The sun will come out tomorrow! And it did!

A little snow left behind on the bushes.

It's hard to believe the sun is out and the snow is melted. What a freak thing to happen in October, but we got about 4 inches. Others near us got almost 8! Still some little piles left from the snow plow on our road. Lots of people are still without power in the region due to all the trees coming down on the wires. It's beautiful here today and as you can see we still have lots of leaves left on our trees. Many of my trees are still green, especially in the front yard. 

The trees along my driveway haven't even changed color yet!

Saturday we stayed in and I made that pumpkin chili for dinner. It was really delicious and I swear there is not  a hint or taste of the pumpkin. The picture I posted on my last blog post, made it look a little orangey, but it really was appetizing in taste and appearance. It was especially good topped with some grated cheddar jack cheese and a dollop of sour cream. I heard some talk about putting chopped canned tomatoes in it. The recipe doesn't call for that, but I have never made a chili without it. I'm sure it would be great with them added. I had to add more chili powder and even a little smoked chipotle chili powder, lots of salt and pepper and even topped my bowl with some hot sauce. I like it spicy! I am sure even you non pumpkin lovers will enjoy it and not be able to tell the difference. If you want the recipe go to the blog www.skinnytaste.com Gina has recipes that list the weight watcher points, along with the nutritional values. Lots of good stuff there. Here is the link to the actual recipe.http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/10/crockpot-turkey-white-bean-pumpkin.html

So I love that today is 11/1/11. I always feel like a fresh start when it's a new week, a new month or a new year. The first day of the week, Monday, the first month of the year January, and the first day of that month, 1/1, always seem like good times to renew commitments or make new ones. I love the clean slate feeling. Although with trying to eat better and follow an eating plan, it is always best to make the next meal a fresh start, especially if you have made some poor choices in a prior meal. That being said, I pulled out a fresh little notepad to track on, wrote some goals on the back to refer to and really got my mind back in the right place to go forward. I'm finding I have to do that frequently. I think with all my work load and all the busyness I have in my life, I quickly lose site of the prize. Frequent recommitments are necessary if I want to stay focused.

 Hope everyone's Halloween was great. We stopped for a bite after work and as we were pulling into our cul-de-sac around 7:30 PM.  I see a bunch of about 10 kids running up the driveway next to ours. I didn't even buy any candy this year, because last year we got about 4 kids. My neighbor said not to worry, and that she would give out an extra piece for us and tell the kids we weren't home from work. Well she did that, but then when they saw us pull in, they all came to the door. I grabbed my change basket and started giving out money. I felt so bad not to have anything for them, but they didn't seem to mind the money. I wanted to give each one 50 cents, but then I ran out of quarters. I sure hope some of them didn't just get pennies! I think the neighborhood is changing a bit and more younger families are moving in. Next year I'll be ready! Years ago when my kids were little, you couldn't even leave the  front door because there was a constant flow of kids. I lit luminaries up the walk, and played spooky music on the cd player. We had many carved jack o lanterns and lots of candles on the porch. It was so much fun. In later years, my neighbor and I started having a big bonfire in the cul-de-sac, along with food, drinks for the adults, and all kinds of treats. We had hay bales in a circle around the fire and it was a lot of fun. Those were the days!

So here's a Riley update. He is doing fine and they pulled out the drain today. Of course that was another $100. It's funny how much vets can charge, but like my husband says, they go through alot of school and training and they deserve what they get paid. Drs. on the other hand, have to accept what the insurance gives them. They can't charge for phone consults, replacing bandages and post op surgical visits. That's all bundled in the procedure price. I have patients callling constantly that want to speak to the Dr and my husband can't charge them for the 15- 20 minutes he typically spends on the phone with them and/or their family members. I'm thinking he should have been a vet like he had originally planned. Animals might be easier to deal with than humans too!! Anyway, Riley has to go back in 2 days for a wound check, and then in two weeks to have the stitches removed! He's such a good sport too and so easy going! Poor baby. He didn't deserve this. Just so you know, Roscoe and Riley are like brothers and have always gotten along great. We got them both at the same time from the same shelter. They were crate mates. They cuddle and Riley always cleans Roscoe's ears every morning! Hey, somebody has to do it and he volunteers to lick them clean. They are constantly kissing and playing together. That's what makes this fight so weird. Roscoe definitely started it, but I think he thought Riley was going for his bone. I always give them treats or bones at the same time, but the other two get bored when they can't get to the filling of those peanut butter filled bones. Roscoe loves to grab one while we watch tv and i swear he "nurses" on that bone. I think it's because he was a stray and maybe needed more mommy time. Anyway, even seconds after the fight they were best buddies again. The vet said that can happen and her dogs have gotten into fights over bones. I think no one is sure who the alpha dog is, and maybe this was a show of power. Who knows. I still love them!

So whatever you are doing today, on 11/1/11, I hope it's a great day! Thanks again for all your kind words of support on my posts. It means the world to me!

Thought for the day: “The beginning is always today.”    Mary Shelley

Roscoe after his ear cleaning!!!

Riley with his silly spotted tongue!

This was last year playing in the snow!