I'm in the third week of West Palm Beach's Go Red Better U program, having fun!

[Warning: No quilting is covered in this post ;-) ]
I've been so busy adjusting to the our new place and remember/reminder I am participating with 9 other great women in the 2016 #PBGORED add to that the fact; I'm still trying to solve some minor laptop transitioning troubles so I just have not found the time to post.
 ["That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it". lol]

So first let me say I DID make my first week's goal in the "Go Red" which was to walk 5 out of 7 days on the beach. In fact I ENDED UP an overachiever and managed 7 days out of 7.  ;-)
It helps that my husband has gotten the walking bug too and is walking with me, and it is lovely to walk on the beach.
During week two we ladies were treated to a talk from a very interesting Cardiologist who answered so many questions RE: healthy diet suggestions, statins, blood pressure, etc.
My focus the second week was to try to eat "clean", lots of fruits and vegetables, less grains and to keep moving! The hubby and I are still walking a few miles everyday.
It has been very helpful that we also have a FB group that we women can pass on hints, recipes and cheer each other on.
So now entering week three and the goal is to stick with the plan and add tracking our daily activity along with logging our meals/snacks. Wish me luck and let's all keep moving.

Let's get some steps in

Steppin

Nice way to end the day

Almost done with the daily walk

Each day is different

Yay success even on a cold windy day!

Footnote: I also hope to have my sewing area set up this week

 so I can add quilting to my schedule too.

It's week one.. #PBGoRed

It's week one of the 12 week Program "life is why" a program designed to improve my/and your overall heart health. Check out #PBGoRed on Instagram and GoRedForWomen.org
For my first week of the PBGoRed program I set my weekly goal to try to get moving.
Thanks to the FitBit Charge HR we each were given I know that on Monday I manage to get in 9077 steps, Tuesday I added another 9691steps, Weds I managed 14,271 steps and today Thursday I got in 12,268 steps. I have to admit today was the roughest as I pushed myself to walk the beach, it's not as easy a walk as one might think due to sinking wet soft sand.  I can feel some muscles coming back that I haven't felt in a long time lol.
My goal for the week was to walk on the beach 5 out of 7 days and thankfully I have 4 days in so far because if the weathermen are correct predicting storms for tomorrow that might make it rough to get my beach steps in.
I've been doing so well working towards my goal I am hoping the storms pass us by.

Here's a photo that was taken on Tuesday of us PBGoRed 2016 Women 

Continued part three 2015 and onward to a great start in 2016

So I mentioned that last year felt like a strange year to me on many levels, many I find difficult to explain. So far I shared how my year began and mentioned our Florida stay that was to designed to give us some sun and possible fun before I had surgery March 17,2015.

I had been living with some unexplainable constant chronic pain for a few years along with a very bad episode of vertigo that never totally went away, even after many types of therapy, lucky for me they finally did an MRI of my neck and discovered a bulging or leaking disk, putting pressure on various nerve ends so it was decided that by fusing two of the disks in my neck would hopefully make my pain disappear.
No one wants to think of having major surgery but once they mentioned the promise that the pain might actually be gone I decided to give it a go. I was introduce to a great neurosurgeon from Penn Hospital in Philadelphia PA. Yes the surgery had some drawbacks, one being a recovery that was going to keep me in a neck brace for 7- 8 weeks and home bound since there would be no driving and it was imperative to keep my neck still and supported so the disks could fuse. The surgeon told the truth when he mentioned the worst part of the surgery would be in the hip area where they would cut and take some of my hip bone to be placed in the fusion area.

Thankfully the surgery was a success and has given me my smile back, I feel like a new person.
I will have to get back to reviewing my 2015 wild year in a future post because right now I'd rather share some news I have RE: My 2016!!!

I am thankful to get to announce that I was chosen as one of ten women from the Palm Beach County Area to get to participate in a 12 week "Better U"[ the 'GO RED' makeover.]
I know this is going to change my life for the better! So the hubby and I arrived back to FL on Sunday via the Auto Train just in time for me to begin my healthy journey Monday Jan 11. 
I met with Jen Rhine, the director of #PBGoRed at the offices of the Palm Beach County American Heart Association first thing Monday morning, besides me getting to participate look at the goodies I received so far.

