Sticking with the

 frittata inspiration, I've had this for breakfast for the last couple of days.

Eggs with sautéed spinach, tomatoes, and garlic. I've had an orange both days with grapes yesterday and a banana today. According to ChatGPT 😣, this breakfast is an 8.5/10 on the anti inflammatory charts. 

I haven't been walking since last week. I found something else... a mini trampoline. I read that 10 minutes on the trampoline is equivalent to 30 minutes of walking or jogging. I'm giving it a try. It's easier on joints and will be easier during the summer. So far, my legs have been feeling it more from the trampoline than when I walk.

I finished my antibiotics, but my stomach is still on the fritz. UGH. I've started back up on the probiotic recommended by the acupuncturist. 

I've also noticed myself slouching a lot. I'm adding bad posture to my list of ailments.

I'm a work in progress. I guess we all are. Oh well, I'm trying. 

I've also got landscaping on the brain. We have someone scheduled to come out and look at our front flowerbeds. I know what colors I like and I know some things that I don't like. That's about it with me and landscaping. I bought a few plants this morning for the backyard. I really don't know what I'm doing. Well, I know it's nothing today because I didn't buy any dirt. 

Now it's back to chores. I've had my shopping and breakfast break. It's time to head inside and TCB.

I tried a new recipe

yesterday. THIS frittata. I really liked it and will definitely make it again. I halved it.

We had it with bacon and finished it off with an orange.

I was really motivated yesterday, I guess. I tried another new recipe, THIS one. 

I wanted to make bread in the dutch oven. But also, I watched a video on enriched flour, granulated sugar, and plain iodized salt. That inspired me to make a few changes so I used organic unenriched bread flour, pure cane sugar, and not regular table salt.  Anyway, I saw a Le Creuset recipe that was similar, but they noted the amounts for a 7 1/4 dutch oven. I applied it to this recipe and it was a hit, and it is massive. We're almost to the middle and one slice could easily be cut in two for two regular slices of bread. For breakfast this morning, I cut a slice into thirds for toast to go with our bacon and eggs. I'm thinking about trying it in a sandwich loaf pan. Hmm...

Oh, and I didn't even get a picture of THESE pork chops I made the other day. They were also a hit.

I think that's all the new stuff from the kitchen.

As far as my other changes, my morning walk will be an afternoon walk today. It was 38 degrees when I woke up, now 46, and expected to be around 60 at noon.  I'll wait, thanks. I skipped the weekend but picked back up yesterday. I also bought mini Cokes so that I won't feel obligated to drink a whole 12oz can. Baby steps. Speaking of baby steps, I got sidetracked and piddled a little and now it's 56 degrees out. I think it might be time to lace up and get out.

This will be my

fourth consecutive morning walk... assuming I follow through. I will. I just know I will. I'm trying to get back into a routine. It's so easy for me to get sidetracked. I have tons to do around the house and I'll start thinking about that and then get overwhelmed. That won't happen today. I've been listening to an audiobook while I walk. I didn't plan on it. I'd gone to urgent care for an antibiotic the other day and the panic set in. I start to panic and cry. OMG. I'm just really putting my anxiety all out here. Anyway, I get the worries and then doom and gloom set in. So, I searched for a book on Spotify. Maybe it was something like "calm down", just something basic. This came up.

So I started listening. He started listing off things and it described me, straight down to the "not making time for that photography class you've been wanting to take". Also, this is me out on my walk...

Hey, it's no secret. Anyway, I'm listening and seeing if there's anything I can take away from the book. Actually, I think I already have. Back to that urgent care visit, my bp was a little high. Yes, I was totally worked up, but I've also always had low bp. Might some of that be because I'm a 53-year-old woman? Possibly. My point is, instead of doom and gloom, I paused for a second and realized that I can make changes. I know I'm always talking about doing better, but now is the time to stick to it. Follow through and do better. Make changes and see if it helps. Maybe I can prove to myself that I can make changes. Then, maybe that will be a little bit of evidence for my brain to stop doom and gloom. I don't know. All I can do is try. I'm starting small and only walking a little over a mile. I'll be honest again. I start thinking during my walk, going over my to-do list and everything that I also need to do right now. "I still haven't made the bed. I could've started another load of laundry before I left. Before anything, I need to unload the dishwasher. I feel like decluttering, what else can I get rid of?" See how it goes? I'm rambling now.

I've been keeping up with my walks, kind of. I start the app to track me, but then I usually forget to stop it. I didn't really walk 84 miles yesterday. We went to a movie in Houston and I was still being tracked. We saw the new Elvis movie.

It was good. I think the last movie I went to was also an Elvis concert. 

Okay, so before I get sidetracked, it's time for my morning walk.

I need to change the name

to Melanie's Accountability Blog. This is becoming a place for me to try to motivate and inspire myself with baby steps.

