2015…….

And the best……….

Blessings my friends. Thank you for helping me through a difficult year and one also filled with blessings and love.

Wilbur….

Wilbur is our 10 year old Beagle. He’s getting up there in age and needs a bath once a week. Does Wilbur like these baths….?…… No way!So today I gave him and Scout and me a shower. Thinking if we are all together just maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Do you think it worked ….?… Nope, nada, still hates them. So after I got him and Scout washed and dried…sorta…it was time to go out and do the chores. It’s –15* today so a bit chilly but still managable. It’s just a quick trip this morning so let the dogs come with me and when I was done with the fire and chickens I met Wilbur at the door. I looked at him and he looked sad and full of stickers. I thought great, now with wet hair I have to figure out how to get the burrs out. Well as it turns out, they weren’t burrs….it was ice cold pea rock stuck to his fur, everywhere. Poor Wilbur. I went in and got the horse brush and brushed him off but you just have to see what he looked like before…..I couldn’t help but laugh.

He’s all better now except he’s still damp. It seems to take him a good two days to dry all the way to the skin. There are blankets on the furniture and doors closed. Nope, today was not Wilbur’s favorite day.

Now Scout, she didn’t care I was petting and talking and petting and ….. well she loves the attention and really didn’t care at all. Good puppy.

Still unhappy. But he loves me anyways.

Hope you’re having a great day. 6 more days till I go back to work. Well the full time work. This afternoon and evening I have George and on Friday I drive boys basketball to Wadena. But that still leaves me plenty of time to take care of home stuff, my parents and even work on my journey. How’s that going you wonder? Well I’m not perfect but have kept off 4 lbs for the holiday. So working on more. And there’s still no snow for skiing so walking and hiking is working except today, it’s just a bit to cold to enjoy a long hike. So just am moving my butt at home.

Take care and chat with you all in the new year. It’ll be a great and challenging and blessing new year. You’ll see, we’ll make it that way.

Even I know it’s water but ….

220.0 this morning. So a good start. With tomorrow I’m hoping to just maintain the loss and on Friday work hard to get it some more to move. Calories around 1000 or just a tad less and getting 2 serving's of fruit and veggies a day and protein. No heavy carbs and no sugar. I walked 5.9 miles yesterday according to my fitbit and worked until 11:00 last night with George. Really the last two hours he slept so I cleaned the house up a bit for him and his family.

Today is Christmas eve. Such an awesome day, a day we know that our Lord Jesus was born just for us. I am reading a book that Deb sent me and we are sharing together faithfully fit. It’s a devotional, weight loss book to end all diets. I am on day 4 and it’s about surrender. Did you know surrender is terrible hard? I’m working on it but have such a very long ways to go. Same as my pounds and miles to get done. However it’s possible and I’m learning.

Heading over to my parents shortly to get a few things done and than I am hoping that mama can open up her Christmas gifts from daddy and I. I have never gone shopping with daddy for gifts but he’s not able to do that any more but he sure was able to pick out what he wanted the love of his life to have. I can’t wait for her to see and enjoy and just maybe understand that even though daddy can’t always tell her anymore that he feels the love for her she can see it. IT WILL BE AWESOME!!!

So to finish up the laundry, vacuum, feed the birds and get going. Take care my friends and have a wonderful Christmas eve.

Blessings!!!

Day one….

So today was my beginning. How did I do? Not bad at all if I do say so myself. I kept my calories under 1000 (yes that’s low, no it’s not forever…it’s just to get me past the sugar and carb mess I’ve made) and I walked 60 minutes. Not fast walking, just walking up and down all around but for a steady 60 minutes. It’s a beginning. I have planned my meals for tomorrow because I am working away from home for 12 hours.

My beginning weight is 225. I didn’t get to the measuring part yet but will soon. I just can’t wait until my pants are loose and my blouses fit comfortable. Than of course the next step of things just not fitting but for now, one step at a time.

I hope you all had a great Monday and are getting more and more into the Christmas spirit. This time of year is so amazing and wonderful. So much to be thankful for and blessed with.

I won’t be able to tell you about day two but I’ll be back for day three.

