Wednesday, December 5th, 2012

December 5^th, 2012

Brian’s 28^th Birthday!

Wednesday

10:59pm

        Coffee began at 6am this morning, and soon afterwards, I got Brian up by singing him Happy Birthday first thing this morning, and dragging his butt out of bed.

        Newly showered, I put on my makeup, and thought about what I would wear today. I decided to wear my red dress, because it’s Brian’s favorite, and I thought it would make him really happy to see me in it, especially on his birthday.

I gathered up all the cake fixings, my laptop, and my purse, and we headed out the door by 8:00am. We were late….again.

We got to work, and Mama and Uncle Jay wished Brian a Happy Birthday. I began sewing first thing this morning, not even getting on the computer to check facebook or post my blog. I have so much to get done, to take to Mrs. Clara’s tomorrow, for help.

I sewed a while, and drank coffee. Brian was busy answering the phones, and Mama finally made a deal with the car dealership, for a new van for the business, and later, a car for Granny. She was on the phone all day, ordering tires, getting paperwork together, talking to Daddy to see what he wanted to do….it was non stop!

I decided it was time to give Brian his birthday gift, so I got it out of hiding, and wrapped it up for him in some blue happy birthday paper I had bought at walmart the other day, and put a big red bow on it. I brought it up front, but he didn’t open it immediately, as we were waiting for Mama to get off the phone.  Brian finally did open it, and found a Dallas Cowboys panoramic photograph of Inaugural Day at Cowboys Stadium. Mama gave him a gift also, a Garmin GPS, and he spent the rest of the day commenting on how nice the Cowboys photo was, and playing with his Garmin.

I took a nap, because I just couldn’t go any longer, and when I woke up, Brian had gone to get lunch, and they had ordered me and Mama both a club sandwich and Brian a cheeseburger from Faye’s. When Brian got back, we had lunch, and I only ate half my club, and hardly any fries, because earlier this morning I had eaten everything in sight, including golden oreos, 2 raisin crème cakes, and a can of Campbell’s chunky new England clam chowder, so I wasn’t really hungry at all, but I ate it anyway, since they went to all the trouble of ordering it for me.

Lunch eaten, it was getting late in the day, and I still had to make Brian’s birthday cake. Although I really wanted to sew, I decided I had better get in there and start on that cake, so I mixed together the cake batter, and stuck three square pans of batter in the oven, to make a three layer cake. I don’t know why I don’t bake  more often, because whipping up that batter was so simple, and took no time at all, and cakes are so dang good!

        Brian thanked me all day for his photo, and we checked facebook and did a little bit of shopping online today while I checked my emails. I found a beautifully etched lemon vase on shiny silver, for a good price, and begged Brian for it, so he ordered it for me, right as the cake was coming out of the oven. We let it cool, and I found a no cook chocolate icing recipe, and it took no time at all to make that icing. I made the same cake last year, so I knew I’d have to cut the tops and sides off the cake, so that it would lay flat, and set about doing just that. When I started putting the icing on, I had a time because the sides kept crumbling, but I eventually got it finished, wrote happy birthday brian very badly in some red frosting, placed candles on the cake, and we sang happy birthday again to my baby, for his 28 years. Brian blew out the candles, and everyone had a slice of this 3 layer monster. We’ll have cake left over for days,  we could eat it at every meal, and still not eat it all.

        It was around 4pm, when the dealership called Mama, and said they had the paperwork done on Granny’s car, that she could come sign, and pick it up. Brian and I had plans to go out to eat at Longhorn tonight, and then to a movie, but then Mama called Granny, and they needed a ride to Monroe, and for me to go pick up Granny, and asked us to take them to her new car.

        I picked Granny up right before five, and we rode back and had a nice talk about the car, and sewing, and my hopes and fears about all my new relationships in this sewing club. It was a good talk, and Granny helped me a whole bunch. We all left Mama’s at around five, and I drove us all to Monroe, and I think everyone was pretty comfortable in our car.

        The Ryan Chevrolet dealership salesman was very nice, while we waited, and it took no time for Mama to get the papers signed. They were done by 6:20, and with Mama and Granny in the new car, heading back to Holly Ridge, Brian and I headed to the movies, to catch the 6:50 showing of SkyFall, the new James Bond movie.

        Brian and I ordered popcorn, sour patch watermelon, bunch a crunch, because they didn’t have snowcaps, and 2 cokes, and made it to the movie in time. It was definitely a guys movie, with tons of explosions, fight scenes, and killings, and oh my gosh, it seemed like it would never end, that dude just wouldn’t die!

        We didn’t get to go out to eat, because the movie got over around 9:40, and the Longhorn closed at 10, so we just headed home.

        I apologized many times to Brian for us not being able to go out to eat, and am coming to realize, that I think we are reaching that point in our lives, as everyone does, where our plans come last, for the happiness of our parents and grandparents, and even children, when we have some. I think everyone goes through this, it’s just the natural stage of life. We spend the beginning ¼ of our lives being first in what we want to do, and our parents and everyone else put us first, and then the time changes, and everyone else comes first…..as we grow older, and our kids grow up, I’m sure it will shift again, and we may not be first again, but we won’t be last. I’m glad for this time in our lives, it means that we are responsible enough to take care of those that we love, and are contributing to the welfare of our family, and even….society. God makes these things happen this way, so I know that it is good, and am just thankful to be alive to tell the tale. To God be the Glory for all things, and may He  help us accept this time with grace, and patience, and endure throughout the years! With His help, may we live through this time exceptionally, and Love those around us, taking care to help where we can, unselfishly!

        It was a good day yesterday, and Brian and I got home to our kitties and Sambo safely, and Granny got a new car on Brian’s birthday…. J Happy Birthday Brian…..I love you more than you can imagine!

        

Tuesday, December 4th, 2012

December 4^th, 2012

Tuesday!

