First Full Day of Fall

So, the baby girl is away at college, the boulevard maples have already lost almost all of their leaves, giving us the fall color show in August and September instead of just starting now, I have finally cracked the eating and exercise code (with some help from the blogs I follow) for myself, and I decided to get back onto the writing portion of this blog, instead of just checking in on the ones that I follow.
Last weekend we enjoyed some time at our favorite B&B and found a nice wine bar - in July, I visited some Michigan wineries with a friend and learned I have a 2 winery (per day) limit. I have just learned about some Minnesota wineries I'd like to check out.
In August, I learned about something that I believe will change the face of energy production (go check out Daniel Nocera of MIT) and was inspired to study Organic Chemistry - just for the fun of it. Go figure! I have also been checking out some of the old "classics" (rhetoric, logic, etc) besides reading some fun stuff besides. Oh, and go see Food, Inc, and then locate a source for grass-fed beef. Read the Vegetarian Myth by Lierre Keith to see why you should be eating meat in the first place. :-)
My job continues to be finding joy, and I am getting very good at it. If you want to find out what I think is the key to solving the eating/exercise mystery, email me and I will certainly be happy to let you know. It is so simple that it is ridiculous that it took me 56 years to figure it out, or should I say - to remember!
Have a great fall!

Daylilies

The daylilies are blooming like mad, about 10 days or so ahead of their usual schedule. July is chilly so far, with a sprinkling of hot and humid - not much of that. Not bad, but it is surely weird to have to have a heavy sweatshirt zipped all the way up for a morning walk in July, as I had yesterday...today a long sleeved shirt sufficed.

Had a wonderful trip to Michigan wine country a week or so ago - and learned that I have a 2 winery limit. Lovely wines to try and buy - I needed a bigger vehicle! And only locked my keys in the car one time - on the one hot day so the top was up and I couldn't just crawl in to get them - figures. New rule - always carabinerize the keys to my belt loop BEFORE I get out of the car.

I am feeling really great these days. My new habit of walking first thing on days when I do not have sprints to do, followed by coffee and sudoku, suits me. I especially love getting out by 6:30, before the sun is high enough to get into my eyes. The world is especially beautiful then. My flowers are doing well, and need extra watering...not much rain in these part. I read yesterday that we are about a foot behind the typical rainfall amounts for this time of year. Yikes!

The windchimes sound good this morning - just a little breezy, unlike yesterdays gale force winds. Nice to be out on the deck...and those daylilies - I believe there are 5 times as many blossoms as we had last year. I love them - they are so easy. Just like the rest of my life. Easy and fun. How's yours?

After

Ahhhh....the big event is over - our daughter's grad party. Whew! Lots of prep for a possible big crowd. But the event turned out to be not so big and the weather was a big if. A few pavilions and the little bit of rain we did get was not a factor, thankfully! Kind of a small group of kids, but about 50 people over all, big enough for fun and small enough for lots of leftovers - oh great! ha ha ha

I am enjoying my sprinting sessions and the jump board on the reformer during my Pilates sessions. Feeling really nice and fit. Plans are now for a river cruise from Paris to Normandy and back next spring. Sounds like fun eh? That's what life is for, folks - lots of fun!!!

Have a wonderful day, week, month, life!

later

Perfect Morning

I am having a perfect morning. First, I got to sleep in an extra 30 minutes (got up a little after 6:30), then enjoyed a lovely cup of 1/2 decaf coffee, ran my sprints, jogged and walked another 20+ minutes, enjoyed a lovely iced coffee, colored my hair, took a bath, then a hot tub soak, then a hot/cold shower, another hot coffee, read a couple storied, enjoyed a lot of the above out on the back deck on a beautiful partly sunny, calm, 72ish morning.

Finally!

Here it is, June 11! I am finally able to enjoy my coffee on the deck on a sunny, calm morning! It has been a long time coming. I believe by this time last year, I had been out most mornings for at least a couple of weeks! It's good to see the sun out! The last 6 mornings have been dark. YEA!

So, an open day with a couple of errands - nice. I have 2 days of HIIT behind me already this week, one more to go, tomorrow. I feel really good! The bunnies are out in the back yard and the cottonwood "snow" drifts lazily by. It's nice to enjoy the relative quiet - oh a few birds singing accompanying a little distant traffic noise, but mostly quiet.

How's your day going?

I do want to make a "baffle" for the screen tent door so I don't have to zip and unzip...I don't know what happened to the old one - it was a few years old, so it needed to be replaced anyway. :-) One of the errands, today.

We have been wading through hundreds of unorganized pictures, looking for the gems for my daughter's grad party picture board. Oh my. How the house and yard have changed over the years, not to mention us! Wow. I am glad I appreciated my life all along, and continue to appreciate all I have attracted. Life is really good! REALLY GOOD!!!

Third rainy day in a row...

Oh sure - we need the rain, but still! Lucky for me, the weather does not control the way I feel! I do that. But I would be lying to say it doesn't have an impact!

Things are really green out there. The yard looks great - my daughter has successfully graduated, the party is in a couple of weeks, my birthday season is about done, but we are still in the middle of my girl friend's birthday season, so it's all good.

I am feeling well and healthy and fit and slim. I enjoy my free time and my busy time. The coffee tastes especially good this morning. And the gray skies still seem a bit strange after so many sunny days in a row! I believe the sun will be back tomorrow, though. Nice. Anyway, it's not the gray skies that are the problem, if you ask me - it is the sub 60s temps (with added wind) in June, for crying out loud. Let's have some summer weather, shall we?

Have a great June day, no matter what the weather!

Could It Be Any Better?

Of course it could - it will always get better and better. Doesn't mean I don't appreciate how "perfect" it already is. My two new red bud trees are waiting to get placed. The flats of impatiens are waiting to get potted. The hanging impatiens are waiting to get hung - I can't reach. Spring is greener and greener by the day, except for the pink and white blossoms popping up everywhere! What a glorious season it is.

I had a wonderful birthday/Mother's Day season - I am enjoying my life immensely. I feel so good. Ain't it great? I love my life! It's all good!

