Monday, Monday

Monday, Monday, can't trust that day!  or can we???

I'm not sure who posted this on FB but credit goes to the cartoonist listed on the picture.  If it were only that easy!!!  Now I have Monday, Monday stuck in my head.

I love to sing.  I grew up listening to Elvis, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Eddie Arnold, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, show tunes, you name it.  My parents' LP collection is eclectic and my taste in music has encompassed KISS, Queen, Abba, Glen Campbell, Disney songs, Christian melodies.

My life is pretty eclectic too.  The house is decorated from early nothing to late "what the hell is that?"

My eating habits have been the same.  I'm giving up Diet Coke but I'm drinking Diet Dr. Pepper instead (so did I really give up the sodas????).  Baby-steps, remember, Strawberry.

My commitments are taking baby-steps too.  I've over-committed myself.  I do that.  But I'm being pro-active and little by little, getting the things done.  I'm not waiting till the last minute to study, to write, to eat, etc.

I'm feeling in control today; can you tell?

Happy Monday.  May your day be as relaxing as Annie's.

back off with the camera!

Signing off,
Strawberry (46 pounds to go)

baby.....steps

I think I know why old married couples choose to start sleeping in separate beds....even separate rooms.  It's a little known fact that we ALL need our hibernation time.  Of late it has eluded me.  I awake bright-eyed and busy-tailed at 1 a.m. (NO, Strawberry, it is not time to wake), 3 a.m. (damn it), 4 a.m. (crap, might as well get up) and thus begins my day!!!I'm a mad bear waddling down the hall kicking anything that gets into my way...usually a squeaky dog toy (yes, my fur-babies know it is not time to get up!).  Last night I decided I needed my sleep (thanks to the non-habit forming commercial, I remembered I had some Z-Quil).  Slept through the night and I'm lovin' it!

I don't usually watch TV in the afternoons but yesterday I tuned in to the Dr. Oz show.  The first part of the episode was about an increase of women having heart attacks before the age of 55.  I knew what would be said.  Let's face it: we ALL know is going to be said about prevention.

1) eat right
2) exercise
3) get yer sleep
4) handle the stress
5) pay attention to the warning signs

One woman who had a heart attack at 32 said she knew heart disease was in her family yet she didn't exercise (unless it was to cancel out the fact she wanted to eat cake after supper).  She loved any food handed to her in a sack and she said she got chills eating anything out of a crinkly sounding paper.

Fast Food.  my downfall.  

There was another woman who had a heart attack at 27.  She DID exercise and eat right.

Each woman's story reminded me how precious we are.  Earthly life is not a "given forever"; we have a time table.  It's okay to splurge once in a while, but if it is every day, we will reap the consequences at a later time.  I'll never forget hearing about a woman who just had a baby.  She was manical (my new word of the day!  Okay, fine "manic" to all you teachers out there) about losing the baby weight.  She finally worked out to grand mal seizures and a life-ending heart attack.  Her body needed to recuperate from the stress of child-birth, but all this woman could think of was a hot bod.

Moderation.  Baby steps for those of us with addictive personalities.

Yesterday I cut out diet coke.  I don't plan to drink anymore but if I do, I will NOT go to the store and buy a 44 oz fountain drink.  I have a few cold 12 oz bottles in the frig.  I know they are there.  I know I can have one.  But I have to drink responsibly.  My habit can take over in a blink of an eye.  I've gone cold turkey before and know I can do it.  I also know all it takes is one wrong move and I'm on that Diet Coke truck again and spiraling toward the first convenient store with a soda machine and $1.61 in my hand!

Baby, baby steps.

I'm linking (or hope to link) Dr. Oz's show from yesterday.
 
Doctor Oz on heart attack.

 I hope you can open this file.  If not, go to "doctoroz.com" and watch his Thursday's episode.

Happy Friday and Weekend, Grainiacs.

Signing off,
Strawberry (48 lbs to go)

Goooooooooood Morning, Monday!

I can't help but say it like Robin Williams.  The initial shock of his death has subsided.  I don't know why I took it so personally.  I didn't personally know RW.  His wife(wives) were not not buddies.  I tried (painfully, I might add) watching his recent sitcom.  Note to aging actors: if you want a successful sitcom, call Betty White!!  She's your girl.  I don't care what she does, she is hilarious.  My new favorite show is Hot in Cleveland. She makes it.  And of course I continue to watch The Golden Girls reruns at night.  I remember watching the show a little bit in my younger days but let's face it, now that I AM the age of their characters, it is so much funnier.  I'm not ready to join the Red Hat Society, though (they just look silly, but who knows, you might see me walking down the street in a red hat and purple bathing suit....then you'll know it is time to commit me!).  But I digress AGAIN!

