BOO!

OoooOOOO... OoooOooOooo... 

How's that for scaaaarrrry?

Another Halloween has come, and with it, another opportunity for me to skip dressing up.  I've only dressed up once as an adult.  In order to encourage my youngest child to join in on family candy-collecting fun, my seven year-old son was zombie patient, and I was creepy Nurse Helga to my daughter's Dr. Fun Stuff.  To break-up what we feared might be our five year-old's scheme of dressing up as a ballerina - forever - we somehow managed to convince her to let us smudge some "creepy" make-up on her face... you know, to keep with the theme.  It was work, but she did it.  Ugh, five year-old prima donnas!?

Here's a photo from that year after wet wipes were brought out to tackle make-up removal from little faces. I am conveniently cropped out of it.  CANDY TIME!

NaBloPoMo prompt for October 30, asks, "If you had unlimited resources and artistic skills, what would you want to be for Halloween?"  I'd just want to skip it all and get right to the candy-eating part.  *sigh*

*****

Below is my tiny effort to reverse effect stemming from my contribution made into the disappearance of all the mixed candy bags that I brought home leading up to Halloween.  None of which lasted anywhere near October 31st.

#ThisIsFiftyWithLil

My Progress:  
Day  1:  11:58 pm; 30 second wall sits!  Whoa.
Day  2:  10:30 pm; 30 second wall sits.  Ouch.
Day  3:  11:53 pm; 46 seconds - wall sits.  Whew.
Day  4:  5 hours standing at Britannias red carpet event.
Day  5:  
Day  6:
Day  7:

Click here to view enlarged chart.

One of my favorite online catalogs is Title Nine, and I found out on Twitter that Ain’t No Turkey 30 Day Strength Challenge is underway, and I'm doing it... in the beginner category, of course.  Here's a little more information from Time Out With Title Nine blog:

• For a PDF of the above chart, please click here.
• Hashtag your progress using #AintNoTurkey, and share your story and photos on their blog.

Fun, right?  Let's do this.  Two minutes... here I go!

How To Not Stand Out On Halloween

If you're a little kid, simple, wear a costume.

As a kid, every Halloween (or Friday if it fell on the,weekend), my school planned a parade.  Every kid was supposed to dress in their favorite costume to show off during the big parade that went around the playground.  I don't remember candy being handed out during these parades, but there were awards for best creations: scariest, funniest, homemade, creative.  I won twice!  I did not want to win.  I did not want to wear a costume.  I didn't want anyone to see me.

I did not like costumes... unless they came in a cardboard box with transparent lid that revealed a fantastic plastic face mask with tiny eye, nostril, and mouth holes cut into them, and a thin stretchy band to hold the mask in place, along with a coordinating highly flammable cape, or gown, or cover-alls, all nicely folded beneath each mask.  Yeah, that's the only kind of costume I'd wear.  But we were poor, so no store bought, boxed, toxic paint fumes smothered mask and highly flammable woven fiber material costumes for me.  The only thing I understood was that my mom was mean for not buying me one of those boxes.  Every store had stacks of those boxes... one for every kid in the U.S.A.  This is how you win a best costume ribbon at the school Halloween parade, right?

I have only two memories of those school Halloween parades.  Third grade, my mom made me a princess costume.  She brought out my first holy communion dress and shoes, and made me a wand out of a stick wrapped with tin foil.  I hated dresses.  I had bad memories from the only other day that I wore this dress... I had an "accident" mid-way through that special First Eucharist EVER mass.  Amen... sigh.  Anyway I walked the parade circle in a white dress carrying a stick.  Big deal, it could have been any old day, you know, if I liked wearing dresses. So the rest of the school day, we sat and watched all the other classes have their turns.  I don't remember a judging committee, but apparently there was one because I won in the "prettiest costume" category... and everybody was looking at me.

