Entries RSS Comments RSS

Fabulous Family Friday–Being Creative to Feed the Soul

March 26th, 2011

This is still Friday, isn’t it?!  :)

Yesterday was a full day, and part of a full weekend.   It would have been easy to say no to something I’ve done nearly every year for 11 years.  

What is it?

Quilt in a Day class!

Now, we really don’t make a whole quilt and get it all done in one day.   We cut and piece the top part and usually it is more a table runner or wall hanging size.  Sometimes we’ve quilted as we went–like a few years ago, but normally I don’t get finished.

And then they sit in my UFO Rubbermaid tub.

What is a UFO tub, you ask?!

UnFinished Object!  :D

I don’t know why it’s easier to take the time and drag your cutting mat, sewing machine, fabric, scissors, etc. to the library and get something done than to just get the machine out at home and do it!   But it seems to be a law of mommy nature that we let the “tyranny of the urgent” drive out the “urge to be creative”!   But we were created in the image of our Creator, and He has put within us this desire to create as well. 

I had posted back when I first started my blog about how we have taken the creative part out of our work–going to buy a comforter at Wal-Mart for $29.95, that may be pretty, but usually is not as well made as homemade and….well….doesn’t really reflect you.

 

 

So I took time out of my too busy day to go to the Quilt in a Day class–and I’m so glad I did!

No, I did not get it done (again!), but this time, I am making plans and I’m going to make my daughters hold me to it!   I have ten of the fifteen blocks sewn–another hour or so and the last 5 blocks will be done.  Then of course I’ll need to sew it all together and get it ready to quilt.  I may not finish it in even one more day, but really, how long will this take?!

As I said in the post I reference above, we have taken the part of our work that stays done and what are we left with?   The part that needs redone every day.    And that is a beautiful part of our work as wives, mommies and homemakers, but if we don’t take some time to create something that stays done for more than 5 minutes, we can get discouraged and disheartened in the other part of our work.

I know you young mamas are super busy!   Guess what?  So am I!   Some of it is self-inflicted ;)  but it seems more opportunites arrive as free time increases!   Of course I pray about what to get involved in, but sometimes you may need to make a choice to make your life crazy for awhile to do what God calls you to. 

Or it may come whether you asked for it or not!

During Dallas’ hospital stay after his serious accident I was able to keep my hands busy making a shawl like this one  I gave away a few years ago.   It really helped to pass the time and I really believe it helped calm me, too.   I went on to make four more as gifts for my four oldest daughters over the next year!   (And now am starting on some for the younger girls!  If I can find the pattern online, I’ll post it for you!)

I would really like to challenge you, yes, even you busy younger mamas, to find something to do with your hands.  Quilting, sewing, tatting, knitting, crocheting, counted cross stitch, other needlework…..give yourself permission to spend some time with your hands.

I was a “brain” in school, and unfortunately did not want to learn all that as I was growing up.  I’m sad about that now because my mom had a lot of wonderful skills I could have learned from her vs. learning on my own later.

I know many ladies share how a grandmother or mother taught them different things….can you see the relationship that would be forged through this?   (And you know I’m all about relationships!  ;) )

“But I’m not a crafty type”, you say?    You can become one!   Find something you think you may enjoy….press through…as a “brain” I spent a lot of time studying, learning, etc……all important, but I really feel young ladies need to have some “grounding” through handwork (young men, too–nothing wrong with them learning woodworking and other skills–yes, even knitting if they want to!).

Cardmaking, scrapbooking, even “just” a visual journal…..

I’d like you all to share something you do, or something you’d like to learn or do, and if you have blogged about it or plan to, please leave a link!   And pictures are always nice!

You all can be my accountability–below is a picture of the layout of the table runner. The bottom row of blocks are not assembled yet, so they look bigger, but you get the idea!  

Then in 3 weeks I’ll post progress (that would be April 15)–and you can hold me to it!  :)

Go get creative—it will feed your soul as well as give you some beauty for your home or a gift!

 

(for directions to make this pattern, click here)

Is There a Firetruck In Your House?!

