River's Edge Dining...

Hey ya'll!!! 

Went to dinner with Sis...

Down by the River! 

SKI SHORES CAFE

Their Blog

Went to dinner with my sis and my son tonight at Ski Shores Cafe...but I guess you already guessed that! lol

I love this place.  We found it a few weeks ago when I was needing a boost in my 'I Gotta Have Some Water Views' arm.  I just happened to find them on YELP.com and discovered they are only 15 minutes from my home!  Can We Hear A Hallelujah!!!

Their blog has tons of pics for you to enjoy and the story of how they revamped this lil place into quite an enjoyable eatery and right smack dab on the Colorado River that flows right through Austin!  

We literally sat inches away from the edge of the deck that sticks out over the water.  Boaters, skiers, waterskiers and the likes entertained us while we sat on this glorious deck awaiting our food.  They have a small stage area where local artists come to serenade you while you eat and drink.  They are preparing to have a Movie Night where you can bring the family, eat pizza, and enjoy a movie by the river!  Truly an outstanding establishment and SO CLOSE TOO!!!  

My sis and I split a bacon cheese burger with guacamole!  AND instead of fries we opted for an order of fried okra.  I know...fried okra may not be the healthiest....but I only ate a small portion before I was full as a tick (as they say here in Texas!)  I also had a Miller Lite which is 0/0 in the BFC counter book! YaY!!!  Only thing I regret was forgetting to get a pic of our burger!  It was large and yummy!  So my meal was a total of 5 sugar/3 carb points (due to the half of large hamburger bun and okra)  Wish you ALL lived here so we could meet up ...down by the river!  (always think of Chris Farley pullin up his britches when I type that! )

But I digress....

Earlier today I enjoyed a quesadilla that I made with a La Tortilla Factory Tomato and Basil Wrap.  I just put the tortilla in a hot skillet sprinkled cheese on top....added a few no salt spices...folded it over onto itself once the cheese started melting and Viola!  An Italian Quesadilla!  Delish!  0/1 BFC points!

Breakfast was a Jay Rob Chocolate Whey Protein Shake w/ Super Seed!  YUM!

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...... don't tell anyone...but i think i'm down another pound!  wooo hooo's are in order!   

Thank you to all who commented on last nights post.  It was a bit of self talk...and it worked!  Had a Marvy Day today.  I'm so proud of all of you....even in the most difficult times...we can say... WE DID IT!!!  I love your hearts...we are one you know...so when you hurt...we all hurt....when you rejoice...We ALL Rejoice!  

Be blessed and then GIVE IT AWAY!!!    

Follow Your Heart...

Click on the vid above and hear my heart for YOU today!

FOLLOW YOUR HEART...and you won't get lost.

Every once in a while I have to take a few steps back and regroup!  The things of the day, week, month all begin to make this huge pile in my life and I find myself feeling this huge sense of the "I'll never's..."

"I'll never get over this big pile of #$)%(#&$%)(&!"  Do you ever feel that way?   This pile, like a conglomerate rock, compiled of our daily grind, the issues that arise, the pains that we feel, the emotions that we stuff,  the joys we experience, the fears we try to hide, the hopes we hope will happen, the truths we hope are true...they're all there...all mixed together...all stuck together like a huge boulder in the road.

Then... if I stop looking at the boulder...if I just take the time to close my eyes and listen...I hear it...

I begin to hear a faint yet familiar sound...my heart.  Yes, yes...I hear the thump...thump...thump... but if I listen past the thumping... I hear the still small voice...the one that tells me the truth...the God Honest Truth!  But only if I listen. 

Back in the nineties, we lived at the beach for an amazing 4 month span.  It was during, what could have been, one of the worst times of our lives for my family.  We had no work, no income whatsoever, and we had to move from my dream home of 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 3 car garage, corner lot, beautiful home, beautiful trees, full of beautiful things.  During the year prior to our move we had to take care of a huge debt which forced us to sell most of the valuable, heirloom contents in our possession so we could get this paid off and make a new start.  There was such ripping and tearing of my heart as I let "things" go that had belonged to my parents and were now mine.  But the debt was paid... and it was time to move on... then finding ourselves living in a bungalow on the beach for the summer for next to nothing.  What an amazing blessing...for new beginnings and healing hearts.

That summer, I had days on end to stare at the ocean and listen.  One day, as I was listening to the rhythm of the waves I heard..."Follow your heart and everything else will take care of itself."  What a peace that settled on me that day.  I didn't fully understand what I had heard...but I knew it was truth.  For weeks I pondered this "truth"....asking God what it meant.  And all I could ever "hear" was..."It means whatever you desire it to mean."    You mean, I have a choice?  This brief thought, gave me permission to stop looking at the past...to stop responding as I thought I should...which was sulking.  I gave myself permission to enjoy the beauty around me and to stop feeling guilty for living in such blessed moment in time!

For years I looked to others to tell me how to feel, how to think, how to respond appropriately, to react in an acceptable way and so on...and now, sitting by myself on the beach...I am facing the reality that I have a choice!  A choice to choose my path!  Whoa!  But what if I fail?  What if I can't?  What if others don't like what I choose?  

