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!!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
A Year of Living the Life List, Part 1
At the end of last January, I took a two-session class in making a "Life List"--things I wanted to do, see, accomplish in my life. I thought that now would be a good time to reevaluate the list to see what I managed to do in 2009, and also add anything new. I'll cover half today and half tomorrow so as not to bore you completely.
1. Read 75 books in 2009. I only read 24. Hey! I had 109 other things on my list to do!!
2. Sell some more greeting card ideas. Nope, I didn't do this yet. I did spend enough money for three people at Hallmark stores, though.
3. Make money doing something I like. Still figuring out what that is.
4. Take a week-long Harley trip. We are planning to go to North Carolina this summer.
5. Visit friends/family I haven't seen in a long time. I got together with my college roommate Amy twice, saw Mary before she moved to China, and we'll see the North Carolina daughter and grandkids this summer.
6. Take my mother on a trip. She has to tell me where she wants to go!
7. Write letters to the troops every week. I haven't done it weekly, but still managed quite a few throughout the year.
8. Meet new friends in Rhinelander. I got to know my bowling team better, and also Cindy, my walking and coffee-drinking partner.
9. Bowl a 200+ game. This is still eluding me--181 has been my high.
10. Sell the Elk Mound house. Sigh. Many lookers, a few crummy offers, but still no sale.
11. Go to a Packer game. Maybe I'll wait till they retire Favre's jersey and take some rotten eggs and tomatoes.
12. Get new curtains. I keep procrastinating on this.
13. Try new recipes. I've done too much of this, which has caused failure of a couple other goals
below.
14. Watch 10 classic movies I've never seen. After watching "Citizen Kane" and "Rear Window", I was bored and in no mood to see any more oldies.
15. Get headstones for Beatle and Kimo. Done.
16. Join a community organization. Still looking.
17. Eat 5 fruits/vegetables a day. I'm at more like 3 a day--must do better.
18. Go fishing. I only did this once so far and didn't catch anything.
19. Learn to use my digital camera. I took a class for this and feel totally comfortable with it now. Next I need a better camera!
20. Learn more about using the internet. I'm on Facebook, does that count?!
21. Go to a play or musical. I've been to a musical, a play, and a concert at Nicolet College--all excellent.
22. Start keeping a journal again. I did try this, but couldn't get into it. I may give it another shot since I can't seem to remember anything these days.
23. Get in decent enough shape to do a 5K. I talked about this, wrote about it, and then didn't do it. Maybe this year.
24. Listen to more music. The radio is still my main source--while my CDs gather dust.
25. Go with Fred on more out-of-town work trips. This hasn't happened--I need a dogsitter.
26. Get to know our neighbors. We had dinner and watched a football game with one couple and plan to have them here soon.
27. Drink more water. It would be easier if the Pepsi Co. would stop making Diet Mountain Dew.
28. Eat fewer sweets. FAIL.
29. Visit all 50 states. Last year I added California to those I've been in, so my list includes CA, WI, IA, IL, MN, MI, IN, PA, NJ, OH, KY, TN, NY, NC, WV, VA, and HI. I have a ways to go!
30. Grow sunflowers. I had the seeds but forgot to plant them.
31. Get more birdfeeders. I got one from my mom for Christmas. The squirrels are enjoying it.
32. Do some genealogy research. I should really find a class to take for this.
33. Lower my cholesterol. See blog for Jan. 25th. I'm working on it!
34. Get an exercise tape and use it. Richard and I are getting sweaty together.
35. Pay for someone's meal anonymously. If I ever see someone in uniform in a restaurant, this will happen.
36. Watch a thunderstorm. We didn't really have any big ones last summer.
37. Visit veterans in the hospital. I didn't do this, but I did send 100 valentines to the Wisconsin V.A. hospitals last year.
38. See the fall colors in New England. Maybe a trip to Maine to visit my nephew Michael and his wife Anne.
39. Beat Fred in more gin games than I lose. Fred gave Katie the $50 that was in his gin jar before she left for Ireland. That was all money I had lost to him playing gin in 2009. We just got a new dining room table, and since then I have won over $10!!! The table obviously doesn't like him.
