Paradise Found!

Last week was disappointing as far as my weight loss is concerned.  I lost 1 pound the week before and then gained it back last week - so basically I've stayed the same for two weeks.

I sometimes wonder if I am subconsciously sabotaging myself.  This isn't a new concept to me. I've wondered this more than once in my life and I've thought about it in-depth but still do not have any answers for why I would do this.

A quote that I read recently seemed to resonate - I'm including it here.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of god that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
Maryanne Williamson quotes

I know for a fact that when I get close to leaving one "tens group" and am approaching another, such as moving from the 80's into the 70's that I choke.  I start to worry that I won't make that goal and then things seem to crop up that slow down that achievement such as a night out with the girls or lunch out with my co-workers - you get the drift.

This shouldn't have an impact on how I do, it is part of life and I am trying to find balance.  I've been an all or nothing girl all my life and it has not worked out too well for me.   This journey is about learning how to do things in moderation, the way I believe people without weight issues live.

After I weighed in Friday morning and was disappointed, I made a bad choice at lunch.  I had taken my lunch to work but was asked by a co-worker if I would like something brought back from the Italian restaurant they were going to.  I am a huge fan of their Italian Rice Balls - something I had never had before last year after tasting my friends.  It's a deep fried ball of rice with gooey mozzarella in the middle and pasta sauce poured over top.  I had no idea how many points they were and did not bother to figure it out before I said, "sure, I'd love a rice ball"!

Sleepy and Grumpy Rolled Into One!

It's been quite a week.  A sleepy week.  I'm not sure why but I can't seem to keep my eyes open.  I thought that perhaps it was a virus because my throat felt sore one morning, but I really think it's because my CPAP machine needs to be adjusted.

I went for a sleep test a couple of weeks ago and I will meet with the Doctor on Tuesday morning, but in the meantime, I have been struggling to wake up and stay awake.

At work I have resorted to having lunchtime naps in the car or my boss's office.  Closing my eyes during meetings and conference calls.  That works except when my head starts to nod and I scare myself.  A couple of nights I went to bed as soon as I got home from work and slept for 2 to 4 hours and then turned around and went to bed for the night a few hours later.

It's not a good feeling.  I have no patience and that shows in my face, which is visible to everyone, so then I get questioned about why I'm so grumpy.  I don't mean to be a grump, I just want to curl up in the corner somewhere and sleep.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that when I meet with the Doctor and get the results, that it will mean some adjustments that will bring me some relief.  I was diagnosed with sleep apnea 5 years ago.  Not long after obtaining my CPAP machine, my mother and I moved to Burlington and the sleep clinic lost touch with me.  So I didn't realize that I should have been going for annual check ups and tests which may have led to minor adjustments in the amount of pressure being delivered.  I was well overdue for a test by the time I spoke to my family Doctor about going to a new clinic in Burlington.

It was the best sleep I had had in a long time.  They hooked me up to a new machine and pumped the air out so strong and it felt absolutely wonderful!  In comparison, my machine dribbles the air rather than pumping and sometimes, I'm not even sure if it is on.

I guess I've pretty much diagnosed my tiredness.  In spite of the sleep issue, I managed to get out on my bike twice last week.  Not as much as I had planned, but my rides were much longer than the anticipated 30 min workouts. Instead of 3 -30 min workouts, I did 2-55 min workouts.  I was further ahead even though I worked out less.

This week I will try to do better in that area.

I also had two eating out challenges.  One dinner with co-workers and a lunch out with another peer.  They weren't supposed to happen all in one week, it just worked out that way, back to back.  Wednesday night I went out with the girls to Montana's Cookhouse.  Prior to going, I printed out the nutritional information and made an informed decision on what I would order.  My top three choices were the Apple Pecan Harvest Salad, the Southwest Salad and the Cedar Smoked Salmon.  I finally decided on the Salmon and was very happy with my choice.  I LOVE salmon and it had a Cajun seasoning that was delectable.  It was served with a small bowl of rice and broccoli with carrots.  It was a nice serving size - bigger than I would cook at home, but that didn't stop me from eating it all.  I already had the information I needed to know that I was still within my plan points.

Lunch was more challenging.  We were going to go to Turtle Jack's but they were too busy so we ended up at Shoeless Joe's instead.  I wasn't really unhappy about the shift because I couldn't find any of their nutritional information online and I was apprehensive about making the right decision.  Since I didn't have a chance to peruse the nutritional data prior to ordering, I kind of flew by the seat of my big ass pants and ordered what I thought would be OK.  I chose the Blackened Sirloin and Goat Cheese Salad with Balsamic Dressing.  Absolutely delicious!

