Time Flies... Even if you're not having Fun...

Well, that sounds pretty pathetic! It hasn't been all that bad, but time has gotten away from me.

Have I shared that the husb bought me a Smart Car about 4 weeks ago? It is really fun, really cute, and gets GREAT gas mileage. He ordered it back when gas was more than $4 a gallon. It looks like the car pictured here.

Doesn't it remind you of the cars that animals drive in the Richard Scarry books?

Okay, so last Wednesday on EARTH DAY, I went to the gym. I left the gym carrying a container of recyclables (another story in itself) and went out to my car. I noticed that something was laying in front of my car. Upon closer inspection I found... it was in fact, part of my car! Some one had backed into my NEW Smart car! And... the big bully left the scene of the crime without leaving a note. My faith in mankind is temporarily destroyed. I went home, showered and took a nap - which really didn't seem to help the situation.

Then on Thursday, our Internet connection quit misbehaving and simply pooped out. My connection to the blog world was gone. Bummer. thankfully, the husb got it back up and running on Sunday.

I track my food diary on-line at the WW site. Really nifty ... until you lose your Internet connection. And far be it for me to pick up a pencil and piece of paper and journal!!! Tracking what I ate TH - SUN was a little sketchy. And that was apparent at the scale on Tuesday with a .4 loss. Four tenths of a pound. Oh well, as long as the number go down I am happy!

Okay, so on Friday afternoon, our old "Native American" cat Grey Cloud went outside. Mr. Grey Cloud is a 12 year old, indoor cat. He has, in the last 6 months, gotten sort of skinny. The husb grew up on a farm and has this barn cat mentality, and assured me there was no need to take him to the vet. GC goes outside a couple times a day and never leaves the yard. Well, he hasn't come home. It is very sad. My Mother says he has done us a kind favor in just slinking off. I am not sure if that is comforting or not.

{SIGH}

Leave it to my friend Carolyn to put everything in perspective for me. Visit When Pigs Fly to see how her weekend went - the picture says it all. And this happened the afternoon of Prom, and she was responsible for all the food at after prom. She was also in the midst of prepping for Girls Track Senior Night. She is giving a HUGE Derby Party at her home on Saturday. And a graduation party in the works for her daughter. They've had the additional stress of picking a college and that all came to a head in the last few days. Today, it is raining and the forecast is for rain Saturday. Let's help her out by praying for sunshine Saturday. We all know the forecast will change 8 times by then!

The husb is off to Iowa City to speak at an Infectious Disease Conference at the U of I. He has been busy, busy, busy at work due to the Swine Flu Pandemic.

It is just life, isn't it?

Happy Earth Day....

This year marks the 39th celebration of Earth Day, a holiday that brings focus to all the positive things people are doing to help the planet survive and thrive. It is a single day of celebration and activism, but it has the power to spark long term commitments to improve our daily habits, our communities, our world. Green isn't just a trendy term anymore, it's how we all need to live to ensure our survival - and Earth Day underscores that living green is not only important, but also fun, easy, inspiring, and entertainingly.

Treehugger.com

A Date with the Scale...

Mary K called me and asked me to join her in working out with Matt, the personal trainer, this afternoon. I went... so I exercised 6 x this week. I am now limping around the house with a few aches and pains... BUT I DID IT.

Later I had a special date with the scale and Carolyn at the WW meeting. Guess what.. I am down 4 lbs. And, I am so much happier than last week!

So... again this week I am setting goals. It seems to work.

This week I will...
track everything
drink all my water
exercise 5 x
stay off the scale until next Tuesday night

Thank you Mary, Carolyn, & Matt for helping me reach my goals! xxoo

Mojo Giveaway Celebration...

Amy at Diary of a Quilter is celebrating her 96th post with a Mojo Giveaway! Congrats Amy and blog on!

Well... it is Tuesday morning and I have WW tonight. Where did the week go?

Where am I with my weight-loss goals set for this week?

track every morsel I eat

I can work on improving this skill. Friday night has an entry for GOK after eating a late "dinner" of chips & salsa, Maytag blue cheese & crackers, and wine with friends.

