diet is only a symptom

all right girls, here is my theory on the diet depression. it is only a symptom of something far deeper. we dont like ourselves and it we are ultra critical of ourselves. i say give ourself a break darnt. start getting up every morning and saying i like ME. i am a good person who is well liked and i am the same person i was at 20 even at 30 and yes even at 50 something. maybe we need to clean house mentally, but lets not focus just on weight. i happen to think you are all the best i have ever seen, so be careful bitching about my beautiful girls. i love you all

That is a bad 4 letter word

I try hard to blame the fact that it is winter for the fact that my clothes just don't fit quite as well as they did (last year). Then as I was driving to my grandparents the other day when it was warm, there were tons of little tiny college girls out walking their dogs and jogging and I thought hmm maybe it is time to start walking again. Today it is foggy though so that kind of shoots the motivation out the window. Then there is the time factor and the fact that walking by yourself really sucks.

It's too late baby, now it's too late

The bad news is that I'm going to have to buy a new wardrobe, but the good news is that I got the job so I would need the clothes anyway. I hate khakis. Some people are khaki people and I am not one of them. *Sigh*

Jo- thank you so much for your response. I'm off tomorrow (today) and I seem to have a whole new outlook. Hard work really can make a difference and now maybe I need to turn some of that effort towards myself. I feel a spring cleaning coming on for myself and my environment. The suggestions that you gave seem like very real things that I can implement as part of a lifestyle change. Also, my new position will not require as much hard physical labor and lifting, so I already have high hopes for feeling better in my body. Maybe I'll even be able to walk at the end of the day.

I'm happy about the new job and I love to learn and grow, but I am also intimidated by the shear lack of experience that I have in the area that I'll be working in. I believe that I will be in charge of all of the specialty departments and I've never even worked in one! Somebody out there must have an awful lot of faith in me. Doors, windows, flooring, kitchens and appliances...Eee gads!

heal the gut

Kathy...
i'm sorry to hear about your woes.. I too have gained weight, and I did go up a size and have bought new clothes.. So, I need to change some habits myself..
so, we can work on this one together..
as for the bloating issues. 
I swear by probiotics.
I take acidophilus every day... I totally recommend the ones that are called pearls, cuz they are protected and get into the intestines to do their job.  They are a little more expensive, but are worth it.  I also like flax seed oil in capsule format to keep things going where they should.
So, if I were you, get a good multi-vitamin if you aren't already taking one.. then supplement w/either the flax seed oil or a good fish oil... and a daily acidophilus pearl, that should get your gut feeling a little better.
As for actually losing weight, i'm totally struggling w/that myself and am beside myself.

Oh, the other thing I have done to settle my belly is to use digestive enzymes and I think they work really well also!!!  I heard that you should only use the enzymes for a short duration and is not something that should become a daily routine...   So, I'll take them w/every meal for about two days until I'm feeling better.

Four letter word

That's right folks, I'm gonna say my first four letter word on this site. Diet. There, I said it. Diet, diet, diet. It's not a resolution, its a recognition. Once again I'm faced with that day where I have to decide whether or not to buy a wardrobe in a different size, or lose some weight. I'm looking for any suggestions...what has worked, what hasn't, what might jump start the process. The only thing that has worked for me in the past is Atkins, and Doc says I can't ever do that again cuz my kidneys freak out when I have too much protein. Too be brutally honest, I feel bloated and full of sh*t (more so than usual) but I'm not constipated. Has anyone ever tried/known anyone who has tried one of those colon cleanser routines? I don't want to waste $30-50 bucks and a week or two on something I don't know about. Googling hasn't helped, all I'm getting are product testimonials.

Paprikash

Was talking to Dad about cooking chili the other day.... He said.. You need to make some Paprikash.  This is a chicken stew that my grandparents always had brewing and it is probably the only family recipe that I have from my Dad's side of the family.  My grandparents were both immigrants from Serbia, now Yugoslavia.  I've seen this called a Hungarian dish, but I'll always call it Serbian. 

So, when Candy mentioned that she was going to make chicken soup, I said, you should make Paprikash....  Now, the only thing I really can remember about how to make it is to put a whole chicken in a pot w/ tons of Paprika, onions, carrots, potatoes and broth then cook till the chicken falls off the bones.  So, I thought I'd take a stab at googling this recipe and came across several versions.  Some called for sour cream, and butter, which sounds good...  Some called for noodles, one even said to make Spaetzle.  I think the key ingredient is the "ton" of paprika, like two heaping tablespoons to make this just like papa did.

