So where am I three weeks into the New Year.......

I tend to think I know all the answers.  Then all of a sudden someone tells me something and it registers as something worth trying.

Reaching a point of frustration last week, one of my WW buddies made a suggestion. I mentioned my Fitbit vibrates at 10 of each hour.  It was suggested that instead of just thinking to myself  "it's 10:50 or 11:50".....I should get up and walk.  That's the whole point of having the Fitbit......to keep track of my movements. I decided I had nothing to lose so I gave it a try.  While it may not seem like a lot to some.....by the end of the week I had walked almost 9 miles.  Each day I took more steps than the day before. If you looked in my window you might have seen me taking laps inside my house to beat the previous days step count. I did do a couple of hours jogging in the pool at the gym too.  Jenn also increased my daily step goal for next week......oh joy......

Right now my knees are not happy with me.....in fact they are very mad at me.  I wake up to aches. Jenn showed me a Marine poster that says "Pain is weakness leaving the body." If that statement is true then I disposed of a lot of weakness in the last 7 days.

I am also purchasing stock in Aleve this week......

The other challenge I face is my asthma has been kicking my butt lately. I think it has to do with the crazy weather we have been experiencing.  Two weeks ago it was below freezing and yesterday near 80.  While I don't mind the warm weather, the change in the temp's and climate does a job on me.

I am back to drinking a lot of water and logging it in on my Fitbit.  I am tracking everything I eat.  I have tried to once again have a good variety of options in the fridge and pantry.

On other fronts, Chapter 3 is taking shape......slowly but steadily. 

I am more focused on not working late each night. 

I am trying to spend more time reading.  

I am spending more time writing.  

I am spending more time on me...... 

Having the holidays behind me makes looking ahead easier......my mind is not stuck with thoughts of the past once the holidays are over.....at least until next November rolls around.  Some of the sadness I was feeling has lifted.  As I look ahead I continue to worry about a million different things but that is just my nature and I doubt that part of me will ever change.

I have thought seriously about not going on FB as much, too.  The negativity of the recent political season has caused me to unfriend and unfollow some people.  I have tried really really hard to not state my opinion in order to avoid getting into verbal battles with others. 

I will say I believe in the process....the electoral college allows my vote here in SC to matter as much as someone in NY.  Our founding fathers were brilliant in their thought process (although their fear was Boston, New York and Philadelphia would make the decision for all of the colonies).  I also love the fact that our transfer of power is handled in a way so differently than in so many other places around the world.

This has been a stretch for a blog entry....from my Fitbit to Inauguration Day......see how a mind can wander???

I need to sign off......I still have a couple of hundred steps to go today......I can't help but think of the lines "and miles to go before I sleep and miles to go before I sleep"....I am sure Robert Frost didn't have my laps around the house in mind when he wrote those words but they seem appropriate for what I am trying to accomplish......

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

Christmas Every Day and 2017......

I spent a lot of time this week thinking about leaving the Christmas tree up for the next 365 days.  I love the tree and the wonderful view I have while I work each day.  I thought I could write about what it's like to have the tree up at Easter, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day and Halloween.

The idea seemed fun and like a challenge. I am seriously considering it for next year.  I do have a table top Christmas tree in my front window that I decorate for each month of the year.  My big tree, I was going to leave as it is decorated for Christmas.  I am sure people who saw it would ask "why". The great part about being a writer is the answer "it's for a story I am writing" suffices. Although, I might have people thinking...hhhhmmmmm.....I can still get a pass.

Why not leave the tree up?  Why not enjoy it's beauty? Who says it must go away? Look at the difference in my views.....which would you prefer.....

It's only another 10 months or so until it goes up again.  And watch out 2018.....that might be the year of Christmas Every Day.......

I wrote last week I started using my fitbit.  I like using it to track my steps and keep track of the water I drink. I DO NOT LIKE THE WAY IT TRACKS MY SLEEP PATTERNS!! I know I am a very restless sleeper. I do not need to look at the fitbit to see I slept 7 hours but was awake 4X and restless 5X.  All that ends up doing is stressing me out about how effectively I sleep.  I have started taking it off when I go to bed and putting it on in the morning. This works much better for me!!

