Well, it's Wednesday, and I'm still trying to keep up my routine. That's something, right? I haven't done great and I haven't completely blown it, so I'm calling that progress.

I found some cool stuff on the internet for my friend's baby nursery. She's doing it in castles/knights/unicorns/dragons etc. We're meeting on Friday to draw up the final plans. I'll be sure and post pictures of our progress.

Had trouble getting to sleep last night, so I'd better get busy. Talk to you soon!

~pinkie

Every Monday morning, I get up with the intention of following my exercise/eating/ writing/etc. routine better than the week before (that usually lasts until Tuesday night). I keep thinking I'll get caught up eventually, and I'm still shooting for that, but man, it's taking a long time. I really had no clue how much I had going on. I just keep reminding myself that I am making progress, slowly but surely. Unfortunately, my rabbit mentality doesn't care for this turtle pace - hehehe.

I've started my first scrapbooking project and find the process highly addictive. I love it! I'm almost done with our St. Thomas pictures. Only a few thousand other pictures left beyond those! *sigh* At least most of the others are in albums, so they're protected. Right now I'm focusing on the ones not in albums yet.

I got my MIL's quilt loaded onto the quilting frame late last week and started quilting it. I started out with my old machine on the frame, but it didn't work well. Once I changed it out with the new one (I was hoping to keep the new one free cause it's a pain in the butt to change out when you have a quilt on the frame), things went a lot easier. I have a lot of stitches to remove from my failed attempt, but no biggie. At least now I know where I'm going. I have a friend's baby quilt to do and another friend I'm helping with her whole nursery, so time is getting precious. Luckily, on the nursery, there are seven of us working on it - two husbands for wood-working (including the dad-to-be), two seamstresses, the mom-to-be to supervise, and two painters/whatever else they'd like to do's. Our plan is to be done by the shower date of March 31. Piece a cake. Hehehe (nervous laughter). :-)

And of course, spring is on its way. I already feel the urge to get out in the yard and dig. Which brings me to another gripe - how can we have so much ice and already the weeds in my flower beds are at full height? I looked outside Satuday and wanted to scream! But I didn't...I just thanked God I don't spend 40+ hours at the day job anymore. Gotta stay in gratitude, right? Right! So thank you, my precious Lord, that I have such an abundance of things to enjoy/gripe about!

I've got to get some writing done today too, so I'd better get busy. Love you all and hope to see you soon!

~pinkie

Briefly Surfacing to Post...

Not much going on around the web except work and catching up on the myriad of projects I have going on. I really need to learn not to take on so much at one time. I'm begging off most of my meeting-type commitments until I get caught up.

I won't be able to post everyday (as if I've done a great job of that either - hehehe), but I will try to hit the blog two or three times a week. Don't want you guys and dolls forgetting about me!

Best time so far this week - Sheila and I drove down to Dallas to shop for nursery stuff with my sister. Had a great time. Luckily, Darlene could take off a few hours and take us around on Monday. We had a really productive trip. The baby's room is going to be tres cool!

Love you all!
~pinkie

Test Results

My test came back unchanged - woo hoo!! Praise God!

~pinkie

Playing With a New Template

Decided to finish the conversion to the new Blogger which necessitated changing the template. I don't really like the blank space on either side, but I'm not sure how to change that. Will be scouting out skins in the coming weeks (probably while I should be writing like today!).
~pinkie

Happy Valentine's to all my lovely friends and family!!!

Lane and I are going to lunch today before my doctor's appointment since he has a class to facilitate at church tonight. The choir moved practice to last night, but Lane's class (mostly old guys, of course) kept theirs for today...go figure.

I'll be on later to give you the results of my test!!

~pinkie

Thought I'd give you lucky devils a gander at my beautiful and talented cousin, Della. She's the one seated in front. It's been a long time since I've had the chance to hear her sing, but I remember one time walking into her home town's chile festival and hearing a voice that sounded like Patsy Cline singing 'Crazy.' It was Della, and I was blown away. In the summer of 2010 (doesn't that sound strange?), RWA is holding their conference in Nashville, and I can't wait!

