A Gift For Myself...

I originally started this blog as a place of discovery and sharing; to figure out our purpose to become the person we want to be, behind the traditional roles we all live.  For me, I wanted to ignite and pursue the creative desires I put on the back burner while raising my kids.

I know I ended up here in Henderson, Nevada due to my husband's pursuit of a better job...which he found, but due to the economy, his career drastically changed working in the business loan banking field.

As you all know, I spend a lot of time complaining about living so far from my family who live in Southern California.  Since Nevada leads the nation in foreclosures and short sales, the housing market here SUCKS for sellers, hence, we are STUCK here...for the time being.

Consequently, I have allowed myself to sink into the dark mire of depression and basically eat my loneliness and unhappiness...

No one can make me happy.  That job belongs solely to me, so it is my responsibility to snap myself out of it.  I was talking to my youngest brother E____ last week, playing my violin of sadness and all the reasons why I have gained so much weight...

 "Sounds like you are making a lot of excuses Sis. You have to take action just like the Nike slogan says:  Just Do It."  


I thought it over and decided to do just that... Since February 1, 2012 I have been going up to our community gym every day and working out for 45 minutes to an hour.  I am 5' 7" tall and weigh 188.  I am declaring to the world (to make myself accountable) that I hope to lose at least a pound a week, so when I turn 65 this June, I will be at least 170 pounds.  My goal is to weigh 160.  I have to establish good habits to replace my bad ones.

I think taking weight off my body and making myself more happy is the best gift I can give myself and my loved ones, because it will insure I will be around a while longer and FEEL much better.  If I continue on the path I was on, I will keep expanding until I literally EXPLODE!

I weighed 157 when we moved here six years ago.  I know this is the land of the GREAT BUFFETS, but I can choose more veggies, fruit and lean protein.  There are healthy choices...  I am watching my portions and drinking lots of water.  I am cutting way back on the white breads, potatoes, crackers, and sweets.  I love to eat, so I am enjoying my food, just making better choices and less of them.  I am doing my best to re-train myself to eat five little meals rather than "three squares" plus snacking...

I am embarrassed to say how disorienting and exhausting it is changing one's procrastination and sedentary life style to one of action and movement!

I will tell you, as sore as I am, it makes me think twice before I shove something in my mouth because I have first hand experience now on how hard it is sweating to work it off!!!  I am stiff and sore in places I did not even know existed...but I am determined to work out every day.

I hope to meet some new friends...couples for my husband and I to go out with or invite over to dinner as well as girlfriends for me.

The exercise has improved my attitude. My new motto is KEEP MOVING.  I am still working at finishing off all the projects I didn't finish from 2011.  If I do less sitting, which for right now, includes blogging on the computer, I get more exercise and hopefully, will mean losing weight and feeling better.
So please bare with me as I pop in and out for a while longer...

We also have a couple of ongoing household problems:  One is the re-plumbing law suit our community has going with the builder.  The builder put deficient fittings in our homes which has caused low water pressure, clogged pipes, broken pipes, and leaks.  Fortunately, we just have the low water pressure and clogged pipes...no leaks like some residents.

The other is our spa decking was rotting away.  There was a lawsuit on it as well...only the suit only pays for the replacement of the supplies to replace the decking.  We have to pay for the labor, which was going to be $1900.  We decided, since we do not use the spa often enough to justify keeping it (I never wanted it to begin with, this was my husband's idea) we decided to have it removed.

Good thing we decided to take it out because the boards under the decking were not treated wood and were rotting.  The decking was deteriorating and the spa shell was beginning to lean to the back towards our next door neighbor's backyard.  When the workers lifted the spa, about twenty fat, gray mice ran for shelter...they had made a mouse city inside the insulation of the spa, and a metropolis of intricate pathways underneath the spa in the dirt.

Besides the rotting wood, the decking, the mice, and a new cover, we would have been spending thousands of dollars to fix damage to the spa shell not to mention the chewed wires and hoses.

The hole is now filled with dirt and we plan on putting pavers down then placing a table and chairs there.  We'll save considerably on our utilities not having that spa filtering every two hours.

Anyway, that is why I have not been visiting any of you or writing much lately...

It is going to take me awhile to get caught up and then establish a new, more productive routine.

I am in especially good spirits lately as my oldest daughter Holly is coming to visit next Friday for three days.  It would be PERFECT if my younger daughter, Jodee could come too...but she could not get off from work. So I will be grateful for our special mother-daughter time... until I go to California in May and see them both.

I so appreciate the gift of your friendships.  The loyal friends who have continued to stop in and stay in touch, sending me caring emails about my welfare.  You know who you are and you mean the world to me.  I love each of you dear friends...