Rainy Saturday wandering

Today I left the house early so I could stop by Walgreen's to get a memory card for my camera so I could take pictures of the Mardi Gras parade. I found the cards and they had a package of two 4 GB and a package of one 8 GB for the same price. I thought they were $19.99. So I chose the two 4 GB cards. While I was there, I noticed a clock that said it was quiet with no ticking for $19.99. I was looking for that exact thing because the clocks I had all ticked and they kept me up at night. At the check out, the clerk said my total was $56. I found out my choice of memory cards was actually $31.99, so I headed back to the display. I saw the 8 GB was $25.99, so I chose that instead. When I checked out, I used my Walgreen's card and the memory card was actually only $11.99, and if I wanted, I could redeem a $5 discount. All I had to do was give my zip code. Of course, I figured my zip code was worth $5, so my final total was less than $27! I left there feeling like I robbed the place.

My original plans for the day fell through, and I haven't had the luxury or time to shop in a few years. So I decided to shop for flooring just to see what my options are. I haven't ruled out carpeting, or removing the rest of the carpeting and redoing my concrete floors. I watch HGTV all the time and haven't seen anything I liked until today when they installed a vinyl floor with cork backing. That I liked. I was going to see if anything like that was available here in SA.

I left church and headed to a shop that I loved called Le Raggae, but it was closed. I remember the first time I walked in that store. I felt like I was in heaven. I loved the fabrics, the decor, the smell - everything about that store. It was my decorating taste from one end to the other. I couldn't wait to visit it again, but it was gone - waaa.

At the other end of that shopping center was Too Good To Be Threw furniture and home accessories. I found a bedroom set with headboard, entertainment center, and night stands for $699.99 that was interesting. I wish I had thought of taking a photo of it. Maybe I would have talked myself into or out of it. I found out they have a layaway plan, so that's a possibility.

Rather than have to cross traffic, I turned right on Blanco with no particular place in mind, and I turned into the next shopping center. Nothing interesting there except a new age store that looked interesting. I didn't want to go in alone; I was afraid they might make me drink Kool Aid or something like that. So I continued down Blanco. Then I remembered about Furniture for a Cause, that supports SAMMinistries. I had shopped there a few times before, and actually bought the 2 upholstered parson chairs at my dining table there. Their furniture quality has really improved since my last visit. They had some really nice sofas, chairs, coffee tables and bedroom furniture. I didn't see anything that made my heart skip a beat, though. I did like a couple of desk chairs, and there were 4 upholstered dining room chairs for $119 each. But they may be too low for my table.

I headed back up Blanco and turned on Jackson-Keller. I remembered I was supposed to be looking for flooring stores. The one I did see was on the 410 access road, but I couldn't get to it from Jackson-Keller, so I ended up in the next center with the Arthur Murray dance studio where I went to Laughter Yoga. There wasn't anything there that was interesting, except maybe American Housekeeping(?). I might have to give them a call sometime to see what their services include.

When I entered 410, right there at Vance Jackson, the traffic was pretty heavy, so I just stayed in the right lane and ended up on 10 and Wurzbach at Colonies North, so I decided to check it out. I passed the Big Lots! and found a Tuesday Morning. The store was messy, everything in disarray, and lots of bargains. I went up and down the aisles with a shopping cart even though I really had no plans to buy anything. I found glow-in-the-dark gazing balls, so I picked out a blue one to take to my daughter's. Then I saw the rugs. They have a big variety of 5x7 rugs for $149.99, and several soft, fluffy, white shag rugs that are so soft to the touch. I had to feel each one. They felt sooo good. I found some 8x10 rugs as well. I think they were $299.99. I hadn't planned to spend much money, so I reluctantly left them and found a couple of throw rugs for 9.99 that I was comfortable buying. But the shags kept calling me back. I probably went to that rug area 4 times and ran my hands through the shag several times each trip. I found a pretty decorated box that looks like a suitcase for my granddaughter. And I finally decided that if someone would get the rug and roll it for me, I'd buy it. Once I asked for help with the rugs, I felt like I was committed.

I ended up spending $190.26 at Tuesday Morning and it took a few minutes to figure out how to get the 5' rug into my 4' car. I tried wedging it in the back seat and just pushing the door closed. That didn't work. So I decided to angle it, and it was still too long. I finally had to lower the back of the passenger seat and climb in the back seat to lift the rug into the space I'd made. I ended up with 3 of the 4 doors open trying to get that thing in the car. I was determined to get that rug in the car. I'm just glad it wasn't heavy - just awkward. I was pretty proud of myself for finally wrangling it into the car.

I grabbed something to eat and headed home. The rug is now in the living room under the coffee table, and it really adds something to the room.

After all that, I took a nap and then headed to Ding How for the Passport dinner with a group of coworkers and their friends and families. On the way home, I stopped at Floor & Decor and walked up and down the aisles looking at what they had. Nothing made my heart skip a beat there either.

