Thursday - 1st Negro lodge of US Masons approved (1871, New Jersey)
Diet Coaches/Buddies - Picked up the (7 yo) DGD from First Grade. The usual: she handed me her backpack on the run as she headed to the climbing structure with her buddy. After they burned off some energy, DW produced some snacks. They sat on the cold concrete eating them. Was a windy day. The wind blew over the plastic container of cheerios while it was still nearly full. The girls just accepted that. Worked carefully to spread them into some grassy areas for the birds to eat later. It was fun to realize that they're old enough to accept a loss. If they'd been two-years-old, we'd have had a disaster.
Excitement was a trip to the brick-and-mortar library to pick up their first distributed copy of Prince Harry's
. I'd expected to get it for lazy summer reading. But I'd reserved it immediately when first announced so I got first dibs. That was a long time ago. Since then I've read all the juicy secrets in news reports; only thing left is to read for his style. It's very well written with a constant bitter undertone. I told my DD that it was the story of a little boy who'd lost his mom at a young age and was still working it out. That sadness is felt in every page I've read so far. Good news is that I'm on a strict two-week, non-renewal loan period so I'll read what I need to get its feel then return it to the waiting masses. My DD was so jealous; she immediately reserved at her library and is number 366 on the list. I texted her back that that was about where Prince Harry was on the list now.
Joy (gardenerjoy) - Good to be reminded that to-do lists are "options," not "tasks." My to-do lists are notorious for having an equivalent of "solve world hunger" so that the list can't complete.
maryann - Love, love, LOVE the story of an 83-year-old man skiing even though he knew he'd need help getting up whenever he fell. I join you in wishing to be like that. Do hope the tooth pain goes away soon.
Karen (karenrn) - Thanks for the Thailand update. I, again, drool over your constant access to Thai food. I wish your DS well working out his feelings for a relationship than might not be possible. Yep, Prince Harry's book is reminding me that kids don't outgrow their need for mother.
Readers -
Quote:
Chapter 6Stage 3 - The Challenging Situations Plan
Memory Box Cards
Holidays are perfect occasions for storing important memories so you can motivate youself in the future. Here's what Scott wrote on his card:
Quote:
Memory Card
It was hard to resist the cake and ice cream at the
[holiday] party today, especially since most people
were eating them. But now that it's over, I'm glad I
did. It would have been much harder if I hadn't read my
Response Cards before I went and made a rule about
not having any beer. I remember how guilty I felt last
year after the same party.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), Pg 157.
I ran out of time yesterday to post. Tuesday I did get some weights done and 15 minutes cardio at home; since its been two days I'll aim for it again today. Food has been here and there but i've stayed out of the treats at work and not had sugar for a few days. I went with widow friend yesterday to do an errand for her mom who is in an assisted living and we were there longer than planned, so we shared some pad thai at her house. I feel bad for her; even though she in theory has an empty nest, she has a lot of constant demands on her and she's exhausted. Plus she has ADHD so it is difficult for her to focus. We have helped each other out with various things and always have fun doing so; I'm so grateful she's in my life. I stared hard at some candy in a store we were in and she talked me out of it since we both need to lose weight.
I've been having cramps for a week which is concerning so I'm seeing a gynecologist tomorrow. Grateful too I can get in so quick.
Karen- so good to hear from you. Moms are indeed always needed.Sorry he is going thru that. I'm glad you're able to treat yourself to spa like things. I imagine there are all sorts of interesting things to eat there!
Bill-I do love the title of Prince Harry's book. Interesting take on what you've read thus far. yeah for kids accepting life's little challenges.
Maryann-awesome story about the elderly man skiing. I would imagine you are quite exhausted at the end of many teaching days.
Gardenerjoy- I never get everything done on my to do list, but I figure with very few exceptions, a lot can be put off until the next day.
I am trying something different this morning. I woke up earlier ( seems I finally caught up with sleep and less pain.) I am not going in to school until I absolutely have to go. Since I seem to have more and more meetings at the end of the day, I will save up more energy. I am quite pleased with having stayed on target with water and motion through all this. I know I will get my exercise target as well because I will be skiing this weekend. Yeah!!!!
