Sister Friends

I love this photo!

It was taken a couple of weeks ago at Am1's going-away party, held at Am2's house.
It's actually a crop of a group family shot.

The "session" was lasting a bit long and goofyness set in.

This is one of the reactions that the girls had to such hilarity.

Am2 is on the left; Am1 is on the right.

Aren't they beautiful?!

I love our daughters.  Absolutely love them.


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Day 8:  Master Bath Project

Tex came home from work a couple of hours early yesterday to do some more tiling.  I think we'll have the floor all completely laid by the end of today.  He thinks that we can probably start grouting it on Saturday.

It's taken a bit longer than either one of us had planned; but, at the start of this, we didn't know that we would be ordering a new vanity and new cabinets; a two-day process, in and of itself.  Plus, softball, puppy girls and various other aspects of The Tex and Sharmie Show interspersed in and amongst tiling time has made this a bit of an extended project.

We did get our cabinets and vanity ordered.  We ordered the cabinets from Lowes.  There's a 4-week delivery on them, and a 2-week delivery on the vanity; so we should be able to have our bathroom completely put back together by the end of this month, or perhaps the beginning of September.  We decided to go with a mom-and-pop company for our vanity.  The cost of the vanity was almost half of what Lowes quoted us; the mom-and-pop pours their vanities on-site, while Lowes contracts that aspect out to various not-very-local businesses (hence the main reason for the significant price difference).

Lowes is a great company; that's not questionable at all.

But, as I'm sure some of y'all already know this about me, I big supporter of mom-and-pop small businesses; they helped build this country and I like to try to support them whenever possible.

In the meantime, we no longer have a master bedroom.  We have a work area with a bed in the middle of it.  Tools, buckets, rags and boxes of tile is the decorating theme.

We also no longer have a guest bedroom.  Instead, we have a clothes pile room.

It's amazing how one room . . . our master bathroom (that also has our closet in it) . . . can affect almost the entire house.

The living room table behind our sofa now proudly displays our bathroom towels (because there wasn't any room for them in the guest bathroom).  The guest bedroom is now home for all of our clothes (ironically, most of them are Tex's) - clothes hanging in the closet  . . . and a  M O U N D  of clothes, still on their hangers, laying on the bed.  Some of our bathroom stuff is in the guest bathroom; some of it is in the guest bedroom.

Oh.  My.  Word!

How in the world did a minimalist like me come to be surrounded by so much stuff?  Ha!
I blame Tex.  Yep, that's the ticket.
:)

Hmmm.  Maybe not.  As I look to my left, while sitting in my studio, I see the closet (that intentionally doesn't have any doors because I've put wall-mounted shelving in the closet).  Inside the closet I notice some of my skirts hanging on the rod (in an itty-bitty area that I left unshelved).  And, if I look behind me while sitting at my desk, I can see various non-studio items temporarily residing on my drafting table while waiting to be reunited with their proper places within our bedroom or bathroom; some of them are my things, some are Tex's; some of the things are both of ours.  Now.  if I can only come up with some creative project for that container of waterbed valves and similar paraphernalia . . .

So, uhm, I guess I can't blame it all on Tex, now , can I?
Fiddle.  I was so hoping to appear completely innocent in this matter.


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It's a beautiful day here in Dallas, today!  Right now, it's 77(F).  It's expected to climb up to around 103 later on.  My desktop widget tells me that it's currently 37 in Jackson Hole.  Yep.  I've got a weather widget for my local home and one for my heart home.  You Jacksonites . . . I'm watching y'all!

Wherever y'all are today in this great big world, I hope you have an awesome and blessed day.

Thanks for reading!
Sharmie

Veggie Juicing

Saturday afternoon, I received a text asking me what kind of juicer I have . . . and I thought that juicing would be a good blog topic.  Thanks, Stephanie!  :)

I first learned of juicing back in the mid/late 80s.  I was instantly enamored!  I would like to say that I have been a faithful drinker of veggie juice since I bought my first juicer . . . but that would be a lie.

At the moment, however, I am definitely "in" with making sure I get my daily quotient of fresh, raw veggie juice . . . along with also drinking copious amounts of water (which is pretty-much a constant with me - I love water, and it's actually my preferred choice of beverage).

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I don't remember "how" I discovered juicing.  I do know it was during my very initial weight-loss and the beginning of my food and health research.  By the way, I am currently 80 pounds lighter than my heaviest weight and between 6-8 sizes small than my largest size.  The fluctuation is due to the fact that even at my largest clothing size, the pants were so tight that I really should have been wearing a size or two larger.

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I don't remember which actually happened - my discovering juicing and then Dr. Walker's book, or my discovering juicing because of his book.  No matter; both of them happened around the same time period; and for roughly the past quarter of a century, I have pretty-much always had a copy of Fresh Vegetable and Fruit Juices / What's Missing in Your Body?

In the beginning, I would give away my copy to someone, anyone, who expressed an interest in juicing, and then I would buy another copy for myself.  A few years ago, I decided it would be easier to just buy a few copies of the book to have on hand and to keep one copy for myself.

