This Is Us

Let me introduce you to Grandmas Getting Healthy.  Yet another blog along my journey.

But for today I give you this update.

I could write a book, and I still want to, but blog posts seem to be my journal of choice these days.

These days! Is it really March 1, 2017?

As you may or may not know, I love stories. Especially love stories.

So even though we're almost a month out past Valentine's day, and I still had a Merry Christmas header, Mark and I just finished up a spur of the moment trip to Disney World, hence the new header and 2017 title.

I think I fell in love all over again, with him and the mouse.

For a few winter months,we are blessed to be able to spend time in Florida. {Changing from "I" to "we" here for a bit}.

It's easy to lose focus on "we." The expectations run high and lofty at the beginning of marriage. We remember seeing our kids finding their soulmates and always wanting to spend time together. We prayed they would learn to make the choices involved in staying together.

Time happens. It's inevitable. The careers and children come along. Most of the time, "young married" life is spent in divide and conquer. Then the children begin to leave, the careers end, and roles get reversed. The business of parenting, making money, grandparenting, making and taking care of homes and relationships, makes it easy to land in the status quo of a marriage. Or worse, the living of separate lives. Together yet apart.

Sad to say, we landed there a time or two. Time to rethink, restore, and renew.. Of course, there are other people and relationships involved and their input is always welcome, but at the end of the day ... it's just us, working at making decisions for team Mark and Julee. We're basically, in the 3rd quarter of the game and it's time to start leaving it all out on the floor. Sometimes you just gotta shut up, dance, and lead by example.

We recently finished up a 4 day team convention at the Melia Hotel Celebration and Walt Disney World.  And speaking of, if one doesn't take their chill pills before entering, the happiest-place-on-earth can be just another day-at-the-office stress on everyone.

We  literally wanted to offer a parenting class on the monorail, an eating healthy seminar at Pecos Bills Cafe, and practical schooling of some college spring breakers on smiling and making good fashion choices.

All in all, we enjoyed every minute from the architecture to the animals, the resorts to the resting benches, and watching it all thru our rose colored bifocals. We can't wait to go back, but with kids and grandkids! 2019 or bust.  Do or do not, there is no try ~ Yoda


See you real soon.

Blue

Man, I'm feeling all kinds of nostalgia today.

2 years ago, this fall, we rode the rails to Washington DC and New York City where, on our trip to bountiful, we fell in love with the big apple.

10 years ago we arrived home in our rented motorhome from dropping Melissa at The Young Americans... same week Katrina unleashed her worst on New Orleans.

13 years ago, I spent the week in Paris (including a fall in the Metro station) and then left Jennifer there. Alone.

14 years ago, on a clear September Tuesday ...

18 years ago we celebrated Ben graduating HS, had relatives in town camping at PJ, and had to be the bearer of Princess Diana bad news.  No internet breaking on non existent smart phones.

So today, while watching an emotional episode of "Blue Bloods" ... when the family sat down to watch old home movies and the soundtrack "What A Wonderful World" played until the scene faded to black ... I cried like a little school girl.

Forgot to mention, that I fell pretty darn close to the edge at the friggen Grand Canyon in 2005, as well.

And I took a tumble and ate a sidewalk sandwich last week, too. Aug 2015.  So, I don't feel the greatest yet and am recouperating on the couch.  "Blue Bloods" is an awesome TV show, and thanks to my iPad mini and Netflix, I'm enjoying the Reagan's, an Irish family of cops from New York ... it's like I KNOW them, not to mention the show's writers, cinematography, and storylines.

My point today is plain and simple, so don't give me grief. Sieze the day. Rejoice in Hope. Live like you're dying, sow seeds of kindness, broaden your "love your neighbor" circle, make amends, smile and be nice.

18 years slipped into the past faster than a handful of sesaons from a make believe story of New York Cops. I know it's TV, but I want to live my life like my new best friend TV family.

They eat dinner together every Sunday {senior living in Grand Rapids, anyone?},  take turns saying and showing grace, but they tell each other like it is, give each other what for, and put the bad guys away, all while making the innocent bystander/viewer fall in love with them, forthwith.

Let's Review

I knew it.

