This is war, she roared

After last night's basketball game, you probably think I'm talking sports. 

I'm not.

I'm talking body.

I'm talking weight.

My weight, to be exact.

The countdown is on.

I leave for Paris in eight weeks.

Seven weeks and three days to be exact.

Let's just say that I have some baggage I would rather not take to Paris. (J'aime manger!)

Two weeks ago, I re-joined the tough gym.  If you are a long-time reader, you will recall in April of '10, I did bootcamp at the tough gym.  I was in there nearly every day.  Some days twice a day- before and after work.  I starved.  I sweated.  I killed myself.  I spent a lot of money for classes.  Tough classes that got results.

And, I won.

It is ran something akin to biggest loser, and I fuhreaking won.  I was the women's overall winner, combining weight loss, inches and percentage of body fat lost.  I was down to 140 pounds. 

Fast forward to March of 2012.  I would not describe myself as a winner right now.  I've continued to stay in shape, some what, but my diet has gone to hell.  I am an all-out person.  Either I'm on the wagon, or I'm off.

I'm back on the wagon.

I got on the scales on Thursday morning, and after being back at the tough gym for two weeks, I was up five pounds.

This is war, she roared.

Plus, after work on Thursday, I was showing a colleague some photos of my art.  There is a photo on facebook of me holding a shadow box that I created for Papertrix.

I shyly said "that was me, after I finished bootcamp, when I was down to 140 pounds."

She blinked, leaned towards the computer screen, giggled, and said in an incredulous voice

"Oh, I didn't even recognize you."

Ouch.

This is war, she roared.

In '10 before I did bootcamp, I did no sugar, no flour on my own and lost 23 or so pounds.  Then I did bootcamp and lost another 23 or so pounds.  I haven't gained it all back.  I can still kick ass in the gym.  (Sorry, I can.)

When I'm "off" I grab whatever and shove it into my pie hole.

When I'm on, I'm conscious and making healthy choices.

A friend of mine calls it "being kind to our bodies."

One of my best gal pals, Jennifer,  (go read what she has to say about her body, and read a portion of the incredibly encouraging email she sent to me, yesterday.  (Which I printed out to keep as encouragement.)  Until this very moment when I went to link with her blog, I had no knowledge that she wrote this post.   

As women, why do so many of us feel nothing but disdain for our bodies?  Our bodies do so much for us.  My body helped me to produce two beautiful children and I have the "scars" to show for that.  Our bodies carry us through life and help us to embrace and love and touch and encourage.  Why can't we encourage ourselves?

This is war, she roared.

I have a fire burning in my belly.  Deep beneath that belly fat, there is a fire, roaring.  It helps me keep going when I've worked all day and I don't feel like going to class or climbing onto Jacob's ladder or picking up some weights or pushing myself on the rowing machine. 

When I am thinking healthy, I cook and produce lovely dishes to feed myself.  Last night I made a pizza with a tortilla.  (I have been craving Italian spice and tomato.)  I should have "crisped the tortilla, first.  I like to bake on my stone on top of parchment paper.  Such easy cleanup. 

I cooked up mushrooms, zucchini and spinach.

Added shredded mozzarella cheese.

For those of you who are counting weight watchers points, I was surprised that a tortilla (pkg says "burrito size) is 4 points. 
I was in such a hurry to eat it, that I forgot to take a photo after the cheese melted.  It was very good and very filling.
This morning I cooked up zucchini, sliced thin and quartered.

Added fresh mushrooms.

In the blender I blended 2 farm fresh eggs, (1 point each), a splash of milk, a teaspoon of sour creme, a teaspoon of pizza sauce (I often put catsup on my scrambled eggs- I think it is a southern thing) and 1/4 c. shredded mozzarella. I blend my eggs because I like them fluffy and don't like to see egg whites, I like them to be creamy yellow. I sprinkled the eggs with dill and ground pepper.  I also sprinkled a twist of this Florida sunshine stuff I have which is sea salt, orange-lemon-lime zest, ginger root, rose petals and peppercorns.  Then I added a teaspoon of this stuff from The Bread Dip Company which is called Artichoke and Caper All Natural Bread Spread & Dip.  Yum.  Flavor, people, I want flavor!

