Thursday, March 24, 2011
It's Getting Closer...
Today I marked, on my calendar, on the date April 17, the words TWO WEEKS. I marked, on my calendar, on the date April 24, the words ONE WEEK. Those mark those milestones before we leave to spend the month of May IN ITALY, AUSTRIA, GERMANY AND ENGLAND. No, I'm not excited. Why do you ask?
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Family Time
Back in 2007, Grandma came to live with us. My mom wanted to see her regularly, and Grandma would head to my mom's, about 50 minutes away, on Saturdays. I'm not sure how it came about, but my mom also started coming out to my house on Wednesdays. Grandma, my two kids still at home, my mom and I would meet my aunt, cousin, and, sometimes, her daughter, for lunch. Not long after this started, my sister and brother-in-law, who live about 10 minutes north of me, started joining us also. We called it "Grandma's field trip." We would often eat at Culver's, which is near WalMart, so, of course, we'd all head over to Wally World when lunch was over. Grandma would get one of those little electric carts, and we'd head off to shop.
As time went on, and my mom's health got more frail, she would also grab one of those carts. It got so that the greeters knew us, and knew that my daughter or sister and I would come into the store, grab two carts, and run them out to the car to help my mom and grandmother get into the store. Afterward, we'd tie up traffic in front of the store as we helped them into their cars with their purchases before we returned the carts and we all drove away.
It got to the point, also, that the Culver's people knew us well. Two of my kids worked at this particular restaurant; one before we started all of this, and one after. I remember one day the manager said, "OK, I knew you were Ethan's mom, but now he tells me you're Matt's, too?" (Why it would be so odd for two brothers to work at the same fast food restaurant in a small-town area is beyond me...)
Today is Wednesday. Grandma and Mom are gone. Only one of my kids is still around to go to lunch with us. Today my dad came out, and my sister was there, and my aunt, uncle, cousin, and her daughter. Oh, and one of my kids showed up again: Jay, Kris, and her son, Sean, came by for lunch. We ate at Joe's, our local pizza place (where Matthew had his second job in fast food.) It was a fun time, sharing jokes and news and sarcastic comments with family. We've been doing this now for close to 4 years. I hope it continues for a long time to come.
As time went on, and my mom's health got more frail, she would also grab one of those carts. It got so that the greeters knew us, and knew that my daughter or sister and I would come into the store, grab two carts, and run them out to the car to help my mom and grandmother get into the store. Afterward, we'd tie up traffic in front of the store as we helped them into their cars with their purchases before we returned the carts and we all drove away.
It got to the point, also, that the Culver's people knew us well. Two of my kids worked at this particular restaurant; one before we started all of this, and one after. I remember one day the manager said, "OK, I knew you were Ethan's mom, but now he tells me you're Matt's, too?" (Why it would be so odd for two brothers to work at the same fast food restaurant in a small-town area is beyond me...)
Today is Wednesday. Grandma and Mom are gone. Only one of my kids is still around to go to lunch with us. Today my dad came out, and my sister was there, and my aunt, uncle, cousin, and her daughter. Oh, and one of my kids showed up again: Jay, Kris, and her son, Sean, came by for lunch. We ate at Joe's, our local pizza place (where Matthew had his second job in fast food.) It was a fun time, sharing jokes and news and sarcastic comments with family. We've been doing this now for close to 4 years. I hope it continues for a long time to come.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Grassa
Statistically, those who lose weight will gain it all back within 5 years' time. Well, your blogger has become part of the statistic, regaining 30 of the 42 pounds I lost through Weight Watchers'. Things really aren't fitting me, and I don't like it, so I am back on the wagon again.
I dropped out of WW in the fall of 2009, because that debit from my checking account every month was relentless and became a problem. With the economy like it is, every little bit helps, and, between John and myself, "that little bit" was $85 a month. Just too much for us right now. But we would be OK. We knew we could handle ourselves properly now, having been trained in healthy eating, portion control and willpower.
Wrong.
Turns out that willpower was intimately tied to stepping on a scale week after week with someone else recording the number. Initially, one of us became the someone else for the other. But we're too forgiving of each other, and that gradually fell away. Then came the hectic time of my mom's final illnesses, eating hospital foods and treating ourselves to Starbuck's treats "because things are stressful." After that, 8 weeks on the sofa recovering my feet, and, WALLAH! 30 pounds back on, lickety splicket.
Not really. It took a little over a year of extra bites, licks and tastes to bring myself back almost to where I was. I suspect it'll take about that long to get back down there. I would have liked to have lost a chunk before we go to Europe, because I have a feeling I'll lose some ground in the lands of gelato, schnitzel and ale. John and I joined a local TOPS group recently, which has helped take off about 5 pounds. But it's slow going.
TOPS, for those not aware, is a weight-loss support program that meets all over the world, helping people lose weight sensibly. We have a place to go again where someone else writes down that report from the scale, and other people having the same love/hate relationship we have with food and exercise. The only drawback to TOPS seems to be what drew us to it; it's cheap. $26 per year for membership in the system, plus $1 week for membership in our local chapter, plus 10cents per tenth of a pound when we gain. So far, neither of us has gained, and John was even paid once for being the "biggest loser." So it's cheap. But that may explain why there are members of our chapter who have been members for 20 years and are still obese. No, I am not judging them, I am just saying that TOPS may not "hurt" enough to be beneficial. We shall see.
TOPS does not endorse any specific weight loss plan. Although they don't encourage binge dieting, and do offer (free) an exchange diet plan for you to use, there is no food to buy and the general idea is, "Get the weight off. Just get it off." Appeals to me, and to John.
So I'll be letting you know, from time to time, how things are going. If I can just keep my mouth shut and quit engaging in recreational baking.....
