Monthly Archives: August 2013

Health Update

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For whatever reason, I’ve neglected talking about my health journey for a while.

My journey back to good health started two years ago this past June. And I haven’t looked back to the old way of living.

Sure, I celebrate the good times and holidays and special events and go on vacation and eat what friends and family cook, including the goodies they bake. And I’ve found that moderation is still key.

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To be honest, the health journey has not been perfect. Had it been perfect, I would have reached my healthy weight by now.

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But you know what? I started this journey with the intention of not being in a rush. And finding ways to get the weight off after a celebration. It’s something I’ve been able to keep up.

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I’m happy with the choice, but now I’m getting back to the basics of good health.

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My next plan, is to take this weight loss to the next healthy level. Which means, I’m ready to focus again.

You know what else I think? I think being mentally, physically and emotionally ready for this journey is another big key to success.

But the best key I hold = My Hubby! He’s right by my side going thru this step by step with me. I’m so blessed.

As I look to the future, my wish is to continue to seek good health. I want to live for the quality of life. And to have a piece of chocolate in moderation for the rest of my life.

I hope to include more health updates along the way, perhaps a monthly progress report? We’ll see.

Blessings – Debbie

Some Days Are a Flop

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Like today, what I really wanted was for the babies to be still. But I rolled with the flop.

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And took what I could get.

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And took images of them doing what they do.

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But really, it sort of felt like one of those flop kind of days.

  • I wasn’t super excited with any of the shots today, as I wanted to get some nice close up images. Just didn’t happen.
  • Perhaps it had something to do with having to wait around (finally late afternoon) on a service call from the arborist.
  • And it was one of those days where I don’t feel like I got much accomplished.
  • But I did have a nice visit with the neighbor.
  • Enjoyed the best watermelon and cantaloupe early morning.
  • Loved lunch on the patio.
  • Sat by the pond for probably too long.
  • Talked to the fish. I did tell the neighbors “if you hear me having a one-sided conversation, you’ll know I’m off the deep end, talking to the fish.”
  • And came to the conclusion that everything balanced out.

On a brighter note, this is the message I received when I called in for Jury Duty, last evening. “Your Jury Service is over. You are no longer required to call in for service.” Yay! I’m filled with relief such that I can start planning my days and weeks again.

And looking forward to the plan I have scheduled tomorrow.

Blessings – Debbie

Weekend Update

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Good Monday Afternoon! I don’t know about you, but the weekend seemed to go at record speeds.

I worked in the garden. The hubs worked in the garage. And when we came together at the end of the day, the hubs had both of our cars parked in the garage and he had all of his tools, workbench and such put in the 3rd car stall. And I had the fish pond all sparkly clean once again. The lily pads were cleared of all dead pads and any fallen leaves were cleaned out too. It was such a nice feeling of accomplishment.

But the most exciting part of our weekend was attending the annual neighbor block-party. All the neighbors (nearly 50 of us) gathered for hors d’ oeuvres, dinner, dessert and coffee. Our neighbor put on such a beautiful spread. All tables were covered with table cloths and dotted with pretty flower arrangements. It was another beautiful cool summer night to be outdoors, visit with neighbors and greet neighbors we had yet to meet. Torches were lit at dusk and we watched the sun set down over the mountains.

One neighbor mentioned that we need to get together on their patio one evening. And another neighbor said we should do dinner one evening. It’s a feel good feeling to be here.

I debated taking my camera to the party, I did. And since the party was held right across the street from our house, I thought I had ample time to get it should I decide to take pictures. As it turned out, as much as I wanted to take pictures, I was having a bit more fun. And decided not to bother this time. Next time…

In other news, autumn is running heavily thru my veins. And I’ve had the craving for the Starbucks pumpkin spice latte for the last three days.

This picture has nothing to do with this post. It’s just one of the images I shot in the garden after it was hit by the morning sprinklers.

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Another early morning image from the garden.

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Sigh, In the news about Jury Duty. This is my last week to report…I hope. I had to call in again last evening. Was told not to report at this time, but to call again on Monday August 26th. That’s today. It’s been one of those months where I wonder each day if I’m going to have to report the next day. Only time will tell.

I’m not sure how many followers I have. And not sure if any of you recall my search for good health. Well I’m still rockin’ it! And I plan to post in the near future, to talk about this journey I started back in June 2011. And where I am today. And what direction I’m going. And where I see health in the future.

