Lauren and I spent a good portion of our time working in the yard yesterday. We cut the grass, trimmed trees and spruced it up putting lots of love and passion into our work.

Last evening we were hit by a huge storm with tornado warnings and there were tornado sightings in the area. I could hear the tornado siren in the distance and I took cover in the pantry until the tornado threat was over. I was home alone, Lauren was at the gym in Fort Worth and Bobby was just about 10 min away from home caught in that mess!

I had the news on and they reported winds in our area up to 90 mph so I called Lauren immediately and left a message on her phone to stay put until the storm passed (she was stuck at the gym for an additional hour & ½). I called Bobby and thank goodness he was almost home and he made it safely.

The news reported several thousand strikes of lightning in just 30 minutes time. After the tornado threat was over, I was able to enjoy such a storm. I’ve never seen the wind carry rain sideways in huge sheets that looked like a massive wall traveling sideways.

We awoke to beautiful sunshine and 67 degrees. It’s a beautiful day for more yard work as debris covers the entire yard.

Bobby and I put on a little bit of weight after Lauren arrived and it’s going to stop now. We allow ourselves to go off program when special events arise but the party’s over. The good news, when Bobby and I went to NY, I tried very hard to eat sensibly and to make good choices at meal time. There’s always balance too as Jennifer invited us to meet her family at Cold Stone Creamery. Bobby and I have never been there and it sounded like a wonderful treat. All I can say is the ice cream was so good that Bobby and I went back the very next night just to make sure they knew what they were doing over there. We weren’t disappointed at all!

When we got home early Sunday afternoon feeling a little on the hungry side, there was freshly baked, soft & chewy, oatmeal/chocolate chip cookies on the counter, complements of Lauren. The only way for Bobby and I to deal with temptation was to succumb to it. I must have had 5 cookies and oh were they ever so good. But after that big mistake I didn’t allow another morsel of food in my tummy the rest of the day. The really scary news was that I had to get up and face the music Monday morning by stepping on the scale.

Monday came quite early coupled with reluctance to step on the scale for the bitter truth. Truth be told, I was down ½ a pound from our trip. Bobby told me I was golden but I think it had everything to do with balance.

I’m doing really well and back in the grove to polish off the rest of this unwanted weight. It’s so good to be on my ‘weigh’ down once again.

My Handsome Hubby Getting Ready For His Business Meeting

We had a great trip to NY and a terrific stay in the Binghamton area. I’ve been to the city a few times but have never been to any other areas in the state. I could not get over how beautiful the area was. The rolling hills and landscape were breathtaking which made for a spectacular stay.

I was lucky enough to get to spend some time with Jennifer and we even got to spend some time with her whole family one evening.

Our trip home was a breeze and we look forward to our weeks to come with Lauren. Kristy arrives next Sunday, so we have quite a busy, fun and happening schedule around here.

I just got my report and my cholesterol is A – OK. BUT my liver test came back a little elevated. WHAT? Whatever that means? She asked if I took a lot of Tylenol – Answer – Negative. She asked how much alcohol I consumed – Answer – Zip. Then she said it could be my gallbladder – Answer – I don’t have a gallbladder anymore.

I need to go back in two months for a check up. OK, she did say if there were a really big problem, the Dr. would be all over it and not to be alarmed and said it could be a fluke thing. I asked her if there was anything I could do for it and she said not a thing. Guess I’ll wait and see what’s up in a couple months.

Bobby’s Report

Bobby just got a GOOD report from his blood work and no medication is needed. His cholesterol has dropped way down and he’s in the normal range now! Woo Hoo!!!

We’ll be flying out first thing in the AM as Bobby has business in NY and taking me too, it should be fun! I love how Bobby says “I can’t leave home without you”. I don’t always get to go but I love going with him when I can. We’ll be back home Sunday, so I’ll see you all then.

My day is filled with errands and checking things off my list. So, I had better get myself in gear.