I could estimate the points value on Weight Watchers with the calculator but I know it is high because on the Weight Watchers plan you don't have to assign points for fruit or vegetables and lets face it, most of a salad is vegetables.  I started to also track what I am eating on a free website, My Fitness Pal.com and on that website it tracks 4 categories for me, Calories, Fat, Carbs and Protein.  I started to use it in conjunction with Weight Watchers because it has lots of nutritional information to help me track and I was curious to know how many calories I am consuming each day.  Too much information is not a bad thing, in this case.  I love the site.  You can print out reports that track your progress for your weight, activity and nutrition.  It's very interactive.  So with the two sites, I can't help but succeed.

And I do feel very successful right now.  I lost 3.7 pounds last week and am now down a total of 16 pounds.  I've lost a dress size and a bit.  Some items are two sizes smaller than I was and some are just one - depends on the make.

Happy weekend, here I come!

Taming Lucy!

My relationship with Lucy has not been smooth going.  She has resisted and fought me every step or should I say pedal of the way.  She resists my butt to the point that it aches the day after a ride and now she insists on creaking and rattling the whole trip.  She only shuts up when I stop pedalling to catch my breath now and then.

Last night, I thought enough is enough.  I am ready to tame this bike finally and show her who is boss.  I had a destination in mind; it was Shell Park, Oakville.  I live near the border of Burlington and Oakville so it was not out of the realm of possibility.

On my trip, I took a detour along a trail heading east.  That was my general direction so I thought it would be fun to see where it went.

It was like riding through the jungle.  Everything is so lush and alive right now.  I am sure that there were birds chirping and insects buzzing, but I could not hear anything except the rattling and creaking of my bike.  I sounded like a freight train rolling at high speed along the tracks as the noises bounced off the brush lining the trail.  I do believe that the folks I scared either thought it was a train or a bear crashing through the brush by the look of shock on their faces as I came hurtling over the crest of a little hill.  The woman tried to explain her look by telling me that they had been standing there looking at all the deer who were just hanging around.  I yelled, “Oh cool!” as I flew by.  I was too busy to stop to look, knowing that they must have long taken off when they heard the racket coming along the trail.  Deer are smart.  They would not wait around for a bear to attack them.

Lucy was good in the beginning, other than the noise, but while we were on the trail, she dug in her wheels at every slight incline so that I had to really, really pump to carry both her and myself up the hill.  It was brutal.  I actually had to get off and walk up a hill no bigger than an anthill, because I did not have the strength to get the pedal around one more time.  I should have felt defeated, but I did not.  I was even more determined to win this battle.  I jumped back on the saddle, blew out the other end of the trail, and found myself on Great Lakes Blvd.  I was not far from Shell Park.  Victory was almost mine.

My plan on arriving at the park was to find a nice quiet spot to rest and just think.  I like to do that sometimes.  Especially in a natural setting where I can enjoy the sounds of nature.

I passed another athletic person leaving the park who gave me a congratulatory look and smile.  He did not say a word, but I could read his mind.  He was thinking, “Good for you!  You have moxie, getting on a bike that is about to implode and wheeling around like your half your size.  Way to go!”

Rest was near and my butt was screaming from the pain of the seat.  This is in spite of my installing a new gel seat cover over the already supposedly comfortable saddle.  I cycled into the park on the driveway and followed it to the very back of the park.  I passed all four soccer fields, and followed the roadway back towards the entrance.  I was looking for that spot that was going to call out to me to stop.  I did not see it.  Then I came to the realization that stopping would probably be the worst thing I could do.  If my butt was yelling now, what would it be like to get off the bike and then try to get on in a few minutes and ride all the way home?  There was no way I was going to walk my bike back home.  That would be ridiculous.  So, as I rattled past the cool young men doing tricks in the skateboard park and the young families with their toddlers at the kiddie park, I made up my mind to ignore my derriere and head for home.

In my mind, I told myself to slow down that I needed to make the last half of this hellish tour a leisurely ride but my butt could not stand the pain and was pushing my legs to pump even harder so that I could get off this damned bike.

The heavy traffic on Lakeshore and Burloak was disconcerting.  I didn’t like seeing the small convertibles flying down the road in the opposite direction, the passengers with shear enjoyment plastered on their faces while I was struggling with the uphill grade (it’s not visible in a car or walking – only on a wretched bike) and trying to give the impression that I was enjoying myself.  I am certain that my face was portraying pain not pleasure, but at this point, pain was winning and I did not have the fortitude to hide it, so I needed to get away from people and traffic.

