Happy New Year!

Back in December 2009, I decided I was tired of the Resolution Rat Race. It annoyed me no end that making promises to one's self to change was treated like a huge joke. I truly wanted to change my life. I needed to change my life. I didn't want to hear the jokes about not making it through January Second. What was the point?

Being the problem solver that I am, I went to work mulling over possible solutions. In December, I used one of my Christmas cards for myself. Within it, I wrote out the gifts I planned to give to myself for Christmas throughout the coming year. I accomplished them, to a certain extent. Last Christmas, they all made it on my list of Gifts to myself, again, in varying forms. I realized they were gifts I wanted to give to myself, every year, for the rest of my life. Now, I hold to those gifts, but starting this year, I'll add more specifics. This year, for the first time, I'm going to give myself gifts in what I consider to be seven overall areas of my life: Physical, Mental, Emotional, Spiritual, Writing, Social, Giving.

This year's Christmas Gifts to Myself:

1. I allowed lack of funds to curb my Just Because It's Tuesday gifts. I want to learn to do it without spending a lot of money.

2. Lose the fat. A friend posted a picture showing the difference between 5 lb of fat and 5 lb of muscle. It made an impression. I'm not going to think of it as losing weight, but losing fat.

3. Kindle - I need an ebook reading device.

4. Finish two more novels, in addition to becoming in every sense of the words a published author. I want to learn how to write articles.

5. Do more about my appearance. I know I'll feel more comfortable in social situations if I feel more comfortable with my appearance. I've allowed a lot to slide because I wanted to pretend like it didn't matter. It does.

6. I enjoy natural beauty products, especially making my own, but I haven't done much of it, ever. This year, I'm going to do more of it. I have incredibly sensitive skin, and can't use a lot of products. Natural products, I make myself, seem to be easier on my skin.

7. Continue to be a blessing.

A new brain please...

It would be a good start, anyway. I'm ever amazed by how discombobulated I become when my hormones are out of whack. Thinking becomes an almost impossible task. Remembering anything is a challenge. Trying to work on anything becomes a monumental challenge, and I usually have to redo the work once my brain is back. So, yesterday and today (my worst days in the cycle) are being spent reading and doing non-decision type stuff. I've been reading other bios to help me form my own ideas of what I'd like. I've also fiddled with making my own business cards. No decisions to be made, yet, only allowing my mind to puzzle things out.

Week Twenty-Seven of REAL...

The 23rd: weigh in: 234.6 lb. One SEAL puppy rep. Five-minute walk; it was too cold! LOL! I couldn't stay awake any longer, last night. It was 9:30 p.m. I woke at 12:30 a.m. Blessedly, I was able to go back to sleep, and slept the night through. I'm feeling better than I have all week. Thank you, God.

The 24th: weigh in: 234.2 lb. One SEAL puppy rep. Half-mile walk; COLD!! Well, cold for here, anyway. Still terribly tired. With the holiday, my eating isn't at its best, but it's much better than it used to be and improving.

The 25th: weigh in: 235.6 lb. Merry Christmas!! I finally remembered to take an allergy pill, last night. What a huge difference! I feel so much better, today.

The 26th: weigh in: 235.8 lb. Not bad. I was afraid it might be much worse. One SEAL puppy rep. Two-mile walk, in 40 minutes, so total is not good at 50 minutes. Not going to beat myself up. One more SEAL puppy rep.

The 27th: weigh in 235.6 lb. Whoohoo! It's only a little, but considering what I'm eating, leftovers, i.e., mostly desserts, that really isn't too bad. I planned on doing better, today, but didn't. Two-mile walk, plus a bit more, in about an hour. Total 110 minutes.

The 28th: weigh in: 235.6 lb. How'd that happen after yesterday's binge? Don't know. Don't care. Just glad I didn't completely botch my progress. I will do better today. I'm feeling better. Lots of things going through my head, in a good way. Started the day with Weightless tea. We'll see how it goes. One SEAL puppy rep. Two-mile walk, plus a bit more, with my sister, for about an hour. Total 170 min. One more SEAL puppy rep. Well, shoot. Brain is self-destructing, early. Hate that. Brain will be back in a few days, though not sooner than I'd like. Sigh.

