Friday musings…

This morning on my Facebook I posted a little blurb about going to the gym and how I feel like I’m making a little progress. (sedentary to moving is progress) Through the course of comments someone asked me where I was going. Well, being the thinker that I am (okay, it was a brilliant flash of inquisitiveness that lasted a whole 10 seconds before I was interrupted by a kid wanting chocolate pudding for breakfast, but the thought remained), I thought that was something I needed to ponder more. Why do we think that we have to lose weight and get ourselves in great shape before a trip? I’m so guilty of that, just like many others. Why do we let the media ingrain that into our psyches, you need to look good before your next big event? I saw a commercial for diet pills that made a reference to dropping weight before your upcoming class reunion. Seriously, think about that. How many people do you know who are still at his/her high school weight? Okay, I have this friend who is and she’s given birth to 4 children, but she’s got to be a Stepford Wife. (I love you, girl, just a little jealous…ha!) I’ll admit. I skipped the visitation of a lady in our community I had known for years because I knew her grandson would be there and the last time I saw him I was in high school and 60 lbs lighter. Why? I have no idea! Do I want to impress him? Not at all, I haven’t seen the guy in 25+ years and don’t really care what he thinks of me, but that old insecurity was there. Maybe it was because I really felt like I’d let myself go. Maybe that was a big turning point for me, too.


In my Facebook post, I noted that I’d been going to the gym regularly since November. I was doing mostly Yoga for November and December, and part of January, but when I started working out with the 5 AM girls (love those girls!) I “kicked it up a notch”! Since November I haven’t lost much weight, but I have firmed up all over and lost several inches. When I first started 2 minutes on the elliptical and my legs were SCREAMING (really bad things…telling me they were going to torture me for several days if I didn’t stop!). This morning, I did 10 minutes on the elliptical at a good, steady pace, and still had enough energy to move on the 5 miles on the bike and a couple of rounds of circuit training. I shouldn’t be discouraged (even if I was next to a cute little 20 something on the other elliptical who made me feel like a senior citizen…but she’s a sweetheart so I can’t be angry). So here is another turning point. I am going to embrace my progress and not grumble about how slowly things are going. This is the healthy way to lose; to keep plugging away little by little until it has become a lifestyle, not a diet. This summer, I will have the energy to play catch with the boys…or tag…or whatever they want to play. I’m not working out because I have someplace to go or someone to see, I’m working out for ME. I want to be a healthy mom who is involved in the lives of my children and not just a watcher.

As the Reebok slogan goes…..”Because life is NOT a spectator sport!”


...and because I like blogs with pictures, here you go.  I'm posting this one because it makes me happy, and it's been a loooooong day and I'm cranky.

…and now here’s something we hope you’ll really like. (think of the voices of Rocky and Bullwinkle)
I ran across an little interview on another website today and thought it was so fun, so I shamelessly stole this idea from Jessica Sprague’s website (www.jessicasprague.com she’s photoshoppy awesome, check it out), but somehow I don’t think she will care…or even find out that I changed it a little. Feel free to borrow the idea….but let me know your answers. (I’m just curious like that).

1. If you had to live off two foods for an entire month, what would you choose?  Only 2!!! Gasp! Wheeze! I want to say I’d be healthy and eat fruit and grains, but that’s just a big lie, so how about Mexican & American? Does that count? Wait, this is my interview, of course it counts.

2. Crayola wants you to name their newest crayon; what color would it be and what name would you choose?  Joy, rapture! I get to name a crayon….I have arrived….hey, that’s it! “I have arrived” would be the name and it would be turquoise and lime green swirls w/ sparkly things in it. (gotta have some bling)


3.  If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?  No question about it, **** Havenwood Road, Viola. There’s no place like home…unless it’s that one room in the original version of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. You know, the one where everything is edible…I could do some damage in there!

4. If you could have a super power what would it be?  I would choose the ability to recognize BS right off the bat…wait, I teach high school, I’m pretty good at that right now, so I would want the power that Samantha from Bewitched has, to wiggle my nose and make changes. (no more dirty house, no more dirty laundry, gorgeous landscaping, a pool, etc.)

5. What tool in Photoshop do you think is the awesomely awesomest?  Hmmmmmmm, I love brushes, brushes are my friends, we make pretty pictures together….yep, I choose brushes…and Ctrl Z (love that undo button!)

6. PC or Mac?  Sigh, right now I have a PC, but I drool over the MacBooks on almost a daily basis. I feel there is a MacBook Pro that wants to live at my house, so please, feel free to bring it home to me. We wouldn’t want a sad Mac floating around out there somewhere.

7.  Coolest thing about being an artist?  The ability to try new things, experiment with color, get messy, pretend that someday my art will sell for millions of dollars….but I don’t want to wait until I’m dead, I want to be able to see it hanging on a wall in all its glory (my walls or the walls of my children do not count).

8. Do you talk to your computer? Does it have a name?  Yes, I talk to it, but sometimes it’s not the most encouraging tone of voice, and its name changes depending on how well it behaves….and right now it isn't behaving very well.