Fuel for Life!

I am ever-so-honored to receive this lovely award from one of my favorite weight loss bloggers, Misunderstood and Admired? I've written about him before, what an inspiration and motivation he is to me!



The details of the award are as follows:

This award is granted to bloggers who have given someone fuel for strength so they can move onward. Responsibilities: 1. List three things that you are happy about at this very moment 2. List three things that played a big part in your current focus on weight loss and inner growth 3. Pass this award on to a blogger that you feel really deserves it

So, here goes!

At this moment I am happy about:

1. The time Beren and I spent last night with a friend/former co-worker of his. This lady had a very aggressive type of cancer, underwent intense and experimental treatment at a University a couple hours north of us. We really didn't think she would make it, it was very serious and scary. Well, a couple of weeks ago she went for her yearly follow-up and got great news: She is cancer-free, in remission! We were so thrilled, we met her for happy hour last night and toasted to her continued good health and recovery.

2. Being in Ormond, enjoying the peace & quiet of just me, Beren and the dog. As much as I adore my wild & crazy full house, I need the time away to rest, regroup and spend some quality time with my man...and with myself!

3. The big basket of produce on the counter..grin...can't wait to get into the kitchen and cook up something fabulous!
And three things that played a part in my current focus on weight loss and inner growth:

1. My mother's illness and death from lung cancer. This shook me to the core, affected me on every level of my being.

2. My children growing up, becoming young adults who don't require quite as much hands on mothering as they used to, leaving me with more time to work on myself!

3. My Man who never says a word about my weight, still thinks I'm beautiful and desirable, but really deserves a healthier woman to spend the rest of his life with.

Now, I am presenting the award to...

Mark at Fatophobia because he is constantly supportive and complimentary, I know I can always rely on him for a kind word and motivation! He responds to every comment, you can tell that he really cares for his readers!

Thank you, Mark, for being Fuel for Life when I need it!



In other news, Sherron at Shoes to Lose is hosting a giveaway, a $40 gift card to CSN where you can buy anything from dining tables to fitness equipment to..shoes! You know where that $40 is going if I win, right? Yep, straight to my cute little tootsies! So, hop on over & visit Sherron, enter yourself and spend some time at her blog. She is adorable and such an inspiration!

That's it for now, hope you all are having a fabulous weekend so far!




P.S. Check out the image I really wanted to use for this post but it was unavailable without purchase.

Thank You, Thank You!

The ever-so-fabulous Donell from She Shapes Up has graced me with another award! I am truly honored to be considered a Versatile Blogger; thank you, Donell!

I'm supposed to tell you seven things about me, and then pass the award along to seven other bloggers. Are you sure you all want to know more about me? As if I'm not an open book already. *wink* Ok, here goes..I'm adding some photos to make it more interesting for you..


1. I don't like snuggling, or noodling, or spooning, or any other bodily contact while sleeping. Before I'm snoozing, yes, but when I'm ready to get down to serious dreaming, I don't want to be touched. Not by dogs or cats or even warm, sexy men. Thank you very much.



2. Thanks to teen idol Robby Benson who took up the cause in Tiger Beat magazine, at age 11 I became a small time animal rights activist, actively protesting the Canadian harp seal hunt. Every chance I got I was spouting about the horrible abuse, passing around petitions to friends, family and anyone else who would listen. Already somewhat of a geek, this did not help my reputation or popularity. I was teased mercilessly. Boys would walk by me and pretend to be clubbing baby seals. I didn't care. I was dreaming of meeting Robby on an iceberg, our bodies thrown across white fluffy seals..our eyes would meet and he would fall instantly in love with me. Robby, honey, I'm still waiting.....



3. I suffer from a mild case of OCD. I hate clutter, can't function in chaos. My closet is color-coordinated, my shoes are stored in individual plastic boxes, labeled and alphabetized. I can't watch a movie if the family room is messy, everything has to be in place. I would die for Christina Aguilera's closet...swoon...



4. Some of you may not know this: Beren was my high school sweetheart and when he broke up with me (sob) I ended up dating, and marrying, his best friend. Kali is the result of that short marriage. 23 years, 2 more kids and another failed marriage later, we reunited, thanks to Kali and her father. We are all still great friends. Photo above is of myself and Strider, taken at his second wedding.



5. Speaking of Kali, she is not only an art teacher but also a tattoo artist. Her specialty is the Sailor Jerry style. If you're ever in Florida and want to get inked, look her up. Oh, she doesn't always look like a zombie, this photo was taken on Halloween.


6. As a child I was an avid reader, could not get enough of books. Once I was old enough, I'd walk the few blocks to the library every couple of days. I would start at one end of the children's section and make my way to the other, then start over again, hoping new books had arrived. The librarians hated me, nasty women that they were, because I was always asking them to place orders for me from other locations.



7. As I've mentioned before, I adore shoes. This isn't unusual, so many women do. I dream of owning a pair of Manolo Blahnik's but, alas, they are out of my budget. However, once I reach my goal weight I am treating myself to a pair. Beren promises to video the whole event to share with you. I'm sure you can't wait!

Now, I hope you'll forgive me for not officially passing along the award but so many of you have been awarded and tagged by me lately. I'm going to just share it with all of you who'd like to post seven things about yourselves, I'd love to learn more about you!

Have a Beauty-Full Day,

Why, Thank You!

