Friday, December 29, 2017

Dance Fever

New Year's is perhaps my second favorite holiday with 4th of July being first. I love to dance with my hubby and there are not  many opportunities to do that throughout the year since we are not bar patrons. Our friends put on a big dance for NY's and it's always a good time. I am especially looking forward to it this year since I've shed nearly 40 lbs. of groceries. Over the last 9 years, it has become increasingly difficult to keep up with him on the dance floor as I often get overheated and can't catch my breath.
 
The DJ at our dances is always open to suggestions for songs to add to his playlist. I've been working on that this morning. Here's what I have so far:
 
  • Get Down Tonight (KC & The Sunshine Band)
  • September (Earth Wind & Fire)
  • Nobody Knows (Tony Rich Project)
  • She is His Only Need (Wynonna)
  • Three Times a Lady (The Commodores)
  • Sail On (The Commodores)
  • Missing You (Alison Krauss & John Waite)
  • Gonna Make You Sweat (C & C Music Factory)
  • Shake Your Booty (KC & The Sunshine Band)
  • Love Will Keep Us Alive (Eagles)
  • Sugar (Maroon 5)
  • Moves Like Jagger (Maroon 5)
  • Celebration (Kook & The Gang)
  • Kiss (Prince) maybe not a great dance song but I LOVE IT!
  • Beast of Burden (The Rolling Stones)
  • We Are Family (Sister Sledge)
  • Footloose (Kenny Loggins)
  • Mustang Sally (The Commitments)
What are your favorite dance songs?
 
love, susan

Thursday, December 28, 2017

Changing It Up

I'm 3 days away from taking a month-long hiatus from social media. I'm not sure now how many years in a row I've done this but I am truly looking forward to it. By the time I get to the place where I know I need the break, I'm already spending way too much time on FB. I had a sweet conversation with a co-worker yesterday who hasn't been on FB for a very long time. She says she reads more national news in her spare time and that makes her happy. And, then another co-worker says she doesn't get invited to some events because she isn't on FB. There is that. Hope my friends don't forget me in a whole month. But, mostly I wonder what I'll accomplish by not staring at my screen constantly.
 
Anyway, I'm also changing up my weekly life list because I have been a bit bored with my previous format. Everything is subject to change, ya know. I'm also going to focus on reading, writing, and photography in January and try to bring it back here.
 
Until then, I'm going into 2018 with my new theme word, resist. This word has so many possibilities.
 
RESIST
  • temptations
  • too many commitments
  • negativity
  • hoarding
  • consumerism
  • boredom
  • race brain
I'm excited to see where 31 days of change will take me. In the meantime, I hope I can come back here and have something to write about. I've been in a real funk lately. The only way I know to get out of it is to get out of the house and take road trips on the weekends. Drive down a road I've never been on. Have coffee in a store front I always pass by. Talk to people. Change the font. Walk a different route. Move my furniture. Clean out the fridge.
 
What do you do to get out of a funk?
 
love, susan

Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Weighing In On Sexual Harrassment

Yesterday I had Christmas lunch with several, long-time friends from my fellowship. There were lots of faces I knew and some I didn't. As often happens, a guy I've never met before sat down next to me at our table. Hubby was to my left. It wasn't a few minutes into our first conversation that guy I've never met before put his hand on my shoulder during conversation. It happened no less than 5 times while sitting next to him. Super nice guy. Don't get me wrong. But obviously a super nice guy with zero boundaries. When we got in the car to go home, hubby says 'I don't think that guy knew we're together'. I assured my husband I don't know how he could not know because I did everything in my power to flash my wedding ring, I lovingly placed my hand on my own man's shoulder several times, and we even talked and joked about our anniversary coming up. There is no way that guy didn't know we are together.
 
Was that sexual harassment? I don't think so. But, I was thinking about it this morning and what disturbs me most is my inaction yesterday. The first time he put his hand on my shoulder I immediately thought 'gosh, this guy is a little presumptuous'. When it happened 4 more times, my thought was 'this guy is a creeper'. I had a super hard time focusing on the many great conversations around me because I didn't know what he was going to do next.
 
But you know what?
 
I never said a word to him.
I never asked him to stop.
I felt frozen.
 
This is really bothering me this morning.
 
