My weight loss journey begins...

Today I made the decision that I am going to lose this extra weight and keep it off. I know that there is no secret to losing weight-- you just take in less than you need to maintain your body weight and the pounds should come off. I've tried cutting calories and swimming, and walking and nothing seems to be helping. So today I called a dietician, and she says she thinks she can help me. That's good, because at 62, my weight is an issue. I have what seems to be arthritis in my hips and knees (from riding horses all my life?) and high blood pressure, too. I have a family history of diabetes, and I don't want to go down that lane. One of my aunts lost both her legs to diabetes before she died, and with the chronic pain I have in my legs, I don't want to be next!

So here's the thing. I'm going to get my husband to take a full-body picture of me today, which I will post here, along with my dimensions and weight. I'll chronicle the changes made in my diet and lifestyle and what I go through, physically and emotionally, as I seek to return to a healthy weight. And YOU get to come along for the ride! Hooray! (Misery loves company, or so I've heard!)

Here's what I think I'd like my goal to be: 150 lbs. I don't know if that's reasonable or doable or what. I guess I'll see!

Starting weight: 215.6
Height: 5'7"
Waist: 37"
Bust:43"
Hips: 49.5"

I have an appointment to see a Registered Nutritionist on Saturday, March 7. So I really am only trying to eat less and stay away from junk until then. That's when my regimen will really start. Which is good, because my grocery shopping day is early Sunday morning while everyone is at church (we attend church on Saturday night). So until then, I probably won't be posting much, except for struggles. See ya then! 

Well, Valentine's Day weekend didn't go precisely as planned. But I'm not complaining. My paper mâché dog still isn't finished, but Jeff loved his concealed gun coupon! Remy got sick and threw up, but she was fine after that. We didn't do all our crafts because we ran out of time. Jeff took Monday off and we just hung out all day. That is really, really a rarity!

And now, on Tuesday, it's 4:12 and the kids are still asleep! I thought I'd get a head start on my blog entry for the week while they're still napping. And I even got about an hour myself! Ah, sometimes life is good!

I've lately been fascinated by an organization that raises and trains miniature horses for use as therapy animals in hospitals, nursing homes, and the like. There are a few such organizations, but the one that caught my eye and engaged my heart is called Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses, and has locations in California, Florida, and Greece. You'll often see their adorable little horses gracing the posts on my Facebook page, because I simply am captivated by them. So I've decided to contact them about doing a children's book that features the little bitty equines and explains how they are trained and what they do. So I thought that today I'd begin an outline and contact them tomorrow. So here goes.

The Gentle Carousel

The horses
The people who work with them
The people they help
How they are trained

Perhaps told from the point of view of a child who is ill and loves horses b ut thinks she can never see a real one close up because of her illness.

I guess a phone call to the owner/manager of the horses is in order. Meanwhile, enjoy this little one's beautiful face.

Valentine's Day plans

WEll, tomorrow is my second "dose" of chemo to keep my bladder cancer from coming back, but tonight I've been huddled on the bathroom floor up chucking my toenails. Yuck! I didn't feel at all well today, which made it hard to concentrate on my littles, who were extremely good (praise the good Lord!). But even though I feel so lousy, I'm looking forward to the next five days. After my chemo treatment, I'll go on a tiny shopping spree and get a few craft items I need to make the paper mâché dog I hope to have finished by Friday night when I transfer myself and our two dogs over to my son's house to babysit over the weekend with our littles. Son and wife are going out of town for a Valentine's getaway and husband and I are having a weekend of crafts and cookie making with Remy and Liam. Then I have Monday off (as well as this Thursday and Friday). It will give me time to work on my book while the paper mâché dog dries. The dog is a Valentine's Day gift for my beloved, who always loves the whimsical things I make and is my largest collector. The other gift I got him is a Groupon coupon to take a concealed carry permit course. What normally costs $150 only cost me $30!

Here are some pictures of the last time we did cookies and crafts. (Note the horse show going on on TV in the background!)

Averting disaster (after the horse got out)

After my three year old granddaughter took a tumble down the very steep stairs at my son's house, he and my husband got together and put up a second rail that the little ones can reach. Now they have no trouble holding on going up and down the stairs! They bought two 10' lengths of railing and matched the hardware on the original rail. Then, by using a plumb line to make sure the rail was fastened in the same vertical placement as the original, it was easy to make this staircase a whole lot safer for the toddlers in our lives.