The 29th: weigh in: 235.8 lb. Waist circumference: 41". Not surprised by the last one. That will disappear again, within a few days. Reminding myself that it's important to be gentle with myself, especially when it comes to things over which I have no control, or at least very little. Time to make myself some Red Raspberry Leaf tea. One-plus mile walk, with my sister. It took a while. 230 minutes total. Tomorrow will be better. Today's goal is to make it through without beating myself up over the fact that my mind will wander and I'll be tired and crampy.

One more down...

Today, my sister, a professional photographer, took me out for a photo shoot. I dressed in the outfit I thought fit my Laurel Hawkes persona. When we first started working on my branding, this was the skirt and blouse that leapt to my mind. She chose four different spots, and took over a hundred pictures.

I don't like pictures of me. My face is scarred by years of acne. I'm also overweight. It makes my face rounder. My parents have never been kind about my appearance. Neither has a sibling, less immediate family members, acquaintances, and total strangers. I hate dealing with pictures of me. Cookies, cake, fudge, hot chocolate, bread, and more all fell victim to my need to stuff the stress.

That being said, my sister and I laughed, a lot. We started at nine o'clock in the morning. By noon, we had whittled down the hundred plus shots to one. I came home, and she continued to work. By five, she stopped by with the finished product.

Wow! It's me, but better.

The picture is done, beautifully. Thanks Ruth!!

Tomorrow, I'll tackle one more thing on the list.

Follow through...

Yesterday, I started my assignments. What I planned to do, I did. But there's still so much to do. So much to learn! I admit it: I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed.

I'm reading The Snow Angel by Glenn Beck and SEAL of My Dreams by a variety of romance authors.

I've posted this picture before, but it's Tuesday again, and it's simply so cute!!

Carpe diem... only one thing...

There is only one thing I absolutely must do, today: Follow through on the assignment I've been given. I can do this. It's exciting and new, and doable, though I'm scared silly.

I had a most enjoyable Christmas. I hope everyone else is still smiling.

Courage is needed, and this lightens my heart (thanks kiki):

Thank Goodness It's Sunday #83

~Merry CHRISTmas!!!

~Hallelujah Chorus flash mob http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXh7JR9oKVE

~Amazing new opportunities.

~NORAD's Track Santa http://www.noradsanta.org/en/ This is my first year visiting this fun link. I've bookmarked it for next year.

~Unexpected gifts beyond what I ever imagined. God will pour out a blessing...

Christmas Eve...

It's important to remember....

Thank you Inspirational widget.

Week Twenty-Six of REAL...

The 16th: weigh in: 232.2 lb. Going down. That being said, I made cookies and bread, today.

The 17th: weigh in: 233.4 lb. Not surprised, but it will be going down again soon. I seem to be getting the hang of this. One SEAL puppy rep. Two and one-half mile walk 60 minutes. One more SEAL puppy rep. Today, I'm going to start trying to walk 200 minutes a week.

The 18th: weigh in: 233.4 lb. Woke up restless, my ankle sore, so took myself for a 20-minute walk. Would have been longer, but it started drizzling. Rain is good. Total 80-minutes. I'll start the count over again on Friday so I can keep track of everything in the same time frame.

The 19th: weigh in: 233.8 lb. One SEAL puppy rep. Two-mile walk in 45 minutes. Total 125 minutes. One more SEAL puppy rep.

The 20th: weigh in 233.6 lb. I woke at 3:15 a.m., unable to go back to sleep for all the grinding gears in my head. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the new path I've chosen. I thought I was prepared... "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans." I rolled out of bed and took care of things that were niggling at me, then rolled back into bed, but couldn't shut my brain off, so I read, until my alarm clock went off, at 6:00 a.m. Took myself for a one-mile walk. 20 minutes. Total 145 minutes.

