SATURDAY SALE

WINTERBERRY IRIS

UP VERY EARLY to go to the KSU GARDENS as they were having their FLINT HILLS IRIS SOCIETY SALE.  Usually in July each year they have this sale.

Last night I reviewed pictures of Irises to help me decide which Irises to purchase this year.  The Sale was cancelled last year due to COVID.  I went planning on buying Winterberry, Bridal Wreath and Batik.  Hubby wanted Song of Norway and Huckleberry Fudge.  We stood in line about 20 minutes before the sale started with about 50 people ahead of us.

Rio

Rapid Fire

Song of Norway

I went straight for the Winterberry and Hubby went for the Huckleberry Fudge.  We met each other half way, recounted the Irises bulbs we both got and went out again amongst the other shoppers.  It is a wonderful Sale for a wonderful cause.  I try to view the KSU GARDENS Irises in Bloom each Spring.

Huckleberry Fudge

Winterberry

As we were standing waiting to check out, I got light headed.  Thought I was going to faint.  There was no air blowing, it was hot and humid plus standing in place makes for the perfect storm for passing out.  I gave my Husband the bags of bulbs to purchase as I went back to the car to cool off with the air conditioner.  

I think between cutting calories and not having ate since 6pm the previous night, that as I heat up and don't cool down like a normal person, that I got light headed.  Better to be safe than sorry.  I walked to the car taking deep breathes.  Started the air up, watered down a napkin and wiped my face.  

After about 10 minutes, I perked up.  Waited for Hubby.   We did super on the Irises!  Not sure how many we purchased but I did get some Winterberry and Bridal Wreath.  Also got some Bridal Wreath, Queen's Circle, Rio, Rapid Fire and a few others.  NO BATIK.  sigh.  Perhaps next year and I didn't see any of the two tone purple like I had my heart set on.  I'll probably have to order through a catalog.  Hubby got his Song of Norway and Huckleberry Fudge plus Dusky Challenger. 

Drove HOME for breakfast and to rest up some and wash some dirty towels.  Need to go over to the Cottage later. When we got HOME from the KSU GARDENS, noticed a small package on the front porch.  Hurray the air conditioner part arrived.  Hopefully we will get the Cottage Air Conditioner up and going.  In this Summer heat, air is priceless.  

Now to plan our new Iris Garden at the Cottage.

Dusky Challenger

Queen's Circle

We plan to go over and eye ball the front, sides and back yards to make some plans for the flower beds.  While we are over at the Cottage I hope to dry some towels, fold them and go through some more boxes. 

We'll have a late lunch.  Mine will be a fresh salad with white tuna and of course grapefruit juice to drink.  Not sure about supper yet, but I will need to bake the turkey this afternoon.  Tomorrow will be turkey time and I'm looking forward to this.  It's been a while since I had turkey.  A very good protein.

   

Still on the look-out for these two-toned purple Irises.

Saturday has been a pretty good one so far.

God bless,

d

FREE FOR THE TAKING

I hope someone takes this GE Electric white with black accent range and puts her to good use. She has been in the cottage garage for 4 years.  Finally she is moved out to the curb.  I hope someone takes her home with them and we never see her again.

I HAD A VERY PRODUCTIVE DAY THURSDAY and that makes me HAPPY.  

Worked on correspondence most of the morning.  Took it upon myself to place my newest teapot up on the shelf above the kitchen sink.  Had to stretch.  

Sorted through some papers.  Dressed and groomed.  Breakfast of Grapefruit juice, 2 strips of crisp bacon and 2 scrambled eggs. Grapefruit Diet at its best.  I don't mind the breakfast.  

Friday weigh in to see if the scales budged.  Supposedly on day 5 the scales are to show weight loss.  If they are stuck, I will have to muster up some more well power to stay the course for the remainder of the 12 day course.  Friday is the half way day.  The time has flown.  (NOTE TO SELF:  Weighed myself Friday and the scales did budge!  Staying on this plan.  Tonight this 12 day round is half way over!!!)

Went through the mail.    

