Celebrating Red, White and Blue.....WFPB Style

I love the Fourth of July holiday!! 

It's my second favorite holiday right after Christmas. I love the decorations!! However, now that we've downsized and don't have room to store them,

 or the energy it takes to put them up and take

 them down, I only put out a few. 

But I do lust after some of these table settings and awesome decor ideas. Aren't they spectacular? I'm so envious! Or 'jelly' as the young kids say now! Don't you just love these?

And the food. Oh my! It seems everyone is planning big BBQ's and picnics!! Good food has always been a huge part of the Fourth of July traditions. This year our traditions will change. I've been testing new WFPB recipes and I've come up with a great menu. Here's what we are going to enjoying...

Bean Burgers

Potato Salad

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Beautiful Fresh Watermelon

And Iced Tea

And it seems like on the Fourth of July, 

everything is right in the world. 

The sun shines a bit brighter, 

the birds chirp a bit louder and the 

smiles that appear are more genuine. 

The Fourth of July is for everyone!!

May you all enjoy a safe and happy one!!

..until next time, keep your Sunny Side Up 🌞

Walking On The Sunny Side Of The Street.....

I was asked today why I named my blog Sunny Side Up Senior. Well, because with all of the negative media we all get everyday from the media and newspapers, Twitter tweets, Facebook feeds, in addition to the stresses of everyday life, I thought we all need some place to visit with good news.

I am by nature a very positive person. But I even get my fill of negativity. I have to block it out. Turn it off. Ignore it. It's not good for any of us. It changes us. Negativity breeds negatively and bad attitudes. And bad attitudes are contagious!!

So, if negativity is contagious....so is positivity!! Have you ever noticed if someone smiles at you or compliments your outfit or hairdo, how much better you suddenly feel? We've all heard how an act of Paying It Forward by paying for someone's coffee at Starbucks or paying for their lunch at a drive thru makes their day.

So why don't we do that by handing out compliments? Or helping someone who is struggling? Or by just being nice to someone who you notice is suffering or unhappy? It doesn't cost a dime. And you could make someone's day.

I know it isn't always easy to walk on the sunny side of the street because life is not always a bowl of cherries. It is complicated. And challenging. And I am fully aware that some people handle adversity better than others. We are all fragile at certain times for different reasons.

I walk on the sunny side of the street because I choose to. But I am a realist. I do not live in la-la land. I have had my share of unpleasant situations. However, I choose to roll with the punches and stay grounded. I've learned to survive because I stayed focused and turned my negatives into positives. My mantra is "I know this too will pass.” As hard as it is, getting upset will not solve your problem. It will make the problem worse. It will make you feel feel worse, not to mention what it does to those around you. It's not easy sometimes. And it takes effort. Some days lots of effort.

But I urge you to give it a try. Make a conscious effort to smile at a stranger. Compliment the checker at the grocery store. Comfort a crying child. And if your able, Pay It Forward in some small way. I promise you that you'll feel better, those around you will feel better and you will also be able to walk on the sunny side of the street!

....until next time, 

                    keep your Sunny Side Up 🌞

If Only I Had Life to Live Over Again......But This Is It!!

As I grow older, I realize that I have lived more life, than life I have to live. And I wonder. What I would do differently if I had a choice? I don't have many regrets. Perhaps I should. I do have lots of wishes of things I could've or would've done differently, or better, or smarter. But this life doesn't come with a manual. It's a learn as you go thing.

If I had life to live over again......I would tell myself that life, as you get older is about love and acceptance. And I would tell myself that life is really only about relationships. And the memories you've made along the way! The one who dies with the most toys....still dies!!

One big wish is that I would have met my awesome hubby sooner.

I would be be more passionate. 

I would relax more.
I would be nicer to myself.
I would dare to make more mistakes.
I would learn to love exercise.
I would be sillier.
I would dance more.

I would take fewer things seriously.
I would take more chances.
I would travel more.
I would eat more beans and and greens and less ice cream.
I would worry less about what could happen and focus on enjoying the moments, one after another.

