January is Weird

I'm not sure I like January or February for that matter. They are too unpredictable. Take today for example. It was in the high 70's. My husband mowed the dang yard. What is up with that. Because in a couple days we are expecting snow? HUH? Really. humph.


I'm just ready for spring. I'm ready for more daylight. I'm ready to make my walks more interesting. Four miles a day is making the weight come off but it's becoming B-O-R-I-N-G!


I think I will head over to I-Tunes and see if I can download a book or something to listen to. I'd rather be swimming. hmph.

What I Like About Him

" Something unique you love about your significant other." This is Mama Kats weekly writing prompt! 

So what do I love about HIM??

He is so hot!! I mean, look at those pecks. 

I LOVE

...that he is so predictable.

 (That way when he does surprise me it's really fun).

...that he likes to do lawn work. 

My neighbors get jealous that he actually likes working in the yard. 

He tries to do what I like to do, even though we both know he won't like it. 

He sat on the boat while Parker and I played with the stingrays. 

... that he never complains about my mood swings. 

... that he always drives. 

... that he spends a lot of time with Parker. 

... that he helps with laundry. 

...that he cleans the pool and never complain even though I mostly use it. 

... that he gets up at 5 to walk Jack. 

...that he like sports so much. 

...that he listens to me and my advice. 

... that he likes me whatever size or shape I am. 


...that he isn't one bit lazy. 


... that he is OCD about: 
his desk, locking doors, folding undies, checking for his wallet, checking that the emergencies brake is off, double checking 15,000 times any decision we make, etc.


... that he hates it when I cry. 


... that he likes my family. 


... that he secretly babies the dogs. 




Ok...his ego is probably getting big...and I could go on and on. 
So I'll stop. 
I just love him for the imperfect perfect person he is. 

I'm Getting Better

One of the things I'm trying to do in my life is not sleep though it. I think in the past when things got tough for me, I'd just crawl in bed and zone out, and then sleep or eat. I'm over that. Now I walk. Walking 4 miles requires patience. Having patience forced on you is not easy. I see the same streets, houses, and signs over and over. So it forces me to go inward and therefore deal with my stress in a more healthful way. I can't say enough about walking.


So with all this free time I'm hoping to do more of the things I enjoy in life....writing, taking pictures, and reading.


Blogging is such a great outlet for the writing and photography. Everyone has their own reasons for blogging. I haven't figured out mine yet, but I do know it's a rush when someone reads it and comments. I spend hours and hours reading other blogs! It's kind of like reality TV!


In the spirit of change and balance I hope to write more, read more, and take pictures of things that inspire ME. I'm not a good picture taker at all....nor am I a good writer. But I love doing both so that is good enough for me :) 

So from me to you...here I am and here I go! 

Weekly Food Update for Fun

Tuesday:

Playing catch up...

I get migraines monthly...not too horrible..but enough to make me miserable. I do take meds which are great but they really make me tired. I crave quiet time when I have a headache. In the past I've used the headaches as an excuse to eat poorly and not do much of anything when I was having them. Sometimes just going to work was the most I could do. Now I'm not letting them slow me down too much. I don't feed into them. I exercise with them or without them. I don't eat them away either like I used to. That being said yesterday's headache got the best of me. I waited too long to take the meds as I was at work - teaching. I had to stay very late at school and so when I got home I was a mess. I ate and got in bed!!! So no exercise for me!
I did eat well- still had 2 points I didn't use.

Today I took the meds before it got bad and the result was much better!!!

Walked three brisk miles with Jack- burned 330 calories! ( I have a Garmin GPS watch that is fun to use!)

B= Coffee w/ FF cream (2)
Banana -0
Luna protein bar-5

L = Turkey/ mustard/ ff cheese sandwhich = 4
Chicken and stars soup=2
Blackberries/blueberries=0
lots of water
Snack= grapes -0

Dinner= 2 chicken/bean/lettuce/tom ( Hardly any cheese) chalupas- 8?
each= 16

29 points...

I am doing a nightly workout which includes:
10 pushups,butt tucks, = for about 15 minutes......

