Yes! I am celebrating tonight! I have been successful in selling my #206 cottage! I knew that the right people would come along and that it would happen for them and me, but it feels so awesome tonight, now that it has happened.
Jack and I went to Anthony's in the Catalinas to dine, using a Groupon that I'd gotten a few weeks ago. Fantastic dinner! We were well cared-for, with waiters for water, taking plates away, presenting new plates, and describing our choices for our next course. We will go back there.
I'm still holding at 132.5, after a day this week at 131.5. I'm still exercising like crazy, doing Wii Zumba, Wii Fitness Coach, and doing the fitness class with power bands and balls here. I'm getting development of muscles I didn't know I had, and I feel stronger. Now I need to get back on the dietary horse. I think that I'm going to completely swear off cookies and baked stuff till I'm where I want to be. The truth is that, while Jack's chocolate chip cookies are fantastic, best ever, I likely can live without them.
But, for now, back to celebrating! :)
Friday, January 27, 2012
Friday, January 20, 2012
Not Obsessing about Food
Getting set to head out to dinner. Jack and I will be going to Sweet Tomatoes -- the most nutritious of the all-you-care-to-eat concept places. My plan is to start with a salad, leaving off dressing and croutons. Then I'll skip the pizza, and instead enjoy all the soup I want. For dessert, if they have something special that appeals to me, I'll have a bit. Otherwise, I'll save myself for one of Jack's chocolate chip cookies when I get home!
I had a great lunch out on my deck. It was 2 oz of leftover salmon, a slice of my wonderful multigrain bread from Beyond Bread, a carrot, a half cup of blackberries, and a cup of skim milk! I love eating this way and it thrills me that I can eat this well and lose weight. And, although the weight loss has been tediously slow (11 lbs in 3 months), I am determined to keep it down this time. I'm at 132.5 this morning, from a high of 143.5 on 10/25/11. My goal is to grow older in a body that's 125 lbs. :)
I'm finding, too, that I'm not obsessed with food, as I used to be. I mean, I do think about it, because I have to be sure that I have the right things in my house, but I'm no longer thinking "appetizer" when it gets to be 4:00, "dessert" when dinner's done, "snack" when it's mid-morning, etc..
Non-food things: Mail came finally, so if I owed you money, it's on the way now. We took Mary to her heart doc and found out that all is well there. After a trip to Albertsons, we took her back home.
The weather today is perfect. Lightly cloudy, but mostly sunny and lovely. I've been watching other people go past on the way to and from the pool. It's not quite warm enough for me to want to go to the pool. I need 80. :)
I had a great lunch out on my deck. It was 2 oz of leftover salmon, a slice of my wonderful multigrain bread from Beyond Bread, a carrot, a half cup of blackberries, and a cup of skim milk! I love eating this way and it thrills me that I can eat this well and lose weight. And, although the weight loss has been tediously slow (11 lbs in 3 months), I am determined to keep it down this time. I'm at 132.5 this morning, from a high of 143.5 on 10/25/11. My goal is to grow older in a body that's 125 lbs. :)
I'm finding, too, that I'm not obsessed with food, as I used to be. I mean, I do think about it, because I have to be sure that I have the right things in my house, but I'm no longer thinking "appetizer" when it gets to be 4:00, "dessert" when dinner's done, "snack" when it's mid-morning, etc..
Non-food things: Mail came finally, so if I owed you money, it's on the way now. We took Mary to her heart doc and found out that all is well there. After a trip to Albertsons, we took her back home.
The weather today is perfect. Lightly cloudy, but mostly sunny and lovely. I've been watching other people go past on the way to and from the pool. It's not quite warm enough for me to want to go to the pool. I need 80. :)
Monday, January 16, 2012
Putting it away
There are too many things that it took me too long to learn. These usually come crashing over me in one of those delightful "aha" moments that leave us wanting to shout from the rooftops. So here I am, shouting from my virtual rooftop!
