Getting Healthy

I finally woke up and decided that I'm tired of feeling blah!  So over the past few months I've been making small changes to get back on track to being the healthiest I can.  So, what have I learned so far.

Baby steps are still forward steps.  It's not how fast you propel yourself forward just that you do.

Feeling good - feels good.  Seems kind of obvious but I get in to a rut and stop doing things that make me feel good.  Suddenly I'm in that downward spiral - I feel to bad to do something that feels good and.....

Too much good food is still too much.  Portions, portions, portions

That I really have more time in my schedule than I claim to have.  I just need to add things to my to do list and the next thing I know they fit in my schedule.  I'm one of those crazy list makers that needs to check things off as I go.  It makes me feel better.  So do colorful charts and cute stickers.  My inner six year old is showing.

I need to surround myself with like minded individuals.  I need active, health conscious people in my life.  We motivate each other.  Switching balance groups because of HIM was a gift.  The other group is active - walking the walk and talking the talk.  It makes me want to do better.  There are a few runners in the group.  I've never run before.  But, some of the races have a walking component.  It's a start.  And my goal - to have my family start the New Year at the Chilly Chili Race.  A 5K.  Four men in their nineties ran it this year.  What's my excuse?

I read an article Friday about a women who ran the Hawaii marathon at age 92.  The oldest woman to run a marathon.  At age 84 she was watching the race and said, "I want to do that."  She went on to do that four times.  She walks 50 miles a week.

I read an article in Newsweek over vacation.  A man learned to read and write when he was in his early nineties.  Now he has his first published book.

Healthy does not mean losing weight.  Weight loss may come with getting healthy but that is not the goal. 

So what have I done so far...

reading more and playing on the computer less
signed up for "school"
changed tampons
started walking again
went to the chiropractor and followed his advice
started my food journal - again
started penciling in dates with friends more frequently
keep a dream journal
less coffee and more tea
added stretches to my daily routine
let go of.........
pray for bio

and a whole host of other little things

Slowly, my energy is coming back.  Ah, what a lively journey this is.

Trouble in Paradise & tales from AZ (3 notes)

Bio signed up for a second facebook account.  She's using my hubby's last name for this one.  {I find that really irritating.}  She claims it's because her class reunion is coming up (in 2014) and she wants to make sure her classmates can find her.  But, truth be told - and she does sorta mention it when pushed - she doesn't have enough friends playing games on FB to advance her castles and what have you enough. 

I'll confess I did play A game on FB for a while.  I needed a stress reliever and my daughter asked if I would play with her.  She soon lost interest and I kept playing for a while.  I have since blown up my game and have not joined in any others,

Bio plays lots and lots of games.  Enough that son said it was a bazillion.  Youngest was playing with her for a while.  It was a connection to bio.  But, as no conversation occurs between the two of them that novelty soon fizzled and her games go abandoned.  It took youngest about two weeks to get bored. 

This game playing makes Leroyhesnotblack (LHNB) very unhappy.  He has lost his wife to FB games. And to show his dissatisfaction he unfriended bio. Ah, poor dumb sap.  Hubby complained years ago that she was on the computer too much.  Source of many arguments.  Son at age 6 tried to cut the phone lines so bio would stop playing on the computer and pay attention to him.  And the complaints go on.

Bio is convinced that LHNB is a big meannie.  She has oldest believing the same.  Because bio has been unlucky in love - she has bad mouthed the entire male species and convinced oldest that all men are awful.

Oldest's boyfriend went from being complicated to broken up.  Hmm!  Go figure. 

I write this tale because at one time I would have found it funny;  in a sick sense of the word.  But, now I just feel bad that my daughter is wrapped up in this middle school drama with a couple close to 50 y/o and really is the adult in the whole situation.  Oldest has a big heart especially where bio is concerned and she feels the need to care for bio.  So prayers for the whole bunch of them.

On another note:  Oldest turns 19 next week.  She had asked for jeans and socks for Christmas.  And now she's asking for t-shirts.  So, the other night I headed to the store with youngest - coupons in hand.  We find six cool t-shirts.  A range of colors and sleeve lengths.  They were on sale or clearance.  The clerk gave me the Tuesday discount for bringing my own bag.  It brought my total a few cents below my cash rewards card.  I handed over my coupon - she handed me the shirts.  She also asked for a CD.  It was one hubby bought me on vacation.  I made a quick copy of that and printed out a label.  I wrapped it up with a card and for the price of shipping she has a lot of presents.

