Well I guess I'm a walkin contridiction

So it would seem I guess.  Since our government in it's infinite wisdom (not) can't seem to catch up with all of the studies regarding the benefits of full fat dairy, our medical providers continue to recommend the low fat version.  Ya know cause the government doesn't do anything wrong.  In fact, I believe a lot of the info out there is wrong.  Just plain wrong.  Are you wondering what has sent me on this ti raid today?  Scientific proof that I'm onto something.  Something happened today that brought about one more trip by me down the weight loss blogging lane.

Today was my yearly appointment with my endocrinologist.  She has been unaware of my weight loss, and so I was excited to get to this appointment.  Seriously could not wait to get to the weigh in and see her.  The wait was worth it.  She was thrilled.  Not only weight, but A1C levels are way down and now there is "No sign of pre-diabetes in you"(her words).  My pulse, cholesterol, blood sugar, etc were all down and in a normal range.  All of this magic happened not because I ate more oats, took a medication, followed some weird diet, etc.  In fact I told her I'd been concerned about my cholesterol because I'd been having eggs just about every day.  BTW, cholesterol went from 188 to 169.  Anyhoo, it happened because I counted calories, controlled portions, and was active.  Now I know that sounds a lot like dieting, but for one thing.  I counted calories and controlled portions with REAL food; sure nuff honest to goodness full fat, or sweetened varieties, leans meats, fruits and veggies.  And bread, I do have bread some.

I've come here to reiterate that 1200 calories of real food IS SO different than 1200 calories of fat free sugar free food.  I know with the diet foods you feel like you can eat more.  Visually it looks like more food.  Problem is your body knows the difference.  When I ate that way, I never could stay on track.  By evening I was eating everything in sight.  I may last a few days, but nothing longer than that.  Eating real food has allowed me to be in control.  All of these years of fighting to stay on track and beating myself up when I failed, are gone.  It wasn't my lack of will power.  It was my body fighting to function correctly.  There are a lot of things in my life for which I can accept blame.  This isn't one of them.

By the way.  My activity is not a structured workout routine.  In fact I'll balk at that.  My activity is living my life.  I am active in housecleaning, lawn maintenance, gardening, etc.  What needs doing normally is my activity.  Now if I was still at a sedentary job I may still have to have a structured workout routine.  Not sure I'm mentally there to make myself exercise.  As a result, not sure I would have been this successful if I still sat at a desk.  Never thought I would hear myself say this, but if I ever went back to work (outside the home), I would have to have an active job.

We can argue the benefits or necessity of a structured workout verses an active lifestyle, but the one thing I can't accept is the need for diets and/or diet foods.   It's like I was telling a friend the other day.  It's like dieting is our drug of choice.  The diet industry is the pusher.  They give you the first week free or some other discount to get started.  You're successful for a time.  Some more than others.  Then it isn't sustainable and it's your fault?  These plans are set up to either keep you on them indefinitely or have you coming back repeatedly.  Either way, they get your money.  You are a source of income.  No more, no less.

I feel like Ponce De Leon, with the fountain of youth, except I've found what I sought.  I have the answer!  I just want to tell everyone!  You don't have to buy my book.  You don't have to buy special foods.  You don't even have to buy special ingredients.  There is no need for fitness equipment.  Funny.  God saw fit to give us everything we need for our bodies to be able to function at full capacity.  Why do we feel the need to change anything?  He gave us food to eat (all food groups cause He's thorough like that).  He gave us muscles to move, and He gave us his word.  Proverbs 23: vs 1-3 says "When you sit and dine with a ruler, note well what is put before you.  Put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony.  Do not crave his delicacies for that food is deceptive".  Seems a bit of an extreme, but the message is clear.  Control yourself.  Proverbs 25:16 " Have you found honey?  Eat only what you need that you not have it in excess and vomit it.". So, yea, a little sweet is fine, but don't make yourself sick.  Notice it doesn't say instead eat some artificial synthetic (was planning on being paint thinner) sweetener to save calories.  Just sayin.