Greener

So there is a lot less tree in my backyard, after an amazing Saturday with crazy tree guys acting like Jedi acrobats. Lots of big pieces of it on the ground. It looks kind of embarrassed - a little naked, but definitely still there. I am so glad we decided not to take the whole thing down!

The rest of the yard is getting greener and greener. I do love Spring. The hot tub is empty, awaiting a dry day to move it to its summer home on the deck extension. It's just about time to get to the garden center to buy all the annuals, and maybe a red bud tree or two.

So, my daughter is now a certified adult. Both of my children aren't children anymore...of course, they will ALWAYS be my CHILDREN, but - well, technically, they are adults. I am trying to remember how it felt to turn 18 - and I can't get there. That's okay. I will do it again. Next life. Hmmm. Interesting thought, isn't it?

I feel terrific - my birthday is in a couple of days. My pal and I decorated the bulls for May Day, and that was fun. I am enjoying my little "toy computer," and really have gotten sucked in to Nevada Barr mysteries. Fun. Had a great early morning sprinting session with another pal, and am enjoying the benefits of carb cycling. Life is good!

I am beginning to feel a little more like the "empty nest" is going to have a bigger impact on me that what I had been thinking. But my daughter reminded me that we can have video chats with our new computers because of the built-in cameras. So that will be cool!

It's really all good. All is well. Life is good, and it is supposed to be good.

'Tis the Season

My actual birthday is not for another 10 days or so, but presents have already started arriving, so it must be my birthday season! I highly recommend that, by the way...having a birthday season, instead of just a day! I personally believe that I am just moving through time, and not aging, per se. The years of age is just a number and you are as young as you feel - really! It makes me smile to have a birthday season - especially in the best season of the year - Spring! The long slow rain yesterday has really greened up the joint and I am looking forward to the sun tomorrow - things will really pop! The crabapple trees and magnolia are already blooming in the neighborhood. Hooray! And Happy Birthday Season to me!

By the way, around here, birthday seasons used to last a month, but apparently they have expanded to 40 days. :-) Sounds good to me.

Just about 70 more to go!

Another gorgeous morning, with a 2 and 1/2 mile walk done, sun shining, light breeze, taxes done and in (of course, that was true yesterday, too), and it occurred to me, during my walk, that I have about another 70 more years to go! Think of all the walking, and reading, and basking, and enjoying, and traveling, and writing, and relaxing etc, etc, etc, there is in my future! Woohoo! It's an amazing thing to contemplate. How many more for you? You do have a goal age to achieve, don't you? And remember, you are not really aging, just moving through time and collecting those numbers. That's all they are, just numbers. It's fun to think about 70 more! :-) Seriously!

Could it be any more beautiful out there? Had a great dinner out last night with the whole family. Even shared a big, decadent slice of Red Velvet Cake with little chocolate straws and whipped cream, and a touch of cayenne. A teeny little touch. MMM-MMM Good! AND I still feel slim and trim this morning, as usual. It is really nice to enjoy a wonderful meal and dessert and feel good afterward.

Have finished my 6th William Kent Krueger mystery book, and have ordered the remaining 3 of his works through the library. Can't wait! His books are fabulous! Go read one! You won't be sorry, I promise.

Having a wonderful day, hope you are too.

Big Blue Hydrangea

Good morning! What a day! Already almost 60, nothing but sunshine out there, the taxes are done, a 2 & 1/2 mile walk completed, and the rest of the day is wide open. Lovely. Life is GOOD!

Beautiful vibrant daffodils and a great big blue hydrangea grace the kitchen table. So beautiful. The labyrinth needs some attention, but maybe not today. We'll see.

Hope you are having a great one too.
Onward and upward!

Yes!

Good morning. So it is not so sunny today, but we are coming off 6 spectacularly sunny days, working up to the low 60s! Fresh flowers on the table, an open day, some challenging sudokus and great coffee. Wonderful day.

Easter was a whirlwind morning, easy afternoon, tired evening. All my William Kent Krueger books are finished, and I am waiting to hear from the library that one may be ready for pick up. Got a potential "opportunity" offer that, if it can be a part-time gig, will likely start next week. Hmmm - which way to decide? Nice to have the chance to think about it. Pilates mat classes start up again on Wednesday, after a 4+ month lay-off. That will be nice too. And I had a great little hill-sprints session that was really challenging and fun last week. Another nice little habit to return to. Spring is gonna be great! It already is!

I found a new blog to follow, by the guy who did "Fat Head" the movie, Tom Naughton. I will add it to this blog, but not today. You can find it through Google, I am pretty sure. And be sure to check out Mark's Daily Apple link love and find the Primal way of eating video link. It is priceless!

It sure is great being Happy and Healthy! Life is great!
I think I have primed you pretty well today.
:-)

What would I be doing if...

Morning! Sun is shining, gonna be 50 or so...it's really trying to be Spring out there. :-)

Did a little high intensity work out yesterday, moving 50 pound bags of sand - from the pile to the shopping cart, from the van to the side of the house. Only 3 or 4 trips altogether - yikes! A little of that goes a long way!

We did the Registration for Freshmen Classes with my daughter earlier this week. Time is marching on. Met several parents who will also be addressing the "empty nest" this fall. Interesting. The closer it gets, the weirder it feels, I think.

So, the question for today is, What would I be doing if I had won the lottery today? Somebody did. A pretty big one, too. Not me and that's okay. Because I realize that I would be doing exactly what I am doing anyway...10 am, still in my robe, drinking coffee, doing sudoku, catching up on my blog reading and writing, and then later working on my book. No rush, no stress, no problem. Man, I have a nice life. And it just keeps getting better. I suppose the different thing would be that my husband would have come home from work, and we would be excitedly talking about new stuff to do, to buy, places to go...things we will eventually do anyway. All is already well, so more money would just mean more choices. Fun.

I am still in my robe because I could not put down my book last night til I finished it (1:30 am) - "Purgatory Cove" by William Kent Krueger - and I was only halfway through when I sat down to read it! I only planned to read an hour or so, but I was hooked! Had to see how it came out! I love it when a book grabs me like that! I have another one of his staring at me right now. So, do I start it today, or get some stuff done? :-)

Ain't life great?!?

Ah...the Sun!

