A few weeks ago I stopped at Molbaks and picked up some primrose and daffodils to grace my patio as I am waiting for the bulbs and flowers from last year to bloom again. That sweet baby daffodil just keeps blooming.

And after discovering my first little crocus bud munched into oblivion before it could bloom, I’ve regularly followed shiny little slime trails to pots and rocks, searching for and dispoing of the evil slugs that lurk beneath… just waiting to feast on my garden.  

And then today….

I opened my blinds today and looked out into my garden and saw this!

The cute little iris that I’d planted early last spring (just before it bloomed) had survived the winter and has burst forth into glorious color on my patio.   

Daffodils and tulips from last year are several inches out of the ground and developing buds.  YEAH! 

And…  

My slug hunting has paid off, because the crocus and and primrose are also in bloom.

I love flowers.   Anything new in your garden?

You may recall that last year I painted a wall in my bedroom with metallic paints.   Since then, my bedroom has been “almost” complete.   However, something was missing.  The wall at the foot of my bed contained a boring bookshelf that accumulated books, photo albums and miscellaneous crap…  not very bedroom-like.  

So I began a quest for a piece of furniture.  Something that would complete the room, and give me a place to put candles and my sand garden. I didn’t really need a dresser, but wanted something dresser like.  I found JUST what I wanted several months ago at a local import store – an antique Chinese chest.  Perfect size, perfect look – but way out of my budget. 

So I kept looking.  And looking.  And looking.  Found a few things online that might work, but most were far too expensive or the wrong size.   And I wouldn’t dare buy them without visually inspecting them.

Feeling inspired to do my part to stimulate the economy, I went out on a couple of weeks ago and hit the local furniture stores to see what I could find.   Nada.  Zip. 

So I stopped back into Far Fetched Furniture to see if they had imported anything new and more affordable.  And there it was. My perfect Chinese cabinet sitting right next to the door.

On sale. But still out of my budget.  

I wandered the store, but kept coming back to it.   The sales guy, desparate to make sale in this economy, knocked a couple hundred more off of the price – making it nearly 1/2 off, and I caved.  

I introduce you to my 90 year old Chinese cabinet.  Isn’t it perfection? I smile everytime I look at it.

Do you have any piece of furniture that makes you happy?

Last night I finally finished reading “The Appeal” by John Grisham – this is my brief review.

Normally, I’m a big fan of John Grisham. Normally when I start reading a book, I have a hard time putting it down. This book took me 4 weeks to finish…. frankly, it’s not up to his usual standard and was a bit of a let down.

I give it 3 out of 10 clams.

Have you read The Appeal? Do you agree with my assessment? Or did you like it better than I did?

So, on my 25 Random Things list I shared that I had lost 49 lbs since August 15th.  Make that 54 lbs as of today.  Several of you asked how I’m doing it – so here is your answer.

I was lean as a teenager….  but, everything changed with my first pregnancy.   My weight has been up and down a lot over the years – far more up than down the past 10.   And at 47 was finding that nothing was working… didn’t matter how little I ate, how active I was, I just wasn’t seeing results. 

I felt better when I went on regular walks, went to Curves 3 times a week, and watched what I ate – but I wasn’t losing any weight.   In fact, I had vowed to never “diet” again - since it seems like every time I do, I lose weight, but then gain it back plus more.  My doctor suggested I look at the Lapband (it had worked for her), but I wasn’t prepared to consider a surgical option.

Last summer, I was made aware of this weight loss protocol – and was completely resistant to it at first. But I started researching it and (even though I had vowed I wasn’t going to tell anyone, in case it didn’t work), I enlisted the help of my sister – who was also looking for alternatives to shed some weight. Honestly, she did most of the research Kristin and I both decided it was the best option we had. So I found a local naturopath who offered it, we made an appointment and jumped in.

hCG Protocol by Dr. Albert Simeons 

It’s not for the faint of heart, though it is the simplest, most effective way I’ve found.  There are naysayers who claim it doesn’t work… but I and many others are living proof it does.  And, frankly,  if you have a negative view of the hCG diet, I’d prefer you keep it to yourself.   I’m not sharing this information to recruit others to try this – just to share what is working for me, because I was asked.

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