It is sunday

It is the last day of August so seems summer is over and get to go back to the fun of the school year and the schedules we all make ourselves do. Sometimes i like schedules other times i really hate them.

Keah will be 22 this week hard to think she is that old already. Where has the time gone. Just a few pictures of her as a baby not real young as i do not have any of those on the computer. What things have changed in the 22 years is amazing too. We still have a film camera but we rarely use it as it is so much easier to use the digital ones.

have a good day today

fall layout

Thought i would put up a layout i just finished. It is only from last fall so i guess only a year behind from how current i am. I used my silhoette to cut the words and the corn. It was fun learning how to use it more. I really like how this came out and maybe will motivate me to do more now. It was fun going to this maze it was more for young kids but still a nice family outing.

Fit or Fat

What an appropriate article as I have been wondering at times about this concept and a friend of mine we have chatted about this at times too. Are you better off being a little overweight with excess skin and be metabolically healthy or just being thin and having cardiovascular problems or high blood pressure ect? As the article says weight is not everything and i really believe that so much more now.


In a study from The Archives of Internal Medicine, the weight and cardiovascular risk factors of over 5,000 adults were analyzed. The results are a little surprising: Half of the overweight people and over one-third of the obese people in the study were “metabolically healthy.” This means that even though they were carrying extra pounds, it didn’t influence their cholesterol, blood pressure or other measures that indicate risk of heart disease.

Size doesn’t always equate with health. In this study, about one out of four people who fell into the “healthy” weight range had at least two cardiovascular risk factors typically associated with obesity. So maybe you shouldn’t be jealous of your thin friend who eats whatever she wants and never exercises--she might not be as healthy as you’d think.

Several studies from the Cooper Institute show that fitness level is a much better indicator of health than BMI. People who are overweight (or obese) but can still keep up on treadmill tests have much lower heart risk than people who are slim and unfit.

What does this mean for you? First, the number on the scale doesn’t tell the whole story and should not determine whether you’re a success or failure at becoming healthy. In reality that number is, well, just a number. What’s sometimes more important is whether or not you can walk up a set of stairs without being totally winded, or could easily walk the local 5K without wondering if you’ll be able to finish. I remember during my first marathon, I was passed by a woman who didn’t look like your typical athlete. She was overweight, but obviously fit enough to complete a 26.2 mile race (and made me look like I was moving in slow-motion).

There are a lot of factors to consider when it comes to overall health, so make sure you step back and look at the big picture. Research like this proves that it’s not only size that matters.

Happy Monday

Today has been a productive day. Exercised, cleaned, watered the grass, did some scrapping and figured out what is for dinner.

The girls have started college again hard to believe the summer is just about over and how the time just went by quick. I will be glad when the heat is done though as i am tired of the heat and humidity. I do not mind the cooler temps as i can go out in that a bit more and enjoy it. I am also looking forward to my electric and water bill going down. I guess because of my health i have to run the air and doing that makes it so that we pay for that more and then because our house is new and we have sod we had to make sure that it did not just up and die this year.

We have enjoyed the garden vegetables though and so that has been fun we still have peppers and tomatoes and a watermellon on the vine. The peppers are turning colors so that is fun we have orange and red and yellow ones.

I am putting a few new pictures of me that we took yesterday. I have not worn a belt with a shirt in a long time so that is kind of fun to see happen.

frustration

I went out yesterday shopping with Michelle am working on some ideas for young womens lesson i will teach soon and thought i should get some pants for when i strart to work at weight watchers as i have one pair that fit. Driving by we saw old navy has jeans on sale not what i can wear to weight watchers but for 12.00 a pair not bad. so we went in and for one a lot of the jeans are not ones i would wear low cut. but they have one style that is higher so thought i would try them on well the one pair is a bit too snug and the other too loose. So we did not buy any at old Navy. We went to Kohls next and was finding the same problem or they were out of the size i might of been able to wear. I know the ones i have in my closet that seem to fit are Riders so I think i will need to go and find those the ones i have i found at K-mart not a place i normally shop but they seem to have a few things on occasion that i can wear.

The thing too with all this is never did i think i would even be trying on a pair of pants at old Navy so that in itself is a big thing for me to. At first i seemed upset with not finding anything but then i think back and am proud of what i have done and just because they dont make things to fit my body should not make me upset but to just find what will fit and be happy with that.

allergies and such

Well i have been doing fairly good lately but then again the heat has not been too bad and so i do not think at times as not doing so good. Today though i went outside and noticed it was quite humid which i do not do too good in. I did call ben and he told me the mold was high and i said yeah i could tell my breathing is harder to do and a few other things so i came home and have been inside most of the afternoon.