My other memory was from the fifth grade.  But first, an explanation:  I grew up in East Los Angeles. I had the scariest (in my opinion) walk to and from school.  The neighborhood where we lived seemed to be where a few gang territory boundaries were drawn.  Police helicopters and ambulance sirens alerting arrivals at the very-close-by hospital emergency room entrance were the norm.  Scary gang members and impressionable youngsters "in training" were everywhere - males were referred to as cholos; females, cholas.  All this was very frightening to me.  Now, back to Halloween and school parades.

In fifth grade, mom insisted that I dress up as a mummy.  She bought extra rolls of toilet paper, made me stand still and cooperate as she wrapped my arms, legs, torso and head with the very delicate, easily ripped apart strands of butt wiping tissue; red food coloring took care of bloody gore effect.  I remember it was warm that day, and by the time we headed out late for school I was done with Halloween.  Mom and I reached the bottom of the hill, a quarter of the way from school and I was pretty much "paperless."  I still had to walk the playground parade circle - in green shorts, white tank top, and sandals (the style popular with girl gang members).  Oh, I also had random red splotches all over me.  I won again.  I have no clue in which category... probably the one most scary for me.  Everybody thought I went dressed as a chola.  My name was called, ribbon pinned... while the entire school watched... sigh.

So, tips on how to not stand out on Halloween:

• Just give in and wear a costume; nothing dazzling.  Or...
• Fake sick close to school parade time; or at home first thing in the morning.
• Remember, in the end there is candy. Got it... CANDY! If you do it right, loads of candy.
• Lastly, if you hated Halloween as a kid, you're gonna love it when you have your own kids.  I sure do.

Do you have your costume ready?

*****

Click here to view enlarged chart.

One of my favorite online catalogs is Title Nine, and I found out on Twitter that Ain’t No Turkey 30 Day Strength Challenge is underway, and I'm doing it... in the beginner category, of course.  Here's a little more information from Time Out With Title Nine blog:

• For a PDF of the above chart, please click here.
• Hashtag your progress using #AintNoTurkey, and share your story and photos on their blog.

Fun, right?  Let's do this.  Two minutes... here I go!

Day  1:  11:58 pm; 30 seconds - wall sits!  Whoa.
Day  2:  10:30 pm; 30 seconds - wall sits.  Ouch.
Day  3:  11:53 pm; 46 seconds - wall sits.  Whew.
Day  4:
Day  5:
Day  6:
Day  7:

OH, The Horror! Or 50 Minutes... ONLY FIFTY MINUTES!

Movies?  Books?  Uh, no.  I absolutely do not enjoy watching horror flicks.  I'll pass on the thriller genre section of the library, too.  Nor will I purchase a scary book at a bookstore.  So, I'm sure you've guessed, I'm not a fan of scary stuff.  It's just not my thing.

So, that answers today's NaBloPoMo prompt:  Do you enjoy being scared such as watching horror movies or reading scary books?

*****

Something pretty great happened today and I look forward to sharing more about it on Friday.  Here's a hint for now.

Image by L. Carilo

Yum.

*****

Now, about there being "only fifty minutes" left on the clock until midnight.  One of my favorite online catalogs is Title Nine, and I found out on Twitter that Ain’t No Turkey 30 Day Strength Challenge starts today, and I'm planning to do it... in the beginner category, of course.

Here's a little more information from Time Out With Title Nine blog:

• For a PDF of the above chart, please click here.
• Hashtag your progress using #AintNoTurkey, and share your story and photos on their blog.

Fun, right?  Let's do this.  Two minutes... here I go!

I just did 30 second wall sits... whoa.

Sunday, 26 October OR The Day Judd Nelson Did Not Die

UPDATED:  Monday, October 27

For weekend of October 26, 2014 in Entertainment News our collective memory may go like this:

"Hey, remember that weekend when Jim Carrey hosted SNL? Nude body suit? Dancing? Blond wig!  McKinnon... come on, even Lorne Michaels showed up on screen. You know, that time you laughed longer than you've done since forever at an SNL skit... that weekend.  No? Me neither.  Because, Oh God! Judd Nelson died?!? "

Noooooo...

