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Day 53: Happy Birthday Andrew!

Andrew at Crown Point, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon
Andrew and Taylor. These are my two beautiful children!


Andrew's 22nd birthday with me at Momiji Sushi in Salem last year

Funny thing. Today is Day 53. I am 53 years old and it is my son's 23rd birthday.  I think today will be a very good day!

Yesterday was a good day indeed!  I started the day with a cup of cabbage soup. And I ended the day with a cup of cabbage soup. Yay for cabbage soup! It has a lot of water content, loaded with healthy veggies and very low calorie.  I must keep this in the dinner rotation.

It is really early in the morning on July 3rd. Today is my son Andrew's 23rd birthday. I couldn't sleep because of the heat, so I am up posting a birthday picture shrine to my son on Facebook.  Hopefully he'll be happy and not too terribly embarrassed.  He has come a long way in the last few years. Overcome the loss of a close friend, and has pulled himself up out of the hell of substance abuse.

Those dark years were horrifying, but they were the years that I came back to a close, prayerful relationship with God.

He now has a good job and his own car.  He plays basketball with his brother-in-law on his day off and is a joy to be around. He is strong and manly, but kind and gentle. Very proud of my son!

I am making an overnight whole grain hot breakfast cereal in the crockpot. The house smells divine! It has barley, brown rice, quinoa and oats with cinnamon and soy milk. I am looking forward to breakfast!


Portland, Oregon is in the midst of a severe heat wave. I don't remember it ever being this hot for so long. Usually there is a reprieve.

But for as long as it lasts, I am intent on survival. Up early to water plants and open windows. Cooking in the crockpot. Going to the air conditioned gym instead of the trail. I had a good piano practice session yesterday at the Community Music Center.  For an old building, it's A/C totally rocks! I was happy. Today I will meet my friend Judy at her air conditioned condo for a rehearsal.

Yesterday  worked my legs and did 2 miles on the eliptical machine. Today I will start again with back/biceps. We celebrated my son's birthday with my mom's last Sunday - the day of the fattening Southern meal.  I am still digesting that one!!

We hope to have my niece Brooke and her baby Aurora and her boyfriend Matt over for crockpot chicken tacos this Sunday.  Her baby is nearly 4 months old now. I haven't seen her since she was just a few weeks old.

Family time has become more important to me with each passing day!

Happy Friday!

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