Until next time…

Blessings – Debbie

Facts

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Welcome Friday!

We used our last 2012 Christmas stamp today. Thought you would want to know.

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The weekend is coming. As if you didn’t already know. But I’m kind of excited about the weekend. I’ve been looking forward to this weekend ever since we arrived into our new neighborhood. More on that later…

The sun is shining and the sky is blue – In my little corner of the world

And because the sun is shining, I’m allowing every little beautiful and lovely ray in.

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I shot a boat load of images this morning, just because.

The image below is a baby sago palm tree that started from the larger sago in the backyard. It wasn’t until I was up close to the baby branch, that I noticed a couple of fringes all scrolled up. And I thought it was worthy to take note.

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I’m learning there are loads of images to be captured, just outside our backdoor.

One of the most important things I’ve learned, is to take each step at a snail’s pace.

Or better yet, come to a screeching halt.

And really open my eyes to the world around me.

Then is when I’m amazed at the little things I see.

I pretty much devoted the morning to photography. I’m trying to build on what I’ve learned the last two semesters. And apply all the steps I learned in Photoshop such that I’m not only ready to take the next class but that I continue to grow as a student, even when I’m not in class.

The afternoon has arrived in Sunny Southern California.

And I think it’s time to put the photography away for the day and rustle up some lunch.

And get cracking on the ironing.

And do a little more beautifying in the house such that it’s nice and clean for the weekend.

Later Friends!

Blessings – Debbie

Everything is Beautiful

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In its own way.

So today, I tried to focus on things that are not what we would consider pretty. Like the crud scattered on the ground at my feet.

Here is a small heap of debris on the upper terrace. Surely I could find beauty.

I like the way the shadows and light weave in and out.

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I don’t have to look far to see other fallen things. Like this tiny old birdhouse I found on its side.

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And this little old house too. Turns out, there are a lot of old birdhouses scattered around the property. Now to decide which ones to give a facelift one of these days.

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One last shot of a bolt. I love the old rust, it makes my heart sing. This is actually the bolt that holds the front wheel to an old wheelbarrow on the upper terrace.

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It was one of those days I needed to slow myself down. Stop. Breathe. Look at things from a different perspective. And enjoy the view.

And now for an update on my Jury Duty – I’ve had to call in and report every evening this week. Something I didn’t have to do the first two weeks. Well, during the first two weeks, they had me calling on Sunday and Monday evenings, both weeks. Then this week, it was a call in every day sort of a thing. So I made my call this evening and was prompted to call back again Sunday evening. Three weeks down, one week of calling in to go. Jury is out on if they need me.

With that, I’m calling it a day.

Blessings – Debbie

Arms of Love at the Root

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The images in this post were inspired by the hubs doing something over the top special this morning.

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And it made him late for work.

This image says it all for me with the arms of love wrapped around the base of the tree.

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And as he was getting ready to leave for work, he sighed and said “that was worth being late for”.

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I’m thankful for love at the root of it all.

Blessings – Debbie

Soft and Sharp

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Good evening. I find this time of day to be one of my favorite. It’s that time of day when things begin to wind down. The hubs will be in soon. Dinner will be served on the patio in a while. And all feels right with the world.

But today was good too. Food shopping was achieved early morning. I worked on getting an estimate for having some trees in the back cut down. Actually 7 trees will be removed as they are quite invasive. And worked for a while with the camera.

This time last year, I was enrolled to take my very first photography class. I was so excited and could hardly wait for my very first assignment.

This year is a little different. I put my photography classes on hold, such that I can get caught up in the new house. And to take a little rest from school.

But I have no intentions to leave the camera on the shelf. I shot several different objects and tried to frame each one in a unique way.

Taken just before sinking my teeth into this really good melon.

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Here we have some succulents. I’m fond of the way these things grow without any TLC to speak of.

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Soft and Sharp – Beautiful and Deadly

So I joined a photography Macro Critique group and I love it. Soft and sharp – Beautiful and Deadly is one on the remarks I received on the image below. So I thought it made for a good title too.

Saving my favorite shot of the day for last. With this image, I spent a lot of time finding the angle and how I wanted the subject to be framed in the shot. I’m really happy with the way it turned out.

