SOAPBOX TIME!

I was really torn...should I post this here or on my "Opinionated Hoosier Housewife" blog? It's my opinion but it is also about food and nutrition. I opted for here, so lucky you!?!?

I see government intervention into what foods the American public will be permitted to eat as a step onto a very slippery slope that may look "helpful" in the beginning, but may turn into the next Prohibition debacle!

I'm not talking FDA here...there are areas of food safety that should probably be under government oversight.

No, I'm talking about the government taking on fast food chains in New York and L.A.

When New York City government dictated that restaurants would be required to post nutritional information for the foods they serve, the guidelines were designed to target fast food establishments. The large chains were not happy with the requirements, but they at least had the money to bankroll the nutritional analysis that was necessary to meet the government guidelines. And, even I recognized the value of having that information front and center for consumers who want to know what they are eating before they order it.

But the requirement has also had a negative effect on a lot of street vendors and Mom and Pop restaurants who operate loosely with like food purveyors to buy equipment and food products...kinda like the Greek run restaurants here. This association has made them fall under the same requirements as the chain restaurants and they are having a very tough time coming up with the money to get their food analyzed for nutritional content. And aside from the expense which is crippling, many of the small ethnic restaurants don't do all the weighing and measuring that chain establishments do in order to keep profits at a steady level. "Mom" or "Pop" use their family recipes and seasonal foods...they change their menus frequently...but they are caught up in this government web right alongside the McDonalds and Wendys.

Government regulations concerning transfats have been just as devastating in the smaller establishments where butter is used to enhance the flavor of dishes that customers desire and order precisely because they are flavored with butter! These chefs are left scrambling for answers.

I think we all are seeking healthier foods and find restaurant offerings lacking in the low-fat or sugar-free departments, but shouldn't consumer demand rather than government intervention rule the day? We have already seen fast food restaurants scurry to meet the demands of Moms who want healthier choices for their kids when they go to McDonalds. They knew that they had to change their menus or risk those same mothers taking their kids somewhere else to eat.

I know a lot of people feel those 1000 calorie sandwiches should be outlawed and removed from menus, but there are a lot of people who believe in moderation and are perfectly healthy eating those same sandwiches. It is a choice and one I don't want taken away from me.

I believe restaurants should be truthful about the content of their food. I don't want someone to tell me that a dish has 7 WW points and then find out later that it had twice that! But I also don't want the same establishment to someday be required by the government to only serve foods that are under 7 points!

As with most freedoms that are taken from us, the process usually begins with lofty ideals...it is for your own good!...We are trying to protect you! And many of us go along because we find that first denial or two acceptable. We don't get upset until someone takes away a freedom that is personal to us! And then it may be too late.

If we must allow smutty magazines to be sold to protect our freedom of speech; if we must allow a display that most would find disgusting at an art exhibit to protect our freedom of expression; if we must see criminals with guns to protect our right to bear arms; then shouldn't we allow restaurants to locate in minority areas and serve food that the customers want without the government telling us otherwise?

What do you think?

OH...NOW I GET IT!!!

Many of us follow or have followed Weight Watcher Flex or Core Plans and have wondered at some of the guidelines set forth by them. I have even known some bloggers...ahem...who have wondered if some of the "rules" are arbitrary or even self-serving in that they might promote certain WW products. But after reading the following list, I'm ready to give them a pass on at least a couple of the guidelines.

I subscribed to the Meatless Monday newsletter quite some time ago and have found it to be a great source of current news on nutrition and a couple of new recipes each week. You can go here to subscribe yourself:

MEATLESS MONDAY

This week's newsletter had a link to the list below and I thought it went a long way in explaining some of the "why" questions I had...in particular, the fruit yogurt rule on Core and the cereal with milk rule. Now I "get" it!!!

Healthy Foods that Make You Fat

(Marie Claire) What happened when 10,000 dieters ate mainly healthy foods? Not much, if they filled up on the foods from this list. Here's how to eat right and lose weight.

FAT FOOD TRAP: Bread

Bread-lovers in the study discovered that it was easy to eat too much of that food in a single sitting. If you can't live without sandwiches, then you should have them, but try to splurge on only those couple of slices of bread a day. Bread isn't evil; it just tends to be hard to control for people who love it.

WHAT TO EAT INSTEAD: Grains

Slice your protein or veggies over grains including whole-wheat pasta, wild rice, couscous, or quinoa.

FAT FOOD TRAP: Fruit-flavored yogurt

When Weight Watchers asked 10,000 dieters to eat wholesome foods — like grains, vegetables, dairy, and lean protein — they saw that people often ate four containers of low-fat yogurt a day if the fruit was mixed in. But if the subjects had to stir in the fruit themselves, they stopped at only one cup.

WHAT TO EAT INSTEAD: Plain, nonfat yogurt — you add fresh fruit

Mixing in fruit yourself is enough to prevent you from mindless overeating, says Karen Miller-Kovach, R.D., chief scientific officer for Weight Watchers International and head of the healthy-eating program.

FAT FOOD TRAP: Breakfast cereal — even the healthy kind

The same Weight Watchers study also showed that people who ate cereal right out of the box as a snack tended to munch on way too much of it in a day. Even healthy, high-fiber cereals can up the day's calorie count and halt people's weight loss.

WHAT TO EAT INSTEAD: Eat cereal only with milk

This combination also decreases the meal's "calorie density" — an ounce of cereal with milk (skim, of course) has fewer calories than an ounce of cereal alone, so you'll take in fewer calories but still feel just as satisfied.

FAT FOOD TRAP: White rice

It takes more white rice than brown to make you feel just as satisfied. That's because white rice contains no fiber — a food component that helps you feel full. White pasta also tends to be fiber-free and less filling than whole wheat.

WHAT TO EAT INSTEAD: Brown rice

You might eat only 50 or 60 fewer calories when you make the switch to brown rice or pasta, but that can be enough to make a difference in weight loss, says Miller-Kovach.

FAT FOOD TRAP: 1 percent cottage cheese

At first, study participants tried incorporating low-fat, not just nonfat, products. "We don't know whether this higher-fat cottage cheese affected weight loss because of the little bit of fat it contains, or because people ate more of it," says Miller-Kovach.

WHAT TO EAT INSTEAD: Nonfat cottage cheese

Eating only the fat-free version allowed people in the study to continue losing extra weight.

FAT FOOD TRAP: Sugar-free hot chocolate

People who tried to satisfy their sweet cravings with sugar-free hot chocolate ended up drinking as many as five cups a day. "People would keep a mug on their desk and sip all day long, because they didn't think of the cocoa as a 'bad' food," says Miller-Kovach. But, of course, the calories add up.

WHAT TO EAT INSTEAD: Diet chocolate pudding

People who ate this instead of drinking cocoa stopped after a single serving, she says. "I think that people see pudding as a treat. They use it to satisfy the occasional sweet tooth, not to snack on all day."

I find all that information helpful and kinda wish WW had explained it that clearly to this "doubting Thomas" member when I wondered out loud during meetings.

I'm one of those people who have to know "why" before I follow a rule...I'm stubborn that way. Once I understand the reasoning behind the advice I'm getting, I will adopt it whole-heartedly. But when I doubt the wisdom of any part of a plan, I begin doubting the plan itself. That philosophy is born of too many past experiences with plans that didn't make sense to me but I was so desperate to lose weight that I followed along anyway. I'm remembering the HCG injections I took and...I think it was the same diet plan...my search for Almay skin products because they didn't contain oils and would not be absorbed through my skin to slow down my weight loss! I wore gloves to remove the skin from chicken for the same reason!

When I look back at all the plans that have been hoisted upon me and so many other overweight individuals, sometimes I just get mad! And I have turned that into a silent rage, I guess, directed at any "rule" that doesn't pass the smell test.

So, now I am a believer in the wisdom of WW and their Core Plan as related to fruit yogurt and cereal being eaten with milk. We may move forward now.

GUILTY PLEASURES

We all have them. Even Michael Pollan admits to having a "thing" for Cracker Jacks and corn chips!

I admit to watching Project Runway and loving Spam! I'd rather have it than a steak!

With that in mind and the fact that so many of you are going out to the theaters to see the new Batman movie...UMMM! POPCORN!!! I had to share this Steven King article from Entertainment Weekly. It is amusing and I don't think I'll ever look at diet drinks and buttered movie popcorn the same way ever again!

Stephen King’s Guide to Movie Snacks

For a magazine that prides itself on the many aspects of the movie business it covers, EW hasn’t had much to say over the years concerning the important subject of snacks. Oh, an occasional piece about how much they cost, but few words on their culinary wonderfulness. This needs correcting, because, while some people eat snacks while they are at the movies, there are some who go to the movies so they can eat snacks. That would be me. So let me impart a few lessons years of snacking have taught me.

First, support your theater. Buy at the snack bar and damn the expense. You could probably sneak your own food in, but if you’re caught, you’ll be thrown out. As for bringing healthier snacks from home: Did you really hire a babysitter and drive six miles so you could snark cucumber slices half-drowned in buttermilk ranch out of a slimy plastic bag? Is that what you call living it up?

