Sunday - King Duncan I of Scotland killed in battle against 1st cousin Macbeth (1040)
Diet Coaches/Buddies - Excitement was supporting DW who invited the members of her garden club to buy some of her native plants in order to reduce the bulk she's been growing for the fall sale. About a dozen showed up; most knew each other and loved talking plants among themselves and with a friend who'd come by for support. It was a jolly good time. I asked DW if she'd set a rain date. "If it rains, we'll just dance on the tables." All of the gardeners would be so happy for the rain that they'd shop away without complaint.
Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Breakfast included a toasted slice of a nut bread picked up as an experiment. It's so full of nuts and dried fruit that it's closer to fruit cake - without sugar. So much 'stuff' in the bread to give an aura of being healthy. It's hardly low calorie - particularly slathered with the proper amount of butter to enhance its charms. Lunch was a peanut butter and pecan sandwich; the crop of large tomatoes suitable for slab sandwiches is decreasing. We use the ones remaining for "tomato salad" - our version of chunks of tomato is a vinaigrette dressing. With copious fresh basil when it can be plucked from the back yard.
Joy (gardenerjoy) - The Shingles Saga continues. Would be neat if the Minute Clinics within the CVS stores have cut through the insurance company blockades.
maryann - Yay for a weekend at Tahoe - with paddleboard. LOL at "best of times and the worst of times" - Yep.
curlyjax - Terrific that a pass through the car was solved a squeaking sound. Who'd thunk? Congrats for one more load of basement decluttering to the dump.
MommaMeli - Sending supportive thoughts your way.
Readers -
Quote:
Chapter 6Stage 3 - The Challenging Situations Plan
challenging situation skills
After the Event
14. Weigh yourself tomorrow morning - no matter what!
Once Elise started weighting herself every day, she found two things: One, if she did make a mistake and overate one day, the number on the scale was only a pound or two more than the previous day, and she would lose this extra weight withing a week. Two, it was far easier to get back on track immediately after arriving home than it was if she continued to overeat that night and in the following days.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), Pg 137.
We received a light rain in the early hours this morning; it's muggy but a little greener if possible. I was keeping my fingers crossed for it! I need to go check a neighbor's potted plants and add more water if not enough. She left an intricate system of sprinklers set up to get all of her vegetables and flowers but her yard guy came and moved all hoses to patio. So other friends were trying to get it figured out and told me what happened, so I said I'll just water by hand if not enough with the two rains. She went to the trouble of buying timers for the sprinklers and extra batteries, letting us know what it SHOULD be flashing on the screen if it was working etc.
Yesterday was our unofficial 13 year anniversary, which we usually mark in some casual way vs. spending money on it ... but it came and went and we both forgot. I did a wonderfully healthy on-plan day with long walk in the morning alone and listened to an audiobook (Salt Sugar Fat by Michael Moss - about the massive work and experimentation food giants do to create the bliss point in foods - the best ratio of each for us to not stop eating them. ... Interesting how they work with children on it as well. Maybe frustrating is a better word.). Did marketing for fruits and veg and fridge is filled again, and today I need to peel carrots, wash grapes and do all the prep. Made a late lunch of homemade black bean soup and added in good corn after I blended it a bit to thicken, and had added diced peppers to the onions/garlic so did a good job of adding in some veg. Topped with ample pico and a bit of guac, Prepped cilantro lime rice as well, and enough leftovers for today. I made two servings of rice, but we always get four from it, so small advances.
We went to his brother's to drop off mail that came to his parents (which is forwarded to us), and DH stayed inside talking for an hour. I didn't go in, thought it was just a quick dropoff and plan to meet to buy the headstone. Then on the way to his daughter's, I confirmed he had her keys. NOPE! So we came home. DH suggested we stop and get Mexican food at a restaurant there to break up the two trips bc we needed to check on the cat. I said no, we just had it and have ample leftovers. So got home around 8:30 and heated up soup, and then got back on the road at 9 to get back here at midnight. Her cat was so lonely and just wanted to be held and then played with, so we spend an hour there. Also earlier stopped at his younger daughter's and dropped off three cute dresses I'd bought for DGD, who starts preschool tomorrow.
CurlyJax - Too good about the squeak stopping once you got it washed! I used to think summer was my fave season but I'm morphing to equal spring/fall. But I will keep enjoying the lighter days we have in summer as I do love that. It's just the humidity that was hammering me this year. I hope you have a quieter Sunday and can get recharged for the week.
