July 4th Party Planning

Greetings from The (planning) Hill,

We are having a "Do" at our house for the July 4th weekend.  New to a Do?  At our house it begins by getting the word out.  Save the date's are gone and I'm beginning to hear back.  Then I plan like crazy.  The day before I spend cooking, cleaning, decorating,etc.  The day of begins early with a calming cup of coffee, last minute cooking then the guests begin to arrive around 11:00am.  From that moment on the house is open all day into the evening.  Because it is Independence Day we will have fireworks (legal in our county) to end the evening.


So what do you do at a Lindsey Do?  Spend time with folks you haven't seen in a while, eat, sit outside under the canopy and eat, get the gang together and go do something somewhere else then come back and eat, play with the kids and eat.  See the pattern here?

Most of the time I do a pot luck but this Do will be different.  I will make pulled pork for sandwiches instead of burgers.  Then we will grill brats and dogs and have a Hot Dog and Salad Bar.  I'll get different kinds of buns and a huge bowl of mixed greens and let guests select from the following toppings:

Dill pickles
Dill pickle relish
Chopped Onions
Onion rings
Corn & potatoes cooked in Old Bay
Shredded cheddar
Salsa
Diced tomatoes
Cold slaw
Sauerkraut
Scallions
Cilantro
Bacon
Cucumbers
Onion cooked in vege oil, ketchup & wine
Cherry tomatoes
Dried cranberries
Diced apples

Crumbled Gorgonzola

In addition to the above there will be appetizers, sides, dessert and massive quantities of stuff to drink.

While planning the menu I've also been scouring the Dollar Stores and thrift stores for items I can use to decorate with.  I already have a red, white and blue bunting for the porch.  Here are the additional items I've found so far:

Believe it or not I found these plates and napkins discount priced at my local grocery store. 

Watermelon S&P Shakers

I have a pretty good collection of salt & pepper shakers.  This is one of my summertime sets. I bought this little Aloe plant because it's great for cuts, bug bites and burns.  

Thrift store flower vases

I found these containers at the thrift store for 25 cents each.  I'll take the tops off the cookie containers and plant white petunias.  I will put red ones in the clay pots.  I am still looking for a blue container or two.

Thrift store bowls

In addition to red, white and blue flower vases I am also looking for small red, white and blue containers to put all the many toppings in.  Above are the ones I found today.

Dollar Store finds

I bought 2 holiday tablecloths and 2 of these really great rag rug mats.  The mat is twice the size you see in the picture.  We have a church pew on our front porch that will get one of the mats and a wicker love seat that will get the other one to cover up the pad it has now.


I'm getting really excited about our Do.  If I can pause in my hostess duties I'm take a few pictures to post.


Hope you are having fun planning whatever you plan to do over the holiday weekend.


Later...

5 Dollar Store Decorating Ideas for Summer

Greetings from The (spruced up) Hill,

When the seasons change I love to add a few things around the house to welcome the warm of Spring/Summer. Because these are seasonal items I don’t want to spend a lot of money so I visit the Dollar Stores.  They put seasonal items out early so I can get a jump start. Dollar store items are inexpensive so I can make several changes for not a lot of money and it is just plain fun to poke around and find items that fit in with my house décor.  Below are my favorite ways to spruce up a kitchen or screened porch.


1.  Front Door Mat:  Because dollar store rugs and mats are so inexpensive you can treat them like disposable items.  I recently paid $5.00 for a mat that will get me through the whole year if I want.  That is less than 50 cents a month.

2.  Kitchen Rugs: Buy 2 slice kitchen rugs, one for in front of the sink and one for in front of the dishwasher.  Ever notice how much water gets on the floor in front of the dishwasher?  If you are tired of constantly cleaning it up, let the rug absorb it for you.  Pick a rug you like and use the colors in the rug to set a new spring color theme for your kitchen.  When the season is over these rugs can get packed away and brought out another time.

3.  Cafe Curtains: There is always a wide selection in the curtain aisle of a dollar store.  You can separate the set and use the valance over the sink and the bottom set on a door using small inexpensive tension rods. 

4.  Tablecloth:  Dollar stores often sell tablecloths that match or coordinate with other kitchen items.  I used this vinyl, felt backed tablecloth on the porch.  Because this area gets a lot of use in warm weather the tablecloth will be a disposable item when fall comes.

