There were baseball games, races and right foot still. There were somersaults, cartwheels and leapfrog. There was badminton and croquet, jumping in leaves, snowball fights and rolling down the hill. Having grown up in the country and not owning a car, we spent most of our youth at the house. We had a great big yard and spent many hours making memories as we romped and played in the yard and on the hills of the old home place. Many things have happened in that old yard. Rachel and me used to drag our dolls and dishes out to play house. Mom would make tents out of old blankets hanging on the clothesline. I can close my eyes and hear Daddy worrying about Jack and Andy wearing out the grass when they played ball. I can still hear Mom holler out the kitchen window, “If that ball goes over the hill one more time, you’re going to have to quit playing.” One time Jack and I were playing kick ball and it kept going over the hill. We could tell Mom was getting tired of us asking to go in the road to get the ball. Needless to say, it went over that “one more time” we’d been warned about. Being kids, with our infinite wisdom, we decided to sneak down without asking. We figured she’d never know, so what was the harm. As we watched it’s journey over the hill. Our mouths fell open in dismay. Oh no! It had landed in the BIG DITCH. Now anyone growing up in that old house knew the big ditch was forbidden territory. There were rumors of snakes and poison ivy, worries of falling in the water and not getting out. It was a deep ditch. But in reality there never was that much water in it, maybe 6-8 inches. So Jack decided to brave its steep bank and go get the ball. I stood guard on the road, watching out in case Mom appeared at the door and caught us in the act. He climbed down, got the ball and was almost to the top. I looked up at the house. Good, no sign of Mom. We’d made it. As he was climbing up the bank, (I can still see it today as though in slow motion), he lost his hold and WHAM! He landed flat on his back in the creek water. Busted. No way to hide that from Mom. I don’t remember our punishment, but I can only guess that it was the usual — one of us on the couch and one of us on the chair. And no getting up until Mom thought we had suffered enough. When you're small, any punishment seems cruel and unusual to you. But now that I’m a mother, I view things differently. I imagine our punishment was a relief to Mom, just a few minutes to do what she needed to do without having to worry about what we were getting into. As we grew older we took our kids back to play in that old yard. On many occasions, I would catch myself threatening dire circumstances if the ball “went over the hill one more time”. Mothers never change.

I have a headache. Or does my headache have me?

It's a lovely Saturday morning. The sun is beginning to peek through the clouds, burning off the morning fog. Everything is glistening from the rains yesterday. The temperature is already in the 40's and it's not even 7:00 yet. That in itself is something to be thankful for. The birds are gently chirping outside the window. And I have a headache.

I do not like headaches at any time, but to have one on a weekend when you are planning on shopping is not good. I do not like to take pills so I hold off until the pain usually has control. By the time I break down and take something for it, the pills take longer to work because the pain has gotten so bad.

It's at that point you have to ask, "Do I have a headache or does the headache have me?" Who is in charge? My body because it feels the pain or my mind because it lets the body win. I refuse to accept that The Headache is in control of my destiny today? Am I going to let it win and decide how my day progresses?

I need to take that pain killer and develop an attitude against the headache. It will not beat me today. I am going to think positive thoughts, focus on the good and push the headache to the back of my mind. I will emerge victorious. I will eat chocolate and fortify myself with caffiene. For in truth, my reduction of chocolate and caffiene in my diet, is probably the reason for the headache in the first place. So my current plan of attack is a Pepsi and a Reese cup. That way, the peanut butter can supply me the much needed iron to give me strength for the day.

Don't you just love the way I justify the junk food? Have a lovely Saturday.

Fitness Friday

I'm happy to say that I got back on track this week with my weight loss program. I was able to walk almost everyday, some days more than others. I didn't actually "walk" today, but I did go to Duck Duck Goose. It is in the old Kmart in Knoxville and I walked back and forth over the entire store for 3 hours. My feet hurt, my legs hurt, my back hurts so I would say that can count as exercise.

They say when you are trying to lose weight to only weigh yourself once a week. I disagree. When I step on the scales and see they have not moved or they have went down 1/2 pound or a pound, it gives me more incentive for the next day. If I wait several days and I feel like I should have lost and nothing moves. I get depressed and want to just eat. But if I stay the same everyday and see it is the same every day, it makes me push myself harder and reminds me daily why I'm doing this. That may not work for everybody, but a daily remind of what my weight is provides EXTREME motivation.

I did get a little out of control with the Junior Mints this week. I need to take the candy dish off my desk. Not only do they add to the weight problem, but they aggravate my acid reflux. However, doctors recommend that dark chocolate is healthy for you in some ways.

I've been cutting down the portions on my meals. This is hard to do when my hubby makes my favorite food, but I have been strong.

I haven't implemented anything new this week. I'm sticking with the "drink more water, eat breakfast, cut down on everything and walking." I'll see how that goes then experiment with something new next week.

Hope everybody has a great weekend.

I'm addicted to bubbles...

