Happy Thanksgiving....

Well tomorrow we are having:

Brined Herb Crusted Turkey
Sage Apple Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes
Zucchini
and
a Oreo Blizzard Ice Cream Cake to celebrate the Kid's 22nd Birthday.....

At the same time, I am babysitting my friend's Teacup Yorki Poo.  He's all black, funny little thing, the cats are twice his size and he's about a 3rd of their weight.  He's a definite lap dog - he is yappy and he does have a Napoleon Complex.  When I went to walk him, he tried taking off a teenagers leg - he only caught the kid's jean cuff, and I was a total dork laughing...

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Music Soothes My Soul...

I am thankful that I grew up in a home filled with music... Classical, Rock n Roll, Jazz, you name it... 

I can sit for hours in solitude and peace and listen to musicians like Stevie Ray Vaughan on his guitar... 

I can clean my house in half the time to Mozart...

I am thankful for having finally paid my car off, and looking forward to a few more years of NO CAR PAYMENTS!!!

I am thankful for the choice of cars!  I bought a Honda - and it will be kicking probably longer than I will...

I am thankful for the mail bringing my mother the Nars Lipstick Pencil I got her... I thought it was the most perfect color - and figuring an early Christmas gift or just a gift for that matter - would bring her cheer!  And what better - a beautiful colored lipstick.. I love Nars!  

Thankfulness.....

I am going to have to quit with the counting days to be thankful; my life is not allowing for it!

But, I am thankful for being busy and active, it's keeping my mental and physical side on the upside!

I am thankful for my wonderful son, who wabbles around at times with directions in life, but still has a good head on his shoulders!

I am thankful that my brother has my sister in law - they are such a sweet couple, and I am so proud of my brother, and so happy for her...that they have each other.

Happy Veterans Day!

Thankfulness Day 8 and 9....

Day 8 of Thankfulness

I am thankful for my ancestors who fought in the battle on Kings Mountain - where the monument was placed in honor of them and the men that fought with them...  that their sacrifices were well served and honored.

Day 9 of Thankfulness:

I am thankful for having the chance to travel with my son and visit the homeland of my ancestors who came to America during the Revolutionary War... this was taken in Germany at a palace near Bamberg where the Schmittsohn Vineyards are located... Such a beautiful place and surrounded by fields as far as you could see of Sunflowers.

Twisted Thankful #7

This woman told my employer that she was "scared" of me... I spoke curtly to her, and something about my having hurt feelings.  I don't know this woman from Adam... where does she come from? who is she? what's going on in her life? I don't know - I don't care... BUT, I learned a good lesson about needing to keep my mouth shut... the woman is a friend of a co-worker, and I had said, unbeknownst to me it would be repeated, that it really bothered me that this woman had the gall to ask me to stay late and do free work for her, but then snubs me when it comes to showing gratitude. 

SO when she signed documents under penalty of perjury and LIED and the court found out - she was caught - and she didn't like it... she lied and blamed someone else for her lying under penalty of perjury.  THAT's WHY she's SCARED.

Thankful for a few things - that I can see where my mouth got me in trouble - never reveal you are human and have feelings to someone you don't know; that the only reason this woman went to my employer is because she's guilty of being a liar and has to find a way to make herself look better.  That's fine... when I go home, when I go out with friends, when I live my life, she's not going to be there.... and I am very thankful!!!!

Work Work Work - Day #6 Thanks.....

I am thankful for my employers who put their faith in hiring me 15 yrs. ago, and today I am still here... Been through thick and thin with this business, and still hanging in there, adapting and changing to whatever the economy calls for and allows for me to continue to be employed and useful.  This job has taught me so much, and has been the one consistent thing in my life when it comes to "any" kind of relationship... 

I am thankful for my employers' help in assisting me in getting my Paralegal certificate with the State.  

I am thankful for their acts of generosity and kindness that have been shown to me over these years. 

I truly was blessed when I got this job!

