Tackling projects long overdue and eating better...

The little recycling center that sits next to the fridge in our kitchen was l-o-n-g overdue for a reorganization and cleaning.

I have a constant tug-of-war going on inside my brain. My desire to be a minimalist and my need to hang onto anything that has a memory (or is cute) are always on a collision course. I do not need one single thing on this shelf. I don't use anything up here. But since I haven't totally embraced minimalism, instead of letting everything go, I just gave it a good cleaning.

The canister set is one thing I won't part with (the other canisters are nested inside this large one). This set belonged to my mom. Also, the green tree. That was made by my oldest daughter, and I love it, so I certainly can't let that go. (That gives you a good idea of how my inner dialogue works)...

I at least got the shelves and baskets organized so I can find things easily. But look at all the crap still on those shelves! Clearly a project that was long overdue, but that still needs a lot of tweaking! (There's cute Mr. J, getting a drink from his water bowl).

Of course after all that organizing, I ended up with piles spread all over the living room - the 'stuff' that had been shoved into/onto the shelves of the recycling center. I'm happy to report that it all got organized, tossed, or recycled, etc., so the piles are now gone!

As I do every January (and this year is no exception), along with trying to tackle all the little house projects that have long been avoided/neglected/overlooked/ignored (any one of those words will do), I also make a promise to myself to try to eat healthier. (We'll see how long it lasts.)

I found a recipe on Weight Watchers for Turkey Sweet Potato Shepherds Pie.

It looked simple enough for even me (I am neither an adventuresome or good cook).

Okay, vegetables and turkey sausage sauteed  and cooked, sweet potatoes cooked and mashed......

Tomato soup then added and cooked to thicken. Turkey/vegetable mixture poured into pie dish...

Mashed sweet potato topping added. Then, into the oven...

... and a short time later, yummy Shepherd's Pie.

That plus a tossed salad made for a nice dinner on this cold winter night.

PHOTO PROBLEM SOLVED 

Regarding yesterday's post, where I was having problems being able to load photos. I'm STILL not able to put up a new post with photos using Internet Explorer, so I tried using Mozilla Foxfire. As you can see, I was able to add photos to this this post without a problem. I've been having a lot of intermittent Internet Explorer problems lately. I use USPS.com to print labels for all our Etsy orders, and about a month or two ago I was no longer able to print my shipping labels using Internet Explorer. Once again, I started using Mozilla Foxfire to print my labels and haven't had a single problem.

I know several of you also had problems or heard of others having problems with pictures on Blogger yesterday. So it seems there is some glitch with Internet Explorer working with Blogger, at least on my end.

I'd encourage anyone else who's having problems to download Mozilla Foxfire and try using that. It might solve your photo/posting problems!

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

Donna

How do you spell STRESS?

Say what????????? Okay, I know I have gotten off track lately, but I didn't realize how off track until I weighed in last Monday (for the first time since mid-June)...


UP 6.9 lbs. Yes, you read that right. And after losing over 50 lbs. I'll be danged if I'm going to start going backwards and gain it all back. So it is once again time to buckle down and get serious. I'm going to be eating a lot less of...


this...


...and this....

...and this... And a lot more of ...

this,...

...these,

... more of this,

... and this, so that I can look like this:

Okay, well that might be stretching it. I could eat the healthiest diet ever and workout 23 hours a day and NEVER look like that! Sophia Loren has been quoted as saying, "Everything you see I owe to spaghetti." She has said that she eats pasta every day. Every day! Apparently it goes to all the right places on Sophia...

If I were to eat pasta every day, this is where it would go on me...

Actually, these days I wouldn't even mind looking like Fiona!

I am a stress eater. Stress has been my middle name for a while now, and it's gotten worse over the summer... Stressing over finances, stressing over work, stressing over some personal issues, stressing over things that are out of my control and stressing over things that are in my control (like getting off my rear and getting to those WW weigh-ins!). There aren't enough hours in the day to do everything I am trying to do and a lack of sleep hasn't helped either...

These days, instead of my house looking like this...

... it's looking more like this (okay, slight exaggeration... but only slight)

I worry a lot about my dad, who is now 87; my dad who was always so strong and independent, and who always took care of his family. It is very stressful to be a part of the sandwich generation; to still be worrying about children (even if they are grown), and to also be worrying about an aging parent. I see my dad every day. Ever since he took ill last year, he has not been able to be left alone. So either my sister or myself are with him at all times. And even on the days when dad is not at my house to be watched, he is here for supper...

