In Mourning

A sadness is upon me this lovely fall day.  What, did I say, fall!  That is the problem.  Fall is here, it is upon us and I am in mourning.  I am mourning the end of summer, or what little summer we've had. Fall is quite lovely but I do so love the summer and our summer was almost non-existent this year.  Not enough of the hammock dwelling that I so enjoy.  Oh well, on to warmer clothes, hot tea or cocoa, soups and fires in the fire pit.  Bring it on. 

Construction Update

Footings have been dug, inspected and poured!

Dumpster is still there for now and the porta-potty will stay for a good long while too. 

Extra Fabric

Tuesday and good morning all.  Guess what, guess what....I decided that I was tired of hitching up my jeans that had begun to sag.  I realized on Saturday that something was hanging off of my backside and it WASN'T my ASS.  It was the extra fabric of the seat of my blue jeans that was hanging!!!!  WOOT - WOOT!!!!!  So this morning I started trying on the plethora of jeans that are in my closet and found a size smaller that FIT, that means zipped up and buttoned!  How exciting is that!  I say very, very exciting and I am continuing.  I'm making better choices nearly every single thing that goes into my mouth.  Now don't get me wrong, my weakness lately is Payday candy bars that seem to call my name.  Since June I have had 2 and that is 2 too many but it is what it is and I'm still losing and that is what counts.  

This weight loss thing is for me obviously for my health but it's also for this little light of my life.  I want to be around to see her children!

To Shoe Or Not To Shoe, That Is The Question

Dang it..it's 4:11 a.m. and I am a awake!  I don't know why I sometimes just wake up and the more I toss and turn and try to go back to sleep the more uncomfortable I get, so I just get up.  The mind clicks on and then I'm in trouble.  I will probably have to take a quick catnap this afternoon, or not.  

Yesterday I took the DAY OFF!  That's right I took the day for ME!  Of course I took Tuesday too!  But yesterday I got up knowing that I was going to a total ME day of fun.  The first thing was of course my workout, a must!  Then home to shower and ready for the big day.  No makeup as it was a day of facial, massage and reflexology.  But first I had to mail out another painting, a commission work that I finished.  I've sold a couple of paintings lately, one old one and a brand new commission.  So exciting and I got another commission that I will be working on this weekend.

Since I had a lot of time to kill before my appointments in the afternoon I wanted to go shoe shopping.  Yes you heard me right, shoe shopping.  I hate shoe shopping and generally hate shoes but it was time I replaced my walking shoes.  The workout shoes are fine but I get tired of wearing them all the time and since sandal time is nearing the end for the year, walking shoes it is.  I went to the store I knew best at the mall, parked, then walked all the way inside to find the thing had closed well over 6 months ago.  Well, it has been awhile since I have been at the mall that is very clear.  Now what to do.  Well, I decided to go to a local store called Flemings.  They have some nice shoes and I like to buy local when I can so back in the car I go.  Wow, they had expanded since I was last there (told you I HATE to shoe shop).  I was thrilled to find sandals 50% off so I got a couple pair for next summer and will toss the ones I've been wearing for a couple of years and are falling apart!  Next I found a couple of fabulous walking shoes and then my eye spied a couple pair of pumps.  Now, these are shoes I really hate as my feet hate them but oh they were cute and when I put them on they were were like butter on my feet.  WOW!  I bought them too.  So this "I hate shoe shopping girl" came home with 6 pairs of shoes yesterday!  My credit card is screaming but I am happy.  

So happy I was that I took myself out to eat, all by myself and I was good.  I wanted a burger but opted for no bun and a small coleslaw!  Then it was off to my beauty day.  Ahhhh, life is grand.

New Digs

Yes I know it has been a bit since I have posted here, partly because the STUPID BLANKETY-BLANK internet connection.  Making me crazy.  I start typing and then it's all lost.  I've also had my mind on a situation with a family member that is just NOT GOOD by any means.  I can't write about it here in case someone reads about it but it stays on the front burner of my brain.  Maybe someday I can write about it.  