So if you're lucky enough to have more moments,  break through the belief that the next moment will finally make you happy.

This is it.

This moment.

This is your one wild and precious life, here and now.

Enjoy it!!!!

....until next time, 

                    keep your Sunny Side Up 🌞

Inspiration......You Showed Up Just When I Needed You Most

As you know my DH and I  live a WFPB lifestyle! We abused our bodies for too many years to count. We were big time carnivores. I consumed ice cream by the gallons. He loved his meat. We both gained too much weight. Our health suffered. But we kept on going for that 5 Buck Lunch at Dairy Queen!! Being retired, it was a great way to go out to eat on a budget!!

Then one day in the late winter of 2017 I woke up! I felt like that day was going to be my last day here in this great earth! Whaaaat!! No! I can't let this happen! I promised this man that I married 22 years ago when I was 50 that we would have 50 years together ❤  I was killing both of us by what I was cooking. And, because I was in such poor health, we were eating fast food way to often!

Hence....my light bulb moment.

I started to consume every documentary and book I could find on the WFPB lifestyle. I joined Facebook groups. I started that day. I tossed every non-compliant food in the house in boxes and gave it away.

I haven't looked back. Together we have lost 100+ pounds. DH (aka Handsome Hubby) is at his goal weight!! I'm still in the journey. And someday some days I still struggle. However, we feel amazing. We have more energy!! Our cholesterol and blood sugar tests are nirmsl. We have been able to get off Some of our medications!! Those are some of the rewards we are enjoying!!

And then this morning....in my FB feed this pops up!!! A fellow WFPB'er who has been my inspiration for this lifestyle. He walks the walk and now talks the talk.

So if you need inspiration and advice and suggestions, and maybe even a kick in the pants 😍 check out Joseph's blog!!  BECOME GREATER  He is one amazing dude!!

And what I say to everyone who inspired, educated me, joined me and even given me that kick in the pants that I've needed from time to time me is ... a great big ...

....until next time, 

                    keep your Sunny Side Up 🌞

Dysfunction Junction.......At It's Finest

We recently lost a matriarch in our big blended family. The stories that were shared at the memorial service today about this larger-than-life lady with a boisterous, fun-loving, outrageous (and sometimes inappropriate) personality who had a heart of gold, we're both hilarious and touching. She loved her family unconditionally. She'd give you the shirt off her back and she loved and accepted every single one of us for who we are. Saying goodbye to her made me think about our families and why we love them all!

My DH and I met 23 years ago at her home. So just imagine tossing the casts of My Big Fat Greek Wedding ((Italian Style), Grumpy Old Men, The Godfather, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, National Lampoons Christmas Vacation and Leave It To Beaver into one big pot, stir it well, add in some sugar and spice and a few shots of Tequila!! And, there, you have it!! Our beloved family. One big, lovable hot mess!!

We are like most families in the world today. Chock full of different backgrounds, upbringings, nationalities, races, colors and sexual orientations. We are a delightful mix of Christians, Catholics, Seventh Day Adventists, Muslims, and non-believers. We have vastly different political affiliations and beliefs. We have academic scholars and those who have graduated from the school of hard knocks And everything in between.

And too many different personality traits, good and bad, to mention. We are all....each one of us, uniquely different. We fight, we make up, we don't always agree. But we, this motley lot, make up this thing called family. And we make it work! Sometimes we fail. Sometimes we're intolerant of each other. But for the important stuff, we forgive and forget. We come together...we stick together, we support each other!

Isn't that what it should all be about? Shouldn't we all be doing this? Whether it's our family or our neighbors or a perfect stranger? Shouldn't we all accept each other? We all came from the same place. The color of our skin is only pigmentation. It does not define us. Whether we worship a God or are a non-believer is our right. It does not define us. Who we choose to love is exactly that, our choice. It does not define us.

