Friday Mish Mash

 Friday is here and what a fabulous Friday!  Ok its fabulous because I am off of work today!  I have a scheduled day off.  It's one of those random days that I chose to just take time.  Use or lose and I'm not losing!  (Jason gets a lot less time than I...so those extra days I just use randomly.).     It's been another crazy week leading up to this glorious day!

This week Jason and I have tried a zero sugar diet. Jason wanted to try and has been gung ho to hit it hard.  He is all 'no carbs and no sugar and no artificial sweeteners.'   I tried it.   I gave it the gung ho go.  However, those packets of flavor that I put in my water are still instrumental in me being able to get  a healthy amount of water, even though they are artificially sweet.  I tried it without and the water was a colossal failure.  Therefore, within a day or two I was back to my flavored water!    I also found that for me to cut carbs and sugar INCLUDING fruit was too much.  I found myself eating less healthy!  (I see you chips and crackers!)   Therefore, I have given up on the zero sugar mission. I will continue on with the low sugar meals that I've planned out.  They are healthy and there is no reason to "Add" sugar.  But it is in the simple things like the piece of fruit to appease my hunger versus grabbing a handful of potato chips!   So the attempt to go zero sugar is not a failure, it's simply an adjustment to live with less sugar but not concerned about zero sugar!

Jason and I did go out with a bang on the night before our quest to go zero sugar.  I made a banging awesome cake!  It is an Elvis Inspired Cake.   Banana-Chocolate-Peanut Butter.   Does that not sound heavenly?   Let me tell you, it was!

  As I said this past week has been crazy busy.  Lots of yard work.  Lots of mowing.  Lots of time out with the dog.  Lots of housework.  And of course my normal job.  I was tickled to see that my prickly pear that we cut and started indoors last year.  We planted it outdoors in the succulent garden this spring and Jason has been telling me that it's dead.  In fairness, I think it's wishful thinking, because he got attacked by the fine nearly invisible prickles of the prickly pear and I don't think he has ever forgiven that innocent plant!   BUT, I was super tickled to see new growth!  It's not dead!!!!

Zoey the newfoundland puppy is doing well.  She is growing like a weed!   She doesn't realize her size though and is pretty positive that she is a lap dog!

I have been coninuing my quest to run.  I have been going out regularly.  I'm not going to say I'm enjoying it yet.   I'm also not going to say that I look forward to it.  It's also definitely NOT easy.  But I'm doing it!  I'm trusting the training program and I know that it will get better and easier!

So my day off, a little bit bitter sweet.   It will be one year ago that I last spent a 'normal' day with my mother.  This weekend marks on year since her stroke.   Life has changed drastically for her.  She is not happy with her life and that makes even visiting her at the place where she is at difficult.  So if I want to be honest with myself,, I lost my mom a year ago.  She is still alive and still in my life, but where she is in life with her capabilities (both menally and physcially) and her misery honestly means that I lost my mom.  Irregardless, I will still continue to visit her.

OK, off to enjoy my day off. Mowing, cleaning, shopping and a visit to my mom.