The Benefits of Honey...

My grandfather was a bee man.  I have been told that if you eat local honey it will help you with your allergies.  Then the question "Is the sugar content of the honey in Arizona Green Tea with Gensing and Honey good or bad for ya?" came up today.

I have been diagnosed with "Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease".  The RUQ, or right upper quadrant pain that I have been experiencing is the result of too much fat in my liver.  So, life changes are in store for my husband and myself.  We are going to monitor and change our fat, sugar and calorie intakes.

Over at Shape.com I found an article about the 5 health benefits honey.  Using honey dressings on burns, scraps, surgical incisions and radiation-asssociated ulcers has proved healpful because of the natural "hydrogen peroxide" found in honey because bees produce this enzyme.  And honey has anti-inflammatory qualities that help with the itch and irritation of mosquito bites. And certain types of honey treat the inflammation and infection of acne.  So, topically honey is good!

Honey is an antioxidant that helps protect the body from free radical damage, preserving heart health and protectinng against cancer.  It has been seen in laboratory studies that gut microflora is improved when sugar is substituted with honey.  So, internally honey is good!  That means honey is good for us inside and out!  Then I guess we could say, "Some honey a day, keeps the doctor away!"

The Butterfly Man's Jewelry...

This is a Russian Charoite necklace that my great Uncle Gail Richardson made.  There is a chance on getting some more pieces to add to my collection!  Uncle Gail did all the silver work as well as cut, shape and polish the stones!  He would always give us "family pricing", but I  felt like we were stealing them. Now that he is gone, the pieces I have are all the more precious...my hubby just fixed the clasp!

Engaged to be Married!!!

Erin and Tony!!!

Tony asked...Erin cried and said "Yes!" It is so good to see Tony happy with the woman who has agreed to be his wife!!!
They have so much in common and it is a joy to have her around!  She will be a help mate for my son and I know that their lives will be blessed!

Erin's ring...

Now the fun begins with planning a wedding!  It looks like Sunday may be a good day to get started.  It is supposed to rain and while it's stormy outside we can brainstorm on ideas!!!

Tornia ~ Screwbean Mesquite...

 

I was doing some housecleaning in my unpublished notes and found this post about the Screwbean Mesquite! Little did I know that when I started this post about the Tornia tree that I would get married and end up working our cattle through the Salt Draw (known by the old timers as "The Screwbean") in West Texas!

Screwbean Mesquite

Margaret's Piano...

I recently was blessed with another piano! This 1954 Story & Clark once graced the home of Margaret Cochran. Now it graces my home...

...it all started last June at the feed store where I work. I met Margaret's daughter, Maxine, when she and her son came by the store one Sunday afternoon. My son's were unloading a trailer for my bosses, it was overflowing with wrought iron and pottery from Laredo!

Maxine and I started talking and realized that we had a lot in common. She had two sons and both their names started with C. I had two sons and both their names started with T. We both love horses and the western way of life and we love to sing.  

Well, Maxine had this feeling that she wanted me to have her momma's piano.  I accepted her offer and traveled to Riudoso, New Mexico to her sisters house to pick up the piano.  My two sons came along for the ride (and to help load and pack the piano so that it would not get damaged on the trip back to Pecos).  We stayed in Maxine's cousins' quaint little warm cabin with snow on the ground outside! June 2009

Editor's Note:  It is because of this friendship that I took Maxine's advice that "If I had Shot Paschal just as a friend I would be blessed!" and started dating and 59 days later married him!!! Since she is a distant relative of Shot's, I am now related to Maxine!

How much fiber?

How much fiber do I need in my diet? Well, according to Mayo Clinic women in my age range need 25 gram of fiber a day. This means more fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts and grains.

It looks like legumes and nuts top the list in the amount of fiber they contain. So, I think I will package my favorite trail mix in the snack size baggies...

1/4 cup Sunflower Seeds 3.6 grams
1/4 cup Pumpkin Seeds
& 49 Pistachio Nuts 2.9 grams

...pick up some potatoes, frozen broccoli, Bran Buds and barley and cook the whole-wheat spaghetti that is sitting in my pantry! The family tradition of having a pot of beans on Sunday has just been revived!! There's pinto beans, navy beans, black beans, kidney beans, and green beans just to name a few varieties that can add fiber to your diet...

Day 2 at the Gym...

Met with my personal trainer. Weighed (Not good!) Checked body fat index (Not good either!!) I did not let these numbers bother me or put me in a bad mood. (Very good!!!)

Day: 2
Length of time: 15 minutes
Level #: 7
Average MPH: 43
Heart Rate: 91, 92 & 93
State of being: Could feel the muscles in my thighs a little when I completed the 15 minutes.

PT showed me some stretching exercises to do for my lower back and we talked about staying on Level 7 for a week. OG, owner of gym, stated that it takes 3 weeks to create a habit. So my first goal is to workout every day that the gym is open* for 3 weeks straight!

First Goal: May 8th. (The day my 9 day vacation starts)

*The gym will not be officially open until May 1st. So until then it will be open from 10am to 8 pm, Monday through Saturday and closed on Sundays. The gyms' hours will change to 5am to 10pm, Monday through Saturday and Noon to 6pm on Sundays.

