I am pathetic at sticking to things I try to do. My formerly-daily blog has become once a week. I started cleaning the basement, but found a bunch of other things I'd rather do. I haven't exercised with Richard Simmons for 2 weeks!! I was mentally flogging myself for that this morning, and to really add to the masochism, I got on the scale. I almost fell off it when I saw that I am down 10 pounds since I was weighed before my colonoscopy on January 14th! How did that happen??!
I guess I was focusing so much on the things I haven't been doing that I didn't give myself credit for what I have done. I walk the dogs almost every day, and with the weather warming up that is much easier to get motivated for. I've been eating more fruits and vegetables and have rediscovered the goodness of an apple. (Usually I'm a banana girl.) We have a spinach salad with every dinner and have hardly gone out to eat in the past month. I've only baked something once since Katie left for Ireland, and I know that anything sweet is my Achilles heel. Maybe cheating once in awhile keeps me from completely blowing it. I'm trying to eat when I'm actually hungry instead of when I'm bored, lonesome, or craving something during PMS week. I also discovered that I can eat walnuts--which I love--and they will reduce my bad cholesterol; dark chocolate is also good for the heart and the sweet tooth.
My sisters, Mom, and I usually take our picture at every family get-together and call ourselves "The Lardettes." My sister Kelley is now doing a medically supervised diet and has lost 9 pounds since Monday! My mom is doing the Mayo Clinic Diet and is down 3 1/2 lbs. this week. My sister Tracey, like me, is trying to eat healthier and exercise more. With each other's encouragement, maybe we can take a picture at Erica's wedding in four months and change our name to the Sexy Mamas!
Last Friday I did some shopping for my trip to Ireland, and I had my usual foot-stomping, hair-tearing time in the Kohl's fitting room. But at bowling last night, my jeans kept sliding down, and I was afraid I might need to borrow Fred's suspenders! So something good is happening. I just have to stick to it.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Abra-Cadaver!
Over the weekend at my mom's house for her birthday celebration, I was able to visit with Erica and my niece, Molly. Both girls are first year medical students, and they were enthusiastically sharing stories with us about their experiences with their cadavers. Yes--formerly alive, now dead people who gave their bodies for the education of future doctors and researchers. Both girls have elderly female cadavers that they share with 3-5 other students during weekly dissection and study sessions. Erica's group calls theirs "CC" and Molly's is "Pearl."
I was glad we hadn't eaten dinner yet as they discussed various things they'd already discovered in their exploration of the bodies. Sawing through the spine and getting bits of bone in the face, an abdomen filled with congealed blood, ostomy bags, probable causes of death, and "the gall bladder is really green!!" Eww!!! I could never handle what they are doing myself; doing it on a frog or fetal pig in high school biology was bad enough. However, it was obvious how much they were learning, and clear that there is a respectful, almost protective attitude toward these bodies that once were living people with families and careers, hopes and dreams.
It got me thinking about my own post-death "plans." I have always wanted to be an organ donor, though as I age, my parts may be less usable. I don't plan to have my body buried; to me, that is the creepiest thing that could be done with it. I intended to be cremated, but wasn't sure what to do with the ashes. Unlike Fred--who already has a spot at the cabin picked out for his ashes to be buried, complete with a big granite headstone--I figured I might just be split between the girls and kept in urns in their closets. But wouldn't donating my body to science be a much more productive way to use it? It won't matter one way or another to me by that point. And who knows, maybe it could be used in research that would eventually cure a disease, or give students like Erica and Molly the opportunity to learn as they become physicians. The students who inherit me might name me Lucy or Carrottop. They'll see my various scars, broken ankle, and larger-than-normal brain and speculate about how all these things came to be. I think it sounds pretty cool! What woman doesn't want to be a mystery??!
I'll have to discuss this with my family and see what they think, but I'm liking the idea better and better.
And of course, I'll have to get skinny first.
I was glad we hadn't eaten dinner yet as they discussed various things they'd already discovered in their exploration of the bodies. Sawing through the spine and getting bits of bone in the face, an abdomen filled with congealed blood, ostomy bags, probable causes of death, and "the gall bladder is really green!!" Eww!!! I could never handle what they are doing myself; doing it on a frog or fetal pig in high school biology was bad enough. However, it was obvious how much they were learning, and clear that there is a respectful, almost protective attitude toward these bodies that once were living people with families and careers, hopes and dreams.
