147.4 The Grass Isn't Always On the Other Side of the Fence

I'm glad the grass in this vacant lot reaches into the park!  I secretly cheer for it to get as far into the park as it can.  I rejoice at how tall the wild grass is.  I love the smell and the feel of the freshly cut grass in the park; don't get me wrong.  I enjoy the contrast, though.  Despite popular belief, the grass is actually greener on this side of the fence -- but on the other side it is taller, more free, untamed, wild.  Living in the city, it is easy to forget that grass is naturally tall.

I gained .8 pounds yesterday, but I am still within my weight-loss goal of 145 pounds to 149.9 pounds.  For exercise, I walked both dogs 1.3 miles in this park.  Here is what I ate:

Small bowl of Special K and organic soy milk
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
El Monterey bean and cheese burrito with salsa
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
1/2 can Amy's organic lentil soup with steamed broccoli
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
Ritz Cheese N Crackers snack pack

146.6 I Like the Term Highbrow, Meaning Intelligent

Can you see why I like the term 'highbrow', meaning 'intelligent'? I have one heck of a high forehead! According to the people who coined the term 'highbrow', my high forehead means I have a lot of brains in my head... I've never been a great beauty, so I have always prided myself on my brain.

People are uncomfortable when they see how high my brow is, too! They pressure me to hide it, and usually I do, by wearing bangs in my hair. Once in a while I forget to hide my huge forehead, though, such as in this photo taken yesterday while I pet my dog Oreo.

According to Wikipedia, the word highbrow was first printed in 1884, but Will Irvin made it popular in 1902. Most of the film and book sources I remember seeing this word in were from the late 1940s to the early 1950s.

I lost 2.8 pounds yesterday. For exercise, I walked my usual route of 1.3 miles and shopped at Winco Foods. Here is what I ate:

Small bowl of Special K and organic soy milk
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
El Monterey beef, bean and green chili burrito with salsa
Small hamburger patty with a tablespoon of BBQ sauce and steamed broccoli

149.4 Tennis Ball Grip and Finger Nails

As some of you know, I am learning to use Photoshop Elements 10 to edit photos. Up until a week ago, I was using Microsoft Paint. I tried to figure Photoshop out on my own, but couldn't, so two days ago I bought Barabra Brundage's missing manual. I think it is helping a lot, but I know I still have 100 times more to learn than I already know about photo editing.

I selected the portion of the photo that included my hand and arm and then cut it out from the background that was in the photo. The selection job I did was actually not too bad, but then:

I made the mistake of using the eraser tool with black selected instead of the background color.

I know it looks awful. Live and learn.

Scott gave me this tennis ball to grip and strengthen the muscles in my right arm. I have to keep my finger nails this short so that I can type all day. Yes, that is a really bad selection job I did on this photo.

I spend most of my day sitting here at the computer, typing or editing. That acid that builds up when you get muscle cramps builds up particularly in my right hand and arm because during the 30 minutes I walk the dogs every day, I hold their leashes with my left hand. They give my left hand and arm a great workout, but my right hand needs it, too. Squeezing the tennis ball is helping to get the acid out of my muscles and relieve the cramping. My husband is pretty great.

Yes, my finger nails are really short! I honestly don't know how you gals with long finger nails manage to type. Honestly. My nails really bug me if they get any longer than this. No, I don't bite them. I clip them. I keep a nail clipper on my key chain for convenience.

I gained 1.4 pounds yesterday, but I am still within my weight-loss goal of 145 pounds to 149.9 pounds. I walked the dogs 1.3 miles. Here is what I ate:

Small bowl of Special K and organic soy milk
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
El Monterey bean and cheese burrito with salsa
Homemade chicken fajitas with shredded cheddar cheese, cream cheese instead of sour cream, tortilla, and chicken and onion sauteed in butter (This is what gained me the 1.4 pounds. It is also my favorite meal.)
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms

148.0 Photoshop Elements 10 Manual Costs More than Application (Unless you buy it online)

You will see the irony in this doctored photo if you are familiar with the cover of this book I just picked up yesterday. This blog has been a great motivator for learning to manipulate photos. If you start at the beginning of my blog and browse just through my photos, you can see that in the beginning I barely knew how to use MS Paint, and now I am starting to learn Photoshop. Hopefully in a few months I will actually be posting some good stuff!

I bought Photoshop Elements 10 a few weeks ago from Amazon. The price fluctuates. I think I paid $40. I got the missing manual that should have been in the box yesterday at a brick and mortar Barnes and Noble for $44.99.

