Iron Update:
I had my final iron treatment. My doctor didn't think it was necessary at this time to have two additional iron treatments. I am going to go in for monthly bloodwork, and I will have an appointment with her in October.
Lunch with Cheryl and Adrienne:
Cheryl is the wisest woman I know. If I become half as wise as her by the end of my life, I will be grateful. I babysat her children (Adrienne is an incoming sophomore), and she has helped me through many tough times in my life. They moved to Germany in the fall of 2007, so I only get to see her once a year. I am so thankful for technology that allows us to stay in touch during the in between times.
HH's Extra Kidney...
It was announced today that U2 is in negotiations with the YUM Center (new downtown arena opening in October) to perform for the first time ever in Louisville! WOOOO HOOOO!!!! I am consulting black market prices for HH's extra kidney. After all, does he REALLY need two of them? One way or another, I will be at that concert!
PCP Visit:
I came prepared with my list of nine items to talk about. HH is going to go at the end of the month to learn how to give me my B12 shot. I am going to start taking my potassium ground up in applesauce, because I'm not absorbing it well at all. I told her all the labs I wanted ran, and I go in Monday for fasting labs.
This was taken the day we left North Carolina. I am holding some of my MIL's soaps she makes. We volunteered to work at a huge show she will be in held in November. It had casually been mentioned about wearing prairie hats. My SIL said, "I think I have a prairie girl outfit you can wear. Have Catherine take your measurement from waist to ankle, it might be too long." Brain spinning. She wasn't even entertaining the idea that the outfit wouldn't fit, but only the fact that it might be too long or too short.
I explained to HH the significance of this event. As a SMO person, it was never an option to "share" clothes with anyone. The most I could do was to wear someone's earrings or borrow a purse. When I was a nanny, I had underestimated how cold it was going to be on Halloween. It was time to take the kids around the neighborhood for candy, and the dad offered me a jacket of his. I played it off like it wasn't that cold out, but really I knew that there was no way it was going to fit. I can wear clothes that other people wear! Woot! Woot!
When I went to the hemotolgist my Ferretin was 12. Tomorrow is my last iron transfusion, and I have a follow up with the hemotologist tomorrow afternoon. I am going to ask for two additional transfusions (because I have the availablity to go without taking off a day from work). I hope she is willing to consider it.
I know not many people who read my blog are teachers, but if you have the time, I encourage you to read "I Am A Teacher." It is well worth the few minutes, and gives you a different perspective if you don't know any teachers personally.
I love Extreme Makeover Home Edition. I cry every time I watch that show. Yesterday, at Sunday School we were talking about extreme makeovers, and I wanted to share a bit.
"Makeover is a process of taking something that is old, broken, imperfect, damaged or not useful and recreating it into something that is whole, useful, beautiful, attractive, and new."
We all love to see positive change.
Our curiosity is riveted by the skill and creativity involved in making the old, new and the broken, whole.
All of us secretly long for an extreme makeover in some area of our lives or relationships.
Of course all these statements I've written down brought me back to weight loss. Never underestimate the power of your own personal story. Months before I had WLS, I clung to reading stories about how people pulled themselves out of being so heavy. I needed to know that it could be done.
The lesson reminded me of the lyrics to a Casting Crown's song called "Slow Fade"...
Be careful little eyes what you see
It's the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow
It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade
Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray
It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you're thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking
It's a slow fade when you give yourself away It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day
Oh be careful little eyes what see
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
For me gaining weight was a slow fade. I didn't wake up one day weighing almost 400 pounds, but by continuing to ignore small daily choices. They really do all add up.
Following Sunday School, a lady sang a song that is one of my favorites, "The Voice of a Savior" by Mandisa. Enjoy!
In Louisville, we have flowery billboards for police officers. It typically shows a police officer smiling and giving a bear to a small child. (I tried to find one online, but to no avail.)
In Gastonia, they don't play...
Yep, they show a recruitment billboard with a police officer making an arrest. (Sorry for the poor picture quality, I took this while we were in traffic.)
Plans to go to the beach after HH's second interview fell through. We left HH's mom without a vehicle for two days, and I felt really bad making that a third. We had a late dinner at DaVinci's in Hickory, coming back on the 23rd. This restaurant was everything that the reviewers said it would be! It also provided a lovely break to GET OUT OF THE CAR, since we had been in it for over four hours.
