Yosemite, one Sunday last summer ...

After ready we had a foggy day warning in the valley I began a search backyard in my photo albums to one of those sunny day trips we took last summer. This was one of the waterfalls we could see from the road. Traffic was backed up enough that we could take a short break from the climb into the Yosemite valley and take a few pictures.

Today's Friday and its been a Cheesecake trip into temptation and out again. My daughter's birthday was this week and we celebrated at the "Cheesecake Factory"; the restaurant as the name implies, has wonderfully rich, terribly fatty, full-of-calorie delights. I had the Chocolate (naturally) Raspberry Truffle after my Chicken salad sandwich and Ceasar. In the spirit I then took a seven-inch peanut-butter chocolate cheesecake to work which we (the admin staff and I) devored. Not too bad, I can handle some of the consuming in this manner (satisfied, we shared the frenzy).

Throw in our Holiday feast of Tuesday and the rest of the bag of caramel Corn (last night) from the Sunday Antique Fair and by then, I'm sweating the scale this morning. Even the 1.37 miles on the treadmill is not going to help me here.

So, all and all last week was a bust, eating-wise. However, a pleasant diversion and I'm proud that I handled a lot of it with portion control and no seconds. In fact, took my other half of that chocolate truffle sickness home to mom's and had a great visit with her, too. So this is my Friday and was my week? Woke up early, with writing in mind, asking myself if all the writers in the world did have this manic urge to graphically expell their lives on a page (or screen in today's world)like me? Probably not and I'm really babbling now and late for work! See ya.

Still hope you like the out of focus waterfall.

Up2MyKnees by Lizabeth Smith is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License.

Wearing my forest green tee-shirt and kicking it with chocolate brown gloria vanderbilt jeans. Proud that I bought both of these items years ago and they still serve me well as Sunday garb. Speaking of garb, this is what my "Ren" fair attending daughter refers to as the clothes worn at the event she's attending this weekend. 

So, we've missed every opportunity to have sex in strange parts of the house and the weekend is about to be over, as she will be walking in at anytime.  Since we're in our libido declining years, thats simply a source of humor for us and no lament. As far as what's really happening this Sunday night? Not sure what is on the menu for dinner. My husband tells me San Francisco won the football game.  
Here's hoping your life is as undramatic. Peace Out. 

I did it, I did it...I got to the gym two weeks in a row. Then of course there's cake. Yesterday I agreed to go get the cake for the office birthday's in October celebration. (Me! Of all people a lifetime Weight Watcher, true I can eat all I want...but do I want to spend that many calories? ) I'm hoping that I can tell myself that I shouldn't undo that little 20 calories that I burned this morning by adding 220 of chocolate cake. It's not steak or chicken, or even portobello mushroom. So why would I want cake? <>I'm confidant that right now part of my brain can reason with that. We'll see after I get there and I crack open the plastic cover and get that whiff of dark, dark chocolate frosting.. with those big chunks of shaved chocolate falling off the edge, almost falling off onto the counter..Oh, no-I might have to just pick off that piece before it falls onto the floor, maybe check to make sure its not stale and oops, is anyone looking?...
Check out this entry! from 

 wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Chocolate_cake_with_chocolate_frosting_topped_with_chocolate.jpg Image found with a Google search of the web

Reading also a passion this little garden girl has been overwhelmed by her surroundings and still engrossed by the story. Will you be by the end of the day?

P1030889.JPG The in the basket at the link here are fresh from my backyard. Great in a cobbler or straight on top of a bowl of Cherrios or Shredded Wheat cereal in the morning.

I've lost 70 lbs! You see at my max I was 189 lbs and here I am at my current 119! My love of the outdoors and having this great desire to enjoy the second half on my life was crucial to how I changed it so dramatically.

Originally, I lost 25 pounds (dieting) but never felt that was a real lasting change (I had done that before) It was not until I began working as a manager of a DUI program and at first saw so many alchoholics fail, and knew many personally whose lives seemed doomed from the repetition of destructive behavior. Then, the behavior "light" I saw that awoke one or two clients, I learned from observing was internal.

Those who embarked on this personal journey, truly took a path that was less easy, yet more fulfilling.

Change is possible, its finding that inner strength and staying with the quest.

Mine was to never lose that child that hungered; and realize it wasn't for food that would destroy me but wonder at life, beauty and possiblities.

Up 2 My Knees ...a little about women from a woman's point of view. Its a comfort to know that in attempting to have others see a divergent view a small bit of progress can be made. Its just sad that progress often needs to go a little faster than a mind can be changed.

Running up the path with glee, the children suddenly stopped with prompt uniform attention turning as if their twin-like communication was telepathically asking them to wait - gramma was not keeping up.

Jen was married off by the time this photo was taken, and we were heading for the onramp toward the Mojave and Calico b4 making it home.