey in their past two games, earning two wins in a row and taking a 3-2 lead in the best of seven game series. Should they win their next game, they will move on to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

In celebration, I'm sharing pictures of some crafts DD and I made a couple of months ago.

The numbers on the paw pads represent my favorite players: 14--Jamie Benn, the captain; 45--Roman Polak, who's since gone back to the Czech Republic for good (sniffle); 23--Esa Lindell, a member of the Finnish Mafia and one of our top 4 defensemen; and 35--Anton Khudobin, the "backup" goalie.

So when I say the Finnish Mafia, it's just a nickname for the group of Finns on the team; there are three of them and they are all bright young studs. As for our backup goalie, he's absolutely good enough to be a starter, but we have him as a quote/unquote backup. And thank goodness. Our #1 goalie has been out with an injury and no one--team or fans--has to worry any longer about the goaltending situation like we used to. So "backup" is something of a misnomer, hence the quote marks.


This guy--isn't he cute?--started life as an unfinished kit we got on clearance at a local craft store right after Christmas last year. I've been on the hunt for more of them, but they all come with swords or guns and those don't work for our purposes... Hoping there will be more this Christmas season as I think DD and I could paint a few of them and sell them to people on the Facebook Group we're a part of.


As for me, I've been beating the heat with homemade Keto ice cream. I know this doesn't look that appealing... lol ...but it tastes pretty darn good.

This is chocolate caramel peanut ice cream with chopped caramel chips and chopped peanuts. It's a little too rich between the cocoa powder and the chopped caramel chips, so maybe a bit less cocoa powder next time around.

I've also made various other flavors, all to my satisfaction, including chocolate chocolate chip, chocolate caramel pecan, chocolate caramel peanut, coconut chocolate chip, and chocolate caramel coconut. Tonight, I'm looking forward to coconut pecan. No chocolate.

I have some anise extract, but I've yet to decide what to pair/mix it with...feel free to offer suggestions.

The base ice cream recipe, along with flavor additions, can be found here if you're so inclined to try it.

Have a great rest of your week.


Monday, August 17, 2020

Of a Sunday Afternoon

 

 

The squirrels provide no end of amusement... Check out the critter lying in the picnic table--feet dangling over the edge. And the other one just sitting in the bowl snacking leisurely.

In other exciting news, our Dallas Stars won their game yesterday--a game they desperately needed to win. It was back and forth with the score throughout the who game. A nail-biting, barn burner for sixty minutes plus of game play!

Also, the heatwave has been slightly broken. It'll only be 93* today instead of 103*!! I'll take it.

Hope you had a great weekend...


Friday, August 14, 2020

Bring on the Hockey

 

Once upon a time, DD would only watch Dallas Stars hockey. Didn't care about news of any team other that of our home team. She was a more a Stars fan and less a general hockey fan. It was challenge to have a hockey conversation with her sometimes. But five months after the world went on hiatus and my girl is watching all kinds of hockey.

Of course, other games have ramifications for our team, provided they move forward.

It's really nice to have hockey back, but we've both become realists about the chances our Stars have to get past the first round. Could it happen? Sure it could. Anything can happen during the NHL playoffs. Will it happen? Sadly, the play of our team and decision of the coaches on whom to put in the lineup greatly reduces our chances.

We've both made other picks as to who the winner of the Stanley Cup will be. Neither of us has picked our Stars to go all the way. We're each rooting for one of the other's most hates teams. I'm rooting for Colorado Avalanche and she's rooting for Philadelphia Flyers. Since they're in different conferences, they could end playing each other for the Cup. Wouldn't that be a hoot?

Anyway, it's been an exciting week of hockey with more to come this weekend.

Hope your weekend is whatever you're looking for it to be! Have a great one.

 

 

Wednesday, August 12, 2020

I've been on TV!

 

Me on the right, my DD on the left.

This is a still from a commercial for Fox Sports Southwest or the Fox Sports Go app. The footage was taken at one of the many watch parties DD and I attended during the spring of 2019.

I have not seen the commercial myself, but will be watching for it when my Dallas Stars games are broadcast on Fox Sports Southwest over NBC or NBCSN.

 

Hope your week is going well!

 


Monday, August 10, 2020

Kudos to the NHL...

 

First I'd like to say that, sadly, birthday boy Sidney Crosby and his team the Pittsburgh Penguins were eliminated from the playoffs on Friday. What a sucky birthday. :0(

But!

