Saturday, November 23, 2019

Weight: 140.2 (weighed at 1:30 a.m. - ugh!)
Veggies/Fruits: 8
Macronutrients: Cals 1,357, Carbs 140, Fats 30, Protein 98, Fiber 20
Sleep: 5'30" ... Woke up at 1:25 a.m. and could NOT go back to sleep, darnit!
Exercise: 5,092 steps, 0 active minutes

I'm starting off the day again, mostly because I woke up before 1:30 ... ARRGGGHHHH! But also because I'm about to be M.I.A. a lot during the next month, as I usually am when I'm on the road.

Weight's stable, eating yesterday was good, although exercise sucked, thanks to sitting around waiting in doctors' offices and at the D.M.V. where the Friday afternoon waiting room was jammed, i.e., no movement feasible for hours on end. My goal today--move it!

This morning I'm already cleaning house and doing more laundry prior to my upcoming trips. I can't stand to come home to a dirty, disordered house!

Today I'm having lunch with a new friend, but other than that, housecleaning and packing for the trip tomorrow, This will be the least hectic day I'll have had in a week. Looking forward to it!

Today's Theme: I like to move it, move it, move it!

1. Within Range: two pounds over
2. General Wellbeing: 7.5
3. 10,000+ Steps: 4,852
4. Fitness: drilling and painting
5. Self-Care: meditating while puttering
6. Fun: finishing holiday decorations on front porch

I am in a bit of a funk and finding it a challenge to resist the pull of SAD. Being off Lasix because of low potassium is making me retain water and gain weight. My smart, sassy lymphedema partner Shel could always refocus me on logic and reasoning. We were supposed to have lots of sun yesterday, with temperatures in the mid forties. It rained and snowed while the temperatures plummeted into the twenties. Getting rid of my pumpkins, gourds and corn stalks on the front porch on garbage day helped. I?ve switched scarecrows with snow bears and have all of my LET IT SNOW theme returning. Accept the things you cannot change?. I?m also feeling the feels of the 13^th anniversary of my father?s death and the absence of both DDs on Thanksgiving, although I?ll see the youngest DD Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Want to share a walking story from Wednesday, as a lesson on seasonal awareness. I?ve posted pictures of Sonnenberg Gardens where I love to walk while DH is attending group at the VA. The 20+ acres of grounds set inside a city include gardens, water features, a mansion, a multitude of old out buildings and a network of roadways and paths. The north end of this rectangular parcel boarders the VA government property. There is a drive through gate I easily unlatched to get back on the VA property at the end of my walk. The perimeter consists of 10' high rock walls and/or 6' wrought iron fences with a main entrance drive through gate at the south end. On both sides of the property are old wooden doors with padlocked latches. During the season, there were tours in gold carts, grounds people and gardeners all around. On Wednesday, the main entrance to the park was open as I walked in. There was no mowing, gardening or touring going on. I worked my way through 2+ miles of pathways to the north gate and it was padlocked for the season. (Apparently snow removal crew has keys). Besides scaling a 10' wall or battering my way out of a wooden door, there was only one way out and in and not a soul in sight. I could have shouted from the locked gate into the VA and drawn someone's attention and I'm sure VA police have keys. I walked back down and around the way I came in and back up through the city sidewalks, but it made me really think about all of the ways things could have gone sideways. That walk is off my list for the season !

Positive thoughts to Reed and Shel?s family, as they near their first Thanksgiving without her.

I hope you always bring your phone with you!! I got into a bind once in a park reserve. I thought I was going to be that lady on the news who had to call 911 to be rescued from the maze of trails. I did make it out with some directional help from some other hikers, but like you, I was surprised at how crazy it could get.

Diane, come to CA. We have more sun than you'd know what to do with!

The holidays can be a difficult season. I do okay for Thanksgiving but Christmas is tougher. I too will be thinking of Shel's family.

DS is back to wanting to cook a Thanksgiving meal with two of his French chef friends and bring DH over for it. Apparently DD has said she will drive to the Cape. I told DS that it may be difficult for his Dad and maybe he should limit the stay to an hour. Also, that he needs to let BIL know as BIL theoretically was going to the "Pie Social" at DH's place. BIL is likely to be a pain about it even though he cancels/changes plans constantly. I'm not going to deal with that aspect...

Today I may start a small project or 2, visit the pool, then we are going out to dinner with friends in Venice (30 minutes north).

Maybe there will be puppy news this weekend!

Have a satisfying Saturday!

