My weight in pictures

“Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.” ~ Jim Davis

I've been struggling with my weight for years now. After high school things sort of just got out of hand. Being in love, as wonderful as it is, pulled me into a comfortable state of weight gain. Starting a job, which I still have, that requires nothing more than my eyes and my fingers pushed me into a rapidly increasing state of weight gain.

Last May I finally said 'ENOUGH' and joined Weight Watchers. For the next three months I used the on-line tools provided to me and I did lose some weight. It wasn't much, maybe 5-7 pounds, but it was so wonderful to see the scale budge in THAT direction. I didn't renew my subscription after three months, but I learned many valuable eating habits that I still continue to use.

Sometime in September the weight just started shedding off. I wasn't doing anything special. Just eating smaller portions. That's it! NO exercising, NONE. And I denied myself nothing. If I wanted a chocolate chip cookie, I had one...instead of an entire sleeve. I've leveled off since the holidays, not gaining but not losing anymore. So, I have added a little bit of exercise. I record Denise Austin's 30 minute workouts and do them when I want to. Sometimes I do just one show, other times I do two in a row. Like yesterday, I did two in row. My thighs are not very happy with me today. Some people don't like Denise Austin. She is....perky. Ha ha. I laugh my way through her workouts as she tells me that we are 'burning the butter'. Whatever works, right?

So, I have taken a few sets of photos of myself. It helps me to really see what I look like, the progress I'm making...or not making. It helps because I can take a closer look than just glancing in the mirror in the morning on the way out the door. I'm being brave and sharing them with you.

1. Taken in May


2. Taken in Sept..maybe..I don't remember for sure


3. Taken today.

Very Doggie Monday

All of our lovelies for this week come from Saunders County Lost Pets - Pet Rescue, or SCLP Pet Rescue located in Wahoo, NE. If you would like more information about their adoption policies, costs, or want to ask some questions about the cuties below you can contact them at:

Email: debora@saunderscountylostpets.com
PHONE:402 443 4044



Meet Annie, a 3-4 year old Australian Shepherd/Australian Cattle dog mix. She has the most beautiful blue eyes. She is very, very lovable, and would love to be your lap dog. She is a spayed female. She is crate trained and has very good manners. Annie does not like all other dogs, but she does LOVE people. She might do well as an only pet or she would need to meet your other pets before adopting her. She is a wonderful girl and loyal friend.



Samm is a big lovable male black lab. He is a really nice boy approximately 3 -5 years old. He is neutered. He is completely house trained and has very good house manners. He is extremely lovable and enjoys his walks. He is very good in the house. Samm gets along well with other dogs of all sizes. He also likes kids and does well around them. He is current on his shots and heartgarded and frontlined every month. He is a big lovable guy looking for a new home as his owners are moving.



Oreo is an energetic one-year-old female mix with good temperament. She has been spayed and is current on her shots. She weighs approx 50 lbs. She is house trained and crate trained. Oreo eats dry dog food (puppy chow) and loves “chewing bones” (the type you get in the pet section at the store). Oreo has never been aggressive with family members or anyone, but she does nip a little bit and we are working on that. She is still young. She will occasionally bark at some of our neighbors when we are out on a walk, she never barks indoors unless she gets really really excited. Oreo loves to go for walks and for rides in the car. She also loves to run in the park. She is a great companion and loves to sleep with her owners in bed. She is really cutie, but her family no longer has time for her so she is looking for a new forever home.

Photo Hunt: Old Fashioned

"I think they all went too far. Their jeans got too low, their tops got too see-through. Personally, I think that sexy is keeping yourself mysterious. I'm really an old-fashioned girl, and I think I'm totally sexy." ~ Stevie Nicks

Wordless Wednesday

“Do not judge from mere appearances; for the lift laughter that bubbles on the lip often mantles over the depths of sadness, and the serious look may be the sober veil that covers a divine peace and joy. The bosom can ache beneath diamond brooches; and many a blithe heart dances under coarse wool.” ~ Edwin Hubbel Chapin

A Photo MeMe

1) Answer the questions below
2) Take each answer and type it into Photobucket
3) Take any picture from the results and post.

1. What is your Occupation?



2. What is your Mother's first name?



3. What kind of car do you drive?



4. What kind of car do you want to drive?



5. What is something you like to do in your spare time?



6. What thing do you collect?



7. What is your Father's first name?



8. Male or Female?



9. Describe your mood right now?



10. What is your biggest fear?



11. Favorite Words?

Bonne Fete!

