Yoo Hoo, Am I Out There?

Seems like ages since I've set down and composed a post for my blog. Suppose that could be because I've not been busy doing very much. Knee, back and hip are doing quite nicely considering I am an old fart. Rain, rain, and more rain has kept me off the golf course, so my exercise has been largely confined to the recumbent bike. I really have no problem with that except that I prefer an outdoor activity.

A post without mentioning another injury is like a day without sunshine. Well, actually I have 3 new ones to report. Last week I had 2 squamous cell spots removed on my right hand. They were located in very odd spots, and the Dr. said he'd never seen them between fingers before. Leave it to me!! Typing has been a challenge with all the bandages. They are smaller now, so I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. The third oddity occurred last night. I opened the drop leaf to my desk and the old calculator slid out and dropped, corner first, right on my big toe. A slight yelp of "ouch" and I thought nothing of it. When I went upstairs to go to bed, I had quite a lovely bruise. Well, "ouch" indeed. This morning I awoke to a really swollen and bruised big toe. A little ice and a little elevation of the foot, and only the bruise remains. But, really, what a stupid accident. Only I could do something so blatantly dumb.

It's State Fair time again, but I am not succumbing to the temptation of the pork chop on a stick.

The heat and humidity might also play a small part in my willingness to forgo the lure of multiple new foods on a stick. I'll stay at home and enjoy the fresh and delicious tomatoes that everyone, but me, has been growing. My efforts at tomato farming have yielded exactly 2 regular sized tomatoes and 6 cherry tomatoes. Pitiful, I admit. However, my peppers are going nuts!! That, and my herbs, have been doing well. My upside down tomato thingy hasn't proven to be the wonder of nature I was promised. I had much better luck last year. Lucky for me I have my CSA and several friends providing lovely produce.

On a very proud note, my granddaughter (age 6) completed her first 1 mile fun run in 13 min. 11 sec.!!!! I am so proud of her. The Primary Child (her father) did the 5K just prior to her run, then ran with her. Very cool.

A Sunday Post??? What Am I Thinking?

Well, I'll tell you what I'm thinking.....Yippeeeeee Damned Skippeeeeee!!! I played 18 holes of golf today with almost no pain!! I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am about that. At about the 16th hole my knee began to get tired, but I was not in pain. Hallelujah!!

I know better than to get too cocky about this, but I have to admit I am heartened by this turn of events. I am well aware of the pitfalls of being over confident, so I will keep things in perspective. Tuesday and Wednesday of this week is our annual Member-Guest Tournament, and I am hopeful that I will be able to continue to enjoy a pain-free golf experience. I have promised myself that I will not overdo, and I will not force myself to do things I'm not able to do. Thank goodness my partner realizes that I have certain limitations. We're in it, not to win it, but to have an enjoyable experience, and have fun. I have warned her that if I feel pain...I quit. She's good with that.

Since my injection on Thursday, I have been taking things slow and easy. I am not going to tempt the fates, but I am thinking I may be able to resume a walking schedule after the golf tournament. I have found one thing to be a problem, I cannot carry heavy things without a bit of a twinge in my knee. I think that's a sign that everyone should fetch and carry for me!! NOT!

I cannot carry my usual 5 grocery bags in at one time, but I'm ok with that. :)

In looking over this post, I see why I don't post on weekends. It's an odd post, but a happy one. I just couldn't wait to share my happy news. Hope my good fortune continues. Wish us luck.

Plop, Plop, Fizz, Fizz, Oh What A Relief It Is

Well, truth be told, there was no plop, plop or fizz, fizz....but AHHHH what a relief it is! Yep, you guessed it! Today was cortisone shot day. I'm to stay off the knee for a "few" hours. What exactly is a "few" I asked. I was told "More than 1 and less than 10". So guess I'll just chill for a little while. I was told to stay off the "dreadmill" as it is too taxing on the old, decrepit joints. So just me and my trusty recumbent from now until Nov. 29. Oh....did I mention that's my surgery date? I can also squeeze one more cortisone shot in before surgery. I learned not to stretch the gap between shots the hard way.!! I am looking forward to the surgery and having all of this crap behind me, but I still want to be able to enjoy golf and football, too. I want it ALL!!! If I take care and listen to what my body tells me, I see no reason I can't have it ALL!!!

I have to admit that feeling the relief already has me anxious to get back on track. I will pace myself, but just being able to do a bit more than usual will be wonderful. I'll ease back into a routine that is sensible, but just using the word routine is comforting.

Thank you all for your encouraging words on my last post. I did think and ponder quite a lot before I went to the Dr. today. I was truly thinking of an earlier surgery, but after discussing the situation with my Dr., he felt I could stay comfortable and still do all the things I want to do. He did use the word "sensible" quite a bit. Think it might have been a subliminal message? I was also left with the option to change dates if things become intolerable. Good to have options, I guess. Certainly hoping that I don't need to make alternate arrangements.

