such small hands

I'm Not That Girl

You know the one. The woman who always looks put together, who wouldn’t leave the house without makeup and earrings. I have been that girl. But I’m not right now, though at times I would like to be.

Maybe it’s a phase of life. When I worked in an office, I dressed up and wore makeup every day. Now that I work from home, my wardrobe of choice is jeans or yoga pants. Makeup is reserved for Saturday (date night) and Sunday (church).

Oh, my inner girly girl is still there. I make sure my hair color is touched up. Cleansing and moisturizing is a daily must. I love pretty eye shadows and mascara … but most days I’m too lazy to put on makeup, or it would just be a waste of time anyway. Don’t even get me started on tweezing the eyebrows!

Pedicures are a rare luxury — even the ones I do myself. I’m totally inept with the polish, so my toes end up looking like the work of a toddler. Manicures are something else. I am a lifelong nail biter, so having manicured and polished fingernails actually helps me stop chewing on them. I’ll go for spells when I’m good about taking care of my nails — then I get lazy and let it slide. And I feel guilty spending money on regular professional manicures.

I enjoy being a girl. But the day-after-day routine of “temple” maintenance sure can get to be a drag.

Can I get an “Amen”?

Social Media Diet

I gave up playing Mafia Wars on Facebook for Lent. The practice of “giving up” things for Lent is supposed to be a sacrifice, to remind us of Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf. It’s supposed to free up our minds to devote more time to the things of God.

It’s worked for me in one respect — I have had more time for Bible study and prayer. But it hasn’t been the sacrifice that I thought it would be. On the contrary, it has felt like liberation. I may never go back.

Quitting the game has gotten me thinking that I really can live with a lot less social media in my life. Don’t get me wrong. Facebook helps me keep in touch with friends and family far away … as well as frequent daily touchstones with friends I see frequently. I find out how I can pray for people, rejoice with them, encourage them. Through Facebook, I have a dear circle of friends I’ve never met, but we do Bible study together. I’ll never completely quit.

But I see a lot of junk on my news feed as well. I see posts, articles and news that draw a cloud of negativity across my heart and mind.

I need a lot less of that influence in my life. Less screen time and more face time with the people I care about. More phone calls and handwritten notes. More crocheting and reading. More golf, bike riding and Jazzercise. Even more time for writing and blogging (Ha! Just kidding).

More real life.

Learning Something New

Last Friday, I took a notion that I was going to teach myself to crochet.

I dug out an old "Learn How Book" that had belonged to my mom, and went through the assortment of her crochet hooks that I have kept. Made a trip to Michael's to buy crochet thread and a bigger needle --- oops, I mean, hook --- and I was off to the races.

Well, not exactly the races. More like the fumbling, bumbling, all-thumbs "slows." By the time I was holding the hook correctly, the thread on my left hand was too loose to work with. By the time I figured out where the stitch was that I was supposed to stick my hook, the "thread over" had fallen off the hook and the thread on my left hand was a mess. Etc. Etc. It took me five minutes to make one single crochet.

We talkin' 'bout practice

But I have made little practice pieces every night, and I'm getting better. I can make a single crochet, a double crochet and a half double crochet. I am learning how to increase and decrease stitches. I made my first practice granny square. After another trip to Michael's, I started on my first real project --- a dish cloth. OK, it's not glamorous, but it will be cool to have something I can say that I've made. 

 Why am I trying to teach myself this new skill practically on the eve of my 57th birthday? To spend less time on soul-sucking time wasters ... to cut down the number of Facebook games that I play ... to keep my hands and mind busy ... to learn how to make something pretty and useful.

Summer Summary

My last post was June 25? Seriously? Where did the summer go? Here it is, Labor Day weekend, and all of those fall activities will be starting up again. So, considering I posted my summer plans on June 1, how did I do about keeping up with the things I wanted to accomplish? 

Write for the blog. Obviously, fail.

Garden. I've actually achieved some of those goals. Ken and I cut back the lilac, and although it has a bad case of powdery mildew, it's doing OK. We'll see how it comes back next year. I planted summer phlox and they have been quite showy, even in their first summer. We're just now getting a good crop of tomatoes from the Early Girl and the Sugar Sweet cherry tomatoes. I've also harvested a bunch of sweet peppers and banana peppers, plus a few cucumbers. Again this year, the zucchini did nothing. I'm not even going to try it next year.