"Because time itself is like a spiral, something special happens on your birthday each year: The same energy that God invested in you at birth is present once again." ~ Menachem Mendel Schneerson

Happy 23rd birthday, Megan Muffin! May the only wrinkles you ever have be created with stage make-up and the only leg you ever break is a perfectly delivered line.

Very Doggie Monday

I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive. ~Gilda Radner

Next stop for Very Doggie Monday is Atlanta, GA. I found these lovely doggies at the Homeless Pets Foundation. You can click the link and see all of their available animals and also any contact information you might need.



This is Yoda. Yoda is a very sweet and shy pug/chihuahua mix. My very own Lola is a pug/chihuahua mix so I just melted for Yoda's sweet face. The website lists her as an adult although it doesn't say how old she might be. What is age anyway? Just a number, right? She gets along well with other dogs and would probably do well with older kids who knew how to be nice to her. She is up-to-date on her shots and has been fixed. If you are interested in Yoda you can call her foster Mom, Mary, at 770-579-1943 for more info.



Another dog that I totally fell in love with. Her name is Honey and she is an adult boxer/American Staffordshire Terrier mix. She is as sweet as her name implies. Good with people and other dogs. Honey is also three-legged. Please don't let that deter you from seeing what a wonderful dog she is. I have a three legged dog myself (they are actually missing the same leg) and my dog gets along perfectly without it. She has a million dollar smile and a sweet disposition to go with it. She has all her shots and has been fixed. All ready to go to her forever home.



This adorable puppy is Spike. Ain't he cute? Look at those ears! He is a very young shepherd mix who will be a medium sized dog. Right now he is a typical puppy, very sweet and very clumsy. With a little guidance and a lot of love Spike will make a great pet for any household. He's up-to-date on his shots and has been fixed. Call quick before he gets snapped up!

Photo Hunt: Important

“The way of peace is the way of love. Love is the greatest power on earth. It conquers all things.” ~ Peace Pilgrim

Amor Vincit Omnia...Love Conquers All.

It's a saying that has become very important to me and my husband. A building block for our marriage. We didn't intend for it to be. Neither one of us knew of the phrase until we were planning our wedding. We decided to take each other's wedding band and have something special engraved on the inside. It would be secret until we were married. I found the perfect saying, Amor Vincit Omnia, it expressed everything I was feeling. I was so pleased with myself because I knew there was no way that he could ever possibly guess what I had picked. We actually teased each other that neither of us would be able to guess what was in the others ring.

Well, after we said 'I do' and stepped into a small sitting room to have a private moment I tore my ring off my finger and looked inside. Amor Vincit Omnia was what I read. I was confused at first. Did I have the right ring? My husband mistook the look of confusion on my face and said 'It means love conquers all'. I was flabbergasted and told him I KNEW what it meant! And then I demanded that he take his ring off and look. Of course, it was the same thing.

I take it as a sign. A very good sign.

Eureka!

“We can never have enough of nature. We must be refreshed by the sight of inexhaustible vigor, vast and titanic features, the sea-coast with its wrecks, the wilderness with its living and its decaying trees, the thunder-cloud, and the rain.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

While flipping through the channels the other night I stopped briefly on the travel channel. Whatever program that was on just happened to be talking about the California redwoods and their massive size. It inspired me to talk about another place on my 'must see' list. You can read about the first one here.

Like New York City, I have been to California before. My Dad had family there and when I was much younger we visited a few times. But I have my eye on a different part of California besides San Diego. Did you know that some of the redwoods in California are over 2000 years old? That is what I want to see. I want to lose myself in the midst of those mighty giants. To stand beside such an ancient thing and just imagine the changes the world has seen during its lifetime.



Besides the fantastic possibility of hiking in the redwood state park, the northern California coastline is just minutes away. I guess I'm not use to that since in Texas it always takes hours to get anywhere. I've been to Florida and have enjoyed the white sands and blue waters of the gulf. It's a beautiful place, but the California coastline offers something a little more rugged.



When and if this trip ever happens, my plan is to hop a flight to San Francisco and rent a car to drive up the winding and scenic Highway 101 through wine country and towering redwoods. I want to rent a little cottage on the coast and just spend sometime with my husband and nature. Oh...and there is always the exciting (and a little terrifing) chance to drive over this:

I am slightly addicted

"The belly rules the mind." ~Spanish Proverb

A pictures worth a thousand words

“In twenty years you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked.” ~ Mary Schmich

I use to hate having my pictures taken. It seems to be a common thing for most women...and maybe men too. I never liked the way I looked in the pictures. I looked too fat, I wasn't wearing makeup, my hair was a mess, my clothes were too shabby, I was slouching, and on and on. But I noticed that I could take a picture that was a year old, one that I hated, and think that I didn't look as bad as I thought. And then I started thinking that I didn't want my kids looking back on all the pictures taken of my life and not see me, or see me with my hand in front of my face. I didn't want to look back on vacation pictures and think that I might as well have not even been there at all because I wasn't in any of the pictures.

