12/15/2020, Tuesday

Peps, I think some of us, teachers and mothers at the top of the list, have learned to analyze situations and plan for the most successful outcome, averting and/or mitigating potential challenges. Muddy dog paws are a fact of life. Poor Ron and others who do not approach life that way. Taking a year off from puppies sounds like a great way to continue self are. Liz, so sorry this time of the year is difficult. My dad was gone twelve years at Thanksgiving... many of us have loss around the holidays, but the first year is particularly difficult. The SNOW should perk you up. Miss Bonnie, your lights look festive indeed ! So glad Swann loves the cold, as do our two ! Ceci, your success is inspirational !! I can relate to food fairness ! DD, good for you trying to insulate work and home as much as possible. I swear by walking poles ! At 345 pounds, they were the only way I could get around with my bad knee. Right after VSG process I was at 270+ and swayed from side to side when I walked. The poles retrained me to a balanced posture and gait as I resumed walking. I still use them on rough terrain ! Shirl...positive thoughts for the next step in new job process. I love fresh gingerbread !! Diane, great news about your brother ! I was able to bring Sadie IN to the vet...can't imagine shots and exam in the car !

It looks like we will get the edge of the big storm. We are seeing 100+ new Covid cases a day in our county, balanced off a bit by steady recoveries. I have a hair appointment 12/23 that I'm fairly certain will be cancelled due to new shut downs.

Yes, the snow will be beautiful and since it will be fluffy shouldn't be too difficult to deal with. And we have a generator so would keep warm. But poor Justice is going to be shocked, I think.

Weight 129.8! Yes, I ate my feelings yesterday afternoon and evening. I need to get out and about today and cheer up. The order of the day is breakfast, shower, shop for stocking stuffers, take Justice to the beach for a run.

Oohh on hair appointments! I have one on 12/23 too which I hope will occur. Our governor doesn't seem inclined to shut down more than we are now so hopefully it will still be possible.

Have a safe and healthy day!

Here is Justice getting worried about the snow map (arrow pointing where I live):

Crazy weather, snow all over the country, but we are still having a brown December. Looks like it might be a brown Christmas too. I've had plenty of abundantly white Christmases, so I am content to miss one this year.

The people behind us who cut down a brace of mature trees are trying to construct a regulation size hockey rink. We have enough brush/tree buffer along our back fence, that even the bare branches provide a bit of blockage. It has provided some entertainment from my office window as walls keep collapsing. Ice on the lakes is definitely not safe yet, but if they can manage to keep their walls up, and flood their rink, a thin sheet of ice should stay frozen. God speed sports enthusiasts.

Not much else is happening. Technology is both my foe and my savior. School keeps moving forward, but too many kids ate not moving along with us. There will be a lot to sort out when we can one day resume a more normal school year.

The neighbors who lived behind us for 10 years had a rink in the backyard. We enjoyed watching the kids skate through the winters, but in some years there were multiple thaws and they would get pretty frustrated.

Diane, here in CA dogs are taken by techs from the parking lot into the vet clinics/hospitals and then returned after the exam/procedure. Sometimes the vet will call and chat with you and sometimes he/she will come out to the parking lot and follow up.

Ceci, glad you are doing so well with your weight loss. You remind me of the fable, The Tortoise and the Hare. Slow and steady wins the race!!!! Good for you.

Diane S. such great news about your brother!

DD, my Christmases are always brown here in CA! I like a good nip in the air though for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Though this year Ron will have church services outside, so maybe not as chilly as usual, please? I don't go to Christmas Mass, so it won't bother me, but Ron does not like the cold! (Though Santa is bringing him a lovely winter coat! Santa even let Ron pick it out from LL Bean!)

We watched Prom last night on Netflix. It was a fun musical based on a real life incident of a prom being cancelled so a lesbian teen would not be able to attend with her date. Meryl Streep, James Cordon, Nicole Kidman, and Andrew Rannells head up the cast. Not going to lie, though, the movie was predictable and James Corden, bless his heart, was a bit too campy in his portrayal at times - almost offensively. I think perhaps Andrew Rannells' and Corden's roles should have been switched. Probably would have been better with the reverse casting.

My mood seems to be improving little by little. Though, interestingly, I seem to be wanting to hold on to it in regard to home life. Not exactly sure how/why I am feeling protected by that down feeling at home, but it seems to be helping me cope at some level.

Weight was back up today. I seem to be bouncing between 268-270. But since I am not working on losing weight that is okay.

I am curious if naturally thin people plan their "food" or if it just happens. Liz, you are the closest person I know who has long term experience with a naturally thin person. What did you notice about DH's eating patterns over the years? Did he plan his meals or just let the happen? Was any planning or effort given to meals on his part? I'm curious because that is one of my struggles with food and my ED. The simple planning of meals feels like DIET and DEPRIVATION MODE to me and can trigger ED behaviors. Do you mind sharing your observations? Thanks!

I go back to my trainer today. I have not been in two weeks. She cancelled two sessions and I cancelled the last one due to depression. Just didn't fake my way through it. I'm sure it would have been good for me, but it just wasn't in me at the end of last week. Actually, I haven't exercised at all in 2 weeks. VERY ODD for me, indeed.

Okay, I think I'm just in a rambling mode today, so best sign off....

We watched The Prom on Friday evening, with a fire and ****tails. It started out as such campy fun, but kind of dragged towards the end. Yes, predictable. Perhaps the realest (is this a word?) moment: when one of the characters says to his younger self, "it gets better." Was it Dan Savage who coined this encouraging motto? It gets better... I wish all the kids struggling could know this.

Both DH and SIL were "naturally thin", as is one brother and both their parents were. Absolutely no meal planning. But also no snacking except maybe at a party. They ate reasonable portions because that's all they wanted. DH would periodically eat a larger portion or have a dessert but that was rare. When there was something like cookies around he might have just one (while I wanted to climb into the package). I think they just don't have the cravings.

Thanks! That sounds very much like my dad. My brother and I clearly take after my mom. LOL!

Weight up a bit. Happens after a good scale day. And today I ate two cupcakes an elf left on my porch so I don't have high hopes for tomorrow's scale reading (One of my knitting friends is leaving secret Santa presents on our porches with our names on them, but no "from tag" - I've gotten a Christmas music CD, chocolate, candy canes, and now chocolate cupcakes. I can resist wrapped treats, but the cupcakes were more than I could turn away from. Grrr.)

Today was so much fun. My friend who is moving back to the UK in 10 days took our three musketeers group on a hike in the mountains. It was gorgeous. Giant California oak and sycamore trees, perfect temperature. The only 2 other people we saw passed us on horseback. And she had packed a luxury picnic complete with tablecloth, real silverware and plates back at the trailhead. Salmon and shrimp salads. Delicious. It was a lovely day! My other friend was in tears at the end at the thought of our friend moving away.

I put up the artificial tree last night that every year I decide I need to get rid of because it stinks of plastic, and the following year I forget how bad the smell is and put it back up. It's been so incredibly dry here, though, I don't dare get a real tree this late in the game. This thing is NOT coming with me when I move! Now to decorate it.

Sounds like such a great day. After reading about your picnic, I don't want your friend to move back to the U.K. either!