Bobby was able to put free ads on line for all of our furniture and our phone has been ringing off the hook all week. Side note: The beauty of putting things in ads on line is that you can take out the ad as soon as the item sells. We’ve had great success getting rid of stuff and sold all the black leather furniture last night. The bonus is that we were able to collect the full asking price on everything we’ve sold so far!

If we get rained out of the yard sale, I’d say we’ve done really well already. In that case, we’ll haul some stuff off to the auction and the rest to Good Will and be done with it!

Today I’m working in our closet getting organized for summer. The winter clothes move to the back of the closet and the spring/summer things get moved up to the front. Our summer things are already cleaned and the plan is to have everything ironed and in place by the end of the day. The house is pretty much clean but I’ll run the vacuum again to have it all tidied up for the weekend.

I was really sad to see Chris Sligh go, but already knew in my heart that he would be the next to go. Before they even got to his row, Bob and I both had the gut feeling that he would be in the bottom 3. I was really hoping that it would be Phil Stacey’s turn as he just rubs me the wrong way (different strokes for different folks).

Sanjaya, I don’t know what to say about him. All we know is that there are a bunch of AI haters out there voting to keep him in. I feel they should change their voting system by having everyone vote for the worst person. I don’t believe the AI haters could stand a chance with everyone else voting out the worst. Look at how they eliminate in Survivor, they vote by writing down the person’s name that they want to see leave.

Melinda Doolittle is the one who has my vote this year. I look forward to her performance every time and her humble disposition quenches it for me.

When it comes to Blake Lewis, I believe the judges got it right when they told him he was the best male contestant. He is really growing on us over here.

This is such a great season and there are several in this competition who have what it takes to be our next AI.

One day in late December 2005, way out of the blue, I heard from Jennifer O., who invited me to have a look at her site. I thought it was very cool indeed, so I began to start blogging myself.

In the beginning stages, I was not sure it would be something that I would keep up with. I’ve done some journaling in the past. I kept a diary for maybe up to 6 months at time but I have no idea where those diaries are anymore, perhaps in the trash. As the days progressed, long lost friends were finding me and I was discovering them along the way. Even though the miles separate us, I feel connected once again and that’s what it’s about.

Nowadays, blog journaling is first class, enriched with quite a few perks. There’s so many pictures right here to dredge up, and a number of details that I would never dream of putting in a diary. And think of all the paper I’m saving too! And I can’t misplace it either, no matter where I go it will always be right here, and that’s so comforting.

In the future, I’ll consider this my valuable keepsake with so many wonderful memories tucked away. I have to think I’ll enjoy this passage even more in the years to come. I’m so thankful I started this journey and trust I’ll never lose site of the old friendships that have been rekindled once again.

I must say, this weight loss journey has been quite an enjoyable ride. As of this morning I’m down 24 pounds in 12 weeks and have just about reached my half way point. Bobby’s down 29 pounds in 12 weeks and is half way to his goal. I’m pleased with our journey this year and thrilled that Bobby has joined me on this trip to our new us.

We’ve noticed how much better we’re feeling and want to continue on the road to wellness. One thing that we both want out of this journey is to make it life changing. Sure we are human and talk about having things that we are not allowing in our system the moment but those things can wait. Bobby asks me, “Where would you like to be on your journey before you make cookies”. He has a resting point in mind where he would like to stop for some cookies but he also wants to see where I would be comfortable to stop for a treat along the way. I gave him the weight of where I would like to be when I feel safe to stop and he’s just dandy with that. If inquiring minds need to know, it will be a few months down the road for both of us as he nor I are ready to stop and smell the goodies any time soon. I’m so in love with my team player!

We also talk about restaurants and what we miss and how we are going to go about adding things to our menu in moderation once we reach our goal. One thing we have both decided is that we are not going to lose site of where we came from. The other thing we will do is continue to weigh every day and keep ourselves in check. Something I look forward to is BBQ Ribs, and the day will come where I can enjoy them again, in moderation. The good news, we both love our veggies and fruit, we both enjoy eating healthy, and we will keep focused on our passage to healthy living.

