It's July

Goodness, I've been neglecting this blog. What do you do when you sit at the pool for two hours? Read the manual on your camera and snap 100 pictures. Of course, the first and the last were the best.




Oh. And I took 100 at the fireworks on Wednesday. Here are two I liked.

We're all in this together.

Sing it now! Sing it Long! Sing it again! Sing it in your brain for hours after you leave!


I went to High School Musical at the Children's Theater this evening. For those who don't know the background, Disney made this movie, direct to DVD, and is marketing it to the skys amongst the pre-teen set. I had heard none of the songs, didn't know the plot. Had only heard "Grease" starting to market itself as "The orignial High School Musical"

The opening scene and music is ripped straight out of Grease. Then they do something a bit more wholesome with the whole thing. Jocks v. Brains v.Drama club. Build up the tension. Get the star of the basketball team to try out for the musical and suddenly everyone is singing about soaring and flying and breaking all the molds and doing what they've always wanted to do.

And sing it again. We're all in this together.

It was an excellent production. Just a sweet predictable ending, but he music was fun, fun, fun!

Now I need to go buy tickets to take Amelia. Wish me luck!

A color for Suzy Q

Suzy,

My apologies for not thinking of a color! (I guess I should have expected forgetting at least one important person, eh?)

I have been thinking a bit. The colors that come to mind are yellow for hope, orange for laughter, and grey..um...well...let's leave that there.

Glad to see you are reading my blog. I guess I have to be careful what I say...who knows who is reading?

What's your color?

A friend gave me the book "Visual Chronicles" this weekend. It is a "no-fear guide to creating art journals, creative manifestos and altered books" She wasn't being inspired by it, and I thought it was totally cool.

The first chapter talks about color. The assignment is to " Start with a person, someone important in your life: What colors come to mind when you imagine this
person?"

So instead of this column being personal about me, it will be personal about you, my readers. (Or perhaps they are imagined readers in some cases.)


Minda: A spicy nutmeg roast. Browny-orange with lots of depth and energy.

Lisa: A deep red. Thoughtful, spicy and sexy with a bit of mystery.

Erin: Bright golden yellow. Youth and energy and growth all together.

Susan: Pink. Can't say much else. It just seems to be a color made for you.

Kate: Green. A rainbow of greens. Growth and stability.

Martha: Brown. Brown with every color in it. You are an enigma to me.

Nicole: Olive green and Deep sky blue. Honest as all outdoors.

Michelle: A palette of blues. Stable and optimistic.

Vicki: Well, I have never really been to Texas, but the colors of Texas are what I think of for you. Sand and Terra cotta, Dusty Green, Deep Blue Sky.

Marcy: You are changing colors. I think perhaps you were a dark and murky orange, but you are emerging to a bright orangeish yellow, ready to take on the new world!

Two of you I am having trouble with the color. That would be Linda and Bonnie. I think it's because I know you both are very different deep down than you appear upon first meeting. I know you more than first meeting, but not deep down. So my crystal ball is cloudy right now. :-)

***Update...I thought of colors for Bonnie. Black and Flowers. Ok...black because her blog is black so I really associate that with her. Plus I think she was wearing black the first time I met her. (Nothing sinister or depressing) And then flowers, which I know really isn't a color, but there always seems to be flowers on her blog. Plus, when I did a weekend retreat with her, she was surrounded with flowers (and used them on almost every page!).

So...there's my psycho-analysis of you for today. Of course, we bring our own lens everywhere. Who's to say the colors above won't change as I change? Really it is about me?

Off to crop!

Summer Evening

Rebecca Sower's blog recently exhorted its readers to do "pick one" of a list of simple pleasures to "savor the raw beauty and simplicity of the process".

Last night I played in the sandbox with my daughter (not on Rebecca's list, but definitely on mine).




