1 tree, 2 trees

Okay, I may be taking this further than I have in the past. Bought new decorations for the tree, did it, then took them off, bought other ones and redid it. Like it great now, the pic doesn't do it justice. For some odd reason I decided we needed a tree for downstairs, and Walmart had cute little four foot ones for a great price, so there is now one downstairs too. I'm sure to enjoy that when I am exercising..it has all my little Santas on it, and is actually quite cute...it is a favorite! Again, the pic doesn't do it justice, however I have now added to my Christmas wish list..we have that nice digital camera, but its quite large..I am adding a small one to my wish list..just for stuff like this. Couldn't sleep, have way to much I want done today. Went to bed about 12:30, up at 6 am and awake at least 3 times last night. Work at the Y today 10 to 2, and then home to maybe finish the decorating, housecleaning and maybe time to sit and read a magazine. I have enough of them here right now. We bought two health magazines and they come fairly often. They are piling up.

SPARKPEOPLE AGAIN

A quote again from a sparkpeople e letter.

The destructive power of worry. Legend has it that 90% of what we worry about never comes to pass. Whether that is statistically precise or not, there's probably some truth to it in your life. How much of our lives do we miss because we're agonizing over what might happen down the road? How often do we fail to act--even if it's the right thing to do--because we fear any number of possible consequences? Fretting over the future doesn't solve any impending problems. It only paralyzes your actions of the present. It stresses you out, makes you mentally and physically tired, and saps all the fun out of what could have been another great day. Next time you start to worry about what might happen, think of this: You can prepare, but you cannot predict. So do what you can, and forget what you cannot.

Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its troubles.... it empties today of its strength.- Aunt Linda, as quoted by Jennifer Cribbs, SparkPeople community member

Thanksgiving Day Night

Hope you all had a very nice Thanksgiving Day, mine was nice but a bit different. It started out in the high 50's and me outside decorating the house. I wanted new lights up on the fence, part of them had burnt out. It soon started raining, so I grabbed my bucket hat, and kept on going. I remember other holidays when i was putting up lights and freezing cold, my hands so cold I had to keep going in to take a break, today I didn't even need gloves.

Drove to mom's for dinner by myself. That still hits me weird too, hasn't been too many holidays I've done that and it always makes me miss my kids. They called today, so I did get to talk to both of them for a bit. On the way home I drove past the old house, guess I was feeling melancholy. there are still times I wish we would have kept it, but sure wouldn't have made much sense.

Got home tonight and its more decorating, the outside now has plastic candy canes and red bows, the inside flower box on the fireplace is now done. A few pics here for you. Sure to see more in days to come. Hope you all like my decorating outfit.

happy Thanksgiving. need to finish up and get back to it here, have a lot I want done yet and its getting late.

Being grateful

This just came through in an email I receive from Joel Osteen, he is the motivational preacher that I like to read. Wanted to share this today with you.

Being Grateful for the Gift of Today
When you learn how to remain grateful every day you are developing a habit of happiness in your life. There is no such thing as an ordinary day. Every one of your days is a gift from God that is unique and irreplaceable. When you train your mind to see the good and discipline yourself to focus on the positive you'll be happier, rise higher, and live the life of victory that God has in store for you.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE

Happy Thanksgiving Day everyone! I'm up and moving and thousands of things I want done today. Stopped last night for more lights, the ones outside on the fence burned out. Got out there to put up the new ones and it started pouring, came in and didn't get it done. heading back out there shortly. Then I remembered that one year my nephew, Paul, was here and got roped into helping with that. That may have been our first year here. It's going to be three years next month.

That takes me to another thought I've had recently. You know how you develop routines about stuff? I have for some reason never gotten into a routine here with housecleaning...my old house I would start in the kitchen, work into the livingroom, bathroom and up the stairs..Here, I haven't quite figured it out yet. Actually laid awake last night trying to develop a plan and came up with a half assed one anyway. Then, the other thing is that with a living room at least twice the size of my other one and I can never decide where to put the tree. Don't want to move anything because I like it like it is. Think that tree is going back in front of the door, it just seems to work the best there. Have to figure that out by tomorrow. It is going up tomorrow while I am at work, then I can decorate it over the weekend. Oh! Here is one thing though, the tree is going to be blue and silver this year. I am doing it with blue and silver poinsettias. Hopefully it looks great.