Of course Judd Nelson didn't die over the weekend.  Here he is reading the L.A. Times, Sunday edition.

Image by Gregg Klein

Wow, I guess people do still read newspapers. Huh?  Live and learn.  Also, damn, he's still cute as ever, that Judd Nelson.  Go on, Google search images.  I'll wait.

Now, if you are reading this blog you may be asking, "Who is Judd Nelson?"  To that I say, "Don't make me come over there."  Judd Nelson is the only reason to watch The Breakfast Club movie. Okay, one of eight reasons, and yes, I am including the high school library.  Oh my god, such a great movie!

Wait, what?! You say you know nothing of this "Breakfast Club" movie. It's okay, my kids haven't watched it either... putting me in the "worse mother ever" running.  I need to fix that.  Anyway, all I can say to you in regard to your life having been deprived of the wonder that is this movie is, stop what you are doing and go watch it.  I'll wait.

Also, Judd Nelson was the sole reason why I'd watch Suddenly Susan reruns at the crack of midnight in Texas.  Okay, it had a pretty great cast too.  And that's all I'll say about Judd Nelson.

*****

So my Life Reimagined progress has been further interrupted... week two.  Life, right?  It was a good day.  Found time to get out, visit with my sister while out running some spur-of-the-moment errands for mom, and picked up roast chicken dinner to bring home for everybody.  I'm still super behind getting the kitchen - and rest of The Place, for that matter - in order, so that come November, I'll be ready to cook my little heart out on a daily basis.  Oh, well.  Right now, I'm just tired.  My neck is a bit sore, and flare-ups at broken molar site come and go.

So here's me keeping it real, a photo from 10:46 PM tonight.

I told you I was tired.  Says so right there on my face.

See, tired, but happy.  Fingers crossed that next Sunday's post will actually include  what I have been planning to share these past two weekends. It's a little project I've been looking forward to starting, so I should get going on it.  It's going to be good.

I hope you had a very nice weekend.  Let's try our best to make it a great week.

*****

Fun should begin at 50, right? Well, I'm fifty, but I don't think I'm doing it right.  I don't think I was ready for age 50, but what I am willing to explore is the possibility of reinventing myself.  And what do you know, AARP has this really nifty website, Life Reimagined, designed to assist and guide you through obstacles that might be keeping you from confidently approaching what should be a purposeful, fulfilling chapter in your life at age 50 and beyond.  And that is exactly what you'll find me doing and sharing on my blog each Sunday.   So, come back. comment, visit my YouTube channel THIS IS FIFTY WITH LIL.  Let's talk and compare notes.

Please click here for more information.

I signed up for Life Reimagined beginning of October and find it is already helping me see the possibilities that lay ahead.  This makes me happy.  If you know of anyone in the AARP stage of life who is feeling a bit stuck, please consider sharing this website with them.*


*This is not a paid endorsement.

For more information go to:

• www.aarp.org
• lifereimagined.aarp.org

Sources:

• mashable.com/2014/10/26/jim-carrey-nude-bodysuit-snl/
• latimes.com/entertainment/gossip/la-et-mg-judd-nelson-not-dead-20141026-story.html
• nbc.com/saturday-night-live

Wilson!

This post might get a bit "linky."  And by linky I mean, whoever stops by to read this blog post may find a link or two, or three, or more. If there are any links they'll look like this: bold, italicized, & underlined.  They may even be further highlighted by appearing in a special font color and background that I've chosen to draw attention to the link which will lead to another post or website when you click on it.  Get the picture?  Try it on the link below...

NaBloPoMo BlogHer prompt for October 24, 2014 is: "If babyhood is spring and young adulthood is summer, which age do you consider to be the start to the "autumn" of life?"  If you place cursor over the highlighted area and click on it, you will be linked over to my blog post, Are You There Autumn, It's Me Lil.  Easy, right?

Now, on with today's blog post:
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2014
Wilson!

