Combine a Protein with a Dairy to Rev-Up Weight Loss

Studies have shown women burned more fat and calories after a meal when their diets included three to four servings of lowfat dairy daily. The amount of quality protein in your diet is the single most important calorie that influences your metabolic rate, favorably influencing weight loss. Quality protein also helps you sustain muscle during weight loss, improve muscle fitness, improve immunity, improve antioxidant function, build HDL cholesterol, and enhance insulin and leptin function – all of which contribute toward optimal weight management efforts over time.

Do Ahead: Shop, Chop, Cook

Healthy options need to be readily available when the hunger pangs strike.

21 Days Makes a Habit

Research shows that it takes 21 days to make a habit. Make each day count as you diet and exercise. In just a few short weeks, you will have developed a very good habit.

Just Do It

Nike was on to something with that famous campaign slogan. Just do it. Do it for the day. Do it for the next day. Do it for 10 minutes. Do it for an hour. Be disciplined. That is what sets you apart from others. Your disciplines during your day. Exercise. Just do it.

Don't Give Up

Don't give up. There is no quick fix to lose weight. Eat healthily. Exercise. Forgive your missteps. Keep going.

Honey and Cinnamon for Weight Loss: The Claim

The formula for honey and cinnamon for weight loss is ubiquitous.

1. Use honey and cinnamon in a 1:2 ratio (one part cinnamon, two parts honey)
2. Put the cinnamon in a cup or bowl.
3. Boil one cup of water.
4. Pour water over the cinnamon and let it steep for 30 minutes.
5. Once the liquid has cooled, add honey. Always add honey to the cooled liquid – hot liquid will destroy the enzymes in the raw honey.
6. Drink half of the resulting “tea” before going to bed. Cover and refrigerate the rest.
7. Drink the other half first thing in the morning.
8. Do not add anything to the recipe. Only drink on an empty stomach, first thing in the morning and right before bed.

Typical claims of benefits that you will find for drinking this concoction include:

1. Inches will be lost before you will notice the scale creeping downward.
2. The cinnamon and honey cleanses parasites, fungus and bacteria out of the digestive tract.
3. You may experience side effects due to the release of toxicity.
4. You may experience increased energy, better sex drive and a better mood.
5. The formula will block your body from gaining fat.

To the frustrated dieter looking for a panacea, the honey and cinnamon for weight loss cure might seem like a dream come true, but does it work? Take a look at each of the ingredients and their potential benefits on health.

20 Pounds = 5 Months

5 months = swimsuit shopping season
Lose one pound a week for the next five months and you'll be down a size or two for 2010 swimsuit season, which is right around the corner.

Make the Best of It

Make the best of it. When you make the best of whatever you're focused upon, your future will be better than your now. If each moment you're making the best of what-is, no matter what it is, you make the best of it; make the best of it; make the best of it—your future just gets better and better and better, and better.

--- Abraham- Hicks

CSI Sleepy Town

Action this morning in sleepy town. The blogfriend, Jeff, called this morning to tell me that her mass was canceled because beloved Father Ed was found dead in the rectory kitchen. According to one of the doctors at the scene, the priest had what appeared to be scratches and blood on his body. It was speculated that his dog may have tried to revive the fallen man. A sweet love story. However, the police didn't buy the endearing theory and turned the neighborhood into a crime scene. Father Ed's death is being investigated as a potential homicide. That explains the helicopters swarming sleepy town all morning long. RIP Father Ed.

Goals are Key to Success

You must have long-range goals to keep you from being frustrated by short-range failures.

~ Charles C. Noble

While the pounds aren't really falling off my body, I know I'm not gaining weight any more. Good diet and fitness really does need to become part of your lifestyle. Slow and gradual behavior modification will result in good health and a slim physique.

Trick to Weight Loss: Stay Away from White Foods

From Toothpix blog:

It may sound strange but it works. Don’t eat food that are white.

Sugar is a major trouble maker for dieters. Eating sugary foods causes the blood sugar to spike which signals the pancreas to make insulin on the double. The insulin gets the sugar out of the blood and into the organs or, more likely, into fat storage. Then the blood sugar drops which causes a craving for more sugary food. Sugar is hidden in processed foods and is used as a flavor enhancer. Brown sugar is simply white sugar with molasses added. Check the label on processed foods for sugar, sucrose, or corn syrup. You’ll be surprised to see where sugar is hiding.

Flour is just as bad as sugar, since it is easy for the stomach to quickly digest starch, turn it into glucose, a form of sugar and get it in the blood stream. Avoid white bread, cakes, doughnuts, and pastries. Whole grain bread is better for you, the whole grains means more fiber, which slows down digestion.

White rice has had the hull removed and most of the nutrients. It’s easily and quickly digested. Brown rice has much more fiber and consequently takes longer to digest so it’s okay in limited amounts.

