January 1

This is not a year in review.

Truthfully, this past year has been so awful I’d much rather NOT review it.   Even though this past year has been just horrible, I find myself being happy.  As happy as I was when my kiddos where still living at home.  Why am I happy?   Because I’m choosing to be.

I’ve been seeing all these meme’s about “today you start a new book with 365 blank pages.  Make them good ones”…and while that IS inspirational, every morning you wake up is a new day.   A blank page to start fresh.  A choice to wallow in your misery of your yesterday or to get up and choose to make today better.

I’m doing that personally.  If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time, you know I’m on a weight loss program.  Here is where I share about why I decided to do something.

How have I been doing you ask, well let. me. tell. ya.

I’m doing fabulous.

As of this morning I’ve lost a grand total of 148 pounds.

What does that look like for a super fat chic?

Let me show ya.

 

The before picture was taken in March and the after picture was taken on Thanksgiving day. I’ve lost 13 pounds since that picture was taken.

Am I still fat. You betcha.  Am I giving up.  No way!   I’m still just as determined to live life to the fullest I can and now I’m able to do so much more.

When I started this program I wondered what I’d look like minus 100 pounds…minus 150 pounds…minus 200 pounds.   I couldn’t envision it.   Now I just look in the mirror.

I feel wonderful.   I have so much energy now.

One of the reasons this program works so well is that every person has their own free personal health coach.  I don’t know where I’d be without mine.  Her support and encouragement has kept my eyes on my goals.  To get healthy and to live.  To do those things I HAD to loose weight.

This program has me excited every day.  This is the easiest weight I’ve ever lost.   I’ve not once been hungry or felt deprived of anything.  CC eats chocolate every day.   Yes.  Every! Single! Day!

I know I sound like a commercial, but I’m not meaning to.   I’m just so excited to be where I am today.   1 year ago things weren’t good.   Just look at the expression on my face in that picture.  I CAN’T WAIT to see where I’ll be on January 1, 2017.

If any of you would like to know anything about the program I’m on, just email me (link is on the left side).  I’d love to share with you.  I’m a health coach now, helping others get healthy and live life to the fullest.  And no, I don’t get paid to be a health coach.   I just want everyone to feel as good as I do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December 26

Hey there Internets.

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas.

I sure did.

I received a lot of lovely gifts but one of them was my absolute favorite.  It was the one from Santa.

Before I share with you what Santa brought me, I need to tell a story.

A story about a woman taking her very first cruise.

On or about the 21st of September my family (mom, dad, Aunt Sandy, myself, Sister, her husband and children) and 2 friends took a cruise.  I was so excited.

Having never experienced a cruise before each and every experience was new and lovely.

But also Sister!   I got to see my Sister!!!

We dropped off our luggage and waited for cars to be parked.  We got in line for customs screening.

That’s when everything began to go sideways.   And in a VERY. BAD. WAY.

I was pulled aside and patted down.  The woman doing all the patting, in places I didn’t necessarily want patted, asked me “did you know that you have bullets in your purse?”

Oh! My! Lands!   Seriously?   How in the WORLD did I forget about the bullets that the husband had put in my purse well over a year ago???

I was promptly put in lock up.   Brevard County Sheriffs office was contacted to do a back ground check on me and the cruise ship was alerted as to the fact that there was a woman trying to board with bullets.

Sigh.  Why me?   Why?  Why?

I cried Internets.   Big crocodile tears.  They told me I might not be able to sail.  After the back ground check came back with “this sweet little old lady wouldn’t hurt a fly” the news was shared with the Captain and he got to determine whether or not I could sail.

After 2 hours spent in lock-up I was allowed to board.  *cue Hallelujah chorus*

Then after I go to my room some of my luggage was missing.  Seriously?   After all this they’ve lost my luggage.   Not just any luggage, but my luggage with my diet program shakes in them.   How am I supposed to stay on my weight loss program without my  shakes.

*cue more tears*

Around 8pm our room steward handed me a card.   It said I had to go to deck 6 and pick up my luggage.

