I love Margaret Coel's books

They are such a good read. Father John and Vicky Holden make for 2 interesting people, and the things they get caught up in just keep you guessing until the end. Added to which, the entwined Arapaho history and scenic descriptions really set the scene and are interesting.

I love a good read. Always have. She draws me in and I end up pedalling longer on my elliptical because I ma caught up in her characters and the storyline.

Odd to think that had I not seen (and bought) one of her titles in the local Dollar Tree, I might have remained ignorant of her writings. Now, I'm going through all her titles courtesy of the local library, whose shelf of her works shows the popularity of them. It's smashing.

My trip to Academy Sports on Sunday was not quite what I expected. The rower model that I went to try (because the site said they had it in store) wasn't there, and of the 2 they had on show, one was higher than the other (and I was able, with support, to get both down to it and up again). On the downside, it's more expensive, so I can't justify stealing that much from our tax refund to get it, so I'm going to steal $200 an then save $200 from my AVON to get it. It is  a nice machine.

Once I get it, I am hoping it will exercise the muscles that I'm not exercising now, LOL.

Just got dinner out ready for later, going to do hubby a steak and mushrooms with croquette potatoes, and for me ... chicken biryani with saffron rice.

Waiting on my #AVON delivery to arrive and managed to get all my doggies in ... even Angel ... she who no longer obeys. My UPS driver will come in if  she's out there but it's easier just to let him have a clear route to the front porch from the gate without a 4-legged fiend dogging him every step of the way.

Well, going to go pedal some more. Have a great day!

A good week health-wise

Health-wise I am having a good week. 

My activity levels are good, but hubby is going to take apart my elliptical this weekend and grease it well, as I guess the constant daily use is getting to it - it now squeaks wildly when I pedal forward and clunks loudly when I try doing backwards, both of which are very off-putting and have actually started to limit me getting on it as the noise is so bad. 

My walking is becoming less stiff and painful though, always a good thing, although I still do not trust walking without my walker or some object for support as without it, I totter.

I think my goal in the next few weeks is to attempt to do the PT exercises that I used to do for back pain, I have tried before and it's been a no go, but I think my body is beginning to work with me again.My bed is quite firm, and very comfortable, so if I can get my body to cooperate, that would be a nice little exercise session for me.

I'm hoping that I may be able to steal $300 out of our tax refund, to get a rowing machine from Academy. I used to love being on a rower. We'll have to mount it on blocks as there's no way I could make it down to the height they are usually, LOL. If I could get my body to start rowing, that would make a change from biking on the elliptical and use more muscles although I would have to do it slowly so  as not to raise my heart rate wildly.

So with my eating and exercising, I'm excited to see what my weight is next time I go to the doctor, at the end of March.

A lovely Valentine's Day

Today has been a pretty nice day. It was cooler than yesterday but still not cold enough to need heat during the day. 

The dogs enjoyed being out more than they had during our rainy days earlier this week. I'd cooked them macaroni cheese and beef so they were well-fed and happy, too.

Hubby got me a white hyacinth in a vase, and I popped it in the living room and its scent just wafts in the air. For now, I'm leaving it in the glass vase, but when it dies and goes back to being "just a bulb", I will replant it in a pot.

I cooked him a nice Kansas City Strip steak for dinner with potato croquettes and veggies, with ganache for dessert. He works hard, and I try to show my appreciation. 

Exercise-wise, I did a total of 35 minutes pedalling on the elliptical. I think the machine is tired of my using it, hubby has to oil it for me this weekend as it has started squeaking and clunking as I pedal. It gets pretty noisy some of the time so I am looking forward to him getting it sorted for me.

I am hoping to get a rowing machine out of our tax money, but will have to set it up on blocks as there's no way I can make it down to the level they are usually at! 

Now ending the day watching "The Amazing Race". We love this show. The places that the teams go are so interesting. Last week's location was a safari in Africa and it was awesome, with all the wildlife around.

Hope your day was as enjoyable.