Just 40 Days

 I know that writing is something that I like to do.  After doing it a while, I've learned that it is therapeutic for me.  I try to think up a topic, but today I've drawn a blank.

Just when I thought I was making real progress towards eventually running again, I walk in the hills of North Carolina and now my ankle is complaining. It's really bothering me. I think that all of the uneven terrain was too much for it.  And then I think it was good for it.  I was using my ankle in different ways, which will help make it stronger.  That's why I have awareness. The good thing is that it's less each day and it's making me do my exercises more often.  You see, I tend to forget to do the things that help me in my recovery when I'm pain free. Recovery is a work in progress - I have to work to get the progress.

Last Monday I headed south for a week of 'flexing' with the family.  The number on the scale is a little disappointing, up a little over a pound.  I was hoping to stay the same.  But with the two 10 hour  car trips with little activity and Thanksgiving fixings, it's not too bad. I did alot of walking three out of the four days I didn't spend in the car.  One of those days was mostly stairs on the way to 2280 feet of elevation on top of Chimney Rock Park.  Funny thing was going down the stairs was alot harder than going up!  My ankle has been complaining ever since. Got back on the Nutrisystem plan yesterday.  A lot less 'flexing' is in store for me.  December is packed with holiday parties, beginning this Friday when I host mine.  Everything in moderation. Nothing tastes as good as being healthy feels. I've got this!

Corner shelf of Santas and Nutcrackers It's the Sunday after thanksgiving...time to start decorating for Christmas! My watch says I have nearly 6,000 steps and I'm about halfway finished!  The tree needs some major fluffing before it can be decorated. I host an annual Ladies Night Out event on the first Friday of December so I have to complete the task of decorating by then.  Depending on the year, anywhere between 15-35 ladies come to exchange ornaments, eat, drink and visit.  We've been doing it for 27 years. I still haven't decided what I'm serving.  My guests expect a Reuben Dip so that's on the menu.  I will also have veggies and hummus to keep filled with fiber.  Desserts will vary as my guests tend to bring them. My boys raked the leaves and strung the lights on the house so all that is left is up to me.  I hope I don't procrastinate much!

I don't know about you, but driving calms me.  I think it's because I've gotten many miles in. Whether I was driving to and from Angola Indiana in the early 80's or home for the holidays from Pensacola, Virginia Beach or most recently, ten hours to North Carolina for a family getaway. This last trip there were three of us in the car.  We listened to an audio book on the way.  I highly recommend doing that. My 11 year old granddaughter picked out the book: I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest.  It did not disappoint!  It lasted 6 of the 9 or so hour trip.  The sky was blue and the traffic was pretty light.  I drove the entire way as my son Paul was afraid he would get a speeding ticket that he couldn't afford. As all of us are Michigan fans, we listened to THE game on the way home.  It was a pretty good story for about three hours, then, with one interception, it turned for the worse.  We were not very happy with the outcome.  But our ...

Broad River It's my fourth day of peacefulness in the mountains of North Carolina.  We celebrated thanksgiving yesterday with all of the trimmings.  Although I was missing my some of my family, Derrick was home with my dog Aiden and of course, Haylee in heaven,  my heart and my belly were full. North western Carolina is

State Park As our family gathering in the hills of North Carolina continues, we headed to capture the flag at the top of the mountain.  We walked up the steps to an elevation of 2280 feet.  We didn't all make it. Traveling with toddlers, Hayden 18 mos. and Skylar 3 1/2, Justine and Steve had to turn back halfway.  Paul, Carly and I continued to the top.  I found it much easier to go up the stairs then coming down.  I had to remove my progressive glasses to navigate the stairs as gravity wanted to help me get down from the mountain, It was a breath taking view, reminding me of how small I am.  It is good to be in nature, hear the sounds of the river, smell the woods all around, and appreciate what a wonder the United States of America is.

Chimney Rock NC

Three Generation Road Trip Blue skies, fall colors, an audio book and ten hours in a car; road trips don't get much better.  We're driving from Ohio to North Western North Carolina for a week of relaxation and Thanksgiving holiday with family.