Read. I finished "Be Hopeful" and "The Life You've Always Wanted." Enjoyed them very much. I find myself reviewing sections of the latter to remind myself of spiritual disciplines I want to keep doing. It was fun going through it with a bunch of other women; I hope we can do that again sometime. Right now, I am just getting into "Dust," which is the third book in the Hugh Howey Silo series. Too soon to tell, but I'm liking how familiar characters are all coming together; I expect it's building to an apocalyptic finish.

Play golf. We've done that, although probably haven't played nine every weekend. Sometimes life happens and golf has to be put aside. More about that later. Still, I played an 18-hole round that was 2 strokes short of my best ever at Lost Lake Woods Club. When I was a beginner, it terrified me to play there. Now it feels like my home course.

Vacation. Yep, did that.

Health. I came back from our July vacation all fired up to get back into daily exercise and watching my diet. I started going back to SparkPeople to keep a food and fitness log. My goal was to lose about 5 pounds by the end of August. July went great. I was loving my morning bike rides and (sort of) staying on track with the calorie count. Then early in August I started having this nasty pain in my right upper back. I thought I'd injured something, but it was like ibuprofen barely touched it. We left for a week up at Lost Lake when the rash showed up. At first I thought I was having an allergic reaction to the ibuprofen. Then I figured out the real culprit --- shingles. Lovely. Well, I am on the mend now, after taking an anti-viral med, and now something for the lingering pain, which they call post-herpetic neuralgia. But frankly, it's been pretty awful at times. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy.

Movies. We enjoyed "Searching for Sugar Man," and "Hitchcock" was interesting enough that I had to add "Psycho" to our Netflix queue --- especially because Ken has never seen it. Apparently everyone else has had the same idea, because there is a long wait. "Life of Pi" was visually stunning, and I enjoyed how it seemed faithful to the book.

TV. Yes, we are enjoying the final season of "Burn Notice." And we are on our way through Season 3 of "The Killing" for the second time. It's always interesting to watch it again when you know who the killer is. I'm wondering what new fall series we'll get hooked on. I see that Marg Helgenberger (from CSI) is in a new series, "Intelligence." Love her, so we'll have to check that one out.

New neighbors. Actually that's going pretty well. Although one set of neighbors moved away shortly after we met them. The house went on the market and sold recently. We were totally surprised when we had a knock on the door a few days ago, and it was the man who'd bought the house, coming over to meet us. Shock!

Spend less money, have more fun? Done and done. Can't wait to see what fall brings.

Summer Plans

Now that summer is under way ...

• Write for the blog (LOL!) at least as time allows amid gardening and writing for work.
• Garden. I've been dealing with some longtime problem areas, digging up neglected spots that became infested with grass. I'm either placing new perennials (phlox paniculata or summer phlox), and/or mulching them well until I decide what, if anything, I'm going to plant there. The lilac needs a serious cutting-back, and I'm finally ready to do that this year, even if it means sacrificing next year's bloom. This photo shows the only peony I have blooming this year. Usually my Festiva Maxima is going gangbusters by Memorial Day, but this year nothing. Maybe the cold spring stunted the bloom for this year.

• Read. I'm in the early stages of "Be Hopeful," a commentary on 1st Peter by Warren Wiersbe for my daily quiet time. I just started "The Life You've Always Wanted" by John Ortberg; some of the women at church are reading it for a new book club. Two of my favorite things combined --- reading and fellowship with my sisters in Christ.
• Play golf. The goal is to play nine holes every Saturday and Sunday during the season. Although when we're on vacation, I'm sure we'll play 18 simply because we'll have more time.
• Vacation. We have definite plans to head up to Lost Lake Woods Club and the Upper Peninsula over the week of the Fourth. Hike to waterfalls, play a little golf, maybe take in some touristy stuff, eat fresh Lake Superior whitefish. At noon on the Fourth, we want to be watching the Munising parade from the Golden Heart, a Chinese restaurant right on the parade route. What could be more American? Otherwise, we'll just grab long weekends here and there, as Ken's business travel schedule allows.
• Movies. Our Netflix queue is catching up with last year's must-sees: "Life of Pi," "Hitchcock," and "Searching for Sugar Man."
• TV. I'm really looking forward to the new seasons of "Burn Notice" and "The Killing."
• Meet the new neighbors. Two house across the street and one next door have changed hands in the last few months. We're the old people on the block.
• Spend less money.
• Have more fun.

