Thank You, Thank You for Your Prayers!

God is so very good! Kate came through her operation with flying colors! These are Sis's words on facebook tonight...

"Thank you all so much for the prayers and well wishes!! Kate's doing great and the Doctor said she will be even more amazing to watch in action. She's a wee bit loopy from the drugs, so that's provided some much needed comic relief."

This is their story to tell and I'm sure Sis will have an amazing blog post soon. I just wanted you all to know that God answers prayers. Thank you sweet friends for your support and prayers!

Lord You're Holy.....

Karen Wheaton




“Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts:

the whole earth is full of his glory.”

Isaiah 6:3

~~~~~~~~~~

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face;

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glory and grace.

Prayers for Kate

My granddaughter Kate is going to have her first corrective surgery

this coming Tuesday morning.

We will all be glad when it's over, first we must go through it.

I've got to talk straight from a Gramma's heart.
I love this precious little girl.

I thank God that he chose my daughter to be her momma.

I believe Kate is perfect in every way....perfect.

"It's me again Lord, please hear my prayer for Kate.

Prepare the way...protect her, comfort her, heal her...

please Lord, comfort her.

Guide the surgeons hand and those that assist him.

Put your loving arms around Sis and Shawn and give them peace,

they love Kate so.

I know Lord you already know what we need,

so I'm putting my hope and trust in you to take care of Kate.
In Jesus name, Amen"

Note: Kate's operation will start at 9am, Tuesday Sept. 29

Drinking it in....

We decided to walk this morning even though we knew there was a huge chance we would get wet. Dick always says..."you can only get wet once". This was toward the end of our walk and even though there was a light rain falling, I had to stop and just take in the view of Baringer Hill. Before long the trees will be ablaze with falls majestic array of colors.....I don't want to miss a thing.
A place to sit and drink in the view..
Pavilion at Baringer Hill

As we walked away a women jogging toward us

said, "free facial!" with a grin, rain falling on her face.

That made me feel a little better about walking in the rain...

~~~~~~~~~

"For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing; and all the trees of the fields shall clap their hands. " Isaiah 55:12

Kathy Ireland....much more than model, designer, business women...oh yeah, dancer too....she's a Christian.

Tuesday nights are busy TV for us...must watch Dancing with the Stars and the Biggest Loser too! The girls last night dancing were wonderful, I loved it all! Kathy mentioned during an interview while she was waiting to be judged, that all things are possible with God. Hum....refreshing! I have lots of Kathy Ireland rugs around my house and lamps too....love her style and quality. Now I find out she is a sister in Christ too! Here's a portion of an interview she did with Christian Women Online.

I read that you became a Christian when you were eighteen, but remained a baby Christian for a long time. So many of us can relate to that, in fact it was only twelve years ago that I really started growing in my faith. Can you tell us a bit about your walk with the Lord?

"I was 18-years-old, modeling in Paris, which sounds a lot more glamorous than it really was. Out of jet lag, boredom and loneliness, I picked up a Bible out of my suitcase that my mom had packed. I happened to open to the Gospel of Mathew and my life was forever changed.

As a rebellious teenager who was questioning authority, I saw the truth right before my eyes. As a young woman, out in a world that felt dominated by men, I was so encouraged to learn how much Jesus loves and respects women. The first person who He shared that He was the Son of God with, was a woman. This woman was a Samaritan and was living what could be considered an immoral life. This was during a time when men did not communicate with women. Women were not even considered second-class citizens. This was during a time when Jews would go out of their way to avoid Samaritans.

Jesus rejected that discrimination. He showed this woman love, respect, and forgiveness. The first people Jesus appeared to after His resurrection were women, and God chose a woman to bring His Son into the world. I feel that with Jesus as my best friend it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks of me. That relationship gives me the confidence to not compromise my values. Due to my own disobedience, I remained a baby Christian for a very long time. As I would read through the Bible, I would embrace certain passages and disregard those verses that I was sure were a typo or certainly, they didn’t pertain to me. I was trying to mold God into what I wanted Him to be, rather then allowing Him to mold me into the person He created me to be.

Becoming a mom helped me to understand our Heavenly Father’s love for us. He sees the big picture while we see only a fraction. He tells us things not to keep us from pleasure, but to keep us from pain. I have made many, many mistakes in my life and I continue to mess up. My goal is that as I mature in my faith, that my actions would be more in line with His will for my life."