It got me thinking about my own post-death "plans." I have always wanted to be an organ donor, though as I age, my parts may be less usable. I don't plan to have my body buried; to me, that is the creepiest thing that could be done with it. I intended to be cremated, but wasn't sure what to do with the ashes. Unlike Fred--who already has a spot at the cabin picked out for his ashes to be buried, complete with a big granite headstone--I figured I might just be split between the girls and kept in urns in their closets. But wouldn't donating my body to science be a much more productive way to use it? It won't matter one way or another to me by that point. And who knows, maybe it could be used in research that would eventually cure a disease, or give students like Erica and Molly the opportunity to learn as they become physicians. The students who inherit me might name me Lucy or Carrottop. They'll see my various scars, broken ankle, and larger-than-normal brain and speculate about how all these things came to be. I think it sounds pretty cool! What woman doesn't want to be a mystery??!
I'll have to discuss this with my family and see what they think, but I'm liking the idea better and better.
And of course, I'll have to get skinny first.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Trash and Treasures
When our kids go off to college, we cry, we breathe a sigh of relief--and then we realize that 18 years' worth of their accumulated stuff is still in our house. (I know I left my belongings with my parents back in 1977 and never saw my Glen Campbell albums again.)
The "left-as-they-were" bedrooms weren't really a problem for me until we moved from Elk Mound and I had to pack up the lifetime "valuables" of two teenage girls. Sure, some things were obviously junk, but how was I to know which bauble or letter held sentimental value for them? So, I pretty much boxed it all up and hauled it to Rhinelander.
Yesterday I decided to start going through all their belongings that are currently taking up space in the guest bedroom, the walk-in closet that you can't walk into, and the garage. With Katie in Ireland, everything she owns except for a large suitcase-full is here. Erica hasn't lived at home, even during school breaks, for at least four years--and in four months will be getting married. Isn't it time that her sock monkey and the remnants of her "blankie" move in with her?!
I started with her dresser. The top drawer was crammed with 37 pairs of Victoria's Secret undies (a phase she went through in high school) and an equal number of socks with no mates. I also found a piece of lined paper from grade school dated Nov. 30th, 1993 when she was seven. It said "What I did over Thanksgiving vacation. I played with my cousin Molly. I helped bake dinner. I painted and went sleding."
The next drawer held more than a dozen T-shirts in various stages of ragginess, many from Elk Mound sports, homecomings, and music groups she belonged to, along with a copy of Webster's Pocket Medical and First Aid Dictionary. I continued from drawer to drawer, sometimes smiling, sometimes scratching my head, at the things I found. An oboe reed (she played the oboe for one semester, back in 6th grade I think) an asthma inhaler; a pair of heart-shaped sunglasses. The "diaper" --underwear with hip-pads--that she wore when she played volleyball. A door hanger that says "The World's Greatest Kid." More than a dozen unopened bank statements. A notebook from a marriage/family class her senior year in high school with a list of songs among her notes: "Download 'Oh I wish I were an Oscar Mayer weiner.'"
I ended up with a big bag of stuff that I'll be taking along when I see her at my mom's this weekend. She can sort through it, keep what she wants, and get rid of the rest. The boxes in the closet and garage will be next, just to give her fair warning. And who knows--maybe someday an original high school painting from the future Dr. Erica Andrist will be worth something!!
I'll cut Katie a little more slack since she is three years behind Erica and we've been storing her possessions for less time. In the meantime, I'll keep sorting through their stuff--and simultaneously, the memories of their childhoods.
The "left-as-they-were" bedrooms weren't really a problem for me until we moved from Elk Mound and I had to pack up the lifetime "valuables" of two teenage girls. Sure, some things were obviously junk, but how was I to know which bauble or letter held sentimental value for them? So, I pretty much boxed it all up and hauled it to Rhinelander.
Yesterday I decided to start going through all their belongings that are currently taking up space in the guest bedroom, the walk-in closet that you can't walk into, and the garage. With Katie in Ireland, everything she owns except for a large suitcase-full is here. Erica hasn't lived at home, even during school breaks, for at least four years--and in four months will be getting married. Isn't it time that her sock monkey and the remnants of her "blankie" move in with her?!
I started with her dresser. The top drawer was crammed with 37 pairs of Victoria's Secret undies (a phase she went through in high school) and an equal number of socks with no mates. I also found a piece of lined paper from grade school dated Nov. 30th, 1993 when she was seven. It said "What I did over Thanksgiving vacation. I played with my cousin Molly. I helped bake dinner. I painted and went sleding."
The next drawer held more than a dozen T-shirts in various stages of ragginess, many from Elk Mound sports, homecomings, and music groups she belonged to, along with a copy of Webster's Pocket Medical and First Aid Dictionary. I continued from drawer to drawer, sometimes smiling, sometimes scratching my head, at the things I found. An oboe reed (she played the oboe for one semester, back in 6th grade I think) an asthma inhaler; a pair of heart-shaped sunglasses. The "diaper" --underwear with hip-pads--that she wore when she played volleyball. A door hanger that says "The World's Greatest Kid." More than a dozen unopened bank statements. A notebook from a marriage/family class her senior year in high school with a list of songs among her notes: "Download 'Oh I wish I were an Oscar Mayer weiner.'"