March 24th, 2011

There is a cute children’s book we found out about many years ago, called:

 

 

It is a darling little book, with a funny, “OH, NO!” theme throughout. 

 

 

Well, we have a new take on it!  :)

 

 

Is there a firetruck  in your house?!

 

 

 

OH, NO!!!!

 

 

 

 

(Fabulous Family Friday IS coming this week…but it will be later–probably evening!  ;) )

Workout Wednesday–Ribs UP! The Importance of Shoulder to Hip Alignment

March 23rd, 2011

This is something in T-Tapp that really can’t be focused on too much!

As we focus on different aspects of form, it’s easy to lose something we previously had down.  Kind of like those “get the plates spinning” shows I used to see!  About the time you get them all spinning, this one starts to wobble–fix it, another one wobbles, fix that….well, you get the picture, right?!  ;)

I recently shared how on my video upload to my mentor, I noticed my own shoulder/hip alignment was off–many times over!  That is part of “curling the core” and “ribs up”!

When you are “lifting ribs”, you are lifting your breastbone to the ceiling–which puts your shoulders back in alignment with your hips.  Do this in front of a mirror to check on it.   I have two mirrors in our main bath–one over the double sink that shows down to my mid-thigh, and a decorative mirror that looks like a window on the side wall.   So when I am doing a move–plies, for instance–I can see my front and side views.   I can see right away whether I pitched forward at the “bottom” of the plie, and I can see if my arms are straight up or “cheerleader arms”! 

Mirrors can be great, but so can videos!  You don’t have to be a trainer-in-training or even sending a video in for a trainer to review to benefit from taping yourself!  You can be your own critic—watch the video, and especially watch when your shoulders shift forward out of alignment.  And if that doesn’t “seem” to be happening, watch your bosom—I saw how when I lost the “lifted ribs” my bosom shifted down a bit.  It can be so imperceptible, but just being aware of it can really help you in your workouts!

For now, along with learning to teach it, I’m trying hard to focus on ribs up and curling my core.  Just lifting your ribs gets the ribcage out of the abdominal area, making more room for the organs and keeping them from pushing out into a poochy tummy!  

Ribs up doesn’t just apply to workouts!   Sitting at the computer (um…yeah! I can see you!  :D ), driving, walking, standing….if you focus hard on shoulder/hip alignment during your workout, but the rest of the day slouch, you’re basically sabotaging your good efforts!  At first it’s hard–retraining those muscles to hold your posture–but in the end it is worth it!

How effective is this, really?

Well, I’ve been teaching 2 classes a week for about 3 weeks now.   I do 1-3 workouts the rest of the week on my own (or with my daughters).  I’ve tried to be mindful of this in my workouts/classes, and I’m also seeking to focus on it throughout the day (sometimes very successfully, sometimes…not so much!).

I can tell my “muffin” is getting much smaller, and I am doing basically no floorwork!  I do the Organs in Place (OIP), Half Frogs and Elevators about 5 times a week, but that is it!  So I know the “ribs up” is really helping!

Why not make that your focus this week?  During your workouts, in front of a mirror while doing a few troublesome moves, throughout your day….think “ribs up” and lift your breastbone to the ceiling–and see if it doesn’t make a difference!

You may notice a difference in your tummy….or thighs….or even arms!  Yes, keeping that shoulder/hip alignment is THAT important!

So give it a try, and keep an eye on the results!    Be sure to share in a comment if you start noticing good things happening!  (Or even if you have questions!)

Happy Tappin’!

P.S.  If any of you have particular topics or questions you’d like to see addressed, feel free to comment or e-mail me, and I can address them in future T-Tapp Tuesdays!  (Or, Workout Wednesdays! ;) )

T-Tapp Tuesday–A bit later….

March 22nd, 2011

Sorry to put you off again….today was piano teaching day, my day got away from me and I haven’t gotten my post ready….so another “Workout Wednesday” post coming tomorrow!  ;)

Thanks for your patience and understanding!

Naptime!