It seems like a melancholy day around here today. The sky is heavy with a constant misty rain and the thunder seems to be at a low steady rumble.

I got up this morning and went to my hair appointment. Can I just say that I love the salon? Well, I do and I never read magazines/books while I’m there as I love to watch people and different stylists cut hair. I believe I could sit in that salon all day and never get bored. It’s a good size salon with about 30 chairs and they offer manicures and several other services as well. It’s decorated in beautiful reds, black, and white and the stylists are always dressed in black. The floor is beautiful wood and the walls have little pockets with gorgeous pieces of pottery tucked away. The music in the far background sounds like a tropical island and the feeling there is so relaxed and welcoming. After spending two hours in there getting my color, I felt as though I wasn’t ready to leave. Maybe next time I’ll schedule a few more things and make a day of it.

Lauren doesn’t seem to be feeling to well today as she was not up for running around. I wanted to take her out to the Lockheed recreation center so that she could look into yoga classes which she loves so much. She also wanted to look into some other activities out there, something must be really wrong for her to stay in bed this morning. I think her long trip and late nights are catching up with her and hope she gets rested up soon. I’ve got a couple more errands to run this afternoon so I’ll see if she’s chipper enough to get moving.

Update as of 3:15 PM

I couldn’t seem to get Lauren out of the house with me at all today. I think it was the weather and she said she was feeling a bit gloomy so I left. While I was out and about a tornado warning alarm sounded. The place I was in called all customers into a back room away from all windows. I called Lauren at home and had her go into the pantry where she stayed for 45 min. There were 3 (if not more) tornados that grounded in our area in that short amount of time but we are all safe and sound now.

We left the house a little before 11:00 and I took the girls to a little French Café for brunch. We spent close to two hours enjoying a nice unrushed meal. Our waitress learned that the girls were not from around here and had the manager bring them 4 muffins each (a total of 8) and Lauren has done nothing but rant about her muffins all afternoon. Then we left for the airport and had Kristen there in plenty of time for her flight. Lauren and I got home around 4:00 PM feeling completely exhausted. We bypassed the library today but have plans to make it over there one day this week. I was able to get a little power nap from 4 – 4:30 and woke up feeling so refreshed and rejuvenated.

Lauren and Kristen at the little table where we chilled before we were called to our table

Lauren and Kristen saying their goodbyes at the airport – Insert another ‘girls just wanna have fun’

We took Magic in for some blood work this morning and his report was just a smidgen better. Thank goodness he likes the kitty food that the Dr. prescribed; it’s making all the difference. Magic has lived a very long life but one of these days it will be his time.

Bobby had his appointment at the Dr. this morning to have his blood work done again. He had his blood work done last year and his cholesterol was too high. The Dr. asked him to come back in 6 months for another check up to see if they need to put him on medication. Bobby has concentrated faithfully on his diet all year and has done a wonderful job shedding some 30 + pounds, so hopefully he’ll get an A+ when the report comes back.

Last year Bobby’s buddy (Danny Boy, as we like to call him) called from CA to convey the sad news that a dear friend in his mid 40’s had passed away from a heart attack. Danny Boy asked Bobby if he’s been taking care of himself and seeing the Doc like he should. Bobby scheduled his appointment with the Doc for blood work right away. That was something that definitely got our attention and we desire to keep our health in check. I’m having my blood work done on Monday and hopefully I’ll pass with flying colors.

I talked to mom last evening and there is no change in my grandma’s condition. Yesterday morning Uncle Jim was helping grandma when she lost control of herself and was unable to stand to her feet. At that time she had slurred speech and he was unable to understand her.

Mom had to scurry to get all the medical information to Uncle Jim as grandma is allergic to quite a few medications. He then called the ambulance and she was taken to the hospital.

Uncle Jim stayed with grandma all day but she pretty much slept the whole time. During the times she was awake, she didn’t know where she was and thought she was in Winterhaven Florida. When Uncle Jim told her that she was in NC with him, she couldn’t remember how she got there. And much of the time her speech was slurred.

