Continuing the Journey....With Fresh Paths

About a month ago I read a blog with this title.  It came on a very good day for a new idea....continuing my journey...but with fresh paths.  It seems I am not necessarily one who looks for new paths.  I tend to follow the old path until all the grass has been smashed down, all the flowers have been trodden upon and all that is left is the hard barron ground.  If your goal is to make it to the same place time after time without fail, with no new adventure....follow my old paths.  They will take you to the same worn out area where nothing grows, nothing changes and everything remains the same.  BORING and senseless.  So, how about this idea...to continue the journey God has set me out on, but to take a different road to get there, to listen more closely to Him and his direction.  I am absolutely positive that He is NOT sending me down that same path.  That same path is my free will to be fearful of the unknown, fearful of the new, fearful of change.  How am I going to get anywhere on that path except the same ole same ole which has not proven to be very rewarding.  So as of today, I chose to continue my journey but on fresh paths, new paths, new directions.  Surely Goodness and Mercy will follow me all the days of my life!

Encourage One Another

One Two Three Four, One Two...

Those are words that are reflecting in my ears after several sessions of Body Combat, hooks, jabs, upper cuts, and scissors....ah!  I feel like I've been run over by a train and I'm concerned the second train is coming tomorrow.  My core aches today but I suspect my arms and back will really be feeling it tomorrow.  Gotta keep going, gotta keep it up.  I  know it will pay off eventually.  The scale has moved a couple of pounds but I'm wanting it to fall below that big number.  Please show me that in the next few days!  But the part that has come off has stayed off consistently for over a week so Praise God for that.  I've worked hard the last 6 weeks.  I hope what they say is true, muscle weighs more than fat??  And I hope the people on the front row don't hear me groaning!

Have You Been Blogging

Oh my, I can't shut the computer.  I find a blog I like either from a magazine or Pinterest or somewhere and I'll love that one and follow it...then that blogger will have a link to their favorite blogs and I'm off again to another blog and so on and so on and so on til hours go by!  Between this and loving to "treasure hunt", I'm in trouble.  If I could only make money doing this.  It's insane.  I'm addicted.  Stop the madness!  I have to put down the computer.   Good bye!

Encourage One Another  (but not with linked blog spots!)

Ice Cream and Elephants

OK, Feb. 1st I joined the Y.  I decided it was time to stop being so lazy and try to get more fit...not to mention lose the pounds I gained back that I had originally lost.  I have been doing "Body Pump" three days a week and either Zumba or Body Combat 2 days ago...along with the "posting the trot" Mosey and I do.  I also work on the weight machines or Body Pump day and do at least 20 extra minutes of cardio on Zumba/BC day.  Sans about 3-400 Calories I accidentally put in twice in February, the following is the results for February.
I did not see any weight change until this week really...minus 2 pounds.  THat has held up for 3-4 days so I guess it is true.  it gives me a little more motivation to not eat certain things, not eat bad things, high calorie things, because I've worked really really hard for those few simple pounds.  My goal is not really necessarily to lose weight as it is to be able to fit comfortably into some white NYDJ and some black NYDJ that I bought a while back.  If I can do that...it will be worth it.
So come ice cream and elephants for March...I hope it shows the elephant and me wearing those jeans!!!

Has Spring Really Sprung?

Has Spring Really Sprung

OK, for me life is good today.  I am just not ready for summer.  I am not ready for hot weather or humidity of any kind.  I know it's coming.  I know it's inevitable.  I know it's like the tide, ready or not, hear I come.  In fact, yesterday, March 8th, it was 80 degrees here in west Texas; no really 80 degrees.  However, today, it's more like winter than summer, woo hoo!  It's about 40 something degrees with the wind blowing and howling like "ole man winter".  It's cloudy, no sun today.  Love it!  It calls for hunkering down.  So that's what we are doing.  Perfect excuse for hot soup or chili, cornbread and a blazing fire.  I just added the "day" log my brother in law calls them...big heavy and thick enough to last all day.  The type of log to throw on if your not going to be able to "tend" the fire for a bit or a few hours.  It just burns, creates coals and keeps it burning.  My little condo is cozy in here now.  "Warm as toast and happier than most" one of my daughter's books use to say.   That's us.  Ikey and I that is.  He's all curled up in my lap sleeping like a big dog.  

