We’re having a cold snap. Snow was forecast but it’s only on the mountains here. I was able to load some things into the car (some distance away) when the wind and rain died down. Credit! Another day of sorting things out and feeling very tired after yesterday. I feel good that I’ve done most of the current paperwork - credit! How does it keep pouring in? Food-wise, I had muesli not porage for breakfast but I had two helpings. For heaven’s sake! I had a peanut butter sandwich for lunch with a blood orange. I’m very full (including wind) and I don’t really like this feeling. A small tea beckons.
Bill, “ageing out of the system” - what a euphemism! Credit for considering it all - sensible but uncomfortable. Credit for dealing with that fruit cake! And with the risky behaviour of those eight year olds (love them).
curlyjax, lovely to have another satisfying day at work. I think bread might be part of my difficulty too. Credit for keeping yourself away from ill people and out of harm’s way!
gardenerjoy, definitely credit for not spending time looking at the tiny aeroplane icon! I’m thinking about morning serving sizes at the moment, and how they impinge on the amount I eat during the rest of the day.
maryann, well done, following your shrink’s advice. Healthy choices will help. Being outside in the fresh air, gardening, is such a good thing.
Friday - New sport "Volleyball" premiers (1895, Springfield College, MA)
Diet Coaches/Buddies – Got some paperwork done, CREDIT moi. After some time studying the stack of charts produced by our financial advisor, I gave a short summary to DW. A good task to see if I understood and to withstand DW's questions that pointed out where I didn't. I gotta do this now while being new has grabbed my interest. My long term interest in moving money about to optimize risk vs reward is low. Am happy that someone is paid to do that who thinks it exciting. I had googled the costs of home health care, assisted living, and dementia unit care. The numbers I found were about half what we've heard from friends who've been down that path. Most places won't give prices; they want my personal info so that they can contact me. I suspect that they think that I might try to compare places. Who'd do that?
Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Dinner was reheated grilled salmon with brown rice and sauteed kale. We've fallen for this style of kale with a little olive oil, soy sauce, and lemon juice. The bite is lowered and the flavor is fully tasted.
Watched (the actual) David Attenborough episode on Coral Reefs from Blue Planet II from the DVDs checked out from our library. Unbelievable videos up close and personal of strange creatures. Watched a Grouper and an Octopus hunting together - a most unlikely pair. One more time I'm reminded that Coral Reefs are dwindling due to ocean temperatures. Ouch.
Joy (gardenerjoy) - I wish your Dear Niece the best on her amazing life journey. Congrats for not watching the plane icon moving one pixel per hour across your smart phone screen. The only happy surprise about elder care costs that I discovered was at the retirement home where a friend lives. For the very modest fee of $12, an assistant will come each day to help take a pill or administer an ointment. All other costs are in the thousands.
Silverbirch - Exactly, how does the paperwork keep flowing in? Loading your car for its next trip south seems like going forward.
maryann – As the airlines say, "Put on your own oxygen mask first then attend your kids." I share your feeling that the whole world should mourn that our society can't do more for kids under stress.
curlyjax - Delighted seeing how young those ladies are in The First Wives Club. LOL at buying notebooks when they go on sale at the start of the school year. I've done that. Have a stack of them. Never considered that I don't like them; don't like the wide line spacing; don't like the spiral backing. I'm destined to own them forever since I got such a good price.
Readers -
Quote:
Chapter 8Stage 5 - The Motivation-for-Life Plan The following techniques will help you remember why it's so worth it to keep up your efforts.
Go back to Phase 1. Remind yourself how easy it had become to practice these skills. Return to implementing them daily: . . .
If you don't go back to Stage 1 and refresh your skills, you will put yourself at high risk for continuing to struggle and gain weight.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), Pg 200.
Quick wave as I am off to my echocardiogram this morning. Another great thing about working with elders is they've been through these things too; "oh yes, I have a heart murmur" a few people said to me casually. I was on my feet at work a lot yesterday being busy which was great but it did cause my hip to hurt more. I tried out my walker in my bedroom and will need to rearrange a few things, and its going to be tricky getting into the bathroom as its so narrow;maybe i'll need to use crutches instead.
