Debriefing of my sugar-free day

I did it! Now, a few years ago I went sugar-free for a few months. It's not so bad when you live in a day and age when such endeavors aren't so foreign. A lot of people do it for various reasons. We've got gobs of health food stores that sell wonders like gluten-free cookies and unsweetened chocolate soy milk. There are a lot of things out there that do not contain sugar but instead use alternatives like "organic cane juice." It's not total deprivation.

Anyway, back to yesterday. I had oatmeal for breakfast with no brown sugar. I survived. For lunch I had half an egg-salad sandwich on whole grain bread. I took the boys to the doctor's for check-ups. It's always been tradition to treat them to a smoothie after. The children got theirs and I passed (although at this point, since I had such a measly lunch - not intentionally - I started feeling kinda yucky - shaky, whatnot - but I pressed on). For dinner, we had roasted chicken, fresh blueberries, and blue corn chips with artichoke hummus.

Woo hoo! I'd say what saved me were the blueberries. Mmmmmmm. My favorite.

I think the key to going sugar-free is having stuff, like blueberries, on hand - things that are easy to grab and snack on when an urge hits. I'm sure my biggest downfall will be baking. I LOVE to bake and I love to eat baked goods. So, we'll see.

Think I can do it again today? I'm hesitant to declare it sugar-free day. I really need to do some grocery shopping to stock up on some healthy treats. But, should I first eat all that candy - just to get it out of here?

911 Caller in Gates Incident Says She Was Unfairly Called a 'Racist' - Political News - FOXNews.com

Ok, this story has made me angry from the beginning. Everyone's up in arms that the situation was laced with racism - accusing the police and 911 caller of racism. It's not a matter of race, people, it's a matter of SEX. Had this dude been female there probably would never have been a 911 call. Instead it would have just been some chick that locked herself out of her house and is now breaking the door down to get inside. End of story. They're barking up the wrong -ism tree. Sexism, not racism.

911 Caller in Gates Incident Says She Was Unfairly Called a 'Racist' - Political News - FOXNews.com

Posted using ShareThis

Sugar-Free

Ok, I've been feeling a little wonky lately. I have this mysterious rash on my right arm and some sort of allergic reaction going on on my face.

I'm beautiful . . .

But really - the only thing I can think of that's causing this is my increased intake of sugar. I mean I've been going all out lately. I eat because I'm sad? Maybe. But it's got to stop!

Last night after dinner, we decided to go to the grocery store for one thing and one thing only - candy. I'm was jonesin' for a wee bit of chocolate (only I didn't eat just a wee bit).

While we were at the grocery store we ran into one of our friends. She had just gotten done at the gym. She looked fantastic. And there I was standing in front of the candy section, drooling. We get to talking and she mentions how hard she works out at the gym and how one little candy bar would ruin her efforts. One candy bar. She said the candy bar wasn't worth it. I didn't mind though because I hadn't just worked out. In fact, when was the last time I worked out? I felt bad as I looked at our cart - Reese's Pieces, Mike and Ike's, Riesen (I picked those), 3 Musketeers, and Butter Mints.

SO - I declare today SUGAR-FREE day. No candy for me, no pancakes slathered in syrup, no Cokes, nothin'.

Now, I've done this before (and for longer) but it's been awhile. This will serve as my kick start to be healthier. If you live near me, I would recommend you staying far far away - I will not be a happy person as I withdrawal.

Thwarted Plans

I had this great idea of a big grand day out and about. First, we were going to see G-Force at the theater - the nice theater. Then, we'd meet Chris at Pete's Fish and Chips for lunch. Last, but not least, we'd head to the pool and stay till it closed - packing a picnic dinner to eat there.

We get in the van. I had the feeling we should say a quick prayer for our safety and health for the day. Carena offered the prayer. After she was done, I decided to do a quick clean-out of the car since the garbage can was just a few feet away. I grabbed the Sonic cups and a few other garbage-y items and chucked them in the can. Just as I was returning to the van, two meter readers walk by. One of them yells to me, "You probably know this but you've got a flat tire!"
"Come on!" I reply. He counters with, "Hey, it's only flat on one side" and then laughs. I walk around the car and yup - COMPLETELY FLAT.

::sigh::

I unload the kids from the van. We're all disappointed that our big day and our plans had been thwarted.

But really . . .being safe is a lot more fun than not. So, we're happy to be home today and grateful for our safety.

We have a free day, it appears. Instead of filling it with housework and chores, however, we've been goofing off all day! Not bad after all.

(Although I can change a tire, I really don't want to - especially in this heat. I'll save it for the MAN to do tonight when he gets home from work)

Sick and Twisted

I'm already getting ready for Christmas - I have started a Christmas gift list. I'm pretty sure I know what we're getting Carena for Christmas. I have two ideas for Colt and three ideas for Jonathan. And for once in my marriage, I'm fairly certain of what I'm getting Chris.

It's July 27th, by the way. Only 150 days left . . .

My Crumbs

"For happiness and sanity's sake, rejoice in the crumbs when you can't have the cake" ~ my mother.