3:15am

        I woke up this morning, because Brian was stirring around and seemed pretty frustrated, and come to find out, Mr. Sully had been scratching on the side of the bed, and woke him up, and he was not happy with the baby this morning. I put Mr. Sully out, and Brian asked me to turn down the air as well, and when I checked it, it was 73 degrees in this house, though I was quite comfortable, but turned it down to 67, cause Brian likes to be chilly when he sleeps.

        I decided to go ahead and get up, and made coffee, and am sitting here now drinking it, and have found this really awesome font, that I like a lot, and will continue using, until I find something else that I really like, but for now, this is it.

5:58pm

        I got Brian up a little after 6, and we barely spoke 5 words in the next hour, while I checked facebook, and he got to waking up, watching Bedazzled on the tube, until around 7. I got up and put my makeup on, and soon thereafter, Brian started getting dressed. I wore my navy capris, a cream and navy striped shirt, a navy cable sweater, and some black sandals. I got some new eyeliner yesterday, and it’s a lacquer, which I’ve never had before, and I figured that it would be better than liquid or pencil, and decided to give it a try. That….stuff….is…AWESOME! It has stayed on all day, hasn’t smeared, and hasn’t gotten in the corner of my eyes either, which the pencil ALWAYS does. It was so easy to put on, my new eyeliner of choice!

        We made it to work, 10 minutes late again. Daddy and Uncle Jay were talking in the dining room, and they both greeted us when we came in the door, guiltily I might add. Daddy didn’t stay long, he had to be at New Holland shop in Rayville this morning. He’s been busy trying to get a new flatbed put on his dooley, and it’s turning out to be more of a job than he expected. He thought it could be bolted down, but turns out, they are going to have to weld it on, and he’s got a buddy that does that, so they’re all meeting up there this morning, so he headed out first thing.

        Uncle Jay headed out soon after, and I returned Mrs. Clara’s phone call. Turned out that she had to ring the bell for the Salvation Army this morning, and wouldn’t be back until 12:30, so I had all morning to sew, nap, and get things together, so that worked out just right for me.

        I got together my fabric, and counted out 12 different materials that I had on hand, and began cutting squares, only needing 5 squares for each one, so it went by really quickly. I sewed a little while, drank coffee, got hungry, and ate Mama’s chicken and dumplings for breakfast, and they were really good, and I have no idea how many calories are in chicken and dumplings…. But I didn’t eat that much, so I’ll say 500, plus a piece of Mexican cornbread (200) + coffee (300) = 1000 this morning.

        After breakfast, I took a nap at 10, because I knew I’d have to be up to go by 12:30, and slept until 12. Brian tried to get me up at 11:30, but I just stayed asleep, and really could’ve slept all day I think, but am glad I didn’t.

        I spent the next hour visiting with Brian, and left around 12:50, headed to Mrs. Clara’s, and realized I should probably stop at Cannon’s for a Diet Coke and some water, because I wasn’t sure how long I would be there. I showed up around 1:20, and Mrs. Clara was just finishing lunch with her son, and they welcomed me when I came in.

        We talked and sewed and drank coffee all afternoon. When it started raining, and the clouds turned dark, I decided it was time to go, because there were weather warnings out, and I didn’t want to get stuck in the rain. I said goodbye, and Mrs. Clara invited me back on Thursday, so I am planning to go, because I’ve got to find out how to put the binding on correctly, on Leslie’s baby blanket, and I know Mrs. Clara can help me with that.  I enjoyed myself today, and am thankful for Mrs. Clara’s kindness and hospitality.

        I made it back to Mama’s, and Brian was sitting at the bar, and Mama was back from looking for Granny a car. She didn’t find anything, she said all the vehicles she looked at had something wrong with them, and she’s looking for the perfect car for Granny, but I wish she would just go ahead and get her something already! This may take a while…..

        Mama allowed me to set up my sewing machine in the dining room today, and it’s such a relief to be around other people while sewing. It’s nice to have someone to talk to while sewing, and everyone is always crowded in the kitchen and dining room, so I’ll have plenty of folks to talk to now while I sew. I finished sewing my 36 squares, and was going to start on my last 12 of another kind this afternoon, when we looked at the clock, and it was 20 minutes to 5, and almost time to go home.

        My Victoria’s Secret gifts came in today, and Mama and I gave them a whiff before I brought them home this evening to be wrapped. We said goodnight, and headed home to Sambo, Sully, Maelee, and Peaches.

        Tonight, we ate Cookie’s & Crème pie, and now we’re finishing up an episode of Bones, and drinking coffee. Soon we’ll be in there walking on the treadmill, and I’ve got to clean the kitchen tonight. Brian and I decided to switch up every now and again between the kitchen and living rooms, trading up chores, to keep things from getting monotonous.

        It’s been a good day, I’ll say, and the Lord has been ever present with me, and for that, I am eternally thankful, and know that no amount of thanks can ever be enough…….Praying tonight for Sophie, Sabrina, and Jennifer, and myself, as we are all in need of the Father’s Love, Mercy, Strength, Guidance, and Forgiveness, for all things known and unknown, and His infinite understanding, that passes through all things with Love.

 

 

Monday, December 3rd, 2012

December 3^rd, 2012

Monday

3:33am

          Good morning! I’m off to a rolling start this morning! Got coffee made, and my blog finished from yesterday, and gonna walk this AM around 5:30am. I’ve got a Doctor’s appointment at 1:15 today in Monroe, so I’ll have to take my daily nap around 10am, so looks like I’ll only have an hour or a little better to sew this morning at work, but if I get in there and sew at home this morning, I should get a little bit done.

          I have no idea what to eat today….   Yesterday I did so good, I want to continue that 1200 calorie count today, so it’s going to take a little planning I think. I’m going to have oatmeal for breakfast (200), coffee (300) and walk off 210 calories = 290, so I’ll have 910 left to eat all day today, which means Brian and I might be able to go out to eat today, although his birthday is Wednesday, and we will be going out to eat then too, so, I don’t know just yet. I’m thinking maybe a tuna salad from Thompson’s would be good, probably 500 calories….