March 17th, 2011

When a little boy gets tired, he could take a nap on the couch.

 Or he could take the cushions off the love seat and take a nap on them.

 

 

But instead, a little boy was sooo tired, he took a nap here!

 

 

:D

 

Workout Wednesday! Skin Sooooo Soft!

March 16th, 2011

I can’t say enough about T-Tapp’s skin brushing and skin products–they work!

 

Considering how many sizes I’ve lost, you’d expect there to be some loose skin hanging around.

There isn’t.

Oh, my tummy looks wrinkly when I “suck it in” and there is some wrinkly skin on my inner thighs,  but when I think how much my body has been stretched, not just by pregnancies but also by gaining weight, it’s really amazing that I don’t need a “tuck” here and there! 

So what did/do I do?

First of all,  I use T-Tapp’s Skin Brush.    I believe it is also sold at Bed, Bath and Beyond.    It has natural tampico bristles and a wooden handle.   When you buy it from T-Tapp, you can also purchase a dvd where Teresa shows you (while she’s clothed!) how to use it, and the dvd has a few extra T-Tapp moves on it, too.  There is also a brochure, showing how to brush (not included with the brush).  There are many free videos out there, too–I know Teresa’s sequence is a little different, but the basic premise is to always brush towards your heart.   I personally feel it’s worth the extra to get the dvd (I thought I had one and realized I had been borrowing a friend’s for a loonnngg time!  Oops! :o )   The brochure is helpful, but I thought the dvd was even better.  There is a package that includes the brush, dvd, brochure, a bottle of Alfalfa, a bottle of Fibertox, a Yes You Can seminar dvd and The Truth About Cellulite audio cds.   All in all, a very good deal!

I would add some dead sea salt to that order, too!   I like using the dead sea salt in a bath, but even better, I like to make “salt masks” with them.  You can certainly use any dead sea salt, but I really like the quality of Teresa’s!  I have used the cheaper salts in my bath, but saved hers for my masks.

How do you make a mask?

I chop the salt a bit finer in my mini-chopper.  I know some ladies grind it finer in their coffee grinder, but I don’t have one.    I chop about a tablespoon of salt finer, put it in a cup and take it to my shower.   I usually get everything ready and put it just outside my shower, but if you have a tub/shower combo, you could set it on the edge of that.    I get some aloe vera gel (health food store brand that doesn’t have anything bad in it), and I keep a partial bottle of grapefruit essential oil in my cabinet (I also put a few drops in my water that I drink–yummy!).  I will take a little bit of the salt, add a few drops of grapefruit essential oil to it, then just enough aloe gel to dissolve the salt.   Sometimes I might add a tiny bit of Skin Saver Body “lotion” (which is more of a thick oil).  I slather this on an area (I usually start with my tummy) while standing in the shower.  There are always a few salt crystals that fall, so I like already being in the shower so I don’t make a mess on the floor!   Then I repeat for other areas (my areas are tummy, thighs, buns and forearms, and if I have a little extra, I’ll do tops of my shoulders and the backs of my hands).  Anywhere you have loose skin or cellulite, really. 

I leave that mixture on for 5-20 minutes (usually around 10 minutes).  What do I do during that time?   Pray, stand in T-Tapp stance (60 seconds and you’ll feel the heat!), do Butterflies or other arms moves.  It really seems to go by somewhat quickly!  I’ve also set up the cd player before I get started and listened to a cd (informational, inspirational, or music).

After the time is up, I go ahead and shower as usual.  After drying off, I will usually mix a little Skin Saver Body into my favorite lotion, or with some coconut and almond oil or with shea butter and slather on.  I call it “dessert for the skin”!  Mmm-mmm!   And you smell really nice, too! ;)

Sometimes I add a few drops of the grapefruit oil to my lotion mixture, too. 

I truly credit the masks, salt baths (1/2-1 cup per bath), brushing and alfalfa for keeping my skin elastic, youthful and healthy!

