My Messy Little Secret/Blast to the Past/Healthy Eating

Got your attention, didn't I! ;o)

If I spent less time surfing the web and reading blogs and Facebook, I might actually get some projects done on my To-Do list! I thought that maybe by showing the blogger world what my supposed scrapbook table looks like, you will understand why I never scrapbook anymore!

And also by showing my embarrassing mess to you, my blogger friends, it might put a fire under me to actually do something about it - make me somewhat accountable! I love to read scrapbooking blogs and those who have whole rooms dedicated to their craft just make me drool!

So here is my scrapbooking area (gasp!) It could be really cool. It's on a big, old table in my basement right next to the sliding glass door looking out into the yard. My idea is to not only have the basement and this area organized and presentable, but to have a nice patio/garden area to look out on as I work. Right now it's just a messy concrete slab with no furniture.



(BTW, I have no idea why the talking bird is on my table. You can see it's evolving into a junk table!)

Here is a cool photo of me and my sibs back in 1986. (I was dating my ex at the time.) This was taken on a Sunday afternoon at Sears as a surprise Christmas gift for our parents. I remember the five of us riding in my rusty red Duster and singing along with Whitney Houston's "The Greatest Love of All" at the top of our lungs (hey, I said it was the 80s!)


(Clockwise from top left): Marty (17), Lauren (19), Chris (14), Barb (21) & me (23).

My how we have changed in the last 22 years!

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On my quest for healthier eating habits, I have started meeting with a woman named Rachel who is counseling me in a more healthy lifestyle. She's teaching me about eating healthy and I'm learning about and trying foods I've never heard of!

This is a vinegar that Rachel absolutely raved about when she took me on a tour of Whole Foods. So I had to buy a bottle. I haven't tried it yet. I'm a little nervous. (What the heck is an ume plum anyway?) But I will trust Rachel and be brave and try it!

Rachel told me this was a leek. I have heard of leeks but had no idea (still really have no idea) what they are. It looked interesting. Sadly it's fading away in my fridge. Rachel told me I could chop it up and saute it with garlic. Um...yeah. ;o)

Seriously though, I want to change my habits. Diets don't work for me, and I know I can't and won't change over night. So I'm trying one or two new things a week. So far I have tried quinoa (pronounced "keen-wah"), a South American grain that cooks like rice but is really healthy. I've also tried Swiss Chard, which is similar to spinach. I sauteed it in olive oil and added some Greek spices. It wasn't bad.

For someone who has grown up absolutely hating vegetables, it's taking me time to get used to these new things!