6:21pm

          Well, none of that happened with the food. I woke Brian up at 5am this morning, seeing as I had planned on us walking this morning. He was sleeping so good, that he didn’t want to get out of bed this morning, even when I put Mike & Mike on, and it took him a good 20-30 minutes to finally finagle his way into the living room, and ask for a cup of coffee.

          Brian said he’d walk at 6:30, so I planned on walking at 6, but then 6 oclock came, and I got to thinking about how much better it would be to walk at night, after all the days’ stressors had come, and how nice it would be to walk those off on the treadmill this afternoon, so we decided to walk when we got home this evening.

          I got hungry, and got up to make some oatmeal, and offered Brian some as well, though he said he didn’t want any. But when I got in the kitchen, he yelled for toast, and that sounded good to me too, so I buttered up 8 slices of bread, and threw them in the oven. Skillet toast is better, but my pan was dirty, so we had regular toast this morning.  4 slices (300) plus country crock (100) + muscadine jelly (200) + coffee (300) =900 calories this morning, so I wasn’t off to a very good start.

          I took a shower, and got dressed, wearing my purple silk shirt, purple vest, and a pair of jeans. I don’t have any casual shoes, so I put on my Bearpaw black boots, even though it was already sweltering outside, and figured I could borrow some of Mama’s shoes when I got to her house.

          We made it to work, late….. and Uncle Jay and Mama were discussing the days’ schedule. Brian took Uncle Jay to pick up the van, while me and Mama drank coffee, and discussed some of the medicines I found in the Natural Medicine book for Bipolar Disorder.

          In case you didn’t know, Brian and I are planning to start a family, so we are taking every precaution, and that includes praying, working with my psychiatrist, social worker, and OB-GYN doctor. I was warned, when I started taking Lithium, that I definitely wouldn’t be able to take that while pregnant, and possibly wouldn’t be able to take Geodon either.

          Our first appointment was with Dee, my social worker. We explained to her that we were ready to start a family, and she questioned us, and explained that Bipolar Disorder is genetic, and could possibly be passed down to our child. We know this, and understand the possibilities, and would adopt, if able…..but no one is going to let someone with bipolar disorder adopt a child, period.  So, we are willing to take the risks. We explained to Dee, as our child grows up, we will watch, though not too closely, and look for signs and symptoms, and if indeed it has been passed down, we will get our child the help it needs EARLY, so that he/she won’t have to go through what I did, in young adulthood.

          Dee was very understanding, and called Dr. Carter, to find out what I could and couldn’t take, and he said definitely not the lithium, and not the Geodon either, which are the only things I am taking. I begged for there to be another drug, but he said there weren’t any, and we made an appointment to see Dr. Carter on December 11^th, and discuss everything more in detail.

          In the meantime, I made an appointment at The Woman’s Clinic, because they have a high-risk program there, and I will be able to have our child at Glenwood, a good hospital that I totally trust. They set me up with Dr. Klug, who I saw today, and absolutely LOVE. She is full of spunk and personality, and though she did an exam on me, we talked the whole way through it, and it was like it never even happened. I had prepared a list of vitamins and supplements to ask about, to help with the instability of no medication at all. Brian came in,  Dr. Klug looked it over, said it wouldn’t hurt, but said there were medications in Class C Pregnancy that I could take, and suggested Lamactil and Topamax as an alternative. Hope sprang, that there are drugs that I can take during pregnancy, and we discussed that she has had patients that have taken these drugs during pregnancy, and have had healthy and happy babies!

          We agreed to meet again after I see Dr. Carter, and I set up another appointment for December 17^th.  Dr. Klug and all the rest of us agree, that… me….being completely off my rocker and crazy during pregnancy, would be much, much worse for the baby, than taking a Class C drug, that has not been proven to cause birth defects. And…..first thing….we have the Lord on our side, and I trust Him through this whole process, and know we will have a happy and healthy baby. When? I don’t know. My birth control runs out December 15^th, and I’m not going to continue it after that date. So?..... prayers for us please!

          After we left Dr. Klug’s office, we ran by the Sonic for a coke, and Brian ended up ordering lunch, and that Strawberry M&M blast looked delicious, so I had a medium, and I’m not sure of the calories.  I also had a coke, (340).  We left there and ran by Mom’s bank and our bank, and headed to Walmart, to pick up a pie and some coffee for my sewing club tomorrow, and a few more things…

          We stopped back by Mama & Daddy’s, and relayed what Dr. Klug had said, and we are all encouraged by this news, that there are medications I can take. Mama’s planning on going to buy Granny a car tomorrow, so we looked at cars for a little while, and she found this awesome 2011 Camry, for a reasonable price, and I’m so excited for Granny, she’ll be able to GO!

          Mama and I searched online for jackets for Christmas, and I found one for Granny I absolutely love, but I was very irritable today, because I didn’t take my lithium this morning, and we couldn’t agree, so we just agreed to continue that tomorrow, and Brian and I packed up our laptops, and headed home.

          Sambo greeted us as usual, and all the kitties were waiting while we brought in the groceries. We sat around for maybe 10  minutes, and we knew it was time to get on the treadmill, so Brian got up and got after it, and walked 25 minutes. In the middle of it, Brian announced we should have drank coffee first, so I made a pot, and am yet to get on the treadmill.

          I read an article that says, that drinking coffee before a workout, actually causes the body to attack the fat cells, instead of the carbohydrates.  This in mind, I’ve had 2 cups so far, and am going to have 1 more, and am then going to hit the treadmill tonight, take a shower, and then maybe sew  a little. I took my lithium as soon as I got home, so I do feel a lot more like myself now, and know there is no way I can go without any medicine….it’s just not….smart, rational, reasonable, or wise.

8:19pm

          I just got off the treadmill, for 15 minutes! It’s not my usual 30, but I didn’t do my usual things on the treadmill today. Instead of just climbing that incline, I did lunges as I climbed, and seriously swayed those hips back and forth, and by the end of it, I felt like my legs were going to give out on me, so I finished the 15 minutes, did a 2 minute cool down, and I am pleased with tonight’s workout, for sure! They say 15 minutes of rigorous interval training is the same as 30 minutes of moderate intensity training, so I figure I got my 30 minutes, because I was sweating at 5 minutes today!

