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Psyching Up For a December Whole 30 Graduates


Jim4884

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Congratulations on some Tigerblood and hopefully it helped you navigate your unexpectedly long day! It sounds like you have a good plan for working on your knee, too. I am feeling the benefit of all of my movement as well. I have shown up for my morning routine for the last two weeks (M-F) and I added in a KB video every afternoon except yesterday when I decided to spend a bit of time on the rowing machine. I didn't try to do anything heroic but I rowed 1.33 miles in 15 minutes and was happy with that. The scale said that I've only given one pound back to the universe but I feel slimmer and stronger so, hopefully, the scale will reflect the reality soon! :P

My breakfast concoction of things-I-wasn't-crazy-about-but-needed-to-use-up wound up being pretty good. A healthy sprinkle of MJ's sunrise seasoning helped, I think. Now I'm motivated to finish off those duck meatballs and the stuffed jalapenos for my breakfasts next week and use some south of the border-type seasoning to give it a different flavor profile. That will be two big containers out of the freezer plus the freedom of not having those ingredients hanging over my head. Other than that, not sure what I'm cooking up this weekend- I think I say that every weekend! Brisket maybe? It will be another weekend of trying to get everything done on Saturday because of other plans on Sunday. One of our friends wants to celebrate her birthday at our nearby bar/restaurant on Sunday to watch the Pro Bowl. I have even less interest in that game than in other football games but I love her so we'll be there. I need to decide (and stick with) an adult beverage plan for Sunday. I'll decide that day but, right now, I'm thinking that I'll bring something tasty to add to soda water and pass on anything else. It will be easier to manage than usual because we're going to be off in a little side room away from prying eyes. 

As Mark Twain once said “If it's your job to eat a frog, it's best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it's your job to eat two frogs, it's best to eat the biggest one first.” ...

That's been my week! I've been joking that I have so many frogs at work right now that I can't decide which one to eat first but yesterday I ate the biggest one and now I feel like I've gotten over the hump of whittling down some of the more onerous tasks in front of me. It's ALL a process, isn't it? Time for another frog. Does this qualify as a frog cook-up? Woo-hoo! Have a great day!

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On 1/19/2020 at 6:34 AM, hollysmokes said:

On what planet does it make sense to take two things you don't like, mix them together and think it's going to turn into something tasty?

That tickled my funny bone, and I kept meaning to ask you how it turned out? "Pretty good" is amazing! Also, how did the frog cook-up go? Good ole Mark Twain, those are words of wisdom to remember (hello winter garden that is showing signs of spring already).

I got through my busy spree including a 12 hour day on Saturday, and power-rested yesterday with a good book. Win! I don't think I've really picked up a book in seriousness since we got the kittens. We had a good breakfast - for my part, my recent favorite combo plate of coleslaw, compliant sausage and vegetable soup. That was all I ate, and I think it was a bit too much fasting because I had a headache before bed but found it too late to eat. This morning I made another big batch of soup, and tried a new coleslaw dressing, using the homemade mayo (of course!), a big squeeze of dijon, and a big handful of finely chopped dill pickles, and a splash of ACV. It was pretty good! I want to share the soup with vegetarian-leaning neighbors, so I'll wait until later to add chicken to our soup.

I tried going without the knee brace on Saturday, and it went swimmingly well. Yesterday the knee felt weak so I put it back on, and today I'll take it with me and just play it by year. I'll work M-T-W this week and then take Thursday off for kitty spaying and errands while they're at the vet, and then will take a luxurious and TLC day off on Friday to hang out with them in their recovery. My plan is to do mini-chores every day (starting today with laundry) before going in a little tiny bit later, so that when it's a day or rest, I can really enjoy the house and cats.

Congrats on two solid weeks of movement and feeling so good! Here's to slimmer and stronger! I think my belly is a little bit slimmer, but it's a tad early to feel it in my clothes. I know that's coming, though!  I feel very responsible for what I want to happen, taking steps in that direction in a sane way. Lately I've been looking at the way I'm eating and thinking, "I've got this!"...you, too? I did enjoy an open face turkey sandwich on our favorite olive bread, toasted, on Saturday night, and enjoyed it, and then right back on the path.

BTW, how is your foot?

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Chalk up one successful, compliant frog cook-up! There are more in my future, for sure, though! I had to tell someone yesterday that her frog was smaller than some of the others and was going to have to wait.

Spring is prematurely springing here, too. The daffodils are about 6 inches high and everybody's worried that they'll freeze and die if we get real winter weather. So far the forecast is cold but pretty reasonable (highs in the mid 40's and lows around freezing) so maybe we'll get lucky. This weekend might be seed starting time but I'm wondering if I should wait until after our trip to LA for the family wedding. I've dropped the ball on it the last couple of years but I'm going to make it happen this year. I think we're going to try spacing our tomato plants out a bit more this year, 4 feet apart instead of 3. Theoretically, it should make it easier for us to get in there and the increased air circulation should keep the plants healthier. After last year's bumper crop, it won't be a catastrophe if our yield is down so it's a good time to experiment. I can't believe it's already time to get it going again- and then I remember it's only January! lol

That's great that your knee held up so well on such a long day; it sounds like you're doing a good job listening to it. My foot...funny you should ask! It's great. But. My other foot, which is the one I tend to have a problem with, started acting up yesterday. It hasn't flared up in a long time even though I sometimes get a little twinge out of it. That's' the foot that made me switch to barefoot shoes! It hurts the most when I walk and flex my foot up but feels better today. I'm not sure why it started acting up; I've been pretty easy on it the last few days and I didn't even do my morning mobility work yesterday. I opted to wash the cigarette stink from the party Sunday out of my hair instead of moving and figured I'd make up for it in the afternoon. I was able to get on the rowing machine and went a little further and a little longer than last time so that was good. I stretched a lot this morning and it's starting to feel better but I'm trying to be very careful and pay attention to what aggravates it and what doesn't. Unfortunately, not moving is what feels best.

Spaying time already! I'm sure they'll come through it with flying colors and it sounds like you have a nice plan in place. Enjoy your time off and some relaxation while the babies recover. I just got some epsom salts so I can have a nice soak from time to time. Now I need to get some eucalyptus EO to go with it. What was that oil combo you were using? Was it lavender, orange and rosemary? My mom comes up next week for a visit and I want to make it all about self-love and care, including a lot of movement- I'm thinking spa week! Hopefully the weather will cooperate and we can get outside. I want to take her on the rails-to-trails trail here since it's flat and easy but I also want to challenge her a bit and take her on a real hike. It's something she's never done and I think the short trail we did recently in a nearby park would be a good one for her. It's well maintained and has very little altitude change. There are a couple of spots that will be a bit of a challenge for her but I'll let her set the pace and just enjoy the day. I'm looking forward to it and want to get as many chores out of the way as possible before she gets here so we can just relax together.

19 hours ago, LadyLisbette said:

Lately I've been looking at the way I'm eating and thinking, "I've got this!"...you, too?

Indeed! I really feel like I'm in the groove with the way I'm eating. I'm rarely straying but, when I do, it's with intention then , like you said, right back on the path. I got my husband a bag of Ghirardelli chocolate squares and there are some plain dark chocolate ones in there. I've treated myself to one every now and then and sometimes I add a little blob of coconut manna. Yum but just one and definitely not every day. I feel like I'm in the groove with action fueling motivation, too, so I'm trying to maintain momentum.

