Weekend Warrior # 15

Weekend Warrior # 15

by | Jun 5, 2017 | Weekend Warrior

Here we are at the end of another weekend.  I have been non-stop busy since the last edition, and am hoping things slow down (just a little) for the next few days.  I write this because I am feeling a little drained of energy.

Friday night was so long ago, I honestly don’t even remember what I did.  That is how busy the week was.  Saturday I slept in a little and got up to volunteer for the Boston Terrier Rescue Canada group. BTRC is run completely by volunteers, and they do whatever they can to raise funds.  I was working in a canteen at a local cat show.  The SPCA was hosting it and asked us if we would like to help out to split the profits between the two organizations.  The message went out late in the week, and I picked my time slot, and off I went.

Let me say, first of all, that I am really proud of myself for looking at all of that food, and ONLY buying an apple.  I paid for it and enjoyed it.  I ended up with pizza to take home, and it was supper.  It has been a while since I had to stand on my feet for a few hours.  Although I was glad to have a chair for a couple of necessary but short breaks, I managed OK.  I do have nerve pain in one leg and I have finally figured out that my hip flexors are the root cause.  If it comes down to it, I tough it out, but I can be in a lot of pain while I am doing so.

 

What does a person do when they go inside the Cat Show after the volunteering is done?  Well, if you are me, you look at EVERY cat you can see, and you buy new cute little socks with cats all over them.  I wanted the cute change purse too, but I am on a budget and that means I can’t always get everything I want.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

My new kitty cat socks!

I bought something practical.  I can always use more cute socks.

Today is Sunday.  I slept in later today, I needed it.  We had been invited to a friend’s house to play board games.  It was set as a potluck.  I decided to make His & Hers Lasagna.  His lasagna is traditional.  Mine is THM Lazy Lasagna.  No noodles and yes it has spinach.

 

He helped me with the prep and assembly.  I made some guacamole dip and we brought Nacho Scoops for that.  It was good.  The best part is that there are leftovers of the lasagnas and the guacamole.  So I have lunches prepped for the week right now!

We played Cards Against Humanity first.  After supper, we played Ticket To Ride, Europe.  It was a lot of fun, once we all knew what we were doing.  The board game looked like this when it was all over.

Ticket To Ride Europe Game

Ticket To Ride Europe Game

It was a busy weekend.  I didn’t get a lot of cleaning done, but we got the prep cooking started for the week.  That’s a wrap for this weekend!  What did you do?

Relay for Life 2017

Relay for Life 2017

by | Jun 3, 2017 | Events

Relay 2017 2

Relay for Life 2017. Tish & Matty

I attended Relay for Life to participate in the Zumba at Relay.  My Zumba instructor does this every year, and when I am able to attend extra Zumba classes to support her and to get me moving more, I go.  I actually met her at Relay several years ago.  I have come a long way with my Zumba since then, and I will be continuing to go to Zumba as long as I am able to go. I do what I can, and I am feeling the rewards of stress relief,  getting stronger and healthier.

So many people are affected by the ugliness of cancer in their lives.  Relay is a fundraiser to help find a cure for cancer, but for many people, it is more than that.  It is a chance to reflect on loved ones who have lost the battle.  It is a chance to support people you know that are fighting cancer.  It is also a chance to celebrate with those who have looked cancer in the eye and beat it.  Sometimes more than once.

Members of my family have had cancer.  It is something I have learned to live with while trying not to live in fear of it.  I have been spending some time with a good friend who is not going to win her fight with cancer.  It is hard to face as a friend, but it must be even harder to face as a person with terminal cancer.  It makes me sad to know that her time is limited and that her family and friends will feel this too.  It is hard, sometimes, to know what to do or say.  We are becoming better friends because of this terrible thing that is happening to her.  We were friends before, but it is important for me to make sure that I am available to spend time with her now, while she is still here and able to enjoy the company of our friendship.

I went to Relay and did Zumba there.  I did not participate in anything else.  My focus this year was to go and have a good workout.  I promised another friend that passed away that I would take care of myself, and although it wasn’t cancer that he died from, in going I am keeping my promise to him.  The first few classes I went to after he died broke my heart.  I cried.  I fought to finish the classes, and I am still keeping my promise to him every time I go.

Relay 2017 1

They found a Rebel who was unable to convince them of the health benefits of Zumba at Relay.

I didn’t see the Storm Troopers in the crowd this year.  They were at Relay, but I am guessing Darth Vader ordered them to not participate in Zumba.  There were a lot of people there. I saw some angel wings, costumes, masks, and a little girl in a princess dress.  When Zumba was over, there was a song still playing on the speakers.  We all stopped, and the little princess walked over to me and wanted me to hold her hands and keep dancing.  So I did.  I don’t know her story, if she was sick, or if she was there because of someone else.  I knew I didn’t have a choice in the matter.  When a princess approaches you in a crowd full of people and wants to hold your hands and dance, well, you hold her hands and dance in a circle until she wants to stop.  I don’t know who she was, except that she was a princess for Relay.  I don’t know why she chose me in a crowd full of people, but she did, and I wasn’t prepared to walk away.  That is why I attend Zumba at Relay.  You never know what kind of memory you will take home with you, and it somehow makes you feel that even when it seems like the ugliness of cancer is at its scariest, if you are able to support a friend or hold the hands of a princess and share a dance, there is a glimmer of hope.  Be present in your life, and do good unto others while you are here.  Which left me with the message I am carrying in my heart.  Hope.

