The Journey of A Thousand Miles That Began New Year's Day On A Bicycle

I've been working on something since New Year's Day. I've shared a bit with y'all about my personal struggle to regain control over anxiety through diet and exercise Not that I'm a fitness fan or anything like that.

However, when life takes a nose dive and your sense of security and well-being starts to disappear, the pain and ensuing panic can force some much needed change in lifestyle and daily routine. Even if you're 50 something and completely out of shape.  It can happen.

A big part of my lifestyle change is riding a bicycle . Last spring I could barely ride one mile. It was hot and scary and exhausting. But guess what? By focusing all that excess stress and nervous energy on the bike and literally "riding it out", the anxiety began to subside. It was replaced by a sense of well being and accomplishment.

I rode nearly every day and set a goal to join a local 10 mile bike ride event last summer.  After that the confidence increased and the anxiety waned.

I began riding the bike to work occasionally- 10 miles each way. I decided to enter that local bike ride again and increase the distance from 10 to 27 miles.  

Towards the end of the year I was losing some momentum and struggling to find some motivation. The daylight hours were too few to ride to work. It was nearly dark by the time I got home each evening. I thought about setting a new goal - a really big, year-long goal. A thousand mile goal.  Wow.

A thousand miles is a long long long ride. No, I'm not riding from Texas to Utah. No, I'm not taking time off work to do it. This has to fit my schedule and be realistic. I won't ride on Sundays either. I have 6 days a week to ride. I can do it right here on my own street. 

A thousand miles sounds easier when broken into segments. It is a bit less than 20 miles each week for the whole year. Yep, that is definitely doable. 

I rode 8 miles after work today, making the year-to-date total 196 miles.  I'm trying to BEAT 20 miles per week.  Thus far I've been riding 26 miles per week. The daily and year-to-date progress is recorded on the calendar.  

Sharing this very personal journey because I hope to inspire others.  No matter who you are or where you are on your journey right now, there is hope.  You can overcome obstacles.  If I can do this, anyone can.  804 miles to go. Ride on!

  

Goatneck Bike Ride 2015 - A Personal Victory

A couple of years ago, my generally stressful life became much more stressful.  Stressful events began happening back to back, then they started to snowball on me.  Finally, my body began to break down.  I could no longer manage the stress by myself.  Anxiety attacks?  Could a control freak like me truly be unable to control her own stress levels and experience a full blown anxiety attack?  Yes.  It happened. I didn't want to admit it, but it happened. HUBBY took me to the ER...and they gave me something I really hated to help control the anxiety - prescription medication.  No way I could live the rest of my life popping pills to control my stress.  No way.

After much deliberation, searching, and prayer, I  found a doctor who could help.  Once thorough  testing was completed, she prescribed thyroid medicine and bio-identical hormones, drastically changed my eating habits, and told me to begin regular walking and yoga. I was ready to try almost ANYTHING to avoid anxiety attacks and those awful pills.

Walking?  I started walking about a mile each day.   I've never been much of a fitness buff.  Can't run very fast and just not very good at most sports. I could walk, but it wasn't much fun. In fact, walking was boring.

Finally, HUBBY and I started talking about bicycles.  As a kid, I used to love bicycling. We had a small collection of bikes in the barn.  He selected an old Huffy Roadmaster mountain bike and fixed it up for me.  March 2015 was the beginning of a very positive change in my life.

At first, I could only ride about a mile or so on that bike.  I was 54 years old and more than a little afraid of breaking something - like a leg or an arm or worse.  I started bicycling every other day or so - and gradually built up my strength and endurance level.  The stronger I got, the less fearful I became about riding.  Pretty soon I could go halfway up a big hill at one end of our street.  Not too long after that, I could go halfway up the hill, back down to the lake, and home again.  Gradually, I was able to go ALL the way up that big hill, down to the lake, and back home - a distance of about two and a half miles.  Well, if I could do that route once, maybe I could do it one and a half times.  Pretty soon I could do two rounds.  I referred to it as two laps.   Wow, two laps was equal to five miles!

Summer was fast approaching.  It was getting hotter in Texas and climbing that big hill twice was not easy. By early May 2015, I got a water bottle and holder for the bike.  That helped a lot.  

