Another Year

Another year has slipped away, much of it spent in political thought, study, reading and writing. As grandma always said, no sense crying about spilt milk but I feel a sense of despair as I see the America I grew up in slipping away ..turning into something that looks like another country and not a very nice one at that. So much hatred and anger, and a war that grows more disheartening every day.

We don't own the world and the sooner we admit it, the better. Everyone does not want to be like us, even though most Americans do not believe it.

Fall is nearly gone now, the skeletons of the bare hardwoods are gray and drab, dull and dreary  on some days but at least a few days have still had the brilliant blue skies that make even those empty branches seem beautiful. Kinda like an old movie star with wrinkles and graying hair who goes into a makeup room and is transformed for a moment in time into a breathtakingly beautiful  young goddess again...Elizabeth Taylor turned 29 for the day!

Speaking of bright days, I finally broke down and ordered a goLight which I hope will help me combat my S.A.D. this winter. I am so tired of feeling as though I am under 8 feet of water from January until Spring's sunshine days are back again. I KNOW I need to get up from my chair and clean, exercise, work on my hobbies, cook and bake and DO things but it is as though I am caught in a vise. Once the bright sunny days appear, I am back to my old self but our long gray  winters are stealing precious days and  I need to do something about it. Hence, the litebox, on sale at Costco and hopefully on it's way to NY State.

Spent 3 hours today shampooing that darn living room rug and it still looks spotty but the Christmas chalkware collection goes up in here next week and on the last Monday of the month, 2 of our daughters and maybe our grandaughter will be here to trim at least 1 or 2 of the trees, set up the Christmas Village, put out Santas and Snowmen on the shelves over the dining room doors and on the hutch, bring out the fabric Santas and set them up in the living room and laugh, talk, drink tea and eat and laugh some more..I look forward to it every year. The teddy bears of Christmas are waiting to take their turn as soon as I get the teddy bear room cleaned out and pack away the summer and fall bears. Everyone in the bear family has to spend at least a few months a year in the "Vacation Houses" [really big tupperware tubs] because I have so  many. A few of them have gone to new homes and a few more will be going this year...somebody else will have somebody to love!

That's all for tonight, want to finish reading "Skipping Christmas" [even though I think I can guess how it will turn out] before calling it a day.

Food, Exercise and All That Stuff

Well, here it is March..No I didn't forget you dear Journal, but time flies and I have so much to do and so little time. This month I am back checking my scales quite frequently because I am with my usual wintertime weight gain. We have had so much snow and so many cold, windy and  just miserable days I have not been walking. I did finally start my "house walks" which consist of 6 to 15 minutes walking from one end of the house and back with several detours around tables, benches, more tables and so on interspersed with some marching in place or walking in place in front of the clock in the kitchen. I try to do this twice a day if I can stand it. [Boring !}

Along with a few stretchs every day and an occasional half day spent cleaning these darn off white [now dingy tan] carpets those walks are my main exercise for now.

I am afraid I will have to resort to cutting back on carbs for awhile to lose the 10 # I gained since last November but I just can not do one of those Atkins type things. I am not terribly fond of meat, too much fish is tough to force down and I expect to start laying eggs any day now since chicken seems to be the meal of choice around here.

I have been dutifully eating more bran flakes and less candy. I did great on the 2 apples a day for awhile but now have decided that red grapes  and bananas are filling my fruit cravings [along with OJ] on most days. The 5 a day usually is no problem but I do have days when I can eat 6 or 7 servings of fruit and veggies. I found a couple of old notebooks from 15 and 10 years ago, I only weigh about 5 pounds more than I did then but of course none of my old clothes fit.. I have turned into a marshmallow I'm afraid!

Well, my mom should have published a book about weight control, she had it down pat: "Eat a little less, move around a little more". Gol' darn it, Mom, you could have made the family rich if you had only published that 1 page book! Millions spent every years on diet books, diet plans, exercise equipment and special diet foods..people just need to use common sense..Eat Less, Move More.  I will start tomorrow AM....