                                          

So today (Tuesday - Jan. 12)  I got to meet most of the other women that are doing the "life is why" American Heart Association 'Better U' Go Red for Women #PBGORED and enjoyed their company while we had photos taken. We enjoyed cheering each other on as we partake in this healthy journey. 

Hope you'll enjoy my journey and maybe even go to GoRedForWomen.org or www.heart.org for more information.

Cont. Part two: my strange 2015

So last year in January the hubs and I went to FL to try snow birding and to give me some time to mentally prepare for the up-coming surgery I was to have March 17, yuppers that was St.Patty's day.
We had been going to FL little by little the past two seasons and staying at the condo his parents had retired to in the 70's and it was our goal to see if he and I were interested in FL for our winters or not.
During Jan and Feb we enjoyed some sun and even got to have some fun with my daughter's family during mid-winter break meeting them at Disney and then showing them around Stuart a little.
The surgery I was having in March was to fuse two of the disks in my neck and though I had been living with constant pain for a couple years the thought of major surgery was not something anyone relishes yet I had reached the point of feeling like I was never smiling from within (if you know what I mean?)  I can report that my surgery was a complete success and I still find myself marveling at myself (such as after the very active holiday I just spent with my children and grandchildren) it is so NICE to not live in constant pain and to feel like I got a new lease on life. But knowing the surgery was going to take place along with me not being able to drive, that I would be basically homebound for minimum 6-7 weeks weighed on my mind a lot. This was the second thing that contributed to my very strange 2015.
I am happy to say though though it all I still managed to quilt over 9 quilts throughout 2015 which pleasantly surprised me when I checked back at photos for the year.

Happy New Year - bring it 2016!

I ended 2015 feeling like the complete year was probably one of the strangest I have honestly experienced during my lifetime. I am unsure how to totally express the feelings or my impressions of the year and why it felt so strange but I will try to give a little insight little by little in my posts this week.

Last year began with a huge loss for my family, it was difficult (still is actually) to believe what had happened and my family still feels the after effects which I am sure we sadly always will. Our year began with the passing of my sister's husband who was a wonderful man, a loving, caring, non-judging, nice to everyone he met kind of guy. He was only 58, it was sudden and unexpected. His name is Tim Tock.

During the year while my family tried to grieve and re-adjust and my sister and his daughter tried to take one day at a time our family continued to experience day to day life and blessings, new birth, other passings, joys and sorrows and many blessings. 

By Father's Day the family was delighted to find out Tim's daughter was expecting a baby, the baby was to be his first grand-child. I knew I would end 2015 by making something I hoped would show honor to my BIL Tim Tock while  celebrating the near arrival of Tim's grand-daughter. 

When we lost Tim my sister passed along to me some Tim's t-shirts to create something special for his daughter Paula. It was to difficult for me to think of cutting up Tim's shirts at that time so I put them away for a few months in hopes I would build up my courage. Finally when I knew the baby shower would soon be here I knew I had to begin. It was time to figure out a design and what to create?

Thankfully when I began quietly cutting the 24 or so t-shirts it actually became calming (just like Tim could make you feel) and the designs or my plans seemed to be heaven sent. I knew my niece was hoping for a "t-shirt quilt made of Tim's shirts as a memory for herself but as I worked I knew that there had to be two quilts one for Tim's "first grandchild" and another for the family as a whole to be able to snuggle with in remembrance. The designs are simple in fact the large one is one of my rare t-shirt quilts that actually is all t-shirt on the front and then fabric for backing. I was one t-shirt short of the 25 I needed for a complete square quilt top so I took the back of one of Tim's t-shirts and was able to transfer two photos (one is a favorite photo my husband took of Tim and Paula when we were honored to take her and Eric's wedding day photographs) have to admit that was a difficult square to quilt and see on my machine, yet my machine and hands did move steadily like Tim was directing me. 

It felt right to keep the large quilt ALL "Tim" and then baby Avery's baby quilt are pieces of the varied little logos I cut from her grandfather's shirts along with framing of multiple bright colors of fabric possible like the many colors of joy and happiness we pray she will experience in her lifetime, the backing for Avery's quilt is soft purple "minky" to go along with her nursery colors.

It was interesting that as I went to begin quilting the baby quilt on my HQ16 I had a design in mind and as my hands began moving suddenly a different quilting design appeared possibly Heaven sent? 

It's as I would like to believe. 

I hope everyone had a great 2015 New Years Eve and now onward to 2016!