Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Tuesday Tales



Well that's a little backwards but I will definitely take it. I did not eat lunch yesterday. I just wasn't hungry at lunchtime so I just lightly snacked in the afternoon and then had a small dinner. Candace (niece) came over and we split some Lo Mein and a salad and played Wii. We had fun! I am really diggin the Resort games. They are very entertaining!

For those of you who asked, I got the skewers at Big Lots. Debby wants me to pick her up some and they were really inexpensive so I plan on getting a few more sets if they still have them.

I am not sure if I mentioned that I got a Keurig Single Cup Coffee Maker and I am in L-O-V-E. First let me say that I am a java junkie. I absolutely love a bold but smooth cup of coffee. Well, the Keurig does not dissappoint. It is super easy to make and super quick too. I have had it a few weeks now but I still have it at the office. Everyone really seems to enjoy it as much as I do. I think one of the only drawbacks is the price of the K-cups. They can run up to $2.00 a cup so it is better to get them on sale but the freshness and clean taste can't be matched in my humble opinion.

It looks like Candace and I will be driving up to Eureka this weekend. She needs to pick up some personal belongings so she is renting a truck and we are going to road trip it up there. We plan on leaving Saturday morning and then coming back Monday afternoon/evening. We will split the cost of gas. It is about 5-6 hours from where we live. I am nervous, anxious, excited, scared and happy all at the same time. It seems so surreal to even be typing all of this you know what I mean? My sister, Tess (Teresa) is there as well as my brother Michael. The other sibling, Fred, lives in Alaska. The hard part will be not telling my mom about it. I just think it will be better if she doesn't know. I feel decietful but I just don't need her to worry or judge or be hurt about it.

Not sure what is on the agenda tonight. Dave has a meeting. I printed out all the 24hr fitness schedules to see their class offerings. I would like to pick a class and day that I can stick to and do it regularly. I am leaning towards Zumba but I will check out all the options. I really like the swim classes too. We shall see. Until next time....

Monday, August 30, 2010

Winner & Wrap Up

I had a great weekend! Saturday we were having Deb and Larry over so Dave and I went to the Farmer's Market. I just love the Farmer's Market!


I served the kabobs and salmon as well. I marinated the chicken in lemon juice and soy sauce and it was super moist and tasty. You just gotta love all the colors! We all had a great time. We played the Wii and unlocked 100 pin bowling. Oh my is that fun!!! Oh and of course, I won ;-) but really, it was a lot of fun!

Sunday, I spent the day just hanging at home. My allergies were acting up so I just laid low. We left for the concert about 6:30 p.m. The show was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I loved it! I cried when they sang Danny Boy and Amazing Grace. Whew! It was really cold though and I did not bring a jacket so it was a little uncomfortable but I still had a wonderful time.

Without further adeiu I wanted to announce the winner of the $80 Gift certificate from CSN Stores is Rachel at The Dalai Mama. Congratulations Rachel! Thanks to everybody who entered. I do have more giveaways planned so stay tuned. Until next time...

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Allergies

Almost everyone has allergies. I have food allergies and environmental allergies. WebMd has a great tool to help formulate a treatment plan. Check it out here.

Friday, August 27, 2010

Celtic Woman

Have you ever heard of Celtic Woman? It is pronounced ˈkel-tik by the way. I always want to say 'sel-tik like the Boston Celtics but that is incorrect.

Celtic Woman is a multi-platinum award winning group of 4 women who perform current hits and classic Irish songs. They are often shown on PBS. Dave and I will be seeing them this Sunday, August 29th. I am super duper excited about it. Here is sample of their music... sit back and enjoy



Seeing them is like a dream come true. It is a fantastic venue (We saw Yes there) and it should be a show to remember.

Calibrating Katie J


Well we did not go to Santa Cruz last night. There was a lot of traffic (accident?) so we decided to just go home. Fortunately the heat was not nearly as bad as the previous two days so we managed with fans. We walked over to El Pollo Loco and I had a Tostada Salad. It was good but not worth the 894 calories! After we got back I played Wii for a 1/2 hour or so. I am in love with Table tennis and I tried Sword fighting and kicked some major ass!

