Talk about a stupid move . . .

I was clearing out my kitchen sink so I could fill a vase with water. Well . . there was a serrated knife sticking point up in the sink and I cut myself on it right at my left index finger knuckle. OUCH!!!

I babysit my grand-kids, and didn't want to frighten them with pressing my Life Alert because I wasn't bleeding much, so I IMed my hubby. BTW, I have Life Alert because of my stroke & I am on Coumindin - a blood thinner. Anyway, he came home and took me to the emergency room to get it looked at. No stitches, but my knuckle is super glued together with a splint! So much for me cooking Thanksgiving dinner.

All in all, it wasn't a bad experience, though it scared me a lot. The grand kids behaved wonderfully while waiting for me, so they earned a sundae at Cold Stone. OK, the sundae was for me for staying pretty calm & not freaking out, but they earned it too for behaving while sitting in an emergency room for an hour.

Suggestion & requests for files always welcome.

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Judy
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Diet progress #6

Weighed myself today - down to 219.8! My reward for breaking 220 - a Mani/Pedi!

Had a Celebration last night for one daughters birthday, and to congratulate my daughter-in-law getting her Master Degree! She did it in 6 years while having & raising two kids, 4 moves, buy a new house, AND working full time. I am very impressed with her.

Suggestion & requests for files always welcome.

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Judy
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Diet Progress #5

Down to 224.5 pounds! I treated myself to a shopping trip to buy a couple of pairs of "puddle pushers" to replace the ones I have been wearing for the last month and a half. I did not have any idea what size I wore because the last pair I bought was a size 2X!

To make a long story short - I bought a size 18 and they are a bit too large in the waist, but the 16 was too small. Talk about excited - after we got home I was dancing around saying "I am wearing a size 18!" Hubby was just grinning at me and said that he was thrilled.

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Judy
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Diet Progress #4

Down another 4.4 pounds. That is a total of 24.7 pounds in 66 days - 2.5 pounds a week. Not too bad. I am 2.3 pounds above what I weighted after my strike 5 years ago - that is my next goal.

It is kind of scary that I gained over 25 pounds in the 5 years since my stroke. I know that I can tell myself that it was because I couldn't do a lot, but I would be lying to myself. It is because I was being lazy and just sitting on my butt.

I have become a stay at home person, and don't get out of the house unless I have a ride. That is not good. I make the excuse that I don't have a comfortable pair of walking shoes, and I hate trying to find a pair because the last 4 pairs I bought turned out to be uncomfortable. I have tried

* Crocs - comfortable most times, but not for long walks
* Skechers - comfortable at first, but the tops of two of my toes rub and wearing band-aids is a PITA, and I have foot pain while walking. Tried 2 different styles and have the same result.
* New Balance - comfortable at first, but the same rubbing problem though to a lesser degree.
* Performance Clogs - very comfortable, my everyday shoes, but not good for long walks

Part of the problem is my size 12 feet, wide feet - pretty much I have to buy mens shoes because almost no one carries women's walking shoes that big. I can order ones in my size online at a couple of places, but that means shipping them back if they don't fit.

Any suggestions?

My next thought is the Gravity Defyer because they give you a free 30 day trial and they have all kinds of good reviews. I will keep you posted.


Suggestion & requests for files always welcome.

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Judy
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Baby Sitting Grandkids

Who knew (at least I didn't at the time) that babysitting your grand kids is hard work. My grand kids are 4 and 6, and I watch them every work day from 6:30 to 4:30. For the most part they play together well and behave - but my granddaughter is one of those kids that are sometimes sneaky and defiant.

She knows the rules I have, and for the most part follows them. But there are the days when she decides that she is going to test EVERY rules and see what she can get away with. And on those days, I have to keep an eye on her every minute because after she gets her "time out" for misbehaving, she will be sneaky and purposefully find something to do that is out of the ordinary. Be it deciding to "accidentally" knock over the guitar case or letting the dogs out when the gardener comes. Those days, I really miss smoking, because smoking would help relax me.

But, then there are the days when I enjoy hearing them laugh & giggle together, and enjoy listening to the games/stories they come up with. Their favorite games is Power Rangers & Spiderman. They play the characters and at the same time talk about what they are going to do. It is like you are watching a comic book at the same time that someone is reading the story out loud.