I 

Diana C.... Day #5

When I first moved to this city 22 yrs ago, I was married with an infant.  My husband, who helped create the most wonderful being, and THANKFULLY that this man has played his part and is no longer a part of my life, insisted that I find work... wanting to always please and be the best wife, mother I could be, I fretted and worried because I could not find a job.  Times were tough, just like now, we were in a serious recession.  Unemployment was sky high, and in this city, it was who you know, not what you know that got you a job.  I didn't know anyone...

So, finally I found a job working an evening shift, but I needed a babysitter for the time between my leaving for work and husband coming home.  And, I met Diana who lived in our complex and had a baby the same age as mine... She convinced me to stop the insanity of working that night shift and just babysit at home - that way I could make money AND be with my baby... and I had her to take walks with, go to parks with the children, someone to talk to - introduced me to other people, and eventually was my life support through one of the toughest times in my life... 

I was alone in this city, thousands of miles from my family; I had a job in a law firm with a lawyer who liked to belittle people, throw things, and make you feel that you were unworthy of anything, especially a salary that could afford you a decent life... He could never keep employees for over a year - it was a revolving door - and I stuck in there for 3 yrs.  

While working for that creep, I took care of my child, paid high rent for the apartment that I had been living in with my ex-husband till the lease ran out, and all on the most pitiful salary.  

Because of Diana, I found my backbone and found new employment, a new affordable and safe home, put my child in good schools, and started dating and feeling better about myself.

She and I lost touch after her own divorce and her remarrying years ago, you know how things happen, interference by others, etc.

BUT, none of that takes away from the fact that I have great memories and I am very thankful for all that she did for me and what she was to me when I needed someone....

I hope that Diana knows this from Heaven... Diana passed away at the age of 45 in her sleep, so I can't tell her this or send her a message....

The Missed - Day # 4 - Thankfulness

Day #4 - of Thankfulness - missed due to a full schedule and activity yesterday!!!

Exploration

I am thankful that my family were not overbearing and smothering and allowed me to roam. My mother pushed me away from the television and books, and out the door on my bicycle.  On my bicycle, I rode through nature paths, neighborhoods, made friends, would go into churches and be amazed by the beautiful stained glass, find little stores full of interesting treasures and treats.  

When I left home, I still had this great desire to explore... I've been to many places in the USA, still have a LOT more to see, but I've seen QUITE a lot.  My State alone, Florida, I've been here and there and everywhere, from South Florida, the Keys, the Panhandle, many of the Springs, Central Florida - West Coast/East Coast, and swamps of North Florida that meet Georgia... places that make you think "Banjo Music" (so apropos).  

But, most of all - I have such fantastic memories of traveling with my son. I am so thankful that I had those years to now look back at and smile and laugh to myself or "ooooh and ahhhh" mentally of the things we've seen and done.  I pray that when he has a wife and children, he feels the need to travel and show them the world.

Thanks #3

Today I am thankful for my friends.... I cannot imagine life without the friends I have - they are such a source of fun, laughter, strength, support, generosity, energy, love, and so much more... Being away from family, you find that making a good friend is so important!  I have been blessed ....

One is in the hospital from having abdominal surgery.  She was suffering with a horrid infection from a tear in her intestines - one doctor went in and cleaned the infection and said take antibiotics and go home... 6 months later - she's now in the hospital having been dying from Sepsis from the infection caused from the perforation in her intestine - this doctor is different - he found the cause, cleaned up the infection, and she's now going to be in the hospital for about a week.  I am sad that I am so far away from her and can't be there to help her - so instead we just text back and forth and I try and send silly messages to make her smile... I will be visiting her at Christmas - so I can make up for my lack of absence during this time, and thankfully, she too has a good network of friends where she is to take my place and her family's place (she too is far far away from all her family)...