I had a sandbox just like this when I was a kid. Actually, it was at the neighbor's, but we didn't have fences in those days, so it was as good as mine. It had wooden sides just like this one. We would spend hours in that sandbox building forts. I remember we each would take one corner and pile up the sand. Then we would put in a moat, a bridge, windows (finger pokes) and various designs. We had to dig down into the "wet sand" to make it work. I think we just had our hands. I don't remember any shovels or other tools. We would get in trouble if we turned on the hose to wet the sand or fill our moats. That would be wasteful.

So last night Margaret and I made some of the sand into "wet sand" and made a fort. I had the sprinkler going while we did this, and as we were digging and carving, we saw many birds (mostly robins) come to pick for worms. We also saw a cardinal sitting in the "rain" on the fence. And a woodpecker in the apple tree. It was so fun to just sit and dig and listen to the sprinkler and the birds. We even had some towels and clothes on the clothesline. It was just like childhood... except for the planes on their landing paths close overhead.

This morning when I got into the shower I realized I had a tick! on my belly! I don't remember ever getting ticks in the sandbox when I was little. Got it off with the tweezers and then checked Margaret for ticks carefully. Luckily she didn't get any. Oh well. A small price for a little piece of childhood last night.

It's here!

Yay! My hubby knew I was waiting for the new Jenni Bowlin kit so he called to tell me it has arrived! I know what I'll be scrapping tonight!

I also have some stitching to finish on this (Stitch on the flowers or add brads. Also stitch around the tag)


and this (I'm going to add a circle)

Summer's Here!

Look at the forecast!

Date Skies Hi/Lo %chance of rain HIGH

Today
Jun 11 Sunny 89°/69° 10% 89°F

Tue
Jun 12 Sunny 90°/69° 10% 90°F

Wed
Jun 13 Partly Cloudy 90°/68° 10% 90°F

Thu
Jun 14 Cloudy 91°/72° 10% 91°F

Fri
Jun 15 Partly Cloudy 92°/72° 10% 92°F

Sat
Jun 16 Partly Cloudy 92°/74° 10% 92°F

Sun
Jun 17 Isolated T-Storms 88°/69° 30% 88°F

Powerpoint humor

For those of you in office land (or glad you're not, or wishing you were), here's a great video about the dangers of Powerpoint. I haven't laughed this hard in ages.

Soccer!

Margaret is so totally loving the soccer thing. She is just laughing while running up and down the field. Like it's a fun game and not a competition. That will come later, I'm sure. This past Wednesday night, at one point, she and a girl from the other team were just kicking it back and forth. They really were trying to get it past each other, but were only about 2 feet away and it ended up being a little volley back and forth. And she was just grinning and laughing.

She still asks after every game: "Mom. When's my next soccer game?" And she knows that Saturday is her last game. And so she's started asking about the fall. And I tell her, "of course we'll sign you up again!". I think she will cry after the game on Saturday.

Above is a layout I did of some pictures from this season. I have some nice shots of Margaret, but I think capturing the not so great shots with all the kids around the ball and and coaches and sidelines will also provide great memories.

A question for my soccer mom... The older sister is just dragging her feet and putting up a tantrum and generally being poopy about having to go to her sister's soccer games. We make sure she brings a book or something to do, but wondering if you have some techniques for helping the one who is not playing in the game. She is only 9 years old, so I can't leave her at home alone (which is what she really wants)

The last week of....

The girls' last day of school is next Tuesday, June 12. We have been discussing "lasts" over the last week.

Today is their "last Wednesday". Margaret is sad because it is her "last day of art class". Amelia is sad because it is her last day of reading and now she has to spend "all day in Mr. K's class". (They switch classes for reading and she really, really loves her reading teacher) Not a lot of working going on...mostly the winding up of things.

Handing in the library books, bringing home the art projects and work books, field day and carnivals, choir concerts.

I think that is was I miss most about school. It seemed that no matter how hard or bad things got, it would all be over at the end of the semester. You could start the next school term energized and full of hope. A totally new set of classes. A chance for everything to go well.