Near our home, there is a popular annual bike event each summer called the Goatneck Bike Ride.  The 2015 Goatneck was scheduled for July 25, two days before my 55th birthday.  As I stated earlier, I'm not an athletic-type person.  I've never done any kind of organized bike ride in my life.  But I started thinking to myself, "If I can do two laps (five miles) then maybe I can do three or four laps.  I wonder how long the Goatneck Bike Ride is this year?"

I looked it up, and the Goatneck Bike Ride has four different choices or divisions.  The options for rides were ten miles, twenty-seven miles, forty-one miles, and seventy miles.  Could I do ten miles?  Four laps would equal ten miles.  The wheels in my head started turning.  I'm a Grandmother of six.  Could I really do a ten mile bike ride?  What if I failed - or had a collision with another bicyclist?  What if I could actually complete it?

I prayed a lot.  God gave me strength and courage. The excitement built as I increased the distance to three laps (seven and a half miles).  The Texas summer was upon us and it was getting hotter.  Finally I could do four laps.  It wasn't easy on that old Huffy!

I looked over the Goatneck route map and decided to give it a try before the race. HUBBY was so supportive.  He drove me and the bike to the starting point, then drove ahead a short distance to wait for me.  As I passed him, he'd get back in the truck and drive ahead a little farther to wait.  I'd pass him again and he'd drive a little further ahead.  Bless his little pea-pickin' heart.  He knew I was still nervous about it and he made sure I knew he'd stay nearby in case anything went wrong. Sure enough, I finished the ten mile ride on that Huffy.  Whew, I finally knew I could do it!  It took me a little over fifty minutes.  I felt pretty good about my goal to ride Goatneck that day.

During the next week, HUBBY pulled PRINCE's Bianchi bicycle out of the barn and began working on it.  He asked me to try it out.  We'd been to some bike shops looking for ways to modify the Huffy and make it easier to ride.  Bike shops call the HUFFY Roadmaster Mountain Bike "an ironing board with wheels". They also told me that in any bike event, mountain bikes finish last.  There wasn't any modification that would help it - or me.

Reluctantly, I agreed to try riding the Bianchi.  It was a TALL bike. After riding it for the first time, I realized I would NOT ride the Huffy in the Goatneck 2015 Bike Ride.  The Bianchi bike was so much EASIER to pedal, especially up that BIG hill on my regular practice route.

I continued to train with the Bianchi, riding my four laps every other day or so. It was getting even hotter outside and some days it was tough to finish - particularly if it was windy outside.  We decided to do one more practice run of the actual Goatneck ten mile route, this time on the Bianchi.  

My courage had increased. I asked HUBBY to go farther ahead to wait for me to pass him each time.  Riding the route on the Bianchi was so much more fun. It helped trim the ride time down to about forty-five minutes.  My excitement continued to build.

HUBBY helped me shop for a new helmet, bike shirt and shorts, gloves, and tennis shoes.  Never before did I understand why bicyclists needed gloves.  It is to be able to grip the handlebars when your hands get sweaty. I registered online for the Goatneck Bike Ride about three weeks prior to the ride. About one week before the ride I picked up my packet at the designated bike shop.

The day I'd anticipated for months, July 25th, finally arrived. We woke up early, got the gear ready, and loaded the bikes into the truck for the trip into town. The Goatneck always starts and finishes at the high school.  The seventy mile ride began first at 7:30 a.m.  The forty-one mile ride began at 7:40 a.m.  The twenty-seven mile ride began at 7:45 a.m. My ride, the ten mile, was set to begin at 7:50 a.m.  I think it was about 7:55 or so when it actually started.  

Off I went with lots of other bicycle riders.  This was new to me. I was accustomed to riding solo.  It was fun seeing all those people riding along enjoying themselves.  Although the Goatneck Bike Ride is NOT a race, I wanted to improve my time.  It was a thrill for me to challenge myself and try to do better.  

I finished at the Goatneck 2015 ten mile bike ride at 8:23 a.m. This time it only took about thirty minutes, a new personal best!  Happy birthday to me!!

I'm so grateful to my Heavenly Father for answering my prayers and helping me realize this dream, to HUBBY for working so hard and spending so much time to repair the bikes and buy the gear, and to PRINCE for letting me ride his Bianchi bicycle.  

Although the Goatneck 2015 is over, I still ride the bike a few times per week.  My new goal is to be able to complete the  twenty-seven mile ride for Goatneck 2016.

