Today in My Life... November 30, 2009

Today: November 30, 2009

I got up this morning: very early. It's still cold, but if I turn up the heat it bothers my sweet DH and he gets in a frightful mood... lol And besides..if it were very cold I would just put on socks and dig out that wonderful huge shawl that I love to wear in the winter. It's going to be a lovely, clear day today, but am already missing all the green leaves on the trees...

I am hearing: him move around, turn on the faucet and click down the hall. ;o)

The current book is: Four Blind Mice by James Patterson. I'm not sure I can finish it this time around (already read it at 3 times...) Seem to be needing to try some other genre than the murder mystery... just can't find anything that will hold my attention..sigh

Creating: I have done several things since the last time I posted... The quilt is finished.

This is my very first bedsized quilt. It is a queen and I found it not difficult at all. But then it was an easy one..lol But now I have the confidence to continue on to one that is more difficult.

Another of the small pastels that I do in the evenings...

Knitted two scarves from my handspun Merino. Both used Yarn Harlot's One Row Scarf Pattern...

The other scarf is exactly the same knitting pattern, but is a deeper burgundy than this one. Love this pattern.. simple, pretty and warm. Drapes well...

I found a free pattern on Ravelry for a men's cowl that I wanted to do for one of my sons who feels he wouldn't use a scarf very much, so I did it. I used my handspun Merino lamb..... It's my first try at doing cables and found they were not nearly the ogre stitch I thought they would be. Finished it, bound off, wove in loose ends and found that in at least 2 places I had dropped stitches off the ends of the double point needles that I used... Terribly disappointed. I tried to pick them up with crochet hooks and succeeded in one place, but cannot seem to succeed in the other one. This may get frogged and redone with another set of needles. Anyway, the small needles that were called for in the pattern seem to be too small for this yarn... the cowl is very stiff and if it shrinks at all will be too small for him... hmmm

Family news: Daughter Bev and her husband Kent were here for a couple of days over the holiday. Kent had to pop in just overnight due to work schedule, but was terrific to get to see them.

My diet: took a couple of days off while they were here. I made some luscious cranberry/orange relish and canned it... Could eat my weight in that stuff...lol

May have to buy more cranberries and make enough to last all year... ;o)

The coming of daughter and son in law was all the excuse I needed to make banana bread.. ;o) Made a large loaf and then 4 small loaves.

Yum... Yum...

Have to add in here that I have lost 30 pounds, so felt that perhaps it would be ok to backslide for a day or two. Am truly happy about the loss and will have no problem getting back to business...lol However..that is said with a serious caveat... this is once a year holiday season with fruit cake and eggnog..lol.. and I will have both before this is over... ;o)

Looking forward to: Christmas... ;o) Will be putting up my tree this year after not putting it up last year. The holidays just are not the holidays without some kind of decoration and that makes it all too depressing.... instead of happy....

Just a thought: Be faithful to that which exists nowhere but in yourself - and thus make yourself indispensable. ... Andrew Gide

Today in My Life... 10/24/2009

Today: Saturday, October 24, 2009

I got up this morning: thinking about dragons... I know that sounds strange..lol.. but I have been trying to get the pattern for this dragon to work on my inkle loom for hours..sigh I can get the tail to look beautiful, but then into the body it just disintegrates..sigh


















I am hearing: the trucks whiz by on the highway outside. It's too early for the regular automobile traffic going to work.

My one thing learned this week: is that I need to start physically writing letters instead using email. Sounds strange after using only email for most of the last 10 years, but it suddenly impressed itself on me when I got a short email from one of my sons and I realized that it's been years since I have seen his handwriting... ;o(

The current book is: Air Apparent by Piers Anthony. It's too soon to say whether it will grab my interest as I just started it last night. So far it's only skimmed the top layers of my interest. Not looking too good at this point.

My diet: is the the Cabbage Soup diet. Still in the low 180s and truly looking forward to breaking through that 180 line. Maybe this week....

Creating: Since I finished the checkers board and pieces, I decided to make a Wahoo board out in the shop. I had a piece of the pine used for the checker board left over so I spent most of one afternoon figuring out the dots for the marble holes. Yesterday I put the holes in and did some sanding. We'll see what happens today... lol

Family news: Received a call from my Aunt Elva this week. It was wonderful to hear her voice on the phone. I saw her for the first time in about 35 years at the family reunion this year.

Looking forward to: using the hot tub since the little house is now fixed and it won't run down the hill with us...lol

Just a thought: "A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject." ... Winston Churchill

Weight Watchers

I finally made up my mind and attended my first Weight Watchers meeting yesterday. It was quite interesting, but I think it may take more than one meeting for me to grow excited. I do think it will work and I do think it is the most healthy way to lose weight.... and at just pushing past the 200 mark, it's time. The low carb diet works..but I had been on it several times and am just tired of never having apples and pears and oranges and a glass of milk...sigh Don't think I can do that again.

There were several recipe books and things to buy at the meeting. I did not buy any, but only because I want to gauge my reactions to this before I tuck away large amounts of money on it. If I can get excited about it... that's great. If not.. no point in spending the money.

More to come later...

Weigh In Friday #4 and Visits

It has been a pretty easy week... 192# today. That's 2# this week. I guess I am being a little impatient, but it sure seems like there is a lot to go....lol

I really like hot tea and it was difficult to find a spiced or herbal tea that is good without sweetener. I had some of this that I bought a few months ago and found that I really didn't like it too well...when I tried it without any sweetener I found it delicious!

We had a lovely visit with DD and grandsons yesterday. The weather was lovely with bright sunshine and it just put the top on a lovely day. With 2 in college 2 not far from college this is a soon to be rare opportunity for all of them to be in the same picture...

Missed Weigh In Blogging Yesterday

Well, time got away from me...did some shopping, out to lunch...etc..etc... So while the weigh in did happen, it didn't get blogged until now... and the weigh in was....ta da... 191... I am so tickled. We started this on 02/23/08...that would be 3 weeks ago. I think 9 lbs. in 3 weeks is not too bad..

This Jell-O Sundae has been the life saver for my sweet tooth. I have given up sugar in my coffee and tea, but still needed something for those times when I just had to have something sweet. This is sugar free jell-o made by the box instructions...when it jells, it is mixed with cream cheese to whatever proportions I feel like that day... served in a bowl, add a few walnuts and top with whipped cream straight from the can...(not the lite stuff...I don't like it) Voila...sweet tooth taken care of.

The thing about this is that I can have it as many times a day as I want. When we first started, I had at least 3 bowls a day... as time has passed and the sweet tooth has lessened, it is now only about once a day.

Weigh In Day

Today is weigh in day.. DH and I decided that we would weigh in on Friday so here it is... Last Friday was 197 on our scales..would much prefer to use Dr. Truly's scales ;) ...but anyway... today was 193. I am finding it much easier this time than I thought to stay on the diet...what's not to love about it...

This is a ham salad that I made with ham, onions, boiled eggs, cheese, fresh mushrooms and a mix of Miracle Whip and real mayonnaise and served on crisp leaf lettuce with one small Roma tomato...yum yum. If I need something crisp & crunchy to go with the salad, I use pork rinds.

The hardest thing I have found is drinking my coffee with no sugar. But after a couple of weeks, I'm finding that it isn't half bad with real cream. Drinking tea without sugar hasn't ever been much of a problem, however I have always preferred to have it sweetened. And I decided that I wouldn't try to find an artificially sweetened drink this time... I just use bottled water and have done fine.

I will try to post weigh in every Friday...