Wilson!
You know, Tom Hanks's buddy from the movie Cast Away.
I love that movie!

I need someone to commiserate with... someone compassionate, someone that will sit and listen to my woes, or even better, just sit in silent support and sympathy.  Someone like Wilson.  You know Wilson, right?

Wilson was just a damn good listener.

Why?  Why! Because I've been tempted to go full-on Chuck Nolan on my own ass... or mouth.  Ick.  What I mean is, I need to see a dentist; probably an oral surgeon.  But as luck would have it, out of countless dental practices in my immediate area as well as neighboring towns, it turns out that the procedure required to fix my problem is not covered on our dental group's benefits.  Also, of the four dentists named as providers on our benefits list, I would rather neither get anywhere near my mouth... here's part of the reason why.  I've gathered from several reviews that they're not quite the cream of the crop, more like bottom of the barrel actually.

So, my husband's been the lucky one since moving here.  And by lucky, I mean that he's had his dental issues taken care of before my serious dental problems flared up. I ran into my former boss about a year ago and mentioned that my husband was having problems, but that it just wasn't in the budget to take care of dental costs on a cash only basis.  Well, that nice old boss of mine said to call the office and not to worry about payment in full; he'd let us work out a payment plan - whatever we could manage.  Whew. That was such a relief.  We're still making payments on that, but at least the husband had work completed... by a great dentist.

And now it's my turn.  At least I haven't had any emergency room visits like my husband had. Needless to say, I've been in pretty severe pain this week.  However, I'm not at all comfortable with the fact that the only way for me to get relief is by taking four Advil every six hours.  They've helped, but they aren't going to repair damage.


I'm not quite at wit's end yet though, but time does get away from me and I can't quite seem to hash out adequate solution to this problem.  I have been wondering if there's a crowdfunding organization specifically for people who need assistance paying for cost of medical or dental services.  I know of websites where causes/projects/creative designs/inventions/business start-ups raise funds, like Kickstarter, but I'm not trying to make potato salad here.  I'm just hoping to find a good dentist and specialist who will give me a recommended treatment plan to extract whichever molars need greatest attention before the problem worsens, and to be able to pay for whatever services are necessary.  I don't know.  I was stunned to learn what some people do to fund vacations and wedding honeymoons.  I thought, "What gall."  I was more than happy with my $750-ish wedding/dress/reception, and $250 honeymoon.

But don't get me wrong, I can't stop wondering, "Hmm... maybe looking for crowdfunding for dental work isn't such a dumb idea.

What do you think?

*****

FUN FACT

One of my favorite YouTube channels is Mental Floss

and if you'll notice in video below (just click on image)

there is a replica of Wilson from Cast Away movie

just over Host John Green's left shoulder.

Coincidence?

It's A Fun Factapalooza!

A dentist invented cotton candy...

I LOVE COTTON CANDY!

Okay, I love candy. Period.

Are You There Autumn, It's Me Lil ~ Friday's NaBloPoMo Blog Post Today

It's Saturday. Yep, Saturday evening and I'm just now posting Friday's BlogHer NaBloPoMo post.

A warning:  This might get a bit "linky."  And by linky I mean, whoever is curious enough to visit today's blog post about yesterday just may find a link or two. If there are any links they'll look like this: bold, italicized, & underlined.  They may even be further highlighted by appearing in a special font color and background that I've chosen to draw attention to the link which will lead to another post or website when you click on it.  Get the picture?  Try it on the link in the following paragraph.

So, Friday. Hmm... title? BlogHer prompt for October 24, 2014 is: "If babyhood is spring and young adulthood is summer, which age do you consider to be the start to the "autumn" of life?"  Now, to come up with a title and jot down my thoughts on this.  Hmm...  I think I have it!

