Now I really can't complain...or can I? (pondering by rubbing my chin)

I know I complain a lot that I'm not living in Texas and that the folks here don't make eye contact unless you know them, but then something like today happens and, karma, my negativity is proven wrong.  My 91 year old father-in-law, in a confused state, called 911 at 2 this morning.  At 3 a.m., while Paul was, by that time, with his dad, the doorbell rang.  When I answered it was a Howard County police officer and he had walked down our long street and several blocks before that in hip-deep in snow.  Since I'm in charge of the neighborhood watch, I was inundated with emails regarding when the hell we were going to get our three culs-de-sac plowed.  I mentioned that the police had walked in to check on my father-in-law and the neighbors were so concerned that they all got out today and shovelled out OUR ENTIRE STREET.  Of course it benefits all of us but the initial motivation had been my father-in-law's well-being.  I still can't think about it without tearing up.  We have a pretty close neighborhood as far as the adults are concerned, and we do look out for each other, but this was a clear-cut example of the kindness of human nature. 

Here's Matt, Alana, and Ohmad after they had made their contribution to the shovelling outside.  They're playing Uno,..

...watching MJ on the vidie (I still can't watch it without crying but once he's on I can't stop watching him; I just become mesmerized), and...

...and all the emergency supplies that teenagers could possibly need.  P.S. They are calling for ANOTHER FOOT of snow tomorrow and Wednesday.  Oy.

Hellooooooooooooo snow.

Well unless you've been under a rock, you've heard about our little snow storm.  30"+!

It snowed in the backyard too!

Can't see the cars, just a little of my truck.  No where to go 'cause there's no way to get out-yikes.  AND there's another snow storm coming tomorrow (Tuesday) and Wednesday.  I just keep thinking about Haiti and my post-traumatic-living-in-Wyoming flashbacks are put into correct perspective. 

To amuse myself all weekend I spent an embarrassment of hours on Facebook downloading photos from high school.  I'm definitely addicted; there are so many cool things you can do on there.  After downloading the photos it allowed me to add captions to the photos AND click on the photos to add the name of the person in the photo, more than one, as many as you like, so that when you scroll over the photo it shows the names of the people in them.  I'm sure y'all already knew this but I needed the weekend to figure it out.  It was a labor of love but it was fun and I'm getting great comments and feedback after only just finishing this morning.  Above is one of the photos I posted.  It's me at the podium my senior year.  Looking back at this photo I realize why public speaking was luckily not at the top of my list of career passions.   It looks like even I'm drifting off.  It took me a few minutes but I finally realized that I was saying the prayer before the event.  IN SCHOOL.  Heaven forbid (puns always intended) but it was Texas.  I'll use this podium to say that prayer is still allowed in the schools and public in Texas.  They say one before football games and other sporting events including rodeos and, as a Texan, that tops the list of reasons why I am so proud to be from Texas.  Next on the list, at least this week, is the lack of snow...

Checking In/ Update Part Deux

Okay, so I finished my two weeks of starving my cleaning diet.  The timing was a little poor because at the end I was changing meds (weening off one to NONE then onto a new one right away).  I did loose 10 pounds.  I know what you're thinking, water weight, a big sneeze, but it was the phychology of it, just getting that jump start and I do feel better.  Turns out the new meds are killing my appetite.  Anyway, the new meds put me on a complete roller coaster ride nearing breakdown.  By breakdown I mean crying when a woman can't find the toilet paper in Target.  It was bad.  In the meantime, hubby was so worried that he called in the big guns.  He surprised me by making a plane ticket for my middle son, Justin, to come for a visit this weekend.  Can you just imagine how long that crying jag lasted?

In the meantime I moved my shop space once again at The Pink Cabbage.  I think I've found my home there.  Lots of light and a surprising amount of space-so much more than I had realized before I moved in-BONUS!

Thanks for stopping in and having a look.  If I EVER figure out how this new format on here works I'll get more posts going more often.  You can also check out my Facebook page under Stephanie George where I just declared openly this morning:  Hi, my name is Stephanie and I'm a Facebook addict.  My reasoning is that it's like a jigsaw puzzle of your past and present and I think it's fun and cool.  Check it out.

Checking in/Update

Yesterday was one week on my liquids-only diet.  I can't believe that it's been a week without any solid food.  I feel sooooo much better.  Who knows if it's the things I'm doing or not doing but probably both. Cold turkey on Coke, I know that has to make me feel better; I don't have the roller coaster of sugar highs and crash all day long.  The green tea capsules keep me energized if not jittery when I don't take it at the exact right time.  

Okay, so here's what I'm doing:  I'm taking green tea supplements, drinking Metabolic Restart, and on a cleansing supplemental therapy.  The first day I lost a couple of pounds just from the cleansing therapy-swoosh-sorry, TMI.  They say the first 10 pounds are the hardest and that's because if you are making all these sacrifices and you don't see any change you give up.  At least that's what I do.

So, I've lost five pounds.  Ten years ago it would have been 15 pounds.  But I am feeling better in my jeans-the ones I have refused to go up a size in.  They were getting so uncomfortable but I know by watching Hoarders that these things get overwhelming easily so I had come to a crossroads.  I need a deadline or crossroads to motivate you and I was at the end.  This is not to be skinny, this is to shed the 30 pounds I gained in the last six months supposedly from one of the meds I was on.  Of course I didn't loose the weight when I went off the meds.  Next is the gym.  It's been on my to-do list for awhile and still is.  

And I've been creating.  This is a yippie for me because I'd kinda lost the desire along with all else before those rascally holidays but it's back!  Just like most who create, I was worried that it was gone-silly me.

Stay tuned.  I'm moving into a new spot at The Pink Cabbage and I'll have lots of pics from that.  Have a blessed day.

Procastination be gone!

Since I've been draggin' my fat ass around since before the holidays in a funk and having to use every bit of little energy to do laundry or cook a meal, I think I'm finally on the mend. I'm on day 4 of my two week liquid/cleansing diet and already am feeling better and perkier already...and in my normal jeans are not cutting into my waist...as much. So with these new bits of energy I'm finally getting around to many little details that I've put off for too long. Here's a fun one. I got this trunk coffee table from Jody at The Cabbage but the legs were a little small so I figured I'd put on wheels to raise it a little more. Then there were these four croquet balls at the shop and one day my little pea brain put them together. Those balls have been sitting on the kitchen counter for a couple of weeks until yesterday when I was feeling perky enough to go to Lowe's for double ended screws, dig out the drill and bits and voila! Now it's really got that "Doojie" funky look about it and it's the perfect height. Now I'm ready to give pep talks if anyone needs one, let me know.