DH and I have finally had a come to the meeting of minds in terms of retirement. Usually we end up in a fight. I think the discussion went so well because I am more confident in my decision. I will finish out this year and teach one more. With the diagnosis of my mom and my Dad 91, Dh's cancer, and Karen's incredible bar set for a healthy hiking retirement, the date seems right to me. Also, DS will have graduated and will have his own health insurance presumably. It feels good.
So now I can sit back and maybe even enjoy the kids more knowing that none of the other noises and planning really mean anything to me. That will be a change in 34 years.
Friday- Elizabeth Cady Stanton becomes 1st woman to testify before US Congress (1869)
Diet Coaches/Buddies - Excitement was another trip to the library; this time for a book for a class I've requested (but not guaranteed) for next semester: Weavers, Scribes, and Kings: A New History of the Ancient Near East by Amanda H. Podany. First thing I had to do [blush] was find out where was the "Ancient Near East." Close enough to say it's what we now call the "Middle East." I do recognize the names Levant, Mesopotamia, and Ur; just have to get them in order both in time and on the ground. And [blush] again, I'll memorize the time order: Copper Age, Bronze Age, Iron Age. The city of Ur stood in the same place for 5000 years. And I haven't visited it yet. Need to expand my Bucket List. Mostly I've just carried the book around the house trying to redeem my social status after getting Prince Harry's book, LOL.
Eating was on plan, CREDIT moi. The good news for my evening snack is that the Portuguese Pudim is nearly gone - that stuff is so good. Dinner was left over dahl that was joined by a top-shelf loaf of Ficelle - like a baguette but small enough to help prevent over eating.
Joy (gardenerjoy) - Smiling at "a cold and gloomy day." There's a bunch of those ahead in February.
maryann - Such good news of your certainty for a retirement date. And Congrats for having a good talk with your DH about it. It's so hard to imagine your sweet little boy out in the world with his own health insurance.
curlyjax - Terrific to have a friend who'll talk you out of candy. Kudos for a few days without sugar.
Readers -
Quote:
Chapter 6Stage 3 - The Challenging Situations Plan
Confidently Follow Your Plan While Traveling
Traveling can be a challenge: You have less access to the foods you usually eat, Getting to your destination can be stressful, Your usual routine is disrupted, mealtimes may be irregular, and you will likely be exposed to tempting foods and drinks.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), Pg 157.
I'm having a hard time getting my day going. It may be time to accept that I could use a bit of down-time. I'm not quite sure what that looks like, but it could start with taking some time to figure out what it looks like.
I made the mistake of opening a Christmas tin of nuts instead of just giving it away, and discovered some chocolate covered nuts, and orange flavored sugar ones. I gobbled them up, just couldn't stop. I felt yucky afterwards and mad at myself, but at least they're gone. I did get my weights and 15 minutes of Walk away the Pounds youtube, so credit for that. I had salad for dinner and about 160 calories of sauteed shrimp which was delicious. In the middle of the night I had an attack of GI issues and bad cramping so i slept late and am staying home today. I have a doc appt already scheduled this afternoon for the cramping and of course I've been googling obsessively. Its either nothing or something bad I'm a little ticked off that now I have the house to myself and have some energy to get stuff done, I have a physical issue to deal with.
Onwards and TFIG.
Giving myself time in the morning seems to beneficial. The end of the day with more meetings still seems long. I popped by Starbucks for a Chai tea and a ham and swiss croissant. I was doing a Starbucks ban for January but then I didn't reckon on not eating hard foods for a week. I am playing it as it lays. Good news is weight is back to ticker, safely in the upper 70s. I have made a plan of a pound less a week while hitting targets.I am on track.
BBE: I spent many years teaching sixth graders about Ur and Mesopotamia. DH, DS and I went to Dartmouth once and the librarian let DS hold a piece of clay cuneiform. totally cool.
Having just been through lady biopsies I can tell you you will feel great once they eliminated the scary and you trouble shoot the annoyances.
Joy: Perhaps a few lateral thinking exercises will give you a new direction and motivation.