It takes time and effort to tell stories.   Yesterday I had some Julee time.  Tried the Happy Gospel Center for church, then off to Sarasota to replenish at Whole Foods and a lunch on their promenade. I don'mean to be mean, but alone time is how I renew, refresh, and rethink things.

So, today you'll get a pic update and a movie clip which pretty much sums up our Christmas weekend, New Years, leaving Remington, and arriving Bradenton.


Verse of the day: John 8:36 "If the Son therefor shall set you free, you will be free indeed."  

Highlight of the week: Happy Hour with an old friend, albiet a skype hh.

Christmas Week-end

iPhone Christmas

New Years Eve

Leaving Remington

Degrees of separation

Sunshine State 

Sew it goes.

 God bless America! In honor of Martin Luther King Jr, I give you this clip and then I'm off to see "Selma"

Quote of the day:

Come visit, but just know, we have plans on Jan 29! Go Wings!
God bless you if you read here.

Senior Trip Day 3

Miss Shirley

While walking today, I met Shirley.  She peered out from below her straw hat and removed her gardening gloves to say hello.

I don't really remember if I pursued her or she pursued me, but I ended up with a wonderful short story of her life.

She's a born and raised Floridian.  Oh, now I remember, we had just arrived and she asked me about the weather on our way down.  Told her it didn't reach 50 degrees until the Florida/Georgia line.

Her Georgia husband (not quite sure if he was the original) found his "Miss Shirley" while vacationing in the panhandle.  They moved here in 2001. He passed away in 2007. She loves it here, but is kinda lonely. Thinks about returning to the top of Florida, but probably won't.

She weeded her whole garden (maybe a 4' x 4' space) while telling her story, and then asked mine. She couldn't place mom and dad, but welcomed me. She called me Miss Julee.

Later in the day, while we visited with mom and dad, Miss Shirley walked up to us. She had her headscarf tied securly and her handbag hugged tightly.

I introduced her as my new friend and then she rambled on with the biggest smile on her face,

"Miss Julee, thank you for stopping by, where were my manners, I should have invited you in."
"I live in the oldest trailer, but I keep a clean house."
"Nobody much likes me here."
"I'm straight down the road in A-11, it's the oldest, and most rundown trailer in here. (It's a darling 1950ish peach Tropicana, and I love it.)
"Nobody here talks to me much."
"I stay to myself, but it does get pretty lonely."
"Ole Miss Shirley, livin' in the dumpiest trailer, with no friends."
"Nobody much likes me here."

Well, Miss Shirley, you can't say that anymore, because we just met you and we like you already.

And God loves you, my dad reminded her.

I will look to say hello and visit with her from here on out. I could use some of her southern charm and she could use some of my self esteem.

Verse of the day: Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.

Motto of the day: Smile and say hello to everyone you meet.
Photo of the day:  The shelf, circa 1995ish from Muskegon's own Pier One, was the Mr's "Honey do" project today and a shot of kitchen.  My live-in dishwasher wouldn't like that I posted a pic with dishes in the sink, but I refuse to cook* and clean-up.

Turkey Chili from THM
Homemade Wheat Thins from THM with Asiago Cheese 
1 lb ground turkey (from cage free turkeys)
1 can organic Chili beans or black beans 
1 can organic diced tomatoes
1 can organic tomato sauce
12 oz organic chicken broth
Salt, pepper, garlic and onion salt to taste (I browned my ground turkey with garlic and onion)
2t Cumin
2t Chili powder Brown turkey and simmer all ingredients for 1/2 hr.  Smells like you cooked all day.
Wheat Thins from THM
3/4 C golden flax
3/4 C almond flour
2 egg whites
2 T nutritional yeast
1 T parmesan cheese (I used 2 heaping T)
1 T olive oil
1/2 t baking soda
Mix all together and roll out as thin as you can get it with parchment paper. Bake at 350 for 15-20 min.

Steamed Buttered Broccoli
Applesauce

Senior Trip Day 2

I may have to start retitling these or do daily updates on a once-a-weak post. We'll see if I keep up with the updates, I'm optimistic.

Today, we'll call "The Tin Man"
Does everything run on oil? Even our bodies? I'm beginning to think so.  With all the hub-a-ba-loo on the internet and "essential oil" companies popping up like flies and claiming to heal everything from cold sores to cancer,  you can bet I was skeptical today, as I sat through a "Young Living" presentation.