I share this very personal story in hopes of inspiring others who are having trouble with anxiety.  Riding the bike has really helped me to deflate my stress.  At the end of each ride, I feel less anxious and much more joyful.  If the anxiety is really bad, I ride till I'm just too tired to feel anxious about anything. 

I'll share more about the rest of the treatment plan - the diet change and prescription treatments - in future posts.  I've lost about 35 pounds and gained strength, endurance, confidence, and muscle tone!

Baby Shower Craft: DIY Applique Onesies

My daughter, the very pregnant lady in the tan stripe sweater, has some wonderfully talented friends.  I was privileged to attend her baby shower recently. The hostess, seated just to the left of my daughter, put on a terrific event.  My favorite part was a simple DIY Onesie Applique Craft.  What a fun idea!

Her dining room table was set up with plain white onesies of various sizes in a plastic tub.  A gold dish held assorted cardstock templates in cute shapes: rocket ship, alligator, mustache, sailboat, guitar, and the state of Texas.  The other side of the dish was filled with squares of brightly colored, coordinating cotton prints in shades of blue and green

There were also scissors, pencils, and iron on adhesive with paper backing.

Each shower guest was invited to choose a printed cotton square, a template, and a onesie.  The hostess helped her daughter craft a onesie, too.

Next, it was time to iron the square of cotton fabric onto the adhesive with paper backing.  The ironing table was set up in the breakfast area, and the craft area was set up at the dining table.

After the cotton fabric was ironed to the adhesive with paper backing, it was time to lay the cardstock template onto the paper backing and trace the design of the template onto the paper with a pencil.  

Then it was cut along the pencil lines and taken back to the ironing table and ironed directly onto the onesie.  

Once the applique was ironed onto the onesie, the paper backing was peeled off and voila, the craft was complete! Easy, quick, and fun:)

These are the designs we made.  Mine was the grey mustache in the center.  

Everyone enjoyed themselves and the onesies they made turned out to be very cute.  It was one of the best baby showers I've ever attended.

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Sew Sweet Little Purse Tutorial

It was such a joy to make these sweet little purses for two sweet little girls. 

Followed the directions from my Toddler Purse Tutorial by Getting Crafty and it worked like a charm.  

I've actually made four purses that match three girl (ages 4, 6, and 11) outfits AND coordinating American Girl Doll outfits.  Sharing those photos in upcoming post.  

The materials I used are all from Hobby Lobby:

Cream cotton twill

Purple polyester lining

Purle grosgrain ribbon 

Fusible interfacing

Lacy pink stretch elastic

The other two purses (not shown) are done in black and white houndstooth and hot pink, black, and white  Paris Eiffel Tower print with black stretch lace elastic and plastic black and silver chain (for the purse handle).

Rust Stains on Carpet and Metal - Rust Remover Product Test and Review

A few years ago, our office had a water leak.  We thought it was a leak in the roof, but discovered that the gutters were stopped up.  What a mess!  The office nearest the problem gutter had the biggest problem.  A lot of water soaked the carpeting, and it happened more than once.  Eventually, the gutter was cleaned out and the carpet finally dried.  No one paid any attention to the once-soaked carpet until a file cabinet in that office had to be moved.  

The file cabinet was emptied, the drawers were removed, and two people tried to move it. But, it just wouldn't budge. Why?  It was so severely RUSTED on the bottom that the rust actually adhered to the carpet. What a mess!

After a lot of work, the rusted-to-the-carpet file cabinet was moved.  Again, WHAT A MESS!  What to do?  How do you clean rust on carpet?

We purchased a product from Home Depot called Back to Nature Ready-Strip Rust Remover.  The words on the bottle are: "Safely removes rust stains like magic from virtually any surface!  Odor-free - Environmentally safe"  and "Works on: Removes most rust spots and stains from interior and exterior surfaces, including concrete, toilets, sinks, bathtubs, appliances, refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, clothing, carpets, upholstery, autos and rv's, fiberglass boats, rigging and sails, bicycles, metal, wrought iron fences, tools, stainless fittings, antiques, and furniture, house siding, sporting goods, and more."

Wow, could it be true? Was there something that we could use to remove the rust from the carpet?