I ended up with a big bag of stuff that I'll be taking along when I see her at my mom's this weekend. She can sort through it, keep what she wants, and get rid of the rest. The boxes in the closet and garage will be next, just to give her fair warning. And who knows--maybe someday an original high school painting from the future Dr. Erica Andrist will be worth something!!
I'll cut Katie a little more slack since she is three years behind Erica and we've been storing her possessions for less time. In the meantime, I'll keep sorting through their stuff--and simultaneously, the memories of their childhoods.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
A Year of Living the Life List, Part 2
I know, I said I would continue this last Friday--unfortunately, "Stop procrastinating" isn't on my life list! Here goes the second half of my to-dos.
56. Communicate better. Working on it...
57. Get a massage. Anybody know a guy named Sven?
58. See the Eagles in concert.
59. Wear a wig of a different color/style for a week. I don't know what inspired me to put this on here, but I doubt I will ever do it.
60. Take more classes. I haven't found any more I want to take yet.
61. Donate blood.
62. Eat sushi. Eww.
63. Try every drink on a restaurant menu. (not all at once!) Unbelievably, this isn't the first one I achieved! I'll have to try harder.
64. Visit the Peshtigo Fire Museum. We did this the day after my birthday. Very solemn experience.
65. Get all 11 grandkids/5 daughters together again. Erica's wedding???
66. Give more meaningful gifts to people. I try--don't know how I'm doing!
67. Save more money. Maybe after Ireland, the wedding, selling the house....
68. Return e-mails in a more timely manner. Doing better on this.
69. Send 50th birthday cards to as many classmates as possible. DONE. Now we're all going on 51!
70. Get a passport. Did it! Very scary photo!
71. Enter a contest. Miss America was last Saturday night--I missed it!
72. Be in the audience on a TV show. I wouldn't mind meeting Drew Carey on The Price is
Right!
73. Start riding a bike again. I rode Katie's down to the mailbox one day and it was hard! I think I need a bike of my own.
74. Visit an Amish community. Still to do--though I do drive through one every time I'm on Highway 29.
75. Drive a convertible.
76. Get a crossword puzzle book and finish them all. Maybe using my brain in this way will make me less forgetful!
77. Take Fred on a mystery weekend. Technically I haven't done this, though it's always a mystery every weekend what kind of mood I'll be in!
78. Go to Washington, D.C. I'd like to see the monuments, not the politics.
79. Send a card or letter to someone every day. I haven't achieved "daily" status yet, but it's close!
80. Go to Ground Zero. The last time I was in New York was only 8 months after 9/11. We drove past the site, but didn't stop there.
81. Visit the cemeteries where relatives are buried.
82. Walk the dogs 5 times a week. YES! Though yesterday I fell down--maybe I'd be healthier if I didn't!
83. Tear something out of a waiting room magazine. Too chicken.
84. Eat a grape in the produce section. Guilty.
85. Take a CPR refresher course.
86. Drink a shot of Jack Daniels. Done. More than once.
87. Get better at golf. Not gonna happen.
88. Ride the Pacific Coast Highway on the Harley. Still looking forward to this, especially after being in San Diego.
89. Find someone who will dogsit. Anybody out there??
90. Sell something on E-bay. The girls have left a lot of stuff here...
91. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. I do this unles it's more than 4 floors.
92. Go to an auction. Without a paddle, of course!
93. Explore antique stores. I've explored--and purchased!
94. Take more pictures. One thing at which I've been highly successful!
95. Visit a winery. I went to the Cedar Creek Winery in Cedarburg, and I will continue this as often as possible!
96. Send someone flowers for no reason. Who knows, it might be you!
97. Get a new bread machine. Fred has been bugging me to do this. Just what we both need--more bread.
98. Be more optimistic. Right now my OJ glass is empty, but I'm imagining it half full...
99. Wear a low-cut dress. Umm...maybe Erica's wedding?!! :)
100. Have a date with Fred once a week. We're usually lucky if we even eat dinner together once a week, but we did spend the whole past weekend together.
101. Survive menopause without committing a felony. Fred is still alive.
102. Take Babe out for dinner. Babe is a retired teacher we worked with in Rib Lake. Fred visited her a few months ago, but no dinner yet.