I updated my goals in my bodybugg program yesterday to lose 10 lbs. or 1.5 lbs. per week with a goal date of October 11th. The recommended loss per week is no more then 2 lbs. per week. It had been since May that I updated it :-o The good news is I hovered over the same couple of lbs. since then and the bad news is I hovered over the same couple of lbs. since then. It is time to buckle down and get focused again. Now that my head is not spinning 100 miles an hour with life altering news, I can focus my attention on my goals again. I also updated my goals on my sidebar.

This weekend is going to be great! Saturday night Dave and I will be having Deb and Larry over for dinner. I am making Salmon and some Chicken Kabobs. Sunday, Dave and I will be going to see Celtic Woman at Mountain Winery where we saw Yes. It is such a cool venue plus it will be an ideal backdrop for the performance. The weather is supposed to be nice (yay!) as well.

Wanted to give a shout out to MB for getting to Onderland. Congrats MB!!! Go say hello if you have a chance!

Well I hope you have a wonderful weekend and don't forget to enter the CSN Giveaway if you haven't already! Until next time...

Thursday, August 26, 2010

CSN Giveaway!!!

I was recently contacted by CSN Stores and I am super excited to announce this CSN Giveaway! The winner of this giveaway will receive an $80 Gift certificate to use on the CSN website as they wish. About the company: CSN is based in Boston, began in 2002 and has grown rapidly into a Top 3 online U.S. retailer of home and office goods with 400+ employees. CSN's product categories cover everything from Corelle cookware, ultra modern furniture, bunk bed-office combinations and fitness equipment to gaming chairs, grills, greenhouses and much, much more! Check out their more then 200+ online stores here.

Now the details: In order to enter this giveaway, you must be in the US or Canada (Sorry!) In order to enter, please leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite kitchen gadget is. For an additional entry, you can post on Facebook or Twitter. If you post it on both it will count as two entries. If you are not a follower and become one you will get an additional entry as well. I will announce the winner on Monday, August 30th. Good luck everyone!

In other news, my toe is better but OMG it was like having surgery for my pedicurist to fix it. It hurt so bad I actually cried. Went to Fish Market with my mom last night. It was the first time I had seen her in a couple weeks so it was nice to see her. We went to the Fish Market per usual. They have Ceviche which is new on their menu and it is devine! If you don't know what Ceviche is - it is a dish of raw fish marinated in lime or lemon juice with onions, peppers and seasonings. It is often served as an appitizer. I have had a hard time finding good ceviche so I am glad they have it now :-D

Tonight Dave and I are most likely going to Santa Cruz to get some relief from the heat. It has been over 105 degrees and that usually doesn't happen here. Our new apt. does not have A/C so it has been baking. I hate to even mention it given the weather chaos you all have endured lately but it is miserable (ask TJ!) That is about all for now. Until next time...


Wednesday, August 25, 2010

The Cost of Smoking

I am doing this post as a way of discouraging myself (and others!) from smoking. There are many costs associated with smoking beyond the mere cost of the cigarettes themselves but I will start with that.

I consider myself to be a light smoker. I smoke about 5-8 cigarettes per day or a pack every two or three days. The current cost of a pack is $6.00. They can be obtained a little cheaper but for the sake of this equation I will use that amount. So I average 4 packs per week so that is $24 per week and at 52 weeks that is $1,248 per year. Then if you multiplied that number by how many years I have smoked which is approximately 25 years give or take it is $31,200. Just think of the things you could do with $31K. Whoa! It is a down payment on house, a pretty nice car or a nice little start for my retirement.

There are plenty of hidden costs as well that I don’t think people take into consideration. For example:

Life Insurance: Smokers have a greater risk of dying at a younger age than non smokers and this risk is reflected in higher life insurance premium payments.

Health Insurance: Smokers have a greater risk of medical problems than non smokers and this risk is reflected in their medical insurance premium payments.

Health Care: Since smokers frequently have more medical problems than non smokers, they must pay more to take care of these problems.

Medications: More medical problems for smokers usually results more prescription medicine taken by smokers than non smokers.

Home Owner's Insurance: Smokers have a greater risk of burning down their house than non smokers and this risk is reflected in higher home owner's insurance premium payments.

