A Christmas thought...

I know it's way early to be throwing a Christmas tree up on my blog, but with the gas and food prices soaring among other things, I wanted to share what we did last year.

Our daughter Melissa came up with the idea for our whole family to draw names, each person would get two names.

One present would be a nice $50 limit present. The other present would be a gag $10 limit gift (can be free stuff too). So everyone would have their name in two piles, one for a good gift and one for a fun one.

To make the gag gift interesting and challenging, it should have something to do with what that person had done that year. Like me loosing weight and exercising, a gag present might be one of those Suzanne Sommers thigh master or some silly exercise equipment from a yard sale, or eBay. If they had a child that year...ear plugs and Calgon take me away bubble bath. Nothing mean or rude to make the person feel bad, just funny.

We still get the grand kids something extra, and I get each one of my six "kids" a sweater or sports pullover type gift.

Doing this really frees you up to enjoy the season and each other...takes the stress out. Jesus is the reason for the season! Blessings!

Ryder Cup Tidbit...

Dick labeled this picture 200 lbs...guess he's pretty happy about that! He's in his new 36 inch pants, he actually was down to 198 in this picture......that's
down 32 pounds! Being a volunteer at the Ryder Cup was a real honor for Dick...thanks Sissy!


















Some of the people from Europe come dressed in costumes for the Ryder Cup. There were Irish leprechauns, Spanish matadors and these Scots with a cardboard cutout of Colin "Monty" Montgomerie. They thought Monty should have been invited to the Ryder cup and wasn't, so they "brought" him anyway! Cute aren't they?

Pieces of the puzzle are coming together.....

This is our son Rich working on his house. Dick and I spent the weekend with Rich and his wife Rachel getting their cottage ready to be painted. They bought their first house a year or so ago in a beautiful neighborhood by the Tennessee River in Knoxville called Island Home. They joke that it's the newly wed and the nearly dead type of neighborhood. Lot's of young couples with babies in carriers making their way up and down the boulevard.

His house is cedar shake and brick, some of the shakes have age and water damage and are being replaced.

I love the new door they picked out, really changes the look of the house.....lovely!












Rich taking a little break and talking to me. He's doing things he has never done in his life and doing a very good job. Since buying the house they have refinished the hardwood floors, painted the inside, replaced electricity, plumbing, sewer lines, put in a stone patio, torn down an above ground pool and decking. I know I'm missing things, but you get the picture.

After they get the house painted, Dick and I are going to help them get the front landscaped. We are thinking boxwood's and foster hollies. I'll post pictures when it's all done.

We are really proud of Rich and Rachel, they are newlyweds and working hard to fix up a vintage cottage and give it new life. It will be beautiful when they finish!

One final word...thank goodness for motrin!! ;-)

He Reins!!

The Newsboys


And all the people said AMEN!!

Potassium helps flush sodium out of the body...

My friend Charlotte and I were discussing over

e-mails about vitamins and she mentioned she was usually low on potassium. I knew bananas were a good source of potassium, but not much more than that.

I started researching and found some eye opening information. You can check here for the whole article at WEBMD.

Bottom line is, diets that provide potassium help flush sodium from your body and may reduce your risk of high blood pressure and stroke. The article says we need 4700mg of potassium a day. I've also heard that a diet rich in potassium helps with cramping.

Since I tend to retain water, so I try to keep sodium to 2300mg a day, which I can usually manage, but this is great news to me...maybe you already knew this, but if you are like me and didn't, below are some potassium-rich foods that you might like.

This is a limited list from webmd, there are many more foods rich in potassium that are not listed here. Try this web site too.

350mg 500mg potassium

Promise SuperShots for blood pressure (3 oz)
Orange juice (6 oz)
Banana (6"-7")
Pork loin, center rib bone-in, separable lean, roasted (3 oz)
Carrots (1 cup)
Milk, nonfat, vitamin A added (1 cup)
Dried apricots (10 halves)
Turkey, no skin, roasted (1 cup)
Cod fish, pacific cooked 15192 (3 oz)
Broccoli, boiled, drained (1 cup)

