Any Trouble posting?

Is anybody having trouble posting to the blog? Please let me know. I will try to solve this over the weekend. TGIF and we have a nice concert to go to tomorrow evening.

Sue

Fall

Fall is not my favorite time, although there are things I like. It is cooler and the trees are pretty for a bit. We haven't had that crisp fall weather yet, only rain and dampness so far. I like summer and spring the best for growing flowers and veggies. I am still picking tomatoes - good year. The greens/lettuce I planted back in August has not come up well. I must have put in the wrong kind, because it did not germinate well.

Nature had a show about hummingbirds. I had no idea there were so many kinds. We only have ruby throated in most of the US except the west. They are very amazing. I get a kick out of watching them at my feeder.

We're just starting to show some color around here.

Sue

What are your goals?

I was asked that question tonight at a little seminar a friend sent me to. I want to be healthy, happy, and secure. I'd like to have a stress free retirement that I can enjoy before I get too old. I'd like to have feet that don't hurt. I want the same for B and those I love. I wonder sometimes about music as my career choice. I do love it, but it sure isn't going to make you rich to say the least. However, I do think that happiness is a choice, not something that happens to you. And on that note, I'll say good-night.

Sue

Amother One Bites the Dust

And I made it through my 11 classes on Monday. Came home and did a short workout with Bob. Good movie. Now to bed.

Sue

Pinch the Blossoms

According to Mike McGrath, it's time to pinch off the blossoms on your tomato plants to give the greem tomatoes a chance to mature and turn red. I still have green ones out there. Some plants that I got in very late are now starting to bare. Today I made chile, a big pot of it. It was good. I also got to walk Essi and teach a piano lesson. I pruned a plant, a little late to do that, but it needed to be done. I found some HUGE mums at Apple Fest and shared them with Bettina and Gaby. These plants are just the biggest mums I've ever seen and just starting to bloom. Very pretty balls of flowers. Tomorrow's my killer day. Wish me luck,

Sue

Good Loss

I was officially weighed at WW today and was down 2 pounds. Yippee! I feel especially good since it was a rough week with my foot hurting (the rain makes them ache more). I am going to a new meeting on Saturday mornings at the Y. Then I walked Essi and walked around the Apple Festival. It was a very nice afternoon and cleared off finally. The Buckeyes had an easy win and I had a good shopping at Kroger. It was a nice Saturday.

Sue

Good Movie

We saw a good movie tonight called Sneakers with Robert Redford and a cast of many good actors. Very entertaining.

Friday was rough with all the rain, wet kids, and too much excitement with added sugar in the afternoon. I'm glad for the weekend.

Sue

WW Plan Manager

I want to log my food every day. Plan Manager takes so long to launch. Sometimes it takes so long I give up. I like the idea of logging my food online, but I wish I could go directly to Plan Manager and not have to see all the rest of the stuff they have there, like the advertisements and other things I don't use. They shouldn't make you look at all that stuff first. Maybe I'll go back to paper. Etools is TOO SLOW!

Besides that everything is great. Tomorrow is Friday - YIPPEE!
Sue

Kids in the Rain

You just haven't lived until you've had 29 wet kids come into your room from the rain and squeak their feet on the tiles. Some of the kids just got soaked. They have to come outside to come to me. I'm enjoying my Responsive Classroom stuff. We have new classroom risers. They are just wonderful! They will enable use to practice more in the room.

I could use some sun now.

Sue

Good Report

B. got a good report today at his appointment. I also had a breakthrough with two of my special kids. I figured out that patience and consistency is the key. And isn't that true with any goal one has. Good day!

Sue

TGMO

Well, I made it past my killer Monday 11 classes. Tomorrow I take B to his PD appointment. Tonight I went to the School Board meeting to show support for the board members who have been under pressure lately. There were a couple bad guys there, but mostly it was filled with supporters.

Sue

New modem

Our internet was down along with our network. We had to get a new modem.

Nice day, but cloudy. I worked in the yard and walked Essi. I made us fresh tuna for dinner. Yum. Tomorrow is my tough day - 11 classes. Yikes!

Sue

Friday

TGIF. Tomorrow I have a workshop. It's chilly here. Long day. Nice dinner with B. I'm ready for a nice sleep.

I'll try to have something more thought provoking tomorrow.

Sue

Is it possible

to lose weight with limited exercise, that is exercise 3x per week? I came home today exhausted, so I just got the exercise with moving around while I teach. Is this enough? I did very well with my eating. So we shall see.

