Several Updates!!!

First off, I am so not self-disciplined. I wish I were. Then I could get things done like a machine, whether it was school work, house work, or LOSING WEIGHT! I wasn't able to truly do the Body by Vi all week. During the summer months, my schedule is virtually non-existent, and in order to do a shake diet, I think scheduling is a must. Of course, I could just be making excuses again! I actually gained weight this first week. One pound was lost by Tuesday, but today's weigh-in showed that I had gained that pound back plus one more. No bueno. I believe that I will just count calories until school starts. It seemed that I had more luck with that anyway. Once I am back into the routine of school time, I can start the shakes. I did make it to the gym three or four days this week. Next week I will have to go more! Unfortunately, I am pretty sure that Monday will be out of the question because I will have this little guy all day (have you ever seen a little boy as totally cute as this?!?!).

Photo courtesy of BNBauman Photography

In other not-so-good news, it has been so dry here. There have been several fires close to home...more closer to my school than my home, but there was a hayfield fire about 25 miles away that destroyed almost 600 acres. 150 homes were evacuated and it took over two days to contain it. Scary business.

15 minutes or so from my school...

25 minutes or so from my home...photo courtesy of the Arkansas Forestry Commission

The fire in the above photo caused our water company to empty its lines in attempt to fight it before calling in other avenues of water support. Due in part to that and the fact that it has not rained more than ten drops (which happened today) in my area of town since early May, the water company has implemented a mandatory restriction of unnecessary water use. Included in this restriction is ANY AND ALL outside watering unless it is for the purpose of providing sustenance to animals and pets. In other words...don't water the vegetable garden or the decorative landscaping or the yard that you have invested countless dollars in maintaining for the last ten years. Needless to say, all of our gardening and green stuff is turning yellow brown dead. I have been doing my best to pick what I can as soon as I can to salvage as many veggies as possible.

Canned a jar of pickled jalepeno peppers! YUMMY GOODNESS!

The first of nine of these guys :-)

A billion zucchini it seemed, but I think they are done now.

And picked 12 of these beauties today, with 15 more ready in a day or two. Salsa, anyone???

We need rain...badly...but I can't wait to put next year's garden out and see what happens!!! I have already drawn out a 'blueprint' for how I want it to look! Always (never) prepared.