Tomorrow the forecast says "wintery mix".  As for Ikey and I, we're ready.  Plenty of food, plenty of hot tea and more than enough firewood.  So no matter if it's 80 or 30, life will be good.  God will make sure of that.  

"Gettin' Jiggy Wid It"

Have you ever heard or watched birds flirt?  I've seen a lot of it lately.  It's a little bit crazy.  I mean when love is in the air...ya get a little "jiggy wid it".  The "boy" bird will fluff his feathers out, struck around and "round up" his girl.  He follows her, herds her, ruffles his feathers at her, squalks, sqweels and jumps.  She walks around paying him absolutely no mind as if she could care less.  I guess eventually she gives in.  The "boy" bird will also sing.  I mean really sing...loud.  Well to me it sounds like singing but I suspect he is telling her something like what he'll do for her, how pretty she is, why he's the one for her, that he has a nice home or will build her one, that they'll go to church on Sunday, that he'll let her bring the dog in the house, that she's the only one for him, that he's rich and handsome...something like that.  Truthfully, he just wants her.  Nature is calling him and he will do whatever it takes to win her over.  He's just a flirt, a gad about, a ladies man and maybe a little bit of a liar.  So good luck my friend.  You can do it.  I'll watch for the twigs, strings and trash mounting up in trees as nests and the eventual babies chirping.  Spring has sprung.  Bring on the flowers and the honey bees.  Bring on the 70 degree weather.  Bring on the Easter parade.  Bring it on.

This is a little bird house my dad made some years ago!  It needs a family!

Encourage One Another

Backyard Picnic

So it's spring time in this city!  You can miss it.  Breezy, 70 degrees, sunny, not a cloud in the sky.  It's west Texas spring time with 70-80 during the day and 30s at night.  Last evening I had a fire in the fire place.  I just love it.  Yesterday was in the 50s and perfect, absolutely perfect.

So ok, lunch time rolls around and as I'm fixing a sandwich I'm thinking "I really need to be outside enjoying this weather".  I'm going to ride this afternoon later but what about now.  So I decide a backyard picnic is in order.  My yard is still in a state of "winter" of course, but who cares.  All the hanging baskets and plants are inside the house and the grass remains in shades of pale green and brown.  Dried leaves still litter the patio, even after consistent sweeping and blowing.  So lunch is prepared.  I travel outside with my beach towel, computer, journal, "Where Women Create" magazine, and lunch.  That consists of open face ham sandwich on 7 grain bread with a little Polynesian sauce inside, chips, cheese stick, and a "hot" pickle.  I just found these at HEB to take the place of the Habanero pickles I paid a lot for online.  These are comparable and are really good and hot.  Add Ikey, a diet Pepsi and Heartland on the computer and vue la, you have a picnic in the backyard.  Photo is a "during" shot so you can see I have already enjoyed a few bites....  Ikey is waiting patiently to see what bites he gets.  

 After eating every scrumptious bite, except what I shared with Ikey and one little bread crumb toss to the birds, I laid down and watched the rest of Heartland...then I just laid down for a bit in the sun.  What a great idea.  What a great day.

Enjoy One Another

My Daughter Ran a Half Marathon

13.2 miles....really could have been 100.  I could never run that, well, I should say I would never try to run that.

My daughter ran a half marathon yesterday!  Can you just say WOW!  I am so impressed.  She has been training for several months...probably not as much or often as she should or would like to have.  The fact she is a wife and stay home mother to an 17 month old makes a huge difference in the kind of time she has.  She blogged about it the other day and here is what she said.  

I don't think I realized when I set out to run a half marathon that it would be such a change for our entire family unit. It wasn't just about me getting out and logging the miles. Baby Gray would go from spending about an hour a week in the jogger to spending about an hour a day strapped in tight. He would have to eat breakfast in our bedroom while I shower and get dressed after a run (see photo, but excuse Mr. Gray's closet). Mr. Gray and I would miss family time many evenings so I could hit the pavement when it was too cold or wet to have Baby Gray out before Mr. Gray got home. Saturday mornings would no longer family be PJ time; I get up at daylight to get back and do family breakfast after my long runs. My running quit being part of the fringe benefits and took center stage over the past six weeks. 