    

Ooh! See? My husband insisted we buy it at a brick and mortar store to support our local economy, but in so doing we paid twice what we should have for this book. You can get Barbara Brundage's missing manual for Photoshop Elements 10 online from Amazon for as little as $23.94 at this time. I am sure that fluctuates, but the program itself is $49.99 right now, making the title of this blog post not true if you buy both online. Live and learn.

I gained .2 pounds yesterday, but that is OK. At 148.0 pounds, I am still firmly inside my goal weight of 145 pounds to 149.9 pounds. For exercise, I walked the dogs 1.3 miles and I shopped at Walmart, Best Buy,  and Barnes and Noble. Walmart and Best Buy no longer carry software manuals, in case you were ever wondering about that. Here is what I ate yesterday while keeping the weight off:

Small bowl of Special K and organic soy milk
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
El Monterey Beef, bean, and green chile burrito with salsa
Qdoba steak taco salad with no sour cream and no cheese, very light on the salad dressing
1/6 of Scott's chicken quesadilla, no sour cream and no guacamole

147.8 Do You Brush Your Tongue?

Do you brush your tongue with your toothbrush at least once a day?  I find that the cleaner my tongue is, the better my food tastes when I do eat.  A clean tongue helps keep breath fresh, too, not to mention it just looks better, whenever you show your tongue to people, which let's hope is not often, but still.

I have a strong gag reflex, and so brushing my tongue is a bit challenging.  I wait until I am done brushing my teeth, so that there is a bunch of suds from the toothpaste still there, but the toothpaste is no longer solid.  I brush my tongue quickly but firmly, starting as far back as I can go without choking, putting the toothbrush straight in, and not trying to brush sideways.

After I brush my tongue, I further clean it by sliding my front teeth along it from as far back as they will go, and pushing the toothpaste suds out into the sink.  The suds are always an off color, meaning they include debris which I have just cleaned off my tongue.

Your tongue should always look pink like mine does in this photo.  A dirty tongue will look white, especially in the middle and toward the back. This whiteness is food debris and bacteria that feed on the food debris.  This is really disgusting when you think about it, and also when you smell it.



This video is about brushing a pierced tongue, but it was the best video I could find on brushing any tongue. You do not need a special toothbrush to do a good job. She brushes her teeth until :55 on the video, when she brushes her tongue.

I maintained my weight perfectly yesterday, much to my pleasant surprise!  I had peanut butter toast right before bed, which is never a good idea.  At 147.8 pounds, I am firmly within my weight-loss goal of 145 pounds to 149.9 pounds.  For exercise, I walked the dogs 1.3 miles in our neighborhood park and did some vacuuming and laundry, which means going down and up the basement stairs.  Here is what I ate yesterday:

Small bowl of Special K and organic soy milk
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
2 maple bars at church fellowship
El Monterey Beef burrito with salsa
Hamburger patty with 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce and steamed broccoli
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
2 slices of wheat toast with 2 tablespoons chunky peanut butter

147.8 Out-Smiled by a Dog!

I lost .6 pounds yesterday.  I walked the dogs 1.3 miles in the park. Now that we have our new Garmin Montana 650T GPS for backpacking, we know our usual daily walking route is 1.3 miles.



Here is what I ate yesterday and lost .6 pounds, along with walking 1.3 miles:

Small bowl of Special K and organic soy milk
1/2 a raspberry walnut chocolate bar from REI
1/3 of an apple
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
Chili Dip
3 eggs scrambled in a pat of butter with half an onion, sauteed
1/2 cup peanut M&Ms
10 corn tortilla chips

Raffle is better at smiling for the camera than I am! Look how smug he is, too, kind of chuckling as the sun makes me make that squinchy face. Can you guess what breed of dog Raffle is?  It is not a common breed here in Washington State, let me just warn you. Well, he is a mutt, but can you guess what breeds contributed to him?

148.4 Company Picnic

We attended Scott's company picnic yesterday, and I had Fish Eye Salad for the first time, yum! It was kind of like ambrosia salad: it had fruit cocktail type fruit in it, as well as mandarin oranges. It transgressed ambrosia by also having pasta in it, though. It was a solid that you scooped out of the bowl with a plastic spoon and plopped onto your plate, like potato salad is a solid.

Of course, I should have taken a picture of it, but I didn't. Oh well. Here is a shot of me and Oreo on our walk yesterday morning. The sun was out, but the grass was soaking wet. It was about 72 degrees, but I am stubbornly wearing a tank top with my jeans, wool socks, and shrimp boots.

