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Is it really Saturday??

Hi there..I cannot believe that it is already Saturday morning andI haven't blogged for a couple..few days..sorry about that! But..I HAVE completed the first 3 weeks of my MSN and submitted my first paper to my instructor early this morning..after spending ALL day, and I do mean the entire day on Thursday with my face crammed into either research articles, my textbook, and or in my computer writing it..made some slight changes this morning, and...we will see how it turns out. Results for my week 2 posts you ask?? :D Well, we can put 2 more 100s in the grade book!! I am super motivated and am learning so much in the course. Most likely driving my instructor nutso with lots of questions..but I think that is natural when you climb outside of your box and expand your mind.. I think last time I blogged that I was headed for an interview..well..true to form, it went wonderfully until we got to the subject of my time spent with the USAR and then the conversation took a more negative turn..HOWEVER, they did invite me back for this coming Tuesday to have a "Probetag"..what that basically means is that I will shadow a manager and interact with the staff and patients for a day..without pay..completely normal here!!..to basically see if I fit in with the culture of the hospital..my husband assures me that this is a positive sign..we will have to wait and see if they can work around the fact that I have time obligations with the military. Yesterday was my weekly Tafel Tag..no, did not see the rude man from last week I am happy to report... but I have to say that one of the men that I encounter every week has now taken it upon himself to be an expert in all things regarding Americans as a group..all I have to say is that people should not believe everything they read or hear..my opinion is..unless you have first hand experience and have lived within a culture...or studied it in depth.. at let's say a PhD level...you should probably not take to making offhand remarks and judgements..Just saying!! But enough of that bandwagon..it has become a sore spot for me over the past few years..As a result of my studies and other activities I have not worked out for the last couple of days, or stepped on the scale,eaten a super healthy meal or cleaned my house..today will be a deep cleaning day for the house and tomorrow will start with a great, sweaty, painful workout..I wish you all an awesome day!! Bis Morgen...

Finally. ...

At last..the numbers on the scale moved!! Workout for the day. .5 km..75 crunches and bridges. .20 push ups. .40 scissors. .squats and hand weight reps. .are currently eating a healthy breakfast of multi grain Cheerios with soy milk and a fruit smoothie. .which my mom pointed out has a lot of sugar and carbs..so from now on will be limiting to 2 a week for early in the day. However, I will not be home for a good part of the day due to the fact that I have a job interview! Am trying not to get my hopes up as so far I have had 2 and spoken to another manager on the phone and they say they all want to hire me but the time I spend with the reserves is too much...prn positions are non existent here apparently.  So we will see what the day brings. .it was a gorgeous day yesterday so I moved the patio table to be in the sun and did some research for the paper I have to write  between today and tomorrow. ..I wish you all a good day. .don't forget to share a smile☺!

Motivation Monday

Hello all. Okay..I am totally trying not to be discouraged. .the numbers on the scale are staying the same..even with the consistent workouts.  Was trying not to vary the way I eat too much but I guess for the results I am looking for I am going to have to do just that. So the workout of the day..5 km on treadmill. .75 crunches and bridges. .50 jumping jacks. .40 squats and hand weight reps. .30 scissors and reverse push ups. The sun is shining but it is still a little chilly outdoors. .will straighten the house and get some laundry going. .goal is to get the household work completed this morning and to spend the rest of the day studying. .week 3 starts today☺☺. Got my grades for week 1..2 100s on my posts and responses..Woo Hoo. Okay..praise and worship music on..los geht's!!!

For every indulgence there is a price to pay...