I consider this book to be my juicing "bible" and I enthusiastically recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about juicing.  It's a small book, 118 pages . . . but it is packed with a lot of information.  The author of the book, Dr. Norman Walker, is considered to be the "father" of juicing.  In fact, he originally wrote the  book in 1936 and the original title was, "Raw Vegetable Juices".  I think it was around 1970 when he renamed the book.

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Regarding the machines used to juice the veggies and fruits, over the years, I have had several different brands of juicers; all of them have been the centrifugal type.  My current juicer a Juiceman, and is about 2 years old.  One of the things that I really like about it is the chute that the raw veggies are placed into to be juiced is bigger, circumferential.  This is a very good thing, as it minimizes the amount required of chopping veggies in two (i.e., beets, apples, etc.) and it also allows me to juice more carrots, celery, cucumbers and other vertical foods at one time.   All this translates into less prep time and less time  stuffing / plunging the various foods through the juicer - a huge bonus.

Over the years, I've developed a pretty good system that is fairly streamlined.  From grabbing the veggies from the fridge, to cleaning the last part of the juicer after the juice has been made, making veggie juice takes me about 20 minutes.  I've noticed that, for me, it's best if I do it first thing in the morning.  That way, it's done, and I'm not going to get sidetracked throughout the day with this project or that project and then realize at bedtime that I did not juice that day.

I clean the veggies, juice the veggies, pour the juice in a glass and pop it in the freezer.  Then, I disassemble my juicer, get rid of the pulp and then clean the various juicer parts.  Finally, I take my chilled juice out of the freezer and drink.  20 minutes, from start to finish.  Easy-peasy.

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By the way, fresh, raw juices need to be consumed immediately after making the juice.  "Immediately" as within 15-20 minutes.  Please do not make "batches" of juices; i.e., for a few days or a week.  You will only waste your time, money and food . . . and probably get really frustrated with yourself.  The juice will decay and not be drinkable.  But.  If you do go ahead, anyway, and "batch-juice" a bunch of beautiful veggies, remember, I tried to tell you differently.

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I've never used a hydraulic press juicer; mainly because of the price tag associated with it (theres a comma in the price amount).

I have heard very good things about them.  If you ever have a couple / few grand lying around that you don't know what to do with it, let me know and I'll give you my mailing address where you can have a hydraulic press juicer shipped to me.

Conversely, centrifugal-type juicers run a couple / few hundred dollars.  The absence of a comma in the price makes me smile.

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By the way . . . no, I do not use the pulp in recipes.  That's never made sense to me.  There is no nutritive value in juiced pulp - all of the nutrients are in the juice, itself.  Regarding fiber . . . it is an incorrect assertion that there is no fiber in the juice (which is usually why people who use the pulp do so; in an attempt to incorporate fiber into their diet).  There is plenty of fiber in juiced veggies; regardless as to whether or not, it can be seen.

Don't believe me?  Juice a raw beet, and then report back to me the, uhm, general outcome of such task.  But.  Do be warned.  Raw beets are extremely cleansing.  In fact, in his book, Dr. Walker recommends that people start out with small amount of beet in their juice, and then gradual build up as their bodies begin to cleanse and detoxify.  He also recommends no more than a wineglass of beat juice at a time.  When I juice beets, I use a  medium or large beet at one time; and do that probably about 4-5 times a week; depending whether or not the store has beets when I need them.

Getting back to fiber in juice . . . yes, there is definitely fiber in fresh, raw veggie juice.  Most fiber, in and of itself, is microscopic.

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While I don't currently have any extra copies of the book, I really do recommend that you pick up a copy for yourself.  I believe the current price is around $10.

The title, again, is Fresh Vegetable and Fruit Juices / What's Missing in Your Body?, and is written by N.W. Walker D. Sc.  The ISBN is 0-89019-06704, and is published by Norwalk Press.

When I lived in Jackson, I would periodically pop into Valley Bookstore and place an order for a copy or two.  After about a week, I'd be able to go get my book.  Of course, you can also order the book online . . . but I'm a Mom-and-Pop kinda gal and prefer to support small business whenever possible.

Funny . . . I just looked up Valley Bookstore on the web of world-wideness to give y'all the link (just in case you live in Jackson - or even want to support a Jackson business) . . . and on their intro page, they describe themselves as a "classic mom-and-pop independent bookstore".  Great minds think alike, doncha know.
So, anyway, here's their link:  Valley Bookstore; Jackson, WY

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By the way - a special note to my friend, Amy L:  Don't go out and buy this book; I am remembering my promise to get a copy for you; and I'll make sure I do that this week.

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Happy juicing y'all!
Here's to y'all's good health.

Be blessed,
Sharmie

The Wheels Go Round and Round

I first discovered aqua classes when I lived in beautiful Jackson, under the shadows of those magnificent Grand Tetons.  As you can tell, I have very fond memories of that area.

The local rec center had aqua classes several times during the week (they probably still do), and I went as often as I could.

Being a pedestrian, I walked to and from the classes.  But then, being a pedestrian, I walked just about everywhere I went; and where I didn't walk, I took the bus.  Which, btw, was free (and probably still is).  Man, I loved that place!

