A Walk in the Park

There is a wonderful natural area right down the road from us that we don't utilize near enough. Yesterday was beautiful, so we decided to take the dogs there for a walk. Here are some pictures I took while we were there.

We really enjoyed the walk. We had to keep slowing the dogs down on the way into the park, but on the way back, their pace was much slower....meaning they had a good walk!

I also want to wish my best friend a very Happy Birthday today! I love you and Happy Birthday Irv!

City Kitties

Sunday morning Irv and I were out the door at 7:00 and headed to Chicago. It's about an hour drive without traffic. We had to stop for gas and I decided to treat myself to a chai latte at Starbucks. I wanted to try it made with soy milk which would be a better option for me with my new bone building diet plan. The first few sips were yucka....the middle sips were acceptable....and the last sips were disgusting. I don't think that is going to be an option for me. Bummers!

Tresa and Chris are going to be putting their condo up for sale as soon as they make some minor improvements. They needed Irv's opinion on some things, so they asked us to come in. They treated us to a wonderful breakfast at a cute little cafe. I was wondering if it would be difficult to find something that fit in with my new diet....not at all! I had a wonderful egg white omelet with spinach, goat cheese and tomatoes! Man was it good!

We headed over to their condo and got to meet their newest kitty, Harley. They are always telling us what a bad, bad boy Harley is....and I think they are full of it. He is the cutest and sweetest little guy you would ever want to meet. He is charming and playful and just as happy as can be.

Their other kitty, Casey is such a pretty little Princess. She loves to just lay around, and only moves when she wants to move. She has a pretty normal kitty personality. :)

They have huge windows all along three sides of the condo and the view is awesome!

Irv went over a number of things with them and made some suggestions. They plan to purchase some things and we will head in again to give them a hand. Then it was back to the "country".

I managed to still find time to take the dogs for a nice little walk, do my yoga and walk for 25 minutes on the treadmill. I enjoy walking outside, but man was it nice to throw on some workout clothes, turn on some golf on the TV and walk! I think I am going to really enjoy it.

It was a busy day, but I had decided this morning that this would be one more day off from my etsy shop, FourDogDay. Instead of getting rattled because I didn't work in my shop all week, I told myself that I took a much deserved week off....that way there was no guilt, no stress and let me tell you....I had an awesome day today! Tomorrow I will be back in my workshop and I am so ready to start creating again!

Oh, and on a little side note...Michael and Bernadette have set March 6th for our next family get together. Michael said we are going bungee jumping...I wonder what we will REALLY be doing?

Stupendous Saturday!

I started out the day Saturday with another trip over to the blood center. I couldn't donate last week because my iron level was too low. That's the second time that's happened. Well, it was lower this week! Trying to find more iron rich foods to consume!

Next, we headed over to the bank to take out the cash we needed for our new envelope budget system. I am excited and ready to go. We did have a couple of little glitches though. Irv mentioned that we needed salt for the softener......he wanted to rent a movie for tonight....and he needed to get our Lotto tickets. Hmmmmm...I hadn't figured those things in. I made more envelopes and next time we will take out money for entertainment and salt and Lotto. Irv said we could give up on the Lotto, but we have been playing the same stupid numbers since it started and wouldn't that just suck that the first time we don't buy them....our numbers are picked? I know it wouldn't happen, but just in case....I'm still buying!

I managed to list my first Itsy Bitsy Tote Bag in my shop, FourDogDay. The tote is perfect if you don't like to drag a huge bag with you when you go shopping. If you don't read Lanyard Lady's blog...check out this post of hers. Lanyard has a bad shoulder because of what she was carrying in her purse. Too funny....not the bad shoulder, but the stuff that was in her purse!

This blue bird fabric was left over when I made Angela of Pickles on Pizza a vendor apron. It's so darn cute I decided to make a little desk clock out of it. I just love it!

Then I went all out and made two other big clocks. One of these will get listed today and one tomorrow. The first one is leaves on a light gray background. Very outdoorsy.

The second one is my absolute favorites! It's birds in black and white with a little tan thrown in. I think I am going to have to make myself one of these to hang somewhere in my house. It's so ME!

After that it was time to see if I could find some coupons for grocery shopping today. We will be heading out soon and I was hoping to save a little money using coupons. I didn't find too many, but I did get a couple of good ones. We eat very specific foods and brands and are not very flexible, so coupons might be a difficult thing for us.

I have my Week #1 Food Envelope and I put my coupons right in it. I will let you know how we do and if we are able to stay well under the $150 limit so we can get carry out next weekend. Wish us luck!

After that, I still had to hit the floor and do my Pilates. I opted not to walk because the wind chill made it painful to even be outside.

Then I collapsed! Not really. It was an awesome day. Hope you have a good one today. Don't forget to do something nice for yourself today.

Count 'em Up Kathy

As I packed up my bag yesterday morning with my lunch and snacks , I started to wonder how many calories I was loading into that bag for the day. I really already knew the answer and it was TOO MUCH!