The Dr. did find that she has an infection in her body but they have yet to diagnose her condition. All of her vital signs were great and she did not have a stroke. Uncle Jim says they should have more reports on her condition by Friday. This has happened in the past so we’re not sure how she’s going to cope this time. Mom told me a week or so ago when she was talking to her mom; grandma told mom that she didn’t think she had much more time here with us. I pray she’s able to get the rest she needs and that she doesn’t have to suffer with pain.

I’m praying for you grandma, all my love,

Deborah

Thursday Afternoon Update:

When Uncle Jim arrived to the hospital this morning, grandma was up and eating really well. She seems to be improving and her speech is better. She’s still pretty weak and will probably need some rehab. The Dr. says by Friday we should see some good improvement.

Yesterday while visiting with my buddy, she mentioned taking Nicholas to the potty. I thought it was her German accent way of telling me that she was going to change his diaper. Then she asked if I would like to join her a moment, I got up and went in and sure enough she had her little 3 month old Nicholas sitting on the potty and he was going potty in the potty. Some of you mommies may have heard of this but I was totally blown away!

Nicholas at 3 months on his potty chair and a picture of his little tiny potty chair. The potty chairs come in smaller sizes too.

She had his little potty chair sitting on her bathroom counter and he loves watching himself in the mirror while going tinkle. She then told me that he uses the potty chair 4 out of 5 times for his poopies. I was a little skeptical at first but during the two hours I was there she had him on his potty twice and he used it both times! Now I’m a believer!

She even has a book, picture shown below. The book informs that a parent needs to start potty training before the baby is 6 months or it’s too late. The book explains the key times when a baby goes potty like right after a feeding and I forget the other times she mentioned… Monika follows through with that and has proven to be a success. The book also explains that the infant will learn to hold it once they get used to the routine.

So yesterday, right after his feeding she took him potty and the instant she sat him down on his little chair he went right away. Monika explained that Nicholas already understands what’s coming right after his feeding and he’s doing a fantastic job of holding it. She was also telling me that in Germany babies are potty trained by the time they are 1.

Below is a picture of a 10 month old signing that he needs to use the toilet. Monika will begin to use that signing method soon with Nicholas. Pretty cool stuff. The top caption is for the picture above which I didn’t get.

I’m down almost 30 pounds in 15 weeks and Bobby’s treating me to Charleston’s for our first lunch date of the year. It’s a great cozy restaurant with candle light even at lunch time; I’m really looking forward to our date.

Then I’ll be off to spend a couple hours with my buddy Monika and baby Nicholas before my pottery class this afternoon. Today is my last pottery class for a while and I look forward to seeing everyone again for our last little hoorah before the summer months. Rachel (the instructor) is taking the summer off and I don’t blame her so who knows when I’ll be back to Tuesday afternoon classes.

I hope I don’t have to take off the summer myself but I may not be as into my pottery like I wanted to over the summer with Lauren’s visit. I’m going to play the summer by ear and let things unfold as they may.

I love my everyday routine and this summer is not going to be that every day routine that I’m used to. Summer is beginning to take off so fast it seems and we’re going with the flow. We originally planned our summer trip to Alaska thinking we had a free summer. Now it’s really starting to get booked up, just relax oh my soul. Our schedule looks something like this.

• April 23 – Lauren arrives for the summer
• April 26 – Bobby has a short business trip in NY and taking me with. I think I get to see Jennifer too!
• May 5 – Kristy arrives
• May 12 – Kristy flies back to Michigan for her summer intern
• May 25 – Lauren flies to see a friend for two weeks while we’re in Alaska
• May 26 – Bobby and I to Alaska for 2 weeks
• June 9 – Bobby and I back home
• June 10 – Lauren back to spend more of the summer with us. Don’t know how long she’s going to spend here. She just needs some time away at our house.
• August – Bobby and I drive the truck to MI to help Kristy move into her apartment.
• August – Bobby and I drive from MI to St Louis to help Lauren move to college.

