A Simple Woman's Daybook~April 23, 2014

Our lives pass swiftly by! I want to do something to remember

the everyday moments and my thoughts about them.  

That is what this Daybook is all about.

Focusing on the little things that become my life.

One entry at a time.

Just for today~Wednesday, April 30, 2014 

Outside my window...the sun is starting its descent into the night.  I set up the template for this daybook on the 24th.  I am finally getting time to actually write this.  It was supposed to be 91 degrees today.  I'm not sure if it got that high but it feels good.  Another day like this tomorrow and then it will cool a little.  Last day for April Showers.  I think we maybe done with rain but maybe not.  It is definitely time to plant those May flowers.  I really want to do it but then wonder if we will be home to keep them alive during the summer.  I think we will but...?  We are supposed to go to Washington state in a few weeks but that is so up in the air right now.

I am thankful for....Jim getting better each day.  It has been a long haul but he is improving faster than most.  He has a hard time in the car so that is a stumbling block to the car trip at this point.  Flying would be shorter but much more uncomfortable so we'll see.  It is for a family reunion but if we can't we won't make it this time. His health and well-being has to come first.  He had his electrical inspection on the new shop today and passed with flying colors so that is a great thing to be thankful for I think.  The final inspection is next.  Woohoo! It has been three years of working a lot.  We are happy to see it coming to a close finally.  I'll take you on the grand tour when it is done.

From the learning room....You just never know what you don't know.  That sounds a little funny but it is true.  The more you learn  the more there is to learn.  The more time you spend on the learning the more precious what you get out of your toil is to you.  It is a wonderful spiral up!

I am reading...constantly...all day long most days as I work.  I want to slow that down and do some other things like see family and friends more.  Have some dinner parties, picnics and day trips and recreational time.  I want to go to some movies, San Francisco and enjoy being outside more.  I want to be better at saying you have done enough work this week.  Do something else for a change.  I want to plant my flowers.  I want to spend away time with Jim. Have some girl time.  I need that a lot.

From the kitchen...I'm thinking about dinner..it is not going to be gourmet today! Left-overs probably.  

Some spiritual thoughts I have been having...I am happy about the principle of eternal families because it sure has been lonely without the kids lately.  We miss the littles and the bigs a lot.  It seems like a really weird way to live sometimes.  All scattered all over living separate lives.  There's an isolation in that that is hard to describe.  At least it is that way for the parents who think about all of them day and night.  I wonder if our Heavenly Father feels the same way about us?  I have a feeling He might.

I am hearing...The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.  So pretty!

One of my pleasures...I like to listen to music videos on YouTube sometimes at night.  It can really takes you back to the good old days.  Fun and entertaining.  Music is an expression of what feelings sound like.

Pet Peeves...People that park in our drive way and block me from getting out.  That makes me absolutely stark raving mad.  I know I have said this before but it still bugs the heck out of me.  It is like someone parking right across your drive way entrance so you cannot get in or out.  The height of being inconsiderate and lazy.  Argh!  I don't mind parking down on the street if I don't have $200 worth of groceries to carry in.  I hate to say it but it's always men!  (Never David though!)  If women park there it is different because they are coming to see me or we are going somewhere together.  But the men.....!!!!

I am quoting...Pinterest. 

If I could change one thing it would be...See Pet Peeves!

An enjoyable movie/ TV show we have watched lately...Philomena! Have you seen it?  Oh my goodness! Sad, poignant, thought provoking.

I am curious about...how all my favorite people are doing?  Missing them all a lot today.  Hoping they are happy, healthy and doing well.

Plans for the rest of the week...Tomorrow going to work on my Swedish genealogy if I feel energized in the morning and hopefully get some flowers to perk up the yard.  Weekend is open.  Wow, I can see I have been climbing a hill for awhile and got to the top on Tuesday night after I finished teaching my third class in less that 10 days...I didn't look down the other side of that hill yet apparently.  I had a dental appointment today and some follow-up work to do on my classes.  

Not much to report right now for the coming week.  One thing though is getting my Easter stuff all put away and now giving the cottage decorator a big break until next October when we start it all over again with Autumn. I am ready for a break.  And of course it is time to pay bills again. Sigh...

