Towing 101

 Yesterday the sun was out, Hubby was home and we decided to go for a Sunday drive.  It was the day, I started my towing lessons!  I had to hitch up Annie and take off down the road.  I drove on quiet city streets, narrow country roads and a state highway with roundabouts.  That all went well.

 It's the backing into a spot that is really hard for me.  I am a logical thinker and when I had to back up with a towed vehicle I felt like I always had to do the opposite of what felt right.

 Hubby was super patient and encouraging.  Eventually he got out of the vehicle, picked a spot and told me I was on my own.

 I did it!  The backing up is going to take some practice.  Honestly, I don't know if I could do it again today.  I have a school parking lot just down the street and it is spring vacation so this is the week to practice. Rick Love gave me some good advice about keeping my hands on the bottom of the wheel.

 More lessons are coming including freeway driving, passing and merging, setting up camp, and getting the trailer level.  Hubby's biggest worry is that I'll forget I have Annie hitched up and drive too fast.  I am pretty tense yet so I don't think I'll forget she's back there.  The great thing bout Annie is that she isn't wider than the mirrors on the Jeep.

That said, if you see me coming, give me room.

 After that ride we went for another ride, without Annie, out to the BP buffer.  It's a pretty 4 mile walk.  I earned a fitbit badge yesterday.  I like it that I earned my India badge while Danny is in India.  He is having a wonderful time, the wedding was beautiful and this week he is sightseeing.

He called me this morning through face book.  Isn't the world getting smaller all the time?

 Have a good week, my friends!

#thestruggleisreal

Spring has sprung and it is sunny and warm.  It's so great.  On the heels of spring comes summer.  Summer means swimsuits, shorts, sleeveless tops and a diet.  Or as I like to call it, eatlessmovemore.

A few summers ago some friends and I did the 17 Day Diet.  Over and over, 17 days, 17 more days and then another 17 days.  Yes, we lost weight.  Did we have a fun summer?  No, no one has fun eating chicken breasts and salads for every meal.  It was known as the summer of chicken by our guys, no one liked that diet.   Wine on the patio, nope, not allowed.

That said, we did lose weight, so I got my book off the shelf a few weeks ago.  Paged through it and put it back.  A friend mentioned this morning that she went on the 17 Day Diet for a half a day this past week.  Bah hahaha, yep, that's enough.

 I checked out Lose the Clutter, Lose the Weight from our local library a few weeks ago.  Doesn't it sound fantastic, thin and organized!  In six weeks, no less!  Yeah, that is a lot of balls in the air, and if I was really good at juggling I'd run away and join the circus.   Dieting and purging closets, ain't nobody got time for that.

Diets are a full time job.  If you don't take it on as a full time position you will end up getting fired.

Fired by a diet.

Now I have the Body Clock Diet checked out from the library.  I've skimmed through it.

You have to ask yourself, what do all of these books advise?  EAT LESS, MOVE MORE.

That is the secret to losing weight.  I've known that for years.

 I have been walking, and walking some more.  It's good for me, good time to think things through, pray, see my little town, enjoy all of the blooming trees, blah, blah, blah.

I've got the MOVE MORE down.

 Over 12,000 steps before 8:30 a.m. this morning.  Go me!

 It's the EAT LESS that kills me.  The struggle is real.  Food is fun, drinks are fun and I am a fun kinda gal.  I also like to feed the pain (my SIL, the social worker diagnosed me, thanks Laura!).  My Dad got sick and then died and I was sad so I plopped on the sofa with a big bowl of Chex Party Mix and a glass of wine.   Hello!  What else could I do?

Last night Hubby and I went to pick up our new washer and dryer because it was in the store but couldn't be delivered until April 13th.  We pulled out the old, brought them to be recycled and waited for them to roll out the new set.  Turns out the distribution center sent two dryers and no washer.

So, we went to Kulshan for a beer and a burger.  Fed the pain!

Undid three days of hard core calorie counting.

It was fun and tasty.

 We are going on a cruise in May.  Nothing motivates this chick more on an eatlessmovemore than a pending vacation.  If I don't drop several pounds before May 16th my clothes won't fit for the trip.  It's how I roll.

Jodi sent me this meme.  Yep, that is pretty much how it goes for moi.

Honestly, at what point do do women just say phooey, I am pleasingly plump and I don't care?

I am buying bigger clothes than my fat jeans.  Again.

I'm not there yet.

But I'm not having much fun either.

You?

If you know the secret besides eatlessmovemore, do tell.

The world wants to know how to have fun and BE on a diet simultaneously.

Do tell.

I'm on the edge of my seat  my scale.

Easter 2016

We had a wonderful Easter weekend.  Saturday evening we had Coconut Kenny's pizza for dinner at Kulshan with Sam, Blake and Max.  Their girls couldn't make it.  Oh my, did we ever laugh.  Times like that I miss Braden and Danny.