So let's all try to live like we're one big, happy, accepting, tolerant, dysfunctional family. Let's all have hearts of gold and accept each other for our likenesses and our differences. Let's all leave that as our legacy when we leave this world.

Can you imagine how amazing that would be!!! This is one of my favorite songs. I hope it touches you too! 💙💚💛💜

I can only imagine.

....until next time, 

                    keep your Sunny Side Up 🌞

Rewriting My Story.....One Apple At A Time

We've all seen the stories about people who have faced unimaginable challenges, horrific accidents, incurable illnesses, or born into dire circumstances and thrive. A paraplegic who climbs the highest peaks. A person with a brain injury who graduates from college. An impoverished young person who beats the odds and becomes rich and famous. All of those things are beyond impressive. I applaud them all.

But my unsung heros are those that are rewriting their life stories by following a Whole Foods Plant Based lifestyle. After years of abusing their bodies by eating processed junk food, dairy, and meat, these folks are losing 100's of pounds, curing their ailments and creating brand new lives.

By switching to a plant-based diet, most people are able to reverse their heart disease, cure or significantly improve type II diabetes, effortlessly reduce their weight, and eliminate their chronic and nagging aches and pains.

Is it easy? NO!! Is it worth it? Does it make a difference? If you ask any of them, you will get a resounding YES!! If you ask me....YES, YES, YES!!

I'm not one of these awesome success stories yet...but I'm well on my way and on the right path. I'm learning new things everyday. I'm trying new recipes. I'm learning from those who have led the way. I've got a way to go before I get to my goal, but I will get there. DH has reached his goal and is my support system. We've lost over 100 pounds together ❤

We are firm believers in eating a full plant-based, whole food diet that can expand your life and make you an all-around happier person. We're eating fruits and vegetables as if our lives depend on it – because they do!!

I've listed some of my favorite books over in the right-hand column that have helped us make the change to this lifestyle. I encourage you to give this a way of eating a try. The life you save may be your own!!

 ”Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.” Hippocrates.

....until next time, 

                    keep your Sunny Side Up 🌞

Wild, Wild, Women....We Need More Of Them!!!

Every once in awhile I come along an artist, or a product, or a website that I absolutely love!! This is one of those places!! Jill Haney-Neal and her "Wild Women" is an artist that I adore!! Her art is cheerful, fun, colorful and, most of all, affordable!! Her art and gift ideas for women are meant to uplift, encourage, and support the favorite women in your life.

Her adorable, round women personalities shine!!!  And being a WFPB follower, this lithograph just speaks to me!! I think I need this one!! Embarking On Svelte is my plan exactly!!

Jill knows that we need more free spirited women in our lives. This art and gifts for women mean joyous free spirits, fun events, and plenty of giggles with girlfriends.

I love her greeting cards and her mugs and her lithographs. Her products are available around the United States. Her art also adorns wine bottles from a variety of wineries.

As a big Seattle Seahawks fan, this is another one of my favorites!

And, if you're like me, and don't travel much, she has a website where you can purchase all her products!! How exciting is that!! I encourage you to visit her website and get yourself a few things that will make you giggle and brighten your day!! And pick up an item or two to uplift, encourage, and support the favorite women in your life!!

The world needs more women like this, and definitely more good times!

 ....until next time, 

                    keep your Sunny Side Up 🌞

Lunch Ladies....Lemonade and Laughter!!

Today was our monthly ladies lunch from our little retirement community. We chose the Lewis River Golf Course because of its beautiful setting. We all love it here.

My daughter was married here several years ago, so it has even more of a special meaning to me.

Sometimes as a WFPB eater, going to restaurants can be challenging, but not today. As a special request, the chef made a beautiful salad full of mixed spring lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, avocado and a wonderful balsamic vinegar for me!!! And, silly me, I forgot to take a picture!! Oops!! But, I do love that chefs are becoming more aware of the WFPB movement. Just ask, I'll bet they'll do this at restaurants for you too!!