501-650

Tomatoes, canned, stewed (1 cup)
Baked sweet potato with skin (2"x5" raw)
Lima beans (1 cup)
Kidney beans, canned (1 cup)
Carrot juice (1 cup)
Baked sweet potato with skin (2"x5" raw)
Pumpkin, boiled, mashed (1 cup)
Plain nonfat yogurt (8 oz)
Salmon, dry heat (1/2 fillet)
Black beans, boiled (1 cup)

650+

Kidney beans, canned (1 cup)
Carrot juice (1 cup)
Prune juice (1 cup)
Split peas (1 cup)
Plantains, cooked (1 cup) .......really great! My beloved Cuban food is on here!!
Papaya, raw medium (5 1/8" x 3")
Cooked spinach (1 cup)
Halibut (1/2 fillet)
Baked potato with skin (large)
White beans, canned (1 cup)

A sweet moment...

This is my sweety pie granddaughter Leah and her mommy, my beautiful daughter Melissa, and her daddy (or prince) Shawn having some fun in the sun.



For more sweetness this is Melissa's blog.

Since adopting Leah, Melissa has become this amazing photographer. I'm never afraid when she is the one taking pictures, she always gets the right shot.

We are all waiting day by day for the phone to ring
to tell us it's time to come get Kate, Leah's little sister.
Who is she? What does she look like? Where is she?

Doesn't matter at all....she's ours!

We love you Katie girl and can't wait to meet you!

Lean Green Lettuce Tacos

& Cuban Black Bean Dip

These two recipes are from Southern Living, September 2008, Healthy Living, Light Fare. The taco's and bean dip use some new products from the Nueva Cocina line. They are suppose to be sold by Target, Publix, Whole Foods Market, Kroger's and Harris Teeter. I ordered them on-line here since I could not find them locally. It's hard to believe that something that taste this yummy could be something so good for you!

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients
1 small zucchini, diced
1 small yellow squash, diced
1/2 pound extra-lean ground beef
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (1.25-oz.) taco fresco seasoning
1 (8-oz.) can no-salt-added tomato sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice
8 romaine lettuce leaves


Toppings: diced tomato, chopped fresh cilantro, chopped red onion, crumbled queso fresco*

Preparation
1. Sauté first 3 ingredients in hot oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 5 to 6 minutes or until meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Stir in seasoning until blended; cook 1 minute.
2. Reduce heat to low; stir in tomato sauce, and cook, stirring often, 3 to 4 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat, and stir in cilantro and lime juice.
3. Serve meat mixture in romaine lettuce leaves with desired toppings.

*2% reduced-fat shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese may be substituted.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 93 (0.0% from fat)
Fat: 4.5g (sat 1.3g,mono 2.4g,poly 0.4g)
Protein: 6.7g
Carbohydrate: 6.2g
Fiber: 1g
Cholesterol: 10mg
Iron: 1mg
Sodium: 227mg
Calcium: 14mg

Cuban Black Bean Dip
Yield
Makes about 2 cups (serving size: 1/4 cup)

Ingredients
1 (6-oz.) package Cuban-style black bean soup mix
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chile powder
2 tablespoons Mexican crema or regular sour cream*


Garnishes: diced tomatoes, thinly sliced green onions
Fresh vegetable slices

Preparation
1. Bring soup mix, olive oil, and 2 1/2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat, stirring occasionally. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 25 minutes. Uncover and cook 5 to 7 minutes or until thick and beans are tender. Let cool 30 minutes.
2. Process soup mixture, lime juice, cumin, and chile powder in a food processor 20 seconds or until smooth. Spoon mixture into a serving bowl. Cover and chill 2 hours before serving. Store in refrigerator in an airtight container up to 2 days. Spread center of dip with Mexican crema, and garnish, if desired. Serve with fresh vegetable slices.
*Light sour cream may be substituted.
Note: For testing purposes only, we used Nueva Cocina Cuban Style Black Bean Soup Mix and Olé Crema Mexicana.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 94 (0.0% from fat)
Fat: 2.5g (sat 0.7g,mono 1.3g,poly 0.3g)
Protein: 4.7g
Carbohydrate: 14.2g
Fiber: 4.6g
Cholesterol: 1.9mg
Iron: 0.1mg
Sodium: 352mg
Calcium: 7mg

Look for a package like this

The toppings and black bean dip, (forgot to get light sour cream)

Cooking drama...lots o steam...
















Viola! Another healthy tasty meal!

