Tuesday March 20, 2018

Hello and Happy Spring?  I don’t know where you are from but here in the south it does not feel like spring today.  Yes I know it officially arrived at 12:15 this afternoon and the temperature at that time was about 50 degrees F and it was dropping.  There is actually two inches of snow predicted in this area by morning.

I wore my leather boots to work.  I love my boots and I know that my days of wearing them will soon be over.  Some boots I don’t mind wearing in the summer but it is usually just too hot and humid here to do that.  I overheard someone today say I wore sandals yesterday and I will be wearing snow boots by morning.  Yes that’s East Tennessee for you.

My knee is better but I am still feeling some pain when I overdo it.  That’s what happened on Saturday. I had a meeting in nearby Athens just about twenty miles south of me.  Athens happens to have a Hobby Lobby, which I love.  I was looking for items to decorate a table that we are doing for Thursday night at our Annual Chamber of Commerce Banquet.  The table decorations have become one of the most fun things about the Banquet.  Local businesses agree to decorate a table complete with a nice center piece and take home goodies for six people. Last year we did a batman theme and it was a lot of fun.  This year we decided to go with a garden theme.  Here is a sneak peek of some of the items we will be using to decorate the table.  I will show you the finished table on Thursday.

So after I spent almost two hours in Hobby Lobby trying to decide on a theme. My knee was feeling a little tight.  So of course I decided to visit some antique stores in Downtown Sweetwater, if you get a chance check them out, so by the time I made it home my knee was throbbing. I am a glutton for punishment

I spent most of Sunday taking it easy and my knee feels better now.

Of course when I was in Hobby Lobby I did purchase some yarn.

I will probably make scarves with these. I am not a yarn snob but to be honest Hobby Lobby doesn’t sell a very reliable sock yarn. This usually has to be bought at a yarn specialty shop. I believe if it is worth your time it is worth your money.

Anyway, Happy Spring or whatever you are having where you live.

Lisa

Wednesday 3-14-2018

It seems like I have been playing catch up all week.  I started the week behind schedule and I have been struggling to get caught up.  Do you ever have those times when you have so much to do you just want to take a nap and forget everything that you need to do,   well that’s kind of where I am this week and it’s only Wednesday!!

For one thing I have had meetings every day this week and that puts me behind on everything else that I need to get done.  Another thing that I struggle with is that I tend to think that I have to be such a part of everything that I am involved with.  Now don’t get me wrong of course you want to be involved but sometimes I tend to get overstimulated like a child on a sugar high after eating an entire bag of gummy bears and a box of milk duds, don’t ask me how I know what this does to you,  and I think I have to have the answers to every single one of life’s problems not to mention being the cheerleader, coach and Most Valuable Player at the same time.  This can be exhausting.  I am not trying to play the woman card but I think as women we often think we have to be everything to everyone.   This realization hit me kind of hard yesterday as I was rushing to get to a meeting and struggling to be up up up!!!   So I said to myself what if I didn’t push myself this way all the time?  I think everything would be just fine. So I decided to practice taking a step back and listening more, and watching what is going on around me more and being silent when I want to, and being good to me.  I don’t have to be “on” all the time.   Here are some ways I think I will practice this.

1. Get better sleep at night, I think this really is the key to healthy living
2. Stop procrastinating.  When I procrastinate I find myself running behind and putting
me second because I am taking care of something difficult that I have put off until the
last minute.
3.  Eat healthy but don’t deprive myself of things I love.
4. Get more exercise.  This one has been hard with my sprained knee but there’s still
stretching and yoga and lots of other ways to get more movement.
5. Stop trying to cram 48 hours of work into a 24 hour day.
6. Let go of things I cannot control.  ( This is the hardest for me)
7. Enjoy what is going on around me by truly living in the present.

Wish me luck it won’t happen overnight.

Be good to yourself.
Lisa

Thursday 3-8-2018                                                          

On Monday morning at 4:45 A.M I discovered that me and my luggage do not get along.  I was packed and ready to head to the airport for St Louis. Of course I was running a little late.  I zipped my suitcase and started to put the little handle pulley thing down when I realized it was stuck.  It would not go down. I vaguely remember the last time I had taken it somewhere it stuck like that at the airport and the skycap wouldn’t take it until I got the handle down because he said he didn’t want to damage it.  I should mention at this point I am very hard on luggage

After about ten minutes of struggling, cursing, and pouring a gallon of sweat, could this be considered cardio?, I realized I was not getting this handle down.