I gained 1.2 pounds yesterday. I walked a mile in the morning and a mile in the evening. Here is what I ate:

Special K and organic soy milk

One Plate of Picnic Lunch:
Cheeseburger on a bun with ketchup
Potato Chips
Potato Salad
Fish Eye Salad
Lemon Frosted Cookie

Five Meatballs with Habanero Sauce, Raw carrots
1/2 of a raspberry walnut chocolate bar that Scott got for us at REI when he shopped for our new backpacking GPS unit

147.2 August IS Autumn in Spokane, WA

OK, so when Oreo and I went on our morning walk today, what did we hear? Yep, leaves crunching under our feet! I admit it. I was wrong. August IS autumn here in Spokane, WA. I took this photo this morning. Yes, indeed, the leaves are starting to fall!

I really was not ready for summer to be over yet, but the temperature is only 72 today. I am back in jeans, but still stubbornly wearing tank tops. There is a definite chill in the air. It probably comes off the snowy mountains just north of us.

I lost 1.4 pounds yesterday. I have no idea how. I did walk my mile, and I also shopped at Costco and Walmart. Here is what I ate:

Small bowl of Special K and organic soy milk
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
El Monterey beef burrito with salsa
Raw carrots and 1 tablespoon Parmesan spinach dip
Hamburger patty with 1 tablespoon BBQ sauce
Hostess fruit pie, apple flavor
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms

148.6 New Dog Aliens 1 Cover!

What do you think of the cover that Scarlett Rugers whipped up for me on a dare! I posted this photo of Raffle in the backpack because I thought the reflectors and his red eyes made him look more like he was from outer space. I painstakingly got rid of the grassy background in the photo. She told me "Well done!" and she was encouraging, but others said this photo would never make a convincing book cover. Less than 30 minutes later, Scarlett posted "Challenge Accepted," along with this cover!

So far, the book is 19 5x8 pages. Guess I had better get busy making it closer to 100 5x8 pages pretty fast if I want it released by the beginning of December!

In case you can't quite tell by the cover, this will be a series called Dog Aliens. This is book 1, the story of how Raffle got his name and came to live with us.

I gained .2 pounds yesterday. I walked a mile twice, first in the morning with both dogs, and later in the evening with just Oreo and with Scott walking Raffle. Here is what I ate:

Small bowl of Special K and organic soy milk
2 slices of wheat toast with 2 tablespoons chunky peanut butter
Chili Dip
2 1/4 cup servings of peanut M&Ms
Salmon patty with 2 tablespoons Robert Rothschild Farm Roasted Pineapple Habanero Sauce
Steamed broccoli
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms

148.4 August is Not Fall

August 22 is mid summer, not fall! I know school starts for many in August now, but summer starts on summer solstice toward the end of June and continues for three months until the later days of Septemer.

The entire month of August is firmly in summer, despite what a local DJ said the other day about it now being early autumn. No, no, no, it is not!

Here in Spokane, though, you can already feel the air getting cooler. Late July was definitely hot, in the 90s every day and over 100 some days. August is not as hot, especially in the mornings when it can be in the 50s, but it still gets up into the 80s by each afternoon.

Let's not rush fall! It will be here soon enough.

I think this is a great shot of all three of us: Me, Oreo, and Raffle! It's from our walk this morning.

I gained .2 pounds yesterday, but that is fine. I am well within my goal weight range of 145 pounds to 149.9 pounds, at 148.4 pounds. For exercise yesterday I walked a mile. Here is what I ate:

Small bowl of Special K and organic soy milk
Sliced Gala apple candied with two tablespoons chunky peanut butter and 36 dark chocolate chips
Chili Dip
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms

148.2 You Can Recompose Photos Now!

This is a recomposed photo of me, Oreo, and Raffle. The original photo is posted below this one, and you can see how I shrunk the photo so that it wasn't so wide and so that my two dogs appear closer to me in the picture. I am amazed how well Photoshop did with shrinking the fence behind me! The shadows are the only place it looks off, to me. I'm sure more experienced eyes will see more off places, though.

Oh, come to think of it, look at the blue leash. Oh well! I just got Photoshop a few days ago.

 This is one of my learning pieces!

Raffle was shaking, so it's a wonder the camera caught him as un-blurred as it did. The camera was on top of a cinder-block wall, on a timer.

I lost 1.6 pounds yesterday. I walked my mile with the dogs, for exercise. Here is what I ate:

Special K and organic soy milk
Raw veggies dipped in about a teaspoon of Ranch dressing
Salmon patty with 2 tablespoons Robert Rothschild Farm Roasted Pineapple Habanero Sauce
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
Hamburger patty, 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce, steamed broccoli
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

149.8 Overeating is the leading cause of overweight

Those Amberen commercials make me so mad! Telling women they cannot lose weight until they get their hormones balanced verges on psychological abuse, if you ask me. We already have enough excuses not to lose the weight:

"I don't have time."
"I work too many hours."
"I have to cook for my family, anyway, and they won't eat 'diet' food."
"None of my clothes will fit."
"I can't afford it."
"My ankles hurt too much to exercise."
"It's too hot/cold outside to go for a walk."