  

One of my favorite things...seeing Jim outside working again.  Shorter hours but he is happier, me too.  Being healthy is such a good thing.

One thing that made me so happy this past week..A lovely picnic with our friends Maureen and Doug.  They brought it here and we ate out by the pond in our backyard.  Gorgeous day.  It was just like when my cousin came with his wife a few weeks ago.  A lovely restful time with another couple.  I am a fan of just two couples or any two friends they don't have to be couples.   It allows you to have a more meaningful conversation.  That is nice.  That is one of the nicest things you can do for someone recovering from a big surgery when they are almost better but not quite up to going out to restaurants or driving a lot.  I will be doing this for people in future.  More fun than I would have imagined.

The most surprising thing this past week...last night someone broke into two cars on the Temple grounds with people and security all around.  Gutsy and sad for the people that came out of the temple to find shattered glass all around their vehicles.  The cars were parked in plain sight from the visitors center.  Double Gutsy!

Some photos I am sharing this week...My favorite little place near home where no one ever seems to go when we are there.  It is drop dead gorgeous this time of year as you can see.

The red bush,  the mustard, and 

the greens are just breathtaking!

I love this place.  It is right near Mt. Diablo

UNTIL THE NEXT DAYBOOK,
 BE HAPPY AND CARRY ON!

❤♡♥♡❤♡♥♡❤♡♥s, Bon

Watching for the Miracles

I believe that one of the ways to increase our faith is to watch for the miracles in our life.  I also think it is one of the best ways to teach our children and grandchildren about faith.  Their prayers and then the miracles that follow need to be pointed out to them so they realize there are no coincidences where miracles are concerned.  Our Heavenly Father and Savior love us individually and are actively present in our lives.

Miracles happen everyday and often they go unnoticed without the proper amount of gratitude attached to them.  Today I woke up feeling positively wonderfully well!  That is a miracle and I am thankful for it.  Since the week after we got home from our nearly five week long trip to the east coast I have been having some health issues involving a medication I had been taking for a couple of decades.  Out of the blue I had an allergic reaction that was pretty scary with quite a bit of facial swelling going into my throat.  The doctors were confounded by it.  The first miracle was I have a new doctor and she is amazing.  When she was at a loss for what to do as my condition worsened, she consulted a regional allergist.  Her ego did not get in the way of my treatment.  Miracle!

The b/p medication I had been taking was a compound drug and the allergist looked at my chart over the internet and knew immediately I should stop taking that drug after all those years, as allergies can develop at anytime with one of the drugs in it.  Another miracle, someone from several cities away could help me quickly, as each day the situation was worsening and my airway was in danger.  The very next day after I stopped it I saw a huge improvement.  Another miracle.  Time was of the essence at that point.

 Four days later not a trace of the facial/neck swelling remained.  Miracle!  My doctor has put me on a different medication.  I noticed a few days later that I was getting a lot of lower extremity swelling from water retention.

 Long story short the new medication was not working for me.  When I went in my b/p had skyrocketed  to dangerous levels.  It is a miracle that I went in.  Since I have had this new doctor I have been to the doctor more than I have been in years.  She knew exactly what I needed and for two days I have been on some very strong meds. Guess what?  Miracle!

Today I woke up and felt phenomenal for the first time in a long time.  Sometimes you don't know how badly you were feeling until it is over.  B/p is 128/78 this morning.  My head is clear, my vision is crystal clear, headache is gone and swelling in my legs and feet is almost gone and I lost several pounds of water.  Miracle!!   This has not been a pleasant experience but it has nonetheless been a miracle.  I have thought of many aspects of the silver lining in this cloud.

Who knows how long this has been brewing having taken this medication for over 20 years.  The fact that this did not happen on our vacation...simply a miracle!  I cannot tell you how thankful we are to have not had to look for help and hang out in a hotel for days.

The fact that it happened right now when we are home and not traveling was perfect.  I am leaving in a few weeks to go to an important Conference I have been looking forward to for the entire year.  By then I will feel confident that all is under control.  Tender mercy and a miracle.