I grew up in a time when girls were taught:
  • Be polite.
  • Speak when you are spoken to.
  • Don't be rude.
  • Don't hurt people's feelings.
Here's what I think today. I don't need to be rude to this fellow if I see him again. I need to educate him.  Here's how the conversation might go: "Look dude, I don't know you and you don't know me. You have now come into my personal space and touched me without my permission. I am uncomfortable even having this conversation. Please stop."
 
Where I think sexual harassment starts is when I have that conversation and he continues. Or, I have that conversation and he gets butt hurt and makes me pay with the silent treatment. Or, I have that conversation and he makes my life miserable by gossiping or bad mouthing me.
 
Why do I care? Because what if he just doesn't get it? What if I'm being overly sensitive? What if I'm wrong?
 
When people talk about the rash of disclosures going on right now over sexual harassment, I think this scenario is how it starts. What kind of example am I being for my granddaughter or my young friends?
 
What are your thoughts on this matter? How would you have handled it? I really want to hear from you.
 
love, susan

Monday, December 25, 2017

Last Week of 2017: Christmas Day Life List


Looking Out My Window We had a white Christmas this year. I felt genuinely happy for all the littles that got to wake up in eastern Washington this morning to a blanket of fresh snow. It is beautiful and was still snowing this morning. The numbers this week are 27, 28, 31, 34, and 38 so we'll have that snow for a few days.
 
Weekend Review We went to our friend's place Saturday night for dinner. Loved that! I need to return the favor now. I forget they are dog people. We don't have many people over any more because three dogs is just a lot for people who are not dog people. I bought furniture this fall so I even have a place for them to sit when they visit. We didn't make it over to Portland because the weather got severe yesterday and, boy, are we glad we made the decision to stay home. Freezing rain in Portland is treacherous. We spent today down at the club with some great friends. Fun conversations and hugs. When we got home, I went out and played with the dogs in the snow. They LOVE the snow. One of my friends asked me yesterday if my dogs get cold in the snow. As a matter of fact, they don't. Two of them are double coated but the little scrappy one, Remi, should be cold but I have never once seen her shiver. She's different, that one.
 
What I'm Learning I pushed past some fear this week and made a decision to move forward on something. If it works out, I'll write about it. If it doesn't work out, I'll write about it. More is always being revealed.
 
What I'm Creating Nothing. Carving out time for naps and Netflix.
 
What I'm Reading Received a new book in the mail I just started called Big Love by Scott Stabile. I will try to write a review when I finish it.
 
What I'm Watching I watched two movies this weekend, Talladega Nights and Rumor Has It. Also finally finished Shameless. Time to start a new series. Any suggestions?
   
What's On My Camera Dogs.
 
A Quote
“The secret of joy in work is contained in one word – excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it.”  Pearl S. Buck
 
A Peek Into My Week I have tomorrow off which will make 4 days off for me. Super nice to have this break. I have nothing on my calendar this week and I'm okay with that. It's nice to have a break from this busy life.
 
A Final Thought This week I've been practicing being a good listener, just getting back to some basic beliefs about the world. It's all good.

love, susan

Thursday, December 21, 2017

A Day to Be Celebrated: Winter Solstice

"Cosmo"
I photographed him last August.
To me, he is the poster child for winter.
Happy Solstice day everyone. I woke up surprisingly cheerful this morning. Today is the shortest day of the year, in case you didn't know. Change is only 24 hours away. 
 
Tomorrow in eastern Washington, we will gain 3 seconds of daylight and it gets better from there.

FUN FACTS
Did you know today:
Fairbanks, AK will enjoy 3:41 hours daylight
Yuma, AZ will enjoy 9:59 hours daylight
Kennewick, WA will enjoy: 8:36 hours daylight
 
I found some nice quotes for this first day of  winter. Enjoy today wherever you are.

"The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event. You go to bed in one kind of a world and wake up in another quite different, and if this is not enchantment then where is it to be found?" — J.B. Priestley
 
"The pine stays green in winter... wisdom in hardship." — Norman Douglas
 
"My old grandmother always used to say, 'Summer friends will melt away like summer snows, but winter friends are friends forever." — George R.R. Martin
 
"I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, 'Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.'" — Lewis Carroll
 
"Snow was falling, so much like stars filling the dark trees that one could easily imagine its reason for being was nothing more than prettiness." — Mary Oliver
 
love, susan

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Mini Dreams

It happened today. I found my people!
 