If you want to get healthy, there are places for that: They’re called ”health clubs.” And I find there’s something giddy about tossing down $4.50 for a box of Gummi Bears or a bag of chocolate raisins. It makes me feel like a high roller, especially when the matinee ticket itself only costs 50 cents more.

I always start my order with the ritual drink — Diet Pepsi if possible, Coke Zero as a fallback, Diet Coke the court of last resort. A big diet cola sops up the calories and cholesterol contained in movie snack food just like a big old sponge soaks up water. This is a proven fact. One expert (me) believes a medium diet cola drink can lower your cholesterol by 20 points and absorb as much as one thousand empty calories. And if you say that’s total crap, I would just point out I don’t call it a ritual drink for nothing. Sometimes I add a strawberry smoothie with lots of whipped cream, but I’m always sure to take enough sips of my ritual drink to absolve me of those calories, too.

With my calorie-absorbent drink in hand, I can then safely order a large popcorn with extra butter. Of course it isn’t really butter, it’s some sort of mystery substance squeezed from the sweat glands of small animals, but I have developed such a taste for it over my years of filmgoing that the real stuff tastes wrong, somehow.

If the counter guy puts on the glandular butter substitute himself, I watch carefully to make sure he greases the middle of the bag as well as the top layer. If it’s self-serve (at the beginning I didn’t like this option, but now I do), I proceed to hammer on that red button until I have what I call a ”heavy bag.” You know you have a heavy bag when the bottom starts to sag and ooze large drops of a yellow puslike substance before you even get into the theater. And don’t forget the salt. Popcorn salt is a little strong for my taste (and it looks like powdered urine); I prefer plain table salt. Half a shaker is about right.

With a ”heavy bag,” caution is a must. Don’t put it on your lap; when the movie’s over and the lights come up, people will think you wet your pants. Courtesy is also a must. Don’t put it on the seat beside you, or the next person is going to sit on a seat that oozes. Not cool, bro.

My candy of choice is Junior Mints. And while I don’t bring bootleg food into the movies, I do bring bootleg toothpicks. Then, as I relax in my seat, I take a toothpick and poke five or six Junior Mints onto it. It ends the dreaded Chocolate Hand, and it’s also kind of fun to eat candy off a stick. I call them Mint-Kebabs.

And although it’s a matter of personal choice, I myself don’t eat movie meat (go on, snicker, I can take it). My motto is ”Never buy a hot dog that’s been waiting in a foil Baggie under a heat lamp.” For all you know, that stray dog could have been there since Revenge of the Sith. Nachos are good, but only if you get the reserve swimming pool of cheese sauce, because one is never enough.

Now that I think of it, the same could be said of snacks. But remember: Start with the ritual drink. After that, you’re on your own. (Reprinted from Entertainment Weekly)

THE PERFECT BITE

Several years ago, I got as far on the road to gastric bypass as to visit a psychologist for an evaluation. Although I was terribly nervous about the impending encounter and a wee bit uncomfortable about finding myself in the waiting room of a psychiatric clinic, it was probably one of the most eye-opening experiences I've ever had.

The man I wound up talking with was a very kind and soft-spoken fellow who put me completely at ease. We had a meandering discussion about my relationship with food and how I felt about myself and being overweight. But the most enlightening moment came when he asked what my biggest fear about having the surgery was.

And I surprised myself by not answering that I feared the pain of surgery or the alteration of my body and the idea that I would no longer be in 100% control of what or how much I ate...the thoughts that had been rumbling around in my head for weeks. No...I found myself telling him about the meal we had the evening before.

I had made fried fish and corn on the cob for supper. The fish was breaded in cornmeal like my mother had always done and had fried up perfectly! The corn was the best of the summer season...crisp and sweet...perfect! I had eaten a piece of the fish and an ear of corn and it was so good that I wanted more. I wasn't ready for the experience of eating those two perfect foods to end. It was so pleasurable that I wanted more and I had a second round. And as I was eating the second piece of fish and second ear of corn, I was thinking to myself that if I went through with the surgery, I would no longer be able to do that even if I wanted to and it made me anxious. I actually started sweating! And then I was sad. Sad to think that one of my greatest pleasures in life would be taken from me.

That's what I revealed to him that day...that was my biggest fear. And he asked me if I could live with that and at that moment, I realized that I wasn't ready to have that taken from me. I would find another way to deal with the problem.

I've read that depression is such a common side effect of the surgery that many doctors routinely prescribe antidepressants afterward. And many people have experienced addictions to gambling, drinking, or drugs afterward. I'm not surprised.

Nature sets us up to enjoy eating because that's what makes us survive. If we didn't enjoy it, we would be less likely to work to find the food that is vital to our existence. The need for the eating experience is hard-wired into us.

I remember seeing Carnie Wilson on someone's talk show after she had bypass surgery and she was explaining to the host how she couldn't eat a volume of food so she would look for the perfect bite...the forkful of any given food that would go the farthest toward satisfying her need to eat. She demonstrated with a fork that was piled with a little cake, whipped cream, and strawberry. She worked to make sure that all the components of the dessert on the plate were represented on that fork before she ate it.

When I look back now to that meal I had the evening before the interview, I can see that I could have probably slowed down, taken my time in eating that first round of fish and corn and been totally satisfied without going for seconds. That would be my goal today. Eat a little less but thoroughly enjoy what I did eat.

I read today in Intuitive Eating that the Japanese promote pleasure as one of their goals of healthy eating. Can you imagine having pleasure listed right up there with 5 fruits and vegetables a day?

I think a lot of us run from the idea of losing weight because we equate it with denying ourselves the pleasure of eating...denying ourselves the pure enjoyment of that perfect bite...or two...of our favorite foods. My goal today is to release myself from that feeling of denial and turn my thinking process around to pleasure. My goal will be to look at all the choices that are before me and choose a few perfect bites of the foods that will bring me the most pleasure.

AMAZING!!!

While you're challenging yourself to go forth and not eat too much on this sunny Sunday...well, it is here, anyway!...take a minute to go here and see how amazing the universe is and just what man can accomplish when he stops looking down and looks up and out instead!

WEEKEND EDITION

One of my favorite things about blogging is meeting new bloggers and then getting to know them a little through visiting their blogs. The lion video led to me being visited by Lorraine and I found this amongst her writing as well as some beautiful photography. I hope she will forgive me for copying it here...I was afraid some of you might not go to the link and I really thought it was good! So, be kind...go visit her after reading it and say "Hello!".

You Know You're On A Diet When:

*celery has taste
*celery or lettuce leaf is your bread
*you have more low-fat dessert than food
*the two pounds you had so proudly shed came back and brought friends
*you're hungry: before and after meals, morning, noon and night
*you only watch DVDs, not TV 'cause of the food commercials
*you believe those heavy weight losers who swear they have no cravings
*you don't scoff at the magazine material that tells you that when you crave a crunch, instead of chips, a carrot will do (salt anyone?)
*what Scarlet's impassionned speech As God Is My Witness, I'll never be hungry again was really all about (Really, you think that tiny weenie bitsy little waist girl ate?)
*you believe calling a friend for support when you're hungry at midnight will do any damn good
*you believe that she will remain your friend

The grandkids were singing this song last week and I found myself singing it as well. I"m dedicating it to TB who is taking next week off from his paid job to stay home where I suspect the REAL WORK waits for him!


This looked like fun for the kids and then I got to thinking it might be a good recipe to keep around for those times when you might like a little dessert but don't want to deal with a big cake or a lot of cupcakes staring you down for days after. This is a single serving Chocolate Cake in 5 Minutes!

Be mindful as you eat this weekend and, perhaps, follow Dinah Soar's advice to leave a bite or two for "Mr. Manners"!

WHEELS

If you read my blog very often, you have probably seen mention of the fact that I would love to be located in a village setting where most of the necessities of life are within walking distance...and by necessities, I mean food, yarn and books! I'm a fan of cozy mysteries set in English villages and always thought it was beyond cool that Miss Marple or Hercules Poirot could open the gate of their neat little front lawns and stroll to the butcher shop, the fish monger, the post office, the knit shop, or to have tea with the vicar's wife.

Such a setting would encourage movement...a stroll...rather than the one where I live where shopping at the grocery is 3 miles, the library 5, Harold's work is 12, and the nearest knit shop is 18. Everywhere we go requires the car so we get into the habit of driving everywhere.

I have noticed that newer communities in our area are frequently designed to be a little closer to my image of what would be ideal. There is a planned community near us that has several different housing options ranging from condo to average price family to more deluxe housing on a golf course. There is a grade school built to accommodate the children who live there and it is located right in the community. There are abundant walking trails and more than one playground where the children can gather to play. There are no shops within in the compound but there are some nearby. Not perfect, but nonetheless more walking friendly than the average suburban community.

