Joined Spark Community

my.sparkpeople.com/GIGGLEGURL7

I just joined The Spark Community with trying to help my daily calorie log and looks good so far....

Help Count backyard birds

http://www.birdcount.org/

I found this website through The Women's Outdoor Wire, that they are looking for volunteers to count backyard birds.

I love my garage

So we did get a little bit of snow/ice mix. This picture is taken out of computer room window. (smudge on window that needs cleaning)  The good news is that we were able to put both the truck and the car in our garage. For those of you who have seen our garage at apt complex, know that it was chock full of Rick's stuff and there was no way to even fit our second kayak let alone a car.  Now in our new house with double garage, we got to put them both inside the garage and out of these elements.  It also helps that Lori, previous homeowner, left the keorsene heater in the garage so it is a heated garage.  Nice to keep your car warm, but down here it is only needed a couple really cold days. I told Rick that it will useful come the springtime when possible hail storms happen and now we have a place to safely put the vehicles.  It was also good to have the boat close by so we could clear the snow/ice off the cover.  It was weighing it down and could possible tear at the windshield.  The birds are going nuts on my birdfeeder. It was full this morning but now it is quite a bit down.  I love watching them and their chubby bodies pecking at the seed.  Brier is on the couch all snuggled up next to Daddy.  I just had a nice big bowl of beef stew with a couple drops of hot sauce. Delicous.

Right on the border to get ICE! Ice baby

Goal

It is a little goal and probably you are saying to yourself, "that is nothing" but to me, I reached a little goal this morning and I am so happy.
I made myself a realistic goal by week 3 I would be walking 30 minutes. Week 1 was 10-15 mins. Week 2 was 15-20 mins, and this week was 25-30 mins. I did it! I had the treadmill set for 25 mins this morning but as I got to 20, I still felt good so I advanced it to 27 mins. My heart rate was good and I felt so good. I kept mentally telling myself to go for 30 mins and then I found myself increasing the minutes up to 30. It seemed easier this morning maybe because no one was in there with me, (except Hank for five minutes) and I could relax and meditate on my goal.
Next week I wrote down 40-45 minutes. I CAN DO IT!

Happy 50th Birthday MPOM

I hope the Wicked Whoopie Pie will be worth it! I use to watch Phantom Gourmet back when I lived in MA and saw the Whoopie Pie on the show.  I remember anytime we needed to have something for Girl Scout or school bake sale, Mom would always make Whoopie Pies.  And now I am craving one!
Leave a comment if you love Whoopie Pies too.

Our Friend Art and Rick looking dapper in their suits.

Posting this because Art was visiting here for two weeks and he left today.  He came down to SC to escape the harsh New England weather, but needless to say we also had cold temperatures here last week.  Today was up in the 60's but of course it is the day he is going home. He did help out with cropping my blinds and by helping Rick replace bulbs for out back door light.  I am thankful that he visits.

Birds

I got a bird feeder for Christmas. It was the type of present where we are walking through Lowe's and I said to Rick, I would like a bird feeder for Christmas. I picked out the one I wanted, he paid for it and it is now hanging up on our iron pole out in front of the house. (I will have to take a picture of it)
I love watching the birds. Yesterday we had color! Two red cardinals, along with their females (not much red color, and two blue jays were all in the front yard. I think I must of been a bird in another life because they mesmerize me. I now want a bird bath and another bird feeder to hold different seeds. One of my future woodworking projects would be to make a bird house!

Hurting Enviroment

I don't mind using plastic bags at grocery stores because they serve another purpose when I get them home and have to pick up after Brier in the yard. That has changed with the new house. I find I can take one bag, pick up the poo, and then throw it up in the woods where no of us goes walking. But then the bag has poo smell so I end up throwing the bag in the garbage. I need a new way to pick up poo, and not use a plastic bag.
I do use my green cloth grocery bags, but I often forget them back home. The trick is to put them in my car for when I do go shopping. I love those bags since they hold so much more than plastic and the handles are studier.
*footnote- I just saw idea in this months Handyman Magazine to stuff your grocery bags inside of empty tissue box instead of throwing it out. That is double reusing!

I don't want to work, I want to bang on the drum all dy

A new start

hopefully this will get me motivated

I could fall asleep right now (3:53 pm)

I think after these short weeks we have had that I am losing steam mid week and feel like this week is dragging.
I vividly remember my dreams last night (which may mean that I never got my REM sleep). I was first in a Army tank getting ready to level my house but I remembered that I needed my drivers license and Social Security Card to prove who I am. Then I asked Rick how to work the tank and he said something about "turn it to ash". I mentally remember the word "ash" but can't remember word for word what he said. It was so weird that I asked him if he told me "ash" in the middle of the night. Of course I got a crazy look followed by a snide remark about "ash" and had to explain my dream to him.
My next dream involved deep snow and we were out camping but there was no camper there only a car and someone was in the car sleeping in my blue sleeping bag.
The final dream I can also vividly remember I was on a set of beautiful long marble stairs and there was a Spanish male dancer off in the distance dancing ballet alone in a dim lit hall. From the stairs I could look over the balconey and see him dancing. It was just the two of us at first and I was crying watching him because it was his last performance. He was sick and would die soon. I remember his family coming down the staircase next to me and they were all speaking Spanish so I could not understand them. The dancer from the hall floor said something up to them and they all turned to me smiling. It was if he just told them we were engaged or something.
No I am not having an affair with a Spanish guy but what vivid dreams.

Resolution continued

I was doing laundry last night and found my fortune cookie paper in my jeans. We went out to Mr. Fongs Chinese Restuarant on Saturday. It is no where near as good as Hunan K and is in a strip mall. All Chinese restaurants in this area are either in strip malls as take out or buffet style restaurants. We haven't found a good sit down meal one yet.

Anyway...
My fortune read, " Adjust finances- make budgets, to improve your financial standing." So it got me to think of what I wrote in this blog about my resolution. I really have to stick to this money/budget thing. I just need to get a handle of what comes in, and what goes out.

New Year's Resolution

Why should I make one when I never fulfill what I say anyway?
I could say that this is the year that I will lose the weight. Yeah right, or I could say my New Year's resolution is to get more financially on track but it is hard when R is still unemployed. The good news on that front is that there was an article in the local GoUpstate newspaper that said there is a shortage of welders and graduates of the welding program he is attending at SCC Development Center in Union, they can typically make between $17 to $20 an hour with one graduate earning $28.00.
Then I remembered what Robbie told R during the Christmas party. I am looking forwrd to the say that our financial future is more solid. My 95' Ford Taurus is still trudging along (Thank God) but I would really like a new car. Hopefully 2010 will be prosperous for everyone but my New Year's resolution is to try to use my checkbook more, instead of depending on online banking.