My sister isn't camera shy. She LOVES taking pictures of her friends and herself. Those kids have it down. Document all your craziness no matter what you look like or what your wearing. Just have fun and it will come through the picture.



I pulled on the wise words of THE Sweet Potato Queen, Jill Conner Browne, who says 'You will never look as cute as you do right now'. I try to take those words to heart. I might not be as cute as I was, but I will never again be as cute as I am right now. And neither will you, so smile and say 'CHEESE'.

Very Doggie Monday

"Better to light a candle for one lost dog than to curse the darkness of man's indifference. Saving just one dog won't change the world, but it surely will change the world for that one dog." - Richard C. Call

This next set of lovelies are up for grabs at New Leash on Life Animal Rescue in Chicago. You can find more info about their adoption procedures here. This is a relatively new organization, formed in 2005, but you can tell they have a lot of heart.



This is Goldie. Doesn't she have beautiful eyes? Goldie is a rottweiler/beagle mix, about 3-4 years old. Goldie does ok on a leash and is a recent graduate of an obediance class. She is very food motivated so that is a good incentive when continuing her traning. She does great with other dogs, kids that are respectful of her, and cats that know how to tell her to back off. She is just very curious about them and can be a little 'nosey'. She is housetrained and ready for her forever home.



My name is Jose and I'm a lover not a fighter. Jose is a true to goodness mutt, about 7 months old. Since he is still on the young side he'll need all the basic puppy stuff, extra attention, extra training, and potty breaks at least every 3-4 hours. Also, because of his puppy-ness he would do better in a home with older kids who know how to be respectful to a dog, but he is great with other dogs. Jose is not house or crate trained yet but he can learn very quickly. Cant you see the intelligence in his eyes? He is a smart cookie, I can tell. Oh, and, on the website there is an additional picture of him wearing a very cute Christmas hat which leads me to believe that he is tolarant of our crazy human ways.



This young lady is Mackenzie. Another true blue mutt, about 1 year old. She is moving into adulthood but still has all that puppy sass and spunk. She is goofy and playful, and just as sweet as can be. She would be great with an active family, a jogger or someone who likes to take long walks. She loves to meet people and other dogs. Being in a foster home has really helped to socialize her so that she isn't TOO hyper. They are also working on her house training, but she is fully crate trained. She is good around kids and other dogs. They are unsure if she would be good with cats. I say she has a sweet face and would be a jewel of a dog for any family.


*** UPDATE ****

I reached out to the great staff at EARS asking about the three dogs I featured last Monday. This is what I found out. Pogo, with the sun-shine smile, has been adopted by a great couple who have another boston terrier for him to play with! Gage, with those soulful eyes, has an adoption application put in. Y'all keep your fingers crossed that it works out. He deserves to have a happy, safe home. And, well, Wagner is still looking for his forever home. I know they are out there looking for him too.

Never find a love like this

“True love is like a pair of socks: you gotta have two and they've gotta match"

I cannot get the latest Natasha Bedingfield song out of my head. I hear it on the radio, it's on my ipod and on my myspace. I love it. It's one of those songs that I feel like I can really relate to. That might sound so cheesy, but it's true. And not in a 'junior high-Im so infatuated with that boy' kinda way.

Love Like This

Well we go back so far,
swingin in your back yard, {His parents had a hammock in their back yard}
all the things that we used to do
We were cool back in high school
ooh I really liked you,
must have been your attitude. {I met him my 10th grade year. He was super sweet with a bad boy image. I never thought he would like a girl like me}

That’s why you keep on runnin
in and out of my mind.
As the years they’ll roll by,
Baby, now I know why
I keep comin back to you.

You’re the only one that knows me,
love it when you hold me,
never find a love like this.
Let me hear you say,
now I’ll never be lonely,
look at what you’ve shown me,
never find a love like this

Well this life tries to keep us apart {After we met but before we dated, either I was seeing someone or he was seeing someone. But we ran in the same circle for all that time, liking each other but never dating}
you keep callin me back to your heart.
Let me hear you say,
I'm so glad you found me,
wrap your world around me,
never find a love like this.

