Halloween Table Topper

When witches go riding,

and black cats are seen,

the moon laughs and whispers,

‘tis near Halloween. ~ Author Unknown

I've been secretly working on a little quilted table-topper for my youngest daughter over the past two weeks. I didn't want to post it because she often reads my blog.

But now that I've given it to her, I thought I'd share it.

Megan loves all those bright, fun Halloween fabrics, and had teased me about doing something when they first started appearing. I thought it would be fun to create something for her, since she's the true Halloween nut in the family (I wear that title at Christmas time!)

Here's the whole project, photographed from above. The center is an Ohio Star, one of my favorite blocks. I must confess, however, to never having made one with skull fabrics!

And here's a close up of all that fun material. The green spider and the green polka-dots came from two separate stores, and I was pleased how they well the worked and complimented each other -- if you can call glow-in-the-dark complimentary!

This was a relatively quick project to do, and I have to admit that the fabrics always made me smile. I think I may do a few more for the coming holiday season, although I'd better start now: I am sooooo slow at quilting!

* * * * *

On a non-quilting note...

I had my first-ever bone density scan today. My doctor just wanted a baseline since I am of a "certain age." The test, of course, is no big deal: it's like having an x-ray taken. But my jaw dropped when they took my height. She had me stand very tall and erect -- and I've shrunk! I used to be 5'7'. Now I'm 5'6 1/4. I've lost almost an entire inch in height. When did that happen??

As I left the office, I couldn't help smiling at that old joke: "I'm not fat - I'm just too short for my weight!"

Until next time...

HYC / Light a Candle

There are two ways of spreading light:
to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.

~ Edith Wharton

Tonight is weigh-in, and I'm not sure what results I'll see. It's been an up-and-down week as far as food is concerned. Most of it's been good: I've journaled, but not as carefully as in weeks past. So we'll see what happens tonight. Either way, the week is over as of this evening, and I can put it behind me and have a fresh start in the morning.

* * * * *

Do you like candles?

I'm kinda crazy about 'em. Maybe obsessive might be a better term! I find the flickering flame to be so soothing to my spirit. A lovely scent doesn't hurt, either.

Hubby and I spent time last summer in upper Wisconsin, at the lakeside cottage of his twin brother and his wife. They are very early risers, usually getting up before the sun did. Hubby and I, not so much (besides, we were on California time!) When we did finally crawl out of bed, we'd find a glowing candle burning on the kitchen counter each morning. I thought it was such a nice way to begin the day. So I started the same tradition in my home.


As I type this, an Autumn Gold Yankee Candle is glowing here on the computer desk. I wish blogs came with scratch-and-sniff, so you could smell it! It brings a feeling of Fall to the air.

I light this one when I'm sewing. It smells like fresh cut grass. And it's made with soy wax, which I understand is a better way to go than traditional wax. I don't know about that: I just know that it smells wonderful!

This one is in our bedroom. True Bliss - isn't that great name? Again, I wish you could smell the tangerine/vanilla combination. It's a little slice of heaven!

Now, lest you be thinking otherwise, I do NOT own stock in Yankee Candle Company! I just happen to like theirs best. But really, when you're looking for something to calm you down or perhaps to lift your mood, any candle will do. I think it's the act of lighting it, of taking a moment to do something special for yourself that makes it work. The lovely scent is just an added bonus.

What simple things do you do to feed your spirit and soothe your soul? I hope you'll share a thought or two. We can all use ideas on simple ways to care for ourselves.

Until next time...

A Lighter Heart

Flaming enthusiasm,

backed up by horse sense and persistence,

is the quality that most frequently makes for success.

~Dale Carnegie

My heart and I are celebrating this morning.

I dropped 3.5 pounds at last night's weigh in! That brings my five-week total to 12 pounds, which means I earned some bling (see my side bar.) All that journaling I've been doing is paying off big time. Yay me (heck no, I'm not proud of myself!)

Yesterday when I was rearranging things in one of our closets, I ran across two five-pound dumbbells. When I lifted them to move them to a different spot, I was amazed at how heavy they were. Last night, when I got home from my meeting, I picked up those dumbbells again and handed them to my hubby. I said, "This is how much less weight my legs will have to haul around on our hikes in Alaska. This is how much lighter my heart will be."

He was impressed.

For those of us who have 50, 100, 200 pounds to lose, it can feel overwhelming to think about how far we have to go. And the more you have to lose, the less significant the beginning losses can feel. So do yourself a favor next time you're at the grocery store. Pick up something that weighs the same amount you've lost: a five-pound bag of sugar; a ten-pound sack of potatoes; a 28-pound container of cat litter, etc. Pick up two of everything, if you've worked hard to lose that much! The idea is to realize how much less of a burden your body has to carry. Then put down your load and celebrate the lighter feeling. Your knees, your feet, and your heart will thank you!

Another trick I've learned is to not look too far ahead on this journey. After you celebrate how far you've come, it's easy to get discouraged when you then think how far you still have to go. So don’t do it! Set your sites on your next milestone. I've lost 12 pounds so for me, that milestone is 15 pounds. For right now, I'm not thinking any farther than that. I hope I can encourage you to do the same.

