Thursday 13...Places to Go, People to See, Things to Do

Here it is the last day of January and the house is abuzz with all the things we have to get done. So, somehow, I'm going to work it into a Thursday 13.

13. Secure House Insurance for the new home. Closing is tentively set for Feb 8 and we need Home Insurance. So far, the 3 cheapest are Safeco, MetLife (Go Snoopy) and Allstate (You're in Good hands!) I'll let Dale make the final decision, I'm just helping him get quotes.

12. PACK. Golly...we've not started yet. Dale wants to clean the whole house first...I just want to pack! We'll clean as we go along.

11. Eat everything in the outside freezer so that it can be defrosted...or at the least get it down to a manageable level so that it can be put into the refridgerator freezer.

10. Plan something for Valentine's Day for husband. We'll have just moved into our new house and I'd like to do something for him there. I am thinking about a picnic in the floor of the new house. Heart shaped cookies, that sort of thing. We'll see.

9. Work. I've taken a part time position with West At Home. It's a customer service company where the calls come to my home and I do my best to help them. I'm still navigating thru the screens, but I suppose I'll pick up on it. Any extra money is a good thing.

8. Ebay. I've got a few things on there I'm watching. Selling a couple of my old cookbooks. One's an Amish cookbook I bought when I was on my honeymoon up in Pennsylvania with my ex. Who needs another memory of him? not i said the fly.

7. Get Groceries...just not lots of frozen foods. (See #9) I try to do that on Fridays...I need to make a dessert & a an appetizer. I think I'm making fudge and then I dont know what...maybe the spinach artichoke dip ...with crackers ( i like to make fried bowties, but dont see that happening Saturday)

6. Sunday School Party on Saturday. I'm looking forward to it as it's the first thing we've gone to as members of this class. We've been going to Hebron Baptist for a while now but had put off joining because we thought we'd be moving too far away to keep attending. Now that's not going to be the case, we're looking forward to making it our church home. It's the largest church I've ever been a part of. But the Sunday School people are very nice...I hope they have kids that ours will get along with.

5. SUPERBOWL SUNDAY!! I love football, but the team I was pulling for (Brett Farve & the GreenBay Packers) didnt make it to the big one...so I really dont care who wins. Well that's not true. I guess I'm pulling for New England to have their "perfect" season.

4. Send back this shirt I bought for Christine's birthday party from Jessica London. It looked so good in the catalog but then when I got it...well I thought it looked like a maternity shirt. And that's the LAST thing I need.

3. Monitor the kids reading. See, they're all trying to earn Six Flags tickets by reading 6 hours worth of books. Now with John especially, this is hard because I have to do all that reading to him. But I refuse to just sign off on these things that they read it when in fact they didnt. Additionally, I'm big on encouraging Josh & Elizabeth to get those AR points (Advanced Reading) They each have goals at schools and if they make them, they get medals at the end of the year. Elizabeth cried last year cause she didnt get one and I'm trying to make sure she earns it this year. I've been checking out books for her left and right that I know are on the list. It's up to her to read them tho.

2. MOVE. Supposedly we're moving next Saturday...golly can you believe it??? I can't wait. Wish us luck.

1. Visit Mom in hospital. She's back in again and things aren't looking good. She had a bone marrow test today to see why she's not producing white blood cells. I'm scared to be perfectly honest. Please keep her in your prayers.

What a waste

It's not often that I read the news and get incensed about something. And it's even more rare that I'd write about in my blog...I leave that to Cindi. But this story just grated my last nerve.

Mother Charged With Infant's Death

Reported by: Duffie Dixon

An Atlanta mother is headed to jail, charged with the death of her infant.

Police said the woman was driving on Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway with the child in her lap when she got into an accident Sunday morning. The infant was killed.

The death could have been avoided, had the infant been in a car seat, police said.

Lytanza Robinson is facing charges of vehicular homicide, reckless driving, seatbelt violations and driving with a suspended license. She faced a judge for her first court appearance Monday morning.

Police said Robinson lost control of her car and hit a pole. On impact, the airbag deployed, striking and killing the infant.

Robinson was transported to the hospital but was booked in the jail sometime Sunday night.

Does that not boil your blood??? That woman was driving with NO CARSEAT and the baby in her LAP. She deserves to have the book thrown at her. I keep trying to see her side of it...that maybe she couldnt afford a car seat. But dont they give them away at various places for the people out of money? Or couldnt she have picked up one at Goodwill or a garage sale? Oh my god...I just can't imagine.

Grocery Shopping Saturday

i went grocery shopping today also...made my daughter write a note for me...NOTE TO SELF: DO NOT SHOP AT WALMART ON SATURDAYS!!!!

