I Pledge ...

I have a new found perspective on furniture!

From here on out ... there are several things I will look for in a piece of furniture before purchasing ... it will no longer be a spur of the moment purchase ... it will be thought out, looked at from every angle and aspect ...

Whew!

I was passing through my bedroom yesterday morning and looked down at the base of my bed ... mind you - I am a 'dust freak' and LOVE Pledge! Anyhoo ... I looked down at the base of my bed, you know the tiny grooves that NO ONE else can see without a magnifying glass ... yep - well ... I saw dust that was not topical for my normal viewing pleasure ... I was in the process of cleaning my bedroom and was actually getting ready to dust 'my normal' areas when I noticed this ... AAHHHH - WHAT??!?!?!?!? horrible I tell you!

So ... I took some extra time ... and the whole time during this extra chunk of my morning ... I spent questioning myself as to WHY I would purchase a bed with this many small nooks and crannies ... so I counted them as I cleaned them ... 47 slots across the head of the bed and 47 across the foot/base of the bed ... WHAT??!?!?!?!?! OH my ... yep ... this is when I made my new decision of "no more hasty furniture purchases" without delving into each aspect of its circumfrence ...

As I was cleaning ... I looked up at the bureau ... MORE slots to clean! THEN ... I started thinking of my dining room issue that I always have ... (my chairs have these stupid slots to clean too) ... WHAT was I thinking when I purchased my furniture? Obviously not "dusting" days!!!!! OH well ...

My furniture is a "mission-style" ... WHATEVER!?!?!?!

It's a mission alright! (above is a bed like ours from the American Signature Web site)

Crazy I tell you ...

oh well ... life ... dusting ... THANK God for Pledge!

I'm a faithful user ...

Anyhoo ...

Lots on the agenda today ... I best get busy!

Happy days ...tammy

My sweet baby made my cry last night ...

She came into the kitchen and began telling me about a project at school ... (I already was aware of what she was going to tell me because of an earlier email I had received from the school - I did not interrupt her, I wanted to hear her side of the story and see how she perceived what they were told)

she said ... "I need to take money to school tomorrow ... there are two kids at school who are in Vanderbilt Children's Hospital with cancer and were giving money to them ... they are very sick and I want to help".

I said, "absolutely, we'll help"

then she said, "Mom, where is my $20 that is put up?" (we had put some money up that she had earned lately - and when she earned it she said, I'm saving my money to buy me something at Justice" - her favorite store)

I told her where the money was ...

she said, "I want to give my $20 to help the kids that are sick with cancer"

I immediately gave her a hug and told her how sweet she was for wanting to do that and that it would help so much!

then she said, "I know I was saving up for Justice, but I have lots of things from there and these kids are really sick and need the money"

OH MY ... tears now ... WOW!!

Makes you feel like you might be doing "something" right when you hear stuff like this coming from your child!

I felt it was SO important to let her know how "right" she was and that it was a VERY good thought and deed for her to do.

And ... she "reminded" me to get the money this morning out of "its spot" and was so happy to be able to take it.

Made this Mommy very happy to say the least.

happy days ... tammy

Rummaging Through Some Nostalgia ...

Since last post ...

- LeAnna stayed home from school on Friday - still a bit "not feeling too good"

- had a doc appointment (check-up) on Friday


- bonus room is now complete: painting done, carpet in, new table/chairs put together ... just need to hang some pictures ...!


- LeAnna had a birthday party Saturday afternoon to attend

- had dinner with friends on Saturday evening

- had prayer at church Saturday evening

- attended three church services on Sunday (we attended worship service at our church, and Nate spoke at a late morning service at one church and an evening service at another church)


- and the anniversary of starting my blog was this weekend (2 years) - Wow! zoomed by!

Today ....

A bit nostalgic ...

My mom is in SO much pain ... she came off of all her meds on Friday and has to remain off of them until after surgery (a week from this Friday) ... bless her heart ... So ... I called her today to see "what I could do to help" ... she said ... I would like for you to help me go through some things in my bedroom ... I want to "spring clean" this week before surgery ... So ... I offered to help ...

Oh my ... LOTS to do ...

So I sat down in the floor and started going through some things ... THANK GOD she's at a point in her life to FINALLY start getting rid of some things ... because that would be the ONLY reason she would ask for my help! ha! I LIKE to purge!

And that I did ... but in the process ... came across some very interesting items ...

- my first bible (given to me in June 1970)

- my Sunday School perfect attendance pins (our church was big on awarding pins that you received in front of the whole church for perfect attendance) ... I remember being very proud of these.