Total loss of 15 pounds. Two months ago I made a decision to invest in myself.  I set a goal to lose 50 pounds before spring.  I weigh in on Monday mornings and once again, the scale did not disappoint.  I'm down another pound. I weighed nearly 210 pounds that day in September when I said enough was enough. It took a little while for me to decide on a plan of attack. I chose Nutrisystem, placed my first order and began their plan about 10 days later when the food arrived.  I've just finished my breakfast of pancakes, spinach and an egg.  I am full.  I will be leaving for Thanksgiving holiday with family in North Carolina.   I will not be following the NS plan exactly, having dinners on my own.  I'm not too worried as I've learned alot about myself and how the plan works.  Nothing tastes as good as feeling healthy.

Today my oldest granddaughter, Carly turns eleven.

My family is going through some growing pains.  As a mother, experiencing pains of her own, it's hard for me to watch my children go through theirs. It seems that all I can do is say:  I love you.  Or pat their hand and insist it will be okay. It's difficult for me, knowing that I cannot make it better; knowing that they have to go through this time and that they will be stronger because of it. I remember my own mother doing this for me.  It was thanksgiving of 1978 and I missed my ride home from college.  I called my parents and my mom said:  that sounds like a personal problem.  (WHAT!#@$)  I was shocked and thought:  you mean, you're not taking time and driving the 90 miles to come and get me? At that time, my parents had five children still at home and one car.  Of course no one was coming!  So I had to find my own way home.  It was an adventure and a learning experience I still have not forgotten.  I grew a lot...

I attended the funeral of a long time family friend.  He was nearly 70 years old and had heart issues for 50 of them.  His heart finely got the best of him,  but not before he give his heart to all. Life is hard.  Life is good.

I had a really good Tuesday, and it isn't over yet. I still have to get to the YMCA to teach my teen class. What makes Tuesday so terrific? Do we dread Mondays so much that Tuesdays are great by comparison?  Or is it just a good day! I know for me, Monday is my hardest teaching day.  I'm on my feet all day with Pre K - grade 2 students that I teach and then take to the gym for their physical education class.  That's eight classes in a row with children under eight years old! So in comparison, today's six classes were a piece of cake! 

My scale did not disappoint and continues to head in the right direction. I'm down another pound --- Yipppeee! The greatest part about this is that I'm no longer afraid that the number on the scale will begin with a two.  I am solidly in the 190s.  I believe this is a little less than the weight I was at before my first foot surgery in March of 2016. Recovery from that surgery restricted me to eight weeks of non-weight bearing mobility, followed by weeks in the boot. By the time I had the second surgery six months later, in September, I had gained twenty pounds. I could not afford do that again, so I joined a Group Lifestyle Balance plan and committed to a year of meetings.  I didn't gain any weight during that time which included the same non-weight bearing restrictions as the first surgery.  I am grateful for not gaining weight during that year but needed to do more.  That's when I made the decision and financial commitment to the Nutrisystem Plan....

Carly, Skylar & Hayden My grandchildren bring joy to my heart. I have three beautiful granddaughters. Carly is the oldest.  She will be eleven next week.  She is already taller than me and we wear the same size shoe.  She was a great helper this weekend with her younger cousins, Skylar and Hayden.  Each one of the girls have wonderful smiles and silly personalities.  They made me laugh with their goofiness and proud of how much they love each other.

It really is true.  You are what you eat. I've been eating better for more than six weeks now and I can tell.  I have more energy and less inflammation. My skin tone looks better and I have less bloat.  I've lost over twelve pounds and eight inches. I'm receiving compliments. These are all things that encourage me to keep eating more vegetables. I've got this!

I'm keeping my granddaughters from Indiana for the long weekend.  My favorite part of the drive to their house is a large windmill farm near the state border.  I began my drive after dinner.  As I was approaching the border I realized  that now as daylight savings time is over, I would not be able to see the quiet giant windmills. It was pitch black the entire drive. Soon I began to notice a few unusual (to me) red lights in the horizon.  They were flashing in unison.  I wondered to myself, could it be the windmills?  Soon there were more and it was beautiful!  I knew it was the favorite part of my journey and it did not disappoint.  I'm so glad I got to see it!  Thank you clean energy!