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2014
Are You There Autumn, It's Me Lil

I'm not sure when "Autumn" stage of life begins. When my mom was in her mid 40s I thought she was pretty cool, hip even.  Well, maybe not hip and cool so much... more like, fun. Yes, she was fun to be around.  I just did the math.  I was 10 when my mom was 45-ish! Seems she didn't hit "Winter" until, maybe, age 80.  No kidding... really.  As for me, personally, I think I reached my Autumn when my first child reached 21.  Or maybe when I saw my second child off to college.  Perhaps it won't actually happen until my third (and last) child turns 18 or graduates from high school... next Spring!  Which ever.  I'm ready for this Autumn stage of life.  It is my favorite season after all.  Who knows.  I'll keep you posted.

There you go, and there wasn't a single link to be had beyond the sample link.  Cool, right?  Now, on to NaBloPoMo post for Saturday, October 25, 2014.  See you in a bit.

No Leaves For You!

Somewhere in the Southern California desert
Image by L. Carilo

Who's There?

~ Banana.
     Banana.
       Banana.
         Banana.
Knock, knock.
~ Who's there?
Orange.
~ Orange who?
Orange you glad I didn't say banana?
Remember that?  Is it still big with the kids nowadays?

I love bananas.  And, I love oranges.  I love the color yellow; the color orange, hmm...

I'm glad I found this wonderful Fall Leaves background for my blog.  I think it's perfect.  And I think many would agree the color orange in nature is truly magnificent.  So please enjoy a few of my favorite images featuring the color of Fall... orange.

Autumn morning skies... perfection.

image

A fresh fruit salad made complete with orange segments and a drizzle of honey... yum.

image by L. Carilo

A cool October afternoon sit down in the courtyard among vibrant flowering vines fills the senses... 

image by L. Carilo

Yes, I also love the color orange.

Chestnuts Roasting On An...

... open fire.  No, no. If I recall correctly, that should go more like "roast pig on a spit turning over a sizzling fire."  Haha, I crack myself up.

Now I'm wondering, does that count as a campfire or bonfire.  It was an outdoor fire anyway.  Around the holidays during our Hawaii-living days I learned that roasting a pig over a spit for a celebratory meal was tradition.  And that was a good thing as far as I was concerned.  Man, it was so good.

So, it was either our last Christmas on the island or the last over-night camp out at Hulopoe Beach.  Either way, there was tons of food, relaxed atmosphere, perfect weather, and friendly folks.  Did I mention the kalua pork?  Oh, boy! Served over white rice with simmered cabbage and yummy dinner rolls... delicious! 

Yeah, it was back during our Hawaii days where we last enjoyed an open fire, great food, and good fun.  It's due time to do that again.  Gonna put it on a Must Do list; maybe when we are in Vermont for College Girl's 2016 graduation.

Tick Tock

TICK! TOCK!  Putting things off until the last minute... that's how I roll.  Here are some examples where I fail miserably and that often prevent me from getting to bed at a reasonable hour.

1. Meals, my eating habits are all over the place lately (Does two years fall into the "lately" category?)  Breakfast is hit and miss, Lunch falls between a handful of nuts or a tortilla with butter.  Dinners are slightly better planned, I just have to consult with Bookstore Boy as to what he has on the weekly family meal plan based on our lastest grocery shopping run.  I still feel somewhat lost about dinner as we are all walking in the door at the end of the school and work day. I really need to get a handle on this because planning used to come so easily to me at one time..
2. One thing that regularly get's right down to the wire is my daily post when I participate in BlogHer's NaBloPoMo challenge.  I really enjoy this activity and wish I had better content.  But, I'm just someone who uses blogging to hash things out that are going on in my life at the moment.  I have no clue who reads my posts, and when I see visits to my blog from other countries I wonder what exactly they got out of the time they took to read my stuff. After all, my writing pretty much can be described as merely typing exercise. Nonetheless, the fun I have, and sense of accomplishment do provide a rewarding feeling.
3. Another thing I'd like to re-establish is regular visits to others' blogs. I get so much insights and enjoyment from so many talented writers.  But my daily routine has taken a bit of a back seat to YouTube videos.
4. Which brings me to my last reason for failing to get to bed at a reasonable hour, and that is YouTube.  I have a list of subscribers that I receive emails indicating the latest posts, and I save them all and make it a priority to watch each video.  YouTube has, in fact, taken the place of network and cable television watching.  Goodbye, Live with Kelly and Michael; Hello Good Mythical Morning and Good Mythical More with Rhett & Link. I love easy access to learning channels like Sci Show, and Crash Course; As well as enrichment content as provided by Health Care Triage and The Art Assignment.  My news sources are Source Fed & others that don't come to mind at the moment.  Delightfully mindless fun, interesting facts and human interests comes by way of Grace Helbig & friends, Flula, Mental Floss, The Fine Bros, and Soul Pancake (especially Kid President) among many others.  So that's what keeps me up until 2:00 or 3:00 am.. But I wouldn't miss this for the world.  This makes me happy, and  happy is good, right. 