I shot down a westward road at the first opportunity.  I was smart enough to choose a “road” and not a “court”.  Even though I did not know where it was going, I was certain it would go “somewhere” and not bring me right back to where I started.  That is the problem with modern subdivisions.  They all have curvy roads to nowhere except where you started.

My plan did not quite work out.  Yes, I was away from the busy vehicular traffic, but now I was riding with other pedestrians, people who could actually speak to me and give me compliments on the pretty bike.  Little do they know, looks are not everything – she is mean.

I tried to feign enthusiasm and happiness as I struggled to get home.  Getting off wretched Lucy was foremost in my mind.  Before I reached my destination however, I did have a car slow down beside me and the driver, who I could not make out, yelled some greeting at me as his wife/gf smiled or laughed.  Thinking back to the look on her face, it might not have been a greeting, maybe it was an inflammatory insult like “Are you completely mad?  Don’t you know there is a noise by-law?  Get off the road, Fatty!”

It is a good thing I have a hearing deficiency in that ear.  I can choose to believe it was a greeting and continue oblivious to the mocking that had just occurred.  My destination was in sight now, so with victory salivating in my mouth, I focussed on my legs, push, push, push, come on, keep going, you’re almost there, push, push, push...

I deeked into the first entrance to my complex, so I could coast slowly to my door, just pumping enough to keep the bike upright and moving.  The last hurdle, the curb to the driveway was not happening.  I looked at it and could feel the jarring in my tailbone so I stopped short of going over and struggled to pull my leg up, over the seat, and off the bike.  It was all I could do not to throw her on the ground and yell, but I was too tired for that.  So instead, I walked her slowly into the garage and made sure she was standing solidly on her kickstand, and then gave her a dirty look while I watched the garage door close down locking her away until the next time.

The Hurting Words

I have discovered that something that is important to my success with my weight loss journey is not only what I put in my mouth, but what comes out of it.


The things we say can have a huge impact on how we think, and ultimately on our success. Chocobear started a message board about daily affirmations and I agreed with her that I truly believe they work. I have, at different times throughout my life, used this technique to win a race, succeed at high jump and win a judo match. So I know it works.


I'm not sure why, if I know this, that I don't always think about the words I use before I blurt them out. Words are a powerful tool. They have the ability to comfort and wound.


Earlier today, I was sharing a story about my little trip to Costco last night and my mess up at the snack bar. My daughter and I had decided to go to check out a little water feature as soon as I got home from work. I was hungry and I had suggested that we eat first, but she was concerned that if we did, we wouldn't head out the door and go afterwards. 


So hungry and tired, we got in the car and headed over. I decided that we might as well eat at the snack bar while we were there. Their food is cheap and that way we wouldn't be eating too late. I had been dreaming of their hot dogs since I had been in the store the day before.


Since this wasn't a planned dinner out, I wasn't prepared. I didn't have any idea how many Weight Watcher points anything was and I didn't care. I wanted a hot dog. I also wanted some fries, but I wasn't going to have any. My daughter decided to get some though, so I gave into my desire and shared them with her.


I was elated when she also said she wanted an ice cream cone. I had no intention of getting one, but was more than happy to consume 1/3 of it when she got too full. 


Today I finally figured out how many points I consumed during this little "snack bar" meal, thanks to a new web site I found called My Fitness Pal.com. It has a huge data base with information about nutritional contents of many foods. I'm not sure but I believe that the members of the website contribute the information. No matter, it was a blessing to find the information and face the truth about what I had done.


I felt like I had totally messed up last night with my dinner. The guilt was driving me crazy and I felt like I was about to spiral out of control. The hot dog and roll was a whopping 16 points, half the fries were 12 points and 1/3 of the ice cream cone comes in at 5 points. So in one fell swoop, I consumed 33 points. 


I was telling my co-worker how much I had screwed up last night. I told her how I didn't have any discipline, about how I ate half the fries and some of my daughters ice cream cone.


She cut me off and asked me why I was looking at this as a negative experience instead of a success. I didn't understand at first, but then she pointed out that in the past, I would have ordered the hot dog, the fries and an ice cream for myself and I would have eaten the whole thing. But I didn't do that this time. I consciously decided to share the fries and have a tiny bit of the ice cream. I should be proud of myself instead of upset.


She was right. I was defeating myself with my negative talk and hadn't even realized it. She helped me see what I was doing and stop it before it got out of hand.


So instead of going on an all out binge, I came home tonight and rode my bike for a half hour, did a load of laundry, cooked a nutritious dinner and watered my flowers outside.

Real Pain In The Butt!

