Young Love

Courage and BF - Camp LeJeune, North Carolina, September 2008. Courage and I made the 8 hour trek there to see BF before he leaves for special training in October. He and Courage won't see each other again until he comes home on Thanksgiving Break.

I had all my hair cut off!

I had all my hair cut off! I love it! It is super short and I know it will be super easy to deal with in the mornings. I have mostly worn my hair very short all my adult life, but recently grew it shoulder length. But I found that I was wearing it up every day...either in a single ponytail, pigtails, or a quasi-bun-like-thing, always wet -because it takes too long to blow dry. So I figured if I am going to wear it up everyday why not just get it all cut off. Now that I have, I realize I have a chin about as long as Reese Witherspoons'. Though, I've always known I have a Richard Nixon length nose.

Home Improvements...Stage 1

My house is a shambles. We are having new windows put in and new siding put on and new paint on the new siding. My husband's old best friend is doing the work. Back in the day, Hubster and Old Best Friend went to Dekalb Tech together and learned all about computers, hardware and software. Over the years they both got technology burnout. Hubster went into business for himself as a locksmith and Old Best Friend went into the home repair business.

The first thing O.B.F. told me on the first day of 'Home Improvement' was 'when I start a project it starts out being a job, then I come across a problem, and it turns into a bigger job, and that in turn unearths another problem and that becomes an even bigger job, etc., etc., etc.,'. Well on day #2 he found problem #1. The old windows in our house are not standard size. The choices were a) delay Home Improvement by a month or more waiting for special order of customized windows to arrive, or b) cut existing window holes larger to accomodate standard sized windows. We went with choice b. That means now I have ragged window holes with no trim around them, no window treatments, drywall dust on everything, and sweaty men going in and out of the house at different times of the day. (Luckily though, I have known O.B.F. for almost as long as I have known Hubster, and O.B.F. 's two workers are guys he has known since high school - they really are VERY nice guys!)

On the 3rd day of Home Improvements, O.B.F. told me to make sure when me and Courage go to the bathroom or shower that we make sure the blinds are drawn because he and his helpers will be on ladders at any given time and they do not know our bathroom schedules. That made me wonder if someone had already been viewed sitting on the throne on days 1 and 2.

On day 2 when the window holes were being sawed out, I cautioned O.B.F. and his helpers that my cats are strictly indoor cats and that rooms with gaping holes should have the doors leading into those rooms shut at all times and doors leading outside should be shut at all times. On day 3, I noticed the front door standing open. A search of the house found one, Blacky, huddling under the bed in the spare room (as to be expected of her, she is a true Scaredy Cat!) and no sign of Lex. After scolding the workers I searched the yard and finally gave up. One sweaty worker suggested he was hiding inside - - - afraid of all the hammering. I assured him that hammering would not scare a big, bad, bold, mountain lion-like cat, like Lex. I figured he was gone for good.

After quite a bit of time had passed I walked by the sofa into the dining area and glanced behind the sofa. Two big glowing eyes looked up at me from behind the dark recess of the couch. Lex! It took me another 15 minutes to pull the couch away from the wall and drag him out by the scruff. He was scared stiff! His heart was racing and he was really stiff! I took him upstairs and gathered Blacky and locked them in the bathroom up there (which they absolutely hate and pee on the rug and stuff in retaliation!). Now any time the workers are going in and out of the house I lock them up. I forget sometimes that people who don't have indoor-only cats don't realize the importance of keeping doors shut.

This was actually week #2 of Home Improvement. A large portion of siding has been removed and replaced. All of my front porch adornments have been tossed onto the hedges like some useless junk! How dare they! I refuse to dust anymore until this project is finished. I am tired of having to park my car in Bum-doozle Egypt in order avoid being trapped in the yard by the work trucks. (Isn't funny how when you are trapped you can think of a million places you need to go or want to go!) There is a huge blue dumpster sitting in my front yard. I am tired of hammering and drilling and sawing and big piles of messes in the yard, but I know it will be worth it when it is all over with.

One worker pulled away a board near the eves of the roof and the biggest wasp nest you ever did see was under there. It was an overcast day and the wasps didn't swarm out all angry, but instead just flew around rather drunkenly. I did thank God that he wasn't stung! If he had fell off the ladder he would have either landed on the concrete driveway (about a 10-12 feet fall) or onto the basketball goal post. Ouch! We have an umbrella policy on the house, but I don't want to test the reliablity and payoff of our home insurance!

Weight Update!

Last night was WW...and even though Arthur and I have slowed down a little, we are still pluggin' along.

Arthur lost another .8 lb. for a total of 18.2 lbs!!!!!!! She is very, very, near her 10% of body weight lost goal. Me, I lost another .6 lbs for a total of 7.8 lbs lost. We have both vowed to include more exercise in our weeks, and started out with an hour long walk tonight.

