List of Five Simple Things

5 things I plan to do before I die:

1. Obtain my goal weight

2. Maintain my goal weight

3. Visit all 50 states

4. Live as well as I can

5. Be financially secure

5 things I can do:

1. Curl my tongue.

2. Run 2 minutes at 5 MPH

3. Realize weight loss

4. Tell the truth

5. ohhhhhhhhh, embellish the truth

(just because I can tell the truth, doesn't mean that I can't embellish it)

5 things I cannot do:

1. Naps

2. Math - I am a math atheist

3. Full marathon (who wants to?)

4. Murder

5. Wear spiky high heels

5 Things that attract me to other people:

1. Honesty

2. Kindness

3. Intelligence

4. Playfulness

5. Honesty

5 things I say most often:

1. Whatever (boy, does this piss the husband off)

2. Nicht wahr (basically, it's whatever in German)

3. Nein!

4. Shit!

5. Fuck!

5 people I want to do this next:

1. Brett

2. Paul

3. Bbarb

4. Joan

5. Kris

Little Miss Isabel

Isabel Thompson is almost 6 years old and boy, does she have a personality. She is my niece, daughter of Sandy Fonseca and Paul Thompson. For a young girl, she is very opinionated and strong willed, which is okay - at least we know that she will be able to hold her own if necessary.
When Isabel comes to my house, I still haven't figured out if she is more excited to see me or my dogs. Molly and Isabel love to roll around on the floor and see if Molly can find a way to kiss Isabel. I do believe that Molly usually wins this battle, and Isabel then has to wash her face. I think that the dogs are winning. Just last week, I took this picture of Molly and Isabel sleeping. Hmmmm, Isabel not talking and Molly not licking. Something is really wrong.

Isabel recently moved to California to live with her mom, and will be missed in the metro Detroit area. However, winters in Long Beach versus winters in Michigan? Easy decision!

Take care Isabel! Uncle Alan, Aunt Betsy (or Auntie Liz) and the girly girls will miss you!

How I keep my sanity..

Although it could be a matter of opinion if it really helps me keep my sanity - or if it is the reason that I am insane. I do beadwork. It is a relaxing hobby (well, to a degree) and it keeps me home.

The Santa Claus pattern is from a designer (note to self - credit this artist when you get a chance - Kris Raines???) who does some beautiful work. I have completed this necklace with a 4-strand braid in some beautiful Christmas colors. Yes, it's for sale to the first person to give me $250 for it. It measures about 2 inches wide, by about 4 inches tall and it is a pouch.

The Asian dragon is taken from a photograph that I took while I was in Korea. It's a temple dragon - and I have named this piece Soraksan - which was the name of a national park that I visited while I was in Korea.

I manage to complete a couple of large pieces every year and lots of smaller pieces. While I would like to sell on a larger scale than I do, with working full time, it's going to be really, really hard.

Since I have picked up the beads, I haven't gone back to any of the hobbies that interested me before. It's amazing how these little pieces of glass are so addictive!

Mr. and Mrs. Cool and Casual!

So here is a picture from the fateful wedding. Alan looking like Mr. Cool and Casual - and me. Looking like a red-head and frilly. This is even way outside my normal comfort zone, but it was for a wedding and my sister didn't want me to wear black. So I humored her.

The wedding was very nice - there were a lot of family members there and it was nice to get a chance to talk with them for more than just a minute or two. My cousin, Amy and her husband Andy are so nice to talk with - even though it's been YEARS since we have talked, it was very easy to do. Cousin David still reminds me of John Denver - always have thought that. Al and I stayed in Dad and Pat's RV - they are heading out west for 8 months or so. I just hope that when I am their age that Al and I are able to travel - physically and financially!



But here is a picture that really shows the difference that at least 40 pounds makes on a person. I might have weighed more last summer - I don't know because I refused to get on a scale. But this really shows that I have taken Weight Watchers by the hand and I am watching the food that gets into my mouth.

Well, with the except my sister's wedding cake!

