Chub Tub

Ok, it's time to face the facts. I've put on a few pounds and the Holidays aren't even here yet. My tummy is constantly sticking out more than I would like to admit. I think I noticed it when I went to take a diuretic to get rid of the pooch and nothing happened. I'm looking for advice. I don't care whether it's work out tips, a liquid diet or eating nothing but green beans, I want know what you have tried that has worked for you. Please help. I realize that eating raw cupcake dough like I am in this picture with my nephew is a no no, but I couldn't rob my nephew of this experience on his birthday! I also wanted to give you a visual of the pooch so you will be inspired to help me.

Wrapped

I devoted my entire day today to my little nephew James. I must say the kid has got me wrapped around his pinky. I took him to see Wall-E (I think this was his fifth time). He's at that age where it doesn't matter what he says it's the cutest thing ever when it comes out of his mouth. He spoke softly in the sweetest voice the whole time we were on our movie "date", so sweet that even people around us were ooohing and aaahing at how precious this little boy is. Then he sat on my lap for all except maybe fifteen minutes of the entire movie. After the movie I take him back to my sister's where he not only uses the big boy potty, but right in the middle says, "Auntie can I have a sticker?" Then he says, "Okay, now it's your turn and you can have a sticker!" So I play hide and seek with him, but when I decide to leave he says, "Now you hide auntie. I want to find YOU auntie." I tell him, "Okay, just one more time" (for a few more times). My sister is laughing hysterically, "You can't say the word No to him." She's right. I beat around the bush, I distract him away from the subject, anything to keep from looking this adorable little two years old who's "birthday is coming up" as he says and holds out his pointer finger, ring finger and pinky finger, "I'm going to be three (free)" and tell him no. I just can't do it.

Vacation Days

(My aunt's painting of the Canada Bay)
Yippee! It's that time of year when I get to take a vacation. Unfortunately I don't have the funds to really do anything amazing, so I have decided to spend my days at home. By the time my vacation is over I expect that my home will be spotless and I will most likely be refreshed, but also bored out of my mind. I require much entertainment. To start my week off I spent two days at Oktoberfest which was a lot of fun. Today I spent my day getting some exercise, but also working on a puzzle which I have not done for years, but I used to do them all the time when I spent my summers in Canada as a little girl. I remember my Great Grandma would sit in the cabin and eat freshly grown tomatoes sprinkled with salt. We would talk about how wonderful the tomatoes tasted, but when we started working on the puzzle, we wouldn't speak much. Instead, we would watch as the boats would come in and out of the calm bay to do some bass fishing, or as the beautifully colored Hummingbirds would sip from the red colored sugar water she had made. If I was lucky that day we would get to go blueberry picking and I would find a soft moss bed to lie down in and feel the coolness of the moss against my back. It's my vacation. Since the cabin is such a distant memory, I want to remember what a real vacation feels like. No phones, minimal TV just my Great Grandma, my puzzle and me.