Down 21.5 pounds!

My husband and I have been changing our eating habits to a healthier way of eating. And counting calories! eating less and moving more is the only real way to lose weight. He has lost 21 pounds and I've lost 21.5. Of course, I thought I'd blown it over Christmas and yes, the day after I was up two pounds. But this morning I checked again...hoping beyond all hope it was just a temporary gain...and lo and behold! I was right back down where I was before Christmas. Whew!! I didn't blow it! We've been doing this since September and while the weight is coming off slowly it is coming off and that's what matters. We are enjoying the new way of eating and both have more energy as a plus, so we will stick with this and no more going back to the old way of eating too much of the good stuff! We still have our snacks but they are in moderation. Anyway, wishing everyone a happy new year and hopefully a healthy one!

Christmas is a cold cookie

The Christmas package, from my sister Victoria, arrived today. We've been getting packages for the past couple weeks and the gifts have been very nice. And we sent out our share of packages. We've sent and received cards and still I didn't feel like Christmas. The spirit was missing. When Vic's package arrived we opened it and inside, with the gifts, was a tin of homemade cookies. We each ate one while opening the other gifts and later, while doing dishes, for the first time since the season began I found myself singing christmas carols and feeling maybe...just maybe...a bit like it really was christmas. I contemplated what made Vic's package bring the spirit of Christmas with it and then I realized what it was....

When we were kids my mom always baked a lot over the christmas holiday and stored the cookies, pies, etc in the 'cold room.' This was a room off the kitchen that for some reason didn't get heat, so in the winter it was like an ice box! Thus, we dubbed it the cold room. Of course, we always snuck in and stole cookies and those cold cookies were the best ever!

Even here in SC it gets cold this time of year, so when we opened the cookies and ate that first one they were cold. And that triggered that magical feeling of christmas that we got, long ago, as we 'stole' and ate those cold cookies over the christmas holiday.

Merry Christmas to all and may you all find that cold cookie that makes Christmas special for you.

How to open resealable bags!

I don't know if any of you have had my experience with these resealable bags and the frustration of actually getting them to work, but if you have I came up with a method that works!

First grip where it says tear here. Pull. When it doesn't tear try the other side of the tear here strip. When that doesn't work get a pair of scissors and cut right on the tear here line.

Try to pull the sides apart to get to the cheese, sausage, whatever. When it's still tightly sealed and you've stopped swearing cut a little lower. Closer to the little resealable strip.

When it still won't open and cussing has ceased cut below the resealable strip and remove the product.

Go to your kitchen drawer and remove a ziplock baggie. Place product in baggie and zip closed.

Or if you want to avoid all the frustration and swearing skip the the last two steps!

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas?

Alll the gifts are bought, wrapped and the pkgs. mailed off. The last of my Christmas cards were mailed yesterday. And still I don't feel like Christmas this year. We exchanged St. Nicholas day gifts with our friend Anne, who also teaches math at Morris. We gave her a special coffee found only at Brick Street Coffee house that she loves, but never has time to get over and buy. And of course some dark chocolates to go along with the really strong coffee. She gave us a crate of oranges and pears. Both Keith and myself are working hard at taking off some extra pounds. As of this morning I'm down 19 pounds. He weighs at the heart center so we won't know until tuesday or the next tuesday how much more he's down but it was 16 pounds at the end of October. I was down 15 and since he had to move his belt to the last loop yesterday I know he's down much more.

Even the stores here haven't really gone all out for Christmas this year. With the economy in a slump and sales way down I guess they can't afford the extras either. The shelves are set up with Christmas gifts but no extra store trimmings and very little Christmas music. What is playing is the slow sad stuff that makes you feel more like crying than celebrating. Those houses who have decorated only add to the down side. Seeing Santa in his red suit and reindeer with a sleigh sitting on brown grass just doesn't make it. Very few houses have put up lights this year.

So for all the presents mailed and exchanged, the cards mailed and those received, I am not beginning to feel a lot like Chrstmas. I know Christmas is supposed to be in your heart not in your surroundings, but growing up in the cold north and associating Christmas with cold, snow, and stores decorated to the hilt and joyful Christmas music playing on every corner and people smiling and saying Merry Christmas as they pass....well, you get none of that here in the south and it really really doesn't feel like anything special here.

The good part is after Monday my husbands Christmas vacation starts so at least we'll get to sleep in for a couple weeks

What happened to Saturday?

I know we had it. I got up, did some online stuff, fed us and the cats, did the dishes, paid some bills, watched some football and suddenly the day was over! I'm going to make Sunday last just a bit longer!

December already!!!!!!!

Where did the year go? How do we slow down time so I have time for all the things I need to do. Well, one way is I'll be spending less time on the computer and more time doing those things I want and need to do. This week it'll be getting Christmas presents wrapped, packaged and shipped off so my family will have their gifts for Christmas.

Also, Keith changed doctors so that means more trips getting tests, etc. as this doctor wants to do his own diagnosis and not rely on the other doctors inputs and tests. Yep, when you are consistently kept waiting three, four hours or more for a doctors appt. you showed up on time for it's time to find a new doctor. And the audacity of it all is the doctor we left had the nerve to send a letter saying Keith had missed appts! Ah no, we were there, the doctor missed the appts. After sitting for three hours or more we would leave and reschedule. It's not our fault the doctor over extended himself and was taking on more than he could handle. The new doctor ad assured us that doesn't happen in his office. The first visit was great. We were in quickly and the doctor was very efficient in getting a good history and actually listened. We didn't feel we were getting the bums rush because he was in a hurry to get something else done. The last doctor, after making us wait all those hours, would only spend 3 minutes tops with us and always seemed ready to run out the door. So, this is going to be a better match.

And next week is finals week which means a switch in schedule for Keith and me making runs to the printers to get copies of tests and stuff made for him.

So, it's going to be a busy couple weeks so don't worry if you don't see me online for a few days here and there.

Happy Holidays!