Down to deck 6 I went.   They pulled the luggage because “It had liquor in it”.   Sigh.   They opened it up and pulled out my diet shakes expecting to see liquor.  *cue the mud on the face look I got*  neener…neener…neener…and an extra har-de-har har on you!

The rest of the cruise went swimmingly and I enjoyed every. last. second.

Now to what Santa brought.

A giftie…for me?!?! I’m so special!!!

What are those things at the top?

Oh look…it’s me behind bars. ha….ha….ha….

With this lovely stocking came a letter from Santa.

Oh captain, my captain, why were you a rat fink???

Inside was some coal. Courtesy of my son.

Also, courtesy of the boy was a small bottle of wine that they had written diet shake on the label. har har

I didn’t get a photo of it because I gave the wine to my girl.

This lovely movie courtesy of my dear Aunt.

A get out of jail free card, from mama.

And in case that doesn’t work,

an old rusty file, NOT baked in a cake.

And last but most certainly not least,

These.

At least they came with a key.

Thanks Santa, and all his minions for such a marvelous gift.   I will treasure it forever.

 

October 7

I have been telling my crew that I would post pictures of my beloved front porch now for months.   MONTHS!

Slacker….I’ve become the worst slacker ever!

In my defense, I just haven’t felt very witty, pithy or even remotely like sharing anything…with anyone…for any reason.

I’ve become an information hoarder.

So here, without wit or pith, is my post about my front porch.

It was a mess y’all.

Old ply wood for the floor.

Rotten headers underneath.

Mice had even made a nest in all that lovely insulation….shudder.

My cats have not been doing their job!  Yet I continue to feed them.  I see the problem lies with me.   Sigh…

But salvation was near….a new floor was laid.

Nasty front concrete stairs busted.

Messes swept up.

And I have a glorious new front porch!  With a dangling down spout.

And all the credit goes to my crew!   2 of the best men I know and love…heart and soul!!

September 3

Hey Internets!

Life!

Life has a funny way of grabbing your attention and holding on like a rabid dog. For the last three months Fido has held on tenaciously. In these last couple of days things have begun to calm down a bit and I feel like I can actually take a deep breath.

What HAVE I been doing with myself for the last 3 months?

Well…

* Just hours after I hit publish on my last entry, my father-in-law passed away and we have been dealing with caring for my mother-in-law and other…issues on a daily basis. Nightmare doesn’t EVEN come close to describe what I’ve been dealing with.

{We interrupt this blog to bring you a public service announcement}

Internets…on behalf of your surviving loved ones please…I beg of you…get your affairs in order! Clean out your junk! Throw it away, have a yard sale, bon fire..something…anything! Make a will! Leave info for your children in a place where they can find it! Tell your loved ones your wishes now. It will make life easier for everyone concerned.

* Superman’s health hasn’t been the best for the last 7 years, but the stress of the last 3 months has taken a heavy toll.

* The beginning of August he had carpel tunnel surgery on both hands.

* 2 weeks ago he had a grand mal seizure.

I, being the good wife that I am called 911 immediately.

911: What is your emergency
Me: our address…babble.. babble..husband…seizure..babble…babble…babble…
911: Okay, we’ll send someone right away. Is he breathing?
Me: He’s really struggling…please…get here now!! more incoherent babble
911: I’ve got them dispatched.
Me: Please…hurry….(after hearing the sirens) oh…god…oh…god…I’m naked!!!!

{yeah…I’m THAT caller}

Me: (meanwhile I’ve left Superman laying in his bed, foaming and struggling to breathe so I can go get dressed) I’m ever so great in an emergency!
911: Ma’am….ma’am…hello…ma’am… Is he still breathing?
Me: (pulling on a shirt) I don’t knowuh!!! I’m getting dressed so you!! don’t see!! me!! NAAKED!!!

{THAT caller}

~~in my defense, I was just slightly unhinged at this point~~

(blink..blink…blink…oh…dear…this is being recorded…crap!!!)I run back to Superman and hold him upright so that he didn’t seem to choke as much…because serious wife. of. the. year. competitor coming through…

By this time they are right out front and I realize that the front door is locked. I just drop him back on the bed and run downstairs to unlock the door.

