Apple Tree

We have an apple tree in our back yard. Last year it had no apples. This year it is covered with tiny apples, but I noticed that it is dropping a fair amount of apples before they have time to grow.

I work at a land trust- our primary focus is to steward and maintain open space and in conversation with our environmental director, we somehow strayed to the topic of apple trees and I shared the scoop on our apple-dropping tree.

“Well, you know that trees are like people,” he said. “They shed things when they are stressed.” So, apparently, I have a “stressed” apple tree. But a tree that is smart enough to shed the stress.

I like to take good advice where I find it. I leave on vacation today. Here’s hoping I can shed some apples while I’m gone. Laters.

A Year In Somewhat Fuzzy Pictures

One year ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. The best part of breast cancer is that you get Percocet and dinners from your friends while you re-cooperate . The worst part is that you have cancer and that you have to wear ugly socks. Laters.

August 2nd Surgery Hawt Hospital Socks

Leaving for the hospital August 2010. Notice that we are all attired appropriately in pink! 

Before they wheel me away 3rd Surgery Sept 2010

Ok,  well maybe one more shot, 3rd Surgery

Ye Olde Faiythful Ice Packe

Bruise easily? All I.V's are torture!

Bracelet by my niece, Hayley. Reminded me to stay strong!

Note from my bro after I started radiation. The darling gift box made by my sis-in-law. One present for each day of treatment.

Radiation markers or perhaps my new tattoo?

Last day of radiation, I wish I looked more excited.

One year later- happy but stuck at work.

What I Did For A Klondike Bar

About 4 years ago, K and I were separated for a little over a month when he moved to CT to start a new job. The job came about very quickly and we weren’t ready for a big move, so I stayed behind to organize and pack the house. I worked hard during the days, closing out accounts, paying bills and packing our belongings into bubble wrap, but most of the nights, I spent watching NCIS or CSI reruns and eating Klondike bars and potato chips. The reunion of our family was to be at Disney World in Florida, and about three weeks into the Klondike fest, I realized that in a few short days, I would be in a swimsuit. In public.

I began riding my bike around the neighborhood 2 or 3 times a day to burn calories and started doing lunges on my front porch steps, throwing in some arm exercises for good measure. If you know the June humidity levels in Tennessee, you realize that June in TN is no good time to start an outdoor exercise program padded with 3 weeks worth of Klondike bars, but sometimes you have to do what you have to do. I reduced my portions and sweated the time away packing and exercising. I can’t remember if I lost much weight, (sigh…probably not) but I think just putting the effort into it made me feel better.

The week before the trip, in addition to losing the pounds, I realized that I **had** to bleach my teeth. Why? I can’t really say. I was traveling with my parents, who never care if my teeth aren’t at the peak of whiteness and K would be glad to see me either way, but I spent the last few days carefully applying bleaching strips to my teeth to achieve a pearly smile. K noticed neither the bleaching nor the weight or lack thereof. Hmph.

Laters.

Recommendations 3

Our family has been using www.mint.com to set our monthly budget and help us manage our money. Mint categorizes all expenditures, synchs with your bank accounts, credit cards, loans, etc. and lets you see exactly what you spend and exactly where it goes. (eek, for me on the Starbucks and shoes) In the words of my sis-in-law, “that sounds scary,” but in reality setting a budget and sticking to it is a good thing. They also have an iPhone app so really, being fiscally responsible couldn’t be easier. Oh, and it’s free. 

A beauty product I love right now is Nars Illuminator. For me, it works a little like a bronzer and it looks good with my fledgling summer tan. A little shimmer on the décolletage is nice too, and this works nice for that.  As always, my go-to for this kind of stuff is Sephora, but I’m sure you can get it at most department stores. http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P284301&categoryId=B70

I know its summer when it’s time to buy flip-flops and tanks at Old Navy. I think that their simple cotton tanks are great and I wear mine all year for layering and they usually get pretty threadbare by the time the next summer rolls around so it works out perfect. Don't think I need to list this site as I'm sure every closet has a pair of their flip-flops, but just in case you've not been informed, www.oldnavy.com 

Trader Joe’s; bad for my waistline mini-milk-chocolate peanut butter cups. So tiny and tasty and the perfect size to grab a handful (or 3) as you walk past, I keep them in the fridge so they stay cool in the summer temps.

Me First

I expect it was the enormous lunch stuffed in my back pack that gave me the edge or maybe it was the Monday angst, but either way, I won.