"A place for everything and everything in its place" ... We've all heard that one a thousand times -- so often that it loses its meaning. When we are trying to get ourselves organized --and who isn't? -- we need to first have a place for everything. That is a topic about which many books have been written, and about which I could likely write a fetching book of my own. But that's not what I'm going to write about today.
What I've learned recently though is that I'm far better off if I put things away, immediately, where they belong. Here is an example: When I arrive home from the grocery, arms full of purse, keys, and grocery bags, I set things wherever, just to free my hands and take off my coat.
In the past, I might have hung my coat on the post by the steps, dropped my purse beside it, and set my keys on the table. Then I'd begin putting away the groceries. I'd attack the cold stuff, putting freezer things into the freezer and the fridge stuff in the fridge. Then maybe the phone would ring or I'd have to go to an appointment. No big deal to leave the rest of the groceries till later, right?
So I grab my coat and my purse and head out. But wait... where are my keys? Urgh... back into the house, I retrace my steps, ultimately finding them on the table.
So what's wrong with this and why did I feel a need to change? What I'm doing now saves me time, stress, and dignity. What's different is that now I put things away.... where they belong. My coat goes into the closet, hung up. My purse goes into the cabinet in the top drawer alongside my keys. (Nothing else is in that drawer to make it hard to find these things I use all the time.)
I still put away the cold stuff first. And then I put everything else away. Not sort of away. Away. Fruit in the fruit bowl (alongside my fake fruit!) and cereal in the cereal cabinet. Someone calls, I let the voicemail get it. Putting things away is important. If I have another appointment, it can wait that 2 minutes that it'll take to put things where they belong.
And I'll save that 2 minutes when it comes time to leave anyway, because I don't have to look for my keys! My coat is hung with my other coats, so I can easily see which coat I really want to take for this other errand.
The bonus is that, when I arrive home, everything is put away. I don't have to see stuff all over my counters. I do this little thing -- put things away, where they belong, immediately, and my house will always be ready for company. :)
Simple? You bet. But it was a revelation to me.
"A place for everything and everything in its place" ... We've all heard that one a thousand times -- so often that it loses its meaning. When we are trying to get ourselves organized --and who isn't? -- we need to first have a place for everything. That is a topic about which many books have been written, and about which I could likely write a fetching book of my own. But that's not what I'm going to write about today.
What I've learned recently though is that I'm far better off if I put things away, immediately, where they belong. Here is an example: When I arrive home from the grocery, arms full of purse, keys, and grocery bags, I set things wherever, just to free my hands and take off my coat.
In the past, I might have hung my coat on the post by the steps, dropped my purse beside it, and set my keys on the table. Then I'd begin putting away the groceries. I'd attack the cold stuff, putting freezer things into the freezer and the fridge stuff in the fridge. Then maybe the phone would ring or I'd have to go to an appointment. No big deal to leave the rest of the groceries till later, right?
So I grab my coat and my purse and head out. But wait... where are my keys? Urgh... back into the house, I retrace my steps, ultimately finding them on the table.
So what's wrong with this and why did I feel a need to change? What I'm doing now saves me time, stress, and dignity. What's different is that now I put things away.... where they belong. My coat goes into the closet, hung up. My purse goes into the cabinet in the top drawer alongside my keys. (Nothing else is in that drawer to make it hard to find these things I use all the time.)
I still put away the cold stuff first. And then I put everything else away. Not sort of away. Away. Fruit in the fruit bowl (alongside my fake fruit!) and cereal in the cereal cabinet. Someone calls, I let the voicemail get it. Putting things away is important. If I have another appointment, it can wait that 2 minutes that it'll take to put things where they belong.
And I'll save that 2 minutes when it comes time to leave anyway, because I don't have to look for my keys! My coat is hung with my other coats, so I can easily see which coat I really want to take for this other errand.