We've also had a lot going on at the office as the new building has broken ground and we are off and running for the new shop location.  It's fun but The Hubby is stressing a bit by it all, trying to keep up with work, the construction and the renovation of the stone building for our new office part (and a art studio for me!)

The upstairs there will be where my studio will be. 

Downstairs our offices.

That side there has had the earth moving for a couple of weeks now ready for the new concrete!!! 

The metal building back there we are already using for the overflow of our business and the new building will make it better to be in one location again.   

See the stone building has a great history and we intend to keep the integrity of the building by facing the new building the same way.

Happy Tuesday

Happy Tuesday for me as today is the first day of art class for the fall season!!!!  I am happy, happy, happy!!!!!!!  What's up for your Tuesday!  I love class not only to paint but to see my friends.  I have made some great friends in class that make me laugh and just feel good. 

Happy Labor Day

Happy Labor Day to one and all.  I am not going to labor at all, in fact I think I will head home from the cabin today early to visit my Daddy and then home to paint, paint, paint!  It's been a fun weekend of lots of food (ugh) here at the cabin but the social time with friends makes up for it all.  I've rested a lot and read a lot.  I'm actually reading a rather difficult and deep book right now:  Behind The Beautiful Forevers:  Life, Death and  Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo.  It's difficult to read because of the poverty, the way they have to live in the muck and I'm actually about 75% through it and have yet to find the Hope part.  I almost stopped reading it but I won't, I will finish!

 

I've also had some disturbing happenings going on with family on Facebook that I'm at odds with, in myself, what to do.  My niece (20 years old) and her life that is an open book on FB apparantely and hopefully not to my Daddy!  I haven't been able to make contact with my sister to see if all is well yet and that is disturbing.  She is hard to get hold of especially when her mode of contact changes.  It used to be email then it was FB and now it's texting but since there is no cell phone service here I haven't been able to make that contact. 

 

On a good note, little miss snicklefritz is now officially 11 months old!  What, yes time flies when you're having fun watching a baby grow up before your very eyes.

Let The Ramble Begin

I've hit that place again where I just don't have much to say, but really, I think it's not enough time on my hands to sit and place thoughts here.  So let the ramble flow I say and we'll see what happens.

This week I've been plagued with a bit of the allergy thing, waking up with an intense headache this morning.  I finally got rid of it just a bit ago with a strong bit of coffee and just moving around.  It also meant that I didn't work out this morning.  My bad!  I didn't work out on Tuesday either as I had to have my car at the dealership early for a recall notice, oil change and stuff.  Oh well, I will be back at it on Tuesday after a weekend of fun at the cabin.  

I've also been grandchild sitting this week as Bri started teaching again.  So on Monday's and Wednesday's I am watching Rio at the office for a good bit of the day.  I was a bit apprehensive about  it because she is still sort of breastfeeding but we had absolutely no issues this week.  She played all morning long, we giggled, laughed and danced then it was a nice lunch and the eye-rub then I knew it was time.  I picked her up, turned on her sound machine, pacifier in place a few pats on her back and she went out like a light.  What was nice was that she slept 2-1/2 hours on Monday and 2 hours on Wednesday, and she's sleeping about 12 hours a night.  I think she has finally got it but it's also that her two front teeth are finally in.  She has four on the bottom and two on the top so far.  

 She is certainly a fabulous eater.  Cottage cheese being her favorite but at the office yesterday I also fed her fresh figs from my garden which she loves every time she eats them!

 Last Thursday night we enjoyed a fun night celebrating The Hubby's birthday and Rio chowed down on avocado from a veggie roll!

See, the office is perfect for the little munchkin.   

My recent haul from the garden.  Sadly, I'm only harvesting cucumbers, figs and grape tomatoes this year.  Next year I am going to have a killer garden.  This year I just kind of threw stuff in the ground.  Fall, I will start adding some mulch and composted manure to enhance it for the coming season.  I really want to work it without the damn mosquitoes eating me alive the minute I walk out the door.   

