by Tish MacWebber | Jul 25, 2017 | Weekend Warrior
Please accept my apologies for posting this on a Monday. (Which is now Tuesday). I was literally too tired to finish it before I went to bed last night. The weekend was THAT busy and took ALL of my energy by the end of it. I started writing it yesterday morning and will leave it in its original format.
I am in the middle of a busy weekend again! I find that it happens a lot in the summer. The sun is out, and people want to do more things together. Family and friends gather around, yard sale season happens, and there is always something going on somewhere. Usually too much to be able to participate in all that you want to do.
Back in April, we took a road trip to visit Nanny Webber in Nova Scotia. Yesterday was her 109th birthday, and we went back on a day trip to visit and have some birthday cake. We got there and she was very happy that we made it. We didn’t commit because sometimes things happen, and just in case we couldn’t go, we didn’t want to make a promise that we couldn’t keep. I am happy to say that she was surprised to see us step through the crowd of people. In fact, I would say she was delighted.
She and Roy’s father were happy to see us, but a little sad that it was just a day trip, and that we would be making the drive home the same day. She told me that she kept asking her son, Roy’s dad if we were going to make it. He didn’t know. She said she kept asking him because she knew that if Roy made the trip, that I would go with him. What a nice thing to say. Nanny Webber really is a special lady, and I like spending time with her.
I had made her a bracelet, for her birthday. I made it too big for her wrist, but because I made it, I packed what I needed to fix it if I had to. I asked her what colour to take out, and with a few minutes and 2 tries, I got it to fit better.
On the way back from the party to her place, we had a car full of party food, gifts, cards, and balloons. I took a few selfies of me in the car with the balloons. I mean, when I looked into the back seat, all I saw was balloons! It was just screaming selfie!
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109 Birthday Balloons
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109 Birthday Balloon Selfie
We went back to her place and made a visit. We had a plate of sandwiches and sweets. Then we got her to open her gift. What do you give someone for their 109th birthday? Well, along with the custom made bracelet, we found a little crystal flower and vase decorative suncatcher in pink and green. We also got her a piece of decorative art, themed with things grandma says. She read some of it, as the words went in different directions within the frame.
Then it was time to go. She said she had a good day, and I think she was a little tired but didn’t want to tell us. So we said our goodbyes and went to our next stop.
We had a 4 to 5 hour drive in each direction. We planned to have supper with a friend on the way home, to break up the drive. We had a nice visit and then got back on the road. It was 1 am on Sunday by the time we got home.
We set the alarm and went to bed. By 1 pm, we had divided to get some groceries and to start laundry, got a chicken in the slow cooker, put away the groceries, and started the dishwasher. We were off and running to go see Spiderman Homecoming with friends. I enjoyed the movie, it was fun.
After the movie, we rushed home to get the house ready for company. We were expecting guests and they were staying overnight. We finished up after they arrived, and had a filling chicken supper. We had strawberry shortcake for dessert and a visit before making up the bed for the guests. I did not stay up much later than my company last night. It was a full and busy weekend.
What did you do this weekend? Were you a Warrior like me, running here there and everywhere?
by Tish MacWebber | Jul 20, 2017 | Trust Your Gut
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 22
Well, folks, it has been a fantastic day! I didn’t start off too well, I started the day with a sugar low. I didn’t let that stop me, not for too long. I ate my banana in the car and had a juice box when I got to work. My sugars, of course, went up from there. As usual, I chased the banana with a black coffee. That’s how my days start. I don’t usually have the juice box, and I don’t usually have the low at that time of day. So what is going on?
I have worked hard this week to find my way back to working on me. I have had to make some decisions and some changes. I have started cooking meals that are on plan this week, and I am letting myself enjoy what I make. That is how Trim Healthy Mama is supposed to work. I’m not an expert, and I stray a little here and there, but I am getting my groove back, and the scale is responding the right way.
I am also happy to say that I am sitting here melting in my living room. It is said to be the warmest day of the week, and it is more than warm. I am not just warm because of the temperature in here, but also because I have made it to Zumba twice this week. So when I write that I am melting, it is literal. I worked out in this heat, hydrated, and now I am relaxing in my little almost sauna. It sounds better than it is, but I am not here to complain.
I am here to try and help people. I have been lacking in that department, lately, because I was not trying very hard myself. I have had enough of that noise! I am back and working hard to make more progress than before! I am seeing it, and when I see it, I know it is real. I am cooking. I am planning. I am working with recipes that I really love because that is what keeps me going back to this plan.
My sugars are coming back around. That is one of the most important things I can do for my health, is to monitor my sugars, and eat so that they stabilize. I am working on that, and THM is the way for me to do that. When I add in exercise, it is a remarkable difference in how I feel, and how I attack every day. Planning is so important for me when it comes to food. I have worked hard this week to make food that is on plan so I can start winning this thing called life we all play at here.