It will be a shorter day because of my appt so i'm going to get some groceries and meal planning done today. TGIF!
Frustrated I am not "fixed." Of course I my metacognitive break tells me I am not broken. Patches of the day that were fine. I took a trip to REI and bought my first every OTG goggles ( over the glasses.) wow, what a difference. Skiing in Canada is going to be dif than skiing in Tahoe. That is for sure. Today I will grade up everything for the kids so they can see their progress report. I will pack and check itineraries. Food is food. Stretching is on the list.
I met a milestone in my writing today. I'm currently creating a detailed novel outline. I set a goal on January 22 to be at the midpoint on February 9. I got there in my writing session this morning. Yay!
I've been very unmotivated for anything since then. That has implications for my eating since being unmotivated to do anything includes things like preparing healthy foods.
This is possibly a problem with entitlement. I did one great thing. The world should stop and celebrate with me. Since it won't, I should celebrate myself. And that should include doing nothing except eating chocolate and discovering new-to-me YouTubers who spend hours telling me about the drama in their lives.
That is not a mindset that will give me the day that I really want. I want celebration to look like taking time to be with myself with lots of journaling. And walking outdoors on an unseasonably warm day. And enjoying an Ideal Food Day because it's food I like in amounts that work for me.
A great session at the gymn. My coach thinks I’m almost back to where I was before I started spending more time in another part of the country and getting ill last year. He puts it down to a “good foundation” and also that I kept going (rucking, stairs etc) when I wasn’t at the gymn. I’m really encouraged by this as the session with the foot person on Wednesday left me feeling a bit grim. It was an online session and I get tired working out what’s she’s talking about, moving the laptop about and working on very precise, demanding movements. In addition, this time she had a few ideas about what was happening and what to do, and my body, in real life, didn’t fit entirely with those ideas. But I’m taking control of all that this afternoon by writing up my notes from the session and looking more closely at the videos she’s sent. I’ll put together a plan to work from.
Bill, I suppose I’m using “paperwork” to include admin tasks that arrive by email or text. Otherwise, it’s mostly through the letterbox which often comes with junk mail. I still find paperwork easier and quicker to keep track of and check than electronic comms. No actual paperwork today but two bills to pay, one date to be sure about in the diary and another to postpone. It's very good to have real life information about costs rather than sanitised versions from keen-to-sell-to-you providers, isn't it? I do like the sound of the kale. Um, I may be out of order here, but have you considered donating the notebooks you don’t like and will never like to a school or similar? Obviously, just ignore my remark if it doesn’t work for you.
curlyjax, what a fabulous plus to working with elders! That they know about what you’re doing is quite brilliant. They could be a ready-made support group. Good for you and for them - win-win!
maryann, food is food, definitely. I’ll join you in stretching.
gardenerjoy, I really like the sound of your Ideal Celebration Day. And, congratulations, by the way. Finishing a detailed novel outline is no mean feat.
Saturday - Chinese Lunar New Year: Year of the Dragon
Diet Coaches/Buddies – Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Dinner was Dahl, broccoli, corn chips, and my green salad. Pretty standard fare. I continue to eat blueberries both for breakfast and for my evening snack. And I continue with the exaggerated belief that that will help me life longer in good shape. For my exaggerated belief, I'm glad it's blueberries not cod liver oil, LOL.
Excitement was my commitment to buy a new skillet for DW for Valentine's Day. She has been ready to get past our last Teflon coated small skillet for some time. She's seen some dozen new styles of cooking ware out there that claims to be more stick-free than Teflon without the damage to humans. After considering it all, she stopped at our local hardware store and bought an 8" cast iron skillet that was just what she wanted. With a 20% off coupon to sweeten the deal. I lost the chance to be a romantic partner appearing with a surprise Valentine's Day gift, but we win because she has just what she wants cook with. Maybe long term relationships have to swap "surprise" for "exactly what is wanted."