The bonus is that, when I arrive home, everything is put away. I don't have to see stuff all over my counters. I do this little thing -- put things away, where they belong, immediately, and my house will always be ready for company. :)
Simple? You bet. But it was a revelation to me.
Friday, January 13, 2012
How I've Changed
We all know how good a cookie is. You eat it, and as you put it away a bite at a time, the sweetness is almost overwhelming. You just want to keep eating them. After the cookie is gone, in fact, you usually just have to grab another! It is hard to satisfy your appetite with cookies.
I've learned that it's very different with a mango. The process of readying it to be eaten is a ritual that takes a bit of time. Then, as you eat it, there is a party that takes place in your mouth. The thing is just a mosh pit of sweet deliciousness that must be experienced to be understood.
But the real magic of the mango is that the pleasure continues. The fruit is large enough and filling enough that it does it for your appetite!
And, as you're eating it, you can reflect upon the fact that you're actually eating something that is feeding your body! Mangos are rich in vitamins A & C,vitamin B6, and fiber...but they are not calorie-dense.
I had my first mango just a couple of weeks ago, and I'm so happy that I got the nerve to try one. I shared that first one with Jack. The one I had today was all mine!
Location : 7677 E Broadway Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85710,
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
An easy day
Today I slept in till 7:30 and then lay around in bed till 8:30! That's the first time that I've done that in a while, but it's ok. I tell myself that I earned it.
I did my exercise (20 minutes of medium intensity Zumba on the Wii, and then 15 minutes of Wii Fitness Coach) and then had breakfast as I read the Arizona Daily Star. Breakfast this morning was a very special treat. I had half a chocolate muffin from Sunflower with... now get this ... very homemade blackberry spread. To make this, I took 1/2 C of blackberries and mashed them just a bit in a little Pyrex bowl. Spoon atop a bite of muffin and there you go. Repeat till there is no muffin left and the blackberries should run out at the same time, if you play it right! :) Oh, my, but that is good!
I've been enjoying the puzzles in the paper, discovering that, while I'm still not Crown Princess of crosswords, I can usually get through the easier ones. (not NY times, thank you) BUT... I AM Ja'am of Jumbles! And I'm Sultana of Sudoku, too. :D
I did a bit of work on a Photoshop project for our photo club here in the park and then Jack and I went to Oregano's for dinner with Joann and George. We had a nice time as we always do with them. I had 1/4 of a portion of chicken lasagne. The other 3/4 will serve as 3 more meals! While the restaurant was not quite as loud as it was when Jack and I last went, when we vowed never to go back, it was still loud enough that I will insist, from now on, that we sit in the front part.
After dinner, we rushed off to choir practice where we got new songs. Jack has decided after tonight that choir is just not his thing, so he's dropping out. I admire him for giving it a try, when he's thought his whole life that he could not sing. I say that the forest would be a deadly quiet place, if the only birds singing were the ones who sang the best.
I did my exercise (20 minutes of medium intensity Zumba on the Wii, and then 15 minutes of Wii Fitness Coach) and then had breakfast as I read the Arizona Daily Star. Breakfast this morning was a very special treat. I had half a chocolate muffin from Sunflower with... now get this ... very homemade blackberry spread. To make this, I took 1/2 C of blackberries and mashed them just a bit in a little Pyrex bowl. Spoon atop a bite of muffin and there you go. Repeat till there is no muffin left and the blackberries should run out at the same time, if you play it right! :) Oh, my, but that is good!
I've been enjoying the puzzles in the paper, discovering that, while I'm still not Crown Princess of crosswords, I can usually get through the easier ones. (not NY times, thank you) BUT... I AM Ja'am of Jumbles! And I'm Sultana of Sudoku, too. :D
I did a bit of work on a Photoshop project for our photo club here in the park and then Jack and I went to Oregano's for dinner with Joann and George. We had a nice time as we always do with them. I had 1/4 of a portion of chicken lasagne. The other 3/4 will serve as 3 more meals! While the restaurant was not quite as loud as it was when Jack and I last went, when we vowed never to go back, it was still loud enough that I will insist, from now on, that we sit in the front part.
