willowraven's Friends

It seems the best I can say about any of my days is it wasn't too bad.  At least on Friday I didn't feel exhausted.  By late in the afternoon I was falling asleep in front of the TV,  Bubba seemed to like that and slept on his pillow wilth his head on my chest most of the time.  It was nice except when he'd decide to pat my on the face with his paws. 

I'm bored.

Plan for today:  another do nothing day of rest.  The visiting nurse will be here to check on me.

Menu for today:  Breakfast - oatmeal with milk.  Lunch - vegetable soup and cucumber and tomato salad.  Supper - the salmon I planned for last night (had vegetable soup instead)  Snacks - apples, and will these tangerines never be finished?

The wind really kicked up last night and is still howling past my window.  I turned on the heat for a little while, until I got into bed.  This morning it's on low to get the chill out of the air.  I moved my african violet away from the vent and will get some help to move the big plant too.  All my houseplants are thriving. 

Today:  Curl up with a book and listen to the wind rage outside. 

Maybe even a little less. Stress sucks but it's doing wonders for my body.

Trying to do 100+ crunches at night, and some squats, lunges and push-ups when I'm not too worn out, but the gym has stopped existing for me.

Tea, papers, papers, more tea and more papers today.

Grad school is tough, but I realized yesterday I'm still succeeding at it, and that it isn't impossible. Which is a good feeling. Not much left before Christmas :)

For me personally, this is a a pretty good day.  Lori and Rick are going to her family for dinner, and my cousin, Donny, is going to watch my dad while I play in a special poker tour. at the VFW.  It will do them both some good to hang out together. 

My afternoon is gonna be busy.  The poker tour I am playing in is going to be a straight freeze out tournament, with knock out chips, and a best hand pot. At $60, and with just 44 players, it should be some pretty tough competition.  And with $40 a player going to the prize pot, a damn sweet prize pot. 

But my cards have been running very bad, and with them my play lately.  I think the run of poor cards has frustrated me to the point where I have picked up a lot of bad habits I use to exploit, in the others that play there.  

You see a lot of bad play in those damn re-buy tournaments, while they can get back in people will gamble like crazy.  But once ya blow your chips today, there ain't no getting back in.  So the donks should be gone pretty quick. 

As to the greenhouses, we are ready to put on plastic.  Simply waiting for a couple of days of low wind to get that job done.  The place is excellent, and making it work is up to me.  Not only as a form of income, but also as a way to employ a few people, help the community, and stay on the cutting edge the local food movement. 

I know some people ask what difference does it make where my green peppers come from.  The most basic answer I have is that supporting local food production not only means eating fresher, healthier food.  But there is also a national security aspect. 

If, for some reason, the trucks can't cross the country, areas with local food supply will be much better prepared for whatever type of national emergancy stopped the trucks rolling.  It's simply a matter of common sense. 

People need to learn to grow their own food again.  One of the reasons our nation didn't completely melt down during the Great Depression, was because most everyone still knew how to grow a garden, and how to save the seed for the next season.  This knowledge helped to feed a the people in a time when their government, and financial institutions, had failed them completely.

But saving the world has to wait.  Got to get the place off the ground this year.  And I am promising myself to turn my obsessive nature toward making this business something I will be able to look back on with pride on that day I go to join the Gods. 

We all fight our battles in different way.  And this one is mine!!

Have a great Black Friday everyone!!

Excellent result from the overnight brine. The meat was juicy and flavorful, and the drippings were not excessively salty, so the gravy was good.

At the last minute, we packed up all the food and took it over to elder's to see their new house. It is gorgeous. I am so happy for them, and so grateful for my life. :)

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving.  My family went to extra trouble to make sure my meal was very low sodium.  I can't say I enjoyed that very plain food, but I certainly did enjoy the company, and I saw it on the scale this morning with another pound of water gone. 

Plan for today:  wash a load of old towels that I keep in the car.  One of them is soaked because I put it on the leaky floor.  Other than that I have no plans to do anything.  If I go out at all it will be to pick up prescriptions.

Menu for today:  breakfast - oatmeal with raisins and milk.  Lunch - leftover turkey dinner.  Supper - lemon salmon, spinach, carrots, bulghur wheat salad.  Snacks - tangerines, apples, yogurt.

It's going to be another dreary morning, but the forecast shows a little sun this afternoon.  I still haven't turned on the heat.  It was chilly last night but I managed with an extra blanket.  I like a cool room for sleeping. 

Today:  Fight off boredom with a book. 

Blue Heron Thanksgiving ~ Thomas Swopes, 2006

Wherever you are - I wish all my Calorie Count friends a beautiful Thanksgiving, filled with love and joy. 

1566/236.2

Art of the Season:  American Primitive Folk Art

Getting in the Winter Wood ~ Queena Stovall

Getting through each day is the only thing I'm doing right now.  Tuesday the visiting nurse was here.  My lungs are clear and my feet are swollen.  Now I have to spend at least 1 hour out of every three with my feet elevated above the level of my heart.  It did seem to help.  She was pleased that I'm gradually losing all that water weight. 

Plan for today:  I have an important phone call before lunch, then at 2:30 must take all my paperwork to the office for rent re-evaluation.  That has to be done each year, but my lease isn't up until February so this is kind of a pain.  There is still only one person in the office.  The office manager who has been gone for over a month signed everything they sent me, so I assume she'll be back sooner or later.  Meanwhile, the tennants are short changed.