Hello to you all. ..I know..I know a little late this morning. .it is actually 1145..but never fear workout..check..laundry. .check..clean house. .check. .late breakfast with my hubby. .check. ..Have included pics of our yummy,  pretty much traditional breakfast. .yes..veggies are included. .was lucky enough to find avocados and mangos this week so they got thrown into the mix too☺. So the number on the scale was the same for yesterday and today. .the scale is not moving but I feel really good..I have faith if I keep working hard the scale will start moving downward! Workout for Friday. .4.5 km, 40 squats,  40 push ups, 75 crunches,  80 bridges,  & 35 scissors. ..for Saturday. .4.5 km, 50 squats and reps with hand weights, 75 crunches and bridges,  40 scissors, & 25 push ups. Also are pics of the Tierheim Hage where we adopted our sweet Missy and queen bee Marli from..they do such a good job I like to give something back..whether in the Form of linens or towels for the animals or food or going and walking with the dogs..if you are an animal lover and have the opportunity to volunteer at your local animal shelter I highly recommend it. .it does a soul good!Just see what adopting can do..sweet Marli hunting bugs!! Yesterday was Tafel day..it was a good day full of hard work and some fun socialization. .up until the very end...now as we all know I am a bit of a freak here where I live..as an American. .from Texas..I have completely accepted that I will never fully fit in here but what happened yesterday to me is just unacceptable. .we were finishing up our day..as in comes this man for the 2nd shift. .first rattle of of the hat he makes some smart comments about not speaking English. ..why he needed to speak english is beyond me as I only speak Deutsch when I am here in the region...and then when I said goodbye to one of the ladies I work with he piped in and acted like he had a mouth full of food and started talking again..now he may have thought this was funny as I have heard more times than I care to that all Americans are not only fat and stupid but when we talk we sound like we have a mouth full of potatoes. .guess what?? It is not true nor amusing! And the fact that people are so narrow minded and stupid enough to let things like that even come out of their mouths is just for me almost unbelievable. When I first moved here episodes like this really used to upset me to the point of tears..but now these comments. .even though still a shock to my system just make me angry...because by nature I am not mean or flat out rude .and you can bet your sweet patooty..next time it happens I will be ready with the appropriate comments to educate this poor man..Bless his little ol heart.... We have saying where I come from. .Don't mess with Texas! this one and also..You can't fix Stupid.. comes to mind..
I find that overall  besides my encounter with 1 ignorant person the week was pretty good. .got to spend some time with my girlfriend SWD..touched base with friends and family in the states via email & talked to my parents, got out there to help the community,  got in some great workouts, got some work done on the computer,  and completed the second week of my MSN! Plus with all of the rain my raspberry bushes are exploding. .
So wonderful people. .don't let other people's actions or ignorance get you down..because it is no reflection of you but of them..Hugs..Fluffy

Mix it up!

Good morning! I'm so excited about the new day! Started today with a great workout and am happy to report that yesterday I got quite a bit of computer work done. Day by day a little bit more off of my never ending to do list! Also..got a email from a good friend. .Congrats TS on finishing ILE..what an accomplishment. I am hoping to get to go to the animal shelter and walk a couple of dogs this morning but it is once more raining. .so weather watch is in place to shape my morning. . Goals today include finishing up the weeks online work for school and 2 online courses for work. .then...pull up some research for next week's assignment. Need to fit in a couple of CEUs also...busy but will feel awesome when all is done!
So workout for the day...4 km. .50 crunches. .80 hand weight reps. .75 squats. .65 bridges. .30 scissors. .30 reverse PU. .and some stretches..now to get 2 liters of water down!!!
I wish you all a wonderful day. .it's almost the end of the week☺☺☺

Tuesday

Guten Morgen zusammen!  Today is already in full motion. .workout done..4 km on treadmill,  50 hand weight reps, 70 crunches,  50  bridges,  30 scissors.  Have already been online and made a plan for my course..I must say..being prepared for yesterday by completing the reading requirements on Sunday made a ton of difference. .and even though I have completed my weekly posts there is still much to do for the week. .plus I took a peek on next week. .I am so starting early☺like today...okay..must get dressed and head to the grocery store. .I wish you all an awesome day.

Woo Hoo!!!

Happy Monday to you all...the weather is absolutely blah here today. .see view from my front door! But..as a result have super cleaned my kitchen. .thought my fridge was looking pretty colorful so added a view inside there too! Then it was up to organize my favorite room. .my clothes and shoes room...poor Matthias thinks he lives someplace new every second week. .something is always new or rearranged here! My work-study space has had a few tweaks too..see new corkboard. .great for helping with my need to have all organized. .my youngest assures me that there are medications for this disorder☺..Had a chance this morning to do some snooping around in facebook and connected with one of my uncles and 3 of my younger cousins..absolutely made my day..and gave me even more energy!! Miss these wonderful people so much!! Am very happy about the number on the scale..so were the socks for all of you Fluffy sock followers..so happy that we made a yummy fruit smoothie for breakfast and had enough left for a snack later today! But of course that came only after a good workout: 4 km on the treadmill, 50 squats, 50 reps with hand weights, 70 crunches, and 50 bridges!! Since the camera was out could not resist capturing the babies in action..or in relaxation mode! So..now is time to hit the books and start the second week of my Masters program!  Have a blessed day. .Bis Morgen. .