Got an email from an old friend who pointed me to the New York Times article remembering the Super Bowl ad of 1984 for the as-yet-unrevealed Macintosh computer,
. So fun to remember seeing that ad and wondering what it was all about. Hard to believe that that was 40 years ago.
Joy (gardenerjoy) - I agree, meeting your midway detailed novel outline milestone is worthy of celebration. It would be nice if we all celebrated our small steps rather than focus on the drama.
Silverbirch - Good news that your rucking about helped you meet your gym goals. Thanks for the reminder that I can donate a box of office supplies to a school; we once gave a teacher friend a box of 3-ring binders and her excitement was over the top. Seems that teachers have a near-insatiable need for office supplies.
maryann – Congrats for recognizing that you're not broken. A trip to REI is just the best therapy. I do like that store.
curlyjax - Sobering thought that we never used to hear, "oh yes, I have a heart murmur". Of course, we used to be young, LOL. Smart move to learn how to maneuver in your house while you're fully mobile.
Readers -
Quote:
Chapter 8Stage 5 - The Motivation-for-Life Plan The following techniques will help you remember why it's so worth it to keep up your efforts.
Go back to Phase 1. Remind yourself how easy it had become to practice these skills. Return to implementing them daily: . . .
Don't give yourself a choice about it. Taking the first step - starting to reread Chapter 4 - will probably be the hardest. Once you begin, you will like the feeling of regaining control, and it will be so much easier to keep going.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), Pg 201.
The echo test took longer than I thought, and at one point the tech stepped out of the room to call someone, which freaked me out a little. She said she just wanted to make sure she had all the images she needed. I look at my results online later and it seems okay but possibly could follow up with a cardiac CT if deemed medically necessary, if I'm reading it correctly. My doc didn't call me so presumably everything is okay enough for now. I just want to get this surgery done and not have any problems! It's all a bit stressful. The hard art of the test was having to hold my breath frequently; I had to gently remind her that I needed to breathe normally at least once in between holding it over and over.
DD is off at work today so I have the house to myself, yay. I love her to pieces but its nice to know I won't be interrupted for a bit. Over the weekend I need to: color my hair, hit the dump, go to target for supplies, pick up meds, meal plan and grocery shop, meal prep, work on tax prep, gather my dad's tax prep stuff for my brother, rearrange things and pick stuff in prep for post surgery, order stuff for my dad's birthday, maybe make some meals and freeze them for post surgery, and the usual laundry, dishes etc. We'll see what gets done. This heart stuff makes me realize I need to focus more on low salt and low fat foods;figure out the percentage not to over do for the day etc.
Bill-thanks for sharing that commercial! My dad had one of the first tiny Mac computers, I wished we had saved it; could possibly be worth something now.
The black dog is whimpering in the corner this morning while I pack. Good. Maybe he knows I am not bringing him on the airplane if possible. I was able bit by bit finish my to-dos. I talked to the buddy I am meeting. She is frantically trying to get on the plane so we are both in great need of vacation. Super cool is her son might be flying her. He flies for United.
A positive about being blue is my OCD of packing is set atsimmer. If I forget something, I'll make do. Whatever. The nearly non replaceable items are few: glasses, meds, passport, customized ski boots. Other than that let the chips fall where they may. I am reading a bodice ripper on the plane.
BBE: Extra Post it notes are great for your DGDS to make flip books; leave a trail like bread crumbs to find you; play Who am I? with a character on your forehead and you have to ask people to guess who you are; I could go on and on. Silverbirch: good for you for making notes on the foot. Joy: That is a HUGEEEE achievement to finish your outline. Millions every year say I am going to write a book. You are doing it.