Teresa’s alfalfa is Premium Blended–meaning one field is sprayed with ionic minerals, another is not–just soaks up what God gives it through a normal growing season.  They are then “blended” (hence the name).  Her alfalfa is organic and contains NO stems or seeds.  Sometimes when people have issues taking alfalfa, it’s because they are actually reacting to the stems and seeds.  If you have a legume allergy, you might not be able to take it. 

I confess I thought it was pricey and didn’t think it was worth the difference.  I was taking a good brand, so I decided to take that until it was gone.   Then I bought one bottle of Teresa’s to “try”.  I was hearing how hers was different, and I think I got that bottle on special.   Well!  Let me tell you within the first day I was shedding water like crazy!   I could definitely tell a difference by the time that bottle was gone! 

Since then, I’ve also found it helps tremendously with hormonal balance.  Alfalfa is an adaptive herb in this respect–helping balance whichever hormones need it.  One of my friends was actually able to get off her bioidenticals using Teresa’s Alfalfa!  Another friend has ulceritive colitis and was told she’d need to take a medication that would cost her $900 a month–eek!   She took Teresa’s alfalfa instead and her colitis rarely bothers her now!

I personally feel more balanced hormonally than I did in my 20s!  I have been on bioidenticals, even before T-Tapp, but I feel T-Tapp has balanced my hormones out even more–at 48!   Between the exercise itself and the CRT system, I feel and look better now than I did 20 years ago!!!

I also want to report that two of my daughters who were having issues with their cycles have also found the Premium Blended Alfalfa to help regulate their cycles!  Wish I had had it when I was in my teens!

Let me say that I didn’t start off using everything right away.  I started with the brush.  Then the alfalfa.  Then I read about dead sea salt baths and masks.  I would get things when they went on special for Deep Discount Tuesday or some holiday special.  

Teresa only will carry quality products she believes in.   I’ve found that to be very true!   You can certainly buy the brush at Bed, Bath and Beyond (Yerba Prima is the brand name), find a video on Youtube that is close to what her method is, and even purchase dead sea salts at Wal-Mart.   There’s no problem in that!  But do consider her alfalfa over the other brands.  Many, many people have found hers to be superior–Shaklee has a good one, but you’d have to take 6 to her 1!

Alfalfa feeds the skin–which is important as you’re losing weight/inches/sizes, to help it snap back.   I don’t know that I ever expect my skin to be smooth in my tummy area–I’m just thrilled there is no hanging skin!

I’ve even been told by some people who first meet us that they thought I was  my older daughters’ sister instead of their mother!  Yes, I have good “genes”, but I really think the alfalfa and T-Tapp have helped my skin by feeding and getting the bloodflow to it–giving me that “T-Tapp Glow”!

And the real test?

When my sweet husband was rubbing my arm the other day and said, “Oohhhh!  Soooofffffttt!”  :D

Proof’s in the puddin’!  ;)

Happy Tappin’!

Please Pray!

March 16th, 2011

The devastation in Japan is really beyond our ability to comprehend.   We have been praying for everyone over there, but especially for one family.

My friend Joni is on the T-Tapp forums and lives in the northern mountains of Japan, just 80 miles from the epicenter of the earthquake.  Thankfully she and her family are okay and all together!

But, before this all hit they were planning to come to the U.S. to see her parents, who aren’t doing well.  

They have received funds to be able to leave, but obviously that is not going to be an easy task, with roads buckled, no electricity, fuel rations, etc.

Would you please pray for my friend Joni and her family, that God would work out all the details for them to come?  

And please continue to pray for everyone in Japan….that the Lord would be  close to them and that many who don’t know Him would come to trust Him through this tragedy?   And of course, pray for the needed supplies to get to those who are in dire need of them.

Thank you!

( I will post more later about T-Tapp as promised!)

T-Tapp Tuesday–Coming Tomorrow!

March 15th, 2011

Sorry about the delay–teaching last night, gone most of the morning and early afternoon, and now a dear daughter is finishing up a post she has due tomorrow–and the laptop and I don’t get along well for typing more than a few paragraphs!

 

Stay tuned tomorrow for Workout Wednesday!  ;)  (Gotta keep that alliteration going, you know!  LOL!)

