IT WAS CHOCOLATE FOR ME!!

JEFF SUPRISED ME WITH CUPCAKES FOR MY BIRTHDAY. HOW FUN THAT HE WOULD HAVE THOUGHT TO GO TO THE COCOA BEAN TO BUY ME AN ARAY OF CUPCAKES TO CHOOSE FROM FOR MY BIRTHDAY CAKE. LOVE IT....YUMMY!

ANOTHER YEAR OLDER, HOPE ITS CHOCOLATE FOR ME....

WELL IT IS OFFICIAL TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY AND I AM NOT SURE I AM HAPPY ABOUT IT. IT SEEMS THAT THE OLDER I GET THE MORE UNHAPPY I AM ABOUT HAVING BIRTHDAYS. I DON'T KNOW HOW I GOT TO 52 AND I'M NOT SURE I LIKE THAT NUMBER. I FEEL LIKE ALL OF A SUDDEN THE COUNTDOWN IS ON.... I NEED TO DO MORE, BE MORE, SEE MORE AND SPEND MORE TIME WITH EVERYONE DOING EVERYTHING I CAN. (THAT MAKES ME TIRED JUST THINKING ABOUT IT..HA HA) I KNOW I HAVE A LOT OF YEARS AHEAD OF ME, AND RIGHT NOW I AM IN A GOOD PLACE, MY HEALTH IS GOOD, AND WE HAVE THE TIME AND MEANS TO DO MORE THINGS AND SO THATS WHAT I SHOULD DO. SO YESTERDAY I ADDED TO MY EXERCISE ROUTINE A CONDITIONING CLASS. BEING IN BETTER PHYSICAL CONDITION IS AN IMPORTANT GOAL RIGHT NOW. I KNOW, I KNOW, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING IT ALL ALONG, BUT I GOT LOST FOR AWHILE AND NOW I AM BACK.
HOWEVER, THE ONE GREAT THING THAT COMES WITH BIRTHDAYS IS FAMILY TIME. AND I HAD A WONDERFUL BIRTHDAY WEEKEND WITH MY FAMILY, I WILL POST ALL ABOUT THAT LATER.

A COUPLE HOURS LATER

THIS IS A VIEW FROM MY CAR WINDOW DURING THE DOWNPOUR. YOU CAN SEE MY WATER BARREL SPOUT IS OVERFLOWING. AMAZING HOW FAST THE WEATHER CHANGED YESTERDAY, FROM BEAUTIFUL SUNNY SKIES TO A DOWNPOUR IN A MATTER OF HOURS. SO MUCH FOR PLANTING THE PLANTS IT BOUGHT LAST NIGHT.

HEAD WIND AND TAIL SCREAMING...

FINALLY THE FIRST DAY OF SUMMER HAS BROUGHT SOME NICE WEATHER AND SO I DECIDED THAT BECAUSE TODAY WAS SUCH A NICE DAY I WOULD GO FOR A BIKE RIDE. IT HAS BEEN A VERY WINDY SPRING AND THE WIND APPEARD TO BE CALM AND SO I DECIDED THAT TODAY WOULD BE MY 1ST 10 MILE BIKE RIDE OF THE SEASON. FOR SOME OF YOU THAT ISN'T A LONG WAYS, HOWEVER, THIS WAS ONLY THE SECOND BIKE RIDE OF THE YEAR, AND 10 MILES IS A LONG WAYS FOR THIS OLD LADY. AS I LEFT THE SUBDIVISION, HEADING SOUTH, I NOTICED THE WINDS HAD KICKED UP A LITTLE (SHOULDA GOT A CLUE, BUT DIDN'T), I TURNED THE CORNER AND EVENTUALLY HEADED NORTH AND IT SEEMED LIKE IT WAS GOING TO BE A GREAT RIDE. THE TEMPERATURES WERE DECENT, LOW 80'S AND IT FELT REALLY GOOD TO BE ON MY BIKE. WELL YOU KNOW THE SAYING "ALL GOOD THINGS MUST COME TO AN END" THEY DID. AT MY TURNAROUND POINT I QUICKLY REALIZED THAT I HAD HAD A TAIL WIND ALL THIS TIME AND WAS NOW FACING A HEAD WIND FOR THE NEXT 5 MILES OF MY RIDE. THANKS TO MY YOGA CLASS, MY LEGS REMAINED STRONG FOR THE WHOLE RIDE, BUT MY BUTT STARTED TO SCREAM AT ME AT ABOUT MILE 6-7. HEAD WIND AND TAIL SCREAMING I WASN'T SURE I WOULD MAKE IT HOME. I EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT CALLING JEFF TO COME GET ME, (WHAT A WHINER RIGHT? ) I KNEW THAT I COULDN'T STOP BECAUSE IF I GOT OFF THAT BIKE I WOULD NOT WANT TO GET BACK ON IT SO I KEPT ON PEDDLING AND LOW AND BEHOLD I MADE IT HOME. MAYBE NOT IN THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT I HAD HOPED, BUT I MADE IT NONE THE LESS. I JUST DON'T GET HOW YOU BIKE RIDERS, (AND YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE) CAN RIDE ON THOSE TINY LITTLE SEATS, I HAVE A BIG OLD PADDED ONE MADE FOR OLD LADIES AND I WAS STILL SORE. I CHECKED JEFFS GO TO CHANNEL, THE WEATHER CHANNEL, TO SEE WHAT THE WIND SPEEDS WERE AND IT SAID ONLY 10MPH, IT'S AMAZING HOW EVEN A SMALL AMOUNT OF WIND CAN AFFECT A NICE RIDE. BUT JUST LIKE ARNOLD SWARZENEGGER SAYS "I'LL BE BACK" HA HA HA

SEE WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY IT IS HERE IN IDAHO. EVEN LEXIE IS ENJOYING THE WEATHER AND SHE ALWAYS WANTS TO BE INSIDE.