- some pictures

- some of our old games (from the 80's)

- some cool cook books (that I had actually given Mom as gifts) - she gave them to me ... they look new ... hmmm ... (the titles have been added to the list of "what not to buy Mom" for the next big occasion)

- some old slides of me as a baby ... looked at a couple (hard to do without a projector) but found one that looks identical to LeAnna at that age ... and one of my Daddy feeding me as a baby.

- an old letter to my Mom from her Daddy ... the only letter she has from him ... it was so sweet to read ... he wrote of how proud he was of her, etc. (long story - must tell at a later time of how my Mom moved to Nashville with family when she was like 12 or 13 years old for treatments at the doctor - something happened to her (another long story) and treatment for it was not available where she lived in Celina, Tennessee ... so this was a letter he sent her while she was away here in Nashville ... she ended up staying in Nashville - got a job, and the rest is history.

- several other notable items

Anyhoo ... it was neat to sit and rummage though these things of old ...

oddly enough ... I came across a report from a radiologist ... where my mom had gone to have her knees looked at when she first started having pain (2001) ... and then to find it today ... very ironic ...

Here are some pics of LeAnna at Jordan's party on Saturday ... it was at Michaels ... first of all - didn't know that Michaels did birthday parties ... VERY happy to find this out ... very cool "different" idea for a party ... and when I found out how much it cost? I was blown away!!!

$30 to reserve room and the cost of the craft per child ... 'their' bill was $59 ...

WHAT?!?!?!?!?

I would spend more than that having a party at my home!!!!

Okay ... kudos to Michaels and this "cheap" party find ...

They entertained the kids for 2 hours and then they cleaned up!!!!

Another WHAT?!?!?!?!

Exciting I tell you!

Anyhoo ... Jordan is LeAnna's best buddy at school ... she turned 6! Their craft was making picture frames and then the dad took a group picture and printed them out and we left with a pic in our frame! Nifty!

This picture just proves to me how big my baby girl is getting! Much taller than I was at this age (not saying much - I know)

They got matching bears at Michaels ...

Here is a pic I found of my family while "rummaging" today ... I was about 11 or 12 in this picture.

Memories ...

Happy Days ... tammy

Whiny Temps and Scary Shadows ...

Today was a very busy day ...

I worked all morning and then had to be at school by 12:30 to finish up a project for the teacher.

When I went into the office to sign in ... I did not know my child was in the nurse's office "sick" ...

I walked into the classroom and started looking around for LeAnna ... I asked a few of the kids - no one knew ... then the office called ... to say that they were sending LeAnna back to class for me to get her ...

yikes ... I had two hours of work to do ... so ... the class had other classes to go to ... so she ended up staying with me in the classroom until I was finished.

Low-grade temp ... tummy hurts ... not feeling good - were the complaints ...

I hurried with the project and then took her home.

The teacher said they had sent so many kids home this week! Yikes! She said she overheard teachers in the hall asking one another "how many have you sent home?" ... yikes!

Anyhoo ... still a low-grade temp ... enough to be whiny ...

Today was Mom's last day of work ... well ... at least until sometime in May ... and then not sure how "often" she'll be working ...

So today was very sad for all involved ... she's been with the family she's a Nana to for 21 years ... lots of tears ... I wasn't even there when she left, but I teared up just thinking about it ... we are very close to the family.

Her surgery is two weeks from tomorrow ... and she has to stop all meds tomorrow ... and the ONLY way she has been functioning is with her meds ... SO ... the next two weeks will be rough ... but at least she'll be able to stay at home and rest.

So this evening ... I had a AAAHHH moment .... I happened to look down at my arm and noticed black lines everywhere ... OH NO ... NOT ANOTHER HEMORRHAGE!!!! I was starting to get upset ...

then ...

noticed ...

ha! for once ... thank goodness ... it was just a shadow of my hair dancing on my arm ...

oh my ... so thankful ...

I think I'm so tired I just need to go to bed now ... =0)

happy days ... tammy

I Remember ...

Today marks 9 years that my Dad passed away ...



... I always take a "moment" on this particular day of the year ... just to ... remember.



Long after everyone else has "stopped" remembering ... I still remember.



Not a big deal - we move on ... and especially if it's not someone you were really close to - it's easier to move on.



I, just like everyone else who has lost "someone" ... tend to forget someone else's "someone".



But it's harder when it's "your" someone.



So ... today ... I remember.



It's funny ... just two days ago ... LeAnna "out of the blue" said ... "Mommy, I miss my Granddaddy" ... (she has never met him - he died almost 3 years before she was born) ...