Potatoes are primarily carbohydrates and, you guessed it, get turned into glucose fairly quickly. Sweet potatoes are a little better for you, even though they have a higher sugar content than white potatoes they contain more fiber.

Fat on beef and pork should be cut off before cooking, or only lean cuts should be consumed. And of course drain off any fat left in the pan before serving.

Mayonnaise has a high fat content since one of the primary ingredients is oil. Sour cream is a no, no as is whipped cream, and half and half.

An exception to the ‘no white foods’ rule would be low fat and nonfat milk. Calcium is important in any diet. Dieters who drink a glass of milk with every meal lose weight faster than those who don’t. Calcium blocks fat absorption. Unfortunately calcium derived from supplements doesn’t work the same way as calcium from diary products.

Stick with bright colors in your diet and you’ll lose weight faster.

Friends in Food and Fitness

The longtime blogfriend, Maggie, met me in Miami Beach for an extended weekend. While we always have a great time, this trip was particularly motivational. Maggie and I have known each other for over forty years. All through the years, we have often been mistaken for sisters because of our similar body type and, like spouses, friends begin to share a similar look after years together. We have gone from about eighty pounds to both sides of 150 pounds. Although, there are many miles between us, this weekend we decided to become partners in health, nutrition and weight loss motivation. We established a private blog, whereby we can attempt to motivate ourselves and each other by posting words of encouragement, diet and exercise success stories, recipes and results. Here we are pictured at Joe's Stone Crab on South Beach. Maggie loved her venture into the world of stone crabs... and what better a place. OMG. We splurged on the delicious basket of bread and the fabulous hash browns. So we have some work to do!

Energy Zappers and the Fix

Here's a good read by Denise Schipani:

See nine things that zap your vitality and how to get it back
It's 3 p.m.--do you know where your energy's gone? You probably expect to feel that late-afternoon drag, but you don't always have to. Turns out, some of your regular habits may be sneakily zapping your zip. Fix some or all of these energy stealers, and you just may be feeling brighter this afternoon.

Energy Zapper #1: Being Addicted to E-mail
Isn't being wired to the hilt--e-mail, voice mail, IM, BlackBerry--supposed to boost productivity, freeing up your energy? More often, the opposite is true. If you continually halt what you're doing to answer e-mail, check voice mail, and attend to a thousand other beeps and blips, your attention becomes diluted, which leaves you feeling depleted.
There are two things going on here, says John Salerno, MD, a New York City family physician and director of the Salerno Center for Complementary Medicine. "The brain needs a lot of physical and mental energy to multitask, which gets drained," he says. And continually redirecting your attention from the BlackBerry to other stimuli siphons more energy and distracts your brain further.

Energy Fix
Switch off electronic gadgets during your most productive work hours, which for most people tend to be in the morning, says Laura Stack, author of The Exhaustion Cure. As for e-mail, try to limit yourself to checking it once every hour, instead of hopping to whenever it beeps. (Hint: Turn off the beep sound.) If something pops into your mind that you need to remember--call back your mom, e-mail the soccer coach about the snack schedule--write it down and take care of it later.

Energy Zapper #2: Visual Clutter
We may be used to living in enclosed spaces with lots of stuff--a refrigerator door packed with artwork, a countertop laden with mail, a desk that's little more than a shifting pile of folders and paper--but it's not how we're meant to live, says Dr. Salerno. "Clutter signals disorder, which makes us anxious. Our brains sense that anxiety."

Energy Fix
Do your best to clear visual clutter, so when you look around, your eyes can "rest" rather than dart from mess to mess, says Janice Ash, organization expert and owner of I Declutter!. Instead of layering papers on a bulletin board, leave a small border of space around them. Clear the front of the fridge of all but the most current kids' artwork, and make a habit of leaving the kitchen counter stuff-free before bed each night.

Energy Zapper #3: Being Bored
Ever sat around for an hour or more not tackling a chore or work because it's just so darned monotonous? Mental foot-dragging, boredom and lack of motivation are draining, says Dr. Salerno. "Put simply, we like to see results, and getting things done gives us a mental energy boost." So avoiding tasks deprives you of that high.

Energy Fix
Find a partner for encouragement--a friend, a coworker--and call or e-mail to enlist her in a time challenge. "Say, ‘I'll check back in with you in an hour, and we'll see if we've gotten these reports/ organizing chores done.'" Or promise yourself motivational rewards for completing the task at hand, suggests Dr. Salerno.

Energy Zapper #4: Poor Posture
You already know that not sitting or standing straight is bad for your body. But all that hunching over a computer screen or cradling a phone on your shoulder wreaks havoc on your energy level, too, says Pia Martin, a San Diego health and wellness chiropractor. "When you sit for long periods, you tend to slump forward, leading to rounded shoulders and a tilted lower spine. Your muscles contract, and blood flow is impaired," which limits the amount of oxygen to your brain.