The price of gas has sparked a few discussions in our home about steps we can take to use the car less often. A lot of the guys he works with are riding motorcycles or scooters when the weather is nice. Public transportation in Indianapolis is less than adequate...something the city planners are constantly talking about but coming to few conclusions on!

I bring this up because I saw this article yesterday about a new bike rental program that is popular in France.

For a city obsessed with all things beautiful, there are some damn ugly bikes zig-zagging down the streets of central Paris these days. But those ugly bikes are at the heart of a hugely successful rental program that could serve as a model for cities in the United States.

The bikes are called Velibs, and there are more than 20,500 of them in the French capital. Parisians rent them by swiping a membership card at one of more than 1,450 self service stations scattered across the city. There is a three tier membership system: one euro buys a day of access, 2 euros for a week and 29 euros for a one year membership.

Velib execs are the first to admit that the program has been designed with the commuter in mind. Bikes are are available for 30 minute intervals -- pick one up, get where you need to go, and drop it off at a station within a half hour or you'll pay late fees. That said, Velib is also targeting the tourist market, pointing out in its promotional materials that rental terminals provide information in eight different languages.

As for the bikes themselves, they're designed for durability, not sleek good looks. Because they're used an average of 10 to 15 times per day, they're built to be sturdy, and are heavier than typical city bikes (nearly 50 pounds). Brakes and gear change mechanism are covered by a hard plastic protector. Bikes are reallocated to rental stations as needed by a fleet of 20 natural gas trucks and, and a maintenance team provides cleaning and repair.

By some measures the program has been a resounding success. The company says that in its first year it has seen an average of 120,000 bike trips per day, most of them for commutes to work or school. This has pushed Paris to consider construction of new bike lanes, and helped to foster a bike culture in a city trying desperately to cut traffic.

The program has also turned into something of a cash cow for JCDecaux, the French advertising and PR firm that chipped in $142 million toward setting up the system. It gets to sell billboard advertising at each rental station, and expects to rake in sales of $94 million per year. The Paris city government also gets some cash: $31.5 million from subscriber fees and another $5.5 million in annual advertising royalties.

That sounds like a terrific idea to me and I would bet that it would be very popular in college towns like Bloomington, the home of Indiana University, where bicycles are everywhere! In fact, my daughter has lost ten pounds since she moved to Bloomington because there are so many shops, restaurants, and University offices within walking distance that she leaves her car parked and hoofs it much more often. She has not taken to bicycle riding like many of the students there, but given her wild streak, I wouldn't be surprised to see her on a hot pink and black zebra striped number!

And I've seen lots of press about the popularity of recumbant bicycles among the older set. One of my favorite fiction characters was Lillian Jackson Braun's James Qwilleran in the Cat Who...series of mystery books. Qwill was known to ride around the countryside on his recumbant in the books.

I've never been on one that actually gets you somewhere, but my stationary bike is a recumbant and it is much easier on the tail feathers, if you know what I mean!

I also think these adult tricycles are kinda cool! But I can't see myself out on the 4-lane on one.

Speaking of wheels, I saw this cartoon about the stages of life...I figure I'm close to the last line of the cartoon but we can't afford the gas for the motor home!!!





Have a great weekend, everybody! Get out and move a little!

Well, I wasn't going to bring it up, but since Kate did...

NASCAR
is in
INDIANAPOLIS
this weekend!

LET'S GO
KISS SOME BRICKS!!!

AH-H-H!

The kids are back home and the house is so quiet! That's both a blessing and a curse as all parents and grandparents know. If there were just a remote that came with kids that you could put on "Pause" when you needed to catch your breath or take a shower!

I would gladly take the joys of being a grandparent and being this age if I could just have the stamina I had when I was 30!

What a great time we had and I hope they remember a small portion of the good times. You never know what impression you are leaving on a child, do you?

So, today I slept in and caught up with the national news over a cup of coffee that I got to drink while it was still hot! And I will work on the second of those socks...I've only knitted ONE row since last Saturday!!!

I don't know how many of you have seen this video...it has been on television in various spots the past couple of days...but it made me smile and brought a tear to my eye! So, I'm sharing it with you!

CHEF-GIRL-R-DEES

MORRIGAN

TEAGAN

The girls made Cherry Cola Cupcakes this afternoon and wanted to share the recipe with you because they think it is so neat that they substituted new things for the regular ingredients!

So, you take a Betty Crocker Cherry Chip Cake Mix and add three eggs...and then it gets exciting! Instead of the oil, you add the same amount of sour cream. And instead of the water, you substitute CocaCola. After you measure the 1 1/4 cups of the Coke, there is just enough left in the can for a big drink for each chef.

They want you to know the batter is DEE-LICIOUS!!!

FROM SQUID VIDEOS TO JAPANESE POTTY VIDEOS!

Six year old girls think this is hilarious and want to watch it over and over!

When I suggested that there were other great videos for them to watch, Teagan told me it was in a foreign language and she could learn from it! Clever children!

The Sponge Bob Typing program is a huge hit with her as well...she spent a long time playing with it before we found ourselves watching potty training videos in Japanese!

Bedtime was interesting for Grandma last night. Grandpa went off to guest bedroom #1 and slept peacefully in a queen-size bed of his own. So I had the girls in the king-size with me which should have been ample space, but Morrigan enjoys sleeping side-ways with her feet in my back! So, I escaped to guest bedroom #2...ah..hhhh!

Until about 1 in the morning when a thunderstorm went through and our dog went totally ape and wanted to bark and run through the house! Not wanting him to wake the girls, I did my best imitation of a rodeo calf-roper and held him down beside me in bed until the worst was over.

Just as it got peaceful again, I felt a tap on my shoulder and it was Morrigan wanting to know why I wasn't sleeping with her. I told her she'd pushed me out of bed with her little cold feet and she laughed and climbed in with me in the guest room. So Grandpa is cozy and oblivious in a big bed by himself. Teagan has a huge bed to herself. And Grandma is stuck between a shedding dog and a giggling hooligan!

So, it is 6 in the morning. Grandpa has escaped back to work, the dog and the children are passed out, and I am enjoying the last alone time I will experience today.

And...I just want to know how you people with a house full of little ones...Noelle and Tom...do it day after day!!!

IT DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS!

We've spent the past 24 hours alone with Xander, the boy among the triplets. Although the three of them have spent time with us, this is the first time we've had him without his sisters along. And we had a great time.

So Mom arrives this evening with the girls for their visit and Xander is heading home to have his alone time with Mom. And she has all kinds of great fun planned for him...more than he can imagine...literally!

But as they're preparing to leave, his eyes get misty, his face gets serious and he comes carrying his favorite stuffed dragon pillow and hands it to me. "Here, Mimi...I want you to have this so you can remember me!"

Oh, Geez! These kids sure know how to get to their Grandma! Could you ever feel more loved than that?

MONDAY IS FOR MOVIES

I'm going to participate in the 5 Things meme just for Pattie because she is so nice and didn't ask me to! And besides, I have grandkids for the next three days and I'm not sure how much time I will have to write my regular blog.

We're taking Xander to see a 3-D movie today...that should be fun! And then we'll pack as much excitement into the rest of the day that we possibly can before he goes home this evening and his two sisters arrive for their 2 day visit. We took him to a dollar store last evening and it was like Christmas! I've never seen a kid so excited about squirt guns, bags of plastic bugs, and a flashlight that looks like the head of an alien! Six year old boys are so easy!!!

So...back to the meme:

5 things in your bag: I have to start off by saying that unlike most women, I do have a purse, but I seldom carry it since I have my sugar daddy with me who drives and pays and I'm past the stage where I care if I have lipstick on! So, the purse is pretty boring!

1. Driver's license...seldom used and just a reminder of what the government thinks I look like!
2. Nursing License...no longer used but still very precious!
3. Library Card...also precious and represents the best of government! Free books to read!
4. Insurance Card...nearly useless since the deductible is so high.
5. Gift card for Hobby Lobby with $1.43 left on it.

5 things in your bedroom:

1. Book shelf Number One with my full collection of Agatha Christie novels.
2. Book shelf Number Two with knitting books, my genealogy files, and gardening ideas.
3. An armoire where I keep knitting yarn and Christmas gifts I buy early.
4. A full size stand-up of Michael Waltrip.
5. My bedside table with my alarm clock, latest book I'm reading, and a bottle of Tums.

5 things I always wanted:

1. To be naturally thin!
2. To spend a month in New England in the fall going from one inn to another.
3. To be comfortably wealthy.
4. To be an EXPERT knitter.
5. To have a professional kitchen.

5 things I'm really into:

1 My grandkids.
2. NASCAR
3. Knitting
4. Blogging
5. Enjoying life as it comes...one day at a time!

Wish me luck with the 3-D glasses!

SUNDAY MORNING SILLINESS!

As I scroll through my reader, I frequently come across images that just make me smile, so I totally steal them for later use. Here are a few that I have borrrowed recently.