At the Moment

Outside my window ... rain is falling on the robins in my neighbor's yard.

I am thinking ... I ought to be clearing stuff off closet floors to prepare for new carpet arriving (I hope) in a week.

I am thankful for ... answered prayer in finding a reliable new car for Amy, the first car she has bought for herself.

From the kitchen ... tonight's dinner will be chicken alfredo.

I am wearing ... jeans, a T-shirt, light sweater --- and a bathrobe over it all because it's a little chilly in the house.

I am creating ... a blog post.

I am going ... to a friend's Confirmation party this weekend!

I am reading ... the "Shift Omnibus," the prequel to Hugh Howey's "Wool."

I am hoping ... Amy has time today to call the car insurance agent, and that she gets a good deal on her policy.

I am hearing ... the clock ticking on the mantel.

Around the house ... the kitchen cupboards need to be cleaned out and degreased.

One of my favorite things ... Garden Fresh salsa and chips

A few plans for the rest of the week ... help Ken move the aquarium to get ready for the carpet installers.

 

Eating Healthy on Vacation

A Guest Post by Cole Millen, an avid traveler and foodie who frequently contributes to food-related blogs.

Going on vacation is an exciting experience, but it often also presents many opportunities for making poor food choices. Instead of "winging it" and hoping that you'll make the right choices, use these tips to ensure a high chance that you'll withstand all the temptation that lies with going on vacation.

One of the first things you'll more than likely do after setting out for your vacation is take a flight to your destination. While at the airport, use the stairs and carry your own luggage to ensure you get proper exercise. If you find that you've got a long wait before you can board your plane, walk around and check out what the airport has to offer! Grab a fruit cup to snack on while you explore.

In our fast-paced society, it can be difficult to find health-friendly hotels or areas that won't present constant temptation. To find an area that will be conducive to healthy eating habits, search for neighborhoods that have a lot of options available. You also can find health-friendly hotels by checking with the menu/food options before making reservations. Making sure the hotel has exercise equipment is a good idea as well.

Once you've checked into your hotel, this might be where the real challenge sets in. Hotel restaurants generally aren't great for offering healthful food options, so it's probably best to avoid them. Besides, many hotel rooms come with a microwave oven; use it to make healthier meals. Additionally, go straight for the food bar when it's time for breakfast. Make the healthy choices such as oatmeal, fruit, hard-boiled eggs, and whole-grain toast. The bagels and doughnuts aren't worth it.

Eating healthy in Key West

At some point during your trip, you'll probably want to treat yourself to a nice meal at a restaurant. I have found that it made a big difference in my travels when I began to read reviews of the restaurants and areas where I was staying before I left home. Without this preparation, you'll be in a blind food frenzy trying to pick a restaurant --- and this often leads to unhealthy eating. I did a poor job of this in the past and paid the price. For my most recent trip out west, I searched the Las Vegas hotel reviews and ended up with the best option for my personal eating habits, avoiding the buffet zone.

The first rule of thumb is to avoid buffet-style restaurants or any place that serves a lot of bread and starch. You can make great preparation by checking with online menus for restaurants before setting foot in them. Also, it doesn't hurt to munch on an apple and drink a glass of water before heading out the door. These can help fill your stomach and lessen your chances of overeating.

At the restaurant, be sure to make smart menu choices. For example, avoid foods that are battered, deep-fried, "loaded," stuffed, etc. Foods that are likely to fit into your healthy eating plan will be described as broiled, multi-grain, fat-free, light, etc. When you order, you may be asked to choose a side dish or dishes for your entree. Avoid carbs at all costs! If possible, always go with the veggie option. If you're completely clueless about what you should order, remember that brightly colored foods are generally better for you. Deep greens, red, orange, yellow and white are good choices. If you can follow these tips, you shouldn't have any problem staying on track health-wise while on vacation.

Mediterranean Diet

By now, everyone's probably heard about the article published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine, showing the results of a study of the benefits of following the so-called Mediterranean diet. Ken and I have been trying to modify our diets since the first of the year, so I wanted to see how closely we are already following Mediterranean guidelines, and what we can do to improve. Here is how the NYT article describes the diet followed by the study participants:

One group assigned to a Mediterranean diet was given extra-virgin olive oil each week and was instructed to use at least 4 four tablespoons a day. The other group got a combination of walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts and was instructed to eat about an ounce of the mix each day. An ounce of walnuts, for example, is about a quarter cup — a generous handful. The mainstays of the diet consisted of at least three servings a day of fruits and at least two servings of vegetables. Participants were to eat fish at least three times a week and legumes, which include beans, peas and lentils, at least three times a week. They were to eat white meat instead of red, and, for those accustomed to drinking, to have at least seven glasses of wine a week with meals.

