it's a good thing...

It's what I'm using to keep the japanese beetles off of my rose bushes and it's working!!

me

I think I'm going to post a picture of me every summer to see how much I 've aged changed from one year to the next.

the trial

I have tried to not spend a lot of my time watching the Casey Anthony trial. It's hard because I love true crime. I must confess that I have become somewhat addicted. Here's my theory as to what happened. I know that Cindy says she may have left the ladder attached to the backyard swimming pool thus enabling little Caylee to get out the patio door and climb into the pool. If she did that she would have to feel overwhelming guilt and would realize that she played a part in the child's drowning. Cindy is an emotional person and yet when she was talking about the ladder she had it together and was not overly emotional. Also, what would be the point of duct tape if poor little Caylee drowned. I believe that Casey did her in, using chloroform and duct tape and then kept the body in the trunk of her car before dumping her in the woods near her parent's home. Unfortunately, there are a lot of cruel people in this world and Casey Anthony is one of them.
This morning I walked 5.31 miles. It was sunny with temperature in the 80's.

a walking tip

Now that summer is officially here the weather is going to get steamy hot. When that happens I personally think it is too hard on your body to exercise outdoors so I stay inside and walk/dance/work out in my home gym. But to keep my self cool on those days I choose to be outside I use these little gel packs made for baby boo boos. They are made small enough that I can freeze these and tuck them into my sports bra. They do a great job of keeping my body temperature cool while I am walking. I also use terrycloth baby washcloths tucked in my pocket to wipe the sweat off.
Last week I walked twenty miles. This morning after a rainshower, I walked 5.19 miles.

out of the box

Because of construction (which is a good thing) alot of the streets that I use on a regular basis are posted with big orange DETOUR signs. It seems like everyday I am asking myself, "Well, how do I get there from here?" I am every much a creature of habit so this has become an annoyance but I guess I should look at it in a more positive way as I am just building more synapses in my brain and that really is a good thing!
So far I have walked three days this week for a total of 15.7 miles.

bugs

The cicadas have pretty much disappeared but now the June bugs have arrived and are causing real havoc in my rose garden. I absolutely hate June bugs!

the squeeze my boobies prayer

I am so grateful that I live at a time where early detection of breast cancer means a cure. Tomorrow at two I will be at the new Women's Imaging Center and I will not wimp out! Give me the courage to endure my boobies flattened out like pancakes. I will be thinking of all those women who died of breast cancer before this wonderful thing called mammography was invented. 

braille songbooks

This morning I helped make All God's Children Sing, braille songbooks that are shipped to a small town in California and then distributed worldwide. My job was to use the binder to put the ten page booklets together. There were six of us working like beavers all morning and we were able to produce 57 books. One of our volunteers was a "preacher's kid" and she told a story about the parishioners helping out the preacher and his family, especially in the summer time with vegetables from their gardens. One day an older lady appeared at their door with a basket full of beans that had obviously been on the vine too long. "A little tough," she said, "But they're good enough for you."

the diner

There is a real 50's diner in River City. Although it has relocated (close to my house) it has been around since the 1950s, complete with lots of red and white vinyl and local memorabilia. It is one of our favorite restaurants and we enjoy going there. But... the portion sizes are so huge that I can never finish everything on my plate, not ever, no matter what I order. It's pretty much a given that whenever the waitress brings our meal, she automatically brings a "to go" box with it. I attribute it to my German Lutheran heritage that I was taught to never waste food and so I dutifully take it home and someone (sometimes Sam) eats it the next day. 

cows along the greenway

There is pasture land on the green way, sandwiched between doctor's offices and Target. Some days when I'm lucky I get a glimpse of these dolls. Aren't they gorgeous?
This week I walked a total of 19.5 miles, I missed two days because of hail storms.

the track

Last night the rain literally came down in sheets but this morning the sun was shining and the air was crisp cool. I walked 5.26 miles in the neighborhood, three miles on the middle school track. While I was there, a teacher walked her class of five special needs kids down to the track for some early morning exercise. The two girls were overweight and the teacher was trying to get them to increase their speed but they were enjoying teasing the three boys too much.  
From subbing, I know that alot of these special kids have weight problems. They don't don't see a value in exercising and they like sugary snacks.

part two

I used the new pedestrian-bike bridge that crosses the river. This just opened last month.

