Today’s Surprise

Road Trip!!!!!!! Destinations Unknown!

Good morning fellow wonderers:

This morning Alex and I are going on a road trip. We’ve set the GPS, packed the water and filled up the gas tank. We don’t know where the coordinates are going to take us but I’m sure we will find something interesting.

I used to love taking these trips with my kids. Back then we didn’t have GPS to guide us. I would just be lost and to not upset my babies, I would turn it into an adventure. Isn’t technology great. Road trip with a twist.

Everyone have a great Saturday morning. We’re Off!!!!!!!

Until we return, keep wondering.

Empty garage

Hello fellow wonderers!

I bet your wondering what I’ve been up to since I emptied my garage at the community yard sale. Well, first I had to take a picture of the empty space (to serve as a reminder when hubby starts complaining). Becaussssseee, I’ve been on a treasure hunt and here is what I’ve found.

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Don’t you just love them! I’m so excited. They are going to look great in my office!

Life Lessons at a Yard Sale

Hello fellow wonderers:

I did so much over the weekend and I have to tell you about our community yard sale. The subdivision has an annual yard sale. We missed it last year because we did not know about it. I had my eyes on alert for the notice this year and I was ready.

First let me state, I am not a yard sale person. I like to go junking as my pops would say but I don’t want to pay for it. But since, if you Remember, the caution tape is up and I have to get rid of some things. My daughter and her daughter’s other Grandmom (Big G) wanted to have the yard sale and I agreed if they sold my things also. My part was to straighten up the garage and I cleaned and oiled the bamboo papasan chairs for the sale.

Two days before the sale my daughter wanted to know why I did not want to do the sale. Here are my reasons(rules):
1. It is too hot to be in the garage and even hotter outside the garage.
2. Hagglers are not always sincere.
3. There is a reason people are selling that particular item.
4. If more than one person is in charge, conflict is pending.

The yard sale was to started at 8 a.m. I watched cars zooming up and down the street starting at 6 a.m., but Big G did not arrive until 8:30a.m. My child was getting mad because she wanted to open the garage early without her partner but there were no prices on anything and I knew that would be a problem so I made her wait. My chairs sold at 8:39 a.m. and I was gone ~ to the other yard sales.

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With $40 in my hand Alex and I went Around the neighborhood. His money was burning a hole in his hand and he kept walking off to the next house. Me I was talking to everybody and looking through their stuff looking for something unusual but did not buy a thing. I guess all the good stuff was being acquired at 6 a.m. By the time I caught up with Alex for $5 he had brought a digital portable color television to put in his clubhouse that hasn’t been built yet. He came to me complaining it didn’t work to good and he tried to take it back but my neighbor said, “no refund”. Rule 3 there is a reason That item was out there. I was proud of him for trying. My children would have just threw it away without even muttering a complaint. He at least wanted his money back.

Rule 2 hagglers are not always sincere. I asked my neighbor to let him trade it back for something else she had worth $5 or less. She rolled her eyes at me and repeated no refunds. I tried to console him by doing an auto tune which yielded 3 channels. He might can get more channels if he can get cable in his fantasy clubhouse. Lesson learned-plug in the electronics at the site before you buy.

Around 12 When I got back to my house, the look on Nena’s face told the whole story. She was fed up with all of it. Rule 1 she was hot and aggravated. Rule 2 No matter what price she quoted they wanted to negotiate. There was a brand new Calvin Klein denim jacket with the price tag still on it that Nena was asking $4 a women wanted to give her .50. Rule 4 Every time she had a sale Big G wanted half the proceeds. Lesson learned, you have to negotiate the terms of your partnership before an event. I stayed out of that one because after all, everyone made a little profit and had some fun at our first yard sale.

I wondered if Nena would do it next year and she replied, “Yes. Alone”. I’m glad she did not become totally turned off by the experience. I’m sure the caution tape will go up again and she can sell my junk. Until then, I hurried up and moved my car into the garage to hold my empty space.

What’s wrong with the word “that”.

Happy Sunday Fellow Wonderers:

When I was a college freshmen my English professor red marked an entire paper I had written because of my use of the word that. At the time I was upset about having to rewrite my paper. The challenge was to not use the word that. Of course I was able to do it and subsequently have not used the word much since. But what’s wrong with the word that!

It’s such an expressive word in its own right. You can say so much with little said. I like that. That’s great! I want that. What’s that? That, that, that, that!

I guess it’s a word I like and I’m going to start using it again. It’s not a descriptive word but since I usually have to explain myself anyway, that’s enough!

I’ll say, “That’s nice”, and if someone doesn’t know what I’m talking about then I will explain.

Until next time, keep wondering.

30 days results are in

Okay fellow wonders. The results are in. I wanted to give you the full Monty on my 30 day challenge with Betty Rocker so I went to see my doctor to check my glucose levels and everything else. I lost a total of 3 lbs by her scale but that was also with my shoes and clothes on. At home without everything on 7 lbs.

I started the challenge on July 1st. It was suggested to me by GirlontheContrary, a fellow blogger I follow. There was nothing special you had to buy to start, just download some exercise video once a week. The exercise progressed every week even though I didn’t, I stayed mostly at week 1. I didn’t want to aggravate my back in the process. Now I started with my family that wimped out on me at week 3. There were 7 exercises that you only had to do for a minute 3-5 sets, three times a week. Betty encourages you to work At your pace so the first week I could only do one set but not every exercise for the whole minute. Sad to say I only did one set the whole 4 weeks, but I did also walk around too. The 7 exercises were 1 body squats, 2 pushups, 3 lunges, 4 elbow plank, 5 static v sit, 6 knee kicks, 7 downward dog. I can’t download the exercise but you can access her on http://fuel.thebettyrocker.com. The hardest one was the downward dog. Every day I said when I get this one, I’m gonna be skinnnnnnnnny. I still can’t do it right. I think my legs are too long. It just doesn’t look quite right. Mines looks like the “Lean Dog Lean”. And you know I’m up to 15 pushups before I hit the floor. The others I can get through except my static v is very staticity if that’s a word.

