The Pink Peony of Le Jardin: pondering

Monday, March 30, 2015

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Sunday, October 13, 2013

faith

"When dark clouds of trouble hang o’er us
And threaten our peace to destroy,
There is hope smiling brightly before us,
And we know that deliv’rance is nigh.

We doubt not the Lord nor his goodness."
~LDS hymns

Every time I look up, I think about the hand of God in the world and the universe...a lesson in perspective that sheds light on life and trials.

Don't forget to look up...

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Friday, May 17, 2013

Thank you, Spring.

~our apple trees

~our irises

Spring seemed to last unusually long this year. We tried to savor every moment of it. The displays around town of pinks, lavender, yellow, whites...were simply stunning.
Thank you, God, and Welcome Summer.

Monday, June 18, 2012

My “New” Wellies & Healthy Weight Loss Plan

How was your Father’s Day? Ours was nice. I hope my husband and father enjoyed their special day. We went to church and the speakers spoke so beautifully about their fathers, fathers in general, and the Father of us all. It was simply beautiful. I wish you could have been there! I love going to church each Sunday. I learn so much, and feel my spirit nourished greatly.

Which is good, because I made my husband's favorite dessert...Carmelitas. It was his mother's "secret recipe". They are chocolate, oatmeal, caramel bars made with lots of butter and sweetened condensed milk. I'm sure that you have had some version of them. I was so proud of myself. I only ate a little, and I had no desire for more.

I had been feeling like I wasn't in control of my eating habits. A handful of chocolate chips here, a half a bag of tortilla chips there. The calories were catching up with me, and I noticed my clothes were a bit snug. I was exercising, but not really consistently, and not enough to keep up with my mouthfuls of naughty foods. So, I decided to delve into my scarsdale diet plan. I have been successful on it in the past, but about a week into the two week program, this time I felt starved and discouraged. I wanted to eat what I wanted to eat.

Then my friend reminded me that she had modified the scarsdale diet to be more in line with the Word of Wisdom. A plan that our church teaches so that we can reach optimum health. It was revelation from the Lord. And guess what? It works! Of course the Lord knows what He is talking about. I switched to whole wheat bread ( a good kind fresh from the bakery), and I have been eating unlimited fruits and veggies, and watching portion sizes of lean meats and cheese. I still run (sometimes half run, half walk!) 2 miles a day. I have been feeling the pounds slipping away~my clothes are not nearly as tight. Honestly I was a bit bloated and uncomfortable as I switched over to eating more high fiber foods (probably didn't do it as gradually as I should have) But, now I am reaping the rewards. I don't crave the sugars and fats. I hope I can keep this lifestyle up. I also don't deprive myself (see carmelita note above) , but I am in control.

What else helped? I prayed for help. God wants us to be healthy and feel good about ourselves. It works. I will share the plan with you in my next post.

So, aren't my wellies cute? Such a funny name, that I love to say. I have been striking out at the thrift store~which is okay because I don't really need much. But, I did find these wellies for $9.99! My other ones were falling apart because I wear them so much around the yard and garden.

Hope you are enjoying your summer!

Monday, April 2, 2012

Just me and my boys :)

My daughter was playing around with my camera last week and took this candid of me with my two boys. Since I am usually the one taking pictures, it is rare that I am actually in them. When I saw this one, it made me realize how grown up they are, and I just had to take a moment to remember my boys at this fun age.

Last weekend my husband and I took a two day trip to NYC. They held down the fort quite well. In fact, better than well. The younger one surprised us when we got home...he had cleaned the entire house! He had vacuumed all the carpets, thoroughly cleaned and organized his room, swept and mopped the kitchen, loaded the dishwasher, took out the trash, brought the trash cans in from the curb, and started two loads of laundry! Honestly, I am still in SHOCK. I'm thinking we need to go away more often...