Lesson learned - yet again. You can't judge a book by it's cover! I didn't listen to that old piece of advice. I decided that I liked her right away, based on her looks.

Turns out I was very wrong. She is pretty, looks like a lot of fun, soft and hard in all the right places. I just thought that we would be great friends and I'm really disappointed this morning.

I'm still feeling the pain from last night. We were only together for 1/2 an hour but in that little amount of time, she managed to be a real pain in the butt. She never gave up for the whole half hour, just kept poking me in the wrong place.

Finally I decided that enough was enough and took her home. I felt bad. It wasn't supposed to be like this. I had great hopes for a long lasting friendship that would help me forget about him. I can't believe that I was wrong. I'm usually very good at this sort of thing.

Before I closed the garage for the night, I pulled my bike back out into the driveway and spent some quality time with her, by installing the new wicker basket that I had purchased when I decided that she was the one that I was taking home. 

Perhaps if I have my water bottle in the basket, so I can take replenishing sips of water, the pain in my butt won't seem so bad!

Warning - Beware of Sweet Craving, Hormonal Woman (aka Daughter)

We all experience obstacles to overcome during our weight loss journeys. I am a veteran weight battler and am well aware of this fact, but thought it would be prudent for me to warn the rest of you out there that sometimes your obstacle can present itself in the form of your own loved ones.

In my case, it's my daughter. Like her mother, she struggles with being "big boned" and "chubby" and has done her own fair share of dieting in the past.

It always seems like one of us in "on track" while the other is running amuck. Although she says she is onboard with our goal to eat healthier and slim down, her actions don't always confirm her conviction.

We were at the local grocery store the other night and I lost track of her. It didn't occur to me to look in the bakery section, but after running all over the store, I ventured to the forbidden zone and there she was, smile on face, slowly floating around the baked delights breathing in the scent of fresh baked goodness. I had to speak to get her out of her trance. She had a box of mini donuts in hand and was trying to decide whether or not to buy them. As much as I wanted to talk her out of it, I really wanted to go home and when I realized that my weight loss logic wasn't working, I decided to let her make her own decision and the donuts found themselves in our grocery bags.

The next morning, I got up before my daughter and when I spotted the evil donuts lounging on the counter, I decided to protect myself and throw them in the freezer. It would be slightly inconvenient for her to defrost as required, but better that than her deciding to eat the whole container because they would only spoil if left alone.

She was surprised by my actions but understood. 

Later that evening, we attended Cirque Du Soleil - Dralion in Hamilton. Excellent show! We went to the 5:00 pm show on Sunday because I thought it would be less busy. I made sure we ate before attending so we wouldn't be tempted.

During intermission, she decided to venture upstairs on the excuse of needing a washroom. When she returned however, there was a small bag of warm, just baked, cinnamon mini donuts in her hand and a pop for us to share.

So I relented and tasted one of the donuts. That was a huge mistake. 10 or so later (each), we were down to the bottom of the bag and I started to worry about how many useless points I had just consumed. Funny how now it's important to me, but during my "weight-gaining" period, it would not have been a second thought.

But, because I screwed up on the donuts, I continued to consume sweets that evening and by the time I was ready for bed I had managed to down a medium Dairy Queen ice cream and a Twix bar. Both things, I would not normally think of doing.

So be warned of those lovable people in your family - they're the ones who will most likely sway you to partake in some extracurricular eating activities that you may not have planned on.

All I can say is Thank God for the extra Weight Watcher points!

New Ride!

On a whim, I jumped in the car Sunday around 2:00 pm and headed to Buffalo. My mission? To buy a new bicycle.

I had heard from my ex-husband that he got a good deal on a bike for his son and that if I wanted one, it would be worth the drive and time because the deals were very good.

After looking at Wal-Mart, K-Mart and Target, I decided that he was right. I didn't think I was going to do it this weekend though. I was thinking I would go maybe next weekend or the weekend after that, and then suddenly it dawned on me that there was no reason to delay and why would I put off something that will ultimately get me moving again?

So that was all I needed to convince myself to get off the sofa and hit the road. With the sun roof open, the tunes blasting, I felt like a free bird. It was exhilarating.

I went to the K-Mart right across from Walden Galleria and in no time the Manager was packing it into the back of my car. Because it was the last one there and had suffered a few scratches, he knocked another $20.00 off the already reduced price.

It's a pink Schwinn, Ladies, Windwood Model. It's a pale pink with flowers on the frame. Nice wide seat, lovely high handle bars for upright riding and matching fenders!