You Can Make This

I came across this site today:

http://www.youcanmakethis.com/index.htm

Looks interesting....  It has sewing projects.  Just thought I'd share...

i saw this on martha

Pasta With Three Kinds Of Garlic
This delicious recipe for pasta with three kinds of garlic was adapted from the March 1997 issue of Martha Stewart Living.
Ingredients
Serves 4.
1 head plus 8 cloves garlic
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound farro spaghetti
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup loosely packed chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Parmesan, for grating
Directions
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Wrap garlic head in parchment paper-lined foil; roast until soft and golden, about 1 hour. Let cool, trim tip of head; squeeze out cloves, using back of knife. Transfer to small bowl; set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and pasta; cook according to package directions until al dente; drain.
Thinly slice 5 cloves of unroasted garlic; finely chop remaining 3 cloves. Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add sliced garlic; toast until golden and crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove garlic; set aside. Add chopped garlic; saute until translucent, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add roasted garlic and white wine; let simmer about 3 minutes. Add pasta, parsley, and red pepper; season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Garnish with toasted garlic slivers; serve. Grate cheese over each serving, as desired.

chicago style pizza

Red Dog and I made Chicago stlye pizza last night. We have been talking about it for a week and it was worth the wait. It wasnt that big but we couldnt eat it all. woooow it was so good.

I got sunshine...on a cloudy day

Winter blahs got you down? Try an orange! Close your eyes and bite into that juicy deliciousness...If that doesn't do it for you, put the peels in an old pot with some cinnamon and simmer it for awhile. Freshen up that closed-in house. You can console yourself with the knowledge that you won't get scurvy. If that doesn't do it for you...see Jo's post about wine cuz you must really need it!

Cavit Pinot Grigio

We went to Amante's restaurant for dinner tonight w/Lance and Jenny and their boys... 

I don't think the family that owns the place is italian, but the food was like that.  Charlie got Tortellini Alfredo and Jenny and I split a Feta Fettish pizza.  It is a white pizza w/mozzerella cheese, feta, green peppers and banana peppers.  It was good, not really good, but good.  I ordered a glass of the Cavit Pinot Grigio... now that was GOOD... so I just thought I'd share.  If you like a pinot this is good pick.  It was light and crisp, not too fruity, not too sweet and not too dry.  No biting after taste like that crazy shit Charlie brought home from Rome.  It was awful!  He actually dumped his glass out and I cut the remainder w/ Sprite.  I sure as hell was not going to let it go to waste...   Oh, the best part is...  this is an affordable bottle, about $10.  I always try to pay NO more than $10 for a bottle of wine.   Definitely a sit around and get drunk wine.

who knew we would have a porch story about a hog. i think that is sooo cool. cara also got a .22 rifle for christmas which is great. i love my rifle instead of a shotgun, cause it doesnt have near the kick and i think i am more acurate. martha stewart had a new cooking site to check out. www.discoverbarilla.com for pasta recipes.

brandi's crochet

brandi sent me a picture of her block she has done and i thought it turned out awesome. can you believe this is crochet? she is at the point where she is trying to decide how to put it together

Birthday Wishes

Thank you all for all the awesome birthday wishes.  I really appreciated all of them...  I got blog wishes, I got message board hits from family on geni.com, I got e-cards, emails, and yes the old fashioned "verbal face to face."   I feel so blessed and loved and I wanted to take a moment and thank everyone!!

Oh... Charlie and Brett surprised me with a little chocolate cake w/candles when I walked in the door after class last night.  It was awesome!!!  I wanted to take a picture of it cuz it was so cute, but did not get a chance :(

The new years hog

I hadn't thought to tell about the new years hog on the blog site until Candy said I should put something up. As you can see it is a 12 foot trailer and a gigantic hog. It is what you would call a downed sow, she had piglets and didn't get back up so the men went to the farm where she was and killed her, which took awhile. Then brought it home and that is what I had in the yard. I know you are asking yourself how do you get something that huge to a place where you can butcher it, well let me tell you, in pieces. I now have half a deep freeze full of pork, next hog that we get though I think that we will cure the hams because we found out it just tastes like tenderloin. We did however do sausage and bacon. The bacon is salt cured and you have to make damn sure you rinse it before you cook it unless you really like salt! We found that one out the hard way too, though it was kind of funny to watch Clayton eat a piece of it. So if anyone ever has any questions about how to clean a hog, don't hesitate to ask!