Most of the pics are from my friend Matty.  There are two from Fredericton Relay For Life 2017 Facebook Page, all shared with permission.  Why do you Relay?

Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 15

Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 15

by | Jun 1, 2017 | Trust Your Gut

 

Trust Your Gut is a series of stories about real people with weight issues, and complications arising from those issues.  It will explain what the person is facing, what their options are, what they have decided to do to take action, and why they chose the path they are on.  Each person’s story will be based on truth, so it won’t all be happy, but it will be real.  The goal of this series is to get people talking about options that are available for people who have weight issues, on either end of the scale.  If you would like to contribute to this series, there is a contact form linked on my Home page for this blog.  I know there are people out there that want to help people like them; as I do.

 

The names here may or may not reflect the person’s real name.  If someone wants to remain unknown, we will choose a different name for that person’s story.  The goal is to help people, and anonymity is a valid personal choice for contributors.  I will use a person’s name only if they give permission to do so.

This week I am pleased to share another of my own stories.

Here is  Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 15

Up to now, I have been sharing my story and the stories of others with their issues regarding weight.  That means if you are reading this week’s story, and have been since I started writing, you know that I am struggling.  Sometimes week to week other times day to day, but it could literally be bite to bite.  I wake up thinking about food.  I go to bed thinking about how tired I am or am not, and this is usually related to what I ate that day.  When I dream about food, it wakes me up to go test my blood sugar.  If it is OK, then it was just a dream.  Sometimes it is my body telling me that I need to get a glass of juice.

Today was no different than any other Wednesday.  I got up, went to work, went to Zumba, and then I came home.  Where I knew I had meat in the fridge, both cooked and ready to be cooked, but I could not bring myself to start making a healthy meal.  I wanted the easy way out.  I sent an SOS to my husband for fast food.  I was tired when I got home today.  Bone tired.  I decided that I would nap until he arrived home.

Sometimes it is the only way to accomplish everything that you need to do, taking the easy way.  But taking the easy way is not the healthy way to live.  I am living proof of that.  The easy way is not the path less travelled.  The easy way is the way to childhood obesity and the epidemic that I happen to be a statistic of, the Type 2 Diabetes crisis that is blowing up all over the world right now.  If you continually choose the easy meal, the easy snacks, the sugar, the preservatives, the chemicals and the toxins you will not live a healthy life.  It isn’t possible.  It’s called junk food for a reason.

What is the alternative? Hard work.  If you put in the time and effort into yourself, it will pay off.  It doesn’t matter if you stray from the path when life happens.  What matters is that you value yourself enough to go back to the path you have chosen to follow because you strive towards living a healthier lifestyle.  There are always going to be days when you are too tired to cook.  I have had days where I am so tired and hungry that I can’t even decide which restaurant I want to go to.  The main thing is that I don’t give up forever.  I keep trying.  I keep pushing myself to do better.  And I keep celebrating every little success along the way.

I cannot stress the importance of planning ahead and prep cooking enough.  If I had made that casserole last night, I would have had supper planned, and this helps me to make healthy choices.  Sometimes I am too busy.  I planned my lunch today but found I was very cold at work, so I bought soup and BBQ chips to give my circulation a little kick in the pants with some mild spices.  Would I do that again tomorrow?  Not unless I felt the exact same way I did today.  I am usually bundled up in layers at work, but there are limits to what I am able to wear and what they will allow me to wear to stay warm at my desk.  Today I was maxed out on layers, and still cold.  I did what I needed to do to adapt to the day.  It worked.  Tomorrow may be a different story, yesterday I found it a little cold, but tolerable.  Today I could not get warmed up.  This is a side effect of having thyroid disease, sometimes I am cold when I should be warm.

When I am out of ideas for lunch, I plan scrambled eggs and cheese.  I can cook it in the microwave, and I can eat vegetables with it.  I almost made that for lunch today, but I changed my mind and made good old PB&J on sprouted bread.  I am not the biggest fan of this sandwich, so I am using regular peanut butter.  I bought the kind that has no sugar,  which must be stored in the fridge.  It was left too long and dried out.  So for the few times that I make it, I am using regular peanut butter.  When I decide to make something that has a need for peanut butter that is on the plan, I will buy more that is made with just peanuts and salt.  I use sugar-free jam.  The sprouted bread is on the plan.  2 out of 3 ain’t bad, to quote a song by Meatloaf.  I ate my sandwich after Zumba class, to hold me over until the fast food was here to eat.

If you are struggling like me, then neither of us is alone.  It can be a solitary journey if you are hiding behind closed doors or sneaking around to feed the monster inside.  I am calling it what it is.  A monster that is obsessed with food, and thrives off of sugar.  It does not mean that I am a monster.  It does mean that I have to fight it. The harder I fight, the smaller it will be.  It will reflect on the outside what is happening on the inside.  And that is where the beauty hides.  The beauty that is inside all of us needs to be nurtured and loved.  It will flourish and bloom if we give it the attention that it deserves.  When this happens, you start to glow from the inside out, and the monster shrinks inside.  Just as the monster scares your inner beauty, the glow from that inner beauty outshines the monster if we let it.  As someone who loves to sparkle and shine, I am going to focus on that for the next week, and see where it takes me.