         

         

 

         

 

Sunday, December 2nd, 2012

December 2^nd, 2012

Sunday

3:50pm

            After getting up at 2:30am this morning, I finished my blog, and went back to bed around 6am. Thankfully, Brian didn’t get up when I went back to bed, because he usually does, and it wasn’t until 8:30 that I opened my eyes, and heard sweet little kitty meows, just a talking, outside our bedroom door. So I got up, and greeted Mr. Sully, who apparently had been ready for me to get up.

            I found Bri in the living room, sitting in his chair, and he said he had been up for about an hour. There was no coffee made, and since I was already up, he refused to make it this morning, so I started the pot. Brian and I drank our coffee while watching an episode of “The Wedding Band”. It’s an alright show, kinda interesting, but it did pass the time this morning while I drank my coffee.

            Brian was feeling especially sweet this morning, and even sat on the couch with me for a while. I was feeling sick, and thought it was probably because I ran out of my diabetes medicine here yesterday, and hadn’t taken it in a day, and didn’t have any to take this morning. Brian got up, and dug around, until he found me one pill, and walked over triumphantly with it. I thanked him, gave him a big hug and kiss, and told him I love him. I took my morning medicines, and Brian headed off to play playstation, and I went to my sewing room, and sewed for a while.

            I probably sewed for an hour and a half, until it was about 10:30, and got up and gave Mr. Sully his little kitty medicine, because I gave him his nightly dose at 2:30am this morning, so it had been 8 hours. I sewed some more, for another hour or so, and got hungry, so I reheated some leftover quesadillas and chicken wings on the Panini grill.

            I had 2 pieces or 1 quarter of quesadillas (150) and 5 hot wings (200) coffee (300) and an ice cream sandwich (150) = (750). Honestly, I could’ve eaten another ice cream sandwich, those things are delicious! It’s a cookie/cake/icecream all in one! I thanked God for such an invention this morning! J

            After dinner, I was tired, so I took a nap until 3:30pm. I did wake up once, and went back to sleep, I was just so tired. Mr. Sully let me sleep this time, and Brian was in his mancave playing football when I got up, and he turned it off, and came in the living room with me, and started Men In Black 3, as he had rented it while I was asleep, and had already watched it once, but Brian can watch movies over and over and over, the same ones, repeatedly. He gets his monies worth out of a movie, that’s for sure, especially those he really likes, like Pirates of the Carribean, Lord of the Rings, Lost, Spiderman, The General’s Daughter, ect.  Too many to list.

We don’t watch scary movies, thank goodness Brian isn’t into that either, and I generally enjoy him playing his movies over and over, I find it very comforting.

            Men in Black started, I checked the time, and it was almost 4pm, and my body felt bad, and I was craving that rush, and knew walking would help all that, so I asked Brian if he was ready to get on the treadmill. He agreed to walk first, and we went in the mancave, and he walked for 20 minutes first. Then I got on, and continued with my interval training today, walking 4 ½ minutes at 3.0, then 1 minute at an incline of 5.0-2x,  at 3.0 mph, and then decided after the second time, to bump up my incline to 6.0 for the next 4x, and walked 32 minutes, because I cooled down after my 30 minutes was up, for 2 minutes.

            I gotta say, I am in WAY better shape than I was when I started this, because used to, I couldn’t even walk on the incline 3.0 for 10 seconds without wanting to cry, and I was really getting after it today, walking on it at 6.0 for 1 minute intervals, and I’d start counting, after it had finished moving up. I feel GREAT! I mean REALLY REALLY GOOD!

            The house is clean, so the only thing I really have to do is a couple loads of clothes and sew. Sew, I’m about to make some coffee and get in there and do it.!

3:03am

            Well I didn’t finish my blog again last night, so here I am finishing it this morning.

            Last night, we called Dad Sullivan, to wish him a Happy Birthday! He turned 71 this year, and after Brian talked to him for a while, I got the phone, and sang him a very cracky Happy Birthday song, but it was Happy Birthday nonetheless. J Dad, Elouise, and Kitty had spent the day sitting outside in the nice breeze they had over in Mississippi, and he was glad to have such fine weather. Brian got the phone back, and we promised to see them this coming weekend, when we go to Grenada, to see Tammy, Todd, Brett, and our brand new baby nephew, Jase Cole.

            I got to sewing again, and finished another row, and only have 4 or 5 left to do I think. While I was sewing, Brian watched the Cowboys game, and at about 9pm, I called it quits for the night on the sewing, and got a little hungry, but not really hungry, so I just ate a couple handfuls of chips (150), walnuts (300), and dried apples (220). Add that to earlier today hot wings-5 (200) quesadillas- 2 pieces or 1 quarter (150) coffee (300) = 1320 -210 walk = 1110. OH yeah, add 150 for ice cream sandwich = 1260 for the day!

            It’s been awhile since I only had 1260 calories, so I am very, very excited about how great I did! J Gonna try and do that again every day!

           

Saturday, December 1st, 2012

December 1^st, 2012

Saturday

6:41am

            Good Morning! ;) Thank the Good Lord for waking me up this morning, and giving me another day to live and breathe!

            I don’t think I’m going to get a relaxing Saturday today, because Mama & Daddy are coming up around 2 or 2:30 to watch the SEC Title game with me and Brian today. So as soon as Brian gets up, the cleaning will begin. I did clean the living room last night, but Brian’s got to do the dishes again, and clean the bathroom,  and I need to pick up the dining room, put on a Christmas tablecloth, do some laundry, do the floors, and make the bed. I’m going to go to the grocery store at around 10am, and pick up a few things for the game, so I’m going to need to be in the shower by 9am, and that’s only 2 hours away, so I had better get busy.

