Meatless dinners

Bob fixed rice and beans with some corn and tomato sauce. It was good. We have been having a couple meatless dinners per week. We don't suffer.

I battled my way up the path in the back pulling weeds. I had an entire colony of wild solidago and primroses growing in the path. I had put down wood chips for the path, but the weeds grew just great right through it. I've got morning glory and gill-0ver-the-ground too. Something bit me around my waist and put quite a bit of poison in. I think it might have been a spider of some kind, but I don't remember it biting.

I walk Essi today. It is a glorious sunny day and not too hot. The birds are singing. I spotted quite a few butterflies in the yard yesterday too and lots of bumble bees doing their thing.

What about low meat meals - ever tried them?

Sue

Weeds

So Bob declares it's rice and beans for dinner because he "went up." This is weird because we ate a salad for dinner that I made. It consisted of fresh garden lettuce, spinach, a small (2 oz) piece of salmon, 2 oz cheese, sugar snap peas, some fresh corn (I took off the cob and stirred fried with peas), and a little dressing. It was delicious, but not high calories with plenty of vegies like you're supposed to have now. It's a wonder sometimes. He says it takes a couple days for his body to register high calorie items, like that coffee cake we ate. With me, I register the calories as soon as I put whatever it is into my mouth!

Now for the weather report... :) ... It is delightful. We're having a humidity break of a couple days.

I tackled my back bed yesterday afternoon pulling weeds. I have honeysuckle SEEDLINGS, mind you, that are 2 feet high. This is the scurge of not only my garden but all our woods around here. The nonnative honeysuckle bushes have just about crowded out all the native scrubs and wildflowers, unless there is someone to police it and pull those suckers out! I must pull out hundreds of seedlings every year. The birds eat the seed and poop it all over the place. They must not get much nutrition from the berries because they come through in tact, if you know what I mean. Poison ivy is spread the same way. More stuff that has been growing like, well, weeds is: wild grape vines, gill-over-the-ground (I HATE that stuff), morning glory vines, hops (I actually planted this and wish I hadn't) vines, Virginia creeper (its leaves and vines are so abrasive that even sliding it down your arm causes scratches). I wasn't able to get out there early in the spring, so that's what I get.

Now to my spin class with weights,

Sue

Vacation Psych

I put the finishing touches on a new little bed I'm calling Helen's bed. It has two trees, daylilies shared from a friend, lupins, penstemons, iris, daisies, and a few more. It is designed to look good from May to August. I put the last wheel barrel full of compost on it yesterday. Then we had a good soaker last night. It started with a thunder storm and then rained most of the night slowly. We sure have been getting our share of rain this year.

I am getting psyched for my week in Rehoboth with my family. Bob isn't going this year. We all have condos on the ocean at One Virginia Avenue. Mine is on the corner and you can hear the waves all night while you sleep. I love the ocean and am looking forward to just walking on the beach and reading a couple good books under the beach umbrella while listening and smelling the ocean. We all will take turns cooking, my family's idea to save some money. I'm trying to decide what to make - something simple, but good.

I'm getting ready to walk Essi. Otto is napping on the bed. Bob just went to the Y to work out. It's very quiet here this morning. We should get a break in the humidity when this front goes through.

Hope you're having a good day,

Sue

Humidity

It sure is humid outside and the temperature is about 90 too. Yikes! We walked Essi this morning and it felt like you were walking through water. The air is thick.

I brought home a treat from Dorothy Lane Market yesterday. It was called French Cream Coffee Cake. Lethal! It was kind of like a croissant with creme fresche inside. I think it's ok to have a treat once in a while. The problem is that having a treat can undo a week's worth of work! It just isn't fair. But who says life is fair anyway, it isn't. The thing is to get right back on it and not use that one treat as an excuse to keep blowing your diet.

We watched Julie and Julia last night. If you haven't seen it, rent it. It's fantastic! It's a real feel good movie, the sweet kind that I like.

Happy Sunday,

Sue

Breakfast Out

It's going up to the mid '90s today. Yikes! And the humidity is back. Our garden tour is today. I'm helping out by taking a turn at the door to hole punch tickets as people come by. I'm hoping somebody brings an umbrella.

We like eating breakfast out on Saturday morning. We have this restaurant in town called the Breakfast Club. It's a locally owned business (not chain). They have good food at reasonable prices. Good breakfasts and lunches too. I have my favorite breakfast of all time, pancakes with blueberries, eggs scrambled soft, and crisp bacon. Not diet, but good!

Better get the exercise in early today!

Sue

Down 1.2

Down 1.2 and I'll take it. I'm not setting any weight loss records, but I shouldn't lose too fast I guess. I definitely feel better, so my program is working. I'm ending my third full week of workouts and eating well. Good time to take stock.

What I'm doing right: drinking plenty of water, working out every day and mixing it up with different activities, spending plenty of time outside, visiting our Farmer's Market every week for fresh vegies and fruit, eating plenty of vegies and fruits, cutting way down on sugar and processed white flour and choosing instead whole grains and natural fruits.

I did battle with runaway hops yesterday. I wish I had NEVER planted that stuff. I do believe it would grow over top of the house if I let it. It had already taken over out of my fruit trees. It made me break out real good too. I need to wear a space suit to pull it up. Yikes!

Our garden tour is this weekend. I'm glad I'm not on it this year - my weeds are just too healthy.

We have a break in the humidity a bit today - yippee!

Sue

Artichokes

Marvin Gardens gave me a tree to plant in my mother's honor. I got it in yesterday and it looks really good in a new little bed with Bill Johannes' daylilies and some other small plants I got earlier in the season.

We continue to have hotter than normal temperatures and rain every day. My tomatoes love this weather. They are going wild.

Artichokes are good for you. Try this. Cut artichoke in half, steam for 30 minutes, and use spoon to remove "heart." That's a recipe from Lisa. She swears by artichokes because they have all kinds of great things for you that help your immune system, etc.

Now I'm going over to do my spin class with weights. What new torture will she think of this time? Ha!

Sue