As I followed the gurney out the door, all I could think was…”you had better not scratch my brand new porch people…not my porch!”

Wife of the year material here people!!!…where IS my award???

He had another one again this week, but this time I was prepared. I had my nightgown on!

I have been waving the surrender flag at life for the last 2 months. I’ve waved it, waved it higher, thrown it, beat it on the ground, stomped on it and now it is wrapped around my shoulders like a blankie while I lay on the couch and suck my thumb.

I feel like Rocky at the end of the first movie…beaten to a pulp, but still standing.

My “Adrian”??? A ship called the Enchantment of the Seas…sailing for Nassau at the end of this month. I will be on it, releasing that horrible white flag as I sail away!

July 14

Internets!

I promised a blog post yesterday to a couple people. However, by the end of the day after everything had calmed down my brain had decided to quit functioning.

You see I have the stress Internets, and I have it in spades.

CC’s systems shut down and she has had to fire up the back-up generator to keep all basic life support systems functioning.

Then I was going to post this morning, but the stress called about 9:30 am.

Danger Will Robertson…Danger!!!

However, y’all are here for a different reason entirely.

MY BATHROOM IS FINISHED!!!

Do y’all remember this?!?  

Neither do I.  

Now it looks like this!

 

This …

This has become…

 
 

And this

is now a closet.  

There are so special things that make this room scream CC!.

 

This medicine cabinet in all its cherry finished ornate glory.

 

 
Just look at all that fancy!

And the beveled glass!

And the curves.

Curves are a huge theme in this bathroom.

Curvy pedestal sink…as per a Victorian era home dictates.

Curvy toilet…as per CC dictates…along with a fancy-schmancy handle.

Nothing was left out.

Not the light fixture.

Not the shower fixtures.

 

Not the wall trim details.

And certainly not the baseboard trim details.

 

I even have a skeleton key.  This alone makes my insides all mushy.

I also had my crew strip all that nasty white paint off the trim.

 

And had wooden blinds ordered to match the stain.

 

This last piece of furniture just makes the room complete.

 

Please take note that this mirror is beveled as well. Again…mushy insides!!!

The last detail I want to point out is this little spot here.

See it? The corner right there….

That is where my cats will invade my space, make a nuisance of themselves, and put hair everywhere.   Which is just fine by me as this room is now a sanctuary of peace, tranquility and all things CC.

May 29

Oh look Internets!  2 days in a row.

I have blog fodder today. Fodder of my own making, unfortunately.

About a year ago, we engaged a contractor to remodel our bathroom. I spend months…MONTHS picking out paint colors, bathroom fixtures, trim, flooring etc..etc..etc…

While the contractors were working so diligently I would chastise them (quite frequently I’m afraid) about my beloved flooring and how I didn’t want anything to cut/scratch/stain my floor.

Do ya see where this is going Internets???

Today I was touching up some spots on my trim. When I finished, I put the lid on my paint as tightly as possible, put it on the toilet, rinsed my brush and was just getting ready to go in search of a hammer to pound the lid on the paint can when…

 

 

the paint can slid right off the toilet.

You see my house, being over 100 years old has some character in it. Mostly in the form of not being level, and therefore the toilet isn’t exactly level either.  Mostly I embrace the character that is my home, but today…not so much!

Fortunately I know how to yell loudly. Loudly enough for Superman to hear me from the basement (2 stories below).   Not only did I yell to him to bring paper towels, but “grab my phone too”.  Because CC wasn’t about to 1. move her foot and track paint all over the rest of her beloved floor or 2. pass up an opportunity to blog.

I don’t care my Longaberger basket is ruined, or that Superman’s jeans now have paint on them and he isn’t happy or that I used an entire roll of expensive paper towels cleaning up the mess. My beloved floor and sink and wall and trim and toilet is minus plumy/gray paint and all is right in CC’s world once again.

May 28

Hello Internets!