When my son gave me this car (Mini Cooper S), we had a nice talk about all the little bells and whistles. I had forgotten it has heated seats until a couple of weeks ago when I was complaining about being cold. He had to remind where to locate the button for that great luxury.
 
On the front of this car, there is a little round magnet holder called a grill badge. He had a couple of magnets to choose from but I chose the heart one. "It's a Mini thing, mom". He told me that I'll probably start looking at all the grills on Minis to see what badge they have. He was right. I have yet to see one here but I think that goes with the territory. We're a little weird behind the times on this side of the mountain.
 
Having a Mini Cooper was never my dream. It was his dream. But when he said they were downsizing and wanted to give me the car, I was thrilled to pieces. I had sold my motorcycle last spring after making the decision that I didn't need to be riding any longer. My son thought having a convertible might be just as fun as motorcycling for me. Some will debate this but I believe he was right. Besides having the top down, the two best things about this Mini is she flies like the wind and corners like nothing I've ever driven before. I love this car.
 
So about today. Another Mini driver waived at me. Not the kind of wave where you put your whole hand up to say HEY, I'M HERE, LOOK AT ME!  No. This was kind of like a motorcycle wave. A cool wave. Like, "hey, I know how you feel in that Mini". It was an electric-blue racing-striped coupe, kind of like a little brother to mine. I was thrilled but kept my head and gave a cool wave back.
 
Now I feel like I've been inducted into the Mini Cooper Club. Every morning on my way to work, a smoky colored Mini and I cross paths at about the same intersection. Dude, I'm waiving tomorrow. The cool wave. The kind where you don't take your hand off the wheel but you lift  a couple of fingers and maybe even tip your head in a knowing way. Cuz, now I know the dream. And, maybe, just maybe, this side of the mountain will be a little less weird and a little more friendly. Keep spreading the love, Mini people!
 
love, susan
 

Monday, December 18, 2017

Three Days to Solstice: A Life List

Looking Out My Window The weather is warm today and the rest of this week. The numbers 53, 53, 44, 39, and 34 I can live with. This weekend I wore long underwear both days and still was frozen to the core.
 
Weekend Review I got out Saturday and did three dog shoots for the rescue. All super nice dogs. The puppy pictured here is 6 weeks old. The lady with the big smile is a fairly new friend who I've met through rescue. She is pretty much love with skin, that one. I love this photo soooooo much. I see things, you know. That smile is the smile of a woman who is smitten. Sunday, I had lunch with my chosen family. Loved that!
 
What I'm Learning Boundaries. I'll just leave it at that.
 
Bear's feet hardly touched the ground at this session.
Can you say high energy?
What I'm Creating I've got nothing going on right now. I'm in winter mode which means way more chair time. I did get every bit of laundry done this weekend and even got everything put away. It was a goal for 2017 to finish laundry to the point of putting it all away. This weekend was a first but I say progress, not perfection.
 
What I'm Reading Oh, I have 3 books going right now. Nikon D3200 for Dummies, A Man Called Ove, and Slaying the Dragon. I am having a terrible time trying to focus on any one thing. Race brain. If you have it, you know what I'm talking about. If you don't have race brain, I can't explain it.
 

Bouncer needs someone to love!

What I'm Watching I'm in the last season of Shameless. I'm hoping to see the animated Pixar film Coco sometime over the holiday, even if I have to go by myself. Looks like something to be seen on a big screen.
 
What's On My Camera  Dogs dogs dogs!
 
A Quote for You
A lack of boundaries invites a lack of respect.
 
Show dog moves!
A Peek Into My Week I'm in survival mode. After Thursday, we start gaining light.
 
Final Thoughts This week I'm suiting up and showing up and that's about all I can promise. Gray skies have got me sunk into the mire. I'm doing everything in my power to keep my head above the water line. Friends who show up for me are like that Spirograph that Santa brought you when you were 8, just really special. I feel giddy when they answer my call to gather. You know who you are and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for being you!
 
love, susan


 

Friday, December 15, 2017

Day 231: Observations of My Journey on Bright Line Eating

Today marks the 231st day since I made the decision to change my eating habits.
 
Starting Weight: 185
Current Weight: 148.8
Goal: 140
 
I've been hovering just under 150 lbs. for a few weeks and thankful I haven't had a gain. A person has to hang on to something positive. There have been plenty of positives on this journey, for sure.
 
Some observations I've made in the last couple of months have been not small ones.
 