Grand kids are a joy overall though. Before I babysat them, I noticed see more of the changes in them that I missed while raising my son & step-kids. I guess because (before babysitting) I would only see them once or twice a month and the changes were more noticeable.


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Judy
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Diet Progress #3

I am officially down 20.3 pounds and have reached my first goal – my reward is having a Mani/Pedi this weekend! Not bad for 46 days! That is just short of 4 pounds a week. Now I have to get back to our daily dog walk in the morning, and doing my Wii Fit in the morning.

My husband started the same diet on Sunday, and he is a having a bit of trouble doing just the shakes (his choice to start with the shakes only). Doing the shakes only is a hard choice especially when you love to eat. I am very proud of him just for deciding to do the liquid diet at all.


Suggestion & requests for files always welcome.

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Judy
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Diet Progress #2

The end of week two and I am down another 4.8 pounds. That is a total of 10.8 pounds lost in 2 weeks – well on my way to a healthy weight!

We added a new puppy to our pack – we now have 3 dogs. Yes, everyone is saying that we are nuts to have 3 big dogs. They are a lot of work, especially to clean up after, but the love and joy they bring us is worth it.

Our first dog, Buddy is 2.5 years old, he is a Lab/Sheppard mix, weights about 70 pounds, and is the head of the pack. The second dog is Scotty, is 2.5 years old, he is a American Pit Bull Mix, weighs about 70 pounds, and is the lover of the family. Frankie – our newest dog – is 1.5 years old, he is a black Lab, weights 70 pounds (and still growing), and is the true “puppy” of the pack.

Our son and his family moved to Tracy, CA this weekend, they live about 5 miles from us. He is just getting started realizing how much work is involved in owning a house – but he is happy that they have a place to call their own.

Wednesday, I start babysitting my grandkids. I am kind of looking forward to it. Don’t know how it is going to work out – it will be interesting though. My grandkids are Kris age 6 and Ema age 4. Now I just want to find projects for them to do with me for an hour or so each day, just as a special thing to do with grandma.


Suggestion & requests for files always welcome.

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Judy
Website

Diet Progress #1

The liquid diet is going pretty well. The only difficult part is remembering to drink my 4 16-ounce bottles of water. No, I do not buy bottled water; I have a 16 ounce container that I fill up. Only use real bottled water on my walks and such. Anyway, I have lost 6 pounds since Monday!

I've been walking the dogs every morning and then doing 15-20 minutes on the Wii Fit. Let me tell you, it isn't easy, especially if you are not coordinated. But, I press on because I know that I need the exercise both for losing the weight and to make it a habit for life (YUCK!)


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Judy
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Starting on a Diet

I have finally got tired of looking at my fat self in the mirror. On top of that, I feel so unattractive that I not really interested in "bedroom activities". Summer is here and I had to go out and buy some pants for the summer, and was shocked that I needed size 2X! No wonder my jeans are so uncomfortable!

This morning I started on the New Lifestyle Diet Plan.I did lots of research and decided to go on the New Lifestyle Diet Plan. It is a portion controlled, nutritionally balanced weight loss program. At first, you drink shakes during the day and eat a healthy dinner (meat & veggies) in the evening.

About 10-15 years ago, I did a simular program and lost the weight and pretty much kept it off until I got lazy watching what I was eating.

This morning I weighed in at 252 pounds and hubby weighed in at 198. Hubby bought us a Wii and Wii Fit so both of us started our Wii Fit routines this morning. Our plan is to get up at 5:00 and walk the dogs, then do the Wii Fit and start our day.

Granted I will have to take a nap during the day, but the doctor saids I need to do that anyway because of my stroke. If you are interested, you can read Recovery from my Stroke.

I will keep you up-to-date on my progress - nothing like letting other people know about your progress to keep you on track.

Suggestion & requests for files always welcome.

See you soon!
Judy
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I"m Back!

After a very long break, I am finally ready to make regular posting to my blog.  One of my objectives is to share my newest SVG and MTC files.  The files will be available for free for a period of time, then they will be available for purchase.

If you are interested in getting my existing files for free that are older and are available in GSD, WPC, AI and SVG formats, you can visit my website at http://www.littlebit.com/cutter/cutter_files_index.html.

I also will be sharing my various projects ranging from scrapbook pages, cards, gifts, and thrift shop/garage sale items that I have re-done. And of course, sharing part of my life with you.

Suggestion & requests for files always welcome.

See you soon!
Judy
Website