Posted on June 24, 2012 by flamidwyfe

I had a wonderful day in Shanghai meeting fellow blogger Mona. Turns out we’ve lived a short drive from each other at one point. It’s a small world after all!

When I started blogging in January, I viewed it as an isolated endeavor, a forum in which to practice writing and photography and to record events in my travels and daily life. It did not occur to me that I would develop friendships online. There are several people whose blogs I follow closely and I have begun to get a sense of the person behind the blog.

Although I do not share intimate aspects of my life on my blog, I do share enough that those who follow it know quite a bit about me. Because I’ve written about my travels and job in China last summer, I’ve “talked with” quite a few English speaking bloggers who live in this vast country.

One such person is Sandi, an American who lives and works in Hangzhou, about an hour from Shanghai. She writes an inspirational blog about her profession as a midwife…

View original post 385 more words

Travel – Blogging from 37,000 feet

Posted on June 21, 2012 by flamidwyfe

I am blogging from the skies! I’m somewhere between Miami and NYC. When I checked in the lovely American Airlines lady told me I had a yucky middle seat and she’d change it. She then said she gave me an “awesome” seat. When I boarded I discovered a free upgrade to Business Class. My leg room is so big I can extend my leg without bending my knee, lol 🙂 OK, I’m short, but it’s still awesome leg room!

I promised myself in January I wouldn’t PAY for upgrades anymore, to save money. I’ve had 3 flights upgraded for free so far this year and I upgraded 1 with miles. I think it’s good Karma 🙂 Lucky girl I am and grateful.

Missing home already!

Ciao 🙂

RECIPE – DUKAN – THAI GRILLED CHICKEN & SHRIMP

Posted on June 20, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Dukan Consolidation – Day 40
Daily Weight: 148
Goal Weight: 155

DUKAN THAI GRILLED CHICKEN & SHRIMP

INGREDIENTS:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 pound shrimp
4 garlic cloves
Large bunch cilantro
2 Tbs GF Soy Sauce or Asian fish sauce (GF = Gluten Free)
**Use Coconut Aminos to make this Whole30 compliant**
1.5 Tbs toasted sesame oil OR 1.5 Tbs Olive oil and 2 Tbs roasted sesame seeds (I couldn’t find sesame oil, so made my own!)

Place all the ingredients, except the chicken and shrimp, in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth (took about 40 seconds in a blender using the pulse button).

Place chicken breasts in oven proof baking dish and pour the marinade over the chicken. Place in fridge for 15 minutes.

Prepare your grill or preheat your oven to 375 degrees. When done, the internal temp should be 165F.

I baked in oven as follows:
Cooked for 40 minutes.
Pulled out and spooned the juices on top
Back in oven and added the asparagus dish to the oven

Asparagus, 1 tsp of organic sweet, salted butter, 2 crushed garlic cloves

After an additional 15 minutes, pull out the asparagus, add the shrimp to the chicken dish, drizzle a teeny bit of olive oil on shrimp and put oven on BROIL for 8 more minutes.

Bernadette and Kevin loved it. Going to miss going back to china and being restricted to a burner and pan again.

I fly back to China tomorrow. I’ve had a wonderful time in Florida and North Carolina. 3 more months and I’ll be home for good!

Also, took mom to the train yesterday for her trip back to Newberry. Here’s some pics from our trip…

Love letter from my grandson Shane to my mom, his GiGi… He’s the sweetest boy!

Sydnie and Shane with GiGi.

Me and my mom… I feel so blessed to still have her!

Ciao!

Dukan – Consolidation Day 31 – Celebration Meal

Posted on June 12, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Today was my first official Celebration Meal!

Daily Weight: 149
Goal Weight: 155

Started my day off right with a run through Sandy’s hilly neighborhood…

I then made a yummy omelet with onions and goat cheese Gouda and bacon for mom and I…

Then after catching up on emails and blogs I decided to go out for a drive in Hendersonville. Picked up a Dunkin Donuts coffee and rode around town while chatting on my cell to my peeps in Florida 🙂

I ended up at The Fresh Market and nearly cried with joy at the variety and choices and the fact that I could read the LABELS!!! Bought made to order Shashimi…. Yum! Then found my way back to Sandy’s house.