What a lovely surprise this morning, as I put up my window shades, to see blue sky and nothing but sun! Ok, so I got up kind of late, but still. Man, it does my heart good to see the sun in a blue sky again! It seems like it has been a while! Lovely.

I see a long walk in my immediate future! And some basking. Isn't basking a lovely word?
Have a wonderful day!

April

Yes, it's April...so Spring is really here, right? Tell that to the snow falling and accumulating in my yard at the moment. Well, it can't stay long and things will start to get green soon. It will be so lovely! I am so looking forward to Spring!

In the meantime, I am enjoying a lovely life, and have many books and indoor-type tasks calling to me, so a little snow is not a problem. Books to read, books to write...you know, the usual. Sudoku puzzles to finish, coffee to drink, taxes to finish, flowers to enjoy. It was lovely yesterday to bask in the Easter flower display at the conservatory. The smell was heavenly! Then a truly delicious lunch (medium rare petite steak with fresh greens) accompanied by a couple of glasses of wine. Yes, indeed. Life is good! A nice long chat with a sibling last night on the phone. Lucky for me I have 4 more to catch up with. Another indoor-type task. Yum.

Have a wonderful first day of April. It's all good.

Happy Anniversary

So today is our 24th Anniversary...24 years ago was a bright sunny day, in the 30s - beautiful! We went to the court house, got married with an empty camera not recording the deed or the traffic accident chalked out on the board in the corner...had a lovely brunch, and returned to the apartment that is now the Master suite in my dream house. :-) The next day we shoveled out about 15 inches of snow, and watched basketball (March Madness don'tcha know) Quite the honeymoon, I must say. Today, not so sunny, but in the 30s, with no big snowfall in the forecast. I'm a lucky girl. 26 more years and he will have fulfilled his "contract." Won't those years be delightful!

My hair is still beautiful, my freezer is full of low-carb bread, my back is doing well, my daughter is on spring break, and all is well. Plus, the Red River crested below forecast heights/depths. It's all good.

A few morning readings on blogs have gotten me thinking about goal setting. Good/bad/indifferent? I think it depends on how you feel about it...about the actual goals, the goal setting process, the whole thing. If it makes you feel good, go for it. If it feels better just to be, do that. You decide. But one thing I do agree with...if you set a goal, don't worry about how it will become. The how is not up to you.

I feel so good this morning. How about you?

Beautiful!

You should see my hair- it is so beautiful! Lovely experience at the salon yesterday - foot bath and massage, head and neck massage, parafin dip for hands - oh, all while getting my hair colored - and it is beautiful! What fun!

Isn't it great when everything works out? I love my life!

:-)
It's good to feel good!

A little more snow

So all the rain and wind yesterday sent the last of the dirty snow piles packing. Lovely! And this morning, a dusting of new snow. Well it won't stick around long. That's the good part.

I am going for a gentle workout - careful of my back. Only one dose of ibuprofen yesterday, so I am doing great! It's great to have a body which heals itself quickly!

I read a quick little book called "Earthly Pleasures" that has me thinking about writing one of my own. Hmmm

It's so good to feel good! What feels good to you right now? Make something up if you have to! Think about this...since you are likely not a celebrity - you can go wherever you want today and nobody will hound you! Cool!

Good day to be inside

So, Monday morning, I woke to painful back - could barely move - yikes! A heating pad used intermittently and some ibuprofen took care of it, but it was a little surprising when I could barely make it to the bathroom and back to bed, having to crawl part of the way. I tried to think about which of the myriad activities I had done over the weekend was the culprit... hmmm. Today I am way better and will continue to be careful about how I move.

I did get to really enjoy the Reverie Harp that I had ordered the previous weekend (and which arrived on Sat) while I was abed. This harp is an amazing thing. It is designed to be played by anyone successfully, and often used for music therapy purposed for folks in hospitals and nursing homes. Hmmm. Interesting timing, don't you think? It is beautiful to look at and beautiful to listen to and fun to strum. I think it is a great meditation tool, too. Really shuts off the monkey mind.

I am appreciating that, as I recuperate, I get to do it as a lean slim healthy (overall) person. I also appreciate the love letter the IRS sent...well, actually, the letter part was missing, but the check was there...payback for a misfiled Alternative Minimum Tax problem I had late last year, due to my extended filing. Not this year. I will file on the regular date, and, in fact, had that on my list for yesterday. Maybe my back wanted me to put it off a little longer, eh? Interesting timing indeed.

I think I will have a nice soak in the hot tub this morning. It's not so cold today - but gray and windy and threatening thunderstorms later. A soak will help the back, right? I love my therapeutic hot tub!

It feels good to feel good, and it only takes a minor hassle to put my usual habit of feeling into stark relief! I so appreciate a slim trim fit healthy flexible body!

Daffodils

Hurray! Daffodils are in the stores, and a small bunch of 10 are opening up on my kitchen table as I type this. Even though it is pretty cold out there, with the sun shining and blue sky outside and the sunny yellow inside, Spring is more than imaginable. It is here! Don't you love Spring! I just got back from a brisk (both cold and fast) walk and am glad to be back in. Little remnants of snow are still around, but really not much. I can "see" the buds and flowers now!

There is a tall (40-50 feet or so) pine tree in my back yard that has a twin top. I love to see these twins towering over the yard and surrounded by blue sky. They are "my guys" and I appreciate them every day. This tree is about double the height it was when be bought the house almost exactly 20 years ago. Funny how it seems like it has always been so tall! I do have photographic evidence though.

I am feeling so well! You are too, right?
Great stuff

Absolutely fabulous

Did I talk about "priming" people with words? I don't remember, so it doesn't really matter. What I mean is that it has been shown in experiments that if you give folks a test (the mode of the test is not important) loaded with words that connote impatience and aggression, those folks will act impatiently and aggressive after the test. If you give other folks (at the same time) a test loaded with words connoting patience and meekness, can you guess how they will act after the test? And the test contained sets of seemingly random words in random order from which the test takers were to construct whole sentences.