All the guys tried to take me,
you’re the one who saved me,
I feel like I owe you my life. {I dated a bunch of other guys during my high school years before he and I had the chance to date}
And as strange as it may seem,
I’ll go if you take me
I'm willing to sacrifice. {He asked me to marry him after only dating for a month or two. I said yes}

That’s why you keep on runnin
in and out of my mind.
As the years, they’ll roll by,
it’s not hard to know why
I keep comin back to you.

You’re the only one that knows me,
love it when you hold me,
never find a love like this.
Let me hear you say,
now I’ll never be lonely,
look at what you’ve shown me,
never find a love like this.

Cause this life tries to keep us apart,
you keep calling me back to your heart.
Let me hear you say,
I'm so glad you found me,
wrap your world around me,
never find a love like this.

May never find a love, love, love a love like this,
that still make me think about my middle school kiss.
I sit here in this chair and I wish
for you not to leave me now.
My friends they always told me
not to make you my wife and,
man they was putting you down. {well, his friends didnt say anything like that. I was a pretty good catch back in the day. lol.}
And now they see we rollin,
me and you, we strollin,
they don’t wanna come around.

Let me hear you say,
you’re the only one that knows me,
love it when you hold me,
never find a love like this.
Let me hear you say,
now I’ll never be lonely,
look at what you’ve shown me,
never find a love like this.

When this life tries to keep us apart,
you keep callin me back to your heart.
Let me hear you say,
I’m so glad you found me,
wrap your world around me,
never find a love like this,

Supermodels *eye roll*

“The leading cause of death among fashion models is falling through street grates.” ~ Dave Barry

I happened to catch an episode of 'Make Me A Supermodel' last night. It wasn't on purpose, I just happen to be flipping through the channels. I don't have anything against these type of shows in general. I know they are all 'pretend reality' shows. I do make a point to catch 'Americas Next Top Model' just for the campiness of it all.

But, there is one thing that does bother me. It's one thing that has me yelling at the TV in ridiculous outrage. These 'models' that BEG and PLEAD and SWEAR that they are willling to do ANYTHING to be famous refusing to wear an outfit..or refusing to wear nothing. Listen, I'm all for modesty. You won't see me running around modeling a thong bikini. But I'm not on national TV, competing to be the next big thing in modeling.

The picture above is one of the girls competing in 'Make Me A Supermodel'. Her name is Jacki. Last night they had their first walk down the runway, modeling swimsuits. Two of the girl models and two of the boy models were randomly picked to wear the thonged swimwear. Everyone wore their designated switsuit except her. She just didn't feel 'comfortable' wearing a thong bikini down the runway. Yes, it actually drove me to holler at the TV. Why would anyone that wants to be a model, and said they would do ANYTHING to achieve that goal, think it's ok to just decide not to wear what they are told? I mean, does she think that would fly on an actual job? What do these kids think modeling is? Being covered from head to toe all the time?

My husband says that it's all fabricated for the drama. He is sure that the producers qued her to 'act' like she was upset about wearing the thong. I know 'reality' TV is not REAL reality, so maybe he is right. Maybe it is all fake and made up. But there is always one challenge in those shows that require the people to wear nothing or close to nothing, and there is always someone that is bothered by it and can't do it. I say put your money where your mouth is..you want it bad enough you'll shut the hell up, put that thong bikini on, and work that runway for all your worth.

Very Doggie Monday

“Adoption is not about finding dogs for families, it's about finding families for dogs” ~ Joyce Maguire Pavao (slightly edited by Just Jinny)

I've decided to start this little project here on my blog. I don't know how long it will last or how much impact I will make. But, I have a strong need to try and help in some way...any way. I am an animal lover (as if it wasn't obvious). I want all those animals out there to find their 'forever homes'. They deserve it. So, every Monday I'm going to pick a major city, find an animal organization, and feature some of their animals.

Today I start close to home in the Dallas, TX area. All of these dogs are available for adoption through the 'Education and Animal Rescue Society' or EARS for short. You can email them at adoptions@earstexas.org for an adoption application or more info.



This is Pogo! Doesn't he have a sweet smile? Pogo is a boston terrier/terrier mix, about two years old and weighs in at 12 lbs. I'd say he won't get much bigger than he is, but I'm no expert. He is very playful and loving. He also enjoys taking walks and playing with his toys. He is up-to-date on all routine shots, fixed, and house trained. Can't beat that!



