Beautiful Day!

The temps are supposed to rise to near 70 degrees today! What a treat! Warm days just make you feel good, don't they?
I had another great workout today with the Wii Gold's Gym Dance Workout. It is so much fun that you don't even realize you are sweating until you finish.
For breakfast, I enjoyed my own creation of Egg McMuffin. An English muffin with one egg, one slice of fat free American cheese, and one slice of Canadian bacon with a piece of fruit on the side. This would be a 7 point breakfast (WW Points Plus Program). I need to rethink my breakfast so that I can lower the number of points I am eating. I have found a flour-less tortilla that is good. I make a breakfast burrito using 1 tortilla (1), 1 egg (2), 1 slice fat free American (1) with mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes & onions (0), and a little salsa (0) for a 4 point breakfast that keeps me satisfied until lunch time.
Well - I hope you all enjoy your day! I plan on cashing in on a little of those warm temps today! Maybe a nice walk at break time! :-)

Wii Gold's Gym Dance

So - last night I went to Walmart and bought the Gold's Gym Dance workout for Wii. I popped it in this morning and did only the Tutorials. WOW! What a workout. I was a sweaty puddle!
I can see that what I have accessed isn't even a drop in the bucket of all that is offered from this game. I can predict hours and hours of fun!
One of the features I love the most is that in the Tutorial mode, there are lots of dances to choose from (Latin, reggae, etc) and you can pause, rewind, repeat, slow motion, basically whatever you need to do to get the steps down. I know there are tons of features i haven't even accessed yet.
It's pretty cool too that when you turn it on, you arrive at the front desk of Gold's Gym. LOL
And the best part - NO ONE CAN SEE ME! I can be as uncoordinated as I am and overweight and no one is there to care! The music is upbeat and the moves are fun. You are exercising a lot and don't even know it until you are done and realize that you must go shower - and SOON!
I will try to post updates on my progress but so far so good!
Thanks for listening. I tend to ramble when I'm excited. LOL

Dogs Deserve Better

A rescue group called Dogs Deserve Better is trying to raise money to purchase the property that was once home to Michael Vick's Bad Newz Kennels; and turn it into a rehab center for chained and penned dogs. If you're interested, check out their facebook page 999,999 Friends for the DDB Good Newz Rehab Center for Chained Dogs

Tortilla Crusted Feta and Broccoli

This recipe is from Carrots & Cake. It is only 4 Weight Watchers Points Plus points! I haven't tried it yet but I will and VERY SOON!

NGREDIENTS:

• Four 7-inch whole wheat tortillas
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
• 4 ounces sliced mushrooms (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 cup feta crumbles
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• Salt and pepper
  

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 375* F. In a greased 9-inch pie plate, overlap the tortillas to make a crust; place on a rimmed baking sheet.

Meanwhile, steam broccoli until crisp-tender, about 1 minute in the microwave. In a skillet, add the olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the onion and mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook until the mushrooms are golden, about 3 minutes. Stir in the broccoli; season with salt and pepper.

Spread evenly in the tortilla crust, then crumble the cheese on top.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and yogurt and season with salt and pepper; pour into the tortilla crust.

Bake on the baking sheet until just set in the center and lightly golden, about 30 minutes. Let rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

A New Outlook on Life

It has been quite some time since I visited, much less updated, my blog. There have been many changes in my life. I had gotten so heavy and my health was suffering so much. I knew it was time to get it together before I turned into one of my parents.
Don't get me wrong - I love both of my parents. But the thought of having their health issues frightens me a great deal. So I turned over a new leaf.
I started walking - A LOT! I started eating right. I started tracking my food intake and weight on Sparkpeople.com. I realized that the more I moved, the more I FELT like moving. The better I ate, the more I enjoyed healthy food. I have discovered the wonderful tastes and textures you get with fruits and vegetables. I have lost my desire and even some of my fondness for sweets and greasy foods. Now when I eat something I know I shouldn't, it really just doesn't sit well on my stomach.
I have lost 45 pounds. I had actually lost a little more. But on December 6, 2010, while power walking, I tripped over Odie. Unfortunately, I broke my hand and my knee. It has been a long recovery. I have just started exercising again. I can't do all that I did before (yet). But I am using the Wii Fit again. I have also started doing some middle eastern dance/exercise along with some of the shows on the Fitness channel.
My sincere hope is that once I have lost enough weight, my health problems will improve - sleep apnea, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, GIRD, and I am not even 50 yet!!!
Well, I am back now, with a new outlook. And I have a strong desire to inspire others to make changes as well. Even small changes will make a difference. And each small change made adds up to big changes in the way you feel and feel about yourself.
I hope I can help even one person - I would love to Pay It Forward. :-)

Good Deals!

