Saturday, May 24, 2014

My 10 Year Thin-naversary!

Week #102 - 114.0 with no extra heavy clothes...I'm getting happier so I'm eating more...time to start being more careful! See how fast that happens?!

I mentioned to the lady weighing me that yesterday was my 10 year anniversary for maintaining my weight loss so they "celebrated" my Thin-naversary at the meeting...that was fun = )  Here's to the next 10 years! If I don't die at 52...we'll see....

Time for bullet-points:

- slept well

- went to Weight Watchers...really wanted to ride my bike but drove the car instead. I'm really looking forward to getting our garage built so I can have easy access to my bike and can ride it MUCH more! Saw my first Orthodox Jew walking home from Temple...fascinating! They don't use electricity or powered vehicles on the Sabbath so they walk to Temple.

- home for brunch, chatted with Petey some

- watched tv and crocheted quite awhile...started on the 4th skein on mom's shawl...one more skein to go! The goal is to have it finished by John Chase and Nicole's wedding so I can take it to her instead of shipping it to her. I'm definitely going to make myself one too...the feel of it is LOVELY! Only this time I will orient the rows to be horizontal while the shawl is being worn. I didn't figure that out until I was about 1/3rd of the way through with this one. Maybe after it's finished, mom will trade with me so she can have the one that looks correct

- worked in my craft room a fair bit...found 2 more boxes that hadn't been unpacked yet! mostly books with a few pictures and craft items

- watered my tomato and bean plants and the flowers across the front. I broadcast some zinnia, marigold and bluebonnet seeds in that flower bed. I see a few zinnias coming up. I'm not hopeful for the bluebonnets but it felt good putting the seeds there anyhow. Thanks, Shari, for putting the seed pod in the truck as we were leaving! I also broadcast the rose petals out there...a bit of Texas here.

- took Piper and Dingo on a 3 mile walk and then Buddy went .3 here in the neighborhood... thought he might want to go farther but he said .3 was plenty, thank-you-very-much

- worked on my craft room some more...our much-loved niece, Deborah, is planning to visit us with her friends in a few days and I thought maybe the girls might like to play in Pony's Playroom??? Gotta get it ready just in case!

- compiled the article for the Texas Runner Triathlete magazine...our running club has a column in the running clubs' section that I "write"...only this article is a runner's story of his experience at the Boston Marathon this year so he actually wrote it = )

- very sleepy and looking forward to church tomorrow! I'm going back to the first Baptist church we visited the Sunday after we got here. Something is drawing us to that church so we need to spend some more time there and go to more services

Good night...sleep tight!!

Friday, May 23, 2014

One month ago today...

What a difference a day makes...24 little hours...

And what a difference a month makes too! God has poured His grace on me abundantly and my cup runneth over = )

I am learning several lessons through all of this...I'm not sure I can articulate all of them at this early date but I've been thinking lately about the passage of time.

I remember going through a very low spot in my life during my 19th year. I wrote on a piece of paper, "this too shall pass" and taped it to the head of my bed. It just felt like my life was SO messed up that it would never be the same again...that it would never be "happy" again.

But I knew at that young age that those older and wiser who had gone before me promised me that "this too shall pass". So I clung to that promise.

And I discovered that the first was true...my life WOULD never be the same again...because I was learning some very hard lessons...adult-sized lessons...that I've since been reminded of over and over again. How people will fail you frequently...friends, co-workers, loved ones, near strangers... and that only God deserves and can uphold my TOTAL trust in Him.

So it would have behooved me well to have taped a piece of paper with "this too shall pass" on my headboard a month ago and then just....wait........and wait some more....................  Just do the next thing and be patient........let one day tick by second by second until the dawning of the next day.

And little by little, second by second, moment by moment, the sharp homesickness would smooth out. The feeling of "THAT'S home...THIS will never be home" will work it's way around 180 degrees.

And then one day, it will catch me off guard..."I like it here! I like this and this and this and that and these are things that I couldn't have had or experienced if I hadn't moved away from my beloved home in Texas and come to make a new home in Florida!"