You can read the full interview with Kathy here from Christian Women Online.

Note: Biggest Loser rocked last night! What a great group! Abby made me so happy when she turned to the cameras and beamed, " It works! Counting calories, moving more, it really works! You betcha!

This is the rug I have in my living room and hallway...have the same pattern (Kathy Ireland Garden) in red too. Rugs Direct is a good place to buy Kathy's rugs.

First Day Of Fall....it's time for some Cincinnati Turkey Chili

It's that time of year again....soups, chili's, stews, yum! Around these parts we LOVE Cincinnati chili. In the past I have just added cinnamon, cloves and brown sugar to chili to give it that extra zing Cincinnati chili has. This recipe has a healthy spin and so tasty. Since starting on this journey of weight loss and health we have rediscovered the joy of cooking again. Here's a good article from livestrong.com "How to Eat Healthy at Home and Save Money."

Diffidently 5 stars!

Yield
4 servings

(serving size: about 1/2 cup spaghetti, 1 1/2 cups chili, 2 tablespoons onion, and 3 tablespoons cheese)

Ingredients
4 ounces uncooked spaghetti
Cooking spray
8 ounces lean ground turkey ( I used 1lb ground turkey)
1 1/2 cups prechopped onion, divided
1 cup chopped green bell pepper ( I used a red pepper)
1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic ( I used 3 garlic cloves minced)
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 1/2 tablespoons chopped semisweet chocolate
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preparation
1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; set aside.

2. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add turkey; cook 3 minutes, stirring to crumble. Add 1 cup onion, bell pepper, and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in chili powder and next 5 ingredients (through allspice); cook 1 minute. Add broth, beans, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in chocolate and salt. Serve chili over spaghetti; top with remaining 1/2 cup onion and cheese.

Nutritional Information

Calories:408
Fat:13.8g (sat 6.6g,mono 4.3g,poly 1.7g)
Protein:24.5g
Carbohydrate:47.4g
Fiber:7.9g
Cholesterol:67mg
Iron:3.7mg
Sodium:765mg
Calcium:237mg

Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2009

To print recipe

Cincinnati Turkey Chili

Dick and I will use this recipe time and again...perfect!

Happy Fall!!

Hungry?

Be inspired by Jennifer's story....

I found the first video at a sweet blog called Marsha's Musings that I found on the Internet Cafe Devotions. They have a list (at the top right) of their top 100 Christian bloggers...fun! I was inspired by sweet Jennifer Rothschild. Let's all take can't out of our vocabulary....We can!

“I have never believed that my limitations were in any sense punishments or accidents. If I had held such a view, I could never have expected the strength to overcome them.” ~ Helen Keller

How He loves us....