I'm home for the day and am going to enjoy every minute of it.  I have got to get my head around my art show that is fast approaching.  I think I've got stuff ready but I want to paint some new stuff.  There are a few shows in the next couple of months but I'm not sure I have it in me right now.  Too much chaos in my head and around me and I will stop doing everything and just sit back and look a the mess.  It will overwhelm me so I have to be cautious.  We are about to begin the new building too so I know that will take up a lot of my mind and thoughts too.  The good thing about all that stuff is that I will get an art studio out of it sooner than later!

Oh gosh, as I sit here in my nice quiet house, ready to be creative and paint I hear sounds, not good sounds.  Rats!  I forgot the concrete guy is here to grout the lines in the new patio, finally!  That means a LOT of noise out there.  I will have to turn up the music to find my peace and serenity.  I'm also home today as I'm a bit nervous as the neighbors one street over had a burglary at noon two days ago!  That scares me for sure.  Luckily we are in and out so much here at home that no burglar can predict when we will be around and I do have neighbors that are home a lot but still!!!  

Weekend Fun

Last week was such fun.  We watched little Miss Rio Wednesday night while the parents had a date night.  Clayton was quite happy to lend a watchful eye.

She enjoyed cottage cheese, cucumber, fig, asparagus and cauliflower.  Her fav though is truly cottage cheese. 

Then Thursday we all went out to In The Raw to celebrate The Hubby's birthday.  Ordering veggie rolls Rio got to enjoy a bit of brown rice and avocado, with chopsticks no less. 

The weekend I planned a huge party at the cabin on Friday night to again celebrate his day as it was his actual birthday.  Wow, it was a great success and The Hubby was thrilled.  

Saturday morning I took the golf cart and my trusty camera over to a fellow cabin to snap a few shots of his wonderfully decorated place.  I think I have several to paint! 

Birthday Boy

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY LOVE

The Hubby!

Moon - Doggie

It's Wednesday morning, and thought I would share a pic of our little guy.  Sweet Clayton is finally feeling better.  For the past two weeks he has battled yet another urinary tract infection and a nasty infection on one of the pads on his back leg.  He had some kind of injury, the foot was swollen and he was just not eating or feeling well at all.  Thankfully the vet gave him an antibiotic for the UTI and it worked for the foot too.  He's back to his usual sweet and happy disposition.  

That being said he got me up at about 3:30 this morning trying to puke in bed!!!!  Eek!  I jumped up and put him down on the wood floor which I knew I could clean much easier than my sheets.  The poor guy does this a lot so it's not unusual.  Since the day we got him he has had these bouts.  Just has a sensitive tummy. 

So, since I was up and awake I ended up going ahead and getting up and ready for workout.  I thought I would do some blogging and check emails...blah, blah, blah.  That didn't work out as our Internet was still down from last night.  Well, off to workout early then.  The moon was just beautiful. 

So as you can see that I am posting that the Internet is back up and running.  I plan on staying home most of the day today to paint.  This evening I'm watching Rio while her momma and daddy to the movies and dinner.  She is so much fun and almost walking!  My house will not be the same for awhile.  

Ohhhhh, and the scale FINALLY moved...I'm down 18 pounds!

Pizza...maybe

I've been following a site on Facebook called The Lighter Side of Low Carb and found this absolutely delicious recipe.  It's pizza but there is no pizza crust found.  The "crust" is made from grated cauliflower, egg and cheese!  Genius and fantastic!

Wow we so enjoyed this!  There are so many variations for toppings out there I can't wait to try.   

Baking 101...NOT

I decided today to try that yummy Southern Caramel Cake that has been floating around on FaceBook lately.  We're going to a garden dinner tonight with tons of people and I'm doing fried okra and at the last minute the cake.

So far, so good... 

Not too bad but when I turned to put the caramel icing bowl in the sink...slip sliding away the cake was going.  I put the icing on while it was still too warm. 