We all know that living in Arizona is a struggle for me. I miss the trees, the nature, and most of all my parents. However, when applying my mom's word of wisdom to my struggles, I realize that although I don't have the cake, I do have quite a few crumbs! I would rather the cake, but I do need to acknowledge my crumbs and realize it could be a whole lot worse.

Crumb 1. Amenities. I may not be able to open my back door and be greeted by a nature paradise. My children may not be able to swing on swings or climb trees or feed the frogs in the pond, but we have quite a few amenities at our fingertips. This summer I bought a family pool pass to the local community pool that is a mere 8 minutes away. So, most afternoons that's where we are!

Not only that but we have a selection of grocery stores, malls, and movie theaters within minutes of where we live. In PA, it took at least 15 minutes to get to the nearest grocery store. Church was 45 minutes away. I'd gladly trade in AZ for PA, but I can't deny the blessings of having quite a few amenities at my fingertips.

Crumb 2. Friends. I'm not saying I don't have friends in PA, because I do. But they don't live close. I am grateful for my friends and my children's friends who live in our neighborhood or just up the road.

Crumb 3. School. This is the biggest crumb for me - my children's elementary school. I could not ask for a greater school. So far their experiences in school have been absolutely positive. The teachers and staff are kind, parental involvement is strongly encouraged and rarely do you hear of a mean teacher. I remember having quite a few mean teachers in my day. I remember dreading school. I am so grateful this is not the case for my children.

Crumb 4. A Little Family. Like I said before, I'd drop AZ in a heartbeat if I could. HOWEVER, I am grateful for the time I get with my sweet little family - just us, clinging to each other and experiencing life as a family. Not only that, but we also do have other family that we're blessed with. My brother lives only 45 minutes away and although we don't see him all that often, he always makes time for holidays and birthdays. What a sweet gift it is to have him here on those special days. In addition to my brother, we are blessed with friends that Chris grew up with. They, too, live 45 minutes away, but we've been able to get together frequently and make that connection. It's also been a comfort to know that my aunties in California are a day (or two) drive away. Having these friends and family near helps make me not feel so lonely and isolated from the people that know me best.

Rejoice in the crumbs, indeed.

A Little Perspective, Please

When my dad was a little shaver, he and his brother used to spend Saturdays at the movies. Popcorn and lemon drops were their favorite treats. So, movies were a big part of my dad's early years. I don't recall how much a movie (sometimes a double feature) and popcorn cost, but I remember him telling me it was like 25 cents (maybe less) for EVERYTHING.

While I was in Pennsylvania my dad and I got to go out on a date. We decided on seeing the new Star Trek movie (loved it!). My dad being the gentleman he is, paid for the movie AND for the popcorn and Milk Duds. We had a grand time. I can't remember the last time I went to see an "adult" movie. No cartoons, no fart jokes, it was great!

Later that day my dad declares, "I could have gone to the movies 75 times when I was little for the amount that we spent today at the movies." Did I mention that we got a small popcorn and saw a matinee?

How times change. Now going to the movies is a rare rare treat - one to be afforded by the affluent, it seems. Paying for a movie, treats AND a babysitter - you easily drop $50.00 on the experience - and you're never guaranteed that the movie will be any good anyway.

This summer, while we're in AZ, I have implemented a "movie day." This day is usually Tuesday because Tuesday is the true "dollar day" at the dollar theater (instead of $2.00 on other days). We make treats at home and smuggle them into the theater (I'm at least subtle about it - last week I saw a lady bringing in grocery bags of potato chips and a bulging backpack filled with treats). It's cool and entertaining and my kids are introduced to the art of movies. When we've seen all the movies at the dollar theater, we'll hunker down at our house, black out the windows and go crazy with Netflix.

Not the same as in my dad's day, but perhaps a little taste of "the good old days."

Jonathan

So, this is what a 3 year-old looks like! Happy Birthday Jay!

Waking up at the crack of dawn (we're still on PA time):

When asked what he wanted to eat for his big day, he said, "booberries." Booberries, it is - booberry pancakes as well as fresh booberries for breakfast:

He got to open a few presents first thing this morning. Hmmm . . . wonder what he's going to do the rest of the day . . .

Coming to an End

We're down to the wire - we'll be back in AZ in a few days. Lots of precious memories were created.

We've had a lot of rainy days here. Carena made the most of it with a comfy chair, a good book, and a cozy fire in the study:

My aunt inspired us to do some art work. We set up craft table on the porch - we had it up the entire time we were here. We kept it stocked with paints, paper and rocks to paint:

There were a few days when the sun would poke through. My dad would take advantage of it and build us some pretty great campfires (with marshmallows of course!):

The traditional porch pose picture:

A trip to Indraloka animal sanctuary in Mehoopany, PA - Mehoopany - must be one of the most beautiful places on earth:

Penny:

A sweet piglet:

I forget the name of the horse - but she's got sore hooves, and so spends much of her time lying down:

Tinkerbell:

More posts to follow.