Sometimes I feel like I need an "end of the semester" for my personal life. You know... wrap things up. Closure. Maybe an evaluation period. But then the ability to MOVE ON. I seem to carry stuff forever. I have some ideas in my head of things to "do around the house" that have been there for years. Or just general things that I am going to do "someday". I'm not talking about giving up legitimate dreams (I still want to score 100 on 18 holes someday), but I am talking about giving up the laundry list of somedays. And of course, all the parenting mistakes you make... you don't just get a grade and move on...you have to live with the outcome of the mistakes you made. And you can't just tell the kids, "New semester at school. I'm going to be a different mommy now." and start over.

There's no drastic things in my life I'm talking about, just the strain of 22 years of being an adult and not being able to "close up the semester".

Here's to fresh starts!


I have scrapped at least one page every day in June so far! It's my own personal challenge for the month. Here's yesterday, for those who haven't seen it on the board where I post my layouts. Gotta start thinking about tonight's! I don't have a lot of time to do them (I can squeeze in 30 mins or so) so they are simple. But hey, they are completed pages. And a good stress relief for me.

A not so random RAK

OK...my last post got me thinking. Those of you that I might actually see over the next month...post a reply with some favorite product line/color/style and I will put together a paper pack "RAK" for you. It won't be the latest and greatest stuff...but it will be nice. Oh...and I won't mail it...we'll have to arrange to meet. I'll be at TOO the entire weekend of June 22-24 where folks can come pick it up!

I think if you qualify for this not so random RAK, I will have your e-mail address. Please, don't be shy!

Some of you I can guess on what to gift to (Linda...need some more Doodlebug?). The others? I'll get to know a bit more about your style. And I'll still have 15" worth of paper to sell :-)

Here's a sample of what I need to know:

I love earthy, shabby distressed stuff. 7gypsies, Rusty Pickle, etc. I also love green. Not so much on bright colors.

Or

I have tons of baby pages to do. I love florals and pale blues.

or

GIVE ME ALL YOUR CHATTERBOX.

OK...maybe not so much on that last one.

Another Question..

Michelle said...

Which product do you have the most of? Why? Because you like it and horde it? Or don't like it anymore but have a ton leftover?

Patterned paper. I have enough to scrap every single picture I own on a one page spread and I would still have some leftover. No secret that I love pp. The insidious part about paper is that it's "only" 60 cents, or 90 cents. Can't beat that, can you? Of course, I have gone to the counter with a stack of items that are only "60 cents" and spent $50. And Scrapbooks Too will occasionally have a 40 or 50% off of all patterned paper. Then I spent $60 (and get a ginormous stack).

In the old days (before I admitted I had a problem) when I new line came out, I would go down the stack and buy TWO of every single sheet. Even that odd design sheet that seems to come out in every line. Whoa!!! Now I really limit to three or four sheets per line (except the Tres Jolie...had to go up to 10 on that one). Really.

Seriously though, aside from the "value" of pp, I just love it. I could seriously scrap with just cardstock, patterned paper and adhesive. I do use a lot of it...sometime 4 or 5 patterns on one page. I especially love the challenge of mixing PPs from various manufacturers. Here's a page I made yesterday with 3 types of Foofala and one 7Gypsies.



I am garage sale-ing tons of patterned paper the end of the month (a stack about 15 inches tall as I speak...will likely get taller) that I have to figure out how to divide and package. Suggestions on that are appreciated!

More Questions!

Thank you Nicole for asking questions. I hate to have the long, long "Ode to Engineering" as my most recent post. (And thank you Michelle, for understanding)

Nicole said...
If you had gone to a bus plant, would you have been excited about it?

Absolutely! To see how all the parts go together, to see the automation they have; how they install windows, how they put on the "stop arm". Cool Cool. I went on an automobile assembly plant tour recently and it was really great.
Now about going to Tulsa? Not so much. :-)

Nicole said...
Will Linda ever update her blog on a regular basis?