The 21st: weigh in: 233.6 lb. Slept better last night. Thank God. One SEAL puppy rep. Two-mile walk in 40 minutes. Total 185 minutes. One more SEAL puppy rep. One more mile. Total is over 200 minutes. I'm sleeping in, tomorrow. I'm also cutting myself some slack, tomorrow, as regards the scale. One of my dear friends took me to Sweet Tomatoes for my birthday, and my sister picked me up from there and took me to Mimi's Cafe for their yummy hot cocoa and a pumpkin muffin. Whoohoo!! It has been an awesome day!

The 22nd: weigh in: 235.4 lb. Waist circumference: 39.5". Yep, not surprised by that. Total walking minutes for this week: More than 205. Whoohoo!! Today, I'm back to eating better. Yesterday really was an aberration, a very delicious one at that, and I don't regret it for a moment, especially the wonderful company.

It's coming...

The Hobbit! Whoohoo!! Next December. iTunes has a lovely movie trailer that was posted at FaceBook.

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/wb/thehobbit/

I'm looking forward to it. I suppose that's kind of obvious. :-) Enjoy.

Thanking God...

Desert Breeze Publishing has made an offer for contracts for three books in my Endless Possibilities series.

A Promise of Possibilites -- August 21, 2012
Hidden Possibilities -- March 2013
Unexpected Possibilities -- October 2013

God bless my sister writers in the Desert Rose chapter of Romance Writers of America. Kris Tualla encouraged me to submit to Desert Breeze Publishing. I'd heard of them and had put them on my list of possible publishers. After talking to Kris, I did my homework. The more I read, the more I liked what I was reading. Then I saw this on their site: "...Christian novels with a bit more real world flair. It's not always easy being Christian, and we would like to see novels that expressed that." And I knew I was home.

I am so incredibly honored, and delighted. I'm still laughing and crying.

This is part of the email I sent out to those who have been with me through this journey from the beginning:

After submitting, I prayed that if this was to be that God would help the editor see past my weaknesses and see the strengths and possibilities. Then I prayed that if I was going to be rejected to please let it be soon so I'd know and could move on. I marked the eight-week deadline in my calendar, last night. This morning, I woke early feeling restless. I took myself for a walk, but had to come home because it was drizzling. I knelt in my morning prayers and couldn't bring myself to ask God for another breadcrumb that I was headed in the right direction, because He'd already made it so obvious. Then I popped online, and found the email (from Gail R. Delaney, Editor-In-Chief) that was sent late last night. God is good.

Happy birthday to me and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Thank you all so much for being such an important part of this exciting adventure!

All is in God's hands.

Carpe diem... all last week...

Met a deadline. Visited with a dear friend. Made bread and cookies. Froze eggs in groups of twos, perfect for cookies. And more.

Still, there's more that needs to be done. Christmas is coming. Are you ready?

Me, neither.

But I will be. I hope.

Laundry needs to be done, today, at least.

I would really, really like to feel rested. The rain is wonderful, but it also brings out molds, to which I'm allergic. That would explain the tiredness.

Some much needed sunny cuteness:

Thank Goodness It's Sunday #82

~Soldier's Silent Night http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWExFTFAQzA

~The joy of cooking. I truly do enjoy it.

~Rain and rain and rain.

~Wonderful friends.

~Amazing opportunities, and I'm wise enough to recognize them and grab hold.

My Heroes... Secret Santas...

Someday, I hope to be in a position to do something like this:

Yahoo News is reporting on what are now being called Lay-away Santas: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/anonymous-donors-pay-off-kmart-222535611.html

I know of others who have purchased groceries or given gift cards for groceries or gasoline. Thank you to all those who understand and celebrate the gift of giving.

I don't remember where I found this picture; I added it to my picture file years ago.

Taking a breather...

Meeting a deadline leaves me feeling a bit frazzled... okay, all but brain dead. So, taking a little time to rest and recuperate.

Week Twenty-Five of REAL...

The 9th: weigh in: 234.6 lb. One SEAL puppy rep. Attend the church Christmas dinner. Then went looking at lights and had hot chocolate and marshmallows and biscotti. I don't usually eat so much so late. Though I'll notice it on the scale tomorrow morning, it won't stay, and I'm not a bit sorry. It was fun!!!

