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...

It's Cold Outside!

Frozen rain ... 2009

Tomorrow will be 55 degrees, but for today it is definitely home made soup and cornbread ..

The Simple Woman's Daybook

For today: January 5, 2009

Outside my window: the sky is a steel gray color that looks as cold as it really is... there is supposed to be freezing rain today with ice on the roads.

I am thinking: that this is not the most pleasant weather in the world. I was looking forward to going with DH for coffee, having my nails done and just getting out of the house after the long spell of being cooped up inside. But then the idea of staying home and making a huge pot of soup is good too...lol I wonder why purple kool aid has a tendency to fade and run more than any of the other colors I have used.. hmm... My ears are freezing.. Can you tell I have only had 3 cups of coffee...lol Looks like the number of cups of coffee has nothing to do with my thought process focus this morning...lol

I am thankful for: Johannes Gutenberg. Can you imagine life without books? And by extrapolation, the internet. Without the internet I would not know how to knit, spin, use a spindle, nalbind, dye my yarn, identify different wools, cook half of the things I cook, expand my friendships... or have met my wonderful DH...

I am very happy that my father was a real proponent of reading and education. Books were always to be found at our house. Reading was always encouraged.

From the kitchen: comes nothing really unusual this week. I made some no bake chocolate cookies a couple of days ago and have been eating myself into oblivion on them every time I pass them in the kitchen. This is why I don't make them very often...lol

I am wearing: that same favorite green housecoat. It is very warm and comfortable when I get up so early and the thermostat is turned way down for the night.

I am reading: Mary Mary by James Patterson. This is one of the new (used) books I got at 1/2 price bookstore yesterday. I am trying to complete my Patterson collection.

I am hoping: that the son in Arizona is feeling better today after not feeling well for several days. And that daughter who is back home now is feeling better this morning.

I am creating: another sock to go with the one that I made for DH that was too small and fit me. It might be nice to have a pair of that particular mistake.

Around the house: I spent yesterday putting away things that were moved around during the week it took to put down the tile floor. After being sick for so long, I was tired of looking at the formal dining room table filled with odds and ends. There is so much small stuff that I know it will be a while before I stop finding little things here and there. I think it is time for a garage sale..lol

One of my favorite things: is Balsam of Peru. This little essential oil is great for many problem areas of skin. It is the main ingredient for one of the most effective medications used in the medical field for pressure sores. I have been using it on DH's feet... we have to be very careful with his feet because of the diabetes. Whenever I make any kind of lotion or body butters, it always has this in it.

I am hearing: the whir of the tiny space heater that I keep beside my desk. It is a tiny life saver in the early morning when the weather is cold.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you:











I wish you this kind of day!

(Would you like to join us in The Simple Woman's Daybook? We would love to have you... Click here for all the details..)

What's Up?

We are finally feeling better. Went to the grocery store yesterday because the cupboards were getting extremely bare. We have been using Agave Nectar instead of sugar...well... I have. He doesn't use sweetener in his coffee. Anyway.. according to the research I have done, the glycemic index is about 1/2 as high for Agave Nectar than it is for sugar.

I finished spinning the bamboo roving that I got a while back. It was definitely different from the wool. I then spun a bobbin full of wool and plied the two together. Then I over dyed using purple (grape) kool aid to match the bamboo. (As I was in the process of doing this, I pulled off about 20 yards of silk that I had spindle spun into a single and stuck it in the dye pot...by this time most of

the dye had been absorbed by the wool and this lovely robin's egg blue is what I got for the silk!)

The Simple Woman's Daybook 12/29/2008

For today: December 29, 2008

Outside my window: the sun has not come up...all is quiet and even the sound of traffic on the highway is muted. I am waiting for the first sounds of the wren to stir and let me know that sunlight is coming.

I am thinking: that it's just not fair to have the flu over Christmas.

I am thankful for: fingers...achy or not, they still type and crochet, spin and weave...whatever they are called upon to do. And for flu shots...when you get the flu anyway at least it's not so bad.

From the kitchen: has come very little for the past week or so. Perhaps today some time can be spent cooking.

I am wearing: my favorite green "house coat" ...as my grandmother would say. When did house coat become "robe"...???