John 3:16

"For God so LOVED the world

that he gave his one and only Son,

that whoever believes in him

shall not perish

but have eternal life."

~~~~~~~~~

Romans 8:38-39

For I am convinced that

neither death nor life,

neither angels nor demons,

neither the present nor the future,

nor any powers,

neither height nor depth,

nor anything else in all creation,

will be able to separate us

from the LOVE of God

that is in

Christ Jesus our Lord.


The story behind the song

written by John Mark McMillan

Jesus loves YOU...He really, really does......

10 Minute No Equipment Workout.

This 10 minute workout was in our newspaper this morning...I can do 10 minutes! Dick and I have been walking 4-8 miles a day but haven't been able to get started doing weights. These exercises are supposed to do the trick. I did my best to find visuals...they are hodgepodge, some wouldn't embed, so I have links so you can see how to do the exercise.
I think I can, I think I can...I know I can!

"Here's a 10-minute no-equipment program that works the entire body from Peter Park, fitness expert for www.livestrong.com and Lance Armstrong's strength and conditioning coach.
Park recommends doing the workout twice a day for better posture, a stronger core and a balanced body. "

The workout

Chair Pose (This works the lower back, hamstrings): Stand with your feet 6 inches apart. Bend your knees slightly and push your hips back. Lift your arms up above your head as high as possible while looking straight ahead. Keep your weight on your heels. Hold the pose for 30 seconds.

Yoga Basics: Chair Pose

Glute Bridge (For the glutes): Lie on your back with your arms at your side, palms down by your hips, knees bent at 90 degrees. Your feet should be 6 inches apart and flat on the floor. Push up through your heels to lift your hips as high as possible while squeezing the glute muscles. Hold for 15 seconds. Then lower. Repeat four times.

Weekend Warrior Workout: Glute Bridge

Plank (For your abs, core): Lie flat on your stomach with your toes touching the floor. Place your elbows directly under your shoulders with your forearms flat on the ground. Using your abs, lift your hips in the air until your body is parallel to the floor in a push-up position. Squeeze your glutes and brace your abdominals while holding a rigid plank position. Hold for 30 seconds. Then lower. Repeat.
How to Do the Plank Pose

Back Extension (For the lower back): Lie flat on your stomach, your arms at your sides, with your legs extended straight behind you, heels touching and toes on the floor. Squeeze legs together. Press your elbows into your ribcage. Lift your hands off the floor. Raise your chest into the air while keeping your feet on the ground. Then lower. Do two sets of 15 repetitions. On the last rep of each set, hold the highest position possible for an additional 15 seconds.

Back Extension - Katie Butlers Back to Basics Video - Watch the top videos of the week here

Hip Flexor Stretch (For the hip flexors, quads): Step into a long lunge. Lift arms straight above your head and extend them back slightly. Bend your torso back and away from the rear leg to stretch the side of the body. Hold for 30 seconds. Do the same on the other side.

Hip Flexors Stretch - The best video clips are right here

Wall Squat (Legs): Press your back flat against a wall, legs shoulder width apart. Slide down until knees are bent about 90 degrees. Keep your upper back against the wall and raise your arms completely above your head. Keep your head, back and arms firmly against the wall. Hold for 45 seconds.
How to Do Wall Sit Exercises

Negative Push-up (Arms): Move into the plank position, and slowly lower body evenly to the ground, holding strong through the core. The negative push-up should take 15 seconds from top to bottom, in a constant slow motion.

Full Body Workout: Negative Push Ups - Sorry this is the only example I could find...;-)

Our Kentucky Boy Won!! Plus...can you believe Susan Boyles Rendition of Wild Horses?!

"In a Columbia records press release today, the label announced that pre-orders of Susan Boyle's new album 'I Dreamed a Dream' due out November 24 have "topped Jay-Z, Whitney Houston, and even The Beatles' remastered CDs, making Boyle #1 on the Amazon.com's best-sellers list."" Rolling Stone

I loved Barbara too!

I'm happy for him but....part of me thinks why doesn't Kevin Skinner just want to sit on the front porch and sing to the hills...being famous me thinks isn't all it's cracked up to be....

Abby's my girl on the Biggest Loser....

Abby is going to inspire us like nobody's business...I just know it!

I think she looks like a young Paula Dean....she's so cute.

In October 2006 Abby lost her husband,

her 5-1/2-year-old daughter and her 2-1/2-week-old son

in a fatal car collision. Beyond heartbreaking.

Bravely she is carrying on ....she's my girl!
Video of the doctor visiting Tracy in the hospital

to explain why she went down ....wow!

I'm liking Tracy too....

Gotta love Mo! He's from Louisville Kentucky our home town guy....Mo has 6 kids and a really nice guy. They had a write up in the paper about him and he said he no longer has to take insulin for diabetes and feels better than he has ever felt in his life...Go Mo!

Right now these are my top 3....

Season Eight Biggest Loser's...

can't wait

to see all these lives change for the better!

Is it just me??...I'm sad

I watch this movie anytime it comes on...


Patrick loved his wife....