I can't even get into how neglected my YouTube channel creating has been lately.  I do have videos recorded, but my memory cards sit around waiting for me to do something worth watching.  The last few published on my channel, THIS IS FIFTY WITH LIL, have been spur of the moment and very rough. My hair isn't even brushed. Oh, well. I'm finding it enjoyable anyway and hope to have much improved content someday. The learning experience has been so much fun that it doesn't matter that only one family member and one friend have actually watched my videos.

Well, The Daily Show and Colbert Report hour is nearly halfway through, and I need to set myself up comfortably in my chair to enjoy many of the YouTube channels that I mentioned above.

Now it's time to edit this post and hope that it is not rubbish, but time well spent for my regular visitors.  So with that, have a good night, and until tomorrow.

~ Lil

It's Crunch Time... No Pressure

Is it crunch time? Seems everything has gone well beyond that stage in my world.  So then, what comes directly after crunch time, hmm? Wait, don't tell me, I think I know - Whistle blown.  Time's up. Goose cooked.  Done deal. Light's out.  Party is over. Good night, Marie!

I could be wrong about that then, right?  After all, I am still standing* here.  There really should be no reason whatsoever for me to ever feel under pressure.  I don't do anything! Whatever my responsibilities are do not warrant an ounce of anxiety.  Also, I don't go anywhere!  I am home day in and day out, and when not home, I'm in my car.  There is no excuse for me to be late or unprepared for anything... no excuse.

There was a time - when I was single - that you could count on me to be on time; do my job accurately and expeditiously; stick to a rigid schedule, yet have ample time open for fun.  I made it work, kept things uncomplicated, and stress free as possible.  At least that's how I remember it.  Twenty-five years gone by, and you could look up the words unreliable, procrastinator, and schlub, and I'm pretty sure you'll find my pictures for each entry. Gosh I hope not, what a blow that would be!

Once again, no excuse.  There is no excuse for this even if I'm no longer single. All that conditioning should have been the foundation to build upon after marriage and starting a family.  But, oh yeah. I just remembered... those crummy chronic illnesses that sucker punched me almost as soon as my new life began.  I was always needing help when I was feeling poorly. I never knew when I'd wake up to a "good" day, a "bad day, or a "can't get out of bed day."  As a result, I am now terrible at establishing a daily routine.  I was able to manage pretty well while my children were very young, and I was fortunate enough to rely on the fact that they could work as a team to make getting ready for school stress free.  They displayed amazing trust in each other, strength and perseverance all in the name of keeping mom healthy.  I am overjoyed at how since they were very young children, they've come to my aid when it came to grocery shopping and storage when we returned home.  They still do it to this day, for which I am most grateful.

As for their momma, these days it is often that I arrive at a scheduled appointment out of breath due to having to run from my vehicle to place I'm supposed to be at whatever specific time.  Anytime I try to make a plan to do something, I get distracted and all my ideas just fall by the wayside. Energy wanes, and I'm left disappointed.  I so want to be better, especially now that I'm at the age that responsibilities should be uncomplicated and managable.  So what gives, right?