Menu for today:  Breakfast - oatmeal with raisins & milk.  Lunch - half a chicken sandwich and salad.  Supper - pork chop, apples, cabbage and potato.  Snacks - tangerines, yogurt and triscuits.

It's another dreary, rainy day, but not quite as cold.  Right now it's 50 F, 10 C.  I'll avoid going out.  The nurse drew my blood for my weekly test, so at least I didn't have to go out yesterday.  I do have to pick up some prescriptions, but it can wait. 

Today:  All I want to do is sleep like an old bear in a cave. 

Our day of feasting is over and there was plenty of food left over.  Those leftovers are delicious and many people love them as much as they love Thanksgiving Day.   By the end of the weekend some have changed their mind due to too many turkey sandwiches, turkey stew, turkey soup and all other things turkey.  How can we avoid boredom before the leftovers are gone?  A little creativity is in order.

Before we talk about how to use those good things, we need to discuss food safety.  Read the About.com article, Storing Thanksgiving Leftovers Safely.  The facts in the article are taken from the US Food and Safety Bureau.  A few simple precautions will keep your food fresh and wholesome.

Cut turkey and stuffing into smaller pieces in shallow containers, within two hours of cooking.  Use these within three to four days, and use gravy within 2 days, or freeze them.  Reheat to 165 degrees Fahrenheit or 74 degrees Celsius.

Now we can begin preparing our leftovers for post-holiday meals.  Of course turkey sandwiches, either hot or cold, are popular, but we can also incorporate the meat in casseroles and other one-dish meals.  Chop it finely and put it into chili or soups.

Don't forget to use the carcass for soup.  The best flavor is obtained when the bones are put into a 350 degree Fahrenheit or 177 degrees Celsius oven, until they are golden.  Put the bones and any scraps of skin into a soup pot.  Add a few stems of celery and a carrot or two, some onions and garlic, parsley and other herbs.  Cover with cold water to about 2 inches over the top of the contents of the pot.  Bring the pot to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for an hour or two.  You may want to strain the broth and then put fresh vegetables in it along with some bite size turkey pieces for a tasty soup.  Add noodles at the very end, or better yet, place the cooked noodles into each bowl and ladle the soup over.  If you leave the noodles or rice in the broth, be prepared for them to soak up all the broth. 

One of my own favorites is mashed candied sweet potatoes.  I like to add an egg and pour it into a pie shell to bake.  No other sweetening is needed. 

Mashed white potatoes can be made into a number of good side dishes.  If you've never had them mixed with an egg, dusted with flour, formed into patties and browned in a frying pan, then you are in for a treat. 

We have some creative recipes for you today, all by Calorie Count members.  Enjoy!

• Sweet Potato Pancakes
• Turkey Tetrazzini
• Potato Casserole
• Turkey Pot Pie

This inspirational weight loss story comes from dwgeo104, who has lost 150lbs over the last 18 months and is now focusing on maintaining this weight loss.  In his story he talks about the importance of having good support from friends.

He contacted us through our Share Your Story feature and provided the following answers to our questionnaire.

1. What made you decide to lose weight this time? Did you have an 'Aha!" moment?

I didn't have an "Aha!" moment, it was more of an "Oh No!" moment. I'd never been what I would call "In Shape" and I thought it was now or never. My doctor was also providing a lot of encouragement.

2. What other "diets" (programs, products, plans, or services) had you tried in the past?

I rode a diet roller coaster all my life but never stuck with any of it. We know what happens when we let up on our resolve. We replace 110% of what we lost.

3. What changes did you make to your usual diet, activity, lifestyle, and attitude?

I suppose accepting that it wasn't going to end - that this was my "way of life" from now on - that made it easier to swallow. Trying to reduce the calories all the time and exercise, exercise, exercise.

4. How did Calorie Count help you to lose weight?

I found Calorie Count to be a very user friendly site for my needs. Once I had my "Tagged" lists generated, getting a daily plan was routine.

5. What was most challenging about losing weight?

I found that "Losing" was it's own reward. All the pats on the back, the unexpected encounters at the mall by shocked friends, the new styles of clothing. Then I reached my goal and it all changed. The amazed friends stopped patting me on the back and my closet was full of new clothing. That's when it was all on me. Time wore at my resolve to be fit. Society continued to pull and tug at me as well as the holidays. Losing my weight took 18 months but keeping it off takes the rest of your life.

6. How long did it take you to see results?

The dramatic lifestyle change caused the pounds to melt away in the beginning. The last five pounds took longer to lose than then first fifty.

7. When did you realize that you were a success?

When the National Weight Control Registry said I was a success; I'm still not sure. I do know a lot of folks who started with me, but I don't know where they went. I sure don't see them at the gym any more.

8. How do you prevent relapse?

Run with the winners. I have a small group I work out with, they help me stay on track. Also - and I hope I don't sound cruel - I watch the masses of people that need to be beside me as I'm out there jogging and I keep in mind - "You can't wait until it's too late to change."

9. How has your life changed now that you've lost weight?

I intentionally avoided any expections for pots of gold. I used to live in an "If Only" dream world, but now I've become a realist. Today, when I look in a mirror I say "Look what you are doing for yourself," whereas in the past I used to say shamefully "Look what you are doing to yourself". Today my outside more closely matches my inside. I've replaced guilt with pride.

10. What five tips do you have for other dieters?

• Don't fear failure.  Start again and again.
• Learn from your errors. 
• Keep it simple.  Everything is for only one day.
• Plan everything.  Never show up at a meal or the gym without a plan.
• Run with the winners.  They encourage you and guide you towards your success.