Some of these ladies had been friends for many decades and are getting on in years. But over the years they had shared all kinds of activities and adventures. Lately, most of their activities had been limited to playing cards a few times a week and lunch once a month.

Today one looked at the other and said, "Now don't get mad at me. I know we've been friends a long time, but I just can't think of your name. I've thought and thought, but I can't remember it. Please tell me what your name is."
       
Her friend glared at her. For at least three minutes she just stared and glared. Finally she said, "How soon do you need to know?"

Yup....it was that kind of day!! 😂 Chock full of giggles, and fun stories, and good times!! I hope that you have a group of friends that you can do these types of things with too!! It's good for the heart!!! And burns calories to boot!!!

....until next time, 

                    keep your Sunny Side Up 🌞

Grapes and cocoa are WFPB....well, sorta, maybe....

Every once in awhile, I allow outside influences get to me. I know I shouldn't let that happen, but I am a sensitive gal!!

So yesterday after dealing with several negative situations and people who seemed be purposely trying to push my buttons, I ended up with a horrid headache.

No big deal...take some Tylenol and in an hour or so it will be gone. But, nooooo! I live with a pusher. A man who can knows "that L@@K". That guy who knows me better than anyone....that guy who knows what I needed!!

So this is what he comes up!!!

So, YES he's the pusher and I'm easy and I will follow him to the ends of the earth. Thanks sweetie....you are the best!! And the "cure" worked.  The headache is gone and I got a good night's sleep!!

....until next time, 

                    keep your Sunny Side Up 🌞

Awesome Quinoa Salad Recipe

This Quinoa Salad is loaded with fresh veggies and packed with flavor. The perfect side for summer cookouts, pot lucks, or weeknight dinners!

3 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup chopped tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup chopped yellow bell peppers
1 cup chopped cucumber
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
1 can black beans drained
1/2 cups chopped green onion

For dressing:

2 Tbsp. lime juice
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. cilantro minced
1+ tsp. cumin
1 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp.cayenne or white pepper
Fresh cilantro for garnish

Prepare quinoa according to package instructions. Set aside to cool. While quinoa is cooling, prepare veggies. Combine quinoa and veggies in a large mixing bowl.

Prepare dressing by combining ingredients and shaking until well mixed. Pour dressing over quinoa and veggies and stir to combine. Add more spices if needed for your taste.

Spoon into serving bowl and garnish with fresh cilantro. Enjoy!!!!

Option 2 Dressing:  If you want to enjoy a Thai sweet, savory dressing, instead of making your own, I highly recommend My Thai Vinaigrette from River Wave Foods. 

....until next time, 

                    keep your Sunny Side Up 🌞

Coffee, Compliments, Connections....and More!!!

Staying connected to others is important in all stages of our lives. Social interaction is important to both our mental and physical well-being.

My way of doing that varies day by day, but the first thing every morning, I grab a cup of coffee, play with the pups, then check my e-mails and Facebook. I belong to several groups, mostly WFPB groups.

This morning when interacting with another member, I gave him big kudos for the huge amount of weight he lost this week, and told him I just don't lose that fast. He responded with "I wouldn't feel bad... my doctor wants me to lose 1/2 pound a week. I’m just a freak I think. You’re probably losing in a more healthy way then I... besides...I'm huge. You look like a twig already! If you lose too much you'll disappear"!

A twig!! That comment literally made me spew my coffee fight out of my mouth!! My comment to him was "A twig"??  "You must have some huge trees back there in Wisconsin!!!

LOL!! I still have 75-100 pounds to lose. I'll never be a twig...I come from a long line of sturdy redwoods, but I appreciate your perspective. And thank you!! I feel great now". 👍

When chatting with another friend recently while as I was helping her write her blog, her comment made me giggle out loud..."OMG, you are light years ahead of me. I’m still in the kindergarten class, letting the glue dry on the palms of my hands and then peeling it off".

