Olympics, WildFit and Furniture - I've Got a Lot Going On Right Now

I'm always sorry to see the Olympics come to an end. Summer or Winter, they're an event that I've loved since I was very young. I tried to stay up last night to watch one event, but simply couldn't keep my eyes open and gave up. I'm sure I'll be able to catch some of it on replay if I have any time to web surf today. 

I've always preferred the Winter Olympics to the summer ones, 
although I'm not really a fan of the cold and snow - LOL. 
Still, the events are so much fun to watch, it's not just a 
bunch of field and track events (as you can tell, I'm not really 
much of a track and field fan). 

Today DH is starting the day out by going downtown and getting us our license to liquidate. Yes, we actually have to be licensed to have a "Going Out of Business" sale/event. *sigh* It's been impossible to reach these people via the phone, so he'll drive down there this morning and perch in their offices. It's much harder to ignore a breathing person than a ringing phone. 

Ernest Thompson originally made our display cases 
and shelving for my Mall of America store. At that 
time the setup I got (more than 12 cases and assorted 
other pieces) was $15,500. Their current value? A 
LOT more than that. I need to get some photos off 
to them and if I'm lucky, they can come back to me 
with a current valuation. 

Meanwhile, we got all of our display cases measured and photographed, at least the cash wrap ones. We still need to do the product display cases - the pottery, katchinas, stone fetish animals, etc are all displayed in those cases. The ones we did yesterday are in the jewelry area - jewelry has always been a large part of our inventory offerings. 

The To-Do list isn't a list, it's a booklet - standard 
paper size, more than 50 pages of instructions. 
It's a lot to do, and we're getting it done. 

But we're working our way down the list that Travis provided to us. It's a lot of work, but we never were under the misapprehension that simply thinking it would be easy would make that possible. There are just a LOT of T's to cross and I's to dot. Feel free to send me some ink - LOL. *hugs* I'll be back tomorrow to wrap up the week. 

I still have four alkagizers every week - it's my usual 
lunch at work. I think my body really likes the nutrients 
that I get in them. It's hard to believe it's been five years 
since I first started WildFit, but I don't regret a single day. 

And yesterday was the 5th anniversary of when I started the WildFit program. It was, without doubt, one of the best decisions I've made in my life. I'm at a great weight, and I've been maintaining it for several years now, and I eat nutritiously, so I consider it a total win. Sometimes I can make a good decision - LOL. So, have an excellent Friday and I'll be back tomorrow to wrap up the week. Slava Ukraini. 

WildFit, Repricing and Time Moves Along - I'm Doing OK - LOL

DH finally buckled down yesterday and started going through all of our precious metal findings and beads, repricing them to be within reason with the daily adders that we have to add. The store, behind the counters, looks rather like a small tornado hit selected parts. It's a real mess. Hopefully he'll know exactly where he left off so that he can pick up again today. We're talking 14Kt gold, 12Kt gold, gold-filled and sterling silver, all of which need to be adjusted. We always change pricing dependant on the daily metals market, but the base price from which we multiply needs to be set at a correct point. 

Gold has moved a lot since 1960. That lower dip in the 
center of the chart is the dip for the late 1980's through 
the early 2000's. That's when I learned how to be a 
jeweler and a goldsmith. I worked in gold, and I loved it. 
But I can't afford it now, and we had to reprice items that 
we purchased in the 1990's and bring them up to current 
pricing, currently more than $2000/ounce. Ouch! 

Of course, I don't really do things with pricing. I'm a bit hopeless at it, to be truthful. I'm not a numbers gal, I'm a people gal. I am fabulous at helping people find just the right bead or color for their project. Color is really my personal strong point. But I'm hell at numbers and, for someone who actually worked with accounting firms for decades, that's a bit of a giggle. I can run an office efficiently, I can type and keyboard VERY well, I can deal with the State and Federal governments and their variable regulations, but I can't do numbers. I suppose it's a plus that I know my strengths and weaknesses. LOL

I'm not really good with numbers. I can calculate things 
just fine, I can pay State and Federal taxes on time, 
so I'm not hopeless at numbers. And I've worked in the 
accounting profession on and off throughout my life. 
But I'm hell at setting budgets, investing, and planning 
with numbers. Fortunately, DH is a genius at numbers 
(a bit obsessive at times), and he's kept us afloat. 