The problem with blogs is that if you have a life, you don't have time to write. If you don't have a life, you don't have anything to write about. So...most of us who blog (i.e. have time) don't have much to write about. We resort to asking people to ask us questions so that that we have something to write about. Linda must fall in the other category. 'Cause when she does post, it's darned interesting.



Nicole said...
If you could live anywhere, where would it be?

Hmmm. Several possiblities arise. I'll pick near the ocean north of San Diego. Awesome weather and a place to go and cool off when the weather does get too hot. I do like California...except for all the people! Either that or Albuquerque

Answers to your questions

Marcy said...

How did you get into scrapbooking and how long have you been scrapbooking?

I did a "scrap" book in grade school for a Girl Scout project... I cut out all the clippings with the Apollo-Soyuz space mission and taped them on construction paper. I still have it...but it's getting in bad shape.

My first real memorabilia scrapbook was done in the early 80s. I did four scrapbooks...one for birth through high school. One of my senior year. One of all my sports clippings/award/etc from high school. One for my trip to Germany. They are done on Hallmark albums, so they are acid free paper. However, I used Scotch tape to put down items except photos. Photos are all basic black photo corners.

My first "artistic" scrapbooking was done via....Creative Memories of course. The first page was of Amelia's first Christmas. I think I did this in 99 or 2000. I never looked back. I have 6 "Chronological" Creative Memories style albums completed... 1999 - 2003 with a gap of one year in there. I don't do much Chronological scrapping anymore, and have about 6 3-rings binders of miscellaneous themes and pages. I also have a cruise album (first one done non-creative memories style, but it was done pre SDU, so it's still pretty primitive.) In reviewing albums I have done, I am most proud of the fact that I have done so much journaling.

I'll find that first CM page and post a picture of it. Not bad, as far as CM pages go.

mindakms said...


How about If you could change one thing in your life what would it be?

Easy... I wish my mom hadn't died when I was nine. I wish I had gotten to know her as an adult.

Other regrets of things I did (not things that happened)...I wish I had played Cello instead of Violin in grade/high school. I wish I had gone to Stanford for grad school instead of Berkeley. I wish I had kept in closer touch with my nieces and nephews as they were growing up. They're all adults now and I'm not as close to them as I wish I were. I wish we would have sold and moved to a larger house in Linden Hills before the current real estate boom.


BonnieRose said...

What's one thing in your life that you have accomplished that u are extremely proud of?

I am proud of my career. I have a great job at a great company. I have advanced to a nice level (but not an executive my any means) and I make enough money that my family never really wants. (There are downsides to that, but I'm not going to whine about that by any means). I have helped design disc drives. There used to be some drives in the field that had parts in them that I helped to design. And I think my favorite accomplishment was transferring my first process line to Thailand (back in 1992, I think). It's always fun to see boxes going out of the factory that say "Seagate" and know that I had a part in it!


Susan Anonymous said...

So what does an engineer really do all day??? My dad was some sort of engineer for Control Data back in the day and I have no idea what he really did.

OK Susan...you got me started. I'll probably talk way too long here...


Engineers basically solve word problems. We take problems and use math and statistics and creativity and innovation to solve them. Well, that's fine and dandy, but what do we do all day? Lots of different things there.

Some engineers support a production line or develop equipment to make things. Just think, someone had to figure out how to cut scrapbook paper into 12x12 sheets, stack them all up and shrink wrap plastic around them. Or design the die that cuts the cool shaped papers. And still make money at it. Some engineers design equipment to do this (i.e. sit at a computer and draw prints, or direct someone who does). In equipment design, you might have to go through a catalog of 100s of different air cylinders and figure out which one is best for your machine. Get one piece of equipment made. Maybe write the software. Figure out what data you want to take from the process. Get it up and running. Turn it over to the production floor. Train operators and technicians on how to use and fix the machine. Cool stuff.

