KAREN608's SparkPeople Blog

End of April: beginning of spring!

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 19:10:10 EST

I do hope spring is about here now after snows & freezing weather this month.

I still have a sore spot on my foot from the shingles, so walking any distance is iffy at this time.

My outside chores are now in gear, picking up loose papers in the fence line, sticks in the grassy areas and burning the trash papers on nonwindy days.

The six boy cats follow me around since they haven't seen much of me all winter.
Sitting outside in the sun is only for spring...

One walk at a time....physically pffffft!

Mon, 8 Apr 2013 19:53:08 EST

Now that my shingles have just left me scabby and crabby, I realized on Sunday just how awful my physical condition is after a slow cold long winter of sitting on my fanny as much as possible! Ack!

It was dry and 65 degrees on Sunday so I walked alongside my disabled friend Kathy as she zoomed at speed 3 on her motorized chairmobile, and I walked or tottered along behind her until the 3/4 point with much huffing and puffing, and she said she would slow down to a 2 for me. Thanks a ...

Shingles -So Icky to have on one's face

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 22:45:41 EST

For the last week and a half, my body had an outbreak of shingles,
located on my head and upper face.

Now you ladies know when something blotches up our face and hurts, tingles, burns etc we are not having a good time.

Since I am scabbed over, I went to usual Sunday church things, and the 7am service held in the local graveyard for Resurrection Sunday.

Tomorrow I meet with ladies for our weekly Beth Moore study, and I think I will leave off the bandaids a...

The stand up freezer in the entry

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 14:14:06 EST

We have a stand up freezer in our entry that is over fifteen years old.
Freezers (and refrigerators) do not usually work in frozen conditions like in our unheated entry space, but this freezer does work. A minor miracle!

My husband put a used refrigerator in our old house to squirrel away more on sale pork loins, in it's freezer space, but in the cold, it did not freeze. It melted his bounty to a rotten disaster instead.

So I am shocked our freezer freezes in cold w...

Cabin Fever?

Wed, 6 Mar 2013 15:46:31 EST

Living on a road that turns to thick mud every wet season, means plenty of staying on the home place.

For my DH, that means sitting all day every day in front of TV,
and all his activities like eating, drinking and uh, TV watching
are done from his chair. I am glad he gets up to use the bathroom
and not do that there in the living room!

I move about much more, due to cooking, hand washing the dishes, cleaning things in the house, laundry. But I do get bor...

Winter slump

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:12:27 EST

I have not been good about calories,
but I track them. Having to cook meals
for a full time husband is encouraging me
to keep being foolish about my food, eating
too many muffins etc.

I have not given up.
I think I am reacting wrongly to
the TV blasting all day, and his
ordering me around over every little
thing he wants. I ignore half the
commands if they are ridiculous.

I did get to sleep in till 8am
for a change. I c...

Overeating did not make me happier

Tue, 5 Feb 2013 00:06:29 EST

So, you know the routine.
You know how we can blow it.

My excuse is full time husband but really
it is just me, comfort eating, and liking
to eat 3000 calories and not 1500.

And it is not likely that I am going to
burn 1500 a day in exercise is it?

Time to get real and begin again.
Today I was in my calorie range.
That's a good start.
And did 7 min. of wii fit, and got
myself set up in the kitchen with this
since TV...

You know you are a picky eater when...

Sat, 26 Jan 2013 17:59:28 EST

... you are invited out to a neighbor's home for dinner,
not told what will be served, and four hours before you
leave you start being concerned what they might be
serving as your hunger grows bit by bit.

I figure I will eat better hungry, even if it'd be
something I do not care for.

Earlier this week had a root out (crown failure, sigh)
and two fillings, and not much pain at all like I figured.
I am having phantom pains on other side of m...

A little wavering but finally down another pound

Sat, 12 Jan 2013 11:51:14 EST

I had quite a bit of salt so I know how that gets my numbers worse for a few days, so did my weigh in and now officially down 30 lbs... and this weight is the lowest I've been in 20 years, so a nice mini goal.