Memory of Jim

Jim - about 3 weeks prior to his death

It was one year ago yesterday that my brother Jim passed away from complications brought on from his liver transplant 14 years earlier. True, he wasn't a compliant patient, so I am not saying that University of Michigan didn't do a good job - they certainly did when Jim was being compliant. I do have some anger in my system towards Jim - who knew that something was wrong. He knew 6-8 months before his death that something wasn't "right". I have anger with Jim's primary physician, his internist, who should not have been refilling the prescriptions for the anti-rejection medications. That alone might have given Jim several more years.

Jim received his liver transplant at the University of Michigan Medical Center in September 1990. His recovery was lengthy, including a stay in the hospital from September through January 1991. Once recovered, Jim went back to school to learn a new trade, in electronics repair, a field that he worked in up to April 2004.

Memories of Jim:

Flaring his nostrils at the dinner table - timing this maneouver to coincide with my younger sister drinking milk. This technique usually resulted in my sister choking on her milk or laughing it up her nose.

Canoeing at Proud Lake Rec Area - actually, I just sat in the canoe because I was horrible at paddling and he said it was just easier for him to do.

Camping with Jim multiple years in Mio, MI - Jim really enjoyed going on this tubing weekend. He had a chance to meet and talk to many people - people that I don't even know if Jim realized that they were his friends....

Saturday afternoons - Living across the street with Jim, I had the pleasure (?) of Jim, with his trusty companion, Cinnamon, walking over to just sit and relax, chat with Alan and I. If it was summer, we were outside. Winter? Inside. Jim didn't care - he was just there with us.

I remember that Jim once told me that I was a gold-digger expecting men to buy me drinks at a bar. I asked him to clarify this. He then told me that if a man offered to buy me a drink, I should say no thanks. If the man offered a second time to buy me a drink after I said no, then he was a fool and I could accept without being a gold-digger. The same thing was true with a man buying dinner. Come to think of it - I wonder how Jim knew all this. He didn't date.......

All that said, I'll just end with one of the last things:

In a conversation near the end, with Patty (oops, Patricia), Jim and I - Patty said that she described Jim as "still waters run deep" - he thought quietly in his typical Jim fashion - and said "Patty, still waters don't run."

Two days later he was gone. His last meal was his favorite chocolate - Hershey's Kisses and his dog was under his bed.

Rest in Peace Jim - January 24, 1958 - August 2, 2004

Life does have it's twists and turns.....

...and vacations are cut short by things that are unexpected. Back from vacation as there was a death in the family of my friend. She needed to come home to be with her brother and family. So here I am, back in the city.

Life is not always what we want it to be, but we do what needs to be done.

Week 24 of Weight Watchers - down 36.8 pounds. Very happy. A little frustrated that the weight loss has slowed down, but I am watching what I eat, measuring amounts and servings again (just like in the beginning of the year). I have 7.9 for my mini-major goal and I hope to hit that by Labour Day weekend.

Countdown to vacation....

...We leave on July 15th, in the morning for along weekend of camping in mid-Michigan, a relaxing day of floating down the AuSable River in Mio, Michigan. We have a 4 hour (or so depending on the swiftness of the river) relaxing raft floatilla down the river, complete with adult beverages and Jello Shots. Life can't get much better than this.

On Sunday, we will move from our friends property and to a campground - actually, more of an RV park in Sterling, MI - Outdoor Adventures I'll be camping there for a week for free. Free is a good thing. Actually, Alan and I had to listen to their sales pitch for almost 2.5 hours over Easter Weekend to qualify for these 21 nights of free camping. But my travel friend Joan and I will be able to just sit and relax, do some floating on the river, bicycle riding and just a little bit of nothing. I just couldn't resist a vacation where it's just the gas and the food that we will have to pay for! And let's hope that the weather is better than we had below......

buzzard gathering

So, do you think that this cop is at all intimidated by my gesturing? I personally believe that he looks pretty scared by this Detroit woman! He just stood there and was afraid to move while I gave him my opinion of what I thought!

