Good things

I like positive reinforcement. If I do a good job, it's nice to hear it.
Sometimes it need only be a smile.

So tonight I made a really good meal.  Veggies and quinoa. Really low calories.

Yummy part one! 

Sautéed in a pan with a splash of this and splash of that.

Add a sprinkle or two and go!

 

A cup of this yummy number 2!

And you end up with a bowl of low calorie goodness!

Just like with my Fitbit, 

I felt it was "nicely done!"

Here is hoping you get an attaboy today!

Grocery store fun

I found these little gems in the freezer section. I was so curious as to what they were.

The label was to the back which is such a nutty way to display them!

Imagine my surprise when they came in green!

Turns out the beige/ pale yellow one was crushed ginger.

The green is cilantro.

How handy!

I like these license plates and have been noticing more and more fun ones.

Here's hoping you notice something interesting today!

A view from the road....

 I don't spend a lot of time on the road but I'm still amazed by how many interesting things there are to see when stopped at a red light.  I love to quilt also!

The other day we had fog!

We rarely have fog!

This was so picture worthy! 

License plates are fun.

Oobabie (oooohhhh baby!)

Here's hoping you see something fun today.

What I listen to

I've gotten hooked on podcasts. When I get up early to do my morning knitting, I like to play a podcast. When the baby at work refuses to turn her music down, I play a podcast. I've even played a couple for the maternal unit.

They are as varied as my reading lists. A few I started listening to and stopped. Not everyone should have access to the equipment, or as Debra Messing says in the movie The Wedding Date, "Dear Lord who gave that woman a mic?"

I like Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard. He has celebrities, doctors, and professionals in a variety of arenas. He uses the F word as an adjective, interjection and all around descriptor which I don't appreciate. The up side is that I learn things. I have been able to start so many conversations over things I've heard and even if it only prompted me to think for myself, I'd continue to listen.

The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe is one I found by fluke.  I've liked him since his Dirty Jobs tv show.  He does a quickie ten minute (average) little story that is reminiscent of Paul Harvey's The Rest of the story....from radio.  He's put them in a book and I feared no new episodes would be forthcoming but I was pleasantly surprised today.

I listen to two NPR podcasts. Fresh Air and Short Wave. Fresh air also interviews celebrities, singers, writers, directors and more. The political topics don't interest me so I skip those.  Short Wave is a science based 10-12 minute podcast. It's a little interesting nibble on something I wouldn't normally ever put on my plate but it has humor, human interest and the fact that it's so short is a bonus!

The pound this podcast with Amanda Valentine deals with health and weight loss. Kind of funny, kind of informative. It's good that they are short.  No celebrities here, just health and fitness and I appreciate the nutritional information.

Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist is nice to listen to when you want to drown out work stress!  It's a simple celebrity interview and easy to absorb.

Sibling Revelry with Kate and Oliver Hudson. This brother sister duo is interesting to listen to even if I sometimes feel like they live in a different planet. I mostly just focus on the guests.

Recently I'm trying out Mo-bituaries with Mo Rocca and 3 books with Neil Pasricha as well as Food, we need to talk.

Here's hoping you "hear" something good today!

A gift for me

i love me a good gift card.  I was gifted with one for Christmas and look what I bought...

I bought a lunch bag. I needed a stand up one because of my other two, 

one is too large and one is too small.

This is the goldilocks of lunch bags....juuuuust right!

I am so looking forward to packing more of my healthy lunches here.

And this little snap section on the side? 

What does it do?

It's a pocket for a water bottle!

Folds up to snap away when not in use!

The best thing is that it was technically free!  And I was able to purchase a book for blueman too.
Cool!

Here's hoping you acquire something cool (and useful) today!

I sense a pattern

step one - stretch muscles and work 'em out
Step two - make dinner while cleaning the kitchen
Step three - take a picture of simple deliciousness

The funny thing?  Last week was salmon filet sautéed in OJ with veggies
This week?

Salmon and mackerel patties with broccoli.

Something's fishy in my house on workout days!

Here's hoping you treat yourself to something yummy today!

hidden beauty

So electrical boxes near the road are so....industrial looking. Am I right?  I think I'm right.
Imagine how tickled I was when I began to notice these little beauties.

All pictures were taken from a fully stopped car at a red light.

This was the first I noticed at a particularly long light.

I'm hoping to snap a few more. I think they are quite interesting.

Unexpected beauty from a boring every day item.

Here's hoping you look around and find something fun!

First finish of 2020!

it was many hours in the making, but seeing it all finished is a fun thing.  These were squares started from scraps of yarn, the only requirement is they had to be big enough to become the center of a granny square.
Then bring on the neutrals. Beige, tan, pale yellow were on deck.
Then the colors with a kick followed by white.

The maternal unit sewed the lovelies together and I added a purple then black border.

This large afghan only cost $6 for two skeins of white.

It was so much fun and it led directly into my next project which is below.

Granny square ripple love in autumn colors!

Here's hoping you have a fun finish or meet your OMG (one monthly goal)!

Yummy!

when you have some energy left over from a brief workout, what's a girl to do?
Make a yummy post workout meal (while cleaning the kitchen!)

Salmon sautéed in orange juice, 

Sweet potatoes and green beans.

Yummy!

Here's hoping you fix something yummy today!

It was just an impulse....

so while checking through yarn stash for hidden small balls, I came across what I had forgotten I had.

It's quite a few new and nearly full skeins of yarn in autumnal colors.

Most were given to me, these lovely lemons in fall hues. 

I had an overwhelming urge to make some lemonade with them. 

So while I was finishing up my scrappy squares, I was plotting what I could do with this stash and what pattern I could make.

Is it any wonder I stuck with my granny square mentality?

I just love it.

I wanted to make a ripple and I kept the granny square look.

I can't wait to pick the next color and the next....

I guess the ufo's will have to stay unfinished a bit longer.

Here is hoping you find some impulsive joy today!

new things for a new year

It's the first few days of a new year.  I spent one whole day on the wrong calendar day. Hoy Es el primer dia Del ano....which says today is the first day of the year....and I kept repeating that even though it's really the 2nd day when I read it.  I figured why not try to learn something with my daily calendar pages.

The second page was a good one too.  Me he puesta a muchas metas. I have made many goals.

I'll have 300 chances to learn more Spanish. High school Spanish was *mumble mumble* years ago!

Let's use it and not lose any more!

Spinach salad minus cheese and onions. 

Yummy!

Ten minutes of fruit ninja kicked my rear.

Heart rate raised...check!

I'm just always interested in new things at the store.

Outside of eating this from the jar directly, I wouldn't know how you'd use this 

Here's hoping you find/do/enjoy something new today!