I'm happy to tell you the answer.  After testing the product, I give it a big thumbs up.  It worked!

I really wish there were photos to share of what it looked like right after the file cabinet was moved.  What a MESS! Trust me.  In the photo above, the lower half of the area was treated using the rust removal product, and the upper half of the area was not yet treated.  What a big difference!

Just for fun, I'm also sharing a photo showing a large steel beam in our parking lot.  It is VERY rusty.  The white stripe in the background is a parking lot stripe.  The photo below of the beam clearly shows, before treatment, during treatment, and after treatment.  

I used a soft wire brush to scrub the carpet AND the steel after the product was applied. It took a LOT of scrubbing for the carpet, but the steel only took about 30 seconds of scrubbing. 

NOTE: I don't know if it is truly environmentally safe as it claims to be or not. I just know that it works on carpet and metal.  The active ingredients are citric acid and oxalic acid. This is not a sponsored or paid review.  All opinions are my own.  This stuff works!

Job Interviews Are Like First Dates - Free Printable Quote

To me, being interviewed for a new a job is a lot like going out on a date with someone for the first time.  I find both equally unappealing.  What do you think?

Sharing my original quote as a free printable.  Enjoy!

Potager Cafe in Arlington, Texas - Delicious Slow Food Prepared With Principles and Served On The Honor System

Next time you visit Arlington, Texas, go downtown and enjoy a real "slow food" meal at Potager Cafe. Why?  There are SO many reasons, but let's keep it short and simple.  How about 10?

Top 10 Reasons To Dine at Potager Cafe



REASON #1

You deserve better. 

As a true opposite of the typical fast food franchise, Potager Cafe offers something better. Folks, this is the good stuff.  They call it "Slow Food". You will like it. Trust me. 

This definition for Slow Food  is from a link found on Potager's site:

Why the name Slow Food?

It’s a way of saying no to the rise of fast food and fast life. Slow Food means living an unhurried life, taking time to enjoy simple pleasures, starting at the table.

REASON #2

Potager has tasty food prepared with principles.

Try the green salad and some tomato soup.  It is lovely.

Okay, so the food is good, but food with principles? 

Yes, it has principles. 

The proprietor has principles that shine brightly through the food on each plate.  Her menu is full of "local" varieties and options. Here is a quote from the homepage:

"Get to know where your food comes from.  As much as possible, what we serve you comes from small, local farmers and ranchers ... our friends.  Get to know them too ... they are very loveable!"

REASON #3 

Potager Cafe has fair prices.    

The Price List is given only as a suggestion for payments. Each patron determines the price to be paid based on his or her own assessment of fairness. What a splendidly unorthodox concept.

REASON #4

Potager has friendly, talented chefs.

Even though they serve "slow food", you'll have a plate filled with it in a jiffy.

REASON #5

The atmosphere at Potager Cafe is mellow and relaxing.

WiFi, television sets, blaring music, and self-service soft drink machines are NOT part of your dining experience.  

 

Their standards and principles are so high that Potager doesn't allow soft drinks on the menu. In their own words, this is why:

Yes, we are BYOB, but please, no nasty soft drinks!  We want you to be healthy!!  

I fell in love with this groovy lighted peace sign over the door.

Is it possible that they value people more highly than profit?

REASON #6

The menu is easy to read and has plenty of options.

For me, eating at Potager almost like going back in time and enjoying a meal with Nanny and Papa. 

Please note that the menu changes daily.

REASON #7

They have a working garden.

The exterior of the cafe surrounded by a garden.  Seeing it will make you smile.

Some of the lovely herbs and veggies in these photos will become part of future menu selections.

Did you know Potager is a French word that means kitchen garden?  

There is something very comforting about eating food that is freshly picked from the garden - another little reminder of happy times spent with Nanny and Papa.

REASON #8

You need a reality check. 

Potager offers:

REAL water (the kind that doesn't come from a plastic bottle)

REAL glass water pitchers on each table

REAL glass glassware

REAL metal utensils

REAL cloth napkins

REAL food

REASON #9

Siri says so. 

Yes, Siri suggests dining at Potager Cafe. In fact, she introduced me to Potager.

This is how it went down:

I was driving around during lunch break using Siri to search for an eating establishment where a suitable meal might be found.

Me: Siri, I'm hungry.  
Siri: These 5 restaurants are fairly close to you. 

