Peaceful and Content

it has been a wonderful several days :0). I guess i don't get that seasonal affective disorder, because as the days shorten, its like i start nesting and getting ready to get all cozy for the winter. I've also noticed real conversations with my almost adult, and adult children and i am savoring it like a great piece of chocolate candy. Monday night. i watched the Beauty and the Beast Movie that KATIE bought for me. she knew it is my all time favorite Disney movie, and she wanted to make sure i got a copy. So last night, Everyone went to bed after the Penguin game (yes i think the movie itself scared everyone away.) my house was cleaned, a warm fire in the fire place a pot of tea beside me, all lights off......... AND BEAUTY AND THE BEAST IN HD. oh and i can't forget having it rain and make that mesmerizing sound on the skylights above me........ my family home, the animals in.... it was just wonderful !!!!

I babysit monday and tuesdays, work at the office on weds, thurs, fri. and then i take one day over the weekend to clean...... so i am busy to say the least. but i haven't been getting tired, and i feel pretty Damn good right now. lots of energy........

Well Chris and I went up to check out Johnny's new/remodeled gym. it IS very nice. not sure when i will be ready to head back up there... i know i did get my Wii Fit back out from it's Summer Vacation. and there is no reason why i can't get physical outdoors just because the weather is starting to get cooler........ it didn't stop me before.......

now with my eating, i remain focused. still not doing the sugar thing. and keeping the 90/10 rule with the white flour.........for instance Monday i made meatball hoagies for everyone...... Crusty rolls, Lean meatballs, and Provolone cheese..... baked in the oven on my Pizza stone. they looked so good........... HOWEVER, i took my organic whole wheat Pasta from Trader Joe's, put two meatballs on top of it with sauce, put some reduced fat provolone cheese.... and broiled it. (Meatball Parmigiana) It was super delicious.......... no white flour meal. Katie made Rice Crispy treats........... didn't have one or even a taste. I asked Christina if she thinks i could do this through out the holidays........ she said No. and she is prob right... i don't want to set myself up for failure........ or i don't want it to back fire........ where i eat so much other foods cause i want the sweets. Bill and I are going away for a few days at the end of this month.... so maybe i'll share a dessert with him....... and then on Thanksgiving i'll eat a slice of pie... Maybe if i plan and schedule......... it will work. . . . . i am not sure yet though honestly. . i might realize that i don't need the dessert. ps i am not using artificial sweeteners either... so a sugar free dessert is still off limits for me

Well think it's time to hit the bed............. good night

Best of Friends!!!

Katie's dog Izzy, and the family Cat Jesse enjoy sharing Katie's bedroom window. believe it or not, the cat is the boss of ALL the animals including the 130 lb Malamute.

Things are going quite well for me, I think the weight is really dropping, because although i don't use the scale, i am pulling out more and more clothes from the bottom of my closet.

I think i am on day 28 of no added sugar........ i just don't want to start, and it isn't a need. I was so proud of myself at work on Thursday....... somebody had made these wonderful brownies..... i was the only one that did not have one. and i am not being really crazy either..... it would be nice if i can keep this up throughout the holidays.

NOW about the no white flour......... i slipped on Friday, wasn't paying attention. had my grilled fish and veggies for lunch, went to Sammy's football game..... didn't eat.... watching game.... not thinking Bill brought back a yummy Stromboli.......... i had two bites, I think i am going to keep focusing on no sugar. and 90% whole grains, whole wheat, etc. And when i am ready i will do the no white flour thing :0).

I am loving this time of year, loving the weather, loving my family..... there is just such a peace and calmness about my house.... and i am loving it.

I was scheduled to go for a lap band fill in November....... but i notice that it seems to be working fine......... and the no sugar thing has really helped me too. I guess if i keep losing at this rate....... keep feeling full after a cup of food...... all is well......... i'll wait a couple more weeks before i call and change that.

Had a wonderful afternoon with Christina, Megan, Paige and Katie..... we went to the coolest little Pumpkin patch.... Paige rode a pony, and played games with hay and corn. we all enjoyed a beautiful hayride to the pumpkin patch up on the hill, Megan got beautiful scenery pictures. And two year old Paige knew exactly what do ........... she kept going from pumpkin to pumpkin... no like, too heavy, too dirty, too slimey, a bug on this one, ugly. She had so much fun. they were making homemade Apple butter on the site, outside on an open pit, 100% of the proceeds went to the four footed friends..... FUN DAY!

