Nature Connections: May 2011

It seems that Spring isn't certain that it wants to come to Portland. We have been certain to spend time outside on the few nice days that we did have. Most of the outside time has been in the yard. LK and I worked on the garden, while Princess played and explored.

I know it's not much. Hopefully next month will be much more exciting. Fingers crossed! Spring/Summer may actually arrive one day.

Now head on over to our Nature Connections sponsor, Sherry, to check out others who else got out and about.

Project 2011 - Week 21

Hey there! It's time for Project 2011 again! This is the time that we check and see how our 2011 goals are coming along. You can click the tab above. See it? The one on the right that says "The Royal Goals -- 2011". Yup! That's it!

A big thanks to our Project 2011 sponsor, Cate. You can click the button to the left to check out the details and find out how to join us. It's never too late!

Princess is making lots of progress with her riding. She is riding with the lunge line, which is really helping her get lots of riding experience. Check out her form in this video!

The Lizard King is still looking for pistons for the Harley build. And no, I still don't have any photos. Meh.

I'm continuing to read a lot, and learn a lot, about photography. I've also created a special Amazon wishlist with my photographic wishes. : )

Learning how to sew . . . uhm . . . nothing happening here at the moment, other than washing the Christmas material that I bought for making gift bags. I need to set my sewing machine up in a permanent spot. That way when I have the desire to sew, which does happen fairly often, I can just go do it!

As for my weekly workout . . . still loving it! Slow Burn totally rocks! I'm back in the swing of things. Having quit the gym, I was looking for ways to improve my at home workout. I went window shopping on Amazon and found lots of ideas. Then, I headed out to Craigslist and SCORE! I found exactly what I was looking for and it was a super bargain. It's got a lat pulldown bar, leg curl & extension and a bicep curl pad. It even came with weights. Adding these weights to what I already have, I've now got 120 pounds of steel weights. (That's almost 55 kilos, for my non-American friends.) How cool is that?!?!

I had to order clips to hold the weights on and a barbell bar (because the one that came with it is cheap, bent, and entirely too long), but this is a very low cost gym. I'm ecstatic! I find working out at home much more doable for me.

Now head on over to Cate's to see how bloggy friends, around the world, are doing with their goals!

Wardrobe Wednesday

With the big garden we've planted this year and all my excitement about Monday Gardening Club, you'd think that I loved gardening. I don't. I love eating the food that we grow. I really don't like gardening. At all. Nope. Not one bit.

My big issue? I don't like the feeling of dried mud/dirt on my hands. It sends shivers down my spine.

If it weren't for these awesome gardening gloves, I don't know if I would be able to garden at all. Yes. I'm a bit of a prissy girl. My gloves, they serve me well.

Now head on over to Aliceson's Feet Off the Table to see what all the cool kids are wearing!

Fairy Houses

Last week, Princess and her friend painted fairy houses. We spent all day out in the sun at Village Home, before heading over to Michael's Crafts to purchase the blank fairy houses. The girls ended up spending a full 12 hours together that day and they had a blast!

Princess placed her fairy house in a special spot to encourage the baby fairies to come and grow up in her house.

And what better way to finish off the day than adventures on the play structure!!

Monday Garden Club

It's Gardening Monday again! And yes, I'm running rather late.

Things are sprouting up all over! Yes, the garden is looking pretty good.

We put tomatoes in the ground last week. Three varieties of romas, two each for a total of six plants. The plan is to can a lot of tomatoes.

It looks like the potatoes are growing! We put some "eyed" pieces of potato in the ground and it looks like they're starting to grow. The Lizard King loves potatoes.

Now head on over to Aliceson's Feet Off the Table to see what's happening in her garden and anyone else who has joined in on the gardening fun!

Racing to Save Lives

That is the title of Freckles' post here. If you head over there, you can read about her new friend, Alex. He is a 6 year old boy with leukemia who is fighting for his life. Freckles is running in his honor and is working to raise $3200 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. At the time of this writing, she has raised $1045. I donated $50. Some have donated more. Some have donated less. Please go to Freckles' Team in Training page to make a donation. No amount is too small. You can make a difference.

Freckles shared this story:

Tonight, at the Team in Training Kick Off Party, I listened to my friend Terry speak about her daughter, who died of cancer when she was only 5 years old. I heard a story that was so moving, so heartbreaking, and so bitter sweet, I cried my eyes out... and as I carefully glanced around the room, I realized I was not the only one. I was in good company. Not a dry eye in the room.

Tonight, a young woman with no hair stood in front of a crowd of people, and with tears in her eyes, choking up, she spoke of her diagnosis just two months ago. I joined the crowd for the standing ovations, as she returned to her chair .(I later got to hug her good bye.)

Tonight, a small boy called "GO TEAM" into the microphone. He is a cancer survivor... barely 5 years old.

Tonight, I met the most amazing people... all of whom were there for different reasons, and all of whom were there for the same reason. To run, walk, bicycle, or swim for a cause... to cure blood cancers.

Tonight, my friend Terry, who is training for her 22nd event (!!) said, "I will come back every year, until the day a doctor can say to a patient, yes, you have leukemia, but that's okay... because we have a medication for that. And it has no side effects."

Tonight, I attended a life changing event. I learned just how important this cause is. And if I didn't know it before, I do know now, just how precious this little life of mine is. I came home to my two healthy children, and I hugged them and kissed them, and I felt incredibly thankful for them... and for their health.

Tonight, I learned that since the beginning of this year's Team in Training season that has only just begun a couple of weeks ago, we have already raised $45,000!

