The Gift of Today

Take time to smell the roses, or in this case, the Sunflowers!

There are millions of beautiful sunflowers here in Utah every Summer and they last into the first frost.

The views here are spectacular, and I am sure wherever you live there are some amazing views of nature, birds-flowers-seaside-mountains and more.

Each day to enjoy the beautiful offerings of Mother Nature are a Gift!  Life, even those lives who are fortunate enough to live past 60, is short! It goes so very quickly.  Don't miss an opportunity to take in every single beautiful offering around you.

Make sure that you live each day to the fullest, and be your best self.  Sometimes we think that focusing on self is "selfish."  I'm not talking about being selfish, however.  I am talking about learning to find what gives you joy! You can share that with others, but you also need to find a kind of peace within yourself about what makes you happy.

Some of us have children and grandchildren, and sharing their lives is an important part of our happiness.  But, our happiness is not really found completely in others.  We have to look inside ourselves and learn to have joy in just living another day.  For me, the outdoors here in Utah is a place of peace and comfort.  I see God in the dramatic mountain views and the massive amounts of local wildflowers!  I find peace in the solitude of sitting beside the River and listening to the sound of the water as it tumbles over the rocks.

Where is your joy?  Where is your peace? Where is your happiness?

Take a little time today to search for those things which make you happy and give you peace.  Enjoy life!  Each day is a GIFT - open it carefully and savor the contents!

PEACE LOVE AND JOY

Back In The Saddle Again!

No, I'm not riding a horse or a bull or any other critter! However, I am back on my diet program with Metabolic Direct.

I have always been different! Most people gain weight in the winter when they are shut indoors and indulging in comfort foods.  Me, well, I gain in the Summer.  It probably has more to do with the fact that I seem to travel a lot and eat out a lot in the Summer, than it does with the season itself.

Every Summer about this time, I get on the scales one morning and go - YIKES! How did that happen? Where did it come from?  Well, probably from the delicious Zeppe's Italian Ice and Vanilla Custard...oh yum.  Then there are the Smore's cooked over the open fire, and the hot dogs, and the travel to Paris where ALL the food is irresistible and delicious!  Oh my.  Back to my normal routine or I will have a whole closet full of clothes I can not wear anymore! Nope, can't afford that for sure! And, to add to the drive, I'm going on a Cruise in December! You can't hide fat in cruise clothes!  Aaaauuuggh...

I wish it were as easy to be thin now as it was when I was 17!  Of course, back then I walked everywhere, played basketball and softball and probably didn't have access to junk food.  I was too busy to eat!  The first time I really gained weight was when I was in Nursing School.  There was never time to eat properly and so McDonalds Quarter Pounder with cheese and fries became a staple in my world..to the tune of probably 40 pounds or more...I really didn't take a lot of notice about it until the graduation pictures! Oh my, is that me?  A size 20?  How on Earth???

I have dieted and changed the way I eat several times and lost weight, but it was about three years ago when I looked at a picture of myself with my husband at Universal Studios. Who are those people?  That did it.  I got busy and took off 50 pounds on my own, but then I was STUCK!

So I began to hunt for some program or method that would work for me.  I had been to WW in the past and wasn't really impressed...oh I lost some weight, but it came right back...counting points and still eating hamburgers isn't the way to go for me.  I had tried Fit For Life, geesh that is a lot of fruit!

Anyway after having tried so many programs and still being overweight, I came across the Metabolic Research people in Macon, Georgia.  I reviewed the program and it seemed like a sensible way to lose weight.  Between October 3rd and December 20 I lost 50 pounds! Success.  They hired me to work for them!  My clients would walk in and not believe my "before" picture.  I actually had one man say "I want to talk to that tall skinny blond."  I hadn't been a tall skinny blond since High School.
Losing weight is not just about vanity.  It is more about "health."  I don't want to be one of those who has to have knee replacements and can't do all the things I did 30 years ago.  I want to keep healthy and keep moving.  I want to motivate others to do the same.  Life is short...let's live it!

I ran my first 5K 100 pounds lighter than I was the year before on February 23, 2012 (my 66th birthday).  I actually came in third in my age group..(I was just happy I didn't DIE trying).  I have managed to do pretty well until this Summer.  A trip to London and Paris in May, Maryland in June and then to Georgia and finally two weeks in Norway (where my host was a Chef!), and a one week visit from my College age grandson (and I ate hot dogs and fun stuff like that) and I have found myself 25 pounds up!  Oh my gosh!