But. I found several good things... I LOVE the turkey tenderloin chops by Butterball. Use em just like pork chops and they taste delicious. I don't really know that they're that fewer points than pork chops...I just assume they are. I found fat free evaporated milk so I can make some of my Yellow Daisy Festival soups....I found "diet" swiss cake rolls (but didn't buy them cause I don't trust myself)....Picked up a few paninis from Lean Cuisine ...and some of the Lean Pockets...Got hubby some of the 1 point ice cream bars from Blue Bunny...Bought me some of the apple cinnamon rice cakes that to me taste like Apple Jacks. Of course I bought other things....but those are some of the highlights. Just trying to make it from one week to the next.

I'm much more inspired these days....I even took my own snacks with me to the movies yesterday (27 Dresses) because I was encouraged that I got in my Size 26 jeans (vs the 28s I normally wear : ( )

When I gained all my WW weight back...I had to bring back out the fatter jeans. That was really demoralizing for me. So, I literally started over at WW...even though I'd never officially quit. I had them start me up a new card and list me as a new member. I had gained 36 of the 40 pounds back at that point. UGH. The weight loss has been very slow going since then.. It's been almost 4 months since then...and I've only lost 11.8 pounds. But my attitude is much better. I'm posting losses most every week now (since the holidays are over that is)

The hard thing for me is at the weight watchers meetings...and they go "has anyone here lost an additional five"....well last week I had...and they gave me a star....but all i felt was failure because I knew how much I had gained back.

Ramblings on a Cold Sunday

Well, it did snow all day yesterday...unfortunately, the temp hovered around 34 degrees so it didnt accumulate much. But that's ok...we still got out there and made snowballs and ganged up on one another and downright had a great time.

Today is football Sunday...conference championships. I'm pulling for Green Bay...and I guess the Patriots. Would love to see Brett beat Tom Brady but doubt it will happen. Anyway...now the imps are doing reading time in their rooms (except for Josh...who is once again writing sentences)

I made a DELICIOUS Hashbrown soup today that was nice and Weight Watchers Friendly. Here's the recipe if you're interested.

3 Cans FF Chicken Broth
1 chopped onion
1 Bag of plain shredded frozen hashbrowns
1 t salt
1 t pepper
6 oz Lite Velveeta

Mix together in a large pot and simmer for 20 minutes. 1 Cup = 2 points

It's cold cold cold today...It was 16 degrees when we woke up this morning and is now at a roasty 28. The kids are out of school tomorrow for the King Holiday and then again on Tuesday for Teacher Workday. Elizabeth has been sick with sore throat so I'm hoping she'll get better soon so that I can take them all to the jumpy place or something like that. Otherwise, maybe we'll find a dollar movie or something to go do. John has been begging to paint his ceramic frog so maybe we'll make tomorrow a painting day.

So I guess that's all for today...I'll try to remember to post again tomorrow after weigh in.

13 Observations at a Southern Funeral

I had an uncle to die this week and this was the first death to hit what I call the inner circle...the generation above me. But since I was not particularly close to this uncle, I was able to watch the proceedings with a bit of a detached eye. Now I dont necessarily claim that the following 13 things happen at all southern funerals or that they dont happen up north...but they do almost always happen in many of the funerals I go to.

13. The Viewing. I think this is the most barbaric custom in the world. To put the body on display at said funeral home for family and friends to come and gawk at while muttering amongst themselves, "doesn't he look natural" NO HE DOESN'T!!! He looks pasty and white. He's been sick for years and nothing an embalmer can do can change that. And the custom is that the family has to sit up at the funeral home for like TWO of the hardest days talking to people at a time you really just feel like being a lone for a bit. UGH.

12. Funeral Processions. There's usually about 20 cars in it and we all have special tags in our windows. As we go down the usually busy roads, cars pull over to the side out of respect and wait for us all to pass. I think this is a good thing. It causes us to stop in our busy world and think for a few seconds, "there, but for the grace of god go I"

11. Graveside services. You sit there huddled under a tent, the casket poised for lowering. Then the Masons step up and do their little ritual. I don't mean to poke fun of them, but they do look rather silly in their aprons and their hind jive motions they do once, twice thrice.

10. Clothing. Now i was brought up that you wear skirts to the funeral home and funeral. But by golly it was cold this week. So I put on my panty hose and walked in only to see 2 very well respected cousins of mine in SLACKS!! Now they looked perfectly acceptable...and I was left thinking I SHOULD HAVE DONE IT.

9. The Songs. Of course you should always have the standard classic Amazing Grace. but this was the first time I'd been to a funeral where Vince Gill sang Go Rest High on The Mountain. Granted it was a perfectly acceptable song, the lyrics were perfect. I'd just never heard it played at the funeral it's self.

8. Eulogies. I think they're cool. You always see on movies or TV where the funeral has a eulogy..but I'd never been to a funeral where there actually was one. This one did. It was light hearted and gave a more personal approach to the person who'd died. Usually it seems, the preacher knows nothing about the person they're preaching over. They'll make comments like, " the family tells me..." or they'll refer to the deceased by a name that noone calls him by. But this wasn't the case. The preacher may or may not have known him well...but he blended his talk well with the person giving the eulogy who obviously DID know him well.

