Going to blog again, we will see

 We will see.  It’s been more than a year, almost 2 since last post.   Since I don’t do scrapbooks about myself, thinking this could be the way I document things for the family.   We will see. oh, I said that.   Ha!!!

Not gonna pontificate about 2020.   Just glad to see it end.  Hoping for a better New Year, where we can see each other, go places, etc again.   

I do like working from home..like many of you, admit it, I sometimes work in my pj’s...and that bra is a thing of the past.   But unfortunately, so are my jeans.  I turned to comfort food...siiiiiiigh

Thought I’d share my Christmas decorations...y’all know I LOVE Christmas decorating...still had 3 trees this year.  We are scheduled to see grands in January, however...we will see...

This is the main tree in the front room, the parlor, with 12’ ceilings needed a bigger tree.   I did this one in a ‘rustic’ theme with pine cones and gnomes

This is my ‘cookie’ tree in the living room next to the kitchen.  S’mores and cookies...the skirt was crocheted by my mom, years ago.

And, the ‘toy’ tree downstairs in the basement.  Where I spend a lot of time as my new office set up is down there.  

The toy tree’s ornaments are those collected throughout my kid’s childhood...before I started doing theme trees after they moved out...with a concentration on Snoopy.

Happy New Year’s Eve to y’all!! Be safe and see ya next year!!!

#Nevada is not for wimps!

This is my first winter in Nevada...and gotta say, this is not for wimps.

Never mind the snow and winds and icy roads...and I 80 being closed at least 4 times in the past month...yeah, you can get used to that.   Put the truck in 4wheel drive, drive slow, have distance and pray you don't have to slam on the brakes...and when you do 'fishtail' you don't wreck.  I can 'deal'.

But last week we had an incident where some animal tried to take out one of our dogs.  It was midnight, dh woke up to the dogs barking...went to check...and they were all standing at the top of the driveway.  The 2 girls, seeing 'papa' ran to him, leaving our old guy alone.  He is 14 or 15 years old and has bad hips...anyways, whatever they were barking at, ran back up the driveway and was rushing to our dog.  Luckily, dh's response scared it away.

So we spent the next day after work building a 'kennel'...one that gives them access to the inside of the 'shop'...it is where they have been spending nights...it is insulated and we have a heater, their dog houses, blankets and all set up.   So we built the kennel so it surrounds the doggie door and gives them a bit of space outside.  Now, those who know me know I don't do physical work.   So, dh tells me, 'just need you to hold the panels'.  Okay, I can hold panels.   then 'since you are on the inside, need you to tighten these bolts'.  Okay I can tighten bolts.   Then hands me a shovel, while I move rocks...need you to straighten them and push them against the bottom to create a 'bern'.  So, I am shoveling rocks.   In the cold 'washoe zephyr' winds...but 'my' part was done before dark.  Dh had some finish work...and was out there later...and caught a cold... he is on the 5th day of.

So with that cold, I had to drive myself to work...in the snow and ice.

An hour later, normally a 30 minute commute...when I got to work I told the office peeps..."I am now an official Nevada bad*ass!"    ha!  not really, I'm still a wimp.

Work has been busy, doing 5 days a week since mid-December.  Now, some of you are like 'whaaaat??? that's my normal".  Well, it isn't mine.

The gal who does my job at the CA location left, oh, mid December...so it has also meant monthly trips down there to take care of CA sales tax and such..  Last month, January, it meant a week long trip...as I 80 was shut down!  (not complaining, got to stay with my family and grandbabies out there).   And for those of you in accounting, you know how the first couple of months are with closing out the previous month, quarter, year...and the yearly projects that need to be done.

One good thing about the increased hours is the paychecks...nice to be 'rich'...ha!
One good thing about the monthly travel...get to see the grandbabies more!

But, I'm an old, wimpy woman...and I am just wore out and tired.  My life should be one of a little work, a lotta hobby and tv and resting!

and there has been NO time to do what I love...scrapbooking!  But I am going to Pleasanton Expo and that is gonna change.

cuz a blog is boring without pics...let me see...

Winston knows what's what on these cold icy days.

New metal sign for the gate...covered in guess what?  