Even though I tend to eat fairly healthy, I also tend to eat way too much. Add that to the fact that yesterday was the first day in ages that I walked the dog, and add to that the fact that I am stopping at Starbucks every day again.....it's no wonder that the pants I put on that morning were a bit on the t-i-g-h-t side.

There is such a simple solution to this issue, I don't know why I don't do it. On Sundays I use to pack up daily snacks in the proper serving size for the week. That way when I packed up my lunch I could just grab what I need. I would make a couple of small salads and put them in containers ready to grab.

Another easy thing to do is when I put leftovers away that I know will end up being a lunch for me during the week, I really should divide them and put them in a couple of small containers instead of one big container. Like yesterday, the one container held WAY MORE than one serving of pasta and low fat Alfredo...making it an unhealthy, fattening lunch.

I also like Greek yogurt for a snack....that would be an awesome snack, but I also like to add some fruit and granola to it making it not so low cal. I am thinking about making that my breakfast a couple of days a week instead of a snack.

I wouldn't even mind the Starbucks every day if I could get the rest of my eating under control. Even healthy low calorie snacks becomes unhealthy when you eat more than the proper serving size or when you consume 3-4 snacks a day rather than two.

So, today I will do better. I packed my lunch and snacks last night, and paid close attention to the serving size. I am only taking two snacks with me...one for the morning and one for the afternoon. I will walk the dog when I get home from work before I even turn on the computer, because once I turn that computer on....neither the dog nor myself will get the exercise we both so desperately need.

I am going to try to get up when the alarm goes off and get back to my yoga and pilates in the morning. I can't believe how limber I feel when I am doing those things regularly. I stand straighter and just walk taller. It's pretty awesome and I need it.

Truly, no matter how many times you have tried to exercise and eat healthy and fallen off the wagon....it's okay. When you can, just get back on and try again. Even eating healthy for a while now and then is better than never eating healthy at all. Same goes for working out and walking.

Well, now that I have myself so totally psyched....I think I will go grab a snack...all that talk about food has made me hungry! Just kidding!

But I Don't Want To!

I don't sleep as well as I did even six months ago. For me it has everything to do with what I am eating and my emotional state. Some nights my brain refuses to shut off and I can't fall asleep. Then I wake up in the middle of the night and my brain picks up right where it left off when I did finally fall asleep. I ask the voices to stop...but they don't listen. Chatter, chatter, chatter!

This morning I woke up right before the alarm went off like I usually do, and I lay there for a moment thinking....."Did I wake up during the night?" Hmmmm...don't think so. I didn't even remember falling asleep! Wow! That's awesome!

I was so happy and felt so content and peaceful that I didn't want to get up...getting up meant twenty minutes of pilates, a one mile walk/jog with the dog, making some kind of healthy lunch, a shower and heading to work.

I lay there for what seemed to be a minute, but was actually about ten. "Oh, I wish I was off today."

I dragged myself to my workshop, turned on the computer and started checking e-mails and my etsy shops...still not entirely awake, but knowing full well that if I didn't get going I would never get in my pilates or my walk.

Ah, was that it? Was my alter ego trying to sabotage my "Healthy Eating and Workout Plan" during week three? Week three is when I usually fizzle out.....

By now I was twenty minutes behind schedule. Refusing to fall prey to my lazy, junk food eating alter ego, I quickly threw on my work out clothes, grabbed my mat and headed to the living room. I did my pilates under the watchful and very annoying eye of the dog.....who obviously knew we were twenty minutes late for her walk.

Threw on a little jacket, my hat, grabbed two little doggie treats for the walk, a bag for poop (just in case), my keys, my phone and out the door we went. "Maybe we better only do 1/2 mile because it's so late!" I thought.

Walk, jog, walk, jog....1/2 mile done. Look at the time on my phone.....it's late. Crap! No excuses...let's go! Jog, walk, jog, walk.....one mile done!

Make my lunch...
Hit the shower...
Make up on...
Hair done....
Clothes on....

"Be good girls!" and out the door and off to work!

I didn't want to get up this morning...but I did.
I didn't want to exercise this morning...but I did.
I didn't want to walk a mile this morning...but I did.
I didn't want to go to work this morning...but I did.

All I can say is CHEE HOO! I am so proud of me....

I did want an extra Starbucks Chai Latte this morning...and I did...and it was oh so good!!

Mystery Solved

I walk Wrigley every morning. We take the same basic route, passing the same houses each day. All of the houses have those metal drainage pipes that run under the driveway. They carry the rainwater away that runs off the roads into the ditch.

At this one house, there is a line from the road that goes into the pipe at one end and comes out at the other end where the grass has been totally smashed down, and I knew the first time I saw it exactly what it was. I just never had proof.

I knew it wasn't from the rain water running off the road, because it's really skinny.

The other morning, Wrigley and I headed out for our walk about 30 minutes earlier than normal. About a half a block before we got to that particular corner, I saw him. Waddle, waddle, creep, creep....across the road he went....right down the little hill into the ditch and right into the drainage pipe.