40. Get some plants and not kill them. I'm keeping two geraniums alive through the winter--so far.
41. Crash a wedding. I think I'll be invited to Erica's.
42. Go back to the Outer Banks. Someday...
43. Yell in the mountains and hear the echo.
44. Ride in the next Harley-Davidson anniversary parade. Have to wait till 2013.
45. See the midnight sun. Maybe Sarah Palin will have me over.
46. Take a cruise. I'd rather go to Ireland.
47. See another show on Broadway. The State Theater is on Broadway in Menomonie...
48. Go to State Street in Madison for Halloween. Who wants to do this with me??
49. Help repeal the Wisconsin marriage amendment. More people need to be educated about fairness.
50. Serve meals to the homeless on a holiday. Our friends Paul and Lauri did this on Thanksgiving--good for them!
51. Write letters to my Congressmen. I have sent e-mails in the past, but not in the last year.
52. Revise my will. You'd better be good, girls!
53. Learn to drive a standard transmission. I don't know who would teach me this--Fred tried before we got married, and I almost called off the wedding.
54. Volunteer at a nursing home. Another thing to look into...
55. Spend at least 20 days/nights at the cabin in '09. I spent 17 nights there--will try to do better this year. We are going over this weekend!
To be continued....
1. Read 75 books in 2009. I only read 24. Hey! I had 109 other things on my list to do!!
2. Sell some more greeting card ideas. Nope, I didn't do this yet. I did spend enough money for three people at Hallmark stores, though.
3. Make money doing something I like. Still figuring out what that is.
4. Take a week-long Harley trip. We are planning to go to North Carolina this summer.
5. Visit friends/family I haven't seen in a long time. I got together with my college roommate Amy twice, saw Mary before she moved to China, and we'll see the North Carolina daughter and grandkids this summer.
6. Take my mother on a trip. She has to tell me where she wants to go!
7. Write letters to the troops every week. I haven't done it weekly, but still managed quite a few throughout the year.
8. Meet new friends in Rhinelander. I got to know my bowling team better, and also Cindy, my walking and coffee-drinking partner.
9. Bowl a 200+ game. This is still eluding me--181 has been my high.
10. Sell the Elk Mound house. Sigh. Many lookers, a few crummy offers, but still no sale.
11. Go to a Packer game. Maybe I'll wait till they retire Favre's jersey and take some rotten eggs and tomatoes.
12. Get new curtains. I keep procrastinating on this.
13. Try new recipes. I've done too much of this, which has caused failure of a couple other goals
below.
14. Watch 10 classic movies I've never seen. After watching "Citizen Kane" and "Rear Window", I was bored and in no mood to see any more oldies.
15. Get headstones for Beatle and Kimo. Done.
16. Join a community organization. Still looking.
17. Eat 5 fruits/vegetables a day. I'm at more like 3 a day--must do better.
18. Go fishing. I only did this once so far and didn't catch anything.
19. Learn to use my digital camera. I took a class for this and feel totally comfortable with it now. Next I need a better camera!
20. Learn more about using the internet. I'm on Facebook, does that count?!
21. Go to a play or musical. I've been to a musical, a play, and a concert at Nicolet College--all excellent.
22. Start keeping a journal again. I did try this, but couldn't get into it. I may give it another shot since I can't seem to remember anything these days.
23. Get in decent enough shape to do a 5K. I talked about this, wrote about it, and then didn't do it. Maybe this year.
24. Listen to more music. The radio is still my main source--while my CDs gather dust.
25. Go with Fred on more out-of-town work trips. This hasn't happened--I need a dogsitter.
26. Get to know our neighbors. We had dinner and watched a football game with one couple and plan to have them here soon.