            Although I didn’t walk two days this week, Saturday is our usual day off, so I’m keeping with that, and won’t walk today, although I really need to, and really do enjoy it. It’s just that I don’t want to say later in the week, “well, I walked Saturday and I was supposed to be off, so I’m just going to skip today.” Basically, I don’t want to burn out, so I’ll be taking all Saturdays off.

            All my little house plants are still happy and healthy. I need to spritz them this morning, because they like it so much, especially first thing in the mornings, it wakes them all up, and says Good Morning! J And they are all growing, too! They all have new baby leaves coming up, and I couldn’t be happier about it. I think a few of them get really big, so I’ll end up having to put them on the floor eventually, or separating them out, and sharing them with others, and I know just one person who would love to have some, and that’s Dee, my social worker at the Behavioral Health Clinic.  But I guess I better figure out if they can even be separated first!

3:21am

            I’m a little late with this blog tonight, I’ve done been to sleep and woke up, and should really be starting on today’s blog, but I reckon I better finish yesterday’s first.

            At around 7:30am, I decided that since Brian wasn’t up yet, I could get some of my Christmas wrapping done, so I dug in the closet, and got out one of his gifts I was hiding, wrapped it, and was putting a bow on it, when Mr. Sully decided he wanted to join in the festivities, and started tearing at the paper and ribbon, and that’s when I decided, no ribbons this year, cause Mr. Sully will have all my presents unwrapped in no time. I went out to the car, to get the rest of the gifts, brought in the big box from the trunk, took out another of Brian’s gift, was carrying it to the dining room table, when lo and behold, Brian came tumbling out of the bedroom. I screamed, sent him back to the bedroom, and made him wait there, until I could get it wrapped. Yes, it was in a box, but the description was written on the outside, and 10 feet closer, he would’ve seen what it was.

            I got that wrapped, and that was the only two secret ones for Brian I had, so I let him come out of the bedroom, get some coffee, and I proceeded to finish wrapping all the gifts I had bought so far this Christmas.

            It was 9am when I got done, so I decided to go ahead and throw on some clothes, and run to town, for groceries and a new cutting board and cutter for my sewing. Walmart wasn’t busy this morning, and I got a front row joe parking spot, in the very first spot. I was going to make a turtle ice cream sandwich cake, but when I got there, I ran into the pie section, and decided it would probably be cheaper and easier to just grab a premade pie, so I selected the Edward’s Hershey chocolate crème pie, but still picked up some ice cream sandwiches, to eat for a treat. I got my few more little items, grocery shopping done, and headed back home.

            Brian was in the kitchen when I got home, had almost all of the dishes prewashed, and loaded into the dishwasher. He was busy at it, but I was hungry, so I grabbed some baked cheese crackers (140) and some laughing cow cheese (120) coffee (300), and then had a piece of pie (250) and an ice cream sandwich (150) = 860. Brian also had a piece of pie, and I know we really weren’t supposed to cut it until game time, but we were hungry.  I engulfed that in no time flat. My stomach had been hurting on the way home from hunger, and I just ate everything in sight.

            It was about 11:30, and I knew I still had to take a shower, and clean up, but I was so sleepy, and I did my best to fight it, but in the end, I ended up taking an hour and half nap. Mama called while I was asleep, so when I woke up, I returned her call, and talked to Daddy, and they said they’d be over right about game time, so I had about an hour and a half to get everything done, and take a shower.

            We really didn’t have much to do, so I hurriedly picked up the living room and dining room, and then vacuumed and steam mopped the floors, put on the Christmas tablecloth, made the bed, and jumped in the shower. Brian had the kitchen and bathroom looking good, and I was putting on my makeup when Mama & Daddy showed up, right after kickoff.

            I blow dryed my hair, and threw on a tshirt, and some velour pants and houseshoes. Mama had brought hot wings and aussie cheese fries, so I got started on the quesadillas and rotel dip.

            Georgia got off to a great start, and it was very spirited in this house, with Brian, Daddy, and Mama yelling, cheering, clapping, and sometimes cussing the tv. I grilled my chicken in Tony’s, black pepper, olive oil, garlic powder, and cumin powder, checking the game while the chicken was grilling, and doing my very best to root Georgia to a victory.

            I put my quesadillas together, cheese, then chicken, topped with jalepenos, and then more cheese to make it stick together, put a lid on the skillet, and watched it melt. I made a bunch, and Mama helped, and cut them up into good size triangles. That done, we all dug in, and there was so much food here, we should’ve invited more people to come over for the game.

            I had quesadillas-3 (200) hot wings -4 (150) fries (200) =550 + this morning 860=1410.

            It came down to the wire with Georgia, and I couldn’t bear to watch. They gave us hope at the beginning of the second half, and I finally got up and went to my sewing room, because I just couldn’t bear to finish watching it, and in the end, Georgia lost. L

            Mama and Daddy left, and I felt like crying, and Brian was disappointed, but, it’s just a game, and there will always be more games.

            I tried to get Brian to come in my sewing room with me and watch a movie, but he wouldn’t, so I ended up staying in there with Mr. Sully, and finishing another row on Grandpa’s quilt.

            I sewed til probably 10pm, while Brian played playstation, and we texted.  It had been a heck of a day, and we got a lot done, enjoyed some family time, watched some sports, and we were both so tired we could hardly go, and decided to call it a night, last night. So today! I’m about to get my next blog started, and hope everyone enjoys reading, and hope this finds you happy and well, in good spirits, health, and blessed! J

Friday, November 30th, 2012

November 30, 2012

FRIDAY!

5:49am

            Good morning! J I feel very good this morning, very awake, and thank the Good Lord above for another day, and pray for His blessings upon this day!