DS called me with some 20 year old angst. So happy he calls me. We talked for a long while. My heart aches when my son is upset. I guess it is the price of parenting but oh it is uncomfortable.
to determine that the movie had, indeed, followed the book. We were blown away by the animal puppets which rode on the backs of one puppeteer while one or two others operated the arms, legs, and head. Lots of stage magic where the lifeboat appeared and disappeared into the stage floor. The super professionalism was because this was the production's short stop between its two engagements in England and its opening on Broadway. I read the wiki entry before going in order to remember the story. Learned that I was to be overwhelmed by alternative realities. "Do you prefer the story with animals or the story without animals?" Pi asks the Japanese investigator from the insurance company trying to determine what happened to the ship that sank - the one with Pi as the only survivor. Your answer relates to your belief in God. Perhaps. But it was world class entertainment.
Eating was on plan with only an afternoon snack, CREDIT moi. Gotta remember that going out in the evening replaces evening snack - a good trade. Dinner was brief and a tad early to get out of the house for the performance. By the by, masks were REQUIRED "At all times." This was one of those venues where there was an envelope taped to each of our seats to let everyone else in the theater know that we were contributors and that, if they contributed, they would find an envelope taped to their seat when they arrived. One of the lesser privileges of my life. The envelope contained a hand designed mask announcing "I like the A.R.T.". Thought I'd put it on right there since that was my badge of being an insider. No. Absolutely not! The attached note said that I couldn't put on the mask until I left the theater because I was REQUIRED to have a mask on "At all times." Felt a bit of big-brotherism.
Joy (gardenerjoy) - With your schedule, I'm not surprised that "down time" is strange to you.
maryann - Neat to hear that you taught 6th graders about Ur and Mesopotamia. If anyone had tried to teach me that it'd have gone right through the ears. Now I want to hold a clay cuneiform tablet. One of the university libraries around here should have one.
curlyjax - Ouch for the appeal of a tin of chocolate covered nuts. Wish you well with your medical issues.
Readers -
Quote:
Chapter 6Stage 3 - The Challenging Situations Plan
Confidently Follow Your Plan While Traveling
Some dieters find it relatively easy to keep up their efforts for a few days but then slip into loose eating and gain weight. To avoid this pitfall, change your mindset about traveling.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), Pg 157.
I was glad I stayed home yesterday, as I still had to deal with some family calls/texts in the am. I saw a different doc at the practice as mine wasn't available, and she was competent but quite cool-I would not see her again. I felt like she was brushing off my concerns a bit. She recommended an ultrasound and a GI workup so I guess that's next, if the symptoms last. I rewarded myself with a stop at a fabulous bakery on the way home and picked up a ham and croissant which was soo good, just an excellent croissant and totally worth the calories (brilliant minds think alike Maryann!) and a few tiny treats. Bought some regular groceries at trader joes and snuggled in for the night.
Today is unscheduled, yay! so I'm going to make a list of what I need to do, what I would like to accomplish, and something enjoyable to do.
Bill-that performance looks wonderful! Almost enough to make me want to leave my house in the winter and trudge down to Boston. Too funny about big brother and the masks.
Maryann- I hear you about feeling bad when your kiddo is upset. Yay for ticker at weight.
Snow is everywhere up here in Tahoe. We are rivaling the mid West for cold temperatures. I will do a gentle yoga before going to ski. I need to limber up for the first day. Food was fine.
The big decision last night was Dh, DS, and and I are going on a cruise for my 60th this Dec. I will put a call into my friend who is an expert cruiser. First choice would be Holy Land, second would be Panama Canal, then maybe the Christmas Market tours. Exciting.
BBE; No on my list of reasons to retire is so that I can go to Boston to see shows with you and your wife. That is right up my ally. Is the person who believes in God the one that wants the story WITHOUT animals. I can see it both ways depending upon the author's view of God.
Curly: I know about cool doctors. On the other hand, often the best Drs. are isolated by the analytical minds. I prefer a cool Dr. and a warm priest
I did manage some down time, with some deep thinking about what my best life looks like. The answer turned out to be a fun and relaxed approach to novel-writing, punctuated by frequent breaks from that. Work hard, play hard.
Although, as my brother is frequently helpful at pointing out, "play hard" for me looks very different from what that seems to mean in our culture. I play hard with fantasy travel and imagining the future and thoughtfully consuming video and audio and written material.
