Baby quilt update and other happy thoughts

These are the fabrics that will decorate my Grandbaby's nursery!

Oh, I have such a wonderful day planned!

Today I get to make my Grandbaby's crib quilt.

"Get to"  because 2 months ago I injured my shoulder in a fall 

and wasn't sure how/if I'd be able to do it.

Long story short, after multiple stops and starts, 

including buying fabric on the internet

-wrong type of fabric, had to return it-

and a spontaneous 5-hour round trip drive to see Daughter #2 on a Sunday afternoon,

Houston, we have lift-off!

 We decided on these 2 non-traditional (to me, anyway) fabrics

to make a crib skirt, long curtains with tabs at the top, and a crib quilt.

Because of my injury, I asked a girlfriend to make the skirt and curtains

and we took them up to the kids on Easter.

They look darling!

We plan to go up on Mother's Day with the quilt

-6 days before Baby is due.

In other news:

Started physical therapy for my shoulder on Wednesday

and already I feel better.  Thank you, Jesus!

Hence the want-to for making the quilt.

I've continued walking with the help of my new Weight Watchers pedometer.

Amazing how that jump-

started my weight loss and mental attitude.

Going for a walk on this beautiful spring morning as soon as I finish here.

Dear Husband and I plan to take up our ballroom dance lessons again 

when I reach my goal weight!  July 1st at the latest.

*Daughter #1 and SIL landed in Paris this morning, about 7 a.m. PDT.

They'll attend a friend's wedding in a castle in Tuscany and spend 2 weeks in France and Italy.

My daughter who-is-going-to-be-a-mother-in-2-weeks is nesting her heart out.

Spent 2 hours grocery shopping, loaded all the groceries herself yesterday.

Called me this morning to get help with a freezer meal recipe.

Told me they plan to baptize Grandbaby on May 22, go out for lunch, 

and then have a cake reception in their tiny apartment afterwards.

Ah, youth!  Phew!

Told her all she needs to do at that point is take care of her husband and baby,

we'll do the rest.

My Mom decided to fly up on May 10th.

We plan to celebrate a belated Mother's Day with her

and do the countdown to Baby's arrival together.

Thank you, Lord, that she is healthy enough to fly alone!!

I am concerned, though, about cooking diabetic meals for her

'cuz I don't understand the exchanges.

Please pray that all the info in the cookbook I have

starts to soak into my brain.

Anyone have a favorite resource for diabetic menus?

Planted my spinach and red romaine starts this week between cloud bursts.

I sprinkled some organic fertilizer around them, too.

Don't they look pretty?

Next I'll get the Rainbow Chard in.

I'm off to see the wizard take my walk, but I'll leave you with this:

Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, 
who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD.
Psalm 89:15

God bless your day, friends!

Love,

Linking with
Cate @ Moments of Whimsy

Weighty Words

Isn't my bike pretty?

As I write this, I'm enjoying a snack of Greek olive and garlic hummus 

with 4 soda crackers.  I'd have at least 2 more, but there aren't any more.

And I just got home from grocery shopping.  

It's 5 o'clock and I should be making dinner for my Dear Husband

who will be plowing through the door, starving, at 6 o'clock.

No, I don't know what to make yet.

But that's part of the fun for me-

I wait till the last minute and then see what I can create out of what's 

in the fridge and pantry.

Trying to expand my culinary horizons like that.

NOT!

Truth is, I'm a procrastinator.

Can I get an AMEN?

Or at least a "ME, TOO"?

In my lucid moments

-read self-disciplined-

I plan a menu for 2 weeks and mark needed items on my grocery list.

This week, not so much.

Hey, life goes on, right?

I need all the help I can get, folks, with this weight-loss-get healthy-discipline thing.

Came across Patrice's blog, Everyday Rurality, a few weeks ago.

She is kind enough to host this blog hop for people like me.

You can join us by clicking on her blog name above.

Oh, I wish I could figure out how to copy and paste these buttons so that you can click on them instead of having to make a link with the blog title.  Can anyone help me with that?  Pertty please?

Each week she posts some questions about different facets of losing weight.
Here are this weeks questions and my answers.
1. Do you ever buy clothes in the size you hope to wear after weight loss? 
Never.  Just don't have the $$ to spend unless I KNOW I can wear it right now.