Blessings my friends!

Monday is the day….

So my plan for getting into shape for my 2015 adventure in 50 mile hiking and just getting into a shape that isn’t quite so round and mushy.

First, I love me. I always have. There’s parts of me that need help and those are what I’m going to be working on but really they (whomever they is) say you have to love yourself to help yourself. I am a believer in the Lord helps them who helps themselves so I’ve always been self sufficient and always ready to take on whatever this is to do. I need people to help me too when I just can’t do things on my own and I do ask at times. And I ask the Lord almost daily to help me through whatever is in store for me for the day. My life has changed tremendously in the past 3 years but I really haven’t rolled well with it even with the loving me, doing what I know I need to do, asking for help when I need it. So I’m taking charge again and this time going to work hard at obtaining my goal.

My goal is also not just the hike. You know my title…healthy wealthy and wise… well I have to work on those parts too. I am going to save for my hiking adventure. For the state sticker, to the new backpack, to a few supplies and to at least 2 pairs of good hiking boots. And I am going to read anything and everything I can about other peoples hikes, experiences and tips. Plus how to’s. I’m not a beginner by any means, I’ve been to the BWCA many times, I’ve camped tons of times but hiking without anyone, hiking for a few days….that’s all new for me and I want to be prepared.

It’s winter time and I am mostly going to do the reading and preparing my body. The big thing is, there is no 911 right there on the trail so being healthy, being strong, being in the right mindset is very important.

So part one: Getting into shape. I have a shape but it’s just way to round and soft to rely on out on the trail. So I need to lose 40 lbs. I have never wanted to be a skinny minny, a chunky kind of person is just fine with me but one that is healthy and strong.

Step one: start getting the miles in again. But I’m going to start right away with a backpack. Just a normal one but fill it with a gallon of water. That’s 11 pounds right away. I am going to be skiing this coming month also. The water in the backpack serves as two things, a bit of weight and also some movements to work with.

Step two: cutting and counting calories. The first two weeks will be a kick start, 800-1000 calories a day. I know this is low and it’s only for a week or two to get over the sugar carvings, the carb carvings and to get my head on straight and relearn the right way of eating. I chose these two weeks because I’m not driving bus so can put up with the headache and the crabbies that come with not getting the goodies I want. I will have a few days that will be super hard but I don’t fix Christmas dinner, we go out and I can preplan the eats. I don’t have daycare but one day so will eat before the kids come and plan a nice meal that I can have a bit of too. I have my home healthy care gentleman but I fix meals for him, I can bring a salad. So for the next 14 days I will be doing this.

On Monday I will weigh myself, measure myself and take a fat picture of me. I will continue to love me even though parts of me are terrible and I will work on fixing them.

I want to hike, I want to plan hikes all over the state of Minnesota. And than just maybe someday can plan hikes all over the USA. Now that’s exciting.

My new motto:

Joy on the journey, enjoy getting there.

I have the willingness to change.

Take care my friends and have a blessed weekend. I’m going to eat a few things that I won’t be eating any more….like cold cereal, cinnamon toast and crackers. And starting Monday morning it begins.

See you Monday.

New beginning….

 

So to start a new beginning you have to have a start so since I will be off during Christmas vacation……remember I’m a bus driver.

I do have my personal care for George that is two days a week and I have one day of daycare but otherwise it’ll be time to start. I’m not going to wait until the new year to start.

My weight is 225 lbs (not my highest but pretty darn close). I am back into my 18’s and it’s a good thing they have a stretch waist at times. I am back into 2xl blouses. I can’t reach my toes, I can’t stretch to reach everything I’d like, I can’t squat without falling over.

I could have a fit that I wasted two years of my life getting to a wonderful size and weight where I was happy but it’s not worth the effort because I am now here and know that I did it once, I will do it again.

Day one will be December 22nd. More thoughts coming. Hopefully a plan of some kind too.

Not even going to try to catch you up….

 

It has been a very, very long time since I have posted anything. I have kept up with a lot of you and am very proud that you all are either improving, working on or continuing your journeys in health and life. I don’t always comment but do know that I have lurked and kept tabs.

