The exhibit went really well with a huge turnout -- including more members among my social circles than I expected. I sometimes think of myself as someone without many friends. Since 15 people that I invited showed up, I may have to rethink that assessment. And, it was really cool that they were from different aspects of my life. Plus, some of the people we traveled with to Cuba are becoming new friends.

CREDIT for skipping the snack as planned. Extra-CREDIT for splitting the food truck offerings with DH. Not much in the way of veggies and probably too much sodium. It was good but I'm glad that I don't have to make many meals out of food trucks.

WI: NA kg, Exercise: +30 835/1200 minutes for December, Food: 100% op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes

Miranda. My heart goes out to you.
 

Coaches

Just delivered my commission for 42 small handmade bowls for a government office as thank you gifts for a job well done. My contact there is a huge fan of my work so it was an easy and pleasurable job to do. The department is scientific environmental research and they concluded a very involved bee project that his boss wanted to commemorate. My friend, D, is is the office go-to-guy for this kind of thing, finding artists to do stuff for them, so he asked me what I could do and we agreed on the ceramic bowls (that I make by forming them over masking tape!!! Roll out clay flat, drape over a roll of tape, push the center into the hole in the middle of the tape roll=small bowl with edges. LOVE making these bowls.) He provided me with a bee to use on the bottom of the bowl and from it I drew all these alternative bee designs. The bee in his drawing has no legs. Just wings, stripes, antennae, smile and big eyes. I was having difficulty with this bee design and discovered something profound about me. When I draw a bee, I need it to stand upright, like people do, and I want its arms to be gesticulating. Go figure. It is cute, the one I did that followed their design, but my own bee is more "power to the people". Why I felt I had to tell you this I don't know. I think it's a reaction to the continuing stress of Miranda's life in the Beck readings BBE is posting. I find her life extremely stressful. I found myself skeptical that she could really every day keep up getting up a half hour early (see today's Beck reading) and then I was shocked that her sons would put the breakfast dishes away and clear up. "Imagine wiping off the table?" I found myself thinking. I have a lot of kitchen clean up to do yet so perhaps this is the source of my skepticism. And I do get up earlier than planned cause Caesar wakes me to feed him and then it's too early to get up, but too late to really get some good sleep. I feel Amanda's pain. LOL. Cannot wait until all her issues are solved via Beck.

Foodwise I continue to have big trouble staying on course. I really don't want to tow the line. I am like my gesticulating bee shaking my tiny insect fist at the world. But where will this get me? Nowhere fast. This defiant streak of mine runs deep. Mostly it's been good for me but in terms of food and following a plan it is disastrous. How to leave it on where it works and turn it off when it doesn't is something that I need to work on much more.

What I do know, and why I continue to post the decluttering stuff, is when I get my house on order I feel better. Feeling better = wanting be act better/be better on many levels and feeling like I am worthy of treating myself better. Yes, low self-esteem still dogs me. I think things are changing though. On the whole the year has been a good one, an eventful one. And for today, my cat still loves me like crazy, and I'm reading Moby Dick and watching art documentaries with a positive bank balance from all my new ceramic work this year. I'm not going to complain. I'm going to move forward, ever forward.

nationalparker Thanks for mentioning the saying "all hat..."
It's really "all hat, no cattle", but "all hat, no cowboy" is also good. Kudos.
Bye for now my friends.

OnebyOne Your description of your method for making the BEE bowls. Your artistic need to show the bee in way that speaks to you helped me realize why our 2 artistic daughters do some of the things they do. First time I really understood. Bet your bowls will be appreciated and you may see others using them in unique ways, too.

Clutter: Pleased how much clutter has been corralled and more today. Goodwill has profited from our donations.

Joy what a blessing that your friends showed up!!! Glad the exhibit had such a strong showing. You should sleep well now.

Karen the hike surely took care of that delicious spice cookie.

Credit: Spontaneous exercise several times today including Squats, Leg lifts, etc that I learned in PT. First early then at half time of the Michigan State basketball game I watched on TV.
Credit: Able to stop with 5 dark chocolate kisses.
Credit: Counting my blessings for good health, for loving family, for snow melting and not needing to go anyplace until Church tomorrow.

May this week be very good one for each of you. Sandy

Good Evening, Coaches.

I am officially on a three week Xmas break. We braved the snow through the Sierra Nevada Mountains and are now snuggled into our place at Truckee. I finally feel the knot of anxiety loosening - a good thing because the companion to the anxiety is depression. Maybe there is balance for me here with my boys.