We made pulled pork pizza for lunch. (HH helped!) I found the recipe in Prevention magazine. It was so simple! I bought a thin crust, Sweet Baby Ray's sauce (mmmmm, hands down the best BBQ sauce out there), pulled pork (store bought to save time), and mozzarella cheese.
Dinner was at Judges by the river in Morganton. It was a no brainer that we would eat inside, although the views were awesome.
Silly pictures.
We went to TCBY for yogurt, and I had Cotton Candy flavor. It tasted spot on like cotton candy. We rented The Book of Eli with Denzel Washington in it.
I have the most amazing husband. It has been a wonderful first year. I look forward to many many more!
Things have been pretty busy visiting with family since getting to North Carolina. It is nice to see my in-laws, as I have not been here since April. We are heading out to our first interview after lunch today. I'll have a big picture post soon.
There are so many different types of cookware out there, sometimes it is hard to know where to start when navigating the market. I was thrilled with CSN Stores offered me a chance to test out some of their cookware. I have been a big internet shopper since I went away to college, but have often become frustrated with navigating websites to find exactly what I want. CSN Stores made it so easy! You can search many ways, such as by brand, quality rating, shipping availability, and color to name a few.
I knew that I was going to make a bee line for the Le Creuset! In bakeware alone, they had 71 Le Creuset products. What draws me to this brand is it is professional chef quality, and it goes from oven to table for a beautiful table presentation. My eyes went pitter patter when I saw these items:
Words that I love as I read reviews of these dishes: Durable, EASY TO CLEAN, distributes heat evenly
I also love that CSN Stores offer free shipping on these items (so many websites “get” you with low prices, but then have crazy shipping prices), and both of my items are able to ship the same day! I can hardly wait for these items to come in, and I look forward to giving you a complete review of my experience with CSN Stores.
HH and I are being complete dorks while sitting in Friday early evening traffic. We went out to dinner at Red Lobster, because we both love seafood. (Looking forward to some ultra fresh seafood next weekend when we are down by the coast for the night.)
We went to a comic event with Michael Jr. HH and I love comedy. We've gone to a dozen or so comedy shows since we've been together. We really appreciate clean comedy. Michael Jr. delivers. I first heard of him when I watched "Thou Shalt Laugh," and was pumped when I saw that he would be in Louisville! If you scroll down on the blog, you can see a few clips from his shows.
Awe....aren't we cute. I really liked the red backdrop, and would have liked to had our picture taken on the stage by it, but wasn't brave enough to go up there.
Saturday we had lunch at Panera Bread with a couple that HH is going to marry at the end of the month. This will be the first wedding he has performed. It was so awesome to see him walk through the ceremony with the couple, etc. We know the couple from the dance studio HH and I used to frequent.
We went to Shakespeare in the Park to see Much Ado About Nothing with our friends Beau and Alex. I missed a lot of what was going on during the first half due to a man who was talking on his cell phone for a good THIRTY minutes. REALLY? I glared at him at least fifteen times, but that didn't help.
Afterwards, we went to Starbucks and talked. This particular Starbucks has a VAULT. It used to be a bank, and they never took out the vault. We talked in the vault. So cool. Sadly, I didn't take pictures of this. I really like small group interactions. I've never been a big fan of large groups. It was nice being with another couple and getting to know them better.
I started Change is Good, Changing for Good three years ago! Time sure flies when you are living life! This blog has helped me to process so much of what I am feeling. Losing weight and making life changes is not for the faint of heart. I don't regret the choices I've made. Thanks for the love and support!
HH has been a saint. I asked him if I could forget about cooking until after the writing project ended, and he agreed. Well, the writing project ended on July 2nd, and it is now July 14th. I haven't made much of anything.
I also made Pink Lemonade Pie. This is the easiest pie ever. I was sad because my pie didn't turn out pink. I took dinner and a pie to our downstairs neighbors. Yes, they love us.
Thanks Kays Jewelers for cleaning my wedding and engagement rings. I had my card out all ready to pay for the cleaning, and the lady said there was never a charge for cleaning rings. Woot! Woot!
I forgot just how shiny they once were!