Happy B-Day Jo

Today is your birthday...nah nah nah nah nah nah
We're havin' a party...nah nah nah nah nah nah

Ok, so it's hard to sing in blog, but happy birthday anyway!

Left Right Center

I found a few sites:

This is from Amazon.com

 

Also found some for sale at coolstuffinc.com

isn't that where my disco ball came from??

I'm going to try to get an LCR tourney this Saturday, buy in is $1.50 in nickels. 

red dog and lyle got all the trenching done for lyle's new house and it was going so hard they pulled the trencher with the tractor to get through the hard ground. today they are going to lay all the pipe for electric and water. sounds like a cold job to me, so i am going to stay home and play.

brandi, i think that is awesome that you are going to take on some of the ombudswoman tasks. yes i have been known to volunteer at the wrong time, but it usually turns out good. cant wait to see how your crocheted quilt turns out. the concept is neat.

knoxbuster reviews

this is great to have a site to go to about movies and books. i used to read the new york times top ten bestseller list, maybe i will start doing that again. sometimes the oprah books are to darn depressing for me. i think you have to be in the right mood for them. i already live in the poor black south so i dont like to read about it.
we are still trying to find a place to get the left/right/center game. any suggestions.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JO

TODAY IS YOUR BIRTHDAY. WE'RE HAVING AN ONLINE PARTY. TODAY IS YOUR BIRTHDAY. YOU ARE GETTING BETTER NOT OLDER.

Check your email...

Ok everybody I went ahead and opened another blog for books, movies, games, etc. You should have received an email invitation...let me know if you didn't. I don't expect anything fancy (you know who you are JO and your pictures) but a basic classification would be nice. Let's see how this works!

Distilled Politics

Get what ya came for...

Kathy, I LOVE the Election Guide site that you recommended.  I can't keep up w/ media, debates, caucuses, debacles, etc...  This site really breaks it down for you.

Thanks for sharing!  I wonder if Hillary has a position on kegels.....

Read this summer '07: Eat Pray Love

Again, saw this on Oprah...  then saw it at Wal-Mart and thought... what the heck.

It was a nice read, nothing revolutionary about the concept.  Basically is a suggestion on how to live....  I felt that those who reveled in it's Glory had clearly not been reading much on spirituality at all.  Hence their "breakthrough" moments from this one.

It was a nice read though, some good parts, some painfully long and boring parts as well.  Let me know if anyone wants this one!

After reading Deepak Chopra's "The Book of Secrets" ....  It is clear, Liz has got nothin' on Deepak!  Ok.. I did not learn about Deepak on Oprah, I listen to Lime Radio w/a Twist on Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 114. I said that just like the announcer peeps!!  Lots of neato stuff on that channel.

Before that I think I read some garbage on real estate... not worth a dime.  Nice heavy paper, hmm.... is a craft being born???

Currently Reading Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

Of course I read practically nothing but Oprah book club selections...  Why do you ask.  Well, cuz I'm too lazy to follow any other media or book recommendations.  Too lazy to read reviews... too lazy to well, think for myself I guess.  So, if it has the seal of approval from Oprah, then I usually do enjoy it.   My eyes are burnt out by the end of the day... Google reader is starting to get the best of me.  My current addiction to Ravelry.com is beginning to take the lead though.

So, it is an epic novel, spans three generations of family.  So far so good, I'm about 3/4's the way through.  I only read at bedtime, so it takes me awhile to get through any book.  I'll be happy to pass this one along when I'm done.

Too many Kegels?

Brandi, I wouldn't recommend that you do too many Kegels...with Christopher being gone for six months you might be a virgin again when he gets back!

crocheted quilt

Do Your Kegels!! ????? What kinda contraption is this???? I think I might need 2 or 3 of them!!!

We are trying to prepare for Deployment again, Billy leaves on the 3rd of Feb. for 6 mo. and I think that somehow in my drunken stooper this weekend I might have volunteered myself to be the ombudsman!! (like deployments aren't hectic enough without adding a bunch of depressed wives to it). I'm gonna have to quit drinking around other people and just hide in the closet while I'm on the phone bar.