2. Is there a color of clothing that makes you feel good when you wear it? What is it?
I love, love, love fuchsia.  It has been my signature color for over 20 years.  My DH bought me a fuchsia wool dress coat at that time.  The kicker is that he also bought me cashmere-lined fuchsia leather gloves, too!  Oh, I felt like a queen when I put that coat and gloves on!  Still do.  My kids hated it.  But have you noticed that fuchsia is back in style?  Momma needs another fuchsia outfit!

3. Do you keep up your fluid intake?
Yup, I'm good at that.  I drink at least a quart of water a day.  I find that when I don't I get powerful thirsty by the end of the day.  Did you know that when your body tells you you're thirsty, it means that it's WAY past time to hydrate.  Learned this little gem at Weight Watchers, the FIRST time I did the program, about 5 years ago:  Sometimes when you think you're hungry, what you really are is thirsty.  So I try to drink at least 8 oz. of water before I eat something, especially a snack.  I did drink water before the crackers and hummus, but was still hungry.

4. Have you tried Stevia? Would you like to? (If you answered yes to wanting to try it, I will give you 1 entry into my NuNaturals giveaway that ends Friday. To get more entries click here.) <-----That's Patrice's giveaway.  
I first tried Stevia [a natural sweetener] about 13 years ago.  That was during ANOTHER weight loss odyssey at my naturopath's office.  I would like to try it again, though.

5. Can you do something this week that will make you make you smile, relax, or feel pampered?
Wow, what a concept-pampering!  Now smiling and relaxing, that I can relate to.  I'm thinking riding my bike would help me do both.  With the added benefit of getting my bod off the couch and away from the computer.

Well, kids, that's it for this week.
Oh, 'cept for this:
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit,
who is in you, whom you have received from God?
You are not your own; you were bought at a price.
Therefore honor God with you body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

My DH just walked in.  He's 3 minutes early.  My quest to create dinner begins!

May God's grace rain down on you this week.
Love,
Karen

Word-Filled/Wordless Wednesday

Is that a zit on my nose?

 Here's lookin' at you kid!

What now??

Yikes, it's hot in here!

And I was worried about a zit?!

[Jesus said,] Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, 

what you will eat or drink...

Is not life more important than food...?

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, 

and all these things will be given to you as well.

Matthew 6:25, 33

Just a little reminder to myself to

LIVE LIFE FOR JESUS

and not be fixated on food.

Be blessed today!

Love,

Linking with Word-Filled Wednesday & Wordless Wednesday

My Life...A Worthy Project

I've never been one to make resolutions.
I think it's cuz I'm afraid I won't have enough self-discipline
to follow through and keep them.

When I read about Cate's Project 2011 at Moments of Whimsy
last weekend I realized this:
I DO have some goals I want to work toward.

The thing that really struck a chord in me
was what Cate said:
"I need to treat my life as a project-
a project that is worth putting
some time and effort into."

Since I am a daughter of the
King of the Universe,
created in His image,
and saved by faith in His Son,
Jesus Christ,
I need to live as though that makes a difference.
People in my family, at work, and in my community
need to see Christ in me,
experience His love, joy, hope, and peace
when they are around me.

These are the goals I think are worth pursuing:
re-institute my daily quiet time with Him,
achieve my weight loss goal and maintain it,
move more!
pray for reconciliation & harmony within my family,
make plans with my husband to improve our marriage,
learn to be a grandma,
make a quilt for my first grandbaby, due in May,
buy & learn to use a macros lens for my camera,
work at taking better photographs,
grow more veggies this spring and summer,
eat more veggies,
initiate and plan girlfriend time,
call my family & friends more often,
grow into my role as mentor,
post weekly photos for the mcp project 52 flickr group,
post weekly updates-or lack thereof-for Project 2011
about what I've done to accomplish my goals.

Achievement begins with movement toward a goal.
I can move confidently in the direction of my dreams
and make a difference for Jesus as I do so.

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  Therefore honor God with your body.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Therefore, as God's chosen people...clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience....Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love...Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts...And be thankful...Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly...
Colossians 3:12-16
What ever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men...it is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Colossians 3:23-24


May God grant you grace, peace, and mercy today!
Love,

Linking with
Cate's Project 2011 @ Moments of Whimsy

and Java @ Never Growing Old

and Mama To Four Blessings