I'm going to celebrate my success this morning by going to Starbucks for a non-fat latte with one Splenda. I need some time to think about how I'm going to teach verbs to my student tonight. He's a wiz at nouns and adjectives and pronouns, but I need to find a way to teach him that verbs are all about action. Maybe I'll have him look at this sentence to pick out the verbs:

Pattie has lost 12 pounds, and she's one very happy camper!

Until next time...

HYC / Less Neurotic?

Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds

if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.

~ Doug Larson

My weigh-in won’t happen until Tuesday night, but I’m feeling good about the past two weeks. I haven’t been perfect, but I’ve been pretty darn fine! I’ve tracked my food for 12 out the past 14 days, and I know that will help at the scale. More importantly, I can feel a difference in my body. Progress, not perfection!

The latest issue of Bon Appétit magazine has a fascinating article called "The Food Writer’s Diet." Melissa Clark, food writer and cookbook author, eats for a living (can you imagine such a thing??) Yet she maintains a svelte figure – and evidently, is not the only one of her colleagues with this distinction.

Clark claims the key to being a thin professional eater is eating only the foods she truly loves, but less of them – and none of the foods she doesn’t like or want. She eats a little of the yummy stuff, then supplements with fruits and veggies to help keep her full. She also won’t eat foods that are bland and unappetizing.

I can’t honestly say the same about my diet. I can think of many times I’ve continued to eat something that wasn’t very exciting, not even particularly tasty -- but it was there. So I continued eating it. Does that sound at all familiar?

The article offers a few other tips worth noting, some of which we already know. Never skip a meal; have a healthy snack like an apple before dinner; practice portion control and conscious eating; always leave food on your plate; exercise often and with intensity.

But the thing that keeps running through my head is the closing paragraphs:

… the most important way that food writers control their eating is, ironically, by not being too controlling… I really think the happier and less neurotic you are about what you’re eating, the less likely you’ll become big as a house.

Think about the basic idea behind that hugely popular book, The Secret. The Law of Attraction says that we draw to ourselves the same energy we expend into the world. So if we’re miserable and constantly thinking about how deprived we feel when we’re dieting, doesn’t it stand to reason that this is exactly the kind of negative energy we’ll keep attracting back to ourselves?

Or to put it in a less new-agey kind of way: if you hate what you’re eating and hate your life because you can’t have any of the good stuff – why in the world do you expect to successful at losing weight? How long can you keep it up?

Not for long. I know. Been there and done that. Willpower doesn’t work for very long; deprivation doesn’t work at all. Tell me I can’t have a slice of cake and that’s exactly what I focus on – having a slice of cake (or two or three because I felt so deprived, poor me!)

So what do you think? Is there something to the idea of being less neurotic and obsessive about what we put in our mouths, and choosing to eat a little of the foods that make us happiest? Would this make a difference on our journey toward good health? I'm curious what you think.


Until next time…

The Pen Is Mightier Than The Scale

If you bite it, you write it!

If you nibble it, you scribble it!

~ Weight Watchers mantra

Have you seen the latest news? A new study finds that dieters can double their weight loss by writing down everything they eat.

A pain the rear? Amen! But effective? You betcha!

Time magazine, and several other news outlets, are reporting the striking new results of a paper published in the August issue of the American Journal of Preventative Medicine. Time states:

Scientists at several clinical-research centers in the U.S. found that dieters who kept a food diary lost twice as much weight as those who didn't.

I'm certainly not surprised, since I'm living proof of the theory. When I write down the foods I consume, I lose weight. When I don't keep my journal, I tend to gain weight.

Why? Again, the Time article says it best:

While most people think they know what they eat, they really have only a general idea and tend to have selective memory, especially when it comes to the foods that aren't so good for us. With a detailed food diary, you can see where those extra calories are coming from.

Tracking what I'm consuming every day keeps me conscious and aware of how much I'm eating AND of what kinds of foods I'm choosing. I track not only food and Points (yes, I follow Weight Watchers) but also how many fruits and veggies I eat each day, how much dairy I get in, and how many glasses of water I down.

I also try and take it one step beyond by noting the exercise I do and then, at the end of the day, to note three things I'm grateful for. I have to admit that I don't always take time to do the latter, but I also don't always get in all my fruits, nor do I get out and walk as often as I'd like. Sue me - I'm not perfect! And that's ok. If I write down what I eat and stay within my daily calorie limit, I'll likely lose weight.

Here's the latest version of my food diary, created as an Excel spreadsheet then cut in half. Click on the photo if you want to see the gory details:

I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that I get so incredibly bored with keeping track of my eating. So I need to mix up the format every once in a while. I used to put fun stickers all over the sheets of a small spiral notebook. Seeing the food entries surrounded by stickers saying, "You Rock!" or "Great Job!" would always make me smile. Now I don't need that so much (hey, I get my cheerleading from all of you -- and boy, am I grateful!)

