Say it, Don't Spay it; Tuesday at the Spraygrounds

It was over 100 degrees yesterday, so we went to the spraygrounds in Elk Grove, and I got Toby an ice cream.

The man who sold us the ice cream asked me how long I have lived in this country. I told him my whole life. He said he was surprised by this.

I said, "Really?! Where did you think I was from?"

He said, "I don't know. One of the Mexican countries maybe."

I thought that was pretty funny.

A picture of me at the park, looking Mexican-like, I suppose:

Swallowtail Shawls

I've knit two Swallowtail Shawls in a row now, and they seem to be this year's Ballband Washcloths, I can't seem to stop knitting them!

The first one, the white one, I made for our friend's fiance as a wedding gift. The second one is for my sister-in-law Amanda, because the color of the yarn reminded me of her.

I've decided to knit a shawl, for all the woman in the family, one year at a time. I made one for my mother-in-law that reminded me of Gustav Klimt, an artist that she's particularly fond of, a canyon colored lace shawl for my step-mother-in-law, also named Suzanne, since they send us postcards from the Grand Canyon and the surrounding areas all the time, and that yarn reminded me of her, and now, one for Amanda, who's favorite color is purple.

I posted a few of these pictures on Facebook - so Amanda could see the pictures of the shawl, so my knitting friends could see how it turned out, and so I could brag about my friends' beautiful work as a yarn dyer. I got a lot of comments, and compliments, about my weight loss. A lot of people haven't seen me in a while so it came as a bit of a shock I guess - but I've lost about 70 pounds and I'm very pleased with how that turned out as well. I still have about 10-20 left to lose, 10 to get down to a healthy BMI (body mass index) and 20 to be safely in the middle of that 'healthy weight' range - but I think I'll get there soon. The weight is coming off a little slower now, but I'm still losing weight, eating a ton of produce, and working on my physical fitness. The half-marathon I've been training for is next week, and maybe my coaches visor was too tight last week, but she thinks I could do the marathon in December. There's a cut off time of 6 hours though which means you have to maintain a pace of 13 minutes per mile, which is what I'm averaging now. I think I may decide to keep doing 1/2 marathons for now, work on increasing my speed, and train for the marathon next year.

(I'm not wearing make-up in any of these pictures because it was over 100 degrees yesterday. I'm not ready to publish my non-made-up-non-hair-brushed self on Facebook, but I'll share them here with you.)

Today; the lake, the park, and the ducks at the canal

T-O-B-Y

In loving memory of my grandmother, Pearl Garcia Welsh. September 17, 1912 - September 13th, 2010.

Santa Barbara

My dad called me to tell me that my grandmother was sick, so the whole family left for Santa Barbara on Friday and made a long weekend out of it.

We got in Friday in the early evening and went out with some friends of ours and their new baby - which we have been itching to see for some time.

We had been dreading the 6 hour drive with Toby, but I sat in the back seat next to him, and it wasn't nearly as bad as we had feared.

I saw my grandmother at the nursing home on Saturday, and again on Sunday before we left. Her 98th birthday is next week.

We visited with the inlaws.

We went to my sister's birthday party sleep-over at my dad's house on Saturday - and hung out with my dad, stepmother, sister, younger brother, and something like 8 of their friends.

We got to hang out with the dogs. Lots of dogs. My mom's dog Charlie, the Emma Dog, and my brother James and Laurie's Dog Gracie - and then Stella and Latte at my dad's house.

We went out to eat a lot.

Didn't sleep very much.

I was supposed to do a 10 mile run but I was so stressed out, and didn't sleep - and it takes such a long time to run that distance, and there were so many things that we wanted to do when we were there, and so many people to see, that I only got one 5 mile run in 3 days. Did I mention that my mom made fantastic vegan baked goods too? I gained 2 pounds this weekend - but I'm sure that now that we are home again, and I go back to cooking for myself, that it will come off in no time - but I'm scared about next weekend's 11 mile group run. Oh dear god. Wish me luck.

My mom babysat Toby a lot this weekend which rocked. She made Toby apple pie. Bought him new jammies, and a new potty for her house because the toilet topper one we use didn't work as well with hers. She used duct tape to make it stay on, but that meant the rest of us couldn't use it like that - so she got a training potty for her place. She gave us her bike and got a bike rack for us to bring Oliver and my new bike back to Sacramento, and hooked us up big time all weekend.

We went out to sushi on Friday, which we haven't done in years, and we went to see a movie on Saturday night. We went out to breakfast at the Cajan Kitchen on Sunday and our favorite waitress was still working there and remembered us from when we used to go there all the time.

Oliver's friend Graham came over on Sunday. He's a wine maker and he gave us a bottle of his wine. I've known Graham since junior high too, and it was so cool to see his name on a bottle of wine that he produced.

Santa Barbara was a wonderful, magical, stressful, frustrating, fattening, emotional whirlwind. I was glad we went, and, I am glad to be back home again.

Binh & John

Justina & Binh

Me and Dax, aka "Dakkon"

Super baby sweetness. Intoxicating baby charm. Dangerous. Dangerous stuff. Quick, remind me about labor pains, 'round the clock feedings, and teething!

Binh and Justina

What summer is like in Santa Barbara

Three generations of Greenes. Oliver, Toby, and Grandpa Phil, of the "Grandpa Phil birdie" fame.

Some sort of festival we stumbled upon

My favorite restaurant in Santa Barbara

Montecito

Isabella's birthday at my dad's house

My brother Patrick

One of Isabella's friends, Patrick, and Isabella

Their neighbor's have an alpaca

La Playa Stadium at Santa Barbara City College.

I love nasturtiums and have tried to grow them in both Fresno and Sacramento, but they always die when the weather gets hot. They grow like weeds in Santa Barbara.

Binh, Justina, Dax, Me, Oliver, and Toby

My mama

Toby petting/harrassing Charlie