But I digress (and pretty early in this particular blog, I might add).

*~*~*~*~*
When I moved out of Wyoming and into suburbia, there were several learning curves that I needed to conquer.  Some of them have taken longer than others to tame; transportation being one such creature.

The very vast majority of the populace where I live not only drives, but has their own car at their constant disposal.  Being a pedestrian in such a suburban area carries a very unique challenge.    . . . which, oddly enough to me, is not always apparent to others.

People who don't drive do not have the ease of immediate transportation that those who do drive can enjoy.  Couple that with a lack of public transportation, and the challenge grows bigger.  BUT!  As an aside, last month, the town started a commuter shuttle service to the metro's rail and bus service, so there's a huge praise there.  It's also kinda funny . . . it's a 30-minute trike ride to the shuttle stop  - but hey!  It's much more than what there was before, and having access to the metro's transports is definitely going to help expand my world.

Tex, as y'all know, is amazing.  One of the hats that he wears is "Sharmie's Chauffeur".  And, he's so awesome about this; taking me where I need to go and always making sure that I know that he doesn't mind.  Tex, however, also has his own life; and part of his own life includes work, school, softball and a few other things along the way.   If one of those, especially his work or his school, is requiring his presence at any given time, he's not able to be my chauffeur at that particular moment.  That's just how it is, and that's also how it should be.

*~*~*~*~*
This past August, I discovered "my new pool".  Man, I was in heaven!  The glory of being able to use a pool again.  AND, to my delight, they, too, offer aqua classes several times throughout the week.  Granted, they're not Aqualogix classes (as the ones in Jackson are), but still, they're pretty decent classes, and I enjoy the workouts I get.

Between you and me, though, I am eventually going to buy my own Aqualogix equipment and use them during the aqua classes.

So.  Tex has been chauffeuring his bride (that would be me) to/from the pool these past 8 months.  Let's all truly give a hearty cheer for him because he really is absolutely wonderful and he spoils me rotten.  Rotten, being the operative word.  Y'all heard it here first, folks.

But.  As great as it is to be able to go to the pool, doing so under Tex's chauffeuring does make for a rather "crowded" evening.  If it's a pool night, Tex comes home from work, crams in as much schoolwork that he can before it's time to take me to the pool.  After he drops me off from the pool, he zips back home again and crams in even more school work before it's time to come pick me up from the pool.  Rinse, lather, repeat.  Plus, just between you and me, I'm not really a evening / night person.  I want to get up in the mornings and get all the things I need to do done, during the day; including my trips to the pool.

*~*~*~*~*
A few months ago, I told Tex that I wanted to start triking to the pool.  At first, he looked at me like I had grown an extra nose somewhere; one with a big wart on it.  For you see, going to the pool via a vehicle is a 20-minute one-way drive; we had no idea how long it would take me via trike.  But.  He went ahead and helped me map out a safe route (that didn't involve the interstate that he normally takes to get me to my pool).

The route took approximately one hour for me to trike  . . . one way (and, then, of course, one hour for me to trike back home).

Yep.  Two hours of triking to swim or do aqua classes for one hour.  Hey!  It's a great way to sneak in more exercise, right?!  :)

Only . . . because of poorly patched and slanted segments of road along the route (not noticeable by drivers, but definitely by trikers) and because of an extremely near-miss where the driver of a car veered into my lane while in a curve and came perilously closed to hitting me with her vehicular weapon, I kinda lost the wind in my sails about triking to/from the pool.

Yet, I continued to want my evenings to be less rushed.  So!  Tex, God Bless that man, modified the route along the poorly-patched, slanted, curvy area.  The new route adds about 10 extra minutes; but it's a much safer route, and for that, I'm thrilled!  I also changed the time I leave the house to bypass all of the school and work traffic.

Yesterday was my first day back triking to the pool.

Can I tell ya? . . . Yesterday kicked my, uhm, rear-end!  Because of events of the last couple of months, I had not been able to get up to the pool as regularly as I had previously been going, so I don't think I was as prepared for 3-hour exercise session (as I was when I started triking to the pool the first time.  Once I got back home from the pool yesterday (and those last 15 minutes or so of triking home seemed like an eternity to me), I was pretty-much toast the rest of the day .  BUT!  I did it!  I started triking to the pool again.

I have taken away all of my excuses (poor road conditions, unsafe drivers, commuter traffic).  And, eventually, I'll be able to come home from a triking / swimming session and not have to spend the next 42.8 hours recovering.

My goal is to trike to the pool at least twice each week, preferably thrice . . . inclement weather being one of the acceptable exclusions.  Tex has told me that he will continue to be on chauffeur standby mode for days that are triking-prohibitive.

Speaking of weather, the gentle breezes I felt yesterday during my to/from triking were blissfully wonderful.  The raging wind, however, was not at all kind to me, and Bob Seger's voice kept swirling around in my head . . . Against the wind; I was triking against the wind.  I'm older now and still triking, against this blasted wind.  That is how the original words go, isn't it?

Trike on, y'all!

Thanks for reading!
Y'all be blessed,
Sharmie