103. Worry less. I really am trying. I want my hair to stay red as long as possible.
104. Slow down. I always seem to be in a hurry...
105. Do something cool for my 50th/our 25th anniversary. Well, Fred threw me a surprise party for my birthday. I told him my trip to Ireland can be for our anniversary--he just won't be along. :p
106. Hold a chickadee in my hand. I've come close, but not yet!
107. Enjoy talking on the phone more. I do!
108. Call friends and family more often instead of writing/e-mailing. I need to do this more.
109. Remember to use my canvas bags every time I shop. I am MUCH better at this!
110. Be more spontaneous. Ok, I think I'll go out and make some naked snow angels now.
Happy 70th birthday to my mother!!! I love you!!
56. Communicate better. Working on it...
57. Get a massage. Anybody know a guy named Sven?
58. See the Eagles in concert.
59. Wear a wig of a different color/style for a week. I don't know what inspired me to put this on here, but I doubt I will ever do it.
60. Take more classes. I haven't found any more I want to take yet.
61. Donate blood.
62. Eat sushi. Eww.
63. Try every drink on a restaurant menu. (not all at once!) Unbelievably, this isn't the first one I achieved! I'll have to try harder.
64. Visit the Peshtigo Fire Museum. We did this the day after my birthday. Very solemn experience.
65. Get all 11 grandkids/5 daughters together again. Erica's wedding???
66. Give more meaningful gifts to people. I try--don't know how I'm doing!
67. Save more money. Maybe after Ireland, the wedding, selling the house....
68. Return e-mails in a more timely manner. Doing better on this.
69. Send 50th birthday cards to as many classmates as possible. DONE. Now we're all going on 51!
70. Get a passport. Did it! Very scary photo!
71. Enter a contest. Miss America was last Saturday night--I missed it!
72. Be in the audience on a TV show. I wouldn't mind meeting Drew Carey on The Price is
Right!
73. Start riding a bike again. I rode Katie's down to the mailbox one day and it was hard! I think I need a bike of my own.
74. Visit an Amish community. Still to do--though I do drive through one every time I'm on Highway 29.
75. Drive a convertible.
76. Get a crossword puzzle book and finish them all. Maybe using my brain in this way will make me less forgetful!
77. Take Fred on a mystery weekend. Technically I haven't done this, though it's always a mystery every weekend what kind of mood I'll be in!
78. Go to Washington, D.C. I'd like to see the monuments, not the politics.
79. Send a card or letter to someone every day. I haven't achieved "daily" status yet, but it's close!
80. Go to Ground Zero. The last time I was in New York was only 8 months after 9/11. We drove past the site, but didn't stop there.
81. Visit the cemeteries where relatives are buried.
82. Walk the dogs 5 times a week. YES! Though yesterday I fell down--maybe I'd be healthier if I didn't!
83. Tear something out of a waiting room magazine. Too chicken.
84. Eat a grape in the produce section. Guilty.
85. Take a CPR refresher course.
86. Drink a shot of Jack Daniels. Done. More than once.
87. Get better at golf. Not gonna happen.
88. Ride the Pacific Coast Highway on the Harley. Still looking forward to this, especially after being in San Diego.
89. Find someone who will dogsit. Anybody out there??
90. Sell something on E-bay. The girls have left a lot of stuff here...
91. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. I do this unles it's more than 4 floors.
92. Go to an auction. Without a paddle, of course!
93. Explore antique stores. I've explored--and purchased!
94. Take more pictures. One thing at which I've been highly successful!
95. Visit a winery. I went to the Cedar Creek Winery in Cedarburg, and I will continue this as often as possible!
96. Send someone flowers for no reason. Who knows, it might be you!
97. Get a new bread machine. Fred has been bugging me to do this. Just what we both need--more bread.
98. Be more optimistic. Right now my OJ glass is empty, but I'm imagining it half full...
99. Wear a low-cut dress. Umm...maybe Erica's wedding?!! :)
100. Have a date with Fred once a week. We're usually lucky if we even eat dinner together once a week, but we did spend the whole past weekend together.
101. Survive menopause without committing a felony. Fred is still alive.
102. Take Babe out for dinner. Babe is a retired teacher we worked with in Rib Lake. Fred visited her a few months ago, but no dinner yet.
103. Worry less. I really am trying. I want my hair to stay red as long as possible.
104. Slow down. I always seem to be in a hurry...
105. Do something cool for my 50th/our 25th anniversary. Well, Fred threw me a surprise party for my birthday. I told him my trip to Ireland can be for our anniversary--he just won't be along. :p
106. Hold a chickadee in my hand. I've come close, but not yet!
107. Enjoy talking on the phone more. I do!
108. Call friends and family more often instead of writing/e-mailing. I need to do this more.
109. Remember to use my canvas bags every time I shop. I am MUCH better at this!
110. Be more spontaneous. Ok, I think I'll go out and make some naked snow angels now.
Happy 70th birthday to my mother!!! I love you!!
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