I'm tired of people having to put their life on hold to watch their weight.  I can't do this or that because I can't expose myself to "this or that".  Family events are mind fields and not something to be enjoyed.  I'm tired of not wanting to be in a picture because it's a reminder of my size.  I'm tired of worrying about the holidays coming around because it means rich high calorie food.  I'm tired of feeling like I'm not strong enough to control myself.  That there is something wrong with me.  Some defect no one else has.  My life is not on hold anymore.  I am in control.  I can go where I want, eat what I want.  Family events are now events only.  I will proudly stand in a picture even though I still have another 40 lbs to go.  Holidays are holidays.  I was not and am not defective.  What I was eating was.

Please, please, please.  Hear what I'm saying.  Try it.  To save calories, cut out what is "eh" and keep what is a "have to have" (veggies and fruits are have to have you know).  Mine was bread, pasta or rice.  I keep what is the most enjoyable to me and save the bread/pasta/rice for last.  If I have the calories I may add a little, but it comes after coffee with cream and sugar and an evening smore.  Priorities my dear Watson.

I made a pumpkin pie this morning cause it's 57 degrees which here is cool for the beginning of fall.  I wanted it for breakfast, but it wasn't ready in time.  I prefer it chilled anyway so it will be on the docket for tomorrow.  It is true pumpkin pie minus one thing; a crust.  Now that it's out of the oven, I'm on my way outside to finish up some work in the garden.  Tonight is a pizza night.  I'll be at my moms, but the guys want pizza.  When I come in I'll make the crust and get every thing together for them to bake it.  See?  Activity is my workout.  This is how I do it.  Yours will be different, but for one thing.  No diet foods Please!

Off and Rolling

I know it's been quiet on here the past couple of weeks.  Bread has still been baked.  Laundry has still been hung.  I bought a months worth of groceries last week, and the garden has received some attention.  Not as much attention as it probably needs, but it has gotten some.

My blog and my garden have suffered from "sewing frenzy".  Sewing frenzy occurs when your proprietor has a deadline self imposed to get items into an online Etsy shop before the holidays.  As a result of said deadline, the sewing machine goes non stop.  Since no one has yet to invent a home self propelled sewing machine; the garden and the blog have suffered.

Now on the up side, I have begun making SALES in my Etsy shop.  My little store is in the black about $100.  Doesn't sound like much I'll warrant you, but it's a start.  It sure beats being $100 in the red.  Here are some of my latest additions:

Add to this replacement sets of cloth diapers for dolls (all sizes) and two slip/panties sets for 18-20 inch dolls and you have a busy sewing machine.  Should anyone be interested in my store they can see it  at

https://www.etsy.com/shop/TeaTimeDollClothes?ref=hdr_shop_menu

Apparently you need to copy and paste this address.  Blogger doesn't seem to want to let me put the link in.

Today, however, was a gardening day!  Yay!  Back to sewing this afternoon though so don't get too excited.  Anyway, it is time to change out the sand the chickens use in their run for fresh sand.  It is also time to put the garden to bed for the winter.  So, combining both tasks we shoveled out the old sand into some of the raised beds and turned it in.  But, in the middle of this task, we changed our mind and, instead of putting in new sand, we made it so our chickens can free range.  At least the older ones.  DH put a door on the coop we can use to shut them in at night.  The baby hens got the big run and the older chickens are out and about.  We have another run ready should we need to get them back in. We replaced the sand that was in the old run with dirt since it is no longer necessary for them to have a sand bed.  They seem happy with the change.  The babies looove the new run they have.  All got an up grade.  I was able to complete two beds and so will cover them with plastic probably tomorrow.

So I can safely say I have done something besides sew.  In fact I have now blogged And gardened! Now I need to go organize/move my sewing area to make it more user friendly.  One day I will have a sewing room, but since I am not in a huge hurry to have an empty nest, I will make due with what I have.  You guys have a great day!

Okay that's done!