I got back home at 6:30 PM, pulled it out of the trunk and took it for a 15 min spin around the neighbourhood. I couldn't believe how much energy I had to put into it because it is a single speed. I figure it will be better for me, since my goal is to lose weight.

The time went extremely slow all day at work while I waited to get home and take a spin. I just got back and managed to do 20 mins tonight. I'll just keep at it until I can do an hour. 

There are so many places to explore with my bike. The city looks different from a bicycle than it does from a car and there is nothing like the wind blowing in your face.

I hope to get to know my bicycle very well this summer!

Altered

"You're different", he said, in a matter of fact tone of voice.

I stood looking at him with a pain in my heart like I've never experienced before and I thought but didn't say, you think?  The tears hadn't started yet.  I had held it in for the arrangements, the writing of the eulogy, the actual memorial service and we had just come back to the house from the funeral.  I was standing in the kitchen trying to figure out what I was doing.  Was I putting the left over booze in the fridge or taking it out to the garage?  Where would I put all this food? Why in the hell did my mother have to die?

He was asking me questions about my future.  Questions I hadn't had time to consider or think about yet.  Questions that I didn't want to think about, a part of me still in denial of what had just happened.  Questions that would have to be answered, but later.  Much later.  I needed to cry first.

I didn't know that those questions, the ones I couldn't answer would be the beginning of our end.  I couldn't know that then, in my numb state.  I didn't have one ounce of emotion left for anyone or anything.  I was robbed of all my energy and just wanted to crawl into bed and sleep for a long, long time.  The six weeks sleeping in the hospital at my mother's side had taken a toll on me.

I didn't care at that moment that I seemed different.  I was.  I had just lost one of the most important people in my life and I would forever be different because of that.

But I didn't believe that after all the support and care I had given to him over the past 10 years that he would not be there for me.  I couldn't imagine that he wouldn't be patient and allow me the time I needed to sort through my new reality and come to terms with my loss.  That's why I didn't force myself to try and answer his questions, or comfort him and make him know that it would be OK, because I couldn't.

And because I was so low, I started to stay home on weekends, sorting through the belongings and trying to put order in my house.  I thought, we are both adults. People who love one another understand and will wait patiently.

I was wrong.  Or maybe I was right, and it didn't happen that way because there was no love on his part.  I didn't stop loving or caring.  But I was neglectful.  I wasn't doing the things I used to do.  I wasn't pushing myself to do all my chores after work and before sleep so that I could be available to go to his country estate on the weekends.

Instead I was sleeping in my own bed and laying in late every day, even work days.  I was struggling with all the basic things in life, such as the following:

• getting out of bed
• getting dressed
• eating
• focusing on my job
• not crying 
• keeping my voice strong when some caring soul asked how I was doing  
• cooking 
• cleaning 
• leaving the house 
• paying my bills
• and just living

We were in touch every day by telephone and more often on weekends.  It was a big change for us both.  So we tried to stay connected as much as possible.  I tried to go to the estate when his son would be there because he is like a son to me and I didn't want to disappoint him.

I couldn't always do that though, because to pretend that I was happy and cheerful was too hard.  It was something that I couldn't muster and I didn't want to bring everyone else down, so some weekends even when he was there, I stayed home.

I did get there for bf's birthday weekend and brought my friends along to celebrate.  I made a big deal of it and it felt good.  I was also available for his son's birthday, even though it was the day after my mother's and it was the first birthday without my mom, I didn't let that spoil his day.

He had informed me in March that I was not his gf.  I thought he was just angry because of my absence.  I still didn't have the energy to do what I needed to keep it together.  So I accepted that it was over, but deep down inside, I thought that once I got myself together, we would possibly be able to fix things.  I would be able to dance again, just as fast as I once did, and he would be happy.  He continued to call me on a regular basis and invite me to dinner with him and his son.  It didn't really seem like anything had changed except that he didn't talk to me as much on weekends anymore.

I thought that in my absence, he would have time to reflect on our relationship and in the end he would realize that he had a good thing.  I never really felt appreciated or loved.  When he called on Tuesday night and started to tell me what a wonderful person I was, I thought that I was right.  I have a hard time accepting compliments.  It makes me uncomfortable.  I'm more at ease, giving than receiving.  But I listened to it.  My face blushing and a smile from ear to ear, until he touched my heart with how much he misses me.  Then I started to cry.  I miss him too, but I can't see any other way right now.  I have to get my house in order.  I have to prepare for the possibility that I may have to rent a room to hang onto it.  That means sorting and getting rid of boxes that my mother and I had been carrying around with us for years.