It's been an interesting transformation. I like that my day now focuses on when I will get a run in. I'm not quite sure how I feel about the fact that the first words out of my son's mouth each morning are waffle and stroller. He knows. I get him up, we get a clean diaper, and grab him a waffle for the road--PJs and all! Granted, he doesn't dislike this routine, I'm just not sure I love that he eats breakfast in his stroller each morning.

After Sunday, our focus can move to a more balanced approach. Running will continue, but not with such urgency. Once the six-week mark approached, I got pretty nervous about being ready. I am ready, though. I'm still slow, but I've got endurance. I can finish. I can even finish before they start packing everything up--I'm not that slow! 13.1, here I come!

Her time was 2 hr 32 min., much more like 11 min something per mile.  Fabulous.  I am so impressed.  When she finished she had a smile on her face.  She looked amazing and very happy.  One of her lifelong friends, whose idea it was to run it in the first place and has run several, flaked out on her yesterday.  She didn't run.  I told her it reminded me of the first and ONLY 10K I ever ran when I was about exactly her age.  It was initiated by this very friend's mother.  I trained for who knows how long...that mom was already a runner.  At the last minute, literally too, the day before she flaked, complaining of blisters.  I ran it by myself.  I ran it.  I finished it.  I ran across the finish line with my arms raised as if I were the winner..first place.  I could not have been more proud.  I told my daughter this story and suggested she share it w/ her friend.  My daughter just called and updated me on the divine intervention that occurred while she was running.  Finding someone to run with, pace her, talk to, share her faith with...that was just amazing, a miracle really.  I'm sure she'll blog it and I'll include it here later.  Anyway, she's my hero.  She's an amazing woman, wife, mother, and I adore her with all my heart.  I so wish I could have been there for her at the finish line.  I would have been smiling through my tears.  

Encourage One Another

Robin

Desk Review

I Have This Desk

Nine years ago my dad had an estate sale.  He got remarried and had to  purge everything, or almost everything, that belonged to he and my mother...lots of things my mother loved.  That's another story.  Anyway, he wanted us to take whatever we wanted first.  One of the things I good was a heavy seven drawer Maple desk.  It's a nice desk, if you like Maple, and it has some good storage space.  It got some water damage in my other house on the top so it is not in as good a shape as when I got it.  Really, it's too dark and heavy looking and I don't like Maple. It's just not me.

My mom loved Maple and her house was full of it.  I kept it so long because my dad gave it to me.  Sadly my dad is gone and I have been thinking of getting rid of it.  It's just too big and doesn't fit in.  Well, yesterday I had an idea.  What about painting it?  I've got a friend who is doing a LOT of redoing and painting furniture so I asked her opinion.  She said "do it".  So now all I have to do is decide about the color of paint.  Well I also might need to start with painting something small...to get the knack of it.  I don't remember the last time I painted a piece of furniture.  I actually have several pieces of furniture I'd like to paint.  One is a little table my great grandfather made.  My grandmother  painted it a hundred times...so this will be one hundred and one.  Then I have a little drop leave oak table my grandmother also painted repeatedly.  I tried to strip it once but had very bad luck.  We'll see how this all goes.  Leonardo di Vinci I am not!

Encourage One Another

Eww Eww Eww, Garage Sales Were Calling

Don't remember the last time I "planned" to go garage "sailing".  I've accidentally stopped by a few in the last few years, but not in forever planned to get up early and go.  Well, I didn't get up when the alarm went up after all but I was on the road before 9.  I got several do dads, and things, and stuff, but several pretty cool items.
First off I saw these sort of burnt umber Dan Post Boots.  They said 8 1/2B (B usually denotes a woman's size).  I wear an 8 1/2 shoe but usually a 7 1/2 boot...but that's in a Justin.  So I tried these on and they fit pretty good.  With regular riding socks, they should fit fine....especially if I'm just going to dress "cowgirl up".  They have a few nicks and scrapes, but over all when the man said $2, I said "I'll take 'em".

You know I can always use these a planters or vases if I decide I don't like the way they fit.  Have you seen those?  SO stinkin' cute.  Actually either fill with soil and plant something inside, or add a vase or jar filled with water and flowers and they are just fabulous!  For this price I can do whatever!
The guy also had an old typewriter.  Now I know these things are collectibles, but no idea about their value.  He told me yesterday he was asking $25.  I knew he was trying to shut the sale down so I offered $5.  He said "I'll take it"...I said "box it up".  I found out it's worth $30 - $40 so it was a good buy.