Our rationalization machine is already working overtime, making up excuses why we must remain overweight and losing the weight and being healthy and attractive again is simply impossible. Amberen, we do not need your help coming up with excuses to not lose the weight!

For all of you who saw my before and after photos above and followed this picture to my blog for the first time just now:

Yes. I lost 90 pounds last year.
No, I did not: take any drugs, join a gym, or spend any money other than $40 for thrift-store clothes each month. See the link "Lose Weight w My Blog" at the top of this page to see how you can follow in my footsteps.  It is completely FREE to do so!

I gained 2.6 pounds yesterday pigging out at our church picnic. That is OK, though, I will lose it over the next few days, and I am still within my weight-loss goal of 145 pounds to 149.9 pounds. I completely took Sunday off yesterday for the picnic. I only walked the dog once around the park, about half a mile compared with my usual mile. Here is what I ate:

Small bowl of Special K and organic soy milk
Maple bar at church fellowship
Hamburger on a white bun with lettuce, mayo, and tomato slices
Cucumber salad
10 corn tortilla chips
Hot dog on a bun with baked beans and sliced tomato
1 Red Vine
5 sandwich cookies
Frosted cinnamon roll with nuts on top
2 slices of Costco combo pizza
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms

No, this is not how I eat every day. This was the most indulgent day I have spent food-wise in months. But the church picnic only comes once a year. I find I can indulge on holidays, birthdays, and other special days so long as I lose what I gained in the next few days. In the words of the doctor who inspired my diet:

"I weigh myself every morning, to see how much I can cheat (on my diet)."

Contact Info / Pack Photos

Cherise Kelley
cherisek52 at   gmail.com 

Here is a photo of our whole "pack." :)

Our real dog Raffle inspired my Dog Aliens novels. We adopted him from the animal shelter at five months old. He was the most obedient dog I ever met or heard about. One time, a cashier at the pet supply store tried to give Raffle a dog biscuit. He looked at my husband for approval before he took the treat!

Oreo really was a little rascal at first, too. It took him a few years to settle down and decide to stay with us. The book I wrote about him is my speculation on why, on what happened to him before he came to us that made him distrust humans so much.

I hope you enjoy these photos of Raffle and Oreo.

Raffle was a very serious dog. Very intelligent, too. This photo shows that a bit.













This is my favorite photo of Raffle! There was no one at the camera. It was sitting on top of a cinder-block wall, on a timer. Raffle looked at the camera and smiled because I did! Oreo is doing his own thing, as usual.








Below is Mommy Raffle, taking his duty to help care for Oreo seriously. This comes out in Dog Aliens 2.

Dog Aliens 1: Raffle's Name, by Cherise Kelley

Paperback: Amazon | Barnes and Noble Online | Powell's
eBook: Kindle | Nook | iTunes | Kobo | Google Play

Get notified about new Dog Aliens books!

Dog Aliens 1: Raffle's Name

Discover the secret life your dog lives while you're at school!
For dog lovers of all ages, but geared toward fourth grade readers.

Paperback:
Amazon | Barnes Online | Powell's
eBook:
 Kindle and the free Kindle app

Clem is a big dog with a secret: he is an alien from outer space. Every morning, he digs out of his yard to mine jex. He has a hard time keeping the little dogs from stealing his jex.

Unhappy with the digging, Clem's human abandons him in the mountains, where Clem meets a she wolf and discovers his talent for manipulating thoughts. This talent comes in handy when he finds himself in a cage at the animal shelter, but he goes a little nuts with it, making squirrels throw pine cones at the annoying little dogs next door, and making ants eat their food. But in the end, Clem finds out why he has this talent, and what he's supposed to do with it.

The sequel, Dog Aliens 2: Oreo, is now available! In it, Clem's humans adopt a brother dog for him, but Oreo would rather chew up their shoes than be Clem's buddy. And Oreo doesn't know he's an alien.

Get notified about new Dog Aliens books!

This is my first novel. It is based on the true story of rescuing our dog from the animal shelter and how we happened to name him Raffle.

The alien part comes in by way of explaining how Raffle could be so darn smart!

I also tried to explain why he was the most obedient dog I ever met, and to add a lot of fun and silliness. :)

- Cherise Kelley


Paperback:
 Amazon | Barnes Online | Powell's

eBook:
 Kindle and the free Kindle app

The Dog Aliens Series

Kaxian Duty - A Dog Aliens Short Story
Dog Aliens 1: Raffle's Name
Dog Aliens 2: Oreo
Dog Aliens 3: She Wolf Neya

147.8 Some Clothes Better Stay on the Rack

I saw this adorable (top? dress?) while we shopped for camping walkie talkies last night at Wal-mart. I really love the leopard print on this fabric, but it is way too young for me (I'm 49). So, I am happy with a photo posted on my blog to say, "Look! Isn't this adorable? Aren't you glad I didn't try it on and take a picture?" LOL!