I was just in Milwaukee over the last weekend for the Bead and Button magazine bead show. It's my fifth year going and it's just a weekend of shopping, beads and fun. This year our group consisted of myself, Sharon from Akron, Ohio, Audrey from Sharon, Wisconsin, Anne and Kat from the Des Moines area.

We all arrived at different times on Thursday (or very early on Friday morning) to the Courtyard in Downtown Milwaukee. The beaders were out in masses and it was a very busy weekend. One of my best purchases is from "Buy the Kit". I have a great kit from Nikia Angel - a herringbone lariat that is wonderful!! I also splurged on a kit from Cynthia Rutledge. Both these women put together some great kits and have wonderful ideas. It's hard to come up with that original idea for a pattern or a kit. One of these days, I'll have my thinking cap on and have a great idea.

Another item that I have bought was from The Craft Kit Company in the United Kingdom. This is the best storage system that I have found for my beads. It's a little pricey for my wallet, but I don't splurge like this very often. I have several of them now - Liz's case, Jane's case, and Polly's case. They are perfect for camping because everything is so contained and portable. Part of the fun is putting everything in the system - neat and tidy!

This was a really good year because we had time to enjoy the hot tub, pool and even see a little bit of the city!

This picture confuses me. How on earth would you "disturb" petrified wood? Shake it and wake it up?? Yell and scream and call it names ("You are just laying there like a bump on a log!")? I still don't know exactly what this means. But it's a great sign - one of those that don't make sense. Like "Warning, Men at work" - you never see a sign saying "Warning, Women at work" - those signs would take over the planet.

Week #22 at weight watchers: I lost 4.2 pounds and have a 5 month total loss of 36.6 pounds. That's about 1/3 of the way to my goal. This was my second largest drop for the year. It's weeks like this that make it all worthwhile. That and the fact that almost nothing in my wardrobe fits - I've bagged up 4 bags of clothes to give to another person who is getting into the sizes that I have just left. It's been a slow journey in some respects, but a fast one when I just sit and think about it. I've been on a "diet" - I hate that word - since January and I haven't had to eat cottage cheese. And I like cottage cheese. It really shows that if you work the WW program, it works. And it works well.

It's a beautiful day.....

.....in Downtown Detroit. Gotta love it. Sun is shining, it looks like a wonderful day out there. Of course, I am in the W**k place. Shhhhh, that's our secret. But the w**k is getting done, so that boss can't whine and life is sweet.

Weigh in today was down 2 pounds for a total loss of 32.8 pounds. 32.8 pounds in 20 weeks. How awesome is that? My pants are all too big. My summer clothes need a serious date with the tailor (i.e. Me) to take in some waistbands. I'll be damned if I am going to buy lots of clothes for this year and then buy clothes again for next year. It's very nice, when an item that I purchased over the winter, that I couldn't fit at that time, is getting very loose on me now! That is almost enough to make me cry (but I am not at that point in life where I cry over everything - that comes later....).

Another week - another loss

I guess that I am a loser (I know, those of you that have known me a long time, know that this is something that I don't need to write - you know that I am a loser)!! But I am down another 1.8 pounds for a total of 30 pounds since mid-January. I am very happy with that. I have 14.6 pounds to go for my next BIG goal - and I hope to make that by the middle of July. I was going to say the end of June, but part of being on Weight Watchers is keeping realistic goals for yourself. And that two weeks can make a big difference.

I have recommitted to writing down everything that I eat - tracking the food seems to be a huge help. I have also been journaling - really - with pencil and paper - just like in the olden days (and before my ex-husband read my diary. Which explains why he is an ex-husband).

It's Liz on the Rocks!! It's the newest non-caloric drink!! And it's not a size, it's not a goal - it is all about attitude. And "letmetellyouthankyouverymuch", I have an attitude!! Sometimes good, sometimes bad. Although, if your hair matches the rocks, it's a good time to get your hair colored! This picture was taken in Red Rock Canyon in Nevada - after climbing on several rocks to get this stunning picture taken (it's got to be stunning.....okay - I feel stunning in this picture.). I had climbed on this rock when I was in Vegas shortly after my brother passed away and I had difficulty doing it. In April, I just climbed up and did it!

