wow and realism

Yesterday, my hubby and I went searching old cemetaries for my great grand parents and we found some great uncles and maybe the unmarked graves of my great grandparents. I am not a big fan of doing this, but hubby likes to do geneaology studies and since he supports me in my rock hunting, every once in a while, I have to return the favor and go through old cemetaries or county records or library census records. I know, not my idea of fun. Anyway, my point is that we were at this very same graveyard last year and I was only able to walk a few yards and had to stop. He did the walking around and looking, well, let me tell you this, yesterday, not only did I walk around and look at every single headstone, I bent down and moved dirt and grass off the tombstones so I could get a better look and I stood and stood and stood and walked and walked and walked. Oh my and I am not even sore. not one bit. And, since I don't have a realistic body image, I never know what I look like. I always think I am either larger or smaller than I am. When I weighed in the 300s, I thought I looked smaller then I would see myself and bam, who the hell is that big assed gal, I'd think. Well, now that I am below 300, well, I see myself so much larger and so even looking in the mirror, I can't really tell what my shape is. So we were eating and this woman came in and I thought, that is about my size, and I say, honey, am I her size, do I look like her and he says no, she is much larger than you and I say, really, and he says yeah and I say was I ever that size and he says, yeah, you were larger. I'm like wow. I am smaller than what I thought, and was larger than what I thought and just wish my brain would catch down to my size. YOu know.

Hi there my friend, Why is it that the brain can make us react instantly to something, like putting up your hand to protect yourself from something being thrown towards you, but can't keep up mentally with weight loss? I'm sure there is someone much, much smarter in such things that could explain it to us. Wouldn't it be interesting to find out? And here's another thing we have in common....graveyards. Who would have thought? I don't recall ever seeing cemeteries like we have here in Arkansas, when I was living in California. In San Diego, since there are so few open, green spaces, they keep all the headstones flat on the ground to make it look bigger. Bigger, more open space means more expensive property, which is how they get big buck for cemetery plots, hence the huge increase in cremation instead of burial. Pretty weird that I would know such a thing, huh? We have good friends who are morticians there. Anyway, I digressed, walking around cemeteries is so interesting. Have you been to Mt Holly here in Little Rock? There are headstones from the 1800's. Whole families, small children and such an abundance of history. Good for you that you're able to get around so much better this year. Just think what the next year will bring for you! Enjoy the rest of your weekend. Susan

Hey there Jeannie! I hope you get to come to the WLS group meeting tomorrow (you too Susan - I know you were going to try). I like walking around old cemetaries too. I used to go to a church in NC that had very, very old headstones. Some were just rocks with nothing on them. I would look at this one section where there were six children from the same family (the mom still went to the church and was in her 90s when I was a child). Anyway, her children were all from 1 day to 1 year old when they died. She did have two living children. I always wanted to ask what happened, but my mom said I shouldn't bring it up. She didn't want to upset this lady. There was also a tombstone with a picture of a 16 year old girl and I always wanted to know what happened to her too. I think she died in the 1930s. There was also a soldier from Vietnam. I think he was 19. I used to wonder about their lives and how it was to have died so young. Well it's getting late and since we have to "spring forward" tonight, I'd better get my clocks changed. Have a great rest of the weekend!! Margie

I know what you mean Jeannie! I used to think..."I dont look that big." But then when I would see pictures of myself I would nearly fall out. I looked like a huge cow. Now I look at myself and can't believe I am wearing 12s and 14s! My 16s are now too baggy. I pulled out some capris from last year because it has warmed up a lot here in South Arkansas and they were HUGE on me! It was comical! About old cemeteries...I love to do geneaology too. I have been working on my family names for years...when I hit a brick wall I give up for a few years then something will pique my interest and off I go again. Do ya'll ever drive by old old home places and wonder about the people who lived there, what their lives were like, were they happy?, did they have heartaches and troubles like all of us?, where are their descendants now...etc. I can pass a whole trip's worth of driving or riding just thinking about the woods and streams and rivers I pass...imagining canoes, rafts and riverboats moving people and their belongings up and down those creeks and rivers years ago. I love history....the kind I have just described....not dates, wars, eras, periods, ages and all that crap. If history teachers could just get it through their heads that kids would be much more interested in learning "history" if they would include more about the lives of the people that lived during those times....not just dates, etc.