I had an excellent treadmill session this morning, even though my treadmill virtual program was acting up a little bit. I'll keep an eye on it and see if it's worth phoning them next week, but for now, I'm done with my exercise, I have a cuppa herbal tea next to me, and I'm settling down a little bit to write this, to catch up with all of you, my cyber friends near and far, and to settle down before breakfast and starting the work day. 

I looked it up. I joined WildFit in March or early April, 
2020. I've been eating a WildFit diet ever since because 
it makes sense to me. Yesterday's session for my MCD 
class dealt with nutrition and yes, I'm doing a lot of 
things right. Makes me feel pretty good! 

Yesterday's MCD class (Mild Cognitive Decline) was really interesting. Of course, it dealt with food, and I'm totally on top of that. I've been on Wildfit since the end of March, 2020. The USA was shut down for COVID on March 15, 2020, and I signed up for the WildFit class shortly afterward. Then it was a battle to get DH to let me cook what I wanted, and not necessarily eat what he did. It's still a fight every now and again, but it's been more than five years, I'm still following a WildFit structure for my diet, and he's learned that I'm not budging on this. He's overweight, I'm not. 'Nuff said - LOL. 

So, I'm wrapping this up, finishing my first cup of tea for the day, and getting ready to have breakfast and leave for the shop. I hope all of you have an excellent Friday and I'll be back tomorrow to wrap up the week. Slava Ukraini. 

It Was a Very Busy Day of Creativity and Solutions

Good morning and happy Saturday. After I got my infusion injection, I spent most of yesterday finalizing the framing for the two small Connie Seabourn watercolor paintings. I went to Michael's and looked at frames there. The only ones in the size that I needed were too narrow - not enough depth for a double matted surface-floated piece. I laid some frame samples up to the pieces, though, and it was the Navy blue color that really made the whole thing pop. I was amazed - I would never have chosen the Navy blue, but it really worked with the blue interior mat and the blues on each watercolor. So, I had determined that I needed a navy blue frame that had depth. I went on to Dick Blick's, hoping for a small miracle. 

I don't drink coffee or any teas other than herbal, 
but I needed the bathroom, so I made an executive 
decision and ordered a Dragon Drink. I've always 
enjoyed dragon fruit, they're quite tasty. I liked the 
drink very much, but won't order all of those calories 
and other items again within the foreseeable future. 

Blick's wasn't open yet - I had 30 minutes to wait - but I needed a bathroom. Oh! Starbucks will have a bathroom. Which they did - with a numerically coded lock and a sign stating it was for "Customer Use Only". Well, I hadn't been in a Starbucks in over a decade, I suppose I could manage to find one thing I could order. I ordered a small "Dragon Drink" because it sounded like the least harmful to my health. I paid for my drink, got the bathroom code, and picked up a delightfully pink iced beverage when I returned to the counter. 

The navy blue frame at Michael's actually was the perfect 
color, but it was a really narrow frame and I'm framing the 
artwork, two mats, and a backing board. No ... I needed a 
deeper frame, and there wasn't an available option at 
Michael's. So I had to make something work ... and I did, 
in my own way. 

Now ... I've been living a WildFit life for ... well, I started WildFit during the COVID shutdown, so my best estimate is I've been on program for five years or so now. I don't do caffeine, I don't do most sugars, I don't do "Natural Flavors" because there's nothing 'natural' in 'natural flavors' but this had been an emergency. So I settled down in their air conditioned comfort to sip my (actually quite delicious) drink and wait until 10:00 o'clock. The Dragon Drink was remarkably refreshing, and I decided to ignore the ingredients and just enjoy the experience. I'd get it again, if it didn't have a lot of sugars and 'natural flavors'. In fact, I'm recommending it to all of you who aren't as strict with your diets. I found it not overly sweet, the freeze-dried Dragonfruit pieces were delightful, and I give it high marks - for what it is - a bunch of sugar and chemicals. LOL

I've been living a WildFit lifestyle for years now. Almost 
everything in that Dragon Drink was something I would 
never ingest. Still, it didn't harm me and I just won't repeat 
the experience (even though the actual drink was very 
tasty). 

I purchased two white frames from Dick Blick. They didn't have the navy color I really wanted, so I also purchased some acrylic paint and went home and got to work. I sanded down the white to give it some "tooth", then washed them down, dried them, and started painting. It took three coats, and I'm still doing bits of touch-up, but the blue color is awesome and it really works with the pieces. I would still have preferred a commercially done navy blue frame with the depth I needed, but at $10/each, these were affordable. 