I love the Grand Canyon - it's just so..........grand!!! Words just can't do it justice!! We had a great day - the sun was out more than in, and the temperatures were perfect! We saw a condor (below) soaring over the canyon - it was beautiful!!

This summer versus last summer

Well, I don't know how much of a difference in these two pictures, but I certainly feel much better than last summer. There is a difference of about 30 pounds between the one on the left that was taken last week in Nevada, and the one on the right, taken in August 2004.

But I will say that the hair looks much better!!

Vacation was really great. We had a wonderful time, drove alot, saw alot of scenery, saw rattlesnakes and bushsnakes. Even saw a condor in the Grand Canyon - that was exciting!! Hubby and I really had a nice week together - no pressures, no phones, no blogs, no computers! Life was really good!

Pictures

This is why I joined Weight Watchers in January 2005. No, not because I got a toilet brush holder for Christmas, but because I have gotten fricken huge.....


I felt good at this weight - I probably was still overweight, but I felt good!!


In Germany during the summer of 1991 with Tricia. This was another good weight - a little heavier than the summer above, but still not bad. This is what I want again and why I am doing as well as possible on Weight Watchers......


Look at Matt - he was such a little cutie when I visited him in Florida. Now he's 14-15 years old and somewhere in Oklahoma (where he doesn't call or write me - what a bad nephew!). This was a really good weight for me! I would freak out if I had those collarbones again!!!

We are off for the west!

This picture was taken in Korea in October 1999. I know that I am in at least one size smaller pant now, so when I return from my vacation, I will post another picture to see if there is a real visual or if it's just a fig-newton of my imagination, especially since that vest is making the trip (I love that vest, one of the doctors that I used to work with brought it back from India for me). I also promise that I won't wear white socks with anything but sneakers or Birkenstocks and never with shorter pants. Gods, what a geek!

Our flight leaves DTW at 7:35 this evening. We arrive in Vegas at 9pm and pick up our rental car and find a somewhere for dinner and a motel. Since we are just staying for the night, cheap is a good thing.

Saturday, we hope to get through the Red Rock Canyon, Valley of Fire State Park, Lake Mead National Rec Area and into the Hoover Dam area (I just wrote Hoover Damn!!). On Sunday, the drive across the strangely beautiful desert of Arizona to the Grand Canyon! We hope to see several Native American/First Nation/Indian/Aboriginal (thanks Martiena, am I missing any designations?) sites - we have then all placed out on our maps and highlighted where they are and why they are famous!!

I can't wait to get to the Phoenix area to see my internet friend Crystal! We have been corresponding via email and with our groups for YEARS and it's about time that we met.

Off to the lands of sands, scorpians and sins!!!

P.S. Weigh in this week was down another 2.6 pounds for a total lost, since January 13, 2005 of 28 pounds. I am officially down a skirt and pant size, and have even found t-shirts that fit in an "L" - not XL. Also, I have gone through the closet and cleaned out 80% of the clothes that I don't fit any longer. I am giving them away, donating, anything to have them out of my closet - especially if I don't wear them any longer. It doesn't make sense to keep items that I don't use.

Waiting for vacation

Ahhhhhh, the anticipation of waiting for vacation week. Leaving in 6 days for a nine-day trip of the Las Vegas/Grand Canyon/Sedona/Phoenix area of the southwest. It will be so nice and so pretty!! A different kind of beauty than the rich greens of the mid-west of America. This trip is in celebration of our 10th anniversary, which is the first Sunday in May (I like saying that rather than May 7 because if it's the first Sunday in May, I will never have to work on my anniversary, nicht wahr?).

Joan is watching the girls, so I know that I won't have to worry about them while we are gone. Tom is watching the house and the kats, so they will be in good hands, also.

Just me and hubby and the beauty of the desert. I can't wait.


WW Update: Lost another 1.4 pounds for a total of 25.6 pounds since January 13th. Going to spend some time over the weekend, reviewing all the information that we have been given and see if I can improve on certain things. I know that I need to work on eating when I am hungry, not bored, and learning what satisfied feels like.