So this week beginning on Sunday I got back to the program that has been so good to me. It really isn't hard to follow and it works great.  I have already lost 8, yes EIGHT pounds! While I know that rate of loss will not continue, I intend to have lost 20 more pounds by October 15th! I don't do any ridiculous amount of exercise.  I do like to walk about 4 miles at least 3 times a week while the weather is good and I snowshoe in the Winter.  If you have a dog, taking him or her for a nice brisk walk will be good for both of you; and despite previous evidence to the contrary, you need to get at least 15 minutes of sunshine on your body a day to make adequate Vitamin D...so many are deficient in Vitamin D now because of Sunscreen...leave the sunscreen at home and get your 15 minutes.  Recent research is saying exactly that! No, don't get burned...get 15 minutes!

I have fought the "weight loss" battle many times, but I never intend to get back to the weight that I was before Metabolic Research.  I am actually an independent Weight Loss Consultant for them now out here in Utah.  That is good for me and good for my clients.  So, my blogging friends, I will let you know how I progress, and if you want to join me give me a message.

PEACE, LOVE and JOY

Happiness Is....

When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us. Helen Keller

I don't know what happiness is for you...spending time with children or grandchildren, going to the beach, practicing a fulfilling hobby or maybe it is your work. What makes a person "happy" is as different between individuals as in falling snowflakes.

One of the things that I am "happy" doing, is canning great fruits and vegetables each year that I can use through the winter. Today let's do Peach Butter, one of my husband's very favorite things...it makes him smile, and that makes me happy!

SPICED PEACH BUTTER

Yields 8 half-pint jars

* 12 cups peaches, peeled and diced
* 1 cup honey
* 6 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
* 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker (crock pot). Cook on low heat for about 12 hours. Use an immersion blender to puree the mixture until smooth. Cook for an additional hour or two, until thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. (You may want to remove the lid on your slow cooker for a little while to let some of the steam escape and give the peach butter a chance to thicken up just a bit.)

A shelf fully of "happy" in my pantry!

Now, if you are not crazy about the "spice" you can opt to leave the spices out and instead add about 1/4 cup brown or white sugar instead of the honey and spices. Believe me, either way it is a family favorite!

I usually cut (with pinking shears) small circles out of Christmas Printed material (Hobby Lobby always has great fabrics early in the season) and put atop the jars and tie with rafia. This makes great Christmas gifts for co-workers or neighbors, if your family will let you part with any of it!

Need A Lift?

The really great man is the man who makes every man feel greatG.K.Chesterson

I read a book some years ago called Balcony People. I can't tell you how much help this little book was to me at a time when I felt like the whole world was crushing in on me.

Here is a very brief synopsis of what "Balcony People" is about.

Basement people are people who constantly pull you down or discourage you. Basement people in our grieving process can and do cause us much hurt and distraction. Basement people are the people who do not wish to hear about your difficulty, they do not want to talk about your hurt or actively help you go through the grief process. Basement people are also people who say ugly or uneducated things about your loss such as “Aren’t you over that by now?” Basement people criticize your bereavement or question every method you chose in dealing with your loss. Basement people make everything about them and their feelings; disregarding your feelings. Basement people can cause a lot of hurt (often, unintended) to you during your difficult times.

Balcony people are the people who pull you forward and along the road of grief or sorrow. Balcony people come beside you and cry with you, spend time listening to you talk of your loss and tell you stories they remember, too. Balcony people encourage you to seek ways to heal and process your loss. They understand that the way you chose to deal with the death or other loss may not be their way but it is what is good for you. Balcony people understand when you do not want them around but stand by just in case you change your mind. Balcony people cook or clean for you because you just do not have the energy or they do not comment when the house is a little (or a lot) messier than it used to be. Balcony people understand that you will never be the “old” you and help you to find the “new” you who will emerge through the grief and loss you have sustained.

Regardless of what your grief or loss may involve, death...divorce...loss of a job...loss of a home.."Balcony People" can help you through your tough times by teaching you to identify the balcony people and shy away from the basement people. Balcony People can even help you when you are struggling through the challenges of everyday life, and there seem to be those around who are dragging you down rather than lifting you up. We all need Balcony People in our lives!

So, if you are dealing with a time of loss or grief, or you know someone who is, try out the book "Balcony People."

TODAYS RECIPE

Here is a happy little recipe to put some zip in your life without putting pounds on your hips!

Banana Dream

1 Pint fat free sour cream
1 small box fat free/sugar free vanilla pudding (can use cheesecake flavor too)
8 ounce can crushed pineapple in own juice (drained)
2 sliced bananas
8 ounces fat free cool whip

Combine sour cream, pudding mix and pineaple. Pour into 8 x 8 pan. Slice bananas over mixture (if you are not a fan of bananas, you can use cherries, blueberries or other fruit)
Spread Cool Whip over fruit, and chill.

Serve when cold....makes 6 servings (only 3 WW points each) and it tastes like cheese cake!