Shedding Weight

Hi Barb,

By the time you read this, you will probably have already spent the evening with K, which I hope was an enjoyable one. Chili tonight? Or is that for the weekend? And I must ask, where do I get pomegranate ginger ale?? That sounds awesome! (TJ's?) I've never seen that before, but then I've never looked for it either. Yum!

No, I didn't bake yesterday, I baked today. Yesterday I didn't do much of anything really. I ended up napping when I thought I might hit the kitchen, then I had to take M to his counseling appointment and run some other errands. By the time we got back here, it was more or less time to go to football, so I didn't get anything else done. Our first football practice (it's flag, not tackle) was very good - we have a stellar coach whom we've had for baseball before. In addition, having been in parks and rec sports for all these years, we've gotten to the point where we know most of the parents anymore - some we like, some not so much. We ended up with not only a team of good players, but a team of good Moms too! A few of us stood around the entire practice getting caught up from either spring baseball or last football season, and that was fun. JJ is so excited to be back; since we didn't do summer ball he's had some withdrawal since Little League ended in June. Not to mention (as if I need to) he lives for football.

Today I tackled C's room - the closet (which had become not just a place to put a million things that had no other home, but a place to stuff those things - God it was a mess!) and under the bed...the little desk in the corner...I went to town. I took a massive black lawn bag full of my "skinny" clothes to the Goodwill. I kept a few things, but decided that even if I ever do get back into a size 7 (right!) those pleated chinos from 14 years ago aren't going to be in style. I'm pretty sure. I gave away a couple of suits that I think actually had shoulder pads. If I don't start now, I'm going to be like that woman on Oprah who filled up two warehouses with her crap when they cleaned out her house.

It felt good to get rid of all that s**t. I felt like I was shedding old, heavy things (picture frames and blankets and lotion sets from Bath and Body that are 10 years old) and helping my new self start a new chapter. I'm no longer going to hang onto the skinny clothes in the hopes that I will lose 50 lbs. If I lose 50 lbs, so help me, I deserve to go out and buy an entirely new wardrobe. (Can you believe I had a box of underwear and bras? What the f***???) And even though all of it was in C's room, not in my immediate space, I feel like I have more room to breathe and grow now. Yay!

In between loads of crap and dusting, I baked a loaf of pumpkin-banana bread, which I thought sounded delicious, but has no flavor at all, as it turns out. It could have used another healthy dose of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, something. I still have half the can of pumpkin left so tomorrow I think I'll make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, which I know are good. I also tried my hand at a homemade chicken pot pie, the results of which are yet to be revealed. It looks good in the pie plate. Comfort food - it's cold and damp and overcast here; it's supposed to rain tonight. Oh, I just looked outside and it's already started. I stopped at the liquor store to grab a bottle of vodka (and look for pomegranate ginger ale) so I could enjoy a cocktail before dinner and then hole up for the season premier of Grey's Anatomy. Honestly, I haven't watched it in two years, so I'm not sure why I'm excited about this season. It just sounds good, mindless, entertaining I guess.

Tomorrow is Friday Treats - in the rain, yay! - then we're busy this weekend with the FD Open House (all day Saturday) dinner with K&R on Saturday night and C is coming up Sunday for a few days. So of course I'm nesting...cleaning, baking...just like you.

Hope you had a great time tonight, have a terrific Friday at school tomorrow and a loving weekend with W. Talk to you soon,
Love, A
P.S. Yes, the petunias are on the right hand side of the driveway, near the garage. The coleus is actually on the top level of the front rock garden, on the grass side (so I look directly at it from my living room window.) I'm glad you liked them!