            I read an article in a small magazine I get, Nutrition Action. It had all kinds of good stuff in this little magazine. But what it said was that studies show, that if I exercise at very,very high intensity for 30 seconds, and then low intensity for 4 ½ minutes, that I can exercise for shorter amounts of time, and reap the same benefits if I were exercising twice the amount of time at a moderate intensity. In other words, I can exercise for 15 minutes at these intervals, and get the same benefits I get when I exercise for 30 minutes. And on that note, if I exercise for 30 minutes at intervals, I burn off twice the calories I would normally. So that’s what I’m going to do this morning. I hate an incline, but I think I can handle it for 30 second intervals this morning. J

            Brian is still in there sleeping, and I’m not going to wake him up until about 6:45, and I’ll be done with my exercising by then. He’s been getting up early every morning with me, but I think he may have stayed up kinda late last night watching the ballgames. I don’t like going to bed without him, but by 9:30, I was ready to crawl in the bed, so I did.

            I got in the last two of Brian’s Christmas presents yesterday, and I need to get all three wrapped, but I left two of them at Mama & Daddy’s yesterday, so I’ll bring those home this afternoon, and do some wrapping either tonight or tomorrow. I’m just hoping Mr. Sully doesn’t tear into the paper, and reveal its contents. It’ll be nice to have presents under the tree, although only one of them will really fit under there, the other two are too big, I’ll just have to set them around.

            I don’t have anywhere to go today really, just to the bank in Delhi, and that’s not but an eight minute drive, and can be done in twenty minutes total, and Brian can do that. I’m wanting to sew a bunch today, at work and at home, and finish getting the clothes washed. I probably only have two more loads, and can finish up either tonight or tomorrow early.

            I plugged my Christmas tree in this morning, and I’m glad I did. I’m really happy with it this year, it turned out really pretty I think. Mama & Daddy will see it tomorrow, when they come over to watch the SEC Title Game, Georgia vs. Alabama. I had forgot about that, so it looks like I’ll be going to the store after all, to pick up a few things to eat for the game.  I’ve got Mama’s Southern Living cookbook here, and I’m going to take it back to her today, and possibly pick an appetizer out of there, in addition to hot wings, cheese fries, and rotel dip, and I think we also need a dessert, so I’ll pick one of those too, although a 4 layer delight is delicious….we’ll see.  Looks like I’ll be doing some cooking tomorrow.

10:57pm

            I spent the entire day sewing, and tried out all the new instructions given to me by my Granny and my sewing club, and they all made my sewing near about perfect! I called Granny first, and then Mrs. Clara, to let them know their instructions were paying off, and they both were pleased. Our next sewing meeting is on Tuesday, and Mrs. Clara said there will be younger people there, but to tell you the truth, I’d rather just hang out with the old folks. J

            We had a cheeseburger from Faye’s for lunch, and then ran to the bank, and to pick up Uncle Jay from Clarence’s home, as Clarence is going to fix the brakes on the van, and Uncle Jay needed a ride home. We had nice conversations in the vehicle, and dropped Uncle Jay off, and got to see Jesse, who had just shown up in his new truck. We checked it out, and congratulated him on such an awesome looking truck. Brian and Jesse talked phones for a minute, and we headed back to work.

            I sewed strips for the first time today, and got a LOT done today with Grandma’s quilt. I’ve decided to alter the pattern a little bit, changing the x’s to different colors, instead of all them being yellow. I think it will turn out prettier and more diverse this way, and I’m excited to finish it!

            I did a little shopping for Granny and Elouise this afternoon, because they were having a sale on some of the things I wanted to buy for them. Brian did a little Christmas shopping for me, and he said I would be “shocked and amazed” so I’m excited to see what he’s got ordered, but I’ll have to wait til Christmas.

            A bunch of Brian’s stuff came in today, and so did our Christmas present for Mama. I think I’ve got Mama curious, because she had to sign for the package, and it said “High Value” on it, and they told her they never get a signature unless it’s over $5000 dollars. It’s not, and she knows that, but still, it’s got her to thinking….

            Five oclock came none too early. I’d been sewing all day, and wasn’t tired from it, and was ready to go home and work on Grandpa’s, because I really want to get it finished this weekend.

            We stopped by Cannon’s for cigarettes, and then headed home. Sambo greeted us outside, and then Mr. Sully and  Maelee were waiting to be petted in the chair by the door when we first walked in. I gave Mr. Sully his medicine, and then a kitty treat, as I told him “You can’t have your little kitty treats Mr. Sully until you have your little kitty medicine.”

            I cooked Hamburger Helper for dinner, and it was very good. I’m kinda getting sick of cooking instant meals, and am really missing cooking out of my cookbook. The upside is that it only uses one pot, and there’s hardly any mess. That’s good for Brian, since he has taken over the kitchen duties, and it’s good for me, because it’s quick and easy, and doesn’t take much time. But still, I like to cook, I just can’t think of anything I want right now, but I’m sure it will come back. Plus, cooking non-instant is expensive, and I really don’t feel like shelling out the money for food right now.

            After dinner, Brian played playstation, and I sewed for the next hour, until Sabrina sent me a text, and I called her. We talked a good while, and by the end of the conversation, I had thought about some more things, and knew that I had a couple more phone calls to make. I called Aunt Mary Beth, and then Taylor, and my phone conversations were up for the night. I’d spent an hour on the telephone, and I was done.

            I sewed for the next two hours, up until now, and almost got a whole row done. It really helped locking those seams, like Mrs. Clara showed me, so this row is going to look really good. I didn’t finish it, only have around 5 more sections to do, out of about 50, so I think I did pretty good. I’ll leave the rest for in the morning, because I’m getting tired, and am thinking of going to bed here any  minute.

            I did get in my walk today. I walked for 15 minutes at intervals. I walked for 1 minute at 3.1 and an incline of 5.0, and then back down to an incline of 0, same speed, for 4 ½ minutes. I started with the 4 ½ minutes, so I only did the incline 2x. I honestly didn’t feel it very much, and it didn’t seem very hard. The treadmill said I burned 93 calories, which is more than my 72 for 15 minutes. I had plans to get back on it for another 15 min tonight, but I spent the evening sewing, and Brian never got on the treadmill, so I wasn’t inspired.