It's cold, cold, cold here (unless you live up north where the true cold exists - in that case it's mild - hehehe). The wind is blowing like a straight-line tornado. Okay, I know straight-line tornados don't exist, but you get the drift...

Let's see, what shall we do for food tip Tuesday? I know!!!!!

Trans Fats

These little buggers are nastier than I realized. Not only do they increase your cancer and heart attack risk, but they also cause pot bellies! {shiver} Okay, I'm being vain. I am very prone to the pot belly syndrome and the clothes I like call for a svelte tummy. Trans Fats actually cause the fat cells in your body to move from where they are to the belly, and belly fat is a big factor in heart disease.

And all you women thinking of your husbands - stop and add yourself to that picture. Heart disease is the number one killer of women in the US. Cancer is number two and trans fats contribute to both.

Don't rely on the new FDA regulations to save you either. A food can contain up to 500 mg of trans fats per serving and still list zero trans fats on the labels. So what are we to do? It's easy. Read the ingredients. If a product has hydrogenated oils or partially hydrogenated oils, it has trans fats. As little as 500 mg of trans fats three times per day ups your chances of suffering from heart disease dramatically. That's not much to work with, no margin for error.

Okay, soap box time is over. You all have a great Tuesday! I'll try to post a new recipe later in the week. Love ya all!

~pinkie

Today was my quarterly CT Scan, and I'll get the results next Wednesday at my regular doctor's visit. The last test showed no progress, and that's what I'm looking for this time too (and all the times, of course - hehehe).

Went to lunch yesterday with my work buddies, and man that felt good. They're a fabulous bunch, really great friends. I'm going to start doing the office birthdays for them since they're so busy. That'll help me keep up those relationships because I really don't want to let that fall away as so often happens.

I'm sitting here feeling incredibly blessed to be involved with so many groups of awesome women. It seems no matter where I turn, someone is there. I think of the hedge that God had built around Job to protect and comfort him. It's pretty humbling to realize how perfectly God has arranged my life to withstand whatever comes.

Did I tell you guys Sean made Dean's List? He's so proud. He worked really hard and acheived more than he'd expected. He really enjoys college. He has no idea what he wants to major in anymore since he didn't get in the band this year. He may yet do music, but he's also exploring other possibilities.

Only about 2-1/2 months until my best friend's baby arrives - yee haw!! (I know, I've been listening to country lately - hehehe.)

Thank you all for being here for me and putting up with my many ramblings. I'm a lucky, lucky girl!!

~pinkie

Well darn. I jinxed myself with that post on Monday. The things that were falling into place scattered all day Tuesday and Wednesday!! LOL. Ah well.... I have my sweet doggies to console me. Here are pictures of them being lazy (90% of the time).

I got exciting news today - my friend Gena Showalter's book hit the New York Times Extended list for bestsellers!!! She's at #32. You can check out her blog at genashowalter.blogspot.com. I'm so excited for her!

We've started a new cantata for Easter at church, and I love it. It's so pretty and moving. It's a Good Friday thing, so I miss the "Up from the grave He arose!!!" type music, but that's okay. I'm really going to enjoy singing it. The gals in my husband's family and I are also doing a study by Beth Moore. She takes a bit of getting used to but my goodness can that woman teach!! The title is Believing God, and it is so awesome.

Today is grandkid day around here, but we'll be done early this time. Alec's parents got tickets to the basketball game, so we'll take him home around 6:15. Next week, though, he'll spend the night with us, so that's a decent trade, I thought. He's been wanting to spend the night. I'm going to take the time off tonight and try to turn it into a blessing by getting extra stuff done around here.

Speaking of getting stuff done, I'd better get going!!

~pinkie

Wow - Tuesday and Wednesday are already gone? Sheesh!