Maybe if I were single... But probably not even then.

I lost .6 pounds yesterday. I took my Kindle with me on my morning walk, and had it read to me through the "text to speech" function. That worked great, and kept me from getting bored long enough to walk three miles and tire my 10-year-old border-collie-mix dog.

That's right: the dog got tired before I did!

Here is what I ate yesterday and lost .6 pounds, along with a three-mile walk:

Special K, blueberries, and organic soy milk
10 corn tortilla chips
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
1 El Monterey beef and green chili burrito with salsa
10 corn tortilla chips
Hamburger patty, BBQ sauce, raw baby carrots
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1 Nature Valley sweet and salty nut bar

148.4 Raffle Dog

Here's a portrait of my dog Raffle. He is so smart and so eager to please. He knew just what I wanted when I took the camera out to take his photo! He posed so seriously. I think you can see in his eyes that he is an old soul. I think it's cute that his name is showing on his blue tag, too.

This is in an alley near the house we rent. The grass is dry now because it hasn't rained in awhile. Unfortunately, it makes the scene look really Western / cowboy, instead of like the Pacific Northwest. Oh well.

I gained .4 pounds yesterday. I did an hour of gardening at our church in the morning and walked twice, once with both dogs and once with my dog and Scott leading his dog. Here is what I ate:

Small bowl of Special K, blueberries, and organic soy milk
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
2 El Monterey beef and bean burritos with salsa
Salmon patty with 2 tablespoons Robert Rothschild Farm Roasted Pineapple Habanero Sauce
Raw baby carrots
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
10 corn tortilla chips
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

148.0 Soup and Veggies Meal Idea

A serving of soup is only half a 12 once can. It typically has loads of sodium in it. I love the convenience of canned soups, though. A trick that allows me to use them for meals is to eat soup over steamed vegetables. Two of my favorite combinations are the broccoli and clam chowder pictured here, and broccoli with lentil soup.

I steam the veggies separately, washing them first. It takes broccoli 45 minutes to steam at my altitude. I have only used broccoli so far, but I think carrots or Brussels sprouts or cauliflower would work just as well.

I lost .8 pounds yesterday. I went on two walks, one in the morning and one in the evening, both a mile. Here is what I ate:

Small bowl of Special K, blueberries, and organic soy milk
3 eggs scrambled in a pat of butter with sauteed onion and red bell pepper
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
1/3 can Progresso new England clam chowder over steamed broccoli
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
10 corn tortilla chips
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

As you can see, my calorie count was quite high yesterday. I attribute the day's weight loss to the two 30-minute exercise periods, spread out in time.

I finished writing and editing my first book yesterday! It is a guide on how to get a job as a high school substitute teacher, and how to do the job so well you enjoy it. I gave it to Scott to proofread. I will post here when it is available for purchase. I surprised myself and came up with a story idea, too, and started writing that and working on a possible cover for it. Exciting times!

148.8 Another Zero Weight Gain Day

I had a zero weight gain day yesterday where I maintained my weight exactly. I went on two mile-long walks and shopped at Costco, so far as cardiovascular exercise goes. That is really a key ingredient for me to keep burning calories. Cardio really helps me keep the weight off. Here is what I ate yesterday:

Small bowl of Special K, blueberries, and organic soy milk
Small bowl of blueberries
1/4 cup of peanut M&Ms
El Monterey bean and cheese burrito with salsa
Costco Samples: wheat cracker with garlic cheese spread and two bites of a garden veggie burger
Chili Dip
1/4 cup of peanut M&Ms
10 extra corn tortilla chips
Slice of cheddar cheese

This picture shows my sunburn a little better. My nose is peeling for the first time in decades. It was almost always peeling when I was a kid. I only know one person who sunburns more easily than I do (Hi Amanda!).

148.8 One Candle Loses Nothing By Lighting Another

I found this saying painted over a classroom door at a high school where I substitute teach. What a perfect metaphor for teaching. What a great reminder to share our experience, strength, and hope with those who need encouragement.

I can see why people draw the line at sharing hard-earned expertise for free, though. Experts need to eat, too. They should not feel ashamed for wanting to profit from their skilled advice and teaching.

I guess we need to think of the flame as hope, or faith. It genuinely costs us nothing but time to share that with others who need it. What's more, to continue the metaphor, if we light all the other candles the room is no longer dark. We can see what is in all the farthest corners. The more friends we have, the more fulfilling  our lives become.