Energy Fix
Sit up straight! Your legs should be at right angles to the floor, your arms at right angles to your keyboard. Be conscious of keeping your shoulders down, not up near your ears. Adjust your computer screen so your eyes gaze at the middle of it. And don't just sit there--if you have to, set a timer to go off hourly to remind you to get up, stretch and get a drink of water. When you get back to your desk, do a quick posture check: Shoulders down! (Reboot your posture with these tips.)

Energy Zapper #5: Toxic Indoor Air
Humming copy machines. Cleaning products. Dry-cleaning chemicals. Synthetic carpeting. Even the desks in your office may be contributing to the load of toxins you breathe each day, because all of them release chemicals into the air. "No one knows for sure how much harm these cause to our bodies, but they do build up over time, and can drain your energy by potentially interfering with thyroid function and overloading the body's detox system," says Frank Lipman, MD, a New York City physician and author of Spent: End Exhaustion and Feel Great Again. (Reduce your exposure to chemical toxins.)

Energy Fix
Get outside. If you're feeling tired, go out for 10 minutes to breathe fresh air. Indoors, cultivate houseplants, which are remarkably good at absorbing toxins. And don't wear shoes inside the house--you're dragging not just dirt indoors on your soles, but pesticides and other harmful chemicals too.

Energy Zapper #6: Eating Too Much at Once
Consuming a big meal is always something that will cause a dip in energy later, but that effect is most noticeable in the afternoon because the slump happens at that reach-for-coffee-or-sugar hour: 3 p.m. Here's what happens: You fill up on a carb- and calorie-rich lunch and, as nutrients are absorbed by your body, excess glucose is dumped into your bloodstream, and your body releases insulin to process all that sugar. "A better idea is to spread out what and how you eat throughout the day to keep energy levels steady," says Gloria Tsang, RD, founder of the nutrition website HealthCastle.com.

Energy Fix
Eat every four hours, instead of the usual six. To reform lunch, "try to brownbag more often than eating out," says Tsang. It's a fact that if you buy takeout or dine in a restaurant, you're likely to eat more. Four hours after lunch, have a snack. If you're going to eat dinner a couple of hours later, keep the snack small, such as half a turkey sandwich, or a yogurt and some crackers. Other ideas: Drink liquids (water, tea) all day. "Dehydration makes you tired, too," says Tsang. If you usually have coffee right after lunch, try it a little later in the afternoon and make it a latte. The caffeine's an obvious pick-me-up, but the little bit of fat and protein in the milk gives you a snack-like boost. (Increase your energy with a smarter lunch.)

Energy Zapper #7: Living in Artificial Light
Our natural body rhythms are keyed to the rising and setting of the sun, says Carol Ash, DO, medical director of Sleep for Life, a sleep-disorder clinic in Somerset, New Jersey. When you open your eyes in the morning and get your first glimpse of sunlight, your brain receives a signal that helps it set its sleep-wake clock for the day. Similarly, seeing sunlight during the day gives your brain a boost. So if you are awake before the sun, and/or don't see much sun all day, your body is experiencing something a lot like jet lag.

Energy Fix
Instead of hitting the coffee cart when you're flagging, hit the sidewalk--the combination of physical exercise and a shot of sunlight will energize you. You don't need much: "A 10- to 20-minute walk in the sunshine will give you a boost," says Dr. Ash.

Energy Zapper #8: Listening to Negative Nellies
You may be upbeat, but it can be exhausting to listen to complainers all day long, whether it's the fellow mom who calls to trash-talk the neighbors or the coworker who never has a positive word to say. It's not your imagination: A 2006 study at Chicago's Northwestern University found that people forced to listen to "high-maintenance" colleagues became frustrated and unfocused, and suffered a decline in the quality of their work.

Energy Fix
Insulate yourself as best you can. If a coworker loves to enumerate her complaints, cut her off with a firm but polite "I really have to get this finished," then smile and get to work. She'll get the message. If it's your own negative thoughts that drag you down, train yourself to banish them by listing, daily, the things you're grateful for, so you can pull out that list when the negative stuff intrudes.

Energy Zapper #9: Holding a Grudge
It takes a surprising amount of energy to remember whom you have a grudge against, and to continually update the faults, missteps and things you're mad about. "Resentment is a huge drain physically as well as mentally," says Dr. Lipman. "Anger, resentment, grudges--all of these emotions are toxic, and we hang on to them in our bodies especially in tense, tired muscles."

Energy Fix
It takes practice, but try to forgive old mistakes. An easy way to start is to simply be aware of the times negative thoughts about others creep into your mind, says Dr. Lipman. "Think of others as flawed humans, which we all are," which makes it easier to forgive-and free up energy.