Holidays bring up so many complicated feelings. I've tried to very intentionally create the versions I wanted to provide my family, all the while trying to reassure myself that the Norman Rockwell gatherings don't really exist. Still, I think my favorite Christmas since becoming a parent was 2 years ago when we chucked everything and went on vacation. It started off as my Mom wanted to do a destination Christmas. My brothers family was supposedly on board too. Plans were made, rooms were booked, then everyone else backed out. We decided to go ahead without them, best Christmas ever for me! Christmas morning I woke up before my kids and husband, got coffee and lounged by the pool. It was heaven. If airfare wasn't so jacked up, I think we'd do it every year.

Today, going for a scone and cream with dh. Then we are coming home to decorate. Sorry to all who don't like the seasons to be rushed, but we don't have another day off together until December 7th. It will be nice for the kids too when they get home Wednesday.

Our long haired cat is having trouble keeping his bottom poop free. We had to bathe him last night, and now I will add trimming his back end frequently to other kitty grooming chores. How's that for fun? As my bff s mother used to say, it's better than a sharp stick in an eye. Haha, perspective I guess.

Eight years ago after my mother moved to the nursing home, DH and I stopped decorating the house for Christmas because (1) we both despised getting the tree down from the attic, assembling and decorating it, and (2) we despised even more taking the tree and all the decorations down and hauling them back up to the attic. After decades of this, we were simply DONE.

That's when we also started cruising at Christmas time, which eliminated most of the "Why aren't you putting up a tree this year?!" outrage and cross-examination from family and friends who seem believe that decorating the tree is a religious sacrament. (My true feelings are leaking out, eh?)

Plus our Christmas cruises earned us free laundry aboard our favorite cruise line, and now nobody expects me to put up a tree even when I'm here for Christmas. Ah, the benefits of consistent behavior!

If it were up to me, we would just put up the tree, lights only, and the lighted garland on the stair rail. What can I say, I love Christmas lights! White twinkle lights are for patios, decks, parties, Christmas requires multi color lights, and lots of them. DH is not ready to let go of the rest of it, so we still decorate. He brings up all the boxes, puts the tree together, hangs the ornaments. All I do is scatter some other things around. One of my friends has a big closet she puts her assembled, fluffed tree in when the holiday is over. Genius! We don't have the space sadly.

What a happy good morning song, Ann! I love the hippo! I've always been attracted to (envious of...) big people who move so gracefully and have such fantastic command of their bodies. No shame there. Hippo embodies that.

Ella is tranquil and smiling. No signs of labor. Go figure. The view of Ella from my bed this morning. She's a big girl!

I ran out of coffee! I am reduced to drinking a black tea, but I must offer up that it is a tasty tea - Mighty Leaf Winter Solstice. I'm sure it will offer enough oomph to get me out of the house and over to Peet's for some coffee!

Not much other than puppy watch today for me. I may get to the gym with Ron at 11 since Ella is showing no signs of impending parturition.

Diane, I'm not sure I follow the park being off limits for the rest of the season. Was it the inconvenience of having to back track or the solitude and worry of being so alone? I'm sorry SAD is pulling at your soul. That is never a good thing. When my mom was taken off of Lasix the doctor told her to expect headaches and depression during the initial withdrawal. She had both and extreme water retention. It was pretty brutal for a few days to a week. Hope you are feeling better soon.

And here, only by the grace of God, I am down a pound and a half. Could also be because I SLEPT! Even after my nap yesterday I fell asleep and slept on and off for a full 8 hours. That's pretty darn good for me. I'm feeling like I want to stock pile some rest because I know my sleepless night is coming tonight or tomorrow.

Have I told you I'm flying solo for Thanksgiving? I'm sooooooo excited. Ron is going to Sonoma to be with his sisters. I can't leave because of the pups, so I will do a quick Turkey Day dinner at my brothers and come back home. I don't know why I'm so tickled at not having to go anywhere or do anything other than schlep around the house. But I will be thankful for puppies and a pretty darned good life overall!

I had a very nice beach hike with friends with a thousand stairs over 8 miles today and lunch. My feet are a complete mess. I can't say I walk like a 90 year old because I've seen 90 year olds who walk better than I can after today's hike. I tried to take Fergus out and barely made it around the block hobbling and finding I was holding my breath they hurt so much. Priority #1 for Monday is to get myself an appointment with a podiatrist. This can't be normal and hopefully is easily fixable!

I just popped some Advil, blood thinners be damned (I am now on a half dose, so the risk is less) and have my feet in my massager. Next up is ice. Tonight I'm headed to the movies to see Last Christmas with my good friends. Hopefully it will plant some Christmas spirit in me as I'm totally not feeling it.