27. Drink more water. It would be easier if the Pepsi Co. would stop making Diet Mountain Dew.
28. Eat fewer sweets. FAIL.
29. Visit all 50 states. Last year I added California to those I've been in, so my list includes CA, WI, IA, IL, MN, MI, IN, PA, NJ, OH, KY, TN, NY, NC, WV, VA, and HI. I have a ways to go!
30. Grow sunflowers. I had the seeds but forgot to plant them.
31. Get more birdfeeders. I got one from my mom for Christmas. The squirrels are enjoying it.
32. Do some genealogy research. I should really find a class to take for this.
33. Lower my cholesterol. See blog for Jan. 25th. I'm working on it!
34. Get an exercise tape and use it. Richard and I are getting sweaty together.
35. Pay for someone's meal anonymously. If I ever see someone in uniform in a restaurant, this will happen.
36. Watch a thunderstorm. We didn't really have any big ones last summer.
37. Visit veterans in the hospital. I didn't do this, but I did send 100 valentines to the Wisconsin V.A. hospitals last year.
38. See the fall colors in New England. Maybe a trip to Maine to visit my nephew Michael and his wife Anne.
39. Beat Fred in more gin games than I lose. Fred gave Katie the $50 that was in his gin jar before she left for Ireland. That was all money I had lost to him playing gin in 2009. We just got a new dining room table, and since then I have won over $10!!! The table obviously doesn't like him.
40. Get some plants and not kill them. I'm keeping two geraniums alive through the winter--so far.
41. Crash a wedding. I think I'll be invited to Erica's.
42. Go back to the Outer Banks. Someday...
43. Yell in the mountains and hear the echo.
44. Ride in the next Harley-Davidson anniversary parade. Have to wait till 2013.
45. See the midnight sun. Maybe Sarah Palin will have me over.
46. Take a cruise. I'd rather go to Ireland.
47. See another show on Broadway. The State Theater is on Broadway in Menomonie...
48. Go to State Street in Madison for Halloween. Who wants to do this with me??
49. Help repeal the Wisconsin marriage amendment. More people need to be educated about fairness.
50. Serve meals to the homeless on a holiday. Our friends Paul and Lauri did this on Thanksgiving--good for them!
51. Write letters to my Congressmen. I have sent e-mails in the past, but not in the last year.
52. Revise my will. You'd better be good, girls!
53. Learn to drive a standard transmission. I don't know who would teach me this--Fred tried before we got married, and I almost called off the wedding.
54. Volunteer at a nursing home. Another thing to look into...
55. Spend at least 20 days/nights at the cabin in '09. I spent 17 nights there--will try to do better this year. We are going over this weekend!
To be continued....
Monday, January 25, 2010
The Art(ery) of Healthy Eating
Sorry if I'm boring you with several recent blogs about health, but once you reach 50 it sort of becomes more important to you. I realized that my mind and spirit are still young, but the old carcass could have me knocking on heaven's door sooner than I want if I don't take better care of it. In the past year I have set my sights on fitting into a stylish dress for Erica's wedding and adding some Victoria's Secret thongs to my underwear drawer. (Haha, just kidding) But now I realize it's time to get serious for better reasons than those.
I inherited my dad's curly hair, his sense of humor, and also, apparently, his genes for high cholesterol. When he died in 1986 he was on blood pressure medication, but cholesterol hadn't yet become the focus of heart health like it has today. The doctors told us that his arteries were so clogged that even with bypass surgery, he would probably have only lived six more months. In 2008 at my annual check-up, my cholesterol was 234. The doctor said we'd give it a year of trying diet and exercise, then check it again. Uh-huh. She obviously gave me more credit than I deserved. At my annual check-up in December, I had lost two whopping pounds, but my blood pressure was borderline high for the first time in my life. I had blood drawn last week, and she called me Saturday to say my cholesterol was at 270 and she wants to start me on medication right away.
Wow. That was the shock I needed to really give this some thought. I know millions of people take something for cholesterol, but it's scary to know that it's programmed into your genetic code. Thin people, others who exercise all the time, people who never touch a piece of cake or a Friday night Wisconsin fish fry--they can all keel over from arteries that are blocked by plaque just because the tendency has been passed down through their families. So if people who are consciously trying to overcome the cholesterol curse still die young, where does that leave me?!