All in all, feeling great!

 

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Quick missive from town, on my mobile, while the babies are at the vet. I notice that I'm feeling lightened up, and that feels so good, I'm dodging old temptations. Town is full of 'em!! I do still feel tempted as if, partially, by the force of old habit momentum, but I counsel my way through it, esteem in tact. Aahh!

Odd to be un-rushed and even have time to kill because of waiting for a late afternoon pick up of the kids. Nice! All of my errands are done except for cold groceries. So I'm journaling at Pieology after a delicious lunch. Do you have Pieology? Custom pizzas, with cauliflower crust as an option. I have it down, olive oil, red sauce no cheese, a big pile of veggie toppings, lots of s/p, oregano, chili pepper flakes and then at the table, a few good shakes of grated parmesan for a conscious treat that doesn't hurt me. Not bad! For breakfast after a very early vet drop off, I went back to my favorite, Black Bear Diner, my 1st visit since understanding my problem with eggs. Nice that some of the staff noticed I had been away a long time. So I took my chances and diplomatically asked for something special on account of a dietary restriction and ordered my Lisbette breakfast special, which was accommodated without fuss! I had the 2 egg combo with hash browns and chicken apple sausage, hold the eggs, add a side of steamed veggies and a side of coleslaw. Easy! And a side of mayo. No one gave me any grief at all. Win! I was surprised to be hungry 2.5 hours later...so the mayo I cant control what oil they use, nor the incomprehensible sweetening of the slaw but i still feel victorious.

When I dropped the kitties off I was fatigued from the stress. It was really hard to get them in the carrier. Hazel thrashed, howled, scratched and struggled to get out of that box for 30 minutes. Broke my heart! The last 20 minutes of the trip she was calmer. I think she wore herself out. I talked to them and sang to them and then i had to let go, waaah.

Your mom is coming, yay! I love that, and all your special plans sound so lovely. Will you take some days off? Hopefully the weather cooperates! So awesome to get the chores done first so you can relax, and then bask in the vibe after she leaves. I love that part after precious time together. Yes, the lavender, rosemary, orange is a good one. I was enjoying eucalyptus and peppermint but now I'm only using it on my feet when I'm going to wear socks because of the cats. Any other suggestions for good eucalyptus combos? Lately I'm attracted to lavender with tangerine. I am testing out (for the store) a new car diffuser that plugs into the lighter socket, with lemongrass and tangerine. It needed more EO but I took it out for cat transport. 

Your other foot! I didn't know that's what got you into barefoot shoes. Glad it's feeling better...isn't it weird when you cant account for the flare up?? Well, that's why we're on the W30 road, right, to do everything in our power to ease the way for our bodies and its many moving parts? Things will still come up, but not b/c of crappy eating, no way!

Do you love your rowing machine? Of all the various home cardio equipment out there, I think a rowing machine is one I would enjoy.. 

So this has not been short, and my fingers are getting tired, so I'm signing off for now. Sweet day to you ~

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I have been so busy and the days are flying by! I'm so glad I finally have a minute to check in and maybe take a breath or two. How are the babies? 

I, too, am feeling a little lightening up and it's feeling good. I had an almost overwhelming craving for buttered noodles for dinner Monday night but I managed to distract myself for a while with some blueberries and chores then had perfectly grilled chicken and broccoli with ranch dressing instead. I made some cauli tortillas Sunday so I could have an actual taco for dinner so that was a nice bit of variety. They're a bit of a pain to make so I always make a double batch, 12. Now I have enough left to share with my mom when she gets here. Your breakfast at the diner sounds great and I'm sure it's good to know that it's a no-fuss/no-muss deal. Your Pieology adventure sounds good, too; I've never heard of them. I had some sour cream on my tacos but no cheese and I really didn't miss it. I'm really trying (and succeeding) to keep dairy to a minimum even though it doesn't cause any adverse symptoms. Like so may of the W30-based decisions, it just seems like there are better alternatives to dairy plus it can very easily turn into a food with no brakes situation for me. I guess just that is enough reason to minimize it.

My mom will be here tomorrow!! The best thing I can say about the weather is that it will be...questionable, at best, so I'm pretty bummed about that. We might get a break in the rain on Sunday so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we can get outside for some fun and movement. I'm trying to come up with some other ideas to keep us moving and entertained. I used your rosemary/mandarin/lavender EO combo and love it. When we went to Orange Beach for my mom's 80th birthday a year and a half ago, we went to a seafood restaurant that specializes in steamed Royal Red shrimp, a variety of shrimp that's a local delicacy. It was a very cool place with beautiful ocean-themed murals on the walls and they had a big clam shell in the ladies room filled with a lovely, scented salt scrub for your hands. I've wanted to make that ever since and finally got around to it. I decided to use sugar because it's a little less abrasive, your oil combo and coconut oil and I love it. I used equal amount of each so the rosemary was a little overpowering but I'm getting it worked out. It's a little oilier than I would like so I'm going to add more sugar, mandarin and lavender to balance it all out. It's such a nice treat!

How's your knee treating you? My foot that tends to give me problems on occasion has settled down and I saw an IG post this morning from a natural movement physical therapist that sounds like it was meant for me. One of the things that they mentioned was how interconnected everything is and, even though the pain manifests in that one place, you should also look further up the chain- stretching and strengthening all the way up through the hips and glutes. That's what I've been doing but I'm also going ALL the way up (esp shoulders) trying to focus on all of the connections so I guess I'm on the right path. It feels like it, anyway. I got some really good stretching yesterday so I did mostly weights this morning. I'll be pressed for time so maybe the rowing machine for a few minutes this afternoon? I love the movement of the rowing machine but I hate the mind-numbing boredom of it. 

I did the balayage thing! It still took almost 3 hours but I'm glad I did it. It's a little lighter than I envisioned but it looks really good. My husband said it's the best highlights I've had. I also cut about 5 inches off so I'm all tidied up. New hair. New glasses. Feeling slimmer (my husband mentioned that, too!) and stronger. Being kinder to myself. I feel like it's all paying off so that's keeping me motivated most of the time but I feel like I'm acquiring more tools to get me over those dips when I'm not so motivated. I didn't eat those noodles! 

It's been so long since I posted and so much has been going on that I feel like I'm just babbling and all over the place but that's kinda been my reality lately. :D I hope all is good in your world!

 

 

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Your scented sugar scrub sounds heavenly! I'm happy for you and your mum to get some together-time! 

I am a little all over the place, too, moving fast, but I wanted to report in.

For my third trip to town in a row, I have successfully dodged temptations and made good choices. On Tuesday I actually put my hands on an impulse chocolate while waiting in line for the cash register (Ghiradelli, we know how good those are) and I put it down. Whew! It would not be worth it because it would get me on a sugar roll towards even more...it's never "just one small one" and I know it. However, yesterday I came home early, hungry, and pretty depressed. I'm going to take a break from current events for awhile, and do at least a little stretching every day. Those two things together should cheer me up. I made myself a decent early dinner, and then snack-attacked on pistachios, and if I had just taken a break I would have felt full. But I plowed ahead, definitely emotional eating, on Greek yogurt with honey (I wanted sugar) and blueberries and walnuts. This was not a shining moment, but could have been way worse....and it definitely pays to keep the house "safe" from S.A.D. type options. So I was too full, for sure, and felt yucky, but I am starting all over again today.