Loaded the car and off we went.  Dropped off the mail at the Post Office.  All should go out at 3:15pm.  Headed across the river toward small town America cottage.  SO HOT OUT IT HURTS. Hitting the high 90s.  The air conditioner has gone out at the cottage, so Hubby ordered the needed part.  It should be in next week.   

He shuffled items out in the garage to get a GE Electric range out of there to place by the curb. FREE.  It still has some life in it, but if we are going to make progress thinning out the cottage, garage, house and carriage house, then we have to get very serious about moving forward.  Out the range went.

I worked inside the cottage going through some boxes.  With the air conditioner not working I used ceiling fans to circulate some air.  A miserable 90 degrees inside the house.  Using bottled water on paper towels to wipe sweat helped cool me off.  I'd work a bit then cool off some. Repeat.  I was able to day dream about redoing this place.  First the master bedroom must be completely emptied of boxes and odds and ins.  This will take some time since the room is full.

It lifted my spirits to know that I was physically working at the cottage.  I left feeling so much better.  I did make some progress.  

We will have to get the air conditioner up and going before much time is spent working inside. The AC part does not come in until next week.  Stay busy doing something else while waiting.

By the time hubby came into the cottage, he was beet red and needing to cool off.

I did a lot of thinking how to go about cleaning out the cottage.  I came across a box of very long curtain panels still in their wrappers that can be used at our bigger house in one of the rooms that needs some 120" curtains.  I had completely forgotten that we even had these.  They should work alright and we can hang them in a few days.

Hubby has drawn up some landscaping drawings for the cottage yard.  We'll need to plow up some areas for new flower beds for the Irises that we will plant in August.  It's best to plant the bulbs in July and August so we have our work cut out for us.  The work will have to be done in the cool of the day.  

Flower beds plowed up, soil prepped, Irises popped up from the big house, transported to cottage and transplanted to flower beds, planted and watered well.  It will be an accomplishment when all is said and done.  A good week to two weeks worth of work. 

Before our Iris blossoms had faded, I wrote on labels to identify the color of the Irises.  This will help when gathering all the same kinds of Irises when we pop them out of the ground.  It is on my mind to get this done.  The sooner the better.  The KSU GARDENS will be having their Iris Sale this Saturday.  I'd love to go and see if they have any two toned purple ones.  I have grown to really like these, but then each year I zero in on different ones.  I hope I can get a few more to add to the collection.  

When the flower beds are made and filled, I will feed my dear, sweet husband a steak dinner for his efforts. 

Left the cottage and went to HOBBY LOBBY, made a Goodwill drop then went to Walmart for a few things needed for LIFE.  By this time it was getting late, so we ordered Arby sandwiches to help tie us over until we made it HOME.  I ate the roast beef and pitched the bun.  I did it.  When I got HOME, I ate a vegetable salad and drank some grapefruit juice.  Day 5 over.  

What will Friday bring?  Peace and relaxation before tidying some more on the Victorian room. Praying to be quick about it.  

Friday here we come,

d   

HOMEMAKING HAPPINESS and AN OLD FASHIONED BUDGET

~HOMEMAKING HAPPINESS 

and AN OLD FASHIONED BUDGET~

I have followed Mrs. White's Blog for years.  She had a GIVE AWAY and I was blessed to receive these two books she has written.  Thank you Mrs. White!  I am reading the books.  I was thrilled to win these.

I am a fan of her blog.  Please check her out.

https://thelegacyofhome.blogspot.com

Blessings to you,

d

BACON AND EGGS PLUS THRIFTY TREASURES

Remember that song, DON'T GO BREAKING MY HEART...I wouldn't if I tried?  This cartoon fits the bill for the way I am eating Breakfast these days.  Bacon and eggs plus grapefruit juice for the GRAPEFRUIT DIET or vintage Mayo Clinic DIET.  

12 days on, 2 days off, 12 days on, 2 days off until 2 and a half months is under my belt.  Started July 25th and will hopefully go until September 16th.  I pray I can do this thing and reduce to a healthier weight because when the doc says you are now MORBIDLY (SEVERELY) OBESE, it didn't rest well with me.