So, I'm all set for another 3 months...I hope. I'm gonna do things in moderation, but I'm looking forward to actually DOING things again. Thank you all again for encouraging me. I'm trying to hang in there. After one whole morning...so far, so good. :)

At A Crossroads

Remember the old Johnny Carson skit, where Johnny is giving directions to his character's car lot, and he says "When you come to the fork in the road, take it!!" Well, I think I might be at a crossroads ready to "take it"....but which way do I turn?

When I originally began this journey, it was to improve my health and hopefully lose weight along the way. I am happy to report that the health improvement is going along nicely, but there is always room for improvement. Improvement that would be greatly enhanced by a greater weight loss. Thursday I am going to the orthopedic Dr. for my cortisone shot. I know that it is going to bring relief, but I also know that relief will be temporary, and will wear off a month before I want to schedule my surgery. Crossroads #1...accept the fact that I will have another month like this last one before the surgery OR bite the bullet and schedule the surgery earlier and miss football season. (No I am not playing linebacker for the team.) Fact is, I am as crazy about Nebraska Cornhusker football as I am about golf!! Therein lies my dilemma.

Crossroads #2...I am not achieving the weight loss goals I had hoped for lately, but I know that my lack of exercise due to limited movement is not helping. It is not an excuse either. So, do I back off for now completely, continue the healthy eating and wait for pain relief to begin again, or do I toughen up and get on with it? I'm not a sissy by nature, but I am not enjoying the pain I'm inflicting upon myself one little bit. Even golf has been a struggle. Sunday, after a long layoff, I decided to give it a whirl. I only lasted 13 holes, then became an innocent bystander. That really hurts!!!

Crossroads #3...Blogging. While I love blogging, especially reading all of the blogs that I've followed all these months. I simply don't feel that I'm doing my part as a blogger. I'm not able to exercise, I'm not really losing weight, I'm just kinda hangin' on by a thread. My question is, "Should I continue to blog even tho' I have nothing but my marvelous wit (no wisdom) and sunny disposition to share? The blogging community has been so kind and generous to me, I hate to leave it altogether.

I can see that this post might qualify as a whiny, "oh poor me" post. I don't want it to be, really I don't. I want to make decisions that will be in my long term best interests. At 61, I want to maximize the years I have to look forward to. I don't want lasting damage from anything I may be trying to do right now. At least we are on the right track making good food choices, and making sure we find healthy alternatives to our old "vices". Guess that's a good thing, huh?

Thwarted!!

Drats! My grand plan to grow old gracefully is being thwarted. Roadblocks are being thrown in my path right and left lately. I shall not be deterred, but it ain't gonna be easy.

As I've already complained, my knee is on the replacement "to-do" list this fall. Until then, I'll be dragging it behind me, bitching loudly. I think I might have pulled a little something in my neck lifting weights this morning. I think it might be a matter of not stretching enough, so I'm not overly concerned. However, what I am concerned about it how much more stretching and warming up I have to do before I can get down to business. Almost as long as the workout itself!!

I was at the Dermatologist the other day, and had several spots frozen. Nothing significant, thank goodness, but the spot I was actually worried about turned out to be nothing more than an "Old Age" spot. Now, the Dr. put it more politely than that, but I knew exactly what the inference was. Old Age spots be damned!! Of course pointing this one spot out led to the discovery of many, many more spots that prompted the, " You don't have to worry about this, it's a normal part of aging." comment. Ouch!

I looked this morning and found that my list of vitamins and Doctors now outnumber the number of friends on our Christmas Card list!! I had a plan, once upon a time. Hubby Dearest and I would slide gracefully into our dotage with dignity and all in one piece. I'm pretty sure HD is gonna succeed, but I'm sort of a question mark at this point. I can cope with body parts aging, and going to pot, but I get very concerned when my mind shows signs of slowing down.

Case in point: Grocery Day today. I park the car in about the same place.....far enough from the door to make myself walk a short distance. (So far, so good, huh?) I shop like pro, sticking mainly to the perimeter of the store. (Still ok, right?) Check out and pay. (Still hangin' in there.) Push the cart out to the car. Stand by the door and click my remote door thingy...nothing. Keep clicking, still nothing. Click, click, curse, curse, click, click. Well, dummy, now what? If I stay out in the heat much longer, my broccoli is gonna pre-cook. LIGHTBULB!!! This is not my car! Ye Gods! It is an identical version of my car, down to the extra cloth grocery bags on the back seat. My car is directly across from the car I'm trying to break into! As casually as I can muster at this point, I stroll over to my car and load 'er up, return the cart to the cart park, and make my getaway as quickly and quietly as possible. As I left I saw that this car had different tires than my car.....well, who the hell checks that???

But in thinking about this further, it occurs to me that I have an SUV with the license plate right there in front of me on the tailgate. I have a personalized plate and should have noticed that I was trying to load up the wrong tailgate!!! I can't begin to tell you how that affects my self esteem and my plan to be a really cool, hip and happenin' old lady. I've suffered a setback, but I'm bound and determined to keep pluggin' away. I am buying a book of more difficult crosswords right away!

