Every Day Matters

I just took a look back at my original list of 6 goals from my first blog post.  I've accomplished quite a bit. I've still got more work to do.

First, a quick progress report.  My weight has stabilized at 119 plus or minus a pound or two. That puts me right in the middle of the average healthy weight range for a woman of my stature. Both my body mass index and my body fat percentages are now within healthy ranges. I have reached numbers I can live with. I'm more fit than I have been in many, many years. I have a healthier diet than I was eating a year ago. I'm still not completely happy with what I see in the mirror but it will take more time to make further changes.

I've got an understanding of the rudiments of swimming. I need to find more time to practice my pitifully elementary skills. I've had to set aside the piano for now. The computer I use to do my genealogy research has been out of order for quite some time, so that's been on hold. It's working now and I'm ready to hit the research again. I've been working on spiritual growth but I really should put more effort in there. Can you ever really do to much work on your spiritual growth?

A great deal of my time and energy goes into work with activities my two youngest sons are involved in. I'm not one to sit by idly and watch them in their activities when it's obvious there's a need for an adult volunteer. And, well, to be an effective volunteer, sometimes you need some training. When someone gives you the training you need, often at no cost, you really do feel obligated to give more of yourself. It's quite a cycle in which I've gotten myself. Sometimes I question my sanity and inability to say, "NO." Other times I wouldn't want to do anything differently.

Lately, we've been preparing for robotics and shooting sports team competitions. Both are time consuming. The robotics is a multi-skill competition involving learning audio visual skills, public speaking, leadership, problem solving, basic computer programming and basic robot design. Shooting sports requires practice, practice and more practice to develop the skill, confidence and muscle memory to perform consistently well. I enjoy watching, not just my boys, but all the clubs' youth progress as they learn and develop their skills.

Today, one of our speakers at church said that it's important that we live our values every day, not just on Sunday. It's a simple statement but it's true. The things that are really important to us are the ones we emphasize every day. I've worked hard to treat my body as the gift from God that it is and return it to health. I've been blessed for that effort and I'm more than happy to share what I've learned with others. I find myself more willing to stretch myself with new challenges. I'll be paying more attention to the values I express through my actions and words because every day matters and I don't want to waste a single, precious one.

He Held My Hand

I remember when we were first dating the touch of my hand in his was almost electric. I never really understood why.  I didn’t care why. It was a simple thing but powerful. Once we were married, the touch of his hand was no longer a borrowed pleasure.  It was mine to keep.  I cherished it.  Then a uniform got in the way.  No holding hands in public while in uniform.  Our hands would seek each other only to remember it was forbidden. Years passed and our hands became more busy, taking care of jobs or growing children, always working.  Too exhausted to take time to simply touch. Then pain reminded me I needed the touch of his hand.  I needed that tiny little bit of support.  I needed to know, in an unmistakably tangible way, that he was there to help me when I felt weak.

And then, he held my hand.  Together we are strong enough to face the world, hand in hand.

That's What Friends Are For

Little blog, I've neglected you this past week. I've needed some time to be quiet, to ponder.

A dear friend and mentor passed away a couple of weeks ago.  He was an amazing example of the sort of person I would like to become. He was kind, gentle and yet firm in his standards.  He had a teacher's heart and a grandfather's touch.  I was honored to be part of the group that sang for his funeral.  It was more a celebration of a life well lived than an occasion for grief.

It's given me reason to think more seriously about how I'm living my own life. I've been doing that to some extent for several months now, but this has given me reason to put a bit more effort into actually doing something about it.

I love the movie from 2003 "Second Hand Lion."  If you've not seen it, I recommend it.  It's basically about how a boy ends up growing up with his two eccentric uncles.  That description is much too simplistic but that's it in it's most basic form.  His uncles claim to have lived the lives of adventurers as young men. At the end of the movie there's a brief conversation that I remember vividly.

Sheik's Great Grandson: "So, these two men from your grandfather's stories, they really lived?"
Adult Walter: [wistfully] "Yeah, they really lived."

That's what I want.  I want to really live.  I want to make a difference to someone, somewhere.

I spent a few minutes talking with a friend yesterday.  He knows I'm concerned about a decision I need to make.  I've been reading and researching off and on for several months.  The truth is, the basic decision really has been made, I just need to put that decision into action.  I'm frightened by the prospect. I'm procrastinating, dawdling and enduring.  I'm making excuses to avoid action. My friend prodded me to think beyond my emotional roadblock.  What are the advantages?  The disadvantages? A gentle, firm prod from someone who can see the situation from a different point of view, that's what I needed.

Thank you, friend.  You made a difference for me.

Major Progress Update

I've reached two check points on my list of personal goals this week. Two in one insanely busy week is a huge accomplishment for me. First, I've now lost 35 pounds since the end of August 2012. I could stop right now and be happy. I plan to work to lose a couple more pounds to put myself right in the middle of the recommended weight range for a woman my size. Second, I finally worked past my block on being able to swim. All the mind numbing, repetitive practice finally paid off. I can't swim far yet but I can do it and with practice I'll become proficient. 

Now what?  I don't know.  I'm finding I really like having a goal to work toward.  It's the getting there that I like.  The process, the journey, the anticipation; those are what keep me going. The final result is almost anticlimactic. 

My swim teacher and I were joking about entering the Senior Olympics.  I'd have to sit out the upcoming events and wait until the next round.  I'm not senior enough yet. What do you think?  I'm not sure I can even imagine swimming for speed.  I'm still working on one pool's length.  I think I'd be better served to find a goal that I can reach in 6-12 months. Until I find that new challenge, I'll keep on working on my current list.  I'll just change the emphasis.