I had wanted to lose weight, but my body wasn't budging.  It took 21 days of the Daniel Diet then two rounds of the Color Wheel Diet. Now I am working at this Grapefruit Diet.  I will for sure give it the first twelve days then weigh in at the doctors.  If the scale hasn't budged again, then I may go back on the Daniel Diet.  That means no meat, no fruit, no dairy.  I know with having no thyroid that I am hypothyroid and that makes me not be able to lose weight easily.  I am carb challenged, insulin resistant and leptin resistant which = challenges with weight reduction.  Life isn't fair, but I choose to LIVE it and see what happens.  Eating nutritionally rich vegetables is a must for me.  KALE, KALE, KALE.

ONTO ANOTHER DAY of eating this way.  So far so good.  As I shopped the other day, I was stuck on thinking what I would like to eat on my days off of this Grapefruit Diet.  Ummmm.  It passed, but still I was putting too much thought on fooooood.  Slow down and enjoy the ride.  I confess towards the evening I get a little excited and say Day whatever is over.  Completed the day and onward to the next day.  Today I am on DAY 4 already.  Day 4!!!  

BREAKFAST over, LUNCH will be a jumbo vegetable salad with tuna.  SUPPER...not sure which meat, but cooked veggies on the side.

Recap of yesterday.  Which was a very good day.

I FINISHED DAY 3 of the Mayo Clinic Diet also known as the Grapefruit Diet.  I wasn't HOME to where I could drink grapefruit juice with the meal so I will forgive myself and continue on as best I can with the 3 meals a day plus a bedtime snack if needed.

TUESDAY being Senior Discount Day at God's Storehouse and Goodwill, I made a trip to Topeka to take advantage of the discount as I needed to pick up some organic vegetables from Natural Grocers.  Might as well have fun and make my trip count.

My morning was spent going through mail, writing out some birthday cards and reading the newspaper.  Checking my calendar for details concerning the month.  

Breakfast was delicious as I ate scrambled eggs with bacon and drank organic unsweetened grapefruit juice.  Grooming and dressing for the day happened.  Loaded the car with things I needed for the day.  Off to the Bank to have a Notary and two witnesses sign our Last Will and Testament.  Check that off of very important things to do with getting household in order.  A WILL.  

Our Texas Will back in the day was written up after we were traveling on Houston roads when the car beside us went into the ditch backwards at such a ridiculous speed I cringed.  I forget how fast we were going.  We had 3 very young children then.  Off to the Attorney's we'd go for a Will to be drawn up.  Fast forward to the year 2021.  Even though Kansas is a Right of Survivorship State, we were concerned that if both of us passed away on the same day as my cousin and her Husband did, that our estate would be out of order and our grown children would more than likely have to sort out the mess.  There'd be real estate to deal with, personal artifacts, furniture, cars, etc. to go through and dispose of.  I do not want that nor my Husband so after a deep discussion he worked out the details and we went to get the Last Will and Testament notarized and witnessed by three non-family witnesses. 

I will continue to get the rest of our belongings in order and thinned out.  This is on my mind and it will be my HOBBY and assignment until it is done.  Today is no exception.  The Victorian room needs tidied and organized.  I must forge ahead.   

Tuesday, I dropped off mail at the Post Office then drove to St. Mary's to eat lunch in a quiet environment at Sugarcreek Deli.  I had a Rachel Sandwich turned into a salad where there is no bread and no potato salad.  It was delicious.  The salad had about 2 cups of shredded lettuce with some spinach leaves.  A pile of cut up turkey and coleslaw on top.  Drank water.  Enjoyed it so much, I'd do it again, but of course there was no grapefruit juice.  My bad.  

NOTE TO SELF: When I'm out and about carry a small can of grapefruit juice so I stay true to drinking this juice with a meal.

Shopped at God's Storehouse (not air conditioned the best and I over heated), Goodwill (felt like heaven as I could feel the cool air blowing as I looked around), fueled the car, Menards (rode a motorized cart so the shopping went faster), Natural Grocers, then drove to small town america to put some bluejeans in the drier and go to Dollar General for a few items before eating at the Mexican Restaurant where I ordered the Chicken and Vegetable Soup.  