We have shown her many pictures ... many videos ... told many stories ...



He wanted a grandchild SO bad ... and let me know MANY times ...

but ... I was doing my best - just didn't happen in "my timing" ...



Ultimately, God knows best and His timing is ALWAYS perfect ... even in times when we "just don't understand why".



So ... yes ... I ponder sometimes ... "wondering" why he wasn't able to enjoy our blessing ... sometimes I wish so bad that he could have seen her.



Oh well ... Life is FULL of "why's" ... and sometimes you just get tired of "wondering why" ...



But today ... when everyone else doesn't remember what they were doing 9 years ago today ... I do ...



It hurts ... still does ...



But ... he hurt and he is MUCH better off now ... and for that I am thankful.



Tearfully, I write this in remembrance ... just wishing for "one more day" ... I KNOW I would have said all those things I keep telling myself that I should have said.



Too late now ...



regrets? some.



For the most part ... all was well -thankfully.



We will always wish we had said more, done more, been there more, listened more, laughed more, hugged more, so many more "mores" ...

People do not die for us immediately, but remain bathed in a sort of aura of life which bears no relation to true immortality but through which they continue to occupy our thoughts in the same way as when they were alive. It is as though they were traveling abroad. ~Marcel Proust

happy days ... tammy

What Am I Reflecting?

thinking today ...

(scary) ...

I was looking in our large bathroom mirror today from our bedroom ... not looking at myself ... I actually couldn't see myself ... I was just "looking" ... anyhoo ...

I guess I was actually "thinking" and the mirror happened to be in my view ... so "while thinking" I started observing what was in the mirror ...

it was a door way - door frame, door ...

and for a moment ... if you weren't really paying attention ... one might think "hmmm - a door" and try to walk through it ... BUT ... the reality is ... you can't ... it's only a reflection of what is in front of the mirror. (profound - I know) ... anyhoo ... a point is coming ...

So then ... I started thinking ... I'm like the mirror ... if people looked at me they would "hopefully" see a door ... but I am not the door ... I'm merely a reflection of "the door".

So ... then ... thinking ... hmmm ...

what am I reflecting?

What do people see in me?

Am I reflecting good or bad?

Am I reflecting positive or negative.

Yikes ...

I hope I'm reflecting good ...

I hope I'm reflecting positive notes here and there ...

I hope I'm a reflection of a stepping stone and not a stumbling block.

I hope ...

happy days ... tammy

Table For Three ... Please

Howdy ...

well ... first night for Monday Night Family Night/Game Night ...

Just so happened we had a special service this evening at church ... so our game time was cut short ...

however ... we did manage to eat 'fun/simple' food (Pizza) and played a game with LeAnna and her friend Kaitlyn. LeAnna chose her Dress Up Bear game ...

we had fun!

I have something "new" ... it's a new blog that I'm posting all my "meal musings" and will include recipes that I have tried and how it rates in our household after making and partaking!

It's called "Table For 3" ... Here is the link ... you can save it to your favorites and check back periodically ... I plan to update often.

http://batsontableforthree.blogspot.com

happy days ... tammy

Mark, Luke, and Who?

So today ... at church ... I helped out with puppets during children's church due to the absence of one of our staff ...

I was excited! I like doing stuff like this and so I was willing to help ...

So I was given instruction on what signs to hold up, etc. about 30 seconds before the puppets started ...

hmmm ... I can do this ... it's simple right?!

So ...

the music starts ... and I was so eager to do my small part of holding up a sign ... that I made a few mistakes here and there ...

I figured no one would notice ... it's ages 5-12 and 2, 3 and 4 year olds came in for the puppet songs too ... so ...

I'm good ... all is well ... no one caught my simple slip of the hand at the wrong time (several times)...

So ... on the way home from lunch today ...

LeAnna says ... "Mom, did you help with the puppets today?"

"Yes mam I did" (said with slight pride - thinking of my cool experience of being "behind the scenes" of the whole puppet experience today)

She said ... "were you holding the green sign on that last song?"

"Yes mam, that was me" (smiling large that she would notice and "pick me out of the crowd")

Then she said ... "I knew it ... I knew that was you .."

"how did you know?" (still smiling with pride)

she said ... "because you kept messing up the whole time, lifting the signs at the wrong time and stuff"

WHAT??!?!?!?!!? (bubble has now busted and deflation is in process)

Gee thanks sweet child of mine!

Oh well ... at least I know she's paying attention at church!

Yikes ...

Ate at a new place for lunch today ... Jason's Deli ... very tasty I might add ...