Well i am going to get going now.......... maybe read a little, Have a great weekend.....

The 21 days of No white flour... more difficult

well lets see, this is DAY 4 of no white flour.... it seems more difficult for me in different way. I am not craving like i did with the sugar. but i am surprised what has the "white flour" in it. even "innocent" food have me stumped like a flour tortilla. I am ONLY eating 100% whole wheat or whole grains. I found at Trader Joe's yesterday wild brown rice wraps, curious to try those. Speaking of Trader Joe's Christina and I went to Visit her Daughter and new grandson... i had a wonderful day. Jeanine is so full of information regarding foods, herbs, grains..... and i actually tried a recipe at her house for lunch it was Toasted Quinoa Pilaf, my first time to try this grain. the recipe called for garlic and shallots and thyme, bay leaf, chicken broth, and roasted red pepper. It was delicious and SOOOOOOOOO filling and it kept me full for several hours. I am still not eating sweets either.... just not ready to start again. I must say this is the fastest that i am losing "inches" as i am not using the scale. but my clothes are starting to get loose, and i am able to wear some pants that i haven't worn in seven years....

I've managed to get a small hike in here and there with Bill in the evenings. But after my foot doctor appointment on Tuesday.... he wants me to only use my bike. there may be a stress fracture that is not healing near the joint. i have to go for a MRI so they can look at the foot better. So I think i'll get a good bike ride in this weekend for sure :0) i have this huge Camie boot that i should wear at ALL times to immobilize the foot. I do not like it. So IF and When i have Surgery i plan on being closer to my goal weight. therefore that is why i am being so strict with my diet and keeping away from Sugar, and now learning to live without white flour.

Well i should get my butt in gear, work this evening........ lots of laundry to do........ house to clean.

Have a great day today

I tortured myself.....BUT i did IT :0)

After the completion of yesterday, i survived 21 days without added Sugar!!! the torture part is I made an apple pie yesterday.......... normally i would have picked at the pie all day..... it looked so good, and Bill said it was the best pie I ever made.... i really wanted a slice. So then i think i can have a small slice tomorrow...... WRONG.. i am now starting a 21 day of no white flour, plus i am going to try and keep the no added sugar thing going.

Just when i thought i can tolerate my foot issues........ Saturday night it would shoot out sharp pains so strong that it would wake me up from a dead sleep.......... all night long! and the same shooting pain continued all day Sunday... i didn't have to be walking on it...... just sitting there it would throb and shoot pain. I go to the doctor tomorrow, so i shall see what my next step is.

It was a beautiful weekend and i loved just being home.......... quite honestly i am finding i am enjoying being home so much i'd rather be here than anywhere else. All the kids were home also.... they came and went, but spend the majority at home......

I work today, and am off on Wednesday. I don't mind. my co worker has a young son, and when the school doesn't have Monday class she likes to switch me. I am going to go in early and come home at 2'ish

Well i am going to get going here........ make my protein shake, and pack my lunch do i want turkey, fish, or chicken........ hmmm what to make :0). another "warm" day today and then back to the cooler crisp weather....... whatever God gives me I will take

18th day and Energized

I've attempted to blog several times, and just can't find the time... so maybe i'll make this brief. I am still on the NO Sugar/junk foods kick. Today is the 18th day. and believe me, i have been around the stuff. BUT I have not faltered. i feel so good, and the inches have been melting off, haven't felt bloated or yucky... i am very busy, not usually tired.... BUT when it is time for me to go to bed, i've been sleeping like a baby!!! I don't see a problem now with going 21 days with no sugar and on Monday i am going to start 21 days no white flour.... and i might as well keep NOT doing the sugar along with it. Didn't realized that i could be so stubborn when i put my mind to it. that first week was so hard...... it was the worst both mentally and physically....but getting past that, and it really isn't an issue. Well i gotta get my butt back to work, leave early for my son's game plan on a hike and a bike ride this weekend.....
have a great weekend

The Perimeter

Well i Did survive Paige's Party without even tasting the yummy icing on her cake, or without tasting one little ginger snap cookie with Pumpkin pie dip. I didn't even have Pizza as i wasn't sure my Lap band could handle the crust. I did however enjoy the warm buffalo chicken, chili cheese, and taco dip with tortilla chips. What i did wrong was ........ i did not measure or put my food on a plate, i just sorta picked........ not good, but nothing to beat myself up over.

