Let's Post our Daily Exercise

I love my early morning walks in the COLD weather...no one is out and it is so peaceful...nice way to start the day. The weather is warming up starting tomorrow and then on Tuesday another bitter cold day and maybe snow.

I talked to my daughter today....she is so excited for my visit....I'll be there in 2 weeks. She wants to stay with me every night instead of the dorm...have lunch...she was telling me her schedule and wanting to know what I'm doing. I mentioned that I wanted to go to the Israel Museum as I haven't been there in several years and she goes, I want to go with you.....Two weeks of Mother /daughter time!!! I have no real plans so whatever she wants to do. I was thinking of spending my first Shabbat with friends just outside of Jerusalem, but after talking to her decided not too. She has something from a youth leadership training she is doing over Shabbat but she will sleep at dorm or with me, so don't want to be so far from her. I will look for an invite in walking distance even if its with people I don't know!!

I need to get busy baking....the cookie jar is almost empty (the cookie jar is the freezer)!! And no other sweets. going to make a rum cake tomorrow and when I done here going to make chocolate chip cookies. DD has a list of home made cookies that she wants.

Stay warm...Hugs from Denver.

I have never heard of that group, Lilac.

Good job, Poppy!

Your trip sounds like it will be wonderful, Karen.

Even though it is SO cold here; the room I am teaching in is tropical hot (due to the age of the building & the lack of upgrades to the heating system), so it is kinda hard to know how to dress!! I had the window up with zero degree air pouring in to try to counteract the heat. Optimal learning conditions, to be sure. I went to Dance Attack tonight.

Ran a couple errands yesterday so I did a lot of walking so today is a rest day.

Got in a 5k run yesterday and also giving myself credit for hauling my live tree from parking lot to apartment. I was just able to carry it so as not to leave too many needles in my wake. It's ready to set up which I will do later today. Just gorgeous and so fragrant.

Working from home as a snow day. However, snow was a BUST, so no skiing on golf course. The GREAT news is that one of the SNO Parks in the Cascades will be open this weekend, so will be able to get on my skis. Plan is to do about 8 miles.

As wasn't busy, I got to chat up the young man selling trees. A real varied series of jobs. Selling trees, house painting (I see signs looking for painters all the time, so a good fallback), selling goodies in Pike Place Market. Anyway, I got the "special discount" as having been in the business at one time during my life (high school where we went out and cut down suitable trees on our farm woodlot, using the proceeds to fund Christmas and winter clothing purchases), He normally trims the stump with a chainsaw, but let me borrow his bow saw. I did the job just fine. He was impressed and said the first lady customer who had ever done this.

Back to the salt mines

- Claire

An hour of toning & correcting a big pile of papers were my entertainment for the night.

Claire, pretty tree!

Spent the morning doing errands including shopping for goody boxes to out-of-state relatives. Wonderful cheeses, summer sausage, and candies (peppermint bark and butternut crunch - OMG I have that bag put away so I can't see it). Will mail out next week.

Now in for the day. Brought some work home and also going to bake. It's snowing, we may get a foot by Monday morning.

I actually looked it up. They said 25-30 lb. I am guessing more than 30 as extremely full and fresh. I can say that even heavier than last year's. Lugging it around was quite the chore. Not as heavy, but a lot more unwieldly, than a 50 lb sack of potatoes.

Went into Seattle today. Spent time gifting myself, first with a year end cosmetics set special of things I can use. I got some lotus oil as a gift with purchase. Lovely facials ahead.

Then I got a gorgeous Lanvin heavy silk skirt for a song at the resale shop. I resisted the amazing suede coat. Perhaps for my birthday if it doesn't sell. The skirt will look fab with a sweater, tights, and boots and a belt from my collection. Warm and fab for the holiday season ahead.

Onto Pike Place Market where I stopped at the butcher and bought suet for Christmas puddings, plus a nice chop for myself. I must shop there more often as they have interesting meat and fowl, and in the "nice splurge" range pricewise. I got the last of the chanterelle mushrooms at a veggie stall - 2 lb. as a special - and some other mushrooms. A few other odds and ends.

Onto the wine bar (actually a tasting room) for their menu as new website isn't up yet. This, so I can put my wine list together and place my order via email. Works great. They ship, and my wine drinking friends are thrilled. Ran into a fellow foodie who is a Savor Seattle tour guide. We may go snowshoeing together.

Slept on the bus back. Trying to get up the courage to tackle the online email project I am working on. Got to the point of doing links, but finding out that not everything worked as planned. I think it's called "learning". - Claire

Snowstorm round 1 came through and now expecting round 2.

DH shoveled away round 1 this morning before heading off to work. I'll reciprocate by doing laundry, finishing the Nov bookwork and cooking Sunday dinner. Roast pork loin with garlic & rosemary and raspberry cobbler for dessert. Ya know, sometimes the 'traditional' division of labor is OK.

Nice Tessu! I went to the new gym last week. I thought I was in pretty good shape, although I know I have always had hip issues, mostly flexibility. I jogged 4 miles on the treadmill a few days before, but the personal trainer tested my strength and flexibility and I got a 13. Apparently, under 14 they worry about you. I guess I need to work on that, but slowly. Very excited, they have pound, yoga, pilates, pool classes and bike classes. Hopefully will try some next week. Also supposed to get a program to follow for 6 to 8 weeks from the trainer to work on building up strength.

Visiting my son in Minneapolis (he is a student at U of M). I thought it was cold in Philly, but this is so much colder! And we got 7 inches of snow yesterday into today. I hate snow. Heading to the hotel fitness room now to check out the treadmills. Have a great day everyone!

One can never have too many outfits

Did a 5 miles indoor walking DVD & shoveled twice. Blah!!!

Woke up to snow this morning but most of it is gone due to the wonderful sun!! Temps were actually quite nice today.

Spent a couple hours at Mom's going through her closets. As much stuff as I took out, I didn't make a dent!!! Unbelievable how many pairs of shoes she had that she hasn't worn in years!! I need to take an inventory of everything to donate....giving it to a place that gives the clothing to their clients. It took me 4 trips to my car to get it all!! Not sure of the date of the move to the smaller apt that is more handicapped accessible...hoping its before I leave, but means by next Sunday. May have DH help me take stuff that won't fit in the new apt and add it to all the stuff in the garage....

10 days till I leave....and so much to do before then....Looking forward to the 1:1 time with my daughter.

Stay warm, and sweet dreams!!

Claire.....great picture!!!

Going to get a little workout in this morning. Gotta shovel the sidewalk in a bit

Lyn, it might (or might not) be Arimidex related. I didn't have any horrible problems, but was surprised how much better I felt overall once I was finished with it.

It is SOOOOOO cold here that it hurts to breathe when you are outside (the wind chill is 25 below right now). I went to Dance Attack and Yoga tonight.

Lilac, kick that old habit!! You are doing FABULOUS things, and the rest of us are too!!!