Well it has been quite a while since I updated my blog. My sweet granddaughter, Emma, is one year old. I can hardly believe it! She is walking and talking some. Of course she doesn't yet say "Gramma" but hopefully it won't be too much longer. She can even use the "potty" if you catch her before it's too late. Good Deal!
Dear daughter and son in law have moved, not once, but twice. They have their own place so now we have our own place. Good Deal!
Hubby has found a job! After 26 weeks of unemployment, he started working full time again in August. Another Good Deal!
We had quite a scare for a while with My Mama. She has had serious heart problems and we nearly lost her. But after several months of hospitals, nursing homes and recuperation, she is on the mend! Can you guess? - Good Deal!
Hopefully I will find the motivation I need to pop in here for updates now and again. Here's hoping for lots more Good Deals!

My how time flies!

Emma is 9+ months old now! Wow! It just doesn't seem possible! She is growing up so very fast. She can say words now: dada, mama, mommom, bob, dog and uga (ugly the kitty), and NO. Her Mommy wishes she didn't know that one. :-) She can crawl and stand but she hasn't taken the first step yet. She also has 2 teeth on the bottom and two trying to come through on top. She has had her first ride on a Merry Go 'Round. She has taken her first dip in the pool. She has had her first cotton candy. And eat - My Goddness - how that child does LOVE to eat! The only thing, she is a little afraid of dogs. This has to change. Anyone who knows me would agree that no grandchild of mine can fear dogs. LOL
I am sorry to ramble on so, like some kind of Grandma, oh yeah - I AM a Grandma. I take my apology back now. I am only doing what is expected of me, right?

A Wedding Story

Jacob, age 92, and Rebecca, age 89, living in a Florida , are all excited about their decision to get married. They go for a stroll to discuss the wedding, and on the way they pass a drugstore. Jacob suggests they go in.

Jacob addresses the man behind the counter: "Are you the owner?"

The pharmacist answers, "Yes."

Jacob: "We're about to get married. Do you sell heart medication?"

Pharmacist: "Of course we do."

Jacob: "How about medicine for circulation?"

Pharmacist: "All kinds "

Jacob: "Medicine for rheumatism?"

Pharmacist: "Definitely."

Jacob: "How about suppositories?"

Pharmacist: "You bet!"

Jacob: "Medicine for memory problems, arthritis, and Alzheimer's?"

Pharmacist: "Yes, a large variety. The works."

Jacob: "What about vitamins, sleeping pills, Geritol, antidotes for Parkinson's disease?"

Pharmacist: "Absolutely."

Jacob: "Everything for heartburn and indigestion?"

Pharmacist: "We sure do."

Jacob: "You sell wheelchairs and walkers and canes?"

Pharmacist: "All speeds and sizes."

Jacob: "Adult diapers?"

Pharmacist: "Sure."

Jacob: "We'd like to use this store as our Bridal Registry."

Pet Adoption

This just says it all!

Up, Up and Away!

My DMIL and a close family friend went on a Hot Air Balloon ride this weekend. It was our gift to DMIL for her 66th Birthday! They had such a wonderful time! We followed the chase car and watched them the whole time, taking pictures along the way. The ladies were taking pictures from the air. They saw deer, albino deer, farms, irrigation, fox, etc. The pilot, Captain Kirk, dropped them low enough to the tree tops that they each could grab a handful of leaves. I love those glowing faces! It feels wonderful to have made their dream possible! :-)

Adventures in Camping!

We went to Trap Pond camping this past weekend. And of course, a must when camping at Trap Pond in the summer, we went fishing. This entails taking our little 16 ft Jon boat and a couple dozen worms along with our fishing gear and hitting the pond.
Now, when we were young, we used to swim at Trap Pond. Every weekend, my mom and aunt would take me, my brother and my cousin to Trap Pond and we would spend the entire day swimming and playing! I guess it was in the late 70's or early 80's that they decided that the bacteria level had become so high that it was no longer safe to swim and then we started to go to Philips Landing.
Anyway, when we go camping, I still love to fish even though we would not eat the fish from the pond. I mean, if the water is too dirty to swim in, I don't want to eat the fish. Know what I mean? Well, we had a lovely few days fishing. We caught a bunch of blue gills, crappy, a small bass and even a cat fish. I caught him by the whiskers! He swam by and got snagged I guess.
Well, Friday, when we were fishing, I had just snagged one on my line. I told hubby that I got a fish. He leaned back in his high backed, swivel stool to watch me reel in my big catch! At that precise moment, the bolts holding the chair to the boat decided to give up! The bolts came loose, the chair broke off, hubby fell into the middle of the boat, breaking his tackle box, I don't know how he didn't get hooks and lures attached to his behind, and as he started to tell me how close we came to tipping over, he heard it! A definite SPLASH from the front of the boat! Yep! The rocking boat tossed me right out of my high backed swivel chair and into that high bacteria infested, green, slimy pond! Of course, I was over my head. I tried to pull myself into the boat and just couldn't do it without turning the boat over. I started to panic and then hubby reminded me that if I swam just a few yards, I could WALK to shore and he would pick me up!
So, that's what I did. I swam a few yards, found my footing in that slimy mud, and walked to shore. He came up behind me and I got in the boat. We then laughed all the way back to the dock! Thank God I have a sense of humor!
The good news is, I haven't yet started to glow in the dark. So I guess I wasn't in the pond long enough for the bacteria to do any lasting damage!
:-)