I have a long way to go, but for me, slow and steady will win the race.

My thyroid number was 5.1, but doctor is a wait and see type.
So I continue to use walk it out on the wii, as walking in place is my best exercise right now, and tracking what I eat, mak...

Roast in the oven

Wed, 9 Jan 2013 16:55:40 EST

DH bought a 4lb beef roast, so it made it's way to my 1958 baking dish, with onions and broth, and into the electric oven.

I am glad it is electric as DH let the propane get to low, to 0% on the not too accurate gauge. He has to tap it and it jumps lower. So it was at 5% he thought, but no, lower. So 11 months from last fill, he finally calls for propane.

It is a heat wave today also, 45 for the high temperature, and with oven on the kitchen is warm enough, rather nipp...

Did Walk it out on the wii today

Fri, 4 Jan 2013 09:09:47 EST

Finally DH went back to bed so I got up at 7:30am to do my Wii game, Walk It Out after a month of no exercise.

My shoulder/arm pain hurt so much I did nothing the past month. But I could tell this was not good for me, so if I have to get up in the night, I better get some exercise in.

I could only go for 15 minutes this time, out of shape, boo hoo. But tracking it made me happy and I know it will help my body soon enough. It is easy to do but just getting the TV to mys...

kind of sparkless since Dec. 1st

Thu, 27 Dec 2012 12:23:43 EST

I must be quite a wimp when it comes to pain, since my
arm and neck are quite bothered, and now 1/4 tamed down
I still don't have energy to walk in place. Plus with hubby home
all the time the TV is tied up with his MEtv shows etc.

I do make up my lack of good sleep at night due to the arm
waking me from pain, by taking naps in the day time. Sleep
is very important. When the pain is less my blood pressure is
better. I would like to be able to tell my ...

Pecan logs don't make good weights

Fri, 21 Dec 2012 22:15:08 EST

I think I thought I was lifting weights with a pecan log in each hand today. I had a munchie attack but tracked it and moved on.

My arm still sore but more liveable, so started moving remodeling things to the basement in areas that stay dry.

Down the stairs, up the stairs, repeat many times.
I don't think I burned off the candy but offset it at least.

And still more things to take downstairs, so hope for tomorrow.

More room upstairs for hobby...

Don't you just love a good weigh in?

Sat, 15 Dec 2012 11:38:27 EST

I'm a very big gal.

Few people around me understand or are behind my desire to weigh a normal weight.

Do I let this stop me?
Well I do get discouraged but reading all the blogs of real life people on Spark, with their ups and downs, helps me to look at my long term goal and continue.

I am down 1.5 lbs at this weigh in.
I didn't exercise due to shoulder/arm pain and lack of sleep,
but I did watch portion sizes.
Learning new good habits reall...

Vacation Weight almost gone

Thu, 6 Dec 2012 07:51:57 EST

Got to reset my weight tracker today.
I knew it was going to be good as the
scale yesterday at the doctor was good number.
He was pleased at a 14 pound loss in six months.
This is slow loss but I see myself in training for
learning to eat right portions.

I have an injury now, my left shoulder is extremely
painful and interrupting my sleep and adding 20 points
to both sides of my blood pressure. No clue what happened
to my shoulder. Since I w...

Wii fit says I weigh 10.3 pounds!

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 20:34:12 EST

I had a big laugh today, as I replaced the balance board batteries, and got on to weigh, but something was amiss as it said I weighed 10.3 lbs!!! Wha???

My character shape changed to a stick.
What a hoot.

I reweighed and it said I had hundreds of pounds to lose now.
I may have to reset that or keep it and laugh about the day I
weighed 10 pounds.

That hasn't been true for over 50 years. I probably weighed that as a baby
but never since. <...

Seven days of Stupidity

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 09:56:32 EST

Seven days of Stupid eating equals weight gain!

