Black Eyed Susan Vines

I am going to try and save my Black eyed Susan vines.. I am hoping to bring them inside for the winter but not sure if these lovely plants will survive. I found these vines at Sunny Hill Nursery, and I just had to have them. I had never seen a vine.. I love the wild flowers because they make me happy and remind me of being a kid and picking a bunch for my mother.. Although, I do not know if my mom thought of these as flowers...;)

I did buy vince seed too but the seed never grew. I may try again in the spring.

Fall Fever

I love Fall Fever....When my son was younger, I used to decorate for Halloween, Turkey day, Pig day, etc.. but rarely do I decorate for holidays any more but I love to decorate for Fall time... I have my special places to shop for Mums and I used to go to mom and dad's and gather up corn stalks and straw bales... Hopefully, I can still find enough to decorate a small corner in my yard...

Hopefully, all goes well and I will post a few pictures soon...

I wanted to share this earthbag mini building on Motherearthnews website.. Is quite neat... I would love to build this sometime this fall...:)

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yourself/Earthbag-Building-Garden-Shed.aspx

A yellow and black swallowtail

My rock garden/upcoming flower garden was blessed with the beautiful presence of a yellow and black swallotail butterfly or so I believe. I do not know butterfly species, I just know that all are so gracious and beautiful to have around. He was trying to get a drink of water on the freshly water flowers and mulch. He was not in a hurry to leave, he just walked around getting his feet wet and I was able to take a couple pictures.

Big Loser update

Well, I did not win the biggest loser contest at work.. The guy who did lost 37 lbs in less than 3 months.. He followed the Weight Watchers diet plan.... He had lost so much weight that I was really getting concerned about him and was glad the final day was April 01.
Maybe I will do better next time...:) I'm sure I will find another group to become a loser with...

Trying to find my creative side...

Since I've been working or remodeling the kitchen (house) for over a year, I have not completed an decorating. I have tons of antique goodies that are just packed away waiting for something to inspire me.
I did decide to create an arrangement on top of the fridge. The cabinets above the fridge are wasted space so why not create an arrangement of some of my collections. All of my collections have meaning and memories.

Forbes tea and coffee collection. I have many tins, jars, etc. This collection started 4 years ago when I was searching for items for his 70th birthday. He has worked at Forbes in St. Louis in the 50's before he joined the Army and was deployed to Germany. He had told me that the job at Forbes was the best paying and best place that he had worked. The rest is history.. LOL.. my collection started and has grown. My dad has his own shrine in my house with memories of him that I will keep and share with his great grandkids and great, great grandkids.

The Hazel Atlas good luck jar. Not sure why these caught my eye, but I love shamrocks and I want everyone to have good luck. My grandpa always told me that I was part Irish and part Skunk... :) I rarely find these jars, but have purchased several over the years,and gave to my nieces and nephews. I placed money inside the jar and gave as X-mas or B-day presents...

My sister gave me the can of Spotted dick.. I had never heard of a sponge pudding but this an English item and is very popular in England. She bought it for me because she knew that with my sense of humor, I would think this was funny.. Of course I did and have it displayed..

The jar of grain in the picture is from my dad's farm. The dried okra bouquet I put together today. I was at my mom & dad's back in the fall and went out to the okra patch and picked several dried stalks and brought them into my mom and said.. 'look mom, just like when I was a kid, I picked you a bouquet of flowers.. she laughed and said 'yes you always brought me in weeds', but these were wild flowers to me...:) The yellow flowers are dried from flowers that I bought this year and will again.. Called a paper plant.. I love the flowers and they bloomed all summer long. The grass is out of my front yard too. The guord I grew a few years ago...

I have messes all over my house... but hopefully, I will keep on looking for Martha within me and organize and decorate this place....:)

5 days without sweets!!! I wanna be a big loser..

It's Friday and I have not eaten any sweets (baked goodies that is) since Sunday... I can do this...I can do this...
When I weighed in at work on Wednesday, I had lost 5 lbs.. (even with the pie binge last weekend) According to my scales here, when I weighed today, I've lost 7lbs.. Of course 7 lbs is a mere whooper and fries binge...:)..
I seem to do much better, if I eat my scramble eggs and 1 piece of bacon in the morning... seems to fill me up more than anything... Then I have a lean cuisine, smart ones, etc.. for lunch and then a very light dinner, and I've been drinking more coffee than I've drank in years.... I did have some of that slim cafe but I'm out of that, and I could not tell much difference when I drank it.. and it is expensive. Seemed like last week, when I would start out with a banana or fruit, I was starving all day long so I am going to stop that and just use fruit when I need a sugar fix...
More to come as I map out my big loser survival plan...

Big Loser contest

First week into the big loser contest at work.. We had 19 folks to sign up for the 3 month weight loss challenge...Coconut cream pie whipped me this weekend... Yes I ate the whole thing.... I was afraid to go and weigh in this morning so I chose to wait until this afternoon when nobody would see me... To my surprise, I still managed to lose 3 lbs last week.. Yippee!!!
I can kick my sweet alcoholic ways in 21 days if just stay focused... LOL... Who am I kidding, no sugar for 21 days.... I am the person that buys a container of frosting for a cake but never bakes a cake... I eat the frosting out of the can!!!

I have gained and lost over 300 pounds throughout my lifetime, and I know I can lose again but seems I just tire more quickly than I used to... or else I am getting lazier...

My golden rules from the past:
1. Just keep moving and stay busy...Do not sit in front of the TV...
2. Eat half of everything that I intend on eating.. Fix a sandwich, cut it in half....etc.
3. It is all about being in control of yourself... Do not let food take control of my life!!
4. Do not set unrealistic goals..
5. Find some joy in everything that I have to do and be glad I am capable of doing it..
6. I am to smart to be fat!!! I know better than eat a can of frosting....