Weekend...

Hello to you all...wanted to share some pics from yesterday. .my own bread domain at the Auricher Tafel..even thoughI am a minute over 44 and manage a household, no fewer than 3 of the others workers told me how to set this up!! Got to love it, the need to instruct the new girl on the block!! At anyrate..had way too much fun doing this and working with the Saturday crew ..not to mention talking with and helping our customers.  At the end of the day we still had about a zillion tomatoes left..that would be thrown away..sadly... so I brought some home..gave some to my neighbors..more on this later...and made Tomatoe Sauce for pasta, bread dipping, various other dishes..fresh tomatoes combined with fresh herbs from our small container garden. .hands down..cannot be beat! Now..for my experience with 1 of my neighbors. .he is retired and he and his wife..and long with a couple or 3 dogs..we still don't know even after almost 2 years here..live directly next to us..we see him outside occasionally and his wife almost never. .his reaction to some tomatoes both warmed my heart and broke it at the same time..he was literally almost speechless..now I am a true blue southern girl..we may not always have very much but what we do have we share, without thinking about it. .it is just something you do. My first thought yesterday was that this had never happened to my neighbors before..he just stood there and said astounding. .Auf deutsch of course..but suprise and gratitude can be easily heard and seen in any language. Note to self and lesson learned. .get out of my house more when I am home and interact with those around me.
Am starting today dressed warmly as it is very chilly here and starting my readings for this week in my pursuit of my MSN ..did not start last week until Monday and it put me in a crunch for time to get all of my initial posts completed. Lesson learned here...start earlier and be more organized.  A lot of my fellow learners also posted feelings of being completely overwhelmed..good news..we survived the first week☺☺☺! So..new corkboard purchased. .will be hung today..and I am sure filled up within 10 minutes! Okay..inspirational music going on tune in radio..internet...and Capella pulled up on a second search engine. .let's get started!  Thank you God for amazing days like this one..full of peace and inspiration.

Saturday..a bit out of the norm..

Good Morning to you all..today is Saturday..a day that I should be staying in my jammies until at least 1000 but as yesterday was what I have come to call my Tafel day, and the first thing I heard when I got there yesterday was that because it is currently school vacation time here that they have had almost nobody there to work..so today will be spent there..at least until 1400. What I normally do is sort through the food that comes in from the various grocery stores to separate what we can use and what needs to be donated to various farmers in the area for the farm animals. It is really suprising how much food comes through the doors..and I am only there on fridays..makes you really stop and think for a minute before you do a huge shopping trip or throw food away at home. But..today I will be intrusted to give bread out to people..I had to laugh at the discussions that took place yesterday because I had never handed the food out before..the ladies finally decided that I could handle the bread..as the fruit and veggies would be too complicated??.. and all would be safe...na ja..we all have to start at the bottom!! Even through all of this I think it will be fun and I am looking forward to the interaction with our customers.
On Tafel days I do not do my usual workout as I ride my bike to and from, which is about 15 kilometers round trip but this morning I think I will be hitting the treadmill in addition too..am having a hard time with the wake up and need so extra energy..plus a boost of good mood which I always have after a good session of sweat.
So, for all that I owe a return email to, please accept this until tomorrow..for all of you who are waiting to see some of my crazy socks on the scale..that will happen again on Monday..It is time for me to get going as it is already 0545 and I have much to do prior to my 0745 leave time!! Hanve an awesome Saturday and share a smile!!

So..this is the result. .