When you have an experience like this one you begin to appreciate the things you take for granted.  Like medication that helps you, something as simple as having the b/p machine at home and being able to monitor your progress without having to run to the doctor everyday.  No headache.  No swelling.  No fatigue.  Enthusiasm for the new day.  Miracle!   These are all the things that are absent when you are sick and they become all the sweeter when you are well.  That is an amazing blessing.

If we never had the trials how could we appreciate the absence of them?  Our trials help us to know and to see that we are not alone, the Lord is by our side.  We have tremendous support from Him, our families and our friends.  That is a miracle worth noting and praising God for all the time.

I apologize for talking health issues (so like an old person) but I thought it was a good example of how the Lord works in our lives, in miracles in the big and small things all the time.  Each and every single time something like this happens we need to sort it out and realize everyday miracles get us through this life one day at a time.  If we think we are somehow in charge or that these things are a coincidence, we are only kidding ourselves and robbing ourselves of the great joy of our faith in a Father that loves us and cares for each of us. 

I am thankful that I feel better than I have in so long I cannot remember and that I know where that healing and energy and renewal comes from.  I am not feeling old, I just wasn't feeling well over a long time.   66 is not young but it is not old either!  (My new paradigm)  Another Miracle!  So I feel new hope for more health in my future.  That is the biggest miracle of all.

Photos from Pinterest and Google images

Celebrating my miracles today with you my friends, thanksgiving and some beautiful flowers created by God~Major Miracles in and of themselves.

Love to you all....Bonnie

Sustaining Healthy Habits

Google images

Well, here we are a few days into the New Year and I am finally getting my current act together. I say current as I seem to always be reinventing "my act." You know how it is, "The best laid plans of mice and men," as Steinbeck once said. They say (whomever they are) that a good song needs a great "hook line," something catchy and easily remembered...something that makes the song stick.

I think good habits must be that way. You have to know what does and does not work for you. After scrutinizing all aspects of exercise and what I stick to, walking is my best option for success. My struggle is making it my choice on a daily basis.

I am not a gym person, I am not an exercise equipment person, I am not a yoga person. I am just a person who wants to be more fit, with what the daily minimum requirement standards extract from me, and I want to enjoy what I am doing. I am not out to prove anything to myself or the world, not interested even slightly in a marathon, half-marathon, mini-marathon, nope...none of the above. Just want to get a little stronger, a little more flexible and work the heart ever so slightly more than the computer allows in a physical way.

I am also not into group exercising. I know, I am pretty particular. The reason I don't like it is I don't want someone else setting my pace or waiting for me to catch up with them. And I don't want a gab fest either. Remember this is tiring to an introvert, not energizing. (If you are interested in an excellent article, read about extroverts and introverts here:

http://tinyurl.com/82h44yw

I just want to do the job, get it done and use that time to contemplate, pray and plan my day, projects, etc. Sometimes I just want to ponder and listen to music and I do not want to have a set time scheduled with another person, so I am best on my own. I just need that flexibility.

So here is the problem that all those conditions seem to place on my doing it all the time. After awhile I lose interest or motivation and then it is so easy to let other things smother the desire to make it a consistent effort. I hate that I am that way, but I am. I want to be like Jim and just do it rain, shine, sweltering heat, wind, sleet or snow. Out he goes. No excuses, no internal conflict, he just goes! I want this kind of discipline in this area of my life but I am beginning to wonder if it will ever come. But I will never give up trying. My spirit is struggling to do what is right, but my flesh is my weakness.

One thing I think helps is to realize that exercise is exercise and it doesn't have to be a 'put your stylish jogging suit and special walking shoes and sweat like crazy before your shower' type of thing. Exercise is moving with a little more effort than just strolling along for a sustained period of 30, 45 0r 60 minutes a day. That is it. Why is this so dang hard? I hate that thing that pulls me in the opposite direction of what is smart and good and best for me, don't you?

So here is what I have come up with to make this new effort more fun I am taking my iPhone/camera with me and snapping at least one picture a day of something I find interesting along the way. The first day I went to the mall to walk and I found some funny photos. Here is one I found in a store front window.

The caption is:
Walking is not on sale, it is free!
A little kitschy but it's a mall after all.