I went for a walk this morning and learned a few things:

1. I need to drink some water before I leave.

2. I need a bite to eat before I leave.

3. I need to have a snack waiting for me.

I was almost done and back home when I started feeling a little shaky. I got home and wanted a snack. I wanted fruit. I wanted cheese. I wanted nuts. I made myself a plate and came to sit outside.

I did share with Maggie.

I also took my Camp Snap on my walk.

I got back and snacked outside while I rested. I showered, made lunch, and now I'm sitting back here again on the computer with music playing and the sun poking through to the pool.  I'm ready for warmer weather. 

As for an update on my corner of the world,

I'd planned on getting plants going but still haven't started any seeds.

I keep looking online for day trips.

I did join an online photo group for motivation and inspiration in that department. So far, it hasn't worked. I've been preoccupied and haven't had a chance to log on. 

Have I mentioned how ready I am for warmer weather I am? It sure is nice out today. It's a little windy and I'm in a sweater, but that sun and this music... any stress is melting away and all those open tabs in my brain are closing. I'm ready for a pool day.

If I don't get up now, I won't get anything done today.

I feel the motivation

creeping back. Maybe January is my primer button... hopefully. 

So, I mentioned the cutting back on eating out and making more meals at home. We'd started talking about that last year, and we really started acting on it at the end of November. I think it all started when I bought an extra turkey so we could have sandwiches. Trying to keep it going, I decided to try a recipe for a meal that I've always hated.

Chicken pot pie. I've never liked them, but they kept coming up in conversations. Then a video for recipe popped up. It was this one HERE. Guess what. I'm totally a fan now. Well, I'm a fan of these chicken pot pies. I'll definitely make these again.

I was immediately inspired to start cooking more. Right after that was Dad's birthday, and he requested biscuits with sausage gravy for breakfast. I tried a recipe for 7Up biscuits. They were awesome.

I was on a roll so I decided I needed a new dutch oven for Christmas. I picked out this Le Creuset and it's so pretty.

I knew the first dish I would make would be coq au vin because it's been a while since I've made it.

Next up was a copycat recipe, ish. I wanted the mushroom sauce from La Madeleine. I went ahead and pan fried chicken breasts to go with it.

I forgot that I was trying to get into the habit of taking pictures of things I'm making (to help with the motivation) and it was almost gone by the time I remembered. oops.

I stepped aside and let Cosme make something that he'd been wanting, and it was something that I'd never had. He made butter chicken and we all liked it.

Next up was something I'd been seeing on Pinterest and it didn't go over so well. I made orzo with roasted vegetables. I thought it was decent.

I went into the next one from Pinterest and wasn't expecting much after the orzo, but it was surprisingly good. Let me clarify. I hoped it would be good. Once I started mixing and sampling, I had doubts. It called for roasting strawberries and rustic bread. I had a loaf of brioche and a loaf of sourdough. I decided to sample each. I tried whipping the ricotta with honey as instructed, but it wasn't enough and I pulled the powdered sugar out. That did it. The brioche tasted better, but the sourdough's texture worked better. I'd probably stick with the brioche. I also learned that I'm not a fan of roasted strawberries. I will keep them plain and sweetened next time.

First with sourdough,

and next with brioche.

Anyway, since I feel the motivation coming back, I figured I'd post all of this to help keep me on track.

Now I've got to get a grocery order placed because I'm planning on red beans and rice today or tomorrow.

That was

then, this is now. When was that last post? October? I am not motivated right now. Total 180. Physically, creatively... I've got nothing. I'll blame it on the weather for now. Maybe not right now, but it was 39 degrees when I woke up. It's 58 now, definitely warm enough for a walk. Completely unmotivated. I should be doing something. It's a pretty day. It's Sunday. I'm sitting here. I've made lunch and cleaned the mess.

Oh, well. Welcome to 2026. I think I need to declutter and close some of the tabs in my head. 

Some of the things keeping my mind going:

- We've cut out most of our eating out. I've been thinking a lot about meals and ingredients. I should probably think about making more of those meals a little healthier. When we first started, I felt like I had more energy. I didn't know if it was home cooked meals or the routine.

- I need a creative outlet. More specifically, I need to make myself stop and take the time for a creative stuff. Take right now for example. I could be reading a creatively inspiring book that I've been trying to finish. I could be sketching. I could be out taking pictures. I could start a craft project of some sort. I'm sitting here on the computer, writing about how I need to be doing something.

- I'm thinking about chores. I'm thinking about the chores I need to do and how I don't have time for a hobby because I've got cooking and cleaning to do.

- What seeds should I start? Where am I going to put them? How will I organize things now that my gardening area has moved?

- There's also the usual worries and anxiety that come with being me, a natural worrier.

So that's what's going on.

I asked Chat GPT for a photo challenge. I guess that's a start, right?

Last weekend we took the grandkids to Brazos Bend. The two of us had planned on going back last night to the observatory, but it wasn't a very clear night. I'll add a picture here from that outing. 

You know what? I think I might go for a walk.