Ate and went back to the cottage to pick up the laundry and take a turkey out of the freezer.  Saw the kids.  Dropped a birthday card off to my Son.in.law.  Drove HOME in the dark.  When we get HOME after dark we call the darkness Bat-Thirty since there are bats in the area.  Still had to unload groceries and put food items in the fridge.  A very good day.

WEDNESDAY I will unwrap the treasures and put away.

I have a love affair with birds and already have a few birds throughout the house so I could not say NO to a cookie jar that looks like a chickadee.  I saw the cookie jar up high on one of their shop shelves, took it down to look at and I was sold.  I LOVE YOU!  

The cookie jar is darling and will be at HOME in the Cottage kitchen after it is remodeled.  I was so thrilled to get a cookie jar that looks like a fat bird.  Score.

TUESDAY TREASURE consisted of this Chickadee Cookie Jar, a white teapot, salt and pepper shakers, a pink Lady, circular wooden frames for 3 decorative dishes, a red dress that will be a reminder to continue on this journey of reducing weight.  For inspiration.  

No way is this dress the size they labeled it as.  It is much smaller than that.  Still, I thought it was pretty and I will have to shrink some dress sizes to get into it.  Now it is for inspiration to stick to a different way of eating for LIFE.  

When the day comes that I can fit into this dress for a special evening out with my Sweetheart, I will have to get shoes and purse to match then bedazzle myself with jewelry.  Hair appointment in order.  

AS I WAS SHOPPING MENARDS in a motorized cart, I saw three birds fluttering inside the store then land in the Bird Seed aisle. They were having a feast.  As I got closer to them, they flew up onto some beams, but returned as I went away from them.  I circled the aisle and returned to see them eating again.  When I sat at a distance watching these tiny creatures, it made me think that this is such a nice sight to see inside a building on an extremely HOT SUMMER day.  They were beautiful to watch.  So I do like birds.

TODAY, the washing machine is swirling the clothes, the thrifty treasures have been unwrapped, dining room furniture covered for protection from when the painting begins, blog worked on, day figured out.  Some correspondence needs to take place, Victorian room tidied and some clothing tried on.  Lunch fixed and ate.  Perhaps a nap or quiet time should take place as I think on how to decorate the COTTAGE.  One day closer to being done.

Blessings to you,

d 

   

STEADY GOES THE TORTOISE

DAY TWO ON THE GRAPEFRUIT DIET went well.  I have patted myself on the back because last week when it was an emotional roller coaster ride of a week I did not over eat to fill a void created by deaths in the family.  I managed to eat cautiously and not drown my sorrows by over eating and drinking.  That is saying a great deal about how I handled my sorrow and emotional eating.  I didn't overeat or drink.  Staying the course and I lost another 3 pounds.  Praise God.

Yesterday's meals have been eaten, I will revisit the fridge to see where we are on the next days meals so I can go shopping at Natural Grocers to stock up on a variety of lettuces and other veggies that I am allowed to eat during this 12 day segment.  By the time I go shopping I will have 2 days under my belt and 10 more to go before I have 2 free days which I will still be careful about intake and variety of food choices.  

Day off meals will include cooked oatmeal with fruit and a sprinkle of nuts and I will skip grapefruit juice.  Drink a V8 during the day.  Lunch will be whatever my little heart desires. Maybe actual tacos or burritos.  Supper...the same.  Whatever I want to munch on.  Might allow a small dessert.  Shall see.  Some different fruit instead of just grapefruit.  Cottage cheese sounds like a winner to me as I really like that stuff.  

The saying that 'nothing taste as good as being slender' comes to mind.

I have a frozen turkey that I will pull out of the freezer and let thaw for 3 days before baking. Looks like I will be baking it on Friday or Saturday meaning turkey for next weekend's meats on the Grapefruit Diet.  Also have some chicken in the freezer and a ham.  That provides a week's worth of meat to cover the bases for the next 10 days.