Tonight, I'm asking you to visit my fundraising website and to make a donation, so that we... all of us together can make a difference.

THANK YOU!

Project 2011 - Week 20

Okay, I'm a little late posting. Thursdays are always such busy days for us and if I don't write my post in advance . . . well, I end up late.

Did you notice the tab up above? Over on the right? Yup, that one! I thought it would make it easier to keep track our goals. Of course, there have been some changes to our goals.

Princess is continuing weekly horse riding lessons and loving it!! She is also continuing to read lots of stories with horses and just finished her first long chapter book -- 144 pages!

She is ready for Winter Pony next!

The Lizard King has the motor ready, except for pistons, on the Harley build. Once he gets the pistons he can put the motor together! No, I haven't taken any pictures. I will. Soon.

As for me, between a cold, hurting my knee, getting the flu and hurting my back. I did not do my weekly slow burn workout for over a month. Even after I was healthy, I had a hard time getting back to it. I finally realized that trying to get to the gym was presenting too much of a challenge. So, on Monday I headed upstairs and did a kick butt workout. It rocked. I was sore for 2 days.

After that, I decided to quit the gym and use the money to buy equipment so that I can work out better at home. I think the gym was a nice idea, but working out at home works better for me.

I have done no sewing, but bought some Christmas-y fabric at Goodwill that I will use to make gift bags.

I have been doing a lot of photography reading after finding this series of books. These books are loaded with tons of awesome information! I haven't had a lot of opportunity to play with the things I've learned, but hope to soon.

Head on over to our Project 2011 sponsor, Cate, at Moments of Whimsey to see what's happening with goals around the world.

Wardrobe Wednesday

I am still a little stunned. At 46 years old, I knew that my metabolism had slowed and it would be close to impossible to lose weight easily, if at all. I accepted that and was totally okay with my size 10 (creeping up on size 12) pants.

I started eating Primal/Paleo not all that long ago. Was it January? I started living this lifestyle to be healthier. I do feel healthier. In fact, I feel great! And without even trying, the weight started coming off. I couldn't believe it.

My jeans have been getting bigger . . . and bigger. It was becoming very obvious that my jeans just didn't fit. I finally gave in and conceded to buying one pair of jeans. I hate to shop. I headed over to Kohl's and grabbed a pile of size 8 jeans. I tried on every pair and they fit . . . sort of. They were a little loose, and I knew that by the end of the day they would "give", as jeans do, and likely be too loose.

Heading back out to the piles of jeans I searched for a size 6 short. I am only 5' 3" after all.

There was one pair.

One.

I took them back to the fitting room.

I pulled them up.

I buttoned them.

I zipped them.

And they fit.

They actually fit!

Thank you, Freckles, for taking this photo for me. : )

Now head on over to Aliceson's, Feet Off the Table, to see what all the cool kids are wearing.

Lemonade Mouth

Have you seen the Disney movie, Lemonade Mouth, yet? We have it recorded on our DVR and have watched it umpteen times. Yes, it is quite the hit. We also bought the soundtrack and are excited at the possibility of a Lemonade Mouth tour.

The movie is actually pretty darn good and I like the music, which is a good thing. We listen to it A LOT. The coolest thing about the movie and music is how it has inspired Princess.

Using her (very girlie) Tinker Toys, she created a guitar . . .

. . . and microphone with a stand!

Princess can often be found jamming with Lemonade Mouth. She has always been very into music, but since this movie, that love has grown exponentially.

Rock on , Princess!!!

Monday Garden Club

Yes folks, I'm back! Finally, huh?! I'm feeling healthy and ready to get back into the bloggy swing of things.

We actually had a couple of good weather days here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. We even had one amazing day. Freckles and I took full advantage of it and spent the afternoon in the SUN. Have no fear, our rain returned in short order. Meh. I'm done with the rain . . . for now anyway. I'll welcome it back come autumn.

We finally put all our starts in the ground! Yippee!! Princess planted more flower seeds, marigolds this time. My Gardening Goddess friend suggested planting them with the tomato plants, to keep bugs away. Tomatoes will join the marigold seeds tomorrow.

Once we finished putting what we had in the ground, I realized that we needed more lettuce and more greens. Princess and I headed over to Al's Garden Supply after horse riding lesson and picked up romaine, chard and sorrel.

The fairy garden is growing. And we had a visitor . . . no, no fairies yet. But I think this ladybug is a sign.

Rain continues today, but is supposed to be gone again tomorrow, with a lovely forecast through Saturday. Fingers crossed! At least with all the rain, we haven't had to water the garden. Yup! I'm always looking for that silver lining.

Now head on over to our Monday Garden Club sponsor, Aliceson at Feet Off the Table to see gardens around the world.

Sick of Being Sick

It started Saturday evening. Sunday I thought I was on the upswing, getting better. Monday I was worse and slept the day away. Thankfully, Princess is incredibly talented at entertaining herself. I managed to slice some bread and make her eggs. She has access to other foods, so she was certain not to starve.

Today I am feeling just a bit better. I ate an egg! And I'm having some tea. I'm also managing to get a pork roast in the crock pot with homemade barbecue sauce. There were other steps involved in this recipe, but I just don't have the energy. Hopefully, it will still be yummy.

I know that the Lizard King is feeling overwhelmed. Besides working his full time job, he's got side work going on, then he has to come home and handle my responsibilities. I need to be healthy soon. I hate leaving so much on his shoulders when he's got so much already.

I missed Nature Connections, Monday Gardening Club and I miss posting in general. I will be back next week and maybe I'll post my Nature Connection anyway, even if I'm too late to join in.

I hope everyone else out there is feeling fabulous!!