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SEDONA0410's Recent Blog Entries
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Saturday, January 10, 2009
I decided to incorporate things about me and my life into my Sparks Page. It took me 11 months to come up with this, I don't know why? My background is a watercolor (not mine) with colors which make me happy. I want so muchto oil paint & water color but don't have the energy nor place to paint.
I changed my icon to reflect how I want to be totally free from the bondage of weight. I want to dance with joy!
I've been working on my family tree and history for over 30 years. Due to births, deaths, marriages and new info on the web, it is always needing updates.
Lastly, I honor my mother who lost her life to breast cancer. Hopefully this image will remind all who see my page that they need to do a breast self exam AND get a YEARLY Mammogram!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Starting over again here at Sparks on week one and level 1, I lost 2 pounds. I wished it might have been 3-4 pounds, but I'm pleased with 2. I am now going the right direction on the scale! Before, I was scale hopping every day. This time around, I will just step on the scale on Saturday mornings, no cheating.
Take each day at a time, each meal at a time and trying not to think about, "I have 70 pounds to go." I stopped eating after 7 pm before I started to "diet" again. This has helped enormously this time around. I've been sticking to my guns and not allowing my husband to tempt me with buffets and junk food. I love him, but he does not see himself as a Sabator!
My goal the next week is to go to my water classes 3X/week! Lose at least 2 or more pounds and take it day by day.
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Today is Sunday, January 4th, yet all my Sparks stuff says it is the 5th?? Anyone else having this problem?? Hum...
Friday, October 03, 2008
Below is just part of an article on the "Figure Magazine" site.
"Are You Living the Green Life?
Are you a real-sized woman, between 30 and 50, who is living a dark green life? If so, figure magazine would like to hear from you. We're looking to profile women (size 14 and up) from across the country who have gone a darker shade of green and who can share how they made their eco-friendly....."
To read the entire article, you may need to be signed in. Go to the "take our surveys" and this is on the bottom of that page.
I thought, what a great idea so I replied to the article. Here is the reply I sent to them (with all names removed with XXXX):
Dear XXXXX,
We have been "green" before green was "cool!" My husband and I recycle everything and try to educate others along the way.
We have 3 compost containers in our backyard. I keep a empty (reused) 3 pound cottage cheese container in my kitchen sink so that as I cook I can throw anything that can go into the compost into the container; coffee grounds, peelings from fruits & veggies, shells from nuts, egg shells, etc. We empty and rinse the container each day. We noticed our lawn boy was bagging and throwing away all the grass from our neighborhood so we request he still bag it and cut our lawn last. When he is finished, he empties his grass bags from the neighborhood into our compost containers.
Each week we have more recyclable in our recyclable trash can then in our regular trash. We have so much that we sometimes have to box it until the next week! We collect our papers, cardboard (we break it down), cans, glass, anything on the list published monthly in our local town paper. On vacation, we save our cans, bottles, etc. and bring them home to recycle if the place we stay doesn't have a recycle program. It adds money to our local town coiffeurs when they can recycle our waste. We find it sad that there are so few trash cans out in our neighborhood on recycle pick-up day.
We bought a bi-fuel pick-up truck 8 years ago. The truck uses natural gas as well as unleaded gas. Using the natural gas produces no emissions. When we need to drive, we go to as many places/errands on the route as possible to save gas.
I've begun to clean green using vinegar, borax, salt and baking soda. Last week, I decided our coffee pot and machine could use a cleaning. I put 1/2 pot water and 1/2 pot vinegar into the reservoir and turned the machine on. After "brewing", I took the pot of hot liquid into my bathroom and slowly poured it on and around my faucet. I was shocked when I was able to wipe the mineral deposits away with a paper towel! It took only 4 small pours and wipes to remove what NO regular OTC cleaner could do. I was instantly hooked. I poured 1/2 the liquid down the slow bathroom drain and now it seems there is no clog at all! I cleaned the hotplate under the pot by dipping another paper towel and wiping. I poured the remaining liquid down the kitchen sink for a fresher drain. So with one half pot of water and one half pot of vinegar I cleaned: the coffee maker, pot, hotplate, bathroom faucet, bathroom drain and kitchen drain! I now wash our man-made marble sinks with borax. The marble now looks like it was just installed and it will be 16 years old in January. I clean my kitchen sink (porcelain) with a mixture of baking soda and salt. The mixture removes everything and cuts through all of the "gunk" that can build up under the drain strainer. I don't have to worry about toxins by cleaning with these items.