They have tiles of all sizes for floors, counters, or walls. I don't want a tile backsplash in my kitchen because I don't want to have to scrub it to keep it clean. I'm thinking something solid and smooth is more my taste. Right now, my backsplash is wallpaper, which is easy to keep clean. Everyone at Floor & Decor was really nice. I told each who asked if I needed any help that I was just getting started, and this was my first trip. They would be seeing me again.

I had a good day, and so far I've walked 6500 steps. I'm really going to have to step up my game to get to 10,000.

No longer obese

According to Perfect Solution, I am no longer obese - I'm overfat. That may not seem like much to brag about, but, it's a sign of progress.

Although I gained .6 pound, I lost 5 pounds of fat according to their scale.

I've been eating 3-4 servings of vegetables a day. Once I learned that I'm supposed to eat 7-9 servings of vegetables along with the 2 servings of fruit, 1-2 servings of protein, and 2 cups of unsweetened almond milk, I really increased the amount of vegetables I eat. Unfortunately, I didn't increase the amount of water I drink, so I'm again suffering with constipation.

So Cecilia gave me 2 assignments. One is to drink 2 liters of water a day - one liter before lunch. If I haven't finished it before I leave for lunch, I'm to chug it down before I eat lunch. The other is to be finished before I leave for home. If not, I'm to finish it on the way home.

I stopped at Walgreen's on the way back to the office yesterday (about 12:00) and bought two one-liter bottles of water. I finished one before I went home, and I drank the other before bed. Today I had the first liter down before I even went to work, and the other was finished before I headed home from work.

My other assignment was to wear my pedometer and show it to her next week. My goal is 10,000 steps. Today, without doing anything special, I have walked 4700 steps. So, I have a way to go.

Tomorrow I have a full day planned beginning with altar guild at 9:00. Then I'm meeting a friend to shop and head downtown to the Mardi Gras parade. We'll end the evening at Ding How with some coworkers and friends.

As it turned out, my friend is not feeling well, so I'm on my own. I took care of altar guild duties then headed to shop to look at flooring options.

I stopped at Too Good To Be Threw and Furniture for a Cause. At Too Good . . .  there was a bedroom set that includes a headboard, night stands with drawers, and a wardrobe with doors that will hold my TV and accessories that was $699. It had stains, but everything closed and opened, so I'm very interested. It matches the entertainment center, a bookcase, and a desk armoire(?) that I already have.

Then at Furniture for a Cause, I found some chairs that I really like.

I ended up at a Tuesday Morning that I never knew existed at Colonies North. There I fell in love with a white shag rug that felt soooo soft and fluffy that I couldn't resist buying it. After I wrangled the 5-foot carpet into my 4-ft car in the rain, I couldn't wait to get it into the house. It's now under my coffee table and it really brightens up my living room.

All this shopping, and I still only have 4500 steps. Hopefully I'll be able to actually check out flooring stores.

Gratitude

My world crashed Jan. 15. Since, I've had an ache in my heart that gets a little better day by day.

To help me work this out, I added a new signature to my work email about gratitude - When you cultivate gratitude, you become a happier, more fulfilled person. The more you're grateful for, the more blessings will come to you. -- Susan Santucci

At first I felt like a hypocrite with that signature and my lack of gratitude. This quote has given me a jumping off place for working out my sorrow. Another quote keeps popping into my head - Thessalonians 5:16-18: "Rejoice ever more. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 

In everything give thanks? How can I give thanks when God took away one of the most awesome people in the world? I realized I'm mourning 2 things, the loss of one of the most important people in my life and the things I wanted to do with him. How can I turn this around? I cry several times a day because I miss him so much. I mourn because I'll never see him again this side of heaven. How can I heal this ache?

Paul told the Thessalonians that it is the will of God in Jesus Christ that we give thanks for everything. How can I give thanks? Well, for one thing, I'm thankful for having known my grandson. He is one of the most awesome people I've ever known. I truly am grateful for the times we spent together. I thoroughly enjoyed babysitting, visiting, playing, watching movies (He let me watch Ratatouille whenever I wanted.), and having sleepovers with him. 

I'm grateful for all my memories. For how much he loved me and the joy he showed when I visited them and when I picked him up from daycare. We had fun times together at McDonald's and Chuck E Cheese's. We drove around looking at Christmas lights in 2011, played in the playground at St. George and their neighborhood, shopped at HEB, visited the library, decorated their Christmas tree, put together a gingerbread house, and he enjoyed taking baths in the kitchen sink. I spent every birthday with him, and I told him I loved him the last time  I saw him.

I've decided that every time I feel sad about how much I miss him, I'll think about something we did that made me happy and grateful. I hope I brought as much joy to him as he did for me.

My daughter and her husband are the best parents any child could ask for, and they raised an intelligent, loving, compassionate, fun-loving, child with a zest for life that I've never seen before. I'm so proud of them and I'm grateful to them for giving him everything a child could ask for, yet, he wasn't spoiled. He was a special joy in my life. 

Like the song he always sang, "my universe will never be the same." I'm glad he came.

ALMOST 50 Pounds Lost

I followed the plan fairly closely and lost 2.6 pounds last week.I was so excited! I'm almost 50 pounds lighter.

Sunday, I was able to cross my legs at the knees! I haven't been able to do that since I turned 40.