I went back to WW today for the first time since 12/18.  WW was closed for my meetings since Christmas and New Year's Day were on Sundays.  I will admit I was apprehensive as I drove to my meeting.  I had really tried to watch what I ate and got in plenty of veggies.  Being away from the scale for 3 weeks is a long time!  This morning, I thought about not going back until next week.   I then thought  "you are just putting off the inevitable".  I am happy to report, I was down at the scale!! I was surprised  and pleased.  Last year had a lot of challenges and it was a roller coaster ride for much of it.  Starting the year with a loss was what I needed.  Now it is back to tracking and water and more veggies and fruit and and and.......I am going to spend sometime today looking for new recipes to keep me from getting bored. We received a new book with some very good food ideas.  I feel recharged and reading to get moving toward my personal goal.

Last week, I forgot to write about my experience with Story Corp. A few years ago CBS Sunday Morning did a piece about a group that was recording the personal histories of volunteers to store in the Folklore section of the Library Of Congress.  They have a few permanent locations where they do their interviews. In addition, also travel around the country in an Airstream RV conducting interviews.  They were here in Columbia for a few weeks.  Their first round of interview times filled up quickly and they started a waiting list.  They opened up some additional times.  I scheduled an appointment. They prefer you be interviewed by someone who knows you vs using one of their staff. This way the recording ends up being more like a conversation. A list of suggested questions is supplied.  Jenn printed the list and decided what questions she wanted to ask me.  Once again, I was somewhat nervous even though this had been my idea....LOL. When we arrived the staff went over the process and we were ready to go.  If the staff wanted additional information on one of my answers they would ask for clarification. The interview lasted 40 minutes and the time flew.

Some of Jenn's questions were:
1.  What kind of advice would you give yourself as a teenager knowing what you do now?  Answer: worry less and say yes to more opportunities.
2.  What have you learned in business? Answer: don't be afraid to admit your mistakes, try to be flexible and keep a sense of humor.
3. Any regrets? Answer: Not spending more time with family, not getting my financial house in order earlier and letting fear rule many decisions.
4.  What would you like God to say to you at the Pearly Gates?  Answer: God saying, "Not perfect but pretty good job.  You helped most of the time when you could. Maybe you could have done a little better in that dept......and I know about a few of those times we are not going to speak about....."

We were given a CD with a copy of the interview and another copy will be a permanent record in Washington, DC.  I was glad we did  it and so was Jenn.

Today begins my favorite and most stressful part of the Sports Season....the playoffs.  The NY Giants are in the post season.....yeah!! As I write this I am wearing my NYG jersey, I have a NY Giants wreath on my front door and a NY Giants flag is flying outside my house.  I am hoping I will be wearing the same shirt next weekend.  If we win today, the flag and wreath stay up.  Oh the stress of gameday....LOL.

Lastly,  one of my goals/resolutions this year is to do some random acts of kindness. I am not doing these random acts for praise.  I am doing them because it feels so darn good!!

Earlier this week, I stopped at McDonald's to purchase Jenn and I Egg White Delites for breakfast for 2 days. When I pulled up to the window to pay, the cashier said the person in front of me paid for me.  I was so surprised and it made me smile (oh ok and cry a little...anyone who knows me would have expected that). I then in turn paid for the person behind me.

Jenn and I have decided each month to bake something and bring it to the Oliver Gospel Mission. They are so appreciative every time we drop off some home baked goods.

Friday night, it was cold, windy and raining.  We had stopped at Walmart to pick up a few things (no not for our big impending snow storm...basically a few flurries).  When we were leaving, I noticed a young man collecting the shopping carts in the lousy weather. I looked in my change purse. I had a $5 bill.  I asked Jenn to give it to him. Jenn got out of the car, caught up with him and said" it's lousy weather and we appreciate you doing your job."  His response was "for me?   word.....".  LOL He was surprised and thankful that someone noticed what he was doing.  I wish I had a $10 bill in my wallet I would have given it to him.

Note to self: keep some extra $ in your wallet for these kinds of situations.

As many have shared, the New Year is a clean slate.....365 blank pages on which we control the entries......I plan on filling them with things that bring me joy!!

See you next week.......

I Am Back.........