Just like with everything having to do with good health in general and weight loss in particular, no one way is right for everyone. But I believe that this latest study is pretty compelling. So if you've been on the fence about tracking your food intake, just to see what you truly do consume in a day, let these latest findings give you that nudge over the edge. Remember, even doing it for a couple of days will likely prove very enlightening, as long as you're honest with yourself and write down every morsel (yes, those three M&M's do count!)

None of us have to be perfect at this process. We just have to keep moving forward. It's all about progress, not perfection!

Until next time...

HYC / The Call of the Wild

To the lover of wilderness, Alaska is one of the most

wonderful countries in the world. ~ John Muir

Today is Healthy Me Check In, but I don't have much to report. I won’t be weighing in this week, since I'll be attending a board meeting tonight rather than my meeting. This makes me a little nervous: that feeling of not having to be accountable, you know? I got a little sidetracked Sunday night, which stretched into yesterday. Nothing major: just struggling to write down my intake - which is dangerous for me. So my mini-goal for today is to write it all down, every single bite.

* * * * *

See that vehicle in the photo above? That's hubby and me driving along the Seward Highway in Alaska (can you see me waving?) Or rather, it will be us, in 26 days!

I can’t believe that our dream trip is almost here. Isn’t it amazing how fast the time goes? When I started making all the reservations up and down the Kenai Peninsula, it seemed that it was so far in the future, and now the time is almost here.

Everything is in place: the hotels in Homer, Seward, Kenai and Anchorage; the day-cruises on Prince William Sound and through the Kenai Fjords National Park. Just yesterday, I did a little research and found a couple of fairly easy hiking trails we can take in Kachemak Bay State Park, which is only accessible from Homer by boat or airplane.

I'm going to have to do the easier trails, since I didn't do what I'd planned to do when I installed that counter-widget on my blog six months ago: I didn't get myself into hiking shape. I spent those months coasting along, thinking, "Ah, I've got plenty of time. I'll start tomorrow." Sound familiar to anyone? :-) But I made up my mind three weeks ago that I'm going into this trip with the right attitude. I can be anxious and fearful because I'm not in great shape, which will overshadow every choice we make along the trip. Or I can go with the attitude that I'm up for adventure and want to have fun, no matter what. Now I'm not stupid: I won't tackle the trails marked 'difficult.' But I refuse to let my soft muscles deter me from seeing the beauty of this area. We'll just have to go a little slower and take lots of catch-my-breath/water stops!

The fishing opportunities have Hubby as excited as a little kid at Christmas. We've booked him for an all-day halibut charter while we're in Homer, and he's bringing his gear so he can throw in a line and maybe bring home a salmon or three or four. Me? I plan to explore the shops in Homer while he's on his charter. He'll be hunting for halibut: I'll be hunting for quilt fabric!

And as long as I can see puffins -- and maybe moose and eagles and bears and whales -- I'll be happy. Sore from hiking, but happy!

Have any of you been to the Kenai? If so, I'd love your suggestions for fun places to visit and great places to eat.

26 days and counting!

Until next time...

One Step Forward

Dreams and dedication are a powerful combination.

~ William Longgood

Thanks to all of you who posted words of encouragement yesterday. I sure appreciate being able to write out all the conflicting emotions that were going on inside my head over the tutoring experience. I'm feeling much calmer about it today, after speaking yesterday to the folks who run the literacy program. I am prepared now to go back tonight and give Mark the help he needs -- at the more advanced level he's at. It's all good!

MizFit hit the nail on the head when she left a comment, asking about my almost-overwhelming need to hit a fast food joint after I tutored. She wondered if I knew what triggered it:

... the overwhelmingness of the situation/experience? ( I so felt that when I tutored. prepared to help and yet felt wholly inadequate at times...)

That's exactly the feeling had when I left the Work Furlough facility. So anxious, so conflicted. But I did not give in to the siren call of fast food because I knew I was looking for comfort that food could not bring me. I just wanted the anxiety I was feeling to stop, and that's not on the menu at Taco Bell (think of the fortune they'd make, if it were!) Instead, I was comforted by my hubby when I got home, had my fears allied by the folks at the literacy program, and I got lots of support from everyone here in blogland! Thank you.

AND I'm very proud to report that I lost another 2.5 pounds last night at weigh in. That's 8.5 pounds in three weeks. I am one happy camper!

We CAN do whatever we set our minds to!


Until next time...

Healthy Me Check-in and Encouragement

Most of us, swimming against the tides of trouble
the world knows nothing about, need only a bit of
praise or encouragement -- and we will make the goal.

~ Jerome P. Fleishman

It's been another good week for me, as far as healthy eating goes. I've written down everything I've eaten (included that fabulous hot dog and popcorn at Saturday night's movie!) I've stayed within my Points, with a few to spare. But I have to admit that it was tougher this week. I wasn’t quite as calm about it all as I was the first two weeks. Nerves? Hormones? Who knows! I was tempted more often, but I stuck it out. Weigh in is tonight... we'll see.