5.  Sheers:  You can create the feel of an outside room on a screened porch .  Buy sheer panels in a complementing color and hang them in a corner using tension rods.  At end of season they can be packed away for later use.


Do you have any low cost dollar store decorating experiences to share?

Later….

Friday Night Thoughts

 Have you ever sat down to write and just jotted down everything that came to mind, letting one thought lead into another.  I have.  So tonight that will be my blog post.  Here goes.

Like "Coffee Talk" from Saturday Night Live we must begin with a topic to get the ball rolling.  Let's begin with my daughter.  She very rarely sings in front of people.  Tonight she is up in her room just singing away.  I'm eavesdropping I know but I love to hear her.  And of course when I start writing about her she stops.  Leo the cat is having a wild night.  Running to and fro in front of me chasing some imagined pray.  Then he stops quickly and jumps up into the air, spinning around to run the other way.  Silly cat.  DH started watching this show called Whale Wars.  While I believe in stopping folks from killing whales these guys take it a step further and do stuff like shoot red paint at the illegal poacher's ship.  Last night they rammed into a ship causing damage to their hull.  Crazy people.  I gotta watch something else.  Oh yeah, reruns of The Next Food Network Star.  Do you remember Hans Rueffert from Season 1?   The reason he didn't win is that they could not nail down his point of view and that is critical for this show.  His restaurant is up the road from where I work.  He's a great guy who is one of the strongest people I know.  It is because of his talent in the kitchen that I fell in love with Bavarian Red Cabbage.  This rerun is of last season.  Remember Aarti of Aarti Party?  While she won the competition it was Tom Pizzica who made a big splash on Food Network.  DD is going to the grocery store.  Wonder who she will see?  Can't go without running into someone.  I had a really uncomfortable experience recently.  Ran into an old acquaintance who has been diagnosed with a fatal disease.  How do you respond when someone you barely know stands in front of you and says the Dr. told him he was dying?  He had such a hard time this winter that his brother had to buy his groceries and help with other things.  I heard that song I love today on the radio on the way to work, Tim McGraw's "Live Like You Are Dying".  So all day I've been thinking about that.  How would my life be different if I knew my time was limited?  I think little things wouldn't worry me so.  I'd be happy for every minute of every day.  I'd be sure to tell the special people in my life how much they have meant to me.  And I would quickly do the things I could from my Bucket List.  Enough of that.  Truth is every day could be my last so I just need to live like I was dying each day. 

I switched over to a taped episode of Extreme Makeover.  This show makes me cry almost every time.   I've changed my focus in trying to find a footstool.  Because they are so hard to find I'm beginning to think outside the box.  My Twitter friends have given me a couple of really good ideas.  One idea is to find a small table the right wood, scale and shape.  Cut down the legs, pad the top and there ya go, footstool.  Another idea is to find a chair that would do, cut the back off and mount the back two legs like the front two.    The other idea I'm brewing is to ask one of the guys at work to build one using found wood.  I can probably go to the local upholstery store and get scraps of foam and fabric.   I sure could use a footstool right about now.  Just went to take my PM meds and remembered it is Friday night.  Saturday is going to be busy.  Our family reunion is Sunday so there is lots of prep.  Roll Mom's hair, help her make a chicken casserole to take, do the banking and pay bills.  Clean house (especially the bedroom), get ingredients for my dish and make it because it gets better the longer it sits in the fridge.  I'm making a broccoli salad with raisins, sunflower seeds and a delicious dressing made with sugar, mayo and apple cider vinegar.  It's almost summer, time for cookouts and company.  I love when the house is full of folks but stress over what to fix.  Last night I pulled out the recipes of some of my favorite things, appetizers, main dishes, sides and desserts.  Then I grouped them together into meals.  That way when we expect company all I have to do is pull out the prepared menu, buy the ingredients and put it all together.  You don't have to cook a lot of items, just cook a lot of what you plan.

I have lots more to say but think I'm gonna call it quits.  Be bedtime soon.  Hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Later...

P.S. I'm looking for a simplified version of this footstool.  I'll be sure to post a picture of what I wind up with.

