The Small Things Matter.......

First a quote I heard yesterday that I love......

"Life begins at the edge of your comfort zone."  Love that thought and it really applies to me as I try to push the edge of my comfort zone out further and further.

After a few good weeks ......this was not a great day at the scale.  But as I have learned this time around with WW.......there is always next week, the journey has its ups and downs, you cannot expect to be down every single week and where during my previous attempts to lose weight......I would have left the meeting crying or given up or gone home and ate through my frustration.  This time....I let it roll off my back, starting looking toward next week and keep reminding myself of where I would have been if I had never started WW again.
I will succeed.....just not as fast as I would like but it took years to gain all this fat so no reason to think it is going to fall off while I sleep. It takes work and focus and determination and willpower and desire and and and.......

OK Donna, put on your big girl panties (which are a few sizes smaller than they were before.WOO HOO!!!) and get over it....the week is over and a new week has started.......and even if for some weird reason you have another small gain or don't go down.......hang in there.....it will work ....of this I am quite sure!!!

Now back to the title of this entry.......

I am one of those people who really appreciates the small things of life.  A cup of coffee (which my family, friends and coworkers really appreciate), a good laugh over something silly, throwing on the tiara at home just for the hell of it.......

And although I wouldn't mind a trip to Italy paid for by someone else or a month at the beach or a new car.....I still find some of the simplest things in life the most rewarding.......a brief conversation with someone while waiting at a cash register, a child's laughter, a good book.....how much do any of those cost......not a lot in the grand scale of things.

Recently..... $30 provided me with the opportunity to go to a Memoir Writing Workshop, $30 let me enjoy an evening with Jenn and some work friends doing a painting of 2 glasses and a wine bottle (OK mine looked more like 2 Bloody Mary's and a bottle....... not one of my better works of art LOL)......$25 gave me an evening watching a chef at work.......not big ticket items but new adventures.......I mean my new bra's cost me more than all of those combined (which I am happy to report I was able to wear from 6:00AM until 9:00PM without the desire to rip it off before I got home)......

Yesterday, I made a purchase.  Actually it was Jenn who spotted it and thought of me.  It's a little scary how well she knows me.....

What was it that made me so happy......a quilt and a pair of pillow shams.......costing a grand total of $34.  Just a mere $34 and I am grinning from ear to ear.  The new quilt makes the room pop.  It makes me smile when I look at it.  And how can I beat the price I paid?????

So here is my latest work of art.....it look better in the picture that in person...trust me on this LOL.....mine is the one farthest away......

And here is my new quilt....I love it....thank you Jenn for finding it and thank you Walmart for putting it in Jenn's line of sight........

 So this week.....look for the small things that you can enjoy that don't have a big price tag attached to them......a sunrise......a hug......a corny joke....you get what I mean........all of which make life wonderful......at least from where I am sitting......

See you next week........

A Week of .......well you will see......

This week was one of varied activities......

Sunday, I was down at the scale but more important was the meeting and the camaraderie......we talked about what we love about ourselves.  This would have been a hard question for me to answer before but now......not so hard.  Even saying I love myself would have been impossible just 18 months ago......talk about growth and confidence!! Oh and my answer as to what I love about myself.......that I can make people laugh.  At one of my meetings a few weeks ago I heard one of the members say "She should do stand up"  how funny is that....LOL!!!!

Jenn and I attended a cooking class.  It was a first for both of us.  I felt like we were on one of those cooking shows on the Food Channel.  You know the kind where people sit around and watch the chef in action.  Then we had a chance to try the items prepared.  Split pea soup, Lentil soup, Butternut Squash soup, Chicken Crepes and some chocolate creation for dessert.  I loved the soups served in small containers.......they were great!!! The chicken crepe was also wonderful.  I took the tiniest taste of the chocolate dessert and all I can say is OMG it took all the self control I could muster to not eat it all.  I did track everything I put in my mouth!!

I also created a new meal on Friday.  I wasn't sure what I felt like having for lunch.  I took out a bag of spinach, mushrooms ( I had already cooked them), shirataki spaghetti (these noodles are 15 calories per serving and are really good) and vegetable broth.  I put the spinach and vegetable broth to cook first and then added the mushrooms and shirataki (these need to be rinsed before using them and kind of have a weird smell before being rinsed).  I have to tell you I was so pleasantly surprised!!! It tasted great, had minimal calories which equals minimal points and is something I will definitely make again.

