Friday, August 23, 2013

I'm at a loss today, so you get potpourri...


First--my cross stitch project is done!!! The stitching part, anyway. Now I just need to trim the aida cloth and attach the image to the frame. Woo hoo!


After that, I'll have to dig up another project or kit. I've really been enjoying the endeavor. Actually, I'm thinking of designing my own next project--a birth sampler for DD. I realize she's twenty-three years old, but she keeps making comments about the fact that Sonshine has one but she doesn't. Mostly she's joking, but Sonshine, as youngest child, has had way more things and spoiling than the girls did, so I think she sometimes feels jealous or deprived or something. So that'll be one of her gifts for Christmas.

Second--that 137 lb. mark is just days away. As I said Wednesday, I've been bobbing over and under the 140 lb. mark, but yesterday morning I was 138.4 and last night I was at 141.4. Still some calories to count and exercise to do, but I'm moving steadily closer.

Third--I love love love the new STAR TREK movie, Into the Darkness.


The digital copy was released several days ago and I've watched it four times already. I watch while I cross stitch and at lunch and while I'm exercising...I don't even have to really watch it, I can just listen when I'm cross stitching. I cry or get teary eyed at the end every time. And I love it more with each viewing. I've got a ways to go to catch up to the number of times I've watched the first film, which is easily over 150 times at this point. :)

Fourth--after too many years to count, I finally have a flag on my house! Sonshine put it up a week or so ago, and I'm super excited.






So what's  new with you???

And don't forget to have a spectacular weekend.



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Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Making progress...but more adjustments to come


I'm this close to finally slipping under the 140 lb. mark for good. I keep dipping under, then popping back up. However, the amount I go over gets less and less as the days pass and I keep exercising and watching what I eat. I should make my 137-lb.-by-September-1st goal without a problem.

I've amped up the exercising a bit, so my body's still adjusting, but if I keep on keeping on, then I should be back to my new old self in a few days.

School starts Monday. There will be another round of adjustments as Sonshine gets, not only his class schedule, but his band practice schedule, as well as any other after school club (The Strategy Club) or organization (The National Honor Society) activities on the calender.

I don't know if I've mentioned my love of cross stitch. Back in the day--like twenty/twenty-five years back--I was an avid cross stitcher. I would design samplers and things for new babies and such. I bought pattern booklets and kits. At some point, life got busy and stuff happened and I stopped taking time to work on projects. Several weeks ago, DD started a project and I thought, "You know--I really enjoy cross stitching and I really miss working on crafts."

DD's project:


So I dug out some of my old stuff. I found a project I'd started probably a good twenty years ago, and which is really practically finished, and started working toward getting it done.I spend a little time each evening while I watch TV working on it. And I'm really really enjoying it and I'm looking forward to the project being done so I can put it on display.

My project:


See that little triangular section at the top? That's what I've been working on. I should have it finished in a week, no more than two. Woot!!


Do you do any sort of crafts??


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Monday, August 19, 2013

I've been pondering for several days what to post today...


And here's what I came up with, because sometimes you can't plan these too far in advance!

First off, I had a fabulous weekend. Dinner Friday evening with best selling author Jodi Thomas and several other writer group friends. I had good interesting and just plain heart warming conversations with my friends Michelle and Regina.

Saturday was writers group day, board meeting and regular meeting, followed by a trip to a local Barnes and Noble for Jodi Thomas's book signing as well as visiting with my closest writing peeps. We brainstormed a bit and chatted a lot.

After aaaalllllll of that excitement, I traveled across DFW to my friend Angi's house and waited for our other friend Jan, along with her hubby and son, to arrive in town from Wichita, Kansas. Once they arrived we did more visiting and laughing, as well as eating and just had a generally grand ol' time.

Sunday I grocery shopped and did some laundry, but otherwise relaxed and enjoyed the gorgeous weather. I put no pressure on myself to accomplish anything else. I did a little weeding, though. Not because I had to, but because I just wanted to be outside and because I wanted a few less weeds. :) I also ended up replanting my surviving azalea. One finally died, but the other was doing okay. I decided to transplant it into a pot and put it where I could see it and give it a little extra TLC.






After grocery shopping, I scrolled through FB as I'm wont to do of a morning and saw a post about the top five regrets of the dying. I clicked through to read it and it just seemed to reinforce my new life's philosophies. Namely, be eccentric now, the only one responsible for your happiness is you, and today is special.

So this weekend I wore my blue feather boa to dinner and to my writers group meeting. I was so happy and silly that people were teasing me that there must have been something more in my morning tea than just tea. And I enjoyed the conversation and time with friends.

How was your weekend?? Did you have fun and live life to the fullest?



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Friday, August 16, 2013

Fort Worth Friday...


...is back!!

Today, we're going to talk about Bass Hall. I figured since I went Casa Manana last week, Bass Hall would be a good place to visit this week!

Here's a gorgeous picture of the building at night and all lit up. This is not my picture, but is used with permission via Wikimedia Commons. (My pictures, taken by Sonshine, will follow.)


I've attended several performances (ballet, opera, and music) at Bass Hall which is as lovely inside as it is outside. I wish I could share some pictures, but I don't want to step on any copyright toes. If you click here, you can see some.

It's only been around since 1998, but apparently rivals the great concert halls of the world, and is the permanent home of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Texas Ballet Theater, and the Fort Worth Opera.





Have you ever attended a performance at Bass Hall?

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Wednesday, August 14, 2013

NO! Just sayin'...


A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned my lack of ability to say no to the things I should--like root beer, pretzel dogs from Sonic, fries from Mickey D's, and so on and so on.Weight-wise, I've been hovering so very close to and on the wrong side of the 140 lb. mark. I really want clear that hurdle and head toward the 130 lb. point. That'll be the next hurdle.

I've turned a corner and I'm ready to get 'er done. So I'm saying no again. Monday, DH asked me if I wanted a root beer from an eatery here in the business park and I said NO. All weekend through the beginning of the week, I said NO to the tempting things in my cabinets and fridge (things I have to have--like cereal or heat and eat items for Sonshine and DH). Instead, I chose protein or fruits and veggies. I like protein and fruits and veggies, don't get me wrong, but most of the time there's prep work or cooking involved and when I'm hungry, I'm hungry. It's hard to wait. And, okay, I get lazy, too.

In trying to utilize my exercise time to better (and safer and cooler) effect, I switched from walking around my neighborhood for thirty minutes to pedaling my bike pedals. (I bought just the pedals on a stand, not a full stationary bike.) Now, if I can double that effort and pedal while I watch TV--you know, cuz the new TV season is right around the corner--I can earn almost three times as many burned calories as that thirty minutes of walking. Woot! More calories for eating, and possibly saying yes every now and then to an icy cold can of A&W Root Beer.

To get the figures for calories burned from walking versus pedaling, I had to open MyFitnessPal, and I figured, what the heck, I'll start keying in my food and my exercise now. No time like the present, right?

I have twenty pounds to lose to reach my ultimate goal. I know it's better to have a target date for things, but I also know slower weight loss is better weight loss, so I'm just going to shoot for reaching 137 lbs. by September 1st. That's four pounds in three weeks. That's do-able. I've done it before. I've just got to keep saying no! Just this morning I said no to sleeping in because it was raining and just oh, so tempting to snuggle back under the covers.

What about you? I know two of my faithful friends/readers are also watching what they eat and trying to shed a few pounds. How are you doing friends??

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