So since the photo ops are a little scant in the mall, I thought perhaps a neighborhood walk would work. So the next day I got this: I walked with Jim in the neighborhood. Here is my photo.

Here is my caption:
Solitude deceptive in this photo,
a neighbor behind every bush wanting to chat.
Set new rules regarding spousal walking...
No cell phone conversations please.

I think today I will try the mall again. Less beautiful but more fruitful-Day 1

Lovely outside, covered virtually no ground, like maybe an eighth of a mile. Saw and chatted with nice people. Spent some fun moments with James, a big plus. Nice, but not on target. Day 2

Day 3 yet to be seen but in the works. Wish me luck. A thousand mile's journey starts with one step. Or, so they say! My hook...the pictures. Know thyself and carry on.

When Bad Things Happen To Good People...

This is my brother, Steve. He was diagnosed with cancer in the beginning of the summer. He is fighting a very courageous battle and he is my hero! He has gone through lots of testing and now chemo and it is not been a walk in the park. It has been hard on everyone to watch him go through this. But he has kept his fantastic sense of humor and good will through it all, buoying us all, isn't that the way most of the time? He wears a yellow wrist band that says Lance Armstrong on it, they share the same cancer. Fortunately the chemo has an 85% chance of arresting the cancer! Of course those are incredibly good odds and we are sure praying for that.

His wife, Emily, has been positively amazing in her support and love and I adore her for a lot of things but now adding this to my list~I wouldn't trade her for the world. She is a blessing to all of us, especially Steve at this time.


So we have lots of faith that things will be looking up soon, but today he is starting his 4th round of chemo and he is very eager to be done with it. So please, if you might just say a little prayer for him today and through this week we would be so grateful.

Because when bad things happen to good people our prayers can make all the difference. It might give him that little edge he needs to get through it easier. It might lift his spirits enough to make him worry less. It might make him feel less sick for the next three weeks! We never know what the outcome of our prayers will be but we do know this. Our God is a loving Father, He listens to and answers every prayer and He has the ultimate power to change the course of things if it is part of the plan for his child. What more could we ask for than that?

I love my brother with all my heart and I am thankful for a faith in Christ that sustains me and all of us that are close to Steve and to the Savior during this difficult time. It is nice to know we are not alone when we have a community of believers that lift up fervent prayers when someone is in need. There is so much peace to be had even in times such as these. It reminds me of the poem Foot Prints~through prayer He will always carry us when we need Him. I know this is true because I have personally experienced it so many times.

Fall Down Seven Times~Get Up Eight

"Begin by standing on a comfortable surface, where you have plenty of room at each side. With a 5-lb potato bag in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides and hold them there as long as you can. Try to reach a full minute, and then relax. Each day you'll find that you can hold this position for just a bit longer. After a couple of weeks, move up to 10-lb potato bags. Then try 50-lb potato bags and then eventually try to get to where you can lift a 100-lb potato bag in each hand and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute. (I'm at this level.)
After you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each bag."

This was sent to me by my friend, David, and I really identify with this. Exercise is not my favorite thing..in fact, it doesn't even come close to being on my list of things I like to do or want to do. I do not know how to change my paradigm about this, so I have to come up with some way of out smarting my likes and dislikes button, long enough to do it anyway.

Don't tell!

These are some little known facts about me. I hate to touch a dead chicken while cooking, I cannot stand to go a day without washing my hair, and I don't enjoy sweating...not a lot, not even a little, not even one droplet. I don't want to walk up a mountain trail to see the wild flowers...you go and show me your pictures. There are plenty of beautiful flowers at sea level. I hate climbing stairs and I am not running anywhere unless a bad person is chasing me with a butcher knife. Horseback riding scares the he** outta me and I don't do swimming suits.

Seriously, there is not a ball on this planet that I feel like running after and bending over to pick up, throwing, hitting, batting, kicking or falling in a heap with other people piled on top of me to get to it first. I don't like heights, high speeds, cliff hanging while someone holds my rope, and I really hate carrying heavy stuff or carrying my clothes, bed, and day's meals on my back. Whaa?

