End of Year

Since beginning Weight Watchers on May 21st I have done pretty well.

My cholesterol medicine dose was cut in half. Hoping adding exercise this last month will get it taken away completely. We go to the Freeland Sportszone every morning for 35-45 minutes of biking, walking and some of the machines.

I've had a bit of a glitch since the program changed in the beginning of December, but I think I've got it figured out now.

So I'm ending this year with a 56.4 loss. Still a long way to go but it has been amazingly much easier than I thought it would be and I feel so much better.

Christmas at St. Dominic

Oh Yeah!

The only thing Pat wanted of his Dad's! 

Yup, I married a Mountain Man!

Advent

We looked to Bishop Ken's homily from the first Sunday in Advent - 2003 for inspiration for our worship space at the SS. Peter and Paul site of St. Dominic's in Saginaw, Michigan. The empty manger at the cross.

"The calendar that affects us today is the Catholic liturgical calendar. In that calendar, the New Year begins on the first Sunday of Advent, which we are celebrating today.    

Our liturgical calendar revolves entirely around Jesus Christ. Every single year, we celebrate the whole story of Jesus Christ. We begin with the Advent and Christmas seasons, which revolve around his birth. The Christmas seasons ends with the baptism of the Lord by John the Baptist, and we begin his public ministry.  So we start listening to Gospels telling us about the early days of his ministry. After that comes Lent, when we begin looking toward his arrest, his suffering, his death. Lent leads up to the three-day Holy Triduum, when we meditate on his passion, death, and resurrection. Then we have the fifty day Easter season when we celebrate the truth of his resurrection, leading up to Pentecost when we celebrate his pouring of the Spirit upon us. Finally, we spend the rest of the year proclaiming all that he did and said.

We do that every liturgical year, the same sequence. Then when it ends, we start over.

So here we are at the very beginning of another liturgical year - the first Sunday of Advent. There's an interesting thing about our beginning. Every year, on the first Sunday of Advent, the Gospel is about the end of the world. At first that might seem strange - to begin with the ending. On the other hand, that's the way we map out a trip. If we're trying to figure out how to get somewhere, we start with the ending - our destination. Then we figure out how to get there."

http://www.visitationnorth.org/index.php/year-c-luke/123-first-sunday-of-advent-year-c

Happy Day After

What a great time yesterday. 20 people in our condo. No kids so it was less than expected but we all had a place to sit.

The turkey was delicious and very juicy even though it was done an hour early and we had to wait for everyone to arrive.

That pumpkin slab pie was such a good idea. Potatoes and dressing made in crockpots turned out yummy.

This made the day run smoothly.

After work was done

Thankful for so much.

Easy Peasy

I decided to make a cookie sheet pie. Doubled the pumpkin pie recipe on the Libby's pumpkin can. 350° for 55 minutes. Turned oven off and left it in for 30 minutes. It's gorgeous.

New Perspective

I love how the angle of the sun changes in the fall. It changes the landscape with shadows. This afternoon we drove through the countryside, stopping lots of times so I could take pictures. A great afternoon.

Wonder

A heartwarming movie filled with growing up, friendship and family. I doubt it will win awards, but it won my heart.

Much needed pj day

I'm sitting on my couch in my PJ's and it's after Noon! We have been on the go for weeks. Even if some of that time was fun time it was part of the nonstop pattern.

So today I'm watching an NCIS marathon, tipping my neighbors on Bakery Story, planning the cooking prep for 24 Thanksgiving guests (it may sound like work, but I love making a timeine) and not getting dressed until we have dinner with friends later tonight.

One last look from the living room before leaving for dinner.

As good as it gets

We went to Lumberman's Monument with Barb Sharma last week. Everything was on sale. I saw this book and knew Romeo and Tino would love it. Yup. We laughed and laughed some more.

Dreams!

So the result of the last post is that Pat and I slept most of the afternoon. I know that means I'll be up most of the night, but the dream I had makes it worth it.

I NEVER remember my dreams. But today was different. My best friend, Janet died several years ago and I really miss her. Today in my dream I was organizing our classmates to go to Grand Marais to see Janet. (Something I did when she was alive.) In my dream I forgot to tell Janet we were coming. Lots of stress when I couldn't get her on the phone.

Finally we all got there and Janet was nowhere to be found. My cousin, Jon, also a classmate, came in looking like a hippy with an afro!  (I can't wait to tell him that!)

Then I went in the living room and there was Janet. She was laughing. It made me so happy to see her. Then I woke up and I can't tell you how happy I am I got to see Janet.

Cleaning, lazing, still in my jammies!

Pat has a cold so it's a good excuse to stay in my nightgown all day long!  Haven't done this in ages. We watched a movie and now are watching the rerun of the Astro win last night because we both fell asleep before it was done.

Earlier I cleaned out the refrigerator. I zoodles the zucchini and took all the meatballs and sauce out of the freezer for our family dinner tomorrow.  Can't wait for everyone to come over.

Fall

St. Dominic's Parish

SS Peter and Paul Site

Saginaw, Michigan 

Wonder Woman

Even though it is not Halloween yet, Ayva had her birthday party where she wore her costume. Here's Wonder Woman!