Lifestyle Changes...

It was time to look in the mirror and face the music...
I joined the gym! The plan has always been to lose weight. It's just not been possible to do so since back surgery in 2001. The waist twists hurt, my legs ended up being numb after walking, bicycling or horseback riding, and washing dishes, vacuuming or mowing the lawn would put me down for a couple of days. Even picked up an empty Sweet-n-Low packet off the floor and had to go visit the chiropractor bent over like a old lady that needed a walker or cane.

It has finally sunk into my thick head that I don't have to do everything all at once. That's right, I was one of those individuals who grabbed as many grocery bags as I could from the back of the car to carry to the house, vacuumed the whole house, carried a 50 lb bag of dog food to the garage, moved the furniture around every three to six months, rolled BIG pieces of concrete into place for the back patio and walkway (with the help of my mother and sister-n-law) and mowed 2 to 6 acres with a push mower or filled the wheelbarrow up to overflowing...

...now I try to carry one grocery bag in each hand, vacuum one room at a time, use a scoop to fill ShyLoh & ShyAnne's food bucket until the bag is at least half full to move from the back of my car, leave the furniture alone, and ask for help to moving big objects.

Well, a brand new business is opening up next to where I work! It is a fitness center. The best part is that they will have elliptical machines that will not put stress on my lower back. I will be posting on this blog my progress. I am not sure when I will reveal how much I need to lose or what my body fat index is...I am not going to dwell on the negative. I want to be able to mark down when I go to the gym and keep track of "some" of the details.

I talked with my chiropractor to make sure this was a good step toward strengthening my back and losing weight. He gave me two thumbs up and suggested taking it slow and gradual, just as the trainer at the gym had suggested. Now I do have a picture of me in the newspaper that will be cut out and placed in my file at the gym. It happens to be of me talking with the gym owner about the recumbent elliptical as he demonstrates how it works and how it will benefit me.

Day: 1
Length of time: 10 minutes
Level #: 7
Average MPH: 38
Heart Rate: 80 to 91
State of being: felt great with renewed energy after a 10 hour day at the feed store.

Doodling May Help Concentration...

After reading a post titled Doodle Your Way To A Better Memory, written by Naomi, a fellow bloggist from ENGLAND, I found out why I doodle! According to the National Doodle Day website, National Doodle Day is May 7th. After doing some research of my own I have found a reason to doodle. The NF, Inc. National Doodle Day Committee will conduct a "Doodle Auction" starting May 7th. To learn more about NF and what they do, please visit www.nfinc.org, email nfinfo@nfinc.org, or call them at 800-942-6825.

The doodle above was created while talking on the phone with my mother last week!

Foods to Add to Your Grocery List...

5 Foods That Take Years off Your Skin
RealAge's article for today is a good one to keep! Besides being good for you, these foods taste good.

Let's see...Cashew topped baked Salmon with slivers of avocado and tomato garnished with a parsley sprig. Adding a chilled Pomegranate/Green Tea to sip on make this a wonderful lunch that will not only take years off your skin, it will take the pounds off, too. Remember, just a sliver of avocado!



Salmon
Cashews
Avocado
Tomato
Pomegranate
Green Tea
Parsley

Wrangler is ONE Today!!!

This is my little constant companion...Wrangler is a Sable 'n' White 1st Generation, CCA American Cockapoo. He was born in Christmas Valley, Oregon on Starlos Ranch*. Starlos Ranch is the home of Starlos Cockapoos owned by my cousin Debbie Cowdrey. Debbie has bred CCA American Cockapoos for the past 13 years and is currently the Vice President of the Cockapoo Club of America.

Debbie follows a strict code of ethics. She "guarantees to produce only the best puppies" and it is her goal to provide the perfect companion pet. She succeeded with Wrangler. Wrangler has been a constant source of joy and a bundle of furry love. He let's me know when the phone is ringing and I have turned a deaf ear to it! He is not a barker, so when he does bark, I listen. He loves every human, canine or feline he meets and has a playmate in Spurr, my male Persian/Alley Cat.

The following is a timeline of pictures over the past year. I wish that I had taken more pictures and will strive to do so during this next year...

Interesting things that happened on March 10 in history...

1862	The U.S. Treasury issued the first American paper money, in denominations from $5 to $1,000.
1876	Alexander Graham Bell transmitted the first telephone message to his assistant in the next room. "Mr. Watson, come here. I want you."
1880	The Salvation Army of the United States was founded in New York City.

*2008 Wrangler was born to Starlo's Lil' Jingle Bell 'n' Starlo's Pawnee in Christmas Valley, Oregon on the Starlo's Ranch!

Happy New Year!!!

Chrysanthemums ~ A Natural Fly Screen...

An old gentlemen came into the store this morning. He bought some of the metered fly spray. This is not significant in itself except for what he proceeded to tell me about one of the ingredients.