Saturday, I set my alarm for 6:00 AM.  I was out of the house at 7:00 on my way to the gym.

By 8:30, I was done with my workout and headed downtown.  I had come across a writing workshop about writing memoirs and decided to attend.  In my haste to be there early, I locked my keys in my car.

This is where I can tell I have changed.  The old Donna would have let that stop her from going to the workshop but the new Donna continued on and thought "I will figure it out when I am finished".

The meeting was a little over an hour and I loved it!!! There were just 6 of us in attendance including our workshop leader.  Each person was asked to discuss their memoir.  I received such positive feedback regarding my book.  I feel so good about what I learned  ........I found out I am writing a what is called a  project memoir since I am doing things to write about......until today I had never heard this term.  I left the session feeling exhilarated.

By the time I arrived back at my car....Jenn was my hero.....I had texted her while she was at the gym and she had my car lock code in her wallet.  Within seconds I was back in my car.....in the old days I would have missed the workshop or worried the whole time instead I put the issue aside knowing it could easily be resolved....which it was!!

Next on the agenda was voting.  I went to my normal voting place. There was a sign to go to another location.  Not one to be stopped by the minor inconvenience I headed to the other location. I was in and out of the polling location in less than 5 minutes. I take voting very seriously and in all honesty don't understand others who don't avail themselves of the opportunity..........

All of this took place before 11:00AM....I felt like I had run a marathon.  My intention was to come home and take a nap.  Well that didn't happen.....there was food shopping and errands to run.  Once I was home I decided to get my cooking done for the week.  And here I sit at 11:36 writing my blog and already planning on some nap time tomorrow after my WW meeting and the gym.

It was a week or cooking and writing and voting......so you can see why I wasn't quite sure what to call this entry.

Oh one more thing.......a few years ago when I voted I was given one of those "I Voted" stickers to wear.  I saved it and periodically would put it on at unexpected times.  Jenn would come in the kitchen and I would have it on my nightshirt or my beach cover up......you just never knew where or when  I might show up wearing my "I Voted" sticker....it could show up on Christmas or the 4th oh July.

I am so excited I was given a new "I Voted" sticker today and will get another one in November........so watch out......you never know where it might appear.........

See you next week.........

What I Love.......

Being it's Valentine's Day I could write about my envy of others and their special relationships and enduring love......but I have decided to take a different route today......

I am going to write about what I do love and why.......

I love my daughter.....my best friend (yes, when they grown up we are allowed to be friends), she is the person who encourages me, inspires me and reminds me of what I have accomplished and what I have to look forward too.  There is no greater gift in my life than being her Mom (even though she calls me Donna....which I don't mind and if others don't like it.....that is not my concern......I called my Mom a variety of things....Mom, Irene and I...so the tradition continues).....(oh but I never called my Dad by his first name.....LOL).  Jenn is the person who helps weigh my food and package it for me.....she is the one who pushes me to try new things and celebrates my successes with such joy!!

I love my siblings.......yes All of them......we are so different yet connected by our shared history. The common thread of growing up together and then taking separate paths is what families do.  We have made very different choices in careers and passions.........but as the official family worrier I do a great job.  I worry about Greg.....he works long hours and I think about his commute in bad weather......I look forward to him retiring.  I worry about Cheryl .......she is generous to a fault and wants to save the world and every (and I mean EVERY) stray she comes across.  I worry about George and the challenges he is facing in what are supposed to be the years when he could relax and celebrate all those midnight shifts and holidays worked.

I love my Raboni in-laws (current and former....we never let them go).....my nieces and nephews and the grand nieces and grand nephew....and my wonderful cousins.......as you can see the list could go on and on........

I love my friends.......talk about fierce loyalty........they supply it by the bucket.  Some have been a part of my life for over 40 years and some I have known a scant 12 months.  How blessed I feel for each and every one of them!! Some of them will challenge and frustrate me........some will allows me to wallow in my own self-pity ....for a very short time........some will kick my ass when it needs to be done and some will cheer me on and reminds me of where I have been and what I have accomplished AND where I am going.......my Dad used to say if when you die you can say you have 5 true friends you have lived a full life......well Dad I can hold up more than 5 fingers.....and I guess as the angel said in "It's A Wonderful Life"......no man is a failure who has friends.

I love my time to write and come hell or high water....one day I will have something published.  I will have that book signing.