Scale Shock

Life is just filled with reality checks. After what I thought was an excellent week of mindful eating and exercise, the scale this morning disagreed. In fact, it revealed an ALL TIME HIGH number. I'm hoping it is just a reflection of travel and water retention. Anyway, I start my day with greater resolve and realize that it will take a little longer to be this supermodel. I was reluctant to put my weight on this blog, but now, WTF? As they say about age, if you're going to lie, lie up.

home at last

There's no place like home, love, warmth, smiles, dinner with kev, my couch.
Well I broke the first rule, I ate after 7p, but it was fat free popcorn with diet root beer.
However on the positive note, I had 1/2 filet of sea bass with veggies, side salad with vinagarette, NO potatoes, one ketal.
Bought 2 work-out magazines at the airport, I'll let you know if I get anything good out of it.

Pick Your Battles and Make One Decision Now

After such a fun weekend in Miami, I woke this morning with lots of ideas for maintaining a good diet. Each one of us has certain weaknesses, and mine has to be French fries. Rather than negotiate with that whimpy little voice inside my head each time I see or smell a fry, I decided to just make an executive decision, here and now, that I will not be allowed to eat French fries until next year. That's it. Now that I know a decision has already been made, I won't have to comprise on this craving for days. MMS and I said good-bye in Sex City with resolve and optimism. We had such a memorable couple days and best of all, we kick-started a plan for health and nutrition going into the holiday season.

changes

i'm going to try to not eat anything after 7p.
i'm going to be excellant at behaving sun-thurs, then make good decisions on the wkd.
i find i eat at work when i'm bored, annoyed, busy, i'm going to replace that thinking with a glass of water.
working on tearing down my own barriers to progress.
get healthy.

Pineapple Water

Drink lots of water. Lots. It can stave off the hunger pangs and keep the appetite in check. The hotels in Miami Beach have large vats of water around the pool filled with sliced fruit for the guests to keep hydrated. The fruit adds a mild, refreshing edge to the water. Try this at home, kids. Keep a jug of water in the fridge with sliced pineapple, oranges, or strawberries. It's a good way to use over-ripened fruit, too, instead of tossing it out. Every time you go to the fridge for a snack, you'll forget you're hungry and go for a refreshing glass of water! In fact, I think many people confuse hunger for thirst.

Pineapple Water

Drink lots of water. Lots. It can stave off the hunger pangs and keep the appetite in check. The hotels in Miami Beach have large vats of water around the pool filled with sliced fruit for the guests to keep hydrated. The fruit adds a mild, refreshing edge to the water. Try this at home, kids. Keep a jug of water in the fridge with sliced pineapple, oranges, or strawberries. It's a good way to use over-ripened fruit, too, instead of tossing it out. Every time you go to the fridge for a snack, you'll forget you're hungry and go for a refreshing glass of water! In fact, I think many people confuse hunger for thirst.

Miami List

this is the start of a great mid life change for us.
this is the motivation we both need, we have great potential.

Miami Motivation

Mag and Kath started this blog while on a weekend getaway to Miami Beach. The long-time friends, while separated by many miles, believe that this blog will provide health and fitness motivation to each other, as they each attempt to lose weight and build muscle.

Miami Motivation

Mag and Kath started this blog while on a weekend getaway to Miami Beach. The long-time friends, while separated by many miles, believe that this blog will provide health and fitness motivation to each other, as they each attempt to lose weight and build muscle.

Video: A Miracle

Sarah, the blogfriend, has always been pretty terrified of her Mac. Lately, she has been taking classes at the Mac Store to help overcome her fear of computing. Sarah proudly sent me her first video yesterday. It's going viral!

Zebra Mentality

The blogson was telling us about an assembly at the high school yesterday. A fellow by the name of Michael Fowlin gave a powerful presentation about discrimination, and not just racial discrimination. He spoke of all types of discrimination, such as that among cliques at school, left-handed kids, family members, and even friends. The presentation was about how people, in this case, mostly teens, ostracize, alienate, and double-cross each other in order to be accepted. The pain of the injustice is sometimes just too much for people to take, and teens particularly, have difficulty managing these emotions. The speaker went on to graphically illustrate the grave and sad consequences for some people who carry the burdens of discrimination. Mr. Fowlin spoke about the sorry-ass people who just stand-by and watch bad behaviors and alienation in action. He called this the zebra mentality. “Bullies are not the problem,” he says, “Zebras are the problem. They’re beautiful creatures, but when one zebra is attacked by a lion, the others watch. They see these things happening and might feel bad about it, but they don’t do anything." The blogson enjoyed the hour presentation, but casually summed it up in one sentence, "People just need to do the right thing."

