Fairwell to Spring

Today was my second wedding anniversary and it was the warmest day we have had this year.  Tommy and I didn't do anything special.  We were just very thankful to both be here together.  There but by the grace of God, things could have been so different.  I needed to do more outside but the heat convinced me that indoor activities were more important.  I did go spend time in "Shawn's Barn" and as always, found a sense of peace out there.  It was hot, but I love sitting in my barn.  I am making progress with my baby goats, Gus and Myrtle.  Gus will eat out of my hand and though neither wants to admit it, they are beginning to trust me.  Gus is so darn cute.  I could just hug him for hours if he would let me.  Myrtle is cute but in a different way.  She was described to me before I got her as "the bad little goat".  I knew at once I had to have her because that's how my mom always describes me.  Well, she doesn't call me a goat, but I'm the bad daughter.  I'm sandwiched inbetween the smart daughter and the baby daughter.  Maybe it is this middle child syndrome that makes me so fascinated with watching my chickens develope their pecking order.  Hey, who needs therapy.  Just go sit in a barn and somehow you begin to figure things out. 

Happy Birthday Baby!!!!!

Today was Tommy's 54th birthday.  Happy Birthday to the most wonderful husband that a girl could have. This birthday was extra special because it is the first one since I almost lost that wonderful man to pancreatitis.  This is a birthday I wasn't sure, at one point, we would see. I took the day off so we could spend it together.  Unfortunately, we did have the unpleasant business of going to Green Clinic first thing.  Tommy had to have a CAT Scan of his pancreas to monitor some pancreatic cysts that have developed.  I pretended that we got to sleep late even though we got up at our usual early hour. 

I put on a bright yellow shirt for the first time this morning.  When I looked in the mirror, I looked like a giant lemon sitting on top of a pair of blue jeans.  If I had been wearing yellow pants, I would have looked like a summer squash on steroids. Lordy, I hope this diet works.  I notice when I look in the mirror I squint my eyes.  I look thinner if I squint my eyes.  Note to self--keep eyes wide open and see the real picture no matter how painful it is.

Well, back to the day.  We celebrated Tommy's birthday by going to Bass Pro in Shreveport.  Bass pro...where a man feels like a man and a woman is just sort of bored.  I amused myself for about 30 minutes in woman's apparel and home decor, but there are just so many camouflaged dishes and rugs with deer on them that one can look at.  I found Tommy in the fly fishing shop.  He had a great time examining every fly and hook in the place.  How I love that man.  Now here is where the day got interesting.  We decided to go eat lunch.  That's right, Miss "Can Only Eat Meat and Eggs" had to order something from a menu in a restaurant.  The good news is that I somehow managed.  I chomped on a piece of sausage and chicken while Tommy sat across from me enjoying potatoes and onion strings.  Interesting enough, I was delusional all day and felt thin.  Yes, that's right.  In spite of looking like a lemon sitting on top of blue jeans and in spite of being on a diet for a mere three days, in my little fantasy world I felt skinny.  I made sure to avoid all reflective surfaces so that reality would not crash in on me.  Maybe there is something in meat that causes insanity.  OMG-Mad Cow Disease :(

Seconds Please

This is day two of my blog and day two of my diet.  Yes, my diet, and I write that with a grimace not a smile.  Last week I went to the doctor only to find out that I am getting old and need to lose weight.  This is a fact that somehow I was unaware of even though I looked in the mirror each day and saw that number on the scale creeping higher and higher.  Funny how one can justify those things if they want.  I was convinced I wore the heaviest clothes a person could find and all that grey hair was nothing but how the light shines on my head in my bathroom.  So I find myself on a high protein, low carbohydrate diet--the perfect choice for a girl who doesn't care for meat and is a self proclaimed chocoholic. Day one was scary and day two......well, lets just say I have stuck to the plan.  I am following the Dukan Diet and from all accounts, the first couple of weeks are the worst.  I can have all the lean meat and eggs that I want.  Oh, how I wish I could bite down on something that would crunch.  Yet, despite it all, I have made it through day two.  I did have a close call when I went out to "Shawn's Barn" to feed the goats.  I almost pushed Gus and Myrtle's heads out of the bucket so I could stick my own head into all that yummy, carbohydrate laden, GOAT FEED.  Yum Yum.  Oh, and those chickens had better watch out because eggs are one of the few things that I can eat.  I'm snatching them out from under those girls so fast they are getting confused.  They have these looks on their faces like "I thought I laid an egg, but....maybe not."

Well, anyhoo, it was a day of seconds and a day of "Sorry you can't have any seconds.  You are on a DIET."  Is it any wonder that diet is a four letter word? 

My First Blog

Okay, so this is my very first blog.  I am not even sure that I will be able to find it again.  I fall into the "old dog learning new tricks" category, so my first blog may be my last.  Anyhow, when I was trying to think about a title that describes me, I could not come up with anything at all.  Then my mind began to wander and I realized that I was daydreaming about being in my barn and playing with my little baby goats.  I guess in my 48 years of living I am the most happy now and much of that happiness is due to me finally finding that place in life where dreams begin to turn into reality.  I have many, many dreams but for most of my life they remained just that--dreams.  Now I am entering that phase of my life when things are different.  My kids are grown.  There are no grandchildren to plan around.  I would not say I am financially stable but there is a roof over my head and food on my table.  I am married to a man who shares my dreams and enjoys hard work.  I am finally able to put energy and effort into things that once I only dreamed about.  I have a photography business that I love.  I have a barn full of chickens and a couple of goats that I love.  I sit on the front porch (that I love) and breathe in the fresh air and reflect on how this "big city girl" ended up here.  I have a simple life but a fulfilling one.  My blog will probably be boring but to me "boring" is a very good thing.