Thursday, July 21, 2011

Weight Loss Update #9 & Half-Way Giveaway Winner ... Among Other Things : )

Good morning!!!  I had a very good night's sleep last night & feel pretty good this morning.  The heat index is predicted to be between 110-115 so this farm gal will be staying inside & trying to accomplish every single thing she needs to do!!!  Then again, if I'm estimating this right it will take more than a day to get everything done that needs to be done so I guess I'll need to do some picking & choosing   : )

Thank you for all the kind words regarding my trip to the hospital.  I really appreciate them!  Hopefully it will be my last trip.  I have an aunt who just celebrated her 85th birthday in June.  She has never been admitted to a hospital except when she gave birth to her son, never had to go to the ER, never had any PAP smears or breast exams or colonoscopies or x-rays or any other kinds of tests, & has been to see a doctor maybe 10 times in her life not counting prenatal/postnatal visits.  She moves a little slower now-a-days & gets more tired than she used to but she still looks great & she can run rings around people half her age.  She has always had a great attitude about things & she still has.  About a year ago someone suggested to her that she might want to join the local senior citizens group because they go on outings & have various get-togethers & she might enjoy that!  She answered "Why would I want to join a senior citizens group?  I'm not old!"  Yep ... great attitude!  I hope I'm like that when I'm in my 80s.  I plan to be   : )

I got on the scale this morning expecting the worst ... especially after grilling a half-pound burger for my dinner last night & smothering it with mozzarella cheese & pizza sauce.  No bun ... gotta keep off carbs for now.  During this maintenance phase I'm supposed to be staying within 2 pounds of the weight I was 3 days before entering it.  I don't claim to understand the mechanics of this diet ... I'm just reporting what I'm supposed to do.  This morning I weighed 1-1/2 pounds less than that weight so I am very pleased   : )   I have been having such fun searching out different recipes & cooking things ahead of time.  On Tuesday I made a small pot of spicy lentil soup which I put in containers & placed in the freezer.  That same day I also cooked a roast in the crockpot until it fell apart.  I will use the shredded beef to make a small pot of vegetable beef soup today which will also go into the freezer.  With the remaining beef I will make chili for dinner.  I make chili without beans which some people can't understand but it's really good!  Also on Tuesday (it was a productive day food-wise ... lol!) I followed someone's recipe for grilling eggplant.  I am 57 years old & never in my life have I eaten or cooked with eggplant ... or zucchini for that matter.  You should've seen me in the grocery stores trying to find zucchinis ... I didn't even know what they looked like ... lol!  Anyway, you slice the eggplant into half-inch slices, brush it with olive oil, & place it on the grill.  You can then actually put cheese on top along with lettuce & tomato & whatever else, put it on a bun & eat it like a hamburger ... but I made "Eggplant Italian" & melted my beloved mozzarella cheese on top, then added pizza sauce & Italian sausage bits I had fried ahead of time.  It was good but I honestly didn't taste the eggplant.  It was very soft ... don't know if that's the way it's supposed to be or not.  It was nicely browned on the outsides & I didn't grill it really close to the coals so I'll assume it was okay.

Sorry ... I'm really rambling on today!

Before beginning this post I drew a winner for my Half-Way Giveaway.  This has got to be the first giveaway in history where only 6 people signed up ... lol!  Forgive me for not taking a picture of the names written on the little slips of paper, all the little slips folded & placed into the bowl & mixed around, & my hand reaching in & drawing out the name.  I know it's not too exciting just telling you who won but you'll have to deal with it ... lol!  So are you ready???  The winner is ... TRACE!!!  Trace, I will email you to get your address & also to discuss the giveaway with you.  I also decided to draw a runner-up winner & that winner is ... BETTY!!!  Betty, I will also email you to get your address.  Congratulations to both of you!!!  I will post photos of the giveaway items but not right now   : )

And speaking of giveaways, Janice over at Prims by the Water is having a Christmas in July giveaway!  She will give away the following prim Santa & homestead pillow when she reaches 100 followers!  She has made these items with her own 2 little hands & I think they are both wonderful!

          
Well, I think that's it ... at least for now ... lol!  I hope you will all enjoy today even though the heat will be a problem in most of the country.  One of my friends on Facebook posted something this morning regarding the heat which I thought was something to think about so I am going to repost it here ...

I was going to complain about how hot it is but then I realized ...

1.  The temperature is not 109 degrees (heat index not included);
2.  I'm not 5,700 miles from home;
3.  I'm not dressed in a full BDU uniform & helmet & carrying 70+ pounds;
4.  There is very little chance that anyone will shoot me or that I will drive over a road bomb today.
      
May God bless & be with all our soldiers who deal with these conditions on a daily basis.  

7 comments:

jennifer768 said...

Shirlee great post! Congrats on your continued weight loss.So glad that you are feeling better. The grilled eggplant sounds really good I will have to try it.Your aunt sounds like a delightful lady. Congrats to Trace and Betty ! Have a wonderful day .Jen

Angela said...

Shirlee, Glad to hear you are feeling better and had a good rest last night. Congrat on your weight loss .
And congrats. to the two lucky ladies who won the giveaways. I am sure they will be well rewarded.
Take care and have a great day.
Angela

Anonymous said...

Glad you got some rest Shirlee,,and great job on the weight loss. Congrats to Trace and Betty. Have a great day dear!

Diane said...

I'm so glad to hear that you're feeling better Shirlee...congrats to the winners of your giveaway and to you for the continued weight loss!
I also posted that quote on my status in facebook because someone had posted it and I truly thought that it put life into perspective.
We tend to complain about the little things while sitting in our air-conditioned homes, when the soldiers are out in that heat, no air-conditioning. Loved it then, and loved it when I read it on your blog :) Thanks for, once again, making me see what blessings we truly have!
Have a great day! I'm spending the day indoors as well, going to get some painting done!

Hugs,
Diane

Trace4J said...

Congrats Friend!!
Thanks for drawing my name..SO excited!!
Take your time..Get some rest and eat some vitamins :)
Hugs Trace
www.grannytracescrapsandsquares.com

bettyj said...

I am excited! I never win anything and not too long ago I won one of Tameras and now yours! Just cannot believe it. We are all winners, reading your blog Shirlee. It is always fun
betty

Kathy said...
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