Now imagine you have a paper cutting machine in your factory and it goes down? Or maybe is starts ripping papers? Maybe it's counting out 23 sheets of paper in a stack that is supposed to have 25? Someone has to figure out why that machine that used to be ok now is making bad product. Go out on the floor and look at the machine. Look at data from the machine. Check all the settings on the machine. Talk to the operators about why and when it is not working. So sometimes engineers are like detectives.

Or maybe as an engineer you write code. Someone had to write lines and lines of code to make Photoshop work. I don't know as much about this area of engineering.

Some engineers are number crunchers. Think about designing an airplane wing. There are people who do computer models of wings and model the stress the wing will see during takeoff, flight and landings. The vibrations it will see. Figure out how long the wing has to be to support the overall weight of the plane, etc. Same with designing bridges (how do they know it's strong enough? ) or water treatment plants.

Some engineers play with chemicals...or figure out a way to make Fruity Cheerios instead of regular Cheerios. Or figure out how to get tongue tatoos on Spiderman Fruit Roll-Ups.

Engineering is cool, you get to use math, work on your computer. spend time on the phone communicating with people, order stuff, put it together, troubleshoot it, make products, be a detective. You get to actually make things, add value to the world. Oh yeah, and go to meetings and fly to factories half way around the world. You get to keep going to school to keep up on new trends and innovations in how engineering is done! It's basically the best job ever.

Oh...I ramble on and on. Maybe I need to do a nerd website where I can wax philosophic forever and ever. Of course, then I would have 0 readers instead of 4.

Can you tell I love engineering? I am so proud to say that I have 1 niece who is a working engineer, one who is starting engineering school soon. Maybe I didn't spend much time with them, but I'd like to think that the fact that they had an Auntie engineer helped them to see that it was something they can do! Alas, in Mechanical Engineering, only 10% of graduates are women. Same as when I was in school. Maybe the math scare them away. Or the wrenches. Or the nerds. Oh well.

"I have Flying Monkeys....

and I'm not afraid to use them."


I saw this on a sign in someone's office at work. I chuckled. Isn't it strange how women like to find clever ways to call themselves b/witches. (I know...like that's a bad thing)

Hey...sorry I've been a slacker blogger (almost as bad as Linda). I haven't even answered those questions...both of them. (But promise I will)

I did NOT even touch the treadmill in my hotel room (figures). I obviously got home ok.

Maybe I'll get back in the blog groove soon?

I made it.

The flight left an hour late. Then a gentleman developed chest pain so we had to sit on the plane a bit after we landed so the paramedics could get with him. (Pray for Larry. He's in some hospital in San Jose tonight for evaluaion. Threre were 7 Seagators on the plane. A few of them went to the hospital with him

I got my rental car (a pontiac Vibe...kind of fun to drive) and headed over and back down the hill to the coast. Uneventful. Not much traffic and no weather to speak of.

So I'm here in my ritzy Hilon Hotel room. There is a treadmill IN the room. She apologized and asked if I'd rather have a couch. Well....heck no! I want the treadmill.

In any case it is almost 11 California time. That's 1am for me. That means I'm tired. I will fall asleep very quickly.

I love you girls! Sing well tomorrow!

Ask Away!

Well.... Nicole did it first...or was it Bonnie? Then Zielske copied them. Now it's my turn.

You ask the questions. I'll answer them.

Don't suppose I'll get 90+ like Cathy did. But I hope for two or three. :-)

I'll be in California this week on a biz trip. Santa Cruz. (Better than Tulsa, Oklahoma, eh? Although I don't get to do anything as cool as visiting a bus plant.) I think I'll be able to check in, but won't have the camera. (Hence the question asking blog)

Margaret-ism

My six year old, Margaret, is at it again. She is quite the chatterbox and I like to try to remember some of the things she says and does and asks.