Luckily, I've only slid a couple of times, once while holding the above gate, so I just slid my way to the fence.  But once at work, while taking out my trash...right onto my rear in front of the dumpster.  siiiiigh

still here...I think

We are prepping for our first winter in Nevada.  It is already too cold.  Dh set up the shop (it is insulated) for the pups.  As opposed to the garage.   He put in a doggy door...cleared an area...set up their pillows and even dog houses...a couple of rugs.  He plans to buy an electric fireplace...he did set up a light and a radio...and none of the dogs slept there last night.   ha!   maybe once the fireplace goes in...I'll take a pic.

I also tried to get them to come into the house, nope, they refused.  We should have started letting them in when they were puppies.   I dunno, they should get it before it snows, right?


The house is starting to feel like home.  Pics are going up on the walls, in the process of picking paint colors for the 2 rooms dh is letting me paint.  We are only here 5 years or so, so he is keeping me 'at bay' in this area.   I do get to change a couple of light fixtures as well.   Little by little, still want to do a photo tour...but the pictures I take have this yellow cast.   I dunno, time of day?

That yellow cast has made it difficult to choose a color for the living room.  It is in a yellow color and every sample I've put up so far seems off.   Front runners are Kelly Moore Sandy Toes and Townhouse Taupe.


I voted today.  After years of absentee ballots, it sure felt different to go to a ballot station and check off my choices.   And the stickers Nevada gives are far nicer than the ones in CA.  ha!!

Ending the 28 day challenge...my takeaways.

I was definitely not good this week...won't go into details.  So, will officially 'end' the challenge today.   Esp since dd and family are arriving tonight.  

Take aways...even though I was not a 100%'er, I did lose @10 lbs.  And plant life poops are better...ha!  found a pic of the author of Engine 2 Diet wearing a shirt that said, "eat plants. take epic poops".  Won't say epic, but that part of the body does function better.   And had less nights of tummy pain.  

DH and I started juicing about the 2nd week.  After watching the video "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead".  We will continue doing that.

The routine was juice (kale, carrots, cucumber with apple or orange or whatever fruit available)...oatmeal or banana peanut butter toast for breakfast.  Then I would do a whey protein drink... and the usual tea during Bible Study.   Doing 4 days of a devotion called "From this Word", and switching between my Psalm study and Amy Torres's "Barefoot with God: A Return to Child-Like Faith".

Anyways, lunch was usually leftover from night before.  And dinner, cooked every other night, usually (hey cooking for 2 )...was a new recipe.   We liked the Engine 2 enchiladas..with mushroom, spinach and potatoes.

 The cool thing about the challenge is relearning the foods we considered standard did not have to be eaten the same old way.  Like the enchiladas, usually covered in cheese and added sour cream...were just as good with sliced avocado.   And baked potatoes, usually filled with butter, cheese and sour cream, are yummy with hummus and salsa.

I found I did not miss dairy...except cheese and ice cream as much as I thought I would.  And really didn't  miss or crave  meat.

So, for the future...will probably continue with the new plan...and not worry if we have a couple of times during the week with the old way.  with cheese.  and occasional steak.

From the beginning, I said I was gonna have pizza when the challenge is over.  But we are going to Mexican this afternoon for lunch....so, probably have a nice cheesy enchilada.

or a fish taco

or both!!

Which leads me to the next phase of my life.  I am going back to work in August...looking at 3 days a week.   I enjoyed my time of being an unemployed house frau.  But the house is pretty much done (a couple of areas left) and DH is ready for me to 'contribute' financially.   So, it is time and an opportunity has presented itself.  One of the gals has given her 2 weeks...so her position is going to be spread out...and to give the dept supervisor time to do other duties... I will relieve her of some of the accounting duties.  So, this gal that I trained a couple of years ago...is gonna be my supervisor.  A little weird, but I have NO PROBLEM with this set up.   I have NO interest in a career. and I am happy to see her 'branch out' and move up within the organization.