Lazy Weekend

Greetings from The (Holiday Weekend) Hill,

I have not missed the purpose of this weekend.  My Daddy was a Navy vet and remembering those who are gone, in the line of service or not, is why we have this holiday.

The weekend began spending time with my Mom.  I love hanging out with her.  I took her to the beauty shop to get a perm.  While there I happened to meet the daughter of a friend of mine.  She and I had never met before and it was a delight getting to know her.  She talked about her "Poppy" tattoo and told me all about him and how special he was to her.  She told me how awesome her Mom and Daddy are.  Turns out her Mom and I have some things in common.  She is a thrift store shopper.

Saturday evening the photographer brought over the proofs of our photo shoot.  There was not a bad pic in the bunch.  Here are a few of my favs.

My beloved better half.

DD and I

DS and Ran behind the home place chicken coop

The two of us

Sunday after church I was so lazy.  All I did was take a nap and visit with DS who came over to do laundry.

Today Ran and I plan to go thrift store shopping (if they are open).  Once the living room began to take shape I realized I need a foot stool.  I want one that is fabric so the cat can't harm it.  It would be nice if it had dark wooden legs.  I don't care about the shape but it needs to be fairly small.  And so the adventure begins.

Hope you have a wonderful holiday.  Be safe and if you know and love a vet tell them you love them and you are glad they are here and say Thank you for all they went through.

Later...

Thrift Store Treasure

Greetings from The (thrifty) Hill,

The day we brought our new living room set home I knew the table in the kitchen (behind the love seat) had to go.  Suddenly it took up too much room and was the place everything was dropped on so it was always cluttered.  The solution was to get rid of the table and find a sideboard.  And so, the search began.

First stop was to search Google images to find out what my preference was.  Found out I wanted simple lines with a touch of architectural detail, light wood and plenty of storage. 

 

So with this information in hand the foot (and finger) work began.  Craig's list and EBay were first.   There was some sweet stuff out there but not at a price I was willing to pay.  Then I began my search at every local store in Jasper.  Antique stores, flea markets, thrift stores, and yard sales.  Jasper is blessed with several thrift stores and I began visiting literally every day.  I knew that one day the right piece would be just around a corner.  I had also opened the search to include bedroom dressers that might fill the bill.

Yesterday I was back at the thrift store looking once again.  Stuff arrives daily and the right piece could show up at any time.  And then, there it was.

 It met my criteria perfectly.  It was indeed a dresser that was the exact size and shape I needed.  The best part????  Only $25.00.  Don't we love thrift stores???

Yep, dresser turned sideboard.  Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.  The table was moved to the back porch.  I will show you that project later.  The table that WAS on the porch is getting taken to the thrift store and the cycle continues.

Looking forward to reading about your thrift store, yard sale finds.

Later...

Unwelcome visitor

Greetings from The (bear infested) Hill,

Every Spring and Fall we are visited by the local bears who are either waking up and hungry or getting ready to bed down and hungry. 

Our poor screens can't stand up to a curious visitor.  Looks like we need to put metal grid all around, not just on the bottom of the door.

Later.....

Family Photo Shoot

Greetings from The (photogenic) Hill,

We celebrated my sister's birthday yesterday.  I gave her a photo shoot and included the whole family.  We had a party at Mom's then the photographer arrived and the fun began.  Kyle, the photographer, had to sing Amazing Grace to get folks to laugh.  It was a hoot.  Mom did great but got tired of smiling after being in group photos with all of us. 

Randy followed Kyle and took pics on his own. 

This is a shot of our kids.  Kyle actually shot them doing some fake ninja moves.  Ben hung upside down from a tree and "fought" Birdie.  It was great.  Those two took some great shots together. 

This is a shot of Ran shooting Kyle shooting Ben.  We took our family pics at Grandmother's & Grandad's old homeplace.  It had so much character and was a great place to shoot.  The building you see here was Grandad's wood working shop. 

It was a fun day for everyone and Sis said it was a great present for her. 

Later...

Last Day on Earth. Let's Go!!!!!

Inspired by others I decided to think about what I wouldn't do if the world were to end tomorrow.  Here is my list.