Hi there..so the number on the scale reflects my day yesterday. .it is ugly ugly ugly but so we're my eating habits..I consumed cookies, chips and for dinner pizza. Before you pass too much judgement here let me explain..most of you know that I started my Masters degree online this week..well yesterday was the last day to submit all our assignments..so..instead of hitting the pavement or treadmill my fingers hit the computer..which between Sunday and yesterday I spent about 30 hours reading chapters,  digging through databases, exploring various search engines and writing. .doing a lot of writing. .Lesson learned. . More like lessons. .I can't keep any junk food in the house as when I get stressed that is the first thing I reach for..I need to plan on spending a lot more time than originally planned on my studies. .in our online orientation they said to plan on 10 to 15 hours a week..either I am really dumb or they did not want to scare us away..and lastly..I need to purchase a second corkboard to help me stay semi organized.🎒📚📚📒📑
I did take a minute to add some new decor to the entryway. .a little on the Mädchen side for Matthias but he is always a good sport for my wims! Included a pic of my home study place and of my No.1 helper..Marli is always available to help me learn or make more of a mess with the stacks of books and papers..
Today has already seen a walk with the pups and a good, sweat and pain producing workout.. back on track this morning and feeling better for it!
30 minutes on treadmill
40 squats
50 bridges
30 scissors
50 jumping jack
100 reps with weights
If I can do this you guys out there who are struggling can do it too..one day at a time and not giving up because you have an off day..Stay Motivated.😗

Tuesday

Tuesday Morning:
Weight..71.8 kg..this is up from yesterday. .a bit disappointed.
20 minutes on treadmill
50 jumping jacks
40 squats
60 crunches

Ready for the day..hope you all have a good one!

Monday's Results

4 kilometers on treadmill
60 crunches
90 weight reps
60 bridges
30 scissors

After 3 weeks without stepping on the scale or regular workouts..71.7 kilograms is the result. .58 lbs..not happy about this..but what a motivator. Goal by September 1 is 66 kg..or 145 lbs. I am sick of being Fluffy..great for a catchy blog name but not for what my scale says and how my clothes fit....

Home sweet Home!!

Good Morning to you all!! Got home from a 3 week working trip that was pretty darned busy..especially the last week of it..hence no time to blog..or workout..or barely sleep for that matter!! But, have been home for a day and a half now and am super happy to be back into my routiene with the added task of doing my online course that kicks off my pursuit of my MSN..Master of Science in Nursing. The dogs and I have been on our walk already this morning and I am completing my coffee intake and computer catch up..Fluffy, email, facebook..and then will head to the treadmill and my most likely dusty workout area and get to it..sweat and a little pain will be the goal of the morning as I need to kick it into high gear to reach my goals..I was hoping to have been able to go to the workout room at the hotel in Fulda but it did not open until 0900..by then we were deep into our days work. 
I hit a turning point that I am super proud of yesterday..generally when I try to accomplish something with the computer work related and it doesn't turn out to be so easy to do..for example they have once more changed systems, or something else must be updated I had always gotten a bit..okay..most of the time really irritated..However, this happened yesterday as I was wading through about 3 hours of catch up work and submissions and I am happy to report that for the first time in about 2.5 years I did not get totally stressed out by this. As a matter of fact, I just took it all in stride and completed my work and then about 2 more hours worth of prelim work for my first class. Could it be at almost 45 years old I am reaching a new level of maturity and acceptance that all in life will not go smoothly?? and don't think that I don't know that by my growing relationship with God that things that had previously driven my a bit nutso now just don't seem so big..having this new..well not completely new..but it had been a few years..sense of peace in my life is simply put..awesome to have.
So, here is to a positive, productive Monday..there is lots to do but the day is young..to be honest with you all, I am almost afraid to step on the scale but know it must be done so I have a way to measure where I must be and what I must do to get back on track..living out of a suitcase for me tends to make it a little harder to stay on the fitness track..but perserverance seems to be the name of the game...

Saturday..on the bittersweet side..

Good Morning all..today is a day that will lead me to a new location but my family in Texas will be heading to a building in which we were not ready to see the inside of..my Aunt that I was closest to growing up and as an adult passed away on 31 July and today is her funeral. It is times like this where being so far away is much more of a burden than a blessing as all of me wants to be there with them through this tme. I was able to get onto the funeral homes webpage and view a video of her life..and am grateful for that. All the while remebering especially the time spent at her and my uncle's house that they used to have on the lake..just hanging out and enjoying being a kid, asking her when my second cousin called her grandma why she wasn't my grandma too..going to their store and eating hamburgers and candy..seeing her a year ago and knowing from my training and experience as a nurse that this day would come sooner rather than later but still hoping that I would see her again..my heart breaks for my Uncle and her family..my cousins, her grandchildren..the ones that she was closest to..I know that when we come to a certain age in our lives that death of our loved ones is to be ecpected but I don't know that it makes it easier..
I wish you all a blessed weekend and hug those you love..sometimes you don't get that chance again..