Trust Your Gut is the weekly series that I have decided to publish on Thursdays.  I think it is time to  give it a hashtag of its own.  Help me to get the word out to other people that may need to read these stories and know that they are not alone.  Help me to reach out to other people that want to help by sharing their own stories.  All it takes is an idea to create something big that matters and can help people.  I am starting that now.
Together we can help people, just like you and me.

#TrustYourGutThursday and #TYGT

Weekend Warrior # 15

Weekend Warrior # 14

by | May 29, 2017 | Weekend Warrior

I am so PUMPED after this weekend!  I HULK SMASHED IT!  Without turning green and angry!  What a busy, productive weekend!

Friday night I was at Relay for Life, specifically for the Zumba at Relay.  Expect a story this week to tell you all about that.  It had some real special moments, and there are some great pics to share.

Saturday was cool and rainy and drab.  Hubby worked this weekend, so I got up and got the car.  Got a few groceries on the way home and got some cleaning done.  I did some laundry and ran the dishwasher.  Nothing picture worthy.  I found out that I lost a pillow sham (and the puns did find my post about it on my personal Facebook page).  This caused a full stop on the kitchen cleaning and started a full-on search for the missing sham.  No house elves were found wearing said sham, either.  The search continues.  Maybe, just maybe it is in the towel area over the washer and dryer?  It was not in the linen closet where it should have been (I am in the middle of reorganizing that mess since yesterday) or maybe it is under the bed ( I tried to look but with my knees, I try not to get down on my knees on the floor) and I am running out of places to look.  I am sure it will reappear.  I am crossing my fingers about that one.

Sham on me my cousin wrote.   It was never a real pillow it was just a … 😉 was left by another friend.  The puns keep me laughing while I tear my home apart to find the culprit of the whole sham.

I got inspired while in the master bathroom working on the linen closet to do something I have been thinking about for a long time.  I have been wanting to purge my makeup.  I do not wear makeup every day, but as a collector, I had gathered quite a stash.  It was neatly organized in 3 wicker baskets on my counter, gathering dust.  I panicked about tossing it all because I might need some of it for a special occasion or something in the future.  My budget does not always allow for this type of purchase.  The last time I bought makeup it was January 2016.  I have had some product since the wedding in 2010 or even before that.

I will be writing a separate blog about that adventure.  It happened Sunday.  I got up and put a roast beef in the oven right away.  I set the timer for 3 hours, it was frozen going into the pan.  I had planned to get ready and go to church before the makeup shopping event.  I mean, it could have been an event, it was a big thing for me.  I decided that I did not want to rush, and had breakfast and got ready for my day.  I postponed church until this evening (I actually went and was not late).  The makeup event happened-details will be in a separate blog.

I got home, sliced the beef, made sandwiches, ate 1.5 sandwiches and rushed out to church.  I then fit in a few small errands on the way home, finished the last half a sandwich I made earlier, made 2 sandwiches for my husband, picked him up from work and rushed off to see Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 2.  It was a fun movie.

I have yet to finish my next submission for a well-known publication that has a deadline this week.  That will be tomorrow’s priority.  I have started writing it already, but it is not ready for the beta reader yet.

There you have it!  Non-stop, action-packed, super busy weekend!  I got some cleaning done, in tandem, from one end of the mini home to the other, all day Saturday.  I want to an extra Zumba class, for a good cause.  Spent time with friends Friday and again today.  Different friends on the different days.  I even fit in a movie with my husband to finish it off! Sorry, I’m a little late getting this one published this week, this is the first chance I had because I wanted a productive AND fun weekend to write about.  Mission accomplished!  HULK SMASHED IT!

Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 15

Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 14

by | May 25, 2017 | Trust Your Gut

 

Trust Your Gut is a series of stories about real people with weight issues, and complications arising from those issues.  It will explain what the person is facing, what their options are, what they have decided to do to take action, and why they chose the path they are on.  Each person’s story will be based on truth, so it won’t all be happy, but it will be real.  The goal of this series is to get people talking about options that are available for people who have weight issues, on either end of the scale.  If you would like to contribute to this series, there is a contact form linked on my Homepage for this blog.  I know there are people out there that want to help people like them; as I do.

 

The names here may or may not reflect the person’s real name.  If someone wants to remain unknown, we will choose a different name for that person’s story.  The goal is to help people, and anonymity is a valid personal choice for contributors.  I will use a person’s name only if they give permission to do so.

This week I am pleased to share another of my own stories.

Here is  Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 14

Getting back on track is easier said than done.  It takes determination and effort.  I have missed a few Zumba classes.  I went today.  I was eating anything and everything, the last few weeks.  I prep cooked earlier in the week.  My insulin is now working well enough to lower my doses again.  Some days it is a fight just to get motivated to do what I should be doing.  Other days I feel prepared to tackle everything.  I am gearing up for another run at living a healthier lifestyle.

Last week I was watching the scale climb.  This week it is starting to go down.  I am working hard to try and stay on plan as much as I can, and it is working.