He continued with the touching words, telling me how much his son loves me and that he hopes I will always be in his life, no matter what, and I started to cry even more as memories of his son and I snorkelling for hours in the shallow waters looking for fish and treasures flashed through my mind and the thought that I would not have that anymore seemed unbearable.  He knew I was crying.  I couldn't hold back the tears any longer.  He kept telling me that he hoped I would feel better after we talked.  He said that more than once, and I couldn't understand what he was about to tell me that would make the pain I was experiencing disappear.  Then he told me that I am a great catch and that he hoped that one day some man would fall madly in love with me and treat me like the Queen I was.  

I'm not sure what was mentioned next, but I mustered up a question.  I asked if he had told his son.  He said he had and then he moved right into "I'm seeing someone else".  I almost didn't hear him.  I was thinking about what his son's reaction was.  I had to confirm that I had heard right.  

"Did you just say you are seeing someone else?"

He said yes, and then let me know that he had already introduced his son to her and that he didn't really like her.  I was stunned.  No I was floored.  I was in his life for a few years before I ever met his son, or he met my family - because it was casual in the beginning.  

Of course my mind jumps to when did he start to see her?  If he is already introducing her to his son he must be serious.  He must have been seeing her for quite some time.  Maybe that is why we were having such a difficult time of things for the last year.  

I muttered that I thought he had been seeing someone and he said, I knew you did.  I asked the question.  As hard as it was, I needed to know.

"Did you start seeing her before we broke up?"

"No.  It's not serious, it's really just to get over us."  

I guess that last comment was meant to make me feel better.

Not sure what his date for our "breakup" would be.  I know for me it wasn't officially over until this phone call, but I realize that for him, it could have been when I was staying with my dying mother, or maybe just after she passed and I wasn't available every weekend, I'm not really sure but it doesn't matter, it's over.

And so another new beginning.

I Had A Dream...

Last night I had a great dream.  I always ask my mom a question before I fall asleep.  I tell her that I love her and I hope she is happy and well in the afterlife and then I ask her where she put her will.  The accountant insists that it will be easier to deal with the tax agency if I can find it but other than that, I don't really need it.

Every morning I expect to wake up with the information and each morning I feel as though I may have received something but I can't remember.

This morning I woke up with my head full of details.  It was so clear in my mind I could close my eyes and see it just like a photograph.  I'm sure it was from my mother.  Before her passing, one of our favourite topics of conversation would be about our dream kitchen.  We have talked about it since we moved into our new home 5 years ago.  

We had most of the details figured out except one area that we did not agree on and the solution came to me in my dream.  It is the best of what my mom and I had envisioned.  It was a complete melding of both of our ideas and it would be perfect!

I live in a townhouse.  The building is about 40 years old and the kitchen is quite small.  That doesn't bother me but it is closed off from the living room/dining room except for the two entrances.  Why you would need two doors into such a small space is beyond me.  My original idea was to open the kitchen completely to the dining room by removing the wall that divides it.  My mom wasn't convinced of that.

She dreamt about having a counter with upper cupboards on the other small wall that opens to the living room.  

In my dream, instead of removing the wall to the dining room, we closed the doorway in halfway up and then opened a section in the middle so that there was a generous cut out, overlooking the dining area.  A bar on the dining room side with a couple chairs and a nice bar top.  The sink would be repositioned underneath the cut out so that the dish cleaner would have something to look at.

There is a wall of counter and upper cupboards to replace the current blank wall.  The stove is closer to the fridge, where the current sink is.  Of course, the dishwasher would move under the sink or beside it.  All the cupboards, fridge, stove, and flooring would be replaced.

Task lights are strategically placed around the perimeter of the workspace so that the light is where you need it and there are separate switches so you can have them all on or just a couple.

It's white and the counter top is dark but I am not sure what material it is.  I guess I shouldn't have said that all the details were provided because I can't remember the flooring or the countertop.  However, I do remember that I have a baking area, with drawers that hold all the baking materials with additional drawers for pots and pans.

Everything has a place and it is perfect!

The Weight Game

I already mentioned that this is a new chapter in my life and as with all new chapters, they begin with change.  I get inspired by change.  I always have.  So my new inspiration for this journey is finally tackling my weight for once and for all.  I am like any other addict, I try to stop, am successful for a while and then fall down.      The amount of time between falling and getting back up can be as short as a day or two or as long as 5 years.  There is no telling how long the fall will be.  It doesn't matter.  What does matter is that I never give up.  I will win this game.  I am determined.  And just like when I quit smoking, this time feels like it is IT!

