Daily Challenge - Healthier Eating

 

This month, my daily challenge is something that I truly hope will carry on as a new part of my routine.  I have started a healthier meal plan.  I don't call it a diet because I prefer the term meal plan.  My goal here is not to necessarily lose weight even though that would not be unwelcomed!  My goal is to get my levels where they need to be and pick up some healthier eating habits. 

What I have done is focus each day's meals on an area that need improving in my body.  This is Monday through Friday.  Then on Saturday, I will eat up what is left from the week, and Sunday can be a treat day for me.  I don't call it a cheat day but a treat day because cheat just sounds so negative. That does not mean that I will go overboard on that day or that I will even take advantage of it.  If I still have the meal plan food that needs to be eaten, then I do not want to waste that!

Like I said, each day will focus on a different area that needs improvement.  Those areas, for me, are heart, iron, liver, vitamin b and vitamin d.  It has been fun researching foods that improve each and planning a menu on that.  Now, I will admit that portion control has not been great this week, but I have not really gorged myself either.  And I have found some things that I have really enjoyed that have surprised me.  And I've been surprised some of the things that were beneficial.  Some of my favorites have been the avocado egg salad, avocado toast, and eggs with spinach and cheese.  My snacking has been healthier as well:  blueberries, carrots, cashews, etc.  

I'm really excited about this.  This week has been a great success for me. Even if it is too late to do much good as far as my body is concerned, at least I will have finally made the effort!

Road Trips

 I love a good road trip.  Just getting in the car and going somewhere.  Maybe for the day.  Maybe overnight.  Maybe for the weekend.  They're all good.  I took a road trip back in February to visit my hometown and I had the best time.  I hope to make that trip again soon.  The older I get, though, the less I seem to take road trips.  And, honestly, there is always an excuse:  gas costs too much, I don't have a place to stay, I need to stay home and do laundry.  The list can be endless.  I need to get over that and just do it.  Some of the best times I have had were on road trips.

As a child, not counting actual vacations, we would take road trips several times a year.  It was either usually to Raleigh to see Janet or to Wilmington to visit family.  Most were planned excursions but sometimes a spur of the moment trip would pop up. One time Mom, Grandmother and I drove our cousin Bernie back to his farm in Virginia.  We spent the night and came back the next day.  There's something about being in the car with people you love and spending that time together talking, listening to the radio, and enjoying the scenery.  It's hard to explain but those were magical times.  As a small child, going over the drawbridge in Wilmington always made me cry because I was afraid it would collapse when we were driving over and I didn't know how to swim. Bridges still freak me out a little but I'm much better than I used to be LOL

I loved taking road trips when I was in college.  It's funny that mostly those trips revolved around my best friend in college, Jennifer.  Several of us would drive to Jen's house in Georgia or we would drive to Daytona to see Jennifer in whatever show she was doing at Seaside Music Theatre.  My friend Betsy and I drove down one fall to see her in Romeo and Juliet. We had a flat tire on the way which I ended up changing believe it or not.  Then we get to our hotel and the room they gave us was under construction.  That after being in the car for 9 hours or so made for a very long day.  And let me tell you, I-95 in Florida is the most boring drive ever.  And the exits are like 100 miles apart so if you need to use the restroom, best of luck to you!

Michael and I once took a road trip to the Outer Banks.  He had never been before, and we just decided one night to get up early the next morning and go.  That was an awesome trip. It's that kind of spontaneity that I enjoy.  I don't do it often, but I do enjoy it.  Because it was only a day trip....lots of driving...we focused on the touristy things in the Outer Banks.  On our way home, we stumbled upon one of the best restaurants I've eaten at ever, The Hitching Post.  I would love to go back there one day just for the food!

I would love to take more road trips this year.  When I went to Monroe back in February, not only did it feel good to go home but it felt good to get out of the house and explore again.  It'd been a long time since I had done that, especially on my own.  So, anyone up for climbing in the car and going somewhere?  Be warned....my car does not have A/C  haha 

Vintage Furniture I Want Someday

 I love all of my antiques and collectibles and furniture.  But in my world, there is always room for more LOL One day, I hope to have the big old house filled with fun items.  It may be a pipe dream but at least it's a dream.  And on that note, there are certain pieces of furniture that I want to obtain.  These are based on items that were family pieces that went to someone else.  That is fine because I love the family pieces that I have but I still have a bucket list of antique furniture that I would love to have one day.  And in this IKEA, Amazon, Target world, pieces like these can be found at good prices if you do your research.