On to more amusing things. I mentioned a week or so ago that hockey is back and being played in two "bubbles" in two cities to keep players and staff and officials and everyone as safe as they can be. One thing that's not in the bubbles are fans.

Us fan are watching from home. But the NHL has given a humorous nod to just how strange the whole situation is. So on the jumbo-tron at various games, fans have been treated to the following memes:





On happier note--my Stars finally won a game in spectacular comeback fashion. The win was really nothing more than a great morale booster but they needed it and badly.

Hope you had a great weekend.




Friday, August 7, 2020

Happy Birthday, Sidney Crosby!!






Wednesday, August 5, 2020

Talk the Talk, Walk the Walk


Kneeling:  Ryan Reaves, Jason Dickinson, Tyler Seguin, and Robin Lehner

These four players are the first to take a knee during the American and Canadian national anthems prior to a game in which they were playing. Matt Dumba took a knee at a game a few days prior to this, but he'd given a speech and was not playing in the game itself. Please note that Matt Dumba and Ryan Reaves are players of color.

Now, many on social media are saying all kinds of negative things about a guy (Tyler specifically)  who's trying to mature, grow, and learn in the wake of George Floyd's murder by supporting his hockey brothers of color. As an FYI and for what it's worth, there are only 43 players of color in a league of 700+ active players.

I know some people think it's political, but how is standing up for what's right and supporting your friends and colleagues political? I get that there can be and maybe are political aspects to the issues, but sometimes, there's just doing the right thing. Such as standing (metaphorically in this case) with those who are fighting for basic human decency.

These players are using the platform they have as popular professional athletes to bring an important issue to the attention of some who might not otherwise give it a moment's thought.

It's so important for those with white privilege, such as Tyler, Jason, and Robin to stand with those whose experience has been different and far worse. It's important for them (and the rest of us who also enjoy white privilege) to acknowledge there's been wrong done to a certain sector of our fellow human beings before people who don't understand that there's a problem can begin to change their perception.

No, Tyler (or Jason or Robin) shouldn't be traded. He shouldn't be fined. He shouldn't be unfollowed on Twitter or Instagram, but knock yourself out if it makes you feel better (as if he'd know, sheesh).
He certainly shouldn't be excoriated for standing up for what's right. Or for using this form of peaceful protest to advocate for change.

I was one of those outraged, uneducated people back when Colin Kaepernik took a knee back in 2016, thinking he was disrespecting the flag and those who'd fought and died for our freedoms. But what I forgot was that those who fought and died--well, they fought for our freedom and certain unalienable rights. Let's take a look at the First Amendment shall we...

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Yeah, that last phrase. People have a right to gather peaceably and to petition the Government to right its wrongs.

I hope I'll walk the walk when the time comes...

Have a great week.

Monday, August 3, 2020

Happy Monday


So-- Ice Cream. I attempted chocolate strawberry chocolate chip. It wasn't bad, but it needed to be sweeter. Next time around, I need to add a bit more sweetener to the jar. Also not terribly keen on the frozen bits of fruit. So I need to mash or blend the fruit up into more of a compote too I think.

From this:

To this:


The recipe makes a bit more, but I'd nibbled a bit before remembering to take a picture. :0) Add all ingredients to a mason jar, shake for five minutes, then freeze until done. Easy peasy.

More to come!

* * * * *

DD came home with a little tiny baby Stars jersey for the cat. Karma was not impressed.


Now we need to get one for the dog and take pet pictures of them together--ha!

* * * * *

How was your weekend? Mine was productive, especially on the writing front, as I had the house to myself Friday evening, all of Saturday, and half of Sunday. Since writing time starts pre-dawn, I was able to invest myself in writing sprints for as long as the write-brain would cooperate.

I also took the broom and Swiffer mop to our bedroom. Last task in there is to dust everything on the walls. Dusting. Blech! My least favorite household chore.

I'm also debating on whether or not I'm up for re-painting my bedroom. It's been well over a decade and, with some of the spoils of our fireworks season, DH and I are getting a new bed. If there's ever a good time to repaint, I'd say that qualifies.

Not really going to change the Americana  theme, but if I paint, I'm going with a different set of colors. Right now, my walls are light blue above a wallpaper border and dark blue below it. So I'd have to remove the border for sure. When I move forward with this project, I'm pretty sure I'm going to paint the wall the bed is on some shade of burgundy and then go with a light beige/cream color for the other three walls. New mini-blinds are in order as are new window coverings. And that should do it.

I'll keep you posted...

Anyway, back to work. Have a great week.