I had chicken pot pie soup (yummy) and a 1/2 roasted turkey sandwich with iced tea ...

did I mention yummy?!

Brand new ... just opened this week on West End Avenue ... they also have this giant salad bar ... I can't wait to go back and try some more things!!!

Today was a nice day ... I felt pretty good today ... felt horrible yesterday ... so was thankful for a "feel good" day ... I have not felt well the last couple of weeks ... I've been having some serious heart palpitations ... constant at times ... went to the doc several times last week ...

finally ... he took me off my Thyroid meds ... palpitations started getting better ... didn't have any Friday or today ...

thankful!

Hopefully this was the culprit ... blood tests will reveal this week ...

Today is Princess' birthday ... she turned two today! Spoiled Rotten I might add ... that's if Nate is talking about her ... if you hear me talk about her ... she's just really loved!

We had a family meeting this weekend and have made some changes around here ...

one is ... Monday night has been designated as "family night/game night" ... we will eat "fun/simple" foods for dinner and play games together or do "something" as a family.

We've also decided to quit eating out except for 2 times a week (that includes weekends) ... usually it's out on Friday's, Saturday's and twice on Sunday and then a day or so during the week ... So two times now .... it will probably be a Friday or Saturday night and then Sunday for lunch ...

So my meal plan idea ... is this

To help me with my indecisiveness ... I created a form/check sheet that will list every day of the week with 3 options for the evening meal each day ... Nate will check off what he would like for dinner in the mornings before he leaves for work and then I don't have to talk to him about it throughout the day "trying to decide" what to fix! ... because ... he wants me to "just pick something" ... and I want to "please" ... so this will cut all of that out! I get to come up with the 3 choices and then he will make the final decision! We both get our way this way!

So ... tomorrow is "Mark, Luke and Who day?" ... ha! This is what LeAnna asked me the other day about Martin Luther King day ... she said ... "I'm out of school for Mark, Luke and Who?

funny ...

happy days ... tammy

All Alone In A Crowded Room ...

Mom is having surgery in 3 weeks ... so we spent (literally) all day at Baptist Hospital on Tuesday for pre-op admission, tests, and a 3 1/2 hour class on how to care for yourself after surgery (she's having total joint replacement in both knees) on February 8th ... and then to some friends for dinner in Hendersonville that evening ... then yesterday 2 doc appointments for me ... busy to say the least ...

I had two meetings this morning at school ... one with the teacher to discuss a project for the class and one with the Year Book lady ... so after leaving school I ran to Cracker Barrel to see if they had a "conductor's hat" (they used to carry them) ... they don't anymore ... need one for the "project" at school ... anyhoo ... I have another place ... it's just across town and was trying to save the trip (and gas!) Can you believe the gas prices? And they are expected to go up to almost $4 per gallon! WHAT?!?!?!? Crazy ... anyhoo...

So ... after waiting for a bit at Cracker Barrel for them to check the back and also on the computer ... I decided to eat breakfast! Yep ... just me ... all by myself ...

Actually ... for a change ... it was nice! I could actually sit in a room full of people and not have to say a word to anyone (except the waitress, if I wanted good service) =0)

I am a people person and love to be with people ... and going out to eat, well ... you just have to have someone to go with right?!

But today ... it was so nice ... to sit and look at a new recipe book I picked up in the store before I sat down (Gooseberry ladies - collecting them - found a new one) (giggle to self with delight) ... and not have to speak to anyone or carry on a conversation ...

Ever have one of those days? Where you really enjoy the companionship of another person but you really - honestly - don't feel like talking?! Well ... today was like that ... I didn't mind that there were tons of people sitting all around me, enjoying the start of their day, ignoring me, and allowing me to just sit ... ponder ... think ... man, it's amazing what you can get accomplished in this situation! I sat there thinking of tons of ideas for different things I'm wanting to do ...

Can you imagine sitting in a blank, empty room trying to be creative ... with nothing whatsoever to "spark" something to mind? I don't function like that ... so for me to get out and about - it helps me to be creative ...

hmmm ... maybe I should do this more often ...