Diner at Mark & Eric’s. My first official Dukan Celebration Meal! It’s my first because I’ve been traveling and unable to make my own and I wanted it to be special, and it was! Mark made paella with scallops, chicken and pork… YUMMY!!! The picture does not do it any justice!

And Eric made goat cheese pudding… Good Lord have mercy, I can’t describe how amazing this was!! He put a few raspberries on top and served it with Godiva coffee… Mmmmm!

I got my doggie cuddles in with Sophie and Bella…

FANTASTIC DAY!

Ciao!

Travel – Weekly Round-up!

Posted on June 11, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Well, what a week! Going to do a breakdown with pictures.

Current Weight: 149
Goal Weight: 155

Sunday, June 3 – flew Guangzhou to Hangzhou. Flew between the clouds…

Went straight to hospital and saw 3 patients, rushed home, had reunion with Tits the Cat…

threw clothes in washer, started to unpack, knock on door… It’s….
KITTY!!!

I also got to hang out with Velina, Robin and their gorgeous baby and show off the beautiful necklace that Sheila, Greg and Lily gave me…

Finished repacking, went to bed…

Monday, June 4
got picked up by driver to head airport. Hangzhou to Beijing, Beijing to JFK… Here’s a shot from over Siberia… It really is frozen tundra!

Get into JFK pretty much on time, only to wait 1 hour and 40 minutes for my bags. Major panic, get through customs, race to airport train to go to AA building, still need to check in, recheck bags, get through security and they are already boarding… Major panic… People get me through quick, I’m trying to breathe, and I get on 2nd to last… Phew! Then we sat on the Tarmac for one and a half hours! Argh! Finally up, up and away and this gorgeous sunset off the coast of NC…

Finally got to Miami and Miri’s smiling face there to pick me up!

Tuesday, June 5
Up before the crack of dawn and out for a run… I love my hometown!

Then I had a haircut and color…

And sushi with my niece, Amanda 🙂 Then off to visit the kids and grandkids, then a run/walk with Michele and Michael and dinner.

Wednesday, June 6
Up early, breakfast with Tiffany and then out to Okeechobee to visit my friend Julia, who is not only a super awesome friend, but is hands down the best massage therapist in the world! Two hours of myofascial therapy, craniosacral therapy and some lymph work. Lunch with her son at Golden Corral and then back to her office for another hour or so of traditional massage. It was all amazing. Then back to Port St Lucie to pick up Sydnie for the night.

Thursday, June 7
Breakfast with Sydnie…

And dropped her off to school. Then back to motel and Jenni, Sadie, Tiffany and Joey came over to spend time in pool with me. Wore a bikini, LOL… That seems weird to me.

I then headed 90 miles south to check out a 1973 Airstream Land Yacht… I bought it!

Then raced back up to home to pick up Sadie from camp so we could go to Jammin’ Jensen with my friends… Just writing this makes me feel like I haven’t had a holiday, lol! Here’s some pics from the awesome time I had with my friends…

Then over to our friend Denise’s house, since she had neck surgery and couldn’t come out to play, we took the party to her…

Then off to bed with Sadie, so I can get up early to head 5 hours north in the morning!

Friday, June 8
Up early, drop Sadie to her mommy and hit the road. First stop, 2 hour drive to Daytona to see Shauna, Mouna and Fiona. Lovely visit. Then another 1.5 hours to Ocala to register for the 5K and get my BIB… How exciting! My first BIB!!

Then another hour drive up to get my mom and an hour back to Ocala to meet my friend Teri, who came down to support me 🙂 Dinner Outback, visit with my nephew and his wife and kids and then to bed!

Saturday, June 9 – RACE DAY!

What a rush! My friend Gail told me I’d start out to quick and she was right… My first kilometer was in 7:12… I slowed my pace, walked some, ran, met a lovely lady named Trisha, picked up discarded cups (I know, I know) and finished. It was awesome.

