Week In Review

Not much to report. I'm down about 2 pounds this week. My running is progressing, but I'm still slow....so slow. I am up to running 5 miles straight which is great for me.

Today: 5 miles in 1:16:34
Sunday: Off Day (Walked 4.6 miles)
Saturday: 5 miles in 1:20:16
Friday: 4 miles in 59:47.77
Thursday: 4 miles in 1:07:07
Wednesday: 4 miles in 1:00:37
Tuesday: Off Day (Walked 4.6 miles)
Monday: 3.6 miles in 57:51.28

I started listening to Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth." I purchased the audio book and started listening to it during my walk yesterday morning. Very interesting.

How Time Flies!!

Wasn't sure I even remembered how to use this blog, but since I remembered my password I thought I'd give it a whirl. Not that I have anything interesting to share....certainly no more than I had before.

Today is Nathan's 16th Birthday. My baby boy is growing up. He ditched the second half of band camp today to go hang out with his girlfriend Mackenzie. Priorities have changed that's for sure.

My priorities have changed somewhat lately too. That 40th Birthday looming in the near future probably has a lot to do with it. I'm back to running daily and watching what I eat. I've got 282 days to lose those last pesky 25-35 pounds.

I'm desperate to improve my running times. Started a little program I call 5Kin30minutes. It will probably be 5K in 40 minutes in the end, but I'm still optimistic. I'm on Week 2, Day 2 and here's my stats for today: Total Distance: 4.00 mi, Total Time: 1:00:37, Avg Pace: 15:08, Avg Speed: 4.0, Max Speed: 5.9. Half way through my run I had to deal with a little dog who decided I wasn't passing by her house no matter what. If took a few minutes for her owner to come get her. Had the owner not been there I probably would have drop kicked the dog and ran on, but I was being nice. What is it about Chihuahuas? I have yet to come across one on my runs that didn't go for my ankles.

It's Day Two for Where's Karl. Yesterday he ran 41 miles in 11 hours 58 minutes. Go Karl, Go! http://www.whereskarl.com/

Merry Christmas!

Pookie does IQF

Pookie at the International Quilt Festival.

Kaleidoscopes

I started a new quilt project last week using fabric that I bought from Paula Nadelstern. I was thrilled to have a chance to meet Paula at the Houston International Quilt Festival.

Here I am with Paula. She is holding some fabric that I purchased from her. It's from her "Opulence" line of fabric that she designed.

This is the fabric I'm using for my "One-Block Wonder" quilt.

Here are some of the octagon blocks I have finished so far.

These are my stacks of triangles waiting to be sewn. I'll have a total of 69 blocks to work with when I'm finished piecing them.

San Antonio or Bust!!

The Aubrey High School marching band qualified for the UIL State Marching Band Contest. It's a huge deal and quite an accomplishment. Aubrey's marching band has never made it this far in competition before. Lauren (flute) and Nathan (saxophone) will be performing at the Alamodome, San Antonio, TX on Monday. It's going to be exciting!

Houston or Bust!!

Bright and early tomorrow we are headed to the International Quilt Festival!! Quilts, quilts and more quilts. I can't wait!!

If you are attending, don't forget to look for Barbara McCraw's African Album, which I quilted.

Nathan's Rite of Christian Initiation

On Sunday Nathan participated in his Confirmation class's Rite of Christian Initiation. It marks the beginning of his journey towards receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation. Lauren went through this last year too.


Nathan was in the back and can't be seen in this picture. There are 70+ kids in his class this year.


This is Nathan ushering during the youth mass.

Happy Birthday Nic!

This past weekend we celebrated my cousin Nicholas' 22nd birthday. He was home from the Merchant Marines Academy which he will soon be graduating from.


After lunch the boys played pool.



Grandpa taught Garrison how to hold a pool cue.


My uncle makes pool cues, so if you are interested in custom cues check out his website. I don't know much about cues, but they sure are pretty!!


Nic and Garrison picking out their costumes for Halloween.

Walking the West

As many of you know I started walking for fitness this year. Since January I've logged a total of 1,171.4 miles. The idea of following one of the infamous hiking trails (AT, PCT, ADT) for a thru-hike has intrigued me. Following the trail journals has been inspirational too. One particular journal that I followed this year was Twofer's journal. He's an Iowan that thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail (AT) from February until August. He hiked from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mt. Katahdin in Maine. 2174 miles through a total of 14 states. Whoooo Hooooo!

Today, I came across a documentary posted on YouTube. It's about two men walking the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) which is 2626 miles from Mexico to Canada. Anyone care to go on a really long walk?


Part I


Part II

Walking the West

Low Carb Cheesecake

Microwave Low Carb Bowl Cheesecake
4oz Cream Cheese
1/4C Heavy Whipping Cream
1/4C splenda (I only used half that amount)
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp lemon juice

Warm the cream cheese and then mix everything together until it is smooth. Microwave for 3 minutes. Refrigerate until cool. Top with fresh or frozen berries.