For the first time since I started this blog several years ago, I took a few weeks off....

You might or might not wonder why??

The holidays while wonderful can also be a time when people struggle.  I was struggling.  The memories of the past were so strong that it made the time between Thanksgiving and the New Year a challenge. In retrospect, the time flew.

Here we are......Jan 1st and I made it!!

I didn't let the fact I needed car repairs upset me.

I didn't let the fact our fireplace was not functioning upset me.  I am grateful that Jenn noticed the flames were shooting where they shouldn't!

While we did a little Black Friday shopping, most of our shopping was done online.  There were some great sales too.

We baked cookies several weekends in a row.  They were shipped to family and donated to our local first responders and The Oliver Gospel Mission.

I watched "It's A Wonderful Life" on TV twice and once on the big screen.

Jenn and I attended our 8th annual pre-Christmas dinner at a local restaurant (each year we pick a different place to go).

Christmas Eve and Day were very quiet.  Jenn and I went to Mass on Christmas Eve.  The walls of the church did not vibrate when I walked in.  I was slightly embarrassed that some of the prayer responses had changed since my last visit but I think I did a pretty good job not being too obvious that I didn't know about the changes.

I don't know why the idea of going to Mass kept popping in my head.  Once I found a 4:00 service, I was in.  I loved hearing my favorite Christmas hymns and enjoyed the service.

And now the outside decorations are packed away for another year.  The inside will be packed away by next weekend.

I started 2017 by going to the gym this morning for a jog in the pool.  I used my fitbit and found it fascinating how it kept track of everything I did (including the fact I napped for 65 minutes this afternoon...LOL).

I spent some time writing.  Santa also knows about my love of writing. He made sure I had books with prompts to help me practice writing based on suggested themes and finishing stories, a book of my personal top ten lists and a book about my favorites things.

I am also able to once again focus without distractions on my weight loss journey.  The fridge is full of veggies and fruits.  I am tracking my water.  I am going to try and do my best to get to the gym regularly.  I already have a mental goal as far as what I would like the scale to read by next Christmas.

I did enjoy some treats I would not normally allow myself but my conscience kept me from losing control altogether.

I almost always feel great when I leave the gym...well in order to feel those endorphins I need to get my butt into the gym more often. As the sign at the gym reads, "half the battle is showing up".

In addition to my focus on weight and a healthier lifestyle......I have decided work/life balance is a priority. I should be filling my non-work hours doing things that I enjoy.  How can I ever get published if I don't finish one of the pieces I am working on???

Chapter 3 is happening even as I write this entry...... Jenn, who knows me just about better than anyone else nailed it with two Christmas gifts.  One is a collage of me and my family....great photo's.

And the other speaks for itself......

Here's to 2017......it is going to be a great year......

See you next week.....

A Couple of Crazy Weeks....

During November and December time seems to fly by at a crazy pace.

Be warned there are a lot of pic's with this entry......

Just look at these last few weeks.....

As I wrote two weeks ago, we had just finished updating the bathrooms and completed some minor repairs.  Then finally, our eyesore shed was finally taken down.  I hate to admit that once the doors were off it pretty much fell apart.  Right now, there is what looks like a double burial plot in my back yard (in case anyone is interested).  Next spring, I will seed that area and all reminders of the shed will be gone.

We finished decorating the inside of the house and lit the tree BEFORE Thanksgiving!! I just couldn't wait.....

Also, in my continued quest to do new things, I signed up for an interview with Story Corp.  They have a mobile unit traveling around the country and are in Columbia, SC.  You bring someone to interview you (I voluntold Jenn).  They give you a list of suggested questions for the 40 minute interview they record.  You get a copy of the interview and a copy is stored in the Library of Congress in a Folklore Section. Nice to know a permanent recording of our conversation will be part of a historical record.

You have all heard the phrase "turn about is fair play"......well Jenn is finally getting even with me.....she was a good sport and came with me to see Barry Manilow last year.  Well, next July I get to see NKOTB (Boys To Men and Paula Abdul will be performing too)in concert !! I am sure I will be one of the more senior concert attendees.  Jenn is working hard to bring me up to speed on the songs I might hear. I gave Jenn her first NKOTB sweater when she was about 7 years old......OK I am aging  by the second !!!

