Making Health a Priority

 Sometimes we pay for not following through with our routines. Being in a household with 2 dozen women made it very difficult for me to stay focused on ME. I already have a hard time drinking enough water and guess what? I certainly didn't that week at the beach. 

Came home with a UTI (Urinary Tract Infection)! Ouch! Bet I make sure I drink plenty of water from now on. 

This is a subject that many people find disturbing. No, I'm not talking about UTIs... I moved on to another subject! 

It's A1 and how it can affect our lives. There's been some form or other of artifical intellengence around for awhile now but it has progressed to a level that folks are scared of it.  I can see why. Like everything else in life, if you don't use it correctly and for the good it can be very abused and unhealthy.

Oh, speaking of health! There's so much talk about being healthy now and I think it's way past time. 

Which brings me back to A1...

My son added the App ChatGPT to my computer. I hadn't used it after that try out period, but the other day I asked it to help me with a problem. And, ChatGPT turned my way of shopping, eating, cooking etc. all around. I am more than thrilled with their help.

My problem: In an effort to eat healthier I would go online and select healthy items off my local grocer site. It would be delivered to my door. I'd put them in my pantry and frig... and then could not figure out how to make something interesting to eat out of any of it. 

ChatGPT to the rescue! It gave me some great ideas for easy meal planning and then made me a grocery list to work from. It even offered to send me some recipes to make from those items. 

I have been eating 'high on the hog' lately. A healthy hog, I might add. 

Back in my colon cancer days it was suggested I drink smoothies. And, I have never liked smoothies since. But, I made one from the suggestions I got from ChatGPT and it was so good. 

Then I made me a bowl. Now, I've ordered a bowl or two out at a restaurant but I'd never made one at home. Oh my gosh, was it  good! I used rice instead of quinoa. And I squirted some lemon juice over the top.

And, I fell in love with a wrap that I whipped up last night. I substitued a tortilla for the lettuce and used guacamole instead of the mashed avocado.

I tell you... ChatGPT is my new best friend. 

Have any of you  used ChatGPT .... just curious? 

Fill My Tummy with Great Food

 Food, of course, is always a highlight of any vacation. 

Shirley and I went to Hurricane Moe's one night and pigged out on seafood. Her go-to is always shrimp. Mine is scallops. We were not disappointed and in fact, I hurt so bad waddling out of that place but I did it with no regrets! 

We gals had Saturday brunch as our meal to mix for all those women. It was a huge success. Only meal made that entire week where scrapbookers were up from their tables, snapping pictures and oooohing and aaaahing. We DONE good! 

I'm making croissants filled with egg, cheese and ham. 

One of our trays. fruit, boiled eggs, cheese straws, plain croisaants and jam.

A more savory tray with sausages, the egg/cheese/ham croissants and avocado. 

And, Mimosas for everyone. Yum. Maybe it was the mimosas that made everyone so happy! 

A Week At the Beach

 Oh my gosh....

What a week. It was certainly different than our family get-aways, and because I don't scrapbook anymore it was different in that respect, as well. But, I enjoyed myself. I mean, how can you not enjoy someone else cooking your meals for you for 6 brunches and dinners! I didn't have to do laundry, go shopping, clean toilets or mop floors. 

Instead, I read one and a half books, I painted 3 watercolor paintings, I did numerous crossword puzzles, streamed a bunch of my tv shows and wrote every day in my journal. Good week, I'd say. 

There were about 2 dozen women in this huge beach house. And, all the furniture was moved out of the Main room on the top floor (except our tables where we ate our meals) and scrapbookers brought in their own 6' tables and all their scrapbooking supples and there was hardly any walking room in there at all. 

Because of a dune, we couldn't see the water's edge so missed out on watching the waves crashing or seeing the birds running around the beach line. 

Some days were very cool, windy. 

    Some days were warmer, sunny. 

Once when Shirley and I were having some key lime pie on the balcony, a bird (not sure which kind) came in hopes we'd feed him. Shirley said I'd better not, I'd get tons of birds flying in, but I did anyway. A few crumbs of the crust. He was happy and so was I.

And, no extra visitors wanting their share.

You should have seen me trying to get out of this tall Adirondack chair!

Got into it fine. But, could not get out! 

Shirley to the rescue!

Our comfy bed! 

More in the next post. 

Running away to the beach

 Pardon me while I enjoy the beach for a week... I would take you all with me if I could. 

Here are some photos from other trips I have made over the years... Nags Head, North Carolina

Happy Spring

I guess you can tell that I am one happy girl that today is the first day of Spring!!

I am realistic enough, though, to know that it won't  all be sunshine and daffodils. Chilly weather isn't gone yet. 

Wishing each of you a wonderful season of joy and color. 

 

Final post on Susan's modeling Adventure

 The final post on Susan's modeling adventure:

After coming back to New York from Europe, Susan picked up right where she left off, but now her portifolio was much more impressive. At one point she changed agencies.. that probably helped some but who knows. Modeling is a very difficult career in that if you don't have a stiff backbone and a drive that's top-notch it's hard. Susan is that gentle, kind-hearted, do anything for you southern lady. Being that kind of gal made it hard to make her mark over more aggresive girls.

a photo shoot done in 1987

But, she worked. She did modeling for Macy's Department Store,  runway for fashion week, catolog photos for several companies, was in Glamour magazine as well as Cosmopolitan mag. Women's World and several others. 

She had a national commerical for Ban deodorant and a whiskey company of which I can not recall right now.

A snapshot taken when the commercial was playing on tv. 

 She was on the cover of some books that were published. This one is my favorite. 

She shot in St. Croix, Chicago, New York and several other places. It was all exciting for her and her family was so proud of her. 

She got engaged to that boyfriend I told you about... they were married at Old First Church in Bennington, Vermont in 1989. It was a gorgeous wedding. 

Susan and her Dad entering the church

They had their first son in 1991, moved to the suburbs. Didn't want to raise a family in the city. Fourteen months later another son joined them. Susan was still working even though she was now a wife and mom. But, then everything changed.

The youngest baby was diagnosed with autism at age 18 months. We all were devastated. He needed constant care, 24/7 and still does to this day. He will celebrate his 32nd birthday in April. 

So much of Susan's time and energy has gone into O's care. On top of that she and her husband started a small organization out of their home to help educate, give resources to and fight for better legistation for autism on the national level. As you might assume, it grew out of their house and eventually joined with a couple other groups and formed what is known as Autism Speaks. The two of them over the years have raised around 20 million dollars for Autism Speaks through golf tournaments held each year. 

Yes, my little teenager with a big dream of being a model got to live that dream for awhile. But, her purpose in life paints such a bigger picture. She is still that gentle, kind-hearted woman, full of patience and grace. I couldn't be more proud.

Susan and Owen