We spent a good deal of time outside working in our yard this weekend. We worked on trimming the bushes in the flowerbeds, pulling weeds and getting things all spruced up for spring. We both have a mower so we zipped around here giving the lawn its first cut of the year. Bobby applied fertilizer and weed killer to the lawn while I used the blower on the drive and sidewalks. It was so nice to be outside working in 69 degree weather but oh is my body ever talking to me. It’s relaying aches and pains that have not been around in a while but the exercise was so good. As the summer draws closer, we’ll be ready to hire the lawn service again.

Bobby’s given me an assignment for the next 2 – 3 weeks, or however long it takes. He wants me to pick out window treatments for the family room. Now that we have our colors and everything the way we want in there, we’re both ready for the windows to take on a new look. I can’t wait to get right on it.

Before I get all wrapped up in the window treatment assignment, I want to concentrate on the upcoming yard sale this coming weekend. It’s time to go through our things and weed out so that’s where my focus will be this week.

I know my focus has changed from pottery and my pottery goals have been altered. I had no idea at the time that we would find our new furniture so fast as we had looked a long time for it. Nor did we consider doing a yard sale at the time either, now we have a garage FULL of things and the annual yard sale for the development came at the right time for us so here we are. I will not be entering a piece of pottery for the draw on Wednesday as my glazing has taken backseat for the time being. One of these days I’ll be able to focus full time on pottery but for now, duty calls.

What a wonderful weekend we’re having here at the home front. Bobby and I have been searching for a curio cabinet for my Precious Moments collection for quite some time. Bobby just surprised me with the one I wanted today and it now resides in our dining room. Bobby even has it set to a timer where the light comes on at the crack of dawn and off at midnight.

Bobby has showered me with Precious Moments ever since we started dating and he continues adding to my precious collection. Each piece has a special meaning for us, telling our beautiful story. That’s why it’s so special to me and now the collection has a beautiful display case where they can call home.

The top row: Motorcycle ride was our second date, sharing desert is something we’ve always done, the engagement was on Bobby’s sofa on Christmas morning,

The second row: The wedding and everything that has to do with the bride and groom.

The couple dancing says it all, that’s how we met, country dancing and I love how they are in western attire.

I just love this one with Bobby in his recliner with a puppy, a remote, and a can of soda. We’ve talked about getting a dog but for now we like to think it’s kitty up there with him as that’s what kitty does every night.

We were up bright and early this morning and its Bobby’s Friday off. What’s up with that? Well, Bobby has ‘jury duty’ today. The good thing is that he’s getting it over with and won’t have that to tend to for a very long time.

I’ve been thinking about my pottery goal and how I was supposed to have my things in the galleries by March 22nd. That was yesterday and I’m still not ready. I’ve wanted to get to my glazing, but our garage is filled with all of our old furniture, our old king size bed is all set up in there as we have all this stuff advertised. We had to clear away my glazing station to make room for all that stuff so I may be delayed a little longer.

The development we live in is having their annual yard sale next weekend and we plan to participate in that as well. It’s actually a really big event and the streets become so congested in here so maybe we’ll have some luck getting rid of all this old stuff to provide more room in the garage, we’ll see.

After taking Magic to the vet to have him examined due to the pet food recall we learned that our dear kitty has severe kidney failure. The Vet said it had nothing to do with the food recall and everything to do with his very old age. To explain it in laymen terms the Vet basically told me that kitty has lost in equivalent to one kidney and half of the other and has given kitty 2 weeks to 1 year. I think I posted kitty being 16 years old the other day and I stand corrected, little Magic is 17 years of age.

That was such a huge blow for me as our kitty has seemed to be in the best of health and I basically stood there in shock. After bringing kitty home I called Bobby and relayed to him kitty’s condition. It was really hard for me and Bobby took it really hard too. Dear Magic has been with Bobby the last 17 years and has been such a dear and special pal.