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In the news about my ongoing Jury Duty, I called last evening as I was instructed. And was prompted to call back again this evening. So I just got off the phone and I have to call back again tomorrow. 2 and 1/2 weeks down and 1 and 1/2 weeks of Jury Service to go.

That’s all for now folks, have a lovely evening!

Blessings – Debbie

Finding Myself

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Hello peeps! How was your weekend?

The hubs and I enjoyed ourselves around the house as we found new projects to cross off the list. We enjoyed a wonderful “family day” BBQ, where the hubs works. They even had a couple of ice cream trucks on the property passing out “FREE” ice cream. I helped myself to two! Don’t judge.

As the hubs Monday morning alarm rang, I wasn’t quite ready to rise and shine. Perhaps it had something to do with having too much fun over the weekend. And staying up way past my bedtime last evening.

At some point each morning, this is the place I find myself, as I give a cheerful “Hey Babies” while feeding these guys.

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After a nice visit at the pond, I grabbed my camera to go shoot some stuff around the house.

This set of old birdhouses (all nailed together as one unit) left by the previous owners has had my attention. They were left all forlorn on the far upper terrace of the backyard.

And one day, I want to make this my project. My wish is to sand the unit down and give each house a bright beautiful color. I have high hopes that it will take on the color of the entire crayola crayon box. And something tells me this will be such a fun project.

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All sorts of flowers are in bloom this time of the year. I really don’t know what this is, but I find it so pretty.

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Today was one of those relaxing days. A day to find myself. A day to regroup. A day to get lost in thought of where I would like to start the next project.

Of course I would like to paint and get down to the big projects. But, I’ve been on Jury Duty call for the last three weeks, actually this makes my third week with one more to go. I had to call in last evening and then was prompted to call back again this evening. With this in mind, it’s hard to jump into a big project, as I don’t want to leave a mess undone for too long.

So while I’m on Jury Duty call, look for me to be kicking around with smaller projects or just finding myself.

Blessings – Debbie

Gardening – Part II

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Gardening has to be one of the best sources of gratification and exercise for me these days.

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And trimming trees and getting a feel for the way we want to set up the garden brings hours of enjoyment and planning.

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Each hill and valley gets a little TLC along the way. I’m trying to focus on one area at a time, such that I’m not overwhelmed with the entire project.

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I worked on transplanting a few succulents this week. I’m particularly fond of this one, not sure what it’s called, but I potted several of these this week.

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Gardening is an ongoing project. In fact, I just made a call to the local arborist this morning. Good things are sure to happen around here.

Happy Gardening and blessings to you this weekend.

Blessings – Debbie

Gardening

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Good evening! I hope all is well in your world.

I’ve been busy around the house these days. I spent the last couple of days working in the garden = I feel pooped with a capital P, but in a good way. And I suspect I’ll be right back out there again tomorrow.

Shot this image (yesterday) while working around the roses in bloom.

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The babies still have me at hello.

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As I was working in the pond today (I get in there about once a week) cleaning up the lilies, I got tickled all over my legs and feet. That’s because the fish nibble on me and it really does tickle, especially when 3 or more are nibbling at once. I can’t get over how they are getting a lot more friendly as the weeks go by. And I love that they follow me all over the pond while I work. It makes my heart smile.

In the news today – Have I mentioned how much we love our neighborhood? Well, it’s an ongoing wonderful thing that we truly have really nice neighborly neighbors.

Just today, as I was working out front, I hear the warm friendly voice of my neighbor as she greeted me “Hello Debbie”. As I looked up, I saw her across the way, working in her front lawn too. And from there we began to visit. She came over to my house to see all that I’ve been up to in the garden. And I shared with her the updated paint color in the kitchen area. Then we moved on over to her place where I got the grand tour of her lovely home and garden. It’s little things like this that made this day extra special.

Feeling extra blessed to live in such a friendly neighborhood.

Blessings – Debbie

A Month of Stuff

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Where did the month go? Tomorrow will be a month since I last posted. And things continue to move at record speed.

So like the last post, I’ll begin where I left off. I’m using the images and comments I posted on Facebook and going by the date. Off we go!

July 15 – Image from the pond this morning – There are times I get the tendency to get really excited. Especially when this gal landed. It’s hard to tell in the picture, but she’s the biggest of the dragonflies I’ve seen yet. I believe she was laying her eggs and was not pleased with me.