They were encouraged to avoid commercially made cookies, cakes and pastries and to limit their consumption of dairy products and processed meats.

 Just for fun, I took the quiz (sidebar to NYT article) to see how closely I am following a Mediterranean diet. Here are the points where I need to improve:

• More olive oil, in cooking, salads, maybe even as a bread dip?
• More vegetables, at least 2 servings a day. Which I do sometimes, but not every day.
•  I don't eat red meat daily, but we probably have beef, pork or lamb two or three times a week.
• More beans!
• More fish!
• Give up the Oreos and Girl Scout cookies. Have homemade treats instead. Sparingly.
• Sofrito? What's that?

It could be hard for me to give up the cookies cold turkey and start making my own. Of course, what do you find on Pinterest except desserts and healthy recipes? Dark chocolate is OK, so Ken and I can keep enjoying our 72% cocoa Ghirardelli square every night. Here's another article that offers a few more specific diet guidelines.

Other health factors also help determine the food choices I make. Because I'm a petite Caucasian woman, I need to take in calcium and Vitamin D through dairy products, so I don't see myself giving up milk, cheese and Greek yogurt. Because alcohol consumption is a risk factor for breast cancer, I've worked hard since December to reduce my wine drinking from about 14 glasses a week to 8 glasses. That's a level I'm comfortable with, and it's within the Mediterranean diet guidelines.

What kind of changes are you making to follow a heart-healthy diet?

Simplifying My Life

I can't believe it's been nearly a year and a half since I last posted in this blog. But after reading this blog post, "What I Learned About Blogging When I Quit Blogging," shared by my dear blogging friend and sister in Christ, Leann Richardson, I feel confident enough to begin writing again.

Ken and I became official empty-nesters last September, when Amy moved into an apartment/flat with her friend, Julia. I remember taking a break from loading the moving van, clearing out all her college apartment furniture and boxes from half of our garage. I looked up at the six or seven plastic storage bins up in the rafters, crammed with her dolls and stuffed animals since we'd moved in this house in 2000. 

"So when you get your own house, Amy," I said, "you'll have to take all these toys of yours with you." She looked at me as if I'd just grown wings and crowed. "I don't want all that junk, Mom!" she said.

"What? Not even to save for your own kids to play with someday?" I whined. She just rolled her eyes.

So began the great "clean up and throw out" of Fall 2012. Out went clothes, books, magazines, VHS tapes and cassettes. Old dishes and ugly knickknacks. About half of the toys and dolls. Frankly, I couldn't bear to part with her American Girl collection, remembering how I had scrimped to buy one for each Christmas. Nope, I'm keeping those so I can be the "cool grandma" someday.

I might have been a little overzealous, donating Amy's "Twilight" trilogy and her favorite ugly Christmas sweater. (Hey, it used to be mine, and I thought it had a sort of ski lodge elan to it!)

Realizing that, at this stage in my life, I need and want less stuff in general is leading me to think I need some personal "clean up and throw out." Restarting this blog is part of that. But so is reconsidering other ways that I spend my time. Ash Wednesday is a week from today; Lent is a good time to repent of the path we've been walking and take a new direction.

So maybe I'll be spending less time on Facebook games, and more time on the things I really want to do:  read, write, walk, pray, garden, sew, dream and plan.

I'm ready.

Pistons vs. Pacers

Months ago, Ken bought Pistons tickets for our anniversary (which was in January). Game day was Sunday. We were expecting a heated match, given the fierce rivalry between the Pistons and the Pacers. Too bad the Pacers didn't show up for the game. Or they left after the first quarter. I've never seen such a trouncing (98-73). I think the Pistons were up 30 or 32 at one point in the fourth. We had a lot of fun anyway. The experience of actually being at a game and watching on TV is so different. Lots of stuff going on during time-outs and halftime ... like watching the dance team, fan competitions and the like. Just a great, great time. Oh yes ... and I now have an official NBA Chauncey Billups jersey I can wear while I'm cheering during the playoffs!