Anyhoo ... I didn't mind being kind to the waitress ... actually because there was no one else with me for me to devote all my time too, I was able to have more direct eye contact with the waitress and thank her sincerely each time she visited my table (I do this anyway) but sometimes I think the waitress or waiter probably feels "thankless" for a hard job done to serve all those tables ... anyooo ... wading out to deep thoughts now ...

so anyhoo ... not that I'm not kind ... but sometimes when you just "don't feel like it", it may come across to others as "not being very nice" ... sometimes I have to (as my Pastor says) "put on kindness" ... and I have done this many times too ... not that I'm "faking my kindness" ... but that I'm just "choosing" to be polite when I really feel like pulling a blanket over my head when having to go out in public and not speaking to anyone ... (this happens at church too - believe it or not) ... sometimes you just have to "put it on" ... again, not faking it ... just choosing to be polite when you really don't feel like it ... I don't feel my best a lot of the time -but I choose to be happy ... not all the time mind you, sometimes you get to that point - where it just seems to all be caving in at once on you ...

Perception is amazing to me ... if we REALLY knew what people were personally facing every time we ran into them we might walk away from them with a different attitude than the one we conjured up because of "not really knowing"! We as humans (and we are all human believe it or not) CAN'T be 100% all of the time ... so on those days that we're not 100% and we are at say 70% we have to conjure up some 30% of "putting on" somewhere ... whether it be kindness, patience, LONG-suffering, love, joy, etc ... until we can get back to our 100%!

Whew ... anyhoo ... perception ... there are days when I feel like I did a pretty good job of just getting my clothes on and physically getting to church ... when I really didn't feel like seeing anyone ... you know ... those days when you really want to go to church but if you could just go and sit in a closed-in box and not have to speak to anyone?! Yep ... we've all been there ... BUT ... how much better we feel when we make the effort to go and "put on 30%" if we have to and ends up ... someone takes some time to come up and shake your hand, speak with you ... whisper that they've been thinking about you and praying for you ... WOW ... now you're feeling better and suddenly the 30% of "faking" has dropped to about 15% ... anyhoo ... get the picture?

We're not always going to be at our optimum at ALL times ... but just "making the effort" somehow makes it better!

We're talking about "connecting" at church ... it's our theme for this year that was introduced to the leadership this last weekend at a retreat and will be introduced to the entire church this month ...

In this thinking ... I've been thinking of ways to "personally" connect with people this year in my own life ... not just at church ...

At church you can be superficial ... and it's actually okay ... "Hi - how are you? - Been thinking about you! - How's the family?" ... etc ... and then walk out the door and head back to your "own space" ...

but when you take the time to invite someone into your own personal space - your home for example ... or even just out to eat ... you are asking that person to "come into your life on a more personal level, not so superficial anymore" ... which in turns tells them you are "wanting to connect with them" ... show them you truly care, beyond a handshake at church or at the grocery store, etc ...

We can have all the "religion" our hearts can hold, but if you don't "care about others" and "take the time for others" are we really showing them our "religion", showing them a "loving, caring God"?

Hmmm ... makes one stop and ponder ... are we really truly commissioned?

So ... yep ... being alone in a room full of people was exactly what I needed to think of some creative ways to "connect" with others in my own personal life.

Came up with a few ... and I'm excited to start implementing them.

I started a thing at church a few years ago called "The Connection" ... where ladies were invited (stay at home mothers, or even ones that just took a lunch break to join) met once a month for a time of prayer, testimony and just connecting with one another ...

I've really been thinking about it the last few months and would like to start it back ... BUT on a more personal level ... starting it in my home and then maybe having it in someone else's home the next month, etc. ... just a way to "connect".

Anyhoo ... deep thoughts on a Thursday morning ...

In hopes that my thoughts may spark some of your own ... happy day ... tammy

A Smooth Illusion ...

We had a Leadership Retreat this weekend, and one thing or another to do around here ... so I've been rather busy and haven't taken the time to post...

I went to the chiropractor this morning ... I think every bone in my back was out - because there was a whole lotta poppin' going on! Anyhoo ... breathing much better ... but so sore ... I haven't been in a while and when it's been a while I usually end up pretty sore ... I'm sure a hot bath would cure what's ailing me! =0)

Anyhoo ... I left there with intentions to run by Opry Mills as a "last effort" to look for something that I've had trouble finding ...

Okay ... believe it or not ... this has become an issue for me ...

You see ... I have been wearing the same type of pantyhose for as long as I can remember ... really ... They are made by Hanes ... they are called Smooth Illusions ... and guess what I found out ... THEY DISCONTINUED THEM ... they have "revamped them" and are packaging them as "Go Figure" and selling them for $15 a pair ...

Okay ... so ... I know I was paying $12.95 per pair ... but they last forever and they give TOTAL control from the waist to the thighs ...

did I mention I love these pantyhose?!

Anyhoo ... I have been desperately searching for them ... everywhere ... even trying to find them in the clearance bins ... no such luck for my size or color ...

