When we were first married, my husband and I would occasionally take a drive through the worst neighborhoods in town. You know, the kind that encourage windows to be rolled up and doors to be locked. The kind that had us scrunching down in the seat wishing the car windows were tinted much darker. I was often appalled to discover homes occupied that should have been condemned and yards full of trash and abandoned cars instead of swing sets and nice new minivans. The point was to remind us both of how lucky we were to live in our humble little house in a safe and friendly neighborhood where it was still OK to take the dog for an evening walk and for kids to ride their bikes in the street. Every now and then it’s good for all of us to look beyond the safety net we’ve never lived without. Last evening, we entered the house after vacationing in Mexico for a week and were totally struck at how lucky we are. Looking beyond the beautiful condo we stayed in on the pristine sandy beach with fabulous restaurants only a short walk away, is always an eye opener. Little…
Month: January 2010
Hasta Luego!
Tomorrow morning I’ll board the plane taking me to paradise. I’m sorry to say, I only lost 8 of the 12 pounds I intended to lose. So, the 12 pounds in 28 days didn’t go as well as planned, but that’s OK. I gave it a good shot and I’m happy with myself. It was a pretty aggressive goal anyway. A friend told me that she subscribes to the theory that muscle weighs more than fat so if it werent’ for all the muscle I’ve gained I would surely have lost the entire 12 pounds. Thank you, Ann! I’ll go with that! Until next week, Mary Ann
So I Thought I Was Done!
I’ve had my hands full lately, helping out friends and family in different ways. It got me thinking about the old saying that a mothers job is never done and how true it is. I’ve spent a lot of time wanting to be done over the years yet there never seams to be an end to it. Looking back, I realize just about the time I thought I’d get some sleep, the baby’s cry would cancel that! Just about the time I’d gotten kids down for the night, one of them would need a glass of water, have a nightmare, throw up, wet the bed, or cough all night. Just about the time I thought I was done, I found myself waiting up until curfew, doing the mom breathalyzer test, checking the mileage on the car and worrying to death that they might make the wrong choices. Just about the time I thought I was done, I became a wedding planner for the most important day of their lives, responsible for the memory they would carry with them forever. Just about the time I thought I was done, I found myself wanting every holiday to be the best one yet,…
Counting Down in a Whisper
Mexico is seven days away. I’ve been avoiding the subject because in the big count down, I pledged to lose 12 pounds in 28 days. Well, it just seamed like a piece of cake when I started out, but something has happened. The first 6 pounds flew off like dust in a hurricane. I was thrilled and confident. Surely the next 6 would be just as easy. Wouldn’t you think I’d know by now? If it were so easy, I’d be light as a feather all the time. So, I’m fessing up here. I still have 6 pounds to go in one tiny short week. I’m working hard at it especially in light of the rule I made. Remember I said I wouldn’t board the plane unless I met my goal? I’ll tell you right now, I totally plan to break that rule. I will, though, be honest about it. I’ll exercise like a crazy person and eat like a humming bird. Who knows? Anything is possible. So, I’m cheering on anyone doing this with me. We have seven day to reach our goal. I say, let’s get on the floor and start crunching! P.S. I hate this! Later, Mary…
Are We Soggy Yet?
Everything is getting soggy. Even my dogs are squishy, ring-me-out, soggy. Have you walked across your lawn lately? Don’t do it. You could drown out there or sink down in mud so deep you’ll never be seen again. It’s like the quick sand in those old Tarzan movies where some guy on safari has fallen in. He struggles to get hold of a good strong branch in order to pull himself out. He grasps it just in the nick of time and we all exhale only to suddenly gasp again! The branch turns out to be a king cobra. We say our goodbyes. Next thing we see is his safari hat sitting on top of the quick sand, marking the spot. Well, it might not be quite that bad, and I’m probably the only one who remembers those old Tarzan movies anyway, but you get my drift. It’s a tough time of year for us Pacific Northwest folks. The Holiday Season is behind us, the decorations all put away, there’s nothing left to celebrate. We look forward to spring but let’s face it, spring is a long ways away. By mid February we’re desperate. The dark rainy short days really start getting us down.…
Secrets
Picture of me in 1971 We all have our secrets. Mine is that I used to be a mermaid. I lived in Puget Sound, rather cold waters for our kind but we’d grown up here and didn’t want to migrate south. We developed thick scales to hold in the warmth of the sun. They held in the heat like solar panels. As you can imagine, we took advantage of every sunny day that came along, even at the risk of getting spotted by curious humans. That was always funny, particularly the fisherman. They tend to nip at the bottle when they’re out on the water for a while, so I’m sure they often wondered what kind of trick their minds were playing on them when they saw us. Some of them would get out the binoculars, wondering what the heck that was, laying on a jutting rock in the distance or a dock outside an abondoned cabin. Sometimes, they’d get all excited and pull up anchor, reel in the lines and start the motor, cautiously approaching, hoping not to scare off whatever it was they were seeing. Hoping it really was what they thought it just might be! It was…
What the Blog!
Somehow, I’ve managed to mess up my web site. All of my pictures have disappeared, but only on my computer. So today’s blog will have no picture. I will have a web site with boring blogs until I figure out what I did and how to fix it. Some of us just aren’t cut out for anything more advanced than an electric mixer. That’s me. The electric mixer in a world of advanced technology. I bet I’m the only one still wearing an apron in the kitchen too! Well, some of us get food all over the place when cooking and unfortunately, that would be me. A kitchen slob, but a reasonably good cook so who cares? Regardless to all of the above, what really counts is that there are only 16 days left in the count down to Mexico! Yes! I’m on schedule with only 6 pounds to go. I know I can do it! Even if I have to wire my jaw shut or have Patrick drop me off 50 miles away from home, I’ll diet and exercise my way to my goal. The thing is, if I don’t make it, I don’t get to board the plane.…
The Bicycle Adventure
So, back to 12 pounds in 28 days. I’ve shed 5 and I have 19 days to go. I’m definitely on track! Getting through New Years without totally inhaling the most delectable foods available to mankind was an act of self control I’ll never be able to muster together again! It was will power at it’s best. I’m in awe of myself. Well, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the drift. I did good. I’m getting a little bored with the walking thing, so yesterday was the day to break out the bike and hit the road! I went full throttle, took the long way around the island, tackled the roller coaster hills like a professional. Did 11 miles on shaky sore legs, soon barely able to make contact with the seat of my bike, so tender was my…..anyway. I drenched my shirt and my head was shriveling under my helmet, the body heat from my intense workout melting the extra pounds right off of em as I tore up the road. Back at the house, I did crunchies and crunchies and crunchies! What I didn’t do though, was stretch. Today is a quiet day…