All going well in my wee palace as well, Wood Nymph!

I have a little potted tree this year and will plant it at season's end. Did that before and even in central Arizona, in caliche soil and 100+ temps, it did quite well for some time, although it eventually succumbed. This year am just thinking of putting it in a bigger pot so I can move it into an AC room sometimes and try to grow it on for next Christmas!

I lost TWO pounds this week, almost impossible for me lately. Rhapsody in blog! Woot!

Greetings to Kaylets, Wsw, Anagam and all palace inhabitants, visitors, lurkers and apologies if I missed anyone!

It is going to be a GREAT end-of-year and a GREATER YEAR THAN EVER in 2012.

Feel it in ancient crone bones!

Hello all Royals!


Hope everyone is doing well!

Chest cold caught Thanksgiving week is finally really packing its bags and leaving.

This weekend is the year anniversary memorial, I have edited as many details as could be postponed as I realized with the holiday season, it was becoming too overwhelming ......for myself and my sisterinlaw.

I see how much this cold walloped me physically and finally, ( why do some lessons take soooooo long too learn??) that I am doing too much, expecting too much from myself and my body is protesting.

So, in the pursuit of being a Serene Royal Highness......edit.....

I could use a big Delete button similar to that Easy button advertised on tv.

A favorite aunt put things so succinctly it took me a few days for it to sink in..... but she is so, so right....."It's too much".....................

When I first heard her say it, I automatically protested internally "I can handle it! I am tough enough! Having everything letter perfect is more important!"..................

But no: No. Edit. Delete.

Simplicity


So much of this insight crystalized about 3 pm yesterday. Dogs and I were walking as I decided what to wear to a annual memorial at the Cancer Support Center last night. And suddenly, like a lightening bolt, I realized, "I can't do this tonight. It's too much"

And suddenly realized, I would never expect from anyone else what I had set out for myself. And the relief of that burden lifting proved I was right. I am expecting too much


Instead, I watched reruns of the Walton's, ( John Boy delivered a baby) and drank tea and orange juice. I made some instant pudding too, expecting I would eat all I made. And suddenly, realized, I was too full to eat all I made and put the remainder in the fridge. And wondered if giving myself permission to say "Enough" in my life translated to my portion size.





Tuesday Greetings to all---
**************************

Here's today's thought of the day:

Thought of the day:

"If you get upset when the toast burns,
what are you going to do when your house burns down?"
Author Unknown


Question of the day:

"Gloves or Mittens?"

Woot and huzzah, Royals! Am gearin' up for a long walk/run session in the cold rainy dark o' my queenly neighborhood, but postin' on the internet a bit to go rah rah to myself before bravin' the elements, which are chilly but, of course, I live in central AZ and chilly is chilly to us but maybe not so much to others in different climes.

Kaylets, love the ideas ye present and yea, that is always something to remember, to use the delete button on our over activities sometimes. I used to have one of those "That Was Easy" buttons from Office Max! I need one again. Watching the Waltons sounds better for our body and soul that doing more activities than are optimal for us, I think!

Sometimes it seems to others that I over exercise but truly I am very careful not to do that as it gets us nowhere!

Hope ye find your good night's sleep tonight, Arabella! That is so essential.

I also have insomnia currently, but it is habitual for moi, and these days, until I find a full-time (or even regular part-time) job, I can sleep in the daytime (nana nap) and I do a lot, so that helps.

Thanks for the congrats on the two pounds. Oh, t'would be so nice to do it again this coming Sunday!

A seven foot tree sounds heavenly. I may do it someday! Woot!

Huzzah to all royals!

Hello, Royal Ones - Glad Handel went so well, arabella. Was thinking of you during your rehersal/performing period. So nice you have that joy in your life. And I remember that gorgeous cake. No wonder it's requested.

Still delighted to have Empress (Tess?/misc others) back in Royalville, always inspiring. Rancor is banned from premises, I believe. Am with you in enjoying the season and looking forward to the next.

Will be thinking of you Friday and the weekend, Kaylets. Sometimes we do need to let go, for sure. I've let go of so much the last few years. But it's getting easier to part with things, traditions, etc. and build up my newest life phase.

I was at DDs two weeks ago for the annual Nutcracker. Things are okay but she does say things when she's upset and does not know how to say she's sorry. She forgets but I'm not so lucky. I think the princesses were upset to see me upset (I usually manage the cool facade) but they would protect their mama if push came to shove (which is really what they should do). I know she has problems in her life but I can't solve them for her. She has a lot of good in her life as well but can't seem to focus on that. I know it's how I've survived a lot.

And I'm proud of you, Kaylets, for taking the high road. It's really the only way to be you.