As usual my Saturday requires juggling of the timing of meals/snacks in my Ideal Food Day. Here's my reminder that it doesn't require juggling of the food consumed. I can eat exactly the same food as any other day -- changing the schedule is not an invitation to change the items consumed
A bad night’s sleep led to my running out of steam this afternoon and falling asleep for a few hours. Well done to my body for insisting on this but it’s been a lovely sunny day and I had plans. Whatever. The SO and I worked on deep cleaning and got somewhere, I suppose, but there’s a way to go yet. I’ve loaded three bags of compost into the car and sorted out some tools and sandpaper for the DD to attend to a sewing machine. We’re all getting there. Food started well but then the tiredness kicked in and I ate a bit too much for lunch. I’ll have a go at my new foot exercises in a little bit.
Bill, we’re on the same page as your DW about Teflon. Honestly, I can’t think of anything more romantic than avoiding gumming up your insides and those of your loved ones with bits of the Apollo space programme. Yes, I’d say you’re on the right track with “exactly what is wanted”. (Hadn’t realised Teflon was actually discovered in 1938!) I love the teacher and the three-ring binders story. Thanks.
curlyjax, good for you, reminding the tech that you need to breathe normally at least once! Sending energy for all those things you need to do this weekend. Enjoy the house on your own. Heaven!
maryann, thanks for the post-it ideas! Lots of fun there! Safe travels and enjoy the snow.
gardenerjoy, great reminder that you don’t need to juggle the food consumed, just when you eat it. Strangely, changing the times seems to open up an opportunity which is really not worth taking. Thanks for pointing this out.
Sunday - Super Bowl Sunday (since 1967, Los Angeles Coliseum)
Diet Coaches/Buddies – Walked, CREDIT moi, in the near 60 deg F sunshine. What a gift right here in the middle of February. DW pointed out the Snow drops everywhere, occasionally poking up through some leftover snow but sometimes acting like they were starting the Spring gardens. The youngsters were out with no jackets or hats.
Excitement was dropping by the Grand Opening of a cannabis shop. We're getting a lot of these in the past year. They'd advertised to have swag, snacks, and folks explaining everything. So off I went. Had to show my driver's license to the receptionist in the small foyer and then get buzzed into the door of the interior shop. There were a dozen attendants happily explaining their wares. They had samples of "Smokies" - small gummy candies shaped like a dried apricot. "Try one," a young thing with two nose rings and copious tattoos encouraged. "There's no THC in them." As I now understand from several explanations, it is a violation of Federal law for me to be there but legal under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Despite that liquor stores can give FREE samples of alcoholic drinks, cannabis stores cannot give FREE samples that contain the buzz that they're selling. So the samples were just candy. They insisted that I take a handful for my grandkids. I now own a FREE butane lighter whose use is clearly marked; rolling papers because "No one has too many papers," and a box of the neatest 4 inch long square wooden matches whose box is labeled with a brand name that a user would recognize. Mostly a young adult crowd with one couple old enough for the man to awkwardly push his walker and his gray-haired wife to be helping him along. "You know they used to call everything 'weed', without appreciating that there are two main varieties with all these hybrids that make is so interesting," said a docent young enough to be my granddaughter.
Eating was on plan, CREDIT moi, with no snacks broken by a "Smokie" that isn't mentioned in Dr. Beck's book.
Joy (gardenerjoy) - Your Saturdays are always a juggling act. Hope you had a touch of our fine weather for your outings.
Silverbirch - Terrific that your DD has a sewing machine; often I feel that our generation was the last to even know what one is. Tending to your health is important while you're so busy. Yes, the Apollo program claims credit for Velcro, but not Teflon.
maryann – Great line, "I am not bringing him on the airplane." Thanks for all the ideas for using Post-It notes with the grand daughters.
curlyjax - LOL that you had to remind your medical handlers of your need to occasionally breathe. I absolutely hate that the way OK results of a medical test are conveyed is by not getting a phone call. Thinking of your upcoming surgery, these cannabis guys had a whole selection of products for medical use claiming to ease pain with no psychoactive components. I assume you deal with this stuff professionally.