This is an image from an ad agency. I have no idea what the product they're pushing is, but the thought of driving through a tunnel and seeing cave drawings just made me smile.

I saw this picture of what is current for men on the European runways and had to send a copy to my son-in-law, D-Dub, so he would know what to look for the next time he goes to WalMart!
These are honest-to-God cheeseburgers served up on split Krispy-Kremes!
This is the image of the English Village I would love to carry my collection of Agatha Christie books to and just live forever. I'll call it Little-Hampshire-on-the-green-at-Paddy-Walkham-Whatever!
This is from the series of ads that are out now for finding yourself in the wrong job. This poor girl is stuck inside a soft-serve ice cream dispenser.
This fella has been eating those doughnut cheeseburgers!
I thought this button was pretty funny...I think I need one!
I sent this to my granddaughter, Audrey, with an "I love you" message to make her smile!
The comfort of friends!
And more comforting friends.
And don't we all feel this way when Blogger won't co-operate??? This is what I'm doing now because the donkey above is supposed to be animated and blowing you a kiss...but I can't make him do it!!! So just pretend...ok?
Ever been on a trip with kids? Reminds me of the old Burma-Shave signs on the roadside when I was a kid...we loved them.
You have to be reasonable with your dieting efforts!
Some people just beat all the odds!

HAVE A HAPPY SUNDAY!!!

OH, SPONGE BOB! DID YOU HAVE TO MAKE ME LOOK SO BAD!

I keep a desk computer for the grandkids' visits and have a program downloaded on it with Diego looking for animals in the jungle or something that sounds like that from across the room. I decided since the triplets will be visiting with me next week for a few days that it was time to buy a new program that was a little more challenging since they are entering first grade next month. I did a little research on Amazon and came up with a Sponge Bob Typing program that had some really great reviews.

I noticed that it ships from Target so I called and found they have it in the stores and went last night and bought it. I decided when I got home that I should install it on my laptop and research it a little so I could seem intelligent enough to guide them in using it...as if!!! Those kids were born hardwired for computers! I am always left in their dust anytime we are at the keyboard.

Now, I took one semester of typing during summer school when I was 15...just enough to be familiar with a keyboard and set me up for my journalism course in the fall and editing the school newspaper. I don't think I ever learned the top row where the numbers appear...I still have to remove my hands and hunt and peck up there. And I was totally aware of the fact that I had altered my approach to the keyboard after getting the laptop since the keyboard is so much more compact and my fingers are crowded causing me to constantly hit the wrong keys.

But...Sponge Bob put me to shame!!! I didn't realize how far I had drifted from proper form. And the girl who could type a respectable 80 words a minute without error back in high school, was now challenged to get 28 words per minute and had to settle for Sponge Bob's words of encouragement as I struggled to keep my fingers on the assigned keys and try to keep up!

I think if the kids need help, I will keep my dignity and tell them they need to figure things out for themselves!!! lol

Seriously, the program looks great and is a fun way to teach kids keyboarding. They will be on computers the rest of their lives and will most likely benefit from learning proper hand positioning at a young age. The learning sessions last just a few minutes and there are frequent "breaks" to allow them to "play" where they are actually using what they have just learned but in a less formal enviornment...playing music by striking certain letters or assisting Sponge Bob to work his way through a maze by striking the letter in front of him and allowing him to advance to the next step.
From Noelle...(cause I had no idea it had come to this!):

When my oldest daughter was in 4th grade, a question was asked at parent night about whether all homework should be in cursive or not. The response was that the cursive training in 3rd grade is so they can read it and do some, but the school requirement is more about computer literacy skills. The goal for the end of elementary school was 40 wpm. It really is the future! (The teacher did say that homework just had to LEGIBLE!)

I hope I've planned enough activities to keep them happy during their stay, but when all else fails, a garden hose and an inflatable pool keeps them occupied for hours on hot days.

We're also going to build a fairy house among my flowers. I have an old wooden bird cage that we're going to decorate and furnish with items that any good fairy would find attractive. I got this idea from a fellow blogger...which one of you was it?

I'm also going to have them help me dig up and transplant some flowers from one spot to another. And grandpa is putting them in the boat and taking them out in the little lake out back to fish for a while. I'm sure we'll make great use of our time.

I'm having everyone here for dinner Sunday to celebrate the birthday of our older daughter, Nurse Lara. I read a recipe the other day for Taco Stuffed Shells and decided I will turn the recipe into a Mexican Lasagna and skip stuffing all those individual shells! I'm fixing a big salad to go with it, some homemade pita chips and a cool ranch dip, a watermelon, and some kind of lemony cake with whipped topping.

But for now...I have to end my procrastinating and get back to vacuuming dog hair covered floors! Have a great summer weekend! And remember to "be in the moment" with your food!

Another comment I had to bring forward...remember a while back when I mentioned a recipe on another blog for making a cheesecake in your CrockPot? Well, here is a comment on that post from a brave soul who tried it and liked it! From SGS:

I tried the crock pot cheesecake yesteday and it is, in a word,
AWESOME! I was skeptical, but seriously, this is amazing.

It is even BETTER sampled for breakfast the next day!!!!

Yes, try it.

I used a small 7 inch springform pan that fit into my 30 year old Hamilton Beach Crock-watcher and cooked for 2 hours and then followed the rest of her directions. PERFECTION!

I was low on graham cracker crumbs, so I improvised with a blend of crumbs made from Trader Joe Ultimate Vanilla wafers and Trader Joe Triple gingersnap cookies.

Next time I will try adding some lemon zest to the batter for a lemon cheesecake.

I guess I will have to try it with a review like that!!!

ROMANTIC NOTIONS

Romantic notions...they can get us into a lot of trouble. No, I'm not talking about the kind that led me into this 39 year relationship with the Hub...that's worthy of another post entirely!

No...I'm talking about the kind that cause you to idealize something way beyond what you should...and I can be oh, so guilty of that.

They are what make me see a pattern for knitted hooded sweatshirts and instantly determine that it would be so wonderful to make them for each of my seven grandchildren in time for Christmas last year. I got that romantic notion in my head that the kids would remember these sweaters for the rest of their lives and think back to that old gray-haired granny who once knit for them and loved them so!!! The me who believes in romantic notions began the project...practical me went on to finish it!

They are what made me dream about writing a children's book for same grandchildren recalling the fictitious exploits of their very real ancestor, John Simpson Aldridge, who fought in the Revolutionary War and then went on to become an early pioneer settler in Ohio and Indiana. My genealogical research was so fascinating that I had the romantic notion that I needed to find some way to share it with those children and their lives would be forever altered by the challenge it would provide. The same notion made me want to write down stories from my childhood for them and hand illustrate the pages. I just knew I would find time to follow through with these projects once I quit working every day! Well, there is a shelf in my bedroom with the genealogical research and a folder with probably a dozen hand-written pages regaling my early existance on the farm. They get dusted about once a month.

They are what make me view dozens of new recipes a day and makes me yearn to bake my own bread from yeast that I develop from the air right here in Indianapolis...yeast that will make that bread taste differently than yeast from Denver or Savannah! Or to plan a party so I can experiment with a bunch of new dishes. It is what makes me sure that every one of those dishes would turn out at least as good as the pictures show and that everyone will swoon over the results! The reality is that in spite of having all those great recipes to inspire me, I more often fall back on what I know everyone loves and only occasionally roll out something seriously different, taking the chance that the new dish will be a total disaster as often as it is a winner!

They are what make me certain every week that my favorite race car driver will pull one out and win again...it could happen! And the desire to keep that notion alive forces me to go to great efforts sometimes. I have had the opportunity to meet M-Dub when he is here for the Brickyard, but I have turned it down for fear I would see him in a different light if I ever met him in person. I wanted to keep that idealized picture of him that I glean from on-air interviews and well-rehearsed commercials. I just about spoiled it for myself when I decided I had to get Pit-Pass and listen to him communicate with his crew during events! That's a different version of my hero! And one that I'm not always pleased with. Sometimes you can know too much and the notion disappears forever.

And romantic notions are what keep those of us who fight weight problems constantly looking for that next fix which will cure us and be the one true path to being thin. It has always been just beyond our reach in that next book or diet plan or new supplement!

I'm happy to have at least done away with that notion. I've come to realize, at last, that there is no quick cure and it will take a lot of effort and practice on my part to ever make a dent in this problem.

And, while romantic notions may be fun and allow us a chance to dream and sometimes actually follow a path that works for us, when it comes to the reality of weight management, we are probably better off doing away with them forever.

****************************************************************

I never knew this...funny, cause I just planted some morning glory seeds this spring and the vines are just now reaching the uprights on the deck where I'm training them to grow!

I'm doing this just to amuse Pattie because her day started out so awful! If you want to play, you have to answer each of the questions using a word that begins with the first letter in your name.