Ever since dad was ill last year, he has not been able to drive (not his choice). If he had his way, he would still be driving. We have taken his keys and it has not been an easy thing at times. He does not like being told what he can or cannot do, but for his own safety and for the safety of everyone else on the road, there is no way he can ever be allowed to drive again. But he does not understand and/or accept this. He will bring up driving and we will tell him why he can't. The next day he will bring it up again and not remember that we even talked about it the night before. And that is just the tip of the iceberg...

Independence and dignity feel like a thing of the past to him more and more. Other people are calling the shots, "No, you can't drive," "Yes, you do have to go to the doctor," "Yes, no, yes, no..." It is heartbreaking and it can also be very trying at times. I thank God that most of the time dad is resigned to the fact that this is the way it is now, and is very easygoing about everything. But on those occasions where there is no reasoning with him, it can be so difficult, for him, and for us... But mostly for him, and it truly breaks my heart.

I know some of you are going through very similar situations right now. I pray for all of us, that we have the patience and strength to kindly and lovingly deal with the people in our lives who
have had to relinquish so much of their independence. When my dad is having one of his difficult moments, I try to remember the following poem as it truly puts things into perspective:

When an old lady died in the geriatric ward of a small hospital near Dundee, Scotland, it was felt that she had nothing left of any value. Later, when the nurses were going through her meager possessions, they found this poem. Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital.

An Old Lady's Poem

What do you see, nurses, what do you see?

What are you thinking when you're looking at me?

A crabby old woman, not very wise,

Uncertain of habit, with faraway eyes?

Who dribbles her food and makes no reply

When you say in a loud voice, "I do wish you'd try!"
Who seems not to notice the things that you do,

And forever is missing a stocking or shoe.....

Who, resisting or not, lets you do as you will,

With bathing and feeding, the long day to fill....

Is that what you're thinking? Is that what you see?

Then open your eyes, nurse; you're not looking at me.

I'll tell you who I am as I sit here so still,

As I do at your bidding, as I eat at your will.

I'm a small child of ten ... with a father and mother,

Brothers and sisters, who love one another.

A young girl of sixteen, with wings on her feet,

Dreaming that soon now a lover she'll meet.

A bride soon at twenty -- my heart gives a leap,

Remembering the vows that I promised to keep.

At twenty-five now, I have young of my own,

Who need me to guide and a secure happy home.

A woman of thirty, my young now grown fast,

Bound to each other with ties that should last.

At forty, my young sons have grown and are gone,

But my man's beside me to see I don't mourn.

At fifty once more, babies play round my knee,

Again we know children, my loved one and me.

Dark days are upon me, my husband is dead;

I look at the future, I shudder with dread.

For my young are all rearing young of their own,

And I think of the years and the love that I've known.

I'm now an old woman ... and nature is cruel;

'Tis jest to make old age look like a fool.

The body, it crumbles, grace and vigor depart,

There is now a stone where I once had a heart.

But inside this old carcass a young girl still dwells,

And now and again my battered heart swells.
I remember the joys, I remember the pain,

And I'm loving and living life over again.

I think of the years .... all too few, gone too fast,

And accept the stark fact that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, nurses, open and see,

Not a crabby old woman; look closer ... see ME!

I wish all of you patience and strength with any trials and tribulations you might be facing. And we must remember to take care of ourselves, something I lost sight of these past few months. So here's to getting back on track, regaining balance in life, and to patience, kindness, love, laughter, and always trying to retain a sense of humor, even when it seems that there is nothing to laugh about!

Donna

Tweeting ...

I don't tweet. Do you? One of my girls Tweets, but thus far I haven't had any desire to delve into this newest form of communication.


I remember when only birds tweeted.


But not these two. They play music rather than tweet. The bluebird plays "It's a Small World" and the robin plays "You Light Up My Life."


But the real birds outside are tweeting very loudly today! I can hear them even through the closed windows (it's a tad on the chilly side today).

I suspect they're trying to attract mates. After all, it's spring and love is in the air!

I don't have much to tweet about today. I did go to Weight Watchers. I've been VERY bad about attending weigh-ins or meetings the past few months, and my lack of commitment has been showing on the scales.

I went to WW last week after a month and a half absence from attending and I was up 1.2 pounds. It was definitely time to recommit to going weekly. Thankfully today's weigh-in was better. Down 2.6 lbs. Still a far cry from where I want to be, but better than a gain.

Wishing you all determination, courage, and stick-to-it-iveness with any challenges you might be battling in your lives!