On my way back, I passed a Bed and Breakfast which would have a river view from the back.

The Lewis and Clark Expedition, with the Capitol in the background.

There was a wedding taking place in the Governor's Garden so I bypassed that.

The Mansion. They say it's haunted.

An outdoor restaurant closed on Sunday.

The Court House.

Pots of flowers.
Back to my car, exactly four miles later!

downtown for a change

On the weekend I like to walk downtown for a change of pace. Parking at the library is no problem.

I start here.

I go by our beautiful Capitol.
And our Post Office.

I walk by St. Peter's Catholic School.

And a big office building.

The first bar ever built in River City.

Crossing the street.

Then across the bridge.
This picture post is getting rather long. I'll finish up tomorrow!

the doctors visit prayer

I'm going to the doctor this afternoon. My last visit was three years ago in 2008. I feel the need for a prayer.
Dear Jesus, It's the needles you know. I see them and I get nervous. Like my momma, I have a very low tolerance for pain. Please help me to stay calm and think happy, relaxing thoughts, like water-skiing down the river in my underwear.  
I know that You are the Great Physician of us all. You guide the doctors to diagnose and keep us healthy, just like You use the angels to protect us. Thank you for keeping me healthy. 

five miles

Not alot going on today. I walked five miles in our neighborhood, early, because I wanted to avoid the heat. I was able to shave three minutes off of my time and I even carried a water bottle with me. When I walk in the "hood" I always do a couple of miles on the middle school track. There are usually other people on the track walking but this morning I was the only one. It's a very nice school with a big parking lot. I may ride my bike over there later.

earthquake

A 4.2 earthquake woke me up early this morning. It was centered in Southeast Missouri but it still rumbled the house and scared me. Hubby, who is a very sound sleeper and can sleep through an earthquake, did. They say to expect aftershocks.
Besides that, because we are a river town, we are expected to flood in the days and weeks ahead. We are a hilly little city; our house is at the bottom of one hill  but at the top of an even larger hill. Even so, it might wipe out the KATY, my favorite bike trail. I don't want that to happen.
I managed to tear myself away from the Casey Anthony murder trial and dodge the cicadas to walk 5.17 miles both today and yesterday. It is typical Missouri weather, steamy hot! 

book review

The Robert Redford book turned out to be a snooze but I finished it anyway because I had the time. I am now into The Man Who Ate His Boots by Anthony Brandt, which is the story of the search for the Northwest Passage. I am also reading through the Bible and I am now on 2 Kings.

The hot weather is making my clematis bloom like crazy!

bike rack

This is my fourth bike rack. The first one was made for an SUV. The second one disappeared. The third one (a cheapie from Target) was very hard for me to snap the straps. So being practical, I asked for this as a Christmas present and no one one in the family really thought I was serious about it so I bought it myself. I like it and guess what else, I've decided to buy a new bike to go alone with it. Can you believe I've been riding a hand-me-down bike all these years!!

salad recipe

This is a yummy salad recipe that was served a a catered family gathering over the week-end. I liked it so much I had to hunt down the recipe.

Mexican Corn Salad

2 cans yellow kernel corn, drained well
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced and chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, sliced and chopped
1/2 purple onion, chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
5 or 6 ounces of chili cheese flavor Frito corn chips

Mix all ingredients except the corn chips. Break up and add the chips before serving otherwise they will get soggy.

robert redford

I picked up the book Robert Redford The Biography by Michael Feeney Callan. I plan to get into it today as a commitment later this afternoon is keeping me away from the KATY, my favorite bike trail. The thirteen year cicadas have made their appearance so sitting outside on my porch swing makes me feel like I live on the prairie.