But sometimes...

One vehicle
one driver
driver sick
no travel
no gym
not happy
but
take care of the sick one
and free time

gooooo
yayyy
meee!

No Progress!

No progress, or at least it looks that way.
The scales haven't changed. My clothes fit the same.

But I still claim victory.

I have more energy and I am sleeping restfully and I am getting a lot of things done. And to a task-oriented person, "get'r done" is definitely a measure of success.

But what I count as a victory is that I have not quit. This is week three. I "should" be seeing something, right? In spite of non-visible rewards, I am maintaining my schedule. I know that it will pay off in the long run, or at least that is what I have always heard, always been told.
Experientially, I don't "know" that, however. But I intend to find out for myself.

I know my health will reward me; good health will equip my body to withstand viral and bacterial attack. Improved sleeping patterns will overall benefit every other area of my life.

I am a kinder and gentler Patty.

Go, Me! Yay!

I wanna be a looooooooser!

Of weight, that is, I want to lose weight.

Sometimes I think of my blog as a great place to record weighty thoughts and ponderous issues like political posits, theological questions, life strategies, even simple mind exercises of thought-- but no, now I am going to use it for weighty thoughts -- literally. I journal sometimes, but in this electronic age, with all the electronic toys, blogging is good.

Why lose weight? Well, it used to be because I just wanted to be cute. Now I still want to be attractive (the adjective changes with age -- cute is no longer appropriate) but my doctor advises the weight reduction. Helps with cholesterol, blood pressure, and a myriad of other common complaints that come with being overweight. Maybe age, too, but all the experts say that nothing has to change because of that!

First of all, I am an "apple." That round shape that describes fat accumulation on the stomach, the rear, and thighs. Even my back is a little puffy, for crying out loud!And I still have inproportionate skinny legs and arms.

I see Mrs. Potato Head.

The week before Christmas I decided I would resume my trips to the gym with a purpose and a plan this time. I'm still at it, this second week into the new year. Watching diet, moving, moving, moving -- we'll see. 6 days a week, 3 on for the breathtaking circuit, and 3 days for interval walking on the treadmill.

I always feel great afterwards -- gotta remember that feeling. And energy! Tons more. Well, at least for the part of the day that I generally use it. I get real sleepy at my new bedtime -- about 9 or 10 p.m.

This blog is not meant to be funny. I just want an accountability of my resolve. I keep my BP and weight in another little book -- top secret! :)

I want to encourage and inspire myself.
You go, Patty!

Electronic Communication

We can all think of examples that illustrate mis-spoken or misunderstood communication. You say things on impulse. You regret it. Wish you could repeat it in a different light.

Explain. Defend. Excuse.

If you are chatting in person, you can immediately "fix" it with a smile, a frown, maybe a little other kind of facial expression, or a touch, a gesture.

If you are chatting online, e-mailing, replying, FaceBooking, even blogging, you can be misunderstood. Psychologists tell us that communication is only 3% verbal -- the rest is non-verbal communication.

These adjunct communication signals include facial expression, body language, and how you position your body with relation to the conversant. Mannerisms such as strategic eyebrow-raising can dramatically change the meaning of a simple sentence, double entendre'. Likewise, toe-tapping and finger drumming convey different messages.

Eye contact ... or the lack of it -- that's a big one! Direct gaze, sidelong glances, stare-at-the-ceiling or focusing on an obscure spot somewhere behind the head of the listener speaks volumes for the one who is talking. Gestures, such as covering the mouth with a hand for either the speaker or the listener indicates lying (or exaggerating) or disbelief (or skepticism). Wide eyes, narrow eyes, twinkly eyes.... all add meaning to mere words.

Electronic communication does not showcase a dry sense of humor. Sarcasm is lost in what is understood as real information. Or derogatory remarks. Anger can be confusingly processed by the reader, or simply dismissed as an unidentified remark. "Tongue-in-cheek" certainly can muddy the flow of communication. So often, included in immediate cyberchat is the LOL, the ha, ha, both either capitalized to show some emotion, or followed by grammatical marks such as exclamation points or question marks or quotation marks. Hanging thoughts or suggestions are followed by ....... dot, dot, dot. Tee Hee, <>, sideways smiley or frowny faces are used as attempts to qualify a statement.

Do we edit our own keyboard correspondence? Not usually -- that "Enter" button is so quick to hit-- after all, we know what we mean! It's clear! We do try to edit after it is received and (often) wrongly ) perceived. It was simply a "self-explanatory" note.

Both the speaker and the listener(s) conduct a conversation from their own perspective, in the light of what they know or feel or assume at the moment. I'm not even going to get into texting, another form of sharing thoughts and information. People are connected to the world at a second's notice through personal cell phones -- all at the prompt of a beep, or more likely, a lyrical signal that tells a little bit about the owner.

Teensy keyboards in one little ever-present electronic hand-held pocket-sized device which includes cameras, the Internet, and Google, just to mention a few functional additions, facilitate instant communication.

Ain't technology grand!
You know what I mean.... right? LOL.

Are you co-dependent?

Yes No
[] [] My good feelings about myself stem from being liked by you.

[] [] My good feelings about myself stem from getting your approval.

[] [] My mental attention focuses on relieving your pain

[] [] My self-esteem is bolstered by solving your problems.

[] [] My own interests are set aside for your interests.

[] [] Your behavior is a reflection of me.

[] [] I am not aware of how I feel. I am aware of you feel.

