Coughing, Blowing, Feeling Crappy

Now you know why I haven't been here lately.



Hopefully, in a couple of more days I'll feel like my old self......and fully participate with life again.

I sure am tired of feeling like crap :-(

Letter to myself

Dear Me:

You've been really busy lately and I know life is crazy. I'm glad that you stop every once in awhile and think about all the blessings you truly have.

I know you were sad that you didn't get to go to the grand party this past week, but I know that you are really looking forward to going "home" and seeing everyone next month.

I know, I know.....you have a million things to do and you feel lost, but keep your head on straight and your eyes focused on the task.....and you'll be ok.

I am very glad that you are happy and feel that the past few years have been "absolutely the best you've ever had". You are finally in a good and happy place in your life and you have changed.....for the better.

So enjoy your work.....and even though it seems like you have too much to do.....be thankful that you have a prospering business and that's why you have so much work to do.

Until next time......take care of yourself,

Love "me"

Today I moved my office.....

....outside on the front porch.

Only for a little while -- but it was heavenly.

I was trying to find why my sales tax due calculations were incorrect (again for this month), so I was having to look through all the daily paperwork for last month to find the error.

It just seemed like it would be more enjoyable sitting out on the front porch -- and trying to enjoy some of the outdoors

It was. In fact, I found my error very quickly. Too quickly. I wanted to stay outside and enjoy it some more.

Perhaps I'll have to find more tasks to do out there in the future.

P.S. Notice my little kitty sitting outside with me. I want her job.

Today is the first day of our mission

Mission: To lose weight and be healthy by the time we get to Tucson

Plan: Exercise (ha ha ha) and eat healthier

I just got a bunch of books from the library on eating vegetarian and healthy cooking. Went through the first one and found TONS of exciting recipes (they have to be exciting or I don't plan on making them or eating them).

So today I went to the grocery store with an actual grocery list and bought all the things we needed to eat a NO MEAT week. We'll see how it goes.

My cart contained rice, whole wheat rice, couscous, lentils, fresh veggies, cheese, green chilies, and tortillas.

I have lots of great recipes to try this week. We'll either have a great week or by Friday we'll be buying steak and hamburger again.

My goal is to lose at least 10 pounds by the time I get to Tucson!

Game on!

Our yummy and HEALTHY dinner

We are really trying to eat better. It's a great idea, but coming up with yummy food options takes a lot of work (and time). So let us share with you what we ate last night......and it was really, really, really yummy.

A couple of weeks ago I put a note out on Facebook that I needed an idea for cooking chicken breasts. I got some pretty good ones, but just didn't have the time (or the ingredients) to make them. A little searching on the internet and I found this GEM of a recipe and it's so darn easy for chicken.

Sprinkle boneless, skinless chicken breasts on both sides with Onion Powder, Garlic Powder and Seasoned Salt (I used Spicy Montreal Steak Seasoning.....perfect). Then fry the breasts in butter in a frying pan until they are done. The mixture of the seasonings makes a flavorful little shell on the chicken and it's juicy and delicious!



We also sliced up some of the "home grown" cucumbers our neighbors brought us and mixed them with fresh ground pepper and Balsamic Vinegar. Ok, seriously.....I could eat this every night.



Our next item is something my mother thought she would never see me eat......SPINACH!!! I LOVE fresh spinach sauteed up in a little butter and Onion Powder. It seriously is so darn deliciious!

(ok great. I really had some pictures of the fresh spinach and the cooked spinach that were supposed to go here. I sent them from my phone and then I deleted them. For some reason...my e-mail didn't get them and now they are gone forever. Trust me, mom, I am eating spinach!)

Well there you have it.....our fabulous dinner. I wish that they all could be so easy and so incredibly delcious. But I do have to say....it always tastes better and is more fun to make when I have my #1 helper.....Paul!

P.S. I have just recently discovered cooking with Onion Powder. Where the heck has it been all my life? I am now putting it in EVERYTHING.....it adds incredible flavor to everything!

The calendar is filling up

We are starting to get orders in for the last couple of days of school.

Last year in one day we coordinated the staffing, preparing, and delivering of 600 pizzas in one day. It was INSANE, but well managed due to good planning by the Pizza King!

This year looks like it won't be so crazy. The schools are spreading it over 4 days and that will make it a lot easier for us to handle.

We are thankful to have such a good business and that people want to have our pizza! Yay us!

The fruits of my (neighbor's) labor!