I am breaking away from the bad habits again. Only I can do that, I have to believe that I am worth the effort. Now that I am back in my routine, and back from vacation, it was time to start working on things that help me feel better, and live life better.
After my on plan supper, I was wanting a little something extra. I tried the new Good Thins Beet crackers. They are OK, but I saw the ingredients and decided to not eat too many. I was debating making an on plan shake or smoothie when my husband showed up. He had picked up his own supper, and cinnamon rolls. But the best thing he brought home was a bag full of fresh cherries. I indulged in a bowl full of cherries. Because let’s face it, life really is based a lot on your perspective, and in what you make of it. I am making the most of things tonight, and having the bowl of cherries, because who wants to choke on the pits? Not me. I’m back, and I am feeling great!
#TrustYourGut
by Tish MacWebber | Jun 30, 2017 | Trust Your Gut
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 19
I got on the scale this morning. The number wasn’t as bad as I was worried it would be, but it is still not in twoville. I knew I would not see good news, but as I expected, there were no surprises there. I know by how I feel what is happening, without getting on the scale every day. It had been a while, and I needed a reference.
I am having trouble in my kitchen this week. There has been an invasion of ants. I have declared war, and I think we are winning. It is a slow progress kind of war, and it has distracted me from my personal tasks and goals.
I have not had an ant free day in my kitchen all week. I am seeing less and less ants, and the ones I saw today seemed to be slower than those in the last few days, so I am tentatively hopeful that this means the war is almost over. I have not wanted to make anything to eat in my kitchen all week, as a result of this.
My healthy lifestyle has become a casualty of war. It could have gone in two different directions. One being I stopped eating anything because I am so grossed out about the ants being in my kitchen. This is not realistic. I have to eat. So I did it again. I ate take out all week. Let me tell you, I am not thrilled about this, but I felt like it was the only way I could eat because of the ants.
Is it a legitimate thing to do? Yes. Is it an excuse to eat out and go the easy route for the week? Yes. Is it productive and conducive towards my personal goals for living a healthier lifestyle? No. Is it a budget friendly option? No. Is it a logical solution? Maybe. I write that because when I haven’t been cooking, I have been hunting and cleaning up the countertop that the ants are crawling on. That means all the hard work I did cleaning the whole winter, my coffee station, and the countertops all have to be emptied and wiped clean AGAIN. For the millionth time this week. Ugh.
I have made progress in other areas of my life in the last month. I have been cleaning and purging stuff. I have been writing about that in my Weekend Warrior Category. I am preparing to write books, and have been practising on my blog, getting into the habit of writing. I have done well with both of these projects, and I can let myself be proud of the progress I am making in those areas. So why is it OK for me to let myself down in the most important part of my life, my health and well being? It’s not.
I had a genuine blood sugar low today at work. My sugars were at 3.9 when I tested, and I was in full panic mode when I did. I can feel it happening in my body. I start feeling a wave of uneasiness, and I start to panic. When it is an actual blood sugar low, I get weak and shaky. My head and scalp perspire profusely. I mean buckets. I get a little confused and have a really hard time focusing. I was in a meeting when I started to feel it happen, and I rushed out asap and tested while chewing up suckers and drinking a juice box. I got some extra candy from some colleagues, and I overcompensated because I was panicked. It took me about two to two and a half hours to recover from that episode. I am much better this evening.
I know why it happened. I went to Zumba last night, and it had been a few weeks since the last class. I started to get my regular exercise routine back. I took my normal amount of insulin this morning. But my body was doing that thing it does when I am trying to watch what I am doing, and it became sensitive to the insulin again. It is great that it works better sometimes, but it is not so great when I happen to have that in between adjustment period that causes me to have lows and have to lower my doses of insulin. Which is also good, because it means that I am achieving better control over my blood sugars. But what a roller coaster ride that can be!
It is hard to adjust to everything all at once. I am a fighter, and I am still able to do what needs to be done. Sometimes I need to remind myself that it is not OK to put my own health and wellness on the bottom of my list. Because it needs to be as important as everything else I invest my time in. I tell people all the time that I am tougher than I look. I believe it. But I also know that I am a human being and that I am not supposed to be perfect. All I can do is get up every morning and do the best I can in all aspects of my life. It is a work in progress, and progress is progress, so I will take it and run with it. Until I can’t catch my breath. And then I will keep moving in the right direction. One step at a time.
#TrustYourGut
by Tish MacWebber | Jun 24, 2017 | Weekend Warrior
It’s here! The first official weekend of the summer! I am gearing up to run errands and host a BBQ today. I have been working hard at my Spring Cleaning Challenge, and I am literally at the finish line! I have made it to the Master Bedroom and Bathroom.
