Refusing to forget and keeping busy fingers...

I REFUSE TO FORGET!...and I won't ... yesterday was my monthly surgery anniversary ... 7 years and 3 months and holding strong ... 5 co-morbidities in remission and 203 pounds gone and never coming back as long as I am in control ... I am doing ME ... and loving it ... and I track it all in my digital empowerment journal "A picture a day keeps the pounds and the inches away" I can see it... I can feel it ... and I own it! its fun and I am loving my journey with health and mobility .. so grateful for my awesome tool ..

I felt SPRING finally and dressed for it this morning and off to work I went ... 

 I gave my awesome toy poodle puppies 7 weeks old now a great big hug

Had an awesome cup of Café con Leche at my desk .... ahhhhhhh COFFEE....

 and for lunch today I had blackened Tilapia with a handful of my fave dried cranberries and a peach for snack later.... YUM!

yesterday I could not wait to get home, done some shorts and hang out with my family and furry babies while DH fired up the grill.. and I found a dress that I had flung in my closet and left forgotten and put it on for a perfect fit on my monthly surgiversary ... but quickly decided it does nothing for me LOL...

 Loving my journey and loving my puppies .... grateful for a space on OH to share my journey....

I keep my fingers and my hands busy on fun things ... besides petting my awesome furry babies I love love love to sew ... and to paint... and arts and crafts and anything creative.... Sunday was no different ... I had the urge to paint and painted my friend Lastenia's poodle Marley and my sister Rosita's mini pin Nahla and her poodle Chiqui ... my daughter will be bringing them with her to U of Buffalo to my nieces graduation getting her Master's and she in turn will deliver it to them in Panama..

This is my painting of Nahla and Chiqui .. using heavy acrylic on canvas...

  and this is my painting of Marley... using heavy artist acrylic on canvas

and the best yet was my little twinkies felt grass under their lil paws for the VERY first time..

SOOOOOOOOOOO grateful to OH for allowing me to share SNIPPETS of my journey ... and another goofy post ... There is joy and there is misery in equal measures in this world ... I am embracing joy and making it happen to me ... of course there is misery... but I am NOT letting it in .... Forever grateful to my friend Mary for these awesome words she shared with me and forever grateful to my sister Maria Carmela (Mela) R.I.P. for suggesting I track my journey a picture a day... 

OMG I love your new hair.  What is that exactly?  It is so cute and curly.  You look terrific as always but that new hair is super cute.  Dogs are cuties too.

Thank you beautiful! I used Curlformers on damp hair ... these are awesome ... I am going to try them on longer hair too...

Thanks for the uplifting post. You look great and congratulations! Love those furry children, too.

Thanks Lori... those furry children are a handful too, right after I posted the new mom to be for my silver pawed puppy Roscoe came to visit ... she is a co-worker, friend and neighbor and he will be going to his new home on Saturday... I am just going to cry LOL

I just want to tell u that you are beautiful and a huge inspiration in a tiny package!!!!

You look amazing! Seven years wow! And a size 2? I am just now getting out of plus sizes and I can't believe the options "normal sized" women have. Thanks for posting your pics!

Seven years and 3 months can you imagine? it still feels like it was just yesterday with all the excitement of the first year out ... I am loving it ... it is a fun and sometimes challenging journey that I would trade for nothing ... just not having to deal with shortness of breath makes my day ... Thanks so much for your support and encouragement ... sistas on the journey!!!

I love the first springy looking outfit. You have the most beautiful clothes lady! Give the pups a hug and kiss from me too! Thanks for being such an inspiration my dear!