So I promised to post pics when I had the runner finished.  I just finished it so here are the runner and pillows.  The Brocade and trim was fabric purchased at a thrift store for about $1.  The trim was fromm fabric left over from recovering two of my dining room chairs.

Here is the pic of the chairs from before so you get a better idea of the trim.

My Adventurous Week

It has been an interesting week filled with wonderful new accomplishments.

For years now I've been interested in Composition dolls.  These dolls were created in the early 20th century up til the advent of vinyl dolls in the 50's.  They were originally created to be more resilient than bisque.  They are less likely to break, but composition is pressed sawdust molded in the shape of a doll and painted; many times hand painted. They have to have a regulated temperature and humidity environment or the wood expands and the paint can crack.  Water is not a composition dolls friend.  In the 1940's composition dolls started to have soft bodies, but composition head, arms, and legs.  Up until the 40's the dolls were all composition.  I like all composition dolls because, to me, it's an art form that has passed, and their faces are so precious.  While I do like these dolls, my interest lies in rescuing them.  Taking a damaged doll and attempting to bring it back to a new life.  I think of Toy Story a lot when dealing with dolls.  No I don't think they are alive, but you never know so I am really careful about how I treat my toys.  We all know what happened to Sid.  I first learned to clean, re-string, and re paint faces.  A couple of weeks ago at an antique store, I found a doll in need of more major repairs than I ever attempted.  I bought her for $12 and have been working on her.  What stated off as making a new soft body, cleaning, and maybe a touch up of paint, has turned into s full out learning session in repainting the whole doll cracked legs and all.  Once done she will have had a new body created, re-painted with an air brush, face re-painted, and all arms and legs attached.  I also intend to make her a new outfit just for her and then she will be put up for "adoption".  Here is her before pic

Here is the body in progress

Here she is again after cleaning and with her new body.  She is missing a left leg and so I am in the market for one.  Until then she will be handicapped.

You can't see it in the pictures, but the paint has peeled off of her head on the top where the two halves of the mold were put together.  This is common.  I have removed the flaked off paint and am waiting on the putty to arrive to patch and paint the area again.  Once that happens her restoration should move much faster.


In addition to playing with dolls I've had an over stuffed chair that has been the bane of my existence.  While definitely the most comfortable chair in the house, it is or was the ugliest.  The upholstery had torn and was stained and the pinkish color was blotchy.  I should have had the fore sight to take a before picture, but I was so eager to get started I forgot until it was too late.  But I can show the after.  Here tis

I have since finished two throw pillows for the living room and am working on a runner for my dining room table.  I will post pics of them later.  The chair is now "Mama's chair".  As it should be.  The great part of this is the fabric came from a thrift store.  I got all of the fabric for this chair for $8.  All of it.  Aside from that the only other cost was some upholstery staples and my time.  It was easy peasy (uh remind me I need to replace my sz 14 sewing needles). The contrasting fabric you see on this was from an old king size bed skirt.  I had donated the comforter and shams to a thrift store not realizing the bed skirt was left out.  I ran out of the Blue denim and needed something to help.  I found this during my fabric search.  You can't tell it by the picture, but the fabric is brown with the same color blue in design.  The pillows are brown and the sofa soon will be.  The table runner will also tie in even though it will be in the dining room.

It has been a fun week, but tiring.  Feeling pretty good though.  Moral of the story!  Make the most of what you have!  Can it be given new life instead of thrown away?  What are some of your rescues?

Not all calories are created equal.

Something I have realized in my weight loss journey.  Not all calories are created equal (hence the title of my post).  Now I know calories from veggies and fruits are better than calories from junk.  That isn't what I'm talking about.  Most people get that.  I have discovered 1200 calories of real food are different than 1200 calories of fat free sugar free diet foods.  Seriously, they are.  Now I'm not quoting some study or recommendation from the powers that be.  No, this is only the observations of a woman with vast dieting experience.