1.  I wouldn't have to tell folks close to me I love them, they know.  I tell them every time I see them.

2.  I wouldn't go to work.  Did I even need to say that one???

3.  I wouldn't have to watch Weight Watchers points.  YAY - I'd start with Dutch Monkey Doughnuts, eat massive quantities of pasta and end with 5 kinds of dessert - lemon bars, ice cream, cobbler (any flavor except cherry), that green jello, whipped topping stuff we have at Thanksgiving and since it will be my last day on earth and migraines are not an issue, tons and tons of chocolate!!!

4.  I wouldn't spend time on the computer.  I doubt others would either.

5.  I wouldn't be afraid of heights anymore.  If I fall, it's just a day early.  So I'd go zip lining through the treetops.

6.  I wouldn't wash dishes or do housework.

7.  I wouldn't pick the car up from the shop.  What's the point of wasting that money.  I'd take the money and go shopping.  Of course I wouldn't be able to use anything I bought but it'll be fun to buy whatever I want!!

8.  I wouldn't keep the cat inside.  If it's his last day too he needs to spend it outside in the grass and exploring the woods.

9.  I wouldn't spend one minute away from my husband.  He would make my last day fun.

10.  Oops I wouldn't be able to do #3, #5 or #7.  I'm sure folks who run restaurants, stores and entertainment would be taking the day off too.  They'll have their own "What I'll do on my last day" list as well.

So what WILL I do?  Get together with my family and spend all day talking, laughing and eating.  What a better way to spend my last day?  And when Jesus comes we'll all be together to meet Daddy, brother, sister and grandparents.  Looking forward to it, are you ready?????  LET'S GO!!!!!!!

Spring/Summer On The Hill

Greetings from The (Spring/Summer) Hill,

Dog pen is behind that tree straight ahead

Just as seasons change on The Hill my background needs to change on the Blog.  Right now The Hill is green, green, green.  There are not a lot of flowers yet but the trees are in full leaf.  We are still in that place where the weather is hot one day and cool the next.  Today is cold and windy.

I have planted sunflowers on two sides of the (unused) dog pen.  When (if) they grow they will camouflage the pen.

Miss Biscuit

The pen was intended for Biscuit who is such a sweet dog that she stays on the porch unless one of us goes walking.









I also planted some shade wildflowers all around the property.  Some in the dog pen, some beside the driveway and some randomly around the woods.  I thought about Daddy the whole time.  He was always busy planting in the spring, just like my brother does. 

With spring also comes visits from the newly awake bears.  One has already visited to see if he/she can find food.  DH poured Clorox in the trash can.  Bears have a keen sense of smell and Clorox doesn't smell good so they pass by.

Touches of Spring

 Greetings from The Hill,

When I read the book written about Dave Thomas of Wendy's there was one concept that has stayed with me ever since.  Dave wanted his restaurants to look clean and was a firm believer in a coat of paint to spruce things up.

I typically do a little redecorating every Spring and Fall just to spruce things up.  Sometimes it's something small like adding new pillows or place mats and sometimes it's big involving repainting and purchasing additional pieces of furniture and accessories.

This spring I've done everything but paint.  We purchased new living room furniture so that meant we had to rearrange our room entirely.  I like the new arrangement.  I've always heard decorators say that a small room can carry big pieces.  The furniture we chose proves that true.  It is so much bigger than our other couches yet it feels we have more space than before.




Then today I visited our local discount (read "dollar") store for a box of Swiffer sheets and came home with tons of new things that make the house more welcoming for spring.  I bought a new welcome mat for the front door and a scatter rug for the living room but most of the items I purchased were for the kitchen.

This season I am drawn to a green, pear and orange theme.  This little shot glass was my inspiration.

(Yes, I know these are lemons)

So while I was at the store I found this kitchen towel.  Pear, green and orange.  Something about that color combination just grabbed me.  So I went looking further.

Then I found this rug.

Next was a new table cloth for the snack table.

And finally I changed out the place mats on the table.




















It's a little matchy, matchy than I usually do but I like it and that's all that matters.  And there you have it.  My new color scheme for spring.

Later...

Back to the Knoll

Greetings from the (post vacation) Knoll,

Thought I'd pop back here and begin journaling again. Or at least try to.  We spent last week in Savannah.  Highlights were getting to see our nephew Michael and his family.  We also went to Tybee and walked the beach all morning.  It was so wonderful to visit the ocean again.   And once again I was struck by the vastness and power of it. 