1. What is your name? Kathy
2. A four-letter word: Korn
3. A vehicle: Krysler
4. A city: Kalamazoo
5. A boy's name: Karl
6. A girl's name: KaSheeka
7. Drink: Kool-ade
8. An occupation: Karpenter
9. Something you wear: Kardigans
10. A celebrity: Kitty Karlisle
11. A food: Kettle Korn
12. Something found in a bathroom: Kleenex
13. Reason for being late: Klandestine Kinky Kanoodleing
14. Something you shout: Kook!!!
15. An animal: Kitty
16. A body part: Knee

Feel better now, Pattie???

MY LATEST SOCK

Pattern: "Hypnosis" from "The Eclectic Sole" by Janel Laidman
Yarn: Knit Picks Risata in Marionberry
Needles: Size 1 circulars
Notes: The color actually photographed fairly true. I found the pattern complex at first and looking at the first sock in this manner I can pick out some errors , but the second sock is progressing much more quickly and now that I understand the movement of the pattern, I am producing a much nicer looking second edition!
I've only seen this sock done in hand-painted yarns and wanted to make the pattern really stand out by using a solid color. I'm glad I did.

I HOPE THAT YOU ARE SATISFIED!

I continued to experiment with eating mindfully yesterday...with mixed results!

I had that piece of toast I talked about yesterday and was busy throughout the morning so my mind wasn't on food particularly. I looked up and it was 12:30! I had this feeling of panic hit me...I hadn't eaten throughout the morning and I was missing my lunchtime too! It was a momentary feeling but I had to laugh at myself for feeling that way. I was home, surrounded by food...I wasn't going to starve. I could eat anytime I was hungry, but the thought of missing a meal really bothered me.

I had a great salad for lunch and it was what I wanted, not what I thought I should eat...a big difference according to the book.

Things were going so well!!! Then there was the supper hour.

I prepared us a plate of angel hair pasta with tomato sauce...it was fortified with lots of vegetables and a little ground beef and it was really good. And I warmed up some garlic bread to have with it. Hub had a salad while he was waiting for supper to cook and I skipped it since I had had one for lunch.

So, I sat down and kept my mind focused on being in the moment with that food. I took my time eating the spaghetti and noting the different flavors and textures. And the garlic bread was so good...I especially liked the crusty edge where the flavor of the garlic seemed to be the strongest. And I quit eating when I was no longer hungry and just pleasantly full.

I had over half the spaghetti left on my plate and I was ok with that. But that garlic bread was still calling my name. I reasoned with myself that I was no longer hungry and needed to quit eating it so I put the rest away to have with leftover spaghetti today.

And then the craziness occurred! Within 20 minutes of supper ending, I was in the pantry grabbing for a snack cake and when I was through with that I went and grabbed more of the garlic bread and put butter on it and ate two pieces!

I was left standing there with this feeling of what in the world just happened here???

So, this morning I decided to cheat...I've just begun reading Intuitive Eating...but I went to the back of the book and found Principle Six: Discover the Satisfaction Factor.

That was it...I had been full when I finished eating, but I wasn't satisfied! Would finishing that bread at mealtime have done it? Would it have taken only a few more bites? I don't know, but the fact that I applied the "shouldn't" label to that bread and ended the session before I was really ready must have turned on the rebellious creature that lives inside me that came out swinging and declaring that it would put an end to this deprivation by driving me to eat everything in sight!

So I ended up probably eating several hundred more calories than I would have if I'd just let myself eat the bread until I was satisfied in the first place. Another lesson learned. If I live long enough I just might get this figured out!

There is only one thing more painful than learning from experience, and that is not learning from experience. ~Laurence J. Peter ...

I am now in receipt of my very own copy of Intuitive Eating and am looking forward to learning more about the process of training myself to eat more mindfully.

I have never felt that the answer to my eating problem was somewhere out there in any single program but was something that I would find within me with the wisdom born from learning as much as I could on the subject. Weight Watchers has taught me a great deal and I have internalized a great deal of what I have learned and use that knowledge to make better choices on a daily basis. Now, I want to incorporate a little more freedom into my eating plan. I want, so much, to arrive at the point where I can eat foods that I need to meet my nutritional requirements and foods that I just want that meet my heart's desire and be capable of eating them in quantities that prevent me from gaining weight. That's where I'm putting my efforts right now.

I experimented again this morning with using mindful eating to guide me with my breakfast. Most mornings I eat a combination of cottage cheese or yogurt, fresh fruit, high fiber cereal and a few nuts, but some mornings, I just want to start the day with some buttered toast and coffee.

I am in the habit of making two pieces of toast with a good-quality high fiber whole grain bread...there's my Weight Watcher training with the quality of the bread...topped with a little real butter...that's my heart's desire part! But this morning I made one piece of toast, reminding myself that if I was still hungry, the bread and the toaster were right there and the second piece would be easy to prepare.

I have been in the habit of eating that toast with the morning news on television and my computer in front of me so I can check e-mails and my favorite blogs. It's very easy to eat a couple of pieces of toast and not even remember having done so when your attention is already divided at least two ways!

So, this morning, I turned everything off before eating and determined that I would MAKE MYSELF focus in on that piece of toast and actually EXPERIENCE eating it. The first two or three bites were so good...warm and crispy toast with the flavor of the butter on top...just what I wanted with my coffee. I took my time and actually chewed the toast before swallowing it. I experienced the texture of the bread...the graininess. But by the fourth or fifth bites, I noticed the toast started tasting kinda spongy and I was no longer enjoying it quite as much. And the combination of the coffee and the toast I had already eaten had taken the edge off my hunger.

And then, I frankly got bored with the whole thing and decided it was time to move on to that morning news and the computer. And there were the new flowers I planted Sunday to check in on. And I wanted to cast on for the second sock I'm currently knitting.

And, surprise...surprise...there were two bites of the first piece of toast left there uneaten... no longer needed or desired. This is what I'm working toward...this mindful eating of what I want to eat and listening to my body's signals telling me when I've had enough...stopping before I've eaten a quantity of food that is more than I need and more than my body even wants.

It works...there's no doubt of that. My body can be trusted to send me those signals. I just need to make the effort to retrain my brain to be aware of those signals again. That is what I have lost somewhere along the line and what I need to focus on finding once again.

Thanks, again, to Dinah Soar for writing so well about this subject and steering me in this direction.

EEK! THE MOUSE GOT ME!

Gosh, darn. Who woulda thought? Unlike a certain presidential candidate of a certain age who admits to not knowing how to get onto the internet, this granny seems to be on the internet a little too much!

I was complaining to one of my daughters last week that I seemed to be developing some arthritis in my right hand...not too surprising. I've been having some cramping in the ring finger of my right hand...it actually wants to curve up and stay there. I have to fight to get it open sometimes. I've also had some tingling and numbness in my little finger. I thought I had probably been overdoing the knitting with those teensy needles I've been using.

But then I sat down to go through my reader yesterday, reached for the mouse, and suddenly saw that the posture I use with my right hand for using the mouse is exactly the same as the one my hand seems to be wanting to take as its natural state...the index and ring finger curving toward each other as they sit on either side of the mouse and my middle finger stuck up in the air between them! EEK!!!

So, now I am a study in ergonomics and searching for a mouse that won't cause further damage, cause I'm sure not willing to give up my computer!

My daughter suggested one that looks like this as an alternative, but I think I need to go out and try some on to see what feels right.

btw...that certain candidate also admitted that he didn't think he would ever have the computer skills to be a blogger but might be able to open his own e-mail at some point in the future! Maybe we could run for the presidency, huh, fellow bloggers? And then there was Olive!

Have a great Monday. Check out those ergonomics. And be mindful of what you are eating today!

A MINOR VICTORY

Went out to breakfast with the Hub this morning and had the "special" in front of me for economic reasons...so way too much food! But a few bites into it, that little message that Dinah Soar has been repeating slipped into my consciousness..."Eat until you are no longer hungry and then stop."! And I did it!

I always take a portion of this particular meal home for the dog, but I took about three times as much home today. A minor victory, perhaps, but a victory nonetheless.

I read once that if you would total up the calories for the food that you leave uneaten on your plate that you would quickly realize how many calories and pounds gained you are avoiding by just the simple act of leaving a few bites every time you eat.

I know this approach is helpful, but I'm sure there are many of you who are like me in that we do a lot of eating when we are not fully conscious of our food or the fact that we are eating. You wind up with an empty plate and wonder where it went cause you have no memory of eating it. There was no satisfaction gained from the taste of the food, the texture, the smell, or even whether or not it was good.

I'm going to heed good advice and challenge myself to eat when I am hungry, stop when I'm satisfied, and to practice being fully aware during every eating experience. I'm sure it's like many other skills I've learned...it takes practice, occasional lapses, and more practice to get it right in the end.

Go out and enjoy this Summer Sunday! And a reminder that each of us should make the best of what life has given us...here!

A RUN THROUGH THE BLOGGING NEIGHBORHOOD

Went out in the pouring rain this morning and picked up a few fruits and vegetables at the new WalMart Center and noticed that they have their school supplies on deep discount. I always stock up on spiral binders...5 cents each...index cards and Bic pens every fall when the prices are so good.