Today I'll take everything apart at the shop, clean the glass carefully, fasten the inner mat to the outer mat with my double-sided tape (I'll have to look for that dispenser), put everything back in, seal the back with brown paper and I'll be set. I already hinge-mounted the artwork to the inner mat (hinge mounting is a reversible process that allows the back of the artwork to be viewed if needed. That's where she signed and dated the pieces, so I wanted that accessible to the new owner). 

So, lots to do on my plate today. I'm wrapping this up and heading out to get as much done as possible before DH comes in and takes up my space and time. Have an excellent weekend, I'll be back on Monday. Slava Ukraini. 

It's a Doctor Day and Maybe a Cooking Day - Happy Wednesday!

I was sick yesterday. I called DH in to work, headed home and went to bed. I suspect it was just the exhaustion of the past few weeks hitting home, but I got home, changed into my jammies, hit my bed and I was out. I awakened for a quick dinner, watched a little of "Thomas Jefferson" and went back to sleep. I think I'm finally caught up - LOL. 

There's nothing much better than tumbling into 
bed while wearing a comfortable set of PJ's. 

I did awaken around 1:00 am and went to my computer to do some research on chemotherapy and radiation therapy. They both have their plusses and negatives, so I'll see what the radiation Doc has to say this morning. In the afternoon, I meed with my surgeon for a post-op wrap up. I think the stitches under my arm are slightly infected, which isn't a good thing, but I'll be sure to ask her about that and have her take a look. I'm really hoping she'll pull the steri-tape off. I think I'm healing well (except for the single area) and I want to keep the progression going. 

I think Chickie Mama will join me for the post-op conference in the afternoon. I told her I didn't think anything really germane would happen in the morning meeting, but left attendance up to her. 

It's hard to believe that I've been on WildFit for four years 
now, but I'm really happy with how my body reacts to the 
alkagizers that I drink four days a week. It's hard to argue 
with success. 

So, that just leaves me with the problem of what to cook for the next week. Unfortunately, I won't have a chance to cook anything until Friday, and I'll be behind on my "Ogre Juice" if I don't get some made today. But, my scheduling needs to be a bit fluid at this point. My phone did remind me that I've reached an anniversary today, though. I started WildFit on this date in 2021, so I've now completed four years living with WildFit. It's one of the best things I've ever done for myself. Have an excellent day and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Ready For a Late Winter? It's Here!

Until just a few days ago, we had been experiencing a winter of no snow. It was astonishing and quite fun. The fun is now over, and early Spring is giving us what Winter refused to - snow, and a lot of it. Of course the worst part of Spring snow is the humidity factor - it's wet and heavy snow, not lightweight flakes floating down. Instead of drifting on the breeze, it's pelting the streets, cars and houses. 

Wet heavy snow is great for sledding, cross country skiing, and 
building snowmen. It's crappy for driving and clearing the snow 
from walkways and driveways. We're going to get a wet, heavy 
snowfall of up to fifteen inches starting around noon on 
Sunday and continuing through Monday. Ick! 

I went outside to shovel the driveway clear around 8:30 or so in the morning, and was a bit shocked. I had come in from the movies Thursday night, parked the car in the garage, and went to sleep. When I entered the garage in the morning to grab my shovel and take care of the snow, there were two four-foot long 1x6 boards lying across my car, just missing my windshield. Too weird! I know we have squirrels in the garage, but these would have been a bit heavy for squirrel power. All I can figure is that we might have a raccoon in the garage. That would be a large enough animal to push the wood off the beams. DH stores his extra smaller wood pieces up above, leaving the wall space for the sheet lumber. I'm grateful Minion is unharmed, but a bit concerned about possibly sharing my garage with a larger animal. 

The refrigerator door has five containers 
of my Ogre Juice for the next week. I rely 
on it to get nutrients I wouldn't get 
otherwise, and it's an easy lunch to have 
at the shop. Very green - LOL. 

But I got the car unlumbered and the driveway shoveled, and headed to the grocery store to get veggies for my week's Ogre Juice batch, and my salmon for dinner. Then I came home and cooked - a lot. As you can see in the photos. The upper photo is my week's ration of Ogre Juice. That usually will take me an hour from start to finish (initially, when starting WildFit, it would take 2-4 hours for this - a good blender and lots of experience sure helps cut that time down). 