Gimme More Fiber

I've been trying to add more flax seed to my diet and recently tried a recipe I came across on a low carb website. It's called a bowl muffin and I'm hooked on them. They are very versatile and you can add about anything to them.

1/4C of flax meal (I used 1/8C of flax meal & 1/8C of almond flour)
1/2tsp baking powder
1 splenda packet (I used 1T since I have it in bulk)
1tsp cinnamon (I've also added different types of extract, like banana and vanilla. DaVinci sugar-free syrups could be added too.)
1 large egg
1 tsp butter (I've changed this part up quite a bit. I've substituted 1oz cream cheese and up to 3T of coconut oil.)

What I like to do is combine all the dry ingredients in a ziplock baggy. I make up several of them ahead of time and keep them in the refrigerator. Then when I'm ready to have one I put all the wet ingredients in a bowl (soften cream cheese in the microwave first), add dry ingredients, mix and microwave 1 min. - 1 min.30sec. You can eat it directly out of the bowl, but I like to flip mine upside down onto a plate. They can be toasted once they are cooked. Top them with butter, syrup, fruit, cream....anything.

A Day "In" The River

We started out "on" the river this morning. Nathan was in the kayak and my dad was in a one-man canoe. Shawn, Garrison and I were in another canoe.



It started out great and we were having a fantastic time. The current was fast and we were surprised at how quick we were moving down the river.


This was Garrison's first trip down the river.


We made it under and past this first fallen tree.


This was the calm before the storm. I'd passed off the camera to my dad. He took this picture of me, Garrison and Shawn. Garrison is sitting behind Shawn in the bottom of the canoe.


This is where the water started to get rough. Unfortunately our canoe drifted sideways and capsized, throwing the three of us into the rushing water. Thankfully, we all had life jackets on. I have no doubt that those life jackets made all the difference. My dad and Nathan were too far downstream from us and with the current running so fast they couldn't paddle back to help us. Shawn and I fought the current with Garrison holding onto Shawn for dear life. It was a harrowing experience. I grabbed hold of the canoe and we struggled towards the embankment. The river is 10-15 deep and there was no touching the bottom. The edge of the river was too steep for us to climb out, so we clung to roots to keep from being swept away. Garrison was quite the trooper! Even though he was scared he never panicked and he did exactly what we told him to do. We spent quite some time in the water, but eventually Shawn was able to get the canoe turned over. Garrison and I were able to get back in the boat. Shawn held onto the canoe keeping us from being taken off by the current until a park ranger showed up with a rope. With the rope they were able to help us climb up the steep embankment to safety.


A happy ending!

Life Jackets Rock!!

Consider this my first public service announcement.

How Do Life Jackets Save Lives?
When capsized in rough water.
When sinking in unexpectedly heavy sea conditions.
When thrown from the boat as a result of a collision.
When injured by rocks or submerged objects.
When unconscious from carbon monoxide fumes.
When tossed into freezing water.
When thrown off balance while fishing.
When unable to swim because of heavy or waterlogged clothing.

Wear your life jackets!! No excuses.

17 Years Of Wedded Bliss!

This weekend marked the 17th wedding anniversary for Shawn and me. Am I really old enough to have been married for 17 years? That grey streak above my right ear would indicate that I am.

Stitches in History

There was an article featuring local quilter, Barbara McCraw, in the Denton Record Chronicle today. The article is in the Local Section and called "Stitches of History." I've included a link to the article, but I'm not sure how long it will be available on line. It's a fantastic article...read it while you have a chance.

The quilt hanging behind Barbara was quilted by me.

Sweet Sixteen

We celebrated Lauren's birthday this weekend.

Back to School

First day of a new school year.

The sun was just starting to come up when I took this picture this morning. We were out the door at 6:45am!!

A First For Me

Barbara McCraw's quilt "African Album," which I quilted, was accepted to show at the International Quilt Festival /Houston. If you get to go to the show this year I hope you'll look for it. I'm very proud to have had the honor of working on this quilt.

Checking In

I'm still around, but not up to much lately. Lazy (HOT) days of summer make for boring blog entries. I've been running quite a bit for exercise. I finished my Couch to 5K program and now I'll start trying to get my running time up to 60 minutes. I can do 45 minutes at this point. I'm not fast, but I am consistent. Consistently slow.....that's me.

Last week we celebrated Nathan's 15th birthday.

Nathan had all his favorite things for dinner. Steak, potato salad and bubble bread were on the menu.


A new computer! Just in time for the start of school.






Nathan trying out his new memory foam pillow.

Mind the Gap

Someone lost another tooth!

Will Santa be bringing his two front teeth? That should be at the top of Garrison's list this year.


My personal chef, Shawn.

Our recent Sunday routine is to pick up donuts for the kids after Church and then Shawn makes omelets for those who are dieting (Me & Him).


Shawn has the touch. My omelets never look this good and they don't taste as good either. Being married to a man that can cook....its a good thing.


I made him put the whole outfit on. It makes me happy. Its not exactly a military uniform, but it does the trick all the same.