She offered me McDonalds, Wendys, KFC, etc. I didn't really want any of those options, so I  drove a bit further, pulled over, and tried once again.

Me: Siri, I'm hungry.  
Siri: These 5 restaurants are fairly close to you.

Once again, she kept offering me no choices other than fast food franchises.  

Not to be dissuaded, I drove a bit further, pulled over, and told her I was hungry.

Finally, she broke her streak of corporate food chains and suggested Potager Cafe.  Push Siri hard enough, and she'll show you the good stuff.



REASON #10

They follow the Honor System.

Potager did away with the need for outdated cash registers and credit card machines.  Those relics were replaced with this handy Watering Can.


See the payment slot in the top?    

Because your remittance is done with the Honor System, there is no need for a cashier.  They trust everyone to pay fairly.


After you're finished eating, select one of these sweet little handmade envelopes from the bowl, tuck the payment inside, and drop it in the slot. 

I hope you try Potager Cafe.  Just remember to bring cash or a check.  They don't accept plastic payments. Here are the details on location and hours from their website:

Our Hours:

Tuesday and Wednesday:  11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday:  11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (limited menu between 3 and 5)

Sorry, we don't take Credit/Debit Cards.  Cash or Cheques only. 

Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention - Free Printable Infographic

Hey y'all, did you know that May is Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month? Like many of you, I've known dear friends that suffered with Osteoporosis.  The effects of this terrible disease are known to be debilitating and can be deadly.  I hope ALL of you are taking care of yourselves.  

For more information on this important health issue, please visit http://www.recallcenter.com/hip-replacement/

Help us spread the word by sharing this post through email or your favorite social media sites.

For those readers in the USA, I wish you all a happy and HEALTHY Memorial Day holiday weekend.

Free Printable My Heavenly Father Loves Me

My favorite song in the Primary Childrens Songbook is My Heavenly Father Loves Me by Clara W. McMaster.  I'm so happy to share a free printable with the entire first verse.  

I sing this song (out loud) to myself whenever I need to cheer myself up.  If you want to listen to it or download the sheet music as a pdf, just click here.  It is free:)

DIY Mother's Day Flowers - Handprint Paper Lily Tutorial

Happy Mother's Day!  The grandkids and I made these lovely Handprint Paper Lilies for their Mom and Great Grandmother.  

You wouldn't believe how easy and fun they are to make!

I found this Handprint Lily Craft on Easy Preschool Craft and followed it, making a few changes in order to make use of materials on hand. 

Easter/Mother's Day Handprint Lily Craft

Materials:

Plain white copy paper (for lily petals)

Green construction paper (for leaves)

Bright colored construction paper (for heart label)

Yellow solo cups (for center of lily)

Any other color of solo cups (for vase)

Small wooden craft dowel rod (for stem)

Green paint

Scissors

Glue dots or tape

Pencil

Crayon

1. Using the pencil, trace the child's handprint onto the white paper.  (If you want to make 2 handprint lilies, fold the sheet of paper in half and trace on one side.  Cut both sides together to make 2 handprints.)

2. Using the pencil, draw leaves onto green paper.  Make them as long as you want, and make sure the centers are wide enough to accommodate the center hole needed for inserting the painted dowel rod.

3. Paint the dowel rod(s) green.  The kids love this part!  

TIP:  To avoid making a mess in the house, do this step outside on the porch and use washable paints.

4. Cut a long yellow rectangular strip from the yellow solo cup.  Shape it a bit, making the two tips fat and round and the center a bit more slender.

5. Poke or cut a hole in the center of the leaf and insert the painted dowel rod.  Secure in place with glue dots or tape.

6. Attach yellow flower center, folded in half and curled a bit on the tips, to the top of the dowel rod with glue dots or tape.

7. Curl fingertips of handprint a little.  Wrap handprint around dowel rod and yellow flower center, and use glue dots or tape to secure in place.

8. Make a construction paper heart and put the name Mom or Grandma on it.  Use glue dot or tape to attach to solo cup vase.

9. Poke a hole in the bottom of the solo cup and insert your lovely flower(s).

NOTE: We had three kiddos ages 18 mos. to 4, so we made three different size lilies.

I hope you enjoy making some of these beautiful Handprint Paper Lilies for Mother's Day.

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