So ... in a "last effort" ... I had made up my mind that the next time I was on that side of town, I would see if they had any at Opry Mills at the Playtex/Hanes/Bali "something like that" outlet store ... they used to carry them in bulk "slightly imperfect" a lot cheaper than $12.95 each!

SO ... got there before they opened ... waited patiently on a bench right outside the store ... quietly praying they would have them (you just can't understand how this has bothered me ... I have been trying new pantyhose for a while now ... and NOTHING compares to my Smooth Illusions ... devastating I tell you ... and a pair of pantyhose is NOT cheap ... especially when you want them to do everything but walk for you)

Anyhoo ... they opened ... walked in ... was asked if I needed help ... told her what I was looking for ... she said ... No, we don't carry them anymore ... they are now (and I got the whole "Go Figure schpill") ... so I said ... would you happen to have any on clearance? She said ... well we can check ...

WOO-HOO ... they had ONE package of 3 ... my size and a color I had been needing ... WOO-HOO ... I almost cried! ... she said ... yep - this would be it ... I said ... I would pay $50 for them if I could find them ... ha! She took me to the register ... rang them up ... and said ... .99 cents!!!!

WHAT?!?!?!??!?!?! And I had been paying $12.95 a pair ... OH MY ...

SO ... I said ... "can you call the other stores?"

she found me 3 more packages of 3 and will continue looking ...

WOO-HOO ... I was so excited! Made my day!

I even looked on eBay for them ...

Anyhoo ... found out while I was there ... that the "designer" of Go Figure had been in the store and spoken with the particular lady who checked me out ... she personally asked HIM (okay ... there's your problem right there folks! ... WHY is a man designing my pantyhose?!?!?!?!?!? This leaves me wordless at the moment ... and quite confused ... hmmmm .... nothing against a "man" ... but how about designing a lawnmower or something)

flippin' out ... so anyhoo ... she personally asked him why no more Smooth Illusions and why is it now revamped and called Go Figure ... HIS response ... "it was too expensive to have control top in the thigh area and the waist area that close to each other ... we can make more money with Go Figure" ....

go figure huh?!

oh well ...

Just happy with my find today! It's been a 6 month search!

AND ... found another "cute" thing for LeAnna ... it's a monogrammed button pony tail holder ... thanks to Black Lion ...

nifty ... happy with my purchases today ...

so ... we're trying out Red Robin this evening ... it opened today at Nashville West ... we've been to the one in Mt. Juliet ... 32 burger choices ... and bottomless fries (which doesn't leave you bottomless) ha!

happy days ... tammy

Walking The Wheel ...

It happened … I went to the gym!

I’m glad I finally made the effort to go …

I’ve been putting it off and well, no time like the present huh?!

Anyhoo …

I arrived (without my membership card) it’s packed with the office stuff that had to be put away in the attic until the carpet was laid …

So … standing there, waiting to hear “next” (busy at the moment) … and the lady (on the phone) says … “you need to move your car, they are spray painting the building and we wouldn’t want your vehicle to get spray painted” …

Ahh … a good excuse to get in the car to move it and keep on driving! (No, not me?!)

Anyhoo, moved it and went back in … I was there about 45 minutes today … pretty good for a “first day” …

Ha!

A few realizations …

* * * * * I need a lock for a locker

* * * * * I now know how a mouse feels on that dumb wheel! (worked out on the treadmill today) I’ve always walked for “free” … now we’re paying for me to walk?! (go figure – anyhoo) I’m not used to a treadmill, so I’m walking (2.6 mph) … which I found out that if you’re not going at least 2.6 you’re not “doing anything for yourself” … so definitely wanted to “do something for myself” … so started out 2.6 worked my way up to 2.8 (woo hoo – I’m cooking with grease now!) I started looking around – there were others “walking” … so after “observing” … I started moving my arms instead of holding on for dear life … I got tired very quickly of this boring motion … so I started flapping my arms up and down (do you know how dumb this looks?! I looked like a bird trying to take off … I realized this ever so quickly and went back to boring motion … ho hum …oh well … then I started noticing the buttons on the machine … hmmm … started pushing buttons … not good … the whole machine started going upwards! AHHH … definitely NOT the right button for me … found out quickly how to lower it back to FLAT land … next button … “calories”? hmmm … interesting … left it there for a bit … WOW … I’ve now burned 18 calories!!! I am pumped … I immediately start thinking of foods that I could eat that would equal that amount! WHAT?!?!! I’m so dumb … (first day) … anyhoo … THEN …. Big mistake … I noticed from turning around and looking that there were mirrors behind all of us … dumb me decided to “glance” to see what my fat booty looked like (dumb instinct) … I lost my balance but caught myself … (note to self – look straight ahead and don’t flap arms while walking “the wheel”)

