A new week, new goals to crush, more coffee to drink.
One of the things I’m seeing tonight as I write this is one of my posts from 2 years ago is trending in the top two spots on Google search…..go. me.
Single Ingredient Diet
Yeah so that’s kinda nice. People wanna read me and I like to think I have positive words to offer up, along with a dose of sassy humor. 😉 you can check this post out later.
Speaking of humor…..
You may have seen the Target dress challenge on social media. Basically Target launched this line of dresses they were like, apparently serious about.
They look like left over Little House on the Prairie wardrobe pieces. Ankle length frocks, quite lovely.
Ugly? Yes.
Frumpy? Oh yes.
Man repellant? Most definitely.
Wearing these dresses makes you look like you’re ready for a long day on the farm preparing for a locust invasion.
But wait… I was eating at a local restaurant the other day and they have a gift shop with all kinds of goodies in it. Imagine my horror when I saw this…..is everyone getting on board with this??
😱😱😱
And the ones behind it weren’t much better…trust me.
When it comes to fashion like this, I’m always glad that I’m out here doing my own thing.
Oh yeah..my own thing. Wanna see?
Decided to start my new year with a fun flare. 🖤
Shades of pink, but most rose gold, I love the mix of it all and nicknamed it my Neapolitan hair.
The main factor is that I love it, but after that, the fact others like it is cool too.
A girl checking me in at my dr appt commented on it….
“Love your hair! Kudos to you for being so bold and doing it”
I thanked her, but here’s the deal.
It doesn’t take much for me to be bold and adventurous. But really, I love doing things that please me, and that is usually something outside the box.
Can I suggest that if you’ve pondered doing something, why not do it? What’s holding you back?
If this past year has taught me anything, live life, even if it is diving into rosegold hair.
Do what makes you happy and brings you joy.
Ever notice how life can randomly point things out to you? 😅
The truth of this hits deep
Teasing aside, I am thankful and grateful for every year I’ve lived, even if there are days that are harder or a body that wants to go rogue, I am thankful for the years I’ve lived.
In other news..
The month is almost over and there has been of course, the push for people wanting to get back to exercise and “get in shape”.
If you’re in that boat, you aren’t alone! I think during this past year so many have gotten out of a normal routine or have been sidetracked by the weird turns of life.
My simple suggestion to get back in the groove? Get out for 30 minutes.
Take 30 minutes to do something that moves you, that makes you feel alive and refreshed. Can’t do 30? Make it 20, but make it count.
If I’m short on time and decide to do 20 minutes on the rower or elliptical, I pedal down and go all out in those 20 minutes and believe me, it’s a solid workout that works me.
Life is hard. Exercise helps.
Food. Food helps too.
I thought I’d share a salad I made with you during the holidays. I used greek yogurt in place of the sour cream for a lighter healthy swap.
As I’m writing this little installment of Saturday Snippets, I’m a bit in denial that July is now tipping into the “it just started and is now wildly speeding out of control ” zone.
Holy hello, where has the month gone??
Besides pondering that deep question, I thought I’d share with you what I was up to this week.
I’ve kept athletic things low key ’cause I went and got this done on Tuesday…..
And when you have that much open skin…well….the idea of sweating alot into it wasn’t appealing 🤣
I’ve had ideas for quite awhile to pull together some pieces I already had. I got with our local artist for a consult and set things in motion.
This is what my arm previously looked like.
It was so exciting to pull the ideas out of my head, hand them over to her and let her weave them together.
To say I’m in love with how it’s shaping up is an understatement. This piece is about 90% done now.
In two weeks I’ll go back to touch up any areas and also to have some lace added around my wrist.
Since I’m writing a post on my most recent tattoo shenanigans, I thought I’d share questions/comments etc that I’ve gotten. I have many people in my life who understand what goes into it all and mostly there’s a whole lot who don’t.
So here’s my favorite question.
Did it hurt? The first time someone ever asked me that ( I resisted the urge to roll my eyes)
I said, just think of a sewing machine needle stitching thread into the fabric…Haha the look on their face. 😝
Seriously though, of course there’s pain.
There is a level you just get comfortable with and then there are areas that you definitely take yourself to another zone and just breathe through it. Weirdly, there are times I look forward to the pain.
I’d have to say with this piece, being about 4 hours in the chair, the shading of black was the most intense.
This literally feels like someone using little razor blades to dig into my skin…over and over..
Yeah the arm starts feeling a little raw. It’s especially fun when the hot sun hits it.
How long does it take to heal?
After finishing my arm got wrapped in something akin to plastic wrap. I’m wondering why this stuff can’t be used for my kitchen bowls 😝
This keeps it clean and protected. I’m supposed to wear it 3-6 days.
Here it is at day three. I’m ready to take it off.
No my art work hasn’t smeared, it’s just extra ink oozing under plastic. Can you see the tiny lace details though? It amazes me she could do such tiny work.
Once plastic comes off it’s washed and cleaned several times a day. Washing it feels.. delightful.
Raw open skin with dial soap on it 😱
It will begin to heal as it dries and then it goes through the awesome itchy phase in which you attempt to not scratch. A few weeks out it’s 100% again
What made you do it?
Why not? The pieces on my arm were specific, intentional, and have meaning to me. I wanted to fill between them with the end result looking like a vintage type lacey sleeve. I have a small area on the back of my arm yet to do that will complete it.
Beside all that, it’s been a wonderful way to wear creative art that belongs to just me.
I think that’s uber cool and I’m privileged to wear someone’s art.
What about when you get old?
Uh. I am old. Next question.
Seriously, I am way old enough to know what I want, what I like, and do what I wanna do.
Have you regretted it?
No.
Do you want more?
Is the Pope Catholic?
When I got my first one it was a flower bracelet with the word strength in it. This was such an important life word for me that I wanted it on me in a visual way. I had thought to get that and I’d be done. (Fyi, the wrist is one of the most painful places…)
Not true. Less than a day later I was plotting my next.
I still have creative ideas in my head 😉😉
I was warned by those who had gone before me…”you’ll want more”…. I didn’t believe them…now I know better.
What if your kids got them?