The scale is a troubling four pounds high. But today's food was pretty clean. And super credit for going to the gym last night while I was "dog tired" from the reading celebration for 700 kids. Then I went to the gym again this morning and did the full machine circuit. I felt triumph. it wasn't a month ago that I couldn't raise my arms above my head because of the nerve damage from summer. The weights were light but the mobility is there. I feel like I can finally get back to the business of rebuilding lost muscle.

I have decided to begin again my Beck adventure with the pink book Day 1 will be tomorrow. I had a lot of success starting on April 15 three years ago - easy for remembering. Tomorrow is my birthday and i would love to usher in my 52nd year with a return to food sanity. Now that I am on the health mend, I have some Drs appt., and a nice break, I feel the stage is set for success. I have gained ten pounds since last birthday. I want to be back where i was.

Sounds like a great hike, Karen. I love those mountains in Arizona.
Love2Garden: I am going to do some at home exercise tomorrow. I really can't walk in the snow and I'm not sure i am up for skiing yet.
BBE: Be careful on the ladder.
Onebyone: Would love to see a picture of the bee bowl.

All hat, no cattle - THAT'S it. Thank you, OneByOne! I feel foolish but I'm laughing my head off now, too, so that's a double bonus - squared away but it's cracking me up. I guess I felt I was a pretend Beckster here... All books, no follow-thru. All plans, no performance. All hat, no cattle (or cowboy) hee hee. Love the idea of the bee bowls. How clever. I love that org for doing that!

Joy - How wonderful to hear that your FRIENDS showed up! I like that it has you thinking about the friendships around you. Credits!

I've had a busy day and taking a break to rest my feet. Got up and immediately started baking. I should have first checked all my ingredients, like my mom always would tell me to do. Anyway, ran out of flour after three recipes. A small tradition of ours has always been mini blueberry muffins for Christmas breakfast to have with tea until a late brunch. So made those us (but with just DH and myself, it won't be a late brunch, so we'll munch on them during Christmas week). Made my mom's banana bread in a loaf and in square muffins to take home with us, along with three recipes of biscotti so far. They're coming out a bit different, but will just keep on going. I wanted to hammer it all out this weekend.

DH left for work and a neighbor had left us a LARGE tub of homemade goodies, as she does every year. Fudge, etc. I always think, I'll enjoy one or two items and that's it. They tend to all taste the same since they're all packed together. So far, so good - none eaten. Of course, it's been all of 45 minutes.
Coming back to this hours later... and I selected one small cookie and enjoyed it. I didn't really have a lot of wiggle room today, though. Baked a lot and leaving a lot out to pick right back up in the morning.

Talked a long time with my brother and I'm really looking forward to seeing him in little more than a week. He said it's been too long this time. I agree. I wish he'd travel up here for some visits, though. I've always gone there bc our folks were there, too, so it made a lot of sense. Now I'd like him to come up here now and then if they could. We'll see what next year holds.

Scale at ticker on the nose today. Missed goal of being a pound down, but perhaps with a positive spin, making it to January at ticker won't be as much of a failure as I'd imagined.

Started this much earlier - will wrap up and hit the sack.

Sunday - Louisiana Territory for $15M (from France, 1803)
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Short walks, CREDIT moi, because the day included members' day at the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum, and the play The Great Comet which was a musical set in a Russian supper club. Much brouhaha, singing, dancing, and whatever. I do love music, but am distracted when the violinist is skimpily clad dancing across the main stage as well as on the small stage just behind my head. The entire theater was transformed into the supper club. I ate a potato something just because it was passed to me by the actors - I was part of the show. DW was moved to go back to read War and Peace; I'll have to read it for the first time.

Food was OK, CREDIT moi for that. The food served at the Gardner Museum I designated as lunch. All was just mixed up. I did spend some time with my DGD - nothing beats that.


onebyone – Kudos for seeing how much good is in your life. Love the idea of the bee bowls. "All hat and no cattle" is one of the best put downs ever.

Joy (gardenerjoy) – Yay for experiencing your friends. (Today, in 1820, "the state of Missouri enacted legislation to tax bachelors between the ages of 21-50 for being unmarried. The tax was $1 a year." Are you guys still collecting that?)

maryann - Yay for a three week break when that's just what you need right now.

nationalparker – That's some serious baking; Kudos that you didn't mention going overboard consuming most of it.

Karen (karenrn) - LOL at a Mexican buffet served in the near dark.

Sandy (love2garden) - When Goodwill benefits, you deserve Kudos.