UP

We've spent a lot of time in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in the last few weeks. We went to Marquette a few weeks ago. Nice trip. Won enough at the casino to play for awhile and pay for dinner. Saw some color, but this just isn't a great year for color.

Then Mary Berkshire said they were going to Mr. Lepeak's and maybe we could come up while they were there. Mary and I are friends on Facebook, but I had never met her. A few years ago she married Janet's husband, Rod.

So we made plans to go up on Sunday. I cooked all day on Friday. I made marinara sauce and a ton of meatballs. And chicken in the slow cooker. So I took 8 small Ziploc containers of meatball's and 6 of shredded chicken for Mr. Lepeak's freezer.

It rained most of the way up there. High wind warnings on the bridge. But we made it. We had a nice afternoon. It was so good to see Mr. Lepeak even though he seems much older this visit. It was so good to see Rod again and to finally meet Mary. She is very nice.

We drank a bottle of Mr. Lepeak's raspberry wine with the warning there wasn't any made this year because the mice ate the bark on the plants!

On our way back to St. Ignace i made the hotel reservation and didnt notice i made it for Mackinaw City. So we crossed the bridge and watched our first sunset on the bridge.

We stayed at the Comfort Inn and slept until 8 am. WE NEVER SLEEP AFTER 6 AM! We both awakened with no backache - another first. I had given our mattress to Joanna on Friday and was dreading looking for a new one. I pulled those sheets out of the foot of the bed and found they were made in Grand Rapids. Looking on the Internet I couldn't find a retailer. So I called the company and the man I spoke with said I was the 3rd person to call from Mackinaw City that morning. I ordered one. Should be here in a week.

Also a beautiful sunrise from our room.

We drove home 33 going through our favorite back roads in Atlanta. Saw more color there.

Today we went to see the Sharma's. Another nice day. Pat and Barb and I went to Lumberman's Monument - still not a lot of color. But a nice day anyway. I took her a dish towel I had transferred a recipe of her Mom's on.

Fun Fall.

The New Wonder Woman

Wait until you see Ayva's Halloween costume. She has wanted to be Wonder Woman since we all went to the movie.

I looked on the Internet and they wanted $100! What?

So I decided we could do better. I promised Caroline not to post the finished product, but here are a few teasers.

Thai Chicken and Squash

Thai Chicken and Squash

Pat and I both liked this.

4 servings - 8 SP each

Cube a butternut Squash 

Line cookie sheet with foil, spray with Pam

Roast 400 until done 45 - 60 min.

Chicken - I used slow cooked that I had frozen

Warm up 12 oz chicken with 2 tsp Tumeric 

Microwave 2 containers of prepared rice - serves 4

Place rice, squash, chicken in thirds in four flat bowls. Drizzle 3 TBS Peanut Sauce over each.

Peanut Sauce - makes 8 servings of 3 TBS each - can refrigerate up to a week

1/2 cup PB2

Make a thick paste with water

2 TBS Red Curry Paste

2 TBS Apple Cider Vinegar

3/4 cup canned coconut milk

1 tsp minced ginger

1 tsp sugar

Whisk together and drizzle over food. Refrigerate leftover sauce.

Thanksgiving Dinner Test

I tested my Thanksgiving dinner. We had four friends over and I forgot to take pictures! But it was delicious.

My favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner is the stuffing. I got it down to 2 pts for 3/4 cup and everyone loved it.

My secret was half of the bread was actually Kodiak pancakes. When I made the pancakes I added onins, celery, sage.  To the cut u pancakes added 3 cups of vegetables diced small to bulk it up (recipe follow). The pumpkin tarts is in the recipes in Weight Watchers online. The potatoes are boiled potatoes crushed drizzled with a bit of olive oil and baked at 350 until crispy. Squash was 2 pts because I added butter - worth it!

Thanksgiving Dinner

Turkey 4 oz.              0 pt
Stuffing 3/4 cup.       2 pt
Squash 1/2 cup.        2 pt
Potatoes 3/4 cup.      3 pt
Gravy 2 TBS.             2 pt
Salad.                         0 pt
Pumpkin Tarts 2.     2 pt
Wine 5 oz.                 4 pt

15 pts including dessert and 1 glass of wine.

Stuffing

1 cup onion diced small
1 cup celery diced small
1 cup zucchini peeled and diced small
2 egg whites or 1/2 cup Egg beaters
1/2 cup chicken broth
10 slices 1 pt bread sprayed with butter spray (up to 30 sprays divided among the bread)
3/4 cup Kodiak pancake mix with enough water to make pancakes.

Salt, pepper, sage, Mrs. Dash

Make 8 small pancakes let cool while dicing veggies. Spray bread with butter spray. Cut bread and pancakes into small cubes.

Combine all ingredients. Season. Bake in 350 for 1 hr. Each serving 3/4 cup - serves 8 - 2 smart points per serving.

Squash
Bake 4 medium squash
Remove seeds and skin
1/4 cup butter
Salt, pepper, Chile Lime seasoning

Serving 1/2 cup - serves 12 - 2 smart points