After dinner, we rushed off to choir practice where we got new songs. Jack has decided after tonight that choir is just not his thing, so he's dropping out. I admire him for giving it a try, when he's thought his whole life that he could not sing. I say that the forest would be a deadly quiet place, if the only birds singing were the ones who sang the best.
Saturday, January 07, 2012
New Year, new habits
I'm doing well to start my year.I'm really loving my new cottage and I've been keeping very busy with all kinds of fun things. Last evening Jack and I went to dinner with friends at Cattletown. After that we played Aggravation. Although the men won, it was lots of fun.
I've been working on creating the body I want to grow older in. I've decided that sort of borderline overweight and matronly is not going to do for me. So I'm getting myself to the lean side of normal.
So I've been working out with the Wii and going for walks. I've been eating great food and way less fat, salt, and sugar. And I've been keeping track of it all on myfitnesspal.com. Since 10/25, I've moved from 143.5 to 134. And I love Zumba!
Location : 7677 E Broadway Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85710,
Saturday, November 05, 2011
Happy birthday, Becky
Michael's sister Becky was one of my avid blog readers and, just in case she is still reading it , I'll use this to wish her happy birthday. Though Becky passed away a year and a half ago, she'll always be one of my best friends and a real inspiration to me. Happy Birthday to you, Becky!
In other news, things are moving along here in Tucson. Jack's mom Mary got out of the hospital the day after we arrived in Tucson -- the 25th of October. Since she is on oxygen and using a walker, things are a bit more challenging for her. She has appointments with a nurse, with pt, and several doctors. So far, we've managed to get her where she needs to be and to help her to keep things tidy at her apartment. Yesterday, in fact, she went down to the salon to have her hair done. This was her first time doing that since the hospital, so it felt great to her. I just followed along, letting her do everything. She even said, "you're not even going to push the elevator button?". But she did it all, including setting up her small oxygen tank, by herself. What a woman. She could have just let other people do for her, but she's decided to get well and do for herself. :-)
Jack is having a workup done, meanwhile, and they are finding some blockages in arteries. Extent and remedies are uncertain at this point.
Me? Well, I've gotten the front "yard" dug for my retaining wall, Jack and I procured the blocks, and they are sort of tentatively set in place. We are going to need to cut a few of them to make them fit. Then will come plastic behind them and gravel and maybe soil to fill in behind.
The little cactus that we planned here is just like the one that we put on at Jack's -- the one that someone was inspired to kick over when we first returned. So we'll move mine to his house and replant his remaining broken stalks and see if he can make them grow again. He was so proud of his little cactus that it made me sob to see it all broken off.
Anyway so then my plan is to top my little plot with decorative stone and "plant" some steel cacti there. :-) I would move my steel agaves from 206, but they are so perfect there and they make me smile whenever I walk past. So I'll find more.
People are returning from the frozen north at a steady pace, and activities are going here. It's a beautiful time to be in Tucson.
Location : 7451 S 5th Ave, Tucson, AZ 85710,
Monday, October 24, 2011
Almost home
Tucson is just 92 miles away! This photo shows a bit of rain that we're seeing along I-10 today.
Our trip has been fun, punctuated by visits to family and friends. We visited state capitols in IL, IA, NE, and CO. At some point soon, I will figure out a way to get all these photos online for your viewing pleasure.
I'm posting this with my new smartphone -- a Samsung Charge with much help from Verizon. I so love the little gadget. It can, I'm convinced, do anything!
Location : N Railroad Ave, Willcox, AZ 85643,
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
On I 80
We awoke this morning to a chilly 29° in Henderson, NE. Were now headed west on I 80 300 miles east of Arvada, Colorado. All is well and enjoying a break while Jack drives.
Location : 301-399 7th St, Gothenburg, NE 69138,
Thursday, October 06, 2011
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