Well for the first time in almost forever, pretty much the entire family is "........ on the same page" Bill is not eating sweets he is on his first week, as today is my 15th DAY of NO SUGAR!!Both Katie and Andrew are really into health as they are both going into that field. and Sammy well he is 15 has a bottomless pit, and eats anything. I looked in the Pantry and i see the "Zingers" haven't been touched in over a week. however i can't keep the Apples, plums, banana's, Almond butter, and yogurt in the house. Saturday morning was the first time that when i got groceries i shopped the PERIMETER of the store. first and only went to the center for a few things after wards....... I got eggs, 1% and skim milk, low fat, sugar free, yogurt, light sour cream, lean turkey breast, and chicken breast for sandwiches, low fat cheese, chicken breast, fish whole grain 100 calorie rounds, apples, plums, grapes, banana's, lettuce, tomato's, and in the center of the store i picked up some nuts, frozen veggies, whole wheat tortilla's, whole wheat pasta, some spices.... and a few other odds and ends........... I must confess though... it is way more expensive this way, than the other way i shopped. the Wal-mart cashier told me that they are pushing healthy life styles with the employee's however the store discount they get does not cover the perimeter foods, just the boxed processed foods, etc.

I think Christina and i are going to an Apple orchard today so i can pick up a bushel of apples, as i can't keep them in the house right now.... it is cold and rainy outside, so i plan on making a beef stew and homemade biscuits for dinner...... it is a beautiful day today...... and i plan on keeping it that way. :)

past the half way point :+)

Today has been my 11th day of no added sugar, my goal is to make it 21 days. i've passed up ice cream cake at the office yesterday too. I feel freaken awesome right now. i know that a "taste" will not hurt me... i just don't want to at this point. no chocolate, no cake, no pie, no ice cream, and i won't even do my sugar free chocolate pudding yet.... no splenda or other artificial sweetener. Love my tea brewed with out anything added... i do a green tea with a hint of red raspberry herbal tea........ still have my frozen berries with my protein shake. haven't had anything processed this week. have been sticking to, chicken, fish, turkey,veggies, limited potatoes, herbs, olive oil, vinegar and brown mustard...... yummmy!!
i make these turkey burgers that both bill and i just love... ground turkey breast, chopped red sweet pepper, chopped red onion, chili powder, Cheddar cheese shredded (i use less than a cup for 12 servings), sea salt, and pepper. i form into patty's and freeze them. so every morning i go to my freezer and pull out either a piece of fish, chicken, or the turkey burger for my meal. The other evening i made Bill and I the burger..... pan fried in a little olive oil put on one of those 100 calorie whole wheat rounds with lettuce tomato and brown mustard. Bill asked me where the potato's or rice or noodles or chips were? I told him it wasn't needed.... i am learning i do not have to have 3 or 4 courses to my meals... and he agreed.
well i am still at work and need to get going........ another busy day tomorrow.
the photo is from my office door.... step out from my desk two steps and i am surrounded by flowers. Have a great day and many blessings........ hope to get out on the trial for a 5 mile hike or more this weekend...... test my orthotics out so i can go back to doctor on my next appointment and give him some information.

My NO sugar days remain intact

Today was my seventh day of No added sugar ( i only get sugar from low glycemic fruits at this point). and i did not falter from the path ;+)
I must be honest, it isn't hard right now, not like it was earlier this week. for instance today My group from work went Kayaking, and afterwards we met for a lunch of "Bills" wings, apples, rice crispy treats and Bill ended up picking up and bring some kind of chocolate covered Oreo cookies. I DID NOT HAVE ONE, and actually when i made the Rice crispy treats, i started to mindlessly put a hunk in my mouth, but caught myself in time. I am 1/3 of the way to my 21 day Sugarless Quest! Today I had a few chips, but next week, i am going to incorporate no "none sugar" junk foods.... which would eliminate chips, no matter how few, and other processed foods.
I must tell the truth, my body is dying from doing a three hour Kayak trip, not sure if my arms are still attached. i also ended up in the River twice.... both times i had to walk to the shore, dump the water out of the kayak and get back in........ thank goodness for my Buddy Jeff, gentlemen still exist in this world, i mean besides my husband :O). he stayed with me, and helped me empty my kayak. my co workers, and the boss i have are incredible. such beautiful people. So much more to say about Kayaking, but dang i think i'm gonna go to bed.... maybe i'll chat later............