It’s been a long time.

I find myself thinking a lot about blogging, but now that the chips have married, there really isn’t blog fodder to be had…unless you want to hear about how one of my cats likes to play fetch, or how another one wakes me up every morning licking my finger, or how we have to dig out cat toys from under the stove on a weekly basis.

Nahhh…I didn’t think you wanted to hear all about that.

What I have been thinking a lot about lately is death.   Specifically my own.

Ever since I can remember I’ve been obsessed with my own death, and how much I DON’T. want. to. die.   I enjoy life way to much.

I’d make these little prayers to God.

~~God, I don’t want to die till I get boobs.   Please don’t let me die till then~~

~~God, I don’t want to die till I have sex.   Please don’t let me die till then~~

~~God, I don’t want to die till I have kids.   Please don’t let me die till then~~

~~God, I don’t want to die till I have grandchildren.  Please don’t let me die till then~~

And while I was busy getting boobs, having sex, children and then grandchildren I wasn’t really doing much else.  Looking forward to the next “thing”, to the next meal, the next Snickers bar, the next new show on TV, the next stage in my kiddos lives, because even though I really enjoy those things, sitting around waiting for them to happen really isn’t “living”.

It is my own fault.   Because of the choices I made, I gained lots of weight.  I’ve just been existing and looking forward to the next thing, but what IS the next thing?   I’ve got the boobs, the sex, the children, and the grandchildren…so…death?   I don’t want to sit and wait around for death to occur.   I happen to enjoy breathing, and laughing, and eating and sleeping and playing fetch with my silly cat.

This past fall, when I went to the ER and my blood pressure was 215/160 it began to really sink in.

So now it’s ~~God, I don’t want to die till I LIVE.   Please don’t let me die till then~~

To be able to live life…to the fullest extent I can, the first thing on my list is to loose some weight…a whole stinkin’ lot of weight.  I found a program that is not only helping me loose the weight, but get healthy in the process.  I’ve lost 53 pounds so far and am feeling so much better.

I’ve not just lost weight, I’ve gained things too.  I’ve gained energy.   I’ve gained joy.  I’ve gained health.  I’ve been able to lower my blood pressure meds.   I’ve gone to my granddaughters T-ball games.  I’ve worked in my yard.  Something that I haven’t done in a good 7-8 years, and that is just after 53 pounds gone!

So here is the part that I haven’t wanted to really share with anyone.

You see when you tell someone your “dieting” or trying to loose a few extra pounds there is an expectation.  When the expectation isn’t met in other peoples minds you can see it on their face and you begin to feel like a failure.

So…this is me…at my girls wedding.   The heaviest I have ever been.

And this was taken this past week.

I’m not a failure.

I’m on a journey.  I’ve got a long way to go, but I’m determined…DETERMINED that I will get there, and along the way I’m learning how to live life to the fullest I can.

March 4

Hello March.
Nothing like knowing Spring is closer and you dump all manner of snow and ice all around me.   I might have nicer feelings toward you if you…you know…made it warmer!

~~I’m going on a cruise.   Yes, Internets, I will be leaving the country for warmer climes….in September.    
Why…why…why didn’t mom the powers that be choose March?

I know that you will recognize my zeal for the cold weather as I share it with you every. single. winter.

Thank you sarcasm. I feel better now.

~~I have begun exercising with a friend of mine. We are doing something called PiYo. It isn’t that bad as there isn’t a huge impact on joints.

Can anyone tell me why they don’t have fat people doing exercise videos? Seriously! The dude has a 12 pack, the one woman (a mother of 2) has a 6 pack and the leader is to perky for her own good. I’d even settle for someone a size 12…or 14.
Someone needs to be jiggling besides me!

February 8

Lessons learn in the last couple weeks.

* Habits…even good ones can land you in trouble.   I always lock my car doors.   Last week when it was all snowy and icy I got into my car, started it, turned on the defrost, grabbed the scraper, got out and unthinkingly out of habit locked the car doors.   I swept snow and scraped ice.   Happy to be done and ready to be on my way I tried to get into the car.   Doors locked.   Car running.   Late for an appointment.  This equals you calling the local tow company to come help…for a nominal fee of $35.