Got new silk flowers for the fireplace flowerbox and going to make that a plan for tonight hopefully. You are sure to see pictures here when that is done.

Well, enough here this morning. Need to get moving, want to get the kitchen floor cleaned and out to put up the lights before getting ready for Thanksgiving at mom and dad's.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Gluten free

I stopped at Martins on the way home from work tonight, learned that they carried a bit of gluten free food and wanted to check it out. I now have gluten free bread, two kinds, cookies, cream of rice, rice chex cereal, and rice cakes. Back to that I guess. This time around it may be a bit easier, they even had gluten free pasta there.

The bread wasn't bad, just different, I toasted two pieces and ate it with peanut butter and jelly. Was edible. Calories not extreme either, but it is a bit pricey. Today is day two gluten free and I am anxious to see how it goes this week. A bad time to start with it being Thanksgiving. Today, one of the vendors even brought us in these big delicious cookies. I didn't eat any. Tomorrow is our party at work. That should be interesting.

Workouts, sisters and ice cream

Cher and I took off and went to the Y today, got a really good workout in, the first for us in a while. We were there about 2 hours, 42 minutes according to my heart rate monitor. We did the treadmill, the strength machines, the fit center, strength again, tread and bike. Hope we at least worked off the ice cream we stopped and had afterwards. Actually, it was frozen custard from the meadows. Can't find anywhere where it gives me nutrition info on that. i counted it same as DairyQueen, figured it has to be close.

Am going to lay off the wheat and gluten products again for a while, want to see if that helps with this gut. Ate a sub on wheat last night for dinner and belly is about 3 inches larger today. I have an easier time staying away from that when John is working nights and not cooking, so that will be this week, will test that and see what happens.

Snow

We've got snow. It's a light, beautiful snow, at least from inside. It isn't sticking to the roads and isn't accumulating much so I don't mind it. It actually makes you feel like Christmas. Cold though.

CHANGES

Made some changes to the blog tonight. Can tell I'm off work and have a bit of time to just play on the computer a bit, this is something I had been wanting time to do. I think I like the looks of it. What do any of you think?

POLLS

Check out the new additon to the blog. We now have a poll. It is to the right and will be there for a week before it changes. I took this one from sparkpeople.com. That is the best free site on the web and one I use often. It actually was voted one of the top 5 health and fitness sites on the internet both this year and last. Will be interesting to see the results.

Cold and blustery

Cold and blustery, those are the two words in our weather forecast today. Two words that I really didn't want to hear. Really don't like cold and blustery. Have been talking to a lady from Florida who now lives in the Carolina's. she has never seen snow. I cannot imagine that considering I have lived with it my entire life. Told her she was more than welcome to come visit though. Off to do errands before work this morning, going to be a long day.

Clipart from clipartheaven.com

Holidays..

John and I got a nice amount of Christmas shopping done today. WE had some time to just talk, of course, in the car driving back and forth and I learned that he has to work Thanksgiving Day. And Christmas Eve..then I got to thinking about it. I have to work until 6 pm Thanksgiving Eve, and on Christmas Eve I'm not sure how long we will be open, think last year it was until 6 pm. They call these holidays why? It was my understanding that the word Holiday is a holiday from work. A day off for friends and family, apparently not any longer.

The following is a direct quote from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia "The word holiday has related but different meanings in English-speaking countries. A contraction of holy and day, holidays originally represented special religious days. This word has evolved in general usage to mean any special day of rest (as opposed to regular days of rest such as the weekend).
In the English-speaking world a holiday can mean a period spent away from home or business in travel or recreation (e.g. "I'm going on holiday to Malta next week"); the North American equivalent is "vacation". Canadians often use the terms vacation and holiday interchangeably when referring to a trip away from home or time off work. In Australia, the term can refer to a vacation or gazetted public holiday, but not to a day of commemoration such as Mothers' Day or Halloween.
In all of the English-speaking world, a holiday can be a day set aside by a nation or culture (in some cases, multiple nations and cultures) typically for celebration but sometimes for some other kind of special culture-wide (or national) observance or activity. A holiday can also be a special day on which school and/or offices are closed, such as Labor Day.
When translated into other languages, the meanings of the word "holiday" are sometimes conflated with those of "observance" and "celebration".