No News=Good News, Right? Well, Maybe Not

That's just where I am at present...nothing newsworthy.

My knee completely gave way last week, so I am on the injured reserve list. Walking very gingerly until I can get to the orthopod on the 29th. I am hoping that the cortisone shot will help re-seat my knee, and I'll be able to resume some sort of regular walking routine. Right now I have a hobbling routine. My knee "popped", I heard it, waited a moment, and then it came....PAIN....shooting, stabbing pain. My knee had popped out of "sync". I got it kinda re-seated, but it still wobbles. I am seriously considering an earlier surgery date. I'll see the Doc on the 29th and ask if this little setback is enough to move up the surgery date. I'm hoping not, but if I'm going to have this "wobbler" for the next few months, I won't have much fun to look forward to. I know it's bad when I cancel golf!! One good thing has come of this new event tho', I've pretty much forgotten about my sciatica! :)

I've been away from blogging for a bit. I didn't realize how much I missed it until I began reading again yesterday on my Crackberry. I haven't figured out how to respond or comment using the phone yet, but I did finally read and catch up. I am trying to use the phone for as much as I can, then I don't have to go downstairs to the "office/gym" to use the regular computer. (We don't yet have a laptop.) Stairs are not my friend at the moment. I can't use any of the equipment we have downstairs, so I'll bring the exercise ball upstairs along with my 8# weights and do a little bit of work upstairs. Makes the family room look a little funny, but at least I can do a little something.

My main claim to fame in the past few weeks has been that we are keeping our eating under control. I've managed to stay on the healthy track with that, at least. The CSA shares help, so it's always fun to see what we're going to be enjoying from week to week. And, guess what??? My beloved kohlrabi has returned!!! Not in the huge quantities we had last year, but it's back. I am wondering what it is about Iowans and their kohlrabi? Even the farmers' markets are full of kohlrabi baskets. I find that very odd. Must have something to do with the bright purple color. If that's not the reason, I cannot figure out the attraction. This year, a friend and her husband are sharing our bounty with us. Makes it much easier to use all of the greens and, of course, kohlrabi, if we are not the only ones trying to make use of it. Zucchini squash season has begun, so I suppose I'll be baking soon. I'm not keen on baking, but with the onset of zucchini season, I usually have to do something baked for HD to take to the office. I can't let a cake sit around here, that's for sure. We'd not be able to resist.

Well, Go Figure!

This just in!!! Dr. Reports That VRaz60 Is OK!! I just opened my Dr.'s report and found that aside from the bottom number of my blood pressure (I forget which is systolic and which is diastolic) all of my numbers have improved!! As I whined yesterday, it was due in no part to my healthy habits of late. I am hopeful that with these numbers showing improvement, and knowing that even tho' I've slacked off lately, I did well, I'll be more inclined to get my act together more quickly.

After several weeks of remaining silent, my competition has spoken!! He informs me that he has now lost weight again! The contest continues. Perhaps that, too, will motivate me again. He has forged into the lead by a per cent or two. I should put my nose to the grindstone, or more accurately, my butt on the recumbent bike, and get a move on it. I did 15 min. on the bike yesterday, but I really felt it in my knee. Fortuitously, my sciatica is in abeyance for the moment and I can be more active. Will that actually make me get going or not, we shall see.

As you can see, I talk a good game. Action needs a little work. I DO really want to get my mojo back, I really do. I don't want it to take bad news to make me work as hard as I should. I cannot take my positive Dr.'s report as a sign to continue slacking off.

Blogger's Block

I've had Writer's Block before, but now it has turned into Blogger's Block. I am still doing most of the same things on a daily, weekly, monthly basis, so nothing strikes me as very newsworthy. The events that are fun and exciting to me have nothing to do with my health, per se. Even tho' each of the fun events make me happy and I enjoy them enormously, they don't necessarily contribute to my overall good health.

Example: Our wonderful grandson's 3rd birthday party. For this big event, The Perfect Child flew in from Phoenix to help celebrate. Big party, big fun. Smart eating....not so much. Earlier, The Primary Child and the above mentioned wonderful grandson came for a visit. Rainy weather, no outside activity, and again.....good habits took a big hit. Guests for golf, dinner out, bbq's when weather permits. Dumb choices all over the place.

Next up: 4th of July with friends joining us for the huge celebration at our club. I'm planning on improving my choice making, but who knows? I grow weaker and weaker in this department lately. I'm not gaining any weight, but I'm certainly not losing, or taking care of my overall health.

