Strawberry Preserves Forever

My friend Diana is right. If you feel like you are getting stuck with the plain grape jelly in life, when you really want those special strawberry preserves, just ask for them!

I have also discovered that sometimes I don't have to ask for strawberry preserves, because they are already right there in front of me.

Those big life changing events and milestones are great, but I have come to understand that the strawberry preserves in life are often those little every day things like coffee with a old friend or a good book on a rainy day.

There are also other times when the strawberry preserves are in plain sight--but I just can't see them because they appear to be plain grape jelly.

I remember when my husband announced a job transfer to Oklahoma City, and I snarled "What could possibly be there for me?"

As it turned out, Oklahoma City was a wonderful place to live, and when we had to move, I didn't want to go. That grape jelly turned out to be wonderful strawberry preserves.

So strawberry preserves are always there for the taking. Sometimes we do have to ask for them, and sometimes they just need to be recognized and savored. Occasionally they come in a fancy crystal bowl, but more often they are just sitting there on the edge of an every day plate looking like a big pile of plain grape jelly!

Melinda

Old Dogs Still Got It!

Who says ya gotta retire?

Nobody said that to Ol' Stump so just went out and won the biggest prize in all "Doggydom!" The Westminster Dog Show.

He was on the Today Show this morning and I was a little concerned when I saw the first shot of him...sound asleep, nose twitching.

But, he rose to the occasion with the cameras rolling for his interview, and it went well. He sat very dignified, head up and didn't drool once.

Yep, us old dogs still got it! So we need an occasional nap. Who cares? The grand prize can always be out there just waiting for a WOOFer to snatch it up!

Read more about this amazing senior in USA Today

Mary Cunningham (Milkbone)

New and Improved WOOFer Diet!

DIETING UNDER STRESS

This diet is designed to help you cope with stress that builds up during the day.

BREAKFAST
1/2 Grapefruit
1 Slice Whole Wheat Toast, dry
8 oz. Skim Milk

LUNCH
4 oz. Lean Broiled Chicken Breast
1 Cup Steamed Spinach
1 Cup Herb Tea
1 Oreo Cookie

MIDAFTERNOON SNACK
Rest of Oreos in Pkg
2 Pints Rocky Road Ice Cream
1 Jar Hot Fudge Sauce
Nuts, Cherries, Whipped Cream

DINNER
2 Loaves Garlic Bread w/Cheese
Lg. Sausage/Mushroom/Cheese Pizza
1 Lg. Pitcher Sweet Tea
3 Milky Way Candy Bars

LATE EVENING SNACK
Entire Frozen Cheesecake
(Eat directly from freezer)

RULES FOR THIS DIET

1. If you eat something and no one sees you eat it, it has no calories.

2. If you drink a diet soda with a candy bar, the calories in the candy bar are cancelled out by the diet soda.

3. When you eat with someone else, calories don´t count if you don´t eat more than they do.

4. Food used for medicinal purposes NEVER counts, such as hot chocolate, brandy, toast, and Sara Lee Cheesecake.

5. If you fatten up everyone else around you, then you look thinner.

6. Movie related foods do not have additional calories because they are part of the total entertainment package, such as Milk Duds, Buttered Popcorn, and Junior Mints.

7. Cookie pieces contain no calories. The process of breaking causes calorie leakage.

8. Things licked off of knives and spoons have no calories if you are in the process of preparing something. Example: peanut butter on a knife if making a sandwich, or ice cream on a spoon if making a sundae.Foods that have the same color have the same number of calories. Examples are spinach and pistachio ice cream, or mushrooms and white chocolate. NOTE: Chocolate is a universal color and may be substituted for any other food

Mary Cunningham, (Milkbone) (with thanks to loyal WOOFer, Kim Grabholz for the contribution!)

Check out more "diet" tips in WOOF: Women Only Over Fifty

WOOFers Wear Red!

Don't know why some of us have healthy hearts...and some of us don't.

But I do know Friday, February 6th is the day to wear red showing support for disease-free hearts.

So here I am...

d.d.dawg

WOOF Sizzles at the Book Roast

Join us tomorrow, Feb. 5 at the Book Roast Blog!

"Serving up a variety of authors and books lightly grilled and seasoned with humor."

(Answer a question and get a chance to win a free copy of WOOF!)