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ON THE HOME FRONT.  I have hopes of going through items this week that I will clean up and turn loose of.   The dining room still is waiting to be painted.  Plastic covers are needed to cover the remaining furniture in the dining room plus the carpet.  The curio cabinets need to be relocated elsewhere than the dining room.  I'd like less furniture in there to free up some space. Hubby is shuffling and cleaning the carriage house so there will be room to place some furniture in there making the interior of our HOME better situated for comfort and decluttering. 

I may be slow but I am still thinking and in motion as I am in slow- mo.  Steady goes the tortoise racing against the hare.  Who won the race, but the tortoise.  Hallelujah something went well going slow, but steady.

Weight loss is like that.  The slower the weight comes off it is more likely that it will stay off.  So away I go with having slow weight loss.  In the end, I hope I win by having victory losing weight that my 'ole body does not need to carry.  So long.

Blessings to you and thank you for stopping by spending some time in my corner of the world.  May we continue to be cautious what we put into our mouths and eat healthier to assist us in living a healthier life.

Are you with me?  

God bless,

d

GRAPEFRUIT DIET: DAY ONE

SOME HAVE SAID IT'S A HOAX.  I'm giving it a whirl.  My sister gave me a copy of the Mayo Clinic Diet that she received from her friend years ago.  I have had the copy stashed away and came across it recently.  Gave it some thought and decided that I will do this.  12 days on 2 days off until 2 and a half months is over.  If I can lose 52 pounds all the better.  The diet helped my sister's friend lose the weight.  It worked for him.  

Instead of calling it the Mayo Clinic Diet, I have altered it to the Grapefruit Diet.

That's 10 weeks.  I will see how it goes.  I will be weighing in at the doctor's office in August so I am hoping I will be down a few more pounds before stepping on the scales.  

BREAKFAST I can handle.  Eggs, bacon and 1/2 grapefruit or grapefruit juice every day.  Of course the eggs can be prepared fried, scrambled, poached or hard boiled.  Not raw.

LUNCH will be a large salad with salad dressing and chicken breast, tuna, ham or turkey for the protein also grapefruit juice to drink.  I can handle this as well.

SUPPER will be grapefruit juice to drink, meat prepared anyway along with red and green cooked vegetables or another salad with dressing.

SNACK is skim milk or tomato juice.  Can do.

THE VEGETABLES are limited in the choices.  No white veggies such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, no white onions or celery.  

ACCEPTABLE VEGETABLES are Bell peppers (red, green, yellow, purple and/or orange), broccoli, cabbage (different colors), carrots (different colors except white), cucumbers (different varieties available), green onions, lettuces (variety of different lettuces), radishes, red onions, spinach leafs and tomatoes (huge selection). 

I will have to get very creative with the salads.  This will be a challenge.  One nice thing is that I can use salad dressings.   

It does say that coffee affects the insulin balance that hinders the burning process.  This diet completely eliminates sugars and starches which are lipids and forms body fat.  Fat does not form fat, it burns it.

Before on the Daniel Diet I could eat all kinds of veggies.  No limitation on that.  Also a few nuts and legumes.  No meat.  No milk or dairy.  I lost weight on this one and may have to return to it if the weight does not come off with this diet.  

I have cut out coffee already.  Stopped in 2020, August 10th.  Almost my year anniversary.  Only thing I missed was sitting and holding a coffee mug.  That has passed.

I gave up regular and diet soda pop last February.  I have not missed it.  This surprises me as I say it.  No more root beer.

I seldom eat bread.  That's good.  Few sweets.  Gave up artificial sweeteners.  I have peace about this.

Avoiding high fructose corn syrup like the plague.  Striving to not eat foods with natural flavors as these are actually chemicals.  MSGs another.  It is legal in the USA to use chemicals to fool the brain into thinking what one is eating taste super good so one wants to eat more and more of it.  It's a calling my name sort of thing. 

Drinking Spring Water as much as possible.  Avoiding fluoridated water as much as possible.  

Eating ORGANIC veggies and fruits these days.  