 

 

T-Tapp Tuesday–The Dreaded Plateau!

March 8th, 2011

First of all,  my apologies to my Fabulous Family Friday readers–I had a post I was working on, the links I wanted to use weren’t working, then my brain just wasn’t putting things together very well….so I am letting it perk and see if I can get my thoughts together better for this Friday!

Part of it also might be that I was nervous for teaching my first T-Tapp classes Friday and last night!   (Both went well!)

So, what about that dreaded word–plateau? 

 

Somewhere along the way we got the idea that when we lose weight/inches/sizes, once we start a “program” (dieting, way of eating, exercising, etc.) that we’ll just lose, lose, lose, lose until we reach our goal!  And live happily ever after!

I don’t know who came up with that, but it is not reality.   I’m sure it probably sells books and exercise programs, though!

The usual scenario, depending on how much we need to lose, is we get excited about the new _____ we’re going to try, and we get off to a great start.  We’re encouraged by the continuing loss.  Sure, we might not get into smaller clothes yet, but we’re headed in the right direction!    We might get into the next size down–woo-hoo!  Excitement!

But then…..it seems things slow down.  What do we do?    We usually cut more calories, change diet plans, exercise more (my body must be adjusting so I need to “change things up”), etc.

The problem is, we need to give our bodies time to regroup–to find balance.  Fat stores hormones as well as toxins, so when you burn off fat, you will have some extra “garbage” to deal with.   

In fact T-Tapp trainer Webra Price-Douglas said just that, about the body rebalancing:

A plateau is just allowing the body to balance, to regroup–to keep the benefits it’s gained.”

 

You can actually sabotage your efforts if you try to “step it up a bit” just because you stalled in inch loss!  

Now there are definitely times we need to re-evaluate where we are and maybe change some things we’re doing.   But please don’t immediately assume as soon as inch loss slows or stops you have to “do something” about it!

I have certainly experienced the truth of the body needing to regroup, balance out and do some inner healing before it showed on the outside.

I started at a 22W.  Yes, I had some impressive losses in the beginning, but remember–I started as a More-to-Lose and so I had just that–more inches to lose!

My losses went like this:

January 2007 to August 2007–lost 4 sizes from a 22W to a 16 Misses

August 2007 to February 2008–lost  over 40 inches but not ONE size!

March 2008–Lost 1 size, down to a 14

April–Lost another size, down to a 12

One YEAR later–down 1 size to a 10

One YEAR later–down 1 size to an 8

So you can see I didn’t lose lose lose lose and hit my goal in a few years.  There were times I needed to let my body heal.  I didn’t gain all that overnight, and I surely wasn’t going to lose it overnight, either!  

And my weight loss has never been a good reflection of what’s going on inside!  :D   Considering I started at around 175 lbs. and now weigh somewhere around 145 (it fluctuates)…well 30 lbs. doesn’t seem to add up to an 8 size loss, now does it?! 

I heard of one lady who was sharing my story with a friend who told her that was impossible–I hope she sends that friend to my blog!  ;)

What if I had stressed about those “plateaus”?    What if I decided I needed to cut calories and add more cardio?

I believe I would have had a big CRASH!

I know from experience that pushing yourself to go “faster, better, farther, higher” can send you into an adrenal tailspin.  I decided in the summer of 2009, after 2 1/2 years of T-Tapp, that I was strong enough to bump things up a bit.  I did a blitz of sorts, and I had bumped things up to a full workout every other day.   Problem was, I decided to “do a few moves” on my off days.  My “few moves” added up to about the same amount of moves in BWO+!  I was doing 6 on off days, BWO+ only has 8!

Now there are some who do “short workouts” on their “off days”.  But I would not advise that for long term, and especially not if you are battling any health challenges (adrenals, thyroid, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, etc.). 

Added to my new “strenuous schedule”, I decided to address my eating and started cutting out snacks.  Problem was, I couldn’t get enough protein in during my meals.  Not enough fuel + overexercising = burnout!

