Monday, February 15, 2010

Life Goes On

I feel like the days are marching by swiftly.  And although I've been doing what I said I would do, I have to say, I'm not feeling much different.  Could be due to a RA/Fibromyalgia flair that I'm just coming off of.  During the heavy snow (and boy was it heavy - about 4 feet in 5 days) I was pretty much in gridlock.  My body was often in a fetal position with my hands locked.  My only exercise were trips to the bathroom.  Didn't even go upstairs to sleep.  My arms were hurting so bad, it was hard to type.  It was hard to hold the phone.  I was in too much pain to really care about being online or holding the phone.  But when it interferes with holding my books, that's the last straw!!   I also had the infamous brain fog that goes with Fibro.  I couldn't remember simple names or important times in history.  Such as watching a Marie Antoinette movie and knowing events were wrong, but not being able to explain it.  Scary for a writer.

Obviously doing better today, although sleeping a lot.  And although I'm sticking to WW, I'm STARVING!!  lol I eat something that at one time filled me up, and two hours later....hungry.  That often happens after I've been on program for 3-4 weeks, and sometimes that's my downfall.  So I'm trying to be creative with the snacks or whatever I need to tide me over.  Skim milk is a great inbetween snack for me, and one I need anyway.  Some type of protein usually helps me until the next meal.

I'm not saying it's a down day because I'm actually doing better.  I'm not saying it's an up day because there's so much more to do and to overcome.  I'm saying it's going by too quickly and I'm afraid of not accomplishing my goals.

But whatever happens, know that I will persevere.  Pushing myself is the only way to get through those times when impossible seems to be the only answer....and it's not.  Impossible is for Bisquick pies.  And look what happens to them!

Monday, February 1, 2010

GROUNDHOG DAY!!

I have often felt like the movie Groundhog Day.  That I have to keep repeating things until I get it right.  That is until recently.

Since I have been determined that this year will be different, it has been.  I've made the appointments I needed to make.  I'm back at Weight Watchers and feel better already.  Must be those wonderful greens :-)   I'm walking more and hope to be in good shape to be able to handle the April Retreat with WRW.  That was a lot of walking the last time I went (two years ago).  Plus I'm not smoking this time around, so that should help.

And today.....Well, today I sent out the WRW newsletter at 12:01 a.m., February 1st.  HA!!  If people get their columns to me, and I don't have to beg for them, that's what happens.  Not that I haven't had moments of tardiness in the past.  But not this year!  And I registered for the RWA Conference and paid for the hotel already.  WOOT!!  My husband says I'm not going without him, so he's my date ;-)

My husband and I are keeping our Thursday afternoon movie dates, and have been having fun with that.  One week is his turn to pick the movie, the next week is my turn.  We pop our own popcorn and take a diet Dr. Pepper.  That helps keep me in line with WW.  But we still get the individual pizza and share it.   Mmmmmm.  And then, as we've done for 35 years, we hold hands and enjoy the movie.  As our daughter's friend Kristi said when she was about 15, it's so cute when old people are in love lol

I'm writing, but not as much as I had hoped.  Hopefully that will change now.  I'm feeling energized, and I feel like I'm getting my life more in order than it had been.  I feel like I was living each day, but I wasn't living it to my fullest.  Too much time on useless FB apps (I think they are a way of escaping life).  The Gods are smiling on me though because I can't really get into them.  They are slow, if they load at all.  One of my friends is giving them up completely, and I find that inspirational.  I may do that also.  Yeah, doesn't sound like I'm *promising* to give them up.  But I'm thinking about it, and that's so much further than where I was a month ago.

My mom.  What can I say about  my mom.  I have been begging her to come live with us.  She is so unhappy where she is, but I guess she's not unhappy enough to do anything about it.  That will be ongoing at least until Spring.  She does feel it's too cold in Pennsylvania for her lung ailments, and I understand that.  Not that we plan on making her stand outside *rolling eyes*.  She could get right into the car in the garage and be let out very close to a door of wherever she wants to go.  She's very lonely in Florida, even though my brother and his wife do a lot with her.  She's meant to live with others, not alone.  But until she decides otherwise, I'll be there on the phone for her.


2010 is not going to be Groundhog Day for me.  I am NOT going to go insane by repeating the same mistakes and expecting different results.  I'm going to grab life and live it to the max.  How about you?

Sunday, January 10, 2010

I'm Upgrading my Package

A few years ago, when I was going through a pretty rough time, I told myself each day "For today, I have all that I need."  I found that I did have all that I needed.  I always have.  It's just time to upgrade the package!

What do I want the most?  To be healthy, to live my best life (yeah, I watch too much Oprah, but it's a good way of putting it), and to write!  Last week I got a lot of writing done - so much that I can't wait until tomorrow to continue and see where my story will lead.

I think I'm ok in the money department - I could always use more, but couldn't we all.  In this economy, I feel like a wealthy woman.

I'm ok in the relationship department.  I'm happily married going on 35 years.  Wow!   Other relationships are pretty good too.  I feel blessed with friendships and with family.

