I Have Changed a Little Bit

Stiff whitehaired woman trying to suck in stomach - that was me about two years ago. Smiling woman with rose in her hand and wearing apricot top - that was me June of 2010.


















After a few more photographs from graduations last summer - I realized - doggone - I really am fat. Being overweight had become a normal status for me, my self deceptive thinking was" after all I'm only X pounds more than last month, season, year". I began having pain in my knees and feet. Must be something wrong with my shoes right?
One more picture and one more step on the scales and the realization hit me in the face like a coconut cream pie - gotta do something about this weight. I began a restrictive (really really) diet program and was encouraged every day by my sweet husband. Weight came off - I felt a little like I was cheating somehow - it was too simple ( not easy just simple) to weigh less. Woo hoo I have days with no leg pain, my blue jeans started bagging down. In case you are now wondering what the blazes is she telling the internet about all this when she usually has cute goat pictures and scriptures? Just thought I'd reveal a little of this to y'all - not all the emotional junk which goes along with being obese (trust me - every medical indicator was obese - not just chubby!). I have a ways to go before I'm at a healthy BMI. I'm still working on living like a healthy person -balancing exercise, portion control and having fun. I like it though - I honestly like feeling I can be active. My clothes are two sizes smaller (only the jeans - had to buy more jeans because a person behind me was getting nearly a full moon when I'd bend over in baggy ones!). More to lose but I'm enjoying this - life isn't as saturated, hydrogenated, seamstraining fatipated here on Buhlaland and that is good.

June? how can it be June??

Graduation celebrations, a ton of June birthdays, a garden not planted (tiny tomato is still in the planting POT not in soil), spring blooming wildflowers fading.

Big oak trees fully leafed out - mustang grapes so big and round just tempting birds and raccoons to come get'em.

June

In Texas - how can I fail to mention sky - sky getting cloudy, sky with jet contrails streaking across as if there is a crack appearing (no folks - no sky is falling believers here!). Sky looking as if God is about to peek through the clouds and His Shekinah Glory is already breaking through.

It is really June here on Buhlaland - and so very good - DH is doing reasonably well, we are blessed beyond belief by friends and prayer warriors and big unpredictable skies!

Rainy Day

Since Friday - an amazing 4 inches of rain by 7 this morning. It is late in the afternoon now - and the sun has broken through the clouds in a big way. But this morning - the hostas looked like swimming pools for frogs (sorry didn't catch any in the act). While all this rain will result in beautiful flowers soon - the downpours have beaten down some plants and torn up the blossoms on others. Our driveway became a mud track with streams of water cutting into the sides and running across in front of our house.

Always surprised at how much damage heavy rainstorms can do - but we didn't have hail or high winds so the damage is all going to be repaired by regrowth or tractor! Just outside our breakfast nook windows - we have a tiny pond which is home to a rapidly overgrowing lily - in the lower center of the picture you can see the ripples from drops of rain still falling this morning. Normally we have several of the big pink blooms at one time.

So much for the rain updates! Today was also the Sunday to honor graduates at our church - normally kind of a "yawn" for people who don't have kids in that age group. What a pleasant surprise to have a good message and praise music! The J Walkers praise band did a good job - it was wonderful to have young men singing sincerely "blessed be the name of the Lord" and using their musical talents. The high school youth pastor did a "tag team"sermon with one of the graduating seniors. Their topic was the apostle Peter's frequent very public failures yet he was the rock upon which the church was built. They brought up the concept of raising children not to keep them totally risk free and aimed for worldly success. At some point parents have to release their children. Seemed remarkably timely message (besides the tie in to graduation) since several national news outlets did stories this week about parents in the "helicopter generation" - hovering over the lives of their children. Raise a child up in the way he should go - the path might not be smooth or level but with a solid foundation a person has roots and wings.