I took my blood pressure the other day with our home blood pressure monitor (it fits around your wrist), and my blood pressure measured 142/90. Not good, right? Mine usually hovers around 128/80. But, I was also feeling *very* anxious at the time, and my heart was racing ~ so I’m sure that’s why. I’ve been loading up on sweets lately, and that just *has* to stop! I can feel a difference in my waistline. In fact, I ate *so* much for lunch today that I probably won’t have any dinner. Or maybe just some pieces of lettuce! LOL! :) I’ve been trying to work out on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, but … uh, that plan so far has only been put into practice on paper. *sigh*

Dana commented that I’ve seemed pretty stressed out lately. She’s right. For one, I’ve had a bunch of last-minute freelance feature stories to suddenly put together this past week (because someone else’s stories didn’t get done), so I’ve *totally* had to scramble. That has accounted for much of my to-do list lately (just two more stories to finish by … oh, this Friday!). There’s just always so much to do (and so much to worry about). I wish that 1) I had more energy to accomplish things, and 2) that I could have an entire *week* to myself here at home in order to get things done!

But … summer’s end is unfortunately approaching quickly (anyone remember the old Country Time lemonade commercial that counted how many days of summer were left?), and I’m trying to make a list of things that I’d like to do before the season ends. I wanted to make cucumber-mint sorbet *last* summer but never got around to it … and I haven’t made it yet this summer, either. I want to take the kids to this nearby park/conservatory area that we’ve never been to before. I want to go for more walks around our area. How about you? What’s on your “before summer ends” to-do list?

A *very* happy second wedding anniversary today to our good friends Sara and Matt in Wisconsin! And a *very* happy third birthday today to Amanda, the daughter of an online mom friend of mine (Carrie in Massachusetts). And a *very* happy 33rd birthday today to one of my oldest friends, Carrie (we went to school together from kindergarten all the way through high school!). Lots of special reasons to celebrate today!

I’m doing a bunch of cooking today for two families in our church. One family has a daughter who has been battling leukemia for several years now (ugh ~ I just *cannot* imagine what they’re going through), and our moms’ group is helping them by bringing meals over to their house. I’m also preparing a meal for Karen, a fellow moms’ group member who just had a baby girl not too long ago (but unfortunately with some health problems). I made a huge batch of pasta salad (not sure what else I’m going to make, though), and for their dessert I made some chocolate-peanut butter fudge from Rachael Ray’s latest magazine issue. (Talk about a sugar attack … two sticks of butter, an entire jar of creamy peanut butter, six ounces of chocolate, three cups of powdered sugar … need I say more?) Bring on the diet pills! LOL! :)

I’m also trying to get our house clean (the downstairs, anyway!) for Thursday, when some members of our moms’ group come over for brunch. It’ll be a small group, and I think that one of the other moms suffers from anxiety, as well, so we’re going to share our experiences. I’m really looking forward to it. I get to cook again ~ and I think that I’m going to make that zesty brunch quiche that I blogged about the other day.

P.S. My husband’s root canal was scheduled for today, but his dentist went into labor! So, therefore, his appointment will have to be rescheduled. Oh, come on … why can’t she perform a root canal in between contractions? haha :)

My parents are celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary today! Back on August 4, 1973, they tied the knot in a little church in Nashville, IN ~ the same town where Jeff and I got married in June 2000. They honeymooned in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, TN, and today they’re jetting off to Las Vegas for a fantastic anniversary vacation. I hope that they take *lots* of pictures, because I can’t wait to see them! They’re going to visit with our cousin Jo, who lives in Boulder City, and they’re also going to see the Grand Canyon ~ including stepping out onto the glass Skywalk on the canyon’s west side. I sure hope that they have safe travels and enjoy themselves. Thirty-five years is quite a milestone!