My knee is doing well without the brace. Thank you for the reminder about the chain of joints, I needed that. It sounds like you are really in your process and making great progress!

Awesome about the balyage, and your husband noticing your changes, and feeling so good all the way around. Keep up the great work Holly!

I'm going out for breakfast at a local place with a friend who has double mastectomies on the near horizon. Counting my blessings. 

Have to fly...happy weekend with your mom, Beauty!

 

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I'm counting my blessings as well. One afternoon I walked out of our building with one of the physician scientists that specializes in breast cancer and I just casually asked her how she was doing. She replied that she was terrific because she wasn't one of our patients and I've always remembered that. There are so many things that can go wrong with our bodies and minds that it's a miracle that any of us make it as long as we do. So many things to be thankful for!

I'm feeling a bit puffy & bloated today from a little splurge on happy hour wine yesterday but, this too shall pass! Yummm, yogurt, honey and walnuts are one of my favorite flavor combinations and pineapple send it over the top. I've done a good job of staying out of the chocolate I got my husband but there are definitely some things that I just need to keep out of the house. I want to move a lot over the next few days and, since the weather isn't going to play nice, I'm thinking lots of movement snacks throughout the day- as opposed to the other kind of snacks. Bonus points if I can make some of it a cleaning up/cleaning out event. I cleaned out a big kitchen cabinet a couple of days ago and rearranged a few things so I might try a couple of projects along those lines, too. I discovered that I really should wipe out my kitchen cabinets every fourteen years or so! :lol:

My day is finally settling down and I've gotten a bunch of loose ends tied up at work so now I'm obsessively checking my mom's flight status. I have a chuck roast cooking so dinner is pretty much taken care of and I did a whirlwind trip through the house this morning tidying up a few things so it's in good shape, too. I even stretched this morning! It was only for 20 minutes but I showed up! 

Woops, one more loose end to tie up and I won't have it hanging over my head all weekend.

Lovely day to you and I hope your friend does well.

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If there were chocolates in the house, neither one of us could apply moderation, so I'm impressed that you can. I guess we all have our favorites! I've never tried pineapple in the yogurt, I'll have to try that next time I bring pineapple in the house - probably for Bora Bora Fireballs if history repeats itself. Mm, that sounds good, too, a little tropical element to warm us up in these cold days. Brrrrrrr! Still no rain though, can we have some of yours? ... so I'll be watering our redwood trees overnight tonight.

One friend was in thyroid surgery yesterday, and the friend I told you about actually got rescheduled so that her surgeries are today. I was a nervous wreck yesterday, and not always the most pleasant person to be around. I know I can be a pain in the butt, but I can't stand to field platitudes such as, "at least they caught it early, at least you can pray for ___ etc etc" Argh. I'm in better spirits today although I will be nervous until I hear from these friends or their partners and know everything is okay. I agree with you and your colleague - such a good point. Every day is a gift. We are here such a short time!

Meanwhile, we're so rich to have happy, organized homes to share with loved ones, and nest in with cleaning and cooking...good for the Heart and Soul, yes? Prevention, prevention, prevention, to the best of our abilities. I'm getting towards the end of the delicious pork tenderloins that I cooked as usual with modified steak rub, but also finished with some lemon juice before roasting - they are super yummy. So the Tuscan chicken is finally on the front burner for tonight! I'll do some vacuuming before going in to work around lunch time, and if it's slow (it is the slow season right now) I'll hope to come home early to get dinner on!

Hope you get your movement snacks, and have a great visit with your mom!!!

 

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PS on the pork tenderloin...I was craving onions and apples to go with them. And dreaming of caramelized onions, I decided to see what would happen if I put three moon-sliced onions in a pot with three thinly moon-sliced apples, with just EVOO and salt, and cooked those puppies down for 2.5 hours. It was weird, but delicious, apple-onion sauce, and I made the perfect amount to use as a generous chutney with four tenderloins. It powered me through this week, and there's enough for one more meal. 

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Happy Monday! I hope your friends and their caretakers are doing well. I know we've talked about it before but most people tend to forget that caretakers need some care, too. I sometimes feel what can best be called survivor guilt when I walk past all of the people at work that are so sick or broken or both. Yeah, I need to drop some poundage and have inner struggles that need work but I am essentially well and don't have to deal with chronic pain or some chronic (or acute!) disease. I know I'm weird but one of the many things I can give thanks for is being able to just go to the bathroom normally and without assistance! A simple thing but not really.

On 2/7/2020 at 11:50 AM, LadyLisbette said:

Prevention, prevention, prevention, to the best of our abilities.

Yep! And I'm getting better at it, I think. I've managed some quiet time every morning while my husband and mom are still asleep to do my peaceful mobility sessions and have had the luxury of stretching (haha) them out to 40-50 minutes. I've also done some kind of more intense movement every afternoon. It's amazing what you can accomplish when you're a lady of leisure and don't have to go to work! Friday I rowed (2 miles in 20 minutes which is really good for me). Saturday I walked our street with my mom, 2 miles plus I included 4 trips up & down the driveway. She's a flatlander (and 82!) so the driveway is a big challenge. Yesterday I took her out to the rails-to-trails trail and we did a 3 mile walk. It was her decision to push herself and she did really well but bonked pretty hard after we got home. I'm definitely feeling slimmer and firmer so yippee and I'm getting in the groove of being stretchy in the AM and doing something more aggressive in the PM. That's a habit I want to cultivate, for sure!

We've been compliant with our meals and also not doing anything heroic so we have time for other fun things. Today it's pouring down rain all day so we're going bra shopping. Not exactly fun but necessary and one of those things that are good to have done (plus we are both in dire need). There's a really cool herb/tea shop across town that I knew she would love and it's next door to a knife shop. The day after she got here, we dropped off her sad, dull knives to be sharpened then went next door for tea. We had a wonderful time so tomorrow we'll go pick up her knives and have more tea. That will be our last excursion before she leaves on Wednesday. 

Your pork tenderloin sounds delicious. Thanks for the idea; we need to stop at Costco today so I think I'll pick some up for a quick and easy dinner tonight then plan on a leftover buffet for tomorrow night. Or, if we're too tired after our shopping escapade, vice versa. Gotta have a plan! We have a couple of small craft-type projects to work on and, poof!, her visit will be over. I made a big meatloaf and last night I made a big pot of red beans. Not compliant but very delicious and part of my FFF to add some back in periodically. We've had lots of roasted vegetables and lots of kale and turnip greens- keeping it simple. 

Mom's up so I guess it's time to sign off! Until later...