RW's death hit many of us right between the eyes because he seemed to have his poop together.  Of course I didn't "follow" him on Twitter or People magazine.  Actually I didn't realize he had a drug problem...or if I did...I forgot.  It seems hard to be in Hollywood and NOT have a drug problem.  I can't imagine pushing my child into it, but when we hear of child stars "firing" their parents as their business partners,...well, I guess some do.

And RW was a child (relatively) when he broke into the show biz scene.  Happy Days.  Who doesn't remember Mork from Ork making his appearance and wham....his own show?  Those of us in our teens, DID grow up with RW.  We watched him grow, mature, and become the caring individual.  The pensive RW picture that everyone is showing is definitely NOT the person we are used to seeing.  There is sadness behind those eyes....almost as if he was saying "if you only knew me."

In my youth I remember my friends saying to me "Your dad is so funny; is he this way all the time?"  Yes, my Dad was an entertainer and loved life, but he was not "on call" 24-7.  His job was stressful.  He cut loose on weekends and was able to leave his work behind and enjoy his family and friends then.

I guess I bring this up because we all have skeletons we'd prefer not to show.  I truly believe we lie to ourselves and others if everything is a party.  We all need someone to talk to; to let our hair down and say "this is me."  Love me or leave me.  God created us to be in community with one another.  My prayer is you have a community.

So here's the awful truth.  I've been busy taking care of everything else other than my diet plan.  What?  you ask.  HA, I say.  This is the reality I call the Strawberry Patch.  2 steps forward....3 steps back.  Back and forth.  Yes and no.  Positive and negative.  Well, you get the see-saw idea....up and down.  Thank God, I have a new day; a new week; a new month to try, try again.

Unfortunately I must sign off as Strawberry.....50 pounds to go.  Just keeping it real.

The power of....what's that word again?

N   __.

I'd  like to buy a vowel, Vanna.

Sometimes I feel like I'm on Wheel of Fortune and the answer is staring me right in the face but I don't get it.

That two little word is so powerful and yet so deadly.

Being able to say "no" to someone or something gives us power.  It says I choose to do the important things and whatever you just asked is not on my list.

Yes, it does hurt....especially if you have "savior syndrome."  

I am the only one who can help.

They need Me, otherwise they would have asked someone else to do it.

But saying "no" is more than giving up control in that instance; it is giving someone else a chance to help...to feel needed.  Side note: if no one steps up to the plate, it might be a good idea to just let that project go.  "Let it go; let it go"  sing along with me!

Here's the danger part of NO.

One does not take time for oneself.  The healthy eating plan gets pushed aside to busy-ness and before you know it, you are in line at McDonald's (AGAIN!!!).

Not being able to say "no" robs one of sleep.  You find yourself awake at 1:30 a.m. writing letters and thinking about the upcoming event (you know, the one you didn't ask for help and now you are doing it all alone?!?).

2 big stressors--- over eating or not eating the right balance of food AND lack of sleep.

So now that you know what I've been up to, how about you?  All well outside the Strawberry Patch?

In brighter news, I heard an amazing health report by one Grainiac.  Praise God!!!!!!

Keep working on the power of NO.

Signing off,
Strawberry
48 pounds to go.

Oh What a Night.... or Let's Try This Again!

Career Girl and I went to see Michael Buble in concert and what a concert it was!

I guess my blog from Friday (the "lost" blog) was a bit snarky but really, people shouldn't wear loads of perfume or cologne because when you get together in tight quarters (aka the nose bleed section), it can totally ruin a concert...especially when your nasal passages begin to close and your eyes begin to water and your throat begins to tickle.  Let's just say it is not a lot of fun and it interferes with belting out duets!

Also, while I'm on the subject, while in the crow's nest, your  normal-sized head blots out pretty much the whole stage when you sit forward in your chair.  Sit back, please!

Also, your beer cup was serving more as a screen than a window!  I'm such a bitch, right?  Let's call this Nose-Bleed Etiquette by Strawberry!


BUT....what a show- the parts I could see!  You will not be disappointed from his concert.  He is also quite the comedian.

Phenomenal Special Effects

Hilary and I noticed a section closer to us.  He has/had a second stage (don't know if he does this at all his concerts).  Look!  He's singing, yelling, flipping the finger right at me!!!!  HI, MICHAEL!!!