Resolutions 20

As I'm writing this post, I just realized that I met most of my resolutions or goals from last year. That is a first for me. I researched a little on the origin of resolutions and here is something I found out: 

The tradition of the New Year's Resolutions goes all the way back to 153 B.C. Janus, a mythical king of early Rome was placed at the head of the calendar. With two faces, Janus could look back on past events and forward to the future. Janus became the ancient symbol for resolutions and many Romans looked for forgiveness from their enemies and also exchanged gifts before the beginning of each year.

The New Year has not always begun on January 1, and it doesn't begin on that date everywhere today. It begins on that date only for cultures that use a 365-day solar calendar. January 1 became the beginning of the New Year in 46 B.C., when Julius Caesar developed a calendar that would more accurately reflect the seasons than previous calendars had.

The Romans named the first month of the year after Janus, the god of beginnings and the guardian of doors and entrances. He was always depicted with two faces, one on the front of his head and one on the back. Thus he could look backward and forward at the same time. At midnight on December 31, the Romans imagined Janus looking back at the old year and forward to the new. The Romans began a tradition of exchanging gifts on New Year's Eve by giving one another branches from sacred trees for good fortune. Later, nuts or coins imprinted with the god Janus became more common New Year's gifts.

In the Middle Ages, Christians changed New Year's Day to December 25, the birth of Jesus. Then they changed it to March 25, a holiday called the Annunciation. In the sixteenth century, Pope Gregory XIII revised the Julian calendar, and the celebration of the New Year was returned to January 1.
http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/39353#ixzz19jkWXbpx

Maybe this is why we are so compelled to look back- reflect, and then look ahead and set some goals. I also firmly believe in the following: 

1. If you are thankful, good things will come your way. 

2. If you want something, you can have it... but you have to truly want it and be willing to make sacrifices to get it. 

3. There is a give and take- Karma sort of...this circular notion which goes back to the Golden Rule- what goes around comes around. 

4. Attitude is everything. Our moods and feelings guide or physical being.

5. Bad things can be opportunities for good things. 

So keeping all this in mind, I must set my goals for the coming year. 

Here is what I wrote for last year~ Let's see how I did.                                      

2010

The first set involves HEALTH

1. Make an extreme effort to walk every day. I will start with a walk to the mail box. Then a ten minute walk...then more as my back permits. As I get my back/ leg better I will use walking as my stress reliever outside connection. I did this.....after my surgery...now I'm up to 3 miles or more a day - 6 days a week. 

2. I want to use Yoga as a tool for strengthening my body. I will do a pose a day and work up from there. Nope 

3. I will journal all my food every day. Good or Bad. DID IT.

4. I will take more of an active stance on my back/leg. I will try to get it fixed. Surgery or not, I've got to end the pain. Did it...got the surgery.

5. Keep Moving. Keep Moving. Keep Moving. Keep Moving. Doing it.

6. I will loose weight. I have set a goal of 25 lbs to be reached by summer. I'll adjust as necessary. :)  DID IT

The second set involves my MIND

1. I want to read more books. A goal is 12 books this year. I'll start with the four I'm currently reading and not finished with!  Ummm..not quite. :( 

2. I want to blog regularly. I will keep the weight loss blog and the other blog updated at least weekly. If I do more...then great. DID IT

3. I need a hobby. I am interested in photography. I need to pursue that. I'll look into classes. hahhah NOPE

4. I will keep up with Bunco and force myself to be more social. I will talk more in groups.YES...made an effort to make myself have fun....seems to be working. 

I'd say I did pretty good reaching my goals. But it didn't happen all at once...everything took the year, which is ok since it's a whole year's resolution. 

Now onto to 2011~

1. Continue to do Weight Watchers at home. Journal all my food. I'm half-way to my goal. I think the hardest part is yet to come~ the last 35 pounds. 

2. Learn MORE self-control when it comes to eating. I'm about 80%- like tonight I gave in when I really didn't want to. When I travel I need to be more diligent in my healthy eating. I think it takes practice. Turn celebrations away from food. Everything focus' on food always. 

3. Continue to walk daily.  Add more slowly. This summer get to 5 miles a day. 

4. Add in Yoga or Pilates. I need to add in some type of strength training. 

5. Cook more. Or even eat more of a variety of foods. Reading blogs gives me great ideas. 

6. Read more books. I need to try to read each night. I'll set a goal of 12 books again. 

7. Go to church more regularly if not for me for Parker. 

8. Try to blog at least once a week minimum.

9. Take lots of pictures. Maybe consider doing a picture a day. I look looking at pictures. 

10. Be kind. Be thankful. Be of service. 

That's it...Let's see how the year goes. Happy 2011!!!!! 