So, I construe from the above that if I really study my daily newspaper each morning, that I will be primed for an unhappy day. Hmm. Well, since mostly I read the comics and do the sudoku puzzle, and then skim for good stuff, I don't think I am hurting myself any. But you see where I am going, right? And it doesn't have to be the newspaper. Moral of my story: Prime yourself each day with some good stuff. As you are waking, and before you hop out of bed, verbally appreciate your miraculous and beautiful, fit, trim body and all the things it allows you to do. Appreciate in your mind all the things you want to be living as if you are living them (and as you are living them) for a few minutes before you get out of that wonderfully comfortable bed you spent the night in. This little exercise will only take a couple of minutes and will pay wonderful dividends all day long. Think the good stuff! You get what you think about, so, choose the good stuff!

It's all good stuff! (Say, did you notice how I primed you for this post? Look at the title! :-)

It's Good to Feel Good

Does roaming through the newspaper make you feel like feeling good is counter-cultural? It does that to me...and I use the opportunity to appreciate all the reasons I have to feel good, and look for more reasons! Dwell on the good stuff, move your focus away from anything that doesn't make you feel better. It's kind of a "choice theory" thing, too. Is what I am thinking about making me feel better or worse? If the answer isn't "better", well, you know what to do. Think about something that makes you feel better. Here's the problem. Most of us try to not think about the other thing. But you can't not think about what you are thinking, unless you supplant it with something else. Go ahead, test it out and see if you can "not think about" a purple elephant right now! HA! See what I mean? So what feels better? It is likely to be different for you than for me.

So, the Omnivore's Dilemma...you may want to read this one. It will change the way you think about food. It will change the way you think about human nature. It will likely cause you to appreciate something else. Maybe you don't want to read it? Oh, I don't know. It is intriguing stuff. Eat whole foods whenever you can. :-)

I love Spring. I love that I could sit outside and read for a couple of hours yesterday, and walk without shivering for an hour and a half (in divided doses) and dodge puddles instead of snowdrifts. It's good to see grass! Even smushed not quite green stuff! At least it's grass. You gotta love Minnesota! ha ha ha

Have a great day. Think about stuff that makes you feel good, or at least find what's good in what you are thinking about!

60 degrees!

After 2 days in the 50s, we are not getting slapped with a storm today, we are getting a high in the 60s! Yahoo! My back yard is almost completely clear of snow, and a big brown bunny is out there right now munching on actual grass! Ha! It's about time! I know it's too early in the season to think that it won't snow again, but it is nice to think about Spring and experience a little of it!
It's also absurdly cheer-making to have 3 sunny days in a row! I am loving it!

I finished Choice Theory this weekend, wishing I could have taught in a "Quality School" where Choice Theory is the way of the world. Now I am reading Michael Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma. Did you know that if you eat the SAD (Standard American Diet) you are mostly corn by now? Scary. Who's in charge here anyway? And you never have to pick up an ear of corn for this to be true.

I am tempted to uncover the deck furniture today. Maybe I will! Have a great day/week and imagine the sun on your face, whether or not it is out where you are.

Lots going on...

This weekend is jam-packed with stuff: dinner out, a concert, a play, bell choir practice, a gin-making event, a hockey game, and that's just the things that are at the top of my head! Good thing I can take Monday to relax. Or can I? My son's girlfriend is visiting from this afternoon til at least mid-week, when I drive her half-way home. I won't have the house to myself, but I am sure to have plenty of open time. Anyway...I hope you are looking forward to your weekend! I sure am looking forward to mine.

Been reading a bit about Sumo squats, since they are the culprit, I believe, for my sore legs. Even two sessions in the hot tub yesterday barely took the edge off. Whew. At least it's good to know that they are good for me, as long as I am careful to do them right. I think my mistake on Wednesday was an inadequate warm-up. I won't be making that mistake again anytime soon!
Nice to think about getting into better shape!

The more I read Glasser's Choice Theory, the more intrigued I am. I believe further study is in my future. It's fun to learn new stuff, ain't it? It sure is for me!

Hey, the temperature is getting above freezing today! Halleluiah! I am so ready! What's for fun today?

Ouch!

So, indeed my pal and I had an indoor workout yesterday...man oh man am I ever feeling it! Sore legs! Good sore, but sore. Try this: using the Tabata protocol, do 20 seconds of sumo squats (about 1 per sec) then take a 10 second rest and repeat 7 times. Only takes 4 minutes, and you will be glad when you are done! Then we did 5 repeats of 20 walking lunges followed by 10 pushups. The whole shebang was about 15 minutes, and I did a quick 30 seconds on the jump rope afterwards. The heart was really going. Much better than trying to run a couple of hills with 20 below wind chills happening outside! There's a YouTube video of regular squats using the Tabata protocol. They go much faster than we did! Yikes!

Today, my mission is to envision all of my friends and family feeling well and happy and enjoying the flood of resources that they want just pouring in on them. I will see each of them and send some great energy out to them. I will look forward to hearing from them soon, about how well things are going for them! And as always, I will enjoy being happy and healthy and enjoying the flood of resources coming at me all the time. Ain't life great?

It is below zero out there, calm though, and supposedly we are in for a warm up. I know it is early March still, and this kind of thing is to be expected, but I am really looking forward to the end of winter! Have a great day. Look for what is fun and have some.

Indoor workout day

I survived two 1/2 miles walks in the cold blasting wind and snow last night - I trekked to a friend's house to watch Biggest Loser, and didn't want to get my clean car dirty or cold - ha ha ha. I am pretty sure we decided that this is the last season for us to watch BL, unless they change the format to 1 hour, or at least get rid of Jillian. Anyway...to look outside now and see the crystal clear skies (with 20+ below zero wind chills), the 'blizzard' I was walking in seems far away. But I was quite comfortable in my many layers and an extra wrap around my head so just my eyes were exposed...I was laughing in my all black outfit thinking, what a clunky ninja I make! hee hee.

So, today is the day this week for running hills with my pal, but we have decided on an indoor workout. Some rope jumping, and walking lunges, and pushups in a circuit for 15 minutes or so should do the trick...all on about a 16 hour fast. I will really get that growth hormone pumped, and burn up those tricky little fat cells. It will be great. Then the reward, a nice cup of coffee - mmmmmmmm. Life is good.

