Today's is Xmas character. I am wearing DH's "Don't shoot your eye out" A Christmas Story tshirt. Weight is down a little. Three pounds from ticker. Today's commitment is prayer and meditation. I have been out of balance a little.
BBE: Never take for granted a positive teacher conference - especially kindergarten. Unfortunately it is often the first diagnosis of a larger problem such as autism, dyslexia, or more serious social issues. We all knew DGD would have flying colors.
Curleyjax: I did cut down on sugar yesterday but I did eat a few pieces. That was practice for today. First no sweets 100% today.
Karen: 45 miles away shows your dedication to your food program. I am way out of balance with no exercise and too much travel. I am going to the gym tonight,
We're looking at alternatives to Home Chef. I chose them because they had the reputation for providing the easiest meals, something that was very helpful around DH's surgery. Now, though, we're kind of bored and kind of wanting to see if another service has healthier or tastier options, if we're willing to put in a little more effort.
I'm realizing, though, that it's hard to tell what's going to work until you try it. Hello Fresh for example, wants to give me 14 free meals, but only if I commit to four meals in each of five deliveries. We've never had more than 3 meals in a week. And, I can't tell whether the selections in a given week will include four meals that meet DH's dietary requirements (no red meat, no dairy, not too much spice).
The last couple days included more and more calories, that I steadily kept track of. lol
Many errands that involved grocery shopping left me no energy to cook the meals I have planned, and now I have to work today and tomorrow. I don't know how people do this.
One good news is the title issue with my car has been all cleared up and the title is clean. Whew! That was extra stress I did not need.
The christmas tree stand is not cheap but very nice. I can't seem to use the link feature right now but it is a Kinner Tree Genie.
This morning I hiked Bell Pass while listening to a book. It was a joy since I haven't hiked alone in awhile. It has been a bit since I've hiked Bell Pass and it's a good gauge of how I'm doing. My time was good and I felt really good. I think I am finally noticing that hiking is easier with less weight on me now that I've hiked a trail that is so familiar to me. After that I stopped at Fedex to mail a package to dmil.
My Canadian friend will arrive on Monday and will be in AZ for 4 weeks, splitting her time between our home and another friend. My goal will be to stay on my food plan except for a couple sweets and Christmas dinner. We'll have to sort out how to do dinner.
We're on baby watch with my niece who is having a little trouble, so they are inducing her even earlier than planned. Today is her brother's birthday and tomorrow is her husband's birthday, so probably the baby will be born on one of them.
Penny I'm sure glad the car title is cleared up and clean. What an unneeded stress for sure.
GardenerJoy Good luck finding just the right food delivery service. I know there are quite a few of them, but haven't ever tried one.
Maryann I think a bit out of balance and way too much travel sounds pretty good. You've had some fun times and that's always a good thing.
Curlyjax Snow on the ground sounds so pretty. It's been awhile since I've seen some. I guess WA just got a dump of snow in the mountains. There is a mountain pass on I-90 that my db and sil have to travel to get from their home from Seattle. It was closed last night, but luckily open today. I guess that freeway goes clear from Seattle to you and Bill.
Bill I'm sure dgd is a good bit ahead of some in her class. I don't know the demographics of her school, but from what you say she sounds like a little whiz!
Well, dh is home for lunch, so I guess I'll go visit and have my lunch too.
Friday - Human Rights Day (since 1948, the UN General Assembly)
Diet Coaches/Buddies - Excitement was a book arriving in the mail. Couldn't exactly remember ordering it. Had to ask DW. "Oh, yes. I asked you to buy that for me for Christmas." I quickly hid it away to be a surprise when we open gifts on Christmas Eve. I trust that she'll forget by then, LOL. Finished my last class for this semester; I'm free until February. That's good news because I've got a stack of books that have been ignored.
Eating was on plan, CREDIT moi, with a cookie added to my snack. Happily, a friend gave us a small container of homemade cookies. I immediately planned to eat my half - slowly over a number of days. They are EXACTLY divided. Gifted cookies are not free range food in our house. The supermarket cookies we buy for the DGD are fair game anytime but homemade cookies are cherished one by one.
Joy (gardenerjoy) - Good luck winding your way through the delivered meals options. I do have a friend who's continued to use the one she first tried. But, then again, with three kids and a DH any help with meals is a bonus.
maryann - Was surprised at how many memes google shows for Don't shoot your eye out. Thanks for the reminder that not all kids start out learning without some extra help.