The Fifth Day !!!

Yesterday was a repeat of the day before no added sugar day. again had my shake with berries. lunch was grilled chicken breast with red peppers. dinner my co worker Jeff made Caribou in a homemade tomato sauce with whole wheat pasta, i even tasted pigeon ( similar to beef in texture) didn't have much of that.... not sure i liked it yet. so i had my light yogurt with berries, and then i had a grilled chicken flavored with buffalo sauce in a tortilla with lettuce, a little blue cheese dsg and a TB. of shredded Cheddar when i got home.
So i have finally, at least for now, got over the intense craving and need for sweets. And i am almost afraid to start even with a taste again for fear i will not stop. I am going to keep this going for 21 days....... that seems like an impossible task,.......so i'll just take it one day at a time. that it takes 21 days to break a habit........ wonder if that is true?
Well another busy day, i go to my foot doctor today. my foot aches so bad and sometimes the burning throbbing pain wakes me up from a dead sleep. i have new orthotics that i am picking up this morning, and then i am heading to work..... Sam is injured today and isn't even dressing for football so i may stay home and start washing clothes. we went two weeks without a washing machine, Our new one came in yesterday........ can't wait to use it and get caught up.
Have a great day and a relaxing weekend.

Day THREE........ was a four star day

yesterday was my third day of no added sugar. And other than a short time in the evening..... I did not miss it. my morning protien shake has 3 grams of sugar, plus the sugar from my frozen raspberries. that was breakfast, lunch was 3 oz of grilled fish and 1/2 cup of fresh cut pineapple, dinner was two slices of thin crust pizza, snack was light yogurt with raspberries. I drank tons of water.
I love my Krill oil, and a couple of months ago i started Bill on it. well he just saw his doctor today to get the results back from his lab work. before his Cholesterol was 346, sadly he hasn't changed his eating habits yet...... and i am not saying it WAS the Krill oil, but that is the only thing that has changed.... His Cholesterol is still high but it is 236, and that was only being on Krill a little less than a month. they gave him a Cholesterol medication to take for 30 days. He wants to try eating right and the Krill to see if the numbers can drop without using the medication. So i will keep you posted.
busy next couple of days for me......... heading to work soon, then i have to work the concession stand at the football game, just to come home to sleep, and start again on friday..... work, football game, home late........... :0).
Have a blessing filled day

Survived day II

Well yesterday another day with no added Sugar, didn't realize how many sweets was in this house.... until i looked, i am EVEN living with Oreo cookies in the house and did not have one!!! they are in the house for a recipe that the kids love, "Dirt", cool whip, chocolate pudding, oreo's and gummy worms. yesterday was easier than the day before, so i am hoping that today will follow the same pattern. One more day of just focusing on Sugar, and then i will start to focus on more simple carbs, i had a baked red potato, and a little mashed potato yesterday and 6 tortilla chips. and i did have pasta last night.... Actually i need to focus on portion sizes before i focus on simple carbs. I notice the Lapband is finally starting to tolerate a little more food, so I may call and change the date for me fill, especially if i am decreasing my Cardio cause of my foot issues.
Today i go to work, and i am hoping that it is a decent day........ we shall see, what will be will be.
Have a great day folks

Cravings

Yesterday NO SUGAR, Nada, Nothing, Zip. I should actually say no added sugar because there are alot of natural foods that have natural sugars, but damn.... i am talking about a bite of Blueberry coffee cake, a small chunk of chocolate, a sliver of homemade apple pie, a taste of rice crispy treat or a chocolate Zinger.......... My lapband prevents me from sitting down and eating alot of any of the above, but it doesn't stop me from "tasting" it all day long :0(. And this is where i have to be accountable.

I was going to eat strictly just veggies and lean protein yesterday. BUT i figured that would be too hard right now and set me up for failure. So for three days i will focus on No SWEET treats.