Snoring. I've quit snoring. OMG! Nobody is happier than I am except maybe the hubs. Not only did I often wake myself up but I have no idea how many times he couldn't sleep because of it. It was so bad that I dreaded going on my annual girlfriend trips as I sure didn't want them to hear my snoring.
 
Inflammation Gone. My frozen shoulder pain has completely disappeared. I hadn't connected the dots until I saw a family friend who happens to be a massage therapist. She had seen me in March and I had complained about it then. The pain was so intense that it would wake me up out of a dead sleep along with the snoring. I was a mess. I could not move my arm and had to physically lift it with my other arm to roll over. When I saw her at the beach in September, she asked me about it. When I told her it was completely gone, she asked if I had seen a physical therapist or chiropractor about it. Nope, nobody got time for that. I told her I had no clue why it quit hurting. She reminded me that I had completely eradicated refined sugar from my diet.  Sugar is an inflammatory, did you know that? It's the only explanation for it. Huh! I am now a believer.

No More Fanny Pack.  I no longer have a flap of creased fat hanging on my belly like an out of fashion fanny pack that causes stinky, itchy sweat. Sorry if this grosses you out but it was a source of terrible embarrassment for me. If nothing else, this one thing was a huge motivator to get this weight off.
 
Automaticity. This is not a word I've ever used before but it is certainly a concept I've thought about a lot over my lifetime. I have often said that if there was a pill I could take once a day that took care of my fuel for the entire day, I'd sign up for that. I absolutely hate spending any amount of time thinking about what I'm going to eat much less doing the shopping for it. This goes way back to when I had a family to feed and it was my job to figure out something exciting to serve them every single day of the week. It didn't help that my first husband came from a family of foodies. His mother was a fabulous cook. So, I often ran out of ideas and gumption. If it had been up to me, we would have been eating cottage cheese and tomatoes every night of the week and maybe oatmeal if I got tired of that. Working a full-time job and having any energy left to be creative in the kitchen was a stretch. Now, on BLE I have the eating plan I've always wanted. I can eat the same thing every day of the week and nobody complains.  And, I do eat pretty much the same things every day.
 
Cravings Gone. Of all the things I love the most about this program is that my craving for sugar is gone absent. Oh, it could come back alright. All I have to do is pop a cookie in my mouth or take a bite of pumpkin pie. This is probably the best part of BLE for me and thousands of others who are shedding butt loads of pounds. Once the refined sugar and flour (in every form) was completely removed, so were the constant thoughts of getting more. Within 48 hours of my first day on this program, I was free from cravings. I am now diligent about reading labels.
 
Carbon Footprint Reduced. My garbage can takes an entire month to fill up before I have to send it to the curb for pick up. The only cans I'm having to recycle are the ones that contain coconut milk (first pressing) I use in my coffee along with cartons of half/half (for my coffee as well). I'm trying to get off the half & half but haven't quite made the leap yet. It's a goal. I do have plastic containers that hummus comes in as well as cottage cheese. I try to reuse those as much as I can but for the most part my shopping is done with some great little mesh bags I bought for fruits and veggies.
 
Simplicity. Today I'm eating simple, whole foods and I dig it. People ask me if there is a cookbook for BLE. I have no idea if there is one. I don't want to spend any time trying to improve on what is working for me. My diet pretty much consists of black beans, brown rice, apples, eggs, red peppers, hummus, salad, and boca burgers. This plan does not require moving to plant based menus but I chose to do that mostly. I will occasionally have shrimp or a piece of fish.
 
Clear Lines. One of the tenants of this program is that we don't take a holiday or vacation from the plan. This means no birthday cake, no pie at Thanksgiving, no cheesecake, no stopping for an ice cream cone. This is rigid, yes. The thing is, when I eat sugar, I cannot stop. I'm very clear about this now. If I am to stay on course, I have had to adopt the idea that I cannot eat these things even on special occasions. If I go off the rails, I'm not sure I'll be able to get back on, ya know?
 
In the end, the best part of this right sized body and freed mind is it that I feel like I have dodged a bullet with Type 2 diabetes. The constant sabotaging voice in my mind has quieted. Oh, she's still in there but she is sleeping. All I have to do to wake her up is slip a bite of cake in. I'll let her sleep for now.
 