Karen (karenrn) - Sending supportive thoughts that all works out with your niece's baby. Neat that you occasionally get to hike alone to calibrate your progress.
curlyjax - Yep, I recognize that once you start downhill you might as well keep going mindset . Kudos for recognizing it so you can counter it.
Penny. - I'm impressed with the mechanics of your Krinner Tree Genie - looks fun to operate. Super Congrats for persisting in getting your car operational - and legally titled. That was one unnecessary extra stress in your life.
Readers -
Quote:
Success Skill 9Get Back on Track - Right Away
In choosing to follow this program -- in order
and as describe --- you are choosing not only
to lose weight, but also to lose weight for life.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), Pg 105.
We're going to try Sunbasket as our next meal service. The offerings are quite a bit different from Home Chef. They provide a lot of variety in both food and preparation (ranging from heat-and-serve to Chef's Pick options that are much more complicated). This should keep us amused for a while.
We're expecting rain this afternoon, so I need to head for the grocery store.
Our hospitals are worried again. We've had a rapid rise in COVID hospitalizations in the last two weeks. I was hoping that they were better prepared than last winter's surge. But, they're claiming that they are in worse shape -- too many people left the medical profession and everyone is short-staffed.
The politics have become ridiculous around here about masks. So, in spite of that news this week from local hospitals, our county mask mandate was lifted yesterday. I am not looking forward to being in a store. I'll aim to get through it as quickly as possible.
I think I'll also put "research masks" on today's list. My masks are good (cloth with a filter in the pocket and snug fitting with ties around the neck and head). But that's good if everyone is wearing masks. If they're not, I'm going to want something that's more about protecting myself. Any recommendations? My BiL recommended something called Airgami, so I'm going to start there with my research.
Food on plan and weight a tiny bit lower. I dropped dh at the airport this morning at 6:45 for an overnight trip to CA. Then I met my friend and did a 90 minute hike in an area where I don't hike much. It was a great hike and just about the right length for today. I've gotten home, walked Otis and done a little ironing. My goal is to work on the little curtains today. They are cut out, and it won't take much time except that I no longer have any confidence in a number of areas and sewing is one of them. I need to remember that I didn't spend much on the fabric, so no big deal if I need to repurchase which is really unlikely. Other plan for the day is to meet some people for a birthday gathering for a backpacking friend.
Our niece had a healthy baby girl last night at 11:30 p.m. on her brother's birthday. Baby Sloan is 6 lb 4 1/2 ounces and very cute. Our niece has some lab values still out of whack, but I think they will turn around now that the baby is born. Hopefully she won't have to stay in the hospital long. I hate to say it but my Sil is a drama queen so it is hard to know how much to believe of what she says.
GardnerJoy. You'll have to let us know how you like Sunbasket. Our hospitals are not good either and my friends son is supposed to go in for a valve replacement (heart) surgery next week. I hope it doesn't need to be cancelled.
Bill. I bet you'll enjoy having a little time off from your classes.
Saturday - King Edward VIII abdicates to marry American divorcee (1936)
Diet Coaches/Buddies - Attended Handel's Messiah performed at a local TV studio. Maybe the best we've ever heard. When the Bass soloist and trumpeter finally concluded "And the trumpets shall sound", the audience burst into spontaneous applause along with the entire orchestra who stomped their feet. Even the conductor applauded. I stood for the Hallelujah Chorus - as did about half of the audience. This group encourages you, in the program notes, to do whichever you like. Handel wrote the whole thing in three weeks in 1741 and we're still playing it to enamored audiences. Was a thrill to do a live concert. All folks, and ALL performers were fully masked and showed proof of COVID vaccination to get admitted. Our seats were third row - within spittle distance of the soloists, LOL. Felt like a living room performance.
Eating was on plan, CREDIT moi, where the plan includes finishing the small container of homemade cookies that our friend made. Dinner was clam chowder from Whole Foods. They make it thick, loaded with clams. Not bad.
Joy (gardenerjoy) - Look forward to hearing the results of your mask research. One member of the orchestra last night wore double masks - made me feel under dressed with just one.
Karen (karenrn) - Happy Birthday to your Dear Great Niece, Baby Sloan. Hope her mom heals up rapidly.