What else can I do for fun today? I am sure I will think of something! Finish my library book (Choice Theory by William Glasser - good one!) and maybe start my taxes? Hmmm. We'll see.

It feels so good to be healthy and fit and have plenty of resources pouring in all the time. Ain't it great? What's great at your house/office/whatever today?

Long Weekend...

So, now the college tour with my youngest has been accomplished. Didn't have any of those almost expected tugging feelings about the looming empty nest - actually kind of looking forward to it. What it did make me think about was how different things were 38 years ago when I was looking forward to going to college, and doing my one and only college tour. Seems like a million years ago!

We are awaiting what I hope is the last winter storm of the season, and what I am actually hoping is a mis-forecast deal, where it actually passes us by for the most part. That happens a lot so, no reason why it shouldn't happen today. I am looking forward to the open day at home - getting back to usual. Don't get me wrong, I am happy to travel and do other stuff, but it seems I am happiest when I have lots of open time here at home.

Bought a sketch book this weekend in the college bookstore. It's been quite awhile since I spent much time sketching - it will be fun see what comes from this activity. I have really good hand-eye coordination and can copy things pretty accurately. I look forward to developing my creativity more than just making reasonable facsimiles of things. I will probably start out with the latter, however, and dust off my skills. I have a book to finish today or tomorrow as well. Nice to know I have the time.

It's also nice to get back from a little traveling, where the eating is not so much in my control, and I feel thinner, if anything, when I return! YES! That is a lovely feeling!

I appreciate it all. I have this urge to stimulate the economy - but the weather outside says, "not today, kiddo!" At least not unless it's online. Nice to know that is available!

So what will you do for fun today?

It's All Good

I follow quite a few low-carb and health related blogs and am finding a pattern of frustration amongst the writers and commenters that mainstream "health care" professionals just aren't getting it, even with the preponderance of the real evidence. So what? I say, if you know what's right for you, and you get that message out there, and everyone does that, eventually, there will be enough good news, health-wise, out there and folks can make their own decisions. I understand those in the health professions who are going against the grain being frustrated, but frustration doesn't do anyone any good. I say, don't give those others any bad press - don't they say any publicity is good publicity? So just keep on with your good messages and forget talking down anyone else. I bet they will eventually just go away anyway. How's that for countercultural?

I know for me, that low carb is the way to go, and I know that when more people forget what they read about it, good or bad, and do it for a few weeks to give it a real shot, they will feel better and better all the time. It's not up to me to shove it down anyone's throat! It's up to me to be a good example of excellent health and body composition, so when anyone asks, I can tell them why.

Now, don't get me wrong, I don't want these bloggers to stop! Just keep it up with the good stuff!

It's gonna be 45 today!! Yahoo!!! (Can you say yahoo anymore without paying a commission to somebody? I sure hope so.

Do something fun!

What's good today?

Here's a question to ask yourself whenever you have a second..."What's good today?" or even, "what's good right now?" It's always a good idea to focus on what is good and appreciate it. Even little things, 'unimportant' things, really anything. What's good right now? The sun is shining, the weather man says high 30s today, my iced coffee was delicious this morning, and my daughter was in a pretty good mood. I feel great, my girlfriend is coming over in an hour for an outdoor hill workout and my kitchen wall looks great where I washed it last night. My sudoku puzzles were reasonable today and my day is pretty open. Lots of good stuff!

So start off your list - and see how many good things you can get onto it by this evening!
:-)

Over slept...

The very best way for me to deal with oversleeping is to appreciate the heck out of the fact that as long as I get my daughter up in time to get herself to school, there are no bad consequences, so I enjoy my extra sleep! It's amazing how fast the morning goes when you sleep through so much of it. Ain't it great!?!

I am working this week on feeling as good as I can as much as I can. I am picturing some really fun things, so the gray snowy outdoors doesn't enter into my thoughts much. I had a lovely soak in the hot tub last night as all the solar lights pulsed their beautiful colors under a smiling quarter moon. When I was getting into the house I saw that there were tons of stars out there too. Orion's belt was right there, even with that quarter moon shining so brightly. I can't see the stars while I am in the hot tub, in the green house - too much steam - but in the spring when we liberate the hot tub from its shelter, the stars will be mine again! Hooray!

I am doing a 24 hour fast now - from 5:50 pm yesterday til at least 5:50 pm this afternoon. Even longer if it's easy. I go 18 hours or so a lot, but it has been awhile since I did 24 hrs. It'll be great, and I will feel fantastic at the end! I am picturing myself at 5:45, getting dinner ready and trying to decide if I should try to go til morning, or to go ahead and eat dinner. Such a quandary, eh? Nice to have the choice. I appreciate that a TON! I am feeling so slim these days, that I will likely eat, but we'll see what the body tells me to do. You do listen to your body, right? You should, it is SO SMART!!

Have a wonderful day...
Oh, and why am I fasting for 24 hours? Google Eat Stop Eat to see why. :-)

Better and better

So we took a "Carribean Field Trip" on Saturday to a favorite Carribean restaurant (San Pedro Cafe in Hudson, WI - our very favorite) and had a wonderful perfect satisfying lunch, with enough leftover to have it again on Sunday. MMMMM! And as we perused the board with the dessert menu, my husband hatched at new field trip for the future, the "Dessert Safari." There are 6 terrific desserts on this menu - not a clunker among them. We shared the best one on Saturday, the flourless chili chocolate cake (respectful pause), but he thought - wouldn't it be great to come out here sometime with 6 people, and order one of each dessert and share them all! Wouldn't that be great indeed! I was tempted to buy one of each right then and there and bring them home and then call folks to join us, but we decided a little anticipation would be a good thing. Doesn't that sound like fun! I will let you know when we do our "Dessert Safari" and I will likely schedule and intense workout for about an hour before it! That way, all that sugar will go straight to my muscles!

It is another gorgeous sunny day, a little on the cool side at the moment (-8 wind chill) but is supposed to get up into the 40s this week. :-) I am really looking forward to that!

What have you done for fun today? What can you do for fun this week! It is good to feel good!

There's Nothing Like a Snowstorm...