Thanksgiving - Day #2

The Thanksgiving Holiday is going to be upon us soon... which means my little Bird boy *my son who is not so little at ALL* will be turning 22 yrs. old!!!!  Thanksgiving is more than just a day of cooking and eating at my house - it's also a time to celebrate the birth of my one and only child...a treasure in my life, always.  I am so thankful that I was able to have him, to see that wonderful little imp grow up to be such a handsome, kind hearted, and intelligent young man... That's my thanks for today... 

I missed Day #1.... I was a bit busy... I am thankful for my parents and their good health... I miss them terribly - and pray every day that they will be on the same continent soon ... so I can pack up the car and go see them as I used to... I love and miss them so much!!!!!

Fun Evening...

After work today I went shopping and out for a bite to eat with a dear friend.  We found our favorite place for omelets closed - which was a great disappointment, so we went to California Pizza Kitchen.  I had:

Spicy poblano stuffed with chicken, cheese, corn & black bean salsa, wild mushrooms, spinach and eggplant. Topped with housemade avocado salsa verde and cilantro. (cal. 380) and a glass of unsweetened iced tea.  (it had corn, but I let that slide because it was less calories than the salad)

The Half Chopped BBQ Chicken Salad is 770 cal!!!

We then shopped around - played with all the L'Occitane lotions and moisturizers, then got samples of perfumes at Sephora and played with make up, and finally ended up at DSW where we spent a good hour looking and trying on shoes.... 

L'Occitane has the new Peony Scented hand lotion - really like.

Got a lot of walking around in the 4 hours we spent out...and thoroughly enjoyed it... Perfect ending to a day spent in office work drudgery.

Sugar Busters - Low Carb - Healthy Eating

In 2000, I found a book on eating/dieting that I loved - Sugar Busters.  I joined a group of others following the same diet - and - I learned a lot about eating healthy and carbs/sugars/etc.  

So, modifying things to my own habits/tastes, this is how I feel I am eating healthy and will also benefit with some good weight loss (this is my modification from all the low carb diets out there and others):

1.  WHITE - a deadly color unless it is feta or goat cheese
2.  NO ROOT VEGETABLES (Carrots, Turnips, Radishes, Potatoes...) - they are starch/meaning high on the sugar; Sweet potatoes as a treat are healthy... have half a baked sweet potato if you need one... if you are feeling extra frisky and want to feel that you are not denied something sinful - like fries - have sweet potato fries... but they aren't going to promote weight loss, only a healthier choice.  I love Sweet Potato fries!
3.  No Watermelon; nothing but sugar... even if it is natural... it's too much....
4.  Eat your vegetables... Brussell Sprouts, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Green Beans, Spinach, Kale (any super food veggies), Spaghetti Squash, Peppers, Tomatoes, Zucchini and Yellow Squash, you name it... just watch the peas.. they are starchy.
5.  Fruit at breakfast can't hurt - but limit it....because fruit is very high in sugar... grapefruit is wonderful, and now that winter is here -it will be high season for all those fabulous citrus fruits... quantity/limiting is where I find it is important when it comes to eating things that are so wonderfully healthy and delicious like fruit... being a glutton just because it is good for you does not promote weight loss.
6.  I don't really like iceburg lettuce because I feel it has no nutritional value other than "water"... I prefer mixed greens, spinach, romaine, and I love Baby Butterleaf....
7.  I make my own salad dressings.  For example, olive oil, italian seasoning, garlic, sea salt, ground pepper, and some balsamic vinegar makes a perfect dressing for me (but I am careful of the balsamic vinegar - it's got sugar)...
8.  No croutons please.....
9.  I have to limit my consumption of CHEESE - OMG - I am a cheese addict.
10.  Lean meats and fish - wonderful... ground chicken/turkey - white meat; fish (wonderful on the grill); egg whites (cut down on the yolks)
11.  There are a lot of natural sweeteners out there now - my favorite is always going to be Agave - but there's others... 
12.  DARKEST chocolate you can find the better for those like me who love chocolate... milk chocolate - full of sugar and dairy... I like the bars that are in the health food stores that have dark chocolate and blueberries - mmmmmm
13.  Beans, Beans, a good chili - vegetarian or use of turkey/chicken is wonderful.... and I love to make Brunswick stew (though I have to be careful to not add corn (pure sugar/starch) and no peas)

Just these changes alone and walking will promote a good and slow healthy weight loss for me, though if I have a lot to lose, I tend to drop quite a bit ALWAYS the first month or two - then it slows way down..... after that - I have to be more and more active.... exercise is the key.  