Even with counting my blessings every day, it seemed like I would never reach the point of LIKING it here. And now here it is, just 30 days later and I feel like a traitor...I feel disloyal...I feel inconstant. But mostly I feel thankful to God and overflowing with joy!! hahahahahaha

I'm being reminded so often of things that I had asked God for while we lived in Texas and that He's answering those prayers here...giving me the desires of my heart...desires that I've had for many years. Do you know how WONDERFUL that feels?!

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ"...and He has blessed me with many, many physical blessings in the earthly places too = ))

Thursday, May 22, 2014

The Beach!!





We finally made it to the beach! The water was the same blue as in The Keys...beautiful :)

A cool Rolls Royce on the way home :)

It's amazing to think that we LIVE 9 miles from this beach...I could ride my bike here! 

We didn't have time today to hang out but after seeing the water we both said we wanted to come back. That's pretty good for non-beachy folks  :)

Drawbridge on the way to the beach!



Wedding outfit!

I ordered these shoes especially for John & Nicole's upcoming wedding. When I got them out of the box, I realized I already had a dress, a favorite of mine, that matches perfectly!


The hotel is booked...asking God to work out the details so I can be there!!!

My "garden" loves this weather!!



Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Bike ride & exercise trail fun







For the record, I have ZERO upper-body strength! Petey's awesome though!!

Happy Anniversary (a few days early) to ME!!!!

Petey brought me 2 dozen long-stemmed white roses!






Yep...this is going in my thankful journal today!

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

One of my running path choices...



Isn't it lovely? I run this route when I get out a little later and I need more shade. 

Enjoying myself!


What is Sinus Arrhythmia?

What is sinus arrhythmia? I was asking my doctor about how my pulse changes during my breathing exercises, and he said it has to do with sinus arrhythmia, which sounds to me like a disease. Is it normal or not?
Sinus arrhythmia is a common condition. There are different types--some of which are a disease. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia is a common type--an this is a normal process. This is not a disease, although not everyone has it. It is a normal variant. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia is the natural variation of heart rate with breathing. The word sinus means that the heart rhythm is coming from the sinus node--which is the starting point of the heart. This sinus node is the heart's "pacemaker." The word arrhythmia means that the heart rate is irregular--not a constant rate. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia normally occurs when heart rate slows during inspiration and speeds up in exhalation. This occurs because the heart rate is controlled by the brain. The brain varies its control of heart rate during the breathing cycle and uses the vagus nerve to change the heart rate. This can happen in everyone, but in most people you cannot detect this because it is so small. In some people it is more exaggerated for an unknown reason. In general, people who have good cardiovascular endurance--like marathon runners, are more likely to have this. So this may mean you are in good shape! Talk with your doctor if you have more problems.

So...maybe this is a sign that I have "good cardiovascular endurance"?? hahaha  I had my very first EKG and it showed I had this. I know my heart beats funny...I was hoping it would do it while the machine was running...I've always wanted to know what happens when it beats funny. Nope, but it showed I have "sinus arrhythmia"...yeah, me and millions of other people...so who cares?!

I went to the doctor yesterday...just to establish patient care. Of course, I have several on-going conditions that doctors are interested in...oh, I suppose some would say they want to keep on top of them for my sake. Why do I have such a hard time believing doctors??? That they really care and are really interested in treating you for your own sake, to help you live a better, healthier, happier life?!

I had lab work done this morning...5 vials of blood...Petey gave 6 vials at his doctor's appointment. Grrrr...I wanted to beat him! hahahahhaahaha  I'll have a bone density test on Thursday and then see the doctor again in 2 weeks to discuss the results. 

I'm most interested in the bone scan as I already have osteoporosis and I want to make sure that I'm not losing too much bone mass too quickly. I'm not sure what to do about the condition if I am. I've heard Fosamax is NOT the way to go and I'm already doing everything I possibly can to maintain healthy bones outside of a prescription medicine. 

But if my risk of breaking a hip has gotten much worse, I may be forced to take some decisive action. Guess I'll find out in a few days. Hopefully the technician will tell me my numbers right then without making me wait to hear the results from the doctor.

I'm LOVING these quiet days! Plenty of time to get my chores done with plenty of time left over for reading, piano playing, critter playing, sitting and looking out the window, crocheting, letter-writing...it's AWESOME!!!

Now, if I can just get my "playroom" organized, I can add crafting to this list too! I'm fixin to go work in there now  = )