I still have my shake which is low sugar, with some frozen berries. i am not doing any type of bread, my carbs are some fruit and a type of potato. *not french fries either. I did eat more low fat cheese yesterday, because i'd grab a chunk of that when i really wanted the apple pie. so today i'll be more in tune with my 3 hour rule. (*using my alarm on my watch)

You see, my foot isn't doing the greatest, and i know soon here my Cardio is going to get cut back. This weekend we surprised my dear friend Kellie in Ohio by attending the Chairi Walk. it was only a 5k, however it was on a paved road, and i still feel it!! I have two options, i either stop hiking and postpone surgery for 10 or more years...... or I get my foot fixed. it is a no brainer.... hiking, being out on those trails are a part of my heart and soul. Until i figure out if/when surgery is going to occur i will just bike a little more than I hike. Well i should figure out what i am going to do in the exercise department now....... i also babysit today and i have to take my son Sam to get fitted for a leg brace (*injured in football)

Have a blessed day

.........so yucky!!!!!

yesterday i didn't feel well, today started out okay, but as the day slowly ends, not feeling it! and then i realized, although i cannot eat alot of food, i am not eating the right food, too much sugar, too much carbs, too much processed junk....... who's fault?..... MINE, what's the excuse? .. ISN'T ANY!. who is in control of what i put in my mouth? ME. So i am going to make a conscious effort to clean up my gut, tomorrow i plan on my morning shake, actually i think i'll have that for lunch too........ and for my meal........ a serving.... ( Pulling out my small plate again) with 1/2 of veggies, 1/4 of complex carb, 1/4 of lean protein. my fourth meal will be 1 cup of Greek yogurt with 1/2 cup of Red Raspberries. Back to measuring my water for a few days to make sure i am getting it.....
I am so used to eating so healthy, i think even a few days of this really shocks my body.... they had a special on this today on the daytime show The Doctors Eating wrong does put stress on your body. and that is what i know i am feeling........

:(, i'll chat later and let you know how it is going......

My Faith

A quote i used on Facebook today:

Go ahead burn a Bible.... the Word lives in my heart......... burn an American flag....my pride for this country lives in my soul. These can't be touched. my boss is Muslim, and i am pretty sure his faith in God isn't going to change with a burning of words on paper... the man that wants to burn the Qur'an wants attention.... and that is what he is getting :0(

this spring it will be two years since i started working for a Muslim Doctor.... and i am learning so much. I was curious about his religion and was asking him a lot of questions... he picked me up a simple book for me to read......... I loved reading the book. You see the Islam faith do not believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God......... Jesus Christ is the heart of my Faith! Learning about other Religions, has not hurt my Faith, but my Love for Jesus has strengthened.

Of course Dr. C (my boss) is still a man with human flaws as WE all are flawed, Christian, Buddhist, Muslim etc. It doesn't matter. There are extremest in all religions, not the majority BUT the minority.... look at the White supremacy Christians too. The Christian extremist that killed and murdered for centuries....... Religion has been the influence of War since the beginning of time. and will be so until the end of time :0(.

Dr. C believes that he is put on earth to help mankind, hmmm, that is what i believe too. I was thinking not too long ago ....... the people that touch my life in a way that made me want to live more like what I feel Jesus stands for........ happen to be one Christian Minister ( pastor Tom), and three Muslim Drs. (Dr. Chaudhary, Dr. Ahmed, and Dr. Jabir) .

I am a born again Christian, Jesus Christ is my Savior, and I can learn from the Islam and Buddhist religion, I can honor my Faith by respecting others.

okay so enough of this, i could go on and on today for some reason......however i must get to work..... there is tons to do and i am going early... then i go directly to work the concession stand at the Junior high football game..... won't be home until 9 or 10 tonight

Have a wonderful day....

20 MILES today

went Biking today, did another part of the ghost town trail. Bill drove me towards Ebensberg and then he met me at another trail head about 20 miles away. 5 miles into the journey i realized that my tires were low on air..... not a good thing on the type of trail I was on. and i had to work extra hard to move the bike.... Me miss prepared one......... my tire pump was not in my bag. * there is one in my backpack NOW!!! it didn't start out well either, i got stung by something in the trapezius muscle *between neck and shoulder. it started to burn and throb so bad and started swelling up, i used my sting relief spray (had that in my backpack) and was holding my benadryl and my inhaler, waiting to see if i'd get wheezy.... NO wheezing. but even now hours later, it is red and swollen and the entire muscle is throbbing. My feet cramped on and off today but more tolerable than the last time i biked 20 miles. Oh and i can't forget I had to pee so bad, and didn't want to wait 10 miles to the next trail head with a bathroom.... it was busy today..... so it wasn't easy to just go somewhere on the trial.... found a spot..... climbed down an embankment~over a small stream~up another embankment~behind a tree~ the quickest pee i've ever had~ back down the embankment~crossing the stream~back up the embankment and back to my bike, ....... in about a minute. i was out of breath.... i got time to put on my backpack, get on my bike before another biker passed me..... i think my heart rate never really recovered.... it was a beautiful day......... and i soaked it all in......... I so love biking.......... an even though it wasn't a perfect ride......... i wouldn't have it any other way.......
Have a great week........ i babysit tomorrow........