So I joined Weight Watchers Online, again.  The last time I joined it was a half -hearted attempt at getting on track.  Mentally, I wasn't there and I thought that if I went through the motions that I would suddenly be struck with the inspiration and I would be off to the races.  It didn't work out that way.  A year later, I was heavier than when I started.  I decided it was not financially responsible to pay to gain weight so I quit.  That wasn't the brightest idea either.  I slowly managed to gain enough weight to make life difficult.  Climbing up and down the stairs was an effort.  Walking a short distance hurt my knees.  My fat was getting in the way of life.  I wanted to get out and hike to take some pictures but I knew that physically I would tucker out before the shot I was looking for would be found.

I didn't want to get together with my distant friends, who were calling because then they would notice how fat I had become.  I was embarrassed with the way I looked and tired with how I felt.  So finally, I did the right thing and got back on the weight watchers band wagon.

I totally love the online tools.  I can't believe how much they have improved their site.  The best tool though is the recipe builder.  You can enter three ingredients you have in your fridge or cupboard and it will present you with a variety of different recipes along with the nutritional values (points).  It couldn't be easier.

So this is a warning to anyone who stumbles upon this blog.  It used to be just a rambling of random things that I found interesting or funny, but now it is going to shift into events that occur on my path to a more fit Suzy!

New Chapter

2011 was a nightmare.  A living nightmare.  My dear mother was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer at the end of January and optimistically embarked on the radiation treatment band wagon.  We were certain that she was going to rally and continue on for a few more years.  She was such a fighter.

Unfortunately, for myself and my family, she either didn't get her treatment quick enough (it managed to move to her brain, which meant additional treatments in the fall) or we were in denial about how strong she was because she contracted pneumonia in October and was not able to beat it.

For most of the last 17 years, my mother, daughter and I have lived together so her absence in our lives is huge.  We were in a groove.  For some, in particular, my good friend A., our groove was perhaps more like a dysfunctional rut than a groove.  Regardless, we loved each other and we had a routine.

Now my daughter and I are learning to live without.  For everyone that has experienced the loss of a close relative, you know what I am talking about.  It's a new chapter in our lives and as with all books, the plot and story is a mystery.

To keep some continuity and make the transition for us easier, I have chosen to preserve my mother's obsession of feeding the birds and have taken on her role as the neighbourhood wildlife caretaker.  I'm astonished at how much time this task takes.  I didn't realize that keeping up with our acreage would mean that I would either have to change my alarm for an earlier wake up in the morning, or that I would turn into a habitually tardy employee.  I really don't like getting up early so, now I have a bit of an issue with my boss.  He doesn't like people who are not punctual.  We'll work it out - somehow, but in the meantime, the birds, squirrels, raccoon and possums are all very happy.  Best of all, I am overwhelmed with a warm sense of satisfaction and fulfillment every time I look out at our garden and see the birds and animals enjoying the same gourmet offerings and they have not had to suffer the pain from the loss of my mother as we have.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the mother's out there.  I hope you have a beautiful day and that your children express their gratitude for all the sacrifices you have made.  My day has been exceptional so far and I am very lucky to have such a beautiful, caring daughter.  She gave me a heart-tugging card, a bouquet of flowers and prepared a three course brunch.  Blueberry scones, yogurt and fruit parfait, followed by a Martha Stewart dish of eggs and bacon baked in a muffin tin lined with bread and pan fried potatoes.

This is our first Mother's day without my mom who passed away on November 28th, 2011 and my daughter went above and beyond to make it special for me and as a tribute to her grandmother.

My mother was such a big part of our lives that it is very difficult to get over the void she has left with her departure, but each day we get a little bit stronger and I know she is with us.  I can't help but smile as I clean the bird bath and feed the birds about how much joy she got from having these things in our small backyard and I know she is very happy to know that I am carrying on her chores so that the feathered friends do not notice that she has departed.

I used to take great pleasure in teasing her about her obsession with feeding all the wildlife but I can't fathom not continuing in her absence.  In the days following her death, I wrote a eulogy in her honour and read this at her funeral.  I thought it would be fitting to share it with you today on Mother's Day.

3 December 2011

Eulogy for Mom

My mother recently ruminated about how she felt as though she had lived several lifetimes in the span of one.  She felt this way after sharing memories from her past with me.

That was an enjoyable afternoon.  It confirmed something that I have always known, something that my mother, herself, often forgot, and that is, that she was a very strong woman. 