he fought a great fight and always stayed optimistic...

He was a good guy and they are few and far between in Hollywood.

He will be missed...

I believe that's why they are called grandparents.........because they are on such a G-R-A-N-D Journey.....

Dick was playing in a local Senior Golf Tournament this morning so I decided to walk the Anchorage Trail since I needed to run some errands in that part of town. So glad I did.....on my second lag around, two young women joggers ran past me....I heard the sweetest voice say, "that's why I believe they are called grandparents because they are on such a grand journey."...uh, yeah!

I wholeheartedly agree!!

The world is our playground...really!

Last Thursday Dick and I applied to be extras in the movie Secretariat
us...and about 2,000 others...
This lady was trying too hard in my estimation...:-)
Me and my killer publicity photo!...(thanks Sis)...the guy that took my application said it was an awesome photo...I think I'm in!

The lady in back of me was our line buddy....she is a school teacher and was grading papers as she stood in line. She told us she already knew the final grades of all her students. ???

The view from Millionaires Row inside Churchill Downs where we filled out our applications to be in the movie. They wanted info like who our agents are....

oh, dear.
The movie will be shot in Louisville and Lexington starting late September...soon!

It will star Diane Lane as the owner of Secretariat during the 70's...

it's a Disney Film, based on a true story.

Diane will play Penny Chenery the owner of Secretariat. Penny was pressured to sell Secretariat when it became apparent he was a great race horse because she had little experience in horse racing.

I'm thinking this is going to be a very good movie.

Look for us when the movie comes out next year.....

Dick and I will be the ones having a Grand old time! ;-)

A Life Remembered Leon Lebor.......

Leon Lebor
World Trade Center


Universal Sign for Laughs

He was deaf, but Leon Lebor certainly got to see the world. Born in London, he moved to New York and worked as a furrier. Then he moved to Jerusalem, where he was a florist at the King David Hotel. Having problems signing in Hebrew, he returned to New York and became a janitor at the World Trade Center.

"He managed to live his own life and take care of himself," said his brother, David.

Mr. Lebor, 51, was one of the most popular janitors at the trade center. He was known for telling jokes and making hilarious faces that rivaled Emmett Kelly's.

"He loved what he did, and the tenants loved him because he did what he had to do and then some," said Frances Ramirez, a former supervisor. "He worked very hard and he took pride in it. He just loved to make friends."

Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on November 19, 2001.

You might like to visit this website and spend some time praying for the family and friends of all who lost their lives on

Sepetember 11, 2001

May we never Forget!

Be inspired by the lives written about here....the writers will inspire too....

Cupcake Pops..thanks Bakerella!

I made these cupcake pops this past weekend for my girls Leah and Kate. Sis had a bunch of their friends over for tennis and Karaoke. I'd been wanting to try making the pops I'd seen on Bakerella's website, this was the perfect time to do so. Bakerella made these cupcake pops on The Martha Stewart Show. I followed the from scratch cake and cheesecake frosting found on Martha's website. Bakerella has so much information on her website to make these that I'm including it here, she used a cake mix and canned frosting. I found everything but the bark at Jo-Ann Fabrics. I found the bark at Krogers. I added 6 drops of red food coloring to the white bark to make pink tops.

Purchased the cutest bags to wrap them in at Jo-Ann's too...they were all Wilton.

Pink M&M's are supposed to be in stores for Breast Cancer Awareness

I found these pink store brand M&M's at Fresh Market

Perfect size for little ones.

A couple of my favorite photo's Sis took of our girls this summer...

Love my girls....

Sissy's Blog.....

Why I chose Calorie Counting....

Laura this post is for you (or anyone else that might be curious) since you asked why I chose calorie counting over Weight Watchers. I love Weight Watchers and have nothing against them...at all! It just didn't work for me, the points drove me bonkers. I'd loose the weight and gain it back every time...

Losing weight is so very personal...everyone is different and everything I write is my experience, what works for me. My life was changed forever when I made the choice to stick to a calorie counting plan. Every day I thank God for a second chance.

I truly believe counting calories makes you stand on your own two feet...you make the choices what you will eat and the exercise you will do. It's YOUR program. I believe if you forge your own way, turn your own boat around, you will stay the course.

When you log into www.thedailyplate.com or www.dailyburn.com or www.sparkpeople.com... you enter your age, height and weight. The site will calculate the calories you should eat each day to lose 1-2 pounds a week. When I first started at TDP I ate around 1,800 calories a day. In the beginning I just logged in what I usually ate. Didn't change much at first...it evolved as I lost the weight. After about three months of calorie counting, I knew I could do this the rest of my life, which is key. Soon you realize restaurants are making us fat, that we go back for seconds when we shouldn't and our portions are too big. Also seeing the nutrients you are getting each day automatically added to your food charts..priceless.