The diet side is all about clean eating. I’ve got that down pretty good. I mostly cook clean already because of diabetes. What I started was the green shakes. I think I told y’all about them. I’ve been drinking one every morning and I think it has contributed greatly to my weight lost. It is just spinach or kale in the blender with 6 ounces of water. I use spinach because it blends easier and usually any combination of fruit and vegetables you can think of. My favorite combo was spinach, banana, kiwi with celery and cucumbers. That’s it. Betty also recommends a protein powder but I didn’t use any. When I read all the cautions I was too scared. The shakes don’t really have a good flavor but it wasn’t nasty either. It was mostly like drinking water. Not the drink you wanted but the one you need most.

Now I told you I went for my checkup yesterday and it turns out my protein levels were too low. With all the medicines I take, it affected my equilibrium. I almost had to make a trip to the looney bin. Yeah, I had been yelling and feeling anxious this last week but I just chalked it up to everybody having no place to go and me being trapped with them. But with a little biofeedback and some sleep I feel better. I quess I should have used the protein powder. Overall my checkup was great. Doctor gave me holy heck about starting an exercise program without consulting my
Physician first. I know better, I just didn’t think clean eating would hurt me. It sure would have helped the diet part if I had talked to her before I started the challenge. She likes the idea of the green shakes she just wants me to have some bacon with it.

Oh, what you say. She said Greek yogurt is a better protein.

Until next time, keep wondering

Closing 30 day challenge

Well my 30 day challenge is up tomorrow. I made it!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Here is my before and after shots. I think I look firmer. I definitely feel stronger. I know I can do all the exercise from week 1. I’ve gotten used to the green shake flavor. Green shake is spinach with any other fruit/veggie medley. My favorite is spinach, banana, celery and blueberries. I’ve drank one combination every day for the last 29 days and I think I will continue on with that one.

After tomorrow I will write all about the whole experience. I just wanted to get the picture out of the way because the sponsor wanted to see our results.

Time

I don’t know where time goes but its going fast. I spent the last few weeks playing cab driver to camp.

Reading camp ~ money well spent! Alex started reading 144 words a minute now he’s reading 405 words a minute.

Art camp ~ money well spent!
Alex’s self portrait.

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He was ten last week when he drew this portrait.

Basketball camp ~ two out of three ain’t bad. What can I say, the boy is not athletic. But we went in knowing that. Even though he says he didn’t like it, overall I think he had fun. For me it’s all about exposure. Atlas, when somebody says basketball he can always recount his experience at camp.

Gymnastic camp ~ the winner!
J loves it!

I don’t know where times goes but I know money travels with it!

My apology and 22 days in(30 day challenge

First, let me apologize for leaving the scene without an explanation. I’m a young blogger without all the social grace needed. It was very rude and I apologize. I did read everyone’s blogs and even commented on a few. I just did not have time to blog on About The Yarrow House although I did wonder what you guys were up to. It will never happen again. I promise. Apology accepted?

Now 22 days in. I’ve learned a lot of F words. I feel fitter. I can do fifteen push-ups but my arms feel frailer. I’ve eaten some fantastic foods and had some family fun Atleast until they quit on me in week three because of fatigue. I seen thousands of fotos of other people progress (flaunting) their progress. Haha I’m so proud of them. But mostly I’m still FAT. I still have 7 days to go. I’ve lost four pounds only six more to go to meet my realistic goal.

Into Every Life A Cake Must Fall

When I was younger I didn’t care much about making pound cake. It seemed boring to me. Chocolate and cakes like pineapple upside down cake was more interesting to make. But when I heard I was to be a Grandmom, the first thought other than baby was I have to learn how to make pound cake.

It took me years to perfect a recipe. You can make it dry, too much lemon and various other mistakes that my kids thought were interesting but tasty. But that Grandmom made this cake taste was on the horizon so I kept trying for my grandchildren’s sake. By the time my grandson was five, I had mastered and even more importantly memorized my famous “Mom Mom Sour Cream Poundcake”. At least that’s what Alex calls it. And every year for his birthday I make his cake. Except this year I had a mishap.

Everything was going well. I had cleared the house, the oven was cool. I slide the cake pan in the oven, set the timer and closed the door. I only needed the house quiet for one hour and I sat down to take a nap. The nap is required, after all I am a Grandmom. Forty-five minutes in, the door bell rang. Its a vacuum cleaner demonstrator. My husband loves new gadgets and let him in. And That’s another blog for another day.

This guy comes in the house inhaling deep and commenting on how good it smells in the house. My husband explains I’m making a birthday cake and the guy just keeps talking about how good it smells and sure wish he was going to be here when it’s cut.. I was in the kitchen but I kept hearing him say it over and over again. Finally the timer goes off. I carefully side the cake out of the oven. It was beautiful, even if I say so myself. I loosened the cake from the pan and went to flip it unto the cake stand when the unthinkable happened. I dropped the cake! It was so freaky. I can’t even explain how it ended up on the kitchen counter in three chunks except that the vacuum cleaner man willed it out of hand. After all he left with a big chunk of warm cake.

It wasn’t a complete total loss we had strawberry short cake for dessert and my daughter was given the task to make the cake for his party. Oh well, into every life a little cake must fall.
Until next time, keep wondering!

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