Man, oh man, just when the Spring bug had started to bite...6 - 8 inches of blowing snow, covering ice on the driveway, steps, sidewalk...I fell like a cartoon character as my shoes hit the ice underneath the snow - and I, with no mittens (I was just retrieving the trash can), fell flat on my ass and back...it sort of felt like slow motion. Got a laugh out of me, yup. And then I got suited up for some serious shoveling and sand distribution. It is beautiful, and I saw neighbors with snow shovels, and driving was terrible and what are you gonna do? I was appreciating my bone density, my warm mittens, my free time, my strong back, and so many other things. Gotta love it, right?

So now I am reading "The Happiness Hypothesis" by Jonathan Haidt. It's due back at the library today, so I will have to get back to it and then brave the elements...the library is too close to drive to, but far enough to make walking to it an adventure. I am not so sure I agree with everything he talks about but it is an interesting look into our two minds (conscious, the rider, and subconscious, the elephant) and how it is we negotiate our lives. It's worth a look. I can't renew it, someone else wants it, so I may just have to buy the darn thing! I appreciate that I can make that choice. He makes a good argument for my blog...I get to prime you for good stuff everyday! Now you will have to go read the book to see what I mean.

Got up extra early today to make breakfast for my hard working son - to warm him up for his journey to the bus stop on a cold 11 below wind chill kind of morning. I am a lucky woman! I don't have to go out there unless I want to!!! Yippee!

Have a great day, and weekend. I will likely be back on Monday. What kind of fun can you get into this weekend? Have lots!

What if (again)...

What if the health care crisis could go away without any additional dollars being thrown at the "problem"? It's absolutely possible. If every individual understood that his/her mind and body are intimately connected, and believed that each has the power to choose his/her health status (which is true) and intentionally chose to feel better, little bit by little bit, it wouldn't be long before this "health care crisis" were a distant memory. Our grandchildren will say "can you believe how crazy people were back in the beginning of the 21st century that they allowed Big Pharma to convince them they all needed drugs and surgeries to feel better?"

Okay, it sounds a little simplistic. It's an elegant solution, and certainly worth a try, since it doesn't cost anything. And then, when people realized their power to be healthy and happy, guess what happens next? ALL GOOD THINGS!!!!

So let's get started. Prove to yourself that you have the power to be healthy. When something is going wrong in your body, it's a message to you that something is going on in your life that you are not resolving...stress...anger...hurt feelings...feelings of powerlessness...it really doesn't matter. Listen to your feelings, and work to turn toward better ones. Visualize yourself in perfect health...in great detail. Appreciate all the things that are going right already. Get into the feeling of what it would be like to be perfectly healthy. Treat your body in a way that will keep in perfectly healthy. Appreciate that you have the ability to do that. Rinse and repeat.

Don't worry...be happy. Folks who can't will go the hard way. The rest of us will reap the rewards and happiness and abundant life. Ain't it great? Describe yourself as you want to be. It's great to be healthy happy slim toned excited free wealthy and ageless! I love being able to wear my 4s and high heels, and eat when I am hungry, until I am satisfied and look gorgeous all the time.

Try this for a few days and see what happens!

Healthy Again

Yes, everyone in the house is healthy again, or at least well enough to be at school or work. A couple of the members of the household are certainly not at their best. Soon. I am feeling terrific!

I am looking forward to running hills today...last time I checked the weather.com, it was 32, with no wind chill. The wind chimes are telling me a different story, but in any case, I get to have an outside workout today, and that is always a good thing after a long spate of indoor stuff. I am looking forward to the surge of growth hormone, as it will be a fasted workout. Also a good thing. Burn that fat! Check out bradpilon.com to see why I say that.

Glad to see that Obama is choosing to feel optimistic about what is going on these days. I truly believe that if everyone would choose that way of feeling, our economic issues would fly right by. I am choosing to feel very optimistic about our economic picture, and guess what? The economic picture of this household continues to thrive! Feels way better than the alternative!

Off to run the hills! Do something today that gets your heart rate up! Even for just 30 seconds! And then wait a minute and do it again! Do that for 10 minutes, and we are talking a complete workout. Really.
:-)

Choosing to...

I started reading "Choice Theory" yesterday, by William Glasser. The title caught me, because you know I think that everything is a choice. It still surprised me to read Glasser say to his client that he (the client) was not depressed, he was "choosing to depress." Glasser says he changes all those clinical nouns and adjectives to verbs for accuracy. I don't have anxiety, I choose to be anxious. I don't have a phobia, I am phobicking (I love that one - too silly). An interesting exercise - change your adjectives into verbs, and take a look at what you are choosing. If you like what you get - terrific. Otherwise, think about making other choices. Keep in mind, I don't think anyone can just choose the complete opposite of where they are, but they can start the baby steps of turning in the other direction. Little by little, a choice of despairing can become the choice of being happy. For a handy list of emotions to help you make those baby step choices, check out "The Law of Attraction" by Abraham-Hicks. (google can get you there)

Today will bring a heat wave - maybe even 39 degrees. What a lovely thought. How shall I choose to be in this day? I have had a lot of practice choosing to be happy. I hope you get some practice today! Start with getting a picture of you being happy (in your head). Visualize in as detailed a fashion as you can. Then watch your face start to smile! Do you know, your face can help your brain get happy every bit as much as your brain can make your face look happy? Try it and see! Not feeling it? Then try this. Stand up straight, shoulders back, legs shoulder width apart, draw your navel in to your spine, breathe deeply, plaster a big grin on your face and just breathe fully for a minute - then get that happy picture in your head. A little "self-hypnosis" never hurt anybody! Be sure to do at least 5 things (they can be little things) that bring you joy today. And everyday!

Blue Sky

It's another beautiful day out there! I am feeling terrific, and have an open day...so what else is new? I've been thinking lately about tearing down a wall in my house, between my kitchen and family room...seems like a better idea all the time. My family thinks I just watch too much HGTV. :-) How is it possible to watch too much HGTV? Can't be done. ha ha ha!

I think it's time to catch up on my reading...a notice from my library about a book due in a couple of days sparked that brainstorm. It's a book about how we think without thinking, I may have mentioned last week or so - intriguing.