Readers -
Quote:
Success Skill 9Get Back on Track - Right Away
Write your Cheat Sheet answers in your Diet Notebook. Read them periodically - even when you don't need them - to keep your answers and helpful problem-solving ideas fresh in your mind.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), Pg 105.
Nearly everyone was masked at the grocery store. A few elderly people weren't wearing masks -- I'm assuming that they are vaccinated and boosted and sick of trying to make themselves heard through masks. Fair enough.
Our local NPR station did a segment on CBT and coping with COVID. I've been assuming that I've done reasonably well with COVID because I'm an introvert. Now, I think that I'm not giving enough credit to this group (thanks, everyone!) and to my 12-year practice of CBT. Struggling with mental health? St. Louis psychiatrist’s app can help | STLPR (stlpublicradio.org) The psychiatrist who was interviewed offered a free app that "aims to teach the basics of cognitive behavioral therapy to users."
Our supper was delayed last night by a tornado warning. We shut everything off and went to the basement for about 45 minutes. Y'all will probably see dramatic photos of damage and rescue work at an Amazon facility in Edwardsville, Illinois. That's the storm that sent us to the basement. Last night, we knew that people were trapped there. Unfortunately, this morning they're reporting injuries and fatalities at that location.
Food was on plan yesterday. I finished the curtains, which only entailed hemming and making pockets at the top and bottom for tension rods. The sewing machine worked well and I think if I can just keep myself sewing a bit I will remain familiar with it. The birthday gathering was outdoors at a bar/restaurant. I had a diet soda and then ate dinner when I returned home. I only knew 2 people, which made it a little uncomfortable, but my friend was so happy that I was there. Today's plan is to get the guest bedroom ready for my friend. Since she will be here for a couple of weeks, I want to be sure the closet and dresser have plenty of space for her to put things away. I also keep my mixer and air fryer in the closet, so I will get those moved out.
I'll pick dh up at the airport this morning. The one benefit of having him away is that I could turn on the light and tv when I woke up too early.
Gardner Joy. I am watching CNN about the tornado. I am glad you are okay. I can't even imagine and I mean it. Such devastation. Thanks for sharing the information from the NPR program. I agree checking in with our group regularly has been helpful.
Bill. I haven't seen Handel's Messiah for at least a couple of years. It sounds fabulous. Hard to imagine it was written in 3 weeks. I just absolutely love music.
I felt okay enough after my booster shot to go to work yesterday, although I slept in so I didn't have time to post. It was a nice short day and I had lunch with some elderly ladies who were adorable. Nothing better than seeing healthy 90 year olds. I met a friend for coffee afterwards and we had a good chat, then I went home and watched tv for hours and ate the rest of my takeout chicken parm. I'm going to take it easy today although i guess I have to do get some groceries. It's the last weekend alone i'll have for awhile so i'm going to soak up the silence and revel in not having to cook for anyone but myself Karen- congrats on Baby Sloan! so glad she is doing well. The curtains sound great;its very satisfactory to have a finished project like that. Gardenerjoy- glad you are safe indeed. Those storms are so devastating and scary, and then on top of ongoing covid, I can't imagine what those hospitals are dealing with. Thanks for the link for the CBT app, that's very cool. Bill-that Messiah concert sounds wonderful! I would love to go to one in person like that. A wonderful way to celebrate the season.
Friday ended well. I took a half day off missing a rally and prep. Unstructured days just aren't my thing. No sub required. I am please with how my thematic teaching of US History is evolving. Last quarter was reform. We started with current events and connected everything to the past focusing on the central question " How does reform occur?" ( Reform is defined as "broadening access to the American promise of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness." This quarter is war. We go back to World War I and focus on answering the central question "Are the benefits of war worth the costs?" The students have used academic sentence frames from the fascinating book "They SAY/I Say" to be able to synthesis expert opinions and then state their own opinion. I am pleased with the results. We are now on The War on Terror. I have found a great five episodes on Netflix called "The Turning Point." It starts with 911 but gives the background of the "seeds of hate" sown during the Cold War. I had planned to do one more theme on technology but I ran out of time. I hope to develop that next semester. I am serious about writing a book on teaching this way.
Food is reasonable. I am three pounds above ticker. I am focusing on adding legumes three times a day.