What I Needed to Hear

If you've been reading my posts for a while you know I'm working through adjusting many aspects of my lifestyle.  I'm changing old habits for new ones.  I'm eating healthier foods. I'm exercising much more than I have in years. Last week I talked about needing to change some of my priorities. 

It's been a busy week, perhaps the busiest week I'll see this month.  There's been little time for quiet contemplation and assessment.  It's been run here, prepare for that, don't forget that errand.  Go! Go! Go!  I was mentally and physically exhausted by Saturday evening. That's not very conducive to coming up with creative and effective solutions.

Sometimes the quite of a Sabbath is what I really need.  We're taught in the writings of Moses that God spent 6 days working and then took one day of rest.  We're advised to do the same.  It's so easy to think of all the things we could accomplish on that day off. Errands can be run, yard work, house work, homework, you name it and it seems to fit nicely into a day when part of the world takes a break while the rest rushes on.

A couple of the lessons I heard today were particularly timely for me.  One speaker referred to the story of an anxious father from the New Testament.  His only son was seriously ill. He would fall down suddenly and foam at the mouth.  No one knew how to help the boy. The father begged Jesus to help if he could.  Jesus told him all things are possible if he could believe.  The desperate father answered, "I believe; help thou my unbelief."

The second lesson centered around the metaphor of a buffet.  Life is like a buffet.  You can't eat everything.  You have to make wise choices.  First choose the best selections. Then you add some of the better items.  Finally, if there's room, you add a few of the good things.  This speaker's plate of priorities included: time for God through prayer and scripture study, time for family and integrity.

I'm not perfect.  The goal of perfection is an ongoing project.  Thankfully, God is willing to help where I fall short in my sincere efforts.  Perhaps if I take the time to reassess my priorities through a best, better and good priorities system, I can find a way to spend my time for the greatest good.

Too Many Choices

These past few weeks have been busy ones for our family. I've been gone for two seminars while still working to manage our household, keep up with my boys' schedules and trying to stay on track with my personal goals.

I have been privileged to have the opportunity to attend seminars taught by some of the most knowledgeable herbalists around. It's been an eye opening experience to get glimpses of some of the science behind old time herbal medicines. Spending time with Susan Belsinger, a culinary herbalist has inspired me to do much more with herbs than grow them. I want to take the time to learn more so I can use them in foods effectively. I want to develop the knowledge and skill to be able to use herbal medicines as a first level of treatment for my family. It's been an amazing experience. 

I'm still making progress on my weight loss, albeit, more slowly. I've lost 34 pounds now and could be reasonably satisfied with my current weight plus or minus a couple of pounds. I still find that I will snack compulsively when I'm stressed and have the opportunity. Some old habits are hard to break. I'm more fit than I have been in a very long time. There's still work to do there but it's been fun to see changes. I wish I'd made 'before and after' photos like you see in weight loss advertisements. I'm always skeptical of those. 

My progress in learning to swim is slow, ploddingly slow. I am seeing improvement.  I'm much more comfortable in the water than I was three months ago. It's still not my favorite place to be but I can enjoy it. I'm so close to being able to swim now that I look forward to practice time instead of dreading it. Maybe this week will be the week it finally all comes together.

I'm coming into the busiest months of the year for our family. Spring gardening has begun. Preparations for summer 4-H Club competitions are gearing up. Scouting events are competing for slots  in our family calendar. There's so much to do that establishing priorities can be difficult.

One of my goals for this week is to find some quiet time to sit down and prioritize my activities. There's bound to be a way to manage my time more effectively. I'm told it's not wise to run faster than one is able. That makes sense but when there are so many good, worthy choices, settling on just a few is difficult.

Happy March 19th! Ooops! April Fools!

Today would be March 19 if you followed the old Julian calendar. April 1st was considered the beginning of a new year in the Julian calendar. Doesn't having the new year begin on or near the first day of spring make more sense than having a mid-winter celebration?  When old Pope Gregory XIII ordered everyone to switch calendars back in 1582, some folks were, as they are still, reluctant to change.  Those people were April Fools.

 

I happen to like this day and it's traditions of pranks.  I prefer the harmless pranks.  I think it's a genetic tendency.  My father's family has a bit of a history of practical jokes.  I have fond memories of lots of laughter at their gatherings when I was little.

 

My dad tells a story about one of his uncles.  Uncle Cornelous was a prankster.  I remember visiting with him and his wife, Effie.  You had to keep your eye on Cornelous, both eyes if you could.  He loved a good joke.  One morning, back when my dad's family still plowed fields by walking behind mules, Cornelous ran over a snake.  He hid it for later.  When all the men went in for lunch, Cornelous hung back.  He got a piece of bailing wire and tied the dead snake so it trailed behind the mules and plow.  He covered it with a little dirt.  One of his nephews took the plow after lunch.  I hear he did some fancy high stepping when that snake came out of the dirt right under his feet.

 

My uncle Hayes was another one you had to watch.  He could tell the tallest tales with the straightest face I've seen.  You had to watch for the tale-tell crinkle at the corner of his eye and the tiniest sign of a grin at the corner of his lip.  I was never quite sure whether to believe him or not.  It was all in good fun.  I loved it when I got to hang out with him.

 

In the honorable tradition of my fore-bearers, I have participated in pranks today.  I've been on the receiving end of a prank or two as well. It's been a good day.

Happy April Fools Day!  May your new year be filled with good humor and laughter.