Liam and Remy using their new hand rail.

Back from the deep

For the last eight months, I've been lost in a very dark, very deep depression. I had no desire to create at all. Not in my crafts and certainly not on my blog. But the good news is that I'm back now. My doctor got my meds regulated and I feel 100% better, full of energy and positive, despite the state our world is in.

In fact, if you are, like I am, a Christian, you realize that the state of affairs we find ourselves in globally means that Christ will soon be returning to snatch away His bride! How exciting that is! If you want to know more about these end days, or you aren't (yet) a Christian, just take a look at my page called End of Days.

But for now, I am told to "occupy until He comes." Therefore, I'm back on my blog, designing, crafting, writing, cooking... and still taking care of my precious two youngest grandchildren. R is 3-1/2 and L is 18 months. They are what kept me going through my depression. Hallelujah! Jesus is seen in the eyes of a small child!

To bring you up to speed (whoever you are--I really don't think I have any followers), here are some pictures of what's been going on in my life.

Liam vacuuming. Notice he has Remy's princess shoe on his right foot! LOL! (Left)

Remy making cookies. (above)

Me with long(ish) blonde hair. Blonde is my natural color, but Jeff prefers it red and short, so.....

Me with short, red hair, as requested. I still need to add highlights.















And just for fun, here's a video I took of my fur babies just chillin' on this rainy Sunday morning, Superbowl day, and one day before my 62nd birthday.

Handmade Gift Exchange summer 2014

I love Craftaholics gift exchanges! It's fun to have a "secret pal" to send something handmade to. It's also fun to get to know that person through posts and answers to questions you ask about them, like: what is your favorite color, what is your favorite season, do you have a specific style you like, what is your favorite holiday, etc. I learned enough about Cassie Fuller to know that she collects Christmas stuff year 'round, and that she has little kids with a new baby on the way. So I sent her a pillow that said "JOY" on it, a Christmas star made from clothespins, a white totebag with a pink polka-dot interior, and a lamb hand puppet, all of which I made specifically for her and her little brood. She sent me a Christmas sign on a 10"x12" tile, a set of Americana blocks that says God Bless America, and a set of calendar blocks that has a huge array of occasions with it. Here, let me show you:

I'm positively thrilled with my gifts and hope she is likewise with mine (she says she is). Unfortunately, I neglected to photograph my gifts to her before I mailed them. Hopefully, she will photograph them and I can get them from her. Meanwhile, if you're interested in getting in on the next exchange, just go to http://www.craftaholicsanonymous.net/gift-exchanges. The next one will be in the fall (I think). Maybe you and I will be partners!

Have you participated in handmade gift exchanges? Did you have fun? What did you make/receive?

Update on personal goals

Lest I forget them, I go back and periodically read my goals again. And I'm shocked at how much time has already past since I first posted them. So here's a brief update:

1-6 month goals

• Develop statements of purpose, value, and mission. DONE

• Find a group that is doing important work and contribute to it CONTINUING

• Join or start a small group for discussion.

• Get training in Prophetic Ministry. DONE

• Begin blogging about my journey. CONTINUING

1 year goals

• Seek teaching and/or curriculum development assignment

• Begin Russian language study CONTINUING

• Get involved in Prophetic Ministry CONTINUING

3-5 year goals

• Speak Russian fluently

• Advocate for Russian speaking victims of trafficking

• Publish a book about Human Trafficking (from blog posts)

I have two upcoming events in my anti-human-trafficking ministry, both in July. One is a craft day with some girls saved from slavery and one is a full day of teaching kids about who God is and how He has planned for their lives, if only they will follow Him. What a marvelous adventure, finding out what God's plan and purpose for one's life is!

Last week I volunteered at a "My Gateway" event, where we are beta-testing an application being developed in our church for use by other churches around the world. If your church is using the "Table" app, you already have an earlier version of it.

The week before I volunteered at an Access Life event where I helped handicapped people of all ages make sun visors at the expo. Lots of fun, but when I got home from being in the sun all day I slept for four hours straight! Boy the hot weather here in Texas really wears me out!

I packaged up a sheep toy I sold from my Etsy store and my gifts for my Craftaholics Handmade Gift Exchange partner and got them ready to mail tomorrow.

One more thing happened today. I received test swatches from Spoonflower on three of my designs, and ordered a yard of another of my designs. Here's what they look like:

This is the one I ordered a yard of. My next piggy will be wearing a dress made of this material.