I have recently started a new project, it's a crocheted quilt. I thought it was the coolest thing!!! It's just a bunch of 2-1/2" granny squares sewn together to make a quilt block. If you google in crocheted quilt pattern it will come up with a bunch of them.

when i was in school, i belonged to a book club. www.greatbooks.org/ it has changed a lot since i was in school, back in the dark ages.

what about an online bookclub blog

i was talking to kath yesterday and crissy is taking a bunch of english classes this semester. they are going to read anne of green gables one of my all time favs. how hard would it be to set us up another blog site about the books we are reading or have read. i think it would be a good kick in the butt for all of us to start reading and sharing again. even include movies if we wanted to so if we are limited on time we could still share and have an input. Kath didnt tell us, but friday she goes to test for assistant store manager in chicago. Good luck and we are all behind you sister.

Election year

It's that time again to attempt to vote for president. If you guys are anything like me you want to make an informed decision, but find it difficult to wade through all of the crap. This link to the NY Times will take to you to a page with a concise description of each candidates' stance on various topics.

http://politics.nytimes.com/election-guide/2008/issues/index.html#/context=index/issue=health

Hope this is helpful!

Lost in Space

I just want everyone to know that I am on here all the time getting my update on what everyone is up to. I don't always have something to share, but I am grateful to have this method of keeping in touch.
I've fallen into that trap where we get so involved in something going on that we can't see outside of ourselves. For me that has been work, and if I'm honest with myself its been that way for awhile. I really don't think I'm a very interesting person anymore. I need new influences or interests. I've tried making new friends, but that hasn't helped much. Maybe its just the winter blahs.

Ravely

I  received my invitation to Ravely, it is awesome!!

What's Hookin'?

This will be the next bag on the hook...

Another design from "The Crochet Dude"

Chic on The Halfshell

ode to crissy and billy

after i lldid the blog i realized i hadnt mentioned crissy and billy. i am sorry called me blonde. remeber today is jo's first day of pottery class. Jolene's birthday is coming up on January 23. we need together and make a birthday list for all of us, cause i totally missed Cara's birthday in December. Bummer

thank you to my kids

maybe sometimes you feel under appreciated, but i am here to tell you that my life would not be rich and full like it is without you, my wonderful kids. this week i was trying to make my computer work faster and Kathy and Charlie helped me with that. i also have been having so much company that it is easy to forget who I am, Jo, Brandi,Cara, and Clayton helped me with that problem. Just by being there on the other end of the phone or on our blogsite i feel like i am in touch with all the people that matter to me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Do Your Kegels!!

Doctors highly recommend kegel exercises for post-childbirth recovery, to help reduce incontinence, and to enhance sexual pleasure. The Contour Kegel Exerciser is uniquely weighted for maximum benefits and ergonomic fit. Imported.

This specially shaped Kegelcisor is made from lightly textured stainless steel and helps strengthen your pelvic muscles. When inserted, the cool (70? F) temperature automatically causes your pubococcygeus (PC) muscle to contract correctly.

 

Camp Hatteras

We reserved a camp site at Camp Hatteras, witch is on the Outer Banks in North Carolina, for this summer from July 5 through the 12th.  I'm so excited!!!!

The Berggrens, Parks, Burkhardts and the Linns are all going!  I'm so excited!!!  ... I already said that.  But I am!!

Newboy Cap

Well... just to keep myself busy I thought I'd make a hat...

and...

well...

It kept me busy... 

I found this newsboy cap pattern online.  Mine did not quite come out like the pic online.  I did not do the brim facing, cuz.. to be honest, who the hell is going to wear this God awful thing anyway, so why continue the self torture. *

I'm also still working through the garbage bag full of worsted weight yarn that I got at that yard sale last year for $9.  Yes, I said garbage bag full, and not the wimpy "tall kitchen" bag.  I mean, lawn leaf bag.  Ok, that is an exaggeration... it is somewhere between kitchen and lawn.  It was like the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, the yard sale rainbow. 
*Ok, I secretly love this hat, but won't display affection in any public locale to spare Charlie and Brett embarrassment and ridicule.

FO: Unhooded Baby Blanket

I finished the baby blanket for Bethany. I opted to NOT add the hood.  I thought that it was more practical to have just a blanket w/out the hood.  I still have several ounces of yarn left, so I'm trying to think of what else I can make with it... hmm....