Here's my public proclamation: I'm going to continue walking the dogs 5-6 times a week; I'll "do Richard" at least 3 times/week; no more baking goodies whenever the urge strikes; lots of fruits, vegetables...and isn't red wine in mass quantities allowed, too??!
I'll report back in three months when my numbers get checked again and let you know how I'm doing with the medication. And in the meantime, if you suspect you might have heart attack potential yourself--find out and do something!! The good may die young, but I don't want to be one of them.
I inherited my dad's curly hair, his sense of humor, and also, apparently, his genes for high cholesterol. When he died in 1986 he was on blood pressure medication, but cholesterol hadn't yet become the focus of heart health like it has today. The doctors told us that his arteries were so clogged that even with bypass surgery, he would probably have only lived six more months. In 2008 at my annual check-up, my cholesterol was 234. The doctor said we'd give it a year of trying diet and exercise, then check it again. Uh-huh. She obviously gave me more credit than I deserved. At my annual check-up in December, I had lost two whopping pounds, but my blood pressure was borderline high for the first time in my life. I had blood drawn last week, and she called me Saturday to say my cholesterol was at 270 and she wants to start me on medication right away.
Wow. That was the shock I needed to really give this some thought. I know millions of people take something for cholesterol, but it's scary to know that it's programmed into your genetic code. Thin people, others who exercise all the time, people who never touch a piece of cake or a Friday night Wisconsin fish fry--they can all keel over from arteries that are blocked by plaque just because the tendency has been passed down through their families. So if people who are consciously trying to overcome the cholesterol curse still die young, where does that leave me?!
Here's my public proclamation: I'm going to continue walking the dogs 5-6 times a week; I'll "do Richard" at least 3 times/week; no more baking goodies whenever the urge strikes; lots of fruits, vegetables...and isn't red wine in mass quantities allowed, too??!
I'll report back in three months when my numbers get checked again and let you know how I'm doing with the medication. And in the meantime, if you suspect you might have heart attack potential yourself--find out and do something!! The good may die young, but I don't want to be one of them.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Fly Away, Little Bird
This morning I saw Katie off on the first leg of her journey to Ireland. As I write this, she is winging her way to Newark, NJ where she will have a five-hour layover before taking off for Shannon and then Limerick.
We have known she was going to study abroad for 9 months now, so there has been a lot of time to get used to the idea. However, it didn't start seeming real until the past few days--days that were stressful, "crisis"-filled, and loaded with last-minute travel advice for Katie from the parental units. She did more than her share of eye-rolling, I'm sure.
We happened to see the movie "Taken" on HBO, which was a second viewing for all 3 of us. It stars Liam Neeson as a CIA agent whose daughter talks her parents into letting her take a trip to Paris with her best friend--when she's really planning to follow the band U2 around Europe on their concert tour. She ends up being kidnapped, drugged, and sold into the sex trade. Neeson, of course, heads to France and does some major butt-kicking until finally rescuing her before anything really bad happens. At the end, Fred and I looked pointedly at Katie, hoping she'd absorbed the life lessons in the film: don't lie to your parents, don't trust strangers, use good judgment. She looked back at us and said, "If that happens to me, I'm screwed."
Fred left early Thursday morning for Florida, so he said his goodbyes Wednesday night, again giving her a list of dos and don'ts as she sighed heavily and nodded. That night the WORST (to her) happened: her laptop came down with a bad virus. "What are we going to do?" she wailed. "I leave on Monday!!" Trying my best to be the voice of reason, I told her we'd get it fixed on Friday, and if worse came to worst she could take my computer with her; getting so bent out of shape over problems that are "fixable" isn't the best reaction. She should save her meltdowns for bigger things. (Like losing her passport!)