5K was OK

My morning picture........ i just love the way the sun shines through the forest. Today is the first hike after my shots in my foot. i love my daughter so much,shes the best.I did just fine, it hurt a little going down hill, but not really a problem for 3.5 miles.
Christina asked me if i still plan on doing the 10 mile hike for Melody this October. and my answer is Yes :0). If i would eventually need surgery i would like to have it done in the winter months. I love fall too much, and i am loving my hiking and biking too much to miss it right now
I am also going to pull out my food journal yet again to just keep track of how and what i eat. just to make sure i am eating enough food, and healthy foods... cause i must confess, and it is all Christina's fault.....I saw that Christina had bought chocolate Zingers.... (umm for Larry's lunch), so of course i then had to go buy a box ( umm for the kids).... and i had a few of them over the weekend..... So it is ZINGER no more.....
Well got a lot to do today.... having the Comcast guy come and see what is up with the digital on my TV for my bedroom, although frankly if they can't get it fixed.... no big deal for me.
Have a great day folks and make it a good one.

well .... NOT SO GOOD

.... had an appointment with my foot doctor yesterday, not "stoved" and not broken. although broken would have been nice :0).
He told me that from my Xrays 4 years ago my bones were already starting to move in the wrong direction, and because of this my big toe and joint is starting to freeze, however freezing totally out of alignment. So along with several bone spurs in the area, I have a bunion that is almost to the severe stage.
Maybe if i was a sedentary person, I would have gone years before it got to this point........ but in the past two years i've been anything but sedentary........... and this month hitting the 100 + mark by hiking/biking............
Yesterday He put a shot directly into and between the bone and joints..... prob 7 or 8 spots, although he "froze" the area first, .......... It hurt like Hell, and after a minute it went numb.
Prognosis............ can and will be Excellent....... however realistically this is not going to realign itself.... we are going to try a few things...... He did say with this and with my life style and goals He Will Be Aggressive........ He will prob have to go in and physically alter the bones........ meaning Another pretty serious foot surgery down the road.
I left the office and went back to work, the toe felt great ( okay the toe felt numb) AND THEN TWO HOURS LATER......... an incredible amount of pain, it throbbed so bad, i actually shed tears, and the first time i tried to step on my foot..... OMG, i couldn't do it. Thankfully it is my left foot, cause i don't think i could have pushed a pedal. finally home, more ice......... elevation, and bed... i was up most of the night..... today it feels burning with periods of throbbing....... but a very small improvement.
THE BIG QUESTION: can i still hike/bike? and the answer is Yes. I told him yesterday "doc help me here, because i am not stopping. he understood and agreed to an extent. What is , is. and although walking will cause me more pain, as long as i don't over do it, it really isn't going to change my bone structure......... its not like a ligament or something that if you rest, it heals.... the bone will be a bone regardless. He said if I can, try and bike more....... i'll have to watch how i put my foot on the pedal, he suggested to try and swimming for cardio, lift weights...... maybe hike every other day and not daily......... (Christina will love that :-), unless she gets a bike then i'll make her bike with me on the off days........ ps hey Chris bikes are on clearance!!! and i promise you won't have to look like a nerd like i do ;0). I should mention that my foot automatic tries to compensate for the deformity, which in the long run can cause more damage..... that is why i will prob eventually have it fixed.......... back to Dr in 10 days.
It is a beautiful day, may God Bless You..... i know that he blesses me every second.