We spend our lives thinking we have faith while we follow the advice or expectations of others....all the while not trusting that WE too have what it takes to make a choice for ourselves.  When in actuality...true faith comes from diving off that cliff with only the expectation that God is in control.  Who are you listening to? Who are you following?

"Follow your heart and everything else (that huge boulder) will take care of itself."  What's in your heart?  Have you asked?  

Today, I am finding myself needing to be reminded once again...To Stop...Listen to My Heart... Trust What I Hear...and Take whatever Action it directs...  I know that as I do, that the boulder will either crumble or roll away.  My focus will be on embracing the moment and not on fearing the things I have no control over.

So I'm Ready to Dive In... Wanna Join Me? 

  

MIA No More!

I first want to thank those of you who sought me out 

to see if I was OK! 

 I apologize that I didn't place a post stating my circumstances last week.  So I'll brief you a little on what's been a-happenin' in my life.

Several projects that my hubby and I are involved in all seemed to accelerate into high gear all at the same time last week.  I found myself spending hours at a time either on the phone, emailing and shuffling papers.

On top of that, I started an online art class that I had signed up for a while back.  I, again, spent many hours getting to know the system we are using and meeting the teacher/students...many posts and projects the first week.  Not to mention doing the actual projects, taking pics and posting.  It's really a lot of fun...just takes time to get in the groove.

You can check out the artist and her classes here:   WYANNE

OK so moving right along!

My... ISSUE...seems to have worked itself out...so to speak...since I have started a routine of drinking the following as my breakfast first thing in the morning...

                           1 scoop Chocolate Jay Robbs Whey Protein Powder

                           1 scoop Super Seed  (thanks for letting me know about this Rosalie!)

                           8-12 oz Unsweetened Almond Milk

                           ice - depending on how thick you want it...
                           I use anywhere from 3-8 cubes

                           (I'm sure there are some other goodies,
                           like Barleans fish oil, you could include)

Blend all of the above ingredients in a blender until all the ice is crushed... pour and enjoy!  

This divine mixture has encouraged my system to LINE UP!!!  So, that part of my body is working better these days!

One other thing I dealt with last week was another health issue I have been fighting for almost 2 years. 

I have a patch (for lack of a better term) of psoriasis on the bottom of my foot that I just cannot seem to get rid of. Without going into all the gory details... it cracks, leaving me with open wounds that make it feel like I am walking with chards of glass stuck in the bottom of my foot! 

Having said ALL THAT... I did a number on that foot on Tuesday...while walking the dogs.  I was in great pain most of the week on top of all the other things I was involved in.  My poor hubby!  I do not tolerate pain well AT ALL!  He feels bad that he can't send me to the doc right now (no ins.)...so I try not to complain to much...but last week...I'm sure wasn't good for him either!  Feeling better today...but having to keep it bound pretty tight in order to function...and I know that isn't what it really needs.  Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!!!

So needless to say... As I WANTED to do a post... I just never really had enough collective time to do so.  Thanks again to those who checked in!

Through all of the above last week fiascos... I was able to maintain my good eating habits and lose 1 lb!  I'll take it!  Slow as the weightloss is...that's ok as long as I'm feeling well, eating well, and losing a little here and there.  Haven't measured yet...but pants are def feeling a little looser!  (and for those of you who just said...Yeah, but I need to lose a whole lot of weight!...just know I have about 62 more pounds to go!)

Did ya'll like that list of Good Carbs last week?  I copy pasted them onto a Word doc and printed them out for me to keep in the kitchen.  So when I needed to expand my vision a little when it came to selecting a Good Carb for my snack or meal...I would check out this list again.  

One thing I did purposely do last week was to make sure I stuck to portion size and used smaller plates!  Including meats, cheeses, and veggies.  Just slipping a little larger portion or even seconds onto your plate can add extra calories that our bodies just don't need....so it STORES the excess  (right smack dab on my hips!)  

ALSO...speaking of storing... If you skip a meal...tsk tsk tsk!!!  This throws your body into a slight panic mode...falsely thinking it's not EVER going to get fed again so it better STORE UP that insulin just in case... Well guess where it stores it up?.... Yep! RIGHT IN THOSE SHRINKING FAT CELLS!  

Another thing is to make sure you eat a breakfast!  Be sure to BREAK your FAST from the night before.  What this does is ..."Gentleman/women... START YOUR ENGINES!"  Eating breakfast wakes up your metabolism...gets those juices flowing and starts your day off with ENERGY!  No food... No Energy!

So get out of your food poverty thinking and EAT your way into losing weight!  Choose those Good Carbs and EAT THEM!  Include those Good Fats and Vitamin Rich Veggies and Proteins and Chocolate!!!

And you will be well on your way to a healthier YOU!  

Love you all...and will try to post more often this week!  Here's a sneak peek at one of my pieces I'm preparing for my Nov. art show!  

Three Tiered Cupcake Tray
Annie-Bella's © 

CREDITS:  I "borrowed" the MIA title picture from a great site I found called just that, MIA /Missing In Action, a site which offers a book for new moms, helping them to reclaim their identity after bringing a child into this world.  I wanted to not only give credit to this site since I "borrowed" their pic, but also to pass the word on to any new moms out there!  Having been a new mom three times...I wished I had the support then that is available now.  I almost lost my sanity...but that's a whole nuther enchilada!!!!  So be sure to visit and enjoy...MIA!