Ha. My kids encouraged me and own quite a few of their own. My son jokingly gave me a list of “girl tattoos” that I should not ever get lest I lose cool status. These included standard quo things like a flower or dolphin on my ankle or inside my wrist, anything tribal (as if!) Or any tattoo in a shop where you select them by numbers.
A final thought
Spending hours in a chair gave me plenty of time to chat with the young artist working on me. She discussed her struggles at trying to open her business in our town and how she had been told at one city meeting by someone that they didn’t want “those kind of people” around. Ha like wow.
I forget, or rather I’m surprised, at the harsh and judgmental attitudes people still carry in regards to this topic. But those personal opinions are there and firmly in place even though I find them a bit dated.
To each their own.
I’ve just learned you can’t or shouldn’t judge a book by its cover and some of the most authentic,interesting, creative people I’ve ever met have had tattoos.
Your turn. Do you have any? If so, any stories with them? If not, do you want one but haven’t? Or are you in the “thanks but no thanks” camp? It’s cool if you are 😉
Send a boat. Seriously. Send one. The rain has been going on here long enough and I’m starting to feel like if I should sit still to long I may get moldy.
In the south we hate to complain about rain ’cause when it’s done, it goes and we don’t see it for awhile, but I think we’re all ready for a break. The ground just can’t hold anymore and smooshes under you when you walk.
Yes, I just used smooshes. Enjoy that 😉
I’ve come to the realization if I’m running or cycling I’m gonna get wet from more than just my sweat. I’m ok with that, mostly.
Have you ever been on a bike, flying along, with water flying from the sky and it’s all over your glasses?
I’ve yet to figure how to make that all work as I need/ prefer to have them on.. tricky though.. with water on them and not wanting the wind in my eyes.
Speaking of my athletic shenanigans……
I took off on Friday with the intent of doing a brick session, meaning a run/bike training work out.
The weather guy had promised a “mostly dry” day ahead. I pondered that statement when I walked out and felt light, misty rain hit me.
No big deal. I grabbed my bike and other gear, got set up and took off to do my 5K run.
Finished off the run. swapped gear, and got on the road for miles on the bike. It always feels good to settle in and have time to drink something and catch my breath from the run.
It was still fun and games…until….
My mind moved ahead to the route I was taking as the miles dropped under me. I approached a road that I turn on and ride into the cul de sac before looping back the way I came.
There’s a house that sits on the corner and the people there have a couple dogs. It’s not usually an important thing to me however one of them last summer decided it wanted to chomp my thigh when it chased me into the cul de sac and I had to really slow down because of all the loose gravel.
It took me a couple rides down that road before I started to relax again. So whenever I ride I’m always aware.
This was my mental status on Friday. However as I approached to turn on the side road I saw one of the dogs through trees in front of the house…. immediately aware…
Oh my gosh they are out and loose.
It’s funny…well not funny… but my mind began to immediately seek out the best way to avoid conflict.
First, I’m obviously not turning up the road as planned. If I kept going straight it took me down a huge hill that immediately dropped into a sharp, fast “S” curve. As much as I love playing daredevil off those hills. the idea of doing it with dogs chasing me didn’t seem prudent.
I determined to come to a stop as quick as possible, unclip, and hopefully put my bike between us.
I guess I wasn’t aware of this, but now instead of having two dogs, there were four, ( when did they get more??) who began barking and heading towards me, including one who snacked on my thigh last year.
It just happens so fast….
Before I could fully stop to unclip, he came charging up and yes, again, chomped me in the thigh.
By now the owner was calling all of them and they were scampering off sniffing grass and what not.
Shaking I got off my bike, my upper thigh already throbbing, blood running down my leg.
Then damn it, tears.
It hurt, but seeing four dogs coming at me had been a little unnerving. I can’t explain how my brain was processing things, but I couldn’t get it all going in time to avoid the bite.
Tears because I was angry as I knew my ride was over, that I’d need to go home and tend to myself. Angry because I already felt like I’m behind in my training and this clipped the rest of my training time.
Angry because that stupid dog bit me….again.
The owner was like… “Oh that’s bad bite.”
Really??
I’d say as it was a full mouth bite.
At that point I just wanted to get home. She asked that I wait while she herded them inside.
Here’s what you need to know. I live in areas where the roads are mostly quiet and there aren’t a lot of people up and down them. It’s great training ground. Plenty of hills, inclines and flat roads.
Being outside with your dogs with you, not in a fence, isn’t awful, necessarily. The problem is, if someone comes along and you have a dog that already goes after someone on a bike, he should never be loose. I mean, realistically, they don’t know when someone will come along and well, then, it’s to late.
After getting home and cleaning up, I sent hubby a lovely leg photo. Probably not the kind of leg photo he may have preferred as this one was a thigh with teeth marks, bruising, and blood. Let’s just say I won’t win any great leg contests right now 😛
Of course, he wanted me to go to the clinic to be seen. Which of course I did.
Something I hadn’t really planned into my day.
Before I got back home, the owner was sending messages that they were calling authorities, that the dog would be quarantined and was current on shots etc.
Damage control?
The thing that concerns me with all of this is…. the dog was very focused and intent on what it was about. Headed right into me to bite. I carry a lot of heavy muscle on my thighs and it took the impact and still had damage. But what if I was a smaller person? Or worse, a kid on a bike? They might not stand up under it as well.
So I’ve got some decisions to make and things to consider with this.
I hate having to deal with it. I hate that my leg is swollen and tender and I seem to hit it on everything. I hate something making me feel insecure. ( after last years event it took several times that way before I didn’t feel tense riding there)
Could I not ride that way?
Yeah, I guess. But why shouldn’t I be able to ride a public road without fear of being attacked? It’s not my responsibility to keep my dog under wraps.
and this is the second time…..
Anyway… that was my exciting way of ending my week…
In the ways of work…
it’s been a busy week in my vintage furniture world. I sold several things this week, picked up another custom order and got the coolest table and chair set… that I want to keep. That is the cool thing about doing this. If I find something I love, I rework it, and it gets added to my collection.
I’m going to freshen it up and it will be a unique kitchen set, It’s legs and details on table…. so gorgeous!
I’m telling you… you just can’t go down to the local furniture place and find things like this anymore.
Oh and I also got some fun fabric for my chair projects.