GOK = God only Knows

drink all my water

hmmmm...does the wine count? I am probably 4 for 7 on this one.

exercise 5 x

done, and more than slightly proud of it

deny my relationship with the scale

Mr. Scale??? I don't believe I know him. I went the entire week without a liaison.

Painful lesson learned Friday night: Don't drink tall glasses of Chardonnay with only a banana and fiber bar in your tummy.

I'll let you know how it all turns out. Tomorrow is another day.

Pixie Dust Giveaway from Farm Chicks...

The Farm Chicks are giving away 2 YARDS of this lovely fabric by Pixie Dust. Go check it out! They'll announce the lucky winner on Monday, April 20th!

Day 2 Progress...

Today I...
tracked every morsel I ate
drank all my water
exercised by walking for 85 minutes at a quick clip
glanced across the room at Mr. Scale but didn't even come close to hopping on his back

ICANDOTHIS...ICANDOTHIS...ICANDOTHIS

I got some knitting and quilting in too - so all in all a great day!

Very Sad with Self...

Okay, for those of you that really know me, you know I have issues with my weight. It would be great to think they aren't big issues... but they are, in the sense that my weight has been a ongoing problem for me since my 20s, and very much so after the birth of my son... now 17!

Why am I going on about this now??? Because I am soooo sick and tired of it. Okay, okay, this breakdown is due to the fact that last night at WW I had a .6 lb gain. Yes, we just celebrated Easter , and I went out of town, and I didn't track what I ate, but I didn't think I was out of control. Believe me, I know out of control.

The scale is not my friend. I am not sure why he hates me so. I am good to him. I visit him each morning, sometimes at night, and after every exercise session. But he is no good to me. He teases and taunts me. I am breaking it off with him! I'll see him once a week... if he is lucky.

And what about all these one hour sessions with Matt, the beloved personal trainer. Three times last week!!! And there were three walks in the mix too - one in the rain! I mean can I get some credit for moving my big behind??? Is that so wrong?

That is it! This little stumble only serves to make me stronger. I am setting goals for this week. This week I will...

• track every morsel I eat
• drink all my water
• exercise 5 x
• deny my relationship with said scale

:: Deep Breath::

You, Mr. Scale, no longer have a hold on me!

Now I am off to see the trainer. At the very least, he is encouraging!

Loads of fun...

It is a grey day and I am trying to talk myself into a little exercise. I have spent the morning doing laundry, knitting a few rows on my sweater (I am sooo behind), and wondering around blogland with coffee cup in hand - that is what happens when I have an unstructured day! I think I need to make myself a To Do list.

I am taking my Lenten Latte Tally times $4 and writing a check to charity, as promised. I have decided to send my donation to The Caring Center, here in Boone County. I guess I can put that on the list and check it off!

Hey, there is a fabulous fabric giveaway over at Mrs. Schmenkman Quilts in celebration of her second blogiversary. Congrats on 2 years Mrs. Schmenkman!

Back to laundry and knitting... with the possibility of exercise.

Oh Happy Day...

What a pretty day! The sun is shining and I think I saw the Easter Bunny on my walk today. I sure hope he puts a Starbucks card in my basket! I could really use a latte.

Look what I found this morning on A Quilting Life. Sherri is giving away a few of her favorite things. You should really go look!

Happy Easter everyone and may the peace of Christ be with you always!

Where's the Beef...

My friend Cindy called this afternoon asking about an Italian Beef recipe we talked about at Rockin' Bobbins. I told her I would post here for everyone. First, let me show you what Cindy brought for show & tell at quilt night. Isn't it lovely?!!! Cindy loves a good antique reproduction... and so do I!

Crock Pot Italian Beef

3 cups water *
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons beef bouillon
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1-2 crushed garlic
1 bay leaf
1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
1/4 teaspoon red pepper
1 bottle beer
7 pepperoncini peppers de-stemmed (These are optional. *You may also substitute 2 cups of pepperoncini juice from jar for 2 cups of the water listed above.)
1 (5 pound) rump roast

Place the roast in the crock pot and dump in all other ingredients. Cook on low for 10 hours of on high for 4-5 hours. Remove bay leaf. Shred beef using 2 forks, removing fat.

Enjoy!

Good Morning Sunshine...