I love that as my confidence grows I am not as fearful of failure.  I am seeking out adventures......although I am a little scared of the number of people who have asked to be present when I go zip lining for the first time (LOL).......

I love that I am finally "getting it" about how to get healthy.  My WW buddies (yes you fit into the friend category too!!) have and continue to walk in my shoes......it is great to not feel alone.

So while I may not have the roses or cards or romantic dinner many of you are enjoying this weekend.....I do know love,,,,,,,and have known love......and will continue to give and receive love......and isn't that what it is all about......how much we love and are loved??

Happy Valentines Day!!!!

See you next week.....

PS  I wore one of my new bra's this week.  I was going to bring an old spare along with me in case I couldn't get through the day in the new one.  This thought was veto'd b y Jenn who said "no way you are bringing an extra bra to work!!" A coworker said to me "you know that everyone who reads your blog is looking at your boob's today."  LOL...true. I admit it did make me look better during the day. BUT I actually thought about taking it off as soon as I got in the car for the drive home.....but cooler heads prevailed and I waited until I walked though the door and then ripped that baby off.  I know I will get used to them.......eventually.

PPSS I was working out in the pool yesterday and stayed for the beginning of the water aerobics class. As I was getting out of the pool a lady was waving at me.  I stopped on the stairs and she came over and said "I haven't seen you in a long time.  My goodness how much weight have you lost?"  I told her about how many pounds are gone and she said "you look great !!" I am not going to lie......it felt good to hear......even though I have a way to go.......oh don't roll your eyes......I just said  "Thank you"  to her and moved on.......see I am learning.......

A Bra Fitting??????......Hell Yes I Was Nervous !!!!!

I went to the gym early this morning to get a workout in. Like Elle Woods says in Legally Blonde "endorphins make you happy".  She said that about what happens to people who exercise.  Well, I was feeling pretty good leaving the gym.

I thought about the bra fitting I mentioned in my blog entry last week.  Do I go for it or do I chicken out? My old fears immediately surfaced.......what if they don't have my size??  What if they don't have a tape measure that will go around me?  Will they laugh at me behind my back??

So I decided that if there wasn't a parking spot in front of Soma (the store I was going to) then I wasn't meant to go there....today.  I drove by once.....no open spot.........oh I will circle around again........no open spot.......one more try.....and like the Red Sea parting.....there was an open spot right in front of the store.

Oh too bad.....the store is not open yet......but it is 9:58 and the store opens at 10:00.

So I wait.....heart racing and I don't know if I have the nerve to walk through the door.

Those 2 minutes felt like 2 years.......

I get out of the car and slowly walk through the door.  I am thinking......."can I turn around and run out?"......then I hear a voice say  "Hi, can I help you?"  I blurt out "I know you probably don't have my size but I was hoping to get a bra fitting so I can at least shop for the right size bra."  Whew.....I said it......

The lady named Cindy (she was the store manager) said " Sure, come in the back".  Into the dressing room I go.......Cindy asks me to take off my shirt and takes out the dreaded tape measure.  She measures me two ways and says "I will be back in a minute some for you to try on."

Wait a sec........did she say for me to try on??????? Does that mean I can fit into something here????? OMG!!!!

Cindy comes back with one to start with.........I try it on.......Cindy waits outside thank goodness.

Let me tell you all of my bra's are front hook, stretchy straps and stretched out cups.......support.....none.

So here I am trying on a back hook with adjustable straps, underwires and cups that had a shape of their own.  It felt pretty good but ......LOL......there was no way I was filling those cups......anymore.

Cindy heads back to look for more......I tell her I would like one in black and one in nude.  She brings back 3 pretty choices.  I try them on and they all fit........yes, I said ALL FIT!!!!

Then Cindy says "put your shirt on over the new bra".  I do as I am told.....all I can say is WOW......what a difference.....they are not sagging....there are two of them.......and I won't say they look perky (they are too big to call them that) but they look great under my shirt !!

I make my selections, pay for them and head out of the store with all kinds of new info and some added confidence.

I am going to have to get used to bra's that can basically stand up by themselves but am exciting that I could shop in "normal store"'.

I know that now I have shared this info with you......the next time you see me.......you will be looking at my boobs......I know it.......you will be trying to figure out if I am wearing one of my old bra's or one of my new ones.......well go ahead a look....it's my own fault for sharing this info.........

But you can be assured I will not share with you when I get my first pair of Spanx.......no reason to focus on my.......well you know.......

See you next week........