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I'm loving the reports of time with your mom. Walking together is one of the best things ever - precious time together walking outdoors, a definite special occasion, and what a pleasure it must be. If she is accustomed to flat landscapes, I'm betting she'll go home and notice a fitness bump after the hilly terrain at your place. I'm also admiring the way you've made time for yourself in the morning before the house wakes up. And getting extra movement in the afternoon - such devotion and habit building - right on! I love getting a good bra fitting once in a while, and the last time I did it was after I had dropped a bunch of weight and gained a lot of fitness while training for a half marathon, and so the fitting was a real pleasure, and I wonder if it will be the same for you, celebrating all your progress and getting outfitted in a new bra/s...in any case, investing in a well-fitting bra is a great thing to do! I need to do this again...but I want to wait until later in the year when I'm feeling slimmer....hm, now I'm looking at that. Maybe loving myself as I am augurs for doing it right now.

That reminds me, turns out our scale is in fact busted, not just in need of a new battery, so it went to e-waste, and I'm going to look for an analog scale that I can count on. Meanwhile, still no weigh ins. I'm recovering from a sugar binge on Saturday after an awkward social occasion - weird, I'll be wise to journal about it. Overall, I'm still doing well, compliant with some dairy, and some honey in the mix. Not IFing every day, but about half of the week, and that feels right. I continue to keep a hearty vegetable soup on hand and eat that at least once a day. I made 3 lbs of dijon chicken thighs last night and when that's gone I think I'll make shrimp patties, and have a vegetable roast ready to go with brussels and sweet potatoes. After that, not sure, but maybe I'll do something with the ground bison in the freezer... Got to have a plan! Right!

How is Squeaky these days? Our girls are all over the place, exactly as you predicted when I first shared we were adopting them. They are 5 mo old now. Hazel has learned how to get from the side table to the fireplace mantel to the top of an 8' tall bookcase. She can backtrack down from that high perch. But there is a danger in our house that may be hard to describe but I'll give it a shot. From the kitchen there is a 4 1/2' ledge that is the wall of the staircase that goes down to the basement. Even though it's a very steep drop down the stairs from that ledge if they were to fall, they are limber, it doesn't seem to pose a danger. From that ledge they can jump to the kitchen counter, which I'm always training them not to do. Turns out, Hazel has learned to jump from the ledge to the top of a 7' tall cabinet, and from there, it's way too risky to jump back to the ledge! She seems to know it, as we found here there last night, and hubs rescued her like a fireman getting a cat out of a tree! I am trusting she will figure it out - she could probably safely get to the countertop - she's very able and seems very smart, but it makes this kitty mama very nervous.

In other food news (I hope I'm not repeating myself!) I learned from lunching with a vegetarian-leaning friend at our Mexican joint, that they have zucchini in the kitchen! She ordered a vegetarian burrito with grilled vegetables and it included gorgeous zucchini in addition to the usual tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, green bell peppers. So I've been asking for that as a side, and it's delicious and also makes great leftovers. 

I loved what you wrote about being grateful for being healthy and able-bodied. I don't think it's weird at all, I think it shows that you are wide awake. I visited my friend yesterday and there were other loving friends there, and we had a nice visit. I left my little massage chair there so that when she's ready I can do some gentle acupressure that she loves so much. I'm learning new things from her experience, and so grateful that among her friends is a retired nurse who is measuring the fluids that are draining from her on both sides. This woman is so well loved and well supported, and I'm happy that I live a 2- minute drive from her home. She is my main community collaborator, and so I will do our projects on my own until she is better. Pathology isn't in until tomorrow, but it looks very likely that she will not have to get further treatments, fingers crossed.

Sorry so long!! More soon, Hollysmokes!

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Ah. I finally got out for a morning hike. There's a local woman whom I admire who is still trail running in her 60s and posts beautiful photos on her IG including on my favorite trail, even though I rarely see her on that trail, it's a common favorite. I was imagining asking her to help me be accountable by meeting me at the trail-head at a designated time, not necessarily to hike or run together (I shouldn't try running again right now though I aspire to), but just to make the date...well, I didn't make that request, but I did get up early and finally get out there. My knees seem okay! And: there she was on the trail. We just smiled as we passed and said hello, but I secretly thanked whatever divine assistance did actually get me out there. What a relief. Now If I can build some momentum as you have.

Happy mid-week! Is your mom safely home?

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Happy Mid-Week to you, too, LadyLisbette! Yay! for your hike and double yay! for your knee!! Isn't it wonderful when the universe gives us just what we need? It sounds like your friend is doing well, too. It's so great that she has so much love and support. I would think that your acupressure would be an amazing help for her healing. And no chemo would be a huge plus.

Mom is home- barely! Her flight out of here was delayed so she nearly missed her connecting flight but all is good. She's planning to do a W30 soon. We went to the used bookstore that I love and she got one of MU's books. She did my very first W30 with me in 2104 (? I think!) but she hasn't done one since. She's started with some excema on her scalp and wants to break the cocktail-in-the-evening ritual so she's in the planning stage right now. It will all be in the details since she eliminated grains and sugar years ago. I'm not planning on joining her but I'm staying at least 95% compliant right now anyway so I'll be here for support and advice. 

Kitty TV! That's what we called it when the kids were little and so much fun to watch. It sounds like your girls are right on track for kitty mischief. Squeaky (AKA Bossman right now) is doing well. He weighed himself a couple of days ago (he really did - that was funny) and he's down to 15.3. He's a big, tall boy but he could still stand to lose another pound or so. We've gotten 1.4 inches of rain in the last couple of days and he couldn't go outside to take care of kitty business so my husband found a kitty poop present under his desk this morning. He just doesn't like to use the litter box (the cat, not the husband!:lol:) but will pee in it if the weather is terrible. Can't convince him that it's good for #2, too. 

I'm seriously on the momentum train! I hope it stays on the rails! Ha! Wrong way to phrase that: I will make sure it stay on the rails. Saying it the other way gives me permission to fail and I'm feeling too good to quit. I really pushed myself hard on my days off and my reward is looser clothes (5 more lbs since I finished my W30) and feeling stronger and more energized. I'm in the process of creating an afternoon routine to compliment my morning routine. I'm trying for variety and want it to be something more active than my morning mobility. My default in case of bad weather, lack of time or motivation is the rowing machine but I'd rather do something outside. I may regret that thought tomorrow morning, though. I need to drop my car off for routine maintenance and I usually just walk to work from the dealership but it's going to be 20 in the morning. I'm going to take some motivation from Katy Bowman and do it anyway! Plus I'll walk back in the afternoon to pick it up so that will probably be my outside movement for the day.

We cooked enough over the last few days that I don't need to do much cooking. Aren't leftovers great? The pork tenderloin came out really good so we had some of it for dinner last night and there's enough for one more meal. I'll only work 4 days next week then spend all day Friday in the car driving to LA for the wedding. Maybe I'll try to row before we leave since I'll be a captive in a bucket seat for 9 hours. My mom brought me a gorgeous, flowy snakeskin-print skirt and a taupe blouse with big bell sleeves to go with it so I have something new and pretty to wear and it fits- just fits. Shoes are being a struggle and I'm still working on those but I'm excited to have something pretty to wear. 

Costco alert! They didn't have their organic, compliant turkey breast when I stopped in Tuesday. There wasn't even a place on the shelf where it was supposed to be so I don't know if they were out or if they've stopped carrying it. It would make me so sad if they stopped carrying it. I was planning on bringing some on our road trip so I may need a back-up plan. My husband likes to get out of the car on long trips and get something to eat but I know I'm going to do plenty of off-roading while we're in LA so I want to choose wisely and, in my book, roadside whatever doesn't make the cut. I can eat in the car and I'll just have something to drink while he eats wherever he wants. That makes it easier for him, too because he doesn't have to consider what I will or won't be able to eat. 