1. Hall Tree

There was a hall tree in the family home in Wingate.  Naturally, it sat in the hallway.  It had scroll work, a mirror, coat hooks and an attached umbrella stand.  My Aunt Billie received it and subsequently gave it to her brother to have.  I'm not sure whatever became of the piece, but I have always liked the thought of having one.  Now I just need a hallway LOL

2. Hoosier cabinet

My Aunt Mary Lee had a Hoosier cabinet in her kitchen in Raleigh, NC.  It was left in the house when it was sold in the late 70's.  Dang it LOL I have only seen a few pictures of hers as they did not take many pictures of their kitchen.  Nothing behind the scenes haha.  I do remember Grandmother telling me that this cabinet housed the magenta pottery waffle set and waffle maker.  Every Sunday before church Mary Lee's husband made them waffles.  I love that.  Anyway, I like the look of these cabinets and think it would make a lovely addition.  My roommate Jason has one and I have told him to put me first on the list if he ever needs to part with it LOL

3. Corner chair

Aunt Billie had a corner chair that I really liked. It eventually went to my Uncle Bill, I think.  But my sense perk up whenever I see one.  The one pictured here is Edwardian style, which suits me fine.  I wouldn't mind having one of this style.  It's classic and can go with multiple other styles.  And, besides, they are just fun and often a good conversation piece for people who have never seen one.

4. Martha Washington sewing cabinet

I just think these cabinets are so pretty.  Mom had one in our front hall that her Dad refinished for her.  Grandmother had one in her hallway as well and I imagine Granddad also refinished that one.  But somehow, I ended up with neither of them. I think it's because when each household was being divided up, I was in my more ornate and Victorian period.  But I hold fond memories of this piece and would love to find one for my own one day. 

5. Wardrobe

When I was very young, we used to go to an old beach house each summer in Kure Beach, NC. It was a great old house and we loved going there.  One of the things I remember about the house is that there were wardrobes in the bedrooms.  There were linen closets between the bedrooms but no other closets.  The family home in Wingate also had several wardrobes even though all the bedrooms had closets. They both went to a cousin of mine and were lovely pieces.  Even with closets, I would love to have one someday.   

6.  Tea cart

A tea cart is not something that was a family piece, but it was on Grandmother's wish list. There were three things she always wanted:  A four-poster bed, a grandfather clock and a tea cart.  I think they are great pieces and also very utilitarian.  I would love to get one both for myself and for Grandmother. 

7. Brass Bed

Grandmother had an old brass bed in her back bedroom.  It had the best old feather mattress on it.  It was a piece that came from the Tyner family, Aunt Mary Lee's in-laws.  Their family home was in a place called Lowe, NC, near Lumberton in Robeson County.  Grandmother was like a daughter to Aunt Mary Lee and so she often given pieces from the Tyner family.  I just love the look of one.  I remember that Mrs. Snow (Agnes Moorehead) from Pollyanna slept in a brass bed and I loved it LOL

8. Fainting bench

The upstairs hallway in the family home had a fainting bench.  It had a slipcover on it that was well over 50 years old in the 80s.  Grandmother inherited the piece and traded it to the man who refinished her kitchen cabinet. He's the one who took the slipcover off and we discovered the beautiful carving on the frame.  By then, the deal was done.  Ah, well.  I think these are lovely pieces and many are very ornate, but I like this simpler style. It would be great for napping!

9. Platform rocker

Mom inherited a rocker like this from her cousin Isabel. It was a fun old piece that sat in our living room for years.  Bill has it now and it was an obvious choice because for years, he was the only one who could sit in it without being unsteady. I'd love to have one so that I can master the art of platform rocker sitting LOL

10. Eames chair

My mom's best friend, Janet, had a chair and ottoman like this one.  It is an Eames office chair.  And while it is not something you would look at and think that I would love, I absolutely do.  It is the most comfortable chair that I have ever sat in.  I can say that with all honesty.  I do not know what became of Janet's but I am always on the lookout for one of these at a good price.  But, sadly, they are quite expensive.

This is just fun for me to think about.  I may never have any of these pieces but then again, I may get all of them one day.  Either way, it's fun to dream!

Waiting for the stove that didn't come

 As an adult, there's almost nothing as satisfying as getting a new appliance.  At least in my world there isn't.  As you know, I have been waiting for a new stove for several weeks now.  I am so excited to have a working stove again you have no idea! I am thankful for the induction burner that Jason has and have enjoyed using it but it's not the same.

I took Monday off of work because my new stove would be arriving at some point during the day. I remember when my new washer came and they showed up before 8:00 a.m. so I wanted to be prepared.  With that in mind, you would think that I spent Sunday getting everything ready.  That's a big fat no.  Sunday has returned to being my day of rest.  And I totally take advantage of that these days.  Anyway, I got up early on Monday.  Well not any earlier than I normally do but I got up with a more defined plan of action in case my new utensil of cooking magic arrived early.

I cleared off all the counters that were around where the stove goes.  I unplugged things and put them in various places throughout the house.  I took stuff out the cabinets as well, just in case.  I pulled the stove out from the wall.  I wanted to clean behind there because...well...it needed it after 10+ years of service.  And yes, it desperately needed it.  Lots of sweeping the floor and wiping down the walls.  Now the walls are stained with grease so I could only do so much, but it was a heap better than what it was before.  Then realizing that the stove was going to have to come through the front door, it was time to move furniture.  I moved everything in my living room and dining room that would be in the path of the new stove. Chairs, tables, plants all good pushed up against the walls to provide ample space for my new toy.  Plenty of room for the delivery!