Next time I make this I believe I'll make a Taco Salad out of it. The meat mixture is really good, not too spicy. The mixture would be great rolled up in a tortilla too. If you can't find the Nuvea Cocina line and don't want to order it on-line, I'd think any taco seasoning would be okay. The main thing is adding the vegetables to get better nutrition when you eat taco's and things like that.

Spicy Chicken Quesadillas

We had this for lunch, boy was it yummy in the tummy! We always grill extra chicken everytime we have it, there are so many uses for it! This is a great one! I used our new panini press......perfect!

Fresh herbs and pickled jalapeños brighten up these simple quesadillas. Serve with a tossed green salad and a side of black beans to round out the meal.



Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 quesadilla and 3 tablespoons salsa)

Ingredients
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions (about 2)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped pickled jalapeño peppers
1 cup chopped cooked chicken (about 8 ounces), divided
4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
3/4 cup (3 ounces) reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese, divided
Cooking spray
3/4 cup salsa

Preparation
Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl; stir until blended.
Place 1/4 cup chopped chicken over half of 1 tortilla. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons cheese and 1 tablespoon onion mixture; fold in half. Repeat procedure with the remaining tortillas, chicken, cheese, and onion mixture.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Place 2 quesadillas in pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Repeat procedure with remaining quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla in half. Serve with salsa.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 328 (30% from fat)
Fat: 10.9g (sat 4.8g,mono 4.1g,poly 1.5g)
Protein: 27.9g
Carbohydrate: 29.4g
Fiber: 2.1g
Cholesterol: 65mg
Iron: 2.5mg
Sodium: 786mg
Calcium: 248mg

Assembly was a snap!

Love the grill marks!

Dick's lunch with low-fat tortilla chips (90 calories per ounce)

My lunch without chips....

California Club Panini

Dick and I eat at Panera way too much, love their food. We decided to make our own panini's and work on the salads. Actually, we can make them with lower calories and put exactly whatever we want inside them. We bought this panini press from William Sonoma and really like it! The size is great, not too big and heats up quickly and in less than a minute or so to make a panini. You can easily make a panini without the press though. (I listed some options below)

This is comfort food! You will love it!

California Club

Oven roasted turkey, (If you can, find Boar's Head Oven Roasted Turkey)
Crispy bacon ( I like Oscar Mayer Center Cut, 50 calories for 2 slices)
Provolone
Avocado
Mustard aioli (recipe below)
Sourdough Bread

Fry the bacon in a pan. Spread the mustard aioli on the inside of the each sourdough bread piece, layer turkey, bacon, provolone and avocado on top of the sourdough bread.

Here's where you make the decision, after the sandwich is assembled, I use Crisco Olive Oil Spray on each side of the sandwich to save on calories, you could also use olive oil to brush each side or melted butter, it's your choice.


Panini Press: Grill sandwiches in a panini press until flat, bread is browned, and cheese has melted. Remove from heat; cut each sandwich in half and serve immediately.

Waffle Iron: Turn over metal plates to the flat surface. Place sandwich in hot waffle iron, close cover, and grill for 3 minutes on each side.

Griddle: Place sandwich on a hot griddle, and position a heavy iron skillet or bacon press on top of the sandwich. Flatten the sandwich to about 1/4 of it original size. Grill the sandwich for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.

George Forman Grill: May also be used.


Mustard aioli
1 garlic clove (can be omitted)
1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 cup mayonnaise ( I use Hellman's Light)
2 tablespoons coarse-grained Dijon mustard (regular is fine)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice


Using mortar with pestle, mash garlic with coarse kosher salt until paste forms (or mince garlic and mix with salt). Transfer garlic mixture to small bowl. Mix in all remaining ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover tightly and refrigerate.
Servings: Makes about 1 cup

I didn't include a calorie count since there are so many variables. Made with low fat mayonnaise and olive oil spray it's around 400 calories. You could substitute mustard aioli for Hellman's Dijonnaise, 1tsp is 5 calories.

Things that come back to haunt you...snack attack!!!

Last night Dick and I settled in to watch Dancing With The Stars and something inside me wanted a snack.

I got that "I need a little something feeling ".....whoo....where did that come from?!

Since logging in my food has really worked for me, I had faced the snacking thing early on and had thought it was over with....evidently not!

