From a few$2.99 seed packages in May, these delights: Nasturtiums in a swath across the front bed for end-of-summer glory, and Shirley Poppies that have bloomed for weeks, silken and lovely.
And I am enamoured of my pear tree, only a couple of months ago in blossom...
and now laden with ripening fruit.
Alice in Wonderland-like, one idea threads unexpectedly but logically to another. "Creative re-purposing" leads to fine china being stuffed with pencils and paintbrushes, and vessels re-purposed leads to domestic economies. Not the economies of nations, but of one household, in the spirit of environmental conscience. Leading to the concept of Magic Thinking, which is not generally considered to be a compliment to anyone's intelligence.
It began with wanting to continue to enjoy a nice deep relaxing bath every day, but not wanting to waste water. How about having the baths and saving the water to pour on the garden, which has to be watered anyway? One could use the plastic jugs that otherwise go to recycling - the kitty-litter and liquid laundry soap containers. The benefits immediately presented themselves to be listed on a satisfying check-list -
bath (check)
wise water management (check)
flowers watered! (check)
nice arm muscles from carrying jugs up and down stairs (check)
who needs a Stairmaster! (check)
and so on, virtue upon virtue.
In June I started saving the plastic jugs instead of sending them to be recycled. I filled up about 10 of them after a bath, ran out of jugs and there was still water in the tub. Tsk, tsk, the waste. The next morning I carried the jugs downstairs and emptied them over the flowers. Very hot day, with thunderstorms in the evening. Flowers very well watered indeed.
Ran not such a very deep bath the next night, saved the water afterwards, and carried the jugs downstairs. The flowers didn't need watering, they were well soaked from the previous night
and the next band of thunderstorms was on the move. The full vessels sat there on the front deck, and so the pattern continued through July.
Now for the "magic thinking": I didn't even have to fill up the jugs any more, I just stood them at the front door and uttered my intentions to the sky. It has rained almost every day and the garden is very green indeed.
Ah well, I don't need the exercise after all. I am supposed to Do Nothing for two weeks after next week's surgery, then the summer will be over. The lawns and gardens are marvellously green and the pear tree is heavy with fruit, faintly gold (delicious pear-tart recipe here).
I have nearly finished up the next fairy book, helped by the memory of the little fairies who came to visit earlier in the summer at Sovereign House:
the stylish,
the small
and best friends,
observing every detail,
and undeterred by weather.Best wishes, fairy followers all.
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by Natalie Rompella is a great introduction to insects that will keep your kids entertained and informed.
, and on Thursday, I'll give you links to more great insect books.
with your child. Here are just a couple:
--A Chinese Cinderella story for Young Adults
--A collection of folktales from different countries along the Silk Road
--Discusses the history, tradition, and role the Chinese dragon plays in China even today
--A very cute picture book of how people in China celebrate their mornings in the park.
--The title speaks for itself and features five Chinese holidays
Thank You, Karen! I'm happy to have made you dinner!
I know you're not a huge veggie fan, but here is a tip that has helped in getting me to eat more salads and it comes from John (who is working on his fitness blog). When we make a salad we always put some kind of fruit in it--apple, berries, pear, even mandarin oranges. Then I sprinke walnuts or some kind of nut that we like. I top it with a sprinkle of cheese (I am a cheese fanatic). a little goes a long way, especially if you do blue, gorgonzola or even a smoked cheese. That's my two cents.
Miss writing with you at the kitchen table!
Cheers,
Michele
http://www.adventuresnwriting.blogspot.com
http://www.mkscott.com
When we travel, I always make sure the hotel has a fridge in the room and when we arrive, stop at a grocery store (not immediately, but usually the next day) for fruit, veggies (baby carrots are good), and things to make sandwiches. I hate the frustration of trying to find someplace to eat out that's not fast food in a strange place, especially when I'm tired.
I'm not particularly culinarily adventurous to begin with, and don't really consider trying new restaurants enjoyable, more anxiety-inducing. (Many years of being a vegetarian.)