Value of the House: Smoking leaves a bad smell in a house thus decreasing the value to potential buyers.

Value of Your Possessions: Just as with the house, smoking leaves a bad smell to many of the items in your house thus decreasing their value.

Car Insurance: Smokers have a greater risk of getting into a car accident than non smokers and this risk is reflected in their car insurance premium payments.

Car Resale Value: Smoking leaves a bad smell in a car thus decreasing the value to potential buyers or when traded-in for another car.

Earn Less Money: Studies have found that smokers earn between 4% to 11% less money than their non smoking counterparts.

Less Social Security / Pension Benefits: Since smokers earn less than non smokers, they receive less overall social security and pensions benefit than non smokers.

Cost of Cleaning: Whether it’s the inside of their home, the inside of their car or their clothes, smokers have to spend more to keep things clean.

Dental Care: Smokers spend more on dental care and special dental products than non smokers.

Lost Interest: All the extra money that smokers must spend means that money can't be saved resulting in lost interest.

When you look beyond the cost of the pack of cigarettes and incorporate all the other monetary costs associated with smoking, you begin to see smoking is a huge drain on ones personal finances.

Then there are all the health issues. Cigarette smoking is the most important preventable cause of premature death in the United States. It accounts for more than 440,000 of the more than 2.4 million annual deaths. Cigarette smokers have a higher risk of developing several chronic disorders. These include fatty buildups in arteries, several types of cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (lung problems). Atherosclerosis (buildup of fatty substances in the arteries) is a chief contributor to the high number of deaths from smoking. Many studies detail the evidence that cigarette smoking is a major cause of coronary heart disease, which leads to heart attack.

Cigarette and tobacco smoke, high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, physical inactivity, obesity and diabetes are the six major independent risk factors for coronary heart disease that you can modify or control. Cigarette smoking is so widespread and such a significant risk factor that the Surgeon General has called it "the leading preventable cause of disease and deaths in the United States."

Cigarette smoking increases the risk of coronary heart disease by itself. When it acts with other factors, it greatly increases risk. Smoking increases blood pressure, decreases exercise tolerance and increases the tendency for blood to clot. Smoking also increases the risk of recurrent coronary heart disease after bypass surgery.

Cigarette smoking is the most important risk factor for young men and women. It produces a greater relative risk in persons under age 50 than in those over 50. Women who smoke and use oral contraceptives greatly increase their risk of coronary heart disease and stroke compared with nonsmoking women who use oral contraceptives. Smoking decreases HDL (good) cholesterol. Cigarette smoking combined with a family history of heart disease also seems to greatly increase the risk.

There are social issues that are associated with smoking as well. In the town I grew up in (Los Gatos) you are not allowed to smoke in public - period. In the surronding cities it is unlawful to smoke in city parks and at the beach as well. When Dave and I went up to the city (SF) for my birthday, the hotel was completely non-smoking so I had to go downstairs and out in front of the hotel to smoke. You are almost a pariah if you smoke. Even when I was on the cruise, the only place you could smoke was a dank little bar at the lower end of the ship. It always amazes me when I travel and a restaurant asks "Smoking or Non-Smoking?"

With all those reasons stacked against me - you'd think it would be easy to quit. Well it isn't... just like losing weight and changing my lifestyle, it is going to take hard work and determination to quit but I think that it is well worth the effort. Bottom line: I need to quit it's just a matter of when.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Am I a Food Addict?


I have heard the term food addict all around the blogoshpere and often wondered if I was a food addict? I did some further research and found this information on food addiction:

What is Food Addiction?

Food addiction is a pathological disorder involving the excessive craving and compulsive consumption of food. People with a food addiction put themselves at great risk, not only because of the amount of food consumed, but the type of foods themselves Research continually shows that food addiction is in many ways similar to alcoholism and drug addiction. When a person abuses a substance to the point of being physiologically and mentally dependent on it, they are said to be addicted. This is what happens to people who are addicted to drugs, alcohol, or in this case, food. If you suspect that you are exhibiting food addiction symptoms, ask yourself the following questions

- Do you eat when you are not hungry or when you feel depressed or low?
- Do you consume inordinate amounts of food and then purge later with vomiting or laxatives to get rid of the excess?
- Do you eat in secret or eat differently in front of others than when you're alone?
- Are there foods that you know are harmful to you, but you eat them anyway?
- After eating, do you feel guilty or shameful?