I also spent a big $8 to buy tickets to see "It's A Wonderful Life" at the Nickelodeon Theater the Sunday before Christmas.  Nothing like seeing a classic on the big screen!!

I am also trying out new social situations.  Jenn's office invited me to go to lunch with them.  I am not always great in a group where I really don't know anyone.  But guess what ?? I had a great time!!

I made it to the gym 4 times this week and it felt great to be back in the swing!!

Then squeeze in my birthday which fell on Thanksgiving made for a fun 24 hours. Jenn gave me my gifts at midnight.  We used real plates vs paper plates for dinner.  Jenn really only cared that I made real mashed potatoes (which I only make twice a year). By late that evening, we were out doing our traditional Black Friday shopping. We did some ordering online and saved a bunch by scanning the flyers before shopping.  We spent the smallest amount of money ever on a Black Friday shopping trip partly because we didn't have any big ticket items to shop for......

We headed out again on Friday for another new experience.  We went to a book signing.  Ainsley Earhardt from Fox and Friends was in Columbia (back in her hometown) promoting her new book.  Jenn and I went and waited on line.  It  was so worth the wait!!  Ainsley was so friendly and really made time to talk to us.  She told Jenn she loved the FDNY t shirt she was wearing.  Ainsley asked if Jenn was from NY? She autographed my book " from one writer to another" In Jenn's book she wrote "To a New Yorker who moved south from a Southerner who moved to New York",  She gave us each a hug and said "God bless you!" And I said "Merry Christmas!!

We just finished decorating the outside of our house......

And this is what I fall asleep to each night and wake up to each morning.....

I am really trying to get into the holiday spirit which is a little harder some days than others......but I am pushing through the tougher days..........no one said it was going to always be easy did they???

Lastly, I went to Weight Watchers today.  Taking into consideration the week I had and the strawberry cupcake I had for my birthday......I was up a smidgen.  My leader said that is like a no change since it was so small a difference.  I am hoping I can say the same thing on Jan 2nd......

See you next week......

Money Can't Buy Happiness? Yes, it can.......

Money can buy happiness.

I am not talking about luxurious homes, lavish vacations, expensive cars or designer clothes.

I found happiness for $180.77.

That was the total for 2 gallons of paint, brushes, rollers, paint trays, drop cloth, shower curtain liners, new shower curtain rods and hooks, a new toothbrush holder, a new shower caddy, new shades for 4 bedroom windows and new mini blinds for 3 windows........phew....

Now we are talking big buck items..... let's talk cost...
94 cents for shower curtain hooks
$1 for  a toothbrush holder
$2 for a bathroom night light
$3 for a shower curtain liner
$9.72 for 3 sets of mini blinds
$24 for 4 new shades
$42 for 2 gallons of paint

and the all the rest.....

By the time we were done we had made 3 trips to Lowe's and 2 trip to Walmart  (that was for purchases and returns).  It was clear to the sales associate at Lowe's that I was not experienced at buying paint.  Did you know there is a machine that shakes up the paint before you buy it?  Did you know you get free wood sticks to stir the paint?

I learned how to tape a room before painting.

I found out a little wood glue held in place would fix the piece of trim that had been hanging loose from under my kitchen counter top.

I was amazed at how bright and shiny the glass globes that are part of my ceiling fan can look.

The bathroom vanity looks new after being painted.

When I went to got in the shower this morning, the shower curtain slid open.  The sound of metal rings on a very old shower curtain rod was gone. During the night when I had to get up for the bathroom, I didn't have to turn on the overhead light since the new nightlight was doing its job.

The new mini blinds work....LOL...yes, they go up and down like they should.  They all match in color.  They look crisp and clean.

The shades in the bedrooms no longer have the little tears from too long absorbing heat.

It was a face paced weekend but from taping to clean up the effort was well worth it !! I now have 2 very freshened up bathrooms.....long overdue.....it made me smile looking at how great they turned out.

I am not going to post pictures of my two white bathrooms.  The color that will make the rooms pop is going to come from the shower curtains, new towels and other accessories.


Oh OK I can tell you are dying to see a picture of one of the bathrooms .....see what can be accomplished with just a little money, creativity and hard work.....

LOL...don't I wish......


Next up...painting all the rooms in the house and all the floors need to be done. These two items are long overdue.  I have started looking at colors for the paint and searched some flooring websites.  For me half the fun is the looking.....it is also a challenge since I know decorating is not my strong suit.

The painting and floors will have to wait until early in 2017.....next weekend the Christmas decorations go up!!!

I think my emoji says it all.....

See you next week,,,,,,

The Blog About Nothing (like a Seinfeld Episode)......I Had Nothing To Write About.....

Yesterday,  I stared at the computer screen......nothing....I had nothing.....I couldn't think of anything to write about....

This doesn't happen too often.....

This is like a Seinfeld episode....the show about nothing....a blog entry about nothing......

I didn't want to write about the lack of Trick or Treater's on Halloween....

I didn't want to write about the birthday present I had bought for Jenn a month ago......Jenn bought herself the same thing yesterday not knowing  I had already gotten it for her......

I didn't want to write about the election......I think more than enough has been written about that.....

I think people have heard enough for now about my process of cleaning out my house.

So I thought and thought......nothing......

Finally, I came up with a few things to write about.....

This morning it was cool.....actually cold by SC standards....38 degrees.....the heat actually kicked on in the house. I decided to wear a jacket and could just carry my cell phone, car keys, wallet and weigh-in card in my pockets as I headed to my Sunday morning meeting..  I walked into WW a few minutes late thanks to being stuck at a RR crossing while a train with a zillion cars passed (OK slight exaggeration....authors prerogative).  I reached for my weigh in card and my wallet....they were not in my pocket.  If you have every lost your wallet you know ho w I was feeling.  Cash, credit card, debit card, drivers license, CWP card and a few other identifying items all missing.  I got weighed in sans my weigh in card. I knew there was no way I could sit through the meeting not knowing where my wallet was....it also crossed my mind that if someone came across my weigh in card that could be embarrassing too.....but then again who really wants the world to know how much you weigh. I went back out to my car ....nothing on the front seat or the floor.  Thank goodness there they were my weigh in card and wallet on the floor in the backseat!!

As I was looking in my car, I heard someone behind me.  It was one of my WW buddies, Sabrina, she had come outside. She thought I was going to skip the meeting.. This is what is great about my WW buddies on Sunday morning.  They thought I was giving up or had a bad week .  It was clear leaving the meeting was not an option  I knew I would not be pulling out of the parking lot even if I wanted to.  I started to laugh but was also amazed that people cared enough about me to make sure I was present to hear the words of encouragement and this week's topic..

When I sat down in the meeting my friends were chuckling.  I announced to the group I had been stalked in the parking lot.  The new members probably thought WHAT??? I told them no one lets you cut out of a meeting.

I so appreciate the concern of my WW pals!!! Some of the plateau's have been hard to hang in through but I am at the meeting just about every Sunday.  We talked about the fact the next 7 or so weeks are the hardest of the year......THE HOLIDAYS!!!!...........we have to plan and track and maybe just have a teaspoonful of what we really, really want.....before you know it 2017 will have arrived!! Do I really want the scale to go up?  Nope.  I will give it my best try and hopefully like last year....I will be down more after the holidays.


The other thing I wanted to write about is ......

Jenn.....

Her birthday is this week.  There is no way I could have ever realized the impact of having her in my life would change my life.  From the baby I first saw when she was a few hours old to the adult woman who has become my best friend,  What an amazing trip it has been!! It has gone by in a flash. I would not have passed up one single second of any of the wonderful journey we have shared.

Happy Birthday J !!!! You are the best and deserve the best too!!!!

Not too bad I guess for a blog entry about nothing.....

See you next week.......

How many more things will I find??? More surprises........

As I continue to clean out and purge items from my house you just never know what you will come across.....

Look at these two items.....

A braidini???? I have had hair long enough for one of these in 20 years and a VHS tape with instructions on how to use it.......

Electric curlers???? I haven't had hair long enough for those in 2 decades either.......I am afraid of what else I might come across........

