Luck Be A Lady

Oh my..... losing weight has created some interesting situations in terms of clothing. I can't believe that I am having to basically clear out my closet and get new things. I'm turning back into that clothes horse I used to be 15 years ago! I had tons of things, really nice things since I was such a Nordstrom shopper back then. I gave all that up about 5 years ago thinking I'd never be able to wear those nice things again. I guess in hindsight it's better that I did. The stuff was pretty dated and clothing trends are so different now! I need to find classic pieces anyway. I have been shopping sales as well as going online to look for really good bargains. I've managed to find some great sales at Ross and Macys plus I've got a couple of great online shops that I can go crazy on when there's a sale. I just got a dress and a pair of shoes that I've been eyeballing for 50% off so I am looking forward to wearing to church or a wedding or maybe even for my

I try not to go on too much about my weight loss on this particular blog since I have a separate one for that but I just have to say how excited I am that I'm in the home stretch on my diet. The strict phase is almost done! If want to read about my ups and downs with the Ideal Protein diet, just let me know and I'll give you the link! Honestly, I'm not going to change much once I get out of phase 1 of IP. I do still have to use IP packets for another 2 weeks after phase 1 and then I go onto 'real' foods 100% including carbs (bread, dairy, pasta, etc.) again. I'm a little nervous BUT I also know how 'easy' this program was once my carb cravings stopped. I haven't had much in the way of carbs for almost 5 months and it's not been hard. I miss the idea of certain foods more than the food itself. I've actually missed the fats (cheese, bacon, butter, nuts) more and I've been allowed to have piece of bacon every now and then. I've also fo

Today is the 72nd anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. With 9-11 and the War on Terror the freshest in our minds it's easy to forget the 'War to End All Wars' (WWI) and then to turn around in less than 20 years before worrying about WWII. Then Vietnam. And then...and then....and then....and then now. Of course, we don't forget about them. We are taught about the wars in history class. We study the cause and effect on our nation as well as the world. We see how nations and cultures are drastically affected. We see prejudice, name calling and racial profiling occur. Whole families were obliterated. Towns and countries decimated..... And yet war continues.... seems like we don't live and learn. And yet we do. Of course, when we learn about the horrors from the warmth and comfort of our living rooms, libraries or schools it doesn't always sink in. Have you ever met a Nazi concentration camp survivor and seen their tatoo? I have. You don't forget. Have

Well, I think I've scared Mark into realizing that I'm on the hunt for a new Sheltie for our family. Once I get the idea in my head that it's time I obsessively look and look at breeders, rescue groups, humane societies, etc., until I find our new family member.  Our girl Birdie was found that way..... it took about 6 months to get her.  It's been almost 8 months since we had to put her down and I realized this week how much I really, really miss having her around. I love my little Maltese boy and girl to pieces but I really like having a dog that is super smart, can herd and observe and is a good watch dog. Birdie was the dog I talked to all the time - she was that smart. She just knew what I was saying and I miss that. She'd also let me know when my oven timer was going off, when the UPS guy was here, the cat was out, etc. Such a smart girl... I just miss her so dang much I feel incomplete.  I can pretty much live without any extra frivolous stuff. I can make du