If you can answer yes to a few of these questions then you may be suffering from a food addiction. Like other addictions, food addiction is about a loss of control. People with a food addiction realize that their eating behaviors are destructive, but they continue the harmful cycle. Food addiction has both physiological and psychological components. Food addiction can affect men and women of all ages and races. Surprisingly, people addicted to food are not always obese or overweight; they can be underweight or normal weight. What they all share in common is an unhealthy obsession with food. Food addiction can accompany eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia and compulsive eating. Food addicts are obsessed with consuming food. They are preoccupied with their body weight and image. Food addiction can have dire health consequences, so early detection and treatment is vital. Here are some early warning food addiction symptoms and signs to look for:

- An obsession with thoughts about food.
- Eating food as a way to relieve stress or worries.
- Consuming large quantities of food to the point of being sick
- Anxiousness during or after eating, resulting in more eating.
- Overeating simply because food is available.
- Eating fast so they can eat more
- Eating large quantities even when they feel full.
- Guilt and shame after overeating.
- Hiding food so they can later eat alone in secret
- Bingeing on food after dieting.
- Views food as something to be avoided or as harmful

I have exhibited a number of the symptoms and confirmed that I am in fact have an addiction to food. I suppose that is the 1st step to take is admitting that you have the addiction. Then seeking treatment for the addiction which I suppose in some respects I have. Seeing a nutritionist, working with a dietitian and dealing with the emotional aspects of the addiction. I think I would benefit from counseling as well but at this time it is not conducive to my schedule (Only have 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. appointments) and I don't have any vacation time available. Definitely something to think about for the future. As with any addiction, close monitoring is important but also trying not to be obsessive.

In discovering my familial roots, I have identified there is a lot of addiction surrounding my biological background. Both of my biological parents were drug addicts, maternal grandmother was an alcoholic and other family members also face other addictions. I am not pointing blame but studies have shown that children from addicted parents are 4x more likely to go down that road themselves. I have dealt with other areas of addiction in my life but have overcome them so I am hoping with the right support and tools I can fight this evil addiction monster. Until next time...


Monday, August 23, 2010

Monday Mish-Mash


Sample picture of my bike. Mine has a pink bell, white wire basket and nothing on the backend

Today is the first day of school where I work. I am in the office so it is nothing like the regular chaos that ensues on a first day but you can feel the difference in the energy. Plus, we have some new staff in the office so that shakes things up a bit.

As I mentioned yesterday, we went to see Despicable Me - Great movie, great story and super amazing 3-D effects. Wowie! We split a small popcorn and soda and I got some M&Ms. We had a late breakfast and early dinner so I budgeted them in and it was well worth it.

I am feeling more settled in our new place. Now that things are more organized I feel much better. I found some crucial paperwork that I was looking for so it took a major load off. The only major task left is the storage and to get my bike.

My bike is in Danielle's garage. It has been since last November. I did not have anywhere to store it and she had the space available in her garage. She offered to give me a key but then never got around to it. I have been asking about it the last few times I saw her. I need to coordinate getting an air pump over there (I have a compressor) and prepping it for the ride. It is a mile or two from her place to our new place so it will be a breeze to ride it home. One of my new neighbors has offered us her storage unit so that is my bike's new home :-) I just need to install some hooks in the ceiling. I miss my bike a lot. I rode it quite a bit last summer and fall. Dave got it for me for my birthday last year.

My eczema is acting up again. I think that it is stress that triggers it. I just have never had an outbreak as bad as I did back in July. This time it seems to be isolated though and since I have a stronger ointment to use this time around I should be able to get it into check pretty quickly. Oh and try not to stress. A lot of it has to do with old apartment and the crap associated with that. Maybe if I increased my exercise it would help as well. What a novel concept! Doh! Until next time...