I should get a gauge as to just what damage I may have done very soon. Monday, I went to the Dr. for my 6 month med-check. I'll be getting the blood work results back this week, so perhaps I'll be shocked back into action....and while I'm not anxious for bad news, maybe that might just be the kick in the butt I need to get my sorry ass back on track. I talk to myself daily, chastising myself for being such a slacker. I know exactly what the consequences will be if I don't get going in the right direction again. I know, I know, I know. WHEN do I DO???? I certainly do not lack for AH-HA moments, they happen all the time. How do I manage to continually ignore them?

Sciatica is much improved, golf is more frequent, so theoretically, I should be perking right along, right? Yeah, I'd think so too.

Dadgummit, Anyhow!

Seems as tho' I'm just not gonna catch a break this week. Yesterday, as I was pulling some items out of the dryer in order to get ready for my big golf outing, I snapped my sciatic all over again. Not as bad this time, but plenty aggravating. I made up my mind not to miss this golf event because it was "Bras for the Cause", a breast cancer and women's health organization here that our golf club supports with a big tournament every year. I hated to miss it, so I dropped "a few" Tylenol Arthritis Strength, and tried to keep moving. I wasn't much help to the team, but I got thru the day with no major problems. Just the same nagging pain as I woke up with.

Upon my return from the tournament, I called the chiropractor to see if I could get in yet that afternoon. The office was closed!! I suffered thru the evening, and was able to sleep a bit. I do have to get more Tylenol, however. Also had to pull out "Old Faithful"...the ice bag. I've had it attached to my butt off and on all day. Took it off only long enough to get the chiro to adjust me, and to have my spinal decompression. I'm having a modicum of relief right now, so I'm hopeful this siege of sciatica won't be as long, or as painful as the last one. The whole things throws a real kink into my exercise program, let me just say. Walking slowly is just about all I can do at present. I've tried a few stretches with the exercise ball, but I'm not quite sure about that yet. It hasn't actually been painful, but I can feel an uncomfortable pull now and then.

My salsa garden has suffered a setback, too. A friend told me to make a solution of Dawn liquid dish washing soap and water to get rid of the little bugs that were nibbling on my radish tops and enjoying my lettuce right down to the ground. I bought a plain, non-antibacterial, old fashioned Dawn liquid, added it to a spay bottle with some water. Spritzing away, I was feeling very good about my efforts to remain "green". Later that day, the tops of the radishes were brown and wilted, the lettuce sickly, and the leaves were beginning to yellow on my pepper plants.... and then eventually they fell off!!! Tomatoes were unaffected, thank the Good Lord!! Today, I noticed that teeny, tiny leaves were beginning to form on the "Pepper Sticks". Can't really call them plants at present! :) I remain hopeful that I'll have peppers by the time the snow flies.

Blogger Must Not Like Me

I had the most wonderful post ready for yesterday, but Blogger wouldn't let me post it. I commented on a few blogs, then PRESTO! I was booted out. Was it something I said?? At any rate, a day has passed and I've forgotten what I was going to regale you all with. So, I decided that an even better post would include the picture of our granddaughter, "The Dancing Princess", pre-recital. Ain't she sweet? This picture doesn't show her black and white pom poms which were part of the dance. The music..."I'm A Believer"... Right up my alley, era wise. :) It was fun to see all the little ones doing their very best to remember their steps. As usual, I was tired of seeing the older dancers every other dance. 2hrs. and 40 min. of dancing, and the cutest dancer of all was 5th or 6th from the last act. :(

On another note, I assume I am running away with the "Dumbest Thing I've Ever Done" weight loss challenge. My competition has not reported in for two weeks, so I have declared myself the winner of the last two weigh ins! This is turning out to be easier than I ever imagined!! Possibly NOT the dumbest thing I've ever done, at all.

I have just purchased two new cookbooks, neither one of which I needed. However, I love cookbooks, and now that I've added these two to the collection, I have decided I need to cook at least two items from a cookbook, any cookbook, in the collection each week. More would be better, but at least two seems doable. My new Emeril cookbook, "Farm to Fork" will be useful when my CSA shares begin to be more bountiful. Right now we are stuck on greens, spring onions and asparagus. All wonderful stuff, but I'm looking forward to more variety soon. The other book, "Planet BBQ" gives ideas for international barbecue favorites. Last night we had a Serbian style stuffed pork tenderloin. Wonderful!! HD's father's family was Croatian, so in the interest of detente, we enjoyed a Serbian specialty. Ever the peacemaker, that's me. There are Croatian recipes in the book, so I do plan on sampling those soon.

My new addiction, which I'm trying to use to replace Cheetos, is Twitter. I'm not a contributor, as a rule, but I am following several people. I find it oddly fascinating, and totally addictive. Being a total non-technological person, this is a huge step for me. Teeny, tiny news bits, recipes, gossip and useless info is wildly amusing I am finding. It's just plain fun. Guess what, when I got kicked out of Blogger yesterday, I went right to Twitter to amuse myself. Should I have done laundry? Yes, of course. I got around to that eventually, so Twitter is not consuming all of my time, although I think it certainly could. Moderation in all things, right? Right!!

Ok, Where Is My Yearly Weight Loss??