 I am 57 years old and want a life outside of an office.   3 days a week is 3 days less of shopping and scrapbooking...but somehow I'll just have to manage.  I know, I know, y'all are so upset for me...ha!   I can hear most of you saying "welcome to my world"...pfffffft.  what is the saying, you will play me the world's smallest violin.  For you millennials who don't understand the reference..here is a link

https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-origin-of-the-sarcastic-worlds-smallest-violin

Gotta finish my cleaning, DD and family are visiting ….. so excited.  Haven't seen the boys since April 1...I know they've probably changed a lot in the 3 months.   Pray for us if you think about it, this house is not exactly child proof...gonna have to keep an 'eagle eye' on them.

kinda toward the end of week 2 - ha!

This was the week that we add no more meat to the plan.  So, no dairy, no processed and no meat.  Yeah, about that.   Gosh, can I say I'm about 75% on plan?  Yesterday, I gave in and had my last frozen meal...with meat...and processed.   Weds I had meat also...But other than that...

Dairy, I'm finding I don't miss it very much....except cheese.   I do miss cheese.  In fact on day 29...this is a 28 day plan...I'm having a PIZZA!   oh, and I miss Mexican food also.

Processed,  this is the hardest to avoid.   Just cuz it is everywhere and in things you don't expect.  You know like... pie...ha!   No seriously.   I am avoiding the out and out white, white bread, pasta, rice....

Meat, last week I ate a lot of meat.  This week only 2 meals...soooooo...okay.   Good thing I like tofu.  and hummus.  and I am good with the tempeh.   As I write this I am finishing a kale, tempeh, quinoa citrus salad...a recipe my dil gave me.

Weight, I don't have a scale right now...so can't tell you if I am losing any weight.  I stepped on a scale while staying at the kids...and it looks promising.   But we will see.

Had a disappointing couple of days.   I had signed up for a 3 day crop with Scrapbook Paradise here in Reno.  was so excited, gonna crop and meet some local scrapbookers!   But it was 'hinky'...even when I paid back in May...nothing.  No email saying, 'welcome, here is how a crop works'...nothing.  So, I've been 'watching' their website and facebook page.  Only one facebook post about a watercolor class.  Nothing new on website, except the crop was on their calendar.   Until the morning of the crop.  Then the calendar was wiped clean.   So I Facebook Messaged them.  No response.  Then later in the morning I check the calendar again...and now there is a class posted today with Lawn Fawn.  So, I call them and leave a message....nothing, so okay, I'll stop by today while they are having the class.

So, I drive down there.  I see a gal who drove all the way from Truckee...she said the got an email that the Lawn Fawn class was cancelled, but she came down for the kit.  And sat for 20 minutes, cuz there is no one there.   I also walked around … Now a couple of weeks ago, there was a sign for Scrapbook Paradise on the building...but not today.  

So, I get home and check my messenger, email...and the website. Even checked my mailbox hoping there was a letter and a refund or something.     Facebook and Website is still up with no changes...but the online store is 'under maintenance'.

So, yes, I called my credit card company to get my $70 back....but why can't they respond to me and make this right?  Why do I have to go to my credit card company to try to get my money back?  Why is it when a business goes out of business...they feel they have the right to scr*w their customers?  Why?

I'm so sad.  I went to the store when I used to travel to Reno with MJM...before I started babysitting.  Was really excited to move out here...cuz there was a store.

Oh well, that's how the cookie crumbles.  or should I say multigrain cracker...

I did get to scrapbook yesterday...after unpacking my crop bags.

Did get happy mail.   I ordered some Fun Stamper's Journey and CTMH and at least they were in the mailbox.   so, gonna go drown my sorrows in new supplies....ha!

Week 1 - midweek report...ha!

Okay, there have been some moments where I did not want this dietary,  lifestyle change.  While driving I saw a donut sign...and all I could think of was a cakey donut - even the plain would have been heaven in my mouth.  BUT, I did not stop, did not 'give in' to that impulse.

I did go off track yesterday.  I had some errands to run in Sparks after 6pm...picked up a wheeled walker for Carita off the local buy/sell page... the PLAN was to get an acai bowl for dinner, but to the left of the shopping center was a little Thai place.   THAI!  as in Pad Thai, as in rice noodles, as in white rice noodles.  Yeah, I went there (it was yummy, not Yuppha (from Newman) yummy.   I did forgo the sweet rice and mangoes...does that give me a point?  