Here, taking space in what had been empty 
shelves, are my cooked fruit, butternut 
squash, roasted carrots and in the white 
containers, eight individually packed stuffed 
"mini" peppers. I'll be eating good over this 
next week! The white, wrapped pack at the 
bottom is my fresh salmon for last night's 
dinner. Now all I need to do is reheat things, 
if needed, and add my salad. I'm set for the week 
ahead. 

The second photo, of "my side" of the refrigerator shows eight containers of roasted butternut squash, four containers of roasted mini carrots (so good!), eight containers of cooked pears and apples with cranberries and crushed nuts, and my package of salmon at the bottom, waiting for later in the day to be baked and broiled. The white containers holding stuffed peppers were cooked on Wednesday. 

We already got a couple of inches from the first bits 
of the storm, but we're going to get hit on Sunday with 
up to 15 inches in that 24 hour period. In the photo, we're
right where the 20"+ is located - LOL. Getting to work 
on Monday might be interesting, and I'll actually have 
to shovel out the store for the first time this year. Uck! 

We're supposed to get a LOT of snow starting on Sunday and continuing on into Monday. I'll need food for all of that shoveling. DH wants take-out for his Sunday, but I'll make a final decision on that based on the weather and the roads. I wouldn't mind a meal of Moo Shu pork from our local Chinese restaurant. We'll see what the weather brings - we might be getting our entire winter's snowfall in a single large storm. Have an excellent weekend and I'll be back on Monday. Be kind, enjoy life, Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל.

It's Friday, and I'm Heading Off to the Pool - Chickens, "Ogre Juice" and Scheduling

I'm running a bit late today, I got tied up in my morning meditation. Actually, that's a rather good thing, it's positive for my mind and body, but I still have to get to the swimming pool this morning (since I missed Tuesday's swim) so I'm on a time schedule on this - a "day off". 

I'm NOT someone who schedules everything. I tried 
that when I was younger and it just didn't work well 
for me. I have friends who do this religiously and it 
works very well for them. But it's simply NOT me. 

The only thing I have on my kitchen agenda today, however, is making my next batch of "Ogre Juice" so that I'm set for the next week. After so many years, I have this down to a fine science, and it takes me about an hour to get everything blended and into the refrigerator. When I first started WildFit almost four years ago (my next anniversary arrives next month), it took me all afternoon sometimes to get my alkagizers blended and into the refrigerator and freezer. 

The key to a successful alkagizer is to work with what's 
available and fresh as much as possible. I've learned 
how to work with it in my life over the past few years, 
and when I don't have my "Ogre Juice" for several 
days, I really feel the lack. 

I try to save time by making four portions at a time. It is a time saver in some ways, but I learned quickly that it was an equipment nightmare and what I wanted and didn't want to spend my time on to get them made. So, instead of buying a lot of raw veggies, I get some different salad mixes to add with a select amount of fresh veggies. I always make sure there is some of the good stuff in the mix - things like kale and cabbage, carrots and celery, hot peppers and fresh ginger. But I also buy salad mixes that already have the kale in them because it's really time intensive to do the prep work on a bunch of kale. Those photos of veggies scattered all over my stovetop are a thing of the past, but my alkagizers and my WildFit lifestyle is very much a thing of my present and future. 

When weeks compress, the way my holiday season did, 
I sometimes don't have the time to actually have my 
Ogre Juice. My body really missed it, and I was delighted 
to get back into the rhythm of Alkagizers once again. 

But today, I'm running off to the swimming pool because Tuesday was a "day off" for me and I allowed myself to sleep in on Tuesday morning. As it turned out, that was a good thing because the pool's chlorine levels were off and they weren't able to open until later in the day. So, it all worked out - LOL. I got my Tuesday sleep, and I'll have a Friday swim. I'm not sure who in the "gang" will be there - Rosemary will be, for sure, along with Connie and Karen, and maybe Mark. But my friend from down the street, Meg, is somewhere on a warm island for a week with her family. Her dogs and chickens are being cared for by a pet sitter. She's far more trusting than I am. I don't allow strangers to live in my house for a week. 

My friend Meg, who lives two blocks away from me and has 
two dogs and several chickens, is on vacation for a week or 
so in a nice, warm place with her extended family. She has a 
pet sitter for a week. The pet sitter has three dogs of her 
own, so currently there's one person, five dogs, and however 
many chickens are in the coop in the house, but only a 
single human. LOL

So, I'm off and running. I hope all of you have a truly wonderful Friday and I'll be back tomorrow to wrap things up for the week. Please be kind to a stranger today, smile at a child and/or an animal, and allow peace to reflect from your heart. It's one infectious thing that we WANT to pass on to others - love, kindness and happiness. Slava Ukraini and חיים לישראל.