There is no way I can catch you up to where I am in life but I can tell you that life hasn’t been easy though I know it’s not suppose to be. After losing Cindy becoming an only child has been a challenge but to make the challenge harder is watching my daddy leave us piece by piece and watching a once quiet mom become angry and frustrated and hard to console. Along with that Mike has lost 3 very awesome jobs but none due to anything he’s done, one because of no money, one because the company laid off everyone and one because the promised position never materialized. We have pulled together as a family to make sure he’s still able to stay in his own home and keep his car and he’s worked many temp jobs to help too. But it has made the money issues hard on top of the mental issues. However, there is a silver lining and Mike got a new full time 40 hours a week job that starts next week and once he’s trained in things will be much better for him and us.

Stress is not good for anyone and some handle it differently than others but for me I eat and sleep and struggle though each day. I work as many hours as I can and that means 2 part time jobs that add up to about 65 hours every couple of weeks plus home care for my parents that adds up to just about every other waking hour except after 7 at night I insist I am home for Jim and Mike (unless the phone rings and I’m needed). Yes, people say you have to take care of you to take care of others but that isn’t always possible no matter what others think or do. At least for me, it hasn’t worked. I have gained every single pound I lost back in 2012 and I’ve lost all tone. I am a big pile of fat.

However………….yep, it’s time to figure this out because there are some thing’s I can’t change but some thing's I have to.

I have set a goal for 2015. I am going to go hiking. I am going to take time each day to work towards a hiking trail I have already picked out. Heard of Tettegouche State Park? It’s north of Duluth. It has 23 miles of hiking trails, water falls and the Baptism River. I have been dreaming about the Baptism River for the past few weeks. When I was little my family and I use to camp, hike and fish there and I am being drawn there. So even though I am far from being in shape for this camping/hiking trip I am going to work for it. I will have to be able to hike for 3 days, carrying a 40lb backpack up and down very rough trails. Mike has said he’d join me as my partner as long as he’s able and even though I don’t think a person should hike alone, if he can’t join me I’m still planning on doing it.

I haven’t a plan yet on how to really prepare but I am an outdoor person, I have canoed hundreds of miles in the BWCA, walk/hike many miles and know quite a bit about outdoor life so am pretty sure this is something I can do and in the process find a place for me in this new life that has been bestowed on me. I can be an only child taking care of her parents and her grandma. I can be a wife that truly loves the man of her dreams and give him the love that he needs to know this. I can be a mom of an adult son that is really awesome and gives everything his all. I can be a friend to the most wonderful people in the world. Kim, Sally and Terri are my life line on days where I just can’t go on. They listen, care and love me no matter what.

So I am back, if you’ll have me that is. Healthy wealthy and wise …. still not but learning.

sharing....

My most favorite people in the whole wide world!!!

Wilbur….

I have had some long hours this past week or more and Wilbur has been missing me something terrible. He hates to ride but still goes with us when able. He hides his head under the seat and just pretends the world isn’t there. Anyways, today he bugged and bugged while I was doing chores and I knew what he wanted but I can’t take him to work with me ….. or can I. Mike was coming out to the house to do some business and it was about an hour after I got to work so I did what he wanted, he got to go for a ride and spend the first 45 minutes at work while I got everything done outside and ready to open. He enjoyed his time with me and I’m hoping that it eased his mind a bit when mama is gone so long.

My boy, my protector, my friend, my …. well just mine!!

Blessing my friends!

And the news….

And smarter they are ….. because they took a young man that knows a bit about lots of things and hired him in a position that they can teach him, mold him and inspire him. He has been hired as an Engineer and a trainee in robotics. He gets to use his many talents from college and other jobs such as welding, plasma machining, fabrication and manufacturing. His wages are that of a trainee but with great potential. This is what he’s been looking for, something challenging and exciting. It is the answer to his and our prayers. And we have your love and support to thank too.