 Based on my weight and weight loss goals, I get 1200-1500 calories a day.  1500 if I move and 1200 if I'm a slug.  It's been that way every time I've dieted.  I've used Sparkpeople before you see.  I've used weight watchers, and other plans too.  Each time I felt the diet food was my crutch.  It helped me get to the end of the day; or so I thought.  Instead, by the end of the day, I would be ready to eat the paint off the walls.  It was only through sheer will power I would get through the day without falling off the wagon so to speak.  Most times I wouldn't be successful, and would eat, and eat, and eat; scolding myself as I put something else in my mouth. You see it was all my fault.  I was weak.  I felt like an addict and wondered if I was actually addicted to food.

Now I know that none of that was true.  I wasn't weak.  I wasn't addicted, and Diet foods were not a help to me.  You see the human body is an amazing thing.  It is like the coolest computer ever.  It knows what it needs to function.  Not just carbs or protein, etc.  It knows what vitamins and minerals, etc it needs for any given task.  It relies on us to give our bodies what they need. It also relies on us to give our bodies what they need in a manner they recognize.  When our bodies don't recognize a component we ingest, they STORE IT!  Fat is the extra anything that comes into your body.  It's the stuff you didn't need to begin with.  Fat isn't just extra calories.  It is the extra whatever not needed by the body.  The body saves it for later.  The flip side of that coin is the fact that your body WILL get what it needs.  It will trigger you to eat until it gets what it wants.  So if you are filling your body with unrecognizable highly processed diet foods, you will have a mighty hard time staying on track.  I know.  I've been there.

Since I've started getting my 1200-1500 calories through real food; whole milk/whole milk products, Butter, Lean meats, fruits, veggies, Sugar, CHEESE (glorious cheese, NOT AMERICAN), I have discovered I'm not hungry!  I get to the end of the day.  I am in range for calories,fat, protein, and carbs, and I'm satisfied.  In fact I have discovered I will get full faster and eat less anyway.  Notice my list of foods I eat.  I'm not "low fatting" this thing.  I keep my fats in range according to sparkpeople by making sure the high fat stuff is tempered with lean meats or fruits veggies. etc.  But when I eat something that is supposed to have fat in it, I eat the full fat version.  Just less of it and I count it!

Time to break with the powers that be and go by logic.  Tamp down those voices in  your head that say you can't, you're not strong enough,  Try the old fashioned portion control and calorie counting with real food and see how you feel.  If I'm wrong, I'm wrong.  To each his own.  But I bet I'm not wrong.

It's been a week.

And I don't mean the amount of time between posts.  I mean it has been a week.  Not a bad week, but busy.  This was actually a good week when it came to getting things done mainly because Rubic is out of class for a bit.  That will change come Monday so I tried to make the most of it.

In the garden I reclaimed two raised beds that had been taken over by the weeds.  With everything going on the summer as well as the increased amount of rain, the garden and our lawn kinda went nuts.  We managed last week to get the almost foot tall grass cut and I managed this week with Einsteins help, to keep it that way.  Once the raised beds were weed free, I dug in some chicken poo and covered them for the season.  Funny thing though.  While weeding I found,,you guessed it, a volunteer!  It is a squash of some sort.  I think it's yellow squash and as such can stay.  However it couldn't stay in its original spot, between the raised beds.  One, it's in a walk way, and two, I'm covering those beds up.  So I moved the little darling to one of the concrete raised beds which will be in use a while longer.  I covered it with a pot for a few days to let it get used to it's new home.  I'm happy to say it survived the transplant and seems quite happy among it's new friends.  We shall see what it is for sure after a bit.

Always on the look out for things I can do Instead of structured exercise, I moved both runs to some grass (the chickens were thrilled) and turned under the sand bed the larger (4x8) run sits on. In addition I cleaned out both coops.  Much easier to do when they are away and aren't constantly coming in the see what you're doing.  Once returned to their sand bed that evening, the chickens had to investigate.  They seemed pleased with the results.  Oh!  Before I forget!  The babies have all started laying!  I had figured on them laying around September so this was a pleasant surprise.  The eggs are small, especially from the Asian Black hens, but they will get bigger as time passes.  Very pleased.

