September? really?

Ok, So maybe "blogging" isn't my forte'.. lol  I'm working on it anyway

Been a long, HOT summer! Too hot to be outside doing the things that needed to be done. In that sense, I'm glad it's fall. Maybe I can get the windows/doors caulked before the winter comes blowing in. Lots of stuff to do outside... fence repair, staining the fence and lower deck, restaining the hottub. Slowly the home maintenance is getting caught up... wish I hadn't let it go the last 7 years - but I did get my bachelor's degree, so it was a fair trade.

Been working inside..the 'powder room' or 1/2 bath is almost remodeled; we're pulling up carpet to begin the new flooring install... things are moving right along. Hopefully, when the real estate market improves this house will be ready to hit the market!

In between all that, I'm quilting for charity and got a list of requests to follow up on! Loving doing that! and Reading... yes I'm still at it. I actually read and finished 20 books so far this year. (and none were textbooks) :D  Just started the Sue Grafton series that begins with "A is for Alibi".

And the biggest news so far: The Atkins lifestyle works for me! I've lost 20 pounds and I'm looking forward to losing the next 10!!

Wow... I haven't posted in a while.

:) Not sure if that's good news or not... But I have been busy. And the weather has really brought me down, mentally and physically.

That said, I am blessed to wake up every day. We do not know when our time will come, so we make the most of each day we have. I'm working on being a more pleasant person. To myself. I'm pretty sure I do a good job treating others well, not so sure I treat myself as well. I'm hard on myself. Expect at lot from myself. Beat myself up over things I have no control over. But I do have control over how I react to situations. And I'm going to work harder on that.

The weight loss journey has been slow... :(  I did commit to the Atkins Diet and I'm seeing little signs of success. My weight has been fluctuating in a 5 lb range so it's hard to know how much I'm actually "losing". So when I put on a pair of slacks for work and they feel just a bit looser, I'm smiling! I have a coworker/friend at work that is doing Atkins too and we are a wonderful support team! Along with the ladies from church, this may actually work for me this time.

Tonight the family is celebrating the birth of my son 28 years ago! Unbelievable. I can't believe I'm old enough to have a child that age :) I'm so proud of him. Tonight is our annual stuff-yourself dinner at Red Lobster! woohoo...

Keep smiling everyone!

next up: Stories of home-remodeling

In my spare time? What?

Wow, really? I'm supposed to have spare time? hummmm... You know I thought I would when I finished school, but I've managed to fill my time... of course.

My weight loss journey has started out well... I shed 1.2 lbs last week! If I could do a pound a week, I'd hit my goal by mid year!! Ok, I know that's wishful thinking... but it does show that watching what you eat and getting just a little bit more exercise does work.

What else am I filling my time with? I rediscovered READING, for pleasure. First book of the year, America by Heart, by Sarah Palin. And no, reading this book and liking it does NOT make me a full-fledged Republican!! LOL

Exciting news last week: The birth of (step) granddaughter number 2!! Olivia Rae was born Thurs, Jan 6, weighing in at 6 lbs 14 oz. Erik and Sasha are very proud parents.

Which leads into more projects for my spare time... I want to make both granddaughters a quilt. Need to start on that, but first I'm converting my PartyLite 'loft-office' to mostly a sewing area. Since business is about gone, I can better use that space. I haven't given up on the candle business... just waiting for a little more confidence in the economy.

And oh yeah... I've got some inside house work to do! Must get the powder room done before spring... the floors in the living room/dining room are in trouble... and paint.. I sure need to paint!

Wonder how much I can get done in my spare time before time to start working on the outside stuff?

Resolutions?

I gotta tell you, I wasn't sure why I decided to blog. And I'm not sure if any one really cares to read what I write. 

My New Year started with my typical headache. I've found that headaches are becoming almost the norm for me and that really bothers me. Some time this long 3-day weekend I thought about resolutions... the first being, I need to take better care of myself. So headaches... be gone! I'm calling my doctor and getting a checkup. IF they are not sinus related, I'm asking for a pain specialist referral. 

Now on to the rest of the "taking better care" resolutions. Every year we hear how people make these huge commitments to lose weight, quit smoking, stop drinking, etc... and they last about 3 weeks. *sigh* I've been there done that. The key is support and accountability. I have an online group of friends that have started our annual "shed some weight" discussions. And I've decided to share my journey here too. Maybe, just maybe I'll actually accomplish my goal. :)

I chose to share with you my starting weight of 169 pounds. Scary huh? Scared me when I stepped on that scale this morning. My goal is to shed 24 pounds... that's a lot and I don't expect to do it all this year, knowing how weight is much slower to take off than it was to put on. 

How am I going to do this you ask? I've already been watching what I eat...I'm journaling (sp?) what I take in every day. It helps me stay accountable to myself. I'm walking every day! It's not much, but 4 or 5 laps around the building twice a day... equals about a mile. And I'm moving the Wii Fit to the living room instead of the bedroom. I'm going to commit to at least 3 days a week on the Wii Fit. 

Wish me luck folks!