I have come to the conclusion that I’m a fanatic about bubbles. I didn’t realize it until last night. I was looking through the “junk food” drawer hoping to find a pack of Bazooka or Dubble Bubble. I may be 53, but I still love my bubble gum. I am an expert at blowing bubbles. I have been since my younger days. Some people try to blow bubbles and simply push the gum out of their mouth and into the floor. Some would prefer chewing gum so they can make it snap and pop. But I love my bubbles. I like to blow them big enough to point to and grunt so others can see how big they are, but small enough that they don’t pop all over my face. I have become an expert at it over the years. My love of bubbles doesn’t stop there. Every time we plan a summer cook out, I buy jars of bubbles for the kids to have. I usually get a bottle for myself, too. I know I won’t be able to resist the urge and I don’t want to take any away from the kids. I like to blow the really big bubbles and try to catch them with the wand after you release them. But I also like to blow a ton of them at once and let the kids chase them. Every evening, I like to take a nice hot soak in a tub of, you guessed it, bubbles. Suave Body Wash in Wild Cherry Blossom. I love the floral smell and the feel of sinking deep into the glistening bubbles. And what person, child or adult, does not love bubble wrap. It is one of those things that’s automatic. You open a box. There’s the bubble wrap and you cannot resist but to pop a few. I love my Pepsi and even though I stick to caffeine free when I can, I still have to have it while it is fresh and bubbly. The carbonation is what makes it work. Otherwise, it’s just flat brown water in a can. So there you have it. I’m addicted to bubbles.

Easter Eggs and Chocolate Bunnies

Why, oh why, did I decide to start losing weight so close to Easter. Easter is just 25 days away and I start worrying about what I eat. This is not good. I am 53 years old and have NEVER experienced Easter without the "Easter Bunny" leaving me an Easter basket. Between my mom and my wonderful husband, they have been able to contact Mr. Bunny every year to make sure I get a basket of goodies. I am still kid enough to enjoy seeing all the chocolate goodies, but I'm adult enough to realize that this is not good. When it comes to chocolate, I have no willpower. Even the out-of-sight out-of-mind routine doesn't work when it comes to chocolate. If it is not where I can see it, it makes me want it more. If it IS where I can see it, it makes me want it EVEN more. I'll just have to drop a note to Mr. Bunny and ask him to go easy on me this year. I would recommend the 100 calories snack sizes. But, I would probably eat two at a time which would make them more calories than a regular candy bar anyway. I'M DOOMED!

Wishing you butterfly mornings and wildflower afternoons

I hope your day is filled with sunshine and your soul is filled with laughter. I hope today you find joy in the moments of life. I hope that your cares float away on the wings of a butterfly and that hope springs eternal like the bloom of a fresh flower. God’s beauty is around us. His grace and goodness are everlasting. He will take your worries. He will handle your problems. Place them at His feet today and leave them there. Enjoy the beautiful day he has given us. In John 14, Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you.” I hope your day is one of peace.

Fitness Friday (a few days late)

Fitness Friday Well, it turned out that I wasn’t very fit on Friday. Apparently my new fitness routine is affecting my brain because I forgot to give my update. The first week was rough. I developed a horrible cold and ran a fever so I had about 3 days that fitness was the last thing on my mind. However, I’m happy to say that I did drink more water than I normally do and have tried to cut down somewhat on the sweets. I did drop 2 pounds, but not sure if it was from my new routine or if it is from my cold. I am implementing a few new things to the routine this week. #1 – Move more. My job entails setting at a desk the majority of the day, being on the phone. Now, by nature, I am a pacer. When I am on the phone with family, I find myself pacing and walking around while I talk. I just love cordless phones. So, when I am on a call with a client who wants information on my services, I get up and walk around the office while I talk. This does not limit my attention to the customer as I am simply walking while I do my sales pitch. I read in an article that the more steps you increase per day, the more calories you burn. #2 – Now that pretty weather is here, I am going to quit looking for the closest parking space. I will start looking for places on the far side of the shopping cart areas of the parking lot, therefore increasing my number of steps. #3 – Me and water do not get along well. City water is blah and I refuse to pay hard earned money for bottled water. So I have purchased Crystal Light Hydration on the go. I buy the lightly lemon flavor. It is a light lemonade. Not real sweet and heavy like normal lemonade, but stronger that regular lemon water. You simply pour a packet into 16 ounces of water and shake well. I keep a 32 ounce water jug in the fridge and add two packs at a time. Then when I want a drink, I simply pour me some of the lemonade instead of a Pepsi or nasty water. There are 5 calories per 16 ounces as opposed to about 70 calories per soft drink. There are 0 fat grams, 0 carbs, and 0 sugar. It does have 75 mg sodium, which helps keep you hydrated and 35 mg potassium which helps with leg cramps. Those are my changes for this week. We will see how it goes and I’ll give you another report this Friday. I want to thank a dear friend who asked what happened to my Fitness Friday column. Better late than never.