I'm looking at a bunch of alstromeria (flowers) my husband brought home a month ago for the High Heel Party I had back at the end of January, and I am amazed that they are still looking pretty good! How is that possible! It has been almost a month! Lovely.

Have a terrific day...remember to do at least 5 things that you love to do or that bring you joy. The better it gets, the better it gets! And you get to choose!

Am I trying to program you to think good things. Yup, guilty as charged. :-)

"Spoiled" brat

Sometimes I feel like a spoiled brat. I get to wake up and do what I want every day. I even have about 14 different flavors I can put into my coffee in the morning, so every morning is a treat! Every single morning! I can be in my robe til past nine in the morning, and look forward to whatever tasks I have on my plate. Nice. It's nice to be able to take one's time.

Now, if you don't have that kind of time right now, how about you spend a few seconds getting to where you can feel how good it would feel to have it. Flesh out your thoughts - what would you do with that kind of freedom? How would it feel - then actually feel it. Really. And bask in the feeling for as long as you can. When you are smiling and feeling it...memorize that place, and then go there a few minutes here and there throughout your day. You can't get there til you feel it. So, there's your homework. Good stuff.

It is good to feel good. :-) Oh, and it's not what happens in your day that really matters, it is how you feel about what is happening. And you can direct your feelings if you make that your intention. So direct them to where you want them to be. Go ahead - it doesn't hurt!

New Snow

Okay, so I wanted to run hills today, and the new snow won't stop me, but the wind will. And it is so much prettier with about an inch of clean white snow covering all the yuck out there, so I will have to get out in it for a little while anyway. It's falling slowly, like snow globe snow - lovely.
But, seriously, did we need 22 mph winds today? Not. Makes me glad that I power-walked my hill a couple of times yesterday for no good reason. :-)

You ought to check out "Fathead" a new movie by Tom Naughton. Wish I saw it 10 years ago when I was trying to figure out how to get to my pre-brain surgery recovery weight. Woulda been there a long time ago, had it been around then. Glad I can see it now. Glad that I am familiar with most of what is in there anyway, because it is fun to see it in a funny documentary format. It'll make you fall in love with bacon all over again, and throw all those cereals away!

Have you ever felt "bulletproof"? You know what I mean, right? Like you finally have the combination and you are happy and healthy and there's nothing that can sidetrack you anymore? That's how I feel every single day. It's a nice feeling. How to get it? Decide that it is good to feel good, and always think about things that feel good, or at least a little better. Better and better - like the commercial says - we are worth it!

Sounds too good to be true? Email me, and I can tell you why it is true. :-)

It Feels Good...

...to take my time waking up - to be happy about the prospect of a sunny and 30 degree day - to know that I have all the time in the world (seriously) and that I get to choose.

Had a wonderful, low key weekend. A couple of concerts, dinner out, an attempt to try a new wine bar, but time was not on our side, a couple of soaks in the hot tub while enjoying all the colorful solar lights, a few good walks, including hills. Happy Valentine's day and the kids away, mostly. Life is good. One of my knitting projects was completed, and it's all wrong - way too big, but I have an idea for using it - we'll see. Another one has been launched, this time, I will get the size right.

I am feeling very good about my low carb way of life - I can see that I will have to watch and make sure I eat enough - now, is that not heaven?!? It is to me. I am enjoying surfing the web for recipes that make low carb feel less restrictive. I am as healthy as a horse and have so much energy. And the size 4 jeans that I had to squeeze into last summer are just right. Nice. I am looking forward to more of the same for as far as I can see. It is so much more fun than agonizing over what I can wear or counting my calories or any of that stuff. It's nice not to spend so much brain power on all of that. Very freeing.

Sudoku continues to kick my butt these days. I have a feeling that the daily puzzles my son gave me for Christmas are harder than the daily puzzles my pal gave me last year for Christmas. I soldier through them, and often need to give them a 2nd or 3rd try. Good for my brain, I am guessing. Fortunately, I have a book of easier ones that I can escape to when need arises! Ha ha!

I am enjoying being semi-retired. I recommend it highly! And believe it or not, it is not boring at all to feel good all of the time! I am getting a bit behind on my reading, though, I must admit. But I blame that entirely on the HGTV design shows line up. Too much fun to watch all those cool ideas!

Late start...

Got a bit of a late start this morning - 7:38 am instead of 6:30 - 7 ish. Not so late. No eggs in a frame, though. Once in a while it's fun to really sleep in, but it has been a long time, so I am out of the habit. Happy that I can, though. Nice to not need to.

Sudoku is kicking my butt, lately! I appreciate the challenge, but seriously! I need to sneak in a few easy puzzles, just for kicks.

So, it's gray out there today - a perfect day to kick back and read or nap or delve into a project. A little colder so the streets and sidewalks are slick, so a nice long walk would be harder than I like. Maybe a little writing in my morning - other than this, of course. Oh, here comes the sun!

Here's a little activity to warm up your appreciation muscles. Page through your daily newspaper, and when you see bad news, appreciate that there are folks who are experiencing things that will help them to grow, or help them figure out what they would rather have or where they would rather be. But don't spend more than a second or two on the bad stuff. Look for good stuff - you should be able to skip most everything. When you see a nugget of good stuff, though, spend a little time there and see how it makes you feel. Anything that feels bad - move on quickly. There is no reason to read all that stuff. You will feel better if you don't. Don't you want to feel better?

New Stuff

I did a couple of new things this morning...as I watched my daughter enjoy her egg in a frame this morning, (oh it smelled so good) I thought - hmmm I wonder if I could make one out of the low-carb focaccia I made the other day? So I gave it a shot and it was grand! What a treat!

Next, I made almond milk out of the almonds I remembered to put into water and soak last night - which I had been intending to do for about a week or so, but kept forgetting to do. And it was a successful venture. Now, I will need to figure out how to use the leftover almond meal. I tried making a cracker and that has possibilities, but needs some tweaking. I love learning new things!

I have an open day ahead, with just a couple of errands to run with several things to read and projects in process. I can even take the day off from exercise with yesterday's hill run under my belt. Boy was that fun! Fresh, non-freezing, air! I so appreciate my open schedule! Keep it coming!