I'm always torn about shopping with them...I've read all the awful stories...but, I also know how good it feels to save money on something I'm going to buy anyway. I know that the traffic in the area has certainly increased since they opened and the shops and restaurants near the store seem to be thriving. Now the Meijer and Menards aren't faring as well...I'm afraid the WalMart is stiff competition for them.

On to some blog news...

I was checking out Matt's blog the other day when I noticed his blog list was much different than mine. I was quite taken with it and asked him if it was a new Blogger tool and he quickly informed me that it was. I went to the Layout and found several new items there...a lesson to me to check in once in a while, I guess. So, I've changed mine and I notice that several other people who use Blogger have done so, as well. Thanks, Matt!

Most of you who read my blog are also familiar with my bestest cyber neighbor, Noelle. She is the Mama of six, has reached goal with WW, and grinds her own flour! She is now posting many of her famous recipes on her very own recipe blog! Keep an eye out for additions as she gets it up and running. Right now there are several recipes in which she uses zucchini!

Friend Kate is also an excellent baker and successful Weight Watcher who maintains a blog of her healthy recipes here.

Cammy at Tippy Toe Diet has an excellent and fun challenge she writes about on her blog...The Top of the World Challenge. You've seen people keep track of the miles they walk and relate them to the distance covered in a walk to particular cities? Well, this challenge takes stair-climbing and relates stories climbed to the height of famous landmarks from the Arch in St. Louis which is 60 stories to the top of Mt. Everest which is 2040! What a terrific idea! And, given enough time and effort, quite do-able!

And a reminder that friend, TB, is running a contest on his blog to celebrate his anniversary of being a blogger...he's giving away a great basket of green prizes. I shouldn't even tell you about it because it increases my chance of winning if you don't enter...but I have to get my Karma back on the positive side after my snarky fall yesterday...so, I'm spreading the news. The contest ends Friday the 18th, so hurry over there.

And while you're visiting other blogs, go over and wish Abe and Pat a Happy 53rd Wedding Anniversary! Great people!

And on a parting note...

It's no wonder that the entire world is monitoring the progress of our presidential campaign...George Bush is quoted in his parting remarks at the recent G8 Conference:

The American leader, who has been condemned throughout his presidency for failing to tackle climate change, ended a private meeting with the words: “Goodbye from the world’s biggest polluter.” He then punched the air while grinning widely, as the rest of those present including Gordon Brown and Nicolas Sarkozy looked on in shock.

It really is time for him to go now!

JUST CALL ME SNARKY!

I try to set a good example for Society in general by maintaining a cheerful outlook and exhibiting patience whenever possible...I really do. But then the Snark Devil grabs me on occasion and makes me write a teeny bit snarky e-mail to a certain yarn vendor gently asking what is taking so long with my latest shipment and don't they think FedEx should get a package to a good customer such as I faster than the Post Office which, after all, is known as Snail Mail???

And just as I hit Send and feel all better about letting off some steam and representing for the downtrodden, the door bell rings!

So, then I have to do a mea culpa and send another e-mail alerting them to the fact that I have just received same shipment and do my best Gildna Radner impression of "Nevermind!".

I'm just not meant to be a badass!

I feel I'm ready for any disaster as long as I have three things:

1. Food in the freezer and pantry.
2. A 6 to 8 week supply of Prilosec...just shoot me and put me out of my misery if I'm caught without it!
3. Yarn!

So, I am happy because soon after the Sock of the Month Club shipment came, another box of yarn that I had ordered arrived by said Snail Mail...much faster than the other box, btw...so now I have enough yarn to keep me happily knitting for quite some time.

Add to that the fact that I already have supper cooked for tonight and I am a happy camper. We grilled last night and when the meat was done the coals were just right and we didn't want to let them go to waste, so I took some frozen hard country ribs and put them on while we were eating. I expected them to be just partially cooked by the time the coals gave out and I would finish the process tonight, but, to my surprise, they cooked all the way through and just need a quick re-heat this evening. That will give me a chance to remove any fat that is left on them before having them for supper. We'll just need a quick salad and some watermelon that is already prepared and waiting and we're all set! Bonus!

Thanks for your salad ideas yesterday. The food blogs are full of salad recipes right now, and I've noticed that one common theme keeps cropping up: the combination of salad greens, a summer fruit, nuts, and feta cheese with a vinegrette dressing. That seems to be the current rage and you find it with or without meat in most restaurants as well.

I remember when I was a kid that Mom seldom served a head lettuce salad and when she did it was a simple combo of shredded lettuce, maybe a bit of tomato and onion, and a spoon of Miracle Whip all stirred together.

She did a lot of wilted lettuce made with the leaf lettuce from the garden, bacon, onion and then topped with the dressing that was made by pouring vinegar in with a couple of tablespoons of the bacon grease.

She also grew perfect little heads of Bibb lettuce which she served with just a little melted butter poured over them and topped with salt and pepper.

Salad has come a long way in the past few years.

Have a happy summer weekend, bloggers! And try to do better than me and keep your snark to yourself! lol

CLEANING OUT MY PURSE

Isn't it amazing how many random bits collect in the bottom of a purse? The ticket stubs, receipts, loose change, keys, and peppermint candies?

Well, today, I'm going to clean out the ideas that have collected in my blog ideas "purse"...the random bits that don't deserve an entire post. So, here goes:

1. So...how many people can go to their e-mail and see a message that "Abraham Lincoln has left a comment on your post..."!!! I'm always impressed by bloggers who I consider the celebrities of the medium who take the time to visit the blogs of people who comment on their sites and leave messages. It's a very classy thing to do...although knowing he has actually seen my humble attempts at photographic blogging is a little embarrassing. But we must all stand tall in the field in which we are planted, huh? There's always room for growth and there will always be someone who performs a task in a superior manner no matter how good you get at it!

2. I was up at 3 yesterday to visit with our younger daughter, Sarah, before she headed off to the airport. She travels a lot with her job...Brazil, Vegas, and Miami in the past month that I know of...and stays overnight with us before leaving on early flights since we are so close to the Indianapolis airport and she lives an hour away in Bloomington. It's so nice to get her to ourselves for a short time that arising at that early hour was well worth the effort. Our conversations are usually interrupted numerous times by the grandkids and finishing a thought is nearly impossible. She and I have knitting in common and she has recently discovered the pleasures of sock knitting after years of doing sweaters. Socks are highly portable and she can carry them onto airplanes with her and have something to do during those long flights and frequent delays. So, we talk all over each other about the latest heel treatment we've tried or the newest yarn we've discovered. Lots of fun!

3. When are people in the news going to discover that a mic is always on and keep embarrassing thoughts to themselves?

4. I just spent a couple of days working on a sock with intricate patterns only to discover along the way that the creator of the pattern reversed colors on one of the charts, instructed the knitter to leave the wrong number of stitches on so the stripes that should have matched up did not do so, and left out half the instructions for reducing the toe area. Once I had figured these things out, I decided to just go on knitting the sock, make copious notes to myself, and then "frog" the entire thing and start anew.

The designer of the projects in this book is very gifted and the pictures of her finished projects are gorgeous...the reason I invested in the book in the first place. But she is apparently not as gifted in writing instructions for what she has designed and apparently had no one do sample knitting following the charts that were laid out in the book. Wrong...wrong...wrong! It's like creating a great cake and then leaving the sugar out of the recipe you hand out to your friends!
And, believe it or not, this is a fairly common problem with knitting instructions even with the best of designers.

My word to them...pay to have someone test knit your patterns, spend the money to have someone do a professional job of editing your material, and resist the deadline that publishers are pushing on you and take the time to do a quality job of the ENTIRE project!


5. Before I forget, which I am more than apt to do, the little code I put on the stocking was NOEL in the binary alphabet.

01001110
01001111
01000101
01001100

6. I was happier when companies didn't give me tracking numbers for my shipments. Now I know that my package has been sitting in the terminal since the 4th of July and is just now making its way to me...maybe today. I think I was more at peace just wondering where it was and when I would receive it rather than having the visual of my package gathering dust day after day.

7. I got to thinking last night that I wish someone could come up with a pill that would make carbohydrate heavy foods taste bad when I ate them! Or at least take away the pleasure that I feel...kinda like those new anti-smoking drugs that block the pleasure you receive from the nicotine in the cigarette! Come on, drug companies...there are millions to be made here!!!

8. I've noticed a trend in the weight loss blogs for a lot of us to be floundering around with our plans right now...what is that all about? Is there something about this time of year...the heat or the relaxed atmosphere or the less structured days with kids being out of school? Or are we passing the attitude around among ourselves? Hmmm?

9. And...here's a question I really want the answer to from all of you: What's your favorite salad? This is salad season with all the fresh vegetables hitting the markets and gardens...so what is your very favorite? You can find mine here.