This morning, I put Meredith onto one of our kitchen island stools in order to feed her breakfast. And that’s when I noticed a bull’s eye-looking rash on her left upper arm. CRAP. I just couldn’t believe it. First Jeff, then Lucas, and now Meredith! I called her doctor’s office immediately and took her in for a checkup. Actually, the pediatrician said that in order to diagnose Lyme Disease, the rash has to be a certain diameter. She drew a circle around Meri’s bite and said that if it gets any bigger, we should bring her back in. Her temperature this morning was 99 degrees, and she isn’t acting like Lucas was when he had it. We’re going to keep a close eye on her. When we got to the doctor’s office, it didn’t look so much like a bull’s eye anymore. So I don’t know. Hopefully it’ll be good news, but we just have to wait and see what happens. Meredith was *not* happy about being examined. She clung to me for dear life and cried a lot. But for one brief moment, she did play with the faucets in the exam room. LOL! :)

This week is going to be *very* busy. Today, I have to work on some last-minute stories for the newspaper that I do freelance work for. I’m also taking meals over to two members of our moms’ group. We need to get going with making a hotel reservation for our upcoming Montreal vacation. I have a birthday gift to purchase and wrap. I need to prepare a meal and get our house clean for some moms’ group friends who are coming over for brunch on Thursday. Saturday is our town’s historic celebration, and I’ve volunteered to make some Native American-themed dishes for that event and also for our town’s farmers’ market on Friday. Oh man … I’m tired just thinking about everything!

Ness over at Drovers Run!

She’ll receive a package of six of my original photo note cards (with matching envelopes), which I’m selling over at Shining Moments Fine Art Stationery. The contest is now closed ~ many thanks to everyone who left a comment and entered! I wrote the names on slips of paper this morning and had Meredith draw a name from her Jack o’ lantern (which she used for trick or treating!). I could have used Random.org, but having one of the kids participate was fun! :) And Ness happened to be the lucky one chosen.

Thanks so much to everyone who has offered support and encouragement for this new “venture” that I’ve started. I hope that it’ll be successful! I think that I’ll do more note card giveaways this year ~ probably one during the fall and one before Christmas.

By sick people, that is!

A few days ago, Meredith threw up a couple of times in our kitchen. I didn’t think much of it; she had been chewing on the edge of a sticker sheet, and I assumed that she had just stuck the sheet back into her mouth too far and gagged. She seemed absolutely fine afterward. Well, early Wednesday morning (around 4:45 a.m.), I woke up to the sounds of Jeff getting sick in our bathroom. I went in to check on him, and he wondered whether it was food poisoning. He went back to bed and got some rest, and then when Lucas woke up, he started getting sick, too. Fun times. :( Poor Luke couldn’t hold much of anything down, but somehow last night he was able to eat a package of fruit snacks just fine. Strange! So, obviously, a tummy bug hit our household ~ and we have *no* idea where it came from.

Everyone’s feeling *much* better now, though. Jeff went back to work today (and even drove to Buffalo, NY, this afternoon for an overnight trip!). Meredith still feels a little warm, but she’s *always* warm. Lucas fell asleep very quickly this evening … he’s probably still not totally 100 percent. He’s eating more, though, which is good. And terrorizing his little sister is always a sign that he’s back to his normal self! :)

Me? A situation like this is pretty much my own personal nightmare. :( It’s awfully difficult for someone who’s emetophobic, and I’ve been hoping and praying with all my might that I don’t come down with what everyone else had. I woke up this morning feeling achy all over and quite “blah,” but after I laid down for a while, I seemed to feel better. Not sure whether I’m “out of the woods” yet. Ahh, I need an ocean vacation to the Outer Banks or something! LOL! :) Surprisingly, I think that I’ve handled this entire situation a *lot* better than I would have in the past, now that I’m taking this anxiety medication. But when I think about what Laura and her family are going through right now with their eldest daughter, Rebecca, it pales in comparison. I was *so* happy to hear positive news in her blog today. And I’m relieved to hear that Chas over at Sugar and Ice is feeling *much* better now, too, and that her precious babies are OK.

Here’s hoping that everyone out there who is reading this is feeling 100 percent healthy and well!