Hi all,
Lori---Regarding your LDL, have you heard of a VAP test? I'm going to send you a link via e-mail. But in short, turns out there's different forms of LDL---bigger, "fluffier" particles that are largely not dangerous and tend to float around in the blood without attaching to the walls of arteries. And then the smaller denser LDL that embeds on artery walls and these are the more dangerous ones. The VAP test distinguishes between the two and what kind you have.
For whatever reason, Doctors don't promote the VAP test. Maybe because insurance won't always pay for it which sucks, as this test provides you w/much more detail about your LDL and the degree of danger it represents to you. Read the link I send and maybe ask your Dr. about it. Maybe enquire as to the out of pocket cost for the test in case you find your insurance won't cover it.
I would also highly recommend the book "The Great Cholesterol Myth." Amongst many other interesting things, this book shows how differently cholesterol effects women than men.
Jaz---Hey, I just finished a book that takes place in Atlanta and I was intrigued by the several mentions of "The Atlanta belt line" referring to what sounds like an incredible walking, running, biking etc. path that goes on and on and on. Have you ever explored this? Oh, and BTW, the book repeatedly mentions Atlanta's traffic as amongst the worst anywhere, just to back you up on what you've often said.
To answer your question, yep, got some earrings and a necklace at the art fair. So pretty and UNIQUE, which is what I love about buying at art fairs---that and I like buying from artists, so they can continue to do what they love and are good at and either make a living on it, or supplement their income.
Oh, and your other question---my mother started out in oils and ended up in water colors. She "painted wet" which means she washed the paper w/water first and then went to work fast to create her vision using all kinds of "texture tools" (mostly all kinds of household items such as sponges, cotton, combs, tooth brushes, etc and many others, to enhance the effect. She LOVED finding a new "tool." ) It is a difficult way to do water color as you must learn to control the flow of paint on a wet surface, and you don't have long. But it also allows you more depth, layers and richness than the medium usually allows. Hard to explain w/out seeing it, but I have 3 of her large pieces in my home, and they are exquisite, very unlike water color as most know it.
Trig and Nic---
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ha. I had a too much fun over the weekend hangover. Woke up tired just from all the social interaction and physical exertion too, all in horrible hot humid weather. Yep, every year about this time I start pining for fall---my most fave season of all.
THEN today our elevators went out here. NOT fun, and at first they thought it might take a WEEK!!! to fix and we were all freaking out. Even though we're only on the second floor, in this bldg. that equals 4 hefty flights of stairs.
Worst part was getting our sweet blind dogger down the steps as they are steep and more narrow than she is used to. We taught her to go up and down stairs before we left our house---w/commands of "up" and "down" and lots of biscuits. But these stairs go on much longer than she is used to, are narrower, and whose the genius who thought of painting them in red enamel? Her little paws could hardly get traction.
Still, proud to say she's a brave little fighter, and although I had to go down the first flight on my butt right next to her---then took a break on the landing---she stiffened her little spine right up for the rest of the way and made it down w/my coaching and me on my feet, albeit w/a close tight hold on her leash.
She came back up like a champ, but we did that three times today as hubby was not here so all "my turn." And then we were both just pooped out, LOL, literally and figuratively. The thought of this going on for a week was over whelming, so we were elated to see it back up and running later this afternoon.
So my day was kind of a wipe out. No pool work out. Didn't really get anything done. DID jump back on plan though. And now it's off to enjoy a Greek Salad and a steak for dinner.
More on my new LC/delish and easy theory tomorrow.