May Same Image Swap

Such a cute image. I am not entirely happy with the results. I have had too much going on this month and I was very late getting it done. I feel like it was just too rushed. I think I will refrain from participating in any more summer swaps. Then I can concentrate on all of the festivities that are demanding my attention and hopefully even find some time to float around in the pool. Thanks for looking!!!

Emma and Me

OH! The joy of being a Gramma! Emma and I had the BEST day on Saturday! We picked up Grandmommie and we went to Pizza King for breakfast, where we shared the "Two, Two, Two" with eggs over medium, cinnamon raisin french toast and scrapple. After breakfast, we went shopping at Walmart! She certainly loves people! She was a big hit to everyone, young and old. And she is just the best baby! We shpooed for about two hours and she didn't get fussy until we were waiting in line. And of course waiting in those Walmart lines will make anyone cranky!
We left Walmart and by the time we got back to Grandmommies, she was down for a power nap. So we dropped off Grandmommie and went home. Once Emma woke up, we had our lunch (a bottle, bananas and mac & cheese) and then we went for a walk. A little cranky about getting in the stroller but once the wheels started turning she calmed a bit. By the time we got to the swing, she was ready to play. She played in the swing until she was falling asleep sitting up. She was just so cute. (No biased here!)
Then home for a nap before Connor's birthday party. She had a lot of fun at the BBQ. Of course she was the life of the party. She went home to sleep over at Mom Mom's.
We met again at church Sunday monring. She was once again a perfect little angel. She even "sang" with the congregation. Being as happy as she was, she was a "little" loud during the service, but Pastor Mark can talk above her.
After church we went to McDona;ds for lunch. Emma shared some nuggets and fries as well as some baby food. But the best part was the ice cream. Unfortunately, Emma had her first "Brain Freeze". Let me tell you - she didn't like it! LOL
Her parents picked her up when we were done and then us older folks could get some rest. She is a handfull but man how I love that little girl!

The beauty of Spring!

How lovely the Day Lilies are this spring! They have really multiplied this year. Somehow the moles didn't get them which is surprising when you consider all the trails in the yard this year. It is very difficult to walk through the front yard without twisting your ankle. I do love the colors of these. They just shout SPRING to me!

Date night tonight!

Not the greatest photo of hubby - he really doesn't like to have his picture taken! :-(
Hubby and I have a date night scheduled for tonight. Nothing fancy - just dinner out. But it will be awesome to go out, just the two of us. We haven't done much of that lately.

Happy Mother's Day - it was!

Thanks to my sweet, sweet family, I had a wonderful Mother's Day!
Hubby went to church with me, then we all went to lunch at Grotto's Pizza (Me, Bob, Mama, Mom, Pop, Aunt Evelyn, Sam, Corey & of course Emma). For Mother's Day, I received numerous beautiful cards, a box of Russell Stover's caramels :-) and yes - a bushel of crabs! Yummy!!!
I also got to spend some time with my precious little granddaughter!

Mother's Day 2009 Cards

The red, white & black cards were made using my new stamps and ribbon that I bought "while shopping with my sister".
The off white card was made using my new threading water punch and part of a note card I found at the Dollar General store.
Hey, bargains are bargains no matter where you find them. ;-)

Birthday Card

This was made for a coworker. I used card stock, papers and ribbons that I have had on hand for a while. The stamp set is an unmounted acrylic set that I bought at Michael's while shopping with my sister (aka: TheLadyScraps, Peggy). I have had a gift certificate that the kids gave me for my birthday back in September but did not have the motivation to use it while I wasn't creating.
Maybe I'm back for good (or at least a long while).
TFL

Caught a Bug?

I did this card for a SWAP on Cuppas and Cards. Isn't that a cute image?
I used my prisma color pencils and chalks. I also used the threading water punch and layered several colors of cardstock and ran the ribbon through the green cardstock.
I wasn't overly impressed with the results, but at least it got me "back in the game". kwim?
TFL

Baby Shower Card

Using one of my Bella stamps along with the pretty ribbon I bought at Michael's "while shopping with my sister". ;-)