I ran down to the basement and grabbed another suitcase much larger than what I needed but the next best choice.  I quickly transferred the contents of the bad suitcase into this one.

This reminds me of the quote from Steel Magnolias where Clairee says to Ouiser “you know I love you more than my luggage”  I think it’s safe to say at this point I love everyone more than my luggage!!!!

I stayed in St Louis for several days for a meeting and didn’t have much time to see anything but the hotel. I stayed at the Renaissance Hotel  right at the airport. This is an easy stay I don’t have to get a car because the hotel has a free shuttle to and from the airport.

This hotel is really beautiful and I can tell you that every team member there has got hospitality going on.  The lobby area has lots of beautiful and comfortable seating. This is a great hotel.

Whenever I travel I like to take knitting with me so I brought a pair of socks I have been working on and this scarf.  I love this self striping yarn. Just when you get tired of a color you are ready to change. I don’t remember where I got this yarn I have a couple of skeins of it. I am using size 4.5 bamboo needles for this scarf and it is really simple cast on 22 stitches and knit every row.   Just straight boring knitting.  The kind I like. Sometimes.

So I am headed home this morning and while leaving the elevator at the hotel an eldery lady said “oh my that’s such a large suitcase” and I proceeded to tell her the story.

See y’all

Lisa

Sunday, March 4, 2018

Several weeks ago I twisted my knee.  It got much better after a week or so but I went to the track and did a pretty rough two miles and reinjured it.  After walking around for several days looking like Jack Nicholson in The Shining, you know where he is chasing Danny through the snowy maze at the end, without the axe of course, I decided to go to my doctor to have it checked out.  Turns out Doctor thinks it is a sprain and will heal in several weeks.  I have a brace and am elevating it as much as possible.  It does seem to be getting better.  But during my doctor visit I had an epiphany.  I have had several during my lifetime.  You know those AH HA moments when you wonder what the crap am I doing?

The main reason I put off going to my doctor is because, don’t laugh, I didn’t want to get on those doctor scales.  You know they always weigh you more. That’s one of my favorite stories, I always weigh less on my scales, um yeah that’s it.   I have at times closed my eyes and told the nurse not to tell me what my weight is because I try to have a positive body image and I didn’t want anything to ruin that.

However, now they give you that darned three page print out of everything including your weight and you know that at some point you’re going to look.

So when the nurse called my name I hobbled to the back trying to look pitiful like I really didn’t need to have to step on those scales.  But noooo they have also added two bars to help you pull yourself onto the scales if you need a little extra help.  I usually take my shoes off but I had boots on so I thought what the heck.  It was not good.

Over the last two years I have gained and lost several pounds with gaining winning out on me.  I tend to be an emotional eater and man have my emotions been going crazy. I have lost three siblings in less than two years and have probably gained 30-40 pounds if I am truly honest with myself.  Its not just the weight.  I admire anyone who is proud of their body at any size and continues to eat healthy.  When I start to gain weight I tend to spiral downhill with the exercise and other good habits as well.

I think that all women and men are beautiful regardless of weight or any other features. What makes a person beautiful is much more than that.

But my blood pressure was up and I know when I get my blood work done my cholesterol probably will be too.  High blood pressure and high cholesterol seem to go up when my weight does.  Also by not moving around as much as I should I tend to be stiffer that is probably what resulted in the knee injury to start with.

So I said to myself this is ridiculous my health could be at stake here.  I only have one kidney (I’ll tell you more about that at another time) I need to get myself in shape.   I guess I am telling you this so I will be accountable and show you the progress.   Share with me what works for you I would love to hear it.  A thirty pound weight loss is my first goal.  I actually need to lose more than that but I am comfortable at that weight.

Anyway I started that day and have really been watching my food intake, carbs, etc.  I still can’t work out a lot yet but when my knee is better I will ease back into walking.

On another note did you see the moon last night.  It wasn’t quite full but it was beautiful with a lots of different colors.

I love these Bradford Pear trees I know they are not strong trees and they usually don’t last long but I love them.  They are always the first trees to bloom here in the south and that is always a first sign of spring.  These are along a driveway that I pass everyday on my way to work.

I love the way the early morning sun shines through the windows and casts shadows on the floor.  I think Scruffy likes it too.

The sun is shining today but colder weather is predicted this week.  I am off to St. Louis in the A.M. for work so I will be inside most of the week anyway.

Happy Sunday.