Un-Paved with Good Intentions

I surmise that if the road to hell is paved with good intentions, then the road to hell-th must be unpaved with good intentions. It is not an easy journey.

Found this cartoon today and this captures some of my daily good intentions...

It had me giggling out loud for a few reasons... Obviously, my hubby's name is Jim, but did you know his father's name is John? I don't intend to embarrass them by sharing, just pointing out how easy it would be SAY I went to the Jim, er gym, but I wouldn't get away with it for long before an observant bystander would notice I show no signs of a visible physical transformation.

Busted!

I have a few people to thank for pushing me down the correct, unpaved path... My oh-too-honest doctor... My hubby who walks around the lake every morning before I even leave the house... My dear "wellness advocate" friend who is healing my hip and my mind naturally... My inspiring BFF who has shown pure determination in sticking to her healthy eating plan and shedding pounds weekly... And my twin sister, who has now caught the running bug!

When my twin told me (and my siblings) months ago she was signing up to do a 5K on Sunday, Aug. 10, I just couldn't commit at that time. My hip was bothering me too much and I hadn't been running at all – and scarcely walking.

After that "overweight" wakeup call during my physical, thankfully accompanied by new hip stretches, I was feeling more hopeful. Embarrassed, but hopeful. When I asked my twin again a few weeks ago if anyone signed up to do the 5K with her, Raylene said no one had. I didn't want her to do it alone so I said I would join her.

That has forced me to start my running routine from square one. You other runners know what this is like. You want to just go out there and run but realize (if you're my age at least) you better ease back into it. Really ease back into it. Do some combination of walking and running. I am not going to push it and put myself back even further than square one if that is possible.

Turns out, since the twinster is a new runner, we are both prepping the same way for this weekend's event. Run... walk... run... walk... We're not out to win any races, we just want to be able to do it together and cross the finish hand in hand in triumph. No matter what our finishing time, I am grateful to her for getting me started again (that's always the hard part), because when I do the run part of my run/walk, it feels so good. I missed that!

My neighbor Cindy has been my best pain-management support. She cooked up (literally) a wonderful combination of Essential Oils that dig deep in my muscles and joints and eases that pain. Between that and stretching, I am determined to stay on that unpaved path to health. There is more to be said about what these oils have done for me but I will save that for another blog. It is amazing stuff and shouldn't be glossed over in a side note.

So even though I did not hit Jim or the gym today, I did get a 5k run/walk in. And lived without limping to tell about it.

Progress down the right path...

Quick Learner

You can imagine how surprised I was to hear my cell phone ring at work this afternoon. Turns out, someone was finally calling from the soup can at the other end of the string.

My first reaction to seeing Carter's number pop up is that something must be wrong. He rarely calls and mainly texts – when he does choose to communicate.

Today, though, it was just an honest-to-goodness effort at communicating. He was letting me know he was done with work but at the lake and told me when he'd be home. He's a quick learner! Makes me wonder if I should teach him some more lessons.

Of course, I have learned a thing or two this week, too. Like not assuming the worst when we don't hear from him. And realizing there are some things he's just going to have learn to do on his own – without my prompting, a.k.a. nagging.

Will he get his 3 books read before school starts? That's not my problem.

Wow. I felt so brave typing that but you know I don't actually THINK that way.  In my mind, it is my problem, too, because I don't want MY child to fail in some way. I know the reality is that we learn many of our life lessons by failing first. It's just hard to let go and let it happen.

Maybe he'll be a quick learner about that, too.

I hope so. I should not be the only one stressing about school already!

Just 3 weeks away and counting down...

Orange you Glad?

Remember this one?

Knock Knock!
Who's there?
Banana.
Banana, who?
Knock Knock!
Who's there?
Banana.
Banana, who?
Knock Knock!
Who's there?
Orange.
Orange, who?
Orange you glad I didn't say banana?

I would always get sick of the joke, but never the color orange. It's kind of my favorite (but I also favor lime green and the color purple, too, for obvious reasons).

Can't recall if it was the ORANGE or what that got me interested in watching the Netflex series Orange is the New Black. I believe it was the recommendation of two neighbors that got me started. Since I don't have Netflex, I rented the DVDs for Season One over the course of the last 2 weeks.

Who would have thought I would be so entranced in a female prison drama? Well, not just drama. I laugh out loud a lot, too. Just quite the mix of emotions and story lines to make it interesting. Really interesting.

I finished Season One tonight and wow. Shocker. I really must move onto Season Two ASAP. That, however, is only available on Netflex. Don't subscribe but now might be the time the take that one month free trial. Ha.

In the meantime, I'll have to dig out some of my orange garb so I am stylin' with the "new black."

Just as long as it stays on this side of the vertical bars.

Orange you glad I'm well-behaved at this point in my life?

The Telephone Game

Sometimes it feels like communicating with a teenager is like playing the old Telephone Game, where we pretended we could hear a voice carry via string from one soup can to another.

The problem today is not that I can't hear through the can. The problem is that I am holding both cans. The current teenager in my mind is not picking up the can to call or answer.

I seem to recall that we gave him a cell phone to use and call his own AND a car to use and call his own – but when he uses one, he needs to use the other to let us know where he's at. Having some freedom does not mean freedom from asking permission. What we don't know only worries us.

Well, me, anyway.