I scored a set of 8 antique harp back chairs that I’m getting this week. I guess we’ll see what I do with them…
I know we are approaching Fall….
my daughter in law asked me the other day if I was going to decorate for fall. I told her when it’s not 99 degrees and feels like summer.
I just want a little bit of a weather change, that’s all. Just a bit of crisp in the air.
The warm, muggy, humid, sauna like weather we’ve been having has not put me in a festive mood wanting all things Pumpkin Spice
Speaking of that…shame on Starbucks for getting greedy rolling out Pumpkin Spice in August,
Are you kidding me? August?
Not feeling it guys, not feeling it.
The grey days though have put me in the mood for soup and cozy foods. One favorite around here is taco soup. Toss all the ingredients in a crock pot and whoever shows up can grab something to eat. It also reheats well too.
I’ve got another busy week ahead…per usual…. and as always new adventures wait.
Smiles for a new week ahead
What does your week ahead hold? Are you ready for fall and a change of seasons?
Monday. Literally like swimming into Monday. Was it only not so long ago that I was complaining we needed rain? Well as it goes in the south, when it shows up, it’s ready to party. The past week offered plenty but the weekend saw lots of local areas, streams and creeks flooding.
I’m just over here annoyed that it doesn’t make for the best training environment for running and cycling. But I also know it’s good to train in everything since you never know what race day will offer up in the weather department.
It always amazes me though, with a good dose of all that wet stuff, how it almost turns everything green overnight. The fact that my grass is going to be approaching my height in days is rather troubling… and means I’ll be picking up some extra cardio work shoving a push mower all over the place cutting it.
I’ve had people tease me about my preferring a push mower over a riding mower, but honestly, I just like the work that comes with it. There’s something satisfying about it and it feels good to be able to do it.
Do you have a preference?
Rainy days are always good for projects…
So I used the time inside this weekend to work on some of my furniture projects. I pretty much wrapped up a custom order I’ve been working on. Two of the final chairs are old harp back chairs and I’ve had to basically build the harp part (painstakingly) back up because age and careless handling from a previous owner’s “better idea” had left them broken and in sad condition. My customer loved them and wanted all four I had ( plus four other random ones I had) But I’ll really be glad to get past the repair stuff on these, it’s been one of my more challenging projects.
I did however, flip this cute phone bench I got last week fairly quick. It too needed veneer repair on side so it made it a good paint candidate… not only that… I just got a quick vision for what colors it needed and I couldn’t be more thrilled with how it came out…
It’s “before” lookAnd after… I am seriously in love with this.
Not happy with the lighting in photos, the yellow is actually a bit deeper and warmer but matches the fabric perfectly.
In the list of things that are annoying…..
This week, once again, I was wrestling off thick, goopy price tags off some glass items I’d purchased. It is up there on my most annoying list.
I get it… person slapping price tags on glass or other surfaces doesn’t have to see it after that. They don’t have to go home with it and begin the frustrating attempt to remove it without destroying item in the process.
Ugh.
There’s got to be an easier way, right? Something kinder and gentler to the poor purchaser. I try a variety of tricks to extract them, do you have any clever ideas that make the work easier?
Oh. Let’s not forget to add to the list “easy open tops”, “just tear here” markers on packages, and “re closeable Ziploc ” tops.
Lies.
They are all lies.
It sounds good in theory, but really, have you ever tried to really successfully open those package tops without losing your sanity, much less having it actually zip and seal afterwards?
This my friend, is what scissors are for, and re closeable tops be damned.
Making the news this week…..
Just Do It.
I probably don’t need to say more than that do I? Unless you live in a cave you couldn’t have missed Nikes controversial new campaign ad with Colin Kaepernick.
The meme’s have abounded from humorous, to crazy, to thought provoking, to well, down right stupid.
Every person has become an expert on knowing him and what he stands for…or doesn’t stand for.
Every person has an opinion on Nike even if they didn’t previously.
I’ll just state the obvious here. Personal opinions are not absolute real…. facts. No matter how hard someone tries to make them be, they just aren’t.
I have sat back and processed, observed and studied lots of angles of this. I’m certainly no expert on the topic.
I just try to look at things in an objective way not driven by wild personal passions or half baked beliefs of questionable truths gleaned off internet postings of my friends, or worse yet my own desires to “make” something be true without actual, ya know, realfacts or evidence.
It is crazy to me how people jump on bandwagons without actually digging into something on their own and gathering their own info but just blindly accept others thoughts or opinions on a topic.
There is a reason people are referred to as sheep. Sheep just collectively follow each other without any thought to doing something different from the others, thinking for themselves.
Maybe because I write and am often digging and researching for information that my perspective looks at it in a different way.
If you tell me the sky is blue, but I can’t for sure assess that myself, then I’m darn well gonna go look to the best resources I can find to help me come to a conclusive idea if the sky is really blue or not.
Nothing gets me more than self imposed ignorance on anything.
I was going to make this a passing topic on todays post, but really have determined it needs it’s own platform, it’s own separate post.
I’m going to let my own opinions out ( and yes, I’m just as entitled to them as the next guy) perhaps I’ve seen this whole thing in a different way than others. I have seen some interesting, sane, thoughtful posts made by others that let me know there are other thinking and reasoning people lurking out there.
I also plan to bring some “facts” in alongside my own thoughts.
And on that note… I’ll move on… for now.
Let’s talk about food….
Of course I need to share a new recipe with you. I went out to eat this week and the local restaurant had added fresh asparagus and cherry tomatoes with garlic as one of their side dishes.
It was amazing and colorful.
Of course I immediately set out to find a similar recipe to duplicate at home, which I did and whipped up last night.
Seriously these few items paired together are amazing. I baked chicken, made some rice pilaf and dinner was served.
In other news….
I got a new book this week I’m really eager to get into. It’s called “Roar” and it’s written for women athletes, addressing our physical make up and how we difer from men in our training needs, eating, and conditioning to be stronger, better athletes. It’s such a rich book full of great information I am hopeful to get some new ideas for training. Of course, once I finish there will be a book review on it as well 🙂
That’s a wrap for this week. Have you read any good books lately? Tried any new foods?