Sue

dvd workout

We got a DVD with a good workout on there - a twenty minute, stretch and tone, that we've been doing together. It's very good for flexibility and some muscle toning. Even though I was tired, we did it together after work. It's really good for both of us. The guy that made it is from Columbus and it's especially made for PD folks. The exercises are good for everybody. We can do it right there in the great room.

Cheers,
Sue

The Journey

The journey to health and losing weight starts with small steps. I learned that at my WW meeting. If the final goal seems too overwhelming, you should make smaller attainable goals that you can reach, like I will drink all my water today or I will stay on my eating plan today.

Sue

Survived

It was a tiring but good day. I had good snacks. They got me through. I didn't have my water though. Got to do better on that. Tomorrow is an easier day, but I have a lesson after school. Also Zumba is starting up, but on Tuesday, not a good day for me. We'll see. I did some good gardening yesterday - still nice out there and stuff still needs attending. Tomatoes still coming on. I love them fresh from the garden.

Sue

My hardest day

Wish me luck tomorrow, as it is my hardest day... 11 classes. Phew!

Sue

Milk

What is the value of drinking milk? Some say that adults shouldn't drink it. Babies need it, but they need mother's milk. It is a good source of calcium. Dr. Oz questions the value of skim milk. He says you should drink the milk with some fat in it because your body makes better use of it. Skim milk does something wacky with your insulin. Has anybody heard this?

Sue

Keeping Track

It's the absolute key. I have been keeping track online. It's much better than on paper. I think it keeps you honest. The one rule is to track everything.

Sue

Video Exercise after Work

B. and I are following a new DVD we got with really great exercises on it for anyone, but especially mature (sic) people. There are some good ones for feet, balance, and range of motion. Also there are some isometric exercises. We did it together twice. I think I can actually do this after work.

Sue

Great Example

There is somebody who is a great example who has lost 100 lbs. You know who are! Congratulations! You deserve all the credit in the world. Yeah, RG!!!!

Sue

Slow Gardening

from Felder Rushing's new book Slow Gardening, the gardener's bill of rights, the gardener shall have the right to:

< Garden at any hour, day or night
< Plant stuff in the front yard, away from the house foundation
< Have no grass at all
< Plant any color of flower next to any other color of flower
< Cultivate plants other consider "weeds"
< The right to more potted plants than we can water
< Plant too many tomatoes every year
< A leaf pile
< As many wind chimes as we can afford bird feeders (yard ornaments too)
< Prune or not to prune leggy plants with no questions asked
< Mispronounce plant names
< Wear big floppy hats and loose clothing no matter how ridiculous we look

Yeehaa for Felder

Sue

Fish

We had some today. Nice swordfish, very good. I am really enjoying the fresh tomatoes from my garden. I managed to get some picked today before the rain came. Got in a nice walk with Essi too, over an hour's worth. I enjoyed the thunderstorm from my porch for a bit. We needed the rain.

Sue

Soil Key to Gardening Organically

According to Marie Rodale, granddaughter of the founder of Rodale Inst (dedicated to organic practices), all you need to do is take care of your soil by adding compost. People want to buy something to fix whatever it is NOW. Organic is a practice and takes time. It's not something you can get quickly. My grass is looking pretty good. I do not use chemicals. I put compost and corn glutan on the yard once a year. I mow high (3 inches) and leave the cut grass clippings on the yard as nitrogen. That's it. It's taken 10 years, but I have few weeds. If I wanted to go one step further, I'd use an electric mower or reel mower. Marie Rodale makes the point that most nurseries would be left with no products to sell if people gardened organically. Just put on compost. I have beautiful tomatoes this year. All I used is good compost on soil that I have been adding compost to quite a few years. No other fertilizers, chemical or otherwise, were used. I did keep them watered. And I used straw around them as mulch to keep in the moisture. They are beautiful plants even now in the 95 degree September heat of today.

By the way you can easily make your own compost with leaves, yard cuttings, and the scraps of veggies from your kitchen. And it doesn't cost a thing.

Sue

Routines and Habits

I was reading an article that spoke about how important routine is to good health. Twyla Tharp, world famous dancer and choreographer, swears by a routine that is unchanged. She thinks it's the secret to creativity. I have always avoided routine when it comes to work. I do have a routine before bed to encourage going to sleep. But I always have felt I thrive more on change than on routine. I am discovering however that most people, kids in particular, thrive on routine and procedures. They love them. They like to know what is going to happen each day and it makes them happy and comfortable. How do you feel about this?

Sue

Old Dog New Tricks

I'm here as proof that you can teach an old dog new tricks. I had a wonderful day at school. It's very hot again - thought we were done with the 90s. More later.

Sue