Time to take a quick walk and settle in to eat my big frog of the day! Happy trails. Happy knees.

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A little late start for my hike this morning so I figured I would at least vacuum instead. But sitting "briefly" at my desk, now there are kitties on my lap...d'oh! For Hazel, any affection MUST be on her terms, so when she cuddles up to purr one does not want to miss it. Still, the vacuum monster must make an appearance soon. Ha.

I feel your concern/panic about Costco and the missing compliant turkey breast! Oh no...must get to the bottom of that! At my local Costco I have known them to discontinue and then bring back favorites that mean a lot to me like grass-fed ground bison...if it's gone for now, it may come back...meanwhile, a substitute must be found. I would be LOST over here without the compliant turkey - I wonder if it's the same one?

Big congrats on the momentum and the scale victory! Woo hoo! Funny about Bossman stepping on the scale. "Me too, Mom!" If I know you, you will find the perfect shoes to go with your new outfit! Is the hold up that you can't find any you like, or any that feel good to wear? Speaking of your feet, that's a lot of awesome walking. 20 is colder than I've known on a long walk or hike, but generally, one does warm up a bit, right, along the way? I guess you'll have to really hoof it good to get your blood going in that cold. I don't know KB as well as you, but following her on IG I see your inspiration for fitting in as much walking as possible. 

I've been incubating some adventurous plans for the rest of the month! Next week I'm going on a road trip to Palm Springs which is a five hour drive. A dear family friend is curating an exhibit that I don't want to miss. I'll stay one night at his place and come home the next day, a mid-week adventure. I would normally take one of those days off anyway to get our errands/shopping/chores done, and it's slow at work, so it doesn't feel too dangerous. Then the last weekend of the month, also my dear mother's bday! my husband is taking off to renew his CPR and making a weekend out of it with full coverage at work, so I am taking advantage of that, and going to the SF Bay Area to visit my college roommate and her partner before they move out of state in March. I'll also swing by and visit one of my sisters, who is ill and can't travel easily, and so we are all very excited about it, all the way around. Since my sis lives nowhere near the train route, I'll take my own car, and I can pack a cooler with food, LIKE YOU - yay for our food freedom! I love the ease in your marriage, and mine, and the plans for everyone to get what they want and need. No drama.

I think the girls at work are plotting to give us chocolate for V day - I said, please don't! But I have no shame about re-gifting things like that...

Meanwhile, the vacuum monster is waiting...question for you, tell me about your experience with kittens and houseplants, and cats with houseplants. Do you think there is hope that when they mature I can have indoor plants in their reach again without too much demise for the plants? Everything has had to be moved!

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On 1/24/2020 at 9:36 AM, hollysmokes said:

Life includes both predictable and unpredictable events. The predictable events require us to be adapted, and the unpredictable events require us to be adaptable.

Erwan Le Corre, The Practice of Natural Movement

I have to remind myself of this! I am a planner and can only take so many unpredictable events before feeling overwhelmed. The plans for the wedding trip have gotten all screwy because my husband managed to convey to his brother that we weren't coming. It's all worked out now but it's going to be a bit messy (we'll have my husband's grandkids with us Friday night) and the nearby restaurant where we were planning on satisfying all of our LA food cravings has closed. Now I think I'm going to bring even more of my own food just to keep the stress at bay. Part II of the unpredictable events is that my husbands youngest son and his girlfriend are coming to Nashville for a concert TONIGHT and will be staying at our house. We are supposed to have a meal with them some time tomorrow. Translation: whenever they decide to wake up and whenever they decide to eat, I need to produce a meal. My husband will help cook- doing a repeat on the pork tenderloins- but it means putting the day on hold depending on what time everything happens.

W30 has really gotten me adjusted to regular mealtimes and real meals. I always have trouble with that when my Mom's here and it was even worse when my brother in law was here last spring. They slept so late that it was almost my lunchtime by the time they got up. This time during my Mom's stay, I decided I was going to be me and eat at my (mostly) regular time and everyone else could be them and do what they needed. It was better but we still never ate lunch until 2. As much as we would like to sometimes, we don't ever sleep late. If I make it until 7, it's an event but I'm pretty excited if I sleep until 6! Having guests that sleep until 11 or 12 leaves me hanging and not knowing what to do with them. I'll survive but I was really counting on a quiet weekend to fuel me up for too many people and too much stimulation next weekend. I'm going to focus on breathing and walking.

OK, rant over. My walk from the dealership to work this morning was great. It's 1.4 miles from there to my desk and I was dressed perfectly. It will be warmer this afternoon but I'll be fine if I don't zip up my big coat. And it will be sunny!! Tomorrow is supposed to be pretty, too. I can't go to the farmer's market because they are starting and finished a big marathon right behind it and all of the roads will be closed. Adapt: I'm going somewhere to walk on Saturday even if it's just the rails to trails! Sunday won't be as beautiful but still nice- right now my definition of nice is no rain- so maybe I can convince my husband to do a short hike with me. I think my mom shamed him! :rolleyes: He asked how far we went and it was the same distance he went with me, 3 miles. Both times I let them make the call for how far they wanted to go. He got bested by an 82 year old lady that's about 10 inches shorter than he is; she did 2 miles the day before, 2 miles the day after and 2.5 the day after that. So there!

The euphemism for vacuuming at our house is "chasing the cat around the house" ;)Good luck with the houseplants! I don't have much experience because I don't allow myself to have them. I think there is a little niche in one of Dante's circles of hell just for me because of all of the houseplants I've killed! But, in my experience with other kitten-ish behaviors, I think it's gonna be a while! I read about a kitty training device that blows a puff of air when it detects motion. Maybe you could hide one in your plants to discourage inquisitive minds.

Your trips sounds fun. I had a sailing buddy in NO that was from Palm Springs. She worked at a golf resort and I always thought it was nuts to have a golf resort in the middle of the desert. Another visit to SF for you, too! Are you and your sister close? How nice that you can visit since she can't travel.

Good for you re-gifting the chocolate. I walked into the administrative office a little while ago to drop papers into the shredding bin and saw a box of donuts on the table. I was able to just turn around and walk out. I want beignets when we are in LA- those are worth it. Dunkin', not so much! That will be the first wheat flour I've had since I started my W30 in November.

 

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You're such an amazing gardner, I'm slightly charmed by your trouble with house plants...is this a case of the old Zoroastrian Duality of Man/Woman? I'm also giggling because, though it is not funny when houseplants die, it is yet another area of commonality between us. I have exactly 4 in my house, down from 5 as I just gave away one that was too big to put on a bookcase, out of reach of the cats. Sigh. I always thought I should have a green thumb, and marveled at the talent among my sisters and mother...and will yet cultivate a green thumb, I will! Outside....and we'll see if, when the cats are grown, I can add some more indoors. 

How did it go with your husband's youngest son and girlfriend after their concert? I like my oldest sister's 12 step motto, "let everyone be who they are" and imagine you working through your discomfort by eating what and when you need to. Easier said than done, i am sure...we entertain so infrequently, and when we do, it is often my very own husband who sleeps in embarrassingly late while I entertain and make breakfast, etc, making excuses for him re the stress of business and the one day to sleep in, etc...it can be awkward, but that is mine to let go of...he wears earplugs and sleeps like a LOG.