Some of the events or circumstances that built her strength were:

·        Survived a difficult childhood

·        Married a disabled man

·        was a woman “bread-winner” during a time when women stayed home to raise their children

·        Decided to move her family, to Collingwood in 1967 to provide a better life, even though this meant moving away from her own family and friends

·        She was one of the first women hired by Goodyear Rubber in 1967 Collingwood; she worked alongside the men on the line, earning less than they did and without benefits

·        Worked two and three jobs at a time to provide for the family of four

·        searched and obtained affordable shelter when rent increases dictated another move – hence performing 10 moves by the time I was 16

·        She kept money problems to herself – we did not know how difficult times were for our parents.  We knew that we did not have the things that other children had and wondered why she always had to work but were oblivious to the stress she was under

·        Told a prospective employer that she was a bookkeeper and then studied accounting at night so that she could be proficient at her new job

·        She never bad mouthed my father when their relationship ended and remained amicable

·        Returned to school in her late 40’s or early 50’s to obtain her real estate licence and succeeded

·        Worked as a superintendant of a large apartment building in Oshawa which was a very physical job (mid 50’s)

·        continued on a trip by herself from Calgary to British Columbia when Melissa and I had to return home

·        Learned how to drive a school bus in her late 50’s and drove a rural route during hard winters in the Collingwood area

·        Went to work in the cafeteria at Goodyear just prior to turning 60

·        Lived with the pain of arthritis for years without being able to take anti-inflammatory drugs due to allergies

·        And in the end survived for more than two weeks without food or water, after making the decision that the cancer was stronger than her and requesting that treatment stop

These life events built her strength, but they also made her wise, gave her a wonderful sense of humour, and gave her compassion.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention at this point that my mother’s life was not all challenges and struggles.  She was fortunate to meet a wonderful man at my uncles wedding, Stewart Linton.  Stew and my mother married a couple of years after meeting and he provided a life for my mother that previously she only dreamed about.  Together they bought houses, new cars and travelled.  They spent a wonderful 20 years together before they grew apart, as many people do, but they never stopped caring for one another.  Stew ensured that my mother would never have to return to the worries or struggles that she lived through in the beginning of her life and for that, she was thankful, we are all thankful.

My mother loved animals.  We sometimes joked that the animals were more important to her than anyone else was and in some ways, they were because in her eyes they were helpless and needed her care.  My boyfriend’s son came up with the perfect nickname for my mother – “Mother Nature”.  It describes her to a T.  All animals in the Pinedale vicinity were well fed on my mom’s watch.  If a cat walked up to the door and meowed, she would be right out there with a bowl of water or food.  Moreover, she treated them all equally; the birds, squirrels, raccoons, possums, and skunks – she made sure there was enough food and water for all.

However, her caring personality was not restricted to animals alone, she became pseudo mothers to all my friends, my sister’s friends, my stepbrothers, my cousin and his friends, my daughter and her friends, my nephews and their friends and the people in our neighborhood.  She was never too busy to lend an ear and give you her opinion – but the opinion would be exactly what she wanted to say which was not always, what you wanted to hear.  She didn’t mince words.  She was brutally honest but not malicious and she spoke from her heart, which most people respected.

She could laugh at herself, which was one of my favourite qualities about her, and I took pleasure in teasing her and making her laugh.  One funny memory I have was when my sister and I were teenagers, helping my mother shop for new clothes because she was starting a new job in an office. 

We were upstairs of Geraldine’s, a woman’s clothing store in Collingwood.  The upstairs was a loft overlooking the store.  There was a change room located near the racks of clothes.  My sister and I both had our backs to the change rooms.  I’m not sure how long she was standing in the middle of the room wearing only her bra and underwear before we noticed her.  I told mom to get back in the change room before someone saw her.  Her response was, “Who’s going to see me, this is a ladies clothing store – I don’t care if a woman comes up here!”  I must mention here that her underwear had seen better days.  She was notorious for wearing her underclothes out before replacing because she thought there were uses that were more important for her money.  I turned to look towards the stairs when I heard footsteps approaching, my mother continued looking at the clothes, not worried.  I’ll never forget the look of shock on the man’s face as his eyes took in the sight of my mother, ripped panties, scraggly bra, holding up a dress trying to decide if she liked it or not.  He exclaimed “Oh my” and scurried back downstairs.  We were unable to contain our laughter.  We were practically rolling around on the floor trying not to wet our pants just thinking about the look of shock on his face and remembering how adamant my mother was just moments before that it was a ladies store and she didn’t care.  Debbie and I had to get outside in order to stop laughing and because we were so embarrassed.  My mother refused to show embarrassment and continued to do what she had come out to accomplish and that was to buy a new dress.

All I can say is thank you.  Thank you for being a kind, compassionate, caring, strong woman.  Thank you for giving yourself to those who knew you and thank you for being the special person you were.  You were loved more than you knew and we will truly miss you.