My first posting!

Hi! It's me!

I sound pretty excited don't I? Well, that is because I am pretty excited.  I have started my very first blog post.  I don't quite know why that is so exciting to me.  I have followed exactly one blog, somewhat infrequently, and it belongs to a relative so I am by far not experienced in the world of blogging.  I did read a book by a blogger Jennette Fulda titled Half-assed, and I loved it.  And who in the North American continent has not heard of the book/movie Julie & Julia?  So, not being one for original ideas of greatness I am jumping on the bandwagon and going to give it a try.

What am I going to blog about you may be wondering.  I am wondering that very same thing.  Ideas have gone everywhere from gardening to cooking to weight loss.  Since all three are a big part of my life I will include all three, as well as pet care, step-motherhood, marriage and whatever else I feel might be interesting hoping that my brain will settle down and land on one topic and that it will be at least somewhat popular.  And if it isn't? Well, then I guess it will be a blog just for myself, kind of like an online diary.

So let me quickly introduce myself to those of you who don't know me.  My name is Heather Lynn Franke Stanush.  I am 33 years old, I live in south/central Texas.  I have lived in Texas all of my life and while there are some parts of the state I would never want to live in again, I can't imagine living in any other state.  That's the good thing about Texas, it is so big you can move to an area with an entirely different climate and culture, but you are still a Texan!  I am also a nurse.  I work part-time at a small hospital in the recovery room, undoubtedly work experiences will be mentioned on this blog and perhaps some entries will even be written from work (though if my boss asks that never happens, I am way to serious about my job when I am there).  I hope I do not take myself too seriously, though if you ask my husband you may get a different response.

I live on a lot of land (at least it is a lot for a girl who grew up in Austin) and I love it.  We have cows, real cows (I was just asked this question last weekend and I thought it was great "You have real cows?").  I have a garden, two indoor cats and two outside dogs.  My husband is a bulldozer operator.  I just love the image that creates in my head, and he does live up to that image!  I love him to death!  Life is not perfect but it is really, really good most of the time.

I have gone in weight from 226.6 pounds to a current 167.8 pounds, with my all time low being 135 pound for about a week before I started gaining weight again.  I have been gaining weight because of some horrible eating habits (perhaps and eating disorder perhaps not, does it really matter?) and not exercising much.  I had a blood clot in my left leg last year that really threw me for a loop and I have not gotten back into the habit of working out again like I should have.  I am hoping that through this blog I will learn to accept my new lifestyle again and get back on track.  It took me over a year to gain this much weight and I am sure it will take me that long again to get it back off, but I will do it!

I do love to cook and have decided to try to learn a new recipe every week for a year, 52 new recipes.  If that doesn't add up to a happy husband I don't know what will.  I do cook with good old fashioned butter, but not too much of it, with home raised beef and with whole eggs.  I refuse to throw the tastiest part of the egg away when it is such a good source of protein and nutrients.