Bill - I am so far behind with my sandwich tomatoes - the good slicers. I'm hoping not TOO far behind. I have five gorgeous sturdy plants that are now starting to flower ... but worried that they'll diminish/suffer on our next trip in about two weeks. My Thai basil is also doing superbly after a super slow start. Started collecting seeds and popping in envelopes from lavender petunias, marigolds, zinnias, etc. Trying to figure out how I can start them indoors with lights on shelves... prob not going to happen.
Joy - I'm hoping to read that you were able to get your shingles vax without a lot of rigmarole. And not many side effects from it.
Maryann - Your weekend plans sounded good - I hope good weather for Tahoe. DH bought a kayak last year but hasn't been out on it yet, he's now working to get our garage squared away. I need to remind him to use some good days for fun in between the project.
Penny - Good luck maintaining your healthy eating/on plan days! Smart and brave of you to speak up and just say (earlier) that too much is too much and work needs to be reasonable amount.
Debating on getting rid of old jeans I have that I don't fit into as I keep thinking I will ... but will they still be in style? Not that I ever chased styles. But now I think several pair I can just move on and keep half. I don't wear a LOT of different clothes anyway. Decision made after a lot of frugal debate.
I woke up cold this morning and it was such a treat. I know I won’t be saying that in a month, but after the humidity and heat we’ve been having, I cherish it. My friend and I tried to go to an agricultural fair yesterday, but the lines to get on the bus to take you to the fair (we had to park about 5 miles away) were soo long and we didn’t have that much time, so we gave up on that. We ended up taking a 45 minute walk where I had to stop a few times due to low endurance, and then had a late lunch at a winery. I had a “flight” of tiny amounts of 5 wines to try, and promptly became very sleepy, I think I was dehydrated. Lesson learned, don’t drink during the day Anyhow it was fun. I’ve been looking into the south beach diet again because I have had luck with that, and am committed to doing it for a week. I’m definitely an all or nothing type of person, so telling myself I’m doing this for a week is doable. Today I’m going to yoga and then get some suitable groceries on the way home. DS is going off with friends for a few days so it will be easier to cook for just me. Bill-the garden club event sounds fun. Yay for fresh basil! Gardenerjoy- sounds like a reasonable plan for the shot. Maryann- yes, nothing like work to make one appreciate a weekend!
I got my Shingles vaccine yesterday. I didn't pay anything for it, so far. They'll submit it to insurance and then, we'll see. Unfortunately, I don't think I see a path to fixing that lack of transparency in our medical system, although I do know that people are working on it. It violates the norms of capitalism to not know what you're paying for a service.
My arm hurts. I have other symptoms, but if I hadn't had a shot yesterday, I would chalk them all up to the high mold count that we get in mid-August. Don't tell DH, though. I'm milking this for sympathy today.
Exercise +45, 670/1600 minutes for August
nationalparker: Salt Sugar Fat by Michael Moss and a similar book, The End of Overeating by David A. Kessler, were crucial to my weight loss journey. They helped me develop a righteous anger against the food industry so that I take an unseemly amount of pleasure and satisfaction from anything that I can do to thwart it.
Yesterday was on plan and marks two weeks so far. Salads are still going strong. I would have thought I'd be tired of them by now but I'm not. I seem to do better with no variety to my meals.
The same issue with the page not refreshing and showing new posts happened again today but I lingered longer and discovered it is just loading extremely slowly, just like the text box when submitting a reply.
I finished my two current reads and am at the fun place of choosing a new one, without even a library hold pending! Usually I'm chasing the library holds so it feels so free right now. lol!
I am living the life, sitting on the patio furniture I salvaged from the side of the road. We had two cushions upholstered and DH fixed a broken joint. Voila. Great three piece set for $300. I went paddleboarding on Lake Tahoe for the first time. It was glorious. A little bit of trial and error. The iconic Sand Harbor's Sand Harbor - Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park | State Parks parking lot was filled by 7:30 am. What ???? We went back to another closer beach. It is all the same lake. Now I am showered and we will head down to a little lunch spot on a golf course right near here. Food at the fancy restaurant last night was indulgent. We did order a small plate of brussel sprouts and another salad of heirloom tomatoes that was delish. I had a small plate version of gnocchi with duck confit. The grand slam was chocolate hazelnut bars. Could have been worse.
I am working on some numbers to plan retirement. I have options to delay taking my pension. The number increase until I am 63 which is in four years. I could retire this year and use my 403B until then. I need a serious math person. that will be my project this year. I kind of have a feeling I will have one more year beyond this. That is how long it will take me to get my GG diploma. Nice to have options.
Nationalparker: Sugar, Fat Salt was seminal for my recovery as was the Hungry Brain.