It Was a Productive Friday and How Long Have I Been on WildFit?

I had a very productive day in the kitchen yesterday, and also managed to purchase groceries and buy two gift cards for DH. DH always gets double things - his birthday is so close to Christmas that they almost merge. It makes celebrating a birthday difficult because everyone is still hung over from the Christmas sugar rush. We'll probably head out to Target on the day after Christmas and see if they have the white cake with white frosting that he enjoys so much. I have gift cards for his birthday, but really, it's not much for a milestone birthday. *sigh*

He prefers it without the sprinkles, but he 
really likes Target's white cake with white 
frosting. He likes it better than the offerings 
at CUB or at our local grocery's bakery 
department. 

I spent the rest of the day in the kitchen, as I mentioned. First, I made my "Ogre Juice" for the upcoming week. I always give my poor blender a serious workout when it's making that for me, but as usual, it came through the test like a champ. Then I got to work on the rest of my kitchen agenda. 

I have a Wolf Professional Blender 
that was HORRIBLY expensive (and 
still is). But I had burned out three 
different blenders, two of them top-
of-the-line Ninja blenders, within three 
months of starting WildFit. I determined 
it just didn't make sense to keep buying 
new blenders every 4-6 weeks, spent 
some time in intensive research, and bought 
my Wolf. I love it. It's a workhorse and I 
take it to it's max every week. 

I roasted a butternut squash in maple syrup (SO GOOD!), then I baked up some thick-cut bacon (I am a firm believer in cooking bacon in the oven - so easy and it turns out perfectly every time). After that, I started work on what my Mother-in-Law used to call a "hot dish". It's not a casserole that others might link with the name, just a mish-mash of things thrown together. I had a pound of ground beef and some mushrooms that I wanted to use, I added a bit of this and a bit of that and a bit of the other, along with an onion and garlic and spices, mixed it with a package of my faux rice, and voila! It's REALLY tasty and I'm looking forward to eating it as soon as my stuffed peppers are finished in a couple of days. 

I like adding a strip of bacon to my nightly salad every 
day or two, and the easiest way I've ever found to 
cook my bacon perfectly is to cook it in the oven. 
It's SO easy, it works perfectly every time, and it's 
totally no-fuss. My basic recipe is found on-line at 
"How to Cook Bacon in the Oven (Easy & Crispy)" 
and I highly recommend it. 

So my side of the refrigerator is now stuffed with lovely things to eat that will keep me well fed for a week or so. Success! I always enjoy my time in the kitchen, and this time things seemed to move smoothly from one recipe to another, seamlessly. It isn't always like that - LOL. There are days when nothing I try actually works out well. Fortunately the Gods of December cooking were looking after me and everything worked.

I started the WildFit 90-Day Challenge in February of 2021. 
So, I'm in my third year of WildFit, and still just as happy 
with it as I was initially. It was a radical change of cooking 
and eating, but I haven't regretted it at all. As with anything, 
you take from it what you want and discard the rest. I found 
what worked for me, and it is a bit extreme - no dairy, no 
caffeine, no refined sugar and no gluten works for me, but 
I know it won't work for everyone. 

I had thought I was in year 3 of WildFit, but DH said I was only in my second year, so I grabbed my workbook for WildFit this morning and double-checked dates. He was wrong - I'll be starting year four in February of next year. I'm really close, and just as happy with it now as I was initially. I'm comfortable with what and how I eat these days. I'm really not missing dairy, refined sugar or gluten, and I feel fabulous, am active, and am pushing my way toward retirement. 

Many of my holiday cards have already been 
received, and people are emailing or Facebooking 
(if that's a word at all) images to me of happy, 
colored-in, Gnomes. I'm delighted. So many 
different ways people are coloring them in for 
me. It's interactive cards - LOL. 

One weird thing, however. One of my holiday cards, for a local friend, was returned to me yesterday telling me that I was $3.73 short of postage on it. NO, I'm not short on postage. I know. I took one of my domestic pieces to the Post Office and had them weigh it to tell me how much postage I needed on them. But, I'll have to print out another envelope since this one is trashed, and mail it again. I know cards have been received, I've been getting comments, thank-you's and photos of colored gnomes for several days now. It's been GREAT! I love seeing what people have done with this year's card. 