Top 20 in 2010

Don't ya hate it when you have spent a good hour or so on a post and with the flick of a finger you loose it? 

Well that's what happened. 

So I guess I'll just write it again without pictures ~ because I can't torture myself doing that again! 

Top 20 Things in 2010 in my life~ 

In some kind of order.

1. Had back surgery- recovered well!!! Which is good because my disc was hitting a nerve going to my leg and it was quite painful to walk, sit, stand, or sleep. 

2. Got Jack- he was on his way to the death chamber and we rescued him or he rescued me. Yeah, he got me walking.

3. Parker played a lot of basketball and we watched a lot of basketball. Parker likes basketball. 

4. I dreamed about loosing weight over and over...but don't. 

5. I read Woman, Food, and God...it gets me thinking.Seriously thinking. 

6. Parker quits AAU Basketball.He is starting to burn out on basketball. We now have time on the weekends and don't quite know what to do with ourselves. 

7. My brother gets an infection in his foot, finds out he's diabetic and ends up in the hospital for 6 weeks. We go up and help him move and then visit again to help with errands. Later it gets better, then another infection...looses his little toe...as of today is wearing a normal shoe again! 

8.Bubby's mom gets diagnosed with cancer. It is fast moving and attacks her organs. Within two months she is gone and all are sad. We both lost or moms in less than a year of each other. 

9. We sell our old bikes and get new bikes. I get a spiffy new blue Electra with puffy tires.  Parker and I ride and ride. We discover a park with paved trails. Fun! 

10.Parker pretends he's a stunt man and crashes his bike on a tall hill on a rough trail and proceeds to impale his arm with a twig. He gets stitches, X-rays, a soft cast and a nasty infection. He learns to be more careful. He hasn't done the trails since.

11.I dream about loosing weight...try to eat well and start walking. I ignore the scale. It's ugly. 

12.We plan a real summer vacation to the Cayman Islands. I stress about being in a bathing suit. I secretly don't want to go. But I kind of do. So I walk. 

13.July 1st. I start Weight Watchers at home. For some reason I stick to it. 

14.We go to Cayman. No one looks at me funny because there are too many other beautiful natural things to look at.

15.We get to play with stingrays, take a sail boat ride, take a boat ride and look for starfish, play with dolphins, go on a submarine, snorkel, kayak, swim,shop, and relax. 

16. I start loosing weight. I walk 3 miles a day. I feel amazing.

17.School starts and everyone is busy. Parker is a junior and I start my 19th year teaching 9th grade English. Parker is lucky if he gets home by 7PM. He complains a lot. I am always grading papers. I complain a lot. 

18. Parker reaches a breaking point and quits basketball for good sort of mid season. What a strange feeling. He coach was rude and continues to be nasty to him. I debate getting involved. Parker is handling it fine. 

19. We get to go on our ski trip with my brother and his family. 

It's snowy and cold and wonderful. Four days of skiing and over 8 feet of snow!!! Parker and his friends sure got their  snowboard yaya's out and I got my ski yaya's out. Bubby sat in the lodge and kept us a warm seat! 

20. We SELL OUR OTHER HOUSE after about 15 months of being on the market. We are so relieved and grateful. 

Merry Christmas and good-bye 2010!!! Until next year~ 

Merry Christmas

What a lovely holiday season! I love Christmas and all its beauty. Some years are better than others, however each year is special in its own way. 

Thank you God and the Universe for all the blessings you have bestowed on me and my loved ones. 

Happy Birthday

Merry Christmas 2010

A Full Plate

So many things to think about!




Right now my plate is full. All I am wanting to do is be home and relax and begin to get in the holiday spirit and do some baking, some organizing, some shopping........but the reality is I have no time for all of that!!! There are several changes taking place in the next two weeks. First of all our house--15 miles outside of town, that we have been trying to sell for 1 and 1/2 years has all but sold. It was supposed to close Friday. However there was a glitch which stems from people not doing their job. So the homeowners were screwed and so were we. Bubby says it's their fault for not knowing what is going on. LOL but I don't think they did it on purpose. Anyhow if we are lucky it will be this next Friday, if not Monday, Dec. 13th.