When Bobby came in from work tonight, we just stood there and hugged and cried and found it very difficult to allow the thought of losing kitty in our minds. We have him on special food and that is all we can do for him. Kitty is getting the royal treatment around here with lots more hugs, lots more affection and a whole lotta’ lovin’.

Weight loss, it’s something I have yet to really come out and talk about so far this year. Bobby and I both started eating healthy on January 1st this year and have not turned back. We started our healthy kick with lots of fruit and vegetables and eating the right things. We’ve both been on a constant steady loss and have already lost quite a substantial amount of weight so far.

We allowed ourselves our very first ‘cheat’ of the year last week when my cousin was here. We both had the BBQ for lunch, some wonderful homemade fudge in the afternoon and fried chicken for dinner (we did not participate in the ice cream cones that evening). One of the things we do every day is step on the scale to weigh in. We’ve done this since around 2001 and it becomes a daily morning routine. A side note… Last Friday when I stepped on the scale, it went up a whole 1.6 pounds from my big cheat the day before. I must say it was well worth it as we have both decided to live and on special occasions to be free. The good news is that I lost that 1.6 pounds the very next day and moved on, with no regrets.

We plot our weight on a graph (each day) which Bobby formatted in Excel. He’s plotted a goal line and a trend line which is pretty neat. I love it when I’m below my trend line as that means I’m way below the goal line that I’ve set for myself. By the way, I’m below my trend line at the moment.

The one thing both Bobby and I miss right now is not being able to meet for lunch like we used too. I pack Bobby’s lunch each day with 2 fruits, vegetables, a yogurt and a good healthy lunch. I do the same for myself at home. Our day to dine out is on the weekends when we decide to go out for dinner. We go all morning without eating and leave for a mid afternoon lunch/dinner which ties us over to the next day. We also decide before hand what we’re going to order and check out the nutritional information before we go. It has been working so well, but I look forward to the day where we can meet for lunch again. Bobby makes the best team player and many thanks to him for his daily encouragement, he’s such a blessing.

P.S. – The fudge I had last Thursday (when company was here) was a big MUST!!! Over Christmas we searched high and low for fudge. In our search we came up empty handed and was not able to fill my fudge craving. Fudge is always a big hit for my family around the holidays as mom always made it (chocolate and peanut putter) and oh is it good. When Bobby found homemade fudge last Thursday, there were no options, I just HAD to have it! Once again, no regrets and I moved on.

Due to the pet food recall, we are taking Magic (Bobby’s sweet kitty) in for a complete checkup, blood work, checking his kidneys and the whole 9 yards. The only reason we started giving him wet food to begin with is because of his recent dandruff trouble. Bobby did some reading online and found that he needed more oils for his skin. The wet food worked its magic on Magic and he’s now dandruff free. Our main concern is the fact that he was eating the food that’s been recalled. His little appointment is tomorrow morning and we pray for a nice healthy kitty.

Hair, I think its every woman’s obsession, or is it? When I’m at my little pottery class, the hair topic is one of the biggest topics there and I believe every woman at some point wonders what she wants to do with it next. Whether it be color, a trim a new style or look, and the list goes on for us. Last Wednesday on a whim, I chopped some bangs for myself and I’m regretting it already.

Back to my hair obsession chatter… Yesterday I had yet another hair discussion with Bobby and asked if he preferred my hair long or short. Once again he responded “honey, if I had a preference I’d tell you, in all honesty I don’t have a preference and like whatever style you like.” The only thing he did tell me is that he would prefer that I don’t cut it so short that it looks like a man’s hairstyle, which he has nothing to worry about there. I really wish I knew what hubby liked the best, guess I can do whatever I want and he’ll like it just the same.