Haylee's old car I've been debating on whether to write about this here.  It is what is on my mind and writing is therapy for me.  So here goes it: Last night, my phone rang at 3:30 a.m. It's hardly ever a good thing when the phone rings in the middle of the night.  The phone call is usually about a family member; someone was hurt, died or had a baby.  Haylee used to call when she got off her shift from work.  She was awake and would just want to talk. I sure do miss those calls now. Anyway, the call I received was from my oldest son.  He hit a road construction sign on and totaled his car.  Thankfully, he was not hurt and no one else was involved.  It could've been a lot worse.  I'm thankful for that. The car was Haylee's old car, a 2001 Pontiac Vibe.  It's a mixed blessing; the vibe reminded others of Haylee and now it is gone. I pray that this incident will somehow turn out to be a positive in Derrick's life.  The great...

I am one of the lucky ones. I love vegetables, even more than I like fruit. Lately I've been eating the squash: acorn, butternut and spaghetti.  I like to bake them and warm up the house with heat from the oven and the aroma of something sweet. 

I have learned alot about myself in my over fifty years of life.  I know that I am kind and smart.  (or kinda smart!) I know that I can be argumentative.  I know that I love my family and chocolate. I learned alot about life too.  There are big things, like people, relationships and feelings.  And there are little things: everything else.  I don't like knowing that I'm not in charge but I like knowing that God has a plan for me.  One of the hardest things I've learned is that joy and sorrow are connected. I am an emotional eater.  That means, I eat when I'm happy, or when I'm upset.  Before I eat, I have to remind myself to think the last time I've eaten. Am I really hungry? I know that sometimes, I just want crunchy and salty.  Nothing else will do.  I know this about myself.  So I had to learn to measure out a serving size and savor every ounce of the one ounce serving for 140 calories...portion control is key.

Down 13 pounds! I don't follow the plan exactly, but I do the best that I can to incorporate everything I have learned to be healthy. I have definitely increased the amount of vegetables I consume.  I also eat when I'm hungry even if I have already reached the minimum calorie count on the Nurtrisystem plan. Portion control is key for me.  I'm from generation raised to eat everything on my plate.  I don't feel deprived. In fact, I have dessert most days.  I still meet with my friends for food and adult beverages one day each week.   Social events are important to my morale. My activity level has also increased.  Physical therapy has been helping in the recovery since my last surgery in September of last year.  I'm getting closer to being relatively pain free and hope to be running a 5K in the spring.  My feet are a major reason I need to lose weight. I am 5 foot 4 inches tall and have a goal weight of 150 pounds.  I have 44 poun...

Last night, we left daylight savings time and returned to standard time.  Most people think this is the night we are given an extra hour of sleep.  I will admit, I too, used to think of it that way.  Today, I think otherwise.  I went to bed at the same time I usually do and I woke up seven and a half hours later, like usual.  I have found that I have been given an extra hour of day. Time is relevant.  It is filled with moments to do whatever you want.  I want to be productive and take time for myself.  Enjoying all of the things around me.  Walking my dog and talking with my family. I'm missing my daughter Haylee alot more than usual today so I have to stay busy. 

I'm sure the reason that I love the colors of Autumn is because my mother did.  She always pointed them out and said how much she loved the changing colors of the trees and the red of the burning bushes.  She also loved sunflowers and forsythia in the spring. My mom was good at finding the beauty and goodness in the world. I know that I am like her in that way too.  I am also strong, independent, and opinionated like her.  Many think I look like her and that makes me happy.  I know that although we disagreed on many things, and my dad would say:  "You too are too much alike." I have always wanted to be like her.  I would say that my mom had eight children, and I only had four, but if I could be half as good as she was, I would be a good woman. Mom's birthday was on Halloween, she has been gone for nearly ten years now and I miss her most in Autumn.

Everyone needs support.  Family, friends, co-workers, and even strangers are probably struggling with things just as we are.  Many times, we don't want to admit it.  We want to be self-sufficient.  We want to be independent.  So why not offer a little encouragement to someone.  Pay a compliment to your neighbor. Or write a thank-you note to a friend.  A little goes a long way.

I had a stressful day yesterday...mostly due to my own way of thinking.  So after work, I took a cat nap before heading to the YMCA.  I try to workout before I teach my teen class.  I need to get back into the habit of working out more often...not just the days I have to train teens.  Working out is the greatest gift I give myself.  It's my stress reducer.  I turn the music loud and go.  If I'm there with a friend, we talk.  Talking about your day is another great stress reducer. Life is What You Make of It!

This picture is how many of my staff and I felt today.  Files and folders are missing.  No one knows how or why.  My stomach hurts from the stress of not knowing how to fix it right away.  I do not like the evil people that write malicious software.