Will I Ever Get Back On Track?

William and I during a horse-drawn trolley ride through Victoria, BC

The past couple of weeks have been ... well ... exhausting.

We had company come visit and then headed off on a fantastic vacation to Alaska. We took a couple extra days after the cruise to take in Seattle before finally hopping on a red-eye flight back to New York. From there we had another 9 hours of driving in order to pick up Rascal and Daisy in Boston and then get back home.

Did I mention we lost those 3 hours that we gained on the trip there? Yeah. Major jet-lag.

We spent the next couple days just trying to get ourselves back in the game. Dave went back to work on Wednesday and I tried to get laundry done and get caught up on all sorts of other household stuff.

And now my brother and his wife are coming to visit for a week. Don't get me wrong -- I'm absolutely thrilled to have them and can't wait to spend time with them. It's just that I'm feeling like I'll never get back on a schedule and all the posts that I've been wanting to share are still just jumbled up inside my head.

So -- I'm going to do my very best over the next week or so to get up early and do some blogging (both writing and reading!) before everyone gets up and wants to start the day.

In the meantime, I have to share the most adorable pictures of Rascal and Daisy that our wonderful pet sitter Kim sent me ...

These are pictures of the pups reading the postcard we sent them! I couldn't believe she took pictures! She posted them on Facebook and had adorable captions on them (mostly relating to whether or not we were bringing a polar bear cub home with us ... )  Gotta tell you -- she made my day!

Wordless Wednesday -- Majesty

A-Vacationing She Will Go ...

Been a little absent the past few days -- I've been power shopping packing for a much needed vacation. The past year has been incredible. It has been almost exactly a year since our roller coaster journey of job change and moving started. We were actually on vacation in Gettysburg celebrating our 30th anniversary when my husband got the call. When I think about all that has happened since then, well, no wonder we need a rest!

We are heading to Seattle for a couple days then embarking on a cruise to Alaska! I absolutely can't wait to experience all of this ... it's one of those "bucket list" trips that I only hoped I would be able to take. And I am so-hoping I get the chance to take some pictures like the one up above!

So -- I'll be back in a bit, completely (I hope) relaxed, refreshed, and energized to jump back into my life. I have so many recipes I want to share, decorating questions I need help with, books I want to share reviews about, and ... so much more.

But first, the vacation. See you soon!

Chicken Escarole Soup

This week I decided to try a recipe from the Cooking Light - Fresh Foods Fast Cookbook and we loved it! I have to admit, however, that I didn't follow the recipe exactly -- I added a few ingredients to bulk it up enough to make it what I figured my husband would consider "meal-worthy." So this is my version and I can promise you it will be a regular on our menu!

Chicken Escarole Soup

1 can (28 oz.) coarsely ground chopped Tomatoes (no or low sodium if possible)
1 can (15 oz.) diced Tomatoes (no or low sodium if possible)
1 32 oz. container Chicken Stock (I use Pacific organic, low sodium, range free broth)
2 - 3 stalks Celery, chopped
1 medium Onion, chopped
1 small Zucchini, diced
2 - 3 cooked split boneless Chicken breasts, chopped
1 can Cannellini beans, thoroughly rinsed and drained
Coarsely ground Black Pepper
1/2 tsp (or to taste) dried Basil
2 - 3 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 large bunch Escarole, rinsed and coarsely chopped
Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Combine in large saucepan (or soup pot) the tomatoes and broth. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Add celery, onion, and zucchini and reduce heat to medium. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until veggies start to soften. Add chicken, beans, basil, pepper, escarole and oil and simmer another 5 minutes. Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese if desired.

Note:  Easy to make this vegetarian -- simply use Vegetable Broth instead of the Chicken Broth and omit the chicken! I'm sure it would taste just as good!

Wordless Wednesday -- In Boston Harbor at Sunset

The Perfect Vacation

Sometimes I wonder what it will take to make me happy. And sometimes I wonder if I'm completely nuts.

