So, last Thursday was my Birthday....

Thursday was my birthday

and you know what? it was fine.

I had to work and the temps were around 100 degrees and I'm not even sure what the heat index was.

The boarding kennel is full, more than full, which means little dogs in cat kennels...

It was exhausting. Lots of rowdy drooling big dogs that refused to listen 

and little dogs that kept peeing on their bedding.

But actually it was a good day.

Good because although I can NOT believe the age that I am.

I'm OK with it.

I realize that it IS only a number.

because I don't feel like what I envision when I think of someone my age.

And I'm basically pretty happy.

I have a job where it's pretty much my own show.

I run it and I make sure the work gets done and I'm not micro-managed by my boss.

He lets me do my thing.

I write the schedule and if it's slow, I can leave.

Of course if someone is sick or needs the day off, I have to work it but it all evens out.

sort of.

And I've been working on my Art.

The Mid-Coast Art Gallery put out a Call for Entry and...I'm going to try to get in.

I'm still working on my kid's book.

I was watching a video of Dallas Clayton the other day (LOVE HIM)

and he said he wrote his first book in a HALF HOUR!

But it took him 6 months to illustrate it.

That made me feel much better.

It took me much longer to write mine and I'm not sitting down and illustrating it full time like he was.

I'm doing it in fits and starts. Which means scribbling and crumpling up paper and tossing it.

I haven't got it right yet. But I know in my "mind" what I want it to look like.

I'll get there.

I've been working a lot inside my house, although nothing is done.

The yard, well... I'd rather not talk about THAT.

It's scary out there and Hot and Humid.

There is a battle going on out there between the flowers and the weeds

and I just go out nightly and hose them all down.

Which brings me to my raised vegetable garden.

Stuff is green and growing but I'll be lucky to have anything by Fall except for the lettuce. 

THAT is looking good.

I must agree with Robin (super fabulous artist).

Next year I will just do the Farmer's Market thing and buy fresh.

And supporting local farmers, (always a good thing).

I can use all those cinder blocks that I framed the garden with to make

this cool succulent garden wall thing that I saw on Pinterest!

Oh, and that reminds me.

I went for my annual check-up.

I don't know if you remember about the last time I went in and I had lost a good amount of weight

and all I got was grief and was told that my blood-work "numbers" were too high.

Well. I had my blood-work run again and several things had dropped.

In fact the only thing that didn't go down was my weight, that of course was UP.

I had a different doctor from last time and she said I must be doing something different, maybe exercising more?

I said that I was..."active".

I'm not sure what made the numbers drop, the only thing I had been doing different was NOT dieting

and eating a bowl of ice cream every night.

So, Life is Good....

and I feel like I'm 34.

EMOTIONAL EATING

I still have not broken my good healthy-eating choices lifestyle thing.
Usually it's pretty easy.
I have discovered lots of things I like to eat and that are good for me.
But a few weeks ago when I got the call that my Grandfather had passed away, after I hung up the phone, my thoughts immediately went to Oreo cookies. I wanted to stuff my face with them.

But I didn't.
After all this stuff with my Ruby.
I wanted Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream....smothered in Hot Fudge.

But I didn't.
I did come home and thaw out some frozen cherries, which I stirred in some Fat Free Cool Whip.
OK, I admit that I first opened the cool Whip container and just took a big lick.
Or two.
I live alone, I can do that.
And even when the boss ordered in pizza for lunch for everyone in honor of it being the last day for one of the other vets who is leaving for a new job...
I didn't eat any.

Yes, I did leave the building and go out and buy some sliced turkey and a banana and some fig newtons.
I didn't have any even though everyone in the building was snacking on it all afternoon.
I'm going to do this if it kills me...
well, actually I'm going to do this so that it DOESN'T kill me.
Thank God there's no fat or cholesterol in UV Blue Vodka or Moscato wine.

So, what do you WANT to eat when in times of stress or some emotional conflict?
and more importantly, WHAT do you actually munch on?