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Ouchie and Despicable Me

I have an ingrown toenail :-( I missed my pedi because I wasn't feeling well and it went south. I ended up at Urgent Care and they wanted to take the nail off but I was too chicken. I have had it done before and it is painful to get the Novocaine shots in your toe. He said he thought I could take care of it and gave me instructions on home care. I have been soaking it and it is doing better but ouchie!

Dave and I went to see Despicable Me. It was so super fantastically cool and amazing 3-D! Loved the story and loved the effects. Wow!! It is nothing like I remember 3D being when I saw it before. Hope you are enjoying your day. Food has been moderate. Have been getting some exercise and will Wii later. Until next time...



Friday, August 20, 2010

Friday Fun Facts

Happy Friday! I am so glad we made it! Had a nice evening. Danielle and I went to La Paloma and I broke down and have a mango margarita but it was super delish! Crab Tostada for my entree. Did about 10 mins of Wii Resort. I did archery, ping pong, jet ski and cycling. I sucked at jet skiing but faired well with everything else.

The winner of the Tuesday Giveaway is... Rachel at Losing It! Congrats Rachel and thank you everybody for entering. I already have another giveaway planned so stay tuned for that.

Tomorrow my mom and I are going to go down to the outlet stores. I am in desperate need of work shoes. There is an Easy Spirit store there and I always find something that works there. I decided to buy two pairs so I have backup because it is not easy getting down to Gilroy plus they will last longer if I trade off instead of wearing the same pair almost everyday. Sunday I may go to Santa Cruz to see Deb and Lar. Need to squeeze in a few more visits to the coast before the weather gets funky. Hope you have a healthy and happy weekend! Until next time...

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Random Thought Thursday



Had a nice night last night. I just got a PINK Netbook and was playing around with it. Isn't it adorable! I was thinking about getting a Kindle but this will serve both as a reader and internet tool. This particular model is called Promise Pink and they donate a small amount to Susan G. Komen Foundation so that was a bonus.

Made dinner for Dave and I - Steak, baked potatoes and broccoli. The baked potatoes were a little underdone (hate that!) but otherwise the meal was good. I played Wii Resort (1st time) and OMG it was fun! I played ping pong, basketball and skydiving. I actually won the first game in ping pong! Of course I did not have my bodybugg on... I really need to get better about keeping it on and not ditching it as soon as I get home.

I have been a less then stellar participant in the two challenges that I am/was participating in. Given my life circumstances last month, I guess it makes sense but I can't help but feel like I failed. I can turn that around though and say given the circumstances I did not gain any weight so that is progress.

We just replaced the bed frame for our bed and what a difference. It feels like a fluffy cloud again. I finally feel a little more settled in our new place. It is quiet and cute and we have friendly neighbors. Who could ask for more then that right? I do miss the location of the old place but nothing else. I miss being by Danielle and Dave being close to the fitness (Senior) center. The rest was hell.

Speaking of the old apartment, I am going to have to sue the landlord. He owes us about $6,500 and Dave's daughter about $3,500. I am trying to look at it as a learning experience. I have documented like there is no tomorrow and taken lots of pictures. I have contacted various city and state agencies to report him and even went to the extent of writing the neighbors. I don't think I will have too much trouble winning in court. The city and the local police department are on my side as well, thankfully!

I have been obsessive about my skin and wrinkles. I keep staring at myself and wondering when did I get so old lol! I am trying not to be so consumed with it. I do know that it is a part of life but... it bums me out! I don't like it! Meanwhile, I am trying to take extra steps with moisturizing and exfoliating etc. Need to save up for some dermabrasion ;-)

I am thinking about going to Eureka to see my biological siblings on Labor Day weekend. It will take some coordination but it just might work. Candace (niece) needs to run up there and get some of her personal items and we could split the gas. It would be good to have a co-pilot instead of going it alone. I really don't want my mom to know I am going but not sure I can pull that off.

Thanks for the reading the randomness. It feels good to get it out vs. it banging around in my noggin know what I mean? Hope you are having a good week! You still have time to enter my Giveaway by the way. I will announce the winner tomorrow morning.


Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Organizing (with Pictures)

As I mentioned, I have been working on unpacking from the move and getting organized. Well I wanted to show you a little bit of what I have done. This is the back of our bedroom door. I hung removable hooks on the back of the door so I could hang necklaces. I found that if I have them handy then I am much more likely to wear them. If they are in a drawer I tend to forget about them.