The last few months I have been consciously trying to drink more water.  It is a good idea, not just for me, but for everyone.  It would be better if I enjoyed drinking water.  I have to force myself to drink water, sometimes.  I have a drinking buddy, my straw!  I need to get it in quickly or I won’t drink as much water in a day.  Straws certainly help with that.

It is time to get out the measuring tape again.  Still, nothing to report.  With the last few weeks of being sick, I will have to take the number on the scale moving down as my encouragement.  It is good that it is going the right way again.

My heart rate was steady in class.  I do love that I can check it.  Now I have to keep a better focus on what I eat and how much insulin I am taking because my body has come around to responding to it well, again.  That happens when I work hard.  I feel better so I want to do more and I do that and I feel even better.  It is possible.  Just not when I am sick. Everything goes out the window when I am sick.

I did go to the doctor last week.  He gave me a different antibiotic.  I bought a probiotic to take with it because we all know the warnings about what happens when you take one antibiotic, and now I have had to take two.  It has been a little challenging to keep track of when I have to take what medicine.  The good news is that it appears to be working, and worth the trouble.

This week I am feeling more optimistic.  When I feel like doing things, there is a better chance that they will get done.  I am finally feeling like trying again.  So lesson learned.  When my sugars are skyrocketing out of control, it is not me, or what I am or am not eating; I am probably sick.  Which is good to know, because I don’t remember this happening when I was off work with my infected knee.  There is a good reason for that. Painkillers.  I was on some heavy-duty painkillers.

I am sleeping better this week.  Quality sleep is also important in the struggle to live a healthier lifestyle.  If you are well rested, it will boost the energy.  Again, you can do more.  It can snowball in the right direction.  It is happening for me right now.  It can happen to you too.  If you need help, ask. Don’t be afraid.  If you don’t ask for help, it might be too late.  We are all worth helping.  We are all worth loving.  Believe it.  When you believe that you are worth investing your own time and energy into, good things will happen for you too. One change becomes two, then three and so on.  What change are you going to work on this week?

 

 

Why I use a Pedometer in Zumba Class

Why I use a Pedometer in Zumba Class

by | May 22, 2017 | Weekend Warrior

Surprise at Zumba

A while back someone gave me a smart band to wear at Zumba Class.  I already had a pedometer, but this levels it up for me.  It also keeps track of my heart rate, which I also use now that I can.

It has been helpful to keep an eye on my heart rate.  I am able to work out a little harder because I know when I check it, the smart band will tell me if I am working my heart too hard, or not enough.

I report my steps on the Zumba page also.  When I started, I was told you can get up to 5,000 steps in a Zumba Class.  As there is a movement in the world to get a minimum of 10,000 steps every day and walk your way to a healthier lifestyle, getting 50% of those steps done in an hour is a HUGE ADVANTAGE.  So if you are thinking that it is just another dance aerobics class, you are setting your standards for Zumba too low.

I average around 4,000 steps in a class.  Sometimes less, sometimes more.  My goal is to have it increase to the 5,000 steps (or more).  Since I got the smart band, another member of the Zumba crew is using my pedometer in class.  She is averaging 5,300 steps a class.  I have got to say, she is definitely in the Zumba Zone.  It is absolutely possible, and realistic to aim for 5,000 steps while in a Zumba class.

What else do I love about Zumba?  The Zumba Crew, the music, dancing, and having fun!  I don’t do all the moves, I’m not always confident that I can do them all.  I am changing how much I do all the time.  Some days I push myself.  Some days just being there and going through the motions is all I can do.  But I go, and I participate, however I can.

Sometimes I have to stop and check my blood sugars.  Most of the time, they are normal.  If they are low, it means I have to drink a juice box before continuing my workout.  If they are still low after that, it means I need candy and to lower my insulin dose before the next class.

I have missed a few classes this spring because I have been sick.  Nothing serious, but I was not able to go in the last few weeks.  I look forward to going back this week.  Monday is Victoria Day so the next class will be Wednesday.  If I am feeling better, I may just push myself to hit 5,000 steps.  It is something to work towards, and when I get there, I will aim higher.

How do you motivate yourself to exercise?

Weekend Warrior # 15

Weekend Warrior #13

by | May 21, 2017 | Weekend Warrior

Here we go again!  It is the middle of a sunny, not too hot but a little too breezy weekend.  I say that because it is BEAUTIFUL out, but not quite warm enough for wearing shorts. Perfect weather to cook and clean in.  Too bad yesterday was an errands day, so not a lot got done around the house.  We did take some time to enjoy the sunshine, though.

We went out to a fundraiser for Great Danes yesterday.  Roy bought a t-shirt to support the cause.  I am holding off because I would rather buy one from the Boston Terrier Rescue Canada group, BTRC as I volunteer with them.  We had lunch and hit up some stores.

There was a bead sale, so I went there first.  I then went to Bed Bath and Beyond.  I would spend more money in there if I had it to spend, well who am I kidding, I love shopping, and money flows faster than mercury through my hands.  Blink twice, and it’s gone, kind of like my awesome time management skills, I have the same ability in both of those areas.  Amazing talents to have…not! My husband went to the pet store.  He is working really hard on his 75-gallon fish tank set up.  I cannot wait to finally post some pics when it is all done!  I will share the finished setup photos when he is happy with it and ready to show it off.