I got my birthday out of the way, and had a wonderful day.  Ate too much chocolate cake, but you know how I look at eating healthy?  There are 365 days in the year, 300 of them in which I'm going to be eating healthy.  Sixty of them, I'm going to plan in a wee bit of self-indulgence - lunch with my friend Teresa where we always share a piece of chocolate cake, a glass of wine when visiting with my friend Pat, eating something delicious my son-in-law makes.  And five days that will probably be out of control.  Like having chocolate cake for breakfast AND dinner because my husband bought me a cake!  LOL

The same goes for exercising.  300 days of getting some kind of activity in, sixty days that I will plan to take off (that's still basically 6 days a week of exercising) and 5 days that I will not be able to - a cold?  Traveling? Whatever.

I got my new Daytimer.  NOTHING makes me feel more organized than having a nice Daytimer and filling it up with my To Do lists.  I adore To Do lists and crossing things off.  Am I a Capricorn or what?  I was like that when I worked outside of the home - very organized and knew exactly what I was doing, had done, and what my husband is doing also.

One thing I do plan to do this week is get caught up on those pesky calls I need to make - I need a dentist appt, an eye exam, to do my yearly OB-GYN exam and.....I dread this one.....to get a colonoscopy.  I only dread it because I watched my husband go through the preparation, and I'm just not sure I can do it.  But since my dad had polyps on his colon, I think I should do it.  So I promise to make those phone calls this week.

What is it that you have been putting off and need to do?  I hope you'll share because that way we can all help one another.  That way we can all upgrade our package!

Monday, January 4, 2010

Inspiration is everywhere this time of year!


Yesterday was a great segment on Dr. Sanjay Gupta's CNN segment.

Dr. Oz started his Ultimate Weight Loss Plan today.

I haven't checked out Dr. Phil or Oprah today, but I'm sure it will be something about new beginnings.

HealthyWriter.com has a very inspirational article by Michelle Butler. http://healthywriter.blogspot.com/

I'm loving an article by Martha Beck in the January 2010 issue of O - well worth reading http://www.oprah.com/article/omagazine/201001-omag-beck/3

As much as I'm loving FaceBook, I'm spending way too much time on it.  Mostly playing games.  One or two isn't bad, but I'm spending the day sending horses to fellow Farmville and Farmtown neighbors, or cooking something up in CafeWorld, or (and I shudder to mention this one) playing Sorority Life.  Something has to give!

Breaking habits is a hard thing to do.  But obviously, it can be done.  I think of some of my real life heroines like Connie who runs a yahoo group to help us lose weight.  Connie is amazing with with how far she has come.  She broke some bad habits and made it fun for us.  And I have to add, her knitting just gets better and better.  

I also think of another WRW member (Washington Romance Writers) who has a daughter who has a lot of issues.  I never see her without a smile on her face.  Mary Lenaburg has a very moving blog http://passionateperseverance.blogspot.com/search/label/New%20Years%20Resolutions  I want to be like Mary and SMILE and LAUGH through life's obstacles.

I think of my mom.  We lost dad last year, and as difficult as it's been, thinking of the times she just wanted to give up, she's doing better than ever.  She had some very tough physical therapy and is now able to do more than she has done in years.  Perseverance, my friends, perseverance.  

I'm one of those people who studies and studies but doesn't follow through.  Well, no more.  Following through will be my mantra for the year.  I WILL follow through with my writing.  I WILL follow through with a healthier lifestyle by moving more.  And I WILL follow through by less Facebook apps time.  If you see me on there, feel free to kick my ass.  I'm not talking about status updates because I don't think I add so many that I'm annoying.  But the apps?  Kick away girlfriends, kick away.  I NEED my friends to support me, just as I hope I can help them out.  Let's find perseverance with the breaking of bad habits.  Hey, it's been over a year since I last smoked!  I did something right in 2009 lol!

I'm off to finish a couple of chores, and then writing, writing, writing.  What are you doing today that improves your life?


Sunday, January 3, 2010

Resolutions? Schmesolutions!

Happy New Year! I always get excited as a new year approaches and love to get my Resolutions in order. They're always pretty much the same ones, unfortunately. I have given the advice that every day is the beginning of a New Year, whether it's January 1st or May 14th. So why have I had a hard time getting that through to my own thought pattern. So that's what this blog is about - changing habits. And I hope I have friends who will join me, motivate me as I motivate them, be there for one another and perhaps have others would like to guest blog about motivation.

Since I'm a writer, and in the company of writers, I really want to get motivated into the habit of writing every day instead of just when I feel like it. I haven't worked outside the home in a few years, so I've lost that Sunday night panic, but I've also lost that "It's 9 a.m. so I should be at work now" feeling too.

I've had some health issues that kept me down and out for a while, so the biggest thing I have to do is move around more. It's been too easy to stay home and miss out on some good things in life. That's going to change. I eat pretty well, even over the holidays, so that wasn't really an issue. It's the moving around thing.

I know there's other things I could change, but that's enough for now. I just want to know....is there anyone willing to join me on this one year adventure?