* * * * *

Last night was my first tutoring event. Talk about an emotional eating experience! I was far too nervous to eat anything before I went, but after... boy, the pull to stop on my way home for some kind of fast-food comfort fix was incredibly strong! I just kept telling myself, "Go home and eat something good there." I made it - but again, the temptation to calm myself with food was really strong (which as we all know, brings about five actual minutes of comfort, then you're back to square one!)

It was an interesting experience, going into this minimum security facility to tutor. The room where we meet is in the men's section and luckily, one of my fellow tutors was there to escort me to the room we're allowed to use. She and I chatted while we set up, then I waited for Mark. Turns out he's a young man of 20, with deep piercing eyes and arms covered with tattoos. I started out by asking him to tell me a little about himself and his goals. One of the things he mentioned a few times is that he loves to draw. And he's really motivated to earn his GED. That's his primary goal at this point, and he's been studying hard on his own to make that happen. He'll be released in December and is ready to pull his life together.

I have to admit to being at a bit of a loss of what to do to help him, however. I had him do some cold reading of material I thought for sure he'd stumble on. He didn’t falter one bit. Even the words I'd thought might catch him up were not a problem. I had him answer the questions following the reading, to check on his comprehension. No problem there: he got every one right. Then I gave him pencil and paper and asked him to write down his goals for me. He wrote a full paragraph, correctly spelled and punctuated. I found myself thinking, "Now what??" I went in expecting to teach this young man phonetics and site words and find that he's a very capable young man. I'm so pleased for him, but I've got a call in to the folks who supervise the literacy program to ask where I go next.

Part of my goal last night was to encourage him as much as possible, and I found that very easy to do since he is so capable. At the end of our time together, we shook hands and he left the room. As I was gathering my things, feeling a bit confused on where to go next with him, I heard the door open. I looked up and it was Mark. He said, "I wanted to show you some of the drawings I did." He brought in two pencil sketches he'd done of eagles, their talons clasping wood in one picture, and fish in another. The drawings were incredibly well done - this guy is really good! I encouraged him to think about pursuing graphic design training after he gets his GED.

Can I tell you how good that felt to me, that he went back to his cell and got these drawings to show me? I left there beaming! It truly reinforced my belief that what most of us need in life is a little encouragement, someone to say, "You bet you can do it!"

One last thing... and don’t you dare laugh! When I'm nervous, I tend to perspire from my head. Well, I was very nervous last night. For some reason, this triggered a hot flash. The whole time I was with my learner, trying to be helpful and encouraging, I'm mopping my face and fanning myself for dear life! He must have thought I was melting - and I was!

So much for first impressions, eh? :-)

Until next time...

You Become What You Think About

Listen to the Musn't's child,

Listen to the Don't's.
Listen to the Shouldn't's,

the Impossibles, the Won't's.
Listen to the Never Haves,

then Listen close to me:
Anything can happen, child,

Anything can Be!

~ Shel Silverstein

Drum roll, please... I lost six pounds last night at weigh in! Woo hoo! I'm a happy camper!

I've been thinking a lot lately about thinking. Specifically, how our thoughts can make or break us in life. I'm reading a great little book right now (recommend by Rebecca over at Ready Maid) called Being in Balance, by Dr. Wayne Dyer. He has a wonderful way of putting it:

You get what you think about, whether you want it or not.

Pretty simple, but pretty powerful. If you think that making a change in your life (like paying your bills on time, or losing weight, or being a better a friend) is hard, then it will be hard. But if you look at the positive aspects of what you're doing, the experience will be positive. Yep, it's that old Law of Attraction idea: you draw to you the same energy you put out to the world.

I struggle with being too hard on myself, and I know from experience that I'm not alone in that. I am encouraging of others who take a step and fall. But when I do it? Oh boy - the inner tirades begin! But these past two weeks, I worked on letting go of past mistakes and instead focused on how good it felt to be eating healthy again. I created very positive thoughts that translated into very positive actions.

So here's an idea:

What if we all focus on the positive things about ourselves?

Quick! Name all the areas where you think you’re lacking. Go ahead - I'll wait. :-)

You can probably make a long list, can’t you? I’m not smart, I’m not thin, I’m not wealthy, I’m not stylish, I’m not active… I’m not, I’m not, I’m not!

How about listing all the things you are?

Focusing on the positive parts of ourselves is much more of a challenge because we’re used to looking at all the ways we think we don’t measure up. We’ve set a self-imposed standard inside us that constantly points out our shortcomings.

So here's my challenge for all of us today: take time to write down all of the good things you are. If you’re having trouble making a list, ask a trusted friend or loved one what they see as your strengths. It’s time we start defining ourselves in terms of what we ARE, not what we aren't. Remember Dr. Dyer's words: You become what you think about.

I'm a proud and capable woman who is six pounds lighter today! What are you?


Until next time...

Healthy Me: The Courage to Try Again

Courage doesn't always roar.

Sometimes courage is the little voice

at the end of the day that says

I'll try again tomorrow.

~ Mary Anne Radmacher

It’s been a long time since I posted as part of the Healthy You Challenge. I’ve done lots of good things to keep my mind and spirit healthy and active, but not so much having to do with my body.