Argh the days are going by so quickly, and I feel so behind here reporting in. It's been hit and miss, but I am not suffering angst, just taking things one day at a time. I've been spending a lot of time at my friend's home, the one who had the double mastectomy, making myself useful doing chores, such as watering all of her plants (ha!), filling the hummingbird feeders, laundry, etc, little things, and we pre-screened a movie for our movie program, that kind of thing, so that has filled my heart and my spare time. She has a huge group of loving friends, so lots of people in and out, helping her keep her spirits up. Yesterday after a meeting I saw my friend who had half her thyroid removed, and we spent an hour or so catching up over a backgammon board, which was also heavenly. Both of my friends are doing great!

Tomorrow I'll take off for Palm Springs for an overnight, and a friend is joining me who I want to meet my PS friend....I don't think I'll have enough time to pack much W30 cooking, but maybe a lunch...so I'll do my best on the road. I've been a whirlwind this morning doing chores and desk things, and now Hazel is curled up in my forearms while I type, purring like a freight train, and doing her best to head butt my hands and finges while I type like a lover. She really cracks me up. Fiver is curled up in a basket on my desk. I think if I get a bigger basket that fits both of them, that might be a good idea as this thing in my arms is not sustainable...but very adorable.

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I just have a minute but I wanted to wish you safe and happy travels! It's good to hear that your friends are doing well. We just lost a friend very unexpectedly so we'll be going to his funeral service the night before we leave on our trip. 

The post-concert visit lasted until late Sunday afternoon so it threw me out of whack a bit. The girlfriend is nice but extremely loud and, since she has been a nurse for all of about two years now, she is an expert on everything healthcare. We had a not-very-pretty "discussion." My husband said he was pretty impressed with how I handled it; I was sitting on my hands and biting my tongue. I have to say that I was glad when the visit came to a close but then I decompressed with a couple of adult beverages instead of the long walk/hike I had planned. I've done more off-roading than I feel is good so I need to straighten up my act for a couple of days before we arrive in crazy wedding space. I had a (big) piece of jalapeno-cheddar sour dough bread and I enjoyed it waaay too much. I discovered chocolate raspberry RX bars when I was running errands yesterday and I need to never keep those in the house!

Many things with kitties are not sustainable but are very adorable!

Enjoy your trip!

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Howdy, I'm back! Thanks for the send-off...I'm sorry to hear about your loss...I think your trip is this weekend, right? Do you leave tonight? So much going on, it seems to all come at one time.

As for your step-son's girlfriend...I have to say, that expert persona sounds so much like my brother in his first years of nursing. He just retired from nursing after about 12 years, and I'm not sure that the insufferable know-it-all thing ever abated. 

Have you been able to get back on track this week before the wedding trip? That certainly is my agenda. The trip to PS was really wonderful in every way, and expanded my awareness of southern California territory, being in places I've never been...the long conversations on the trip with a new-ish friend, visiting together with an old, cherished friend, staying up late, amazing conversations, etc etc...as for food, I was not compliant at all. There was no sugar binging, and no alcohol, no overeating, but I did eat sandwiches and some fried food...so today I am eating compliant fare only, and will have a good week before going to the SF Bay Area next weekend!

Yes, my sister and I are close. We are step-sisters since age 17, nine months apart, and she is more a sister to me than my older sister, who is my half sister, present in my life since birth. I love her dearly. I also have to be very on top of boundaries and limits because her illness involves pain, nerve damage, and copious narcotic drugs. Her hubby too, unfortunately...so I have learned to be all about love without enabling, and I keep it intermittent and brief to avoid drama. It's sad, but there's nothing to be done about it outside of making it a deep personal practice, wide awake, and generous of heart in a way that includes myself.  I'm going to forward to you an IG post that speaks to that, something I love, that may speak to you as well!

Happy weekend, and safe travels!!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Good morning @LadyLisbetteand Happy Sunday!

Where to begin? I'm finally feeling like myself and have been thinking a lot about everything that's happened since we last "talked". I know you journal and find it rewarding but I never have; I think it goes back to having my trust betrayed as a kid when I did try to keep a diary. I think our thread here is my journal; I know it's public with no expectation of privacy - like anything on the inter web, right? It helps me sort things out and put all of the things spinning around in my head down in complete (usually) sentences plus I have your love and support. Win! Win! 

I've been a walking, talking, sometimes babbling aphorism lately! No good deed goes unpunished. Sometimes you eat the bear, sometimes the bear eats you. Then there's the good old "which came first the chicken or the egg?" 

My work, which I love, has been a major source of anxiety lately. The short and sweet version of the story is that there's a federally guided regulatory agency that oversees all human research and it reviews all projects yearly. I have been trying to correct some deficiencies in our documentation that I inherited to better reflect our practices and remove some ambiguous wording from our consent form, among other things. I started this process in November so it would be complete before our annual renewal is due this Tuesday and it has gone steadily downhill because of a petty bureaucrat. So I brought all of this anxiety on our trip and found out Saturday morning when I was able to access my work email that it had taken another downhill turn.

I'm not sure if my anxiety was the chicken or the egg here! I knew I would be off roading on this trip but wanted to keep it reined in to things that were worth it. The ONLY plan I had made was to bring my own road trip food and that worked beautifully but I couldn't really make any other plans because I had no idea when we had to be where for the wedding-related events and wasn't even sure where we were sleeping. Everything started falling apart as soon as we arrived! Dinner was going to be past our usual bedtime but at least we had a bed. I had some gorgeous fried seafood but ate too much too late so that added to stress got my stomach in an uproar. Next up was lack of sleep leading up to the wedding day. We took my husband's grandkids out for beignets to get them out from underfoot and those did not sit well- quite the load of flour and cottonseed oil there! I was careful at the wedding and was able to eat some of the food, but it included a good bit of rice in the form of very good jambalaya. No dinner because by then my brother in law and his wife had had a post wedding fight. That was followed by another terrible night's sleep with gut issues. Sunday wasn't much better- no breakfast and the fight continued. By Sunday evening, the fight had been resolved and everyone was getting along but ate a crazy late dinner again and all I could eat was some salad. In a fit of pique, my brother in law had thrown away the leftover taco meat and shredded chicken from the wedding that I had planned to eat. Back to bed for no sleep and terrible gut then drive for 9 hours in white-out, blinding rain. 

As miserable as all of that was, there was still much joy. The wedding was beautiful, the weather was fabulous, we went to the farmer's market on Sunday and Louisiana strawberries were just coming in and were delicious. Time spent with my husband's daughter and her kids was great and we're planning a trip to Tampa (they just moved there) this summer. In the middle of the wedding ceremony my husband leaned over and whispered Happy Anniversary to me. In all of my anxiety, I had forgotten that it was our 25 anniversary together! Of course that made me tear up! My dress fit perfectly and my shoe drama had finally been resolved (another long story:blink:) so that made me happy, too.