The 10th: weigh in: 236 lb. BAH! One SEAL puppy rep. Watched the eclipse of the moon. Wow! One-mile walk. Attended my niece's soccer game. Fun! One SEAL puppy rep.

The 11th: weigh in: 235.2 lb. Better. Keep going. Stressed a bit, and my eating showed it.

The 12th: weigh in: 235.2 lb. Not bad, considering what I ate yesterday. One SEAL puppy rep. One-mile walk. One more SEAL puppy rep. Now that my brain has returned from its week-long vacation, I'm easing back into my routines. I really love my split sleeping.

The 13th: weigh in 234.8 lb. Feeling a little stressed by my deadline.

The 14th: weigh in: 234.8 lb. One SEAL puppy rep. One-mile walk. One more SEAL puppy rep. I am so grateful for my new schedule. It doesn't matter that I crawled into bed at three in the morning, and woke without an alarm clock before six in the morning, because I'm taking a nap. It makes a difference. Woke after an hour and a half, before my alarm clock, but woke very cold. Not a good sign. Wrapping myself in blankets, I slept another hour and a half, but woke feeling like myself.

The 15th: weigh in: 233 lb. Waist circumference: 39.5". I like that. Headed in a healthier direction. Woke this morning after only about two hours sleep. As in eyes popped open, can't go back to sleep. It is so much less stressful knowing I'll be napping later. But first I'll be catching up with a dear friend.

Another email I wanted to share...

Whether true or not...it's a lovely story - and a beautiful, simple prayer.

Lucky Dog.......

Anyone who has pets will really like this. You'll like it even if you don't and you may even decide you need one!

Mary and her husband Jim had a dog named 'Lucky.'

Lucky was a real character. Whenever Mary and Jim had company come for a weekend visit they would warn their friends to not leave their luggage open because Lucky would help himself to whatever struck his fancy. Inevitably, someone would forget and something would come up missing.

Mary or Jim would go to Lucky's toy box in the basement and there the treasure would be, amid all of Lucky's other favorite toys. Lucky always stashed his finds in his toy box and he was very particular that his toys stay in the box.

It happened that Mary found out she had breast cancer. Something told her she was going to die of this disease....in fact; she was just sure it was fatal.

She scheduled the double mastectomy, fear riding her shoulders. The night before she was to go to the hospital she cuddled with Lucky. A thought struck her...what would happen to Lucky?

Although the three-year-old dog liked Jim, he was Mary's dog through and through. If I die, Lucky will be abandoned, Mary thought. He won't understand that I didn't want to leave him! The thought made her sadder than thinking of her own death.

The double mastectomy was harder on Mary than her doctors had anticipated and Mary was hospitalized for over two weeks. Jim took Lucky for his evening walk faithfully, but the little dog just drooped, whining and miserable.

Finally the day came for Mary to leave the hospital. When she arrived home, Mary was so exhausted she couldn't even make it up the steps to her bedroom. Jim made his wife comfortable on the couch and left her to nap.

Lucky stood watching Mary but he didn't come to her when she called. It made Mary sad but sleep soon overcame her and she dozed.

When Mary woke for a second she couldn't understand what was wrong. She couldn't move her head and her body felt heavy and hot. But panic soon gave way to laughter when Mary realized the problem. She was covered, literally blanketed, with every treasure Lucky owned! While she had slept, the sorrowing dog had made trip after trip to the basement bringing his beloved mistress all his favorite things in life.

He had covered her with his love.

Mary forgot about dying... Instead she and Lucky began living again, walking further and further together every day. It's been 12 years now and Mary is still cancer-free. Lucky still steals treasures and stashes them in his toy box but Mary remains his greatest treasure.

Remember...live every day to the fullest. Each minute is a blessing from God. And never forget....the people who make a difference in our lives are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones who care for us.

If you see someone without a smile today give them one of yours! Live simply. Love seriously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God!

A small request: All you are asked to do is keep this circulating.