Joy: Credit for persevering with the shot.
Penny: two weeks of salad is awesome.
I'm here to pick up my slack and to make and implement changes into my life and to receive support and encouragement from you guys. Hopefully I can do the same.
This past Friday evening we had to say a final goodbye to my wonderful Caesar cat. He almost made it to 20, though he could have been older. His origin story was unknown until he jumped on my mothers window ledge and she and my sister grabbed him. His origin was worse than I knew though. The week before he died we had an xray done. Our first for Caesar. He always had a game leg, the back left one, and he was losing strength but not will, so often he would fall to the floor from the couch. on xray day he was hardly walking and I was concerned he broke something so he went to the vet. The xray didnt show a broken bone, or a fracture, on the bad left side, but clear as day there was the image of a small bullet lodged in the flank of his good leg. We were completely shocked and wow I was so angry. I am so glad we ended up with this loving kitty. I miss him here. I expect to see him. There are now many things we can do that are impossible with a sick kitty ( he had two cancer masses) that needed meds 2x a day. It will be a while before we are ready for another animal.
Also, while Caesar was fading a bit more each day, I was away at a ceramic workshop. The converted barn ceramic studio was split between the basement where we worked on making plaster moulds to slip cast clay and upstairs where everything else was done, Lots of stairs. I ached everyday. I was exhausted and went up and down like my grandmother used to and I have had it. My feet hurt from being way too heavy and having crummy shoes. Today I bought a foot bath thing to soak my feet to help them heal/not be sore. Also today I decided on a foodplan and wrote it out (from the book End Your Carb Confusion by Eric C. Westmann, MD) and I am journaling, taking time to read daily, and setting aside time to walk daily. Change can happen or I can make change. I want to make change for myself.
Monday - The Wizard of Oz" with Judy Garland & Margaret Hamilton premiers (1939)
Diet Coaches/Buddies - Exercise, CREDIT moi, was chasing the (2 yo) DFGD around a playground along with DS. She is fully in control of everything: when to swing, how high, pushed from the back vs. front. She has wicked good social skills, making friends with each of the similar-aged girls climbing the structures. One three-year-old girl was kicking a ball in amazingly skilled fashion. So skilled, I was moved to ask her father if she had soccer genes. "Well, she's Brazilian," he smiled. Think I saw the next Leo Messi right there.
We were joined by a friend-since-grammar-school of DS who is now a teacher and has opinions about the Florida notion that teachers are too qualified so just sign up anyone for the job. In MA, teachers are required to have two masters degrees for certain jobs; he wouldn't mind that being reduced to only one. But totally unqualified, he just sniffs and laughs.
Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Dinner of gazpacho on the patio was dwindling-summer lovely. Even the gazpacho contained cherry tomatoes since the large tomatoes are now few. Killer good cantaloupe with dinner. Occasionally we hit the jackpot and get a super sweet one.
Onebyone - My condolences that your beloved Caesar cat crossed the bridge. You've forever talked about Caesar cat. So amazing about the bullet in his leg all those years. I wish you Bon Voyage on your new plan. Hope we're all able to cheer you along. By the by, my heartfelt thanks to you Canadians for the stunning pictures from the Webb Telescope that are all "seen through Canadian eyes" - as you told us. (Because Canada designed and built all the sensors for the arriving light.) Just breathtaking. Hope you allowed yourself time to enjoy them.
Joy (gardenerjoy) - Congrats for your Shingles success. Do wish you could change the health care system in this area, "It violates the norms of capitalism to not know what you're paying for a service."
maryann - Your Sand Harbor pictures are stunning - like all pictures of Lake Tahoe. Your "gnocchi with duck confit" is the kind of dish that makes it worthwhile to go to a restaurant since it's unlikely to get made at home. Kudos for planning for retirement.
nationalparker – Happy unofficial 13th anniversary. May you have many more. Neat that you can buy cute dresses for your DGD.
curlyjax - Bummer that you missed the Agricultural Fair, but neat that you turned that into a 45 minute walk.
Penny. - Congrats for those two weeks on plan - a big deal. LOL at needing a new read and not having a library hold in the works. It's strange to me how much library holds have become part of my life.
MommaMeli - Continue to think of you guys. Hope the cooler air we're having is also cooler in Texas.
Readers -
Quote:
Chapter 6Stage 3 - The Challenging Situations Plan
challenging situation skills
After the Event
14. Weigh yourself tomorrow morning - no matter what!
The scale is one of the most important tools to help keep you accountable. Use it 365 days a year.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), Pg 138.