So, once I am all done with that, I sit down to finish my coffee and have breakfast. I am finishing up my yogurt when my phone buzzes.  It's a text from Lynn, my landlord.  She asks me if I had heard anything from the appliance company on delivery. I told her I had not.  About 20 minutes later she texts again saying that she found an email saying it will be delivered on Thursday.  Really!?!  I took a non-paid day off of work and now they're not coming.  I just spent the last two hours getting my house ready for them and now they're not coming. I was not a happy camper! Oh well, such is life.  First world problems.

So, I decided that I was not going to live like that for the next three days.  I pulled all of my furniture out and reset my table.  That, of course, relaxed me hehe.  Then I pushed the stove back into place.  I got all of the appliances back on the counter and plugged in and filled the cabinets back up. Actually, things looked pretty good so it wasn't a bad morning.  I just hated waiting several hours for a stove that never came.  Bring on Thursday!!

Sorting the cooking utensils

 

Yesterday, I went through my kitchen utensil drawers and one of the drawers started to break.  The front of the drawer has begun to come off.  If you have been following the recent status of my kitchen, this will come as no surprise.  No working stove, a fridge that won't keep things cold, a leaking dishwasher and now a broken drawer.  I really don't know what's wrong with my kitchen, but I hope it fixes itself soon because I am getting quite tired of the situation.  

Anyway, I have these two drawers full of different kinds of utensils that I use for cooking and serving.  And I do use many of them on a regular basis, so those utensils are safe. For those utensils, I normally have at least two of them because things break and I want to have a backup just in case.  It is frustrating when you're cooking and something that you really need breaks and you don't have something to replace it with.  Those utensils are all safe.  I also have utensils that I do not use much but will use when needed like my pastry blender.  I have only used it a handful of times, but when I need it, I need it.  So, more things that are safe.

Not my drawer but you get the idea.  I have two drawers full like this!

So that left me with pieces that I have used only once or have never used to really think about whether I wanted to continue taking up that space in the drawer.  I have an apple corer that I have used once.  While it did come in handy when I needed it, is it worth saving since I used it so little.  The answer....yes.  Who knows?  For some reason, I just couldn't let go of it.  Ah, well.  I did find an egg slicer at the bottom of the back of the drawer which will be going to a new home.  I find that slicers like that almost never work out like they are advertised and end up making a huge mess.  And two small white paddle like spatulas that I have no clue where they came from.  

My loss will be Goodwill's gain. While it's not much, it's something and every little bit helps.  It gives me more space for more utensils.  One drawer at a time!

Proverbs 27:9

 

The older that I get, the more I know how precious good friends are.  I have more good friends than I often realize and that is reassuring.  I will sometimes tell myself that I do not have that many good friends because so many of the people I love are not here in Greensboro.  I need to stop thinking that way and be thankful for these friendships.  And, luckily, I do have some very dear friends that are like family here in town.  And my heart is always open for more!

Gift Giving - Looking way ahead LOL

 We all know that I love gift giving.  I get so much pleasure out of finding those unique gifts for friends and family.  Sometimes it is something someone has mentioned in passing that they have forgotten about and it's a total surprise that I remembered.  Like for Jason's birthday this year, I got him a spinning tulip for his yard.  It's a piece of yard art that he talked about one night and I filed it away for later usage.  Perfect!

Sometimes I take things that I know a person likes and find something way out of the box based on that information.  For Michael's 30th birthday, I got him a Tears for Fears gold record.  It's not something he expected and he loved it. 

And, generally, I like to buy things way in advance which brings me to today's post.  One day when I was browsing on Ebay, such a shocker right, I found this alphabet block by Tim Wolfe of the Cairn Studios.  I enjoy looking up the Cairn Studios pieces because I collect the gnomes that they produced.  Anyway, this block was the letter G with a goose on top.  I thought it was super cute so I did some more research.  He did the entire alphabet with animals.  They are fantastic!

In the early 90s, Cairn Studios did a Wind in the Willows series.  Mom fell in love with their Mr. Toad and snapped it right up.  A little while later she went back to The Candlewick (our go to store for nice gifts in the Monroe Mall) and bought the rest of the series:  Badger, Ratty and Mole.  Then she made the announcement that this set would go to the first grandchild.  Well, even then in high school I knew deep down that would not be coming from me, so congratulations, Margaret LOL

Anyway, when I saw the Tim Wolfe alphabet blocks, I decided that I would do something similar.  Not for a grandchild because that ship has sailed LOL But, I thought how nice it would be for my first great niece or great nephew.  It will make a lovely addition to a nursery one day. And, if it ends up that I don't have a great niece or nephew (which will be totally fine), I will just enjoy them for myself.  And you know I love the thrill of the hunt when it comes to antiques and collectibles.  I'll just add this series to the many things I collect LOL So far, I have A through E.  I think they are so sweet and I look forward to finding more!  Hopefully I'll complete the set before a baby comes but I think we are way away from that LOL