Mike works 4 10 hours days but also has an hour travel both ways. He’s thought about moving closer but that makes him further from friends and family and that is not what he wants so he is selling all his extra things such as guns and equipment, his dirt bike and his very first car – a suburban, and whatever else we can come up with so he can get a good size down payment on a new to him 4 wheel driver or all wheel drive vehicle. There are times in life that I wish I could help him more than just being supportive but I also know that this is how we grow and learn and become the people/person we want to be.

I am very proud of Mike. He has picked himself up and dusted himself off a few more times than most people have too but we also know less than lots so for all of this he/we are very thankful. Life’s lessons is making Mike into the man he really wants to be. It is awesome being the mama and getting to be part of it and watching and learning also.

So there you have the update. Isn’t it really truly awesome?!!!!

Blessings my friends!!!!

My daddy and I went on a hike today…

And my camera died so I had to use my cell phone but for this one time the pictures turned out awesome. As you drive around the little lake you can see this white patch on our back hill. Last year Mike mowed it for camping and this year nothing has been done so the flowers took over. I love the fact they follow the path up the hill.

 

  

 

So enjoy the pictures my friends and I am going to get ready for bed. It’s been a long afternoon/evening at the golf course and now tomorrow I have daycare. No complaints from me, I’m loving it.

Blessings!!

Please pray for Mike…

It’s his turn for that gray cloud to move away and for some sunshine to flood into his life. He has given his all and it is time for him to be rewarded. Please pray for Mike.

Blessings my friends!!!

Getting the miles in….

Just walking but getting there. Going to start C25K maybe even next week. I have at least three 5K’s coming up in August that I want to try and do each one better than the last.

Hope you’re having an awesome day. I get my daycare kids today, I’m in heaven. They are just here to spend the day with me, when your 11, 12 and 14 you don’t need daycare, you just need Julie’s love and she needs theirs.

Blessings!!!!

Summer has arrived….

Isn’t it awesome when summer arrives? Well for us up here it is. I just love this weather, I love the green, I love the gardening, the mowing, the outdoors and I love that I listened to myself and didn’t stay with a job I hated beyond hate and took one that is just about perfect. Just about is only because it’s part time summer work but that’s the only downer the rest is awesome. Want me to tell you about it? Well I’m going to even if you don’t want to know.
You already know that I work special needs on Fridays, I am a special home health aide for a 92 year old gentleman that oh so wants to go home so he’s working hard at a friends house so he can go . And my best part, I am working at a mini golf course in Deerwood. I can be outside almost as much as I want to be plus for a summer part time job the pay isn’t awful. If you click on the picture it’ll take you to Traditions web page and you’ll get to learn a bit more about it and if you live or visit our area, please stop in…you will be delighted and we’ll be ecstatic to see you.
Life has settled down. My parents are doing pretty good. In fact they came to work to see me. See…..

                                                   

                                                              Scott and Mike too.

Mike is settled at his job and shortly will be off probation (the first 90 day thing) and him and the company are looking forward to being able to use him in other departments like engineering as well as fabrication and shipping and receiving that he already works in. He works for in McGregor. If you click on the Floe you can see what they do and what Mike is apart of. We know it’s not the diesel tech that he went to school for but at least he’s using his minor, welding. And one day a job will roll around that is meant for him as a diesel technician. 
My husband has gone from the …. well not the winner of the husband award to an awesome, understanding, wonderful man. There is no more egg shell walking, there is no more worrying about what I’ve done, said, thought or expressed because it’s not his thoughts. I have fallen back in love with him and it’s marvelous.
Now it’s time to fall back in love with me. I have gained all my weight I lost back (except about 10 lbs) and I could make excuses about how life sucked and how things just didn’t work but I can’t go back and fix things, I can’t bring Cindy back, I can’t change my daddy’s future and I can’t fix things that were broken. But I can move forward and I am. I started last week with watching what I was eating and cutting out the sugar again and I know very well I feel awesome when I do that so I will keep that going this week and today I was up and out of the house as soon as Mike came and ate breakfast and dropped off his dog. I walked 2 miles and saw the most beautiful morning.  
And after my walk and a breakfast of berries and yogurt I went out and tilled the garden. It has been so wet and nasty that I’ve lost over 1/2 my tomato crop, 3/4 my brussel spouts, 1/2 my cucumbers, 1/2 the peas and 1/2 my peppers but the corn, kohlrabi, onions, sunflowers and potatoes are coming along just fine….slow but growing. The weeds are amazing, no matter what the weather is they thrive just fine. So today I finally got in there and took care of them and will have to do it again on Friday but at least I got to get that done.
By 9:30 I already have my steps in for the day and I still have a shift at the golf course which I get lots of walking, bending from weed picking, tree and shrub trimming, picking up balls in the batting cage and lots of arm power skimming ponds. I am a work in progress.
So I am hoping that since life has settled down some that I can stop by and visit you and see what you’ve been up too. I have a few bloggers I get in my in-box but I know I’ve missed out on quite a bit of your lives and hope to be able to stop and see and comment.
Take are my friends. I hope you all are doing awesome. You really are a top notch bunch of wonderful people that I am truly blessed to “know”.

