My Graduation

I became unemployed in February 2009 with not a single job insight that I qualified for, and still had a daughter at home. I live in a small energy dependent town.   I wasn’t sure how I was going to support us.  I went to a seminar that the job service was giving for people that might want to further their education in hope of being more marketable.  At 54 years old, the day is finally here! Tomorrow I graduate from college with a Associate of Applied Science Degree and honors, who would have known.  Last time I was in a College situation, I was 19 years old, that was a long time ago.
Now the job hunt is on!

Have a Great Day!
Colo Junkett

Technorati Tags: Graduation,marketable,unemployment,education

May Food Management

It’s the first Monday of the month and I thought I’d share my meal planning for the month of May.
As I’ve said before I’m trying to follow the 400 calories meal idea I’ve tweaked it a little so that I can have snacks for some reason my brain tells me I’m hungry about every two to three hours I realize it’s a habit I need to break, but….. So here goes.
Sunday Dinner:

• 5/1 -Grilled Pork Chop/light mushroom gravy/green salad with Italian dressing,
• 5/8 - Honey mustard chicken
• 5/15 -Spaghetti with meatballs/green salad
• 5/22 -Chicken stir-fry
• 5/29 -Sloppy Joe

Monday Dinner:

• 5/2 -Goulash/green salad/
• 5/9 -bean burrito
• 5/16 -Grilled Chicken
• 5/23 -Shredded Pork
• 5/30- Grilled Steak/green salad

Tuesday Dinner:

• 5/3 -Tuna Noddle deep dish/peas/green salad
• 5/10 -Hamburgers
• 5/17 -Beef stroganoff/steamed greenbeans
• 5/24 -Chicken Fajitas
• 5/31 - Beef Taquito's-

Wednesday Dinner:

• 5/4 -Ham potato deep dish
• 5/11 -Beef-n-broccoli
• 5/18 -Stuffed Cabbage rolls
• 5/25 - Salsa Chicken

Thursday Dinner:

• 5/5 -Meatloaf/green salad
• 512 -Beef /pepper stir-fry
• 5/19 -Jambalaya
• 5/26 -Chicken Enchilada

Friday Dinner:

• 5/6 -Pork tenderloin
• 5/13 -Oven Fried Pork Chops
• 5/20 -Taco Salad
• 5/27 -Crock pot Roast

Saturday Dinner:

• 5/7 -BBQ Sandwiches
• 5/14 -grilled salmon fillet
• 5/21 -Oven fried chicken breast/ Green salad/steamed carrots
• 5/28 -Beef-n-Broccoli/brown rice

For Breakfast: 2 cups coffee, bowl of Fiber One cereal with 2% milk, Fruit
Snack: Special K protein bar/Special K protein shake/nuts/fiber crackers/1/3fat cream cheese
For Lunch: I usually have a mixed veggie salad with the leftover protein and homemade Italian dressing.

Hope this helps
Live you day to the fullest.
Colo Junkett

P.S. I've been bouncing back and forth, but I believe I have shed 4.5 lbs.   Yepee!

May Celebrations

 

Activity List for May Celebrations

• May Birthday’s –2
• May 1st - May Day
• May 5th - Cinco da Mayo
• May 7th – College Graduation
• May 8th - Mother’s Day
• May 26th – last day of 2010-2011 School Year
• May 28th – High School Graduations
• May 30th - Memorial Day

May Day

It all started when I was in elementary school, making may baskets filled with flowers to give to my friends and neighbors.  Now that I’m quite a bit older, I send cards to my friends and neighbors. Did you send flowers or a card  to someone today?

Have a Great Day!

Colo Junkett

Happy Easter

Now that my kids are older there is always some one working or is out of town, there really isn’t any hype about the coloring the eggs for the Easter Bunny or the Easter Egg Hunt any more, but they still want to have a picnic (if the weather permits), dinner with all the fixings.

I asked my daughter if she wanted to color eggs this year, she said,” she didn’t have time and was to old for that sort of thing.”   However, she was disappointed that I didn’t buy a bag of  robins eggs this year.Go figure?  I just couldn’t because, I’m trying to stay on a food management program and I don’t have will power to stay away from the bag!  Anyway, I did plan for an Easter Dinner and this is what I made…

Easter Dinner Menu

*Glazed Spiral Ham*

*Scalloped Potatoes*

*Green bean casserole*

*Deviled eggs*

And for Dessert - *Pineapple Upside Down Cake*

The day turned out pretty good, my youngest daughter work Easter, so I had a few close friends over and held dinner till she got off work.

