Here I am in Weight Watchers Wonderland...Again

Okay, I finally did it again. I joined WW about a year or more ago and here I am again. I think this is about the 5th time I have officially joined Weight Watchers. I don't know why -- I am not a very good joiner and never last very long. I don't like meetings, I wonder why most of the people there, are there. I am about 20 lbs. overweight and count myself luckier than some people. But I will give it another try. I am sure I will feel better being able to fit into my clothes again. Lynne, I will dig out those wonderful recipes you gave me.

I came home from the meeting this morning and I guess I was so overwhelmed by the prospect of what I am embarking on, I napped most of the afternoon. The mere thought of it wore me out!

Happy Trails!

TODAY

Hello, everyone. Thank you to anyone who has spotted errors in my blog. This is a definite learning process, but challenging, therefore, fun.

I just finished the sweetest little book - "A Redbird Christmas" by Fannie Flagg. Even though it is not Christmas, it could be read anytime of year. A nice story of faith and hope written in Fannie's inimitable homespun way.

It is so windy today and COLD!!! The weather is usually fairly mild along the coast, but we do have a few doozies in the winter. It didn't bother my little poodle - Beau. He had his little coat on and was just as happy out walking in the weather as I was not.

We have Beau - 2 year old brown miniature Poodle and also 3 cats: Pierre (20 lbs.) and Chloe and our old lady, Violet. Chloe is the youngest and still acts like the baby of the family. Pierre and Chloe are very chummy, but Violet has always been grumpy about sharing her house with two other cats and now horror of horrors, a DOG. On a future post I will share some of the quirks of Beau -- he is unusual.

Happy Trails everyone!

FINALLY SNOW!!!!

We had snow forecast for last night and I actually stayed up until midnight waiting to see it. I don't know why I am obsessing about this snow thing. I think it is because it is something different in this drab brown winter. By this morning we had about an inch of snow, but it sure is pretty. They actually closed the schools! Since Valentine's Day is next week, I think I will hang some red hearts in the trees outside. That will perk things up.

I am still learning the ins and outs of doing this blog. Thanks to Lynne (http://Lynneslittlecorner.blogspot.com), I am starting to get the hang of it. How do all of you find the time?

Non-Fiction Challenge - Come Join In

Joy (Thoughts of Joy) has a new challenge. Read 5 non-fiction books from May to September. I am still working on my list. Go to her site and check it out.

Still no snow

Freezing here and still no snow. They say 30% chance of snow tonight or tomorrow -- but only an inch or two. I am sure that if I lived in North Dakota I would be complaining -- "too much snow."

I need advice about how to put Joy's non-fiction challenge onto my blog site. Help.

Just picked up two books from the library -- "Cook's Tour" by Anthony Bourdain and a Christmas theme book by Fannie Farmer (forget the name of it). I really like Tony's Travel channel show. Isn't he the cutest?

On someone's blog I saw Joyce Carol Oates' book "Blonde" listed. This has been on my shelf for years and I can't seem to start it. Is this a good read?

Happy Trails everyone!

WINTER DAY AT THE BEACH

19 degrees here with a wind chill factor bringing it much lower. So much for our mild winter. Still no snow in sight. This is a picture of the beach which is a few blocks from my office. Actually, as much as I may complain, it is a beautiful place to live. I live a few miles from the beach.

I was thinking of why I called my blog Violetlady at Home. In case anyone is curious -- my favorite flower is the wild violet, which was also my mother's favorite. My grandmother used to have violet cologne in a round bottle with violets handpainted on it. When she became very old she gave it to me. It was empty, of course, but now is one of my treasures. I have accumulated several violet related bottles and pictures. I even have some violet candy! Hence, violetlady, and At Home -- just because I love to be home, puttering, reading, etc. I guess I could have been licoricelady since I love black licorice, but that doesn't really have the ring to it, does it?

Have a beautiful day to anyone who reads this. My favorite farewell --- Happy Trails!!

SECOND POST FROM PARADISE

Back again. My thoughts had been of my mother who at 84 years old and living in assisted living, wondered what she was doing around all those old people. "I still feel like a young girl inside", she giggled. Her dementia left her confused and forgetful, but she was still the same person inside and she knew it. Perhaps dementia at a certain point protects those afflicted with a shield against what is present around them and lets them live in their own private past.

Violetlady is rather introspective today. It is gray and wet here at the beach. I live and work at the beach, but equally (perhaps more) love the mountains and lakes. Who doesn't love beauty and want to be in it and around it as much as possible. I look forward to visiting my daughter and son-in-law and two grandsons in a few weeks. Now there is true beauty.

First Blog

Here I am, Violetlady, entering my first post on this new blog. I wrote a lovely one on another site, but thanks to my dear friend Lynne (Lynne's Little Corner of the World), I am changing to this site. I don't know how to move what I wrote to this site and it is now midnight and will have to let it go till another day.