Then breakfast and back to hotel to pack and hit the road… 9 hour drive to North Carolina with my mom to her best friend Sandy’s house. This is the lady I was named after 🙂

Sunday, June 10

Beautiful , cool, rainy morning in North Carolina. Mom, Sandy and I met Eric for breakfast and then Eric and I went for a hike up Mt. Pisgah.
Hike Statistics
Difficulty: Moderate
Total Length: 3 mi
Trail Tread Condition: Moderately Rough
Climb: Climbs Moderately
Lowest Elevation: 4980 ft
Highest Elevation: 5730 ft
Total Elevation Gain: 750 ft
Trails/Roads Used: Mount Pisghah
Hike Configuration: Out-and-back
Starting point: Mount Pisgah Parking Area, Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 407.6
How to Get There: From Asheville, take the Blue Ridge Parkway south to the Mount Pisgah Parking Area, on the left, at milepost 407.6. Park at the second parking area; the first is for the Buck Springs trail.
Great hike!

Then back to Sandy’s and I grilled steaks and leeks for dinner…

So, that’s the wrap up! I’ll try to be a better blogger and update again tomorrow 🙂

Ciao!

Posted on June 10, 2012 by flamidwyfe

People like Tatjana make blogging so amazing!

Be inspired and join me in the world of running and happy living

I am back!

It’s been a great trip to California with lots of mixed emotions. And I can’t do all my emotions and adventures justice in one post, so I am going to post about all my adventures in chunks over the next few days.

Let me start today with why I went to San Diego.

I have been running with Team in Training for over 4 years and participated in 5 seasons as a fundraiser. This year I raised over $2,500. The reason why I come back year after year – even now that my team is in Texas and I am in London – is the people who are Team in Training and the cause.

When I started my first season with Team in Training in 2009, I didn’t know anybody who was affected by leukemia or lymphoma. But I was captivated by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society…

View original post 556 more words

Quick 5K Update

Posted on June 9, 2012 by flamidwyfe

5K done!!! Finished 313 out of 347 🙂 20th out 41 in my age group 45-49 ladies.

Full update fter I’m in North Carolina tonight!

Posted on June 6, 2012 by flamidwyfe

This is a bit high in fat, but I would consider this Dukan friendly!

Rantings of an Amateur Chef

In my call for guest bloggers the other day, Alison from Wife Meets Life stepped forward and volunteered to write a post. When she came back with bacon covered Cajun stuffed pork roast, I knew that this was a woman after my own heart. She writes a great blog over at Wife Meets Life, so check it out, but not before you see the deliciousness below….

I have spent much of my life disliking pork. It has never been an intense hatred (my disgust regarding tomatoes can be classified that way, however) but I definitely roll my eyes and sigh when I see a chop lying forlorn on a plate.

My mother used to serve pork one way: breaded and pan-fried with some sort of vague green thing next to it. This is not meant to offend my mother; she is an amazing cook. Just not an amazing cook…

View original post 380 more words

Travel – In the States

Posted on June 5, 2012 by flamidwyfe

Short update… After 28 hours of travel, my friend Miri has deposited me at my motel in Stuart. I’m exhausted and shattered.

First two flights were flawless, on time, interesting people to chat with, crap food! LOL

Then when I landed at JFK, it took 1 hour and 40 minutes to get my luggage, go through customs and then found out that the AA domestic building was a 10 minute walk plus a 5 minute train… Panicked, I ran (in heels!) and arrived in check in 42 minutes before my connecting flight! They rushed me through security and to the gate… Second to the last person to board! Talk about an anxiety ridden 2.5 hours! Then, we sat on the Tarmac for 1.5 hours because the computer system wasn’t working! LOL

Arrived an hour late into Miami and Miri swooped me up and the 1.5 hour ride north to home… HOME,,, glad to be here! Off to bed I go!

Ciao!

Sunset on the flight, somewhere off the coast of NC…

A Quick Bedtime Poem

Posted on June 3, 2012 by flamidwyfe

I left my flat 26 days ago on a journey for lipo, then travel and marketing and more marketing. I arrived back this afternoon… A poem inspired by my return… Although brief stay at my flat, since I fly in 10 hours to Florida…

I missed my cat…

I missed my flat…

But I really don’t miss,
That extra fat!

Nice flight from Guangzhou to Hangzhou this morning… Love sailing between the clouds…

Sheila and Greg stopped in with Lily for a post natal check and gifted me this gorgeous necklace!

And the end of my day was complete by Vivien bringing Kitty over. She stayed an extra day just to see her American Mother… We cuddled and had a less drama filled goodbye than the one at the airport 3 weeks ago when I was an absolute mess from surgery…