Time to wrap this up and head out for my day. I hope your 
day is fabulous and filled with positive interactions 
and things to view. The only way to keep the negatives 
in the world at bay is to remember the positives - the 
smile of a child, the sun on a flower, the hug of a 
loved one, the adoration of a puppy or kitten. 

Anyway, I'm going to wrap this up and start my day. I hope you have a truly wonderful Saturday. Tomorrow is my final open Sunday and I'm torn between hoping I'm busy and hating the fact that I'm working on a Sunday. But, it's my last one, so I'll tough it out. Enjoy your weekend and I'll be back on Monday. Slava Ukraini and חיים לישראל.

Meditation, Swimming and Busy, Busy, Busy

I was super busy yesterday, getting my house back into "normal" mode after Sharon's visit. I got her room disassembled, all of the laundry done (four loads of laundry - I was the Laundry Queen! LOL), and even managed to work on DH's website photographs and get them resized to a reasonable size. It was a day packed full, and fortunately I didn't trip over my own feet and my Zoom call was "postponed" again. Unfortunately, when they postpone the Wednesday Zoom call, it is usually rescheduled for Thursday, and I can't attend on a workday. *sigh*

I enjoy my Living WildFit check-in calls. There are times 
when I need to hear other people and their triumphs and 
issues to realize that I really am nailing this. But - once 
Jo left as the head of this group, the quality of leadership 
has really suffered. *sigh*

I over-ran my morning meditation today, causing me to have this post be quite short, but I will catch up with everything and post lots of photos when I have a small chance to breathe. I know that breathing is a silly desire, and time is a construct, but I have to start somewhere - LOL. 

Sometimes it's worth being a bit behind time, 
just to have a chance to breathe. Today I'm 
running a bit behind because I needed that space. 

Our high temperatures have fled and we're into Autumn coolness now. Go figure! It's like the Weather Gods decided to bring the heat for the Fair and Sharon's visit, but when she left, she took the heat along with her and now we're into cool. I'm quite grateful that we're all in the indoor pool now that Labor Day has passed. It might not be quite as good a workout, and I miss seeing the sunrise, but in these temps, I also don't want to be outside on the pool deck after being in the water, and I'm not really that fond of being cold. So, the large flippers are put aside until next summer and I'm working with my shorter ones only again. 

On that note, I've got to get moving. I hope all of you have a fabulous day, and I promise that I'll be back tomorrow. Maybe with a bit more time - LOL ... or not. Have an excellent Thursday. Slava Ukraini. 

I'll Be A Very Busy Beaver Today

Today is the usual hectic "day off". I need to make sure to put aside some time to contact the website server/construction program for DH's business website. We get one hour of no-charge assistance with the website, but it has to be taken within 14 days of signing up with the service. We're reaching that deadline, and I have specific questions, so I'll be contacting them today. Of course, that's among other things such as laundry, housecleaning, grocery shopping, computer work and talking with Aearwen (maybe - that'll depend on HER schedule since this is her final week to complete her move to the new house). 

I'm going to be a very busy beaver today. In addition to 
normal things, I also have to drop some stuff off at the 
shop for Chickie, and drop off a store deposit at the bank. 
The bank is WAY south of us, but I'll drop by my co-op 
on my way home from there. It'll all work out. 

In addition to everything else on my agenda, I also get to contact Xcel energy to obtain a copy of the store's invoice. I was shredding items last night before I left the shop, and the envelope containing the payment accidentally fell into the shredder. I immediately turned it off, but it was too late to save it intact. So I need a copy and I'll have to process a new check. *sigh* So stupid, but accidents happen. I've never accessed our invoices online before, however, so need a bit of guidance from Customer Service. 

I've never set up our account to be accessible 
via computer, so I'll need to speak to Customer 
Service about that to download a copy of 
my invoice. 

I'm also at the upper range of acceptable weight for my personal happiness, so I need to focus on eating properly with WildFit choices for the next week or two. The State Fair is coming up and I have NO intention of going into that celebration of food and drink on the high side of my weight. Time to buckle down a bit, concentrate on what I'm putting into my mouth, and working for a bit of weight release instead of just weight stability. I've got the stability nailed - a five pound range that I'm very comfortable with. But, when I'm at the upper end of that range, I need to drop back down again, and I have too much going on this month to slack on this. 