At the second store I found some coffee on sale, not as good of a sale as the last time I was there, but still, a sale is better than full price.  The reason I went was to get an organizational drawer for my fridge.  There is a drawer on a slider in the middle of my fridge, but the space underneath that drawer is a nightmare to keep organized.  My husband does not want to open the fridge and see multiple organization containers inside.  I see the value of the system, but don’t want to buy more bins for the fridge until he changes his mind.  This is the beginning of that transition.  It may never proceed past the initial phase, but at least I get to tackle one huge problem area in our fridge.

I started my Sunday off in Church.  I do like going and was a little late, but better late than never, I thought.  So I went.  Then I went to a coffee shop to wait for my ride home.  It was a good start to the week, and to my Sunday.

I am headed back into the kitchen today.  I NEED to run the dishwasher and get the dishes back under control.  I think I am starting to feel better, hurrah for antibiotics and trying a different kind!  I am wanting to do things again.  Still not feeling completely healthy, but feeling like I want to get some things done around here again is a big plus.

I didn’t get things done last weekend.  I was really feeling awful, and sometimes what you need to do has to be prioritized.  I needed to rest so that I would get better, and be able to get some spring cleaning done this weekend.

I am not going to focus only on the kitchen today.  I have an issue in the Master Bedroom that needs attention.  I am notoriously famous for piling things up everywhere I go.  My desk, my craft supplies, clothes or anything and everything.  I do not like putting things away.  So today, I am going to take the time to change the sheets and put my clothes away.  Then I can rearrange the dresser and assemble the 6 cube shelving unit I bought a while back.  If I really get on a roll, there may be pics here next weekend! I am still not feeling the motivation to finish the kitchen, so I am going to change the plans for today after I get those dishes done.  I have some prep cooking to do also.  I want the kitchen clean before I start cooking. I have 3 lbs of ground beef and a whole chicken to work with today when prep cooking.  The beef will make 2 different meals, and the chicken is going into my crock pot. I really love making this recipe with whole chickens, ever since I found it online a while ago.

So, I intend to fully bounce the house today.  That is a Tish-ism.  You can read about it here: Bouncing the House.  The tunes will be cranked, and I will be doing a little singing and dancing while I work.  After all, if it isn’t a little bit fun, I will never get it done!

Mystery Blogger Award

Mystery Blogger Award

by | May 20, 2017 | Blogging Awards

 

This is my first Blogger Award.  I am very grateful to The Ink Owl for the nomination.  It really means a lot to me.  I would also like to thank Okoto Enigma for creating this Award.  It was designed for Bloggers to acknowledge their peers in the blogging world, and to be passed on from one to another to help grow the Blogging Community, and for people to discover new blogs to help them to grow and flourish.  What a remarkable idea to spread encouragement, positivity, and to help Bloggers to earn some recognition.  It is also a wonderful way for people to find new blogs to love, read, and follow.

If you would like to read the nomination post from The Ink Owl, it is in the comments on my About page.  If you would like to read more about the Award and its creator, please check out the following link: Mystery Blogger Award Background and Story.

When you are nominated for an award like this, it is meant to make you share some information about yourself, and to encourage you to acknowledge some of your own favourite Bloggers with some new nominations from you.  It is a pay it forward kind of idea, and I think it is wonderful.  That being said, there are some rules that go with being nominated.

Mystery Blogger Award Rules:

  • Put the award logo/image on your blog
  • List the rules
  • Thank whoever nominated you and post a link to their blog
  • Mention the creator of the blog and provide a link to their blog also
  • Tell your readers 3 things about yourself
  • You have to nominate 10-20 people
  • Notify your nominees by commenting on their blog
  • Ask your nominees 5 questions of your choice; with one strange or funny question
  • Share a link to your best post(s)

I have to write this note here to tell you all that it was difficult for me to create that list. At last, I have outwitted the bullet list formatting and can continue working on the rules and acceptance.

Three things about me to tell you.

1.  I try really hard to be funny.  Sometimes it backfires and I have to quickly change the topic of conversation.  Other times it is taken totally wrong and I have an angry person instead of a laughing person to deal with.  Once in a blue moon, I get it right.  I do seem to be getting better at this talent with age.  Possibly because I am a huge fan of both Betty White and Weird Al Yankovich.

2. I wish I could afford a maid. I know how to clean, I just really don’t like doing it.  I would rather be working on my creativity than creating a clean organized space to live in.   I am working on that.

3. Blogging is my mid-life crisis self-help therapy.  It is cheaper than a motorcycle, and I can take more than one person with me for the ride!  Helmets are optional.  There are no judgements here.

The Ink Owl Listed five questions for me to answer, as a part of the nomination and acceptance.

  1. Where (physical locations) do you write?
  2. Why did you start writing?
  3. What is your favourite part about your life?
  4. What has been the most challenging part with writing?
  5. What gives you the inspiration to write?

Here are my answers:

1. I used to write in journals when I went to school and university.  I have written on my laptop when I was in a local creative writing group.  That group, which I have the honour of saying I named, Freddy Words, is currently dormant and awaiting a revival.  These days,  I am writing on my desktop computer. PC not MAC. I will be working towards purchasing other electronic devices to write in different locations in the future so that I am always ready to write when inspiration strikes.  My desk is in my living room in the center of my mini home.  I can watch TV, listen to music, and write all from my desk.  It would be nice to write outside sometime.