Battle of the Bulging Waist Line....

I’ve always battled my weight… like the 100 Year War… well make that the 40 Something Year War…. Well, my son is battling his weight now – we had lost our sense of healthy eating in my home because I was in a funk and just didn’t care… but… eyes opened again, this time wide – really wide.  So, approximately October 15^th, I began to change my lifestyle and eating habits – and my son’s, back to being active and healthy.  He has begun running 3 times a week and exercising at the gym; I’ve started walking with friends and slowly getting active again, and I believe by Christmas my new best friend will be the Eliptical Machine at the gym or the bike.

Example Meals:

Spaghetti Squash with zucchini, onions, peppers, tomatoes and turkey sausage – and a side of a Greek Chopped Salad.

Baked Chicken in Herbs du Provence and spritz of White Truffle Oil served with a Garden Salad.

** I do not buy bottled salad dressings!!!  I make my own…. There is no sugar, no pasta, no bread in my home… there are no snacks, no chips… if you are hungry and need to eat, eat some fruit or veggies. (the only carb I eat is Brown Rice, but small portions)

Indian Butter Chicken served over a small serving of brown rice, and mix of broccoli, peppers and onions in the chicken dish…

Eggplant, Zucchini, Onions, Garlic, Petit Diced Tomatoes, Feta Cheese baked till bubbly yummy and served with Brown Rice seasoned with cilantro and pine nuts; and a salad

Lunches:  Have all consisted of Spinach Salad, Chef Salads, or Vegetable soups/chili… and if I just want something really light and sweet – I get a Yogurt or eat some fruit.

I have been going out with friends, walking, and not sitting around – taking care of projects that keep me busy – so no snacking….

I have lost 18 pounds!  18 pounds!!!!!  When I lose another 10-15 I’ll be comfortably back into my Fat Girl Jeans – it’s sad when you don’t fit into your Fat Girl Jeans… My ultimate goal – to fit back into the jeans that were once falling off my hips and being held up by a large leather belt that I had already poked three new holes in to keep them up… those are the jeans I want to wear – but since I have to lose a good 75 lbs. to get there – I will be satisfied with fitting back into the Fat Girl jeans for the moment…. My desk is surrounded with photos of me a few years ago at my lightest… healthiest… good photos – realistic ones – and I am reminded of what I want – to be happy that I am healthy and feel good, that I look good in my clothes, and bring me back the confidence and ambition I had at that time… World watch out… because here I come!!!!!!

Time to Plan for the Holidays..... My Wish List

Santa Baby... these are on my list... and I've been very good!!!!

The Joy....

Little Children on a Bicycle by Ernest Zacharevic

I love this - wish I could buy the painting!!!!!

I Do NOT Miss My Tonsils... 20 Days Post -Op

I am so excited.. it's now 20 days since the Tonsilectomy, and now I am only sporting a little bit of a raw throat.  No more scabs, never had any bleeding issues, just a bit tired still ... But, my throat is no longer swollen with those poisonous tonsils, all the little glands underneath my chin area are gone!!!  I have a throat and chin once again - and my body is starting to realize there's no poison left!  Woo Hoo!  For awhile it felt like the end of the world with the pain and discomfort, but look at me today - at the office, and all I have is a slight irritation of a sore throat and only on one side - the side that was so BADLY infected all the time.  That tonsil must have been absolutely poisonous and sickly and HUGE, it took the longest to heal - the longest to lose scabs, and it's still sore/raw feeling.  BUT I am happy - very happy that I took care of getting rid of the nasties - and I am now looking forward to better health!!!!!