Very nice and productive day yesterday. I went to yoga, then did weights and a little treadmill afterwards. I treated myself to a salad at panera, then zipped around Home Goods and bought some “Christmas crackers” only they were thanksgiving themed, after checking in with my widow friend that we would be invited for thanksgiving dessert again this year. She texted “you are a member of my chosen family” which makes me so happy since my family is so small now. I don't usually buy such things so early, but decided to grab them now. Amazing how much Halloween/thanksgiving stuff is out already! Got groceries at Trader joes and made a healthy dinner of baked salmon and roasted veggies, as well as banana-peanut butter-oat cookies. AND cleaned up all the dishes. Cleaned out my car as i’m giving it to DS for his trip to the poconos, cleared off the dining room table and did a load of laundry. Got DS to change the air filters and clear out his car that I will drive this week. Whew! I thought I would sleep like a log after all that but slept very poorly. Ah well. Onebyone- so nice to see you here. I’m so sorry about Caesar, I remember him well. He was so lucky to have found you. That is amazing about the bullet! Nationalparker- happy 13th anniversary! You had a long productive day too.
I discovered that playing a game of chess against the computer is a good way to put off eating for an hour when I feel like having an early snack. I'm not sure that I can justify spending an hour that way when it isn't Sunday, but it's a good technique to have in my back pocket. I was rewarded with a nice drop on the scale this morning, so that's nice.
Exercise +50, 720/1600 minutes for August
onebyone: So sorry to hear that we've lost Caesar cat. I enjoyed stories about him. I'm glad to see you here with a plan and determination.
Feeling very thankful this morning for the time to do that which I want to do, including a trail walk after some meal prep this morning. A muggy day but only expected to top out in the low 80s. I enjoyed popcorn at the movie yesterday afternoon, and was so full that I didn't need a dinner, just enjoyed some watermelon. Prepped a full dinner for DH so he has easy lunch options (channa masala, rice, marinated/air fried tofu and mushrooms. After the fruit/veg marketing, the fridge is full anyway, so we're having to balance things in there. Thankful for those blessings.
Goal for today is increased water. Activity (done). Journal. Healthy lunch with large salad.
OneByOne - I'm so, so sorry to hear of your kitty's passing. Credits to you for caring for him for so long, even when the road was difficult. You're probably thinking, Of course I would. But so many don't. And A BULLET! What the HECK?! How cruel people can be and how lucky for Caesar that you came into his life. After our dog passed I definitely ate for comfort, stopped walking as much because I had no dog to walk. It's hard to not let it affect your whole day, I think. Kudos on coming up with a healthy plan and returning here. I am always restarting it seems, and a friend and I just connected to get healthy together as well, so looking forward to walking this with you. Several of us here are refocusing this month as well and hopefully getting a bit of a jumpstart on fall.
CurlyJax - Your time with your friend sounds so enjoyable. I'm glad you have a good circle there. To be chosen family is great! Good luck with your SBD week!
Joy - I agree on how infuriating it is to not know what you're going to be charged for something. I had Mohs surgery two years ago and was anticipating one charge and was unpleasantly surprised that my insurance didn't cover nearly as much as I'd anticipated. They did offer a 0% payment plan, paying "as little" as $200/month, so I decided to do that vs. just pulling it all out of the HSA. Last payment this month. I dont' think my DH ever touched my arm as much as he accidentally did after I got the covid booster last week.
Bill - LOL at the directing job by the DFGD on how she will accept being swung. Today is first day of preschool for two of our grands and I'm hoping it was a smooth start for them. Checked in with the younger stepdaughter this morning to see how she was faring (though she has two younger ones at home) and she said she herself cried, and sent cute photos. I hope she snaps a photo (old fashioned term i guess) of the tyke as she gets off the bus to see how mussed she is. Those crack me up.
Maryann - Your day sounds idyllic. Good luck finding your financial data to clearly see your options. I know fidelity.com has a very sound assessment calculator that allows you to input your data (don't have to link any accounts), anticipated retirement ages, and view finances based on above average/average/below average markets. It is very freeing to know you can stop work when you reach a point you've worked toward, and anything else is just bonus. We've said if we need to, we can go back parttime, but so far, so good. What do you desire longterm with your GG diploma - to work at an established jewelers, strike out on your own, etc?
OK off to get cleaned up a bit late. Now thinking, do I just hop on the exercise bike for a half hour before I do so since I'm already sweaty. Why not.
Last edited by nationalparker; 08-15-2022 at 03:55 PM.