Dear God, I pray for the cure of cancer. Amen.

All you are asked to do is keep this circulating, even if it is only to one more person, in memory of anyone you know who has been struck down by cancer or is still fighting their battle.

Birthday Celebrations...

It's a month for birthdays, and no today isn't mine. I saw this back on November 6: Happily Ever After blog had a post about birthdays. I needed the reminder.
1. Make it all about me.
2. Make it about being grateful.
3. Make it about a new start.
4. Enjoy the gifts.

Birthdays used to be a pit of despair, to borrow from The Princess Bride. Mine was forgotten more often than it was remembered. More times than not, when it was remembered, it was an afterthought. I thought the excuses were plausible until my current friends were brought into my life.

1. They made it all about me. In fact, they helped me celebrate all month long. Now, my birthday is a special day, because of them. No despair allowed.

2. I am so grateful for my life, and for where God is leading me. I'm grateful God blessed me with amazing friends who love and appreciate me and are glad I was born.

3. Instead of making New Year's resolutions, like my sister, I make it a time to reflect and consider where I'm going.

4. The greatest gift is that of the friendship given me.

One of my dear friends truly follows the Hobbit habit of giving Mathoms. She sends gifts for her birthday. I haven't mastered that skill, yet. Part of it, I know, is that I still feel like I don't have much to offer. I'm working on it. So, maybe this year, I'll finally work past that. I have some time yet to figure it out.

I'm accumulating a list of places to which I'd like to donate, and my state rep posted this on his FaceBook page (how did he know? LOL!) :

Packages From Home Things to Donate

Carpe diem... revisions...

Revisions, revisions, revisions...

Laundry

Make my hot chocolate mix.

A bit of reading. I enjoyed Merry Christmas Babies by Tara Taylor Quinn, and Cowboy Daddy, Jingle-Bell Daddy by Linda Goodnight.

This is how I've been feeling the past week:





Done, and wrote a card to mail to "A Recovering American Soldier," tomorrow.

Thank Goodness It's Sunday #81

~Neil Diamond's Be http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgkk0Hdwmo8 Thanks, Molly, for reminding me.

~Christmas lights with my sister. Ooooooo.... aaaaahhhhhhh.... pretty....

~Who knew soccer games could be so much fun? Thanks for inviting me to tag along, Ruth, to the niece's game. It was fun, in large part because my brother and his wife cheered all the kids on the team by name.

~Watched the total eclipse of the moon. Wow.

~Thanks to Constance Wagner, for editorial help. I have no trouble blaming her for asking me to try inspirational historical romance, because she did. I have been blessed with some of the most amazing friends.

My Heroes... Wounded Warriors...

I don't know if this originated with the Wounded Warriors Project. I found it posted on FB:

When filling out your Christmas cards this year, take one card and send it to this address:

A Recovering American Soldier
c/o Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
8901 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, MD 20889-5600

UPDATE: This address is incorrect. Sorry!

If we pass this on & everyone sends one card, think of how many cards these wonderful, special people, who have sacrificed so much would get.

Here is the official site for the Wounded Warriors Project.

Introducing Laurel Hawkes...

http://laurelhawkes.blogspot.com/

Me, the writer.

Laurel Hawkes was created as a persona, several years ago. However, she started out as Ladyhawk Baggins of Ladyhawkhollow. Yes, that's me, too. Ladyhawk is the one who started writing, almost ten years ago. One thing led to another, and one of the readers of my LOTR fan fiction asked me to try an inspirational historical romance. After giving it a few minutes thought, I agreed. Next thing I knew, I'd completed the novel, and been rejected. The good thing about the rejection letter is that I then qualified as a PRO in Romance Writers of America, which I joined, and then I joined Desert Rose, the local RWA chapter. I've been a member of Desert Rose, since 2007.

It all started with Lord of the Rings. And here I am. A very short version of an incredible journey. There are people in my life that I choose not to invite to share this part of my journey. I don't want the criticism; I second guess myself plenty, without any help from anyone. I don't want constant questions; I question myself enough. I don't want to know how hard it is; I know.