I cannot breathe when I jump around doing aerobics it hurts my knees, feet, and pride. And I don't do gyms, or watching women, size 2, sweating and complaining about their BMI, their heart rate or their kick boxing guru. And I never ever do naked outside of my own house and even there it is guarded. And lastly, my behind is way too big for a bike seat but my husband tells me real bikers don't sit anyway....what?? Are you kidding me?

So you get my big, fat, lazy picture, don't you? It is okay if you don't like me anymore and feel sorry for my handsome, beautifully fit and athletic husband. I'll join you in a moment of feeling sorry for him and a moment of silence on his behalf. (Paauusse....)

My worst nightmare immortalized
forever in stone for all to see~

A...big, fat, ugly,
helplessly naked woman
has fallen and she can't get up!

He needs and deserves so much better. So I have to overcome my "natural self" and give this poor man something fun to fantasize about~ a fit and healthy wife. He is retired now and he has to want to spend his twilight years with a better me. But even more than that, I want to get healthy to protect myself against the losing battle of getting old, at least enough to die with some dignity.

I don't want to wonder and worry if they have even make size 5 X Depends, or be worrying about some stranger, or even worse someone I know, God forbid, wheeling me into a walk in shower 3 times a week in an assisted living 'arrangement!' You know how I can't stand being dirty, naked, or pushed around.

I want to be able to do these things for myself. I don't want to be a burden to our beautiful children who already have enough and to spare on their own plates. I want them to get a phone call one day that lets them know that their mother died quietly and peacefully with a smile on her face, in her sleep, after a long and wonderful day of doing fun things with their dad. And I want everything to be taken care of in advance so all they have to do is show up at the funeral, where they will vow and covenant to each other to honor my last wishes of being true and faithful to God, and close to each other until they see me again..

Now I may not be so fortunate as to have my final curtain call be that perfect, but I do know that today is the day I have to start working harder to try to prevent the other options.

One thing is for sure, we will all see the Second Coming of Christ. It may not be the big group event we always think of, but it will be us meeting Him face to face and whether alone or in a crowd it really doesn't matter. We just have to be ready. Or at least be seriously on the path.

I'll tell you how I am trying to change my paradigm around exercising. It will be short, I promise. And unfortunately, not very amusing. But that is real life after all, isn't it? I am buying some new walking shoes this very week and I am taking the Weight Watcher Challenge to train for 6 week to possibly "do" a 3 k walk in May.

Actually knowing me as I do, that last sentence was pretty amusing after all. But I learned that the more you fail and try again the better your chances of actually succeeding one day. Who knew? So I'm in....! Do you think I can do it? Faith precedes the miracle.

Fall Down Seven Times...
Get up Eight!

Show Some Love To Your Heart

"Be Sweet~Studies have shown that dark chocolate may help keep high blood pressure down, your blood flowing, and your heart healthy. Some say it even mimics the feeling of being in love. Still moderation is advised.

Move To the Beat~Grab a partner and do some fancy footwork. Any activity that gets you moving~like dancing or walking~can help increase blood circulation, reduce stress, and protect your heart.

Do Your Thing~Activities like painting, WRITING, yoga and meditation can help slow your heart and breathing rate and lower your blood pressure, all of which are good for your body and your heart." Sent to us this week by our health care provider, Kaiser Permanente.

Well, I found this very exciting. For so many years all we have heard is eat right and exercise for your heart. Of course those are essential but I love that the health care community is recognizing things like writing, and following your interests that are not aerobic are also ways to help you heart stay healthy. It made me feel good to know that this week the only thing on here I didn't do was eat dark chocolate! I think I can fix that today :-). Last night our ward had a family dance. It was really fun and I did the twist and some other dancing with Jim.

I think when we look at our health in a holistic, full body and lifestyle way, we can feel pretty good about what we do. It if is just about aerobics, well...I cannot feel as good about the changes I am making all the time to be more healthy. But I am working on it. You just cannot compartmentalize a human being. All of it matters and we are all doing good things and making an effort to live a good, healthy life if we are trying and moving forward. It is nice that the big picture is now being considered!

And I am thrilled to have it recognized that writing is good for the body and the soul! WooHoo!