I made some canned peaches today. Keah loves peaches and i love canned ones so thought i would do them this year since i have been canning other things too. I have also got a lot of fruit frozen to eat with yogurt as i do not like the pre flavored kind any more. My favorite lately is cherries though. I like them in smoothies yogurt and oatmeal.

free things

I love free things and better yet when it is something that will be useful and helpful to me with other things i own. I found this software that will help me with my silhouette and normally the program would of cost 79.00 but today it is free. Even if i do not use it a lot i saved the money by getting it for free to begin with. Just a nice thing to share today.

a picture finally

I thought i was getting my engagement ring the other day but it was only the opal that they were resizing. I got my ring yesterday and so today am trying to take a picture but it is not so easy but here is what it looks like. I really like it. It was so much cheaper to go where we did instead of jarrods and i now have a ring that will fit.
The opal one i decided was still too big so when i went in yesterday had them look at it and i tried on the smaller size they have and it was too small but the guy the owner said you can always just go with 1/4 size smaller instead of the full 1/2 which is what they normally will have. I said that might work so they are redoing that one and wont charge me for it. I really like this jewelry store and if i ever need more work i will get them to do it again.

Today

I have to say all went great with my interview. At one point the gal said to me i never thought of it like that or something else. She kept saying to me when you start working but then said maybe i should ask you if you really are interested still. I said yes i am and she said well before you leave you can fill out the paperwork and i will fax it to california and they will send you an employment package and all that fun stuff. She said they will send lots of mail. It is excitng and this gal very motherly. She has lost 108 pounds and has kept it off she lost it 30 yrs ago. I now just wait for all the package information and then will get trained and will know more after that.
The first thing Carolyn said was are you nervous if so do not be. It was a fun interview as it is something i know about and totally believe in. Angie my leader came by later and she said to Carolyn we would be sad if we could not get her to work for weight watchers a very high compliment coming from my leader. so now the waiting until i get the paperwork but i am excited.

I am 19!!!!!!

That is the statment my daughter gave me today when i asked her to do something. I said you did not just tell me that did you? She looked at me like I was insane. I said if you want to pull that one then I will tell you a few things. You live here yes but who pays for your food and your schooling and you drive the car that we bought for you. I said if you do not like some of what i said then you could find your own apartment and then pay for your food and rent and car ect ect. i said is that what you really want? she said no that is not what i want I said then maybe when i ask you do something you wont complain about doing it. She appologized for it and I kind of felt bad saying some of the things but I think she needed to hear them.

Misc information.

Last week I had some blood work done for my electrolytes and for
my vitamin D levels. I got the results back today. My electrolytes are good
but my vitamin D levels are low. My dr now wants me to take Vitamin D
pills. I really hate taking pills but I will go and get some so that I can see if
this makes things better.

On a few good notes though I have an interview thursday with the
regional territory manager of weight watchers on thursday about
working for them so that should be exciting.

The jewelry store just called so now I am going to go pick up ben
from work and then we will go get my rings. will post some pictures later
of how it looks.

Biking fun

Today we went biking in a town called Edwardsville. Nice paved roads with trees and shade in some areas. There are different paths you can take so you can decide how far you want to go. We went on the 15 mile ride. It was nice and when we got home we were tired but a good tired.

beginning to now weight loss

The waiting

I went to give the jeweler my diamond ring today. They got a new setting in that we are having them redo my engagement ring with. We will have my diamond and then 2 smaller stones put in the ring too. I needed a new ring for one the prongs on the old one were wearing and the ring did not fit any longer. Since losing weight i have gone back down to my original size minus a size so that is a good thing. I will get the ring back in a week. At first we went to Jarrods but they wanted around 1100.00 and we would of had to buy 2 small diamonds that i did not want. This place is a local place and they do all the work in house which i liked. The diamond on my engagement ring is from his grandmothers ring so it is more sentimental than the cost of it. I will post a picture of it when i get it back next week.

weight wather scales

Dear Weight Watchers Meeting Scales: or any other scale

I hate you

You have taken my friend's successes and spit on them. you have dampened the spirit of a group of women who are working so hard to better themselves, their lives, their health and their self esteem.