So, I really wonder what part of the word "Holiday" do our employers of today not undertand?

HO HO HO

We are off to do some Christmas shopping tomorrow, should be fun, and going to check out the casino again too. Not for long, but a little bit. Trying a new program, but doesn't look like its animated, supposed to be Santa coming down this chimney...but I don't see him...darn,

Time to go

Enough! think I need to get off my butt, off the computer and do some housework or something. this sure is a lot more fun though. Really hope these pics come through for everyone. Loved this one.

Clipart from clipartheaven.com

Will this work?

Guess, it will. Been trying to find some easy way to add some clip art to the blog. Still miss the one program I had on here, but don't want to put it back on. goofs up the computer somewhat. Guess this clip art that I found will work, just have to take a roud about way to use it. I'm having fun playing on the computer though. It's a good day off. I'm having a grand old day. Still even in my jammies, don't hink I've had a jammie day in years, feels great. may eventually hop into some clothes and run down to the little store, but may not. Right now I am heading back downstairs. did the tread, going to do the weights.

A DAY OFF

Wow, a day off from both jobs. that desn't happen often. I am trying to figure out what I want to do with it. Think it is going to be a day for me. Possibly one of those days where I just stay in my jammies, read, exercise, clean. Whatever I want to do whenever I want to do it. My hubby is working nights and is sleeping, so the need is there to be quiet. No running the sweeper until tonight. things on my list include cleaning the bathroom, doing some laundry, strength training, the treadmill, some turbo jam, possibly an afternoon in front of a good movie. Doing my nails is high on my list of priorities. think I may look for a few new tunes on itunes for the ipod. Am going to have a great day! And will drink my water, eat my veggies while doing it!
Think I will start by turning on the water fountain, lighting some candles, throw some laundry in and clean up the kitchen. this is all subject to change if my sis calls and want to go workout at the Y. We do sometimes when I am off. My dad brought me up a set of elk antlers and I want to get them hung today if at all possible too. Can;t wait to see them up on the fireplace downstairs if they will fit there. I want to take them and see if that guy down county can carve them and what it would cost. May just leave them as they are though. Sure you'll be seeing pictures once they are hung.

Motiviation

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Loved that quote, wanted to share it. Now I am off to my fitness room for some high kicking, boxing, punching turbo jam...

First snowfall

WE had the first snowfall of the season yesterday. It actually looked quite pretty from indoors, but the cold and the wind went right through you when you stepped outside. Not quite ready for this. Doubt that I ever really will be. Thankfully, it didn't stick, just a few flurries. A sure sign of what is coming though.

We were talking about the snow and winters pass at work yesterday. thankfully, our winters are nothing like they used to be. I remember Christmases and even some Thanksgivings in the years gone that we would push the snow with the bumper of the car trying to get back and forth to my parents for the holidays. We haven't had holidays like that in years and hopefully we don't.

It is sad and a bit scary though how low the water levels really are. We are still in stage two drought conditions and the lakes, streams and ponds here are really low. We could definately use some rain.

Motivational Rock Poem

This poem was posted on one of the threads on spark people. I loved it and decided to share it here. Thought it was really cute.

GIVE A LITTLE ROCK TO A FRIEND. I'm a little diet rock, As cute as I can be. Although I'm sweet to look at, I'm both fat and sugar free. When you get up each morning, Lift me high in the air, and set me on the floor 10 times, before sitting on your chair. Please place me on the table, at the place you plan to eat. Then remember that I'm watching, What you do and what you eat. When you are serving your plate, Please leave my section free, and I'll reduce the calories, by the space you leave for me. After you have eaten, although I'm just a rock, Please slip me in your pocket and take me for a walk. If you do this faithfully, then in a month or two, Although I'll be just the same you'll be a slimmer "YOU"

Have a great day everyone.