Exactly What I Wanted for Christmas
Tuesday, December 29, 2020 80 comments
Can you read the labels? This may not be special to a lot of people, but to someone who does not live in an area known for “healthy” food, finding... Read more

Going “HOME” for Christmas with “It’s a Wonderful Life”
Friday, December 25, 2020 81 comments
That movie, a staple of holiday viewing was released in 1947, the year I was born The plot, familiar to all I assume: “After a run of bad luck, ... Read more

I love Paris at Christmas Time
Tuesday, December 22, 2020 88 comments
Last year on this date that’s exactly where we were There was a transit strike so many tourists canceled their trips. We found everyone so acc... Read more

What the “Confused Squirrel” Sees
Friday, December 18, 2020 92 comments
Like a squirrel rushing back and forth on a mission “burying or retrieving nuts,” I have a mission too. Some Sparkers get to hike beautiful trails. Others walk their neighborhoods. Some use a treadmill. One Sparker walks laps around her ... Read more

My 51 year old Christmas Tree is still in the box
Tuesday, December 15, 2020 114 comments
It should be standing in my sunroom now like it did last year on a patchwork skirt that I made from our children’s baby clothes and my maternity dresses. Circumstances this year required a different choice. ... Read more

It’s 7AM – Time for the “What If?” Game
Friday, December 11, 2020 86 comments
First things first: Get that daily dose of motivation. Login to Spark and Spin the Wheel Then I remember this: I know this works. Aft... Read more

"I’m on the Top of the World Looking Down on Creation…"
Tuesday, December 08, 2020 79 comments
Virtually anyway, and singing that song from the 70s (link at end) This is Machu Picchu – high in the Andes Mountains of Peru I find virtual wal... Read more

Grandma, You Wore a Bikini?
Friday, December 04, 2020 95 comments
Following up on the “honest question” in my last blog From the 50s. “Look at me I’m Sandra Dee” (singing Rizzo’s song from Grease) ... Read more

Honest Question – Would You Want to Shop from Racks that Show your Real Size in Inches?
Tuesday, December 01, 2020 92 comments
I’ve thought a lot about that after the responses on one part of my maintenance anniversary blog Why not? We always buy our bras in inches (except for “squash-m-down” sports bras that are SML +) Do we really want all our clothes sized like t... Read more

My Hope for the Future is in my Freezer
Friday, November 27, 2020 102 comments
The official day designated for being thankful and eating lots of food is over. Our children and grandchildren stayed in their own nuclear families. Their in-laws, who regularly included us in their HUGE family celebrations, let everyone kn... Read more

11 Years of Maintenance – “Back to the Future” Spark Edition
Tuesday, November 24, 2020 80 comments
How ironic to be celebrating maintenance the very week we are being urged to celebrate with food. While I can’t travel to my alternate future like Marty McFly in that 1985 movie, I can imagine where would I be now if I hadn’t had that AHA mome... Read more

Thinking about Sacrifice on this Sunday Morning
Sunday, November 22, 2020 49 comments
When I woke up yesterday I was shocked and dismayed to discover that my glasses had only ONE LENS. Somehow while on my night table, the plastic strip underneath had broken and now the lens was nowhere to be found. Obviously, when I reached for ... Read more

“Would you give up Thanksgiving with your family for $10,000?”
Friday, November 20, 2020 84 comments
That was a survey question years ago and I was surprised at the number of respondents that said “NO.” The same question could be asked this year not in terms of money but health and safety. Note that the question referred to that ONESPECIF... Read more

The Last Piece of the Puzzle – on my Table AND in my Spark Journey
Tuesday, November 17, 2020 79 comments
I’ve been working on a 1000 piece puzzle of our lake (A huge lake and a huge puzzle) I blogged about it on October 19th so I’ve been working on it for about a month. Sometimes consistently, sometimes I left it alone for days at a time. ... Read more

My virtual motivation
Friday, November 13, 2020 47 comments
This is a quilt I made for my daughter many years ago. When she was a college freshman, she ran her first marathon at the urging of her older sister. She won her age group and her time qualified her to run the Boston Marathon. That was 1990. ... Read more

My Toughest Spark Challenge Yet
Tuesday, November 10, 2020 69 comments
Is it the challenge of eating healthy food according to my caloric and nutritional needs? No, even though in the past DH has called me “ravenous woman” and “bottomless pit,” I’m managing the tracking quite well. Is it exercise? No, I’... Read more

Once ordinary men left their ordinary lives,
Friday, November 06, 2020 103 comments
went off to save the world and returned to their ordinary lives. Their journey has finally come to an end I knew this had to happen but the arrival of the final reunion booklet hit me hard. The crew of my Dad’s WWII ship, The USS Phila... Read more

When I find myself going down the wrong path, Spark brings me back.
Tuesday, November 03, 2020 75 comments
Just like a GPS "recalculating, recalculating" (quite literally thanks to the trackers) Since COVID upended our lives and before returning to... Read more

“Each of these Days is Just Like the Others”
Friday, October 30, 2020 87 comments
Imagine me singing a parody of an old Sesame Street song. Why? I didn’t FORGET that I had ZOOM ch... Read more