My adrenals crashed–thankfully not a terrible crash, but I had a hard time getting out of bed and functioning for about 3 weeks.  I don’t know if my hormones needed tweaking and added to the crash or the crash made my hormones need tweaking, but I had to have some changes.

Thankfully, I could at least do MORE Chair to keep the lymph pumping and was able to steadily get back to consistency without setting myself back.

I have probably gained a size back since my mom died in May of 2010, because I knew my adrenals took a big hit with her unexpected death.  Maybe I erred too much on the side of caution, but I did not push myself at all.  So I have gained some back.  But that’s okay—I knew when my body was ready, I could get back to consistency and in time, it will come off again.  I’m really not too worried about it. 

I think this is the beauty of T-Tapp–you can lose, you can stall, you can maintain, you can back off—it is truly a workout for real life.     I know many people enjoy watching The Biggest Loser.  I haven’t actually seen it but have heard a lot about it through friends.   I think it’s great these people are trying to do something for themselves, however–in reality, not too many of us can just take some time off our regular lives, hire a personal trainer and chef for a period of time to help us lose.  And even if we could….at some point we have to get back to “real life”–and we can’t sustain that kind of dedication!

For me, T-Tapp is perfect–it works from the inside out, rehabbing as well as reshaping, and it works with real life–the real life of a busy mama!

But we have to be patient, and allow our bodies to heal, and we certainly need to fuel our bodies well (I think you probably have figured out I am not for deprivation dieting! ;) ).  This quote by Dr. Diana Schwarzbein is very important:

It is very important to match your energy input with your energy output.  Any amount of exercise is too much if you are not eating well.  If you do not eat enough food, your adrenaline/cortisol levels  will be higher.  Be careful not to fall into the trap of feeling good when you are using up your biochemicals because of adrenaline and cortisol.  You will feel good initially and even feel stronger because of your higher adrenaline/cortisol levels.  Eventually, however, you will burn out.

 

Inner healing, toning up….these don’t show up on scales or a tape measure!

Let’s be patient with ourselves and not stress out over a “plateau”–it really isn’t a bad thing, after all!

Happy Tappin’!

A few threads you  might find interesting:

The Tape Measure Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story!

Results of T-Tapp that You Just Can’t Measure!

A Plateau Is *Not* Always a Bad Thing!  (Similar content to this post)

 

 

T-Tapp Tuesday–A PBS Special!

March 1st, 2011

I was going to post about plateaus, but I thought I’d post about where I was and what I was doing last weekend!

PBS (Public Broadcasting, not Primary Back Stretch!) decided to film a documentary on T-Tapp. I was one of many chosen to be a part of the filming! Each of us was interviewed and then we participated as the “audience” for Teresa teaching a workout, doing 10 sets of Hoedowns (I think I did 8–the cameramen were filming someone behind me and if I did the Hoedown I would have bopped them! ;) )

I have to preface this by saying–I haven’t flown in 15 years! I was not fond of the idea, and tried to talk dh into making it an “anniversary weekend” and driving down! It was only 22 hours! :D

Thankfully my dear friend Rhonda was also chosen, and she has flown more than me (but is also nervous about it). I drove down to Indianapolis the night before to stay at her house so I wouldn’t have to leave at 4 in the morning!

We got through security with no problems (God had a sweet “angel” TSA agent there who comforted us!), and boarded the little plane. We had a bit of turbulence on the way to Cleveland, where we had a 2 hour layover. It wasn’t too bad! Had a little lunch and then boarded a much bigger plane for the 2 1/2 hour trip to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

After we got in we just stayed in our room and chatted a bit, then went down for some supper. There was an absolutely wonderful “totally decadent chocolate torte” which was yummy!

There was a “meet and greet” later where we intermingled with other T-Tappers “chosen” by PBS for this special. Lisa Moretti gave us some hints for our interviews–several of the ladies had already been interviewed Thursday.