Last season, Dick and I were "trying" to eat Weight Watchers, we weren't going to meetings, just counting points. Here's the kicker....while watching the show we would fix a Weight Watcher dessert and "add" things to it!! Like take a strawberry shortcake and add "low-fat ice cream", maybe more strawberries and of course some whipped cream!! Good grief!

"Wanted something" the whole show!! The good news is I didn't act on "it".....resisted and won the fight! I recognized the urge (it was strong and didn't want to leave), thought about it, but didn't connect the show with the feeling until this morning.

This is why we have to be aware the rest of our lives to stay on course to keep the weight off.

I need to give a shout out to my good friend Charlotte who has lost 9 pounds since logging in her food and counting calories. She's logging in her food at www.sparkpeople.com , great free web site. More importantly, Charlotte has made the connection of choices and how simple it all really is. At first it seems confusing and not at all clear, and then after logging in your food for a few weeks your own natural instinct kicks in. Your body wants good foods, when you start eating better, it says, "thanks!! You feel better, have more energy, fewer aches and pains and take years off. It's a win, win situation. Congrats Charlotte! You go girl!!

If you have tried to lose weight before and failed and have given up like I did.

There is HOPE!

You don't need a dime, I know you have a computer...go to www.livestrong.com (go to the daily plate) or www.sparkpeople.com just log in the food you eat already...don't make any changes right now, just get a handle on the calories you are eating in a regular day.

Then check out the fat, sodium, fiber, sugar, protein ( it's automatically tabulated for you) to see if you are getting enough or too much. Start buying low-fat yogurt, whole grain breads, lean meats, nuts, lots of fruits and vegetables. Try to start walking, even if it's 10 minutes one way and 10 minutes back...that would be great!! Before long you will feel the urge to do more, it comes naturally.

Junk food makes you feel bad...once in a while, not too bad..everyday...not good. Little by little, inch by inch, baby steps that all it takes, but you have to decide.....

I want a better life and I want it now!

2 Corinthians 12:9

9 "But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may reside in me."

Dancing with the stars!!

The Three-Night Premiere

Dick and I LOVE Dancing With The Stars and the Amazing Race. We don't watch all that much TV, but when those two shows are on Katy bar the door! We are there!

LANCE BASS and Lacey Schwimmer teams up with Lance to make her series debut. He'll stick around but what is up with his partner...Lacey, Elvis's long lost daughter? This will be fun to watch!

TONI BRAXTON and Alec Mazo, who returns for his fourth season. Wow..she is in great shape!

BROOKE BURKE and Derek Hough (so cute!!) 4 kids and she looks like that!!!!

ROCCO DISPIRITO and Karina Smirnoff who returns for her fifth season. Love Rocco but he's got to get some form!!

MAURICE GREENE and Cheryl Burke. Cheryl returns for her sixth season. Cheryl has her work cut out for her!!

KIM KARDASHIAN and Mark Ballas, who returns for his third season. Kim, what can I say?

CLORIS LEACHMAN (Love, love, love her!)and Corky Ballas (Mark's dad!), who makes his series debut. Funny stuff here!! She will NOT disappoint!

CODY LINLEY and Julianne Hough (too cute!!)who returns for her fourth season. Awesome pair!! Really fun to watch!

Oh my gosh!) SUSAN LUCCI and Tony Dovolani (love him!)who returns for his sixth season. Erica! Stay in the studio lights...seriously, how much does she weigh?? 55 pounds??!!

MISTY MAY-TREANOR and Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who returns for his fifth season. Like her a lot! She'll be fun to watch...athletes always do well.

TED MCGINLEY and Newcomer Inna Brayer will be paired with Ted. Inna is the current US Amateur 10 Dance Champion. , If he sticks around, he'll get a movie part out of this like John did.

JEFFREY ROSS and Edyta Sliwinska (love her!), who is the only pro to compete in all seven seasons of Dancing with the Stars. Boo...yuck. Poor Edyta!!

WARREN SAPP and Kym Johnson who returns for her fifth season. What a doll is he? We gotta get him on the daily plate though!!