7. Comin' to Jesus. The sermon the preacher preached at the service could have almost have been heard any Sunday. It featured the standard invitation to accept Jesus as your savior. Kind of an awake call for anyone who might not have....

6. Duration. This funeral episode lasted longer than most have. Usually, it's about a 2 day turn around. The person dies on Saturday...funeral on Mon or Tue. This one didnt happen til Wednesday. Didn't matter really. Just an observation.

5. Flowers. Apparently because my uncle was a vetern they had the flag on his coffin. Therefore, no flower spray could be put on top of the casket. So there were a couple of those big ole sprays on either side of the casket. We personally sent a flower basket that hopefully someone took home with them and will continue to live for a while. I also like to send plants. Something that wont die at the cemetery.

4. The funeral home it's self. I personally dont like this particular one...for one very vital reason. It only has one bathroom stall in the entire home!! Goodness! and a narrow one at that. There's just times when the emotions have started to run too deep in the designated room and you need to get away for a bit. The funeral home in Stone Mountain has pretty old antiques you can walk around and look at. This funeral home had nothing! And only one stall. Can't even sit in there and compose yourself w/o a crowd forming.

3. The comments. "Doesn't he look natural?" "You look nice Gina, You've always had such a pretty face." "Look at all the flowers" " I wonder if so& so will come?" (Or a variation of) "Has so and so been by yet? (Check the book) "Did you sign the book?" "What type of work are you doing now?" "When was the last time you saw him?" "He's at peace now" "At least he's not suffering anymore"

2. The Book. Ever notice how everyone wants to make sure they sign the visitor's book? Like they want to make sure they get credit for having shown up. Wonder if anyone ever looks thru it?

1. THE FOOD!!! I saved the best part for last. Where after someone dies, the food starts pouring in. There's sandwich fixins, sweets, fried chicken, devilled eggs, potato salad, etc. And if you're a family member, you know just who fixed what so you know to either gravitate towards it or avoid it!

Fat Issues

I'm tired! But proud of myself for getting up this morning and taking the imps to school then heading down to the gym. Today, I walked just over 2 miles in 47 minutes and burned about 300 calories (according to the treadmill) So that's the first step in accomplishing one of my New Year's resolutions. For me tho, it's a matter of consistency. I give up too easily. Today it would have been so easy to jump back in bed with hubby (who's sick and didn't go with me to the gym) after taking the kids to school.

I like the treadmill for the most part. I have my mp3 player and headphones. I can drift off into my own little world filled with music that inspires me and lyrics that uplift me and varying tempos. I made the mistake one time of actually closing my eyes and walking but that didn't work out too well. There are so many reasons I want to be healthy and of a normal weight. First being that I've never done it before! I've been "overweight" since the 1st grade!! When I was a young teen, my biggest dream was to go off to a fat camp over the summer and come back thin the following school year. I wanted that dramatic revelation. I wanted people not to recognize me. I have similar fantasies now even. To go off to some sort of resort spa/weight loss center and come back stunningly healthy.

Notice that, as an adult I never wish to be thin. I just want to be healthy...and average size. I want to fit into all the rides at Six Flags. I don't want my knees to hurt. I want to shop at Casual Corner or Victoria's Secret. I want to dive off the diving board without people staring and commenting on my splash. (I do it anyway...but I would like to squash the onlookers) I want to buy a regular sized necklace at a craft sale and know it will fit me. I want to sit at the movie theater and not feel the urge to lift the middle arm. I want to ride in an airline seat and not worry that I'm crowding the person next to me. And not worry if the seat belt is going to fit. I want to get out of the tub and wrap up in a towel that is not supersized. Sooo many things.

So, Back to Weight Watchers tonight after a 3 week absence. They were closed Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve...and to be honest, I didn't make the effort to go to a different meeting. If I DON'T gain more than 2-3 pounds, I'll consider it a successful holiday season. Wish me luck.

Happy New Year

So, this is my first post of the new year. Whatever shall I talk about? The excitement I feel over us buying a new house? The joy Christmas brought? How good it is that the imps are back in school? My New Year's Resolutions? Let's start there.

1) To lose below 250 pounds
2) To See all the Best Picture Nominees
.... to be added to as i see fit.

So yes, we're buying a house and i absolutely can't wait. Here's a picture of it.


We SHOULD finally have enough room. It's a 5 BR/3 Bath in Winder. We decided not to move to Florida at this time...To costly.

Christmas was awesome. But as usual, the imps got toooo many gifts. Was good to see the family of course and we even had the opportunity to show Dad, Lynne & GMS the house. The imps started back to school yesterday so that continuity is good.

All for now.