I like having my closet sorted by colors. It makes it easier to get ready in the mornings. Pants are on the left hand side and then black (lots of it), white, blue, green, pink and red blouses. We have a big closet so I could actually seperate them by season but I think I will wait to do that when I get to goal.


Here is how I am currently storing my earrings but while I was gone on the cruise, I decided to go with these instead.

Easier to access the earrings then unscrewing the little jars. I have them sorted by color and styles as well. Man when I type all this out I sound a little anal retentive don't I? Okay, you don't have to answer that... It was purely a rhetorical question...


These are pictures of the bathroom. I got these monogrammed towels at Bed Bath and Beyond. Man is that place dangerous!!! We bought a shelving unit for the pantry and it was missing parts so I went back to exchange it and dropped another chunk of change on misc. stuff. I had the beachy tissue holder and bought the other matching accesories for it before but did not have any room to put them at the old place so I returned them. Now I have lots o'counter space so I bought them again.

This is where I will be weighing in. Nothing glamourous but I thought I would share :-D
Since there is so much room in the bedroom closet, I am able to store my hats (I love hats!) and handbags on the top shelf. I have the purses labeled by style: Day-to-day, evening and travel. I also have a bunch of XL clothes my mom gave me so I packed them up and put them up there too. My mom is a pretty stylish gal. I am so grateful she has given them to me and looking forward to fitting in them. It is a weird concept to think I will be able to wear something that she has ever worn. She wears a large now and weighs about 125 lbs.

This is my bookshelf. It is mostly pictures though. I am leaning less towards books and more towards digital but there I have a love of books so it is a hard call. Meanwhile I still have a stack to read before converting to the digital world. I just love the picture box above the bookcase! It has a little beach chair with an umbrella and a cabana. Very cute in person!
Have I ever told you how much I love to burn candles? I burn them every day. I like the smell and the lighting. I am a big fan of dimmed lighting - we have a chandelier with a dimmer switch in the kitchen and I LOVE it. I have candles all over the house but since I was in the bathroom taking pictures I thought I would capture these. BTW, I didn't want my reflection in the mirror since I had jammies on so that is why there are two pics of the counter instead of one. Well there you have it! Now you know what I have been up to. Until next time...

P.S. Did you enter my giveaway? If not, go here to enter!

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Giveaway Tuesday!



Monday was a normal uneventful day. I had a turkey wrap for dinner with Sun Chips. Dave had a volleyball meeting. Since baseball is over he is going to do Football and Volleyball. The doctor said there is nothing they can do for his finger. He just has to let it heal on it's own. It is going to take awhile to heal for sure because the nail has to come up. Ewwww.... I Wii'd for about 5 minutes because I was too tired when I started. I took it easy the rest of the night and watched Real Housewives of NJ. Pretty typical Monday but I went overboard on the calories


I am doing a Giveaway!!! The winner will recieve the book Hungry Girl Recipies and Survival Strategies for Guilt Free Eating in the Real World and this cute PINK Thermos lunch bag. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite food for lunch is. You can get an additional entry if you are not a follower and become one or if you Facebook or Twitter the giveaway. I will announce the winner on Friday August 20th. The giveaway is open to everyone so good luck!

I am getting a pedicure tonight. I have been having trouble with my left foot so it will be nice to get some relief. Pedicures are not just a vanity thing for me - they are medically necessary. I get ingrown toenails and have had to have my toenails removed more then once which is no picnic so anything I can do to avoid that I will do. Until next time...


Monday, August 16, 2010

Mix it up Monday

How was your weekend? Hope it was good! Mine was nice and pretty productive too. So, Saturday I got up early, went and got my hair cut (love it!) and then headed over the hill to meet Uncle Steve and his wife Debbie I was so nervous that I was having trouble eating anything. I grabbed some Muscle Milk and that stuff is pretty yucky. Won't be having that again. Anyways, I get to where we are going to meet and I am thinking "Wow this is the Safeway we go to when we camp!" They live about 10 minutes from there so I followed him up to the house. Not sure if I could find it on my own that is for sure!