I am reading: the news online and trying to follow the new law they have passed in an effort to keep children's toys safe...while inadvertently making it illegal to sell any hand made baby things without an enormous amount of money spent on individual testing...putting many small businesses and cottage industries out of business...sigh The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008

I am hoping: that the Congress will come up with a compromise to their plan ....

I am creating: only make-work projects at the moment. Nothing that is really planned is in the works ... mostly I need to organize and categorize... finish dyeing some of the threads needed to work on one of the projects.

Around the house: we are loving the new tile floors. Spilling drops of coffee on the sleepy early morning run from kitchen to office is not nearly such a big thing.

One of my favorite things: is sitting here next my DH each morning with our coffee and our computers...quietly checking out the news and starting another new day.

I am hearing: the beep, beep as my DH heats his cup of coffee in the microwave.

Around the house: rearrange and organize after having tile laid on the living room, office and hall floors. But must stop with the cough and yuks first...flu is not good...

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

Is It The Flu?

This was the main part of our Christmas this year... DH came down with it first about 4 days ago and then yesterday mine really made itself felt. Needless to say, we are disappointed that the son that has just moved to Arizona could not come by while he is back home packing up...but like he said..."I really don't think I would like a spiking fever about Alamagordo.." He is going back today with a U Haul filled with the rest of their furniture.

The meadow looks barren and dreary with the leaves all gone. It was a nice 50+ degree day yesterday and is supposed to be again today. The sun did not come out all day, just remained on the cloudy side.

On a "sweeter" note..grin This tin was packed full of wonderful sugar cookies when it arrived a few days ago. Christmas package from son and DDIL in Michigan. We kept telling ourselves we really shouldn't eat these sweets... hmmm... looks like it really worked, doesn't it? ...lol

Merry Christmas!

A Pot of Veggie Beef Stew

It's cold outside. This is our first really cold snap of the year. This picture was taken at almost noon and it hasn't even reached 30 degrees yet!

This started yesterday with the north wind biting through our clothes. Coming home from coffee we noticed small drops of rain on the windshield and by the time we reached the area near our house, the car began to slide a bit as we crossed the overpass. Traffic had slowed to about 30 mph.

This morning the schools are closed. It will not reach above 32 degrees all day.... according to the local weather channel. This seemed the perfect day for good old-fashioned vegetable beef soup and a big pot of cornbread.

It's a little down day... son-in-law and his mom left yesterday with the first load of furniture for the new home in Arizona. (A little jealousy here...warm, warm, warm down there...lol )

Newsletter, Echocardiogram, Silk/Bamboo

There have been many ups and downs with the newsletter during the last year. We handed it over to someone else to do and for one reason or another, it did not get done.... so we are once again doing it. It will be in the mail this afternoon. This is a good thing...really wanted everyone to have theirs before Christmas. Our mailing list is now around 550, but with none sent out in a year, we are expecting quite a few to be returned as undeliverable as people move and don't send in new addresses.

Went for echocardiogram yesterday. It took quite a while, but not nearly as long as I was expecting it to take...lol (Didn't have to see the doctor!) My cardiologist has one of those doctor's offices where you make sure you have enough knitting/crocheting/nalbinding supplies with you to last for several hours.... you will need them. My DH has finally learned to take his own book with him...after he had read all of the magazines in the place at least twice in one visit. Go again next week for chemical stress test.

Made a trip to Durant, OK for some supplies and while there stopped at Ozark Mills. I got some silk roving and some bamboo roving. It's amazing the difference between spinning the silk/bamboo and spinning wool. The white in the pic to the left is the silk. The beautiful fuchsia/purple colorway below is the bamboo.

Sorry for the Lack of Posts

It's been a really busy week...go, go, go... Will say hello this morning with a couple of things...

First and foremost... our new granddaughter Hannah.... Is she not lovely?...








And second...what I have been working on in the evenings...home spun, dyed and woven..then sewn and embroidered needlebooks....

I have just been reminded that I have to be at the dentist in 40 minutes...lol ... (Does your DH do that too?...) Will try to blog more later and catch up on my Simple Woman's Daybook!