Until two weeks ago.

You may remember a post I wrote called I Need Help. It was written on a Monday, when I hit the wall but felt so cynical about trying to lose weight. But the next day, I found the courage to once again put my feet back on the path to respecting and loving myself enough to take care of health.

Today, I am completing two weeks of what I refer to as clean, healthy eating. For me, that means writing down every single morsel that goes into my mouth. It means staying within my allotted Weight Watcher Points.

But it also means working hard to eat a combination of five fruits and/or vegetables every day, to get some amount of a healthy protein at every meal, to make sure I give my body the calcium it needs, and drinking lots and lots of water.

So I’m giving myself a Healthy You Badge (thanks Diana, for creating these!)

I’ll have my official weigh in Tuesday night, and am curious to see what feedback the scale will give me (it wasn’t pretty the last time I weighed.) But the reality is that whatever it says, it’s just a number. I know how much better I feel today than fourteen days ago. I know I haven’t taken a Tums since the day I posted my cry for help. I know that I feel so much calmer now that I’ve taken control of my eating again (can anyone relate to that feeling?)

Yes, I’m hoping for good results Tuesday night, but no reading on the scale can match how positive I’m feeling about my choices again. It's surely one day at a time, and I’m on my way!

Until next time…

Feeling Hopeful

A woman is like a tea bag.
You never know how strong she is
until she gets into hot water. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

First, I must tell you how overwhelmed I am by the outpouring of support I received from my "meltdown" post. Thank you to every one of you who took time to write some of the kindest, most compassionate words I've ever read.

I am feeling much better about this journey, and took some good steps yesterday to set my feet on the path to being well. The first step was getting rid of the unhealthy food I have allowed back into my life. The full container of ice cream (the real stuff) went down the garbage disposal, followed by two containers of full-fat/full-sugar coffee creamer (which I love, but I seem to drink more creamer than coffee in the morning.) I packed up the cookies, chips, and crackers, and sent them to work with hubby. His staff will gobble them up.

The next action step yesterday was writing down what I ate. As much as I fight doing this, I'm always amazed by the sense of calm I feel when I do it. Maybe it's a feeling of control? Maybe it's about focus? Whatever it is, it helps me to see what I've put in my mouth. I worked on adding more fruits and veggies into my day (who can say no a tomato picked fresh from the garden?) My food day was not "perfect," and I'm ok with that because it's one heckuva lot better than the day that preceded it!

One step, one day at a time.

* * * * *

When I led Weight Watcher meetings, I used to give away to my members a little bookmark I'd made with the ABC's of Successful Weight Loss. I think it applies to any goal we've set for ourselves, any time we're trying to make positive changes. I'm listing my thoughts here from three years ago, to remind me of what that smart woman back then knew:

Accept responsibility for your choices and actions.

Believe that you're worth the time and the effort.

Commit and don't quit until your dreams come true.

Here's to all of us living lives of good health and joy!

Until next time...

Freedom Isn't Free

Seek freedom and become captive of your desires.

Seek discipline and find your liberty.

~ Frank Herbert

I finished my training to teach adults to read last week, and now I’m jumping through the hoops required in order to tutor through the country probation offices. One of those hoops is getting fingerprinted, as part of a background check they’ll do on me. I had to go up to the juvenile justice center yesterday, and it was an interesting experience. After I filled in the paperwork, they asked me to take my purse back to my car and lock it up. They then led me through a maze of locked doors, into the fingerprinting area. There were doors all around marked "holding cell." As we were finishing, two officers brought in a young man in hand cuffs and made him stand facing one of the doors until we left. He looked so young. I wondered what he'd done.

I just kept thinking of that expression, "Freedom isn't free." Usually we think of that in terms of those who bravely defend our country. But there are prices those of us at home pay for freedom, as well. One of them is following the law. If you can't do that, then you lose your liberty. I can't imagine how it felt to be that young man, facing a cell and whatever the future holds for him.



But there are other prices we pay to be free. No matter what we want in life, we must give up something to get it. I’m thinking in terms of personal freedom here, of making our lives better. And I’m not preaching: this is a lesson I’m thinking about a great deal and am taking very personally today.

If you want to own a home, you have to pay the price of going without the extras so you can pay your bills on time and build your credit. If you don’t want to smoke any more, you have the pay the price of withdrawal until the cravings go away (the good news is that they will go away: it’s 20 years and counting since I smoked!) If you want to live at a healthy weight, you've got to pay the price by committing to the hard and continuous work it takes to get there and stay there.

The greater the value of what you want personally, the greater the sacrifice you will have to make. There are no short cuts, no detours.

Freedom isn’t free. There is a price to be paid if we want to make our lives better. But more importantly, there is a price that will be paid if we do nothing and leave things as they are.

Happy Fourth of July, everyone. Let freedom ring!


Until next time...

What’s Your Priority?

Don't be a time manager; be a priority manager.