            I had cheeseburger and fries (900), coffee (300), hamburger helper (600) =1800 – 100 for the walk = 1700 today. We’ll see if I lost any weight on Tuesday, and I’ve still got Saturday, Sunday, and Monday to do better. As long as I lose a pound or 2 a week, I’ll be doing good, and I think I should’ve at least lost a pound, so 1 more pound in 3 days isn’t too much, I don’t think, but we’ll see on Tuesday. Good NIGHT!

           

Thursday, November 29th, 2012

November 29, 2012

Thursday

5:48am

            I just got up maybe 15 minutes ago, just long enough for the coffee pot to finish making. I grabbed a bottle of water, and have been sitting here, in la la land ever since. I just woke up Brian, and made him a cup of coffee. Hopefully, he’ll be out of the bed here in just a minute.

            I don’t think I’m going to walk this morning, simply because I took a shower last night, and would have to shower again after my walk this morning, if I so choose to do that, because I have an appointment this morning at 9am, and then I go to Mrs. Clara’s home right after, for a little sewing, and will be meeting a few ladies for the first time.

            I’m thinking I’m going to have to bring a sewing table, my sewing machine, and fabrics to do some sewing today. I know I’m going to bring the baby blanket for Leslie, and the back and batting, and probably the fabric I’m going to use for the binding, to finish it today, and get it quilted at Mrs. Clara’s home. And that reminds me, I’m going to have to stop at Walmart and pick up some green and blue thread today, before I go over. I might also need to bring my sewing machine, and my small portable table, just in case. I have one more quilt top done, and I’ll probably bring it as well, just in case I’m able to start on it today, so I’m going to need to pick up some pink thread as well, and decide what color to put on the multicolored back, probably purple or pink, I’m going to have to look at it.

            Granny’s coming today, so I’ve got to take her some balsamic vinegar, and print her out that recipe first thing this morning at Mama’s, and print a colored copy of that pattern I’m doing for Grandma, so I can give Granny her book back.

8:31pm

            Oh, what a day! I got everything done I planned to do, and then left at 8:45 to meet with Mrs. Cynthia at the Louisiana Workforce Commission, to see about getting a grant to start my own business in cattle farming. She was very nice, and I was there for about an hour, filling out paperwork, and discussing the business. I left there and stopped by Walmart for thread, ran by Mama & Daddy’s to see Brian and tell him about the meeting, and then was off to Mrs. Clara’s.

            I finally got to meet Mrs. Clara in person, and gave her a hug, and she brought me into her absolutely awesome sewing building, full of everything quilting. I met Mrs. Harriet first, and she was glad to meet me and full of smiles. Mrs. Nancy waved from behind the quilting machine, but couldn’t stop, as she was in the middle of a run.

            Mrs. Clara showed me a book of pictures of the quilts she has made, and I looked on, interested, and amazed at how pretty they were.  Mrs. Clara asked if I brought my sewing machine, and thank goodness, I had, and ran got it out of the car, along with some of the squares I had already cut, scissors, pins, and thread.

            Mrs. Harriet showed brought out  a quilt made many, many years ago, that she had quilted for a friend, and put a binding on, and it was beautiful. All the material was really old, though it still held it’s color as if it had been bought yesterday. I was interested in how neatly the binding was done, and asked her to show me how, and she began explaining some of the process, but promised to show me more later.

            I began by showing Mrs. Clara my blocks, and she jumped right in, and started teaching me about pressing the seams at every step.  Since Mrs. Harriet had the iron, she showed me the technique, and I soon realized…..I have a lot to learn.  Both Mrs. Clara and Mrs. Harriet also suggested I start doing everything in strips, and though my Granny had told me this before, I didn’t really understand the importance, and how much time it saves until today, and will continue this quilt doing my cutting and sewing that way, and hopefully save a lot of time.

            I sat down to sew, and Mrs. Clara offered me coffee, and I was very glad for that, as coffee and sewing are both right up my alley. I sewed a little while, and then Mrs. Stella came in, and I met her. I continued sewing until a little while later, and felt the need to see Brian, so I decided it was time to go.

            Before I left, I showed the ladies both the baby blankets, and pink/orange girly quilt I made. They said I did a pretty good job, and explained another way to do the binding, but I think they liked them. Mrs. Clara showed me how to square up my quilt, and pinned the middle of the top and bottom, to get it ready for quilting. We packed everything up, and Mrs. Harriet gave me a few clear plastic zippered bags to put my stuff in, and helped me get everything out to the car. I hugged both Mrs. Harriet and Mrs. Clara, and got an invite to come back this Tuesday, for more sewing and instruction. J

            I made it back to work just in time to catch Granny, who was pleased that I had learned so much today. I kissed Brian, and they were all eating breakfast of bacon and eggs, so Mama put on another couple eggs and bacon for me, and I was soon full and fed.

            It was time for a nap, so I slept til about 2:30, and when I woke, Daddy was gone to pick up a trailer, Mama was at the doctors office, and Brian was watching a tv show on the computer. I made a cup of coffee and checked facebook. Prayers for Sophie and Rhonda today, as Sophie is in need of healing, and Rhonda is going through a period of grief.

            Granny called, and said she had figured out how to do her quilt,  instructed an easier way to put together my squares, by sewing in a long line, instead of cutting the thread each time I sew. I was glad for Granny, and promised to try technique today, as I was planning on sewing some more this afternoon.

            Sure enough, Granny’s technique worked, and I got 12 sections done in no time at all. I was running out of fabric, so I decided to go ahead and go to Hancock’s this afternoon, and buy the rest of it. It was 4 oclock, but Brian said I could go ahead and go, even though I would be picking him up late from work! I wanted to go today, because I might not be dressed tomorrow to go anywhere, so I decided to go ahead and go.

            I made it Hancock’s, bought my fabric, and even found some on sale for a dollar a yard. I picked up Brian and we headed home, and had egg rolls and taquitos again tonight for dinner. Bacon (80) eggs (200) toast (160) fig perserves (100) egg rolls (420) sweet & sour sauce (120) crackers (140) laughing cow cheese ( 120) coffee (300)=1640. And I didn’t walk today, and I’m really, really missing it, and could really use the stress relief. But it’s almost 10pm, and I’m just not going to do it now.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

November 28, 2012

Wednesday

8:08pm

            Today got started at 5am. I was so sleepy this morning, I mean really groggy, and it was probably from the sleeping pills I took last night to help me finally go to sleep.

