A Day In My Life

New friends...

Meet Tinkleton and Sprinkleton...actually I am not sure which is which and maybe you can only see one of them?

 

Lauren and Joey went to Bangor today and came home with this.  Lauren has wanted fish for quite awhile now...and she did call me first to see if it would be okay.  However, we forgot to ask Guapito his opinion...

 

 

 

I say "Swim for your lives Tinkleton and Sprinkleton...swim and don't look back!"

Lauren has been in her room with them for the last 20 minutes and I keep hearing "get down...GET DOWN...".  Me thinks there is trouble abrew...

Goodnight (by the way...it was beautiful and sunny here today...Scott, Nate and I did some things over to dad and Bobo's house...got ice cream, sat at the waterfront...we tried to get everything in just in case we don't see the sun again...)

Denise

Finding some motivation...

First off...several people have asked me for my 4th of July Strawberry Pie recipe...so here it is again...

This pie is so yummy...and easy...

Strawberry Pie

1 small package (1.1 oz) sugar-free Cook and Serve vanilla pudding
2 cups water
1 small package (0.3 oz) sugar-free strawberry Jell-O
4 cups sliced strawberries

 Premade graham cracker pie crust

In a medium saucepan, stir together water and pudding mix. Heat to a boil. Remove from heat and immediately add the Jell-O. Stir until dissolved. Set the pan aside and let the mixture cool slightly.

Place strawberries in the bottom of a (edit) store bought graham cracker pie crust. Pour cooled pudding mixture over the strawberries. Refrigerate until chilled. Let it set well before slicing.

EDIT:  2 points per 1/8 of pie

I usually put cool whip on it when I am ready to eat it.

It's YUMMY for your TUMMY!

I also tried this with raspberries... and raspberry jello...YUM!

I am tempted to try blueberries with grape jello???

Now when I make it I alwasy think about my Dad, as I made it a few times for him loast year when he was sick and was having such a hard time eating. He liked it...unlike my corn chowder;)

So this constant rain is really dragging me down...like everyone else.  The other day marked 8 months since Dad left...and it was a hard day for me...and Bobo had a tough time.  The constant rain seems to make everything seem worse.  It does have to stop sometime right?

Almost a month ago (June 2) I posted a list of "Goals" for the next few summer months...here they are again in no particular order:

So...my Goals for the next few months?...In no particular order:

Clean out the garage (pictures to come)

stain deck and front steps

do the work at Dad and Bobo's house that needs to be done

Finish side garden

read books that have piled up (list to follow)

Ebay listings

date night...once a week?

Day trips with Scott and kids

Concentrate on health...walking, water, sun, supplements and eating better

Post a project a week

So...I would like to put a line through the ones I have accomplished...but alas I can't as I haven't accomplished any of them.  Don't get me wrong...Scott and I have been going out to eat once a week together, just the two of us (I haven't told him it's "date night":)...but that one is sort of on-going.  AND I certainly have been walking, eating better...but again it is ongoing and I haven't done so well on the water, SUN and supplements:)

I am not beating myself up about it...but I am printing off the list as we speak to stick on the fridge where I can see it everyday.  I am in hopes that a month from now I can report that I have accomplished some on the list.  In the meantime...I will keep plugging along.

Goodnight everyone...what is on your list of goal...and are YOU accomplishing them?

Denise

Girl State

Lauren spent last week at Girl State...she discovered that she really isn't that "politically motivated" and didn't have a great understanding of government etc.  On top of the fact that it rained constantly and they had to walk all over campus.  Needless to say she was happy to get home Friday night.  I do think she learned quite a bit and she is thankful for the opportunity.  I definitely feel that any experience like this is good for the kids and I am grateful to the Rod and Gun club here in Bucksport for sponsoring her.

She had a great roomate (that is always a concern when you have to spend a week with someone you don't know).  They made fast friends and seemed well suited for each other:

 

AND both their moms are avid SCRAPBOOKERS:)

Their "town" was named LIBERTY.  The graduation...though very muggy and sort of long...was very patriotic.  I always feel so "Strong" after a patriotic show...I feel good to be an American.  I think they said there were 248 girls that attended this year.  Lauren's town made this very cool banner:

The theme for the entire week was:

A very cool concept for 17 year old girls...who will be the leaders of our future.

