Monday Diet

This is what I should be eating today! Last week I jokingly told a co-worker that I was on a burrito and cookie diet. The crazy part is that it really wasn't a joke. I have been eating horribly. I did so well in 2010, until Thanksgiving anyway. Then Thanksgiving turned to Christmas and now it's the end of February. It is time to get back on track. I lost weight last year and now I have started gaining some back. But today is a new day. I am "weighing in" via email and need to be held accountable. I also think I should probably find the gym again very soon!

Puppy Love

Puppies are adorable and have an amazing ability to brighten life! Sunday morning we set alarms, got up early and headed out to the dog show to meet some very special new puppies. Mowgli (my grandpuppy) fathered a litter of five puppies who were born in Minnesota. This was our chance to meet three of the five; Bolt, Nutmeg and Winnie.

I could have snuggled with these babies for hours. They were so sweet and so affectionate. Although I had been grumbling about getting up in the dark on a Sunday I was thrilled that we did. Aren't they adorable?

They looked like Mowgli and reminded us of his puppy days. Ashley and I even suggested that Dale should get a puppy. They look good together, don't they?

Spring in February

It feels like Spring in February. We have had wonderful warm days with temperatures near 70 degrees one day in near 60 several more days. The snow is all melted and I have been walking outside. My valentine tulips on my table add to the illusion of Spring in a beautiful way. Winter will return and my tulips will die but hope is in the air and Spring is just around the corner.

Sleeping Cats

Napping lions were my favorite photography subject on Sunday when Dale and I headed to the zoo to enjoy the February thaw. They obviously enjoyed the sunshine and warm rocks on a lazy Sunday. After working in the church for years, I have to say that I do enjoy lazy Sundays now too.

Almond Joy

There is an amazing Dutch bakery in Pella. It's less than an hour from my home and since it had been well over a year since my last visit, Saturday's adventure started at Jaarsma Bakery. It truly is like stepping back in time. All of my favorites feature almond; Almond Tart, Almond Horn and Almond Filled Cookies! Going into the bakery is an amazing experience. Bringing the little blue and white striped bags home is thrilling! We also stopped at a little local meat market for cheese curds and bacon. The little town square is just bustling with people on a Saturday morning. We stood in line at the bakery and meat market! Pella is a unique little town and we may head back that direction during the tulip season which is really amazing. I just want to go when the bakery is open.

February Sky

Dale and I took advantage of plenty of sunshine and a February thaw on our Saturday outing. It was 43 degrees and a great day to get out and enjoy nature. We drove out to Neil Smith Wildlife Refuge, got some fresh air and enjoyed the gorgeous sky. Winter isn't over but the snow should be melted in the next few days.

First Cat Show

Dale and I had a very fun Saturday with several stops. One of the most interesting was a cat show held at Adventureland. Neither of us had ever been to a cat show so we thought it would be fun to stop by and see how it is done. I am not a huge cat lover but there were some beautiful animals. There were also some pretty strange looking cats including a hairless cat. There were also some very interesting people but no photographic evidence! I will post more about our Saturday outing soon.

Bacon Contest

Dale and I entered a bacon photo contest this weekend! I have never had much of an interest in competing with photography but when Dale heard about this possibility and the prize was two tickets to the bacon festival which sells out very quickly each year it sounded like fun. The photo above with the egg is the one that Dale took and I took the one below with the waffle. One of my volunteers had just recommended a good Iowa bacon so it seemed like a great excuse to try this bacon, play with our cameras and maybe get to go to the bacon festival. We had a great time setting up the shots and the bacon was delicious. We didn't win, but you can check out the contest winners by clicking here. We will not be going to the pork festival but we considered the project a success. We had lots of fun and had a great breakfast!

Second Attempt

Although I love knitting, I really do hate starting over, fixing mistakes or ripping out my work! I felt the same way when I used to sew. I just hated having to use my seam ripper. It's not fun to have to do it over again. I started this scarf with the recommended size 4 knitting needles but it seemed too tight. I was doing something wrong with one of my stitches and the holes seemed uneven too. I was tempted to start over but I already had so much work into it. I took it to Jill's to get her opinion and while I was working on it the cat sat on my lap and bit right through the yarn! I guess that was my sign to start over. The first attempt is shown on the right. My "re-do" is on the left. I used size 6 needles and found a better way to do my "yarn-over" and make the holes more even. I am now about one fourth finished but I still need to rip out my first attempt. I am glad that I started over but the process did frustrate me.