Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Weekend Hike.......










We went on a hike on Saturday with our group from church. Here in Oregon we have the most beautiful places to hike with foliage, waterfalls and rivers. Amazingly beautiful. I took a few pictures on my way. We had a great time and afterward we all piled into the church vans and went to one couple's home for a barbecue. They fixed skewers of chicken breast chunks with shrimp alternating and other skewers contained pork chunks or beef chunks. They all had been marinated and tasted amazing. The rest of us brought side dishes to go with it. We were all very hungry when it came time to eat after our hike. It was a mile long over a path in the woods and a stream running alongside it. Absolutely gorgeous. Some of the shots I took don't look real, they look like paintings.

Monday, April 4, 2011

My quilt frame working finally






Saturday, April 2, 2011

April......blooming flowers and color everywhere

We just had two glorious days of warm sunshine and now it looks like it rain. In fact the ground is wet so it rained during the night. We have a restaurant in our area that is also a bakery and it is vegetarian. It's been opened a couple of years and their food is great. I went there for lunch with an old friend yesterday and we even sat outside in the sun. It was awesome. Today our Farmer's Market opens and they (the restaurant) sells their wonderful breads there. I think I will hop in the car and head over there and see what they have for sale. Last year I was able to buy some great salad greens that were grown locally and had all kinds of unusual and spicy greens mixed in. They were organic and delicious. I love this time of year. Also I planted 40 tulip bulbs last fall and they are all up and two bloomed this week. Bright pink. I can't wait until they all bloom so I can take pictures and share them. I am about to be finished with Bob's fishing quilt top. I have one boarder to add so it's long enough to cover from the top of his head to his toes. I received a DVD in the mail this week from my dear friend Alice who lives in Virginia. She has the same quilt frame that I have and hers came with a DVD. I can't figure out why mine didn't, but it didn't. So now it's ready to go. Just have to put the machine on it and the layers of the quilt and go for it. My quilting friend, Lori is coming over Monday and is going to put her new quilt on it and give it a whirl. I am excited. I should throw some fabric and batting on it and try it out myself. I wouldn't want to put my quilt on it until I feel more confident at quilting on it. I may just do a stitch in the ditch on the fishing quilt. I noticed today that one of my followers stopped following me. I don't know why it bothered me but it does. Silly isn't it. Maybe this person (whoever it was) decided she or he wasn't interested in my banter anymore or was looking for something else. Oh well. I myself have dropped some of the blogs I've read over the years too. I learned from one of the blogs I read that if you plan out a weeks worth of menus in advance, you can save money by not going out to eat, and also save calories since when we go out we tend to eat more or the wrong things. I liked the idea since I don't have to wrack my brain and stand in front of the pantry or the freezer hoping some terrific idea will pop into my head. She also said she keeps the weekly menus and that way she can repeat weeks and not have to try and come up with a new menu every week. It worked really well for me too. I added in a new recipe one night that I had been wanting to try and another night we had friends over for dinner and got to smoke some ribs that we bought late last summer. They were so yummy! I also sat and made a list of all the meals I usually make so I don't leave any out. I really liked doing this, I glanced at my weekly menus and made a shopping list up based on what I needed at the store for the meals and it made it simple. I have also started to freeze meals. When I make meatloaf, for instance I make two and freeze one. Or with a casserole I put it in two containers and only cook one so the other is ready to be cooked and eaten anytime. I can't believe something so simple took me this many years to try. I should have done this when I was working full time, but then I didn't have the time to even think about doing this but it would have saved me so much time. Well, that's about all that is new here. Have a good weekend everyone..............

Saturday, March 26, 2011

3rd year bandiversary........

Well, it's 3 years today since I got my band. I never thought 3 years ago that I would still be fighting with my weight. I am, however, very grateful to have lost the weight I have lost. And I know I couldn't have lost it without the help of the band. I have about 6 weeks left until I go for another upper GI. I am hoping (praying) that this time I will be healed and the doctor can give me a fill.

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend. It's been sunny and showering all afternoon. I worked a little on Bob's quilt that I am making. I am making a pot of chili for dinner and we are watching "Uncle Buck" with John Candy. That movie is a classic and I just love it. I laugh at the same places every time I watch it. It's nice that it doesn't get dark early any more. My tulips that I planted last fall are growing and several have buds on them. I am so anxious to see the colors on them. When they bloom I will take some pictures and post them.....well, the chili timer is going off.........

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Missed an important milestone.....

Yesterday was my blogoversary and I missed it. Well, at least I didn't let too much time go by before realizing it. I have been doing this blog for 3 years now. I don't take as much care and time with it as some of the better blogs I follow. I sometimes just think I have nothing of interest to say. In fact even when I do post sometimes it isn't of much interest. :) I am coming up on my Lapband anniversary too and I hope I can remember to post on that day. So much has happened in the last three years. I have lost nearly 100 pounds and I have had complications with my band and I have done some traveling and lots of camping and also learned how to quilt. I still have a love of collecting recipes and cooking them. I have learned so much from all the blogs I follow. I want to thank you all for being so creative and also for teaching me various things along my journey in life.

I have expanded the blogs I follow to include foodie or cooking blogs, quilting and crafting blogs, all kinds of weight loss blogs, and a few that I just find interesting. Here's to another year, and hopefully I can reach my goal in this year and resolve my issues with my band.....

Monday, March 14, 2011

Hello, Monday...........

Just got back from my workout at the gym. I decided a couple of weeks ago that I would do my workout on the elliptical first and then the weight machine circuit. I was doing it in reverse order and some days I just couldn't do my 30 minutes on the elliptical. I was too tired from the weight lifting. So now I do it in reverse order and some days I can do 45 minutes on the elliptical.

My hubby put my quilting frame together on Friday. Now I need to put my machine on it and try quilting on it. I am a little intimidated to try it. I only have one quilt ready to be quilted and I hate to try it out on that one for my first try. I might take one of the prayer quilts we make and use that as my trial quilting project. It takes up one whole wall in our spare bedroom which is now my sewing room. We moved the bed to the computer room so that is now our guest room/computer room. Now I have excess stuff I need to give to Goodwill and find a place to store the remainder of it. I feel like I am constantly whittling down my belongings and it's driving me crazy. But they say if you haven't used something for two years you should give it away. It is really crazy hanging on to things that I don't use, I know, but some of them are very dear to me. Is anyone else facing this same problem? How are you handling it?

My hubby is on a diet for the first time ever. It isn't really a diet, more like cutting back a little. But he hasn't lost any weight after 3 weeks and he is ready to give up. I try to tell him, tactfully, that he isn't really on a diet because he eats large portions still and isn't eating lower calorie foods. He has stopped drinking soda and drinks water only now. He also doesn't eat between meals and before bed like he used to. But he eats large portions mostly at dinner and isn't doing a lick of exercise. I told him he is consuming enough calories to maintain his weight and he needs to start walking or riding his bike or something. He says if he doesn't lose in another week or so he is quitting his "diet" . Men!! So stubborn. He really needs to take off weight. He is over 300 pounds and is diabetic. I worry about his health all the time. He is in denial and doesn't want to do anything about it.

Well, I bought some fabric to make some curtains for the kitchen window so I am off to get that make. Hope everyone is having a good Monday.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Cat Patches: I've Been Featured!

Cat Patches: I've Been Featured!