Thursday, August 25, 2011

Tiny Jewels

Small flowers that bloom in my yard each August.
I have no idea what they are, but they sure are pretty!

 



Friday, August 12, 2011

Caught in the act

Mischief is always afoot in my house! After leaving Marco alone on his cage-top gym for literally 3 minutes, this is what was going on when I got back:




See that look he's giving me? He doesn't care what I think!




He marched right over and took a bite off that tomato before I could stop him. Then he had the nerve to growl when I picked him up! (which is just humorous, since he's never been a biter)

He likes to pretend he's a tough guy, and he loves looking for trouble. We're onto him, though!


I still don't care what you think.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

1 year

Although I am short on time this morning, I couldn't let the day pass without mentioning that today makes a whole year that I have been blogging!

It's been a fun year. Thank you to my followers for coming along for the ride. Happy Birthday Burning Moonlight!





Monday, August 8, 2011

August already!

The last couple of weeks have been busy for me. I have had doctor and dentist appointments, extra projects at work that needed attention, and the everyday housework/cooking/cleaning that never truly gets "done" at all.

Still, it's been a good couple of weeks. I finally talked to my doctor about the lifestyle changes I'm trying to make and the weight I need to lose. He has helped me pull together a plan to make things happen, and has given me a prescription to help me get started. I am logging my food intake, walking 1-2 miles every morning, and drinking lots of fresh cool water. I have a follow up appointment in 8 weeks to check on my progress, and I am hoping to do myself proud! It feels great to finally feel motivated!

Work is going well. I am feeling more confident in my position and have been working extra hard to get things done and to be an asset to my new team. I think this is the result of feeling better physically. I know that daily exercise helps me to have a positive outlook and less negative emotions.
Years ago, when I exercised (ran!) daily, my stress level stayed under control much better than when I allowed myself to get very overweight and sedentary. I hope I can continue to slowly improve my habits with very little backsliding this time. Being fit and healthy not only improves my stress level, but also my job performance, self esteem, relationships....everything, really. I can't wait until it's cool enough outside that I can exercise more. In August in SC the only time you can stand to go outside and walk is at sunrise or after dark...unless you want to risk a heatstroke!

It's still very hot here, and my garden is officially done. My tomatoes didn't produce much of anything this year. I was disappointed, but we have had nearly record high temperatures and very little rain this year. No one seems to have had a good garden this year. I am getting ready to pull up all my dead plants, weed, and work on making the little garden bed ready for a fall planting of mums and pansies.

I am beginning to look forward to fall. I'm already seeing the first fall magazines, candles, and decor out in the stores! It seems a bit strange to think of it being almost fall when it's 100F out, but it really is just around the corner. The sun is beginning to set noticeably earlier, and the angle of the sun is changing. Soon enough (I hope!) the daytime temperature should become more comfortable which is my favorite thing about summer ending!