Diet day 1

Today is my first diet day and other than being hungry between lunch shake and healthy supper, it went really well. I didn't have time to fix a snack, though, so probably hungry makes sense.

I had a shake for breakfast, cheesecake flavored, and 24 ounce cup of java. The shake actually tasted good and left no gross after taste.

I had a bunch of raw veggies with 1 tablespoon of Ranch dip, which was awesome. And a big bowl of strawberries and my other shake (I had cheesecake again because I didn't want to take time to make another flavor this morning!)

Dinner was stir fry with lean strip steak and veggies and rice. I was able to have a banana and some Weight Watchers chips for a snack.

I feel really good. Every day isn't going to be a diet post but I thought since it was the first day (since I was supposed to start a week ago and just didn't my life together!) that I'd give myself a boost. I consumed less than 1000 calories of good tasting stuff.

Now if the pounds come off, life will be good. I lost 1 pound already. So a pound a day... for a 100 days! (Yeah, I wish but this is a start!)

Mags

Crocheting up a storm

(above is just a partial pile!)

So a few weeks ago I did an art club project with my students that turned into a huge THING. It was supposed to just be a yarn project and a community service project all at once and I was supposed to be behind the scenes and then.... well..... wow.

Daddy-O and Curly make prayer shawls for the prayer shawl ministry at Daddy-O's church (along with other members of the congregation). I have a whole bunch of students at school who can crochet. So I brought prayer shawl samples to school and some patterns, explained the prayer shawl concept, and recruited about 15 kids. I gave them all yarn and 2 weeks to finish. I told them that anyone who made a shawl, a baby blanket, or lap robe would be invited to come to church with me to donate them.

To keep the kids motivated, we meet in the campus chapel to crochet together. They came to the art club space after school and crochet. They crocheted in the library, and of course they could work on their projects in their dorm rooms. While the making and creating is going on with the students and me, there were behind the scenes happening.

Daddy-O told the minister at church and he got together with the woman who coordinates all the prayer shawl donations (who I called to see if she would care if my students made some and then donated them if we had any) and decided to do a special service dedicated to our students who made the yarn projects.

Then on campus, one of the women in the marketing department decided to make the project a the feature project to raise money for our organization. Then the development office sent literature to the church and it became Alcatraz Sunday

Holy Moly!

End count: We had 4 adult volunteers and 14 kids make a total of 24 prayer shawls, baby blankets, and lap robes to donate to the church.

Some of the kids wanted to help but had never crocheted before and some has just started learning. This became... an issue. All of the kids had their hearts in the right places but some of them didn't have the crocheting talent to back it up. We had some yarn projects that were... challenging. So God Bless Daddy-O and Curly who "fixed" a bunch: gave them edges, ripped out knots, made shawls longer or wider, and in a couple situations just... um. sorta, maybe took out some stitches and then redid them a bit smoother. This project had 2 angels who made ALL the blankets, shawls, and lap robes able to be used. AND, they each made their own shawls to contribute because I was afraid we wouldn't have enough and the project became HUGE so I didn't want to let anyone down. The ones they made were so pretty, too! (and I have to admit: I can't knit nor crochet so Daddy-O made one for me to contribute!) Thank you Dad and Curly because there is no way I coordinated this alone! (edited post- this paragraph added later)

Then today I, along with 3 other staff, took 10 of the kids to church where the entire congregation recognized the students. Then the minster blessed the shawls. One of my students (she knew in advance) was asked to say a prayer and did. Two others presented 2 shawls the kids made to a couple in need. An administrator from our facility spoke as part of the service and then the offering for that day was donated to our facility! Wow. Just wow.

I took all the kids out to lunch to celebrate their success. What started as a community service project, a spiritual journey for some, a way to give of themselves and to give back to those in need, to use their many blessings, turned into this wonderful reward for them, and so many others. What a wonderful blessing that day!

Those kids just rock my world more than they will ever know, and they don't know how much they gave to others.

Blessings,
Mags

Change isn't always good

I don't want a new blogger interface. I can't cope with the blogger change! What's wrong with the old one? I hate Google! I need to go and hide for awhile.

I'll be back.

Mags

Lilith Love

I love Lilith. Lilith and I met in 2001. Funny story about that... and thankfully first impressions aren't everything.

