Happy New Year 2013

Here we are on the 1st day of a brand new year .... I have so much to be thankful for! God saved my life, yet again, when he allowed me to not succumb to an acute myochardial infarction on 21 December and I am so grateful! So, I am making a commitment to lose at least 1 lb per week, exercise at least 30 minutes 5 times per week, and continue to find healthy alternatives to the unhealthy lifestyle I had been living prior to 2009. The doctor said it could have been much worse had we not made changes since then. Here is my first picture of the year:

I will be posting this same photo on a monthly basis .... you will see the changes as they take place this coming year as will I. Here is the side view:

We were so lucky to spend time with both our daughters on this New Years Day ... I am so thankful that the both of them are living within one hour of each other now. Michael and I will be retiring in May of this year. We have purchased a 34' Alpenlite travel trailer and looking forward to spending some time on the road each year visiting family, friends, and seeing new parts of our United States.

Let the Blues Overcome Me

Not certain how or why but at least once a year, I let the Blues run me down ... well that was the case this past weekend. So first, let's 'ketchup':

Day 3: I am thankful for friends who can be out of sight/mind for long periods of time and then call to say 'I'll be in your area, would you' ... On Friday, I was so happy to see one of the clerks who worked in my office in 1992 in Luxembourg -- it has been 20 years since we have seen one another but ... what an awesome visit I had with Christine Cerf and Mary-Louise Richer. They have been cross-country traveling and graced me with a visit for lunch here at my work location before going on to the West Side.

Day 4: Spent the day being blue! Attended church which was uplifting, Skype'd twice with my hubby, talked with my daughter and sister Linda, but .... in the midst of my 'blue period,' I realize that I am thankful when I have company in the house -- don't get me wrong, I love my solitude but I really feel blessed when my hubby is home. The boys, Bubba and Armani, and Ms. Lily are good companions but they don't offer the humor, savvy, or love that I get when my husband is home. Bottom line: I am so thankful that God blessed me with Michael Patten. I know I have covered that already but ... I am also so thankful that I live in a country where I can choose to gather with other Christians to lift up our country in prayer.

November -- Month of Thankfulness Trust me, this is not the only month that I am thankful for all that I am and I owe it all to the glory of Christ Jesus who died for my sins before I was even born! However, I am going to get back into the habit of posting daily ... preparing for my retirement from Federal Government service which will happen 1 June 2013. Yesterday, I was greeted with an envelope on my desk (no one knows who put it there) with a certificate for winning a costume contest at our Commander's Call -- inside was a gift card for Subway, a place that I can get a healthy sandwich. For this surprise, I am very thankful. Here is my costume:

Today I am thankful for my immediate family -- an absolutely amazing husband, Michael Patten; a loving daughter and son-in-law, Melissa and Josh Williams; two wonderful step-children, Mike Jr and wife Sandra, Mike III and Alex; and Erin and David Torres, Jonas Hicks, and Olivia Torres.

September 3, Last Day of Being 63

Today I am embarking on Phase II of my weight loss journey -- I have successfully kept off 23.3 lbs for over 2 years; it is time to take another 20-lb plunge toward ONEderland. I weighed in at 206.6 and I am setting my first mini goal for 30 September and a loss of 10 pounds. As unbecoming as these photos are, this is how I look today:

I will be posting weekly updates on my weight and a monthly photo. I am planning to walk a 5K charity event on the 15th of September and again on the 29th of September. I am also going to help compete on our Training Center's rowing competition == 100,000 meters between the period 15 September and 15 October. I want to sail into retirement at the end of the year weighing 166.6.

Psalm 139:4 “You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.”

Oh my goodness, so many people are hurting in so many ways .... like the words of one of my favorite songs, ' we pour out our miseries, God just hears a melody.'  A young mother with two small children is fighting for breath tonight in the St Louis area -- she was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer last November; she never complains and her faith is so rock strong!  My younger brother is having a manic episode and has been hospitalized on a 96-hour hold; praying he will cooperate and realize he must follow his medication regimen to stay on the even keel. Reading Isaiah 24 today at the bequest of my husband -- so many telling prophesies in this particular chapter.  Lord hear our cries; your will be done! On a lighter note, spent much of the day trying to catch up emails from this past week -- not sure where all my time went but .... made pancake cupcakes with maple bacon buttercream frosting for our church's men's breakfast early this morning.  Hubby went to the firing range with his new Ruger Scout rifle.  Completed my first block of a new sampler quilt I am working on:

  Completed a jelly roll quilt top recently -- this is a completely new crafting outlet for me.

Tomorrow, after church, I will be attempting a mini tag album and a smash book! I am usually just a card or ATC maker so .... wish me luck. Recent cards and ATCs include:

New Challenges

Life has a way of taking us back to reality ... when I don't take the time to spend daily time in my Quiet Spot I find I run into lots of walls!  Biggest challenge right now is decision on retirement -- you might say, what's to decide?  Many fibers in my being say 'let's just stay home today and play,' but my real fibers say you know you enjoy working --- or more, I enjoy being a servant to others!  It would be so awesome to find a job that I am passionate about.  So, I have been spending lots of time making lists, reflecting, and seeking wisdom on what to do about retirement. 

Good morning from the sunny Pacific Northwest ... no rain this AM! Nice plate of 'polenta' for breakfast and about to ready myself for Palm Sunday services.

Today we celebrate the triumphal entry of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, into Jerusalem. This marks the beginning of Holy Week. Sad to think that many of those who greeted him with Hosannas, waving palm branches, would taunt him in just a week as he hung on a cross to save you and me! Have a fabulous day!