The SUN is shining bright this morning! I think Mother Nature is trying to push spring through this 34 degree morning!

My sweet friend Colleen requested my family's favorite recipe for Pulled Pork. I originally found this recipe in a Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publication Ultimate Slow Cooker.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

3 to 3-1/2 lb. boneless pork shoulder
1 cup chopped sweet onion (1 large)
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 12-oz. bottle chili sauce
2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Trim fat from meat. If necessary, cut pork to fit a 4- to 5-quart slow cooker. Place pork, onion, and garlic in slow cooker. In a medium bowl, combine chili sauce, brown sugar, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Pour over pork in cooker.

Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 10 to 11 hours or on high-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours. Remove pork from cooker, reserving juices. Using two forks, shred pork, discarding any fat. Skim fat from juices. Add enough juices to the pork to moisten.

You may place 2-cup portions of pork in airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Makes 6 cups.

Annie Giveaway....

This is too cute to pass up!

De over at Oh Sew Dollin is offering a free e-pattern, and she is also having a giveaway for this cute Annie doll. Just go here for details.

Good luck!

Rockin Bobbins...

It is snowing here in central Indiana! Wasn't it just 70 on Saturday!

Busy day today... indulging myself. I met with my personal trainer this morning. Last week I committed to meet with him 3x a week. I AM going to lose this weight! After I lost half my body weight in sweat (no kidding), I rushed home, showered, and ran out to meet some of the Rockin' Bobbins for lunch at the coffee shop. From there we went to The Village Yarn Shop for our first knitting class to make the Summer Braids cardigan sweater. We are a quilting group, obviously multi-talented. ;^)

Knitting class went on a little longer than planned - mostly because I couldn't get the first row of my sweater right. I managed to cast on 292 - which seemed to take an eternity, but then I could not get the first row right. I counted wrong twice! Maureen, the instructor, was a gem and she helped me un-knit so I wouldn't have to cast on again. Finally, I got it right! Meanwhile, I think Jenny got 8 rows done!

I am home now, blogging with Oprah in the background. I plan to knit my second row of my sweater before I forget how to count again!

Last Thursday, I took pictures during show & tell at Rockin' Bobbins and thought I'd share a couple this week.

Jenny, is my partner in crime. When we shop together we usually come home with the same purchases. We can talk each other in to anything without any verbal communication. She stretches me because she has a let loose side to her that I lack.

Here is a butterfly quilt top that Jenny made from a kit of 30s repro fabrics. She must have bought this kit when I was not along!

And here is a quilt top designed by Kaffee Fassett and made with his fabrics. Jenny bought the Pastel Floral Snowball Quilt kit from Glorious Colors.
Have a great day and indulge yourself a little.

Shout'n Out Giveaways...

There are some really fab blogs out there and I could spend hours taking them all in! I want to take a minute and sharesome fun giveaways I found today.

Run, don't walk, to see Judi at Green Fairy Quilts. In celebration of her new design, Judi is giving away her new pattern "Strippin' Time"

and one "Oh Cherry Oh" jelly roll to make the quilt! How nice is that??? The winner will be announced next Monday evening.

Then there is the giveaway at Just Another Hang Up. Suzanne is offering the winner of her giveaway the choice of one item from her Etsy Shop. Her stuff is super neat!

Buzz over and check out her blog. This contest will run through midnight on Thursday, April 9th. Friday morning, April 10th, the winner of the contest will be announced.

Now head over and visit Heather at A La Mode and check out her giveaway. Heather is giving away fabric from Heather Ross’ Lightning Bug line. CUTE!!! She will be doing { 2 } giveaways’ for one week each. Week 1 will end April 3rd at 9:00pm PST. Week 2 will end April 10th at 9:00pm PST. So make sure you go back by to comment again for entry in the second weeks giveaway!!!

Okay, for this one you have to hurry! Wondermommy is going to giveaway 2 yards of Anna Maria Horner’s Good Folks fabric. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment. If you spread the word by Twittering, Facebooking, or Blogging, you will win 5 more entries per each way you spread the word. (This is whay I'm telling you!) This giveaway will end on April 3rd, and be announced on April 6th, 2009.

Good Luck!