True Confessions ~ I'm actually a "Young Living" distributor, have been for quite some time.  I also watch "The Bachelor" so do with it what you will.

But today something clicked with me and "oils"  I connected the dots.  Whether it's EVOO {extra virgin olive oil for you newbies} or a drop of peppermint in you tea, our bodies need oil to function.

Fun facts: Well, two fun facts, and one serious fact.

I am related to the gentleman who started, Lehman's Peppermints.  We used to have a tiny jar of peppermint oil, which sat inside our spice cabinet. Every once in a while, we'd dip a toothpick in the jar and then float it in hot water for a peppermint tea treat.

There's a plant/oil called Melissa.

When I worked for Weight Watchers, we had a Dr. come to one of our conventions and beg us not to teach cutting the good "fats" out of our diets.  It was the 90's and EVERYONE was buying and eating {and hating} everything from fat-free sour cream to fat-free cheese and crackers.

Oil for your engine, it makes sense. No worries, I won't go fanatic on you, and I will most definitely never give medical advice, but I'm gonna give it a go, mainly peppermint, lemon, and frankincense.  {It's mentioned over 70 times in the bible} If I update daily here, I'm going to need to store up some post material, so frankincense musings will be another blog post.

While I'm going with true confessions, I also want to let you know, I'm on a healthy eating kick. My daughter's inducted me into a new club called "100 Days Of Real Food"* Ok, so there's that.

Verse of the Day: "Do everything without grumbling or arguing,  so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky." Philippians 4:14 & 15 

Motto of the Day: Still on the "no complaining" kick. Did you listen to yourself yesterday?

Oil of the Day: Just kidding.

*Dinner on Day Two:

Grilled Turkey Burgers
1 lb of ground turkey breast
1 handful of spinach, finely chopped
2 T parsley, minced
 ... sorry no sage or thyme {insert musical notes)

1T rosemary, minced
1 t. sea salt
1 t. pepper
Grill in 1 T EVOO

Lemony Broccoli
Saute Broccoli until soft in 1-2 T EVOO
1 small chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic
Squeeze 1/2 lemon over before serving.

I'm also reading the book Trim Healthy Mama {I can hardly stand to type that title, but it is a brilliant read} so no potatoes for me, the Mr. had some potato salad with his meal, compliments of his mother-in-law.

Photo of the Day: I will try to be more creative with the photos, but for a couple of days, pacify me.


Clickin' my red shoes together and can't even believe I'm calling this home for the time being!

Senior Trip Day 1

Day 1 is in the books.
Observations ~

The Mr. and I have never driven to Florida without another generation in the car! It happened to be a wonderful two days for us.

The temperature rose 90 degrees in our travels, with the last 70 degrees being in the Sunshine State.

If you do the math it was still below freezing when we woke at the 1/2 way point, Calhoun, GA.

Needless to say, we tried not to complain, knowing our destination, but dang! We used "The Bridge" from Sirus radio to entertain ourselves.  No repeats all day and we knew most of the words to every song.

The second day we listened to "Out Of The Depths" by Edgar Herrall, book on cd. He survived the sinking of the USS Indianapolis. It's filled with the mighty hand of God, turning everything to good, even the evil that is governments gone horribly awry. What could be more of a testament to our creator at work in our lives than; after 3 and 1/2 days floating with just a life vest in the middle of the ocean, a crate of 1/2 rotten potatoes floats within arm's length. A must read.

Day one, we spent unloading, Muskegon house dishes and decor, tax prep and bookwork, suitcases, hobby paints and sewing machine, (pins coming soon). Late in the afternoon, after my nap, I poured over some new recipes and headed out to Trader Joe's and Whole Foods in Sarasota!

It's somewhat sinful the amount of food we have at our fingertips in the first world.  If the Third World is a cup of Ugali once a day what and where is the second world?  Perhaps a crate of half rotten potatoes.

Verse of the day: "My God shall supply all your needs, according to his riches in glory." Philippians 4:19

Challenge of the day: No more complaining. Seriously, listen to everything you say ... positive or negative?

Photo of the day:

Whole Foods ~ Sarasota FL

Throw Back Labor Day #2