Readers -

hi coaches!
Sorry i haven't posted in a few days. Friday i had a work event at night and was busy all day getting ready, and Saturday i didn't even read our loop, such a rarity. It is such a treat to be sitting in bed drinking coffee and visiting the website at 9:20 in the morning!
This weekend has been full of last minute shopping, getting cards out, and doing cookies. I'm feeling responsible for a lot of it and have been very crabby. We really need to start all this earlier!! I have been a real witch to DD and feel bad now, but geez does she push my buttons. I really need a break from her.
Anyhow-I am resolving to take a breath and remind myself to be patient today...and go out by myself at some point.

Onebyone- I love your comments about Miranda's saga, I was also skeptical the kids would help in the am! And I definitely feel better too when I declutter or even clean the house. thank you so much for starting that decluttering post, I sometimes go read it just to be inspired. I would love to see the bee bowl too, that's so great you got to do that!
Maryann- have a great break, you deserve it! Kids are high energy and exhausting, being with them all day would wipe me out.
Lexiss- hope you enjoyed that long massage, you so deserve it! A bike rack is a great idea, biking is such a nice exercise.
love2garden-great job on the decluttering and shredding documents. I agree, very satisfying to do so!
Bill-hope the light fixture decision went well! I will have to plan to go to the Isabella museum, its been a long time.
Gardenerjoy- so glad the exhibit went well and so many people came! What a fun idea, I wish I could attend it and see all the photos.
Karenrn- Camelback sounds great and fun that someone put a tree up there. One cookie a day is a great goal!
Nationalparker- thanks for the shout out, you are always so caring! I hope you enjoyed your hot baths in the dim light, sounds very relaxing. And good job on all that baking, its so nice that you are carrying on your moms baking traditions. I insist on making my grandma's cutout cookies even though they contain lard and crisco, because it is the taste we recognize from childhood. I would have a hard time resisting all those homemade treats, including fudge, yum.
Well, I guess I better get out of bed and go do something. It is still blessedly quiet here, the children are snug in their beds, while visions of gorging themselves on frosting dance in their heads!

Good morning coaches,

Just a quick check in. Yesterday wasn't a good day food wise, but I expected that. We held a party at our house and I enjoyed the food. I did send the dessert out the door with the party guests, credit. No cookie yesterday because I had a generous piece of cake.

Today will be a regroup day and back to basics on the food. I think overall I'm doing pretty well considering what used to happen during the holiday season.

Pics
 

Hi. I am just quickly going to post bee bowl pics. Thanks for asking to see them. Back later!

One of my exhibit photographs sold! Does this mean I get to call myself a professional photographer?

I never made a plan yesterday because lunch was a big question mark. I did okay but added a little extracurricular eating after supper that I usually manage to avoid. I'm determined to get right back to my normal practice of no eating after supper.

WI: NA kg, Exercise: +25 860/1200 minutes for December, Food: NA op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes

onebyone: love your bee bowls!

BillBlueEyes: I don't think that Missouri collects a bachelor tax, but I've never been a bachelor, so I'm not sure I would know!

karenrn: thanks for the recognition of doing pretty well for the holiday season. I've been beating myself up a bit, but I'm doing so much better than years past. It's probably more helpful to me to take the positive view of that.

Good Morning, Coaches.

Wow a collection of artists.
onebyone: I love the bowl. How talented you are.
gardenerjoy: Super credit for selling a photo. Absolutely you can call yourself a professional photographer. Didn't I hear Van Gogh only sold one painting in his life?
nationalparker: Baking is an art as well :)

I woke up to a beautiful snowy morning which only a Californian can truly appreciate. Went to a nice church with the boys and prayed for forbearance of the endless pitches for more money. Apparently 500,000 in a year is not enough. DH pointed out that the rustic creche in the front of the alter created high irony in the face of lofty building envy. But I take what I need and leave the rest.

Nice bday gifts and lots of bday texts. In my life it has gone from snail mail cards, to phone calls and now texts. All are appreciated. The greatest gift is a day of rest with my little family enjoying each other. As DS says, "Every trip is great adventure." So grateful for NOT recreating my family of origin but instead having something new.

I am starting Beck Day #1 Pink Book today and excited about getting back to basic skills.

Wave to all as we edge closer to the big Xmas day celebrations.

Good evening, coaches! I've wrapped up what is going to get baked today and miraculously, have even cleaned it all up promptly. Well, dishes are still drying so I better get to that before bed. Table is completely cleaned off, and I've wrapped a couple of things. Goal - set the table prettily here when I'm done and then can just as easily remove it tomorrow when I roll/bake the cutout cookies. That dough is in the fridge. Today I baked two different recipes of snicker doodles, so you KNOW what is coming next. Yes, I had to taste test them. First one of my regular one, and then one of the new recipe. Then another of the new recipe after dinner. Different, but equal. No, I won't test the original for comparison again :)

Also did biscotti toscana that came out superb, and DH's mom will like it so I might just bake one more recipe of that to ensure enough to gift. Or just run out - why am i SO SO afraid of running out of something for someone else? Hm.