Blogging on over here!
♥ your heart!

Come Walk With Me...

I ♥ hanging baskets of flowers from beautiful lamp posts!

I have been making an effort to get out walking everyday for 45 minutes to an hour. I struggle with this for a few reasons. One is a knee that doesn't like pain, another is I am not the gym type or a person who loves to run the track or jump on the treadmill. I don't like sweat much either. I don't mind working hard, I just don't like the sweat. I don't wear spandex...I could go on and on. I know myself pretty well. I get bored easily with the same old routines. But I still want to get some exercise for good health and fitness.

So this past week or so I have been trying to come up with five different walks that I really enjoy. Some of the more remote places I would love to walk will wait for when Jim can go with me in just a few weeks. Yesterday I did a long rather taxing walk and so today I knew I had to rest my knee a little so this is where I went. My goal was a lot of steps but not to kill myself. Don't they always say start out slow (again) and work into it?

I am a totally visual person so I wanted to go someplace where I could see some beauty all around me.

Come walk with me...we're in Walnut Creek.

This is the prettiest little town and the
flowers are gorgeous and abundant.

There is no evidence of the recession
in this town whatsoever.

It is like a little trip to an adult
Disneyland
where all is well for everyone.

No body is sick, out of work, sad or suffering.
Everyone is smiling.

No one is lonely or hungry.

No one is rushing~just enjoying themselves.
You can pretend you are not exercising,
just out and about soaking up the sun.

You can even take a detour and stroll quickly
(is that an oxymoron?) through here,
just like the joggers running in place
at the street crossings...
you just have to keep moving.

This is truly not shopping because you cannot
buy anything you are just looking and moving...

And day dreaming at a fast clip!

And picnicking in your mind...

And planning a fun BBQ.

And before you know it your hour has
elapsed and you have had a lovely time
in a lovely fantasy place where
everyone is rich and beautiful and happy
without a care in the world.

And you realize that even if you are none of those things, that the things that were the most exciting were the beautiful art work of the Lord, his luscious little flowers in every color of the rainbow, the gleaming sunshine, the beautiful fresh air and the bright blue sky. You feel invigorated, refreshed and you can hurry home and check off the box that says 'exercised today!'

And you are thankful for the body you have been given that allows you to move and enjoy this beautiful earth in your own unique way. And that you have taken time to help it be more healthy and powerful just for today. Tomorrow you will be up and at it again. Baby steps one day at a time....you can do it!

That's what works for me anyway.
Thanks for coming with me.

Home Safe Home!

A Quote by Janice Taylor from Our Lady of Weight Loss

"Yay HALLOWEEN is over
and the candy is gone, right?!!! :)

Good, because that leads me to my number one rule
- THE MOST IMPORTANT tip -
when it comes to Permanent Weight Loss...

Make your home your safe haven!

Truly, if you can't relax and be away from temptation
in your own home,
how you gonna' make it?!"

Good Question!

Lanette's Healthy Life Blog

If you haven't been to Lanette's Blog lately and you should stop by. For Christmas Dave gave her a little video recorder and she has been making some wonderful videos that are very inspiring if you want to be loss weight, be more fit and/or healthy. Lanette lost 65 pounds on the Weight Watcher Program two and a half year ago and turned her life around with exercise. She is a certified personal trainer and was selected as Weight Watcher Leader of the Year in our entire region in 2008.

In her blog she shares what makes her tick, what motitves her and how she has made this journey to better healthy living. She is dedicated to helping others in all things healthy. Her little video segments are short and to the point. Her enthusiasm is contagious! Don't expect a glossy Hollywood production just something that is real, relevant, and from the heart and totally inspiring. Thanks Lanette!

Priorities, Perennials and Pondering the Promise of More Than One Christmas

Yesterday I went to the doctor just for a regular check up and to discuss a plan for getting more healthy which translates to losing weight. I was dreading it but my health is better than I thought. I was worrying endlessly about my B/P and it was 130/70! It might help a lot if I went more regularly and thus avoided the unnecessary worry of the unknown. My doctor was very positive and uplifting. He told me not to be afraid to come in and to just think of him as my dojo not my doctor. Oddly enough that helped! Having someone to teach and not judge seems pretty cool.