Easter Day started with a walk with Max and Bo.  My guys don't generally walk with me unless they have a dog.  Then they do and that makes this mama happy.

There are some gorgeous flowering trees on my path in the Spring.

 Squirrel...I hadn't played with the watercolor app for a while and it is nice to turn your everyday photos into art.

Back to Easter.

 I baked cinnamon rolls for the weekend and Hubby said they were some of my best ever. I have no idea what caused that to happen but it did. I gave each of the guys a pan to take home.

We went to church and were part of a beautiful service.  So many great things going on including Lucy reciting Matthew 20:1-6.  Her sweet voice, reciting from her heart was a blessing.  She had notes in her boots just in case she forgot a line. 

 Our choir invites everyone that likes to sing the Hallelujah Chorus to come forward and join them at the end of the service.  It brings chills, every time.  Hubby is up there.  Max and I (non-singers)  are in the congregation.

We had dinner at Uncle Darryl and Aunt Judy's house.  They were so great about having a crowd.

There aren't many little kids but there are a lot of adult kids.  The Easter egg hunt goes on, there is a lot of candy and plastic eggs with treats and there is an egg for each kid with their name written on it.  It is the money egg.  It has kept the adult kids in the hunt.

Even roosters lay eggs on Easter!

 Dylan found his egg and he found Katelyn's egg.  Oblivious to having her egg, he watched all of us help Katelyn find her egg.  I knew I had hid it but couldn't remember specifically where it was.

Then I asked Dylan if he'd opened the egg with his name on it, no, well you should because there is a nice surprise in there.  Hummm, Dylan, do you have any other of the shiny special eggs? Yep, he did.  And so, the missing egg was handed over to Katelyn with the money.  

Well played, Dylan, until you were busted.  

Sam and Angela found their eggs.

 Max and Kassie found their eggs too.

 Our kids came over after dinner, the grand dogs ran around, Max packed up, everyone left, I dust mopped up all of the dog hair, Hubby went to bed because he had to work a double at midnight.  I plopped on the sofa, honestly, exhausted.   I chatted with Danny on the phone as he packed for his trip to India and reassured me of his plans and to stay in touch.  It's all great to go across the world but this Mama worries when he travels alone.

As Danny and I were chatting, my phone was beeping that another call was coming in...

It was Max, he had gotten to Marysville in spite of terrible traffic just to find out that Snoqualmie Pass was closed. A freak Spring snow storm with so many vehicles spun out off the road that they had to close it.  So, he turned around and came back to Lynden for the night.

Max is loving his new dog, Bo.  They are inseparable.  There are lessons constantly being taught and a lot of love.  It's fun to watch a boy and his dog.

Today I have to go to Brio Laundry.  No new washer for a few weeks.  I might meet my sis, Kathi there because she is having troubles too.  Won't that be fun?  I haven't walked yet this morning and usually on Monday mornings I walk twice, once with the girls and then again on my own.

It's a long and rambling post because I don't feel like going to do laundry and I don't feel like walking.  That said, I better get to it!

*Disclaimer and credits... not all pictures in the this post are mine, some are from our church and Danny.

Docent Dinner and Some Random

Danny's girlfriend, Jessica, gave us a ChaCult for Christmas one year.  We use it for loose tea brewing.  Lately though Hubby upped our game and has been brewing an evening drink for us.  It's fresh ginger (grated), a squeeze of lemon and a wedge and fresh mint leaves.  Let it seep and then drain into your mug.  We put about a 1/2 T. honey in our mugs.  

It has really helped my tummy issues.

Of course, Hubby thinks he's the great physician.  He kinda is.

 I was busy at the museum last week.  It was the annual Docent Dinner, a dinner to thank all of my volunteers at the museum.  I decided to use the luau theme this year.  After 19 years I am running out of ideas and the luau was always in the plans if I couldn't think of anything else.

It's a big room for a party with a tiny budget.

 I shopped my house, Party City and Oriental Trading.

 Since I just happen to have a tiki bar for Huaka'i Annie, our '57 Aloha trailer, I set it up.  With my cute bartender.

 I asked Bobby and Barbie to come and teach the hula dance.  Tehri helped too and our museum director Troy was a good sport too, wearing a grass skirt and coconut bra.

 I love Hawaiian music and it was great to have Bobby take care of it for me.

The punch was a hit with everyone and I can say that with rum it's pretty tasty.

Other Random Stuff or Prattling On

*It's Easter on Sunday.  We get to celebrate with dinner at Uncle Darryl and Aunt Judy's place after church on Sunday.  I love to get together with these peeps and we all love to go to their house for Easter.  Sam and Angela and Max and Kassie are coming too and that makes this mama sooo happy.