I walked 15 minutes and burned 52 calories! Woo Hoo for me! Ha! I stopped and got off … intentions were to do 15 on the “wheel” and 15 on the bike … I went back to the locker room to test my sugar … it was dropping pretty fast (this first week is a trial/error/adjust insulin levels week) … I tested right before walking and right after … it dropped 70 points in that 15 minute period and that’s not even allowing time for me to get back to a resting state … hmmm … got to make some adjustments …

Anyhoo … it was a nice “get started” first day …

I had a meeting at 1pm, so I rushed out the door to try and make it.

So … trainer told me today that she felt like a good H20 workout class would be good for me … I obliged … I like the water … and after she told me that one of the instructors “used” to be a “student” … lost 100 lbs JUST doing a water aerobics class … and another lady lost 80 lbs … WOW!!!! I can do this … (I don't need to lose anywhere near that much ... but pumped that someone could lose that much with this technique)

* * * * * Eat before going to the gym

* * * * * Go back tomorrow!



I did feel much better about myself after today’s visit! I especially like it because it is all ladies … and they are all just as fat as I am! Ha! Well, not all of them … work in progress … right?!

So … picked up LeAnna from school … she says … “Mom, you went to the gym?” (had my exercise clothes on) … “wow, (she patted my stomach), I can tell!” “I can’t wait for Daddy to get home, he’s going to be able to tell you’ve lost so much weight” (I love this child) … “maybe you should go to Weight Watchers too!” (she’s her Daddy’s child) …. But very thankful for the little encouragements along the way …

Walking the Wheel … tammy

Ode to Mom, Miss January and the Letter ...

Yesterday was Mom's birthday ... Happy Birthday Mom!

We did some shopping together yesterday for her and went to dinner last night. And other than bonking my head on the Plexiglas at the salad bar (due to eye sight issue) - very embarrassing ... it was a nice evening.

It was a simple birthday (especially compared to last year) but it was a nice one ...

Her favorite gift of all was from Sylvia ... she gave her a new refrigerator ... she was so overwhelmed ... she could not believe it ... and she keeps talking about it - that she can't believe it! She is a happy camper!

Our little wee one got her first love letter yesterday ...

She got in the car yesterday and said ... "look Mom at what I got!"

I looked at it ... and said, "why is it torn and crumpled up?"

she said ... "well ... it was from Andrew to me and when Brady saw him giving it to me, he grabbed and tore it and crumpled it up!"

I said, "why did he do that?" ...

she said, "well, I think he was upset that Andrew gave me this letter"

hmmm ...

so then ... I started asking questions like ... Do you like Andrew? Do you like Brady? and so on ...

She finally said ... "Mom, they are not my boyfriends they are just friends that are boys and well ... I'm just going to throw my letter away!"

I said ... "you don't have to throw it away ... it' okay that someone gave you a letter, that doesn't mean you throw it away because you are embarrassed"

she said ... "well ... I'm not going to hang it up or anything ... (pause) well ... maybe I will hang it up" ...

Mom was with me ... we just glanced at each other and smiled ...

So funny ... the little note said "I luv u"

oh my ...

So ... moving right along ... I didn't sleep well last night ... I kept hearing noises in the middle of the night ... NOT fun when it's just me and LeAnna and Princess - you know the dog that would lick any intruder to their death! So much for a "guard dog" ... I bought her a new shirt yesterday ... It says "Miss January" and has a playboy bunny on it ...oh my ... well ... it was too cute to pass up and her birthday is on the 20th ... she'll be two! She looks so cute in it (even though the shirt is black) ... the pink writing appears to be tattooed on her back! ha! Too cute ... BUT ... I kept hearing a noise a bit ago ... and it was Princess rubbing her back against the couch ... she just kept walking around and around the couch trying to scratch her back ... too funny ... she was going pretty fast too ... I tried to video it, but every time I tried to she would stop! oh well! Guess I need to remove the shirt from Miss. January! =0)

Happy Doodle Day ... tammy

Five Guys ...

Tried out a new place Sunday for lunch ... it's called "Five Guys" located in Green Hills - Hill Place ...

Very unique (only burgers, hot dogs and fries) ... everything is very simple (one size drinks, burgers cooked one way WONDERFUL).

It's a great place to go if you're in the mood for a good burger or hot dog.

Their fries are cut fresh and everything is served in a brown paper bag!

It's very simple and to the point ... nice!