I lost 1.4 pounds yesterday and am back inside my target weight of 145 pounds to 149.9 pounds. I walked my dog a mile for exercise, and I also put in a few minutes on the stair step exercise machine in our home gym. I avoided the maple bar donuts and potluck lunch at church. Here is what I ate:

Small bowl of Special K, blueberries, and organic soy milk
2 slices of toasted Kirkland whole wheat bread with 2 tablespoons chunky peanut butter
El Monterey beef and bean burrito with salsa
10 corn tortilla chips
Half a can of Amy's organic lentil soup over steamed broccoli

150.2 Walking Dogs in the Woods

The dogs and I went into the woods yesterday for our walk, up hill. It was nice and shady and cool at 8 am. The dogs did great until we saw some joggers who had a dog off a leash. I was mortified that these people were jogging on trails that had me huffing and puffing trying to walk slowly last year. Yesterday, I found that I could easily jog these trails now, too.

I gained .8 pounds yesterday because I could not lay off the snacks after dinner. I will take it really easy today. No maple bar donut at church, and no staying for the potluck lunch, either. Here is what I ate yesterday:

Small bowl of Special K, blueberries, and organic soy milk
1/4 cup of peanut M&Ms
El Monterey beef and bean burrito with salsa
Slice of cheddar cheese
Hamburger patty with BBQ sauce
Raw baby carrots and Parmesan dip
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
Apple with peanut butter and dark chocolate chips

My Sunburn and Scott's Local Motion Hawaii T Shirt

Remember Local Motion Hawaii surf wear from the 70s? My husband was cool like that and had this T shirt back when he was in high school. It fits me now! If you knew Scott in high school, then you know how small that makes me now!

If you are too young to remember the 70s, don't worry about it. That is just us old folks remembering what used to be. You are not somehow dumb for not "getting it." When you get into your late 40s, you will have your own high school years to remember, and all the discount stores like Wal-mart will have your fashions on display, like they do ours right now (OP).

I got sunburned at our yard sale yesterday and daren't wear anything sleeveless today for fear of it getting worse. My nose is very red, but you can't really tell in this photo.

I was going to wait and walk after dark last night, but I fell asleep at 7pm! I didn't walk yesterday. I lost .2 pounds anyway. Here is what I ate:

Small bowl of Special K, blueberries, and organic soy milk
El Monterey beef and bean burrito with salsa
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
Chili Dip with corn tortilla chips

149.6 More Paisley and Yard Sale

This paisley dress has been languishing in my closet since the last time I was able to wear it, 2000 or so. I'm wearing it to our second day of yard sale today. I am trying to sell all the clothes that are too big for me, for $1 each. So far, I have only sold 7 pieces. We have to have our yard sale during the week, because Scott works all weekend.

Yes, I did put a big sign out that says Women's Clothes Sizes 10 - 20. Don't you hate it when you go to a yard sale and there is no sign to tell you if the clothes are men's, women's, boys', or girls', let alone which sizes? That drives me nuts.

We made $49 yesterday at our yard sale. Here is praying that today yields more.

I gained .4 pounds yesterday. I walked my mile in the evening, after the sun went down and it was cool. Here is what I ate:

Small bowl of Special K, blueberries, and organic soy milk
Homemade egg, ham, and cheese breakfast burrito with salsa
El Monterey beef and bean burrito with salsa
Two apples with peanut butter and dark chocolate chips

149.2 Another Coeur d'Alene Resort Photo

Mom, were you taking a picture of me, or of this awesome speed boat? Heh!  Good job getting both!

This is another photo of Mom and my day at the Coeur d'Alene Resort last Monday. She has been on the train sending me photos all along, but they all just arrived by email last night and this morning. Weird, but I couldn't deprive you of this great shot!

I maintained my weight perfectly yesterday at 149.2. I walked a mile in the park, shopped at Costco, and walked another 1/3 mile later with Scott. Here is what I ate:

Special K and organic soy milk
Blueberries
El Monterey beef and bean burrito with salsa
Apple, 2 tablespoons chunky peanut butter, 36 dark chocolate chips
3-bite sample of a Hagen Daz ice cream bar at Costco
Steamed broccoli and half a can of Amy's organic lentil soup
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms

149.2 Go Outside and Play!

I truly hope today's moms tell their kids, "Go outside and play!" just like my mom told us. Summer days are too wonderful to spend indoors! Yes, we have to work, but go outside and play during your breaks! I took this picture today during my own lunch break, when I went out and played with my dogs in the park.

I got fat because I lost the habit of going outside to play. I started playing indoors on the computer instead of outside in nature. Shame on me!