PICTURES...AS PROMISED

This is the latest flower bed I developed this spring...I'm in love with it. The plants were selected with butterflys and hummingbirds in mind.








This is the Hackberry tree that we decorated for the grandkids down at the edge of the little lake.








A cluster of tomatoes from one of the plants that we are experimenting with.








You can see better on this one how many leaves we've removed from the plant.







And these are just a cluster of cherry tomatoes...I think they are so pretty to look at.







A very nice looking pepper that I will add to a salad along with the tomatoes!







This little petunia found its way into the pepper patch and has been hiding until it made the mistake of blooming! So cute!







And on to the Christmas stocking...detail of the Canadian maple leaf, red-nosed reindeer, and pine trees. The red and blue stripes contrast with the white background to represent the American flag...the maple leaf is for the Canadian flag since Jack's dad is from Canada.





Jack's paternal grandfather worked for the Canadian Pacific Railway system so this detail is a salute to him.







Detail of the upper edge of the stocking.









Jack's monogram...a very fancy JB!








The black and white checkered heel commemorates the Indianapolis 500 race...a nod to his Hoosier heritage.









I hid away a little message on the bottom of the heel... I'll repeat it here and see if any of you can decode it:

01001110
01001111
0100010
01001100

A shot of the foot in total...lots of room for little toys. I lined the whole thing in a dark blue and sewed in a rectangle with the following embroidered on it:

Dear Jack,
I hope you'll enjoy
your stocking & Santa
will see fit to treat
you well. Grandma Smith 2008

Now that you have suffered through my feeble efforts at photography, let me direct you to a photographer who is nothing short of an artist! I have read Abraham Lincoln's wife, Pat's blog for quite sometime but have just recently discovered his and I am just speechless at the beauty of his work. Go see for yourself but not unless you have some time to spare!

P.S. I edited this so nicely, I thought...everything shows up all lined up with pictures on the left and the text to the right and then jumbles itself up in a very contrary manner when I hit the PUBLISH button! Darn and Darn...hope you can still make out what I was trying to get across...lol!

MONDAY AND A WEALTH OF POSSIBILITIES

Well, Hub got in from his Canadian fishing trip about 4 in the morning yesterday and was quite pleased to do so after a 20 hour drive! I don't think there was a more contented man in the world! He told me he hadn't thought of work a single time in the last 10 days...quite a statement for him! And the appreciation one feels for a hot shower, a familiar bed without mosquito netting, air-conditioning, and a Lazy Boy that is yours alone after roughing it in a primitive cabin for a week is hard to measure!

It is good having him home even if it means getting up at 5 to get him off to work and not having the remote to myself anymore! The sacrifices I make!!! lol

So, it is back to cooking meals instead of toast and scrambled eggs and frozen low-cal entrees. I stocked the fridge and freezer again yesterday and there are all kinds of possibilities out there now for meals. The cupboard was getting a little bare by the end of the week.

Ever tried lasagna in a CrockPot? It is the world's best kept secret! Of course, I truly believe that there is magic built into every CrockPot. How else could you explain what happens to a rump roast, a can of mushroom soup and a packet of dry french onion soup mix after it rests in a CrockPot for a few hours? It's akin to the results a magician gets when he puts colored scarves into a hat and pulls out a bouquet of flowers!

Anyway...back to the CrockPot lasagna! Here's a recipe I ran across yesterday which reminded me of the whole subject. The recipe looks pretty basic and is a good starting point, but I've found that any family favorite works out well as long as the dry pasta has sufficient sauce covering it as it goes into the cooking process. And make sure the sauce you choose isn't one of the super thick ones. This is a recipe where the thinner sauce is best...or you could add a little water, broth, or wine to the thicker variety to get the right consistency.

I didn't quite know what to expect the first time I tried it. My imagination took me to a place where dry and chewy pasta reigned. So I was pleasantly surprised when the lasagna noodles turned out to be plump and pillowy and all the flavors had melded even better than when I bake it in the oven.

And here's another "I'm not sure about this!" CrockPot recipe from a crazy little thing named Stephanie...this time for cheesecake! Hmmm! Anybody want to try it and back up Stephanie's positive review? You can send me a piece and I'll join you in judging it!

I used to keep shelves of cookbooks...I love reading them and declare one a winner if I discover even one recipe within the covers that I love and make more than once. But after discovering the wealth of recipes on-line that are so easily available, I started clearing the shelves of them and kept only a few that I found indispensable.

The same goes for lady's magazines. I used to anxiously await the latest Woman's Day and Family Circle, but there is nothing in them that I can't find on-line...and for free! And without stacks of magazines to deal with in time. Now I only have to deal with all those bookmarked pages!!! lol

Hub was more than pleased with how well the tomato and pepper plants were doing. We lost a lot of our tomatoes last year to blossom-end rot and had done some research over the winter into how to deal with it. One of the solutions we found was to severely reduce the number of leaves on the plant once it was established and had blossoms set on it...especially the leaves near the ground. So we decided to use 4 plants in one of our beds as test subjects and hacked away at them like crazed barbers with shears just before he left on his trip. We were both a little scared but once we started there was no turning back! And the results seem to be pretty remarkable at this stage. The tomatoes on those plants are double the size of the others and so far, look VERY healthy.

There are lots of spots on-line where you can get information about this process. If you're interested, you can do as John McCain does and use the Google! If I get adventurous and it ever stops raining for a while, I may get out there, take some pictures and post them.

I have finished the Christmas Stocking project and will post those pictures soon, as well.

Well...gotta go hit the Monday chores! Give thanks for the beginning of a new week and all the possibilites that lie ahead and hug someone you love and tell them how much you appreciate them...do it today!

THE ART OF THE LETTER

I was reading through the comments on my last blog entry this morning, marveling at the warm feeling I get every time I receive notice that someone has left one. I'm still amazed after doing this as long as I have that anyone takes note of something I write and then fling out into the blogosphere. It reminds me of stuffing a note into a bottle and then tossing it into the ocean...you do it with such hope but little expectation of ever receiving a response!

I remember how much my mother looked forward to the arrival of the mailman back on the farm. Like most rural families, we didn't have a telephone when I was a child...and if we had, we would never have made costly long distance calls to family and friends! So communication was limited to letters and they were highly valued.

I think people were better letter writers back then or perhaps I am just remembering the better of the lot. Dad's family didn't write often, but Mom received fairly frequent posts from her mother during her lifetime, and occasional notes from her sister and brothers. They were town people and seemed very exotic to this little rural girl! They spoke of travel...something we never did...and movies, dinners taken in restaurants, and friends from other locales.

But my favorite letter writer of all was my sister-in-law, Lorraine. She was married to my oldest brother...by over 20 years!...Donald. Don had been in the Marines and met Lorraine, a California girl, during his enlistment and went on to marry her. And talk about exotic! First of all, her family was Morman and 50 years ago that was enough to cause mouths to gape!

On top of that, she had trained as a dancer and had dabbled in acting! Oh, my!

So, they were living out on the west coast as I was growing up and Lorraine wrote letters to the family about once a month. Her letters were so exciting and written in such a breezy manner. There were tales of going to Disneyland with their kids, trips to Vegas and casinos, and the desert. She described movies they had seen and the books she was reading. And she was into healthy eating and long walks long before it became the thing to do.

They went on cruises to Hawaii! And she and my brother would hire themselves out as "extras" on TV and movie sets. I will never forget the letter we received from her to be sure and watch Perry Mason that week and look at the table to the left of Perry and Della when they were dining! We had to watch very carefully...no DVR back then...but there were Lorraine and Don chatting away while dining within earshot of Perry Mason...on television!

She continued to write letters to Mom in the nursing home and when she died, I wrote and thanked her for all the times her letters had cheered mom while she was ill...and how much I had enjoyed reading them after Mom for all those years. And then she began writing to me.

We have continued our correspondence to this day. My brother passed a couple of years ago and she wrote to tell me she was taking up dancing lessons again...she had joined a group of ladies of a certain age and they tapped away together! She was also taking piano lessons cause she had always wanted to know how to play. She volunteers at the local hospital on a regular basis, still eats healthily, walks 3 or 4 miles a day, and just returned from a trip to Vegas with one of her sons! In her 80's!

All this to say...I think blogging and e-mails have definitely taken the place of those letters we used to receive in the mail. And I know a lot of people think it is a shame that letter writing has gone out of fashion, but as much as I enjoy holding an envelope in my hand and joyfully reading it once I return from the mail box, I have to say that reading blogs and comments from my new blogger friends is pretty nice too!

HOW TO CREATE A CREATIVE KID

Millions of dollars are spent every year enticing kids to ask their parents for the latest toy. I've gone that route myself and then noticed that the toys I researched and spent money I probably shouldn't have on were nowhere to be found within a few weeks.

From personal experience, I am submitting a list of what kids in the 6 to 7 year old range really enjoy!

EGGBEATERS!