Donna

The battle of the bulge...

... has been a struggle these past three weeks, and it shouldn't be... After all, Weight Watchers has taught me to make wise choices and to make portion control my friend....

However, knowing it and doing it are two different things!! But this week I vow to get back on track because I've worked too hard to lose 30+ pounds, with many more still to go!!... (Don't you love the little Weight Watcher Weather Forecaster I found at Fairground Antiques last week? I'll share more about that little trip in a future post) ...

Getting off track began when the girls moved out September 1st. One was heading back to college and one was heading off to her first apartment... I told them I'd make whatever they wanted for our last meal as a family at home before they moved out...

One wanted a mediterranean/hummus/feta tossed salad, one wanted an avocado/mozzarella/kalamata olive tossed salad... both wanted bread dipped in olive oil...

One wanted a vegetarian lasagna....

... the other wanted sausage lasagna...

We had strawberry shortcake for dessert (but I forgot to take a photo of the finished product!!)...

Then the following weekend we headed to The Cape for a get-together with family members...

...and of course that meant more food....

Here we are crossing the Cape Cod Canal via the Bourne Bridge...

Even though it was Labor Day weekend, traffic was light, for which we were very grateful!

If you ever visit the New England area and are not familiar with rotaries, just keep in mind that the traffic already IN the rotary has the right of way... If you remember that, you'll have no problems (my GPS, Delilah, refers to rotaries as "roundabouts"... is that what they are called in other parts of the country?)

Anyhow, for our trip to the Cape I made a crabmeat mold appetizer (of course I couldn't find my mold at the last minute so I just put it together in a bowl! Not quite the 'ooooohhh/aaaaahhhh' affect of the mold, but it tasted just as good!) Served on crackers it is to-die-for! (Here's the Crab Mold recipe I used, and I always use imitation crabmeat.)

I also made a variation of my usual layered salad...

This particular version called for a combination of mayo/sour cream on the top (as opposed to just mayo)... Court definitely prefers my plain mayo version although everyone else thought it was good with the sour cream/mayo mixture. (Here's the Layered Pea Salad recipe I used, although I omitted bacon and added tomato, and just used shredded cheddar on top)...

More lasagna... What can I say... They're quick and easy to make and my family likes them! ha ha Again, one vegetarian, one with sausage... just variations of the basic recipes on the lasagna box.

I thought some of the kids at the family get-together might like mac & cheese... I happend to come across "Marilyn's Mac and Cheese" recipe and it sounded really good so I doubled (or tripled?) the recipe and gave it a go...


I'm happy to report that everyone loved it! So thank you, Marilyn Gabler of Fort Worth, TX!!! (You can find her recipe on page 136 of the October 2009 Country Living, or just click here).

Of course the piece de resistance was the layered pudding cake (a variation of the Kahlua cake I make... I wanted the kids to be able to eat it so I used coffee flavored syrup instead of Kahlua)...

It is generously topped with crushed Heath bars (I may have gone overboard with the topping, but it was yummy!)

Here is the basic pudding cake recipe I used/altered! For the pudding, I used 2 large boxes of instant fat free. And rather than cutting the cake into 1" squares, I just poked holes all over the cake with the handle of a wooden spoon and then poured the coffee syrup (which I used instead of Kahlua) over the cake (I probably used more than a cup, too!); and I definitely used more Cool Whip (probably closer to 2 tubs) ... and 8 candy bars rather than 4! ha ha - hardly the same recipe, huh?)

So we had those special events, and as I mentioned in a previous post, with the girls being moved into the city we were grabbing quick bites here and there and everywhere, including here, Uno's in Cambridge....


... and then both girls were home last weekend so we took a drive up to Portsmouth, NH, which included breakfast at The Friendly Toast... I also had a birthday, so that was more food and another cake...

So as you can see, it's been food, food, and more food for almost 3 weeks... But now it's time to get back on track, start cooking healthy meals, start making make wiser choices, put portion control to work, and get back to the business of losing the extra pounds that are weighing me down... because the older I get, the more important it is to get rid of this excess weight and get healthy!

Wishing you all a wonderful week...

Comment Update: Well, guys, my family is in stitches with all the wonderful comments you've left about what a good cook I must be because that is the furthest thing from the truth! I am absolutely dismal in the kitchen! That's why when things turn out half decent I grab the camera, so I'll always remember when the (insert name of any recipe here) actually turned out good!!" But thank you for your kind, kind words!!!

Donna