 The next worry on my mind is Parker. He is wanting to quit basketball. As in forever. He has worked so hard his whole life, since age 5 when he started playing and now is ready to give it up. I understand that he is tired of it. The coach is extremely negative. Some of the things Parker tells us I can understand why he wants to quit. It will be a good thing in a way. Once must make a lot of sacrifices to play sports. I'm just not sure when the right time for Parker to quit is. First he wanted to finish the season, then he wanted to finish the next tournament, now he wants to quit right away!!! 

Can I talk school?  Budget cuts are finally hurting our district. Teachers are being moved around. So far no one has lost a job, but teachers who had had non- classroom jobs are being put into classrooms. This isn't always a good thing. While being in a classroom and being the actual teacher requires the most work, paper work etc, support teachers are important too. We are loosing most of the support systems at our school. We were told, you are loosing all the support you are used to and yes, we still expect the high standards we want and need. Good luck and remember- you still have a job. I feel for my co-workers who are being moved and switched at a whim. However, I do understand the state of Texas does not value education like it should and will not put the money where it needs to go. 

How does this affect me? Right now I just feel for my friend who has been out of the class room and in a position to help kids one-on -one and help us teachers with projects. This is an invaluable person. She is retiring because of the change...after she takes on sophomores and juniors....for 6 months.....I feel for her.

I spent yesterday at Parker's tournament and didn't get a lick of work done Saturday. So today( I've been awake since 4:30AM worrying about all this)  is groceries, laundry, grading papers and a wee bit of shopping. I have so many areas in this house that need attention. I guess those will wait. OH, and I'm not loosing weight. It's been two weeks. I'm holding steady. I'm ready to try the new WW points, but have to figure out how to get to a meeting. No time!! I'm still walking my three miles nightly, but I think it's not enough. argh. 

OK crappy post over. Just waiting for summer already! 

Happy Thanksgiving

What a year! So much to be grateful for. We had big losses~ Bubby's mom died from a horrible fast-moving cancer. My brother almost lost his foot to an infection...but he's still got it...minus a toe! We are set to close on our country house in a couple weeks. Parker is doing great in school and still playing basketball. I'm having a good year teaching despite all the added pressure of "No One Fails" and I'm loosing weight in the midst of it all, (Thanks Jack for making me walk)  finally...... oh and Bubby turned 50!!! 

Happy Thanksgiving

Bubby's Big Beautiful Delicious Chocolate on Chocolate Cake

Parker's First Varsity Game~ Warming Up

He didn't play much, so I had to use the warm up shots here. lol

Doing his thing on the bench...

clapping and cheering! 

I'm always thankful for my girl, Molly 

And my boy Jack!! 

Happy 2010 Thanksgiving! 

Checkin In

Been quite busy and out of sorts lately. It was my migraine week- had the headache for 5 days. It's still lingering, but for the most part gone. I worked through it and walked with it and I survived. As of this morning I'm down 30 lbs!! I'm happy. I'm in the mode of loosing. I even passed up the most delicious cake yesterday afternoon. I'll keep doing this as long as it feels right. I don't feel like I'm missing anything which is important.
I hosted Bunco....had fun and even drank wine. I couldn't concentrate though...but it felt good to relax. My friend is in the hospital- very very sick. I'm sooo worried about her when she gets out. I need to balance being selfish about my walks and visiting and helping her. My younger brother is having some issues. I worry about that too...not to mention the stress of work and wondering if our house will actually close!!! And to top it off- I had a horrible tooth ache last weekend which resulted in root-canal- which I got 1/2 last week and will have it finished today. AWK
But... I'm not eating my problems away. Walking has been the biggest de-stresser. Who knew? I sure didn't. I never gave myself enough time to make it a habit. I'm battling my back hurting. It's sore. Walking helps. I think when I get headaches I just want to crawl in bed and lay and that make my back hurt.....so no sleeping- got to fix that now!
I did buy pants two sizes smaller. I feel happy that I'm making progress. Baby steps. :) Here's to the next 30!!!