I just read that throughout the year, a person sheds about 9# of skin!! Where's my 9# loss been hiding? Has someone else confiscated it? I feel cheated.

I have noticed my skin getting thinner, (old age, I'm told) but I've had no significant weight loss due to skin loss, I'm pretty sure. How, and when does this happen? Certainly not while I'm watching....and I have become very vigilant after reading of this phenomenon. Something else for me to ponder while I'm awake at night. :)

I decided yesterday that perhaps my blog needed a new look. Being kinda techno challenged, I tried to find a spiffy one from one of the sites dedicated to creating new blog templates. I found one, downloaded it, as instructed. Problem #1, the right margin said 2009 and problem #2, it didn't completely replace my old template, so I had old and new trying to compete with one another. My solution? Just use the templates that Google provides. Quick, easy, done!! Not sure yet if it has boosted my enthusiasm or not.

Today's CSA delivery is going to be Bok Choi, Lettuce, Arugula, and Garlic Scapes. Looks like we will be having a salad of some sort this evening, followed by a healthy stir fry on Sun. Sat., we'll be in Omaha for our granddaughter's dance recital. I totally enjoy watching the little dancers every year, but as the program goes on, the older dancers begin, and I lose interest. I know that when our 6 yr. old progresses upward, I'll enjoy the older kids, too. However, at this point only the little ones make me smile.

No report this week from my competition in the "Dumbest Thing I've Ever Done" weight loss challenge. Plus, he's off to Vegas this weekend!!! I think I'm gonna do just dandy. This past week, I held even, but lethargy overtook me and my exercise program. No gain, so I guess that's good, but with a little more effort, I can do even better. I just need to get motivated again. Having a competitor should help, but since he's not really giving it his all, neither am I. THAT, has to stop....for me, anyway.

Just Wonderin'

I was awake again last night with my restless leg and began to ponder. I pondered many important things, but the uppermost topic was blogging. I am concerned because I feel I have run dry, and have no blog topics I want to discuss. I look at my blog list and see all of you coming up with witty, interesting, pithy, informative, and smart things to blog about. I'm at a loss.

I am continuing my journey to better health, but nothing fascinating or exciting is happening on that front. I'm doing just fine in my "Dumbest Thing I've Ever Done" challenge, but it isn't necessarily newsworthy. No really big news around here. I don't really feel like I'm in a funk, really, just experiencing some antipathy toward my blog.

See, this is why one should not contemplate big things while up and about at 2 or 3 in the morning. Nothing good comes from thinking. :)

Miss Me???

Nah! Didn't think so.

I have been goofing off, blogging wise, but working on the rest of my plan. I've also been nosing around the other blogs, but haven't commented much, cuz I've been using my new fangled phone, and I can't figure out exactly how to leave comments on blogs while using the darned thing!! I know, and I admit that I am techno challenged. I've learned to accept that shortcoming.

I am happy to report that The Perfect Child is doing her best to secure my victory in the "Dumbest Thing I've Ever Done Challenge". She took my competitor out to dinner last night, fed him junk, and insisted he consume beer!! Yay, Kris!!!!!! AND, since I had not heard this week from my fellow competitor, I assumed I was in the lead...I was right, I am!! He finally reported in this afternoon, and his results were not what he'd hoped for, I'm sure, but I'm delighted. :) He gained .09% this week, and I lost .19%. Now, normally that wouldn't be a very exciting loss, but at least I'm hanging in there. A win is a win, right?? What is it they say about age and treachery?? I certainly have the age part covered.

I have also heard from the competition that he's begun to follow my blog, so now I must tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. (Shaded slightly in my favor, of course.) I have to admit that my exercise this week has been less than exemplary. I am two months away from being able to get my next cortisone shot, and my knee is complaining loudly!! It's all I can do to get around the golf course, so lots more than that simply is not getting done. I do get a few weights in now and then. Jason, on the other hand, is hiking up and down mountains like a mad man. Luckily, The Perfect Child is insisting on beers and "squeeze cheese" for dinner. I've been assured that even tho' this week offered up a gain, he's still on board with the challenge, so off we go to week three. I keep reminding myself of the tortoise and the hare.

This is the tortoise signing off. Happy Memorial Day Weekend to all !!!

Week One Is In The Books!

While it hasn't been a full week since the "Dumbest Thing I've Ever Done" Challenge began, my competition weighed in yesterday and reported a loss of 2.24%!! Thankfully, his weigh in took place before he did a mountain hike of 4 miles in the 96º heat!! I dodged a bullet there, I'm quite certain. My loss, while delighting me, was more modest. I had a 1.18% loss, which at this juncture, I'm very happy about. It erases the evils that beset me a week or two ago. So, while I did fall below the yellow line, (reference "The Biggest Loser") I was not eliminated!! We are still hard at it. I am also buoyed by the knowledge that my beloved competitor has indulged in a QuickTrip hot dog with all that wonderful squeeze cheese and drippy chili, so I'm feeling ever so much better about that, too. He hasn't entirely given up the soda pop, either. The Perfect Child has volunteered to sabotage his efforts, so I may eventually have to take her up on that offer, but as of now, I'm gonna play it straight. That might not last long, but at least I'm going to try. :) I am certainly not above taking help when it is needed. :)

I have to admit that my efforts are a bit more focused these days. For absolutely no other reason than that I am able to play golf on a much more regular basis. That just lifts my spirits enormously, and makes me much perkier....disgustingly so, some would say. I have to admit that I was tired of just doing the same old stuff day after day. Even my outdoor walks, which I enjoy were getting boring.