Welcome to another edition of Monday Musings where I let my thoughts out to play….well most of them… some need kept under lock and key haha
Here we are in another week and I’m ready to take no prisoners, carpe diem and all that, right boys and girls?
I ended my week yesterday by knocking out some miles on the bike. I always say it’s not the “miles” but what’s IN those miles that really counts. Sometimes it’s both as well.
Usually when I am training for something I do what I think of as “pieces” I’m putting together for a puzzle. I work sections and gradually put them together till I’m doing all of a long run or ride etc. Training for the duathlon has many pieces for me. I had thought last week after finishing a particular section of road with some big hills that I’d branch out farther and start adding more miles and getting more time out on the road where the race is held.
But then…..
I had this great idea that I was just gonna go out and do the whole thing on Sunday. No pressure to ride fast or capture new PR’s or anything like that. Just ride, get the course under me mentally and physically again.
I mean… if I started feeling like an old lady and needed to stop and rest under a tree I could, right? ( ha for the record I didn’t 😉 )
I know I have a good strong physical base so I thought if I got the whole thing under me, it would definitely give me a good idea of how hard I can start pushing myself.
I got about 5 easy miles in before I headed to the main road that took me all the way down, then back that encompasses the whole course.
I’m just gonna say… it’s work…ok? This race isn’t listed as the toughest in the state for nothing.
I’m smiling ’cause I’m on top of the last hill of many AND that I set a new PR on this one and the one that drops off on the other side
So I did it. Did the whole thing. Finished with 22.5 miles although the mileage for course is a little over 16 beastly miles.
It was a good ride and I feel ready to really push into my training in these upcoming months. And I do love getting back into the thick of training…. the tiredness that only comes from a hard workout, the fierce hunger I can only experience once my training increases, the solid night sleep where you can move the house from under me ( try it!) the increased strength and power I grow into again as my body adapts to the heavier training, getting more chiseled as I drop some body fat, setting new Pr’s… I love it all.
All that work though makes me hungry….
I had to venture to the store over the weekend ’cause ya know, I like to eat. And so do the other random people who wander into my house.
On a side note, it always amuses me how one of my married sons can venture into my pantry or ‘fridge and complain about what’s not there.
Like…dude. You’re married you have your own home and pantry…stock it with whatever junk food you wanna find.
Anyway… I went to the store. I was out of a lot of produce and I start to get concerned when I don’t have fresh stuff… well not really… I wanted donuts too 😉
So I do all my shopping, find a lane that is open, and get the process rolling to get out.
The bagging part always makes me edgy.
Will I get a good bagger? Will I get the cashier having to do both? ( I usually jump in when that happens) or will I get someone who didn’t finish bagging school?
I got a bagger and a checker who didn’t make it out of bagging school.
Obviously.
Let me pose this question…. shouldn’t bagging groceries be a common sense act?
It should right?
Bananas should not be tossed into a bag with other things piled in on top. Chips don’t get tossed in with canned goods. Frozen foods and produce shouldn’t all be thrown in my freezer bag. Bread shouldn’t be “pushed” into an already full bag.
Yet I watched all of those things happen… horrified… like I’m paying for this food you are bending and smooshing everywhere.
I paid, thanked them both, and left. When I got to my car I was rearranging my stuff. Does anyone else do that?
Tell me, IS bagging groceries a common sense activity?? Or is it a skill reserved for a few?
The joy of people watching
So I couldn’t help but noticing people when I was out…. noticing on a day topping into 100 degrees why so many were wearing … jeans??
My legs won’t see jeans till Oct… maybe…
My fav jeans. Why do old people offer to buy me new ones?? haha for the record this pic was taken in cooler weather
I can’t think of anything more hot to wear than denim from waist to ankle. Maybe I’m weird… ok well you could take the “maybe” out…. but I just can’t do it. Summer means cool, light, breezy, enough to be legal, fun clothes for all these sweltering hot months we’re in.
I’m just not in the “jeans in hot weather” club. That my friends, are what shorts are for.
Can you believe it’s July already?
We’re gonna be celebrating the 4th in a couple days and that means food, and maybe a little more food.
I found this amazing looking baked bean recipe that’s gonna be on the menu, among other things 🙂 The chocolate coffee/mocha brownies have been requested and I will make a double batch having learned from my previous experience a single batch was not enough.
I’m sure there will be watermelon and I will have my once a year participation in eating hotdogs. 😛
We won’t be purchasing any fireworks as there is a ban on them since we’ve had no rain and everything is so dry here.
July also means birthday month for yours truly so there will be a post on getting another year closer to my senior breakfast discount as well thoughts, observations and life lessons learned from the year gone by.
You know I gotta keep you posted on my furniture shenanigans…..
I finished this little table off yesterday and I love it so much. It’s had lots of positive feedback and I’ve had a couple people come look at it….
Here’s a reminder of what it looked like before….
A nice little improvement, hmmm? Once I got the top sanded down I decided the ebony would be a nice change but I did it light enough so the wood grain would still show through. It’s fresh and crisp and ready for years of service. This is a Mersman antique table, I thought the fold out part was rather cool. I literally picked it up on our trip to Canton last month as we were heading out of town. It was like it was just sitting there waiting for me haha I’m glad we found each other 😉
Oh, and in other exciting news, I sold several pieces this week so that always encourages me to keep on going. Heaven knows I’ve got plenty of projects waiting for me to set them free from ugliness 😉
Ok that’s a wrap on today’s edition… there’s a lot more I could blab on but… we both have lives to get to, right?
Have an amazing week beautiful people!
Ok it’s your turn to weigh in…. thoughts on my question of bagging food… is it common sense to bag groceries a particular way? Will you wear jeans when it’s hot? If you live in the U.S. what will you be doing for the 4th of July? Any fun foods or treats?
Sometimes in the mornings I just want one or two. That’s it.
I don’t binge on them or eat a half a bag. I have the discipline/self control/ whatever you want to call it to have a taste and put them away.
In fact unless some of the others who live in my household eat them, I will often throw half a bag away when they’ve sat for awhile. ( here’s a nod to all the preservatives that keep them alive and well haha)
Anyway….
Since I am selective in how I eat them I expect them to be good, ya know? With the most recent purchase it appears they have somehow changed up the donut recipe, and not for the better.
