‘GIT’ ON YOUR BIKE AND RIDE

'GIT ON YOUR BIKE AND RIDE

Buon giorno and Good Day!

Well people, today March 30^th, is my birthday; and because I am very vain, I never tell my age. Although, just call up any one of my 3 kids, and they will blab it to you freely…those kids!

Yesterday I was at Denny's with my husband eating breakfast because we were out of town traveling. Feeling very tired after catering a large Italian buffet the day before, I said, "You know Bill, I am so tired today, I think I am just over with." He said, "Well do you want me to call Jim?" I said…."Jim?"

He said, "Jim Blossom" (our local Funeral Director). "Oh", I said. "Well no, I haven't picked out my outfit yet." He said, "Oh well, don't worry then, you have at least 40 more years." I have to say he did make me laugh, and since it took me trying on 4 outfits that morning for church, I must say he knows me well.

I guess I should explain just why I was trying on so many outfits. It was simply the fact that I have happily gone from a size 14 down to a size 10. This occurred because right before Christmas I got on the scale and about had a Cardiac Arrest. It seems while writing my *Rosalie Serving Country* Cookbook, I had been more than taste-testing, I had been "eating the whole thing," especially that *Black Bottom Peanut Butter Pie.*

It started just innocently at first. I looked around the house and there in the corner was my Elliptical Machine, the exercise bike the kids got together and bought me and Bill for Christmas one year. I thought, I'll just get on that bike and work out 30 or 40 minutes, at least every other day. After the bike, walking the dog for an hour at a time, and even going over to the gym once or twice a week, I began to feel a whole lot better.

I continued to talk to myself. "Why don't I just start counting calories". That always seems to be the best way to loose weight, and since I love to eat a little bit of everything, I thought it might be something I could live with. So, there it was! Exercise on my bike as much as possible and only consume no more than 1500 calories per day.

Starting off at 158 pounds and weighing 142 pounds the other day, I thought, WOW! This is really working. After 3 months of faithfully riding my bike and counting the calories, 16 pounds didn't seem like much, but when my skirts starting falling off my waist, I knew it definitely made the difference. Of course, I must tell you that I did stick to many fruits, vegetables, and very little red meat. I even made my Pasta e Fagioli soup with ground White Meat Turkey, and it was very delicious!

This was very inspiring to me and I just had to share it with you, because all of you can do the very same thing! I could almost bet that all of you, my friends, have an exercise bike some where in that house of yours. You don't even have to pay $40 a month for gym fee, just "Git on that Bike and Ride." I even wrote a song for you to sing while you are riding. Just put your own name in instead of mine. I think you all probably know the tune to "Hang Down Your Head Tom Dooley." (This is a very morbid and crazy song, but the tune does work)… so here goes.

"Git on your bike Rosalie Har..pole, Git on your bike and ride… Git on your bike Rosalie Har..pole… lay all that fat aside." Verse 1... "I got on my scale this morning… I felt like taking my life… I got on my scale this morning… but decided to ride my bike. So…Git on your bike, Rosalie Har…pole, Git on your bike and ride….Git on your bike Rosalie Har…pole, Lay all the fat aside."

Ha, Ha. Oh, well, my mind is a little twisted, but things could be worse. Have fun and click on my website and check out a cooking class or book signing near you.

Arrivederci and Goodbye for now,

Rosalie