Anyone who has ever been on a weight loss plan, or has tried to kick a habit of any kind, understands how hard it is to give up food, cigarettes, alcohol, blogging....(wink)....whatever the addiction. No, I don't need to lose a big bunch of weight, but I do have a muffin top that spills over the top of my pants (though not as bad as it has been!) and I suffer from SEVERE esophageal reflux disease. WW has improved my quality of life so much, because I now do not have nighttime episodes with my disease! This improvement came within the first week of doing WW. So even when I meet my weight loss goal, I intend to maintain with WW because the improvements in my health outweigh the temporary satisfaction I get from gorging on food. I thank God that I have in me a determination to HELP MYSELF and I thank God for support groups such as WW that encourage me and teach me to eat right.

Let me also tell you...seeing Arthur lose weight too, is so uplifting and hope-giving to me. She needed to lose weight to improve her health, and for whatever her motivations are, I thank God for them, because not only does she LOOK BETTER, she is doing something that will help her not develop diabetes, heart disease, breast cancer, etc., etc., etc.! And as she sheds the pounds, she sheds some insecurities and stigmas. She gains self appreciation and the encouragement of others. She has a good person in her life who compliments her for losing weight and getting healthier and I appreciate God for him.

Courage is younger and thinner and taller. She does not need to lose weight. However; she is eating very closely a WW diet (WW doesn't call it a 'diet', they call it a 'way of life') because she is very health conscious, too. She is not trying to lose weight, she is trying to keep from gaining the 'Freshman Fifteen'! And WW is helping her to keep those extra pounds off! Also, her BF is a Marine and she is determined to not let him have the better body! Ha! (At least not too much better!)

May God bless you if you are trying to beat a bad habit this day! Thank God if you have the ability to exercise. And then do it.

I got the blues...

I got the blues, because I don't have time to read blogs or write new posts for my own blog. I am bogged down in school work, planning the Itty Bitty Church's very first community function- Trunk or Treat, and a score of other things that are all fighting for quality time in my mind. I keep telling myself that TOMORROW I will have more time to....AAAAGGGGHHHH! The list is long:

1. School Work
2. Plan Itty Bitty Church's Trunk or Treat
3. Plan next ladies church meeting at Itty Bitty Church
4. Pray for people on several different prayer lists
5. Keep a check on my mama who's been having some health issues
6. Keep a check on the Hubster's daddy who is having some health issues
7. Keep a check on various other relatives and friends who have issues in general
8. Excercise a wee bit each day to keep sanity
9. Cook and Clean
10. Plan fall Girl Cousins trip to mountains
11. Plan Arthur's birthday outting
12. Read the Bible or other literature that keeps me walking near God

I know something is left off the list. One of those somethings will pop up while I am working on any item, #1 through #12, get me sidetracked and drive me closer to the brink of a breakdown! Ha! But it's all good. Tomorrow I will have more time.

Tuesday Night Weigh In

Yeah!!!! for Arthur! She has lost just over 17.4 lbs now! That is 17.4 lbs in 9 weeks! I think that is awesome. She has a waist now and she is looking doggone good! She has just 1.6 lbs to lose to reach her first goal of 10% of body weight lost. Me, well, I just got back from a 4 day trip to Jacksonville, N.C., (yes, to Camp Lejeune again - for Courage to meet up with the BF!) . I was bad on this trip. I ate stuff I shouldn't have (pizza - huge NY style slice with MEAT on it!) and raisinettes at night in front of the t.v. I didn't lose an ounce. But on the up side, I didn't gain an ounce either.

We had our first session with our new, MALE, WW instructor tonight. His name is Marc, he is a little older than myself, and he is very enthusiastic! Arthur and I liked him a lot! We talked a lot about the reasons people join WW, other than the obvious reason (to lose weight). Some reasons given were, to help with acid reflux (that was my contribution), to learn better eating habits and nutrition, and to feel better about self. All very good reasons!

We also talked about WW 's current project...for every pound a WW member loses between Sept. 7 and Oct. 18, WW will match it with a 1lb of food (translation: $1 for each 1 lb. lost) which will be donated to two organizations (Share Our Strength & Action Against Hunger) which provide food to those in need - up to 1 million dollars! Arthur and I are excited to lose pounds to help those who need food!

I highly recommend WW to anyone who needs to a) lose weight, b) battles GERD and/or Barrett's Disease, c) needs to learn how to eat nutritiously, and d) wants to feel better about themselves. WW works!

Labor Day Stories

I have three labor day stories to share. Two are labor as in child birth stories and one is job related.