As some of you recall, I chopped my hair off a year ago and have been letting it all grow out since then. I’ve had just one tiny trim between now and then, other than that, its been growing. The great thing about long hair for me, it is so much easier to style and fix and it keeps me warm in the winter. The bad thing about long hair is that I detest the heat of it on my neck in the summer. The other bad thing is that I really don’t like putting my hair up. However, I think I’m going to try to let it grow and we’ll see if I can make it through the summer. I know the only way I can hold onto the hair is to pile it up. That’s the bad thing incase you forgot. Enough pouting already! It’s small potatoes in the whole scheme of things.

We had such a wonderful time with my cousin Lisa “West” Stoner, hubby Jeff, daughter Elizabeth and son Dean. We fell in love with Elizabeth and Dean, they were such well mannered kids with the best behavior. We met them first thing yesterday morning at the Fort Worth Stockyards and planed a nice morning and afternoon over there. We stopped for an early lunch at a famous BBQ place in the Stockyards and had front row seats outside for the cattle drive. We knew the cattle drive would be passing right by the restaurant so we choose to sit out on the porch to enjoy the beautiful weather and view the drive. Pictures Below and a picture of Liz in the Stockyards.

After lunch we had time for a little shopping where the “big kids” found a great candy store for adult’s right next to the kiddy candy store. The adults found some of the best homemade fudge around and the younger kids enjoyed the kiddy candy store. After we entered the kiddy candy store the kids were in awe of just how grandiose the store was and how much taffy, and candy there was to choose from. “I now know the meaning of a kid in a candy store” were the words I heard from Lisa.

Jeff, a lieutenant for the Department of Corrections found a ‘Deputy’ badge while shopping for little Dean. It was so cool and we all named him Deputy Deano the rest of the day. Shortly after Deputy Deano received his badge we happened upon a great place to have the Deputy’s picture taken.

We made our way to the walking tour where they gave the history of Fort Worth in great detail. The kids ‘loved’ it as we felt like we were on a huge farm with animals everywhere. It took me back to wonderful farm memories as we lived on a 100 acre farm years and years ago. There was an area where anyone could feed the goats and everyone enjoyed letting the goats lick the food out of their hands. Deano was a little nervous but warmed up to the goats outside the fence. The goats knew food was around and would jump up on you so Dean opted to stay out of the pen.

Elizabeth had a really nice time horseback riding. Deputy Deano was game to have his picture taken on the horse and that’s it.

After we all had our fill at the Stockyards late afternoon, we made our way to our house to chill, play games and whatnot before dinner. Bobby got out all our Nintendo and Game Cube games and the kids and adults had a ball. The little Deputy keeled over on his mommy and took a nice long nap so Lisa and I had a very nice quiet visit while Bobby and Jeff played some chess and cards. Elizabeth kept herself occupied watching Disney and what a perfect afternoon we all had chilling.

After the Deputy’s nap we headed over to Bobby’s and my favorite fried chicken restaurant Babe’s. Actually, Babe’s is named after the owner’s wife as that was here nickname and became the restaurant name. Bob and I both have commented how the fried chicken served there is the best we’ve ever had in our lives and the kind any great grandma wishes she could make. Mmmmmmm GOOD! The restaurant does not offer a menu, just 7 different choices of meat and then the vegetables (creamed corn, fresh green beans, mashed potatoes and gravy) are all you can eat. The vegetables are fresh from the garden and are the Real McCoy. They serve home-style with each vegetable in a large bowl and you pass around the table like you were at home. Oh yes and then the yummy fresh baked biscuits are all you can eat too.

After dinner we were on our way to Wal-Mart to pick up the pictures we ordered online from our day when Deano perked up and asked if we could have some cones. I had no idea what he was talking about when Lisa told me that cones stood for Ice Cream. With that Bobby wheeled into Brahms Ice Cream to fill his tall order and he & his sister had no trouble packing their cones away.

We came back to the house for some more fun and games and they ended up visiting with us until 11:30 last night. We all had such a great visit and a whole lot of fun was packed into just one day.