Guys, I feel like I've been dodging a rocket on my tail, and it's catching up. Bear with me, and I will post more soon...

Love ya all,
~pinkie

Things are continuing to fall into place in my new routine. Our critique group met yesterday (without Jill who was sick - feel better, Jill!!) and lined out how we're going to be more effective this year. We're going to set goals individually and then help motivate each other to reach them. There may be some negative reinforcement (cue maniacal laugh here). I'm famous for my dog food promise (passed to me by my dh). One year several of us vowed we would finish our books that year or eat a can of dog food. All of us finished. It's a powerful motivator....

We're starting to plan my friend Sheila's baby shower. She's decorating the room in wizards, dragons, unicorns, etc. I get to help her decorate the nursery - yay!! I also plan to stay with her during the day for a while after the baby is born. Double yay!!

I made up a loose schedule of things I need to get done each day, and I'm actually not running behind today, so I'd better get on with it and keep not running behind!! Tomorrow I'll get back to the food tips thing. Talk to you then!!

~pinkie

Happy Friday to everyone! I know the folks at SRC are especially glad! I feel really good today. I think I'm getting on top of the new routine - little by little but steady. I've gotten quite a bit of writing done this week.

Yesterday was grandkid day at our house, and we had a blast as usual. Alec and I watched Homeward Bound which he'd never seen. It's one of my favorite movies, especially since one of the dogs is a golden.

The picture with the boulder, of course, is at The Baths. That was such a fascinating place. You can be sure a book of mine will be set there someday! The beach shots are of our resort beach, and the critter in the fourth pic is a stingray who's buried himself in the sand at the stingray tank at Coral World. That was a really neat place. Would love to take the grandkids there. They have a touching pool with star fish, skates, sea urchins, sea cucumbers (which look like giant worms - pretty cool but kind of freakish like horror movie critters), and when I was there they had a baby stingray they'd rescued (didn't get the story - all the staff was coming by to see him but didn't know the story). I couldn't see him very well or get a picture as he'd buried himself too. All I could see was the little tail.

What a great world God has made for us. I found myself thanking Him at every turn. It's so incredibly intricate. He knew how curious we'd be and gave us enough mystery to keep us busy for thousands of years. It's too bad some think they've gotten too smart or discovered too much to believe in Him.

For the last few weeks I've been participating in a Bible study with the rest of the women in Lane's family, and it's been great. It's called Believing God by Beth Moore. I've learned so much. She has a pack of index cards bound together with scriptures on them that she keeps in her purse when she feels the need to pray scripture out loud (the most effective way). I put together something similar for the gals in our group and will surprise them with it when we meet next Tuesday. I also plan to put some together for my UMW (United Methodist Women) group as a surprise - so fellow church ladies don't tell!! hehehe.

Well, I'd better get busy with my day. Today is grocery day and I have physical therapy along with lots of other stuff. Everyone have a great weekend!!

~pinkie

What a great time we had!! Looking through these pictures reminds me and brings me such a feeling of well being. The pictures with the boulders are at The Baths (short for Batholiths). We explored all through the boulders with their tide pools and magnificent formations. The picture with the fish is one I took underwater while snorkeling. Yes - me! I still can't believe I got up the courage to snorkel (for those who don't know, I'm afraid of the water). I'm going to practice in the lakes during the summer and get more comfortable at it. The fish pictured is a yellow tailed snapper which is commonly used for sushi, so this pic is in honor of my son who loves sushi. I told him about it, and he said he wasn't so sure he wanted a picture of his food - hehehe.

The guys pictured ran the little kiosk at the end of our resort building and made one heck of a lunch. We ate there several times. The resort restaurant and bar were closed, so this was the closest food and drink, but they were only open 11-3. They had a gift shop where we could get soda and such. That's why the resort wasn't any more crowded than it was.

Well, I'm running late as usual, so I'd better run. Love you all!!
~pinkie