I figured it would be tough to be around relatives, lots of food,
lots of eating out, and sitting around most of the time for hours on
end. I knew it'd be bad at weigh in time.

So I start again.
I updated my weight.

I sigh, growl inwardly, but am glad I am more fit
than I was a year ago.

This self control thing is not easy.

Salad plate without the salad

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 16:46:26 EST

I admit it, I do not like many veggies, and do not like salads.

But a salad sized plate is my best friend for meals, since I have smaller portions yet the plate appears full.

It still looks odd next to my DH's full sized plate.

This morning my hubby was talking about breakfast and part of it was that I don't eat much anyway... so he is noticing my portion sizes. I have maintained my weight as I have had too many snacks. But ready to give it up for November and...

He gained weight & now the mower attacked him!

Sat, 10 Nov 2012 13:07:30 EST

My husband at 316 must weigh more than the engine of this riding mower.

He was heading up a hill he always rides up and it wheelied on top of him. He said he laid there until the motor stopped. I guess the seat had the weight of the mower on it and it keep the engine on.

He has a small gash in one calf, and one rib hurts but seems okay so far. I will watch him.

Clifford, the big red mower now has a crumpled seat back, hood and one headlight busted. Man that th...

How to put off a pushy person...want candy?

Sat, 10 Nov 2012 09:58:16 EST

My DH thinks about food all the time. At breakfast he talks about what he will have for lunch. At lunch he speaks of dinner. At dinner he is mentioning breakfast.
In between he is snacking on foods he brings in, like all sorts of candy, but also bananas so a little is better for him.

So after every meal he sits in his old chair by the TV, starts eating his candy, and asks me if I want some licorice, chocolate or whatever snack in on top of his pile of snacks.

Now I ...

The huge bowl of cookies

Tue, 6 Nov 2012 16:08:53 EST

At last Monday's Ladies bible study, they brought out a huge metal bread bowl full of bagged cookies, leftover from the children's harvest event last week.

They told of the huge number of kids (500?) and all that was given away, and here sat the leftovers.

Huge bowl. Huge cookies.

I had eaten breakfast, so I got some coffee & sat down cookieless.
I know, that is not a word.

One of the ladies said, get yourself a cookie.
I said, I alread...

Did a pumpkin explode in here, dear?

Sat, 3 Nov 2012 08:11:50 EST

My husband is an early riser, so we were up at 4am, and ate our oatmeal, and he had his toast, butter and blueberry jelly.

Sitting there, drinking coffee, relaxing. Then he decided to make the left over sweet potato, the size of NJ, into pie.

Out comes a hand mixer, bowl, and he is asking for sugar, eggs, milk, pumpkin pie seasoning like I am his personal assistant. I do wish he would either do it all or let me do it.

Next thing I know he pulls the running be...

Ounce by ounce, away it goes

Thu, 1 Nov 2012 11:24:51 EST

I did lose a bit more today, which seems to motivate me to keep tracking intake, thinking about what I am eating, and planning for Thanksgiving.

I know now that I will miss one massive dinner at a local church, as DH has us driving down to southern relatives, whose dinner will not be as tempting unless we eat out at a buffet. I am already giving myself pep talks about serving sizes and my butt size which could expand if I give in to large portions.

I decided to have jus...

Do you wait before logging a weight?

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 06:47:28 EST

My weight had sneak up a pound a week ago, but I had lately been keeping well in my calorie ranges so waited, and of course the scale shifted downward two pounds so I could log one more down confidently today. That is a happy moment.

It was weird as this morning my hubby asked me what I weighed and I said my previous weight, so now I can update him this evening that it is a bit lower.

He is not trying to reduce, and it is odd to sit and watch him eat two breakfasts wit...

REAL heavy cleaning

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 15:56:03 EST

Do you ever look at the exercise, heavy cleaning, and wonder how hard & fast you have to do it to count as this?

Well today, I know I did, as I am still sweating from the tussle with the thrown away electric stove that my hubby brought into the yard.