We are so lucky that our neighbors across the street have decided to be "farmers". They are always bringing us over some delicious fresh vegetables.

Here's what they sent over yesterday.



They even sent me over a bunch of tomato plants because they had so many of them. I planted them and have been taking very good care of them for two months now. In fact, at one point a couple of weeks ago I thought they were goners. One of them dropped all his leaves and the other's started to yellow and just look pretty sad.

So I went out and bought some bug spray and some Miracle Grow and 'lo and behold' those little suckers started growing like crazy. Within one week the little "bald" plant had grown all new leaves!

So imagine how proud I was of my "little babies" last night when I went out and found two little yellow flowers growing on them!! Woo Hoo......that means it's finally going to grow some tomatoes (I hope).



They are really looking quite good and I can't wait to pick some and go give a couple to the neighbors across the street.



Not that they'll even want them......I think they already have way more tomatoes than they can handle! Thanks Owen and Tracy!

P.S. Now I wish I could get the grass to grow as good (See grass -- or lack of -- in previous pictures). But, we're working on it and I do see all the new little grass blades sprouting up *crossing fingers*

Mothers and Daughters

Daughters grow up watching how their mother did this or how their mother did that. She's the one that taught us how to cook, how to keep a house, and how to take care of a family. She's the one that we always ran to first when we were hurt or sick.

Mother's are the rocks and center of each family.

I know our family would have been lost without our center, our rock.

When daughters grow up they try and do the things pretty much the same way we were taught. We want our mothers to be proud of the way we have raised our children.

We want our mothers to be proud of our success and achievements.

We want our mothers to be proud of the adults we have become and the way we live our lives.

I only hope that I am honoring my mother -- by living my life the way she taught me.

I hope that someday my children will think that I was a big influence in their lives.

So Happy Mother's Day to my mother.

There's one more gift that you didn't get the other day --

so you can check out the picture below and I'll send it on its way later.




Keep going down ...................







Keep going down ....................

SURPRISE!!!!!...........................Happy Mother's Day

Fun, Sun, and Mother's Day

We're all set for our fantastic Mother's Day Weekend (although it's not really a whole weekend -- we're getting a late start)




Just need to add our favorite book, sunscreen, beer, chairs, towels, and bathing suit.


I think I'm really going to enjoy myself!

Errand Reminders

Had to go out and run a few errands the other day.


Unfortunately for me, if I don't lay everything I need to take care of in one pile, I will forget something.

So looking at this pile from the other day, here are the tasks that needed done:

* I had to go to Big Lots to get something to stick in my parcel to my mother (you can't really tell that by looking at the picture, but the box is not sealed yet....because it was waiting to get filled up).

* I had to go to the post office to drop off our mailing (that's the big stack of paper on the left)

* While at the post office, I mailed my Mother's Day gifts (that trip killed two birds with one stone)

* Then I had to go the Grant store to pick up deposits

* I then hit the elementary school and dropped off the flyers for pizza nights this week (that's the brightly colored stack of paper)

* The next trip was to Capital One Bank for Grant Rd. (you can see the two bank bags)

* And then stop at the Kuykendahl store to pick up stuff and drop off stuff that I had picked up at Grant Rd. for Paul.

* And the last stop was Woodforest Bank to do the Kuykendahl deposits.

Of course, if I don't lay my glasses, sunglasses, keys, phone, wallet, or other small items I will need for the journey -- they will get forgotten as well.

Does anyone else have to do this?

This should make you smile.....Wordless Wednesday

Today I am spent

I am spent emotionally, mentally, and physically.

Things are just so far behind and I see no end in sight.

I am tired of dealing with other people's problems, other's peoples lies, and trying to coordinate everybody and everything.

After awhile it just gets too much and I just need to stop and have a pity party.

It's at that point. No matter how hard I work -- there is too much.

So don't call me today if you need something or you have a problem......I am not available.

Today will be spent on fixing myself.

One day...........

...... I will wake up and there won't be 500 of things to do on my "to do" list

......I wish I could be sitting around and doing some of the things I used to really enjoy (e.g. reading, cross stitching)

.....I won't have to harbor all this trivial anger inside of myself (I really am trying to let that go)

......I will be able to do those things I always say I am going to do (e.g. eating better, exercising)

.....I won't feel so defeated or so hopeless about the MILLIONS of things that I just don't get done. It's depressing to walk around all day and have it staring you in the face.

Ho Hum........need to put on my big girl panties and get busy instead of sitting here moaning and groaning.