*  The song we were taught in Sunday School….”oh be careful little eyes what you see…little ears what you hear…little hands what you do…little mouths what you say”…I never understood it when I was little.   It was just fun to sing.   But now…now as I’m older I realize things that have been seen, can’t be unseen..things said can’t be unsaid…damage done can not be undone.   It can be repaired, but never undone.

*  Trust no one with your thoughts or feelings….at least the really important ones that you don’t want repeated.  Those that you expect to keep confidences don’t always.

*  When your gut tells you not to watch that ISIS video…don’t.

* Cat’s, when left up to their own devices for any length of time, will make a mess.

*  “You got to know when to hold’em, fold’em, walk away, run”  doesn’t always apply to poker.

*  Just because it looks like the flu, sounds like the flu, acts like the flu doesn’t necessarily mean it is the flu.

*  Lastly, when you purpose to be healthier and drink more water, buy extra toilet paper.   You WILL need an over abundance.

January 21

Hey Internets!

It has been rather a long week already.  Why?   I don’t know but I feel like it should already be Friday.

Superman is ill.   He just went to the doc this morning.   Sinus infection.

*mini rant* 

People, if you are ill…stay home. Cold?  STAY HOME!  Flu?  STAY HOME!    I don’t care if you ARE feeling better due to OTC drugs…STAY HOME!  You are still contagious!!!   You have no idea the amount of people you are infecting!! You can be infecting a healthy adult that has to go home and take care of an elderly parent, or has a child with a weakened immune system, or me.   I don’t want to be ill!!  STAY HOME!!!!

*thus endeth my mini rant…that I have been ranting about for 2 weeks now*

Superman’s vehicle is also out of commission.   It was recalled for a faulty ignition switch in August.  It failed miserably at 2 am.   2am Superman wakes me out of a dead sleep to come get him.   There should be some form of punishment for doing that to a person…but he is ill so I’ll give him a pass.

The dealership said it would take about 1½-2 weeks to just get the part in.   So while I can drop the man off at work, he will have to walk home…unless someone would be willing to either bring him home or let us borrow a vehicle.   I use mine to much to not need another one.

The contractors painted my bathroom.  The entire time daddy was up there painting I was second guessing myself on the colors I had chosen, but I must admit…I did a pretty good job.   My bathroom is gorgeous.  The medicine cabinet is hung, and a few other things were put back in.   I’m getting more and more excited.

No pictures from here on out.   I want it to be a surprise.

January 14

Hey there Internets!

I’ve been meaning to update for awhile now, but I haven’t been on the computer as much as normal.

I’ve been purging stuff, and rearranging stuff, and knitting stuff, and … stuff.

But enough about stuff!

Internets…the smell of paint is in the house!!!

A couple weeks ago, the boy stripped most of the paint off the window trim.  Low and behold there is quarter sawn oak under all that paint.  Quarter. sawn. oak!!!   Dear Victorian house builder and subsequent women of the house…what? were? you? thinking? painting all that gorgeous wood?!?!?!

Last week, the boy put primer on 3/4 of the walls.   No more pink walls!   Yippee…

December 8

Hey there Internets.

 

My contractors are finished with all manner of surgery recovery so they were back Saturday.

 

I have no pictures of what they did because…seriously?   who wants pictures of drying mud?

 

 
I am, however, sad about this.

This is the bathroom door.

A 100+ year old bathroom door.

A solid oak door that was original to the house.

And it is broken. Beyond my financial means to repair it.

I have been watching way to much Rehab Addict.

November 10

 

Internets! Chocolatechic has been doing a happy dance for 2 days now.

This is why.

My shower is finally usable.

 

 

You can also see that my sink has been put in as well.

You never realize just how awful brushing your teeth in the kitchen sink is till you can’t reach the faucet to rinse your mouth out.

 

 

One little hitch in the whole shower thing. There is a wee leak. At this point I’m not caring so much about the wee leak ’cause Internets…no more dungeon showers!!!