Anyhoo ... that's my review ... and here's the link ... http://www.fiveguys.com/

The bonus room is just about complete ... we have 3 steps that lack carpet and/or tacking down ... I'll be glad when everything is back to order ...

Nate is leaving today for a conference in Louisiana ... so I'm hoping to get caught up on some organizing ... the ONLY thing I'm not going to miss with him being gone is ... TONS of laundry! He produces so much dirty laundry ... changes 3 times a day and two showers on "gym day" ... and he does gym day three times a week ... AAHHHH ... so ... it will be nice to not have "as much" laundry to do this week! ... and I am aware that alot of you are thinking at this moment "she ought to have my load of laundry to deal with" ... I am very thankful for "my load" - not complaining, just appreciating a small break ... =0)

Anyhoo ... that's the happenings around here ... other than another hemorrhage in my right eye this time - happened on Saturday night ... guess too much pushing and pulling, etc. during the remodeling process ... thank GOD my left eye has cleared up a lot ... at least I can see better out of it right now ...

Not a fun part of my life - actually hate it ...

oh well

happy days ... tammy

Home-EC 101 ...

Okay ... I'm excited ...

I just came across this nifty Web site ...

it's called ... Home-Ec 101

It's chocked full of helpful info and tips ... from weekly menu plans already made out, to cleaning issues, including stains, etc. ... to whatever else you can think of!

The "writers" of this blog are named Heather and Ivy ... it is such a cute site ...

I have just begun to sort though it ... but have found some nifty things so far ...

here is a tip, just to give you an idea of the content of the site ...

Spruce up your home ...
Heather says:
Many families enter and exit their homes through the garage or a side door, reserving the front door for strangers and company. Today, take a moment and enter through the front. Look at your home as though you were visiting for the first time, then grab a broom, a rag, some window cleaner, and paper towels.
Take five or ten minutes to brush down spiderwebs and get rid of smudges. If you have flowers, are they healthy or bedraggled? A few minutes can drastically change the first impression others have when viewing your home.

and ...

Quickly Softening Butter ...
Heather says:
While it is easiest to just let butter soften at room temperature, sometimes you just don’t have time. Such as when a child “suddenly remembers” they were supposed to bring cookies to class the next day.
I do not recommend using a microwave, as it is way too easy to skip softening and go straight to melting.
The trick is to grate it. Grating, even frozen butter, gives it a lot more surface area causing it to warm to room temperature quite quickly. If you are concerned about the amount of butter sticking to the grater, just grate in a tiny bit extra.

Anyhoo ...

here's the site - check it out ... www.home-ec101.com

happy ... tammy

Happening ...

well ... our bonus room is almost complete ... the carpet was delivered today and will be installed in the morning ... yea! Almost there! Was so worried that we would "say" this was our Christmas present and then it wouldn't happen until July!!!! So, I'm happy that we got on the ball and it's almost done!



Now ... I've got to find a few more things for the walls ... found some really nice things in the Pottery Barn catalog ... woo-hoo ... not fitting into the budget at the moment ... will probably have to improvise ... or have blank walls for a while ...



anyhoo ...



just happy it's "happening" and that hopefully by tomorrow evening, we'll be sitting in a renovated room!

A nifty new year quote I came across today ...

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day. ~Edith Lovejoy Pierce

hopefully I'll have some pictures the next time I post ...

happy ... tammy

My Little Happy ...

Okay ... got this Pottery Barn catalog in the mail today ...

Ahh ... what a breath of fresh air ...

Their marketing department has it going on!!!!

Arriving in my mailbox the very first few days of the new year ... you know the "new year" where you feel so fresh and new and where you feel like you have permission to start over fresh and new ...

And then this arrives ... wow!

I know you're thinking I'm off my rocker about right now ... and maybe I am ... but it doesn't take much for me ...

And this made me feel good today!

January makes me feel like the slate is clean ... everythings white ... like a kindergarten class room walls on the first day of school ... blank, and void of brightly colored paintings and crafts made by all of the new little artists ...

So ... the smart little marketing people who work for Pottery Barn did their job today! They made me feel happy ...

They took "white, clean" and splashed some bright happy colors ...that you wouldn't normally expect until March or so ...

Happy I tell you ...

Call me crazy if you will ... but check out this catalog ... http://www.potterybarn.com

Now ... if I could only afford these highly priced items that have tickled my fancy today! That would make me even happier ... however ... I have learned ... I can browse the catalog, get some great ideas and then "sometimes" find something comparable, a bit cheaper elsewhere ...

Okay ... enough about my little happy for the day ...

tata ... tammy