I'm wringing my hands, a sure sign I'm anxious. Frankly, I'm scared silly. I've done my best to protect Laurel Hawkes in every way possible, but if she's going to fly, then she has to risk exposing herself. If she can't feel safe here, with people who are already her friends, she'll never make it out in the cold, cruel world of the open market.

So, all those times I've blogged about projects, I was talking about writing.

This is a Birthday/Christmas gift to myself. Stepping into the light. I feel a bit as if I were an owl, blinking at the brightness. If you know me and my family personally, please be respectful. And yes, there are people in my life of whom I must make such a request. Everybody has them. The request has been made, and that's all I can do. I'm choosing not to continue in the shadows simply to keep from being hurt by them.

This is me, taking a risk.

Week Twenty-Four of REAL...

The 2nd: weigh in: 235 lb. Going down....

The 3rd: weigh in: 234.2 lb. One SEAL puppy rep. Two and a half mile walk. One more SEAL puppy rep.

The 4th: weigh in: 235 lb. Oh, no. Not allowed to go back up. Not going there again. I'm done.

The 5th: weigh in: 234.2 lb. One SEAL puppy rep. Didn't even try to go for a walk, today. It's cold! I also managed to sleep only two hours last night... or should I say this morning? My mind was so busy, I couldn't settle. Not going to beat myself up over it.

The 6th: weigh in 234.2 lb. Not going to beat myself up. This time of the month, I'm lucky I haven't packed on 5-10 lb.

The 7th: weigh in: 235 lb. Not bad considering what I ate. One SEAL puppy rep. One-mile walk. One more SEAL puppy rep. I love my new sleeping schedule. I do much better on the days I stick to it.

The 8th: weigh in: 234.4 lb. Waist circumference: 39.5". Whoohoo!! One SEAL puppy rep. Using makeup, today. Yes, that's an announcement for me. There's really only two choices: I allow myself to change, or I stay where I am. And that second choice sounds so sad, especially when I've been going to so much effort to change!

To all those struggling to move forward, it looks like I'm finally allowing myself to step onto that path with you, without wondering if I'm out of mind. I would be crazy to stay where I am.

Video for me....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ex33wtqnNz8

Its a 10-minute video by Diamonds And Heels. She is a beautiful, young model with severe acne, and by the time she finishes her makeup regime, you can't tell she has acne. Yes, I'm posting this on all my blogs, today. Why? Because it is a huge Game Changer for me.

I've often complained about how scarred my face is from acne. God, of course, has been listening, and apparently has decided I'm ready, even if I don't think so. God has taken away my excuse. God does that.

Now, what I haven't mentioned is how terrified this makes me. I've hidden behind the scars. People are uncomfortable looking at me. They don't want to stare, so they don't look at me at all. One cheek looks like there's a giant upside down "Y" on it. The fear has been building ever since I saw the video. Mind you, I haven't watched the whole thing, yet. I will before I post this. My stomach is rolling, as the fear has been growing.

Then Nikon Sniper posted Nikon Sniper: Great Is Thy Faithfulness for the day, including this scripture:

Psalm 91

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."
3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you make the Most High your dwelling-- even the LORD, who is my refuge--
10 then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation."

So, I guess God can handle a bit of fear and some scars, too.

Cuteness alert!

These showed up in my Funny Cat Photos and Cute Puppies gadgets, and all I could think was how perfect they looked together, as if they were meant to be a matched pair:

Carpe diem... Today's a must... sort of...

Things I must do, today:

~Prep for submitting a project

Everything else is negotiable.

The problem... sigh... the next five days or so are toast. Head/desk.

This picture fits:





Done. The project was a friend of mine's. I'm looking forward to seeing her complete it. I also worked a little on my own. :-)

Thank Goodness It's Sunday #80

~Jeremy Camp's Walk By Faith http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgWOcYpHm0o&NR=1

~Rain here and snow in the high country!

~Supportive friends, who push me to keep trying.

~Books! I'm reading the books I've collected over the years with a Christmas theme.