We had a great visit and I had nothing to be worried about. They made me feel comfortable from the very get go. He was about 15 when I was born and left home shortly thereafter so he was not around much during all of the turmoil that was going on in Sandy's (his sister) life. He had a bunch of pictures from when he was married and Sandy was in the pictures and she was beautiful :-D

Steve gave me the ceramic pieces from my great grandmother that were made around the late 1920's. I just think it is amazing that she sold ceramics during WWII. She made the molds and everything.
Speaking of ceramics, I found this frame that I painted when I was unpacking. It is called Daisy Days


Sunday we spent resting and organizing. I am down to the last few boxes. I need to go through the storage unit too but that can wait. Dave found this plant stand for $2 at a garage sale so we bought the top plant to go on it. I had another plant there but I opted to plant it outside in the ground.

Eating was good over the weekend. I did not sport the bugg but I think I got a fair amount of activity. I was up and down all day yesterday so it had to count for something LOL. Not sure what I am doing tonight. Dave finds out if he needs surgery today so we will see... Until next time...


Sunday, August 15, 2010

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Heritage

In all of us there is a hunger, marrow-deep, to know our heritage, to know who we are --- and where we have come from. Without this enriching knowledge, there is a hollow yearning, there is the most disquieting --- loneliness." Alex Haley ~ Roots

Friday, August 13, 2010

Facts for Friday


Last night I barbequed chicken. The bbq is right outside the front door so it is pretty convenient. We marinated it in Italian dressing and then I added some other seasonings prior to cooking it. We had peas and mashed potatoes as well. I am not a pea fan so I had to force myself but it wasn't horrible. I Wii'd for 15 mins and then we went on a 2o minute walk later in the evening.


As I mentioned, I picked up the Certified letter at the Post Office which contained the non-identifying information regarding my adoption. I opened it in the car and read through it again and again. It answers A LOT of questions even though it does not have any names. Since I have been able to talk to my siblings and Uncle Steve, I was able to fill in the blanks. I was so nervous and anxious that I could not eat any lunch. That is what happens to me when I am feeling any anxiety.

Some notable details are:

  • Bio mother was 5'2" - I am 5'2"
  • Three out of 4 of my bio grandparents were 5'4" and under. So that answers why I am such a shorty - LOL
  • I am French, Irish and Indian on my mothers side. On bio fathers side it only said Caucasian but through the siblings, I heard he was Italian and English. Between the Irish, Indian and Italian it makes a lot of sense as to to why I am the way I am.
  • Bio mother had a freckled face. I have a freckled face
  • Bio Grandmother had Uterus Cancer and had thyroid issues. Something to make note of
  • Siblings and bio mother have same allergies to foods that I do and also sister has eczema.
  • Bio Grandfather had a heavy build and 3 out of the 4 siblings are overweight

I have always been at peace about why she gave me up. My mom and dad told me from a very early age that I was "chosen" by them and that my bio mom did what she could to keep me but could not afford it. If she were alive, I would tell her that she made the right decision and that I have had a wonderful life.

My curiosity ever since ever was what nationality I am and what medical history did I inherit. I also wondered if I looked like anyone. I would be at the mall or the grocery store and look at a woman and think "Wow, she really looks like me, I wonder if it's her?" Also, I have always been enamored with big families and with families that look alike because of my lack of knowledge about my bio family I guess. None of the siblings are Diabetic nor do they have NLD so I imagine the Diabetes is weight related and the NLD is just my luck of the draw. Yay me! NOT!

All this info just blows my mind you guys! I attempted to get this information back in 1985 but I was 19 and I never followed through with it but in hindsight it was probably a good thing. I don't know if I would have been able to handle all this information plus she was still alive and living in Eureka, CA. at the time.

Tomorrow morning I am trying a new hairdresser in downtown Los Gatos. I saw someone the other day and I liked her hair and asked her where she got it cut. It is called Shampoo Lounge and the gal's name is Katie ironically. I am going to see Uncle Steve and his wife Debby after that. I will be meeting them at the Aptos Burger Company at 2:00 p.m. and the following them from there. Apparently, it is a little hard to get to so I am glad I will be able to follow him. I am nervous but I know it will be fine. Until next time...