~ Denis Waitley

I facilitate a gathering of women that meets every Monday morning, called the Healthy Lifestyle Group. It's a special interest group of our local branch of the American Association of University Women. We support each other in eating more nutritiously, being more active, and keeping a positive attitude.

This morning, I asked those present to do some brainstorming with me about what constitutes a healthy lifestyle. Besides the obvious of eating in moderation and exercising, we came up with the following:

* Keeping a journal - both of food eaten, and of feelings/attitudes
* Setting goals, and building in rewards all along the way
* Breaking old habits, which starts by being aware that they exist
* Eating at home as often as possible, so we control what goes in our bodies
* Prioritizing: what's really most important?
* Making time for yourself

That last one is hard for many people, I think especially so for women. We're trained from an early age to take care of those around us. We can become so busy that it's hard to make sure we're on our own to-do list every day.

But I know that making yourself a priority is crucial to living a healthy lifestyle. It isn’t about being selfish. It doesn’t mean that we stop taking care of the people and commitments in our lives: it means that we have more energy to do it! It means we’re saner and calmer, and have more to give to those we love because we care enough to give to ourselves first. It also means that we’re teaching our children and grandchildren to love and respect themselves by setting a good example of what self-care is all about.

Just like any other new habit we're working to adopt, making yourself a priority takes time. We must stay conscious every day of doing something good for ourselves - something that feeds our spirit, nurtures our body, and promotes our good health. It may be hard to squeeze in that time, but aren't you worth it?

There's an old expression that says we make time for what's most important in our lives. So let me ask you this:

Where are you on your priority list?

* * * * *

There's still time to enter my Summer Blog Party Attitude Changes Everything Contest! For all the details, click here.


Until next time...

Friends and Good Health

Each friend represents a world in us,

a world possibly not born until they arrive. ~ Anäis Nin

All good things must come to an end. Isn't that what they say? My 15-week beginning quilting series is over. (sniff!)

Pictured above are my classmates and teacher (and literally, the teacher's pet: Zoey, the quilt shop dog.) Eileen (our instructor) is seated, holding the flowers we gave her on the last night of class. Standing behind her, left to right, are Carole, me, Sue and Heidi. We really bonded through this class, sharing family stories and tales of sewing woes. I think it's what women do best: talking, sharing, and providing a nurturing environment by really hearing what other women have to say. I don't believe we ever discussed anything earth-shattering during our time together. But I know that I always walked away from those weekly lessons feeling a bit more cared for and certainly more connected.

I was also usually exhausted from all we had learned about quilting in one evening!

I found an interesting article online called The Healing Power of Female Friendships, by Kathy English. Here's a small excerpt:

Actually, our girlfriends may play a far greater role in our lives than even the glam gals from Sex and the City -- today's poster girls for female friendships -- might imagine. New studies on women and stress provide strong evidence that those long gabfests with your girlfriends are vital to your health and may well help prolong your life. In June 2001, the renowned Harvard Medical School's Nurses' Health Study concluded that women's social networks play an important role in enhancing our health and quality of life. The study went so far as to conclude that not having at least one good confidante is as detrimental to a woman's health as being overweight or a heavy smoker [emphasis is mine].

Wow! I think that's a pretty powerful incentive for us to make sure we allow time for other women. We spend so much of each day working, caring for our children or grandchildren, keeping our houses clean and our partners fed, running errands, etc., etc. It's easy to put our female friendships on the back burner. After all, our friends are just as busy as we are, so who better to understand when we need to cancel a lunch get-together or a movie date?

But if we truly want to live a healthy life, we simply must make time to spend with our friends.

My oldest and dearest friends (including my sister and a cousin) are scattered around the globe: Boston, Georgia, Salt Lake, Idaho, and even Japan. The closest one is over 800 miles away. We keep in contact via emails, letters and phone calls, but I miss each one of them dearly. So having the opportunity to spend time with other women locally through classes, volunteer work or my weight support group is vital for my health, both emotionally and physically.

The same is true for you, don't you think?

I'm hoping that I'll see my quilting buddies again soon. We may take more classes together, and Carole is planning a barbecue for sometime in July. But even if our paths never cross again, my spirit has been fed by these wonderful gals. That's just what we women do for each other!

Until next time...

Camaraderie

In everyone’s life, at some time,

our inner fire goes out.

It is then burst into flame by an encounter with

another human being. ~ Albert Schweitzer

I posted yesterday about meeting some of my emotional needs by hanging out with like-minded people. Well, it happened today. I attended my first-ever quilt guild meeting.

No, it didn't look quite like the old-fashioned picture above (does anyone still quilt like that, I wonder?) It was a group of about 150 women of all ages, sizes and colors. I felt right at home!

I also went with the intention of meeting my blogging buddy Mary. We had exchanged emails, figuring out how we'd find each other, where we'd wait, etc. Turns out, we pulled up together at the same moment, and met in the parking lot. She's a very warm and open woman with the prettiest smile! I'm glad we've met in person and look forward to getting to know her.