Losing weight has been weighing on my mind (no pun intended) for about a half a century, so I decided to make this coming year (starting today) one where I will make getting healthier my #1 priority. If I don't make it my number 1 thing, than life happens and something else will always get in my way. The voice of experience, here.

So on with the weight loss, you know the routine, healthy food choices, portion control, patience, tenacity, never giving up. The E Word, moving more and being consistent in exercising, which is my big one. OK, so right after the renewed hope that making a commitment engenders, I went to the grocery store and bought some things I would be needing on this all too familiar venture. Never, Never, Never give up, right Winston?

All of a sudden I looked up at the check stand and saw the above magazine. Drop 47 pounds by Christmas! Always looking for the short cut, I said, "Awesome, sign me up immediately as long as it doesn't involve the amputation of a limb!" It just occurred to me they say drop...but we all intrepret it as lose. So I just have to add in here, that I also don't want to drop my little three-year-old granddaughter, Chloe, who probably goes about 47 lbs. But it does sound like the only surefire way to be droppin' me any 47 pounds by Christmas. But still I maintained my faith!

I had to have the magazine, especially when I read the headline at the bottom left of the cover. Oops! I Got Skinny! Natalie Lost 60 Pounds By Avoiding Pesticides. They had me at "Hello" on that one! Off I went with my celery sticks and cottage cheese and the magazine with the hidden secrets~just think~a new me by Christmas! Ahhh, if only life worked like that...

The part they left out was WHICH Christmas!

Realistically and Hopefully 2010!

A better plan might be to follow the guidance and direction of my good friend, personal trainer and Weight Watcher instructor, Lanette. She lost 65 pounds a few year ago and has maintained that loss consistently since then~ which is the true test. Today I am featuring her Healthy Life Blog for your reading enjoyment and possible addition to your Google Reader. Even if you don't need to lose 47 pounds by Christmas like I do~you will find some amazing tips and things to ponder in Lanette's corner of the blogsphere. Check it out, leave a comment and tell her I sent you over! It is hard to maintain a niche blog when you don't get comments. She does this for all of us~she already knows all about healthy living. Thank you, Lanette, for doing the research, getting the education, setting the example and being willing to share!

It's a good thing these babies are perennials!

Two years from this Christmas I'll be saying,

"Oops I Got Skinny!"

Natalie's got nothing on me!

I'm Baaaaack!

I saw this thing about exercising in an e-mail and thought it was good
Unfortuately I could identify........

"I feel like my body has gotten totally out of shape,

so I got my doctor's permission to join a fitness club and start exercising.
I decided to take an aerobics class for seniors.
I bent, twisted, gyrated, jumped up and down, and perspired
for an hour. But, by the time I got my leotards on,
the class was over!"

Getting back in the saddle again! The never-ending, never-ending quest for the new me!!

The "E" Word

The Importance of Walking

"Walking can add minutes to your life. This enables you at 85 years old to spend an additional five months in a nursing home at $7,000 plus per month. All this allows you to spend down your children's inheritance in the lap of luxury and leisure. My grandpa started walking five miles a day at 60. Now he is 97 years old and we don't know where he is. I really like long walks, especially when they are taken by people that annoy me. The only reason I would take up walking is to hear heavy breathing again. I have to walk early in the morning before my brain figures out what I am doing. I joined a health club last year and spent about 400 bucks. Haven't lost a pound. Apparently you have to actually go there for the benefits!The advantage of exercising daily is that when you die someone will pass by your coffin and say, "Wow, she looks good, doesn't she?" I know I got a lot of exercise these past few years just by getting over the hill. We all get a lot heavier as we get older because there is a lot more information in our heads and so much more love in our hearts." Author unknown.

OK, Lanette, I'm on it! But you better say I look good when you walk by my............OK, I'm out the door! I am committing to early mornings before it gets too hot ( and my brain won't know what I am doing.) Celebrating 30 years of no air-conditioning over here!

~Too Hot to be Cool~
Or is it
~Too Cool to Be Hot~
Well, it's one of those anyway.....