Just don't forget that a calorie is a unit of measurement. You have to expend more than you ingest if you want a negative weight gain. We have a tendency to forget that whether we eat 500 calories fewer or exercise 500 calories more every day, the result is the same... the scales will show the body is about a pound lighter each week. I think that somewhere along the way many of us fell for a scam of thinking that cutting calories was easier than walking more -- at least, there are a lot of books are sold extolling different methods of calorie reduction and few which praise the simple action of walking. Nonetheless, walking is just as effective and lots better for the bod than indiscriminate calorie cutting... and not too many of us are sufficiently educated in general nutrition to be sure which calories *should* be cut.

I set out seedlings in the vegetable garden. It was cool and cloudy and we got a little shower, but it was not enough to dampen my planned projects. (We were supposed to have clear skies and temps in the mid-70s. Surprise! Felt like late March. But the sun came out from time to time. I cleaned out grass (Bermuda) from around flowers and cut back over-zealous daylilies that hung over a rose bush; hauled wheelbarrows full of wood chips and mulched several places, Chased a crabby 3 ft large snake with my rifle in hand, but he eluded me, twice; we both mowed and used the grass trimmer in different areas; cut lower limbs off some of the cedars; found several more Morel mushrooms (HUGE ones!); watered; pulled weeds; trimmed back the Bridle's wreath hedges; tilled up a large space for more veggies over by the Champagne grapes and dug out Bermuda that stubbornly insists on growing there; took pictures of my irises (oh, so lovely this year); pulled weeds out of the iris bed along the back edge of the back yard; We had a band gig on Saturday night, had a blast, but worn slap out! We got home around 3 a.m. Got booked for a two-day Biker's Rally in two weeks. We're talking long hair, beards, Harley Hogs & BMWs, lot of Leather and Doo-Rags! That should be a real trip! Yippee! Next day, we worked outside most of the day. took the "Boys" for their morning walk in the meadow and inspected the wildflowers to see what was going to bloom and if the seeds I sowed had sprouted-and they have; and cleaned up after the chicks about ten times...sat out on the patio with DH and talked about things...he is nearly done with the clearing and fencing around our 3 acres and said (to my shock and delight) that he was going to turn the middle bedroom into a large bath and move the laundry up out of the basement (for me) and it will go in there. The old bath space will be our new walk-in closet and hall closet for towels and linens. Can it be true???? We finished up the mowing and trimming. Got cleaned up and went to WalMart in the evening, got three new movies and went to Mazzio's for pizza and salad! Man! We had a very FULL weekend! Gee! When you write it all down, you really feel like you've gotten a lot done!!! Makes me feel better already. Thanks for asking Memo! It isn't always that productive and fun. Cherish the good times when you get them. ~Annie

reno~That is Gorgeous! I love your asymmetrical arrangement, very interesting. namabafo~I think the piece you linked to on CL would look great painted black, and it has so much storage. You could always change the hardware, the lines are lovely.

Good mornin' Sue. It's a sunny pretty morning here. I did a load of laundry and have it folded but for now it's on the dining room table until I go back to the bedroom to put it up. Not doing anymore laundry until tomorrow morning when maybe I'll get an earlier start. Garage gets too hot. Need to call and get an appointment for a haircut. It's finally grown out enough to cut. She really whacked it off when I got it cut March 17. (4 months!) Should've gone last week but she was on vacation in Indiana visiting her mother. I wanted to make banana-zucchini bread but we have to finish the stuff I made last week first and the Tres Leches cake I got from Publix. Very good but so sweet, even for me. Your dinner sounds wonderful--have fun! I wondered about the 2-crust pineapple pie. Mother used to make them but it was like a cream pie with meringue. Enjoy your day, everyone!