The previous owners never cleaned it, and under the drip pans, it was full of various food, twist ties, wrappers from seasoning for Raman noodles and burnt on food, gook and I am sure I do not want to know.

Now th...

Walking by the cows

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 20:01:43 EST

The big thunder boomers moved off by 6am so by daylight I could walk over to the neighbor's and fill the cows water tank. It is a large, round galvanized tub that would make a fun wading pool.

It was only six inches down, and so I decided to walk up and down their driveway, dodging puddles, until it was full. So logged in my 20 minutes and I noticed that my feet are sore tonight.

I did stand a lot and walked on Sunday, so my feet just have to deal with it.

Ge...

Sweet Garfield my cat

Sun, 21 Oct 2012 18:44:31 EST

I named my yellow cat Garfield, or affectionately GarGar, since he is a yellow tabby, is chunky like several famous cats, and it suits him.
And I have little imagination for naming a cat.

He even has sneaky nails like the cartoon Garfield cat.

He never learned to keep his nails in to spare me pain, oozing wounds and dozens of scabs.

Still he has me trained to sling him over my shoulder while I walk for the mail, or to water the neighbor's cows or just wal...

Wishy washy weather

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 16:47:03 EST

Miss Autumn in Iowa - the weather - can't make up her mind what she wants to be this month.

First it is lovely, 70s, then it is raining, windy, cold. Then a gale force wind to make me lay in bed listening to see if the vinyl siding will start peeling off in the night.

Today is the cold, windy day, overcast and damp. Yet in a few days, Miss Autumn will be back to her cheerful sunny seventies self again.

I suppose others are in the same weather pattern, every da...

The Sugar Monster lives in my kitchen!

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 12:27:06 EST

My husband will not consider eating less or modifying his food at this time, so his sugar goodies are all over the house but mostly living in my kitchen.

His Nutty bars live in open sight on my little kitchen counter, leering at me every day. His buckets of ice cream snicker at me every time I take some meat out of the freezer. His chocolate candy next to his chair point and laugh at me as I vacuum the rug.

I 'so' want to sling them all in the burn barrel and show them w...

While the cows are here....

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 18:01:52 EST

So my husband decided to show me how to water the neighbor's cows while they are in this field across the road, so now I control when my house has no water.

Sort of great deal.
There is a large round tank there next to the fence and pump. A hose is attached to the fence so it doesn't move. Or is that mooove?

Lift up the red handle and the water runs. Simple.
It takes two hours to fill the tank.
When you turn it off, you have to lift the hose out of the tan...

Water Mystery-Solved

Tue, 9 Oct 2012 16:17:50 EST

For weeks now, I've had my water pressure drop to zero at this little country house on a hill. I am on town water, but have a septic tank.

I called the water works, and no break downs so today I noticed all the cows running across the road, and the Etter's pickup there, so I jogged across the road to speak to her about it.

Since there is a drought here, I already knew what she'd say. She'd been watering the cows using that city water in the empty house that will not get ...

Free metal siding!

Tue, 2 Oct 2012 16:25:44 EST

Our neighbor, the one we watched their animals for, decided to re-metal is pole barn, and had workers do that last week.

I asked him if we could buy the old faded green sheets of siding, and today he said we could just have it.

He said it had nail holes in it, are you sure?
I guess people with means do not understand us without good means!

Anyway the barn is so holey now, that metal would improve it considerably.

Now I do not see how my DH wil...

They're back!...not pounds, pigeons!

Mon, 1 Oct 2012 20:28:49 EST

My poor barn of the rotting wood. . . oh the inside frame is great & sturdy stuff, but the siding boards are way rustic especially on the north side.

The upper windows which were half there three years ago are now all broken out by weather and pigeons.

This summer Garfield, my yellow and white, six month old cat, caught one of the pigeons, and after that the remaining four left for good.

But all good things must end, and yesterday I heard noise of wings, and t...