All in all a great group, Erica will have to go, but I think first to go will be Jeff.

beaver

I was inspired the other day by my dear blogger friend LeAnn to decorate for fall a bit. My 3 year old granddaughter Leah was here and really got upset with me for putting pumpkins out before Halloween...."No, Gramma Re!" Leah said, "not yet! It's not Halloween yet, you're not posed to do that now!" So I didn't put any of the pumpkins with faces out or stuff like that. It was fun getting the decorations out and looking forward to the fall days ahead.

In Louisville the first weekend in October there is this huge arts show (750 artist) we never want to miss....The St James Art Fair , the setting is at a downtown park with lovely old mansions surrounding it. The best part for us is the atmosphere, outlandish art work, people watching and the best pumpkin rolls you will ever taste in your life! Dick and I were talking about them at breakfast...oh dear...can we make low fat pumpkin rolls??? We will probably go for the real thing!

Looking at these pictures makes me really miss the colors we have had at other houses, Benjamin Moore's Grasslands Green and Golden Tan. When we moved into the condo, they had it all painted one color.. Benjamin Moore's China Girl, we kept it thinking we would not be there long and neutral colors would sell better....but I sure miss the color on the walls. I also apologize for the quality of the pictures....got to get a better camera!! Or photographer!! :-)

Still working on this one, found the metal pumpkins at Stein Mart

Revelation Song...

Sung by Kari Jobe

Revelation 5 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

The Lamb Takes the Scroll

1 Then I saw in the right hand of the One seated on the throne a scroll with writing on the inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals.

2 I also saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?"

3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or even to look in it.

4 And I cried and cried because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or even to look in it.

5 Then one of the elders said to me, "Stop crying. Look! The Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has been victorious so that He may open the scroll an its seven seals."

6 Then I saw one like a slaughtered lamb standing between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent into all the earth.

7 He came and took [the scroll] out of the right hand of the One seated on the throne.


The Lamb Is Worthy

8 When He took the scroll, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

9 And they sang a new song:

You are worthy to take the scroll

and to open its seals;

because You were slaughtered,

and You redeemed [people] for God by Your blood

from every tribe and language and people and nation.

10 You made them a kingdom and priests to our God,

and they will reign on the earth.

11 Then I looked, and heard the voice of many angels around the throne, and also of the living creatures, and of the elders. Their number was countless thousands, plus thousands of thousands.

12 They said with a loud voice:

The Lamb who was slaughtered is worthy

to receive power and riches

and wisdom and strength

and honor and glory and blessing!

13 I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them say:

Blessing and honor and glory and dominion

to the One seated on the throne,

and to the Lamb, forever and ever!

14 The four living creatures said, " Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Ghost Town

Cute movie!


Dick and I saw this tonight...laugh out loud funny...no naked people..little bit of cussing...otherwise cute stuff with a moral.




We celebrated tonight, I bought size 10 today, appropriately we celebrated by eating!! ;-) We absolutely love Havana Rumba. The black beans and rice, cuban bread, skirted steak, grilled grouper, tres leche cake, cuban coffee....we can die now! I'll worry about the calories tomorrow!! Today, life was good!

Sissy got electricity!!! We loved having them here, but there's nothing like your own bed!! 89,000 still don't have power as of Friday afternoon...God Bless them!!

Pleasantly surprised at Fridays last night!

We went down to Fourth Street Live to see Three Dog Night last night. The Ryder Cup is in town and every night festivities are going on that are free, just need a "The Cup" pin to get in.

Dick is a volunteer at The Ryder Cup this week. So in the spirit of The Cup we headed downtown when he got through with his day there. It's fun to eat downtown, lots of great restaurants and in the "old days" I would never have given it a thought.

The "new improved" me was thinking, "oh dear" inside. Especially when Dick said excitedly, "let's eat at Fridays!" and hurried in to get our name on the list. I'm thinking, " don't want to spoil his fun, I'm going in!"



The menu is so colorful and the food they were bringing out looked so good, piles of onion rings, french fries, salads with fried chicken and thick dressing spilling over their containers...and huge desserts being carried around...I'm in real trouble here...low and behold my eyes glance at the words low fat...in Fridays? Woo.. check it out. I had the Dragonfire chicken, 510 calories, menu says...Marinated chicken breast topped with fiery Kung Pao sauce, mandarin oranges and pineapple pico de gallo, and served with stir-fried brown rice and cilantro-lime-seasoned broccoli. It was good, not that spicey!! Yum.