100+ miles in less than a month :0)

102 miles to be exact. these miles were accumulated by hiking and biking. And my goal is to have more miles next month. Early this morning I called Christina, she had a long night so would not be able to go since i was going so early. now normally i would have been "yesss, i can catch up on house work" and use her not going as an excuse for me to not go too. However, I am on such a grove, i didn't want to miss. I was going to bike, but i forgot that Bill has the Jeep with the bike rack. so again for a split second i thought i'd just stay home and do some extra housework before i go into the office....... and then i just thought what the Hell......... i got ready and was on the trail before 7:30 this morning. A solo hike was very nice actually, and it was so beautiful today. the photo above is a shot from the river bank. and the shot below was a shot into the woods just as the sun was coming up.... BEAUTIFUL.

I feel pretty good today, and the muscles aren't even aching. My foot is even........."fair". tomorrow i go to the foot doctor, and i'll keep that appointment regardless how it is feeling,... just want to be sure it is okay.

well i'm off to work, please have a beautiful day....... think of something you are thankful for.....

Ghost town trail.... hiking

Christina and I have decided to explore some of the local trails instead of going to Conemaugh all the time. this morning we left at 7:30 am, drove 15 miles away to get on one of the trail heads for the Ghost town trail. this is the trail where I did the 20 mile biking trip. it took Us about two hours to do approx 6 miles, Christina a little farther as she walks faster than i do. I do enjoy biking as i can go further to explore a trail. actually i think i did the 20 miles in under two hours. However, I didn't realize how beautiful this trail is. for most of the the three miles out the trail follows Blacklick creek, the sound of the water is so relaxing, there were so many wildflowers on both sides of the trails and the colors are so vibrant as you can tell from the above pictures.
My heart rate stayed in the fat burning mode although on the lower end. and it was harder to tell that there is a two degree uphill grade on feet instead of wheels :0).
I did not sleep well last night, the joint of my big left toe was aching so bad, the pain actually woke me up a few times. Bill said there was one time in my sleep i yelled out and grabbed my toe. It truly did not hurt the first 5 miles of the hike though....... HOWEVER. I need to take care of these feet, so i made an appointment with my foot doctor who did my surgery several years ago to have it checked........ It still feels like my toe is "stoved", wonder if he can yank it back into place. all i know.......... i need my feet to be healthy. Speaking of which, I keep a chart of my cardio exercise....... I can't believe i've hiked or biked 94.5 miles in less than a month I have until
friday to do 5.5 miles to make 100 miles in a month......... if i bike tomorrow, i'll get that easy.
I want to keep this up......... 4 to 6 days a week until my LapBAnd appointment Nov 19th to see if the weight started moving.... bottom line is though....... i feel so damn good.
Have a blessed day

Why do i blog?

I just realized that I've been faithfully blogging for so long...... didn't realize it has been 4 years. so much has happened, i blogged on and off for a year or so before that, but then the death of Melody Duffalo was the beginning of so many life changing events in my life. wow this December she will be gone 4 years. it was at that time that I knew i needed to honor her memory, and strengthen my body, mind and spirit! looking back, i can't believe how unhealthy i was, it seemed like so long ago. and i sure have come a long way. it is hard to believe that i plan on giving her that 10 mile hike i promised her, in the next several weeks. I just glanced back over the years i've been blogging, and a flood of memories came splashing in..... Bill's parents moving in with us, Andrew and his head injury, Alex and his death, Michael knocking on deaths door, me (the first year) in and out of the hospital for lung issues, stomach issues, sinus issues. gaining my foster son, losing my foster son, incredible friendships..... Patti, Kellie, Kim, Christina, and the "Golden Girls". my journey with the Lap band. my jobs, and vacations, my kids, my husband............. you get the picture. So yeah i blog so friends can "keep" up with my life. But i blog for ME. and the bottom line is, that is what really matters. I ran into a "sweet" friend, Hi Debbie!! and she asked me a question about my bike, wasn't sure how she knew, but she has been faithful and continues to read my blog....... by the way Debbie, that made my day :0). And i do know there are a few people that read this whom i do not even know.... and that is cool too. People who know me, know that my life is pretty much an open book anyhow.
So i am partaking in the Journey called Life.......... and you are all welcome to join me.
Have a great day today.
OH and Big PS, this is a photo i took today while on a "new" trail, the sun was sorta glaring in my eyes, so i couldn't really focus on the creek photo, sorta just aimed my phone and snapped. (didn't bother pulling out my camera for this). when i got back to the car and put the photo on my phone screen saver........ it was then i noticed i took a picture right through a spider web. i think it turned out so cool.
Have a Blessed day