Summer is here….

It has been an awesome summer so far. One camping trip in, garden is in, flowers are growing, 2 new summer jobs – one is at a mini golf course, and it’s sunny and warm and ….. well it’s summer and I am happy.
I hope you all are having an awesome season, no matter what one you’re in. Take care and God Bless!!

My mother’s day gift….

I love my son!!!!

Happy Easter….

Just Deb and I?

Is there anyone out there that would like to take a 14 week challenge with us?  Monday starts our beginning. Deb and I gave the full challenge a shot the past 10 days and I’m going to say doing all the 14 weeks at one time didn’t work for me. I am going to work on this just a week at a time. More manageable and maybe I’ll learn better one at a time. If you want to join us, click here and link up. 

14 Weeks of “Real Food” Mini-Pledges:

• Week 1: Two fruits and/or vegetables per meal – Eat a minimum of two different fruits or vegetables (preferably organic) with every breakfast, lunch, and dinner meal.
• Week 2: “Real” beverages – Beverages will be limited to coffee, tea, water, and milk (only naturally sweetened with a little honey or 100% pure maple syrup). One cup of juice will be allowed throughout the week, and wine (preferably red) will be allowed in moderation (an average of one drink per day).
• Week 3: Meat – All meat consumed this week will be locally raised (within 100-miles of your hometown). Meat consumption will also be limited to 3 – 4 servings this week, and when it is eaten meat will not be presented as the “focal point” of the meal. Instead meat will be treated as a side item or simply used to help flavor a dish.
• Week 4: No fast food or deep-fried foods – No fast food or any foods that have been deep-fried in oil.
• Week 5: Try two new whole foods – Try a minimum of two new whole foods that you’ve never had before.
• Week 6: No low-fat, lite or nonfat food products – Do not eat any food products that are labeled as “low-fat,” “lite,” “light,” “reduced fat,” or “nonfat.”
• Week 7: 100% Whole grain – All grains consumed must be 100% whole-grain.
• Week 8: Stop eating when you feel full – Listen to your internal cues and stop eating when you feel full.
• Week 9: No refined sweeteners – No refined or artificial sweeteners including (but not limited to): white sugar, brown sugar, raw sugar, sucanat, splenda, stevia, agave, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, brown rice syrup, and cane juice. Foods and beverages can only be sweetened with a moderate amount of honey or maple syrup.
• Week 10: No refined oils – No refined or hydrogenated oils including (but not limited to): vegetable oil, organic vegetable oil, soybean oil, corn oil, canola oil, organic canola oil, margarine, and grape seed oil.
• Week 11: Eat local foods – Eat at least 1 locally grown or raised food at each meal. This includes, but is not limited to: fruits, vegetables, eggs, grains, nuts, meats, and sweeteners like honey.
• Week 12: No sweeteners – Avoid all added sweeteners including, but not limited to: white sugar, brown sugar, raw sugar, honey, maple syrup, date sugar, maple sugar, sucanat, splenda, stevia, agave, fruit juice concentrate, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, brown rice syrup, and cane juice.
• Week 13: Nothing artificial – Avoid all artificial ingredients including, but not limited to: sweeteners, flavors and colors.
• Week 14: No more than 5-ingredients – Avoid any and all packaged food products that contain more than five ingredients no matter what ingredients

Hope that life is treating you well. Blessings my friends!!!