Mystery Chocolate

Sun, 30 Sep 2012 21:09:23 EST

I did my usual Sunday thing of going to Sunday school (bible study) and worship today.

But at the beginning of class this morning, in walks Pastor Paul with a plastic grocery sack and we all could see this big Hershey bar in there, and we all thought WHAT?!. This doesn't happen in our group. We are the adults, not the kids that seem to get goodies left and right on a daily basis.

Then he walks over to me, and said he forgot to give this to me as someone brought it in for...

Ever do a mistep, hurt yourself and wonder how you did that?

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 15:22:09 EST

I have no clue how I hurt myself this morning.

I was standing and sliding into my shoes, got left one on and then when I was going to pull the heel on the right one - my balance left me or something, as next thing I knew I plopped down fast and hard onto my right knee.

Ouch! I thought to myself.
Then I wanted to get up fast just in case it was twisted or hurt.
From experience I knew swelling would be happening and fast.

Since I was right next to the ...

Neighbors are to return: sheep,cats and horse duty soon done.

Fri, 21 Sep 2012 11:48:46 EST

Ah, all good things must end.

The neighbors are to return home either today or tomorrow. I am sure their horses missed them. I am not sure about the semi feral cats or sheep. I think the sheep missed them, but were too polite to act like it. They are sweet and stoic.

I am amazed how such large animal like horses can stay well eating grass and hay. They look so fit, too.

I will get my inspiration where ever I can find it!

Finally in the 250s

Fri, 21 Sep 2012 11:45:49 EST

My goodness but I've been having a yo yo time with my weight last two weeks. I finally stopped weighing and just tracked like a good girl. I did not always eat right. I ate cookies even - WHY. I did walk more and do more.

Finally my Wii Fit plus guy tells me the number I was waiting for:259.
That may sound high to you but I have not been in the 250s for 15 years.
I now want to hold onto it. There are no more cookies in the house. I actually took the horrid things out to...

Walking overland to the Neighbors- the sheep rush!

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 12:10:26 EST

Guess I could say Naaay- bors since they have two horses.

The harvesting had not started this morning yet, so I walked the cornfield edge over the ridge to Stanley & Alma's property. It is a 22 minute walk to their barn door.

The water hose that hangs down from a rafter beam had been nudged out of it's position, so had to change that.

The horse would not move away from the makeshift gate in the metal pole barn, so I walked outside to seek another way in. Wal...

Rust spots on pickup truck

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 16:37:05 EST

Well today I hand washed the old 1995 pickup and sanded on some rust areas and dings... the primer then spray paint didn't really make it look 'better'. Oh dear.

I guess I will call this a fail.
Rust gone but paint weird looking.

Isn't it a good thing that usually the pickup is covered in road dirt?
Yes.

I should not have gone after all the paint scratches.
Looks a little like it was attacked by silver spray paint.
Oh well, I can't be goo...

The LIttle Amish Boy

Fri, 7 Sep 2012 18:37:58 EST

This morning, my husband wanted to buy three boards from the Amish lumberyard south of our town. We arrived at 8:20am, but all the men of the family were gone to work for pay elsewhere.

A young boy of 9 years of age, asked what my husband needed, got the lumber for him, then went inside to write up the bill with tax figured in.

This was the most charming transaction we ever made! Their children are so responsible.

Then we watched them all board their pony ca...

Walking by a cornfield

Mon, 3 Sep 2012 19:15:47 EST

Today I decided to see if I was able to safely walk over to my neighbor's house by way of the top of the hills, mostly next to cornfields. I did have to step over 3 inch wide cracks in the ground, but mostly the path was level and doable.

I timed myself, and made the one way trip to his shed door in twenty two minutes.

Stanley is going away, and we are to feed & water his cats, horses and sheep every other day. If my husband has to work away from home, I need to be abl...

Does Marriage Make You Fat?

Sat, 1 Sep 2012 10:59:37 EST

My question today is, does marriage make you fat?