It's also a Wednesday, so I'll be calling Aearwen late 
this afternoon (or she'll be calling me). We might not 
get our full hour of weekly chat, but we'll try. I love 
hearing from her, and she needs to think about 
something other than looming deadlines - LOL. 

So my day will be very full today - lots of house stuff, although the housecleaning aspect will mostly be pushed to Friday. I do have grocery shopping to do today, that will take a good part of my morning since I want to get to the co-op as well as my local grocery store. I need chicken for tonight's dinner, but I'll ski'p anything for my lunch since I have an Ogre Juice from earlier in the week to eat instead. I also HAVE to get some work done on DH's website and I'd like to do at least one beadwork panel. Busy, busy, busy - that'll be my day today. I hope all of you have a wonderful Wednesday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

I'm Sure It Will Be Another Fight - But I Bought a New Crockpot

Good Morning, one and all. Yesterday turned into a day in the kitchen, but I did get a lot accomplished. The first thing on my agenda, however, was a new, larger crock pot. I love my crock pot, but it's very old and it's quite small. DH keeps insisting that I cook amounts of ribs that simply aren't suitable for the space, and I end up with kitchen disasters as the crock pot overflows. So, I bought a new one - low end, but I don't need anything fancy. There was enough room in the cupboard for the old one as well as the new, and with the new one, I can build an aluminum foil wall, and use roasting bags, so that I can use my own BBQ sauce, and he can use his (which is 35% sugar!). 

The BBQ Sauce turned out quite tasty. If you're interested 
in the recipe, look under "Homemade Maple BBQ Sauce 
Recipe" by The Prairie Homestead. 

Having purchased the equipment and gone to the far end of town for roasting bags that are appropriate for it, I hit the grocery store (first of two times for the day) and got loaded up on veggies for my weekly blend of "Ogre Juice", as well as whatever I needed for my baked mangoes. Then I started cooking. 

I got one of these at Target for $50. I saved the 
packaging materials. If I end up not liking it, 
I'll take it back and buy the more expensive 
version. But I think this will work just fine. 

Ogre Juice first, and I have that nailed after all this time. Still, it takes an hour or so to get my next four portions blended, into the refrigerator, and everything cleaned up. Then I started the mangoes. Those took a bit longer because it's still a newer recipe, but I had everything I needed on-hand, so it really was just waiting for it to bake. 

The original baked mangoes recipe I have been using, had 
us making them in the skin. I decided I preferred the bits I 
had cooked without the rind, so this time I cut the mangoes 
into cubes throughout and cut those away from the rind, 
baking the pieces with the other ingredients. It's a more 
sensible portion, much easier to make, and it's tasty. I got 
six portions from two mangoes. 

While it was baking, I started pulling the ingredients for the BBQ sauce I wanted to make for myself. I had everything but ... no paprika. There was no paprika anywhere in my house. I had already "borrowed" tomato sauce and paste from DH's stash (mine has extra garlic and peppers in it, which I really didn't want in my BBQ sauce).. But, as I realized I had no paprika, it became clear that another trip to the store was necessary. So after the mangoes were done baking, I pulled the baking sheet out to cool and headed to the grocery store. 

I'll basically be making a crock pot wall from aluminum 
foil, then using a baking bag to separate things into two 
sections. He can have his BBQ sauce, and I can have mine. 

Returning home with the appropriate ingredients, I put together the BBQ Sauce and then had to stand at the store stirring it for 15 minutes because it was a tomato sauce base and those bubble like lava when they are heated. I was grateful that I had made a Worcestershire sauce substitute a couple of weeks ago, so at least I didn't need to make that recipe as well. All in all, the BBQ sauce seems quite tasty and I'll be using it tomorrow on my portion of the ribs in my new crockpot while his portion has the usual sweet BBQ sauce on the other side of my aluminum foil wall. That's my life - a shared crock pot of a life with an aluminum foil wall between us. LOL *sigh* Have an excellent weekend and I'll be back on Monday. Slava Ukraini. 

It Was a Very Full and Busy Day

It's another perfect day for the swimming pool, and I'm totally psyched up for it today. In fact, I might treat myself to a swim tomorrow too - making it four days in the water this week. My hands seem to be fine with the chlorinated water so far, so if today is also good, I'll take advantage of one more day in the pool. 