That's Ran walking in the distance.

And of course we had some fab eats.  I had contacted food critic Tim Rutherford who gave me a list of less touristy places to go.  Wiley's Championship BBQ was a fav.

Wiley's Championship BBQ

At Wiley's I had the brisket.  My side of Janet's sweet potato casserole was almost as good a mom makes.  They also let us go out back and see the cookers.

John telling us how they cook the meat.

We also ate at Cha Bella, a farm to table restaurant.  Oh my, the food was so fantastic. My app was North Carolina Scallops served with  melted leeks, topped with Provencal sauce.  For my entree I chose Bone-In White Marble Farms Pork Chop,Pan-seared with fresh herbs, roasted local sweet potatoes, Walker Farms wilted garlic spinach and an apple onion chutney.  I have to tell you the chutney was heaven.  Wish I could have taken a jar of that home.  I Googled and found a recipe online.  I will definitely try it.

On our own we also ate at a touristy place, The Crab Shack.

Resident cat welcoming committee.  Scratch the belly and be seated.

View from our table.

The Menu

My dungeness crab

The Crab Shack

The service was great, there was a nice breeze blowing and the crab was excellent.  What more could you ask for from a coastal restaurant.

Did we go on River Street?  Of course we did.  Did we drive around the city looking at the beautiful architecture?  Of course we did.  Did we buy sweets at several places??? Yes we did.  I'm a sucker for sweets.  We had cookies from Two Smart Cookies, pralines and other assorted chocolates from 2 candy stores on River Street and we visited the Byrd Cookie Company.  Gotta try the Benne Wafers.  Yum!

It was a great vacation and I'm ready to go back to visit the places we missed this time.  Ah well.  You always need something to look forward to.

Later...

I've been so busy with the new food blog I feel that I have neglected my diary blog.  It's been a good week.  I got to spend some fun time with Aunt Cindy shopping in Cumming.  We went to this store called Charming Charlie's.  It is unusual because the items - clothes, jewelry, handbags, shoes, etc, - are arranged by color.  It was so fun to browse around the different color palettes.





The weather has been beautiful this week.  I haven't even worn a coat.  Right now the sun is shining and the sky is a beautiful shade of light blue.

At Christmas Ben gave me a gift certificate to Barnes & Nobel.  I looked online and found a wonderful bamboo lap desk.  It arrived today and I have my computer sitting on it even as we speak.  I also ordered a tiny travel mouse.  I was getting a little tired of using the pad on the computer.  And I am writing more and more lately so it is important to be comfortable.

I have a food story to tell.  I love to watch Andrew Zimmern on Bizarre Foods.  He'll try any food once, the grosser the better.  This morning he ate some squirming octopus tentacles.  He said he loved the way they wiggled around in his mouth.  Yuck.  I was telling Mom the story and then told her about the tongue I plan to order when Randy and I go to dinner Saturday night.  She proceeded to tell me she had eaten pig tongue before.  Grandmother boiled the offal parts of the pig, tongue, ears, feet, etc. with herbs and spices then formed it into a loaf.  When cool they cut it into slices and made sandwiches from it.  Mom called it Souse.  I Googled souse and learned that what they made was more like head cheese.  Souse is pickled.  Head cheese is not.  Anyway that was the new thing I learned today.  My mom has eaten tongue.

Deborah Ridings, my dear friend, co-worker and cousin, is at the hospital today waiting on her soon to be daughter-in-law to give birth to Deb's third grandchild.  THREE !!  The woman has THREE!!  And I don't have one yet. I'll be an old woman by the time I have grandchildren.  That's ok though, I don't want to rush the kids.

I'm really loving writing again.  It's as if the new meds woke me up from a long, long sleep.  It feels good.  I may not be the best writer in town but it makes me happy to do it.  And life is too short not to do the things that make you happy and content. 

Later...

Check it out

New blog post up on "Fooding Around the South"

Here a Herb, There a Herb, Everywhere a Little Herb

All the little herbs

Greetings from The (growing) Hill,

My sister has a herb garden.  From time to time I've borrowed some fresh herbs and of course they can't be beat.  I also buy fresh herbs at the grocery but so often they go bad before I use them up.  Very frustrating.

The other day I saw a little herb garden kit.  Of course it was an exercise in hope as we all know I have a black thumb.  But I guess I'll never stop trying to grow things.

So with the utmost care I read the directions, planted the seeds, watered as instructed and watched the dirt for little heads popping out.  Sure enough in a few days I started to see sprouts.  YAY !!!!!

I moved the pot near the window and up they came.  Every morning I sprinkle warm water over them.  I have to rotate the pot because they lean toward the sun.

Today I took a picture. The new plants look like little trees pushing up from the forest floor.  I'm a proud mama.  I'll let you know when they are ready to use.

Later ...

Visit my new Blog

I have started a new blog as a spin off of my last post here.  "Fooding Around the South" was created to journal my adventures in Fooding.  Here's the link if you want to visit.  And I hope you do.  http://foodingaroundthesouth.blogspot.com/

Later ...

Eureka I’m not a Foodie …

Greetings from The (excited) Hill,

I often ponder on things and the past couple of days I have been pondering if I am a Foodie or not.  My claim is that I am a “Foodie wanna be”  however as I learned more I realized that doesn’t describe me at all.

The first thing I did was  look up the definition in, where else, Wikipedia.  This is what I found:

Foodies are a distinct hobbyist group. Typical foodie interests and activities include the food industry, wineries and wine tasting, breweries and beer sampling, food science, following restaurant openings and closings,  food distribution, food fads, health and nutrition and restaurant management.  A foodie might develop a particular interest in a specific item, such as the best egg cream or burrito.

I really didn’t see myself anywhere in there.  So I went to another source,  Heather Irwin’s blog “Metroactive Dining” http://bit.ly/hNWybh .  Here’s what she says:

“Let's get one thing incredibly straight here: anyone who talks about food for a paycheck is a foodie…”   “…Here's a definition from Foodie.com that I've come to associate with the true neo-foodie: "The foodie lives to eat, and eating to live is definitive boredom. A true foodie clings to all things culinary. . . . To find the perfect cheese or the best macaroon recipe is life's work." 

“Foodies of the true calling …are true eaters who have a passion for food. …they tend to carry around mental lists of the best places to find not just foie gras, but pork skins, Spanish cheese and tikka masala. They know where to find fish roe at 8am. They tend to congregate and talk a lot about food--yes, maybe sometimes to a fault.”

I didn’t see myself there either.  So what am I?

Right now I am so into the show “Bizarre Foods  with Andrew Zimmern”.  I tape each episode and love to watch him eat all that crazy stuff I’d never even think of going near.  But that’s not the only reason I watch.  Andrew is great about sharing the culture and people of the places he visits.  He immerses himself in a place and takes you with him. I’ve learned so much from him.

Today, I learned that I am not a Foodie.  Here is what I discovered.

Andrew was visiting Paris so naturally he took us to a fine dining restaurant where the $1,000.00 meal of pressed duck was prepared tableside. But then he visited the leader of a food revolution in Paris, food writer, Alexander Cammas.  Alexander has coined the term “Fooding”.   In his words  “(Fooding is a) spirit way of eating.”  When you visit a restaurant and go out ask yourself one thing, “Do you want to go back?”

Andrew went on to say “That may sound obvious but here in Paris it’s a radical idea that great food is the only thing you need for a great restaurant.  The Fooding revolution means world class food served in everyday settings at prices ordinary people can still afford.  And there are bonus points for doing great things with the most ordinary ingredients.” 

In an effort to conclude my research I Googled the term Fooding.  There's not much there that isn't French.  Go here to see what Wikipedia had to say  http://bit.ly/hedNtU.

So the word fooding is really a contraction of the words "food" and "feeling".

Eureka, that’s me, I go Fooding !!!!!!  I search out world class food in everyday settings with prices ordinary people can afford.  My adventures are not only about the food but about the feeling, the setting, the company.

I am going to brazenly steal the term Alexander coined, giving him the utmost credit and respect of course.  Going Fooding has always been what I do I just didn’t know the word to put to it.  And who knew I was a member of a food revolution.  So henceforth when you hear the term Fooding used in America you will know it all began on The Hill at Dandelion Knoll right here and now.

I’m looking forward to an upcoming Girls Night Out with my peeps.  I already have a local restaurant in mind where I know the food is fresh, some of it unique and always delicious.

Later …

Milestone

Greetings from The (hungry) Hill,

When doc put me on my new meds there were a couple of side effects.  First, and most annoying, the meds made me sleepy so I had to cut the dose in half to even function.

The second side effect decreased my appetite. I just really never got hungry. 

While the side effects began immediately the benefits of the meds did not.  It took about 3 weeks or so for the migraines to decrease and the anti-depressant effects to kick in.  Once that happened, I began to feel much better.  I felt happier, more content, more creative, really like my old self - the one that has been missing for years.  However I still didn't have an appetite, until yesterday that is.

Something weird kicked in yesterday and I was actually hungry.  I ate a decent breakfast and lunch like I usually do.  For a while now once I get home I'm just not hungry for supper.  But yesterday I couldn't get enough to eat.  I just piled it in.  It felt so good!!  Of course if I keep this pace up I'll have to come out of Weight Watcher's maintenance and go back to watching my points.  But that's OK.

Not sure how long this will last.  Not even sure I'll be hungry today.  We'll see. In the meantime - bon appétit.

Later ...

My Bucket List

I crossed something off my bucket list today.  I had my first mimosa.  Tick - that one's gone.

Of course you are now wondering what other things I have crossed off my bucket list.  Here is a partial list:

Get saved and baptized.
Marry the man of my dreams.
Have a baby, two actually.
Take piano lessons. 
Fly in an airplane.
Visit Las Vegas.  (Didn't like it too well)
Make a difference in my community.
Write a song that makes someone cry.
Win a poetry writing contest.
Design our house.

Of course there's more I just can't think of them right now.

What is still on my list?

Hold my grandbaby.
Travel in a camper with Ran when we retire.
Get published.
Retire with enough money to be comfortable.
Visit Tuscany.
Visit Scotland.
Be personal friends with a celebrity.(Could be my daughter one day.)


The wonderful thing about bucket lists is that if you enjoy life the list is never finished.  It just keeps growing and growing.

Later...

Back in Saddle

Greetings from The (rainy, wet) Hill,

I am not extremely talented at it but I love to write.  However for the last several years I haven't really written much of anything.  I even fell behind on journaling. Seems I just couldn't take pen to paper (or hands to keyboard).

Well, it appears the drought is over.  Maybe it's the new meds doc put me on.  Seems the right side of my brain woke up and said "Wow, I sure have been asleep for a long time." 

As you can see I've been posting regularly to this blog.  I've also been participating more on Facebook and, if you look to your right you'll see, I even got that Twitter account I said I'd never get. My triangle is a little off now because I spend so much time at this computer writing.  But it's a good thing and feels very satisfying. 

Twitter has actually been more useful than I expected.  I found a guy who posted a link to an article that has helped my attempts at writing dialog.  I love to write short essays but because I'm not good at it I never include dialog.  This article had several tips on originality - how to write a unique story.  One of the sections dealt specifically with writing dialog.

I decided to give it another try.  I'm now working on a fictionalized account of one of my favorite stories about Daddy.  I only know the bare facts of the store as told by him so I'm having to fill in the rest on my own.  It is nowhere near done yet but I will share it when I feel it's ready.

In the meantime, I'm back in the saddle writing again and, for better or worse, it feels so good.

Later...

The Triangle

Greetings from The Hill,

When our son graduated from college he got a good job and moved into his first solo apartment.  We visited often and were so proud of him.  One day he called and wanted me to come over to help him with his finances.  He was worried about how he was handling things.

When we sat down to look things over he told me that he thought of his life as a triangle, the points consisting of work, personal finances and relationships.  He said if finances and work were going good, relationships suffered.  If he had a good relationship going, work or finances suffered.  Seemed he could never balance all three points of the triangle at any given time. 

This week I stared thinking about my triangle.  The points on mine are housework, computer/TV time and Ran time.  As I pondered my triangle I started thinking about what might be the triangle of other members of my family.  Of course I'm just guessing but my daughter's triangle might consist of photography, her other arts pursuits and her dog, Biscuit.  Ran's might consist of flying model airplanes, work and keeping the house and cars maintained. Actually he might have a square with the 4th point being me time.  My sister's might be controlling her fibromyalgia pain, caring for Mom and helping her son with his life skills.

What does your triangle look like and is it balanced today?

Later....