Running and cookies

Cookies:

I don't like cookies. I'm not trying to say, "Look at me, I'm so awesome I can resist all temptation, all I'm interested in is salad." I love cheesecake, all fruit pies, fruit crisp, Popsicles, cake dripping with berry drizzle, ice cream, chocolate, mousse, tarts, custards, puddings. When I say I love them, what I mean is I love them and make them. One year for father's day I gave Paul a Williams-Sonoma Desserts cookbook and said for the next year every week I would make a dessert from it of his choosing. See, I'm not a sugar snob. I love it. I eat. I just really don't like cookies, which I realize makes me sound like a robot. Is it human not to like cookies? Well, regardless, I've made cookies about three times the last 7 years of our marriage. And I've made at least 30 pies, but probably more like 50. (One year I made 8 different pies for Thanksgiving!)

I had an epiphany: A childhood without cookies is a sad childhood. I decided that if I want to succeed at being the best mom ever, I probably need to be able to make the best chocolate chip cookies ever.

Those three times I made cookies, they turned out badly. Really. How can I make intricately difficult desserts and mess up cookies? I don't know. Anyway, I'm on a mission to perfect my skills of cookie making. If you have an excellent recipe for cookies that you think would make childhood better, please email to me or leave comment. I'm on a quest. I will make your recipe.

Running:

In college I learned something in my anatomy class that was very valuable to my weak-trunk-muscle body, and only increased my love of running.

When you breathe you use your diaphragm to get air in and out of your lungs. However, when you work really hard, you need to get more oxygen into your lungs and more CO2 out, so your body recruits the muscles in between your ribs and your abdominal muscles to increase your lung fillage and emptyage. When you push that CO2 out really hard, your ab muscles constrict as tightly as they can; your ab muscles that connect to your pubic bone and the bottom of your ribs. What I'm saying is when you breathe hard that muscle is trying to pull as short as it can, and the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. And SISTAS, that is what I want, a straight line! So from this knowledge I decided that the best way for me to get a flat stomach was to do an exercise where I could keep my breathing hard an even. Sounds like running. And when I run I try to go a pace that will keep me breathing hard for 20 to 30 minutes.

I go for increasing my running speed and not increasing my distance or time running. It really has helped. I am coming from a pretty round place, so any improvement is fairly noticeable, and my balloon belly fluctuates over every little thing, even dinner. Sorry. It's so gross, I know.

Ab Ripper X helps too.

I went to the gym today. It's been too long and it felt like dance music pumping through my blood. I was really on a treadmill watching HGTV, but it still felt great. 5 miles at 9 minute mile pace. My goal is six miles, three times a week, at a 8 min. mile pace. My abs will have to look better right? And my arteries will be so awesome I'll live forever.

Reading

Just finished listening to this book. It made me so still and emptily sad. Not like the overfilling sadness I feel from 'Beloved'. Resigned sadness. I'll savor the sadness for a few hours, and blessedly, the sadness is in someone else's life, so it cannot stay.

I am curious what conversations we'll have about it at bookclub.

Paul and I also just finished listening to

It was better than the picture suggests. We'll be listening to the next 2 in the series as well.

Today I check out Jane Eyre. Never read/listened to it. I will now be a little more cultured. and ready for the movie.

burlap

Making grocery bags, or purse bag out of these

from here http://www.onlinefabricstore.net/specialty-stores/burlap-store.htm?&N=9330

at about $2 each, how can I not?

This person made one. So cute. Would the burlap chaff as you're wearing it?

I want a sectional

by Gus.

Of course I can't afford the $3000 to buy it.

But could I make it? The good thing about modern, is there's no curves, just 90 degree angles.

Yes, I could make it, but the harder part would be convincing my husband to let me do it.

And would I want to vacuum out all the crumbs that would accumulate in the cushion depressions? Yes, I probably would.

I would definitely use crypton fabric. Can't decide if I like this

or this

or this

What do you think?

I've already buttered him up to the idea of a sectional by convincing him it would make movie watching snuggling easier, and video game playing more enjoyable. He agreed. He agreed for us to have it in a few years. Like maybe 3. And I couldn't press, because honestly, that's probably how long it would take me to get around to making it.

Imagine Dragons

If you aren't checking these guys out regularly you are crazy.

Please support my little bro's band by befriending them on Facebook too.

sexy

When I was about 12 there was a woman in my ward in her 60's, maybe 70's, who was very tall. Maybe even a little taller than me. She had skinny legs and a barrel chest. She seemed to cast a shadow on me whenever I was near her. She looked like if she toppled over she would land like a tree, and with a loud 'FRUMP!' She looked kind of scary, honestly. And I had a realization:

I will never be cute.

Most women when they get old, get a twinkle in their eye, and they round out and they're cute, and you want to hug them, they seem loving.

This person I'm imagining is not tall. Perhaps not short, but definitely not nearly 6 feet tall. When a 6 foot tall person rounds out, they look hulking and looming and scary.

I do not have the option of enjoying chubbiness in my old age and having it 'work' for me. Tall slender lady is all I can ever pull off, and it seems like a daunting future.

That is just the preface to what I really wanted to post today.

At the YMCA I saw this incredibly beautiful woman in her 50's. Not cougar beautiful, Mom beautiful. And she was almost as tall as me, and slender. And she was across the room I was stretching in. The first thought that came to mind when I saw her was - sexy. She gave me so much hope. I almost had tears welling up. I wanted to thank her.

How crazy can I be? She for sure would think I was a stalker or coming on to her. And then I had Sister Kimball's quote in my head, "never suppress a generous thought.” So I decided to risk it. Plus she didn't know me, so if I super embarrass myself, I'll probably never see her again. I walked right over to her,

"You are so sexy and you give all us young mamas hope."

I am so weird! What is wrong with me?

She was very nice. "Thank you, I've had four children." And we had a 30 second conversation. Maybe if I can pull of sexy at 50 (back-up plan is to pull off nice, but I'm not that nice, so I'm kind of in trouble both ways.) someone tall who just had a baby and feels like an amazon woman can be encouraged that it is possible to look good and not scary as you age.

Thank you sexy YMCA lady.

Randoms

Today while returning from the kitchen to my lunch at the table, Lucy had just popped in her mouth a green olive from my salad and was looking very guilty. What kind of kid loves green olives so much she steals them when she thinks no one is looking? What a good girl.

Paul and I were able to go to the temple this morning and it was just what I needed.

While there I noticed that my arm sleeve seam is ripping out!? Does that mean my arms are bigger than they were 9 years ago? Is it all the muscles from carrying 4 children?

no.

I am reminded of the temple dress I want to make for myself, saw it on Jennifer Lopez a year ago, and can't get it off my mind. Of course mine would be longer.

Isn't it gorgeous!!!!!

If I had a dress like this, I would definitely be at the temple once a month. Don't know if that should make me feel wicked, or just really pleased that I'm finding ways to make meeting our monthly goal easier.

On the way to the temple I continued embroidering a dress I am making for Maggie for Valentine's Sunday. It will be beautiful, and of course I will post pics when it's done.

Made some quilts for the girls out of this

Waverly fabric. I, however, got it at Walmart for a dollar a yard. What a shopper! We have this incredible lady at our Walmart who used to own a fabric store, and knows how to order excellent fabric. This bolt had a slight deformity in inking. So slight you can't see it unless I point it out to you. I am holding off on posting pics until I get their cute pillows made.

Because it was such a good price and I wasn't sure what i was going to do with it, I bought the whole bolt, which I think was 15 yards. I only used 4 for their quilts. What will I do with the rest? I think I'll make some quilts to donate. Spread the blessings.

Be good.