Today was good. According to my habit tracker I completed my list for the 1st time today! My weight also dropped 5.5lbs overnight. Fluid retention or stress relief who knows. I needed to see that.
I did the Joy Workout from the New York Times. 8 min 39 sec of movements humans universally do when they are joyful.
It made me joyful cause it was short and I completed it.
I stayed on plan. I did all the dishes and declogged the drain. I also received my new ottoman from Wayfair.ca. Its a 70's green storage ottoman with a, get this, speaker in it. A speaker. I hooked up my phone and blasted an episode of Dragnet circa 1952 through it It sounds pretty good. Might be good for relaxing with my feet up while I listen to an audiobook or a meditation thing.
I had hoped to get some work done but didn't. Tomorrow I teach so I'll be working all afternoon on my stuff then teaching from 6-9.
Heading to bed to listen to more Dragnet which I will fall asleep to.
Bye for now.
Last edited by onebyone; 08-15-2022 at 10:15 PM.
Reason: typo
Tomorrow I take the final proctored written exam and then if/ I mean WHEN I pass I will have my diamond certification. Nationalparker: I am not exactly what i will do with my GG diploma. I want to put in the grunt hours to get guild certification. that might give me some guidance. I reviewed tonight.
Welcome onebyone: I highly suggest investing in good shoes no matter where you are in your goals. My feet are the single greatest impediment to my career. BBE: I had no idea about what you were talking about with Florida. 9,000 open teaching positions. Wow! The market is the greatest indicator of market conditions. Are there thousand of positions open in college level teaching positions, lawyers, doctors, pharmacists, professional sports? Hmmmmmm
I am grateful I have found a little spot that lets me be of service and that I enjoy. i made my financial meeting with the pension people in September. I had them project me retiring for all three of the next school years. i know by then i will able to say goodbye with grace and dignity.
Tuesday - Michelangelo contracted for statue of David at Florence Cathedral (1501)
Diet Coaches/Buddies - Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Dinner on the patio included a tomato salad with extra fresh herbs - "just because it's nearly the end of the tomatoes." The meal's 'starch' was pita chips; they're a golden opportunity to overeat as they go down so easily. I enjoy the false sense of eating something healthy since everyone knows that pita bread if good for you.
Excitement was working the dishwasher problem. Made some success - not complete. Once again, I leaned that laying on the floor reaching far under an appliance is work for younger bodies. Got stuck in a place where there was a stripped thread of the gauge of a standard garden hose on a plastic connector. The screw piece just wouldn't go on straight. I was stuck. Showed it to DW who solves our garden hose problems year after year. She took a box cutter and carefully cut away the stripped portion then gingerly screwed the two pieces together. Beautiful. Saved me ordering a replacement part for $60 and waiting for three days. Not yet sure if its completely fixed or just better.
Onebyone - An ottoman with speaker is a new thing for me. Sounds fun. Love that you played Dragnet. Kudos for doing your Joy Workout.
Joy (gardenerjoy) - Computer chess sounds like a great way to keep the mind agile. Would be great if every game played produced a drop on the scale.
maryann - It's such a neat idea that, as an adult, you're planning your next career. I picture you as a shopper/advisor for the ultra-wealthy who want exquisite old pieces and have no idea how to find them.
nationalparker – What a happy thought to have a fridge full of healthy lunch options. I, too, love those pictures of disheveled kids getting off the school bus.
curlyjax - Hard to accept the notion of Christmas Crackers here in the middle of summer. Yay for making good choices at Trader Joe's.
MommaMeli - Thinking of you guys
Readers -
Quote:
Chapter 6Stage 3 - The Challenging Situations Plan
challenging situation skills
After the Event
14. Weigh yourself tomorrow morning - no matter what!
But don't let a higher-than-expected number ruin your day. If you've made mistakes, don't criticize yourself. Just get problem-solving oriented. If you stick to your plan precisely, the number will undoubtedly do down soon.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), Pg 138.
I decided to eat what was offered at lunch instead of my lunch yesterday and saved my salmon salad for dinner. I was melancholy during the afternoon and then had another exhausting discussion with my dad-although he was calm-and I did NOT eat over it, yay me. Things are not going to go the way I want with one aspect of the new plan I made for him, and that’s okay, I’m going to eat crow and move on. I made an overcooked turkey meatloaf with zucchini in it which will give me a sufficient entree for a few days. Plan today is hopefully getting car sticker done, then a walk. I got up late so personals tomorrow.
Sunday - King Duncan I of Scotland killed in battle against 1st cousin Macbeth (1040)
Anyhow it was fun. 
Changes on many levels