Gripping: Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood Crayon Factory

Manly Men Wearing Pink

It's so cool to see the NFL supporting breast cancer awareness month by adding pink touches to game apparel and fields. It almost makes watching football entertaining tolerable.

Keep 'Em Busy, Keep 'Em Broke

Good mantra for any parent of teens.

Heat's On

In honor of apartment dwellers everywhere, the good landlord bloghusband turned the heat on today. It must be October 1st!

Sappy Poem of the Day

Anyone with an email account and a bunch of friends gets a bunch of sappy emails over the course of time. Some are worth the read and others simply get the delete key. The timing of this poem in my inbox this morning is curious, and I felt it was blogworthy for a couple of reasons. First, it is a heartwarming poem, which I have seen several times before and always find truths within. Secondly, it has been circulating the Internet for over ten years and has been attributed to several authors along the way, including Hillary Clinton, Maya Angelou and Jesse Jackson. Pamela Redman Satran wrote the following poem, and it was first published in Glamour Magazine in May, 1997 under the title: "30 Things Every Woman Should Have & Should Know by the Time She's 30." It's never too late girls, enjoy!

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
enough money within her control to move out
and rent a place of her own,
even if she never wants to or needs to...
something perfect to wear if the employer,
or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .
a youth she's content to leave behind....
a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to
retelling it in her old age....
a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...
one friend who always makes her laugh... and one who lets her cry....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ........
a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family...
eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems,
and a recipe for a meal,
that will make her guests feel honored....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..
a feeling of control over her destiny...
how to fall in love without losing herself..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW....
how to quit a job,
break up with a lover,
and confront a friend without;
ruining the friendship....

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW....
when to try harder... and WHEN TO WALK AWAY...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that she can't change the length of her calves,
the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..
that her childhood may not have been perfect....but it's over....

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
what she would and wouldn't do for love or more....
how to live alone.... even if she doesn't like it...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.. .
whom she can trust,
whom she can't,
and why she shouldn't take it personally...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
where to go...
be it to her best friend's kitchen table..
or a charming Inn in the woods...
when her soul needs soothing....

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
What she can and can't accomplish in a day...
a month...and a year...

The More They Talk, The More They Like You

With so many people looking for employment these days, just remember this little tidbit of human nature on your next interview: The more they talk, the more they like you.

May You Be Filled with Gratitude Today

Everyone gets into a funk now and then. Over the last couple of days, I found myself slipping into a state of negative thought exhaustion. I said a prayer in the morning asking for, what I refer to as a positive-energy-thought-reversal-pattern, and lo and behold, I ended up having the most amazing day. It wasn't until I was in bed last night, did I realize how fortunate I am to be surrounded by wise, caring and loving individuals who appreciate me and the goodwill I hold in my heart. A string of events during the day blessed me with the most uplifting conversations among friends, family and even a few strangers. While it's so easy to slip into a state of depression, it is just as easy to take all the goodness people have to offer and turn your mood around. May you be filled with gratitude for all things and people in your life today.

Honeycrisp Apple Season is Upon Us

It's a long ten months without Honeycrisp apples, but, alas, the end is near. After discovering this variety last year, and looking longingly for them in every produce section throughout the world, for an entire year, I had my first Honeycrisp apple sighting today at my local grocer. My reunion with these apples brought a calm over my whole body. I held the apples gingerly in my hands, with reverence and anticipation, as I paid for my order. I felt complete. These are the best. apples. ever. Oddly, Honeycrisp apples are from a favorite Midwest destination, Door County, Wisconsin. Wisconsin? Yes. While growing up in Chicago, I ventured to Door County frequently. It's a beautiful part of the U.S. Honeycrisp apples are a relatively new variety. They were developed from a Macoun and Honeygold cross (the Honeygold itself a cross between the Golden Delicious and Haralson). The first trees were planted just north of Sturgeon Bay. Discover a Honeycrisp apple this season, and you will find yourself eating an apple a day for the next two months. Then, you will find yourself longing for September.

Your Thoughts Become You

Thoughts that bring about good feelings mean you are on the right track. Thoughts that bring about bad feelings means you are not on the right track. -The Secret

I'm always trying to get the teen blogson to understand this concept. Positive mental attitude is a challenging discipline, and must be practiced daily.

Brendan Loy's Tribute in Lights

http://www.flickr.com/photos/51629368@N00/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

One of my favorite bloggers, Brendan Loy, took this photo and writes:

A breathtaking view from Staten Island, on the second anniversary of 9/11, of the "Tribute in Light" at Ground Zero; the illuminated Statue of Liberty; the red, white & blue Empire State Building, directly in between the Tribute in Light beams; and the Chrysler building. Oh yes, and Mars, just a few weeks removed from its closest approach to Earth in 60,000 years.