My grandkids LOVE taking my eggbeaters and whipping up pancake or cupcake batter...they will fight each other for the opportunity. And when the cooking is done, they thrash the dishwater with them. I used to collect old eggbeaters and still have a couple of them here alongside a newer model I found at a yard sale...I find them pleasing to handle...I can't blame the kids for loving them.

SWIFFER WET JETS

I can get those kids to clean my kitchen floor until it shines if I let them use the Swiffer! They line up to take turns. The cartridges containing the solution are a little expensive, so I remove that and let one of them spray cleaner from a spray bottle while the next one mops up!

A JAR OF CHANGE

They will spend hours sorting out the pennies from the nickels, stacking them, pretending they have discovered pirate bounty. They play "store" and buy things with it. They let it cascade from their fingers. And when they are done with it, it is still retains its original value! What toy does that?

RECEIPT BOOKS

A pad of paper and a pencil are kinda like school and they will play with them, but a book like this turns them into waitresses or clerks and their imaginations flow. They enter numbers and add them up. They ask how to spell words like hamburger and fries. Combine these with a tray and a tea set and they are happy for a long time.

POKER CHIPS AND PLAYING CARDS

When Texas Holdem was all the rage on television, we received a box like this as a gift one Christmas and now it just sits there, but the grandkids think it is the coolest thing in the world when I bring it out and let them play with them around the kitchen table. The colors, shapes, and tactile pleasure derived from the chips and cards keeps them happy for a long time. I bought a container of used decks of cards at a yard sale...dozens of them...so I have no problem with sharing them with jelly hands or fear a deck of 51 once they return home!

AN EMPTY BOX, STORAGE TUB, OR LAUNDRY BASKET

They will play for hours with an old quilt and any of the above. They use them for sleds, beds, and hiding places. They put their dolls down for naps in them and try to encourage the dog to join in...he's smarter than that and usually retreats to a safe place under the bed until order is restored!

I could go on, but you see where I'm going with this. They don't need expensive things...they need items that inspire their imaginations and let them role play.

And the item they love the most? My undivided time and attention! They love it when I play the role of their customer at the restaurant or allow them to join in the fun of making and flipping their pancakes and then cleaning up afterward. A dishpan and a mop can be fun and magical things when someone they love is guiding them in their use and those times are remembered long past the latest toy!

SWEET LAND OF LIBERTY!

My husband, Harold, takes an annual trip to Canada for some fishing. The trip requires a 1000 mile drive coming and going, a two hour boat ride across a series of lakes to the camp, and a week spent without running water, indoor plumbing, or a restaurant and gift shop. He delights in it and plans for it the entire year. He always insists that he would love to get me up there because he knows that I would LOVE it!

Uh-huh....

He usually goes with a friend from work, but Ron couldn't make it this year, so our new son-in-law, Darin went instead. Darin loves fishing but is more a Bass Tournament kinda guy...a gentleman fisher...just one step up from those fly-fishing dandies in Hub's estimation, I suspect...but he's willing to give him a chance! I hope the family circle is left unbroken by the end of the week!

Here is where I pay my respects to our marriage of nearly 39 years and say that I dearly love my husband and we have a good life together...now that I've said that, let me go on to say that I REALLY...REALLY...REALLY look forward to this week every year! It is the one week when I can get up when I want to, stay up watching movies until the wee hours of the morning, eat breakfast for supper and knit uninterrupted.

My daughters know how much I love this week and understand that just as I don't cotton to phone calls during NASCAR races, I also don't want to babysit or GO ANYWHERE during this week. And I do say understand even though I'm positive at their young ages that they have no clue how I can be happy stuck at home with nothing to do!

Let me tell you...after being raised on a farm where I had duties from a very young age, to school, to working, to raising children, to caring for my parents, to looking after my husband...I rejoice in the true freedom of having no one to look after for a week other than myself. And I am so into it that I can truthfully say that I'm not quite positive whether or not today is Wednesday or Thursday and am going to have to check it out momentarily!

So...what have I been doing? Well, I've made incredible progress on the Christmas stocking for Jackson. I'm at the point now where I'm knitting the foot headed toward the toe and, as every sock knitter knows, there is a point between having knit the heel and beginning the toe decreases where a sock refuses to grow no matter how much you knit! That's where I am at the moment...but, at least, I don't have to turn around and knit the second of a pair!

And I've DVR'ed a slew of movies to watch since summer television programming is definitely lacking!

I had the opportunity to watch this movie last night and loved it.

And the fact that this very charismatic fella co-stars in the movie, has nothing to do with it! Nothing, I say!

Seriously...I'd never seen Rupert Friend before and was quite taken with him in this role. I gather he is well known among the younger set as the constant companion of Keira Knightley. He also played the part of Mr. Wickham in Pride & Prejudice and opposite Johnny Depp in the Libertine.

Don't you love discovering a new actor, an exciting new author, or a great new series?

My husband commented last week that you know a show is good when you can watch the repeats and enjoy them as much as you did the first time you saw them. And in spite of my remark that summer programming is lacking in general, this summer run is fabulous and we can't wait until next week for the new shows to begin.

We discovered Michael, Fiona, and Sam last summer and are true fans of the show. We tell everyone we know to give it a try.There is abundant Bond-like action, but the solutions are always clever and there is just enough levity in the stories to make them fun to watch.

The Daytona 400 is Saturday night! This is one of Mikey's favorite tracks and he's coming off that second place showing in Louden last Sunday! I will have the phone off the hook and enjoy every minute! Did I tell you that I cry every time they order the drivers to start their engines?

Thanks for all the great comments yesterday...you guys are the best! Just like a big hug from one of the grandkids and I couldn't appreciate you more!

Have a great day...no matter what day it is!

PAH!!!

I've decided that I'm tired of not blogging simply because I have nothing new, incredible, or wise to say about losing weight! I've put off visiting with my best blogger buddies because I haven't been following a food plan to the letter. I've become disinterested in reading the ups and downs of numbers on scales and the accompanying jubilation or plunge into depression.

Confession? I love reading your blogs because I find you interesting as people...not dieters!

And I'm missing the people behind the weight loss blogs because one at a time we are taking breaks from our blogs. Is it because, like me, you are a little tired of talking about what you've eaten, how far you've walked, or how many points are in peanut butter?

Don't get me wrong...maintaining a healthy weight is important and sharing that battle with other bloggers is so helpful! But I want friendships too.

I've discovered so many delightful people in the past couple of years and I share much more than weight loss with them. I delight in their lives, their accomplishments, their stories, their families. If they never lost another pound, I would still care about them as people...as cyber friends.

When it snows in Milwaukee, I wonder if TB and his wife will get to work, if they will play in the snow with their kids, and if the latest baby is doing well.

When I don't see a new post from Skinny in a while, I wonder if he's ok and if he's working long hours again!

When I see Kate taking a break from her blog, I hope she is ok and not bothered too much by that last .8 she wants to lose. I want to hear about her baking and new recipes and if her Mom is doing well.

When I don't hear from Noelle, I hope she is well and the kids are having fun on their summer break. I see her canning and making jelly and taking a few minutes to knit something.

And I am always appreciative of Cathy's latest well-thought-out blog entries...I learn so much from her. But I also enjoy the little glimpses into her life...where they celebrate an evening out or her inspirational entries.

I miss celebrating NASCAR with Shannon. I could go on and on...Cammy, Tori, JC, Pattie, Cynthia, Sunny, Lora, Caroline...I love sharing a bit of your lives as I read your blogs. I care about your weight if you care...but I also love reading about your bar exams, your visits to the lake, your gardens, your trips to the farmer's market.

So...I've renamed my blog. It is now Kathy Calculates: Life...I still care about weight loss and that is probably how you found my blog in the first place. It may have been the only thing we had in common at first, but, over time, I hope it isn't the only thing we have in common and the only reason you return.

My hope is that, like me, your desire is to connect with people who share a common goal...that of achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. Connecting and caring involves so much more than numbers...it requires getting to know the person behind those numbers. I believe with all my heart that it is the connection with the people I've found through my blog that has helped me more over the past couple of years than their weights or the plan they are following.

By learning about the people behind the blogs, I have a deeper appreciation for the fact that these people face the same hurdles that I do...that there is nothing magical about having lost a few pounds...that no matter how far you've come with weight loss that there is still life to be lived every day. Family celebrations come and go...holidays have to be dealt with...and eating plans have to be figured out. But when I woke up this morning and looked out the window, my happiness came from seeing my flowers in the garden. I wasn't lonely even though the man of the house is in Canada fishing and out of reach for a week cause my faithful Kipper was right there beside me. I find joy in calls from my daughters and sharing funny e-mails with a grandkid. I find creative pleasure in my knitting. I am so much more than a number on a scale!

So, I am going to get back to my blogging because it gives me pleasure. If I have something grand to share about weight loss, I will write about that. But, I will also share my life...my excitement that my favorite driver came in second last week!!! That my favorite candidate has the opportunity to make history in the fall. That my flowers always make me smile!

And I will celebrate my blogger friendships! You are the best!