Well, waiting for garage to call and say my car is ready. Like the loaner but want my own back ;(

lLazy morn so far but am off to shower and then grocery shopping. Library too sometime today. Then tai chi this afternoon then out for German food afterwards with the class. then the 3 or 4 extra "salt" pounds will be back. Was at 196 yesterday (not weighed yet today);

Just a few little gifts to wrap today and then I can get the wrappings boxed up again. I so overbought when the princesses sold that stuff for their schools that I'm stocked for another year or more still. Of course, I buy fewer gifts than I used to as well.

Then it's baking, cooking which will also be reduced this year. One more batch of nut rolls is a must as this is repayment to the helpful neighbors (of a sort ).

Playing golden oldies on the TV at the moment and the beat is trying to move me so off I go.



"

So glad to see thee, Anagram! Woot! Love thy peaceful blue avatar and the wee dancin' girl that I associate with ye!

T'is so nice here in the palace, yea on the bannin' o' rancor, although have never noticed rancor here in this peaceful royal place, it is always so restful compared to other compartments in my wee life lol!

Hmmm, Tess HAS been bein' quite aggressive this week in absolutely chippin' away at calories and increasin' exercise intesity, whilst anxiously scanning the sky for as many passin' SCALE ANGELS as she can entice to come to her Sunday weigh-in this week! We here in Tess Land ARE expectin' a visit from Drop A Pound Scale Angel (DAPSA) and have extended an invitation to Drop TWO Pounds Scale Angel (D2PSA) but with this bein' the busy season for scale angels, anything could happen.

We ARE just hopin' that the MEANIE KNOWN AS EVIL SCALE DEMON, who causes scales to misfunction and report false weight GAINS is not around.

The MAINTENANCE ANGEL is always welcome, but not verra excitin' ... bye bye, Royals, must away to do stuff.

Huzzah, Royal Ladies (and gents if any be a'lurkin'), here be basically what I posted in my journal this day re the weigh o' it!

Wootness! I am going to reformulate my goals this week for the new year! I regained the two pounds I lost last week, but it is kind of a good thing because I gained a bit of clarity and I am verra positive about it. However, I lost more inches, have been losing inches each week, conclusion: getting fitter but not losing scale weight right now. it is all good! Will continue my countdown (although may reformulate). What I really want to share for those who struggle with weight and needing to be more physically fit is that it is never too late to do that. As we age, fitness becomes more important than ever and scale weight is only a small part of that equation. Woot!

Lol, sorry for all the weigh-in drama yesterday, Royals!

Am normal today, going for walk in rain and then working all day in office.

This is Day 1 of the new, revised goal to end March 12, 2012, reflected in the ticker and discussed more fully in my wee blog this mornin'!

Huzzah!

Hope all are well and t'is a lovely day (well, cold and rainy but that's okay)!

Wootness!

Lol, that Rancor Monster is so funny, Arabella! Have never seen that toy or character in Star Wars lore.

Rancour, to Tess/Amarantha, is okay dokey so long as t'is limited to EVIL things such as lyin' false scales inhabited by Scale Demons, and also the Wally World Triangle Donut (whom Tess threw outta her life forever about six weeks ago and who is behavin' and stayin' in his glass donut case prison in Wally World, shun him, he is REALLY evil)! Methinks, I need a little monster figure such as thou pictureth to make short rancourous work o' those kinds o' bad customers!~ Woot!

Drama be okay, too, as to positive things like love, friendship, positive moves forward in life and healthy weight management. But for the rest, drama is somethin' I campaign against.

Fantasy, fun stories and epic adventures, yes, drama, no!

My epic today is to finish my deadline work, so huzzah, royals.

Had a verra interesting and lovely Solstice, dear Royals! Woot!

Ate too much, though!

Hope all are well!

Woot, good Royal Folke! T'is December 22 and for moi where I live, t'is the start o' a whole new countdown to my sacred March 25 weight goal (the amended one seen in my ticker)! This is Day 94! On March 25, I will be at my goal weight or less!

Lotta other challenges goin' on in mine wee head but woke up this mornin' with a wee sense of who I am and what I am about.

I am directing the HEALTHY DIET AND FITNESS RANCOUR MONSTER to guard the gates o' mine queendom to anything that interferes with that prime directive. Lol, this is the same as constant vigilance but all the talk here re rancour, a word that was not previously in Am's common syntax, made her think how useful a rancour monster could be in the fight against DONUT DEMONS and SCALES INHABITED BY SCALE DEMONS and STRESS EATING and SILLY EXCUSES TO OVEREAT (such as "t'is Monday," "t'is cold out," "etc.").

Thanks for that picture, Arabella. It energized moi!