Yes, I make half my living here on the computer. It is fun, and I learn a lot from surfing the Internet, and I have made hundreds of casual friends here. The computer has its place, though. It needs to be some of my day, but not all of my day. I need to get outside for an hour every day, even in the winter. God bless my husband for suggesting two years ago that we walk every day.

I gained .2 pounds yesterday, not bad at all. I walked my mile. Here is what I ate:

Special K, blueberries, and organic soy milk
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
El Monterey beef and bean burrito with salsa
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
Cheeseburger on a bun with BBQ sauce
Raw baby carrots

149.0 Cappelli Woven Toyo Bag With Beaded Handle

Thank you again, Mom, for this terrific summer purse you gave me for my birthday this year. I get more compliments on it than I have on any other purse I have ever had! All the ladies coo over how it goes with everything and how cute all the little gem-tone decorations are. I like the basket design, too.

I searched around trying to find a place to buy this purse online, but could only find some of Cappelli's other purses. Maybe this one is sold out. I did find it in hot pink, but that is not the "goes with anything" look we want, at all.

 

I gained 1.4 pounds yesterday, but I am still within my weight-loss goal of 145 to 149.9 pounds. I walked my mile with our dogs in the grass at the park. Here is what I ate:

Small bowl of Special K, blueberries, and organic soy milk
El Monterey bean and cheese burrito with salsa
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
Salmon patty on a bun with tartar sauce, steamed broccoli
Peanut Sweet and Salty Nut Bar
10 corn tortilla chips

147.6 Before and After Losing Weight Pics

I lost three pounds yesterday, and am back within my goal weight of 145 to 149.9 pounds. I just took this photo on the right this morning. The photo on the left was taken in August of 2011 at Mt. Rushmore. There is a 70 pound difference. Can you tell? :)

My only disappointment is that I waited to be almost 50 before I made this amazing transformation. Imagine how much better I would have looked at this weight ten years ago. Twenty years ago, I was even thinner, but I was maintaining that by smoking, so that doesn't really count.

If you want to see how I lost the weight in the first place, and maybe follow along in my footsteps, then please click on the link at the top of this page, the one that says "Lose Weight w My Blog."

Today, for me, keeping the weight off is all about weighing myself every morning to see how much I can cheat. Dr Tarnower himself admitted this was his own approach to keep trim eating. Avoiding sodium is just as important as limiting carbohydrates, sugar, and fat.

The three pounds I lost yesterday were water retention weight from all the sodium in the pizza I ate the day before. For exercise, I walked my two dogs a mile in our neighborhood park. Here is what I ate yesterday to let the sodium leave my body along with the extra water my body retained to balance all that salt:

Small bowl of Special K and organic soy milk
El Monterey beef and bean burrito with salsa
Small bowl of fresh blueberries
Hamburger patty prepared without salt or salty sauces, steamed broccoli
Raw baby carrots
One sucker candy at family movie time

150.6 Paisley and Pizza

I really love this dress. I love that it fits me and is a size 8. I love the sky blue color of it. I love the simple clean lines of its shape. I love the decoration on it, inspired by the art of India.

One of the workshops I took in preparation for working the Charles Dickens Christmas Fair on Pier 45 in San Francisco in 1987 was on Victorian fabrics. They claimed that paisley patterns and shapes were inspired by mango fruits. I found that charming, and I have loved paisley ever since. For me, paisley symbolizes everything sophisticatedly British.

The funny thing is, Brits probably associate paisley with India, while the rest of the world associates paisley with Britain. It's probably the same with most American food. We associate it with the country it allegedly comes from, but the rest of the world thinks of our style of cheesy pizza as American.

I stumbled upon this bit of information when reading Trip Advisor reviews of the Port Angeles, WA restaurant Bella Italia. Some of the foreign visitors say this "Italian" restaurant is everything but Italian. Some of the American visitors love that the restaurant features local Northwest wines. Empire does weird things to a country's image. Some love the symbols of the head of an empire, others hate them, but everyone has an opinion.

Pizza is one of my weaknesses. It and donuts and pie crust are the only flour that really tempt me, anymore. I am going to have to skip the donut today at church. I gained 1.4 pounds yesterday eating pizza, and am once again over goal. I walked my mile. Here is everything I ate:

Small bowl of Special K and organic soy milk
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
3 slices of Costco combo pizza
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
2 slices of Costco combo pizza
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
Sliced Gala apple with 2 tablespoons chunky peanut butter and 36 dark chocolate chips

149.2 Walking Our Dogs in the Park in Summer

I lost .2 pounds yesterday. For exercise we walked the dogs a mile in the park. Here is a picture of all of us. I love how the dogs smile at the unmanned camera just because we do!

That cart to my right is what Scott takes around to collect aluminum cans. He has a reacher that he uses to get them out of the garbage bins without having to touch them.