Change For A Dollar

I been having some issues lately with having to find a second job. I am having to leave things that I really enjoy and don't want to move forward. But life is what it is and I have had to move on. I've been feeling sorry for myself. I been sad, crying and just plain down. Today I stopped by Debs and she posted this on her blog and she's been having her own things going on. But this youtube video puts things so much into perspective. I am lucky that I have found a second job. A job that I know very well that I will be great at. It's something I do and I do well and even though the job I'm letting go I was the best at I have to move forward. This video helped. I am lucky, I need to remember that. Thank you Deb for sharing. I hope this helps someone like it did us.

Bless you my friends!!

My menu for the 10 day real food challenge:

10 day real food challenge menu

Monday

Breakfast: eggs with peppers and slice of cheese and grapefruit

Lunch: 100% ww wrap with steamed chicken, carrots, peppers and shredded lettuce and banana

Supper: quadrilles with veggies and homemade sausage

Tuesday

Breakfast: oatmeal with dried blueberries and craisins

Lunch: 2 hard boiled eggs, apple, string cheese

Supper: Chicken breast grilled, baked potato and salad

Wednesday

Breakfast: homemade pancakes with banana and dried blueberries and real syrup

Lunch: egg salad sandwich in ww wrap, chopped up peppers

Supper: grilled fish with red potato and squash and baked apple

Thursday

Breakfast: rice chex, milk and banana

Lunch: Yogurt, hard boiled egg, string cheese and apple

Supper: taco's and apple sauce (mine)

Friday

Breakfast: Oatmeal with apple and cinnamon

Lunch: Grilled cheese sandwich on ww bread, apple and orange

Supper: Chicken chow mien and noodles, apple sauce

Saturday away from home

Breakfast: fruit smoothie with greens

Lunch: peanut butter and jelly sandwich, apple, string cheese and nuts

Supper: scrambled eggs with peppers, cheese and orange

Sunday

Breakfast and lunch: one meal out with Jim will do my best

Supper: grilled pork chop, red potatoes with onions and peppers and grilled apples

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday will just be a repeat of those days….

So what do you think? Should I figure out the calories before hand or as each day goes by? I’m thinking I’ll just log it in my fitbit and tweak it as needed. I’m doing this for healthy eating but also to lose some weight at a reasonable rate and something I can keep up for a life time. This stupid dieting type stuff just doesn’t work for me, I have to learn to do whatever I’m going to do that will last a life time. How about you, what do you do?

I’m going to look in the healthy section for breads and wraps and tortillas. Otherwise will see what I can find in the normal spots but watch the labels. I tried the no breads but that didn’t work so well so will just see what I can find that will work for me. Still staying away from the sugary wheat cereals but going with corn or rice and oatmeal.

I will find the recipe for my life that works. I WILL!!!

Take 10-Day Pledge

Deb and I have been trying to work together to lose weight. We have a blog together Long distant friends getting fit together that we were working on together but had put it to rest for a little bit, however we are both still texting, emailing and encouraging each other to do what’s right.

Anyways, Deb has asked me to do the 100 days of real food with her. Since I know very well how terrible I am at committing to anything that long I am going to start out with the 10 day challenge. It’s the same as the 100 day challenge but a start that I can handle. Deb is going for the 14 Weeks of “Real Food” Mini-Pledges. After my first 10 days that I’ll start up the 14 weeks.

It’s really not that hard, or at least appears not to be but after looking in my cupboards to get my grocery list ready for tomorrow I am seeing that this could be a lot harder than I expected. It’s not that I can’t do this, it’s just that sometimes groceries are cheaper in the processed isles than the real food isles. My grocery list is going to look like this, this week. I have $20.00 for this week. Milk, bag of peppers, apples, yogurt and a package of fish. I am blessed with all the veggies I put up last year, I have my own chicken, I have my own syrup (from a great friend), and I have a few nuts left over from last years pickings.