I have received confirmation that my "Almost, But Not Quite, World Famous Rhubarb Ketchup" is, indeed wonderful with turkey burgers! The Primary Child emailed me with that bit of news the other day. Being the wonderful parent I am, I resisted the urge to say "I told you so", and accepted the compliment with humility and gratitude, neither of which come naturally to me. I received the same plaudits for the rhubarb-chipotle BBQ sauce, too, so I am really on a rhubarb roll!! CSA deliveries start next Friday, so I am excited about that. I can't wait to see what's gonna show up. There was a limited delivery (not to our site) 2 weeks ago and they got asparagus, onions and garlic scapes. I'm hoping with an extra week in between, we'll be getting lots of goodies. I always look forward to the email telling us what we're going to get so I can begin gathering my recipes. It is just so nice to have fresh, organic, locally grown produce. I miss that in the winter months.

Onward and Downward in Week 2!! Be sure and have another hot dog, Jason....I'm buying!!

Confuscious Say...

"Never enter into Biggest Loser contest with man who is just beginning his diet". Contrary to good sense, I have done just that. A family friend, 37 yrs. old, and I have embarked on a Biggest Loser type contest. He wants to lose weight before his vacation in Aug., and I am just continuing what I've already started. This ain't gonna be fair, I already know that!

First, as we all know the deck is stacked against me just for being a female. Second, I've been working on this a while so my initial big loss is behind me, he is just beginning. Third, he has just discovered FIBER, so his first week will probably be a very nice, big loss. I'll be happy getting my 1#. (There goes my "touchy-feely" diet, I'm gonna have to file reports.) I'm not even going to think about the age difference and activity levels. UGH!

As an aside, this guy is a young, athletic guy with an active, outdoor job. He's on the go most of the time. However, he has never met a QuickTrip hotdog smothered in that pump cheese and liquid chili he didn't love!! Junk food in quantity is his best friend. The Perfect Child, our daughter, is back into fitness and healthy eating, so her friend has decided he needs to begin a healthy eating program, too. Even tho' he's not a healthy eater, he is so active in his job that he can get away with the diet he has been enjoying. He is also a devoted Dr. Pepper drinker. Upwards of 2 liters a day!! He's cutting back on that, I've been told.

The cute thing is, that yesterday he called to tell me about his FIRST day of eating well. Like a little kid that just won the spelling bee, he was delighted with himself. I oohed and ahhhed appropriately, then listened as he told me a Buffalo Wild Wings was going in very close to where he lives!! Excitement was clearly in his voice. However, since he is one day into his devotion to good health, he has determined he is going to ride his, as of right now, nonexistent, bicycle to and from his wild wing, beer drinking evening. He's also going to try to get The Perfect Child to fall of her wallet to buy a bike as well. Heck, she can't even commit to a living room set she likes after being in her house for a couple of years, it'll take forever for her to chose a bike. (This comment will get a rise out of her....I should be hearing from her soon.)

Ya know, come tho think of it, if we stay at this contest long enough I just might be the tortoise to his hare, and do okay. :) Fingers crossed.

Weekend Recap

For starters, I had a really wonderful weekend! On Sunday, I was pleasantly surprised by HD with an invitation to breakfast. Not all that unusual, but we were going to a place much further away than usual. We arrived, waited for a table for 2 to clear, and HD said we needed a table for 6. I thought our golfing compatriots would be joining us. We ordered coffee and waited. Well, imagine my delight and surprise when our son, daughter-in-law, and the two grand kids walked through the door!! The best Mothers' Day gift by far. They traveled 2 hrs. to treat me to breakfast, then came to the house for a few minutes and headed back home. They left early so I could join our golfing friends for our Sunday afternoon round of golf. What a wonderfully thoughtful and gracious thing to do!!! I enjoyed my day even more because of this fabulous beginning. Happy Mothers' Day to me.