Next note:  When our oldest son (OS)  graduated from high school I made him a cookbook of favorite family recipes.  I also included family addresses and a letter from me.  The other night he called hubby just to talk.  He didn't want anything.  Awesome!  In the midst of the conversation he told hubby he was making my cheesy beef pie and changing the ingredients up a bit. Wohoo!!!!!!   My cooking lessons have been rewarded.  It felt soooooo good to hear that.  You go OS!!!

How David Met Sarah

My friend Annie Kelleher wrote How David Met Sarah for her brother.  It's an amazing book.  You could earn a free copy.  Check out her blog and find out how.

Freedom

Last night son had his driver's test.  He was able to test on November first (after waiting the 120 days from passing his written permit test) but hubby dragged his feet on calling for an appointment.  I stepped out of this obligation.  He did great!  The guy giving the test even made a note of how great he did.  Wohoo!!!  I'm not sure who is more excited me or son.  He has a car thanks to oldest and after a call to the insurance agent this morning we will not have to drive him to work any more.  Yipee!

I know people who are reluctant to let their children drive.  And when they do get their license they only let them drive short distances - like the end of the driveway.  I am following in my parents footsteps on this one.  He will not be driving my car or hubby's truck.  He needed his own.  Oldest needed her own.  And they pay for the insurance.  But, they will never learn how to drive or find places if you don't let them go it alone.

So, I will never be sitting in a car reading my kindle in my pj's in front of the Log House Resturant again - unless youngest gets a job there.  But, that is a few years away. 

Changing it Up

We learned early on in our marriage that if the kids told bio where we were going she would bad mouth it so much the kids didn't want to go.  So, vacations have been a big secret. They are given a packing list and the dates.  This drives son absolutely crazy.  He really NEEDS to know what to expect.  He needs a routine, a plan - something. 

Last year after our trip to the mountains in Virginia son expressed an interest in doing something similar North - maybe Vermont he said.  I took that to mean he liked the mountains and hiking.  And wherever we go he wants their to be an Army Navy store. 

So this year as I sat down with the calender to plan vacation around my advanced herbal training I discovered two spots available through our time share in Northern Maine.  And, I pulled out the map and showed son and youngest and asked what they thought.  Jackman or Island Falls.  Son thought Jackman sounded like it would have an Army Navy store. Youngest thought Island Falls sounded like it would have beautiful waterfalls.  As this will probably be son's last vacation with us I started with his choice.

He will be a senior next year.  He turns 18 next December and if his plans go the way he has mapped them out he will be leaving for Marine boot camp as soon as he graduates.

His choice had one bedroom and a pullout couch in the living room.  Island Falls had three bedrooms.  Island Falls it is.  It is 8 hours from here - a good 4 hours North of Portland.  It's in between Baxter State Park and New Brunswick, Canada.  Now the planning begins. And the calm son imparted in knowing made my decision to include them right.

Youngest was really hoping for North Carolina though when you ask her what is there she just shrugs.  When I explained it was son's last vacation with us and that we could look into her choices in the years to follow she was satisfied.  She will have at least three vacations with us after this year.  Though I suspect she may have many more than that.  We shall see.

New Year's Day

Linear time has flipped a page from 2011 to 2012.  I feel so out of sinc with linear time.  Many see this day as a time to wipe the slate clean and make resolutions to improve themselves in some way.  I have long since stopped making New Year's resolutions.  And I feel we can never wipe the slate clean, but I have learned /am learning to make peace with my past.

I am on a continuous journey to improve.  But, as I see improvement it is for each of us to lead our authentic life.  To be in touch with who we really are and live in that truth.  So often we don hats that do not fit us.  I know I tried on the ones that would please my parents, my friends, my boyfriends.  They would be to tight or big or just plain uncomfortable.  It is when I had the courage to step out in the hat I chose for myself that life just felt right.  And as I grow and learn my hat changes with me.  It has a new stitch there and slight embellishment here.  I see something new emerging in the weeks and months ahead.  Ah, what will it look like.

I have chosen many roles in life - wife, mother, student, employee.  And sometimes my hat doesn't always fit those roles perfectly.  I need to integrate my choices with my authentic self.  Sometimes my authentic self needs to temper her tongue with kindness. And I have been making an effort to surround myself with people who support my authentic self, encourage and challenge it.  I have made an effort to let go of those things and people that do not nourish me in some way.

In 2011 a black cloud left.  Stress seeped from every pore.  I became calmer.  I was able to concentrate on my health (physically, mentally and spiritually).  I made changes.  Some were subtle shifts.  Some spanned great chasms.  I'm in a better place than I was a year ago.  I have many miles to go before I sleep.  And I look forward to the journey.

Win a Whimsy

Check out my friend Rose's blog - What I made today and enter to win one of her beautiful creations.
http://whatrosemadetoday.blogspot.com/2011/12/win-happy-2012-whimsy.html