Here are some this week for my memory (and your amusement if you are so inclined):



One of the soccer teams in Margaret's league is the called the Momentum.
She asked me what momentum is. I said something like, "Well, it's when you get something started and it just keeps going".

"Oh. Like infinity" was her response.



Margaret will sit and read the schedule for her soccer league over and over and over. I taught her to read all the team names so she doesn't have to keep coming and asking me. There are fourteen teams, so each "set" of games has 7 games. One night next week, however, are 6 games. She went through and figured out which two teams are not playing. Good job Margaret! She also knows which friends are on which teams, and wants to go early or stay late so she can watch them.


Today is going to be the "Best Day Ever" (sing that if you are a Sponge-Bob fan). That's what Margaret has been singing. She has a field trip at school (to the arboretum....should be a great day for that) and then a Birthday party tonight. At a bowling alley. So it will be the "best day ever".


With the field trip the kids get buddies. Margaret's teacher sets it up so kids get to choose their buddy, and kids get to take turns to do this. If a kid chooses you, you are their buddy. No ifs, ands or buts about it. One boy chose Margaret. His name is Sawyer. She is bummed about having Sawyer as a buddy. She wants to be with Katie and Mirabelle. Plus.."He is one of the three boys in the class that I don't want to marry" said Margaret. "Why is that?" I ask. "Sawyer and Brendan and Max. She said. I don't want to marry them. They're goofy." " And I LOOOVE Cameron. He's my soul mate" (OK...where did she get that line?) "But Dominic is my best friend. And Katie is my next best friend. And Lily is my next best friend and then Mirabelle"

"We didn't get to hit the ball today in gym 'cause the guys were being annoying. And they all had to go to the bathroom. And we had to leave early, so we didn't have time to hit the ball. But I didn't have to go to the bathroom. And Cameron was first in line, but he had to go to the bathroom. So I got to be the line leader."

etc. etc.

Amelia is not a chatter, so we never got these type of incident details about the school day from her. It is really hilarious to just listen to Margaret go on and on and on about her day. I can tell when she's tired, because then we don't get the stream of stories. Last night she was definitely on her game!

Random Weekend Thoughts

Sorry no pictures lately.

This weekend I started the painting project...our bedroom. It had last been painted 16 years ago when we first moved into the house. It was dusty mauve and cream with a "rag painting" technique and a lovely chair rail.

We had two minor water damage occurences in the meantime. Plus some minor construction in the adjoining room. Plus the house is 76 years old. All this to say that I spent several hours each day this weekend scraping, repairing, sanding, more spackle, more scraping, more spackle, more sanding, lots of clean-up. I believe it is now ready to prime and then paint. Whew. That should be the easy part. Pictures will be posted when it's done. (Should take a week, since I have some prior commitments this week in the evenings). The color is "Nutmeg Frost". An orangey brown. Then I may actually decorate so it's like a grown up adult room and not early american college. I think it is the only room left with that decor style.

My Jenni Bowlin kit came, and alas, is still sitting in its bag. Lovely papers this month. That's ok. I've really been wanting to paint the bedroom for some time.

Mom's day morning was great. Margaret brought me toast on a purple tray (your favorite color, mom!) She was sooooo proud. I know she did it all herself because Charlie was still snoozing next to me when she arrived with my toast. She also had made me three cards (one at school, one at daycare, one at home) and two little presents. Then she wanted to cuddle. Just perfect.

Daughter two had her stuff all laid out on the kitchen table. Cards and homemade pictures. She was not as "into" the whole pampering of mom thing as much as Margaret, but she did insist I choose our ice cream location....Libery Custard, of course.

Margaret started a loose tooth this weekend. Her first one. She is not excited about it, however. She knows she has to stop sucking her thumb for good when the new tooth comes in...and she is not ready for that. She was very distraght to discover the loose tooth.