Having a nice Monday ~ a little lunch date with the hubs ~ a little reading on the patio ~ and taking care of the babies. We went from 10 fish to well over 50 fish in our pond. Happy Monday Peeps!

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July 16 – On Yer Mark, Get Set… – I’m having a lovely Tuesday. Fish watching and dragonfly watching and bird watching = Oh My!

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July 17 – Nature Weeps – The image today is honoring the little baby fish I put to rest today. I found the little 1 and 1/2 inch guy on the bottom of the pond during my morning cleaning of the pond. Cause of death – It appears a larger fish was hungry for protein.

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July 18 – Joy Comes In The Morning – We woke to the fish spawning this morning.

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July 19 – Having a beautiful day – It’s the hubs friday off ~ we have a friend coming over for a visit ~ It’s another breakfast, lunch and dinner on the patio kind of day + another female is spawning this morning. Happy Weekend!

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July 20 – Fish Lips – Good Morning to those on the west coast and Afternoon for you on the east coast.

I would like to spend more time taking images of these guys at meal time. They are so much fun to watch.

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July 22 – Capturing things around the pond is such a delight. This is one of the images I snapped this morning.

It’s a busy day – Paid a visit to The Home Depot – Picked up two different samples of paint color – Picked up a nice paint brush – Sampled both paint colors – Made my selection – Finished applying the paint from one of the samples to the walls in the kitchen – Allowing paint to dry for a final decision – And hopefully we’ll have a fresh painted kitchen tomorrow! Happy Monday!

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July 23 – Somebody’s touching me – I thought it was pretty cool to watch these two fight over the same post yesterday. And then the funniest thing happened. That blue dude landed right smack dab on the orange guy’s wing…

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July 26 – Chillin’ – So the last four days, I managed to paint the kitchen and dining room. Well, almost, I’m almost finished. But for today and the weekend, all paint brushes, rollers, paint and equipment are on strike until further notice.

Just for today – I managed a nap – laundry in the works – fish/pond sitting – Tea infused with honey sipping – and enjoying our new paint color. Happy Friday and the best to all of you this weekend.

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July 31 – We celebrate our 14th commitment to love and to cherish each other for life. As the hubs sat across the dinner table, he said “I still remember the first time I saw you across the room”…And we reminisced from the time we first met 17 years ago. This has been an amazing journey and I’m blessed to spend all my days with my very best friend. There truly is no place I’d rather be.

This image was taken in the backyard after our anniversary dinner.

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August 7 – Question ~ Can anyone tell me what this creature is? He/She lives in water as I just scooped him/her out of the bottom of the pond this morning. And scooped many others out the other day. And it’s no more than 1/2″ in size.

Note: I discovered after posting this image that he/she is dragonfly naiad! Remember all the dragonflies I shot while laying their eggs? Well here’s one of many babies I scooped out (not knowing)…

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August 7 cont… – In other news, It’s been crazy ~ fun ~ busy around here the last couple of weeks. I’ve been to book club ~ To a dinner party with the hubs ~ Neighborhood picnic with the hubs last weekend ~ Getting ready to have a few neighbor girls over tomorrow morning for coffee on the patio ~ Having fun with painting the “inside” of the house ~ spending quality time with the babies ~ fortunately, we’ve been able to keep the “big” birds out of the pond ~ All of the fish are still with us, sans losing a few babies ~ And the little fry are getting so big, some are over 2″ already ~ I can’t believe how fast they grow.

August 7 continued – Kitchen before and after images. Unfortunately, I did not think to shoot before images. The before shot was taken after I unpacked the kitchen boxes. So the lighting does not do justice to that dusty pink color. But the new yellow is so cheerful. Now to decorate the upper ledges on both sides of the kitchen…

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August 9 – I had a guest back to back two days in a row. How fun to do round two for coffee on the patio with my new friend.

And that brings us to the weekend. The hubs and I enjoyed a nice weekend around the house. Trees were trimmed, the lily’s in the pond were divided up as they are getting so big – the garage was tended to and garage organization is well underway.

August 12 = Today already! My goal was to hit the grocery store first thing = check! Catch up on the blog = Check! And tidy up my office space = No check for that box, yet. But I still have the afternoon. And as soon as I hit “publish” for this post, I’m moving right along such that I can put a nice check in this box by the end of the day.

Blessings – Debbie