I've got news for you: You are not as important as you think. So much emphasis is put upon the numbers you give, but what about the numbers I can give YOU? Like the 50 handstand push ups I just did. Like the 20 miles I rode yesterday. Like the 1 inch gain in my bicep since I started ignoring you. And yes, even the 2 pants sizes I've dropped, even though your numbers barely moved.

You don't scare me, scale. Let all the old-timers and ignorant meeting leaders live in fear of your glaring inconsistencies while I, on the other hand, focus on better, more positive numbers. Numbers that reinforce what a strong woman I really am.

So, listen scale. You may have yelled "148" to me this morning, but tonight I am yelling back.

"MUSCLE! COMMITMENT! HARD WORK! DEDICATION!

"but mostly...

"PRIDE IN MY OWN BODY AND IT'S STRENGTHS

Your measly numbers don't mean anything to my fit, hard body that is dripping with sweat after working for 45 minutes doing things that a 110 pound waif couldn't even think of doing.

I take it back scale, I don't hate you. I laugh at you

Special friends

Have been thinking of Dawn today and how special she is to me and although we are miles apart I still think of what she is going through and wish there was something i could do to help ease the pain of what she is going through. At times I think it would be so good just to gather up all my friends who are hurting and take them away for a time and just have them get pampered and not have to worry about anything for now. That is a dream and it sure would be nice if it could be accomplished. I do want Dawn to know that she is special and that she is a special mom!!! hugs to her from IL. I do not think she will mind that i stole this pic that she did of the two of us.

Roasted Tomato basil soup

roasting tomatoes

3 lbs ripe tomatoes


2 TBSP Olive Oil


1 tsp salt


1 1/2 tsp pepper

to make soup....

2 tsp olive oil


1 tsp butter


2 cups chopped yellow onion


6 cloves minced fresh garlic


1/4 tsp crushed red pepper


1 can 28 oz diced italian tomatoes


3 cups chopped fresh basil leaves (reserve a few for garnish)


1 TBSP fresh chopped Thyme


1-2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock depending on how much you want to make





cut tomatoes in half lengthwise and remove seeds and stems. Place on a baking sheet with a lip.
add 2 TBSP oil and salt and pepper. Roast tomatoes for 30-40 minutes at 400. The tomatoes will produce lots of juice. Cool and remove skins. This can be done ahead of time and stored in the fridge in an airtight container.

In large pot saute onions in remaining butter and olive oil for about 4-5 minutes. Add Garlic and saute another 3-4 minutes. Do not burn the garlic! Now add the pepper flakes, roasted tomatoes along with their juices, fresh basil, thyme, chicken stock and canned tomatoes. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer for 40 minutes.

Puree 1/2 the soup in a blender and add back in. Salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy!! serve with a sprig of basil in the middle of the filled soup bowl .

Can eat this hot, cold or room temperature.

review on this

Michelle would not try it
Keah enjoyed it i am sure she did not like the chunks too much
Ben really liked it loved the fresh taste of all the foods mixed together and liked the chunks it it
I enjoyed it and liked the new flavors of a tomato soup.

hope some of you will try it.

makes 8-12 cups the whole recipe is 5 points on weight watchers

dieters psalm

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; He maketh me lie down & do push ups. He giveth me diet bread; He restoreth my waistline; He leadeth me past the refrigerator for mine own sake. He maketh me to partake of the green beans instead of the potatoes; He leadeth me past the pizza parlor. Yea, though I walk through the bakery, I shall not falter, for Thou art with me; Thy artificial sweeteners & diet colas, they comfort me. Thou preparest a diet for me in the presence of mine enemies; Thou annointest my salad with low-cal oil. My cup will not overflow. Surely 2% non-fat milk & yogurt l follow me all the days of my life, and I will live empty & hungry forever. -Author Unknown-

too much heat is not a good thing

I have not been up to doing much with all the heat and the humidity and then i have been getting really tired. Today i also was lightheaded and dizzy for a bit. I have been trying to stay cool and all by staying inside but not always so easy and fun to do but am really making an effort to do that.
we have been enjoying all the fresh vegetables from my garden. the grape tomatoes just do not last long enough we eat them as they are picked it seems. The cucumbers are good too. I just think when you grow something it sure tastes a lot better. Next year we will have learned the good and the bad from what we grew and go from there.
I will make a tomato basil soup sunday and let you all know how it tastes. It sounds really yummy so hopefully it is as i have plenty of tomatoes to use.