I worked at Silkweeds today www.shopsilkweeds.com and Lisa left a note asking me to redo the front display.  I put MY purses in the new display (after checking with her first)...I think it came out pretty darn good:

 

Yesterday it rained AGAIN...so I walked in the morning and then spent the afternoon finishing a couple of purses.  Scott and I had a night out to supper after dropping our two fourteen year old boys off with Lisa:) And then I crashed so early...  Anywho here are the two purses I finished:

 

 

Tonight?  I am pooped...on my feel all day.  Two new Law and  Order shows on so I am going to go watch them.

Goodnight all...

Denise

On Being Fat...Week Two

 

True to my word I am back again this week with the second chapter in my "On Being fat" series.  I happened to be out on my walk alone again today (no fault of my walking buddy this time:) and so I had alot of time to think about what I would write about today.

Last week I told you that I believe there comes a time in ones grown up life where you can no longer blame your childhood for your faults.  I truly believe that...years ago I went to talk to a therapist about my childhood, etc and so I truly do think that I have gone beyond that...BUT I also think that sometimes it is helpful to put it out there.  Possibly it will help me...or someone else who is struggling.  Now don't panic...I am not going to tell you every detail of my young life...I promise...but I did think alot about the following this morning.

My first real memory of food issues was when we lived in Boston...12A Walk Hill Street, Jamaca Plains, Mass...How weird is that?  I have always remembered that address...but I can't for the life of me come up with the one in prospect that I lived at from age 7-Highschool:)  Anyway, I digress...I was an extremely finicky eater.  I was between the age of 4-6...At that point I remember things like sitting at the kitchen table with my cold plate of food in front of me until bedtime.  It was the "you are going to sit there until you eat it" theory.  Then there were times I remembered sitting upstairs in my bedroom...by the window and listening to the other kids play outside...but not me cuz I didn't eat my supper.  Back then spanking was "okay" too and I believe I might have been spanked once or twice for not eating.  Oh they tried other things too...I remember them mixing apple sauce into my potatoes thinking that would taste better...UGH...or ketchup on just about anything:)  There were bribes...desert, couple of coins...etc.  But I was just a kid who didn't like food...unless it was SWEET stuff and then load me up:)

I progressed from there to realizing I could wrap things into a napkin, excuse myself to the bathroom and flush the stuff down the toilet:)  I realized I could squish the last of my peas under my plate.  Sometimes I could convince my sister to SAY I finished my supper...if I played my cards right.

When we moved to Prospect I was 7 and I just don't remember the food issue being as prevelant any more.  I actually remember very little about that time when it comes to food.  There were other issues in our house with dad's drinking and Mom trying to keep her head above water...so maybe my eating issues were put away?

I do know that I had Grand parents who were on "my side" and that drove the parental units CRAZY!  My Bampi (dad's father) would sneak thinks off my plate that I didn't like and he would eat them.  Oh, he paid for it with a toungue lashing from Mimi...he would just wink at me and hang his head:)

My Nana (mom's Mother) took a different tactic and just made me something I would like...usually something different than what everyone else was eating.  You gotta love how Grandparents get away with this kind of stuff!

At some point I realized that I only had to eat what I liked(sometime after college) and that was not always a good thing cuz the things I liked were Bread, cheese, ice cream, candy, cake...you get the picture.

So what does all this mean?  Aw...I think my Mom and Dad did the best they could back then...I mean heck...I turned out pretty darn good.  What it means is that...I can still eat what I choose to eat, but I need to make better choices.  I want to live a long time...and I want to feel good as I live this long life.

THis past week I have been making better choices...not perfect, but better and in thinking about it I do feel better than I have in months.  Just in one weeks time...I have been drinking more water, eating a salad for atleast one meal, I went back to Weight Watchers last week and STAYED FOR THE MEETING (I never stay)...I kept track of what I ate all week...I walked some (not as much as I would like)...and I thought about things before I put food in my mouth.