I copied this from hungry-girl.com when I searched Fridays there.

Low Fat" or "Low Carb", and all will be okay. (Even when it comes to the "Right Portion, Right Price" menu, sticking with the stuff labeled "Low Fat" or "Low Carb" is the way to go.) There's Dragonfire Chicken and Southwestern Mahi Mahi (each has 510 calories), Zen Chicken Pot Stickers and Shrimp Key West (370 calories each), Sizzling Chicken & Vegetables (670 calories, although likely much less if you nix the cheese) and a 330-calorie Chocolate Angel Swirl Cake. And all the "Low Fat" items have approximately 10 grams of fat. Not TOO horrendous.

Now Three Dog Night, that's another story....am I that old???!!! Love their songs though!

Try a little tenderness,
Just an old fashion love song,
Easy to be hard,
Never been to Spain,
And my favorite..
Out in the country..
those where the days!!

It was a wonderful night!

There is no "secret" to losing weight!

I just read an ad for LA Weight Loss to "come discover the science and secret behind the SuperFoodsRx"
......makes me really angry! I'm not mad at the people that try this, it's not their fault. I just really feel it has to be something you will do for the rest of your life...nobody is going to do LA Weight Loss for the rest of their life.


It will just be one more time they may lose some weight, get tired of it, and regain the weight......the only one winning will be LA Weight Loss.

You don't have to spend a dime to lose weight or exercise. There are so many FREE websites to help you determine the calories you need each day to lose weight. Plus they have many, many foods and their calories already there for you...free. Most foods have the nutrients on the side of the box or bag. More and more restaurants are now posting their nutritional information on their web sites. With the
food network having healthy recipes, www.sparkpeople.com, www.myrecipes.com, and many more.

It cost nothing to get out and walk. Nothing to do a few sit-ups, leg lifts and the like. Nothing has changed my body shape more than walking has in about 3 months of steady walking. Dick and I went to an expensive "wellness" gym for several years 3 days a week and did 30-45 minutes of cardio and 30-45 minutes lifting weight. None of that worked as well as walking 3 miles a day has.

If there is any secret it's eat less, move more.....simple enough!

Here's another blogger that is joining the get healthy lifestyle, I'm really looking forward to seeing the very talented LeAnn's blog take off! Congrats!

What do we have to fear?

I wrote this as a response to Nana Trish's wonderful blog , I wrote from my heart how I feel about fear. Dick and I stand on this Psalm, believe it with all our hearts and know it is true!


I heard a story years ago about running toward the roar. Seems the biggest, scariest lion in the jungle has no teeth. Most of the time the issue we are facing has no teeth.

We "think" this or that is going to happen and then the opposite happens. We have help... Beth Moore had us memorize this Psalm. At the time I didn't know why, but a few weeks later we got some devastating news. I woke up in the middle of the night in a fright and started praying, and then these verses I had memorized sprang up and I was comforted.

Psalm 121
The LORD Our Protector

1 I raise my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from?

2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not allow your foot to slip; your Protector will not slumber.

4 Indeed, the Protector of Israel does not slumber or sleep.

5 The LORD protects you; the LORD is a shelter right by your side.

6 The sun will not strike you by day, or the moon by night.

7 The LORD will protect you from all harm; He will protect your life.

8 The LORD will protect your coming and going both now and forever.

What have we got to fear?! The maker of heaven and earth is our protector, he does not slumber nor sleep! Gods ways are not our ways, so we may have a hard time believing He knows and sees everything and wants the best for us, but He does!

If you haven't been through Beth Moore's "Stepping Up" bible study, it's awesome, especially if you feel stuck in a situation. She's talking to you. If you can't go to a study, you can download a video or tape each week and study it at home, maybe a small group could get together and purchase them, they are about $5 each.

Blessings!!

Our World, my world

Several things... one, the condition of the world...
Right is wrong, wrong is right...anything that is good, pure, and right is made fun of.

For a long time I have believed we are in the last days. Most Christians probably think that too. We don't know the hour or the day, but we are supposed to be ready and be prepared.