We walk in this same park almost every day, but each day is different. New people are there with their dogs. If we go early there aren't any people, but the squirrels are out. If it has rained recently there are puddles and the grass is soaking wet. Different neighbors are out in their yards that border the park each time: working on their cars, having yard sales, running through their sprinklers, or barbequing. 

Here is what I ate yesterday:

Special K and organic soy milk
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
Bean and cheese burrito and salsa
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
Apple, 2T peanut butter, dark choc chips
Steamed broccoli with lentil soup
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
10 corn tortilla chips

149.4 Portion Control

I lost .8 pounds yesterday, and now am back inside my weight-loss goal of 145 to 149.9. For exercise, I walked the dogs a mile in the park. Here is what I ate:

Small bowl of Special K and organic soy milk
El Monterey beef and bean burrito with salsa
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms (1 serving)
Salmon patty and steamed mixed vegetables
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
10 corn tortilla chips (1 serving)

Portion control is one of the keys to keeping the weight off. When I was fat, I would just set the bag of M&Ms or corn tortilla chips next to me and eat until I didn't want any more.

Today, I check the package to see how much or how many a serving is, and I serve myself that many or that much. Sure, I can go back and get another serving if I really really want to, but most often, I don't.

Portion control is a little tricky because of the way food is packaged. A can of soup has "about 2" servings. One serving of salad dressing is only 2 tablespoons, which is less than a glug from a typical salad-dressing bottle.

I am glad food is labeled by calories per serving and how many servings are in the package and how much is one serving. This way, I can always figure out how much of the package I can eat and only get one serving's worth of calories. If I'm out camping or something and don't have a measuring cup, I can divide the contents of the package by how many servings are in it, to get one serving.

150.2 Paddle Surfing

Here is another paddle surfing photo from the Coeur d'Alene Resort on monday. This one is just a little kid. I had seen wind surfing before, but not paddle surfing. There was enough wind this day that they could have wind surfed. Paddle surfing looks more difficult, if you ask me.

I looked around the web, and people actually paddle surf the waves in the ocean, too. Wow. At this lake they just paddle around, and that looks tough enough all on its own. Oh wow, here, I found a video!



This paddle surfing instruction video details how to paddle out to waves and catch them on a paddle board. Paddle out straight, not sideways, or you will capsize. Once you are out, point your board the direction you want to go. If you miss a wave, lower yourself to avoid being knocked off the board. It shows neutral foot position vs surfing foot position and how to paddle as you catch the wave. Very informative.

I lost .6 pounds yesterday. For exercise we walked the dogs a mile in the park. Here is what I ate:

Small bowl of Special K and organic soy milk
Raw baby carrots
Hamburger patty, BBQ sauce, steamed broccoli
1 leftover steak fajita burrito with a little leftover sour cream
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
Raw baby carrots
Thick slice of cheddar cheese
Three corn tortilla chips

150.8 Puerto Vallarta Mexican Restaurant in Spokane Valley

Scott and I went to dinner last night at Puerto Vallarta Mexican Restaurant in Spokane Valley. The food was too good, especially the surprise complimentary dessert they brought us! Scott had shrimp enchiladas and I had steak fajitas. I tasted his, and it was even better than mine. I'm from Los Angeles, and I know authentic Mexican food when I taste it. This is the real deal, unlike the sugary "Mexican" food we got at this one place in Forks...

I left a generous tip because our waiter was really on it, asking frequently if we needed anything else and bringing everything with friendliness yet efficiency. The decor is beautiful Mexican tile and artifacts, even in the restrooms. They have a huge saloon in back with pool tables, arcade games, and karaoke Friday and Saturday nights from 9 to 1:45, so we might be going back soon!

Puerto Vallarta Mexican Restaurant
6915 East Sprague Avenue
Spokane Valley, WA 99212

(509) 922-2632

Here is another picture of Mom and me at the Coeur d'Alene Resort on Monday. This was the first picnic I had been on this summer. I have the big Hanes Beach Cover Up T shirt on to protect me from the sun. Mom soaks up as much sun as she can, as you can see! After about two hours of moving with the shade I finally gave up, took off the T shirt, and used sunscreen. Mom had that pink bag made for me by a village woman in Ghana, Africa on her last medical volunteer mission. 

I gained 1.4 pounds yesterday. For exercise, I walked 2/3 of a mile with dogs in the park, and 1.2 miles to the restaurant and back. Food Intake:

El Monterey beef and bean burrito with salsa
1/4 cup M&Ms
Hamburger patty, 1 tablespoon BBQ sauce, raw baby carrots
3 Steak fajita burritos with grilled onion, green pepper, guacamole, and sour cream
2 crispas with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and honey