I love the number 10, so I’m also going to put 10 in 10,000 steps a day, 10 minutes of stretching and fish flopping exercises a day. I’ve been slack in everything and it is just plain time to kick me in the butt and get this spring started the right way.

It looks like our snow is done for awhile and we’ll be having 50* days for the next few days so I am going to take advantage of them and get out there and move. The less time in the kitchen, the less time to eat. I do have to plan a menu to go with my grocery list and 10 days of real foods.

Want to join Deb and I. There are many options to the 100 days of real food, why don’t you click the link and just take a peek. For some jumping in with two feet and succeeding is awesome, for others a week at a time is wonderful, for me I’m trying the 10 day challenge. I am hoping for awesome and wonderful also.

Take care my friends and do have the best weekend possible.

Blessings!!

Changes …

March 11th my heart broke. Last August Mike, my son, was hired at my bus garage as a diesel mechanic. It seemed to be his calling and he loved his job. He worked well with the bus drivers and the boss. I loved seeing him every single day a couple times a day. He would leave me treats in my bus, he’s leave me drive careful, I love you notes, my bus has never ran or worked better. But life changed, our bus garage couldn’t afford a full time mechanic and he was let go. No warnings, no real reasons just called into the office at noon time, after he worked 1/2 day, told that he was done…pick up your tools, here’s your paycheck. That was it, did done over with. Now my heart broke for me but after a few minutes I had to think about Mike, he loved this job, he thought this was it….his home job, a life time job. His heart was broken, he felt worthless, just felt like crap. Once a decision is made by your place of work it’s made and can’t be undone so Mike was out. Now put yourself in my shoes, I still work there. I have to work there every single day, seeing everyone every single day and explaining that Mike was let go. He was told he was a good mechanic with great potential but still gone. My bosses are awesome people but for right now I love my job but I don’t love my bosses. I’m not going anywhere’s because I do love my job but right now I just go to work and talk to no one and go home. It’s difficult.

3 weeks of job hunting, tons of resume’s sent out, lots of applications filled out. Lots and lots of miles driven, phone calls and lots of patience and no patience. Mike got a phone call today. He has a job. What is so cool about it is it’s from a company Mike worked for a while ago. The company wrote a recommendation when Mike went off to college and it got him great reviews and more but anyways, they heard Mike was available and contacted Mike with a full time job that starts next Monday. He will be welding, driving forklift and in the near future working on their diesel equipment.  And they didn’t need him to fill out any applications, didn’t want his resume and didn’t want an interview, they know Mike and how hard he works and Mike wants them because they are a great company to work for. All in all, YEAH!!!!

And, because I drive bus I have summers off and that means no job and there’s no way I can live without money for the summer. Up until now I’ve always had daycare but they are all the ages of if they come that’s okay, if they stay home that’s fine too. I asked for some kind of commitment from my daycare parents and none have come up with anything. Now I know this is just the beginning of April and who knows that far in advance but they know I didn’t expect anything written in stone, just an idea. But life is moving forward and so must I so that means another new job for me. So for me I can drive anything, it can have wheels or tracks doesn’t matter. It can be 10’ long or 100’ long so I have been looking and inquiring at many different places and today I got hired as a shuttle driver from Brainerd to Minneapolis. It’s mostly for the Minneapolis airport but there are other runs in there too. So I know now during the school year I will have weekend and school vacation employment and a full time job for the summer. I am happy and a bit sad that I have to work all the time and still have time for my family that needs me. I make it work, I fit it all in and my mama watches me and tells me when it’s time to slow down or take a day. She sees things in me that I can’t see or feel right away and though it’s really hard to explain she’s always right about this and I’ve learn to almost always listen. So all in all, another YEAH!!!

So now you know why I haven’t been around much lately, there just hasn’t been time to take to write a decent post. There’s still so much happening with everything else but for now I am going to enjoy the fact that we are all employed and that bills will get paid. The worry of a car going down the road because we didn’t make the payments, or getting those nasty phone calls you forgot to pay this, or driving by the grocery store when you know you need something but there just isn’t enough to stop and get it so you make due. Now I know very well that there isn’t the extra money to just go buy a pair of shoes or go out to eat just because but I can handle that, the necessary's are taken care of and that makes breathing a bit easier.