We went out for a celebration lunch with my student teacher and his other student teaching supervisor. We had lunch at Olive Garden to congratulate him on getting his first 3rd/4th grade teaching job. He is going to do great. Ok, for my non-teacher readers....lets explain all the lunches out. Teachers really don't get a lot of social time during the year. We can't meet people for coffee in the morning, or grab a quick bite between a sales meeting. So, in the summer, we try to make up for lost time by getting together with people who we can't as easily meet up with throughout the school year. I have lunches planned tomorrow with my brother, and Monday with a lady from Canada.
Wendy and I went out to lunch to celebrate my birthday. It gives me chills how we look so much alike size wise.
HH slowed the car down (without my asking), and said, "Get your camera." He knows me so well, and knew that I would want to take a picture of this traveling ice cream stand.
We got invited to the Drive In movie on Sunday night with our friends and their kids. We played the game "Would You Rather" while waiting for Despicable Me and Toy Story 3. We had seen Toy Story 3, but we had such a good time with our company.
My HH, always making people smile.
I had to take this picture of the toilet seat. I have the world's smallest bladder, so I always have to go to the restroom before leaving the hospital after my iron transfusion. This sign by the toilet was new.
Weighty Matters reports they are now working to approve chewable Lipitor (cholesterol medication) for ages 10+ in the European Union. I know several of my students who could probably benefit from this. I remember when quick cholesterol checks first came out. We got one at our local pharmacy. Mine was 180 as a 12 or 13 year old. I would have been a target had this medication been available when I was a child.
Foodbeast reports the trial marketing of the footlong cheeseburger in California by Carls Jr (known to people in my area as Hardees).
According to Wikipedia, he died of a weight related respiratory illness. At one time, he carried 770 pounds on his frame. I just heard about this artist at the writing project I completed.
I get a cookie cake every year for my birthday, and this year was no exception. Something that has changed since losing weight, I really don't care much at all for icing. The lettering is not icing, and you can see how faint the icing is around the rest of the cake. Letting done by none other than HH.
In Colombia I fell in love with a fruit called Lulo. It is amazing! I have not been able to find it anywhere up here, even at the fancier gourmet places. :(
Above is lulo juice mix. HEAVEN. I can make lulo smoothies. One thing I was surprised about is that it is not very carb heavy at all. That is really nice. I plan on putting a few spoonfuls of Splenda in mine, but that is it. I found this at a Cuban grocery store in Lexington, Kentucky.
I bought Joining the Thin Club as one of my first purchases on my beloved Kindle. I read about 30%, and put it to rest. Some days are good with where I am dealing with self-image, and other days I just wasn't ready to listen and apply anything I read from this book. I am picking it back up tonight, and here are some thoughts....
"It does not mater if you slip up and overeat one day. Everybody does this, even those people who have been thin their whole lives. What matters is how you interpret the backslide."
"Personal trainer and nutritionist Steve Olschwanger has an aweome analogy. He likens those who cave on a backslide to those who trash their automobile after getting a flat tire. 'When you get a flat tire, you fix it or replace the tire and keep on going,' he says. 'When you backslide on your diet, the same attitude applies."
"Ready to learn the big excuse that serves to push you down the slippery slope? The major trigger for a backslide is the excuse, "I'll eat it just this time..." Have you ever said this to yourself? Can you see why it can lead to a backslide? Almost any time can be "just this time." This is an excuse that easily snowballs. And once you get into the habit of giving in to excuses, more and more of them creep in."
I had a good laugh at my card from Wendy. I have asked myself that very question many times over the last few years! Post-It Notes are truly a girls best friend!
HH got me some Willy Wonka bars that I noticed last time we were in the grocery store.
Outside Windsor Gardens Restaurant in New Albany, Indiana. I thought this made for a neat photograph.
It's no Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, but it was pretty awesome!
You could watch them make candy, and they had so many candy artifacts it was incredible!
My sundae is on the left, and HH took a drink out of his float/sundae. I had about ten bites from my sundae, and it was perfect!
We went to Cave Hill Cemetery next. I have not willingly sought to go to many cemeteries in my day, ok actually only Arlington on a few occasions. This place was so peaceful, and a true work of art. I could have taken dozens of pictures!