Up early the next morning (I’ve been memorizing Matthew 6:33 and I woke up at 6:33 a.m. both Friday and Saturday!) and we boarded a bus to take us all over to the station. It was a “hurry up and wait” day, but I was fine with that! It gave us all time to sit and visit while waiting! ;)

The staff there at the station provided a breakfast of fresh fruit, croissants, bagels, cream cheese and various pastries. I ate just a little bit until after my interview. I really wasn’t as nervous as I thought I would be–Lisa did my interview, and I’m sure it helped to have someone I already knew do that!

Lunch was also provided–chicken, black beans and rice, salad and plantains. Another yum!

After lunch we waited some more ;) and several of the trainers worked with us to warm up and get ready for the workout portion of the filming. Then we went into a smaller-than-you’d-think studio, where they arranged us by height and color of our outfits so we didn’t clash nor have too many pinks in a row! Teresa was amazing as always–no matter how many times I hear her, I always learn something! I felt a bit odd without my trusty notebook with me to take notes!

The crew wanted to get some footage of us doing Hoedowns, so we did a “Hoedown Showdown” of sorts, for SIX minutes! (That translates into about 10 Hoedowns, in case you wanted to know!) Sweet Edwina is having knee surgery soon, so she did hers in a chair! She is such a trooper (and an absolutely delightful lady!). She was the one the cameramen were filming so I could get a “break” from a few Hoedowns! HaHa!

The next item on the agenda was to film us sitting and listening to Mary Shomon (thyroid patient advocate) share her talk. I always learn something each time I hear her, too! She did a great job.! Teresa followed her giving a mini “Yes You Can” type talk. After that we were done!

I heard many comments by the cameramen, crew, and even the producers that we did great–no one needed a second take! Charlotte Siems said it well–we are all passionate about T-Tapp, and T-Tapp itself helps us be confident and comfortable with who we are.

As we came out of the station building, I saw this gorgeous Florida sunset–just had to snap a picture!

That evening Teresa had arranged a catered dinner for us–oh, yummy some more! Good thing we did those Hoedowns! I had salad, salmon, mashed potatoes and raspberry white chocolate cheesecake!!!

Lisa had a surprise for Teresa! During the morning of “waiting” she had a small scrapbook and asked us each to write a note to Teresa, leaving space for a picture. It was lovely and Teresa was defnintely surprised! (I’m sorry that none of my pictures of that occasion turned out very well–all are a bit fuzzy!)

And of course, here is Berei–beautiful at 83 years young! We all want to grow up to be like Berei!!!

The next morning we got to sleep in…except my inner “alarm” awoke again at 6:33. I had a wonderful almond granola parfait for breakfast. It was huge! I ate most of it, but couldn’t finish it all!

We all met upstairs in a small ballroom for a Master Class with Teresa–her thank you to us for coming! We really enjoyed this time with her, and as usual, I took several pages of notes! There are many workouts “in the works”, Senior Fit among them. That one should come out soon! Teresa’s father recently passed away, so she’s had other things on her mind than finishing dvd production.

After the Master Class we all stood around and talked–then found out the restaurant was closing at 2:00!!! We hurried down there and sat together and had lunch….and lots of talking, stories, laughing, sharing. It was wonderful! We finally got out around 5:00–the poor restaurant crew needed to get ready for their supper rush! :)

One of the ladies lives in northern Florida and had driven down, so a few of us went with her down to the beach. I had seen the gulf side, and of course had seen the Atlantic at Cape Hatteras last fall in North Carolina, but it was neat to see the Atlantic coast from Florida!

We walked along the beach for a bit, picking up a few shells and some sand for “souvenirs”. Then the sun was setting and I saw these trees beautifully silhouetted against the sky.

Before we left the beach, Margaret had written T-Tapp in the sand! It was dark, so it doesn’t show up as well with the flash, but I think you can make it out!

Rhonda and I left early Sunday morning (which also happened to be my 28th wedding anniversary!). I saw this gorgeous sunrise through the trees as I left the hotel.

Wish I could have been at the beach to see the sunrise!

It was a very fun time, and I’m so grateful to have been a part of it! Hope you have enjoyed this glimpse into my weekend!

Keep on Tappin’!