Does being happy (or not), being comfortable or stressed with another person (or kids) tend to encourage us to over eat?

I just wonder what others think.

It does seem when I was single, I was able to focus on my eating/weight more easily, and after marriage I didn't even think about it.

A Family Holiday without Family

Sat, 1 Sep 2012 10:55:26 EST

Today a friend of my husband decided we'd host a cookout by supplying the grill.

They have some extended family but decided to spend the day with us.

Really that is great! He & his father brought lima beans, tomatoes and hamburger for the grill. I'm heat up the lima beans for lunch and put the plates on outside. I'll load the condiments in a plastic tub and set out the plastic table. Oh yeah.

It's overcast and cooler, great weather.

I wonder what o...

Light rain & the lean to is being built.

Sat, 25 Aug 2012 14:18:01 EST

It has not rained enough today to call it rain. A few specks of water mostly.

So our dear friend Rich is over to help - call it do most of the work- my DH make a lean to so we can step out and not be drenched when ever the rains and snows come again.

It will be about 10 ft by 12 ft wide. Looks small but with no porch at all, even a dirt floored area sounds good to us.

The dirt is so dry it was coming out of the holes like brown sand. It resembled dry chocolate...

Chocolate or soup?

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 17:39:18 EST

Now even six months previously, this would have been a tough choice for me.

I used to love over indulging on chocolate. Now I see it as the rare bit of sugar & fat that I do not need everyday.

So tonight with my remaining calories, I opt for soup!

Don't you love the small victories and good choices?

Brick toss day

Sun, 19 Aug 2012 17:35:25 EST

No, it is not a sporting event, it means the first half of my ancient crumbling chimney that was laying in the yard in bits, is now tossed into the back of a friend's pickup for a trip to the tree & cement dump in our little town.

People tend to reuse this for cement fill and those who want to flatten out a steep drop off on their property. I like recycling!

So I helped our friend toss bricks today for thirty minutes. The chimney has more to go but it is down to the roo...

Scale Surprise!!!

Fri, 17 Aug 2012 08:28:12 EST

I have a big grin on my face.

After two weeks of no weigh ins, DH home, lots of cooking... and chores.... I am down a pound anyway. Smile, happy dance, grin.

Then I decided it was time since I had not measured my body since June 30ths to go change the numbers. YES! 3 inches off my waist and hips ...so even a loss, how sweet, and 2 inches less on my thigh.

Finally see my first real progress so I am happy, relieved, re-energized.
There is a lot to say for ...

I didn't get on the scale

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 22:23:46 EST

I know it has been a nontracked two weeks with DH home 24/7. He got called in for two days work, and so today I was able to track and do well. Last two weeks I know I went over and almost afraid to step on wii fit balance board in the morning. I will. I have to start over as usual. Move forward not backwards.

I did get a wonderful free exercise gift from an elderly lady named Agnes. It was given to her and bought for $5 at a thrift store. I am not sure what it is legally called as ...

Wheel barrow walking

Fri, 3 Aug 2012 10:28:48 EST

My workout yesterday involved a wheel barrow.

I have to move old tree limbs from a pile in the east field so it involves bending, then walking 140 steps to the small metal burn bin, over and over.

I like it when my chore is my exercise.

It was a balmy 93 so I got a move on this job.

There is more to do, as I have to do small fires for safety in this drought season.
My husband was sent home from work - that job done- so not sure how many extra c...

Hot Walking: The Wildwood Hills Ranch

Tue, 24 Jul 2012 18:22:58 EST

Our Monday morning ladies bible study group took a road trip today.

One grand daughter came along who was 12 years old, but the rest of us are 45-76 years old.

Located near St. Charles, IA, this camp is free for at risk children, ages 8-18.
It is a horse camp, with lake, a craft building and other activities. The child to worker ratio is 2 to 1, so the children have close attention right from the start.

Today was 103 degrees and sunny. We visited from 10...