~One of our local service groups has an annual pancake breakfast. I look forward to it, every year. The money they raise goes to a number of good causes. They don't charge much. In return, I enjoy pancakes with butter and syrup, two sausage links, and orange juice. I have this event on my calendar, a year in advance. It's fun. I also love the sausage. I can't eat it often because I'm allergic to pepper. I'm fortunate enough to be able to cheat occasionally, but I do have to be careful. It's easier when I'm able to tell myself that I will be able to have sausage again next year. And yes, that's enough to make me happy. :-)

My Heroes... DF...

That would be Dear Friends. This is long over due, except that I didn't quite know how to approach it. There are family members I include in this, and friends I've met and friends I haven't. There are friends that I know through different groups I associate with online and in person. What they all have in common is that because of my association with them I am a better person. In each, I see something that I want to make an increased part of my life, be it enthusiasm, passion, courage, faith, steadfastness, loyalty, kindness, hope, love, etc.

Every good thing comes from God. I've lost count of the number of times I've sought the Lord in prayer, needing one thing or another, and invariably, the vast majority of the time, God sends someone who says or does or is an example of exactly what I need.

God is aware of what we need before we ask it, but sometimes it's important to ask.

Thank you, Dear Friends, for all you give me.


I don't know which widget/gadget I found this in, but it makes me smile:

My SEAL puppy reps...

Yesterday, it was pointed out that seal puppy is also a Pilates routine. Though I posted a reply in the comments, I thought it might be a good idea to make it today's post. So, this is me clarifying what a SEAL puppy rep is to me. I think I only mention it once or twice in all my meanderings.

The creation of my SEAL puppy reps was brought on when I read Marcus Luttrell's The Lone Survivor. I was impressed, to say the least, on many levels.

This is the minimum requirement is to be accepted into the Navy SEAL's training program:

1. A 500-yard swim using the breast or sidestroke in 12 min 30 sec.
2. A minimum of 42 pushups in 2 min.
3. A minimum of 50 sit-ups in 2 minutes.
4. A minimum of 6 dead-hang pull-ups.
5. A 1-1/2 mile run in 11 min 30 sec wearing boots and long pants.

There is no way on the planet I can accomplish that. My back is a mess, and so is my ankle, which caused the back problem. That being said, instead of giving up and whining that I can't do it, I decided to adapt, and created my own routine. In The Lone Survivor, Marcus Luttrell also talks about all the flutter kicks they do to build core strength. So, I looked at what was there and decided what I could do. Since it's based very loosely on the SEAL routine, I gave it the name SEAL to remind me that I was working to become stronger. But since what I do is so tiny in comparison, I decided I'm more like a perpetual puppy, never to run with the big dogs. I'm okay with that. At least I'm a puppy instead of a bump on a log. And the grouping I chose is done in a series of 10, hence the reps.

My SEAL puppy reps consist of 10 girl pushups, 10 crunches, and flutter kicks to the count of 10. Mind you, I started with 1 and have worked my way up. So when I do two SEAL puppy reps, I've done a total of 20.

So there's the truth about my SEAL puppy reps. Not impressive at all to anyone but me.
:-)

Week Twenty-Three of REAL...

The 25th: weigh in: 237.4 lb. No surprise, after al the delicious food, yesterday. One SEAL puppy rep.

The 26th: weigh in: 237.4 lb. Leftovers. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. One SEAL puppy rep. Two-mile walk. One SEAL puppy rep.

The 27th: weigh in: 237.2 lb. Whoohoo! I was worried that with the holiday, I would slip up the scale again. Nope. Well done.

The 28th: weigh in: 237.2 lb. One SEAL puppy rep. One-mile walk. One SEAL puppy rep.

The 29th: weigh in 237.8 lb. Not going to complain... well, actually, I've been complaining to myself, so I'm stopping now.

The 30th: weigh in: 237.4 lb. One SEAL puppy rep. One-mile walk. One more SEAL puppy rep.

December:

The 1st: weigh in: 236 lb. Waist circumference: 40". Cool. I really like this new schedule, and it seems to be working for me on several levels. We'll see what the coming week brings.