There is a certain fellow, I like to call him “Mr. Not So Nice Guy in a Yankees Cap,” or worse things depending on my mood, but everyday he pushes in front of me to get on the train.

Raised in gentler, more mannerly climes, I expect men to defer to a lady or least not push her out of the way, but I’m pretty certain that this is a Jersey boy or a Bronx man, or from wherever they raise chubby, rude, sweaty men who don’t have manners.

He is a train runner, by that I mean he is the type who likes to start at the end of the platform and run alongside the train as it comes to a stop. Runners seem surprised by the whole process each morning and determined not to miss their golden opportunity. I am waiter; the train stops every day in the exact same place, so I pick my spot, wait there, the doors open, I enter and I am whisked magically away to work.  I suppose Hat Guy does not understand the mechanics of routine, or of waiting his turn, or of being nice. He must have been a terrible kindergartner.  

As I saw him making his sweaty run for it this morning, I thought, “not today, Bub!” and I put myself squarely in the path of his running, angling my overstuffed-backpack laden frame just perfectly, so he had to stop and wait his turn. He could hardly stand it, and he tried to squirm in front of me at the last minute, even as I was stepping onto the train from the platform. Which I don’t have to tell you is dangerous business; ohhh, it makes me steamed just thinking about it. Since I was first, I took the last open seat in the car. Sayonara Sweaty!! Laters.

Recommendations 2

For a dye hard (haha, get it?) do-it at home hair colorist, I like this product, Clairol Perfect 10. It literally takes 10 minutes, so you have to be quick when you apply, or else before you’re done, it’s time to rinse. It comes with 2 different applicator tips so you can do only roots or whole head- I usually do a little of both. You can get more info here. http://www.clairol.com/niceneasy/perfect_10/index.jsp

Back on the Sally Hansen bandwagon, this stuff, Nailgrowth Miracle Serum works! My nails, especially my thumbs, split way down into the quick as a rule; ugly and painful. I’ve been using this in conjunction with the polish strips and no breaks in over 4 weeks. A real record for me, but since I’m singing SH’s praises, I’m sure I’ll break one today. http://www.sallyhansen.com/products/nails/nail-care/nailgrowth-miracle-serum

Off the beauty subject and not relevant unless you live in CT, but oh my goodness, the chicken salad from Stew Leonards is AMAZING!  We been buying it for a while and it never disappoints. I prefer to eat it on crackers, (Trader Joe’s has these amazing, tiny rye crackers that compliment it superbly) that way I feel like I eat less, but delish any way you serve it.

And on to a more boring subject; laundry. Gosh, how much time have I spent doing this and to make it easy, the Bounce bar has an adhesive strip and you just stick on your dryer and forget about fabric softener. I think that it works well to control static cling and keep clothes soft; my only negative comment is that it doesn’t leave a strong scent. I like my laundry to smell like summer rain or fresh cotton, or lavender fields (fill in fabric softener tag line) and I don’t notice it as much with this. I feel like I have to replace mine a bit more frequently than they recommend, because my laundry day seems to be every day, but from a convenience view point, it can’t be beat.  http://www.bounceeverywhere.com/en_US/products/dryer-bar/video.jsp

Pa Rump Pa Pum Pum

Looking the mirror getting ready for a friend’s birthday party, I remark to K, “wow, I have a Kim Kardashian butt!”  What I meant is her rump is like mine, and they are both substantial. Sometimes when the new Victoria’s Secret magazine comes to my house, I peruse it for hours, not for the bras or swimsuits but to try to see what make those skinny flanked models tick. It is inconceivable to me how anyone could have such tiny haunches. How exactly does one roll down the street without the weight of a sizeable derriere to ground them? Given our unknown (to her) connection, I found it amusing when one of the grocery store rags blared the headline over the weekend that Kim K’s mamma is to blame for the size of her rump by forcing her to get “cheek implants.” I suppose my mother is to blame too, for marrying my dad and forcing the ba-donk-a-donk rump into my gene pool. It is entirely my dad’s fault. He is to blame when I have to jump and stuff myself into my jeans after I wash them, and he is undoubtedly at fault when I have to shamefacedly ask the sales girl for the next size up (or two) when trying on pants. Truthfully, having a unicorn horn sprout on my forehead would be no stranger to me than imagining having a svelte posterior. Yikes, TMI, is this the weirdest post I’ve ever written or what?  Laters.