It was a darling little raccoon! I didn't have my camera unfortunately, so these pictures are from Wikipedia.

Little Mr. Raccoon never came out the other end, so I knew as we approached that he was still hiding in the pipe under the driveway. I thought for sure Wrigley would catch the scent as we walked by, but she didn't or if she did, she didn't care.

The little raccoon or raccoons must walk that very same route every single night as they head out to scavenge the neighborhood looking for food. Then they must take the same route home again early in the morning as the sun is coming up. Their little path is well worn.

I'm going to start taking my camera with me on our walks in the morning....you just never know who you might meet at 5:00 in the morning!

Sunrise Serenade

When I get up in the morning, I always make my bed before I leave my bedroom...next I head to the bathroom to pee and then I go straight to my computer! I check my personal e-mail, my blog and my shops. I pop into the etsy forums to add my two cents to a couple of "positive" threads that are usually running and then I start thinking about getting my lunch together and getting ready for work.

I get up really early so I can take my sweet old time.

This morning I finished all of my stuff and found that it was only 6:00. I don't leave for work until 6:30, so I decided to take Wrigley for a walk. Before the ugly winter hit, we walked every morning. We both loved our walks, even though it can be a bit creepy when it's pitch black outside.

Wrigley watched me this morning as I put on my jacket and somehow, some way, she knew it wasn't 6:30. Her ears perked up, she got off the couch and she came into the kitchen. She kept a careful watch as I looked around for her leash and as soon as she saw me pick it up....you would have thought she had hit the jackpot!! If she could have yelled, "Woo Hoo" she would have!

I put her leash on her and grabbed a plastic bag to clean up what she usually does when we walk and out the door we went.

I tried to walk her a couple of time in the winter, but there is so much salt on the road that she would start limping because her feet were burning. Even if it was gorgeous outside, the roads were white from all of the salt and we still couldn't walk. Next year we will try boots for her.

We started down the street and I immediately remembered why I love walking in the morning. Except for an occasional car pulling out of a driveway.....it is perfectly silent.....except for one thing......the birds singing their glorious sunrise songs!

There is nothing like it in the world!!!

Pictured....my new fabric covered ceramic tile coasters...I love this fabric so much, and Wrigley our sweet little "rescue" puppy when we first got her, and now.

There Are No Bad Dogs....

Isn't that what they say? There are no bad dogs, just bad dog owners.

So, Wrigley and I are walking down the first street and I told you yesterday that I heard guys yelling for their dog, Lady. Then I see the younger guy, I am assuming the son, chasing the dog all over the place. Are you kidding me? Did he really expect to catch the dog? You don't chase dogs for one. They think it's a game and they'll run all day long with you chasing them. I thought about turning around and going the other way, but alas it was too late, Lady came running right at us from down the street.

I tried to stay calm so Wrigley couldn't sense my nervousness. Dogs know when you are nervous and it makes them nervous. So, I just kept walking. The hair stood up all the way down Wrigley's back when the dog approached and I will say it rattled my nerves a bit as well because it turned out to be a pit bull. It was only a puppy, but it was about 4 times the size of Wrigley and I had no idea what it was going to do.

The owners continued to try to coax her into the house, and they kept saying, "She won't bite," and I kept thinking.......are you sure?

I know that pit bulls get a bad rap, but if you recall a couple of years ago, there was a little boy and girl that were out selling something for school door to door that were attacked by 3 pit bulls.....well the little boy almost died. He was in the hospital for a long time. That attack happened at my corner. It was one of the most awful nights ever. We heard the gunshots when they shot the dogs. It was terrible. Those kids were ripped apart and have physical and emotional scars that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.

Needless to say, as much as I love dogs, I am leery of dogs I don't know, no matter what breed they are, when they are loose.

Lady jumped on me a few times...not a friendly little jump, but a running jump! Man was she strong! The son kept chasing and the dad kept telling him not to. I continued to walk, but she kept following us.

After she had approached us a few times and didn't try to bite me or attack Wrigley, I started putting my hand out to her, hoping she wouldn't rip it off and eventually I was able to grab her collar and her owner came over and took her.

We live in a neighborhood with a lot of dogs. Many people like us have more than one dog. Many of the dogs are in their yards and are allowed to bark at every person that strolls by. It's really annoying. Some of them are in their houses barking and lunging at the windows! It's unnerving.

Dogs that run around their yards barking at people, or dogs that do the same thing inside their houses are bored dogs with irresponsible owners. I feel bad for dogs that never leave their yards. How awful that must be. Even if you have a fenced yard, dogs need to be walked. They need to get out in the world. They need to be on a leash so they know that you are the boss. They don't need to be in the yard to play alone, they need you to play with them.

Bad behaviors happen when dogs are bored and aren't getting the attention and exercise they need. If you have a dog...walk them, play with them and always let them know that you are the boss. Discipline them with love and be consistent. That's what they need and that's what they want. So give your dog a big hug and then take him for a walk...it'll be good for both of you!