[] [] My fear of rejection determines what I say or do.

[] [] My fear of your anger determines what I say or do

[] [] I put my values aside in order to connect with you.

[] [] I value your opinion more than I do my own


If you have marked yes to more than two of these questions, you might be codependent. Consider the following suggestions to becoming independent.

1. Do you agree just to agree?
Codependents agree because they are afraid of confrontation; they just want to keep peace at any cost. Take a risk! The next time you honestly have a different opinion from someone, take a chance and say so. It will feel great!

2. Do you fear repercussions from others when you confront them?
Codependents are under the illusion that everyone needs to be happy all of the time; they do not want to ever experience conflict.
People must learn to deal with their own issues. You can’t solve them all for them. Conflict is growth and we all need to grow.

3. Can you distinguish between gut feelings and emotions?
Codependents have conditioned themselves to always being wrong.
They ignore the “gut feeling” and respond only to emotional pleas or promises.
Sometimes you just “know” what you know. Learn to trust that feeling and ignore the emotional pleas and begging from those who would manipulate you.

4. Do you believe everyone who "advises" you?
Keep counsel with only a selected few. Remember, not everyone will tell you the truth. Maintain counsel with tried and true friends, maybe even a counselor or therapist.
Be aware that people may try to manipulate or control you by misuse of Bible scripture!
There are some Christians who might say “God says…” to convince you to do something that will benefit them, not you.

5. Do you find it difficult to say no?
Codependents must set their own boundaries and realize it is not merely being “selfish.”
You must protect your own personal resources of time, money, and energy. Generally, people don’t really mind if you say “no” – they will just go on to look for someone who will say yes.

6. Do you accept blame for something just to avoid a fight or a confrontation?
It is a matter of personal integrity to assign blame to the offending party. If you wrongly blame yourself, you are lying.

7. Do you feel you have to “rescue” a person from his or her own consequences?
Everyone needs to be responsible for his/her own actions and reap the consequences. It is the law of reaping and sowing. You may not reap others’ rewards or consequences.

Thanksgiving

As we prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday, we are letting go of some old traditions and starting new ones.

Our son, his wife, and our two precious grandchildren live in North Carolina. New jobs, promotions, distance, term papers, and the economy all contribute to the impracticality of a family reunion this year. But we are thankful for them and for the many blessings they represent in our lives.

We are also changing our menu for Thanksgiving dinner. As the chef around here, I am rejecting the fat, cholesterol, and empty carbohydrates that have characterized holiday dinners in the past. No more pumpkin pie, sugar cookies, no-bakes, or caramel apple pies. The candied yams will have to go, along with the mounds of buttery, creamy mashed potatoes. No more scalloped corn or biscuits.

Well, we will have the roasted turkey, but I have a new recipe that adds flavor as it draws out the fat in the turkey. A pesto of cilantro or celery leaves inserted between the meat and the top skin cuts out a huge % of fat! I am still making dressing, but I am adding my own spices, using whole wheat bread and omega-3 eggs, and lean turkey broth.

Sweet potato casserole from fresh vegetables replace the oh-so-sweet candied yams of yesteryear. They will have an added crunch of pecans with some sugar-free maple syrup as a topping.

Mashed potatoes with skim milk and heart-healthy margarine will be served with thickened turkey broth.

For dessert, I am trying completely new recipes. We will still have pumpkin, but instead of the traditional pie served with whipped cream, I will make a pumpkin mousse made with low-fat ricotta cheese.

The other dessert, just to try, is a pear and raspberry strudel, made with phyllo dough. Fresh pears baked in the strudel and served with fresh raspberries.

Cookies to fill up the cooky jar will be oatmeal with dried cranberries and white chocolate chips. The secret to these delicious cookies is adding a little orange extract to the regular vanilla flavoring.

And cranberry salsa for the turkey.

Heart-healthy recipes from my cookbook library will add to the new holiday "flavor," as it were! :)

We are very thankful for all of the blessings we enjoy. Our children, our families, our church family, all the people God has placed in our lives.

We are thankful for our home and the beautiful kitchen I can work in. Our puppy Buddy, and of course, each other.

Thank you Father God for your Son, our Savior, and the life you have so richly blessed us with. To You be all the glory and the honor and praise!

Thank you, Jesus!

Manners are a good thing! Saying 'Please' and 'Thank you' and 'You're welcome' and 'Excuse me' are all good things. Yes, Martha, yes Emily, good things.

Sometimes we repeat those phrases to make a point, to emphasize our gratitude, to acknowledge another's consideration. And maybe sometimes it is a habit. A good habit, perhaps but a habit nonetheless. Manners should be deliberate and on purpose. They should be conscious and sincere.

I hear a lot of thank you, Jesus. I say it a lot, too. We have so much for which to be thankful to Jesus. But I want to make it a conscious deliberate acknowledgment of what He did for me, for all of us. Sometimes I find myself thanking a store clerk for a refund with more emotion than I thank Jesus for saving me from eternal damnation. I say excuse me or I'm sorry when someone bumps into me in a line, but what I really need to do is ask Jesus for forgiveness, with at least the same degree of remorse!

He suffered and died a horrible death, a lonely life. He was often misunderstood, often ill-treated. He was betrayed, denied, and tortured. No matter what we do, or did, or will do, He asks His Father to forgive us. And He is able and just to forgive us of our sins.

He is everything. He is all. Without Him, we can do nothing.
Thank you, Jesus!