2.  I have been writing my whole life.  Nothing spectacular in my school days, but I have always enjoyed writing, both creatively and emotionally.  Why I started writing my blog is a more interesting answer.  I watched an inspirational video one day, and it got me thinking. It made me think about how to get my lyrics for songs out of my head and to a place where other people can read them.  Before I knew it, I had to research how to set up a blog, and I never expected it to just take off like it did.  I write and I have a lot of fun with it.  I hope it never stops being fun.  I used to write as a form of not keeping things bottled up.  Now I am practising to write a fantasy trilogy by writing on my blog, building the habit. Always thinking…

3.  The favourite parts of my life are finding my passions.  I love the beach and the ocean, especially in Cape Breton.  I love my husband, and the life we have together is not always perfect, but that keeps things interesting.  I love creating things, from thought to completed projects.  This blog has been a wonderful rediscovery of my own passion for writing.  I truly believe that writing is what I am meant to do, that it is my purpose in life.  I also love it when I line up all my ducks in a row to land the unexpected joke once in a blue moon.  That is something that gives me a lot of joy.  This year I have grown personally.  I am proud of the person I am turning out to be, flaws, bad jokes, and all!

4. The most challenging part with writing is actually three things.  The first one is that I need to know when to take breaks.  I do not have any problems writing, I need to remember to stop and eat, and walk around for a bit;  to step away from my desk. When I decide to write I need to make sure I don’t ignore the rest of my life.  The second thing is grammar and punctuation.  Grammarly is helping with that.  I have trouble with commas,  and use a lot of exclamation points! The third thing is that you should always write down your ideas as soon as they hatch…or you will forget them like I just did for my number three.

5.  Inspiration comes from anywhere and everywhere.  I get a title in my head, I start writing, and there is my story.  I hear people talking and I run with an idea the conversation sparked. I am an emotional woman, and my feelings sometimes dictate the direction a story goes in.  Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and have to get a pen and paper right away so I don’t forget what I dream up.  Other times I use my highly developed pantser skills and sit down with nothing in my head for an idea or plan, and I just start typing.  A short time later I have a blog post or a new song.  I am certain that writing is what I am supposed to do, and with that being said, inspiration can strike at any given moment in any place I am present in.  I have faith and religion in my belief system, therefore all of the inspiration I have comes from God.  He made me this way.  Always thinking…

As I need to post this blog to grab the link to put into my announcements for the bloggers I have chosen to nominate, please allow me a few minutes to type up my nomination memo for the nominees.  I have not mastered the internet well enough to be able to do both things simultaneously. (This note is for nominees-your memo is coming if you didn’t get it yet).

I would like to nominate (in a randomly organized list) the following Bloggers for The Mystery Blogger Award:

Rebecca Craig of Spiritelle Blog

Gordon Dougherty of Unlikely Mystics Blog

Denise Marcello of Denise Marcello Fitness Step out in Faith Blog

Mohamad Al Karbi of  Mohamad Al Karbi Blog

Irene of They Once Called Her Pumpkin…

Colline of Colline’s Blog

Kirsty Allen of  The Ramblings of a Madwoman who hosted  My first Guest Blog, and a little more of the back story.

Payal Tyagi of Writings by Payal Tyagi

Apple Alvarez of Apple Bits Blog

Bonnie McConaughy of Inspire The Best You

Dionne Abouelela of Girl VS City

The Olive Brunette of The Olive Brunette

Sam of the Caffeine Gal

Jessie Wing of Wingswordsblog

As if it wasn’t hard enough to select a few of my favourite Bloggers to nominate for The Mystery Blogger Award, now I have to think of five clever questions to ask them all. The rebel in me has disguised a few extra sub-questions sneakily with the five I am required to ask.

  1. How long have you been Blogging?
  2. If you could put a face and a name to your Muse, who would it be? (My silly question)
  3.  What is your why, as in why do you write?
  4. Do you listen to music while writing?  If so, what artists and or types of music do you enjoy listening to while writing?  Does it change as your story develops?
  5. Who is your favourite published Author?  Do you read their books only once, or do you read them frequently?  If you can’t narrow it down to just one, two or three are also acceptable as an answer, as I have three at the moment, and that is in the top three of a long list of many.

If you check the links above, you will see there is already one link to my first ever guest post.  As per the rules, I can also link to some of my favourite blog stories.

The Little Blog That Could! , I Had Sass in Zumba Class! and When the African Violet Blooms are three that stand out to me and others, based on the number of likes and comments.  I am really proud of all of them.  I have created two regular series within the blog as well, Trust Your Gut and Weekend Warrior.  They are stories that aim to help keep me on track and inspire the readers to keep working on the things that challenge them in their lives.  I have had other people submit stories for Trust Your Gut, and if you have issues with weight, and would like to submit your story, please contact me.  I would love to help you tell your story by sharing it in the series.

I follow more blogs than the ones listed here as my nominees. Shout out to Fears of Little Fears,   Blair of The Shameful Sheep and Brian of Bonnywood Manor Blog  to name a few more blogs that I enjoy visiting frequently.  If I missed you, feel free to answer my questions below in the comments! The more the merrier!

Thanks for the nod, Ink Owl, and I look forward to reading the answers to my questions.

Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 15

Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 13

by | May 17, 2017 | Trust Your Gut

 

Trust Your Gut is a series of stories about real people with weight issues, and complications arising from those issues.  It will explain what the person is facing, what their options are, what they have decided to do to take action, and why they chose the path they are on.  Each person’s story will be based on truth, so it won’t all be happy, but it will be real.  The goal of this series is to get people talking about options that are available for people who have weight issues, on either end of the scale.  If you would like to contribute to this series, there is a contact form linked on my Home page for this blog.  I know there are people out there that want to help people like them; as I do.

 

The names here may or may not reflect the person’s real name.  If someone wants to remain unknown, we will choose a different name for that person’s story.  The goal is to help people, and anonymity is a valid personal choice for contributors.  I will use a person’s name only if they give permission to do so.

This week I am pleased to share another of my own stories.

Here is  Trust Your Gut: Tish’s Story; Part 13

I am retaining water.  The scale is climbing.  I am still fighting a sinus infection and on antibiotics.  I am not scared to eat this week (I see the results of that on the scale) because my insulin and my body have started working together again.  That being said, I still do not feel well.  I am getting my sugars back under control, which is a good sign.  I am still experiencing sinus pain and pressure, my face is still puffy, and the headache is still bouncing around with an aura or two just to keep things interesting.

Where am I headed with my story this week?  Back to the doctor.  My sugars were slipping out of control for a while now, and I was avoiding a trip to the doctor because I thought I was doing something wrong.  I was not eating the healthiest choices and was blaming myself for the sugars being high.

People talk about that little voice in your head.  The negative one.  The one that whispers so quietly you aren’t even really sure if it is in there, but it is.  It’s the one that says my sugars are high because I am failing at my diet and the doctor isn’t going to want to help me anymore because I am not doing my part to take care of myself.  It is whispering that it is OK to try that ice cream because it is a new flavour and once you try it, you won’t wonder about it anymore.  Don’t get me wrong, treats are OK, but they aren’t meant to be an everyday thing in the life of a person with type 2 diabetes.  If I didn’t give in a little once in a while, I would give up and stop caring altogether, and that is not the path I want to walk on.

Another little voice is nagging in the back of my head, telling me that there might be something REALLY wrong.  Like when my knee was infected and my life had to go on pause in order to fight that infection and get better.  My knee still hurts, a little, from time to time.  It is not a muscle pain from any exercise related injury.  It still feels like jello sometimes.  You want to know the scariest part about that whole experience?  They still don’t know why or how it became infected in the first place.

I did what the doctors said.  I stayed as still as possible.  I got better.  I wore bandages for two months on my calves to reduce the fluid in them so I could be fitted for compression stockings.  They work really well because I force myself to exercise.  I have a job where I need to sit for most of my day.  I listen to music in my down time, and I dance in my chair.  I have a stool at my desk to elevate my feet to keep the fluids from pooling in my calves.  I put up my feet and bounce in my chair as much as I can.  Sitting still in a chair all day is not good for anyone.  So I move around to keep the blood pumping, and the music does keep me in a decent mood at work.

I have missed Zumba a lot the last few weeks.  With a migraine, I didn’t go.  With the sinus infection, I didn’t go.  I have decided that I need to revisit the doctor I saw last week.  I am on day 8 of the antibiotics.  Day 10 is on a Friday.  The doctor is only at the clinic Monday to Friday.  Saturday is not a day I want to spend waiting to see a doctor.      I am not getting better fast enough.  I need more help.

When you have issues with weight, it is easier to live in denial about the state of your health than to go to the doctor about it.  It is a vicious cycle.  Eat sleep avoid living and just exist.  If you are morbidly obese like I am (I am fighting for the day I can stop having to use that description for my weight) then it is just that.  It is so much easier to not care and eat whatever you want and be miserable on the inside, faking the happy person you appear to be on the outside.

Because it is all a huge cover up.  Acting.  Pretending everything is OK.  It’s not.  Anybody that has issues with their weight like I do is not happy.  Not truly.  And if you are listening to that little voice and believing it when it says that the junk food will make you happy, you are letting that little voice in your head lie to you.  And you are falling for it every time you listen.

If you are like me, there are discussions that happen with more than one voice in your head at the same time. (That will be a good thing when I am hearing the characters from my book  talk in my head when I write).  I spend more time talking myself out of things than I do talking myself into them.  Because it is easier to do the thing that is not the best choice most of the time.  Easier does not mean better.  If you want something, you have to work for it.  It is easy to be fat.  It is hard work to be healthy.

And then the littlest voice of all whispers that I will still need surgery when I lose the weight because I will have flaps of skin left hanging around.  It is a fight I have been having inside of my head for years.  That one little voice has been working against my wishes to be a healthier person.  It is so quiet, and then it sneaks in and gets a little pushier and louder and then I realize I went off plan again.  I tell myself that I won’t feel guilty about it, but I have layers and layers of guilt protecting my body from the healthier person that I could be.

I have also had a former doctor treat me like a hypochondriac.  I stopped wanting to go to the doctor because he wasn’t listening to me, or taking anything I was telling him seriously.  When he moved away I was lucky that my next doctor was one of the good ones.  He is an advocate for people that try to improve their health, and he was supporting me in my efforts to become a healthier person.