Saturday was Farmers' Market day. It was cool, windy, and overcast, be we got up early and got moving. We made a quick run to the stands I was most interested in, and made a record haul. I got everything in the shortest time ever!! My leg was giving me problems, so I was happy to find a primo parking space close to where I wanted to shop. Upon my return, I chopped my rhubarb and got ready to make my "Not yet world famous" rhubarb ketchup. I got side tracked, and found a recipe (a friend suggested it) for chipotle-rhubarb BBQ sauce. I made a batch of that instead. It was wonderful!!! And, better yet, only 40 cal. for 1/4 c. I need some small freezer containers to do the rhubarb ketchup, so that's on tap for later today. Naturally, I had asparagus to take care of too, so that's all cleaned and ready to go as well. While I was picking out asparagus and rhubarb, HD went to the stand next door and got a cup of coffee for each of us. I allow myself a few cups of coffee on the weekend, so it was a real treat to have some "gourmet" fresh roasted coffee to warm me up.

While my weekend was wonderful, it might not have been full of my best food choices. I wasn't terrible, but I know I was indulgent on more than one occasion. A half order of biscuits and gravy for Mothers' Day was one example, but I was confident I'd work some of it off whacking around the golf ball that afternoon. Believe me, I worked hard on the golf course, and swung the club many more times than I would have liked. I'm looking at that as excess exercise to make myself feel better. :)

After uncovering my tomatoes and peppers on Sunday morning (we had freeze warnings out) I found that they looked none the worse for wear. My basil looks forlorn, but all things considered, I think I came out ok. I even saw one little blossom on my cherry tomato plant, so that gives me great hope. I may beat the neighbors to a BLT yet!

Good Times 'a Comin'

Yep, I'm anticipating a great day today leading into a great weekend. "Why?", you might ask. Well, I'm going to tell you! Today our new bed is being delivered!! I am extremely hopeful that this will alleviate some of my back issues. Our old mattress is embarrassingly old, and I've been begging for a new one for a few years now. We'd kinda forgot about it after we moved, until just recently when my sciatic nerve problems began. Voilà! We got a new mattress. The one and only good thing coming from my sciatica. :)

Second, tomorrow is the Farmers' Market. It is week two for the market. Last week I went with two friends, one of whom doesn't like early wake up calls, so we missed the fresh asparagus and rhubarb!! Oh woe was me. This week, HD and I are off early to be able to partake in all of the fresh goodies that went so rapidly last week. Asparagus is #1 on the list, followed closely by the ruby red rhubarb, from which I will make my "Not yet world famous" rhubarb ketchup. This ketchup is wonderful, but it particularly good with a turkey burger. Yummy. I'm down to my last container from last year, so it's time to get busy and put together another pot full. Needless to say, the tender, young asparagus has my mouth watering just thinking about it. I was told that last week, amounts per person were limited, so I hope that is not the case this week. I did get some spring onions, and there was bok choi available, as well. Since I was so bummed out about missing the asparagus and rhubarb, I just settled for some spring onions and we all went home. Tomorrow is going to be a completely different experience, I am certain of it. I'm taking my largest shopping bag along to be sure I don't run out of room.

In my zeal to beat all the neighbors in harvesting tomatoes, it would appear that I'll be covering them up the next few nights. I guess they say May 15 for planting them for a reason. :( Luckily, the plants are not all that pricey, so if I lose one (I only have 4) it won't be the end of the world, but I will have lost my competitive edge. My radishes and lettuce are up and looking perky as the dickens. They'll get covered too, as they are in the top part of the upside down tomato "thingy". My herbs are looking great, so guess I'll cover them as well. Replanting everything has no appeal whatsoever.

So there you have it! My wonderful weekend begins today between 11-1 when the bed is delivered. Then I'm off and running, ready to enjoy a terrific weekend. Hope you all are ready for a great weekend, too.

Product Review

Before I get into the product review, I wanted to check in and thank everyone for the kind comments on my last post. I honestly was not "fishing" for compliments. I was only thinking out loud about posts and followers. Having never worried about either, I was surprised that so many folks are concerned about those things. Thank you all for your comments and compliments. Even tho' it wasn't a fishing expedition on my part, I feel like I landed the "big one". Thanks again, you are all too kind.

Now, on to the product review. A few weeks ago I received a 4-pack from CherryPharm asking me to review their new sweet and tart cherry juice CheriBundi. I was given 4 (8oz) bottles of the three flavors available. There is Tru Cherry, Skinny Cherry, and Whey Cherry. I sampled each, one day apart so as not to confuse my taste buds. I began with the Whey Cherry, and while I had to shake it fairly often to keep it mixed properly, I did like it. It was a little higher in calories than I would have preferred, but it also packs a protein punch. 8g of protein in one 8 oz. serving. I could also taste the whey, but it was certainly not unpleasant. It contains milk, so I don't think the vivid cherry taste was a prevalent in this bottle. Although, I must admit, it did taste a bit like a cherry pie...just as they had said it would. Next, I had the TruCherry. I really liked this very much, but again, a few more calories than I'd like. These products are made from Michigan and New York cherries (tart), and each 8 oz bottle equals 2 servings of fruit (50 cherries in each). I was totally unaware of a tart cherry juice, so finding these items was a nice change of pace from my usual pomegranate juice. Lastly, I drank the Skinny Cherry juice. It was very tasty, and I liked it quite a bit. It is sweetened with Stevia, so the calorie count was more to my liking. Even with extra calories, I really liked all of the choices, but if I was going to purchase these items, I'd be getting the Skinny Cherry.

