Drive-In Memories

Procrastination doesn't pay that is for sure.  Not that long ago as I was driving past our old drive-in, I thought it would be a great location to take some pictures. 

I have memories that date back about 41 years ago of that place...I remember going there as a little girl with my uncle and his girlfriend at the time and then many times after when I was a teenager.  Yes I even took my turn of getting into the drive-in in the truck of a car, it wasn't that we couldn't pay for the entrance fee it was the thrill of sneaking...you know more money for beer while we watched the movies.  I can remember when I was in grade 11 the date of the summer and I went to the drive but we didn't park inside the gates a few time...there was spaces at the back wall where about 6 vehicles could park and pick up the movie radio frequency....again the trill of not getting caught...don't think I ever seen the cops drive by the back where we along with a few others were parked...would see them drive through the parking lot making sure everyone was not causing any trouble.  Then when my husband and I had children we frequented the drive-in nearly every weekend with the kids in their pajamas, pops in the cooler and a bowl of popcorn.  My youngest daughter, Meagan was 8 days old the first time she went to the drive-in.

As I would drive by seeing this piece of my past standing regally in the grass a lone I would always be taken back to my old memories and I started thinking I have to remember to grab my camera and come get some photos of this piece of our history/past.

Well this morning I found out that I had lost my chance to ever photo graph the place I spent many a summer night with friends.  The Pines Drive-In was demolished on Wednesday, all that remains is a pile of rubble.  I had a twinge in my heart when I seen that photo and read the story on the front page of the herald.  It was a sad day for me and my family when they announced that the drive-in would close permanently.  We always looked forward to the drive-in each summer.  

Yes an opportunity is now lost to capture some photos of this place filled with so many memories of my childhood and teen years.  Procrastination doesn't pay.....I kept putting it off thinking it would be there the next time I drove by there, well I have been proven wrong.   Don't put off till tomorrow what you can do today, as the opportunity might not be there tomorrow.

Corinne~

Step By Step

I feel very proud of myself this morning.....for the second morning in a row now I have reached for that glass of water before having anything else, actually even before my feet hit the floor.  For me drinking water is a great feat at any time of day, I avoided it like the plaque.  We all know it is recommended that we drink 8 glasses of water everyday, not me.  I would have coffee, juice, tea or pop that is how I was getting my liquids and if I did have any water a couple of gulps and that was about it. Not a very healthy approach that is for sure.  I have been reading the Vice Busting Diet - A 12 Week Plan To Break Your Worst Food Habits While Changing Your Life Forever, by Julia Havey.  It was like this woman and lived life before she made the changes in hers that she need to take.  

The realization that I have come to is this, I didn't put on this weight over night and it isn't going to come off over night.  So with that said I can't get discouraged when the pounds are not dropping or the inches shrinking as fast as I would like them to.  I have to keep at it one day at a time, one step at a time, one change at a time. 

Yesterday I noticed a difference in myself.  I felt like I had more energy and not once did I have a craving for pop, my #1 Diet Vice.  Was it in my mind or did the amount of water I drank yesterday have something to do with it, starting with that first glass when I woke up.  I have decided to start a journal, so that I can actually recognize my bad food habits and get real with them as some would say.  Like they say admittance is the first step to recovery.  To admit that I have a bad habit (with food & exercise) I need to recognize it and admit to it before I can change it. 

I guess you could say I am in my 2nd day of the start to a new life style, one step at a time.  Today my goal is to get my 8 glasses of water or at least closer than the 3 glasses I had yesterday.



Corinne~

Re-Claiming My Life

No matter what we do or how hard we try life does not slow down...it keeps moving forwards taking us with it regardless if we want to go or not. As the minutes turn into hours and the hours into days and the days to months before we know another year has slipped by us. The last 3 years have done just that for me, slipped by me...here I am three years later and not a lot of what I wanted to do or change has happened with the exception of our new kitchen and dining room.