My next spot I found a cute hand made wooden tool box with a handle.  No idea where I'll put it yet, but I really liked it.  It would be cute painted but  I sort of like it "naked".  We'll see how that goes.

I made it to the high school band sale and although I purchased a few things...I ended up donating a little too.  I told them I'd planned to be there earlier but since what I probably would have bought was already gone I'd just donate that money anyway.  They were appreciative.  There I found a little hanger for belts, but I "upcycled" it to hang my necklaces on...I've been looking for just that thing...so it worked out perfect.  I also found that old Golden Book with the little girl on front about Prayers...love it.  Deal of the day, .50.
Oh, and yesterday I couldn't pass up an estate sale.  There I purchased three original small oil paintings by the home owner and two very old drawing books.

She had a fabulous little glassed in studio off her inside patio that would have been great inspiration.  It needed a window that she could open in my opinion but other than that it was a great little nook.  I suspect when it was loaded with her stuff it was awesome.  It had been slimmed down to some art books and some canvases and didn't really looked lived in.  I hope wherever she is she is able to do art.  It was an inspiring art day!
Oh, and one more thing.  I got these "exfoliating" gloves that you use in the shower.  They are fabulous and work wonders on my very dry skin.  End with some great smelling lotion and your all set for summer with shorts and short sleeves!
It's interesting the folks you see at thrift stores and garage sales...they are very similar.  They are mostly hustling to find the best deal.  Sometimes in a small town you see the same people at every sale.  They buy a lot of "trinkets".  I suspect they may recycle them as gifts...good idea.  My friend says she likes to give old things as gifts.  I'd love that.
OK, so that's it for a while.
It's time to purge some of my old for the new.  I have a date with my resale place to take some of MY stuff in a week or two.  I've got a pile going but I better get a better start on that.  Those dates are few and far between.  She's busy taking in everyones purging!
Happy treasure hunting!

Encourage one another.

Posting Update

Started 1/17/12
17 jogs including today
41.68 total miles
Average 2.45 miles per trip
338 min
5.63 hours
started at 2 mi today trotted 3.3 mi
I think we are both stronger.  The last couple of times he gets his second wind during the last quarter mile and wants to kick it up a notch and canter.  I keep him at a trot...that's our goal.

Treasure Hunt Find of the Week

OK, I did a little treasure hunting this week.  I found a couple of cool things at my second favorite store.  I found a hand painted sunflower gold/yellow tile with an A (for Annie) in the middle for a metal trivet I purchased recently with a broken tile in the middle.  I found another little bit larger tile/trivet hand painted with ivy and a pretty cursive T.  Then I found one with a horse and carriage scene hand painted in 1953 by Mildred.  It was a day for tiles/trivets.

Most specifically today because you know what today is....the day the percentages go down 25% at my favorite resale shop, I got a couple of things I'd been watching...

A "Fuller" brush (very old), a turquoise ball jar and some vintage art pencils that you can use as watercolors.  I also found an old hand painted cool tin canister with a rooster on it that I decided to keep my dog food in instead of Tupperware.  It's dark green with reds and yellow chippy paint.  They were all $1 each.

I found a turquoise (you know how that's become my favorite color of the moment) basket weave bowl of sorts with hand painted ceramic fruit in it.  Pretty.

However, my favorite treasure of the week, which I had not seen before, was a Woolrich charcoal gray denim "barn coat" with red and black plaid flannel lining and a black corduroy collar.  It said "medium" so I was not sure it would fit, but it was a perfect fit.  It is long, about mid thigh, perfect for wearing with boots, riding, or just hanging out.  In fact I wore it around the store and it was 70 something degrees outside...wore it all the way home.  It will look so much better with almost anything than the flannel shirts I've been wearing (but do LOVE).  I love this coat and can hardly wait for a perfect weather day to wear it.  I've already sort of visualized me wearing it w/ my tall black boots, black cowboy hat, white shirt, scarf and jeans.  It's gonna be great.  Although the last few days have been in the high 70s, I'm hopefully cool weather is not over.  It's a light weight coat so really most nights it will still probably be perfect.

So, let me just say it was a good week for treasure hunting.  Once I get to wear my "new outfit", maybe I'll take a photo!  Til then, happy hunting!

Encourage One Another