Talk about a small world: the membership person for the guild is a former member of mine, back when I was a Weight Watcher leader. It was great to see her again! I think I'm getting a bit more comfortable when this happens: my first instinct was not to run and hide, so she couldn't see the weight I've regained. Nope, I went right up to her, held out my hand and re-introduced myself. I'm so glad I did. We chatted for a while and she told me how much she used to love coming to my meetings - how sweet was that?

So I think I've found a fun way to get a few of my emotional needs met. And you want to know what's interesting? As I drove away from the meeting, I found myself thinking that it's time to get new walking shoes. I got a gift certificate to a fitness shoe store for Christmas, and haven't used it yet. But today, it feels like it might be time.

Funny how that works, isn’t it? When we take care of ourselves emotionally, it puts us in a good place to want to take care of ourselves physically. I like when that happens!


Until next time…

Emotional Needs

Your intellect may be confused,

but your emotions will never lie to you. ~ Roger Ebert

Hello - remember me? I used to blog at least a couple of times a week. My goodness, life has felt very out of control since I last wrote anything. I didn't have time to post my Friday Five (which was going to be about mothers.) I feel like I've barely had time to catch my breath. I realized late yesterday afternoon that I need to take control again and slow things down. I don't like feeling this frenzied!

But when I have had a moment to think, I've been doing some important internal work that I'd like to share. Some of you will remember that I was waiting to hear about a job I very much wanted, as the volunteer coordinator at our library. Well, I didn't get it. I was ok at first, but as the days went on, I grew increasing sad about it. And I began to wonder why. I've certainly been turned down for jobs in the past: why was this one getting to me? Hence, the soul-searching.

I realized that I was looking forward to working again for the following reasons:

1. To be part of something bigger than my little world of homemaking, quilting, gardening, etc.

2. To work for a "cause." With a few brief exceptions, I've always worked in the non-profit sector, and the more purpose-driven the organization, the better I liked it.

3. More social interaction with like-minded people.


I've spent time over this past week, thinking of ways I can get these same needs met without going back to work full time. I've committed to some activities that I believe will help:


1. I've agreed to serve as chair of the Education Foundation Committee for our local branch of the American Association of University Women. I've been a member for a couple of years now, taking part in the various personal interest groups like the Daytime Literature group and the Good Health group (which I lead.) But this responsibility will get me more involved with the mission of AAUW, which is advancing equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research. There's a good cause if ever there was one! (Find out more at their website: AAUW.)

2. I start training at the end of this month to become a literacy tutor for adults. I've always had tremendous respect and admiration for those adults who can stand up and say that they don't know how to read, and want to learn. I look forward to introducing motivated individuals to the world of reading street signs, newspapers, books, etc. Again, what a great cause!

3. I'm joining one of our local quilt guilds tomorrow. It will be great to meet other woman (and men) who are as passionate about this hobby as I am. The group I'm joining offers opportunities to participate in charity quilting, as well. We'll see: it might be fun just to ooh and ahh over the work the more experienced quilters produce.

And you want to hear what a small world it is? There's a wonderful quilting blog I love to read called Needled Mom. Turns out Mary lives right here in my county, just miles from my house! We're hoping to meet in person tomorrow at the guild meeting.


So, there's my plan for meeting my current emotional needs. I'm hoping that by getting that part of my life in order, I can pay more attention to my physical needs, as well. But that's a subject for a different day!

[As an aside... you may have noticed that I've posted a new photo of myself. The previous photo was taken a few years ago, when I was at my Weight Watcher thinnest. I hated using it here, since I gained the weight back, but I didn't have a more current photo -- until yesterday. That's me as I am today: overweight but loving life and laughing as often as possible!]

How about you? What are you doing to make sure your emotional needs are being met?


Until next time...

Healthy You Check-In

Ah, how good it feels! The hand of an old friend.

~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I am way behind on my quilt blocks, which are all due for this Thursday night's class. So I'm posting Monday night for my Healthy You Check-in.

In short, the week was terrible as far as eating and exercise went.

But it was wonderful as far as nurturing my heart and spirit is concerned.

My dear friend Scott visited hubby and I this weekend. It was a short trip, so we tried to pack in as much as possible. We ate dinner by the ocean Saturday night, then played a board game here at home. Hubby had a commitment Sunday morning, so Scott and I went to breakfast then the three of us attended a Pink Martini concert that afternoon, as part of the Ventura Music Festival (if you don't know their music, treat yourself and download a tune or two.) We had drinks afterward by the ocean, then dinner at a fabulous Italian bistro where a friend is the head chef. This morning Scott and I again had breakfast while hubby was flying to Chicago on business. We shopped for books and music (our favorite past-time!) then I took him to the airport. It was an enjoyable weekend filled with good food, great drinks and fun activities.

But the best part was having time to visit face-to-face with an old friend. Scott and I have been through hell and high water together and have always been there to support one another in life's adventures. He makes me laugh and helps my heart feel light.

I can’t help thinking that on this journey of good health, laughter and a joyful spirit are just as important as diet and exercise -- maybe even more so. Having a dear friend close by is good medicine! So I do see this past week as a success on an emotional level.