Isn't it great to be able to make someone smile or LOL? Isn't the internet great!! We can choose who we want to connect with. We can block who we don't. And we can ignore the posts we don't like! I love having choices. And making new friends across the globe is an added bonus!!

So reach out today...smile at a stranger...give a compliment...be social whether you get out of the house and visit a neighbor, chat on the phone to your BFF, or connect to a Facebook buddy, Tweet, Text, post on Instagram....just connect!! It does a body good!!

....until next time, 

                    keep your Sunny Side Up 🌞

This Is Your Happy Place...No Kidding

Every day we are all bombarded with negative news...natural disasters...school shootings....and politics, OMG the politics!! Whether you get this in your local newspaper, your online news source, Facebook, Twitter or blogs!! We are all getting information overload. And 99% is bad news.

I am hoping you will visit my blog to change all that! There will be no bad news, no politics, and no commentary about any of it.

There won't be advertising for needless prescription drugs or walkers or false teeth. There won't be any violence, any profanity (not that I'm above that) or any sad stories.

This is going to be your Happy Place.

A fun new place to grab a cup of coffee, or tea or even wine and get a giggle, or a pleasant photo, a new healthy recipe, a joke, a book review or an uplifting story or two from a sexy senior citizens'  point of view (that be me). 😜

So buckle up buttercup...it's going to be a fun, relaxing stroll through life and hopefully a positive start to your day.

I'd love it if you would share this blog with your friends. Let's all be one big, happy, old-fashioned family spreading love and joy. I would absolutely love that!!

....until next time, 

                    keep your Sunny Side Up 🌞

Veggies & Fruit.....Miracle Cures You Can Bet On!

When I decided to call my blog SunnySideUpSenior it was because of my sunny disposition (most of the time) 😍 It has nothing to do with eggs!!! Yuk!! I don't eat eggs! WHAAATTT!!

Yep...no eggs, no beef, no fish, no fowl, no oil, no sugar...nada...none!! Crazy huh? Nope, not so much! You see as I reach my sunset years, I've watched those around me suffer from a myriad of health problems. I've even had my fair share of health issues.

After researching what I could do to feel better I discovered a WFPB LIFESTYLE!! That's whole foods, plant based for those of you that don't know what the heck I'm talking about. I also discovered that many of the maladies we suffer from are self-inflicted. Our favorite foods like bacon and milk and potato chips and soda are full of chemicals to get us hooked and carcinogens that cause cancer!!

And both my DH (that's dear hubby to you) have dropped some weight...well a lot really...105 pounds together so far. He's enjoying being at his goal weight...I'm still chugging along. But I feel awesome!!

So take the time to watch What The Health or Forks Over Knives. They are both on Netflix, well worth the $10 a month and come along for the ride of your life!

If you prefer reading books, I've listed my favorites in a list on the bottom of my page.

....until next time, 

                    keep your Sunny Side Up 🌞

A Few Of My Favorite Things....Senior Style

Welcome to my new blog. Let's start out with a giggle...sing along with me 🎶 🎶

Maalox and nose drops and needles for knitting,
Walkers and handrails and new dental fittings,
Bundles of magazines tied up in string,
These are a few of my favourite things.

Cadillacs and cataracts and hearing aids and glasses,
Polident and Fixodent and false teeth in glasses,
Pacemakers, golf carts and porches with swings,
These are a few of my favourite things.

When the pipes leak, When the bones creak,
When the knees go bad,
I simply remember my favourite things,
And then I don't feel so bad.

Hot tea and crumpets, and corn pads for bunions,
No spicy hot food or food cooked with onions,
Bathrobes and heat pads and hot meals they bring,
These are a few of my favourite things.

Back pains, confused brains, and no fear of sinnin',
Thin bones and fractures and hair that is thinnin',
And we won't mention our short shrunken frames,
When we remember our favorite things.

When the joints ache, when the hips break,
When the eyes grow dim,
Then I remember the great life I've had,
And then I don't feel so bad.

....until next time, 

                    keep your Sunny Side Up 🌞