The fly spray contains Pyrethrins. He asked if I knew what Pyrethrins was. No, I did not. Well...Pyrethrins is the oil from Chrysanthemum petals. Years ago people would use Chrysanthemums in their window boxes as a natural fly screen. (Correction: The Pyrethrin oil is from the seed pods.)

The oil in the petals is toxic to flying insects. Sounds like a beautiful flowering plant that would go great around patios and bar-b-que areas!

Artwork by Phyllis Mae Richardson Fisher ~ Copyright 2006

Do not use without written permission.

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Battle Hymn of the Republic...

This hymn has been one of my favorite songs from childhood. To this day I get goosebumps every time I hear it or play and sing it along with our family band. The following link was sent to me by my mother-n-law and I would like to share it with you.

All I can say is WOW

> After the
> page first opens, and after you read it, just click your
> mouse on any
> area of it to make it open. Turn up your music and ENJOY!!
>
>
> http://www.greatdanepromilitary.com/Battle%20Hymn/index.htm
>
> PASS IT
> ON

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News from West of the Pecos!!!

Life has been very busy and exhilarating for the past couple of months! After visiting my sons in West Texas the latter part of February, I was offered a job, I accepted that offer, rode the train back to California, made the necessary arrangements to move not just myself, but our family business PJ's Corner Gift Shoppe, all within a month!

Once here, I started a full time job, went through the process of securing a place to stay (which included starting all utilities and services need to survive in my new domicile), joined two committee's (more on this later!), picked up Wrangler, my new Starlo's Cockapoo, at the airport, and now don't have a washer & dryer...

Gotta go unpack some more boxes...talk at ya later!!!

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Moving to Texas!!!

Here is a photograph that I have titled "White Simplicity". It is available as a giclee print over at Fine Art America. I will have to research the name of the bush that offers these beautifully simple flowers. I believe that it is in the wild plum family, but I am not positive...

My posts have been very sporadic the past couple of months. With the family reunion in Arizona and vacation to Texas, and packing for my move to Texas, I have not been able to devote enough time to my blogs. While in Texas I was offered a job that I can not turn down! It is a Godsend and I will be living in the same town as my sons!!

I will be taking the majority of PJ's Corner Gift Shoppe with me, while PJ's Paper Doll Factory will stay here with my mother/partner! Also, I will be taking ShiLoh and ShyAnne, my Katy-pups, and two cats. Annie and Spurr are my rescue cats that can not be left behind.

It has been decided that Diesel Marie, our Golden Retriever, will stay with my parents, along with their Katy-pup, Dunny. My brothers' Chihuahua, Luke, will stay with them waiting for my brother to get home on the weekends. And Honey, my dad's Pomeranian/Chihuahua will continue to ride shotgun for my Dad until he gets off the road.

Life will be very busy and fun once I get settled in Texas! I will also be taking on seven new websites to either build and maintain or revamp and maintain!! I'm excited for what the future will bring and will not be able to post until I get settle in Texas!!!

Look for a "Howdy from Texas!!!"

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Purple Majesty...

From the garden to the computer palette, these purple iris are the first flowers of spring. Available as a giclee print.

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The McDonald's Observatory in West Texas...

On the morning of March 4, 2008, we got up very early (4am!) to drive down to the McDonald's Observatory nestled in the Davis Mountains near Fort Davis, Texas. I took this picture just after sunrise when it was still below freezing. You can see the snow on the side of the road behind my son, Tony!

When I move back to Texas (at the end of March!) we are making a point of going to the Observatory, when it is open, so that we can go inside! Follow the links in this post to visit the official website and don't forget to stop by the Astronomy Gift Shop.

You can become a "Friend of McDonald" and enjoy lots of benefits through the different membership levels available. This will help The University of Texas fulfill their "mission of bolstering K–12 education, by supporting the programs and resources (they) provide to teachers and students nationwide."

"As a unit of The University of Texas at Austin, the Observatory is one of the world's leading centers for astronomical research. Its facilities are located atop Mount Locke and Mount Fowlkes in the Davis Mountains of West Texas." http://mcdonaldobservatory.org

The slide show here consists of four pictures that I took starting with the West Texas sunset taken from the parking lot of the McDonald Observatory, followed by the valley toward Pecos, Tony and Travis freezing, an out-building at the Observatory, and Tony took a picture of one of a valley between the Observatory and Fort Davis, Texas.

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Enterprise Wash in Central Arizona.

Enterprise Wash in Central Arizona.

About a week before this picture the water was flowing down the wash at a tremendous rate. Farther down this wash is where we had our family reunion. Every year the local members of the family go down to the wash and prepare the area for the picnic.

This year the boundaries of the wash where pushed into the picnic area and clean up was a little more extensive. They trim the trees so that we can sit under them for protection from the Arizona sun, even in February!


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Creosote Bush of the Sonoran Desert...

Here is a picture that I took of a creosote bush near the Ajo Museum in Arizona. Creosote bushes are drought-enduring plants that grow in the deserts of North and Central America. This bush is growing in the Sonoran Desert, the hottest desert in North America!

The fruit of this plant is a 5-lobed nutlet with silvery white hairs. As a child growing up in the Mojave Desert, I gathered these little "kitties" by the hundreds to play with!

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