We (sweet David and I) are, in a few weeks, going to embark on a vacation of a lifetime. We're heading off to a place I have only dreamed of visiting and going with both family and friends to boot. The trip is already paid for, with the exception of a few incidentals such as a couple nights of hotel bills and dinners out, and for the most part, all the details are taken care of. We have fun side trips planned, plenty of relaxation time built in, the promise of fabulous food and entertainment, and beautiful scenery and photo ops await ... everything we could hope for.

So why aren't we more thrilled?

Hubby and I had this discussion last night after we returned home from a trip to WalMart to pick up an extra suitcase. Going over the "still left to do and buy" list, the two of us seemed anything but excited. You'd think we had just been assigned clean-up detail after a church picnic.

I can't help but think of friends and family who have talked about upcoming trips with complete excitement. They can't wait to shop for new clothes. They can hardly contain themselves thinking about the guilt-free reading time they'll have on the airplane. They look forward to eating out at every meal and spending their days shopping, visiting, exploring, and experiencing. They are already sad that they have to leave whereever it is they're going to come home and thinking about their next trip.

My problem is, I think, that I'm a homebody. And so is my hubby.

We LIKE to be home. We LIKE to putter around the house and sleep in on days off and just have lazy days of doing nothing. We LIKE having our dogs with us and the comfort of our own couches and meals prepared by us just the way we like them. Leaving all this behind creates anxiety for us. We worry (well, I do mostly.)  A lot.

Yes, I'm a worrywort. It was my mother's nickname for me when I was little. And I'm a perfectionist too. Not a great combination.

For instance, let's take the suitcase thing. I'm already worried that it won't be big enough and find the whole "what can we pack that will get through security at the airport thing" a pot of anxiety that is starting to boil. I am worried that I won't have enough clothes and upset (yes -- I'm actually upset) over the fact that they don't have irons in the cabins on the ship and that there isn't a laundry facility on board. So now I'm trying to figure out how I'll fit both time and money (and let's not forget space in the suitcase) into the next few days to go shopping and buy more clothes and wrinkle release spray that I hope will actually work.

And the one excursion that our whole group  is going to enjoy together is a Salmon Bake. Guess what? I don't like salmon. I've tried and tried but facts are facts. I'm not a fish-lover. At least not salmon. And I'm tired of hearing that when it's fresh out of the water it will taste different. I just don't believe it.

Probably the most dificult part of the whole trip thing for me (at the moment) is leaving the pups behind. I worry that they'll think we've abandoned them. I worry that something will happen to one of them and we'll be on the other side of the country and unable to be reached. I worry that they'll start to love Kim (who will be taking care of them) more than they love us. In short, I just know I'm going to miss them terribly and will feel guilty if I don't.

The funny thing is that it's not just me. My hubby is in the same boat. As much as we are excited about the trip, I think we'd cancel in a heartbeat if it weren't for the fact that there are others involved. And when I let myself think about that, that's when I start to wonder if I'm nuts.

I bring myself back from the edge telling myself that it's just pre-trip jitters (like cold feet before a wedding) and that once I get the suitcases packed, the dogs safely to Kim's , through security and settled on the plane, THEN the excitement and fun will start. I'm hoping.

Did I mention I won't have internet access for 12 days? I'm going to be completely unplugged. I just don't know if I'm ready for this!

While I don't intend to post a whole lot of negative rant-type posts on this blog, I'm doing this for a purpose. I'm planning to keep a journal of the trip -- just thoughts I jot down along the way -- and when it's all said and done, I want to look back on it all and see if the trip was worth the anxiety. I need to know one way or another whether I should plan a trip like this again in the future (hence this post and the worry confessions ... it's easy to forget that stuff once it's all said and done. Kind of like birthing a baby ....)

I need to know if future vacations should be day trips or weekend getaways ... but in the meantime, I have a LONG list of vacation prep to get to. After all -- I want to have a perfect vacation. I need a break from all this worrying!