I know that the food and meal choices I have made in the past I would not allow my kids to make so why am I not important enough to eat right too?

So with that thought in mind, I went back to Weight Watchers last Thursday.  Tonight I went back and weighed in and STAYED FOR THE MEETING (a big thing I haven't been doing until last week).  My weigh in?  I LOST 4.6 pounds!  I feel good, cuz I know I stuck to it this week...

Sadly, as most people know two very important icons in life passed away today.

Farrah Fawcett...at age 62...face it who of us hasn't had Farrah hair?  Or if you are a man THAT poster hanging in your childhood bedroom?  I had Farrah hair...and when I met Scott he had THAT poster:)

 

And then...the man that (even with all of his problems in his recent years) I believe to be one of the best and most important entertainers in MY lifetime (I know there were amazing others before...and more to come).  I grew up with him and the Jackson 5...he has passed at age 50...to short of a life...

 

Goodnight all...

Denise

Kangaroo? or Cat?

Bobo's cat Sunny sits like this...when he wants her to pick him up...is he part kangaroo?  It's like a toddler reaching to be picked up:)

 

Actually this next one looks like a Kangaroo or a gopher sitting...

 

Nate and I took some dry sneakers and treats up to Lauren and then went and had supper with Bobo.  I had seen Sunny do this before and so i took my camera to make sure I could get it in a picture.  He and Nate really like messing with each other so Nate had him doing it to get a stuffed animal too...BUT that is normal for a cat...it's when he sits there reaching like that until Bobo picks him up that is so fuuny.

 

I didn't get much accomplished today...I did finish and post another purse up on Etsy:

 

I am off to watch some tv and during commercials get some dishes done.  My house is starting to smell damp with all this rain...I sure hope the sun shows up SOON!

Denise

On cleaning your 14 year old sons room...

It just didn't happen today and I was pretty irritated by it at first, but I have a plan.  nate and I started cleaning his room, but it was apparent we could not agree on how it should be done...and less than half an hour into it I got pretty ticked off.  So...we gave up...sigh.  BUT my new plan is to just do it while he is out at camp with Cody sometime.  That way I will get rid of everything I want to...he should have done it my way to begin with!  His thinking seemed to be he would sit down while I did the work.  IF I am going to do all the work I figure I will do it my way...

Since I had time on my hands today due to not cleaning Nate's room I finished some purses and put them up on my Etsy shoppe at www.dancinglydenise.etsy.com.  This is what I finished today:

 

 

and my favorite one...I tried my hand at hand needle felting and put daisies on it free-handed...I love it...

 

Yesterday was Father's Day...a tough day indeed...for many I am guessing.  Nate and I stopped to visit Bobo after we dropped Lauren off at Girl State.  Bobo had had some VCR's transferred to CD's and we played one.  It was of Dad video taping the new kitchen and the electrical work in it.  Dad talked all the way through it...though you couldn't see him.  I felt like for 11 minutes he was there with us.  He said typical, silly things in his maine accent like "This is where we will keep the GRUB"...and "This is where she will make the pies".  It made me laugh...and it made me sad.  I was grateful Bobo had it for us to listen too.

Here is a picture of Lauren when we left her at Girl State:

 

Going to watch the Jonand Kate Plus Eight special...what will their future hold?

Goodnight

Denise

Happy Father's Day

To my Dad...My Hero...I want to be like you when I grow up...

 

I miss you... Love Denise

Maine PURSEnalities

I sold a purse today!!!  I am so happy...I hope it is a sign of more sales to come!

Visit my Purses locally at Silkweeds or online at www.dancinglydenise.etsy.com

New ones are going up by the beginning of the week!

Goodnight all

Denise

And the Winner is... (purse giveaway new winner)

Hi guys...I tried this again...hope the winner contacts me:)

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

11

Timestamp: 2009-06-19 16:33:08 UTC

Poster #11 PLEASE contact me at magicalmemories2@aol.com with an address to mail this purse to you!  Thanks.