Au Revoir Tonsils!!!!!

So, it's been 7 days since they removed my tonsils.... The surgeon rubbed my arm and soothed me and told me he has had nobody bleed or not wake up from anesthesia, Thank the Lord (His exact words), BUT.. he wasn't going to lie to me, the surgery would take 7-10 minutes, when I'd wake up, I would feel discomfort, but because of the numbing gels and anesthesia and pain medicine, it wouldn't be another day or two after the surgery when I'd experience the pain, and it would be a minimum of ten days before I felt healing or relief...

It's been agony, not pain, agony... No Bleeding and I THANK THE LORD for that and my wonderful surgeon, of course!!!!!!  You would have thought I had major surgery - my body felt like it had been hit with a Mack truck the first few days.  The torture of swallowing.  The first few days because of still being somewhat numbed, I was able to suck down lots and lots of fluids, but once the numbing was gone, and all I was left with was pain meds and numbing gargle... it was like someone was asking me to jump off the George Washington Bridge in order to take a sip and swallow some ice cold water.  By the way, I find Gatorade caustic.... and SOBE Coconut water to die for - it's sweet enough and has that milkiness to it that soothes as it goes down.  Sadly I've drank the entire case I bought, and now I'm left with the gallons of suggested Gatorade.

OH and then I started running the low grade fever... think you are in discomfort and pain already, try feeling aches and pains and miserable from a fever, ON TOP of the broken glass and painful swallowing.  Just swallowing your own spit is a chore... the only positive in bearing the pain to swallow your spit is that it keeps me from drooling and even looking more pathetic.

Talking - is limited... I don't want to move my tongue - hurts too much, so I sound like I have suffered a major stroke or have a terrible speech impediment when I try to speak....  the clamps or instruments used to keep your tongue out of the way in surgery have bruised my tongue or hurt it in some way where I don't think the surgery itself was so bad, but just the damage from the clamps...

My caregiver, my son ... he's been the best nurse.  He's fed me, watered me, consoled me, made things lighter and funnier, he's God Sent.  He loves looking into my mouth at night with a flashlight and telling me how much better the scabs look, if they are colored, if some are gone, etc.  We even watched all of Doc Martin ... and he's very disappointed because we have to wait another year or MORE before more Doc Martin comes out again!

My constant companions, my cats.  The kitten never left my side  and today is the first day she's been off doing her own thing in the house.  She must sense I feel better... I'd wake up with the giant Habibi on one side staring at me, and the kitten stretched out along my other side... Habibi and her have a hard time sharing me - so she usually scares the poor furry chap off... But I don't know why people don't like cats, my cats have given me the feeling of love and caring this whole time.  Having these warm little fuzzy beings that stay with you, almost like guarding me, offering me comfort, purring for me, soft cuddly things... they are like little Mini-Healers...

Well any time now a friend is going to pop in to check on me... lets see what she brings me :)  I am sure it will be ice cream!

Where do I want to be today?

I would like to be sitting on a blanket in Central Park people watching... reading a good book under a blue sky dotted with large cotton ball clouds.... listening to music that makes everything peaceful and dreamlike....

Ode to Spike

My grandmother and great-grandmother used to tell me about Spike, the family pet.  My great grandfather was away during WWII – he was stationed off in the Pacific, leaving his wife and 4 children to move to his mother’s homestead property on the outskirts of Tucson, Arizona.  Their new home was a clapboard house with an outhouse in the middle of the desert – no neighbors to be seen, and they shared this desolate home with Spike, the first male Staffordshire terrier in the State of Arizona. 

Spike was well loved, with four kids in a new place that they were not fond of, bored out of their minds, he put up with their hugs, loving, dragging him everywhere with them, he made a great impression on those kids – he was their one and only best friend until school started. 

This dog was trained to kill anything non-human, so because of this, Spike never left any progeny.  The female pit bull was of no interest to him, he only had interest in hunting snakes, lizards and vermin. 