The lessons learned- so many of them- all come back to W30 lessons. I had been using CBD, movement, good sleep and good food to keep my anxiety in check and when all of that fell apart, I did too! SO did my anxiety "make" me stop all of the good things I was doing or did stopping them escalate it? All of the above?? A while ago I posted a quote about it not being important that you stopped something but important that you started again. As soon as we got home, I got started putting all of the missing pieces back together again starting with lots of fermented foods to try to get my gut settled down. All I could think of was the gut-brain axis. I added my CBD supplement back in, too. I wasn't sure if it was helping and since it's a bit pricy, I had backed off a little then quit while we were gone. Now I really think it helps. I didn't start moving again until yesterday but I ate really well and compliantly all week. My big gift was that my husband suggested a trail walk yesterday and we went 4 miles on a beautiful day. 

Thank you so much for the Toko-pa link; I've read it many times since you sent it. I realize that part of my problem last weekend was my inability to draw boundaries. I tried to go with the flow at the expense of everything else and paid the price for it. So many lessons learned but learning how to implement them is still a work in progress.

How was your trip and how are your little girls?

Many thanks for your presence in my life and much joy to you! Whee I'm tearing up a bit. I've found myself more emotional that usual this week, too.

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Helllo @hollysmokes!!

Are you and your husband safe from the tornadoes? Eek!! I hope so! I can only imagine what it must be like...and will worry until I hear from you.

H A P P Y   A N N I V E R S A R Y !!!!!!!

I have been wanting to post here since I checked in to our thread from my hotel room on Monday morning immediately before zooming home on the final leg of my Bay Area tour (i was supposed to stay at my sister's house but decided to get myself home, and didn't make it, had to stop and get a hotel. We had a good visit, but their house is a big toxic mess of tension with a chain smoking :angry:housemate that I chose to get myself away from!). Work has demanded long hours from me (there has been some HR drama that I will share more about later) and I didn't have access to my laptop until just now. Whew! So I just now was able to give your post a more careful, comfy at home read. I am sending you love!

How did your annual renewal go yesterday? I am trusting that your adeptness at getting back to all the health-full, peaceful practices has only shored up your ability to face whatever may or may not be out of your control re the work situation, since your Sunday post. Gosh, I see what you mean about the chicken and the egg!

I love that Toko-pa piece that conjures up the Tree of Life to illustrate the role of boundaries. As I get older I keep learning that honing self-trust is key because it's relatively easy to hold boundaries around that which is known to us. Then comes the unknown, ha, otherwise known as when we have to leave home!...like all of the unknown factors that you and your husband faced at the wedding. I am warmly impressed, and proud of you for going to the focused trouble of self love to pack all that good nourishment that you needed, taking responsibility for what you needed! From where I sit it sounds like you did everything in your power. With devotion. When it's out of our power we have to make the best decisions we can in the moment, and learn from it as we move forward, what more can we do?  Your analysis and aphorisms are so wise! Sometimes we have to surrender, and you had psyched for that, too...and I'm sad that your gut gave you grief. In the mash-up of aphorisms, I'm thinking that if it hadn't been for all the stress, your gut may have taken more kindly to the fried seafood, the rice, and the beignets you were looking forward to. The word grace comes to mind...in how we treat ourselves when we are in that state of surrender, for lack of a better word, for where we are when we are not at home with our hands and feet on the gears and the gas of where we go with food and routine. One thing I know about the stomach from TCM is that the stomach/the gut, the whole thing of the gut, is that it is comforted by routine/cycles/patterns. It stands to reason that your gut had some trouble...I hope you are recovered, or recovering!

I am in recovery, myself...The first two nights with my college bestie were wonderful. She made bbq'd boneless skinless chicken breasts for dinner the first night (pounded flat, I thought they were thighs) with homemade bbq sauce (not compliant, but at least organic), and we enjoyed some delicious red zin. She is allergic to nuts and lots of other things, and was excited to share some locally made, organic ice cream that is free of nuts. I decided to off-road any which way the hospitality wind was going, with the exception of eggs, but within reason portion-wise. In that (perhaps questionable) approach, I did well! The second night I treated to tapas, and enjoyed sangria, and a bit of risotto, and added sugar, all worth it!...and at home after, more ice cream. I did have junk on the road going there, and then en route to my sister's house...sis and bro-n-law and I had a nice visit. Took their dog to the dog park, and then went to a Korean fusion place, which was really good, and I did overeat a little bit, but nothing disastrous, and a beer....I just let myself be off road, and remembered that the safety net of good food waiting at home. Hubs shared it, but left enough for me for my first two lunches of the week, and that sustained me for the drama that was continuing at work from the week prior. If you are what you eat, I am made of porky coleslaw, in my husband's words, which made me giggle.

As I said, I made a run for it when it was bedtime on Sunday night, and my sister and her hubs understood. It was 10pm, and if I had bomber-ran all the way home, it would have been around 3-4 am when I got home....so I decided not to abuse myself in that way, and had the adventure of finding a hotel on the road after midnight. Imagine how cold it was to talk to a night attendant at a locked lobby door who said yes we have a room for you but you have to make an online reservation and bring me the email. I know that is the way of the world these days, but it insulted me heart and soul, so I pushed on until I found a more old fashioned place on Hwy 5 which is kind of like an autobahn that connects west coast cities. I ate fast food that night, and cheap pastry in the morning with my coffee....and now I am back on track, not looking back!

My final stop before home I picked up all the produce I need to make MJ's Italian vegetable soup! So that is on my agenda today. Hubs and I both took the day off to re-group, and I will share more about that next time.

For now, please let me know you are OK!!! xo

 

 

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We are fine! Thanks. Not so much for other parts of town and east of Nashville. We weren't even aware of how serious it was until my husband turned on the news Tuesday morning. There is a very special herb & tea shop that I took my mom to a couple of weeks ago. She loved it so much that we went back again before she left and she bought lots of goodies to gift to friends back home. Their shop was almost completely destroyed- roof and two walls are gone- but the knife shop that I love next door was fine. 

I feel like I'm in recovery from being really sick and, I guess I kinda was. My sleep is getting better and my gut has definitely settled down but I'm still fighting work-related stress with survivor guilt added to it. I didn't even off-road too badly on our trip but the anxiety mixed with my totally disrupted routine really did a number on me! So many lessons to be learned from all of this!! It's a shame your trip to see your sister got cut short but good for you for taking yourself out of a bad situation. Stopping in the middle of the night to check into a hotel is bad enough without being told, yeah, we have a room but you can't have it! How crazy is that??! We passed a nice, clean mom & pop type of hotel on our way home and wondered who stays at places like that. This one didn't look like anything out of Psycho but still...I would have to make it a major chain at that time of night and, even then, we've run into some crazy situations in major chains, too. 

If you are what you eat then I'm miscellaneous, almost-going-bad,clean-out-the-refrigerator, mixed vegetables but now I'm turning into burger-y slaw. I fired up the smoker last weekend for a chicken then added ribs and some burgers since we had it going. Last night I baked a second chicken in marinara sauce and sauteed some green beans to go with it. I haven't been terribly imaginative with my meals but they've all been compliant and that's my main requirement right now. I'm having a craving for Scotch eggs so I think I'm going to treat myself and have those for breakfast next week with some curried broccoli soup.