This is the way I felt this morning, which is very unusual for me. I normally wake with my feet hitting the floor with a bounce ready to start the day. We awoke with kitty begging for food outside our door. That is a very rare occasion because he is closed into his little castle (complete with a little bed, food, water and litter box) every night. Last night we were too tired to deal with him and just let him out for the night, lucky kitty. Bobby rushed to his aid way before the crack of dawn to survey the problem; kitty was completely out of food and starving, poor kitty.

Last night Bobby and I worked on clearing out the family room of all furniture. I didn’t realize what a chore we had on our hands, one I don’t want to do for a very long time, if ever. Bobby purchased a furniture dolly with 4 wheels and that was a ‘HUGE’ help but it was still a big job as the old leather couch was a sleeper sofa and a very heavy one indeed. We’re done with sleeper sofas as we have 3 guest bedrooms and no use for those extra heavy sofa’s anymore.

Today I’ll be waiting on our furniture deliveries and continue my spring cleaning.

We’ve been busy changing things up a bit. I’ve wanted to change the pictures in the kitchen for some plate racks for quite some time now. While Bobby and I were out shopping at Hobby Lobby a few weeks ago I spotted these at a great big discount for just $12.00 a piece and ‘had to have them’.

The racks only had one hook on the back for support and Bobby wanted to ensure that they would go nowhere. He founds some nifty brackets to fasten them to the wall and hung them for me over the weekend. The problem, some of the plates I wanted to use were too large for the rack. The solution, I went on an all out search yesterday for some plates as it drove me nuts just seeing two of my own resting in there and the remainder areas blank. I went to 5 different places on my search yesterday morning and finally resorted to the mall. I shopped both floors looking for the ‘perfect’ plates. My last stop was Macy’s and I found some pretty awesome plates and made my purchase. Got home only to find out my plates were just a ½” shy of fitting. So back to the mall to return my wonderful find. I went on over to Hobby Lobby in Fort Worth not feeling very optimistic as I had already been to the Hobby Lobby in my area and came up empty handed over here. What do you know, Fort Worth had a different selection and I found what I believe to be the perfect plates for the kitchen. Quite frankly, I’m thrilled the first round of plates were too big as I hit a jazzy 50% off sale at Hobby Lobby to boot.

These pictures once hung where my new plate racks reside. I was going to put these pictures in the yard sale /donation pile but then had an idea that they would go perfectly on this stair wall right off the kitchen.

Today is a busy one. I’m working on my spring cleaning this week. The fireplace is already sparkling clean and I’ll be adding that fresh coat of black paint (made for fireplaces) in there today, just to give it that boost I like to see.

Our leather furniture and mattress set will be here tomorrow. Bobby and I did decide on our coffee table and end tables. We went with the ones that don’t have a sofa table but we’ve decided to find something like a console table to match the color of the other tables. We get half of our tables tomorrow and the other two are on backorder until May 8th. Those tables are worth the wait as we’re not going anywhere anytime soon.

Thursday my cousin Lisa ‘West’ Stoner and family will be visiting with us for the day. They’re from AZ and vacationing in TX and wanted to spend some time with us during their visit. We just learned about their visit last week, so luckily the delivery date set for our furniture doesn’t conflict with Thursday or we would have a problem. It’s surprising how things are clicking right along. Well, I had better keep moving with my cup of coffee or else…

We have definitely made a break for spring around here. It’s been in the mid 70’s the last four days in a row. The heater has been turned off and we are thoroughly enjoy these beautiful spring days.

Bobby finished loading the kiln for a bisque firing. Then I will be ready for my new commercial glazes next week and I can’t wait! I hope this glaze firing quenches all expectations of how I want the pieces to look as I’ve been told these glazes are top notch. Plans are still in order to enter pieces into some galleries this month; my goal date is set for March 22.

On March 28th I plan to enter one of my pieces into the Fort Worth Potter’s Guild prize picks. The potter, who is selected, will win a little cash as well as have their piece of art featured on the post cards that will be sent out for the summer show. It will be free advertising for the artist and their piece will be featured on all the flyers. It sounds good to me, but I have a lot of stiff competition out there.