Everything I need to know I learn from Spark Friends
Monday, October 26, 2020 115 comments
After 11 years as a sparker, the last 3 mostly MIA, I appreciate the information, resources, trackers and philosophy of the program. Still, it’s the spark friends, old and new, that make it real for me. It’s not like listening to a famou... Read more

Preparing for Winter on the Lake and Remembering our COVID Summer
Friday, October 23, 2020 90 comments
Our power boat is winterized so now we can only experience the lake in our “quiet boats” For me that will mean bundling up if I don’t want to freeze. We are not as sturdy as our Canadian friends. Once a visitor from a town called “Medicin... Read more

Daily Mental Exercise - as important as the physical
Monday, October 19, 2020 72 comments
I live on a lovely lake with 500 miles of shoreline. It was created in the 1960s when a power dam was built on the Roanoke River. I bought this 1000 piece puzzle as a stay-at-home Covid activity, provide mental exercise and also to support a l... Read more

One of my “Grenades” is Missing
Friday, October 16, 2020 78 comments
These are not dangerous, as you can see from the photo. In fact, they are the necessities that keep me going on longer treks whether running or walking. My fuel belt accommodates three flasks, but now I can only find 2 of them ... Read more

Confessions of an “Active Couch Potato”
Monday, October 12, 2020 49 comments
A change of direction thanks to a Spark friend and some neighborhood squirrels. As my spark page explains, I was always active and fit even as I packed on the pounds. If I had been able to control my eating, I may never have needed Spark i... Read more

“We’re all in the same boat” – but are we really?
Friday, October 09, 2020 67 comments
That’s a phrase I’ve heard a lot in a variety of situations, as we faced COVID challenges and even as we sail toward our Spark goals Do we hope for the same destination? Probably Are we sailing the same seas? Probably not Are all b... Read more

City Mouse – Country Mouse – My 2 Worlds
Monday, October 05, 2020 71 comments
Nothing to do with rodents, just an observation of how location impacts our lives, especially our options These thoughts are prompted today by my recent status posts “I REALLY, REALLY need a new Internet provider” “City Mouse, Countr... Read more

Dragging DH back to Spark with me
Friday, October 02, 2020 68 comments
I used to post a lot about my husband Joe – the “Junk Food King of World” We’ve been married for 53 years & “together” for 57. Back then “together” meant “going steady”. This was my table in January 2010. I had reached my mainten... Read more

You Gotta Have heart, Gotta have HOPE
Monday, September 28, 2020 74 comments
Lots of deep thoughts this morning triggered by my return to Spark World This photo was from a 4 or 5 year old blog. It was the finish of a half marathon that I ran with a tender hamstring muscle. I injured it a few weeks before the race,... Read more

Rediscovering Spark World – Hello old friend
Wednesday, September 23, 2020 84 comments
So nice to see so many old friends still here and to meet new ones However, reality dictates I get reacquainted with one “friend” I didn’t want to see again Always the truth - no nonsense - no excuses Here she is – back on my kitchen co... Read more

Trekking to a Goal (virtually) while Remembering the Past
Friday, September 18, 2020 58 comments
Reconnecting with Spark and maintaining hope during trying times, here is my plan I am trekking the pathways of the world virtually (using worldwalking.org) in combination with a trip down memory lane. In 2018 Joe and I took an “Overse... Read more

6 Months in the “Hermitage” and 6 days back on Spark
Saturday, September 12, 2020 72 comments
It has been 6 months since DH & I returned from a month in South America and I posted this photo of 2 Spark Friends (Phebess and me) meeting up in Puerto Chacabuco, Chile as our 2 cruise ships docked there on the same day sailing in opposite dir... Read more

A Vintage Reality Check
Wednesday, May 27, 2020 66 comments
One benefit of my new normal – my house is becoming super organized. Yesterday, I tackled my “vintage closet” where I have saved clothes that hold special memories for me. One surprise way in the back was a box of patterns. I used to se... Read more

“God Willing and the Creek Don’t Rise”
Saturday, May 23, 2020 65 comments
That’s a saying I remember from my childhood. In addition to current problems, our “creek,” that is our lake and river have been rising to levels not seen in decades. Our dock is underwater. ... Read more

Staying Motivated & Staying Home
Tuesday, May 19, 2020 62 comments
What a surprise this morning to discover that I am today’s Sparkpeople “Featured Motivator” especially since our world travels and family activities had greatly reduced my time on the site in recent years. Returning to the USA on Feb 29th a... Read more

Meeting Up with a Spark Friend in Puerto Chacabuco, Chile!
Wednesday, March 04, 2020 62 comments
What are the chances? Phebess and I live on opposite coasts of the USA. She travels ALL the time as her blogs describe. Joe and I travel a LOT We were on different cruise ships sailing in opposite directions but docked in this lit... Read more

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Checking in from My World Outside of Spark
Thursday, June 14, 2018 80 comments
Thank you to those who still send me notes and goodies. I want to assure everyone that I am fine. I still follow the Spark principles and in a few months will mark 9 years of maintenance. Joe and I have been traveling a LOT both alon... Read more