Tried to make applesauce oatmeal muffins, a recipe off of Spark.   Substituted soy milk for the milk, banana for the egg whites....and then,,, my oven does not work.  It is a spectacular looking oven...

a Thermadore Professional...when the previous owner gave us a tour, she did say she hated this oven.  It worked for a while, but since last Saturday decided it was done.   Soooo, it became a cake,  I put it in my countertop Turbo convection oven/roaster... I guess I used the wrong rack, the bottom did not cook.  But the top was crunchy and YUMMY, so guess I will try again.  And the banana took over the flavor, so it was more of a banana applesauce oatmeal taste.  Oh well, failing is a part of learning.

I kinda did not close my freezer all the way after lunch, a  veggie burger with avocado, so tonight will be something with ground beef.   (luckily I don't have to quit meat till next week).  siiiiigh, many mini adventures for the stay at home, bored grammy.   ha!  

My plan today, after I eat this bowl of soggy sawdust, aka regular oatmeal, is to play downstairs in my scrap room.   There is a reason, with the high temps we have been having, the basement is considerably cooler than the main floor of the house.   I may even invite the dogs, if they hang out in the man cave portion and not the scraproom portion...

Later this afternoon  we are having 2 pieces of furniture delivered.  From Recycled Furniture here downtown.   A dresser for the master.  Last house we had the spacious double closets so no need for a dresser in the room. We used shelves, and I did have MJM's childhood dresser in my closet, but he said 'no way' to having it in the bedroom.  ( It is happily holding fabrics in my craftroom).  

 The new closet, siiiiigh, it makes me so sad...I close the door at night, so it won't be the first thing I see in the morning.   

 And, we picked up a light oak 'lighted' cabinet buffet.   I kinda liked a different one, but for MJM it was the 'solidness' of this one that he liked...so, okay, not perfect, but I will 'deal'.  

okaydokay, soggy sawdust is cold, time to move to the next desk...ha!!!

1..2..3..deep breath and jump!!!

So, MJM and I are embarking on a new adventure this month.   A 28 day eating challenge.   (omg, omg,omg,..can I do this?)

backstory, my kids are very conscience of their eating habits.  DD with 2 toddler boys is very creative in getting veggies in her meals (one example she boils cauliflower in chicken broth and uses it instead of sour cream in her sour cream chicken enchilada recipe)  DS and family have been primarily Vegan for a while...not 100%, think they allow themselves a 'cheat', every now and then.  AND though he is quiet about this with others, he's been a preachin' it to his parents for a while now.  Sending articles and podcasts and brings 'plant strong' into every conversation.  So, for my birthday I asked him to send me Rip Esselstyn's Engine 2 Diet book. (he was one of the podcasts I did listen to) .  

So, Okay, today, MJM and I are going to start the 28 day challenge.  (fire cadet style)

The first step is to get rid of dairy and processed/refined....okay.

Cheese is my lifeline...I LOVE cheese...so the thought of not eating cheese is simply killing me...but I can do it for 28 days.   (you bet I'll be counting)

sidenote,  at church there was an announcement of LifeLine screening coming out on July 11.  Something dh and I have been thinking of doing.   Soooooo, I guess this can be seen as verification that we need to start paying attention and taking this step.  They also have a 'healthy living' support group that meets....hmmmmmmmm

Over the weekend, I've been clearing the cabinet and fridge of contraband foods.   Bagging the unopened cabinet foods, to hopefully donate.   Did put the refrigerated unopened in the garage fridge...those that won't expire before July....and tossed the opened.    siiiiiigh, including the leftover cannoli from Saturday's visit to Johnny's Ristorante Italiano  (our fave restarant so far)(we take all visitors there)

This morning we had rolled oats (old fashioned, not packaged)  ground flaxseed with blueberries and bananas for me.  Can I say that rolled oats taste like wet sawdust.  Thank goodness for that banana!

So, one step at a time.   Figured I would blog this journey in the hopes that writing it down will make me accountable!  ha!  

Our goals, we will reassess after the 28 days.  I do not see us becoming full blown Vegans....but I think cutting our meat and having more vegetables is a good goal.  So, this will force me to try out all the meat alternatives (already have tempeh in the fridge)  and be more creative....that will be a good thing.  

And of course, I am curious about any health benefits.   More fruits and veggies won't be a bad thing.