Story #1. I was 38 weeks pregnant with Arthur and it was days away from Halloween. On this particular October evening , I started having what I thought were pains from needing to 'go', but I couldn't 'go'. I alternated sitting on the toilet seat for an hour at a time (straining with all my might, I might add) with walks in the neighborhood, taking baths, eating leafy green vegetables, and just pacing. I was only 20 years old and still a 'baby' myself. Finally, at 5:00 am in the morning, I saw blood. I called my obstetrician who said I should probably get myself to the hospital. My young husband (19 years old) drove like a bat out of you-know-where in our little brown Chevy LUV truck (LUV truck - LOL!) and I am sure all the bouncing around on that seat help speed along my labor. As soon as they wheeled me into the delivery room I asked for my epidural. As scared of needles as I am, I was begging for that one! After that, I never felt a thing. I had already dilated to 10cm and ten hours later, Arthur was born. She started crying as soon as her head popped out and before they could finish pulling her whole body out, and didn't stop for nearly ten months. (She had colic.) She was bald as an onion and as she lay on my chest her big blue eyes searched my face. She had pale skin and a round pumpkin head. I fell in love with her instantly. That night I dreamed (not sure it was a dream, to be truthful) I died. I went towards the light and almost into the arms of a figure with outstretched arms, flowing white robe, and in a light so bright I do not have words to describe it. I realized that I was about to leave my newborn baby and expressed that I'd really like to get to know her first. Then I was sucked backwards through the 'tunnel' so quickly all I saw where blurs of light all around me. When I 'came to' I rang for the nurse who came in and held my hand and helped bring my 103 degree F fever down to normal. It was probably just a dream. But sometimes I can't help but wonder if I almost died on the day Arthur was born.

Story #2. Almost 9 years ,a divorce and re-marriage later, a bit more mature version of myself prepared for the arrival of Courage. I had went to the doctor on two occasions and announced 'I am pregnant', but their tests said otherwise. But I knew I was. I waited another week and took a home test and it was positive. Arthur and I danced a celebration jig in the kitchen before we called Hubster! At 40 weeks I went for a regular visit and my obstetrician said I was dilated 3 cm. He told me to meet him at the hospital the next morning and we'd have ourselves a baby. The next day he scratched out the 'plug' with his fingernail and told me I'd go into labor soon. He insisted on an enema and after an hour and half of sitting on the toilet I understood why. After a couple of hours of painless labor I thought 'This is a piece of cake'. The third hour I changed my tune, asking for the epidural, which the doctor promptly informed me I was too far along in labor and couldn't have it now. After one particularly painful contraction and a long howl that emitted from me, my doctor growled, 'If you'd stop whining and push, we'd have this baby'. I drew my foot back, heel tensied and poised. The Hubster gave me that look...you know, the 'we can't afford a lawsuit' look, and I placed my foot back into the stirrup. Courage was finally sucked out by some type of vacuum device. She didn't cry right away and that scared me. They let us see her for a second and then they took her to the other side of the room to perform the AP GAR test. She tested fine and they brought her back to us. I fell in love with her instantly. She had jaundice, so she looked 'sun-tanned', and her eyes were big and round and her neck long and thin. We called her our little ET. Having Courage was my proof that I really can do anything I put my mind to. (i.e., natural child birth)

Story #3. Early in my first marriage, I worked as a cashier for a grocery store in Lawrenceville, GA. In the early 1980's, Lawrenceville was not quite the culturally diverse melting pot that it is today. In fact, I would say that most of the employees and patrons of this good sized, modern, grocery store were good old boys and gals. You know, red-necks. Our uniform had recently graduated from a gold, button up front, maternity blouse-looking smock with big pockets to a navy blue, polyester pants and button up blouse type thing. It was definitely more professional looking and we all looked snappy in our matching 'suits'. But, we still wore our cowboy boots with the 'suit'! (You can put the redneck in an uptown uniform, but you can't....you know the saying).

Not long after the uniform change, I got transferred to another store location. My new location was on Hwy 29, Lilburn, GA. Now, you must understand, that even though there is less than 30 miles between these two store locations, the atmosphere, personality and cultural differences were like night and day. The first day I reported to my new location I was met with stares. All eyes traveled down my legs to the cowboy boots sticking out from my pants legs. I in turn looked at their choice of shoes. They were wearing nurse-like tennis shoes and other 'sensible' shoes. I felt like my boots were sticking out like red, throbbing, sore thumbs. I had the 'big hair'; they had tamer hair-do's. Dolly Parton, meet Olivia Newton-John.

On my break I strode over to the magazine rack to 'relax'. At my 'old' store, I played Miss Pacman for 15 minutes, chatted with my cohorts or read a magazine (which you didn't pay for - - - you read it and then put it back on the rack). I was too embarrassed to play video games, and didn't know a soul, so I thought I'd go for the magazine.

Just as I reached the magazine rack, the left heel of my cowboy boot hit a slick spot on the floor. Without further ado, I did a split right then and there! I mean, the heel of that boot went straight forward and the heel of the other boot went in the opposite direction. I did a 'now you see me, now you don't' trick. Mind you , I have NEVER in my life ever before been able to do a split, no matter how much I practiced and tried! After I came to my senses I pulled my legs together and slowly, and I do mean slowly because my inner thighs felt ripped to shreds, stood up. As my head reappeared over the magazine rack, my new co-workers started to clap. My face turned every shade of red as I hobbled to the rest room to see if I had wet my pants. Glad I could make everyone feel at ease on MY first day of work there!

Quick Prayer: Thank you Lord, for my two beautiful daughters, who are unique and wonderful and bring me and their dad much joy. Thank you for all the jobs I have had in my work career...the good and the bad. Bless everyone today , Lord; Those who have jobs and those who do not. May all mankind labor for Your good. Amen.