I have decided it is time for me to re-claim my life and start doing the things I really want to do or dream about doing...things in my personal life like changing my lifestyle to a healthier one, so I am able to do some of the things I can only dream about. I had a good start to this before my dad passed away 3 years ago, but it took me 2 1/2 years to realize that I was sitting spinning my tires. So I am taking steps to claim my life and setting a path to start living life the way I had always thought I would. It is going to take a lot of will power and determination. Instead of jumping in with both feet and meeting failure head on, I am going to start by breaking one bad habit at a time. This way it won't be so over whelming and I think my chances of success will be greater. First bad habit I am setting out to break is to drink my 8 glasses of water every day and reduce my intake of pop. Not switching over to that diet crap either....it isn't that much better for you than the regular pop. My first step this week is not to have any more pop until maybe Saturday evening when we are having a couple of drinks. I haven't had a glass of pop since yesterday and have reached for the water today instead. I had read that it is a good idea to have a glass of water as soon as you wake up before you do anything...so I am putting a glass of water on my bedside table and before my feet hit the floor in the morning I am having my glass of water.

I know there are going to be days where I fall back to the old routines that got me to where I am today but I won't let that deter me....I need to do this for me, not for my husband or my children or anyone else for that matter, but for ME! My husband and children are supporting me on my decision to change my life style. This time I am planning to succeed, not see where it takes me. I know I have a long road ahead of me but I want to see my children succeed at their lives and one day hopefully there will be grandchildren to spend time with and I want to be around for those things.

So today I am taking the first step towards reclaiming my life.

Corinne~

Apple Berry Banana Smoothie

3 ounces apple juice
1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
1 small banana
1 scoop Vanilla Whey protein powder
1 cup ice cubes

Pour ingredients into blender and blend on high until mixture is completely smooth and frothy.

Pour into tall glass and enjoy!

Makes 1 serving.

Prep Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 5 mins



Corinne~

Seared Turkey & White Bean Burgers

1/2 cup canned small white beans (cannellini are also fine), rinsed and drained
     (note:  I used white navy beans and they worked fine)
3 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbs. finely diced red bell pepper
3 Tbs. plain dried breadcrumbs
1-1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 large egg
1 Tbs. thinly sliced chives
1/2 lb. ground turkey
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 slices (1/2 inch thick) good country bread (like ciabatta), toasted

Combine the white beans, 1 Tbs. of the olive oil, and the garlic in a large bowl. Using a fork, lightly smash the beans and mix with the oil and garlic until blended. Add the red pepper, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, egg, and chives. Mix until blended. Crumble the ground turkey and add it to the bowl, along with 1/2 tsp. salt and a generous sprinkling of pepper. Gently mix with a fork or your hands until just blended; don’t overmix or the burgers will be tough. Fill a medium bowl with water, moisten your hands, and shape the meat into four patties about 3 inches in diameter and 3/4 inch thick.

Heat the remaining 2 Tbs. olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the burgers until the bottoms are browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the burgers and continue cooking until they’re firm to the touch and register 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, another 5 to 8 minutes. Serve immediately on the toasted bread.

Corinne~

Gardner Lake

Sunday evening as Al and I are watching a movie, my cousin calls me on her cell.....tells me to grab my camera and get to the slough and to HURRY....so I jump up, grab my camera and race off to the slough.  I am thinking something big is happening as Brenda tells me hurry, you don't want to miss this.  So I am thinking well its fairly calm so I don't think the road is going but you never know, maybe there is an large animal or two like deer, elk or moose in the water or someone is off the road in the water (that wouldn't really be a first).  Well I get there and here she is with her fiance, son and his friend in a boat on the slough, which is also known as Gardner Lake on the RM map.  So I grabbed a few photos of them out on the boat and then when they came to the roads edge, the boys and Brenda jumped out so her dad and I could go for a ride.  Here are a few picture of our boat ride around Gardner Lake. (ps: the motor wouldn't start so we had to paddle)

 Trying to get the motor started....think it flooded

Was trying for a silhouette photo

 

 Coming to shore (edge of what is left of the road)

Here you can see my uncle standing along the road edge.  You can see how the road is washing/eroding away with every day that there is any kind of wind out of the north.  The south shore is now starting to go too...there are a couple of sink holes on that shore.  With the occasional wind out of the south it has been eating away at that edge now too.

 

I took this photo from about 1/3 of the way out towards the middle of the lake.  If you click on the photo to enlarge it you can see the barricade posts to keep people from the edge of the road.

For as long as I can remember that slough has had water in it not as much as we have this year but it has always been full with the exception of a couple of really dry summers it had finally dried up, but didn't take too long to fill back up again.  I never thought I would be out in a boat on the slough, had thought it would be neat to get a canoe out on the water. 

All that was missing was the fish and our fishing rods.

 

Corinne~