On Friday we took the computer in and had several hours of shopping and errands to run. The pharmacy gave us trouble over dispensing multiple months' worth of medications, even though the insurance company okayed it, so we had another hassle to deal with. Katie was getting fed up with my shopping suggestions, and I was getting fed up with her attitude. Both of us were grappling with the suddenly imminent idea that we wouldn't see each other for 4 months and would be 4000 miles apart.
The computer got fixed. The pharmacist reversed course and gave us all the prescriptions she needed. We had a nice dinner together after getting through a difficult day.
Last night after we got into our beds at our friends Paul and Lauri's in Eau Claire, I gave in to the emotion and the tears came. It didn't take much and Katie was crying, too. With that out of our systems, I figured we'd be good to go this morning at the shuttle. As I hugged her one last time, the driver asked, "So where are you going, young lady?" "Ireland," she croaked out as she struggled not to cry. And then she was off to begin her adventure.
We raise our kids with the intention of them becoming independent and leaving the nest, but that doesn't make it easier when it actually happens. However, I will be visiting Katie in Limerick, probably around her 21st birthday in April. (Flights for St. Patrick's Day are already booked!) And I'm sure she will be happy to know that I'll have 3 months' worth of motherly wisdom stored up for her when I get there.
Have a wonderful time, sweetie! We love you!!
We have known she was going to study abroad for 9 months now, so there has been a lot of time to get used to the idea. However, it didn't start seeming real until the past few days--days that were stressful, "crisis"-filled, and loaded with last-minute travel advice for Katie from the parental units. She did more than her share of eye-rolling, I'm sure.
We happened to see the movie "Taken" on HBO, which was a second viewing for all 3 of us. It stars Liam Neeson as a CIA agent whose daughter talks her parents into letting her take a trip to Paris with her best friend--when she's really planning to follow the band U2 around Europe on their concert tour. She ends up being kidnapped, drugged, and sold into the sex trade. Neeson, of course, heads to France and does some major butt-kicking until finally rescuing her before anything really bad happens. At the end, Fred and I looked pointedly at Katie, hoping she'd absorbed the life lessons in the film: don't lie to your parents, don't trust strangers, use good judgment. She looked back at us and said, "If that happens to me, I'm screwed."
Fred left early Thursday morning for Florida, so he said his goodbyes Wednesday night, again giving her a list of dos and don'ts as she sighed heavily and nodded. That night the WORST (to her) happened: her laptop came down with a bad virus. "What are we going to do?" she wailed. "I leave on Monday!!" Trying my best to be the voice of reason, I told her we'd get it fixed on Friday, and if worse came to worst she could take my computer with her; getting so bent out of shape over problems that are "fixable" isn't the best reaction. She should save her meltdowns for bigger things. (Like losing her passport!)
On Friday we took the computer in and had several hours of shopping and errands to run. The pharmacy gave us trouble over dispensing multiple months' worth of medications, even though the insurance company okayed it, so we had another hassle to deal with. Katie was getting fed up with my shopping suggestions, and I was getting fed up with her attitude. Both of us were grappling with the suddenly imminent idea that we wouldn't see each other for 4 months and would be 4000 miles apart.
The computer got fixed. The pharmacist reversed course and gave us all the prescriptions she needed. We had a nice dinner together after getting through a difficult day.
Last night after we got into our beds at our friends Paul and Lauri's in Eau Claire, I gave in to the emotion and the tears came. It didn't take much and Katie was crying, too. With that out of our systems, I figured we'd be good to go this morning at the shuttle. As I hugged her one last time, the driver asked, "So where are you going, young lady?" "Ireland," she croaked out as she struggled not to cry. And then she was off to begin her adventure.
We raise our kids with the intention of them becoming independent and leaving the nest, but that doesn't make it easier when it actually happens. However, I will be visiting Katie in Limerick, probably around her 21st birthday in April. (Flights for St. Patrick's Day are already booked!) And I'm sure she will be happy to know that I'll have 3 months' worth of motherly wisdom stored up for her when I get there.
Have a wonderful time, sweetie! We love you!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