Why am I often stressed out!? This pressure, it's all self imposed. There is no reason why I should be so hard on myself.  People are getting where they need to be on time. And it is a rare occurance when, as today, I am late to work or school pick up.  Most days, meals are ready at a reasonable hour, and light snacks are usually at hand in case there's a slight delay, but for some reason I think I should be doing a better job staying on task.  I probably should just be happy with the way things are, after all, it could be worse.  My biggest regret is not being able to keep the house cleaner and better organized.  Must try harder.

The term "crunch time" will have new meaning at my house... "Time for a crunchy snack."  A "no pressure" attitude shall be the norm.

My blog post will be the exception.  There's kind of a rush when I notice the time and it's 11:40 pm and I still have to proofread and edit my post.  Sometimes it's after 11:50 when I hit "Publish." and hope someone will read my writings of the day, and maybe find that a comment or two are awaiting my responses.  I love when that happens.

How do you handle pressure? What works for you to find balance on a day-to-day basis?  Are you feeling stressed at the thought of seasonal holidays quickly approaching?  How easy is it for you to ask for assistance when things get "crunchy?"

I'll Pass

Black Licorice... no thank you, I'll pass.  I hate the stuff!  Only old-timey grandmas like black licorice, right?  As far as I'm concerned, they can have it.

Pass the chocolate, please.

Did Somebody Say Pie!

Well, who doesn't like pie? Everyone likes some sort of pie, right? I love pie, both savory and sweet. Fall season is pretty much the only time I'll make pie - okay, "cook pie." Confession: I've never made a pie, not from scratch. I have made cheesecakes, do those count as pies.. they're made in a pie pan after all.

Now, let's talk about pie. When apple pie is served it must be warm and come with vanilla ice cream... on the side. If I'm gonna be picky, Dutch apple pie would be my preference. When it comes to pumpkin pie, nothing overly spiced or sweetened, please. I'll happily accept a serving at room temperature or out of the fridge and topped with a mountain of RediWhip. "Having a little pie with your whipped cream?" is something that is often asked, as I'm diving into my Thanksgiving Day dessert.

I really couldn't say which of those two pies I like more. All I know is that I won't say, "No," when offered a plate. I would like to try pumpkin cheesecake, and every Fall I'm tempted to call and ask for the recipe from a small hotel restaurant where I once had the most delicious pecan pie - a perfectly flaky crust that was coated with CHOCOLATE and filled with the perfectly packed, not-at-all overly sweet pecan filling. It was served warm with vanilla ice cream... and, Oh. My. God. I have not had pecan pie since; I don't want to spoil that heaven-on-this-earth experience. It's been over 10 years since we lived in Hawaii; over 10 years since that pie came into my life. Maybe I'll Google a recipe for it to try to make this year.

Unrelated to pies, another sweet dish I'd like to attempt to make this year is Mexican bread pudding - the kind my Auntie Mary used to make. So good!  Trifle is another holiday favorite, but it's strictly my Christmas and New Year's Day dessert.

Want to know a secret... all this writing about pies has made me super hungry and there's a Marie Callender turkey pot pie in the freezer. I couldn't pass it up when I was shopping the freezer section the other day. It reminds me of elementary school lunch served the day before Thanksgiving break... and it wasn't even in pie form.Cubed turkey and gravy were served over mashed potatoes, with a dinner roll and apple or cherry cobbler. Yum. That was my favorite day of the school year.

What are some of your holiday pie memories?  Any good recipes for desserts mentioned here that you'd like to pass along?  Feel free to share in the comments section below.  Thanks.

And Speaking of Fall Favorites...

