Total Health Tuesday and another Wee Holiday

Here is a quick pic of what I am working on today. Tonight starts the holiday of Tu B'Shevat, the holiday of Trees. It is one that most people don't really celebrate at all, but then again most people don't observe Groundhog Day either! It actually has a few things in common with groundhog day as it celebrates the moment when trees begin to wake from their winter slumber. It is all about nature, planting, and tasting new fruits and nuts. If you ask me it is just perfect for a young family to "dig" into (pun intended). There is a small ceremony that accompanies eating, and so I made these placemats with the service printed right on it.

I used my 2006 issued Mountaincow to create the design and then printed it to a PDF. Printing to a PDF is something anyone can do even if you don't own adobe--just download a PDF printer. The PDF can, in turn, be sent out for printing without worry that the colors and fonts will shift. It is also great if the other receiver isn't using an obscure program from 2006! I sent it over to the fabulous Bruno at Minute Man Olivette to blow them up to placemat size, and he got them to me that very day for less than a dollar each! I think it would be great to use the idea for all sorts of secular ideas too--I think we need some monogrammed ones STAT!

I have a lot to do to set the rest of the table, including those sweet succulents (there are many more)!

Because I do want to hold myself accountable to the total health, here is a quick note about that: I have made it one month with virtually no added sugar, though I've had lots from fruit and milk! I only had white flour once, and it was an accident. In the end I lost about four pounds, though most of them were in the beginning, with the last few weeks being pretty stagnant. I did indulge a lot more than I usually would in nut butters, Irish Butter, and whole cheese. My thought is that it was a good thing to do and I will keep it up but I am going back to weight watchers after many years. My new card will read 35 pounds more than the last (do they even still have those)? As they would say in my hometown of Memphis, " I'm scared Y'all!"