MOTHER'S DAY

The good Things~



A deer in the woods next to our complex.  The bright spot to my morning..

Insane cuteness down the road from the barn!

If you go to the fence, the donkeys will come over to you.

Adorable!

And of course, my lovely Mini!

The Bad Things~

'Nuff said..

 

LAST YEAR...

...these capris were soooo tight! 

Now they barely stay up!

Yay me!!

BIGGEST LOSER AND WEEKEND UPDATES!

I won!  I lost just a hair under 14 pounds!  My hard work is paying off, pants and dresses I'd given up hope of wearing ever again are fitting.  One lovely dress will have to be taken in!  I went to the 'SHARE' box in the garage and took out some cute capris that will fit in another 5-10 pounds!  I'm now down 14.5 pounds, and have set my next goal for 140.  My prize?  A $50 gift cert. at the place of my choice!

On Saturday Mini and I went to my brother's to celebrate his birthday.  It was one of those milestone birthdays, and he made dinner for us~kind of backwards, I know, but he wanted to barbeque steak.  So we took wine and bread and our card and gift and had a great time! We ate steak and broiled tomatoes and asparagus and cake! It was soooo good. (So good that I went out yesterday and picked up a little barbeque for Mini and I.)

At one point in the evening, I was scrolling thru my camera, looking for some photos to show my bro and came across some pics of mr pawprint and I at the beach last summer.  I wasn't prepared for that, or for the pang of sadness that pierced my heart...

And I'm off to power walk in the sunshine~hope y'all are having a great Monday!

ROUND 2...

Early this morning I had to step over JulieBella on my way to tinkle.  Next thing, she'd grabbed my foot with her claws and was biting!  I shook her off and grabbed the nearest weapon.  "Back off," I said, "I've got toilet paper!"  She threw me a look that clearly said 'loser' and left.  Do I know how to fight back or what?

BELLA

My poor Bella turned into a screaming psycho-kitty today at the vet.  She bit, slashed, clawed, hissed and spit at anyone within reach.  This not only included the vet, but me too!  Altho we washed really well right away with antiseptic soap, a couple of hours into my shift my finger was swollen, red and sore~I'm waiting for the red line to go up my arm!  Poor mite~next year she's getting sedated.  And yes, I'm on antibiotics...

THE BIGGEST LOSER...

At the end of last year, I decided 2011 would be the year to tackle getting back into shape and loose those pesky pounds that I've put on over the last few years.  January was the start of 'The Biggest Loser' at work.  I was determined!  So I started by using fat-free cream in my coffee and limiting alcohol and promptly lost 3 pounds!  Of course, I'm limiting portions and drinking about 2L of water a day.  I'm sure running to the biffy a jillion times a day is burning off a butt-load of calories!

Last Monday I started a fitness challenge.  I power-walked four times and did some strength training.  When Mini goes to the barn I get into my walking duds (newly purchased.  It's been very cold here.  My pajama fleece pants just weren't cutting it!) and head out onto creepy Lincoln Ave and book it.  My cell phone serves as a  timer for intervals and an old barbeque lighter makes for a flashlight~there are no street lights~like I said, creepy.  Since January I've lost 7 3/4 pounds!  And I'm sleeping better. 

Mini and I just signed up for a 40 KM bike ride in May!  It's a fund raiser, and teams have access to 2 months of personal training~circuits, bike riding, strenth training, nutrition, etc~all FREE!  Who could pass up 2 free months of personal training?  I'm pretty stoked about it all!  Especially since there's a high-school reunion this summer.  It'd be nice to look smokin' hot for it...

I wanted this year to really be a time to focus on me, and doing things to make me feel good about myself, things that make me happy.  Years ago, when I worked out a lot~weights, martial arts, played a little hockey (a Mom's team.  We were pretty awful.  Lost every game!  Had tons of fun!)  I felt the most beautiful when I worked out, doing things to make my body my friend. 

Added bonus~the cool things you see when you're out walking~ 7 herons sitting in a conservation area of the farm and the first time ever sighting of a skunk!  Even creepy Lincoln Ave has a mini donkey farm.  Let me tell you, they are cuter than cute! 

CHANGES...

I guess I knew, when mr.p moved to his own place, that it was the beginning of the end for us.  We parted ways a few days before Valentines, and it was heated and a bit ugly, and hurtful things were said..the same old arguments with nothing getting resolved.  Well, except for the break-up part~that was resolved.  And even tho it's the best decision for everyone, there are moments when I miss him so completely that it almost takes my breath away.  And there are many more moments when I think  'yes~ this feels right'.   I'm holding on to those moments, making them last and letting that feeling guide me as I make other changes in my life.