Posing with a bag of defective donuts. Why am I smiling???
The donuts are like… sponges. Chewy sponges. Sugar coated chewy sponges.
They are awful. Hideous. Not worth wasting calories on.
I’m contacting the company and asking them what they’ve done to my little white, fluffy tasty treats. I’m going to whine and cry and ask them… why?? Why did you go and mess with a good thing?
Incase you don’t know, the donut should be rather light, fluffy, and kinda melt in your mouth with the powdered sugar.
It should not be like chewing through a kitchen sponge.
I guess that’s one way to break me from them, right?
**sniff, sniff**
I’m done whining now….
Ok maybe I don’t really need them after my doctor appointment this past week.
Yes, everything is good. I don’t talk much about this but I have hypothyroidism.
I really never mention it ’cause 1) I don’t want to be defined by anything and 2) it’s not a big deal to me as I see my doctor yearly to monitor my TSH levels and I take my meds like a good girl. I also think eating healthy and exercise help as well.
But besides my check up on my thyroid he runs a whole panel of blood tests. He got to my cholesterol and said “Your HDL ( the good kind of cholesterol) is 79.”
It should be mentioned here that the highest level the lab has as, I guess, an “optimal” level is 39mg.
He laughs and calls me an over achiever and then says “it’s all that exercise you do that drives it up”
Consistent, daily, vigorous exercise is the best way to help your good cholesterol levels. So if you struggle with cholesterol issues, you might want to consider trying to get more purposeful movement into your week.
It’s not only good for your cholesterol, but all of your body as well.
In my furniture adventures…..
An old window screen with a few additions
Ok this isn’t like, furniture, but it is old and crusty. Look how cute this old window screen turned out with some additions to it 🙂
Vintage buffet
I did score this vintage buffet this week. Other than some veneer damage on top ( ugh, which I’m removing) it won’t have much repair work to start transformation.
Actually this little piece will be adorable as a coffee bar or a entry way piece. There are so many ways to repurpose buffets.
In the past few weeks I’ve finished off a few chairs and a cute table. I have several things on the list for the upcoming week, including the buffet. Hubby has told me I get nothing else… but he accompanied me on a run for some stuff this past weekend haha
Seriously. I’m so grateful for how he supports all my craziness and adventurous ideas 🙂
I promise a peek at the buffet when it’s all done.
When I’m not doing furniture….
I’m slowly working my training back up in preparation for the duathlon later this year. I think if there’s one thing I’ve had to learn as an athlete is the ebb and flow of a training season. It is SO hard to give up a high level of fitness, to be at a peak, and then come off that and have to start building it again.
Not that I’m “out of shape” not even being in peak condition I know I can still do more physically than most people. I have a good physical “base” to build on as I start my training. I just kinda wish I could always stay at that level although I know my ( or any athletes) body isn’t designed to always be in such peak condition.
So I’ll start increasing my training, building each week, and celebrating as I conquer new goals.
I’ll start with a brick session today ( bike/ run) and gradually add those workouts in twice a week. There will be specific long rides and on foot, mile repeats working on kicking up my speed a little.
And in the mix, I’ll keep up strength training to keep my body strong and balanced for my on road activities and because I like having some muscles too 😛
I’ve written a couple posts on that… find them here…….
Seriously though, I feel so alive when I’m out on the road whether I’m running or cycling. I’m ready to work hard and enjoy the fruit of my labors 🙂
I’m ready to take on this tough duathlon again.
Now… have I ever mentioned……
My son is in the ball python business. Yeah. Snakes. Check out this little baby, and it literally is a baby at only about 12 days old.
He’s being a little shy and hiding out ….
Oh no! Have I creeped you out now????
Getting a little more adventurous now….I think he likes me now.
I may have just lost half my readers showing these photos haha
Evidently, according to my son, ball pythons are big business now days. While I was letting this little guy crawl around he casually informs me it’s a 1,500.00 snake.
Yikes!
And you may now have assessed that I’m not a girl who runs from snakes.
Here’s the deal, after raising three boys, I’ve learned to roll with just about anything… it definitely has made me a stronger woman on a lot of levels.
If you’re still with me….
tell me if you’re someone who gets creeped out over snakes or if you find them interesting?
Are you sympathetic over my donut plight ? Have you ever been disappointed in some particular food you find enjoyable to have it not measure up?
Have you tried any new foods or recipes this week ? Summer heat is in full swing and I am more about eating light foods and plenty of salads. Do you have any light, cool recipes you prefer ?
Do you have an upcoming event you are training for?
So it’s Sunday evening and I’m attempting to recuperate from a busy Easter weekend. I love having family around and all the controlled chaos that goes with grown kids, their spouses and grand babies. My daughter in laws birthday also landed on this weekend so it was just a whole lotta cooking and food and more food.
I know this. My body just doesn’t dig the richer foods or extra it isn’t used to. I don’t mean I over eat, it’s just that nibbling on stuff never lets me be hungry. And of course, cooking, it seems I’m sampling something, a hazard of the job I guess.
I was up late Saturday night assembling like… a zillion Easter baskets. Yeah, all my kids are adults. Yeah, they all still expect Easter Bunny to deal up the goods. Last year I got all clever thinking I’d just do “couples” baskets for the married ones.
I almost had a revolt on my hands….sooooo… I didn’t do that this year 😛
But the candy… I’m always worried I won’t have enough and it will be midnight and I’ll be short on what I need and then I’ll find myself shaking old tic tacs out of my purse to fill in the gaps.
However, the opposite usually happens. I realize I have like 40lbs left after filling up everyone’s baskets ( this happens at Christmas too)
I’m so prepared. I’m turning into my mother.
What do I DO with all of this now??
So yeah, adequate sugar. Am I the only one who has thought that candy companies have us over a barrel from Halloween through Easter? I still have Christmas candy for heavens sake.
I’m rather sick of it all.
I think the first few pieces are really the best, after that it’s just, well eaten ’cause it’s around. When I hold out and don’t have candy for awhile, especially chocolate, those first little pieces are always like euphoria.
Admit it, I’m right aren’t I?
Of course Easter morning always starts with homemade yeast cinnamon rolls.. if I’m lucky I get one to chase along with my coffee while I’m doing a hundred other things. My sons will arm wrestle for the last one in the pan….