This is the poster:

"Your purse is just beautiful Denise!!! I would LOVE to be entered....about me? I love creating and love the precious friends I've made while blogging ~ what a sweet offering Denise, thank you! xxoo, Dawn"

Congratulations and stay tuned for another drawing very soon!

Denise

On being Fat...

“The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight because by then, your body and your fat are really good friends”

 

I haven't always been fat.  And honestly I am not writing this so that people will comment 'oh your not fat"...cuz really accountability is what I am looking for.  Just like with decluttering my home...yup the pictures of my messy home were embarrassing...but they held me accountable.  Now, don't panic I am not going to put pictures of my fat up here:)

While walking today I had plenty of time to think...since my peeps dumped me and didn't walk this morning...I had all kinds of quiet time with myself to think about my "fat history".  When I was little, I wasn't fat...when Ihit Jr. High I was on the chunky side...when in high school I was a size 5/6 and or 7/8, I THOUGHT I was fat, but I wasn't was I.  In college, well let's face it, I went to college and studied DANCE...everyday I was in front of mirrors and with others who worried about being fat...I maintained my 5/6 and or 7/8 through college and onto the work force.  Truly I didn't start gaining a great deal of weight until BABY #1...and then there was not turning back!  For years I have gone to bed thinking about food and weight and woken up thinking about food and weight.  I have spent countless hours reading up on it.  I have spent way too much time agonizing over it.

BUT here is the deal...I was TOLD I was overweight...even at times when Iwasn't. Family told me..."friends" told me...I told myself.  In high school I tried every diet going...including COUNTING how many bites I took.

I had food issues from the time a was a little kid.  And they drove my parents crazy.  I was picky, and I just wouldn't eat.  When I became an adult I chose to eat only what I liked...and have continued with that idea...and that is not all good! 

Let's get one thing straight right now, I am not blaming others for my weight.  There is a time in ones life when you have to step up to the plate and take full responsibility for what you are doing NOW.  NOW I make poor choices...now I choose to take care of others and forget about taking care of myself.  I do NOT let my kids eat like I eat, that should be a huge warning signal that I am not eating right.  I choose to not take the time to make sure I always have healthy foods in the house that I like.

Two summers ago I felt good.  I lost 28 pounds, spent time in the sun, walked everyday with Lisa, gave myself Sundays off IF I wanted it off. Did Weight Watchers faithfully. Made great food choices for me and my family.  By the holidays I was still going strong...but the walking was slowing down...and then the eating got messed up...then my Dad got sick and no matter how hard I tried...Icouldn't get back on track.  My Dad would not have wanted me to use him as an excuse to not be healthy...he was okay with me saying I couldn't clean house cuz I was hanging out with him and Bonnie...but the healthy part wouldn't have cut it.

I have gained that weight back...discovered that my cholesterol is not good...suffered from stronger bouts of asthma...am tired, sluggish...my fibromyalgia acts up more.  You can't go back in time, but I do want that feeling back I had two summers ago, of feeling strong and healthy.  And like most "dieters", I KNOW what I need to do to get it back.  It's all about how bad I want it, isn't it? 

I do not believe being slim will solve all of my problems...heck look how skinny my husband is...he still has his own problems.  I do not believe being smaller will make everything all better, but I do know FOR A FACT, that I feel better when I am eating right and walking.

So, what is my solution?  Accountability...although I am not going to make this into a diet blog...I am going to check in HONESTLY once a week to let anyone who cares know how it is going.  MY check in day will be THURSDAYS...and I might need to be reminded the first couple of Thursdays.

So, today is Thursday and I am checking in...I have walked Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday...

I am going to take things a minute at a time for now...I feel good so far today!  Now with that being said...we have a tradition on the last day of school:)  My friend Angela and her two girls, meet me and my two kids and we get ice cream.  Today is that day... I didn't say I was never going to eat ice cream again, right?

Thanks for listening...and always feel free to comment.  I would love to hear what YOU are doing to take care of yourself.

Denise