But Scott and I both know the value of getting in exercise every day. So we've committed to one another that we'll be more active: not for the sake of the scale, but for our hearts and minds. He'll be walking in Utah and I'll be walking in California, but we'll stay connected through it all.

After all, it's that heart-felt connection that old friends do best.


Until next time...

Better Late Than Never

Behavior is what a man does,

not what he thinks, feels, or believes. ~ Anonymous

I'm doing my Healthy You Check-In a day late because my weigh-in is Tuesday night. I guess I'll always be behind the rest of you, but better late than never, eh?

I'm down another two pounds! That makes four toward my mini-goal of losing 10.6 by July 1st. I'm a happy camper.

But I know this was an undeserved loss. You know what I'm talking about: the scale shows that you're down but in your heart, you know your behavior didn't warrant the results. Usually we feel that way when we've worked really hard and the scale shows only a tiny loss, or even a gain. But I'm feeling this week like I got away with something.

I'm not putting myself down: I'm being real. I did some things right, but not enough for two pounds. When I look at my behavior this past week - journaling only part of the time, no exercise, forgetting to write down the things I'm grateful for each day - I can see that the loss was a fluke.

And part of me is breathing a sigh of relief: I'm much rather see a loss than a gain. I am human, after all!

What this brings to mind for me is how we all give so much power to that darn scale. It can make or break our mood in the blink of an eye, and we forget to trust ourselves and in our behavior. If we know we're doing everything right, everything we need to be doing, why do we allow that stupid little gizmo to make us lose all confidence in ourselves?

Learn to trust in yourself and know that the scale will catch up to your behavior (good or bad!) in its own sweet time.


Until next time...

Heathier Me

It takes a lot of courage to show your dreams

to someone else. ~ Erma Bombeck

It's been a pretty good week, overall. I journalled every day, with the exception of the court-day melt down (see previous post.) As suggested at the bottom of that entry, my journal for Friday says, "It's a Vegetable!" Then I moved on... back on track the next day, as if it didn't happen.

I'll be accountable when I hand in my journal and weigh tonight at my meeting.

I didn't meet my activity goals for the week, so that's something I'll need to focus on more in this coming week.

My goal of writing down three things for which I'm grateful each day was surprisingly challenging. What a good lesson that is! It really makes me stop and think about what went right that day, instead of the things that went wrong. I'm also learning to write things down as they come to me, rather than waiting until the end of the day (menopause memory, you see.)

But you know the biggest surprise this week? I did not meet my goal to do something intentionally self-nurturing. Wow! Frankly, I'd forgotten I'd even set this as a goal, which tells me I REALLY need to focus on this area! Isn't it amazing that we get so busy doing and caring for others that we forget to do something nice for ourselves?

So, onward. Here's to the progress made this week, and an even healthier week to come!

Until next time...

If You Fail to Plan...

How am I going to live today in order to create

the tomorrow I'm committed to? ~ Anthony Robbins

Boy, did I blow it yesterday.

I had jury duty in Los Angeles, and I was running late (one too many hits of the snooze button!) I debated for a nano-second about making something healthy to take with me, but decided against it. Maybe today would be a short day, I reasoned, and I could come home early to fix myself a good lunch.

That didn't happen. It was a very long day in court.

It was also a day when several of us brought goodies to snack on. There were bagels and cream cheese from two fellow jurors, granola bars from another, chocolate Easter eggs from yet another. Luckily, I had brought apples and string cheese for the gang.

An apple and a string cheese just aren't enough to get through the day.

So you can guess what happened. I started nibbling, thinking, "just one won't hurt." I even kept track, mentally calculating how many Points I was consuming so I could write it all down. Five chocolate eggs, one granola bar, and apple and a string cheese. Not too bad. But not enough.

When they finally released us late in the afternoon, I was that dangerous combination of tired and very hungry. When I got on the freeway and found wall-to-wall traffic, I added "anxious" to my list of feelings. All during the 1 1/2 hour drive home, I kept reminding myself that I had stuff at home to make a lovely salad: chicken that I had precooked, spinach, an apple to add in along with a little feta cheese. So yummy!

But the more I sat in traffic, the more I thought how much easier fast food would be, and where I could turn off soonest, and what could I eat in the car.

Long story short, my tired, anxious hunger won out and I stopped at Taco Bell.

I share this with you because I know you've all been there. We "give in" and then we beat ourselves up and cry, "What's wrong with me? Why can't I be strong, like every body else? I'll never be able to do this!" Well, guess what? We're not weak, nor do we lack self-discipline. It's not about being strong: it's about planning.

One of the biggest lessons I learned when I lost weight the first time was to never let myself get too hungry. If I do, then all reasoning goes out the window. Our bodies need fuel every couple of hours, and I didn't take time to plan for that fact yesterday.

The good news is that it's over. It's behind me. It doesn't matter that I blew my Points: that was yesterday. Believe me, guilt over what we ate in the past ends up costing so many more calories in the long run, if we let it.

So, as a very wise former Weight Watcher colleague of mine used to say,

Count it as a vegetable, and move on!

Until next time...