I'm thrilled and honored to discover that the always-fabulous Misunderstood and Admired?? has given me an award! So many things make me happy but here are just a few things that make me smile:


Ten things I like (in no particular order)

1. Long Sunday afternoons floating in my swimming pool
2. moonlit dips in the hot tub with my honey
3. lazy mornings with nowhere to be and nothing to do
4. traveling to a new destination
5. family dinners filled with love & laughter (who cares what's on the menu?)
6. Shoes. The higher & sexier the better
7. Champagne, even when there's no real reason to celebrate
8. The color Red, in abundance
9. Purring kittens
10. Pin-ups (of course!)

And because I want to share the happiness, I'm going to pass on this award to all of you! Please, tell me: What do you like? What makes you happy?

Why, Thank You!

ooh, I'm so excited! Kristin at Peace, Love and Muesli has honored me with the Honest Scrap Award! Thank you so much, Kristin!



I have also received a Versatile Blogger award from Maressa at The Body Logic! Thank you, Maressa!



I am honored to accept both awards and since they are similar, I hope you'll allow me to combine them just a bit, tweaking the requirements.

Here are seven fun facts about myself:

1. As I might have mentioned before, I saw Elvis Presley live when I was 6 years old. I was a huge Elvis fan even at that young age so my mom surprised me with tickets for my birthday. I still remember standing up on the seat, watching the King of Rock 'n Roll shimmy across the stage. swoon....

2. I am living with, and madly in love with, my long lost soul mate. We dated when I was in high school but outside circumstances led to our break-up and we were separated for over 20 years. When my marriage was ending, the stars aligned and I somehow met up with him again. We discovered that we still had feelings for each other and the rest, as they say, is history!

3. I am rather neurotic and suffer from a slight case of OCD. *grin* My closet is color-coded, my shoes are in labeled boxes and clutter makes me totally nuts. I can't relax in a room unless it's completely tidy, right down to the rug being perfectly aligned beneath my feet. Messes make me anxious & nervous so I try like heck to keep things in order. I often fail.

4. I have a psychic on call, have been "using" her at least once a year for six years now. To me, it's almost like therapy and worth every penny for the insight and peace of mind she provides. She has never been wrong in her predictions.

5. I am a Pagan which means that I follow an earth-based belief system. Though I don't discuss religion or politics whenever possible, I'm always happy to share my beliefs with open minded folks.

6. I love wine. I seriously can't remember the last day I didn't have a glass of chardonnay. I base my diet/eating plan on whether or not it allows this indulgence and often exercise just enough to burn off the 100 or so calories involved in the consumption.

7. My dream vacation is to Paris. I guess many people share that dream, don't they? This past year, realizing that I wasn't getting any younger and my bank account not growing any faster, I opened a vacation club and now deposit a set amount each month. My goal is to be in France on my 50th birthday, four and a half years from now. Wish me luck!

Now, here's where I break the rules a bit, sorry! Instead of selecting x-number of bloggers upon which to bestow these awards, I'm just going to gift it to all of you scrappy versatile lovelies! If you choose to receive it and post about it, please leave me a comment here so I don't miss all of your fun facts!

I'm Sassy!

The always-fabulous Jules of Big Girl Bombshells has bestowed the most wonderful award and personalized Bombshell title! Thank you, darling, I love the Sassy title and will do my best to live up to it! *wink*



Now I am suppose to pass this on this on to 15 other blogs and tell you 7 things about myself. I'm going to break the rules just a bit and pass these awards on to all of you who visit 'cause I think you're all Beautiful Bloggers!

Here are 7 random things about me, would love to read the same about you so please leave me a comment so that I can visit your Beautiful blog as well!

*I saw Elvis Presley perform, on my 6th birthday. One of the best birthday memories ever! I still remember standing up on the chair, my mom holding onto me, watching the King rock & roll across the stage!

*I am terribly claustrophobic. I didn't know this until I was 26 years old and had an MRI. Bad, bad way to find out!

*I can't think of a vegetable I don't like. Seriously. Even beets. They're all wonderful! Of course, if I ate more of then and less of the other stuff I wouldn't have a weight issue now, would I?

*Up until I was about 11 years old I had short hair. Super-short, as in Pixie. My mother wouldn't let me grow it long until I could take care of it myself. I am still rebelling.

*At 26 years old I a had a cancer scare that rocked my world forever. (Hence the reason for the MRI, see above). I'll post at length about it one day but suffice it to say that getting a death sentence at that age with three babies at home is not a good thing.

*My Man and I were highschool sweethearts. We broke up when he was in college and couldn't handle the long distance. I married his best friend. 23 years and 5 kids between us later, we reconciled. This weekend marks the 6 year anniversary of that reconciliation. *smile*

*My great grandfather was pure Cherokee Indian. My lily white great-grandma ran off with him, creating quite the scandal but they lived happily ever after. I guess that's where I get my romantic nature. *wink*

Thanks again, Jules, this was a lot of fun!

Have a Beauty-Full Day,

Why, Thank You!

I am back home, had a fabulous time on the cruise but am buried in laundry and trying to catch up on the work I missed while away. I'm anxious to tell you all about my vacation, hope to find some time tomorrow to do just that but in the meantime I must take a moment to receive a lovely award from two of my favorite bloggers!



Thank you so much, Orange & Black Kittehs; You know how much I enjoy reading your blog as well, this gift from you is truly an honor!

Back to the grind, "see" you all tomorrow!

xoxoxoxo