Who needs canned rolls??
Last year, I made beautiful cupcakes that were loaded with an obscene amount of cream cheese frosting in happy spring colors. Needless to say, the fam was asking if they were making an appearance again….
Yeah, when I’m not running, cycling, writing, or flipping antique furniture, I love making pretty things
An Easter tree ’cause…why not?
Anyway, overall, I’d say it was a successful Easter weekend. I made those amazing carrots again and I’ll add recipe at the end. I shared it in my spotlight on carrots post, if you missed it, find it here. https://sassyfitnesschick.com/2018/03/02/spotlight-on-carrots/
I’m just ready to get back to eggs and veggies and zero sugar. What about you?
In other news of the week….
Kinda stoked over finishing the little 1930’s waterfall vanity I picked up a month ago. I really wanna post like….80 pics… but I’ll try and limit myself here haha
Say hello to Belle. This is what she looked like when I dragged her home. I love the hardware on it as well as the decorative design that is still in amazingly good condition.Look at the original wheat design on vanity, it’s on handles too.Here’s Belle in her finished glory 🙂 I cleaned up handles and I always try to maintain what is “original” to piece, like the wheat design. The crisp colors compliment it so nicelyEven after cleaning the inside of drawers, they were still a bit crusty. So, some pretty paper took care of that issue. You can see dovetailed joints of drawers.
Belle was another one of those “better idea” projects someone had. As you can tell they had sanded top down but didn’t progress further than that. It also had a broken drawer with a missing piece. It didn’t stop me from dragging it home. Hubby is pretty amazing and actually cut a fit a perfect piece to rebuild drawer. He also did the dovetailing on it too. He never ceases to amaze me and what he can do. I do like to maintain as much as possible on a piece, but sometimes human “help” or just time ( at close to 90 years old it can have some issues that need a current fix to make it usable again)
I’m so happy with how it came out. This is a piece I’m selling and hope finds a happy home to love her. I can’t tell you how satisfying it is to watch something old and tired, come to life again.
I have a couple other pieces on the verge of being revealed too. Like my sad, pathetic 10.00 table. Talk about someone’s “better idea” project. Poor thing.
I’ll keep you posted 😉
So my battery also decided to start dying in my phone….
I hadn’t planned on a new phone last week but long story short, it was more practical to do that than attempt to get the battery out of my not so very old phone to have a new one put in. The upside to it? It does take some amazing photos ( as you can see with my Easter and cupcake pics and the pics of Belle)
Given I do photos for my blog, ( tell me you appreciate them!) and will be posting pics of my flipped furniture to sell, and well hey, selfies too ya know? ‘Cause I’m like “one of those people” haha
The phone is a definite bonus to also being able to communicate with people who want me. Imagine that.
I never really thought much about how much I use my phone for when I’m out on the go. I ran into Starbucks for a coffee and was like…” Ah.. no phone. No app. No pay.” I had to use my bank card/ aka cash. So many other ways I use it that I became aware of not having it for awhile. It’s weird how dependent we become on stuff like that, isn’t it?
And finally, how about some food?
I made a few new recipes this weekend I’ll share with you that were the bomb. Find them below….
I used this carrot recipe at lunch. I didn’t have maple syrup this time so I drizzled a little honey on them and it was just as tasty….
The fresh green bean recipe with red potatoes and crisp bacon bites was rather yummy. But the best part was the delicious chocolate cake I made for my daughter in laws birthday.
You just can’t go wrong with chocolate cake. It’s like… heaven. This recipe was so moist and the frosting was the kind you just wanted to slather all over you.
Just note, I realized after I was starting the cake, it wasn’t a triple layer cake, only a 2 layer cake. It was really good though so I might overlook that 😉
We topped it off with coffee ice cream making it a perfect dessert, or so we believed.
And a last one… who doesn’t love a good roast? Who doesn’t love not having to labor forever over it? I used this recipe for Friday night dinner and it was amazing. The meat just fell apart. I thickened the broth right in crock pot and let it simmer a bit to make a gravy.
There were no left overs. And once again, I’ll stress, with the beautiful weather and longer days, I want to be outside, not having to spend tons of time on food prep. Crockpot meals are where it’s at.
ok so share… how was your week? Do you use crockpots? if so, any favorite meals? How was your Easter?
Wow. Is it Monday again? Time for another edition of Monday Musings and what not in my life.
Time.
Ever notice how funny that is? It’s a commodity we all have and are all given the same amount of each day. Sometimes it seems to crawl by, like when you’re stuck in some god awful boring meeting. A few months ago I was in such a one and I felt myself settling into that “to comfortable zone” as in, if I didn’t start moving around or do some active deep breathing I was going to take an unscheduled nap. I glanced at my watch and scrolled to my heart rate.
49.
My heart was getting just as comfy and relaxed as the rest of my body haha
But then there are occasions when time seems to fly like when you’re with people you really like or are doing something fun. Time then moves all to swiftly.
Deadlines make time seem to move faster.
Being stuck behind a driver who doesn’t know where the gas pedal is makes time crawl by. 😛
I think, as we get older we are much more mindful of it than when we lived careless days as children.
Speaking of time, it makes me think of seasons. This in turn makes me hopeful that spring is in the near distant future. It’s been a whole lotta grey, misty, dreary, foggy and overall gross days here in the happy land of south Texas this winter season.
I’ve tried not to think that last February I was running in shorts a lot and by March was rocking a decent enough tan that people thought I was using a tanning booth.
That. Will never happen.
I assured a lady my golden skin was a by product of spending time outdoors on bike or foot, not a tanning bed.
All that to say the other day I actually got to hit the road in shorts and I forgot the pure freedom of running with less stuff hanging off me. It was glorious and reminded me that sun and daily sweat sessions will be here before I know it.
Hello sunshine! What a wonderful treat
I’m not whining. Oh no, I’d never be a whiner, but it will be nice to really start logging some miles again and not have to worry about safety issues ’cause of fog and sloppy roads.
If I complain when the humidity cranks up again and its nothing but sun and I’m sweating out the weight of a small child on a run, you may nicely remind me I asked for it.