I dropped out of WW in the fall of 2009, because that debit from my checking account every month was relentless and became a problem. With the economy like it is, every little bit helps, and, between John and myself, "that little bit" was $85 a month. Just too much for us right now. But we would be OK. We knew we could handle ourselves properly now, having been trained in healthy eating, portion control and willpower.
Wrong.
Turns out that willpower was intimately tied to stepping on a scale week after week with someone else recording the number. Initially, one of us became the someone else for the other. But we're too forgiving of each other, and that gradually fell away. Then came the hectic time of my mom's final illnesses, eating hospital foods and treating ourselves to Starbuck's treats "because things are stressful." After that, 8 weeks on the sofa recovering my feet, and, WALLAH! 30 pounds back on, lickety splicket.
Not really. It took a little over a year of extra bites, licks and tastes to bring myself back almost to where I was. I suspect it'll take about that long to get back down there. I would have liked to have lost a chunk before we go to Europe, because I have a feeling I'll lose some ground in the lands of gelato, schnitzel and ale. John and I joined a local TOPS group recently, which has helped take off about 5 pounds. But it's slow going.
TOPS, for those not aware, is a weight-loss support program that meets all over the world, helping people lose weight sensibly. We have a place to go again where someone else writes down that report from the scale, and other people having the same love/hate relationship we have with food and exercise. The only drawback to TOPS seems to be what drew us to it; it's cheap. $26 per year for membership in the system, plus $1 week for membership in our local chapter, plus 10cents per tenth of a pound when we gain. So far, neither of us has gained, and John was even paid once for being the "biggest loser." So it's cheap. But that may explain why there are members of our chapter who have been members for 20 years and are still obese. No, I am not judging them, I am just saying that TOPS may not "hurt" enough to be beneficial. We shall see.
TOPS does not endorse any specific weight loss plan. Although they don't encourage binge dieting, and do offer (free) an exchange diet plan for you to use, there is no food to buy and the general idea is, "Get the weight off. Just get it off." Appeals to me, and to John.
So I'll be letting you know, from time to time, how things are going. If I can just keep my mouth shut and quit engaging in recreational baking.....
Monday, March 21, 2011
-whew-
When I disappear from Blogland like I just did, it's often not because I just don't wanna be here. Sometimes, I just had too doggone much life to live, and visiting with you guys just didn't hit the radar...
St. Patrick's Day is also our daughter-in-law, Keri's, birthday. This birthday for her was really bad, as her grandmother had a stroke that day and has since gone on the Heaven. She and Matthew are out in California now, gathering with family and handling all of those things that need to be done at a time like this. Her Granny had a huge part in raising her from a pup, so this is going to be a tough time for her.
That night, also, Mary was nursing a fever, and we had spent a day or two helping her work through that. She spent this weekend in Springfield, at a Youth and Government gathering. I was worried about sending her after an illness, but she handled it well. They worked on two bills, had a good time, and you can read more about it at her blog, The Shurt'ugal's Post.
I spent the weekend doing some yard work and working on the England leg of our trip to Europe. Yesterday's weather helped; thunderstorms, torrential rains slowing down to constant drizzles, kept me out of the garden and on the sofa with my computer, researching B&Bs and train tickets. Fun times! I'm getting ready to launch a new blog, which will be sort of a travel journal for this trip. At the end of it, I should have a nice diary, complete with pictures, of our time overseas. And, at the end of it, I'll be back here. You know, in case you want to read about this crazy thing I call my life!
St. Patrick's Day is also our daughter-in-law, Keri's, birthday. This birthday for her was really bad, as her grandmother had a stroke that day and has since gone on the Heaven. She and Matthew are out in California now, gathering with family and handling all of those things that need to be done at a time like this. Her Granny had a huge part in raising her from a pup, so this is going to be a tough time for her.
That night, also, Mary was nursing a fever, and we had spent a day or two helping her work through that. She spent this weekend in Springfield, at a Youth and Government gathering. I was worried about sending her after an illness, but she handled it well. They worked on two bills, had a good time, and you can read more about it at her blog, The Shurt'ugal's Post.
I spent the weekend doing some yard work and working on the England leg of our trip to Europe. Yesterday's weather helped; thunderstorms, torrential rains slowing down to constant drizzles, kept me out of the garden and on the sofa with my computer, researching B&Bs and train tickets. Fun times! I'm getting ready to launch a new blog, which will be sort of a travel journal for this trip. At the end of it, I should have a nice diary, complete with pictures, of our time overseas. And, at the end of it, I'll be back here. You know, in case you want to read about this crazy thing I call my life!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
The More Things Change...
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Saturday Farm Report
I'm reporting off the farm today. Mary and I are attending a Regional Horse Bowl competition. Our group is small; about 7 girls, compared to the group next to us, which is more than 20. All the girls are busy cramming their heads with horsey facts. "A gene characteristic that produces only one kind of gamete is called?" "What are the two mounted riders called in a cutting competition that hold the herd behind the cutter after the cutter has selected the cow to cut?" "Where are warts usually found on young horses?" "What is the benefit of using a bowline knot?" "How many bones compose the forearm of the horse and what are their names?"
How would YOU do?
The prize for the winners today is representing our region at the State competition next month.
In other farm news, two garden beds are covered with tarps, warming for planting next month. Baby broccoli, Chinese cabbage, just plain cabbage and cauliflower are sprouting inside. Potatoes and a cherry tree are ordered. And, as always, compost is cooking!
How would YOU do?
The prize for the winners today is representing our region at the State competition next month.
In other farm news, two garden beds are covered with tarps, warming for planting next month. Baby broccoli, Chinese cabbage, just plain cabbage and cauliflower are sprouting inside. Potatoes and a cherry tree are ordered. And, as always, compost is cooking!
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