Last weekend, I worked really hard to have the floors done, the guest room ready, and the main bathroom was cleaned. When I did this, I had to move things out of the way. I moved them into the master bedroom. A pile gathered on my bed. When it was time to crawl into that bed, the only logical place to temporarily store these items was in the sunken bathtub in the master bathroom.
This means I made a lot of progress in most of the house, but not all. Today I plan to work on that. The word purge is now in my weekend plans again, and it does not refer to food in any way.
I have been working on this project since last fall. I started with my clothing. I then went through the kitchen and didn’t have a lot to purge there, but rather spent time cleaning and organizing. I have purged my makeup to make room for new makeup. I am still in the middle of writing about that experience. Today I plan to purge and organize my craft supplies.
I have decided that I am not going to do this alone. I have asked a friend to help me with this chore. It is not going to be a hard thing to do, but it may prove to be difficult. Remember when I wrote I had purged my makeup? I gathered it all up and then was unable to throw it out until I bought the new makeup. I wanted to start with a clean palette, but I was very worried that I would not be able to afford to replace everything, and I decided to not throw it out until I had done the shopping so I would not be left without a critical item for my new makeup collection.
As I wrote, I am working on that story, and I plan to have it published sometime this week. If the zit I treated that promptly decided to cause a skin reaction to the treatment and blew up over my face would kindly heal and let me feel like I can safely try my new makeup on, that would be fantastic.
When I went through my clothing, I did it all on my own. I reduced my wardrobe by 50%. I donated it to a friend who upcycles fabric. So far, the only items I have really missed were some of the more lightweight tank tops that I gave away. One of my errands today is to replace those tank tops. I have some, but I have not had a clothing shopping budget regularly for many years. We have been working insanely hard on our household budget, and we are making some changes to that. I am looking forward to the days when I don’t feel guilty about buying a new article of clothing to wear. Or about buying a new book or magazine. Things I like to buy from time to time. Mostly beading magazines, and more recently, a writing magazine. It will also be useful to know what I have on hand for craft supplies, so I don’t purchase items that I don’t need because I don’t know what I have in my stash.
The last area of my house that needs TLC is my office, a corner of my living room. I have been building up to getting this area ready for spring cleaning. It is where I plan to do my writing, and a fitting final task for all of the cleaning I am doing to prepare for writing. I have organized the desk several times since I moved here, and it is long overdue. Time to fire up the paper shredder when I am ready to tackle the last big area. I am really proud of how much I have accomplished this year with my cleaning projects, and although I still have some smaller areas to work on after my deadline, the larger, more complicated projects will be done and over with, so I can feel confident about my home not falling apart when I start writing my book. Maybe I will even be able to make time for more creative projects after it is all finished.
Phase 2 will be starting when I am settling into writing my book. With the larger cleaning projects being finished, I will have to switch gears and get the maintenance cleaning done, to keep my home from ever becoming a disaster like it was when I decided to start the spring cleaning for real this year.
I also hope that this weekend is a start of more entertaining at my house. I am feeling good about it, and not too embarrassed when I look around at the progress I have made here, the last 6 months. Time to get going and finish this stage, so I can close the chapter of Spring Cleaning 2017, and open a new book to start writing it.
I hope my friend enjoys bouncing the house with me this afternoon, I need the extra push when it comes to purging craft supplies. She is invited to stay for the BBQ as a thank you for her taking the time to help me out. What are you working on this weekend?
by Tish MacWebber | Jun 14, 2017 | Tish-ism
It happened again. I was in the car today, with my husband. We were having a conversation, and I completely lost him. And that is when it happened. I discovered a new Tish-ism. I had to Tishsplain how I connected the things we were discussing to my husband. Unlike mansplaining, Tishsplaining is something only I can do. It is not restricted to men or women, and it is never done in a condescending manner.
I am used to this concept, but it is nice to finally put a name to it. Thanks to all of you mansplainers that planted the seed for this Tish-ism in my head.
So what were we talking about?
“Look. It is summer now, and that cloud is saying piss on you as it is raining on us.” My husband started this whole ball rolling with that sentence.
I mentioned an uncle’s name, and his father’s name, and my uncle’s grandmother also. Well, that completely confused my husband. He asked me the question I have been asked numerous times before, and likely will be asked millions more times in the future.
“How does this relate to the rain?”
The answer was quite simple.
“My uncle’s grandmother was known to point at people and say “Piss on you.” ” Luckily, I never made her point that finger at me. If I remember right, it was about losing at card games or bingo.
Now I have a name for that thing I have to do ALL THE TIME.
Tishsplaining.