We've been re-using our plastic grocery bags for years as 2 local supermarkets refund .05 cents for each one we reuse as well as any canvas bags we bring, I am switching to all canvas after our plastic bags have been totally used.
We use our newspaper plastic bags to pick-up "poop" on our dog walks and also when we scoop the kitty litter.
My husband has added a bunch of insulation in our attic so our home stays cooler in summer and warmer in winter. We turn our AC off from 1-8 PM Mondays through Fridays even during the dead of summer and we live in Arizona! The local electric company calls this "time of day usage". The time switches in the winter. Not only do we save money on our electric bill but we are not using major appliances during high demand time saving the environment, We installed energy star refrigerators and dishwasher and our in the process of installing an energy star washer & dryer. I would love to hang our clothes outside but we are not permitted by our homeowners association.
We use the water from our fish tank and turtle tank (when they get cleaned) to water our plants.
We use only florescent light bulbs and outside we use solar.
Although we have no children, we want the world to become a better place for future generations.
Sincerely,
XXXXXXXXX
I received a reply yesterday from "Figure Magazine".
XXXXX:
Thanks for your message. Unfortunately, my editor decided to lower the age of the people I’m going to profile, and now we’re focusing on women in their 20s and 30s. So sorry.
I was schocked and fired off two more emails, the second got no reply.
1st email:
Dear XXXXX,
Thank you for your reply.
No disrespect but your editor using an age bracket sounds ridiculous to me! Why not all ages for a story about living green even if I am not used? People my age and up are probably the LEAST likely to live green as people are set in their ways and just can't change.
Personally, I'm sick & tired of magazines focusing on "younger people!" May surprise your editor, but I shop at Lane Bryant and don't wear "dowdy", plus size clothing. Makes me not want to reply to anything else on the website since I "could be too old" for the questions!
XXXXXXXXX, 46 and proud of it!
Reply from the magazine:
XXXXX:
I’m 42 so you’re preaching to the choir!
XXXXX
2nd email for my next reply:
XXXXX,
I'm not angry at you nor your editor. I would like you to show my email to the editor so maybe she/he would rethink focusing the magazine on certain ages. If you are plus size, you too would know just how frustrating other magazines are since everyone is "thin and beautiful." To finally have a magazine that helps us plus size woman is wonderful yet to find out that the editor is focusing on a younger age group on a subject all ages should be participating in is just another "discrimination" to me; just like "fat" discrimination. Time to break those barriers.
Sorry if you think I'm preaching, I'm just surprised to get an answer like that. It might be best to tell people my age & up: "Thank you for your submission but we have been overwhelmed with responses and yours will not be used." Sounds much nicer, but thanks for being honest with me.
XXXXXXXXX
I'm pretty upset that a magazine for those of us who are always looked down upon would have age discrimination! Age 46 fits right into the ages they still list, but why any age limit???
What's your thoughts? ...."jumpong off my soap box now!"
Friday, September 05, 2008
This is early - but put it on your calendar/planner TODAY - so that you can participate!
Please join me in this FLY THE FLAG CAMPAIGN.
THE PROGRAM:
On Thursday, September 11th, 2008, an American flag should be displayed outside every home, apartment, office, and store in the United States. Every individual should make it their duty to display an American flag on this seventh anniversary of one of our country's worst tragedies. We do this in honor of those who lost their lives on 9/11, their families, friends and loved ones who continue to endure the pain, and those who today are fighting at home and abroad to preserve our cherished freedoms.
In the days, weeks and months following 9/11, our country was bathed in American flags as citizens mourned the incredible losses and stood shoulder-to-shoulder against terrorism. Sadly, those flags have all but disappeared. Our patriotism pulled us through some tough times and it shouldn't take another attack to galvanize us in solidarity. Our American flag is the fabric of our country and together we can prevail over terrorism of all kinds
Action Plan:
So, here's what we need you to do ..
(1) Copy this and email to everyone you know. Take a moment to think back to how you felt on 9/11 and let those sentiments guide you.
(2) Fly an American flag of any size on 9/11. Honestly, Americans should fly the flag year-round, but if you don't, then at least make it a priority on this day.
Thank you for your participation. God Bless You and God Bless America!
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back at ya!