I took this photo from the Staten Island Ferry dock, after riding the ferry across the harbor just to see what the view of the skyline would look like with the Tribute in Light. Although many photos were taken and published of the skyline that night, I've never seen another one from this particular angle, which I maintain was the most beautiful viewpoint in the whole city that night.

The bloghusband and I both worked in the World Trade Center at different times in our careers. After the first bombing in 1993, Wild Willy's office moved into World Financial Center, just across the street from the WTC. Luckily, he was in Hong Kong on 9/11/01. Eight years ago, I picked up the blogson from his second grade classroom. It was a very sad reunion and, as we walked back to the car, I tried to remove the fear, horror and sadness in my voice, while attempting to explain that a life-changing event occurred while he was busy learning how to write. I started by telling him, "something happened today, and we will never forget it for the rest of our lives." Before allowing me to continue with the news, and in his sweetest young voice, my eight-year-old said, "You'll forget it, Mom, you forget everything." That was the one and only smile of the day. Unfortunately, it's just one of those things we will never forget. What a day to be living. What a day to be living in Greater New York.

This Should Put a Smile on your Face

Sixteen Candles

Not exactly sixteen candles, but the blogson turned sweet sixteen yesterday and, luckily, I had saved the 6 and the 1 from the bloghusband's 61st birthday cake earlier this year. It's already been a hectic September with packing up and closing down the Vineyard home, driving I95 for five hours, birthday shopping, cake baking, lobster dinner cooking and digging out the back to school paperwork. I also installed Snow Leopard on the trusty MacBook. Yeaaa!

The Holy See in Oak Bluffs, MA

The African American population grew to new levels on the island this summer, with the greatest concentration in Oak Bluffs. Demographic marketing was apparent with a fist-bumping watercolor of the first couple (sale price $1,000) impressionist oil painting of the President walking the Aquinnah cliffs with his dog (sale price $5,000) and seemingly religious artifacts of and souvenirs in honor of Obama prominently displayed along Circuit Avenue. Here's my favorite. Don't call me a racist, I'm just reporting the scene.

Presidential Motorcade Sighted in Chilmark

Woohoo!!! Having tired of sharing my bedroom with carpenter ants over the last three weeks, the exterminator kicked us out of the house for a couple of hours today. I dropped the blogson at Alley's General Store to hang out with Coco, and continued up island to Aquinnah.

On the way back, I stopped in Menemsha.


Knowing the First Family was staying off of South Road, I took that route home and was the first car stopped by the Chilmark Police about 500 yards before Blue Heron Farm. As the line of traffic grew behind me, I knew the motorcade must be approaching. Sure 'nuff. I took this video, but cowered a bit with the policeman giving the the evil eye.



The only political statement I notice throughout the day's journey was this frequent signage peppering South Road.

Martha's Vineyard Agricultural Fair

The entire population on the island looks forward to that third weekend in August for the annual Ag Fair. From the newborn calf, to Coco's paper dresses, to rides and hats, to yummy food and, of course, the skillet throw. It was another dream come true at the fair. The Vineyard Gazette captures the whole weekend here, and provides an introduction for my skillet throw video:

The feminine gusto was certainly not questioned on Sunday when the woodsmen cleared out and women ages 18 to 88 stepped to the competition field to hurl three pounds and eleven ounces of steel over a measured dirt expanse in the women’s skillet throw.

The oldest contestant, 88-year-old Ann Lesnikowski of Vineyard Haven, ambled to the throw-line while clutching her daughter in law’s hand. Once on the field, the gold-jeweled, pink-lipped lady launched a rusted frying pan more than six feet in front of her. “I think it’s fun,” said skillet thrower Ms. Lesnikowski. “It’s something to do at the fair. I like the idea of women being able to compete at possible sports.”

Foggy MVY

Our flight to Camp Kieve yesterday was delayed a couple of hours due
to morning fog at the airport. We had a great reunion with the
blogson in Maine and brought him back to the island. Martha's Vineyard
is very crowded. This is probably peak tourist weekend, but it seems
to be busier than usual.

Developing Story for the Initiated

It seems to me that there is an infiltration of great concern developing around the globe. It is scarier than any political agenda, war, greed or corruption. It is stirring curiosity seekers by relatively large numbers. On July 13th, I, too, was motivated to post about this frightening, but fascinating development. Since mid-July, I have received more Google hits from that blog post than any single post over the last year. The commotion? GIANT GREEN MOTH SIGHTINGS.