I reached to catch and since it is a caramel icing, well it stuck to my hand.  When I tried to push it back the back side of the cake broke too.  Oh well, a baker I am not I guess I will stick to the paintbrushes from now on or just bake it in a retangular pan. 

I seriously thought about dumping it in the trash but just can't waste it.  I'll pick on of my huge hibiscus red flowers and cover up the breakage. 

 

Inspiration

Yesterday when the alarm went off I knew that I was going to stay home all day so I sent a text to my trainer that I was sleeping in, which is kind of funny since I can't seem to do that, sleep in.  Anyway, I rolled around in bed and tried to sleep in but decided to get up to start my day.  I just needed a day to hang at the house and not budge which is what I did.  I was very productive too. 

I worked on some paintings and even started and finished one.  I'm working on a small commission for a photographer that wants one of his photos painted to look like a painting not a photo.  I got that for sure.  

After finishing with some more black lines I had to put aside to dry for a week or so.

Then I decided to start this one of Af.  She took it with her phone and I love it and thought it would be a great painting.

I usually paint to classical music but decided to use some jazz and popped in Af''s guy's new CD - Nick Mancini - Storyteller.  Wow, this is what happened with the inspiration!  Thanks Nick! 

Loving Myself

What a day, what a week.  It's kind of same-o-same-o lately.  Up each morning, quick low carb breakfast, workout, shower, work, low carb lunch, play with Rio, grocery store, home, low carb dinner, a little TV, bed...then we start all over again.  Each day, plodding along sometimes it kind of gets to me but that's just how life rolls forward. 

The scale has stabilized on one number and has not budged in two weeks.  I can feel the body change but I so want the scaled to move down, down, down.  Yesterday I had a facial and massage and the massage girl, Carrie, told me of a no carb/low carb pizza dough made out of cauliflower, cheese and egg!  I'm on the hunt now for some different foods/meals to make for us.  I know that eventually the scale will budge downward so I just have to keep up the good work.  I'm sure if I did a bit more cardio it might work, but basically, I'm a lazy person when it comes to that.  Even though I have been working out for close to 20 years I'm just not a person who does it on my own, hence the trainer or when I did Jazzercise I was responsible for opening and setting up the morning.  People counted on me.  I have to be responsible but somehow I can't hold myself responsible for myself.  How is that possible, but it is.  I will not beat myself for this flaw in me but will embrace it.  I am who I am and I love me!  

Dancing Queen

Definitely related to her granddaddy!

My Life - Lately

Not much to write about here today.  We had a fantastic weekend enjoying the cabin and much cooler temperatures, even in August.  Actually, it's hard to think we've even had a summer because of the cooler temps and rain, but I'll take it.

The diet is ongoing and my jeans that I put on this morning I realized are just about to fall off of me!!!  It is so amazing!

I've done a lot of reading lately finishing about 3 books by the end of the weekend.  I have found a series that I really enjoy.  It is the White House Chef mysteries.  They are:  State of the Onion, Hail to the Chef, Eggsecutive Orders, Buffalo West Wing, Affairs of Steak (I'm reading now), and Fonduing Fathers.  Nice summer reads and quick.

Wednesday evening I had dinner with my bestie from high school, Sharon and on Thursday I had dinner with my bestie Christine.  After lunch I headed to the local Office Depot for a new printer for home and a paper shredder for the office.  We burned up the last one.  I found a great one that was much quieter (per The Hubby's request).  Back at the office I was hefting the shredder out of the back of my Jeep when the stupid cardboard handhold snapped.  EGADS!!!!  My right arm, which has already been injured felt a a snap in my muscle.  OH MY GOODNESS, my arm is so sore, STILL.  Then today I was assisting our shop guy to tip the thing over to attach the wheels that we didn't find until it was totally uncrated, inside of it, when it slipped and of course I grabbed with the injured right arm.  My muscle will never be the same.  OUCH!

Okay that's kind of life for me lately.