I think the shells came out very nicely.  I did a double crochet all around it to give it a finished edge.  I hope that she likes it.

time to order seeds

Red Dog and i have been surfing the web for heirloom seeds to plant in the garden this year so we dont have to keep buying seeds. The site we used was www.amishlandseeds.com cant wait to get my garden started. they also had flowers like hollyhocks and such.

Old CD Case used for Calendar

I saw this and thought.. how neat!  What a great way to get your 2008 calendar and use an old CD case!!!

check out the Canon site for printing ideas including this one.

Artist:Aya Yamanaka

Four Things You May or May Not Know About Me: Jo

A)  Four jobs I have had in my life:
      1.  Currently I do asset management.
      2. I worked in a warehouse doing shipping...  fun fun. 
      3. US Navy
      4.  Dishwasher

B)  Four movies I could watch over
and over:
     1. Walk the Line
     2.  Bull Durham
     3.  Pure Country
     4. Stand By Me
C) Four places I have lived:
     1. Cambridge Springs PA
     2. Sugar Grove, WVA
     3.  Misawa Japan
     4. Taylorsville, MD 

D) Four TV Shows that I watch:
     1. Oprah (not now w/all the reruns)
     2. Survivor
     3. American Idol
     4.  All the craft shows on HGTV and DIY

E) Four places I have been:
     1. Pensacola Florida
     2. Nassau Bahamas
     3  Fort Lauderdale, Florida
     4. Tokyo

F) People who e-mail me (regularly):

     1.  Tami
     2.  Jenny
     3.  Ginger
     4.  Candy

G) Four Foods I Love

      1. Dip  (Crab, buffalo, artichoke, any dip)
     2. Anything Italian
     3. CHEESE!!!
     4. French Onion Soup

H) Four places I would rather be right now:
     1. I'm at home, so I'm good.  (but that is only because Brett and I have dentist appointments, UGH!)
     2. Cambridge Springs PA
     3.  Any tropical beach
     4.  walking the creek beds

I) Things I am looking forward to next year:

    1.  Maybe getting two calves... maybe...
     2.  Brett's baseball season this spring,  (which translates to parental social life, ha ha)
    3.  Completing 3 of the remaining 4 classes in my Masters Program!!!!
    4.  I'm taking a 9 week class at Delaplaine art center "Escape to Clay", so I'm going to learn pottery!!!! 

Crochet DROPS scarf

I needed a break from the baby blanket, which is coming along very nicely.

I saw this DROPS pattern on Vickie Howell's blog.  I thought is was really cute and thought I'd give it a shot.  The pattern says to use a double stand, I'm not doing that... I'm just using a red boucle that I think is red heart... not sure.  I can't afford the alpaca that the pattern calls for...  So, far I think mine looks pretty good!!!  The pattern is kind of weird at first, but then picks up fast.  Oh.. and I've never crocheted from a diagram before, we talked about that over Christmas.  So, I was a little intimidated at first, but once I learned the symbols, I think I actually like it better!  I'll take pics when I'm further along.

Grandma's cough syrup

My grandma Gilmore always gives a spoon full of honey, and if you can get it from a grower that is local to you it is even better and a spoonful of lemon juice. She never put it into tea or anything just a spoonful of each and may I recommend the lemon then the honey if you are not a fan of lemon. I take the honey then the lemon. Best cough medicine I have found thus far.

What can I take to get my voice back

I haven't been able to talk for three days now and it is becoming annoying. RedDog seems to look on it as a good thing, but I can't hardly talk on the phone without coughing and I miss talking. Oh well, Uncle Lyle felt sorry for me and cooked supper last night so i guess there is an up side to being sick. I haven't started any new projects and I feel like a big blobbbbbb. I did get the Christmas stuff taken down and now everything looks so bare. I might try to come up with some new ideas for in the great room. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

When to be a bitch

Jo, you should've gotten the yarn for $5. They really shouldn't have even questioned you. If it is less than $5 we usually don't even check. Back story....I have an employee who spends 40 hours a week doing nothing but changing price tags and telling me when an item is out of stock on the shelf. She's a lazy bitch who spends more time rifling through papers in managers' offices than she does on her job. I took about $200 in markdowns the day after Christmas for items she didn't have the prices changed on. Since customers pointed them out to me I finally have concrete ammunition against her for her review! There is usually a flip side and it isn't always bad!