            Brian and I watched Mike & Mike until 6am, and I decided it was time to walk, and got on the treadmill, but only for 15 minutes. I thought the walking would surely wake me up, but instead it put me back to sleep. When I got done, I couldn’t even bear to smoke a cigarette, and went and crawled back in my cool sheets, and slept til 7:30, when Brian woke me up and told me to get dressed, we had to go!

            I threw on a hat, grabbed some jeans and my makeup bag, and we left within 15 minutes. Brian left his laptop bag in the house, so we had to turn around and get it, so we were in for work a little late this morning, but we called Mama on the way, and let her know.

            Mama was up checking Today’s Special Value on HSN, and doing a little more shopping for Christmas. Daddy got up, and could barely walk, as he is down in his back, and has been for the past week. Today was worse, and he looked so decrepit, inching around the house, but he made it to the table, and was able to talk to Uncle Jay for about 15 minutes, before Uncle Jay set off for work today. When he headed off, Daddy got up, and started inching around the house again, and went back to bed.  He tried to get up, and was having a hard time, and then they decided it was time to go to the doctor. I tried not to laugh, because it’s really not funny, and I do feel bad he’s in such pain, but I couldn’t help from laughing at the way he was creeping around the house, it just looked funny.

            Granny called this morning, and wanted to know what time I was coming, because she and Mrs. Pat were planning on going to town around 10, so I decided I would go ahead and come over, to give her plenty of time, so I headed over there.

            Granny and her two puppies greeted me at the door when I arrived, and I gave her a big ole hug and a kiss, and was glad to see her. I asked to see the quilt she’s making, because I thought I would be making one just like it, with different material. She brought it out, and it is just gorgeous! We discussed how it’s a difficult quilt, and requires a lot of thought, but I thought I could do it anyway. She brought out the book with the pattern, 101 Nine patch quilts, and we got to looking through there, and I thought maybe I would choose an easier one. She let me borrow her book, and I’ve got to order me one very soon.

            Granny offered me coffee, and I thought I would stay awhile to visit, and sat down on the couch.  We talked a minute, and she had finally finished her fruit cakes this year, but hadn’t cut them yet, so I couldn’t try a piece. But what she did, was get out another hunk of applesauce cake, and gave me a slice, and then wrapped up the rest of it to send home to Brian. It was delicious, with raisins and good stuff in it.

            I finished my coffee, and I knew Granny wanted to get back to sewing, because there was a section on her quilt that she had to redo, so I thought I would go and let her get to it before she and Mrs. Pat went to town. Needing to do something, when you got the notion, will grate on your nerves more than anything, so I went ahead and told Granny goodbye, with hopes to see her tomorrow at Mama’s.

            I ran to Delhi to get gas, and then came back to work.  Mama and Daddy were still discussing which doctor to use, and called a couple, to see if Daddy could get an x-ray, and a back adjustment.  Daddy didn’t want to go to Monroe, so our options were limited, and he never did get in to see a doctor today, though he tried.

            Mama started making biscuits, and she made me one as well. 800 calories + coffee =1100 calories. I picked out a pattern for Grandma’s blanket out of Granny’s book, and got to cutting the squares. I got all the fabric cut, while eating my biscuit, and then headed off to sew.

            I sewed three block sections, and then got so sleepy, that I decided it was time for a nap, and slept until 3 oclock this afternoon. When I woke up, Mama and Daddy were gone to check the cows, and Brian was sitting at his computer. I made a cup of coffee, putting off going to Monroe & Walmart, and called Morris Veterinary, and spoke with Dr. Morris about Mr. Sully. His advice was to come pick up some more antibiotic, and give it to him for 10 days straight, and to check on him in about 7 days.

            I got some money from Brian, and Mama told me how to write our weekly check in the computer, and headed to the vet’s office. I walked in, and saw a bad little Boston Terrier when I walked through the door. I knew that dog looked familiar, cause when I looked up, it was Aunt Mary Beth, and sure enough, the dog was Baby. We visited for a little bit while we waited, and then picked up Sully’s antibiotics, and left for Monroe.

            I got pulled over in Start by  none other than Andy Stephenson. I knew I wasn’t really speeding, cause I had my cruise set on 76, but the car beside me was going really fast, but Andy didn’t give me a ticket. I wished him a Merry Christmas, and he sent me on my way, and told me to slow down. I don’t speed anymore these days, I can’t afford a ticket, so I always set my cruise, and if I catch myself speeding, I think about it, and just slow down.

            I made it to the bank, without a ticket, and turned around and went back to Rayville Walmart, to pick up Daddy’s meds, and some water and other groceries for home. There was a long line at the pharmacy today, and at the checkout counters, but I finally made it out of there by 5:45, and left to pick up Brian at work.

            I found Daddy sleeping in the recliner, and gave Mama his meds and a heating pad, and she set it on his back while he slept. Hopefully, that will help, poor Daddy! Goodness! I hope he feels better tomorrow!

            Mama said she was just about done Christmas shopping, and we discussed the things she had gotten for Brian’s birthday and Christmas. Brian’s going to have a really good birthday and Christmas this year is all I can say!

            We finally made it home by 6:45, and brought in the groceries. I had bought taquitos for Brian and egg rolls for me. I made a pot of coffee, and smoked some cigarettes for a minute, and stuck the egg rolls and taquitos in the oven.

            The egg rolls only have 140 calories in each, so I decided I would have three, seeing as I had only ate a biscuit today. 1100+420+120 (sweet &sour sauce) = 1640 – walk this morning (100)= 1540 today.

            I took a shower and sewed a little, and at around 9pm, I got ravenous, and ate some Pepperidge farm crackers and laughing cow cheese spread, so add another 300 calories for the day = 1840.