Readers -
Quote:
Chapter 8Stage 5 - The Motivation-for-Life Plan The following techniques will help you remember why it's so worth it to keep up your efforts.
Go back to Phase 1. Remind yourself how easy it had become to practice these skills. Return to implementing them daily: . . .
Learn from your mistakes. Think about how you got off track. What do you wish you had done differently?
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Complete Beck Diet for Life (Green book), Pg 201.
Last edited by BillBlueEyes; 02-11-2024 at 10:55 AM.
Reason: Typo
I am here in Calgary. My friend is off on the treadmill. I am relaxing in the room. Trip was easy. I forgot trips can be easy after Rome and Switzerland for my last two ventures. Skis showed up on schedule. After breakfast we will stroll Banff and then check into our hotel that is actually on the ski slope at sunshine village. We will ski a couple of days there and then move onto Lake Louise.
Food was food and I feel a little more like myself this morning.
BBE: You are a riot going to the Cannabis store. Well done. Silverbirch: Little by little. You are going to feel so great in your new place have not just deep clean two houses but many of the objects that are no longer of service to you. Joy: Weekends are the hardest for me because they are out of my routine.
Productive day yesterday; I got my hair done, had a nice chat with a friend who called ( we exchanged medical news, as one does at this age!) and tackled the livingroom. There have been boxes of stuff there for a long time which I opened up, tossed out things that needed tossing, and put most elsewhere. We are left with one row of stuff against one wall, which I can live with for awhile, and the sofa is finally cleared off. I work better with a deadline, which is my upcoming surgery. A fair bit of exercise including hauling a lot of stuff to the dump, which was good for my heart but my hip complained. Picked up the meds at two different places, treated myself to chicken parm for dinner, then off to BFF to hang out a little. She had made some heart shaped cut out cookies that were sooo good and I ate too many of them. Very satisfying day.
Today the main thing is grocery store or two-assuming there is food left after everyone prepares for both the Super Bowl and incoming storm on tuesday-meal prep, and paperwork if I have energy left.
Gardenerjoy-good reminder that juggling time doesn't mean juggling what one eats.
Silverbirch-great that you have a good foundation of muscle from before. Always good to listen to your body for rest, but I know what you meant about it messing up plans. I definitely eat too much when I'm tired too. Ugh for deep cleaning, its unending.
Maryann-Have a lovely time! I get wigged out about packing too -good job in letting the chips fall where they may!
Bill-Too funny about your shopping trip! I actually have heard the cannabis plant can help with some pain, similar to other rub on creams, and potentially for other things like Parkinson's tremors. Some people sing its praises as a wonder drug for all sorts of things. My neighbors take it as a sleep aid; I tried it and it made me nauseous, and a cream for pain didn't help my leg either, but hey, each to their own.
It was mild and a bit sunny today which really helps, especially when you’re washing floors and that kind of thing. Eight hours of sleep didn’t go amiss either. I’ve had a very productive day here and the garden room is almost done. A few more bits of skirting board to clean tomorrow and some more windows (possibly even the outside) and that will be that. It’s looking quite spacious. I had no other duties today so I just focussed and worked on detail too. Things didn’t start well but then I realised that a set of warm-up exercises would help. And they did, indicating where my back was a bit tight and smoothing it out. Good old cat-cow! Food has been fairly good.
Bill, how lovely to hear your snowdrops are out at last! Full marks for investigating the cannabis shop! The DD discovered the sewing machine yesterday, a 1935 Singer in a charity shop. It’s very similar to the one I had and gave to a charity shop just before she was born which is nice. She's wanted a sewing machine for years.
maryann, have a lovely time! I know someone who was in Banff and at Lake Louise in the summer. Beautiful place. It probably looks a bit different in the winter but still beautiful, I’m sure.
curlyjax, great stuff achieved yesterday, especially the living room!
Thursday
Friday - New sport "Volleyball" premiers (1895, Springfield College, MA)
Finishing a detailed novel outline is no mean feat.
