Life with Helen

I grew up in a neighborhood in Midway called Null Addition.  In the eyes of an adult it was great property on the river with huge backyards, yet it was still far enough away from the railroad tracks.  However, it was an entirely different world to us kids growing up there.  Huge yards, railroad tracks, a small wooded area, and a river created the perfect recipe for adventure.  We created games and acted out various scenarios all day, but when it started to get dark, it was time for spotlight. I was 4 or 5 years younger than the youngest players, and probably 10 or more years younger than the older ones, so Helen and Jeff didn't let me play.  I was occasionally allowed to sit outside on the porch and "help" the big kids count.  So, night after night I would watch as all of the kids in our neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods would dress in black, navy, and camo and gather on our front porch, which was always home base.  They would set the boundaries and go over the

That's right! The USDA and FSA girls took on the Dr. Oz 3 day Detox Cleanse!  When you work with a lot of women, it isn't uncommon to try diets together.  Since I've been here, we've done just about every diet in the book together. Weight Watchers, Cabbage Soup, Body by Vi, you name it.  Someone always falls off the wagon and eventually drags everyone else with them.  This is definitely NOT an easy diet to follow, even though it is only 3 days.  I am happy to report that Loren and  I made it the entire 3 days!  Tracey and Laura both lasted until dinner on the third day, and poor Carolyn just couldn't stomach the shakes after the first day!  As you can see from the picture, each day you drink green tea, a breakfast shake, a lunch shake, a snack shake, and a dinner shake, then you soak in a bath of Epsom salt and lavender.  Day one is definitely the easiest day because you are excited and motivated!  We started out with our green tea and breakfast shake, measuring ev