Everything for my annual renewal finally got approved; there were many changes that had to be made but there are still some major problems that haven't been resolved that are impacting the researchers that use my cells. A petty bureaucrat (that's the nicest thing I can say about her) making illogical rulings on things she doesn't understand because she has all the power. :angry:

Grace...The Tree of Life...Self Love...Gratitude

XO

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I remember that tea shop that you and your mom visited. Do you and your mom still have any of the tea or things that you purchased there? That must feel very special now in a stunning kind of way = ( . Odd and also wonderful that your knife place is okay. Glad you and your husband are fine.

I hope you continue to feel better and recover from the stress. Are things any better? Did you make your Scotch eggs? This week has gone by in a blur. The entire town went without power for several hours on Monday as I was getting myself home, so we closed early, and it took days to recover from the avalanche of Rxs that had piled up, and no wonder since Monday is the busiest day of the week. Then a staffer gave notice on Tuesday (following said drama from late last week) so we have been screening applicants, and are happy to have 3 solid candidates, and have already met two of them. So we will do more interviews early next week and make a decision, and we expect that it will be a brighter, more functional, more relaxed future, notwithstanding the newness of it all for all parties, notwithstanding the pressure cooker that pharmacy can be even on a good day. Ha! It's been rough.

Somehow I am using it to psych for a major starting over. One big change, and might as well change up everything that needs it!! I think that is my nature, as irrational as it sounds. Does that resonate with you, too? So what that looks like for me is: The on-program nutrition is already helping urge me along...Early to bed, early to rise, to the trail, stretch, sit, and GARDEN! The landscaping guy just left after looking over our irrigation system. I needed some hand holding, never having done any of this before...we have two boxes, and one of them needs to be replaced, and 4 valves need to be replaced, and the rest, he promises me, I will learn to have fun with, the hoses, etc...guess what? Spooky's grave site is filled with miner's lettuce and other native flowers! So knowing he will make these repairs motivates me to get some plants in this spring, after all, in some "easy" beds on one side of the house. The other side is very intimidating to me with sloping terraces...and if I can get the irrigation on the coast redwoods over in that terraced area, that will be enough there, and I'll put my heart into what is more manageable for me as a beginner. So it's GO time over here.

Two nights ago after work, even though I was tired, I made a gigantic pot of MJ's Italian veg soup, and added kidney beans, garbanzos, and chicken. It's so hearty and delicious, I love it, and so does my mate. So this is my life saver right now. I have chicken thighs in the freezer ready to go, and after that, I will have to figure it out, but the soup should last a week. I may have mentioned this before, but my favorite breakfast is a bowl of this soup, and a browned compliant sausage, and of course, cole slaw. My friend who I just visited sent me a foamer/frother like hers, so my cafe aulaits are frothy now, which is a real treat!

The girls were a little stand-off-ish when I first got home which was a little of a bummer, but honestly how can you take that personally...there is PLAY to be had after all, silly human, says I to myself....but we are back to normal. Unfortunately they're in a phase of playing soccer with turds litter box turds. Not sure how they get them out of the box. Oh, as for the bird's nest fern that I moved from the corner by the tub (that was really pretty and enjoyable while it lasted) to the top of a bookcase near the bed, which seemed a safe spot out of the cat's reach...yeah, well, it was on the floor when we got home last night, potting soil scattered everywhere and tracked around, even on the bed. Which is to say, the cats are doing apparently great! LOL. The meme said, you can have cats, or you can have plants, but apparently not both. So I am off the hook for indoor plants, which may be just as well. I'm down to one potted philodendron in a kitchen window, and a few cuttings in water, in jars, here and there.

What will you do in the garden this spring? I think you said maybe not quite so many tomatoes? I'm sure you have bigger problems in mind right now, but it is almost spring...hope the weather behaves itself for you as your community recovers.

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Turd soccer! How fun!:lol: Ours skipped that game, thankfully! So funny!

It sounds like you have a reasonable, not overambitious garden plan for this spring. For the first time in a couple of years, I managed to get seeds started last week. It's a little later than I would have liked because I didn't think they'd survive on their own if I started them before our trip but everything is germinating pretty quickly. We're increasing the spacing between plants this year so there will be 12 plants/row instead of 17. They get so enormous that it turns into a tomato jungle so we'll experiment with this and hopefully we'll be able to maneuver through them a little easier this year. Theoretically, it should decrease diseases because of increased air flow between plants. Now if I can figure out how to keep the deer from munching on my okra, beets and chard we might actually have some variety!

I made curried broccoli soup to go with my scotch eggs and they are both really hitting the spot right now. I also made a big pot of mixed greens yesterday (carrot tops, pea shoots, collards, frilly purple mustard and turnips) so that did me in for cook-up. Your soup sounds so good. I brought back a bunch of beans from LA and can't wait to get some of them cooked. Do you like the giant limas?  I think that's what I'm going to make first; we both love them. 

I'm still dragging a bit and haven't gotten my movement act back together yet. My meals have been pretty good except for a jalapeno/cheddar sourdough bread faceplant Saturday afternoon. I bought it for my husband but now realize that it's definitely a food with no brakes for me. Hopefully he finished it off with his breakfast this morning. The time change isn't helping either. Apparently my clock didn't like it when I reset it yesterday- and I know I did it- because it was back to the old time this morning so we both overslept. I have to say that it felt really good, though so maybe my clock's on to something!

I love that Spooky's grave site filling in with native plants. I miss my little girl but Squeaky's been lovey-dovey and very sweet, sleeping up by my head but not waking me up all night long. He's re-re-discovered the joys of toilet paper shredding, though. We can't put it on the roller thing any more or he'll turn it into a giant pile on the floor in about two seconds. Then he flops down on it and chews it up, crazy cat!

It sounds like you have lots of changes going on at work! Hopefully, you will be better off once the dust settles and everyone has time to adjust. Good for you hitting the trail. We intended to do some trail walking this weekend but didn't make it happen. Now it's supposed to rain for something like the next two weeks so bad on us for not taking advantage of the nice weather we had this weekend. Busy week ahead so I'd better get at it.

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I dreamed this morning that I was attending a big wine festival, and you and your husband had some vintages there being celebrated, and I was excited when I got to meet you. Purple glasses! LOL. I guess I am dreaming of a post coronavirus world, eh?

It's been busy times...we are interviewing a final candidate today, and will make a decision by tomorrow. I am longing for a little time off to just clean the house, and not be in a hurry.

Our kitties figured out the shred-the-toilet-paper game, too, and it always makes me think of Squeaky! I find that if there's no "tail" on the roll, tails being so much fun, they're not as interested. Of course "not interested" does not apply to cats, does it?

Is it still raining? We finally got a little rain yesterday and hope for more.

I'm all over the place - wanted to check in...doing well with my chicken veg soup, and next up is some chicken quarters that I may give the Vietnamese lemongrass treatment to, and I'm craving salmon cakes or mackerel cakes so that may be next, too. It will have to be batch cooking to sustain me because I'm sticking very close to the store in this transition, and when the new person is being trained it will be the same. I hate to say it but if I give the store my all there is little room for the little me-time pockets. I have to do some work on my time management.

Your clock has a mind of its own!! I just want consistency...aren't we a foolish bunch to play games with time this way, like we have control. Ha.

Rushing off, but thinking of you, and in solidarity!

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