I’m starting to feel a little overwhelmed with summer but we should have a good one! I’m sure Lauren and I will be spending some quality time at the pool and perhaps Starbucks. She’s our little barista who has worked at a coffee shop through all of her HS years and this year not counting the time she spent in Guatemala. Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it’s off to summer we go!

We had quite a violent and exciting storm last evening. I’m a storm kinda gal and love to watch storms up close and personal.

We got the truck all loaded up for the party and got out the door before the storm hit our area. We didn’t get too far down the road where we saw a huge dark black line in the sky. The radio was on enough so that we could hear the news and there was a tornado watch and asking everyone to take cover. We could feel the truck rocking side to side at the stop lights when I asked Bobby if he was sure he wanted to drive in this weather. He said he was already committed so away we went plowing through that dark mess. We were both on the look out for a tornado but continued on to the party. There were several tornados in our area last evening and so glad we dodged them!

We didn’t have to carry on in the major mess for very long but it was pretty treacherous the whole way, about a 45 min drive. We arrived to the party where Sue was wrapping up the final details. Their power was out due to the storm so lucky her that she planed a cookout. The power eventually came back on and the party carried on. Many of our friends reported seeing golf ball size hail and we heard on the news that areas in Fort Worth reported tennis ball size hail. That storm didn’t rain on Mike’s big day as 30 plus guests came for his celebration.

Happy Birthday MIKE!

Bobby couldn’t resist the Depends. But we also gave him a grill thermometer. It’s the kind where you poke the meat with the probe and take the other hand held device with you indoors or wherever. You can program it for chicken, beef, pork and that little hand held device keeps the constant digital temperature of the meat. It will also sound an alarm 5 degrees before the meat is finished and then the alarm will go off again when the meat is done. I love ours and won’t cook meat on the grill without it.

What a hoot! Mike got this cane complete with a little horn. The horn is the little blue circle thingy where you see his finger pressed against.

What a wonderful party and Mike sure had an exciting entrance into his 50’s

When mulling over what kind of side dish to take this evening, my mind immediately went to veggies and dip, one of my favorite party snacks. And it’s going to be a healthy choice for me too.

Mom always has a veggie plate when we go to her house and it’s always the biggest hit right before dinner. The family gathers around the bar area eating veggies and dip while mom and the girls finish preparing the meal.

I know I mentioned in my blast that I planed to wait until this evening to eat but that didn’t happen. While preparing my veggies, I made a side dish for myself and they made for a wonderful lunch! I didn’t have any dip with them so I should have plenty of calories left to eat responsibly this evening. I even plan to have a little wedge of B-Day cake.

Is it Thursday already? This week seems to be flying by so fast.

I’ve been keeping myself occupied with pottery and loved my class Tuesday afternoon. Rachel (the instructor) taught some really cool things about mold making. I’m not one who has ever been hip on molds as I like to create each piece and want everything to be unique. However, she shined the light on carving, and added such great character in these molds that I can see how I could enjoy that journey.

P.S. The only molds that I’ve embraced in the past are the little birds, flowers, leaves and such that I like applying to my finished pieces.

She also touched on slip. Slip is actually clay watered down so thin with water that it becomes the thickness of heavy cream or thicker depending on what you want to do with it. When using a very dark clay body and applying slip (that’s made out of beautiful white porcelain) with a brush over the entire surface of the dark clay body, makes the piece ‘look’ like a white clay body. Then you take your carving tools and begin to carve into the clay and where you carve, the dark clay body shows through. It’s pretty cool.

With slip you can also do what is called slip trailing. Slip trailing is basically painting a design on a piece with either white or colored slip. To make colored slip you can add colorants into the porcelain to change the color. Below is a sample of what someone (not me) has done over a dark clay body. They’ve added a blue colored slip design over the clay and used a clear glaze over the top.