In the context of time management
When I hit the floor in the morning my mind is already spinning for what I’m doing in the day ahead. I sometimes worry if I have ADD as I can be wanting to do ALL of my projects, errands, and necessary house requirements at the same time.
What I have started doing is writing down all the things I want to do and picking one or two in my day alongside everything else to get it done. I try and get the necessary, not usually my most fun things done, ( like cleaning) out of the way then I can work on my fun projects.
Like my furniture shenanigans.
Last week took me into the big city to this seedy little dive in pursuit of a 1930’s china cabinet I had spotted online.
Yep, that’s my big game in the back 😉
Here it is in all it’s glorious disarray…waiting to be transformed.
Oh, so when I’m at this little hole in the wall shop which, really, was a time warp of treasures from decades, and decades gone by ( I am planning a field trip back there) the only person working was this short little older lady wheezing and huffing telling me she should probably be in the hospital ’cause she might have pneumonia.
WHAT?!
Of course I’m thinking, “she’s the only one here who is supposed to help me get this out and loaded??” She mentions having a dolly, I ask her to get it, thanking God at times like this I’m strong and capable and I wheel it out making jokes I should get more of a discount since I’ve gotta load it too. I did get them to drop it 35.00 😉
Anyway, she was able at least to help lift the other side with me into my vehicle.
Yesterday I spent more time prepping it for it’s transformation. Sanding, cleaning, dusting, digging (leaves??) out from under the drawer, doing a little repair work ( the decorative wood in door needs replaced. Once upon a time it had glass but I’m not putting glass back in it) removing the hardware etc. it’s so close to starting the fun part.
But before we leave this topic… I also got the cutest little cupboard… I tried to leave it behind I just couldn’t. I managed to get it for half of what it was marked 😉
It looked like this…..seriously though… how CUTE is it??
How sad IS it? The obvious before pic.
It didn’t take long for me to catch a vision for it. I finished it today. I am totally, completely in love with it.
What do you think about it’s make over?
The ugly duckling transformed
I will share some more adventures on this topic in upcoming weeks 😉 I have a couple pieces in the works.
In some final musings…
Have you ever wondered why foods you thought were so good when you were a kid, don’t really taste good at all when you grow up?
My youngest son had brought home a half gallon of premade chocolate milk one day. I never drink chocolate milk unless I’ve come off a long hard workout then it’s a delicious instant recovery drink. But I always make it, you know with milk and chocolate syrup… yeah I’m bad.
Anyway, I opened the fridge and there it sat… and I thought …heck yeah.. I’m just gonna have some.
The first chug it was like…. ACK! It tasted like and reminded me of, the way the school cafeteria had smelled.
Which was not good, I might add.
Weird, I know. That chug was all I got in.
Then there’s things like fish sticks. boxed macaroni and cheese, most cheap sugary cereals, and bad thin crust boxed pizza.
Ok true and well, I’ve grown up, but I think I really enjoyed that as a kid. Thank goodness my tastes have changed.
My kids are adults… they complain since I “got healthy” I don’t buy fun foods anymore. This translates to ” crappy, walk in pantry or go to freezer and grab pre made foods and snacks with zero nutritional value”.
They can go buy their own minced, diced, chopped, prebaked fish sticks and what not..
Is it just me? What about you? Have you left foods behind that aren’t seemingly as tasty as they once were?
In the way of food… this week coming up we will be looking at healthy cheap meals, and of course a few spotlights on various fruits and veggies (’cause ya’ll seem to dig those posts), fitness, and as always a little sassy, cheeky attitude to go along with it.
You’ll just need to check back in here and see what’s up 😉
Now tell me…
What are some favorite foods that hang on from childhood? Do you have any new healthy foods you’ve tried this week?
Good morning beautiful people! If you’re reading this, then it means my mission was successful on Sunday night of actually sitting down and churning something out for you while you toss down your coffee and eat a stale bagel. Welcome to my Monday musings.
I can’t contemplate the week ahead without feeling some level of success over the past week.
A good week back on with my workout schedule and getting to a more focused eating plan. I just feel better when I’m in my normal routine after all the holiday festivities.
Speaking of that…. am I the only one who ever wonders… does anyone REALLY use those little replacement bulbs for those strings of lights? I have like… 10,000 of them. I can literally guarantee you I have zero patience with the idea of going through bulb after bulb trying to find the dead culprit.
None. Nada. Zilch.
I just wanna meet someone who might actually have the skill level and the patience of multiple saints to sit and do it…
It’s not this chick.
Oh. And I finished getting all of my Christmas decorations down and put away so there’s that. I’m just bummed when it’s all taken down. It looks so empty and non-festive. If you read my Christmas post you’ll know I enjoy decorating a little…ha.. well…a lot…. https://sassyfitnesschick.com/2017/12/08/the-most-wonderful-time-of-the-year/
I did a few new things this year I loved so much. They were of course, the last things to go.
I’m still having coffee in my fun Christmas mugs though.. ’cause why not ?
However, once it’s all put away I do enjoy a fresh start and re-doing things and changing the house around. Sometimes, this confuses hubby who is a creature of comfortable habit. I’m sure though, he will adjust 😉
I got to work in the Batcave today ( my newly married son’s room he’s now vacated) so I’m excited over finally getting to do something fun with it that doesn’t reflect “20something bachelor guy lived here”
I’m also chomping at the bit to get back to a new interest I picked up at the end of the year… chalk painting. I’m a little bit hooked on it now that I have a couple projects under me (like my bathroom cabinets that look stunning) and I now have a list of things to do.
Seriously, that paint can make the ugliest thing ever look rather amazing. Perhaps I’ll do a fun lifestyle post on it sometime.
in other news….
my blog for my keto- dash diet review I wrote last year is still trending at the top of Google search so there’s that. Seriously, ya’ll out of millions of postings on this topic I’m currently #2… actually it bounces between there and #1 but I’m good with both….so I think it’s just a bit super cool.
Pinterest is at the top of my focused list so I’ve been pinning and learning more about working that avenue. Find me there as well and follow my healthy food boards. I’ve got some tasty things pinned.. check it out… @sassyfitnesschick If you’ve got any good blogging tips with it, offer them up, please.