I like soynuts. They're crunchy and satisfying with 12 grams of protein. Eat a few almonds with fruit; protein fills you up longer.
A protein bar helps too, for between. Apples also are filling. I'm a choco-fiend so have to cut that down somehow.
how about a small travel cooler with slimfast shakes; better than choosing candy? Filling and good snack between. (Even better, a whey protein drink in the morning is filling and more protein).
I got a 24 oz bag of string cheese (low fat) at Sam's. I think they only have about 60 calories each and give me a little someting to snack on when I start craving chips, cookies, and all the bad stuff. I've found they really do help.
I know this doesn't help when you're traveling, but we've also starting eating more low-cal soups and loading them with extra veggies. Canned soup never comes with enough veggies to satisfy me. Also makes the soup more filling.
I think you should be proud of losing a pound while you were away from home. I would've gained three or four!
http://www.cynthiasattic.blogspot.com
http://www.woofersclub.blogspot.com
Oh, this is perfect! I just grabbed a handful of almonds and poured myself a big ole glass of calcium-loaded OJ mixed with club soda and thought, haven't checked in on Karen today. (Can you hear me munching? BTW, I keep almonds refrigerated becuase it makes them even more crunchy. I've read our bodies want to chew x-amount of times a day.)
Anyhoo, keep up the healthy thoughts and work.
If you're good, I'll share a couple almonds with you when we meet up in SC.
Diana
http://woofersclub.blogspot.com
http://basicblackblog.blogspot.com
Fruit is at the top of my snacking list, too. I love tangerines, and they are easy to peel and eat at my desk while reading stuff on the 'net.
If you like diet and nutrition shakes, check out http://www.nancicorp.com
this is a great product which I have used for years, lots of ways to mix it up, super way to use up fruit that is a tad past its prime. The shakes are very filling and soooo nutritious!
Billie
http://otpblog.blogspot.com
My weird eating habits keep me from going off the deep end while traveling - I'm a vegan and I don't eat chocolate. That last one was tough to do, but I don't crave it anymore and have no desire to indulge.
Plus I just never eat out at fast-food restaurants.
L. Diane Wolfe
www.circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com
www.spunkonastick.net
www.thecircleoffriends.net
No CHOCOLATE?!?!? (kill me now)
http://www.cynthiasattic.blogspot.com
I munch on grapes at my computers: healthy and no mess. And when I travel, I take a bunch of protein bars and dried fruit and eat those for two meals of the day.
For hotels, we stop at the grocery store and stock up on water and fruits, and cheese if there's a refrigerator. Also, avoid the Starbucks (which we don't go to when at home).
I'm trying to come up with an answer to that also. The main thing is to quit eating foods I like even after I'm full. If I could do that, I'm sure I'd get rid of a few pounds.
Morgan Mandel
http://morganmandel.blogspot.com
Karen, when I used the Palm TX, I used the Diet & Exercise Assistant to track my food for the day and to make food choices (keyoe.com). It was pretty easy to use and easy to add to for 'favorites'. I used the Palm and the desktop client.
Now that I use the Touch, I'm using LoseIt plus several other food databases. I find that if I know the calorie/fat 'cost' of a food, I make better choices. Calorieking.com is the granddaddy of 'em all. I like to know what the cost is before I indulge so I can make an informed choice.
I'm also wearing a pedometer daily so I can try to get in my 10,000 steps. I only hit it once or twice a week, but I'm always in the 7-9K range, and I hope when the weather gets better, I can hit 10K on a regular basis.
I eat anything I want, but I eat far less than is served to me -- I always take food home. For example, I do get a DQ or Sonic malt but I take it home and make it last for at least 5 days. That way I don't feel deprived.
Snacking? Grapes, almonds, snack packs (100 calorie cheese puffs are my favorites), V8 (mix with Bloody Mary mix to have a Virgin Mary). I love Hall's Vitamin C drops and Frango mints (not the chocolates but the mints, like TicTacs).
It's all a matter of retraining your habits. It's doable.