01-01-11 Another New Beginning

My first post of the new year. How cool is this date? I love new beginnings, winding up the clock and starting over with the same numbers, but falling on a different day. Simply because of my love of all things paper, I also love fondling the new calendar and choosing the one that goes on the wall, the one that goes inside the kitchen cabinet door, the date book for appointments, the journal to alter, I guess that's about it. I know most people keep track of it all online, on their computer or hand-held. Well, what can I say, I still love the paper one. Even if I ever do start keeping an electronic calendar, I will still have to have a nice Cavallini calendar to hang on the wall. But here it is the first day of the year, and I haven't chosen any!! By this time I have usually bought 3 or 4. Mister bought a cow one from Chick-fil-A, it has free food coupons every month. I guess I will have to use it if I need to look at one in the next few days. I may have to buy a $1.00 one at Michaels if I get over there today.

Resolutions? NO, I don't make 'em. It dawned on me years ago that most peoples, mine included, were the same every year. Lose weight, be more organized, quit this or that habit, save money, etc. etc. Whatever it was, it was gone in a few weeks or months, and you were left with a feeling of failure. Yes, I do set goals, which I choose to think are different. I can look back on the goals I set for myself last year, and some I did okay on, some could have been better. But no guilt or feeling of failure has crossed my mind, yet. Well, the day is young...also it may be a result of the new Anti-depressant!!! LOL I gave up awhile ago on thinking I could function without one, so I have accepted the miracles of modern pharmaceuticals as something I may always have to rely on. Anyone who suffers from the evils of melancholy knows exactly what I am talking about. So, on with it I say. Today is a good day, and I expect tomorrow to be the same.


Did we really buy all this STUFF to leave out for SANTA? I think not!

Fortunately, most of it is gone, with the help of a friend or two. We've been eating the Rio Grande Valley grapefuit we were gifted with...TWO boxes. So we are combatting the sugar rush with plenty of natural sugar and some Vitamin C.

Happy New Year to everyone, no matter how you spend the day. Did you watch the Rose Parade? How about a ton of football? I can only handle about one game a day. Will probably watch the Rose Bowl with hubby later. My sewing machine is still out, so I may sew some more of those goofy little garlands. Have a grand day/week-end.

Here we go again

A new week... Hmm. I start the week on Monday, how about you? Some peeps argue that the week starts on Sunday, as that is the way it is on most printed calendars. Even though I don't have a regular job anymore, I still start my week with Monday. It's still HOT here, what else is new. The man around here says it may be too hot for yardwork, but not for golf. When he came home from the golf course last night at 6, he said the big thermometer at the intersection read 109. How can that BE? Yikes. Well, it was still 97 when I went to bed last night, so I guess it coulda been. No wonder my brain feels fried.

Here's the fruit of the week-end, along with the smoothie of the day. This one was for Saturday, and is peach and banana, and protein, 27 grams, we call this breakfast.
Sunday we had apricot alone because someone forgot to buy more bananas.

It's another Fruity Week around here!

Here's what's on the menu for this week. Lots of salads and even more fruit.


Ice cold watermelon with just a scattering of sea salt.


A whole box of apricots. I like to slice them and toss with some raspberries in a bowl of Greek yogurt. When they are really ripe, hubby smashes them and spreads on a slice of sourdough toast. Also very good to substitute peaches for the apricots, but the peaches at the market were hard a rock so passed on those for now. I have a hard time getting enough protein anyhow, as I am not a big meat eater, but this time of year when it is so hot, even a harder time. So we have been making lots of protein smoothies, with blueberries, and bananas. I am overdosing on fruit this time of summer, but I guess there are worse things.

Beautiful Skies, Too Hot to Cook

I don't have much of an appetite when it is so hot, and certainly don't feel like cooking. Here's last nights dinner. Cottage cheese, with berries, grapes and figs. Added some rye toast and a tall glass of iced tea. Light but very satisfying.

Driving home yesterday afternoon, the clouds were so gorgeous, over this field, freshly mown and rolled up bales of hay. Hmmmm...do they still call them bales, now that they are actually "rolls". I dunno.

Berries for Breakfast

Berries for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Dessert! Oh how I love raspberries. This is my first bowl of the season. They have such a short season, so as soon as I see them I get all excited and try to eat them every day. These came from Watsonville, Ca. They are the famous Driscoll Farms, famous for strawberries also. I don't like strawberries nearly as much....unless of course they are from the Farmer's Market or straight out of the garden like the ones we had when I was a kid. I don't know why it is but I like all the things that have a very short season....Figs and Pomegranites are two of my other favorites and I overdose on them both when they are available. Maybe it is because growing up we only had things to eat that were grown in the garden or were in season in the area where I lived. Long before things were shipped in containers from all over the world, and we could have whatever, whenever...but in my opinion most of it has no taste. So I am off to eat my berries, and think about how I will have them again...maybe with some yogurt at lunch, in my salad at dinner...and another bowl tonight. Yum!