Last month a letter came in the mail.  My current doctor is moving away too.  I am afraid that the next doctor will be another bad one.  So scared that I have been avoiding making an appointment to go, and avoiding my regular blood work as I know the numbers are not going to be good.  Not at all.  I am secretly terrified of what is going to happen when I get another doctor.  That is not how I want to live my life.

So, I am going to the clinic in the morning before work tomorrow.  Not where my new doctor will be, but to the one in the mall where I work.  He diagnosed the sinus infection, and he saw me a little more than a week ago.  I need to feel like trying again.  So I am going to ask for more help.  Because what I am doing now isn’t working, and it is time to try something different.  I want to be better.  I want to get back to living my life, not just merely surviving it.  It is hard to go back to the doctor because I am scared that I will be told to give the antibiotics more time.  Or that he will prescribe the same ones for a longer time.  That is a part of the reason the other doctor thought I was a hypochondriac.  He thought everything that was wrong with me was because of my weight.  He made me doubt myself, and that is why I am having such a hard time with all of this.

My gut tells me that the antibiotics aren’t working.  Tomorrow I will let the doctor know what I think, and I hope that he will help me find another way to feel better.  I hope that a week from now I am back to prep cooking, and Zumba, and feeling like trying to be that healthier person I want to become, again.

Trust Your Gut.

Weekend Warrior # 15

Weekend Warrior #12

by | May 15, 2017 | Weekend Warrior

*Please Note: This is being published before I have all the photos in.  It will be edited again after I have all the pics and the group photo to add, and this note will be removed*

This weekend was busy already.  It is Sunday afternoon.  I am getting ready to head into my kitchen and do some prep cooking.  Before I do that I have to find the kitchen again.  I have been sick with a sinus infection, and things are really falling behind.  So today I plan to do the dishes, clear off the kitchen table, island, and countertops.  I have 1 cupboard that I have decided will be a goal to spring clean inside of it today. I want to reorganize it and find homes for a couple of pantry items underneath the island.  That is what I am up to today in my kitchen.  If I don’t get it all done, I am going to work on this before next weekend, so I can move on with the Kitchen Spring Cleaning project and get into the rest of my home.

I missed a few days of work at the day job this week, because of being sick.  I am starting to feel a little better, and I had made plans a few weeks ago for a couple of things I did yesterday.  I started the day off at a craft supplies sale.  The idea behind it was to have a “yard sale” for excess craft supplies from the vendor’s stash.  I went shopping, and I picked up some beads.

I also decided to take a leap of faith and submit a written piece for a paid publication.  It is a story, and I have sent it in.  The deadline is tomorrow.  I asked a writer friend to do a basic edit for me, and she did.   Now I wait.

I had also planned to attend my first Paint & Sip event.  It was last night, and it was a lot of fun!  I have been wanting to attend one of these for a while, and I am so glad I went!

It was organized by a friend, and six people attended, including me.  It was hosted by Buddy Art Paint & Sip.  The group had looked at some other painting ideas, and took one they liked and changed it from a night sky background to a sunset sky background.  When they settled on a picture to paint, it was planned for last night.

Paint & Sip events are becoming very popular.  People are going to them for fun, and to do something different.  Other people are also using them as a way to raise funds for their favourite charity.  Whether it is a night out with friends or a fundraiser,  it is a fun way to spend a few hours.  Have a glass of wine, or two, share some snacks, and create your own work of art, that you can take home and hang on your wall.

The host painted a demo piece, and he also painted along with us at the event.  This is what we were painting.  The one on the wall was his demo, and the one in the easel was the one he painted along with us.

Paint & Sip Rebecca 5

The Demo piece is on the left, and the painting on the right was the one done during class by the Artist.

 

 

We arrived at about the same time.  We found our canvases, and they were all blank.  We each started with yellow and a circle for the sun.  We listened to Bruno Mars, Sia, and Rod Stewart while we painted the sky.

Next is a progress picture of some of our group.

Paint & Sip Smiles and Sunset Skies

Paint & Sip Smiles and Sunset Skies

Shortly after this, we had a snack break.  There was a nice spread of finger foods.  The wine glasses magically refilled.  It was also time for new paint colours.

Paint and Sip Snack time!

Paint and Sip Snack time!

I made a musical request for the next part.  We were going to be painting the bottom part and the trees in black.  On came The Rolling Stones with Paint it Black by special request!  I was a little startled when I realized there were two paint colours on the next palette.  The white was hard to see.  The host then surprised us with some ’90’s tunes, and some of us were singing along while we painted.

In the end, we had a lot of fun.  There are 6 finished pieces of individual art,  and we all look forward to planning another event.  I am going to share them without revealing the artist at this time.  When the group photo is available, I will add it in and edit this sentence out.  Until then, you can try to guess which one is mine!  I can’t wait to share the horizon of the 6 setting suns!

When I polish this story off after the first published “draft”, when the rest of the pics are added, I will also share the comment from the host that really surprised me!  Keep an eye out for an update to this story, it will have more pictures and be more complete.

If you live in Fredericton and want to plan your own event with Buddy Art Paint & Sip, here is a link to their facebook page:

Buddy Art Paint & Sip

Buddy Art Paint & Sip Logo.

Shared with permission from Buddy Art Paint & Sip. This is their logo.