This is Lauren practicing the piano.

Are you a Penguin?

Why yes I am, thank you for asking. At this point you might be asking "What's a Penguin?" Check out John Bingham's website for a proper definition and a list of "you might be a penguin if...."
John's credo is "The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start." I'm inspired by this!

I recently started running. I've been following the Couch to 5K program which can be found at CoolRunning.com. C25K is a 9 week program and I'm on week 6. This morning I ran for 35 minutes straight.....mind you, it was not at lightening speed, but it was 35 continuous minutes!

Summer Quilt Retreat 2007

Last week I spent 4 days with my quilting buddies at Create-away Cottage.




We had cake for Kim's birthday.


Kim's big surprise was a signature quilt that we had made for her.


These were a couple of Teresa's projects for the weekend.


This is what Vicki S. worked on.


Connie had show & tell. I had done the quilting.


This is another of Connie's quilts that I quilted for her.


This is what I worked on for four days. It's a Laurel Burch block of the month from 2003.


This was my sewing station for the weekend. Messy!!

For my quilting friends!!

I have been quilting quite a bit the last couple weeks, despite the fact that the kids are out of school. I've been trying to get in as many customer quilts as I can before I attend an upcoming retreat with my quilting buddies. Unfortunately I've been negligent at taking pictures of all these said quilts. I'll try to do better in the future.


This is Jana T's quilt. Look at all the wonderful batiks!!




This is the back.


Yes, it was an enormous quilt!

Where have I been?

Mostly I've been at home in Texas, but I did spend two weeks in Iowa visiting family since I posted last. The kids didn't go, which left me with a lot of time for walking on my own. Creston, IA is a great town for walking. You can walk from one side of town to the other in less than an hour.


This is downtown Creston looking toward the train depot. Occasionally you'll still come across streets in town that have their original brick pavers.


I believe some of the bricks said Flint Co.


This is the house that my Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa Calvin lived in. I remember visiting there when I was a child.


This is the back of the house. I was standing in someones yard when I took this. I was worried the homeowner might come out and yell at me. Not worried enough to not take the picture though. As it turned out my Dad's first cousin lives there and I wasn't in much danger. I'm related to half the town....guess I should have known.


The town of Creston has a fairly new walking trail. It's really nice and has lots of memorial benches along the way.


This a marshy area near the walking trail and it is filled with cattails!


One morning while walking the trail I spotted 5 or 6 deer grazing in the field next to the trail.


More deer.


I really enjoyed walking around McKinley Park. I have a lot of fond memories of large family picnics held there during the summers when I was growing up. They also hold the best 4th of July fireworks there. The fireworks are set off over the lake.


Geese at the lake.

Happy Mother's Day

It's Mother's Day which marks the start of the 8-week WOMAN Challenge. The team that I'm a part of is doing the virtual cross country route. We started our journey in San Francisco today. Whooo-hoooo!! Let's get movin' ladies!

I've only been to San Francisco once, but it was for a very special occasion, my honeymoon. Shawn and I will be celebrating our 17th wedding anniversary this year, so it has been quite a while since I've visited the city of San Francisco.

I'm really glad we are starting our virtual trip in San Francisco and I thought I would share a few pictures of my last time there.


Art Show in Union Square


Pier 39


Pier 39


We didn't rent a car while we were there, so we did lots of walking up and down the steep hills. We must have gotten in lots and lots of steps on that trip.




On a Trolley


Having a cappuccino in The Cannery.


Lombard Street


On the way to Alcatraz.


That's all folks!!

The WOMAN Challenge

I'm excited about participating in the 8 week physical activity challenge that starts on May 13th. If you have not sign up for it yet, go to http://www.womenshealth.gov/woman/ and register for free.

A Walk in the Woods

Look at what I saw yesterday and today! I've spent the last couple days walking at the state park and getting in my steps. I've seen deer, turtles, squirrels and lots of bugs.


Here's a turtle and dragonfly I saw. There were lots of turtles out sunning themselves, but this was the only one that would pose for a picture.


With all the rain we have had lately there are lots of areas that look like this.

Lauren's Confirmation

Lauren was recently Confirmed.


The Celebrant was Bishop Vann.


This is Lauren with her friend Matt. They have known each other since 1st grade and attended all their Confirmation classes together.


Here we all are with Bishop Vann. Sure wish the flash had gone off.

It Was A Garrison Day

We declared last Saturday, Garrison Day.

He had a baseball game in the morning and then it was off to see Spiderman 3. Garrison has been waiting for this movie to come out for 3 years! The release date has been circled on the calendar and the count down seemed to be never-ending.


Batter up!


Hit! Garrison came up to bat 4 times this game and had 4 hits. It was his best game so far and he received the game ball from his team.


Run Garrison run!


Safe on base.


Running home.


Coach Nathan.


Boys finding out their positions from Coach Shawn.




Baseball ready at second base.


How many outs?


Hustle in!


Three years is a long time to wait to see a movie.


Movie time!


Gotta have Crunch.