Camp Kieve

Photo Credit

While I miss the blogson dearly for three and a half weeks a year, I never worry about him when he's away at camp. It is a wonderful and meaningful passage to manhood for these teens. Each year, the wilderness journey get increasingly more challenging. This year, the blogson spent thirteen days on the Allagash Wilderness Waterway in Maine. He returned to his cabin this weekend. Although, I have only received four sentences on a postcard from my camper, Kieve provides information and photos to the parents almost daily. Yesterday's news from Camp Kieve illustrates the fun they have when back from a grueling wilderness adventure:

Today was Sunday and as Geoff raised the flag after a half-hour sleep-in, he announced that the theme of the day was Super bowl Sunday. After a breakfast of pancakes and fresh fruit, everyone hurried back to their cabins to clean for a little while before choir practice. At chapel, Kieve Alum Chris spoke and we all sang the kieve hymn together. Afterwards, campers scurried back to their cabins to organize their things and make their beds in order to pass for inspection. Directors Tommy and Henry came around checking peoples cabins off and then camp settled down at Pasquaney to enjoy corn and barbequed chicken. In the afternoon, Pirates and Mystery Bus were the two most popular activities and despite rumors of rain the skies stayed clear. The counselors worked together to make a delicious dinner of wings, mozzarella sticks, burgers and dogs and then Geoff announced the evening activity: the Super bowl. Camp rejoined down at Harriet House field, which had been turned into a football stadium, complete with Goal Posts, loud speakers and delicious snacks such as popcorn and soda. Campers ate their fill while they cheered their counselors on. After the game we returned to the top of the hill to lower the flag while Geoff spoke of how much Kieve meant to him. Overall, it was another wonderful day at camp.

Amazing iPhone Picture of Sweet Amelia

Steph sent this amazing iPhone transmittal during the week. Our little sweetheart is scheduled for yet another surgery tomorrow. This is Amelia's fifth major surgery in her first year of life. Amelia is turning ONE! on August 2oth. Please spend a quite moment in prayer for Amelia's successful kidney procedure tomorrow. Thanks.

Lobster Now Cheaper than Hot Dogs

Now, there's really no reason to wait for a celebration dinner. The next cookout can be really special. For the first time in generations, the price of lobster is cheaper than the wholesale price of hot dogs per pound.

H/T Nancy

Woman's Best Friend

Solo, my five year old black Lab, rode shotgun for the 273 mile ride to Martha's Vineyard. During the silence of an uneventful ride, and while appearing to be dead asleep, Solo was a great communicator. Each time my glance veered in his direction, he drowsily and spontaneously wagged his tail in sheer appreciation for the moment.

Best Margarita Ever

Photo credit

Many people prefer the convenience of bottled margarita mixer, which is readily available in stores, to fresh squeezed lime juice when making this Mexican cocktail. While certainly not as fast and easy as pouring the pre-made beverage over tequila, fresh lime juice and Cointreau is the key blend to a perfect Gold margarita. It's this simple and delicious:

1 1/2 oz. Cuervo Gold tequila
1/2 oz. Cointreau
1 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice

Cheers!

40 Years Later: Historical Weekend

It was 40 years ago today that Ted Kennedy walked swam away from murder charges. While the story was big news for the Massachusetts senator, his cover-up was bigger news. Mary Jo Kopechne, the young woman with Ted Kennedy at a vineyard party, died after he drove his car off a bridge in an isolated area on Chappaquiddick. Kennedy waited until the next morning to call the police. Two days later, Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong made ‘one giant leap for mankind' as Apollo 11 landed on the moon.

Pinkletink

Winter fades, Spring dallies.
A limbo. And then, a sound.
The pinkletink peeps.
-Alex Goethals

We met up with an old friend at the flea market this morning. John always has a number of interesting ventures up his sleeve. Today he was telling us about his new clothing line for teen girls, Pinkletink. Cute name. We learned that a pinkletink is the folk name for a spring peeper frog on Martha's Vineyard.

The Art of John Lennon in Vineyard Haven

A benefit for the Island Food Pantry will be exhibiting the art work of John Lennon this weekend at the Mansion House in Vineyard Haven. From the MV Gazette:

...“What many people don’t know about John was that he was an artist before he was a rocker,” his widow and artistic collaborator Yoko Ono told the Gazette...Working primarily with pencil (and later, after meeting Ms. Ono and travelling to Japan, Asian brushes), Mr. Lennon produced art throughout his life. His drawings are whimsical, immediate and human.

The show, entitled Come Together, runs from noon to 7 p.m. on Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

Twenty Four Hours: JFK, Jr. and the Family

As if being at a Yankee's game isn't exciting enough, I was absolutely thrilled to behold a memorable celebrity-sighting ten years ago in the Bronx. The very handsome Yankee fan, JFK, Jr., was occupying a box seat near the Yankee dugout, not too far from our seats. While most of the 49,000 attendees had no idea of Kennedy's presence at the game, I couldn't take my eyes off him. Sigh! The next evening, just about the time JFK, Jr. was taking off from a New Jersey airport in his private plane, we were taking off from a nearby airport in our single engine plane. Usually, we fly to our home on Martha's Vineyard, but that night we were visiting family in Pittsburgh. It was a hot and steamy night. The bloghusband flew at a higher altitude than normal because of haze's effect on his visibility while flying into the sunset. We awoke the next morning and were simply crushed to learn of the tragic demise of Kennedy's flight in route to the vineyard. My first thought was how the haze, while flying over water, must have made the horizon indistinguishable. Ten years later, people still tend to analyze and critique the accident. Pilots are a curious breed, and never will they criticize another pilot. The bloghusband merely says that every pilot has a different risk tolerance level.