Spring in Michigan

Spring in Michigan is so pretty. The birds, the flowers, the urge to be outside hits fast and hard. I usually end up playing in the mud, and trying to trim trees and bushed when I have no business outside.

This weekend was a beautiful weekend. The sun cooperated, the temperature was nice. Hubby and I dug up plants and moved them, we trimmed the roses, moved the huge birdbath, raked out the garden beds and generally tried to make the yard look nicer after a long winter.

Now of course, spring also means that my allergies will be crazy for several months and I will live with the kleenex and allergy medications right next to me. It's one of the penalities that we pay to live in this great state of Michigan. My other other option is to stay inside for months - and that really isn't an option. I'd go insane. Then I would have to kill someone or chop my head off. Nope, that's not a pretty look.

You know that it's a nice day when the dogs lay on the grass and snooze! Or climb the mountain.....

Because Debb wanted it.....

One of my beading buddies who lives in NM asked me for some pictures. Happy to oblige - and if I put them here - I won't bore everyone on the list who may not want to see them!! This one isn't the best picture, but it shows the difference between December 2004 on the left and March 2005 on the right (although I don't know if I really see a difference). Is this what you wanted, Debb??


This is the newest toy for our family. It is a 21 ft travel trailer by Ameri-lite and our new Ford Exploder to pull it. It's a dream!!! We will really enjoy camping in this unit - it's like grown up camping! It's actually going to be interesting to get used to it. Previously, if we wanted hot water for tea, we would run water through the coffee maker to heat it up. In this trailer, we just have to put the cup of cold water in the microwave oven and hit start - it's like magic! I had often thought that I wouldn't be camping in this manner until Alan and I were old and retired, etc. I guess that we hit the "old" part.

12 weeks

I've been on WW for 12 weeks and have lost 24.2 pounds. If anyone would have told me that I would be able to loose that much weight in 12 weeks - and I never had to eat cottage cheese (which I do like) - I would have slapped them silly and told them that they were liars. It's actually a nice feeling......

Well, it's a nice feeling to loose the weight. I've never actually slapped anyone silly.

Second Month of WW

If I would have known, years ago, that Weight Watchers really could work for me, I might have gotten off my sorry ass years ago. But WTF - it really doesn't matter. Happy Birthday to me - I've lost 24 pounds since starting this trend in January!

My clothes are getting too big.
My husband calls me baggy britches (which I guess is better than that other B-word that he could call me).
My cheeks don't hit the inside of my spectacles any longer - they stay clean longer!

Call me a happy camper! And speaking of camping, Hubby and I will be camping this long Easter weekend. It's supposed to be cold, but clear. We have to try out the new camper to make certain that the heater works!!

It wasn't nearly as rough as I thought that it would be. Eating correctly isn't hard, it's just that you have to almost constantly think about it. Some of the things that have helped me are:

• Not eating from the box or bag. Take out the correct amount and put the bag away. It's pretty simple when you think about it.
  Drink water - plenty and plenty of water. This means a mug of coffee (who drinks a "cup" anymore?) then a glass of water. Keep water everywhere around you. Then you will grab it.
  Exercise - who really wants to do it? Unless you are one of those geeks that loves to exercise, do we love it? Nooooooo - and I don't have a pocket protector for my shirts either!!! But I found a mini surround sound system on clearance at a CVS store (I know, that means that it is top quality, nicht wahr?), it's hooked up to a television set in the basement and I have been watching the Sopranos on it. Put in a good DVD for an hour and I can walk and walk and walk and walk!!
  

Something is working - I don't really care what - it just is. From January 13 to February 17 - I have lost 14.2 pounds. Rock on.

I'm just a mean person

Having little dogs is so much fun because you can mess with them. During the recent snows, I was outside with the dogs, trying to convince them to do their "stuff." It's hard to squat and do "highly important dog stuff" when your little bits are in the snow. My hubby shoveled trails through the yard so that they could wander through, freeze their little paws, and generally look miserable. And bark at squirrels (because they deserve it).