Chef Jason is featured in our WildFit Check-in 
Calls every month or so. He's a chef in 
Canada who has been Living WildFit for 
more than three years now - about as long as 
I have. He's a really delightful guy and has 
put out some really nice recipes for us over 
the years. 

Yesterday was a very full and busy day. I had a short Zoom call with Chef Jason, a delightful Canadian chef who has been living WildFit for just about as long as I have and cooks food appropriate for the way we live and the food choices we make. He did a fabulous chicken on the grill. Of course he has a much nicer grill than I do. If I had one like his, I'd be using it all the time. But I don't. Still, it was a nice marinade for chicken and I'll probably give that a try one of these days. 

The loom that I chose to warp up while listening to 
Chef Jason, is similar to this, but MUCH longer. 
I think it's about four feet long, and it was wide enough 
to warp it for two-across, so I'll be able to work on 
several of the pattern I'm still finalizing. I want to 
do one more sample before making final decisions 
on the design I'm making. I have chosen the loom 
and the colors, however, so I'm making strides. 

I bought two mangos to bake, but didn't have the time to actually deal with them, so they're on tomorrow's agenda along with my next batch of Ogre Juice. I'll have a busy Friday in the kitchen. Instead of cooking, I spent my time working on what I'm probably making for many of this year's Holiday Cards. I decided where I wanted things to go, warped up a big loom so that I can do several of the pattern at one time, and decided to do one more sample to see if the colors I chose would work and how my pattern would come together. that was educational, showed me that I needed to change one color, and now I need to do one final sample before diving in to the reality. 

I bought two mangos at the store yesterday, thinking to 
cube and bake them, but I ran out of time. So I've put 
them off until Friday instead. I'm looking forward to 
baking them, however. It's a really lovely recipe. 

So, if all goes according to plan, many of you, if not all of you, will have a small piece of beading in this year's Holiday Card. I'm excited. I always try for something different every year, and I haven't done beadwork for quite a while. My eyes aren't quite up to this yet, but I'll make it happen. I have tools. LOL

On that note, I'm going to plug in some photos and get things together so that I can start my day in the pool. I hope you have a lovely day, I'll be back tomorrow, and Slava Ukraini. 

Why Are My "Days Off" Busier Than My Days "On"? LOL

Today is a "day off" and it's a super busy day. I have a 9:00 am appointment with my orthodontist for my next adjustment. I'm looking forward to it, but it's also a bit of a PITA because there's so much else to try to get done today. I also have an 11:00 am zoom call that I'd like to attend, I have to mail a Priority Mail package to a customer, and I have to squeeze in grocery shopping and laundry before chatting with Aearwen at 4:00 pm. I won't be bored, which probably is a good thing because, like many of you, I tend to munch when I'm bored. 

Being bored (which is pretty rare in my life) is never 
a good thing. That's when I tend to eat/munch by 
habit, not hunger. That's what will push my weight 
to the upper part of my range instead of allowing 
it to settle closer to where I'm comfortable. 

Since I'll have an adjustment to my braces, I probably won't feel like much of a lunch, so I guess that's a positive, in essence. I can always whip up a couple of eggs for lunch if I'm "dying" of hunger, but since I'm at a good weight, it's doubtful that skipping a meal would affect me much at all - LOL. 

I almost always pay my bills on-line, but there are a 
few institutions that require a paper check. Ugh! LOL 

By the way ... in case you were wondering ... we STILL 
don't have a functional land line (phone) at home. 
Supposedly that will be fixed on Thursday. We'll 
see if that actually happens. 

I have notes and bills all over my computer desk that need to be paid, and a repair for a customer which is stalling me out right now, but I'm going to try something new for the day with it, and see if that might do the trick. I'm trying to rescue all of her beads to reuse in the repair, but it may not be possible - glue had been used and I haven't found the correct solvent for it yet. I'm trying yet another solvent today. 

I have no idea what type of glue was used to 
glue the strands of beads into the end caps. I 
tried soaking it in pure acetone for 48 hours, 
but that didn't work (it works for most things, if 
you ever might need it). Today I'm trying 
something stronger - paint stripper. We'll see 
if that might work. 

So that's my crazy busy day today. I'm exhausted just reading about it - LOL. I'll be glad when 4:00 pm rolls around and I can just relax and chat with my long-time on-line friend again. I have a feeling I'll be needing that bit of relaxation - LOL. Have an excellent Wednesday, I'm off to the swimming pool to start my day on a good note. I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini.