DAY 443 A Dream & Embracing Consistency

Hi Journal & Friends,

Yesterday I had a dream... a DISTURBING dream. 

In it, I was looking in the mirror, examining my face. It was all puffy... bigger... fatter! When I woke up, I looked in the mirror, because it had felt so real. And I had felt confused, scared, upset, and discouraged in the dream, and it lingered after I awoke.

The last couple of days I've been feeling like I was JUST getting a handle on things again... regaining focus. Starting to exercise again, and trying to regain momentum. 

I finally decided to stop waiting until Jim went back to work to follow my routines... to stop using the disruption of my schedule and routines as an excuse. 

And then I have this dream! :-O

 Sean, at a Daily Diary of A Winning Loser,  wrote something recently that has stuck with me for days:

"We must embrace consistency... defend it from your emotions and circumstances at every turn."

Shortly before I read that post by Sean, I had decided that for my 2011 Theme pic I was only going to have one word on it: Consistency.

And my struggles recently have proved to me that I STILL have a long ways to go in that department. So I am defending my journey... defending against even my OWN squirrelly emotions.

One thing that I can say that I am feeling GOOD about again is exercise. I'm not up to the level I was before, but I plan to get there soon. My hand is healing nicely, and not holding me back. Here's a pic of my battle scars. ;-) I get the stitches out this coming Thursday... yay!

(Isn't Vevie gettin big?!)

From Dr Phil's book: "Evaluate each and every option in your life against the priorities of your goals."

My verse for today: This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation."

My quote for today: "He who moves not forward, goes backward." --Goethe

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta

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DAY 442 A Little Friendly Rivalry??

Hidy Ho Journal & Friends,

Just for some fun, I thought I'd take a break from oh-so-serious and do a Friday Favorite!  Caution, food porn ahead! 

Sean at Daily Diary of a Winning Loser (HERE)   often posts those scrumptious pics of his homemade pizzas. Well, we here in the Pacific Northwest know how to turn out a yummy homemade pie, too! 

So in the interest of a little friendly rivalry, here are MY homemade mini-pizzas. They are quick and easy to make, and like meatloaf, there are a million different ways to make them.

I cook them in my little FlavorWave Oven, like so:

I make them on Whole Wheat, high fiber, low carb tortilla wraps from La Tortilla Factory. 

Sometimes I make one just for me, sometimes I make it "deep dish" style, and split it with MyGuy.

Here is one made with pesto instead of pizza sauce, then sauteed broccoli and mushrooms, artichoke hearts (from a jar), a little sausage, olives and grated parmesan. Mmmm.

And here was a yummy version with pizza sauce, then some crumbled cooked hamburger (you could sub with cooked cubed chicken), olives, garlic, mozzarella cheese, and after cooking we added homegrown tomato slices and a drizzle of ranch dressing.

There is one gal that has invented a gazillion different mini-pizzas: Shelly at The World According to Eggface, HERE.

Bon appetit!

Today's Peek at the Past (Considering how I've been feeling lately, and my recent struggles, I need to heed my own advice from a year ago.)

From Day 81, October 29, 2009:

I woke up later feeling warmer and a little better, and as I lay there, I thought about all the chirpy motivational stuff I write. Oh goodie...I get to put it into practice. I get to look for the "Blessin' or the Lesson". Well, after I got over grumping about it, and remembered all my bloggin' friends who are struggling through illnesses and still Doing It, I decided that today would be no different than any other day, foodwise. I won't be exercising, or pushing my new schedule, but otherwise, it is just another day along the Journey. 

(For complete post "Just Do It & An Award" click HERE)

From Dr Phil's book: "It's not just the specific weight you want to attain, but also the feelings that you associate with it... what you really want is to feel better about yourself."

My verse for today: "O Lord, my strength and my fortress, my refuge in time of distress..."

My quote for today: "Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow." --Albert Einstein

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta

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DAY 441 Hot 100 Update & Blazing Trails

Hello Journal & Friends,

Time for another Hottie update!

But first, I find it interesting that in the last 30 minutes, I have read the same idea from THREE different sources: that we need to do it OUR OWN WAY. Not follow along like a lemming, but tweak whatever plan or program we are doing, personalize it,  to fit our OWN life and preferences. And if what we are doing needs a change in emphasis, then GO FOR IT!

The first was a great guest post by Rita, on Mizfit Online, HERE. 

Then there was my friend Millie, who is fairly recent to blogging, HERE. 

And last but not least, my pal Deb, HERE. 

All these brave souls are blazing their own trails, and I applaud them!

On to my update... I'll make it short. Not much to say, actually. 

I only had 3 goals to work on (calories, exercise and vitamins) and I am FINALLY starting to see them turn around.

Yesterday I started back with my Rabata (adding Tabata timing to Rebounding). And I totally loved it! My hand didn't throb or anything, and I did quite a bit of waving it all around! :-)

The other two... gaining ground. I feel like I went Splat! and have now gotten up, dusted off, and am feeling better and making progress in the right direction.

I have decided not to feel discouraged about the Splat, and just keep plodding away. Each day is a new day, another chance to make healthy choices. Another day to learn, improve and keep going.

I am working on the solution to what I wrote about yesterday... it's not all solved yet, but just knowing it's in the works is encouraging. I see light at the end of the tunnel! 

Today's Peek at the Past (It was about being open to new ideas in order to solve the problem, and that is what I am doing now... good fit!)

From Day 80, Oct 28, 2009:

All I can say is WOW! I asked for suggestions yesterday, and in response I got so many great ideas and points of view. It really did help to open up my thinking to new ways of looking at the situation.

(For complete post "Great Ideas & Thank You!" click HERE) 

From Dr Phil's book: "Don't just wake up every morning and react to what happens... Be proactive by setting goals and making plans for their attainment."

My verse for today: "Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock Eternal."

My quote for today: "Be you, nobody does it better! --author unknown

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta

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DAY 440 Trains & Taxis & Realizations

Hi there Journal & Friends,

                                                                                                               

Feeling tired here, but better. 

Thank you for all your kind well wishes. 

It's been a challenge lately to find uninterrupted time to myself, and I'm sorry I haven't been too supportive lately by visiting and commenting. But thanks to a friend, I have finally realized why I've been having such a hard time lately.

I have been like a battery that hasn't been fully recharged... low on energy, low on ability to focus, low on inspiration. It's been WORK to be positive. WORK to be cheerful and smile.

Why? Because I am one of those people that enjoy my solitude. I enjoy it, and get my "recharge" when alone. I feel refreshed when I can spend time thinking, praying, reading, just unwinding by myself. Solitude is an absolute MUST for creativity, for my art.

And until my friend explained how a lack of that alone time affected her, I hadn't even connected the dots that for WEEKS now my sweet Jim has been off work. 

HERE. 

Every day. 

All day. 

Sure, he goes for errands and such. But it's no set time, I never know the comings and goings, there is no routine... and almost without exception if I am trying to write a thoughtful post, I can guarantee if he is in this house, I WILL get interrupted. And I'll admit, that too often I have bitten his head off for it lately. :-(

I like order. I like routine. I am like a train. He is like a taxi cab.

A train may be slow to start, but once going, it has a full head of steam and chugs along with purpose to a destination. It can't start and stop on a dime, like a... taxi cab.

My Sweetie is a taxi cab. Full of starts and stops... in and out, up and down, interruptions are interesting for him. My opposite!

My friend also helped me see there is nothing WRONG with me. This is not a character defect in me, enjoying my solitude, NEEDING it. That I am not being selfish, it is the way I am. Honestly, that was a revelation! 

In a way, I'm glad to have had this come to a head BEFORE he went back to work. I learned some valuable stuff about myself. I was feeling all this extra stress, but couldn't figure out WHY. 

Now I know why.

I was struggling to focus... now I know why.

I was getting more and more irritated with him... now I know why.

I kept "waiting" to get my act together... now I know why.

I was slipping into old habits, starting to reach for the food... now I know why.

The reason I am doing a lot of sitting and thinking and writing right now...is that MyGuy is asleep! LOL!

Now that I know what's been bugging me, I am hoping to work on a solution. One that will be a win/win solution. I can still have my time alone, yet my Sweetie won't feel neglected or ignored. And I won't have to stay up til all weird hours just to get my batteries recharged!

Today's Peek at the Past (Oh. My. Goodness!! I simply cannot believe what I just read. No way! This post from last year is about EXACTLY the problem I just wrote about... finding time for my routines when MyGuy is around!!! Eeky freaky!)

From Day 79, October 27, 2009:

MyGuy is off work today...it's 4:30pm and I am still in my jammies... Good griefus! He is off to do some shopping, so I finally get computer time. :-)

Today, as I bounced from task to task, I realized--AGAIN-- that I need a workable plan that I can consistently follow on his days off.

I do BETTER following a routine...sleep is better, food is better, exercise is better...chores get done... EVERYTHING goes better. And on his work days, when I am free to follow my routine, *I* do better. I feel better ABOUT myself, feel more productive and happy...

(For complete post "In My Jammies & Lookin' for Ideas" click HERE) 

From Dr Phil's book: "When you kill time, remember you can't resurrect it."

My verse for today: "The joy of the Lord is our strength."

My quote for today: "It is a common experience that a problem difficult at night is resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it." --John Steinbeck

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta

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