Flowers

It was sunny enough this morning that I was able to take a picture of the porch flowers and the flower bed next to the porch.  The flower bed was partly established last year and partly this spring.  The new one is beside the road and it isn't great.  This flower bed is mostly flowers with a few vegetables.

Flowers

New Flowerbed

The dirt all around is what a lot of the yard looks like right now.  The dark brown is mulch I'm putting around my small plants in this new flower bed.

The streak of green in the picture below is sod we put down last year to attempt to slow down the rush of water when it rains.  The brown strip with circles of mulch is the area we haven't filled in yet with mulch.  I have put knockout roses, marigolds, salvia, and some unidentified flower that came up from a packet of seeds I planted.  This is the before set of pictures unless you consider scraggledy trees and brush the before and these pictures are interim pictures.

Health

Today I've had one scrambled egg, two large latte breves, one slice of toast with peanut butter and sugar-free strawberry preserves so far.
For dinner I am making spaghetti using Dreamfields Pasta.  Yesterday I mashed some apples we'd canned from our trees, added butter, Splenda, cinnamon, and Xanthum gum.  I thought it was good, I didn't run my blood sugar up and didn't gain weight.  So I will have some of the applesauce (?) for a snack or dessert.

Yellowstone

Flowers

Today my hairdresser asked if I'd come to her house to work my magic on her porch.

Time

Time is sort of like money.  Not, as you've possibly heard, that time is money.  But time is like money in that we spend both.  Immediate gratification uses some of our time.  We eat for immediate gratification.  But if we eat in a manner that is healthy for us, that covers both bases, immediate and delayed gratification because we benefit from it both now and later.
Each day is better for me if I have some of both usages.  I think it may be a way to defeat depression.  If I only do things for right now, I am accepting that there is no tomorrow that is worth looking forward to. If, on the other hand, I do something today that benefits tomorrow, it is a hopeful attitude and hope and depression don't live in the some brain.
I hope you do something each day that you will benefit from the next day.  Putting mulch around plants is a hopeful thing.  I hope not to have to weed as much tomorrow.  I hope the soil will benefit from the amendments.  I hope the soil will retain more moisture and not erode during our gully-washer downpours here in Tennessee.

Farmers' Market

Today I went to the Farmers' Market and found out they allow booths for crafts.  I am going to get a "display" together for my decorated eggs:)  I think maybe Wednesday of next week will be my debut.

Health

weight: 174, blood sugar 99
Yesterday I had a scrambled egg, an Atkins Bar, cashews, coffee breve, a sugar-free turtle, squash with onions, green beans with bacon, mac and cheese made with dreamfields pasta, and a glass of dry red wine

Retirement/Summer Break

This is normally the time that I'm off for summer break, so the time I spend doing things I usually do during summer break doesn't count for retirement.  I fertilized my flower boxes.  My husband and I canned six quarts of green beans.  It is pouring rain so reading and computer is taking up my time...sounds like summer break.  I wonder if my life will feel like summer break all the time?

Atkins Diet

My blood sugar was good this morning and I had lost another pound.  I suppose my macaroni and cheese recipe was good.  

Atkins Diet

I've tried to make macaroni and cheese a couple of times that would be "on my diet."  The first time it was gummy.  Tonight, though, I used  dreamfields pasta (blocked carbs), butter, shredded cheese, half and half, and a package of Bearnaise sauce mix (1 carb).  It was really good that way:)

Health

We've been traveling, which is great, but my feet hurt.  I went for a foot and back massage this afternoon.  I feel so much better.  It's noticeable when my feet feel this good!  It hasn't happened often, lately.

Time

"There never seems to be enough time to do the things you want to do once you find them."  I think that is from Billy Joel, but maybe not.  The line is true for me, though.  Now, I'm retiring and I will have time...but I'm somewhat at a loss as to finding what I want to do.  Just wandering through my days seems like a plan if I were someone else.  Being me, I'm going to need a plan.