Wordless Wednesday -- Giggles

I'm Learning To Knit (Or At Least Giving It a Valiant Try!)

One craft that I've always wanted to learn is knitting. When I was a teenager, my mother took up crocheting (I believe as a way to help keep her hands busy as she tried to quit smoking and so she would not take up eating instead) and she taught me. I loved it and spent many long drives up to our weekend cottage in Canada crocheting afghans, slippers, hats, and scarfs.

I still like to crochet but I find that the majority of the patterns I'm drawn to these days are for knitting. Since I would rather do just about anything than clean the house have a little time on my hands these days I decided maybe I could try to teach myself the basics.

I bought a pattern book and watched some youtube videos (especially good are the ones by Judy Graham aka Hollywood Knitter to the Stars) to help get started. I have to admit, I started and then unraveled about the first 5 attempts. But finally, I managed to make this dishcloth.

It's not without mistakes ... in fact, looking at this picture they're pretty obvious! But it's a start and a not-too-bad first attempt.

I bought some yarn to try another pattern in the book and plan to get started on that in the next day or so. I am also already attempting to do a little designing of my own -- I'd like to make a hand muffler for my mom (who's hands are always cold and every time I see her she has them wrapped up in the bottom of her shirt!) I couldn't find an easy-peasy pattern for beginners so I'm going to see what I can come up with on my own.

So that's what I've been up to in the craft department ... just what I need, another hobby! But with trying to lose a few pounds, I like the idea of keeping my hands busy when the TV's on. Like mother, like daughter :)

Celebrating the Fourth of July on The Spirit of Boston

Holidays mean long weekends and for us, that brings with it the possibility that family (or friends!) will come visit. Our daughter Bree and her boyfriend Jay decided to come spend the 4th with us and we wanted to do something really fun to celebrate.

We decided to hit Boston for the day ... what a great place to visit in the summertime! We took separate cars as hubby and I wanted to drop Rascal and Daisy off with Kim our wonderful pet sitter first. Bree and Jay ended up in Beacon Hill and Dave and I ended up exploring Quincy Market for a while ... great fun and not nearly as crowded as we had expected. Weather was perfect too -- sunny but not too hot. Great for walking the city streets!

The highlight of our day however was a dinner cruise on The Spirit of Boston -- and seeing the city from the water. Love, love, LOVED it! Here are a few pics to enjoy from our walk through the city and of the cruise from the upper deck ...

"Arthur" sitting on top of The Children's Museum

Rowe's Wharf

I fell in love with these lights outside One International Place

Outside the famous Quincy Market

And a quick snippet of inside Quincy Market

Boat on the water right in front of the landing strips at Logan

 

Sun beginning to set ...

It all seems so peaceful from the water ...

The Boston Skyline at sunset ...

Wishing everyone a most patriotic and fun-filled 4th of July!

Celebrating Independence -- On So Many Levels

This year I'm celebrating Independence Day not only as a patriotic American who values freedom, but as a person who is trying to break free of the habits that have held me back and kept me from being the person I want to be. There are so many aspects of my life that I would like to change, and with moving to a new place that offers entirely different surroundings and opportunities, now seems like a great time to shake things up.

My primary goal is to become healthy. Right now, I'm dealing with the "highs" -- high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar levels ... and I know that if I make some changes, I can turn that all around.

So this Independence Day I'm declaring freedom from the pull of fast food, sugar, salt, and dairy. I'm proclaiming my intent to give my body the nutritious fuel it needs and deserves. I am swearing off the couch and jumping on the exercise wagon (or rebounder as the case may be!)

And through it all I fully expect to lose weight and become fit. While healthy is the goal, liking the way I look and feel would be the benefits I am most actively seeking!

It's been a long time coming but it's now or never. And truth be told, it's the never I fear most!

Hello Freedom -- I've missed you!