Wagner is my name and loving is my game. Wagner is a Plott hound/Labrador retriever mix, about 1.5 years old. He's slender, but long legged which classifies him as a 'large' breed dog. This hunk of burning love is great with other dogs and cats. He loves to be inside with his people. He is crate trained but once adjusted to his new home can be left out of his crate. He understands basic commands like sit, stay, come, and lay down. Wagner is a great jogging buddy and loves going on walks or car rides. He is up-to-date on all routine shots, fixed, and house trained. Just a hound dog looking for a good belly scratch.



Meet Gage, a very handsome beagle/cattle dog mix. Careful of staring into those beautiful eyes or you will be lost! He is a young pup at just under a year old and tipping the scales at 20 lbs. Gage had a bit of a rough start with a family that left him tied up, which caused his collar to become embedded into his neck. But, that is all in the past and his wounds, inside and out, are healed up nicely. He is up-to-date on all routine shots, fixed, and house trained. Despite the rocky beginning, Gage is looking for love and his happily ever after!!

My imagination and a book

"You know you've read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend.” ~ Paul Sweeney

I told me husband today that if I weren't married I think I might be the crazy lady that had a house full of books and cats....ok, and probably Lola.

As I mentioned here I have a fondness for the romance novel. Yes, they are cheesy. Yes, they are pradictable. But, I do love to read them. I can get so wrapped in a book that after I'm finished with it I sometimes have a hard time remembering if I read a book or watched a movie. As I read the book it becomes like a mini-movie playing in my head. I can see what the characters look like and the places that they go. I always think that the books I read would make good movies, but I'm sort of glad that they aren't made into movies. It would probably be a real let down compared to what I imagine in my mind.

In the past I leaned towards the highland type romance novels. But on a whim I picked up Crazy Sweet by Tara Janzen. It was the last book in a series, of course..I always seem to do that. But, I enjoyed it so much that I quickly burned through the others. And thus started my craving for 'special ops/bodyguard/ex-military' type romance novels. I shouldn't be all that surprised by this switch considering how much I enjoy movies along that same line. Die Hard? Love it! The Bourne movies? Fantastic! Those movies are very much like the romance novels...but with less sex. And that is ok too.

The things I do for beauty

“I think we all long for glamour.” ~ Linda Lee

I know this is only a shadow of what the Sunday Scribbling is suppose to be, but it's all I could think of while being this tired.

I made a run to the grocery store today to buy some NEW makeup (there's my SS tie in). I needed some new foundation as I was getting a little low on the old stuff. My powdered foundation compact had been cracked long ago and I was getting mere drops out of the liquid foundation bottle.

I quickly grabbed the new foundation and then moved into browse mode. There is just so much...stuff. Stuff for wrinkles, stuff for blemishes, stuff for the circles under your eyes, stuff to plump your lips, stuff to make you shine, glitter, or glow. It's obvious that it is important for your makeup to be blendable, super shiny, and long lasting. And don't get me started on the accessories to the makeup. The stuff you need to buff, file, scrub, or curl.

In addition to the new foundation I ended up with two new shades of lip gloss. Even with so much to choose from the shopping was the easy part. I got in the express lane with my four items and waited my turn. Now I had a plan of purchase...use up the rest of a gift card and pay the rest in case. Simple..right? Only, when I told him how much was left on the gift card and swiped it..it didn't take. So we tried a lesser amount...still nothing. One more time, with even less...and finally it took. After that I realize the amount that was left was more than the cash that I had, which meant I had to use my debit card. This wouldn't be a problem except I don't have my pin number memorized. I swiped the card and took my best stab at remembering my pin number....denied. A nice little line had collected behind me at this point. One more try, and I just ran it as a credit, and my bill was paid.

I grabbed my bag, mumbled an apology, and scuttled out of there. Talk about embarrassing. But, after I got home and used my new stuff..and my husband told me how pretty I looked it was ALL worth it.

Happy, Happy Birthday..Baby

“There is still no cure for the common birthday.” ~ John Glenn

Yesterday was my husbands 29th birthday. We spent the day off work and at home together. His Mom called me the night before and we planned a spur of the moment surprise birthday dinner. Everyone showed up at our house with all the fixings for a casual dinner. I think Jeremy really enjoyed it. He's a low-key kind of guy anyway.

Jeremy and his Mom:

Almost Wordless Wednesday

"He who wants milk should not sit in the middle of a field and wait for a cow to back up to him” ~ Proverb

Today is the first day of...

“A New Year's resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other.”

..the rest of the year. Ha ha.

I have made no New Year's resolutions this year. Set the bar low and I can't disappoint myself, right? Honestly, the things I want for this year involve factors outside of me. So, I can't put a resolution on myself that I alone cannot make happen. I have hopes. I have ideas. And for this year, that is going to have to be good enough.