Happy Easter,

Colo Junkett

Define Procrastination

 

Procrastination: to postpone doing something, especially as a regular practice

Graduation is less than a month away announcements haven’t been sent out yet and I’m still ‘hem-haw’ about the graduation party plans, when where, who and how much. Yep, Guilty!  I think I’m a procrastinator.

What plans do you have?

Have a Great Day!

Colo Junkett

April Food Management

It’s the first Monday of the month and I thought I’d share my meal planning.

I’ve been kind of following the 400 calories meal ideas.

Breakfast: 2 cups of coffee, Fiber One cereal with 2% milk, peach

Snack: Special K protein bar

Lunch: green salad with Italian dressing, roast chicken

Dinner:green salad with Italian dressing, elk steak and frozen stir-fry vegetables

Snack: Special K protein shake

This is just a example of how I plan my meals.

Have a Great Day!

Colo Junkett

April Celebrations

 

April Showers bring May flowers

Activity List of April Celebrations

• April Birthdays – 2
• April 1st – April Fools Day
• April 15th – Tax Day
• April 22nd – Good Friday
• April 22nd – Earth Day
• April 23rd – High School Prom
• April 24th – Easter
• April 29th – Arbor Day

April Fools Day

A wonderful day for that little jokester inside each and everyone of us to play a innocent practical joke on our friends and family.  Be nice.

 

Have a Great Day!

Colo Junkett

It’s Crazy Out there

As you know I’m in my second year of Community College working on re-educating myself, so that I’m a little better qualified for jobs in my area.  I spent today going over a list of companies that I have sent resume to, and deciding which companies  I need to follow up on.  Soon I’ll be in the unemployed group category that has changed careers in order to find a job.  It’s crazy tough to find a job these days.

Have a great Day!

Colo Junkett

Technorati Tags: unemployed,career change,college,re-educated,higher education

Finding that niche

I’ve had my blog now for a couple of years, and I’m still trying to figure out what my niche is or do I have one or am I just a rambler?   I write about some of the projects I’ve done, about being unemployed, being on food management, being a widow, going back to college after all these years, raising teenagers.  Hey! I do have a niche it’s my life at “My little Colorado Cottage”

Have a Great Day!
Colo Junkett

Technorati Tags: niche,blogging,mommies,teenagers,over 50,rambler,searches,blogging tips

They’re Here & Now They’re Gone

 

I got a surprise visit from my grandsons last week. Things happen and apparently the communications got crossed on which day the boys would be picked up and dropped off, I happen to be mid way where the boys get dropped off from one parent and picked up by the other parent.

Don't get me wrong I love seeing the grandson’s but this week wasn’t a good one for me.  What every one didn’t understand, was grandma and auntie had midterms this week!

Thanks goodness auntie’s girlfriends they came to the rescue and watched the grandson until I got back from school.  thank goodness all went well with midterms we all survived the week. 

 

 

Aren’t they just the most adorable boys.

Really had a great time seeing them they grow up so fast at this age.

We had a few great days so that the boys could play outside.  Grandma’s house is pretty little to handle all the energy these boys have.

This little guy wanted to got outside every time brother went out.

 

This is big brother making a trap with string that was laying around.  I don’t have a clue what it was he wanted to catch but this project took about two hours

 

 

 

 

My daughter picked them up this afternoon.  This evening I’m just re-cooperating and enjoying the quite time and reminiscing about the week I had with the grand babies. What a big job it is raising little one.  There’s a reason that most women over fifty don’t normally have children I don’t have the energy any more I’ve notice my patience is not what it used to be also.

Have a Great!

Colo Junkett

Technorati Tags: Grandson's,Midterms,patiences,warm days

Spring is creeping into Northwest Colorado Yipee!

 

The snow is slowly melting and the temperature is staying above zero!     In my front yard up next to the house foundation, I notice Daffodil’s and Crocuses trying to sprout up. I think Spring may be coming

This is the back of my house that is shaded by the garage and doesn't get much sun, but the snow is melting very quickly. I took a picture of this same wheel barrow last month and you couldn't see the wheel due to all the snow we had.

 

This is the front of my how that get most of the morning sun.  There is still snow in the shaded areas, but I have faith that  warmer days are coming.

Have a Great Day!

Colo Junkett

Technorati Tags: Spring,Daffodils,Crocuses,snow