The storm Ike really had it's way with our town. It's so hard to see everything that has happened to our lovely neighborhoods. Huge trees uprooted, shingles blown away, dark houses because they have no electricity. 180,000 people still have no lights, including my daughter and her family. The elderly alone, those with little money having all their food spoil because they have no power, business owners losing money each day for the same reason. This is BIG. The charities, Dare to Care and churches are working as fast as they can to help, our mayor is doing his best, neighbors are helping neighbors....still I know people are falling through the cracks.


Ice has been a big commodity, rumors of vendors overcharging, plus just finding a business that has power to be able to sell the ice. Gas is about $4.15 here, there are rumors of price gouging there too, although our Governor has promised they will be found and punished. Shame.

The first night the storm hit this town was a zoo. 300,000 lost their power and they had all left their houses and had poured into every restaurant this town has to offer. Dick and I were unaware so many were without power at that time. We had decided we had enough calories to go to Wendy's and get a taco salad (without dressing ; )....big mistake. People were NOT in good moods, they were stressed to the limit. The me, me, me society was in full force, is still in force. Disturbing.

Baby boomers remember a time when the power went out when we were kids, we got the candles out that were stored for this purpose alone. We'd cookout beans, ate peanut butter sandwiches or whatever we had, listen to the transistor radio. We were usually prepared. There were no restaurants to run to. We helped our neighbors (we knew them back then, all the mothers were our mothers) and our neighbors helped us. I felt community.

I feel community from bloggers. We can encourage each other, pray for each other and share our lives and ideas. It's a very good thing!

What I'm thinking is, we need to be prepared, stay as close to God as we possibly can. Love each other, be nice, you know all the stuff we learned in kindergarten. Get back to the basics of life.

Philippians 4:8

"Finally........ whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

101

This is my 101st blog posting.....I think I "talk" too much....anyway, something really cool happened today. I went to see my doctor, the one that had suggested I try and get below 200lbs.

Well, I was way below 200, and not only that, I weighed 2 lbs less than I do at home ....with all my clothes on too! Had been sorta afraid I'd weigh 10 pounds more than at home.

It's not a dream, it's not a dream......whew!!

The journey is the reward....

When I first started this journey to live a better life through journaling my food www.thedailyplate.com it never really dawned on me how much my life would change.

I backed into weight loss and it happened without me thinking about it too much. We were eating out way too often, sometimes at the end of the day we would realize we had not really eaten fruits or vegetables. Because of the arthritis in my knees we weren't exercising like we should. It was not good.

After logging in the daily plate.com for a day or two, it didn't take me long to notice I was not getting the right nutrients. At the bottom of your "plate" there is a list of the percentage of nutrients you had eaten. Like, calcium, sodium, carbs, protein, fats, sugars, fiber. Knowledge, powerful stuff.

My eyes were no longer covered...I could see...see that a few veggies, a couple of fruits, some low-fat yogurt, lean meats, fiber filled foods, whole wheat's, lower sodium foods....weight was flying off me. Before I knew it I'd lost 20lbs. We were walking about 2 miles a day...I started walking really fast...the pain from arthritis was way less. We added a mile.

We also found that we could still eat a few sweets, dark chocolate has fiber! Angel food and strawberries, low-fat milk shakes and smoothies. We never feel deprived. It's just choices, making the right choices.

After awhile your clothes get too big...baggy bottoms are not too attractive. To the store you go...it's the best feeling in the world when you can get in the smaller sizes. The best!!! Still, it never occurred to me (since every other diet I'd been on clothes just fit better) that I would actually wear a smaller size.

So far I've lost about 47lbs. Someone that saw me recently and said it looked like I'd lost 100lbs. Oh dear..not quite!

The journey is the best part....I'm sure there will be a part of me when I hit goal (18 more pounds) that will miss these times. So wherever you are in your way to health, remember to enjoy each step of the way, each obstacle, each little victory. Don't hurry it or rush it. Just plain appreciate where you are today.

I learn something new just about everyday.......

I talked before about a new electric tooth brush my dentist suggested, you can see about it here.

I had an appointment a week ago for him to teach me how to brush my teeth. The visit cost $125 which insurance didn't cover.

To make myself feel better about paying that much to get a lesson on teeth brushing, I'm going to share!

Here's the sure fire way to stop tartar and plak dead in their tracts.