Food... seasonal foods. It is that time again; time to dig out all those favorite family recipes and newly discovered holiday dishes to try,

Even if it's only first week of October and it is 90 degrees outside - whew, it's cooling down... grrrr - my mind is already zooming toward last week in November; to the point of my clearing out a shelf in The Place's tiny refrigerator - there are parts missing and inadequate amount of space, so I need to sort it out before filling it with all things Thanksgiving related.  The freezer portion is even worse. Did I mention it's a rental

Anyway, October is off to a good start in the way of meal preparations.  I've made chili - note to self, never again follow a recipe.  Today I made a huge pot of meatball soup for us and for mom to split. Tonight were having chicken with pasta alfredo, salad and garlic bread. Yum.

So, for this month my food focus will be on making stews, soups, and baked dishes... oh, just remembered the delicious baked talapia topped with salsa and cheese that we used to make at home in Colorado. Served over rice pilaf with a side of steamed veggies... Let's Eat!

I'll probably make a few sweet treats like banana bread and caramel apples, I'll also give one of those Dump Cakes The Pioneer Woman made on her show.  And there is absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying ice cream treats, right?  So must stock up on plenty of toppings.  Hmmm, now seems the perfect time to head out to pick up a few groceries.

What do you crave most this time of year?

Sources:

• thepioneerwoman.com

Mmmm... So Good!

I like to eat. There I said it. But that's not the reason I'm a fatty. I'm fat because I'm sedentary, I also experience some degree of pain on a daily basis. It's also been said that the medications I'm on contributed in some way to the weight gain. Those are the reasons I call myself a fatty. I'm not so sure I'm okay with anyone else calling me that though... I do have human feelings after all. But as a realist, especially after stepping off the scale (named Sophia - sounds friendly) and updating my BMI, I know what has to be done. Can't even imagine what kinda of state you'd find me in if I took out a measuring tape and wrapped it around my waist... no, no, no. Just no.

I do have a goal, which I'm three-quarters of a year through and failing at miserably. I have a daughter in third year of College, and a teenager graduating next spring. Originally my goal was to lose 50lbs before turning age 50. Well, here I am, a few short months from reaching 51 and the only thing I have to show for in that quest to lose 50lbs was putting on an extra 9lbs.  I really want not only to look fit and healthy, but be able to shop for something really nice to wear to my girls' graduations.  Well, I got sick last week and lost a quick 5lbs. Yay, ME. I've already put three of those pounds back on. What can I say, I like the taste of my own cooking.

Life Reimagined Profile Photo
October 3, 2014
THIS IS FIFTY WITH LIL
At my heaviest *sigh*

This Is Fifty with Lil means reassessing my goals... again, I've determined that my daily routine must change.  So in keeping with the spirit of my effort to develop my YouTube channel - baby steps - I've also signed up for AARP's Life Reimagined, and what do you know... a few online activities to assess where to begin, I'm already on target.  Remember, baby steps. Yesterday meant being on my feet shopping for, prepping & cooking a large pot of chili, as well as doing a thorough kitchen clean-up. I did it! I went to bed after midnight, in pain; woke up in pain, slept late because I didn't have work and school drop off.  So, I got plenty of rest.  Tomorrow will be much different - four hours driving, several errands, cooking dinner, and hopefully another empty sink before bedtime.  That's my commitment to my family.

Now, on the subject of the whole pumpkin spiced everything, there is no problem there. I reserve pumpkin spice flavors for Thanksgiving pies and breads.  I mentioned last week that cinnamon and chocolate are my go to flavors.  My seasonal icy beverage choice is a Mexican style cinnamon rice drink that I'm so happy is easily found in restaurants in this part of the country. Ginger Ale teas and fizzy drinks are a favorite option as well.  My cold weather drink is Mexican style cinnamony, hot milk chocolate. I just have to make sure I use low-fat milk and stevia sweetener to keep calories at bay. I will spoil myself once in a while stopping by Starbucks for a Cinnamon Dolce Latte or my favorite, Chai Tea Latte - fat-free of course.  And there you have it, my Favorite Fall Flavors.

Mmmm... So Good!

What are your favorites?


Sources:

• www.aarp.org
• lifereimagined.aarp.org
• starbucks.com

It's October, Right?