Typically, when Carter works on a weekday, he puts in a few hours in the morning at the golf course, mainly cleaning bathrooms and vacuuming (two skill sets I have yet to see used at home). So today, when I arrived home from work after 5:30 p.m., I was a bit concerned neither Dad nor I had heard from him today. I had sent him a text earlier in the day and he hadn't responded. I sent him a text again at supper time to see where he was at and he did respond that he was still at work.

When he finally came home, cranky after a long day of work (like most of us), he explained (after much prodding) that he had to help at a golf outing and it was delayed 4 hours due to rain.

"So what did you do for four hours?" I asked, in I am sure what came across as an accusatory tone.

He replied that he went to Audrey's, his former, longtime babysitter, and visited her and the kids who still ask for him after all this time.

OK, so bite your tongue, Mom. You can't always assume the worst! How someone can be both cranky and kind in the same afternoon is beyond me.

Oh wait, someone is finally calling my soup can. "Hello, this is your mirror. Do you see anybody else who can master cranky and kind in one day?"

Ugh. I wish I had Caller I.D. on this thing.

Life's a Picnic Somedays

Today is one of my favorite Sundays of the year – our church picnic. Well, technically it's our Worship in the Park outdoor service followed by a potluck. No picnic baskets or ants.

The service always features an inspirational music group from the region. Today our worship was accompanied by Dakota Road, a trio from the Dakotas, I guess. Great sound! After the service, we had our meal under the Robinson Park shelter. Always good food and good conversation. I am still full, I think!

Carter had to work today so it was another day of not seeing much of him. I made the most of my time with a 3-mile walk, a little reading (I'm hooked on this book "Defending Jacob") in Mr. Deck Chair, and some baking.

Just a nice picnic of a day!

Since I have two black thumbs, I don't grow anything I can use for cooking or baking. The next-door neighbor gave me some zucchini the other night so I thought I'd give zucchini bread a try. Wow. Yummy stuff. Naturally, I had to throw in some chocolate chips because that's just what I do. (Jim always says I should just call my banana bread "cake"!)

If any of you need a simple recipe, here's the one I used. It is popular with the men in my house, too. But then, they pretty much devour anything I bake. Even on a hot day!

Classic Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons cinnamon

3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla
2-3 cups shredded zucchini

Directions:

• Spray two 8 x 4 inch pans with non-stick cooking spray and preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Mix together flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon in a bowl.
• Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, white sugar and brown sugar together in a large bowl. Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture and beat well. Stir in zucchini until well combined.
• Pour batter into prepared pans.
• Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan and let cool completely.
• Makes 2 loaves. (It actually made 3 loaves for me but I had normal, not large bread pans)

Good luck, Green Thumbers!

Saturday SSSpecial

Sun + Sympathy + Sound = My Saturday

When it comes to Saturday, it's always best to let Sylvester set the tone for the day. If she makes sunbathing her first priority in the morning, it's obviously a sign I better follow suit.

I had to earn it, though.

I did my Saturday chores around the house, went for a run/walk and then met up with Mr. Deck Chair (sans bees' nest) for some sun and book time. Later, hubby and I went grocery shopping and then to a memorial service.

A fellow we've bowled with died unexpectedly this week. He was only 51, Jim's age, so that certainly gets a person thinking of their heart health! That and the fact I just learned one of my uncles is in the hospital for congestive heart failure. Praying hard!

For some enlightenment tonight, I met up with my next-door neighbor Niki over at the Grand Rapids Lions Park, where the band Road Trip was playing after a classic-car cruise. This was the band we heard early this spring and just loved!

I suppose we are on the verge of becoming groupies now!! We're fine with that.

They cover a wide range of songs from sock-hop tunes and Motley Crue to Lady Gaga and Blink 182. Their vocal and musical talents are amazing. Plus, they put on one heckuva video and light show.

We danced until they were done playing. Both of us realizing it more fun to work up a sweat dancing than going for a run!

Was home by 11 and now await the teenager, who worked today, then had a birthday party and now is supposedly bringing 2 or 3 friends to sleep over – even though he has to wake up at 7:30 to work again tomorrow. He doesn't always think things through.

Maybe he needs a mentor like kitty. She definitely keeps me on the right (restful) track!

Our Homesteads

Since Carter worked tonight, we got a date night, which in this case was dinner AND a history lesson. If I can say "history" without offending hubby.

We ended up eating at Jennings and Company (above), a downtown Wisconsin Rapids bar and grill on 1st street by the Wisconsin River. In the past few years, they've renovated it while at the same time restoring much of its historic character.

I think I've only been there twice before and tonight was my first time eating there. Very good food!

While we were waiting for our food, I noticed an old picture on the wall next to us.

If you look closely, you can see it is the same building we were seated in, but pictured some 70 or 80 years earlier. Where you see the word TAILOR, Jim pointed out that his parents rented an apartment above there. In fact, that was his first home!

I had no idea. I had seen his childhood house before, but this was the first time I heard that they hadn't moved there until he was 6 months old. How interesting. What a neat connection to our evening.

Fastforward 50 years, and we are sitting "in" his old homestead (sort of) while celebrating that as of today, with a final payment, we now own our Blue Jay Drive homestead!

It's like our parade of homes has come full circle.

Now if only I could make my food as good as theirs...