*Danny won't be here for Easter but he is taking a trip.  He is going to a friend's wedding.  They have been friends since they were at Calvin College.  The wedding is in India.  I don't want to misspell Roweeth's name but I think I just did...  Danny went home for Christmas with him their sophomore year of college to United Arab Emirates and Dubai.  This should be a wonderful trip.

*Our washer died.  The new one doesn't arrive until mid April.  Our washer and dryer are under a counter.  There is only one set that fits under the counter and it is crap.  So, we either tear out the counter or order a new washer every four years.  It has to be ordered because no one carries it in their store cuz, it's crap.  Hubby and I are hopeful that this next piece of junk will last maybe 6-7 years because we are empty nesters and I do a lot less laundry than when three guys lived with us.

*We have made a lot of camping reservations this summer.  Last summer we were slaves to the trailer project and this year we plan to camp and have fun!  I am going to begin my driving lessons soon as Spring has sprung and June is coming.  I am going to a Sisters on the Fly camp in Cle Elum in June.

That is IF I pass Hubby's driving test.  This all means I need to get that blasted awning out and try to finish sewing it.  Oh, the angst!  On a brighter note, Hubby is almost finished with the screen door.

Our punch list is shrinking.  Good thing we are getting another trailer!  Details coming next month...

Not Much

It's been pretty quiet here so I don't have a long or  interesting post this morning.  I'm just letting you know I am still kickin' over here.

I am in mourning over the end of Downton Abbey television series.  I have watched the finale 4-5 times and plan to watch it again.  There is nothing better than a happy ending.  And for myself the happy in the happy ending was that Edith is married to a marquis and Mary is married to a used car salesman.  I will miss my dear friends, even crazy Daisy!

 The Lord and Lady are such a classy couple.

 Dear Violet and her sharp wit will be missed too.

 Snow falling, a beautiful wedding, a newborn baby = a perfect ending.

I've been a little busy hatin' on the wind.  High wind is my least favorite weather pattern.

We have a lot of twigs and sticks down and we lost our smoker. Which we never used but always talked about trying it out some day.  Minimal damage.

 I got up very early to book a room in Maui for April 2017.  My dear Mom-in-law shares her time share with us.  The Maui rooms go fast and can be booked 13 months in advance.  Happily, I scored  a nice room so we are set for our once every three years trip to Hawaii. Whew!

 Max came home this weekend to pick up his new dog, Bo.  He is two years old and so cute.   Bo is living on the farm with Max.  Bo is getting used to loading up in the truck and riding around, walking the fields, swimming in the canals, and sleeping inside.

Max and Kassie have been looking for a dog for a long time and Bo is exactly what Max had in mind.  There were some tears when they picked up Bo, he's leaving a family that loved him. Max and Kassie cried too, they felt really bad for Bo's kids. Sometimes good things have a sad side too.

I took two naps yesterday.  The Spring Forward kicks my bum every year.  

Now, I need to get to work.  Have a good day, my friends and take a nap!

It's a good thing.

Intentional Living and Some Random

I'm not sure if intentional living and random can be used in the same phrase or title, but today that is what works for me.

I have been intentionally putting my time for walking first. It is so easy for me to skip a walk to take care of other things or people. It's a daily struggle.  On a walk last week I noticed that under an old tree there was a purple carpet of violets growing wild. I have walked past this tree for thirteen spring seasons and never noticed this beautiful swath of purple.  I'll be intentionally looking from now on every spring.

 Chris and I went to an estate sale on Saturday morning.  It was going to be quick as it was right in town and Chris didn't have time for coffee.  I was very pleased with my pickings.  And then even more pleased when Chris made time for coffee.  We had a good visit and enjoyed a good sale.

 On Sunday evening when Hubby got home from work I was ready to go to dinner.  We  went to Dirty Dan's for their happy hour menu.  I intentionally chose Dirty Dan's because we love their $2 Caesar salad and other menu items.

While enjoying dinner I started  the "do you ever?" game.

Hey hon, do you ever think about spontaneously staying in a nice hotel when out for dinner?

Uhmmm, no.

Splain Lucy...

Well, you go out for dinner and then just spend the night.

He told me to call The Chrysalis Inn.

I did and they had a room.

We went, checked in and then enjoyed a nightcap at Keenan's.

This is random but if you decide to do this yourself they have tooth brushes at the front desk.

 This kind of spontaneous night out was not intentional but it is with intentional living that we make our lives good and have fun with each other.

 The room was lovely, the view was gorgeous and the sun was out on Monday morning.

 We enjoyed a walk and breakfast and then drove home.

 We weren't home long before Sam came to our house for his lunch break.

He has a very short break.  During that time his goal is to fill his belly. He can clean out a fridge faster that any housewife on a tear spring cleaning her fridge.

Leftovers disappear!  It's great having him come home and do some cleaning.

And of course, it's always good to see him.

Thank you That Sam I Am!

I definitely delivered on the random this morning.

That was intentional.