Made reservations for dinner out on the water tomorrow night - will dress up and enjoy the evening with DH and then tackle more projects.

Bill - That gathering at the Isabella Stuart Gardner museum sounds like fun, and that you can (and do) walk there - double cool! I recently saw that someone they "pegged" for the heist or as one with knowledge, passed away. I wonder if it'll ever be solved.

CurlyJax - Are you my longlost sister? I'm making mom's cutouts, which also are made with shortening, and will ice them. That'll be done in a day or two because I do not want those around too long. Good luck with a reserve of patience with DD... hang in there!

Maryann - Can I restart with you? I would like to read the green book as I go as well. I never actually finished that one. I had to blow the dust off the tops of them. That says something about my lack of commitment here lately as well as the dusty space they occupied! Yikes.

OneByOne - LOVE the bee bowl. How clever and talented you are. Thank you for sharing.

Karen - Credits for sending on the delicious cake with the guests and for enjoying a slice. This is just too hard of a time for me to say NO CHOICE. If you hike on Monday, I'd like to virtually send you some extra fuel to burn off :)

Joy - Kudos on the sale! How fun! I'd say you are whatever you consider yourself to be! Extracurricular eating. I like that phrase. I fell prey to that just a bit ago. It's like one slip is enabling another for me - I am impressed with your continued cognizance of what are your triggers. I need to look closer myself ... I sail along and blindside myself.

Busy day at work tomorrow but am running errands in the rain at lunch, regardless, to break up the day. Brother goes in for surgery on Tuesday. Not worried but worried. :)

Monday - Pierre and Marie Curie discovered radium (1898)
 

Diet Coaches/Buddies – Standard Sunday walk, CREDIT moi. Fellowship hour had too many goodies since I had several folks I wanted to talk with as everyone was nibbling. Young adults are a kick as you find out that they're on a different path every time you talk with them.

Finally replaced the bathroom light - success! Replaced the kitchen light from the local hardware store but, Ouch, the new bulb is a cooler temperature than the others and 1) DW sees the difference whenever she's in the room, and 2) she prefers the warmer color since the kitchen "is already a cool color." So, I'll drive to a Home Depot to find T8 bulbs that are labeled.


onebyone – Love the bee bowls - what a fun commission.

Professional Photographer Joy (gardenerjoy) – "[E]xtracurricular eating" has just the right 'naughty' connotation.

maryann - I'm still working at this one, "I take what I need and leave the rest."

nationalparker – Those snicker doodles are deadly - don't know how such a simple cookie can be so compelling. Kudos for keeping the clean up current. [It's almost a local sport publishing books with 'breakthrough' notions of the theft from the Gardner - I didn't read the last one because it was reported too 'breathless' hashing out some old theories.]

Karen (karenrn) - Kudos for sending the dessert away with the guests.

curlyjax - Yay for lounging in bed with coffee to feel relaxed. [Yep, get thee to the Gardner - the old part remains EXACTLY THE SAME and the new wing has the Crivelli-from-Venice paintings.]

Readers -

It was great to have a day with no surprises in my food plan. CREDIT for planning a salad bar as a snack and then implementing it. That worked quite well. I'm not sure it would feel as special if I fixed the salad at home, but bringing home a salad from the store was a nice treat and kept me away from all the other things I might have done.

WI: -0.2 kg, Exercise: +40 900/1200 minutes for December, Food: 100% op, Read my Advantages and Responses: yes

Happy Birthday, maryann! Love this for church and other things -- "I take what I need and leave the rest."

What a great job on the baking and cleaning up, nationalparker!

BillBlueEyes: DH spent quite a bit of time at the gallery talking to the owner about lights and color values. There's a lot to know!

hi coaches-
I guess I should wear my glasses at home more, I usually don't (I'm near sighted). Yesterday I went to get some Christmas decorations and ended up touching a dead mouse, yuk! because I couldn't see what it was. I guess the trap fell off the ledge when it caught the mouse. Better than touching a live one! My DH valiantly removed it.

We cut out and frosted over 100 cookies (not counting the ones we ate) over the weekend, with some bickering but it all worked out well in the end.
I am debating making some molasses ones with choc. chips as well, also a family tradition, and bringing some when we travel to my parents. That way we can have some but other folks will finish them off.
So I haven't been doing too great with sweets, but am still eating healthily other ways.

Bill- you always sound like a very patient husband in your household doings. years of marriage I guess!
onebyone- beautiful bowl! I would think that would sell really well if you made similar for your craft fairs.