I have another post to write about …… well health. But for now, for this weekend we’ll bask in the sunlight of two down, a whole bunch to go.

I hope you all have a blessed and awesome weekend. My last Saturday to sleep in and just be so am going to sew a little bit, maybe bead a bit, take a nap and do a bit of planning ahead for next week.

Take care my friends!!!

Snow…..Spring?

Thursday in St. Cloud. I worked special needs this week so that meant driving from Crosby to St. Cloud, staying and than coming home 5 days this week. It was good for a change but I will be so ready to get back into my bus on Monday.


This is today, March 29th. I had to go to our neighbors and read they propane tank gauge and had to trek through 3-4’ of snow. Than I decided to take our goose to my parents. He needed to get out and move around a bit so I made him walk the road with me to their house and than took my daddy for a nice long walk. I figured the goose would wait at their house until I came back. NOPE!!!! He decided he wanted to go back to my house. Of course he knows better than to walk the road alone so he walked the top of the snow drifts to our fence line and than got stuck. The fence line is also the tree line so that means the snow goes from deep to just about grass and he rolled down the snow bank into the trees and couldn’t get back. I could hear him calling for me coming back from my walk. I Couldn’t find him until I followed his foot prints but it was so funny, all I could do was hear him and he me and he’d honk and honk and I finally found him. Got him back on the snow and he waddled home through the gate while I fell through the snow, up past my knees, home. I may of gotten little or no exercise this week driving but I sure got lots of exercise this morning trudging through the snow.
Where’s spring? I think it left us for another place. More snow tomorrow and Monday. Yippie, NOT!!!!
Hope you’re having a great weekend. Sorry I’ve been away for a bit but life has some huge bumps I’m working on and it’s taking all my strength and courage to get through them. I’ll share next week but till than just keep my family in my prayers as I do yours in mine.
Blessings my friends!!!

Week one completed…

So my fitbit sends me things and this is a recap of last week. My first full week with the fitbit. I’m still working on figuring it all out but so far it’s done most of the work for me. I lost 1.1 lbs and didn’t eat any cereal or bread. It’s a beginning. Now it’s onto week 2. I had some gluten free bread and I’m not impressed but if I’m really missing it I can make this a go to bread. I had some rice cold cereal and I’m not impressed but know that this can be a good too also. I think I’ll just stick with no bread and cereal for a while. It’s to early in the plan to add these things back anyways.

Yesterday I got a gift from Deb. She sent me the Wheat Belly book written my William Davis, MD. We are going to read this together and learn how to limit and enjoy without feeling deprived and to learn why we need to do this. Since I’m not self diagnoising me, I’m just looking for a better way to eat and feel good I’m not going to take all wheat from my diet but will learn from this book the goods and bads and go from there. There has to be a place in the middle that works for health, body and soul and the mind that has to agree too.

So my stats from my fitbit for my first full week are below. I am doing okay and just need to keep it up. I am fine with a 1.1lb loss and don’t care if it takes me a year to loss all I want too as long as I listen to my body and teach it a few things along the way.

Hi Julie R., here are your weekly stats.

3/03/2014 to 3/09/2014

WEEK'S MOST ACTIVE DAY
Fri, Mar 7

WEEK'S LEAST ACTIVE DAY
Sun, Mar 9

TOTAL STEPS
79,074
DAILY AVERAGE
11,296 steps
BEST DAY
14,732 steps

TOTAL DISTANCE
34.07 miles
DAILY AVERAGE
4.87 miles
BEST DAY
6.36 miles

CALORIES IN VS OUT
-8211
WEEKLY TOTAL
18455 cals burned
6744 cals eaten
-3500 plan deficit

WEIGHT CHANGE
1.1 lb loss

AVG SLEEP DURATION
7 hrs 32 min
(good thing for weekends because my average sleep on the week days is less than 6).

Last week's badges

Take care my friends. I hope that you all have an awesome week. Blessings!!!