THE PERFECT DAY

TODAY WE TOOK A BREAK FROM THE YARD WORK AND HEADED FOR JACKSON HOLE WITH OUR GOOD FRIENDS THE BELNAPS. WE WERE A LITTLE WORRIED ABOUT THE WEATHER, THE CLOSER WE GOT THE CLOUDIER AND COOLER IT BECAME. BUT TODAY LUCK WAS ON OUR SIDE, THE TEMPERATURES WERE PERFECT FOR A HIKE.





WE HAD GREAT COMPANY, BEAUTIFUL SCENERY AND A FEW FUNNY MARMOTS ON OUR HIKE.

FAMILY TIME

ALL OF OUR FAMILY WAS TOGETHER THIS WEEKEND. WE PLANNED TO HAVE FAMILY PICTURES ON SATURDAY. WE KEPT OUR FINGERS CROSSED THAT THE WEATHER WOULD COOPERATE AND IT DID, HOWEVER, HAILEY WAS NOT THRILLED WITH THE IDEA. SHE IS A BUSY LITTLE GIRL AND I'M THINKING THAT HOLDING STILL FOR PICTURES WAS NOT HER IDEA OF FUN.

HAILEY IS A GIRL ON THE GO AND THE ONLY WAY I COULD GET A PICTURE OF HER WAS WHEN SHE WAS STRAPPED IN TO EAT. SHE LOVES TO INTERACT AND TELL STORIES WITH HER ACTIONS. SO FUNNY!

GARDENING IDEAS CONTINUED...

SO AS I WAS PERUSING THE LINKS FROM THE LAST POST I CAME ACROSS THIS REALLY CUTE PLANTER IDEA. ONCE AGAIN FROM MARTHA STEWART. THIS WOULD LOOK GREAT WITH ANYTHING IN IT INCLUDING HERBS. I'M CONSIDERING MAKING THIS, IT IS SO CUTE. THANKS MARTHA! CLICK HERE FOR THE INSTURCTIONS. ALSO CHECK OUT UNDER THE TABLE AND DREAMING FOR OTHER ALTERNATIVE CONTAINER IDEAS

I LOVE A BEAUTIFUL GARDEN

The New York Botanical Garden historical Edible Herb Garden Designed by Martha Stewart.

I loved this picture and deep down inside there is a gardener that would love to shine, however, our finicky Idaho climate makes it hard to grow a decent garden. I do have some herbs in my garden and so far they are doing well. I ran on to this post today and for anyone who loves to grow herbs it was very informative on how to grow and use a variety of herbs.

Under the Table and Dreaming posted a link to the eleven common herbs that not only serve their culinary purposes but are great additions to your garden aesthetics - I think there is nothing more satisfying than walking just a few steps out side to harvest the herbs you grew yourself for your daily cooking. Click here for the link to all the info...

SORRY THIS POST IS LONG......but I had to vent!

I have decided that it is time to be a little less eager about the books that I buy for my nook. I love to have a couple of books on there to read at all times just in case I want a change, but I was so very disappointed in the last couple of self help diet/fitness books that I ordered. I had seen interviews with the authors for both of these books on TV (I forgot they are selling their books, so they make it sound like the greatest thing ever created, and I got sucked in). Granted there are some good ideas in the 20 years younger book, but not enough to warrant the cost. The authors always say they have great recipes that you can make and enjoy at home, but really who wants to make "braised chicken legs in red wine with lentils, fennel, and kale"? I have never had kale, fennel, or red wine in my pantry, I might be missing out, I probably will never know. How about "slow cooked lamb with tomato, cauliflower, and chard". Chard? really, I guess I dont have a sophisticated enough palate. I did however, find some good skin care tips, but the suggested products were the authors finely designed product line, which you had to order over the internet and was very expensive. The book had a few good health and fitness ideas but for the most part too scientific in the approach, the title of chapter one "The art and science of aging should have been my first clue. I guess if you want to know all the layers of the skin thats fine, but I guess I just want the information presented to me plain, simple and to the point. The book is in my opinion was just a bust. I am sorry Jeff, I dont think I will be looking 20 years younger, any time soon.

THE BEST PARAGRAPHS FROM THE ENTIRE BOOK:

"One thing many people don't realize when they're younger--but whcih becomes crystal clear with age-- is that life is incredibly precious. Every moment counts. You have it within you to live each of those moments to the fullest. If you make the decision to keep your body and mind in the best possible shape, It's going to help ensure that your time on this earth is not only long but, most important, well lived."

"If there is a single factor that is the foundation stone for all successful aging, a factor that allows every other element, encourages every other element, and nurtures every other element, that factor must surely be a healthy self-image: We need to approve of ourselves, to take pride in what we have become, to feel a vibrancy in our moral sense--we must, quite simply, be happy with what we are."

So there you have it, I guess that last paragraph just told me that I don't need to buy anymore self-help diet/fitness books. Just be happy with who and what I am.