My daughter Melissa was extremely supportive...she would challenge me to go for it. "Mom, this works ( counting calories) it really, really works!". When she gave me some of her old size 10 pants and jeans, I thought she was crazy! Sis would say, "mom, just try to get one leg in them." Sure enough one day I got both legs in them! Plus seeing her loose weight, going from size 10 to 4's and 6's really inspired me.

I did use Dottie's website which is essentially WW to help with restaurants. Also used WW magazine and WW website for inspiration and recipes. Mostly I use www.myrecipes.com for Cooking Light recipes. Love the fact readers leave comments...tried and true.

If you need the support of a group...WW is the way to go. LeAnn uses WW with success and I have another friend, Melissa that has lost over 50 pounds using WW. The on-line calorie counting websites all have forums and groups to find support....I've used them all. My new site www.dailyburn.com uses motivators. I'm working on improving weight training right now. We loose muscle as we age and I want to do all that I can do to stop that from happening.

Finally, I calorie count because it really, really works! Calorie counting is free, walking is free....that makes me feel good! It gets easier over time and becomes second nature, new skin. It worked for me and it's something I will do the rest of my life. I feel like the girl in the picture above and I'm 56 years old. I'm nobody special ...if I can do it...you can too!

The real truth about diet versus exercise....

These guys are too cute...they are comparing exercise to

in this case, drinking a Starbucks Frappuccino and a Starbucks brownie...yum!

However, together the fappuccino and brownie equal 1100 calories.

Showing this video to Dick FINALLY got through to him...finally!

We walked 7 miles yesterday...had the best time

could have walked more.

To Dick, walking those 7 miles gave him

Carte Blanche to eat anything he wanted.

Dick weighs about 200 pounds, he walks 15 minute miles, give or take.

He burns about 504 calories an hour walking 4 miles an hour...

yesterday he burned about 840 calories.

Say he is trying to lose a few pounds (which he is)

It takes 3,500 extra calories a week to gain a pound

therefore, 3,500 a week less to lose a pound.

That's on average 500 less calories a day.

Hum.....

Eat anything?...

Why not go to Starbucks and get a Skinny Latte?

A Grande Skinny Latte is about 130 calories.

The days of us eating anything are over.

We think and plan

Sis found a new website (you rock sweet daughter of mine!)

http://dailyburn.com

This is a free website....

I love it and am going to start logging in there.

Good site to find out recommended calories to lose weight or maintain.

The Story Behind The Song: It Is Well With My Soul...

Sure most of you know this story.

Used many of these stories when I was teaching senior high sunday school

to help my students to love the old songs.

Can't sing this song, never have been able to.

I'm an alto and I love the harmony to this song...

I'd LOVE to be able to sing it...just can't.

Tears...lots of them.

It is well...It's all gonna be okay

"It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect." Psalm 18:32

Is That Fall in the Air?....

The pumpkins are ready...

we witness these this morning on our walk on the Anchorage Trail.

It was an eventful walk....

a Physical Therapist, also on a walk,

stopped to help Dick out with shin splints.

She explained to him to point his feet downward

over the edge of the walkway and lean in against me and hold for 30 seconds.
Very effective.
As we practiced that exercise, an older couple

stopped to see if everything was okay...

so sweet

We found out the man had just been released from the hospital

and was walking to regain his strength.

He said he was plagued with leg cramps and I told him about pickle juice.

They found that very funny

but since I have experienced severe leg cramping

and found much relief from drinking pickle juice...

Thought I'd pass it on....what could it hurt?

They added a new swing...

Thoughtfully planted sunflowers...lots of them!
Neat rolls of soy beans....


Soy bean flower...lovely

Fields of Black Eyed Susan's...
We had a lovely walk on the Anchorage Trail

this first morning of September

Anchorage Trail

Visit my post from last year with pictures and facts about

this beautiful trail created and paid for by

Papa John Pizza Founder and Owner John Schnattner

If you ever come to Louisville...please visit.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It's almost that time of year!

St James Art Show time!!

One month away!

Here's my post about last years show....... St James Art Show

The St. James Art Show

"The St. James Court Art Show ® is a juried fine arts and fine crafts show. Always held the first full weekend of October, it hosts an impressive 750 artists from North America. Held in the heart of historic Old Louisville among the country's largest collection of Victorian homes, the St. James Court Art Show® has for over five decades provided our neighborhood, city and state with a rich cultural and artistic legacy." (copied from their site)

October 2, 3 or 4th. 10am-6pm

Friday morning is the best time...

but anytime is a good time to come...I'll be there!