1.Use your electric toothbrush first without paste just water. Let the motor of the electric brush do the work. Angle the brush 45 degrees toward your gums and with soft pressure work on each quadrant of your teeth for about 30 seconds per area, front, back, tops. It takes some work to get rid of the tartar, but feels so much better, like when you leave the dentist after a cleaning.


#2. Floss your teeth with Gum expanding floss. www.jbutler.com
Take the floss as far down the tooth as you can, then make a "C" with
the floss around the tooth and bring it up the tooth. Don't take the
floss straight down the tooth and back.
It doesn't get the tartar under
the tooth line.



#3. Brush your teeth with tooth paste very well, make sure to brush your tongue as far back as you can stand to do it.

My dentist suggested using an Oral B soft
Full Head Straight, Soft Toothbrush.




I used the gum re-coat to practice getting the tartar off. It's great and I'm glad I learned this trick.

Do this once a day and then just brush as usual.

There, I feel better!

Glorious one by Steve Fee

Revelation 21:3

"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God."

Jude 25

"To the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. "

Breakfast...The foundation of the day!

Start your day on a solid rock, begin with a good breakfast!

We all know that breakfast helps keep your waistline trim, but here’s more proof.....

In a recent study, researchers found that people who ate breakfast took in 5% fewer calories over the course of the day. That’s only about 100 calories (if you typically eat the 2,000 calories per day recommended for adult women), but, over time, it adds up. Saving 100 calories a day for one year equals a loss of more than 10 pounds.

Experts estimate most of us eat 20% of our daily calories at breakfast, 30 percent at lunch, and 50 percent at dinner. Seems 30% at breakfast might be a better thing to do.


If you can’t stomach a bigger breakfast (keep it healthy with a combo of low-fat protein, whole grains, and fruit or veggies), get a mid morning snack (a container of yogurt, some fruit with a few whole-grain crackers, or half a sandwich).


No time for this?? Me neither!


















Here's a few grab and go options......

Apple, banana's, grapes, pears or any fruit that won't drip down the front of you!

Bagels w/low fat cream cheese and turkey bacon

Low-Fat muffins ( I love Panera's low-fat blueberry muffin)

Fiber One Bars or Kashi bars

Natural peanut butter on wheat bread

Stuff half a whole-wheat pita with 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese and sliced
peaches, pears or banana's

Top a cinnamon raisin bagel with low fat cream cheese and thin apple slices

Breakfast-in-a-Baggie --Select a handful of whole grain low-sugar cereal. Mix with nuts and chopped dried fruit. Place in a snack-size zip-lock bag.

I'm hungry when I wake up...but I understand if you are not. You should, as soon as you could, eat some yogurt or grab a few ounces of turkey or fruit. Give your body a break....plus you will not be so hungry at lunch you grab anything and start a chain reaction of bad choices.

Mindless eating gets us all in trouble, if you want to get healthy, you need to give it some thought and plan ahead. There are those times we get way too busy and that's when we need some go-to options. We keep fruit, Kashi and Fiber One bars on hand for those times....then we are never tempted to stop for fast food.....never a good breakfast choice, save them for lunch and dinner when they have better foods to choose from.

Dick and I love breakfast!! Cascadian Organic Granola (Target, Walmart) is our summer favorite, with fresh blue berries. In the winter we love oatmeal with splenda brown sugar just about everyday, we are creatures of habit. We always have some Bigelow Earl Grey Green Tea too...yum!! Those Thomas 100 calorie english muffins with Brummel and Brown butter and some whole fruit jam are out of sight good. Any low-fat yogurt too.

Hope this helps Nana Trish, maybe others could leave their "grab and go" breakfast ideas too!

My dolls....

Sissy and Leah are always so cute together! They were at my house getting Miss Leah ready for her first ballet class. Melissa was a Dancing Poodle when she was three. Can't wait until recital time rolls around, little girls are such sugar and spice and everything nice.

Notice Puppy on the floor? He is very, very loved and so, so important! He is fed, and so well taken care of. Leah is a very good mommy and will be such a great big sister to our little Kate!

Melissa said, "I can't even begin to tell you how cute it was to watch her take this class. She LOVED every second of it and listened so good. Every once in a while, she would look up from what she was doing and just flash the cutest little smile to me in the window and wave. It was so adorable! "

My dolls!

I love my girls...this is our smoochy face, just look at that sweet expression!