So what are you doing for fun today? Doesn't have to be much, just has to be fun! If you need a grin, take a peek at signspotting.com - I can pretty much guarantee you will at least grin, if not guffaw!

Remember to do at least 5 things that bring you joy today (and everyday). It is good to feel good!

Hill Day!

I can hardly believe it myself - but I am excited because today, for the first time in almost 3 months, the weather will allow a hill running day! It's a killer high intensity exercise, and there have been many days (good weather days) when I would rather skip it. But it has been so long now that I am actually excited! A friend an I meet once a week to run hill repeats. Luckily, we each live near a steep hill, so we typically alternate weeks. But icy roads and below zero temps have sent us inside to do bodyweight or dumbbell workouts. And those are good too - but they aren't hills!!! Hooray for hills!

Yesterday's post - you get what you think about - got some scientific support in Dr Eades post today - check out the his blog today (see the column on the right) if you are the "scientific support" type.

So what are you thinking about now? Make it something that really feels GOOD! It is good to feel good!

You Get What You Think About...

Let's say that you get what you think about. So what do you think about? Right now a whole lot of people are thinking about the economy - and they are thinking about it in a different way that I am. You know that the world is full of money. Think about how much money is spent on movies over any one weekend! Or on health club memberships (that aren't used), or on anti-aging creams. Do yourself a favor and think about how good it will feel, or feels now, to have more than enough money to do the things you want to do. If you get what you think about, wouldn't you rather think about that than the opposite? I sure would!

Our heat (wet) wave is making for a different landscape these days - snow is melting, and all the things it was covering up are becoming visible. Hmmmm. Still cold enough out so that a nice long soak in the hot tub feels like a real treat! And windy enough so the wind chimes serenade me on and off all day - lovely.

I found a great low-carb recipes for focaccia that will spice up my life. Who needs regular bread when you can have the experience without all the carbs! You can find the recipe at Carbalose.com, and you need Carbquik to make it. GREAT STUFF!!!

Think about good stuff today - and if you are not sure what that is, it is ANYTHING that makes you feel better to think about. You are the author of your own life, so "write" (think) what you want into it! Seriously!

Hold that thought!

What If...

What if you are having a horrible day and you want to turn it around?

Look for a way to feel good about what is happening - and focus on that. A friend of mine had a terrible day yesterday - and I helped her turn it around. Email me if you want help with this.

Heat Wave

Oh my gosh! The weather calls for the next 5 or 6 days to be 30 degrees and higher! Better get the snow shoes out and use them while there is still snow!

Monthly coffee date with friends this morning - of course I have to have a little coffee at home first.
I did notice it's easier to be positive on my own than in a group of 7 women. Hmmm. Today I will tackle lasagne - low carb, course, thanks to Dreamfield's pasta!!! I have already done 5 things that bring me joy, have you? No pressure.

I started a very intriguing book yesterday, that I heard about on one of the blogs I follow, but don't remember which one. Anyway, the title is "Blink - The Power of Thinking Without Thinking." I'm not quite half way through it, and it has really gotten me thinking, and wondering about the how and why of what we do think. And how we think when we don't even know - and how we know when we don't even think. Wild. I got it out of my public library, the auther is Malcolm Gladwell (auther of The Tipping Point). It will make you think about snap decisions you have made already in your life. Very interesting.

So I am appreciating many things this morning - all the good news from my friends among them. I have found that an attitude of appreciation sets me up for a great day...and since I want all my days to fit into that category, it's a habit I appreciate having! That must be appreciation squared, don't you think. How many things can you appreciate right now - look around - I am sure there are lots! OK, so now, appreciate them out loud or just in the privacy of your own mind. You'll feel better if you do. And feeling better is the name of the whole game!

I have a bunch of solar powered lights in my back yard, a dozen or so - different shapes: some frogs, Moravian stars, globes, lilies. It has been so sunny the last little while, too. So last evening after supper, my beloved spouse and I had a nice long soak in the hot tub (it sits outside surrounded by a portable plastic greenhouse - sounds godawful but is kind of nice) and were treated to quite a light show, including all the solars and a little better than a half moon shining brightly. Aaahhh. That was lovely. Now, the sun is out again, so no light show, but I think there is another soak in my near future. Being surrounded by snow adds something to the experience - especially the short walk back into the house! Shiver!

I need to figure out how to add the blogs I follow, so you can take a look and see for yourself...I think you will find some interesting things, and helpful, too - especially if you want to feel better about your size without feeling deprived. I never do! And my size is getting to be near perfect!
Have a great day.
Appreciate some stuff!

A Good Day Starts

Even my sudoku puzzles went easily today!

So, what have you done so far today that makes you feel good? I do at least 5 things every single day that bring me joy - at least - and I look for things all day long to appreciate. These can be little things...or big things. The more I appreciate, it seems that the more I have to appreciate.

So far today, I had time before I got out of bed to appreciate how good it felt to be in my bed, how lovely it feels to be slim and fit and healthy, and how nice it was that I got to sleep in a little. (I got up around 7:30 am which is late for me). I made and drank some lovely coffee (2/3 decaf, 1/3 caf, with some sugar free Kahlua syrup in it - yum!) What a treat. I did my 2 daily sudoku puzzles successfully. I braided my daughter's hair and made her 2nd favorite breakfast for her (egg in a frame). The day is starting off beautifully. It is an open day. I will have time for a nice walk (since it is finally above zero), time to work on my latest knitting project, time for a soak in my hot tub...really time for anything I feel like doing. It feels good to feel good. It is good to feel good! We are all supposed to feel good. How do you feel right now? If not good, ask yourself, "what could be good about what is going on right now?" Look for something to feel better about and focus on that.

Life is supposed to be fun. What can you do today for fun! What feels good? If you can't answer that question easily - it's time to think about that!!!

Oh, another fun thing - I received an order for low-carb baking mix yesterday that looks like it will work - maybe even for my family! It's nice to be slim and eat whatever I want!

Have a great day. Find at least 5 things that make you feel good.
It may sound a little Pollyanna but it works to focus on what feels good.

Happy Healthy

What if being Happy and Healthy was all under our own control? I believe it is. That's what it's all about