On my days off on this diet, I will eat more fruits and a larger variety of vegetables.  Maybe some bread and dairy like cheese.  Shall see how this goes.

SUNDAY MEALS:

Breakfast of scrambled free-range eggs with bacon bits mixed into the eggs plus bacon on the side and a organic grapefruit.

Lunch

Lettuce, cherry tomatoes, green bell pepper salad with Green Goddess Salad Dressing and Steak.  Organic Unsweetened Grapefruit juice.

Supper

Chicken Breast with Roasted Red Pepper, Spinach, Onion, Diced Tomatoes and Organic Unsweetened Grapefruit Juice

DAY ONE IS COMPLETED.  Day two to follow.  I believe I will spruce it up some with a larger selection of lettuces, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers and carrots.  Each day I will need to switch it out so I don't get bored with the same ole same ole food.

Blessings to you and may we care about what we shovel into our mouths.  God help us carry out healthy choices that will aid us in a healthy lifestyle and walk.  Let the weight come off and stay off.  

Amen,

d

     

  

IT WAS THE WORST OF TIMES...IT WAS THE BEST OF TIMES

 This week to come, I will easily thin out some things and help hubby shuffle in the upstairs television room.  We believe we can turn this room NOW into a art studio for hubby in a week.  We talked it over and decided that this is a temporary studio that will be ready for him to create artwork in when he wants to.  We both know that we have much to do to work over the Cottage, but on those days that he cannot work on remodeling, he will have a place to paint and draw.  We will be updating our will this week.  Weight loss and having our household in order is a priority. 

So things continue to morph into the unknown.

Last week was a difficult one, but also full of blessings.  Sunday, I continued to prepped for a colonoscopy and on Monday after the procedure, woke up with a new lease on LIFE.  Thank you, God.  

Tuesday was thrift day.  How'd we prosper?  We came HOME with a very old rocking chair that will have to be beautified in the future.  Believe it's what is called a Victorian Parlor Rocking Chair which was fashioned after what Abraham Lincoln liked in a rocking chair.  High back and comfortable feel toward the body.  Looking at fabric and giving it some thought as to what to get.  No rush.  

Hubby cleaned and shuffled in the carriage house making room for the Victorian Parlor Rocking Chair that needs reupholstered.  

Also a Grand got braces.  Smile for me.

 

We placed a couple of mattresses and a box springs under a shade tree to give away.  Free to whoever.  The next day they were gone.  Somebody got a decent mattress, a bonus mattress and box.  Getting this out of the cottage opened up a room I will be painting soon.  More to clear out of that room for sure, but it felt good to get it out of the house.  Moving forward.

By Wednesday, I needed to rest.  Hubby picked his only green pepper out of his miniature garden so far and a chili pepper.  So he was all smiles as well.

  

Thursday was lunch with my singing friends.  Ate a salad.  We caught up on life.  We had a wonderful visit, but Judy is going to be checked for Alzheimers in the near future.  Each time we meet to visit, we have a story or two to tell.  Some good news and sometimes some sad.  

It may seem like all I do is eat.  That night hubby and I tried a meal at the newest Mexican Restaurant in the area.  Such a colorful environment and actually the food was very good.  I know we'll return.  Hubby loves Mexican food.

Friday was a gender reveal party for my daughter and son.in.law's BABY!  

It's a BOY.  More smiles.

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Sigh.  Saturday was the funeral for my cousin and her husband.  

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Almost 47 years ago we all danced at the Starlight Ballroom on a HAPPY occasion, their wedding, August 14, 1974.  Also a Saturday.

The live music was loud and hot dogs were served.  Nothing like a hotdog to celebrate a wedding dance.  Pilsen, back in the day had three Ballrooms.  The Starlight was built in 1937 with a floating wood floor.  

On a happier note, I saw my Mom and Ella.

We drove HOME and rested.  

I watched what I ate this past week, but am actually looking forward to being on a more structured diet for 12 days.  God will assist me to stick to this food program.

THEN THE NEW WEEK BEGINS.

Hugs,

d