So, totally off the subject, but kinda still on it I guess, I discovered something this week.  Buyer beware! I have been sewing like a mad woman to get items into my Etsy shop for the holiday shopping.  I ran out of Velcro for the baby doll diapers and my first thought was Amazon.  Uh...no.  Amazon is not cheaper!  Know your prices.  They wanted $8 and some change for the velcro I buy and Joann's had it for about $3.  That is a huge difference.  So yea, bough three at Joann's.  Then I ran out of white thread.  Who knew.  I looked online at several stores and ended up at Walmart to order the thread.  I needed dry milk anyway and thought I could come up with a $50 order to get the free shipping (free shipping...riiiight).  I filled my cart, got the free shipping, but then thought since I had to go by a Walmart anyway I would just pick up what I needed.  Funny thing happened at the Walmart.  The items I had in my cart, and could have had free site to store pick up (isn't that nice of them) for the price I paid online,WERE CHEAPER at the brick and mortar store.  Cheaper!  Not a little cheaper.  Dollars worth!  The dry milk, large 64 oz box, was 14.98 online and the exact same box was 12.98 in the store.  The thread that was on clearance online for $3.09 for 500 yds was $2.97 at the  actual store.  There were other items as well.  So you pay for the privilege of shopping online, and that "free shipping" not so free.  KNOW YOUR PRICES!

Aside from all that stuff, it has been a regular baking, gardening, cleaning, clothes hanging kind of week.  I did get to try my hand at baking a pizza on the grill.  Had to, the power went out just as I was putting them in the oven.  Baked two pizzas on my grill.  Took one of my iron skillets and turned it upside down on the grill rack then placed my pizza pan on top.  Then closed the lid to let it bake.  Success!  The pizzas were good.  I want to figure out how to do that over an open fire for camping.  List of things to do.

So there's my week in a nut shell.  How was yours!

Are you lookin for me?

Usually, I can tell when it's time to write another post.  Mainly this is because I notice my counts going up.  This show people checking in to see what's new.  So since I am assuming people are looking for this weeks post, here ya go.


Things are swinging along here on the homestead, despite the rain.  I am pretty proud of our homestead.  We have single-handedly ended the drought in north Georgia.  Once our dryer died and we began to rely on the clothes line pretty exclusively, we began to have rain every day.  So uh..You're Welcome.  Even so, I am still taking my time to find another dryer.  We should have sun today so out go the clothes.

Aside from influencing the weather, I have begun the baking of bread and granola again.  Cookies are coming soon.  I'm also sewing like crazy to get more outfits for my Etsy shop.  I've finished two and have many more to finish.  In fact this morning I sold out of my small size baby doll diapers.  I have more ready to go.  Well once I add the Velcro fasteners.

My main thing today is to begin putting the garden to bed.  I still have tomatoes and limas coming in and so that part will stay, but aside from one raised bed, the concrete beds are all I have in progress right now.  Little by little I'm diggin in chicken manure and  covering the unused portions with black plastic.  While I'm out and about I plan on letting the older ladies out to free range and begin work on putting wheels on the coops in order to move them from grassy spot to grassy spot.

I've been watching a lot of Joel Salatin videos.  He is the owner of Polyface farms, a sustainable farm in Virginia.  As a result of his influence, I am focusing on compost and moving my chickens as much as possible.  He knows not everyone can afford organic feed etc.  As a result his advice is to trust the grass.  He states the chlorophyll in the grass is like a de-toxifier.   So I will be focusing on getting them moved more often.  Hence wheeled coops.  One day I want to grow up to be a sustainable farmer.  Seriously.  With compost and chicken manure I look forward to never having to buy potting soil and/or fertilizer.  What a wonderful day that will be.  Each year I get a little closer.  Right now I have a fairly good sized (for us) hill of compost ready to go for next year and another started.  I am hopeful I will have enough for next year to compost my entire garden, about 20 x 80.

SO that's an update from the homestead.  How are things in your neck of the woods?