One time a man showed up in a truck with a small poodle.  Spike literally had to be stunned by a smack on the head with a shovel to save the poodle’s life…. It wasn’t Spike’s fault, he was only doing his job… and the man was warned before this incident…not to open his car door and get out – but he refused to listen…

Spike’s other fun activities made him seem very human with a wicked sense of humor, such as escorting the children in the pitch black of night to the outhouse, and then…. Leaving them!  Or, leaving presents, such as a 6 foot dead rattle snake on the floor beside their beds in the morning.

All the stories about Spike, he even became my beloved dog, yet he passed away a long time before I was even a glimmer in my mother’s eye, before my mother was even a glimmer in my grandmother’s eye for that matter. 

R.I.P Spike!!!!!

Summer Vacation Memories

In the 1970s, my parents used to rent a house on Fire Island... we'd pack up and make the couple hours drive in our Volvo to the docks for the ferry, so exciting, and then once we crossed the bay on the ferry, we'd go off to find our new temporary home.... the excitement of which room would be my bedroom ... and being able to throw my bathing suit on and jump into the water and swim and play!!!!!

(this is not the house - but it is the style of homes)

I was about 6 or 7 yrs. old when we stayed at The Pines.  I remember "Tea Time" at the bar where the docks were - and the music would start, and everyone would get out and dance under the disco ball.  Thinking back on it - I remember sunshine, wooden docks, multi-million dollar yachts, sipping on my Shirley Temple, and men without shirts on and nice bodies dancing on the floor around me... sounds pretty fun, doesn't it?  I can even remember the music playing, like "I Shot the Sheriff" by Bob Marley or "Don't Rock the Boat" - Hues Corporation. Sometimes a gentleman would even ask me to come out on the dance floor... I would accept depending on how many sips I got of my parents' Salty Dogs when they weren't paying attention!!!

The house we stayed at was all squares and glass - that beachy modern look - and it sat on the Bayside of the island - where there were impressive views of stars at night or summer storms rolling in from the mainland.

So much to explore, and no worries about boogeymen coming and snatching me up... those were magical days and wonderful memories of times with my family....

Noomi

A month before Easter, my friend who has a gorgeous horse farm had a stray kitty show up – actually it climbed into the window of her daughter’s room and climbed into bed, snuggling and purring … scaring the poor daughter and son-in-law to death because they don’t have any kitties.  They took her to the vet, as the daughter happens to be a veterinary assistant while she’s finishing up college, and found out that it was a Mama-to-be cat.  Easter weekend she had her kittens. 

Zach and I drove out to the horse farm, and visited Mama cat and her 5 babies.  One was Siamese looking with tabby markings, one was black with a milk mustache, and there were the three Tabby girls that looked just like their mother, except two were twins and one was the runt, very delicate and small and a cute little monkey face… We picked “Monkey Face”.  Like a tiny little marmoset….

8 weeks later, my little girl went to be spayed, and was dropped off with me at work… to have and to hold forever, till death do us part… She’s the most beautiful little Tabby girl, loving, snuggling, and sweet.  She’s won our hearts forever. 

Her name is Noomi. 

I was terrified that Habibi would be aggressive and hurt her, but instead….

NOOMI is the aggressor – she jumps on him, bites him, scratches him, hits him, chases him, scares him, bats him away from the food bowl, bats him off my bed when he and I are snoozing together… my giant, 11 + lbs. Persian boy goes running… grumbling.. but running because of a 3 lbs. little terror-mite. 

Occasionally, in the middle of the night she gets scared and come running, crying onto my bed, climbs up on my neck, back, shoulders and purrrrrrrrrrs and licks my face till she falls back to sleep.  I love it… Habibi will sleep on my legs/feet in the winter to stay warm, and once in a blue moon, like the other afternoon, he’ll take a nap with me and snuggle, but it’s rare and few between that he’s that loving.  So, this little Noomi girl is a lovely change, finally, finally, I have a snuggle bug!!!!!!!!!!  I hope she stays that way, always.