Amelia spent the weekend pretending she was a pioneer girl. We have been reading the "Little House" series to the girls, and we are now on Little Town on the Prairie. We just finished the chapter where Laura gets a buggy ride to school with Almanzo, they exchange name cards, and Nellie is absolutely GREEN with envy when she sees Laura pull up in Almanzo's buggy. Charlie had never read the books before and he is constantly commenting about what excellent books they are, and how rich a picture they paint of life during that time of US history. He especially liked "Farmer Boy" (always my favorite, too.)

Amelia is all over the one-room schoolhouse concept, and all the peculiarities(to us) of pioneer life. Sun bonnets. Aprons. Farm Chores. Lots of thing for her to do role playing around. And Amelia's entire play life is pretty much role playing (and setting the stage/environment for that play). Maybe she will be a set designer? Or maybe a museum curator? Hmmmm.

Another comment from this weekend? Margaret looking at the calendar and then happily exclaiming that there are only three more days until her next soccer game. (She had one on Saturday and loves every moment of it! She runs hard the entire time she's in there. Good to see. I hope the enthusiasm keeps up.)

Amelia's school had a band/orchestra presentation on Friday. Fourth graders can take band or orchestra after school at Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church next door. I would like her to do piano or a nice choir, but she is totally set on taking the violin. We had my violin and cello out and the girls were trying both. I really do miss playing cello. I am half inspired to get myself to cello lessons again. Not sure I would be able to find time to practice, however, so I'm sure this inspiration will sit idle for awhile.

My doctor was quite effusive this morning over the weight loss/exercise and accompanying benefits. Lower BP. Lower Pulse. She even commented that my heart sounded in good shape. She said something about a murmur that develops in exercising hearts due to the muscles getting more efficient (or something like that). Anyway...I didn't realize you couldn't fool the doc on that old exercise line. I guess they really can tell if you do or don't. (I asked if that murmur goes away after more and more exercise...she said.."nope. Only if you stop exercising. It's actually a sign of good health").

"Come back in a year." I can't imagine only seeing the doc once in a year. (assuming the girls don't get sick) It will be super!

I bought a belt today!

I haven't worn belts in ages. Any I had were too small, and I really didn't feel any need to get any (Well, I did one day, and the 2XL was too small. I left embarrassed and vowed to never try on a belt again.)

I purchased four new pairs of pants at Target today, and as I was leaving I saw some cool belts. So I tried some on. And the XL fit!!!

I feel like a new person. I actually looked good in the clothes I tried on. And I'm going be wearing a belt.

I guess I've kind of been patting myself on the back about the weight loss thing. But it's been a real journey for me. It took a series of revelations for me to realize that I was actually doing something to cause the overweight-ness. I was so busy wallowing in self-pity (not fair that I can't eat anything I want to...but I'm too busy to exercise...I'm a working mom...it's my medications...blah blah blah) that it took me six months at weight watchers to realize...I have to actually change something if I really want to lose weight. Really change. Work at it. Do something.

Look at my last post. So, is losing weight a society driven self improvement thing? Yeah. In many ways it is. And losing weight so you can just look better in jeans and wear size 14 trousers... probably not enough of a motive to move it into the "being me" category.

But I wrote down many other reasons. Mostly around health. Health now, Health later, Health for my children. And I realized I had to change. Really change. Not diet. Not deprive myself. But change my relationship with food and with movement. I now realize I will have to work on this change my entire life. I'll probably always have to force myself to go for the walk. Force myself to eat only one cookie. Reprogram my mind to get to the point that I don't have to eat food if it's offered or available.


And that's why the 35 pound star earlier this month and buying belts and size 14 pants are such a big deal to me. They are signs I have changed. I actually have done something. I went after something I wanted instead of sitting around whining about how it was never going to happen.

So...I promise no more weight loss posts for awhile. I just felt like this past week has been a real positive time for me, and writing stuff down makes it more real in some ways. (Oh...and I go in for my annual exam on Monday. My doctor had better say something about my weight loss!!! I bet she will)