 

Happy dancing all the way to the shower.

 

I’ll never… ever take a shower for granted again!

 

October 6

 

Hi Internets!

The contractors were back in full force Saturday and they got some stuff done!

I’d do the happy dance, but CC doesn’t move that well anymore.

So…here is what all got done…

 

 
The window frame was taped off so that the trim could be stripped.

 

 
The light switch was wired in. Which I’m ever so grateful for. I’d go in to use the loo in the middle of the night and all these wires were sticking out like a hand ready to grab me.   Which is kinda creepy in the middle of the day, but at night when you are mostly asleep the creep factor multiplies.

 

 
They also hooked up the exhaust fan. They hooked up the light too, but I’m not showing it because well….I want to show it off later.

Uh…dad…are the fins supposed to be bent like that???

 

 
The shower doors were brought in as well.  Hopefully that means they are closer to installing said doors.   When the shower is actually ready to use, I really will do a happy dance.

September 29

 

 

The Junior partner of the Contractor team that I hired came over Saturday.

 

I was so happy to see him.  Not just because he is my boy, but because Internets!!!

 

please excuse the poor quality of my cheap cell phone pic

My toilet is hooked back up.

 

I was going to try to suck up all the drywall dust with the shop vac that is in there, but it wouldn’t turn on.   (And yes, Dean’s….I did plug it in.) So I had to sweep it instead.   It really didn’t help much as drywall dust is now being tracked alllll over the house.

 

You really don’t realize just how much you utilize something till it isn’t available to utilize anymore.

 

I didn’t realize that I took so long to wake up fully, until I had my toilet back.

It seems that I tend to go back to bed and laze for about 34 minutes before prying myself up for the day.   After that, I seem to be a whole lot more productive.

When the toilet wasn’t hooked up, I was taking a lot longer doing the whole “laze” thing.   Then by that time it was time to go to bed again.   ahem.

 

Today I was productive….kinda.

 

 

September 17

For those of you who have been wondering, Google and I have been researching my wee beastie Diesel to death.

From what we have gathered, Diesel is an Oriental Short hair which is in the Siamese family, and his coat is a color called smoke.

Riddle solved.

Cat loved.

The end.

September 15

The Deans came over Saturday, and I must say that change is in the air.

Green board is going up.

And something strange is going on with shims at the bottom of the shower.
Guys….what is going on???

And a closet….yippee. It is so big.

And I’m so excited. Every girl needs big closets.

September 9

 

 

Today I went to the vets office.  I really must pause here to say that my Vet rocks!   My Vet is not only thorough, but he is kind and funny.  2 wonderful qualities to have.

 

So, I’m at the office getting some antibiotics for Diesel my 4 month old black kitten…who isn’t so black anymore.   He is turning white grey sliver colors, and it is weird.

Dr. just happened to be standing at the counter so I’m telling him about Diesel, and that I had consulted my good friend Google about it.   He said that his kitten was turning grey too.  Sadly it seems that Dr. is living in the dark ages as he really didn’t know what a blog was….or Google…or how info gets on the Internet.

 

So…this blog is specifically for my vet.

 

This is a blog.

 

 

This is my black kitten Diesel about 5 weeks ago.

 

And this is my blackish kitten Diesel today.

Weird…right???

 

Someone…anyone…please tell me what is going on with my cat!!!

 

 

September 3

 

Hey there Internets!

It has been awhile. The contractors had other obligations for the last couple weeks, so not much has been done. The boy has done some mudding in his Grandpa’s absence, but that’s about it….and who wants to see a pic of mud drying?

 

 

Lookie…lookie…luan was laid down.

 

 

Plumbing for the sink was moved over because I chose a bigger shower.

And speaking of plumbing…

 

 

a plumb wall was erected.

 

But before that could happen….Internets I was so excited to see that

 

 

they laid my floor.

 

Progress….I heart progress.

 

 

August 5

 

 

For those of you who are a bit skeptical about Superman really living here….

 

I have proof.