Allen Farm, Chilmark MA

Your daily dose of sweetness.

Potter on the Vineyard

The blogfamily attended the 7:00pm premier of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. It was a sell-out crowd at the Island Theater in Oak Bluffs and about 110 degrees in the packed theater. The movie vaguely resembled the book we read three years ago. The anticipation was far better than the movie, but it was fun to revisit a fond memory of togetherness shared over 672 pages.

Countdown to Harry Potter Movie Six

Just two more days to the island premier of Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince. The movie will be playing in Oak Bluffs on Wednesday. We are very excited.

Giant Green Moth

Photo credit hiltonpond.org

This beautiful creature would be far more intriguing in a zoo rather than out my front door. As I stepped outside this evening, I thought of Alfred Hitchcock. The vineyard is rich with all sorts of wild life, and each year brings a new variety to life. I did a simple Google search for "giant green moth" and discovered that this fabulous beast is called a Luna Moth:

Luna Moths are members of the Saturniidae family, also known as the "Giant Silkworm Moths." Luna Moths are huge moths, with a wingspan of four and a half inches. They have a white body, pinkish legs, and huge pale green wings. The hindwings have eyespots and long tails. They fly, only at night, in Spring and early Summer.

How Monkeys Open a Banana

h/t misscellania

The Shenandoah

We were blessed with our third boating day of the season yesterday. Aside from the blogson, Will aka Billy, who tipped the dingy and fell into the cold harbor waters, we all had a fabulous afternoon soaking up the sun on Osprey. It wouldn't be the perfect day out to sea without sighting the Shenandoah in full sail. From Coastwise Packet, The Shenandoah is a 108' square topsail schooner with no auxiliary power, thereby making her unique in the American schooner fleet. She is the only vessel of her size and rig operating under the American flag. The Shenandoah is a legend in New England waters, and majestic to behold at full sail.

InStyle Magazine? No, Just Ally

With time at a premium, the days of leisurely flipping though a magazine seem few and far between. Luckily, I have the blogstepdaughter, Ally, to keep me advised of the latest trends in fashion. With a long-term career in the fashion industry, and a life-long passion for all things fashionable, Ally is my walking and talking consultant on new and useful products and styles. Ally and husband, Paul, are spending a couple days with us on the island.

Grilled Pizza Recipe

The blogstepdaughterinlaw, Kristy, has been an inspiration in my attempts to perfect the art of grilled pizza making. Hosting the vegetarian blognephew, Robert, on the island, grilled pizza has become a fun challenge and bonding event over the last couple of weeks. Our two attempts at making pizza have produced delicious, albeit, rudimentary pies. We agreed to have one more pizza night before our departure, which, we are convinced, will produce our best results.

1. With pizza dough at room temperature, pull, press and stretch the dough to a desired shape and thinness. A round pie is the traditional objective, but it's not always easy to achieve that perfect circumference.
2. Preheat grill to medium hot. Prepare all toppings in advance i.e., steam, sauté, grate, etc. Pizza sauce and veggies (meat, too, if desired) should be warm and ready for the crust.
3. Brush olive oil on one side of the crust and gently place the oil side down on the hot grill.
4. While the crust is cooking, brush oil the other side. Watch the crust carefully to prevent burning. The crust will get bubbly. That's good.
5. Gently flip the crust, and as quickly as possible, place the desired toppings on the pizza and close the top of the grill for a couple of minutes. Watch carefully.
6. Remove the pie, pour a glass of Chianti and enjoy the fruits vegetables of your labor!
   

SHOCK: Teens Take the Vineyard Bus

The 15 year-old blogson and his friend actually took public transportation home last night at 11:00 p.m. At least that's what they told me. Perhaps they engaged in their first episode of hitchhiking, which would be OK too, but only on Martha's Vineyard. I find this to be blogworthy for several reasons: 1. It's a rite of passage, independent and out late at night and on public transportation. 2. We have never been on a vineyard bus. 3. An article entitled reducing how much we drive--child miles traveled? caught my eye this morning.

First Time Visitors to MV

Hosting first-time visitors to our vineyard home, we are reminded of beauty that surrounds us daily on the island. It's fun to be inspired this holiday weekend.