Speaking of tasty. I’m doing a fun little project on my social media experimenting with different veggie recipes with the hope someone might want to eat more of those yummy morsels. On my experiment list is cauliflower. I know you’ve heard of all the crazy things you can do with it besides you know, eat it in it’s given form 😉 I decided once and for all I’m going to see if it can really be used to make pizza crust or my new interest.. cheesy breadsticks???
SAY WHAT?!
I’m gonna be your lab rat and will report to you my findings. I will admit, at this point, to being rather skeptical. I guess we’ll see.
Regarding my athletic shenanigans, I’m pretty sure I did my coldest ride, ever, on Saturday.
By that I mean it was in the low 30’s with a wind chill dipping into the mid 20’s. That mind you, was if you were standing still, NOT flying down the road at fast speeds riding a bike in it like some crazy fool.
I only did 13 miles but it was better than nothing and anyway by then my extremities were numb so that made it a lot of fun too.
Coffee was really…really… good after that… but when isn’t it?
And in regards to coffee.
Topping my list of new favorite things for the week, Starbucks is featuring their Blonde roast right now and I’m kinda into it. Have you tried it?
And speaking of my lovely bike. I ordered a new saddle that should be here any day and a fun bag to stash my random stuff in while I sail down the road… like my camera for those on the run selfies.
Because #socialmedia, right? Keep up with me there on Instagram and Pinterest as well as my Sassyfitnesschick page on Facebook.
Now here’s to Monday and a week of new opportunities!
I will admit this publicly. Maybe I shouldn’t. You might be shocked.
But I’m semi-horrified when someone tells me they don’t eat veggies or don’t like them.
I’m like… “What did your mother DO to you??”
Oh, I get it. As parents we do try. I had one son who never really got into the veggie thing even though I fed him assortments of veggies as an infant (even then he wasn’t crazy over them) he has select ones he eats now, but at least he eats them.
As my kids grew up I made sure to present them with all varieties of food. I wanted them to at least try it before pronouncing they didn’t like it. I wasn’t a member of the “clean your plate” club like I grew up in but they did need to sample it.
My Mom used to delight in telling a story how I wanted scrambled eggs for breakfast but then changed my mind and didn’t want to eat them. When I stubbornly refused ( ah I was a bit head strong even then 😉 ) she evidently kept them around….
All. day. long.
They made an appearance at lunch… to which I refused to eat them… they were again brought out later.
Isn’t that child abuse or something ?! I had to take her word for it as I guess the trauma of having to see eggs that were becoming older and older by the moment was somehow blocked from my mind.
It’s a miracle I still eat eggs.
Needless to say, I didn’t grow up being allowed to be a picky eater and I was offered a wide variety of foods. It’s pretty much how my kids have been raised.
So when I’m confronted with the revelation someone doesn’t eat them ( more common than you may know) I’m honestly floored.
Upon deeper probing sometimes that person reveals that the only veggies they may have known come from a can or they would be so steamed/overcooked by mom they turned into mush.
ok… well maybe then I’d be down on veggies too. I’ve been in numerous buffet or banquet lines where the veggies in the pan were loose memories of what they used to be.
But beautiful, colorful, fresh produce?
Crisp green veggies perfectly steamed or better yet, roasted? There is no comparison in how delicious they are.
Roasting veggies has to be by far, my favorite way to cook and eat them.
I can eat my body weight in roasted veggies. You think I’m joking….
Roasting is such a simple quick way to prepare them while not killing off the nutritional value. I usually use some olive oil, lots of cracked pepper and some sea salt. Roast at about 450 and stir occasionally to let them crisp up.
Pure. Heaven.
Ok I’m giving you a cheat sheet for common ones so you have no excuse to not try them 😉
Ok maybe you like steamed. Some veggies are lovely when steamed till crisp tender. Steaming also helps retain all of the vitamins and minerals present in them.
Some humor for you ’cause well.. it’s how I roll 😉
And to help you out… here’s a short list of steaming, boiling, and for the always handy micro 😉
And for the record, all of those will roast up quite nicely too.
One of my favorite roasted combos is sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts.
Ok… stop turning up your nose and making gagging noises. I hear you.
Seriously, I’ve turned my kids into brussel sprout eaters by roasting them. If the only memories you have are of Sunday dinner and grandma cooking the life out of them and watching them roll around your plate…well.. leave those memories behind and get in the here and now.
The sweetness of the potatoes blends so wonderfully with the sprouts… yummy. Let them cook long enough to get crispy with the potatoes.
I have some friends who chop up a little bacon and cook them together. Now if you go this route be mindful your also adding additional fat to otherwise healthy veggies…but it is really good 😉
Roasted cauliflower is another favorite. In fact, I have to watch myself ’cause I’ll just nibble at it while I’m finishing dinner then wonder.. “didn’t I make more of this?” haha
It’s another kid favorite too. I’ve now gone to making two heads when I do it to ensure everyone can have what they want. Not only that, leftovers make great additions to my salad lunch the next day.
Ok maybe now I should try and sell you on WHY you should be consuming vast quantities of these.
Keep in mind, this is no where near a comprehensive chart.
Veggies not only fill you up for minimal calories, they deliver incredible health benefits to your body in the way of vitamins and minerals.
They can help protect/prevent many diseases. You can eat wheelbarrow loads of them and not worry about calories.
They do amazing things for your skin, hair, and many offer anti-aging benefits as well as help keep you lean.
A diet high in veggies/fruits also ensures that your internal systems all work regularly and properly.
Eating plenty of veggies also gives you energy and keeps you from that sluggish feeling of to many higher carb foods in a meal.
Listen to me. Just eat your veggies.
Your body wants them. Your health will improve with them. It will help you lose weight. It will help with the appearance of your skin and hair. Oh yeah, and remember me mentioning many have anti-aging properties?
How many reasons do you need to eat them? All you need to do is be willing to be open to try some new things and experiment. If you make a valiant effort with something you don’t like, move on to the next one.
Has it ever made you wonder why there are sooooo many veggies and fruits? It’s because we were made to eat a whole lot of them AND they are amazingly good for us!
Do you have favorite veggies? How do you cook them? Share your veggie tales with me 😉
Actually this little piece will be adorable as a coffee bar or a entry way piece. There are so many ways to repurpose buffets.
sassyfitnesschick 