I had hoped that the seasonal affective disorder would have subsided but it has not. Winter solstice is next week and I am suffering the effects of gray skies as much as I ever have. The part that's better is that I'm not making it worse by eating myself into a coma. I still suffer from depression but it is manageable and I know it will pass. I find myself cruising the internet, looking at photos of my beloved Arizona and dreaming about sunny days.
 
If you are interested to learn more about bright line eating, I suggest you invest $16.97 in the hardcover book written by Susan Peirce Thompson, Ph.D. Bright Line Eating: The Science of Living Happy, Thin & Free. You never have to spend another dime on weight loss programs. Read it cover to cover. Then make a decision. It has been life changing for me.
 
love, susan

Friday, December 8, 2017

2017 in Review: Theme Word Reveal for 2018

23 days until 2018! It is always in December that I  reflect on the past twelve months and seek a theme word for the coming year. I enjoy looking back because I am so busy that I'm always onto the next big thing and what I did last week is gone from my memory. Blogging helps record that for me. When I started this blog, I had so many ideas spilling out of my mind onto the screen. When I go back and read some of my posts, my favorite blogs are about little observations along the way. This year I feel like I've lost the ability to write that way. I have a ton of excuses as to why this has happened but nothing I really want to put out there. That's what my journal is for. And, dude, my journal has many pages filled this year. I haven't blogged about a lot of things that have happened this year. There have been many joys along the way but there have been some super painful events that I am still trying to wrap my mind around. I tend towards denial as a coping mechanism for life. Alcohol and food are not an option for me. I have an even larger tendency to fold into myself when things aren't all positive and happy.

Still. Good things have happened.
  • Trip to Hawaii (one week)
  • Started to volunteer photography for dog rescue
  • Weekend trip to Mt. Hood with wonderful women friends
  • Nashville trip
  • Started new eating plan for life
  • Visit from my son and beautiful daughter-in-law (they gave me a car!)
  • Girlfriend trip to Lincoln City (one whole week!)
  • Trip to Lincoln City with the hubs (one whole week!)
  • My doctor proclaimed I am no longer obese in November (lost 35 lbs)
  • 4th Annual birthday celebration with hubby and good friend
  • Got a standing station for my desk at work (game changer!)
Three whole weeks of vacation! When I see it in writing, it amazes me. I need vacation more often these days. Our next destination is Fairbanks, Alaska in July for a family reunion. I am very much looking forward to that.

The trip to Hawaii was the last time we'll go there. While I was able to relax and enjoy the sun, we've become bored with it.

That trip to Mt. Hood was the last time we would share laughter with a sister who lost her battle with breast cancer. I was there the day she died in May. I'm still grieving. I hope she knew how much we'd miss her. She looked so good in April that I was in total denial that she was dying. See? I think it's a super power, this denial thing. 

I've always wanted to spend a week at the Oregon coast and I got to do it twice this year. How lucky am I? Both weeks we had fantastic weather. I think we'll do it again next year. Even if it had been raining, I would have enjoyed being there. Hubby and I enjoyed it far more than the Hawaii trip.

My volunteer gig afforded me a chance to meet new people and up my photography skills. There have been some challenges with that. One word: Cats. I fall in love with all the dogs I meet. It is rewarding to see them find forever homes and have had a small part in helping that happen.

The Nashville trip holds a special place in my heart. I loved everything about Nashville and would definitely go again. People are so nice there. And, it's very green. We had some touching, raw conversations while there that changed me forever.

My new word theme for 2018 I think will be resist. It came up last week while I was journaling and it has been on my mind a lot so I believe I'm supposed to adopt it. Last year my theme word was move. I feel like I leaned into that word as much as I could. Move(ing) meant more than just in the physical sense.
 
Enough about me. What happened in 2017 for you? Do you have a theme word? If you don't, what would it be if you did? Tell me!
 
love, susan

Wednesday, December 6, 2017

5 Minute Post

I have 5 minutes until my lunch hour is over so here is the 5 minute version of a blog post today.

I am seriously tired of working. It seems to be getting worse every day. I stand at the door to leave every morning and it takes everything I have to keep moving. I just would rather not.

Seasonal Affective Disorder has kicked into high gear. Bedtime has been before The Big Bang Theory theme song comes on.

I always feel this way in December. It will pass. Don't worry.

Meeting friends tonight after work to cruise downtown at the local shops and get a little Christmas cheer.

That's all.

love, susan

You Made My Day, Dude!

A couple weeks ago while I was driving back to Portland after spending the night on the Oregon coast, we came up on some road construction ...