Thursday's Challenge

This weeks challenge... Love 
I chose my parents as my subject for this weeks challenge.  They epitomize all that love means.  Respecting one another through 54 years of marriage and 5 children. You can see in their gaze just how much they love one another.

Walking the dog...and other adventures in weight loss

If you look back in my blog, you'll come to the year I lost a ton of weight, loved exercising, eating healthy, wearing skinny clothes and won a cruise!
What happened you may wonder? Why would I stop eating right, exercising and store those skinny clothes in bins?  Life got in the way...
I took a long look at recent photos of myself and while I was seeing with open eyes what I truly had done, I decided I needed to jump back on the Fat Flush Wagon.

Fat Flush... its a book by Ann Louise Gittleman which outlines a protocol of healthy eating and exercising. You detox your body, you eat healthy foods low on the glycemic index and you lose weight. Simple.
I gathered my supplies needed, ordered my vitamins and picked a day to start.. May 28th.  Funny thing, 4 yrs ago that was the exact date I first began this.

Its now July 2nd and I've been eating healthy for an entire month and taking Spencer, my crazy now 9 month old puppy, for long walks daily...sometimes twice a day depending on his energy level. We walk anywhere from 1.5 to 4.5 miles a day.  He's my exercise coach! All I have to do is look at him in his kennel and feel like he needs to go out and walk. Or maybe its the barking tail chasing and jumping against the kennel fence when he sees me!  He's great company... walks great on lead, checks himself to make sure he is still in 'heel' ... by that I mean he turns his head, touches his wet slimy nose on my knee and then licks my leg! not a comfortable feeling in shorts. gross.

I'm down 17 lbs so far! and have had few pit stops (where I grab a klondyke bar or a pretzel!) along the way. If you find me going for that stuff...remind me of the bigger picture!

Lisa

A beautiful song to share with you all. I fell in love with the singers Miten and Deva Premal the first time I heard this song.  Its one I'd like to share with you.
Lisa

Its so FLUFFY!

  When I was a little girl, the idea of snow and snowstorms made me absolutely giddy! I would pull on my snow pants, jacket, boots, hat and mittens and head out to explore my yard that transformed into a whole new landscape with the addition of snow.  Building snowman was a must!
I grew up in a neighborhood that was filled with kids. Every house harbored anywhere from 1 to 5 kids ensuring one would never lack for a playmate.
One such house, sat on up on a hill and abutted a neighboring house behind it that was up on yet another hill.  I do know that we also used it as a shortcut to get to our elementary school.  We wore quite a groove in the yard with our comings and goings. On winter days, the hill would be transformed into the perfect sledding spot. We would congregate on the hill with our sleds...the real wooden ones with red runners. We wore that hill of snow out until it became a hill of ice...and then it got interesting.

   I recall a time when someone had built a ramp at the bottom of the hill where the two yards met. Flying down the hill on your sled and hitting the ramp caused some interesting circumstances.. and injuries. We had an ice storm around this time and the hill was then a sheet of ice...no fun for trying to sled on...and then someone..was it Marcia? Joanne? Mark? Bob??? came up with a grand idea.... lots put on our ice skates and try it out! The idea that one could hit that ramp on skates and sail through the air was genius! Was it a success? Were there injuries? I remember falling and getting a bloody nose and it was lucky that Joanne's mom was a nurse so I was patched up quick and sent back out.  I don't recall anyone else bleeding or crying.  I do remember going back for more though and staying until it was to dark to see and we were all shivering in our wet winter clothing. 

Here in the North East, we have had a snow storm that has dumped anywhere from 5" to a foot and a half at least once a week.  My children, now teens, prefer not to go out exploring but would rather hole up with the typical winter survival gear... video games, movies and junk food. Me? I still walk around the yard or photo interesting aspects of it with its fresh coat of fluffy snow.  I've asked the kids to go build a snowman but they won't....so today, I stepped back into my 'little' self enjoying the sunny skies and mounds of snow, that just happen to be the perfect snowman building snow....... 

 

OK Go - This Too Shall Pass

No one said life with children would be easy. Giving birth to each of them, while toted as 'the best days of my life' also ring true with the statements... he/she almost killed me! You worry about weight gain and growth charts, rashes and teething and you say.. This to shall pass.

They turn into toddlers and you worry excessively over the mile stones of crawling, sitting up, gaining weight, or not gaining weight and of talking. You are excited about their ability to walk, talk dress and undress and then when the running starts, the talking is inappropriate or excessive or they change 17 times a day into different outfits.. you wonder why you ever encouraged them to do such things in the first place! and you utter many times over... "This too shall pass.".. and sometimes it is said through gritted teeth.

Grade school happens and you worry more about what is said on the bus... and they do pick up new words and phrases on that big yellow vehicle! You stress over friends they choose, parties they may or may not be invited to, reading ability/levels, writing, spelling and math, stranger danger, sports teams they may or may not make, and outside influences... and then they hit puberty. As always you utter "This too shall pass".

Your worries turn to those faced by teens, acne (will it scar), dances and dates, school work overload, stresses, first jobs, driving and how to get them to not only do chores but go to church with you! They stay up late and sleep in on the weekends, they eat you out of house and home and they express their opinons,, freely, loudly... usually thinking yours are either archaic or just plain wrong.

This week I have teen stressors in my life that are worrying me and my teens. I know it is a stage and it will end some time in the near future. I just hope that future is quick.

Its funny how I look back and remember falling in love with the idea of raising my own children longing for the day. Its days like today that make you stop and wonder what where you thinking of. But good or bad you wouldn't trade them for the world.

To all the moms and dads of teens out there... I not only say this but heed my own mantra.. This Too Shall Pass....

My sister just posted this on Facebook...how appropriate!

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bird

Decided to try my hand at selling my photography by turning them into notecards. The bird below is an example. I'm selling the cards in groups of 5 for $20 +shipping. Any of my photography can be turned into notecards if anyone is interested. If you are, drop me a note!

When October Goes

I'm always sad to see October end and take with it the beautiful colors of the season.  This weekend I spent pretty much on my own. Because it was the holiday weekend, many of my friends had outings with their families. My own children had social engagements.
So I grabbed my camera and went out on my own "October End" walk through the center of town.
I'm thankful to have had the time to do this... enjoy the photos :) below and the video above.

Goodbye October... hello November.