DH and I had a discussion last night about how much we're accepting a new normal as introverted retirees who rarely leave the house except for walks. We keep questioning whether that really has the potential to keep us healthy and happy. And we keep answering that it really works for us. We each have projects that we love and we're at our happiest when we're fully engaged in them.
Diet Coaches/Buddies - Eating was on plan, CREDIT moi, with only planned, but not necessary, daytime snacks. Dinner was previously-grilled salmon, fresh asparagus, and, for the starch, a bit of the ficelle bread. The ficelle bread is so good that it's easy to eat a modest portion.
My accomplishment for the day was to return to the dishwasher that's had a slow leak (while running) since I replaced a part a month ago. I finally figured out how to get it out of its slot under the counter to identify the source. It's a tiny hole in a rubber hose. With it clearly visible, I could go online and order a replacement. Have to wait a week for it to arrive, but I feel great that the end is in sight. As before, it's the jumping up and down that's become more difficult for me. Perhaps I need some flexibility exercises.
Joy (gardenerjoy) - Really like, "Work hard, play hard." It's neat that you and your DH can see that the life that makes you happy isn't necessarily what is generally sold as "The good life."
maryann - Your cruise plans do sound fun. Traversing the Panama Canal is on my Bucket List - I suppose just because I've know about it since being a young boy when everything in the world was far away and unlikely that I'd visit. From the wiki article about Life of Pi,
Quote:
Martel (the author) has said that Life of Pi can be summarized in three statements: "Life is a story"; "You can choose your story"; "A story with God is the better story".
Pi was pleased that the shipping company investigator had finally chosen the story with the Bengal Tiger and other animals rather than the story with the ship's cook, a sailor, and Pi's mother. The author, like Pi, firmly believes that God is with the story with the animals.
curlyjax - Good luck finding a doctor who connects with you - super important. I've had a ham croissant; was hard to stop at only one.
Readers -
Quote:
Chapter 6Stage 3 - The Challenging Situations Plan
Create a Travel Mindset
You just can't take a vacation from dieting without regaining weight. Not responding to the following sabotaging thoughts will make traveling difficult and gaining weight probable: I can't stick to my diet ... I shouldn't have to stick to my diet ... I don't want to stick to my diet.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), Pg 158.
I got some stuff done on my to do list, and treated myself to breakfast for lunch at one of my favorite diners which is pricey but gives you a lot of food. I ended up taking some home and ate it the rest of the day. I went to the library and ended up reading for 3 hours straight, which I never do. It was fabulous!Then I did some paper decluttering afterwards until 11:00 pm. I'm working on getting one surface done at a time so I can really see progress.
I'm trying to get an online medical portal set up so I can use it for my dad and it keeps not working which is very frustrating. Today i'm going for a walk with a friend at 12:30 which will get me up and going. Its nice to be able to putter but its good to see another human being too.
Gardenerjoy- that does sound lovely, the two of you doing your own thing happily.
Maryann-you plan the best trips! DS will really enjoy that too, its great to get the travel bug when you're young.
Bill-I'm impressed at your dishwasher fixing skills!
Karen- wave to you and hope you're having a great time!
I'm still managing some down time, including planning a fantasy trip to Berwick-upon-Tweed, the northernmost city in England -- although, it's swapped sides between England and Scotland so many times in its history that Berwickers are more likely to declare allegiance to the city rather than either country.
CREDIT for completing the first 20 days of a 30-day yoga challenge. CREDIT for being on track to complete my exercise minutes goal in January. CREDIT for having re-normalized my food following the holidays so that I'm not even thinking about it much, just following my routine.
We watched Three Thousand Years of Longing last night. A good movie about the magic of story-telling. It has some similarities with Life of Pi.
Exercise +45, 1220/1700 minutes for January
BillBlueEyes: One of the best benefits to my daily yoga practice is that it involves multiple and varied ways of getting down to the floor and back up again. I nearly lost that ability about 15 years ago, so I'm very grateful to have it in my life now.
Thursday - 1st Negro lodge of US Masons approved (1871, New Jersey)
I'm a little ticked off that now I have the house to myself and have some energy to get stuff done, I have a physical issue to deal with. 