Each bottle contains Phytonutrients, the building blocks in fruits and veggies, they provide more benefits than green tea and other juices. They all have a high ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) rating. In reading about this, it means CheriBundi will absorb and neutralize free radicals. As a personal aside, I would say these are all worth a try. They are a wonderful tasting change of pace from the grocery store juices.

I am suspending Weigh In Wednesday for an undetermined period of time. I lost .8# this last week, but I think I'm going to try the "intuitive" method for a while. Not being married to the scale, but being cognizant of what I'm putting in my mouth sounds better to me. Besides, I'm quite sure the scale has turned against me and is rebelling. So for the foreseeable future, I'm going to suspend the Wednesday Weigh In, and resort to a more "touchy-feely" approach to my healthy pursuits. I'm sure I'll hop on those mean, nasty scales once in a while, but I'm not going to record and keep track of what the scales say to me. So for now, "May the force be with me".

Lack Luster

That's me this week. Lack of Luster, Lack of Motivation, Lack of Energy, Lack, Lack, Lack.

Weigh In Wednesday was extremely lack luster. I had anticipated at least a decent week, and was truly thinking I'd have a loss....after all, I'd had 2 days of flu-like stuff. To say Wednesday was disappointing was an understatement. I'd gained!! Not a little, a LOT. I was up 3.1#!!! How I managed that is a complete mystery to me. I have no explanation for it. I am baffled, and also a little depressed. To my credit, I did not turn to a bag of Cheetos to erase the memory of the gain. That, in and of itself, was a great victory for me.

After reading Jack's blog the other day, I began to wonder about my blog. I'd never thought about how many responses I get, or how many followers I have. Apparently, I am lacking the desire to really knock the blogosphere on it's ear. I'm just plodding along in my own little world. I assume people read my blog once in a while, cuz I do get comments now and then, and that has always been enough for me. Now I wonder, should I be more concerned with my lack of readers and comments? Nah!! I love all of the "Popular Kids" blogs, I read them religiously. I comment when I feel I have something to say. But Jack made me think about my own blog for the first time since I've started blogging. I'd say, by comparison to the "Cool Kids" I have a fairly lack luster blog. It's fun for me, and it is serving its purpose, but it certainly isn't the bee's knees. I'm actually ok with that. Is that normal? Should I be striving for more and better?

On the bright side of being Lack Luster, I don't have to moderate my responses like the real bloggers do. :)

I am in the process of reviewing a product sent to me this week. It is a tart cherry drink from CherryPharm.com called CherriBundi. Since I've had a "bug" this week, I've not had a chance to taste all three flavors, but when I do, I'll be reviewing it for all of you. I'm anxious to try them all. I think my innards are ready to experiment now. So, I'll get back to you all when I'm done with the samplings.

Lacking Luster, I'm off to peruse the Cool Kids' blogs.

How I Spent My Earth Day

Today was Earth Day, and as part of doing something "earthy" I planted my herb garden, pepper plants....AND, tempting the gardening fates, I hung my tomatoes!! May 15 is the magic date for planting tomatoes, but I can't wait that long. I'm hoping that getting a jump start on the season will provide an extra early crop. We'll see. I want bragging rights in the neighborhood.

As part of this gardening project, I included the lifting, walking and bending over as part of my exercise for the day. As for the "not so green" part of the day, I had to run to the store to buy an extra bag of potting soil. Seems that taking out all of the strawberry plants in my tomato planter took a considerable amount of soil out as well. So I did have to take one extra trip to get the job completed.

Since taking the strawberries out I'm trying to decide what to plant in the top of the tomato "Thingy". I have 3 (soon to be 4) pepper plants and one stray dill plant. I'm thinking of putting in radishes. Ed loves radishes, and the CSA usually has only a few each week. The planter isn't really deep enough to try carrots or any other root crop, so maybe an early lettuce could work. Any ideas?? I'll pick up the seed on my next grocery shopping trip, as I want to remain as green as possible while doing this project. Looks so nice to glance out the kitchen door and see herbs just waiting for me. Gives me all sorts of new ideas for yummy concoctions for dinner.

Yesterday was Weigh In Wednesday, and I remained the same as last week. I was really hopeful after having done reasonably well over the tailgate weekend. I suppose I shouldn't complain, as it could have been (and has been in the past) much worse. I refuse to believe it was the M & M's I stole the other day. :) Other than that, I'd been doing quite nicely. I even lightened up a strawberry shortcake last night. Using Stevia to sweeten the strawberries and fat free angel food cake for the shortcake. The strawberries needed a little sweetener this time for some reason. Generally, they are plenty sweet all by themselves.

I hope everyone enjoyed their Earth Day as much as I enjoyed mine.