Next was my dresser.  I have been using the same two night shirts.  They are too big but who cares since I don't go out in public wearing them. I had a few more than I thought......9 in all.  Yes, they are all too big but I can still wear them. I must have ordered them over time and never kept track of what I already had.  Some had fallen behind drawers so until we removed the drawers (and vacuumed inside each drawer and behind each drawer) I had no idea they were there.

As I have shared before.....due to my weight loss I have invested in some new unmentionables....they feel silky and have some spandex and microfiber in them so they fit nicely.  That meant out with the all cotton items.

I haven't worn pantyhose or knee highs in over 10 years. That meant I could pitch the 12 pairs of panty hose and 12 plus pairs of knee highs in various colors.

Socks that had lost their elasticity were pitched too.

I did keep a few things:  my favorite maternity top, a t shirt from college and a sweatshirt from the Nauraushaun Indians (the Nauraushaun school was behind my house in NY), a pin from The Glee Club (not sure if it was from PS 71 or JHS 101), my girl scout sash with all badges and pins attached), a pin that look liked an artists palette from 4th grade, a button from my favorite dress coat that I was given when I was about 10 (kelly green dress coat), there was a button from the uniform I wore my 1st year in HS at an all girl's Catholic HS (Preston) and a bell from a 4th grade trip to Carnegie Hall. On that trip each student was given a bell and when the conductor pointed at the students we would ring the bells.  And as the old very bad joke goes.... the conductor said we could all now say we had played at Carnegie Hall.

Out went 3 t shirts that were not only way too big and they had holes in them (one of my friends called the kites).  Also, among the pile of gotta go things was several pairs of jeans that fall off when I tried them on.

Jenn was helping me sort and put things back in place.

And then it happened.........

OK guys you might want to bail now from the rest of this blog because the visual might give you nightmares......

As I was looking and examining and sorting...... hear Jenn say "What is this??" I looked up and the she sat holding.......a thong.....yes I said a thong......brand new in black.

Jenn tried really hard to control herself.........for about 10 seconds.  Then......it started.  She literally was laying on the floor laughing and crying at the same time.  She said  "Mom, what are you doing with a thong?"

As I was trying to act nonchalant and said to her "It was free when I went to buy some clothes."  I was mortified and she was still hysterical laughing.  Her laughter was not mean and she finally said "you are my Mom.....you don't wear thong's"......the tears continued to run down her face.

I said "just throw it out" and she said "Oh no you are keeping it."  Getting a little defensive now I said " I haven't worn them yet and I might never wear them" (Just the thought of how ridiculous I would look would give me a nightmare). I could just picture me ending up in the ER wearing them and the ER staff hysterical laughing.

This year I felt I had lived on the edge with underwire  bras from my bra fitting and my other favorite item Spanx.......the black thong was supposed to be my secret.......and I was not sure I would even have the guts to put them on but there I sat turning three shades of red ......my secret was out.

And now I have shared it with you.......it was too funny to not write about.

The next time you see me....please, please, please do not look at my ass to see if there is a panty line and guess if I finally got the nerve to put them on......it is a pretty safe bet that item will never touch my skin.......

Another of my secrets bites the dust.....it made me think what will Jenn find when I die and think "Really Mom??" I doubt there is anything that could cause me more discomfort.....

As I read Jenn this entry her only comment was "Mom, that was funny shit"......dear God help me......

Just a few more quick notes....

I went back to WW today and as I told them at the meeting I feel like I am on an elevator up a floor and down two floors but I am not giving up. I said without my meetings the elevator would go all they way back to the top floor and who would want to go back there again.  Still working toward the next BIG number and this is the challenging time of the year but I will get through it!!!! And hopefully hit a new high in weigh loss as we ring in the New Year.

I have also been writing a minimum of 10 minutes a day as it was suggested in my classes last week. I write about what ever pops into my head and it has been fun.

I am thinking about doing a NC/SC lighthouse tour....AAA and FB both had directions to 7-8 lighthouses that I would love to see.

Tomorrow is Halloween.  I doubt we will get many Trick or Treaters but that's OK with me. I am already watching Christmas movies on the Hallmark Channel.

PS Those few quick notes were added in hopes you would forget the part of this entry about.....the thong....LOL LOL.....

See you next week......