I taught her Composition I class in college and I introduced myself to the class and about 3 minutes in on the first day I discovered I needed copies. I was really nervous and embarrassed and in high heels. So to hurry, I kicked the shoes off and RAN from the room to make copies. I just ran out telling them I needed copies and left, in my stocking feet, high heels on the classroom floor. I think the whole class wasn't sure what to think of their weird teacher. Later, Lilith said she thought I was "on crack"- I think I was a little more high strung (I like to think of myself as energetic) than the teachers they were used to having.

After that sterling intro, during the course of the class, she wrote a paper and it earned an F. I "gave" her the first and only F she ever received on an assignment. Yeah.....

And then there was that one time we were both into the same guy. Yeah....

After being her teacher, I was able to be her friend, in spite of being on "crack" (haha- not really!), giving her an F, a guy thing, and being shoe-less.

She is someone that I've had ups and downs with and she and I always come out on the other side. Regardless of our differences, we still are friends. Even if she and I don't talk for months, we pick up like I saw her yesterday.

No matter what, she listens to me. She is willing to give me sympathy and tears but she also knows me well enough when to say "enough is enough, suck it up." And even though at the time I might not like that, I still love her for knowing when I need love and tough love. I swear she should be a therapist. She's a great listener and she gives very well thought out advice and opinions.

And she's smart and knows stuff and teaches me stuff. She's a good mom.

If I died she's my Fort Knox; she knows all the secrets and can dole them out.

She's also not afraid to voice her opinion so I love having her on my side. She's no nonsense but never afraid to be silly.

I covet her purse collection.

She's willing to tray anything at least once so we can hang out, talk for hours, laugh, drink coffee, shop, paint pottery or even take dance lessons if we wanted because she's be the one to give it a try.

I'm blessed to know her and to call her friend!
Mags

Look at this Photographer...

I've known Photographer since 1996. She was the president of the not for profit board of directors where I worked as a case manager. Our friendship evolved from there.

I admire her so much. She has had some horrendous health issues but she still keeps on going and doesn't let it beat her up. She's an excellent English teacher and I love it that we compare lesson plans, talk classroom management styles and ideas and we love to analyze literature, too. We can also share classroom horror stories and we both "get it"; nothing like a little bit of teacher commiseration!

She's an extremely talented photographer and I admire her work so much. She still make pictures rather than photo shopping her photos into art. I love to work for her and I've learned so much from her as well. I think my love of picture taking comes from her encouragement and lessons.

She's really creative and has a positive energy. She's quiet but involved in some really cool projects: she took a photography class with world renowned photographers and paid for it with a grant she got from the Lily Foundation, she's authored her own cookbook, she's lost about 100 pounds in the last year, she's an amazing cook, a dog lover, so funny, brilliant, and an excellent friend. She's the person I aspire to be. She's go giving. Really. And she genuinely cares about her friends.

I love her and am blessed to have her in my life.

Mags

Today would be her birthday

Today would be my mom's birthday if she were still alive. She'd be 64.

My mom was a wonderful lady, and a good mom. She had a rough last few years before she died, but until that point, she lived a cheerful and fun life.

She loved to read and do needlepoint. She was a social worker and was so good at that- a great blend of empathy, reality and sympathy. She loved her family. She was an amazing cook. She always wore bright colors. She loved her convertible and dogs. She had a wonderful voice and could sing beautifully, even thought she didn't like to sing in public. She could play the piano. She was artistic and could paint, draw, sketch. She did all my weekly assignments in 7th grade art class (except for 1 that my dad did) and I wouldn't have passed without her.

I love my mom. I miss her.

happy birthday mom!

Your daughter Maggie

XRay Girl Rocks

XRayGirl is awesome. She and I also talk about anything and everything. We have lots in common and can relate to stuff, especially our pain in the butt 19 year old sons.

But we make each other laugh no matter what. I like that weeks can go by and we can start talking just like spoke a few hours before. She has a new job and works second shift in a town about an hour away and she also works about 5 hours of overtime, we rarely get to talk but when we do, it's just like we talk every day.

We can spend time together and tease each other. It's okay for us to laugh and cry together. I like the idea that you can't pick your family but can pick your friends and I'm so blessed that she and I picked each other!

Lovin' XRayGirl,
Mags