BBE: Thanks for reminding me about books. I remembered to send my Dad a book I hear about The Forgotten 500. It is about a little known rescue mission during World War II which involved rescuing downed soldiers in Serbia.
Karen: I made it to Body Pump with DH and plan a hike to break in new boots. Unfortunately, the hike will be in the gym but it is what it is.
Joy: report back on your meal service. I am interested.
Sunday - Beethoven receives 1st lesson in music composition from Haydn (1792, Vienna)
Diet Coaches/Buddies - Excitement was a trip to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and specifically to its exhibit, Titian: Women, Myth & Power - first time the six painting have hung out together for 500 years. The Gardner only owns one, The Rape of Europa; Great Britain museums lent the other five. Thought of Joy with the picture of Mary Queen of Scots - Bloody Mary. She was the wife of Prince Philip II of Spain who commissioned the six painting of naked, nubile, young women. The docent asked us what we thought his wife, Bloody Mary, had thought of that. I have no idea. I, however, thought them fabulous.
Link to them here. Have to scroll down to The Six Poesie - the six big paintings. The picture of Bloody Mary is behind the picture of Prince Phillip that is below those.
Eating was on plan, CREDIT moi, with the problem of a PLANNED two part breakfast. The Gardner Museum event was an early hours period including a FREE breakfast at their nice, table clothed, dining area - the kind with huge silver coffee urns. The FREE breakfast cost $10 this year; guess that money is tight for them.
Joy (gardenerjoy) - That's a lot of tornado damage; glad that you escaped with only a 45 minute trip to the basement. Our papers are showing pictures over four states; deaths and damages not yet totaled. Thanks for the reminder that we're really helping each other here and that it's CBT to be doing so. European history confuses me: why is the wife of Prince Phillip II of Spain called "Mary, Queen of Scots?"
maryann - That's terrific that you are teaching kids to distinguish expert opinion from their own. I've added to my Bucket List when reincarnated to take history from you.
Karen (karenrn) - Neat that you finished the curtains in time for your house guest. LOL at having to move your mixer and air fryer out of the guest room closet.
curlyjax - Yes, in addition to its pains, empty nest syndrome does allow one to cook only for one. Glad you survived your booster vaccination shot.
Readers -
Quote:
Success Skill 9Get Back on Track - Right Away
tip: Consider making
a Cheat Sheet card for your
Diet Buddy, so your buddy can
review the questions with you
the next time you stray.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), Pg 105.
Yesterday was very quiet. I ended up not getting groceries as I felt kind of tired still. I got more Christmas cards done and that's about it. Today I'm having lunch with a friend, and then dinner with a friend and her husband before we go to see https://www.towerhillbg.org/night-lights-2021/. I've never been before and the weather looks decent tonight, after all the rain and wind we've been having. I'll try to eat something light at one of the meals, its a lot of eating out for one day, but its great to have plans.
Bill-thanks for the museum link, what wonderful paintings. I like the fact that plump was considered desirable back then
Maryann-sounds like a great way to teach, and will make a wonderful book!
Food was on plan yesterday and I'm trying to keep it that way as much as possible, but I do know there will be some changes to the plan in the next couple of weeks to have some holiday get togethers etc. Today I'm doing a little more housework. I did get the guest room prepared yesterday. It's cold and clear here and I did turn on the heat finally yesterday. It's programmed to keep the house at 70 during the day and then it will go down as low as 63 at night. I heard the heat kicking in during the night so I'm glad I turned it on. It was 41 here this morning.
Curlyjax It sounds like you have a nice day ahead of you. The lights at the botanical garden look like they will be very pretty. We have the luminaries at our Botanical Garden along with a Chihuly exhibit, but I haven't purchased tickets. I've been a couple of times in the last few years and seen plenty of Chihuly.
Bill I agree with Curlyjax, it was nice to see the women in the paintings had plenty of curves, especially the tummies.
Maryann I think writing a book is an excellent idea. Your teaching sounds just incredible and I'm sure there are many teachers who would love to learn more about it. Good for you for getting to Body Pump. I hope you like your new boots.
Gardner Joy I can't believe the horrible devastation caused by the tornadoes. I'm glad you are okay where you are. I'm not sure I could handle the stress.
Friday - Human Rights Day (since 1948, the UN General Assembly)