It was delic.  The toast is Ezekiel bread which is 1 point per slice.  The spread is Brommel and Brown yogurt spread which not only tastes like butter, it smells like butter.  I love it.

This is war, she roared.

GO HOOSIERS!

This is truly March Madness.  The crazy weather we are having- and now, the Hoosiers are in the Sweet Sixteen.  As much as I love my Hoosiers, I did not think we were going to with the game the other night.  But we did, and that is the beauty of it. 
Now, Go Hoosiers!  Beat Kentucky!

Flummoxed

How can today be the first day of Spring?  My last post nearly three weeks ago, I was jonsin' for some green, counting down to the first day of March when I could sport my new green trench, and now it has been blazing eighty degrees.  I've been about to pass out. 
I started a new job on January 23rd (which I love) and it seems the days have been flying by.  I don't know when I've gone this long without posting, but somehow in my absence, I have a new follower.  (Thank you very much.)  I've been taking photos and writing posts in my head, but haven't gotten them out there in cyberland.  (Do you do that, too?)
I've been so insanely busy and longing for some down time.  What do you like to do in down time?  I LIKE to get to my art table and make cards and use stamps and create.  More likely, you'll find me scurrying about the house, cleaning up the kitchen, doing dishes, loading the washer and dryer, folding clothes, changing the bed, ironing.  (Yes, I iron, get over it.  I also do dishes and eshew the dishwasher, leaving that to dug.)
I could write an entire post on cards that I haven't shown you. 
I went to the Heirloom Arts Show in Indianapolis on March 3rd and I found it to be boring. (Sorry, Heirloom, I did.) All of the same old boring stuff that I've seen over and over. Except for the folks at 100 proof press.  I had been looking for an Eiffel Tower stamp and found one with them.

100 Proof Press booth

look closely, lower left and you'll see the Eiffel Tower stamps

 I was looking for an Eiffel Tower stamp so that I could write a thank you card to my girls for my upcoming Paris trip with them.  If you are not a regular reader, this was my Christmas gift from them and Jen over at Cottage Nest has decided despite the fact that we are both from Indiana, we are both going to Paris and we should rendezvous there.  (The count down is on and I leave in eight weeks!) (See you there, Jen!)

Thank you card for my girls

 Here is the birthday card that I made for my little Bee.  She turned one on March 8.  I found the perfect stamp "wishing you a very happy bee day" with a little bee on the end of it at Papertrix.  (You know I always love Papertrix.)  With one little bee, you can make it zoom around wherever you wish.

First Birthday card for little Bee

 While we are playing catch-up and I'm showing you cards that failed to share with you.  (And if you are a personal friend or family, I probably failed to send to you.)

Polar Bear Christmas card

 Here is another card I designed this year and sent very few of.

cabin Christmas card

I didn't get many cards out because at the last minute, I decided to make altered books for dug's daughter-in-law and one of the son's girlfriends.  I loved making the books and I think they appreciated the books, but I poured hours into them and then my lack of planning constituted an art emergency, so I didn't get many Christmas cards out.  
Another store that I got really jazzed about was Paper Source in Bethesda.  The duggles, me, my daughter and the baby dashed out to Georgetown Cupcake in Bethesda on the day of the Bee's party and there was a Paper Source on the same street.  I had never been in one and managed to find a few stamps in a very short amount of time.  While my daughter and I picked up cupcakes and checked out Paper Source and a toy store, dug sat in the Kia with the sleeping birthday girl.
Do you get the picture?  Do you understand why I am flummoxed?  Overnight it is eighty degrees and my fireside sittin' days are over for another season.  Tell me I'm not the only one.