That's him...on the right

I'm sure I had more to write, but I can't remember what it was.  I DID have a wonderful time visiting with Career Girl.

Till next time, Grainiacs,

Strawberry signing out (47 pounds to go)

Oh What a Night....oh what a morning!

 I lost my whole frickin' blog this morning!  I'm so mad!!!!  Really, pissed.  I posted all about the wonderful concert Career Girl and I saw and now in the blink of an eye, it is gone.  All gone.  So I will have to post about that tomorrow.  This morning I will post about anger and rage and if my toilet was big enough I'd flush this laptop down it!!!!  grrrrrr.....I really mean GRRRRRRR!!!!!

So let's talk about anger.  Is it a needed emotion?  Do you ever feel like you could totally lose control?  I had that feeling once (that I can remember) about a decade ago.  I was having little (big) girl problems and the Dr. recommended a certain hormone supplement (can't remember the name and I say "recommended" because after all IT IS our body and we don't have to take whatever the Dr. prescribes, right?).  I'm not suggesting going all rogue on our physicians but the internet is a powerful tool to check what others have to say.  Another case in point, I was prescribed a certain anti-depressant during a particular time in my life and when I went to ween myself off this drug (with my Dr. help) I experienced "brain zaps."  That is the only way I could explain what I was going through.  I had a dickens of a time walking, thinking, performing day-to-day duties because all of the sudden I would have these brain zaps.  Let's face it, when you take a mind-altering drug there will be some issues.  I googled my prescription and sure enough, loads and loads of people wrote about the same thing. Maybe if I had researched this particular drug, I might have asked for a different prescription (or maybe not!).   The same with the hormone drug; I wonder how many females were ready to slap the heck out of their husbands.  I have never felt so out of control as I did taking that pill.  I know I'll get some flack from this sentiment but I still believe we can determine if we want to take something or not, but for heaven's sake, read the label.  Research what you are putting into your body.  Talk with your Dr. about side effects!

I'm not as much angry as I am perturbed that I AM SICK AGAIN!!!  I can't shake this cold/ allergies/ sinus crap/ "who knows what I have."  Yesterday I was bragging about how I have gotten over whatever we seem to share in this household because I started using paper towels to dry my hands versus a community towel.  Well, guess what?  I'm not saying God zapped me with another cold because I was so non-humble in God's House, but darn it, something zapped me again with this runny nose and sinus pressure!!!!  I am NOT blaming anyone or anything.  I will be humble about it and head out to the store to buy Lysol and more paper towels.  The paper towel antidote was not working by itself.  Many of us in this strawberry patch sneeze before we can get to a Kleenex (I won't say who but he knows of whom I speak!).  So we are still sharing that same damn bug!!!  I'll let you know if I can exterminate it!  I can tell you this laptop WILL die if I lose another blog post!!!  just saying ahead of time.

I will be ending my posts with a little weighty news!  I plan to lose 50 pounds.  I won't be celebrating little advancements like 5% or 10% goals.  It's just there: 50 pounds.  When I weigh I'll keep you all informed (you are my "keep it real" Grainiacs) of how close I am to that 50 pound loss.  I started writing about this new "weighty" news on Friday (but we all know what happened to that blog draft this morning, grrrr)!  So from Friday till today....


Strawberry (47 lbs to go)

"Happier than a camel on Wednesday!"

This past week I spent some time with my daughter in Oklahoma.  

Career Girl is still working in OK and lovin' it (most of the time!).  We went all over the state.  We visited friends in Rural OK (the place where this blog began) and traveled down south to an exotic wildlife zoo.  

****Interesting fact: you have to sign a waiver agreeing that you might be on MTV.  I guess this zoo has its own show.  I hesitated and said I do not want to be on national TV.  It's hot; we sweat; we look like a mess!  Don't worry, she said, just behave and don't do anything like stick your hand in the tiger cage and you should be okay.  

You know me....I wouldn't deliberately call attention to myself.

Here I am with the only baby liliger in the world (or so they say!).  The story goes that the lion and tiger used to live together in the ice age and the time of the woolly mammoth.  The continental shift "shifted" all of that and the lion wound up on one continent and the tiger in another.  This zoo is mating lions and tigers (ligers).  This little critter is the first lion and liger match up.  

It is a frisky little dickens; loved Hilary's hair....although it looks like it is ready to chomp off her ear!!!

Is that Suave I smell or a name brand?