August Morning Coffee and Gratitude

2

Replies

  • mxchana
    mxchana Posts: 375 Member
    Charlie, so glad the rain held off for your evening of theatre!
  • janmoulder2
    janmoulder2 Posts: 47 Member
    Janmoulder it is wonderful that you have found a daily structure that fits! How did you do it???? I thought that it would be easy in retirement but after 6 years I am still struggling.

    seeingthelight: I totally get it. I was the same way. I've been self-employed as a housecleaner and artist and now my husband and I (we have no children and therefore no grandchildren either) are traveling and living in our RV. This in itself is a very unsettling way to live. Put that together with a couple of computer spuds (ie. couch potatoes) who are not very self motivated and you've got the picture. Fat and getting fatter. Sick and getting sicker. I decided I had to do something. I've always had trouble creating structure for myself. I've got this HUGE rebel living inside me who gets very testy when told what to do. So I knew the structure could not be very rigid. I kept it very loose... as just guidelines. My activities are centered around mealtimes. So I get up...take my pills. Since I can't eat right away, it's a great time to do a short meditation. Then I eat BF, do something mental/social on the computer or read while drinking my coffee and then exercise. After lunch, I have free time when we can do something together or alone as the case may be. Before dinner I do a hypnosis tape for weight loss. Then dinner and evening creativity and learning. I used to get caught up with the clock and having to do things at a certain time and for a specific amount of time. I just removed time from the equation and it works! The rebel is not so rebellious. Although, I must admit that today was a total fail. We travelled today and it was a long, long day. I didn't get anything in, except eating. And I did really quite well with that, considering I ate lunch at McDonald's. o:)

    I hope this triggers some kind of 'aha' for you.

    Jan

  • janmoulder2
    janmoulder2 Posts: 47 Member
    Janmoulder it is wonderful that you have found a daily structure that fits! How did you do it???? I thought that it would be easy in retirement but after 6 years I am still struggling.

    seeingthelight: I totally get it. I was the same way. I've been self-employed as a housecleaner and artist and now my husband and I (we have no children and therefore no grandchildren either) are traveling and living in our RV. This in itself is a very unsettling way to live. Put that together with a couple of computer spuds (ie. couch potatoes) who are not very self motivated and you've got the picture. Fat and getting fatter. Sick and getting sicker. I decided I had to do something. I've always had trouble creating structure for myself. I've got this HUGE rebel living inside me who gets very testy when told what to do. So I knew the structure could not be very rigid. I kept it very loose... as just guidelines. My activities are centered around mealtimes. So I get up...take my pills. Since I can't eat right away, it's a great time to do a short meditation. Then I eat BF, do something mental/social on the computer or read while drinking my coffee and then exercise. After lunch, I have free time when we can do something together or alone as the case may be. Before dinner I do a hypnosis tape for weight loss. Then dinner and evening creativity and learning. I used to get caught up with the clock and having to do things at a certain time and for a specific amount of time. I just removed time from the equation and it works! The rebel is not so rebellious. Although, I must admit that today was a total fail. We travelled today and it was a long, long day. I didn't get anything in, except eating. And I did really quite well with that, considering I ate lunch at McDonald's. o:)

    I hope this triggers some kind of 'aha' for you.

    Jan

  • seeingthelight
    seeingthelight Posts: 98 Member
    That schedule sounds a lot like mine, Jan, on good days- but I let too many things interrupt, so now I am keeping a list and checking it off -LOL. I have gotten up and taken my pills, read the bible and prayed . I am going to try a week of IF this week- I did about 3 days last week and it really makes me feel good!- so I will stick with it this week-no eating until 11 am. So I will work on my wash and my exercises until then. Then this afternoon I'm going to sail with a friend. Wish me luck !
    Congratulations on having a good eating day even with McDonalds- that an achievement! I hope you are parked today and can get in some exercise! The hypnosis tape sounds interesting. Well I best get busy, social time is over -you have a great day!
  • mangotango
    mangotango Posts: 42 Member
    Was very interested to learn that you and your husband are traveling in an RV Jan. That's what we plan on doing this winter. We've only ever done very short term travel in our camper, so all new experience for us. We are really looking forward to escaping the Illinois cold and snow. Possibly much more after that if we find it suits us. If you want to share, I would love to hear about your "rv lifestyle". (Feel free to friend me - we can message back & forth if you like). Thanks Marie
  • grandmothercharlie
    grandmothercharlie Posts: 1,063 Member
    Grateful for the great customer service at Fitbit! The little button on my charge fell off and I went on instant chat with CS. Soon as I said I had gotten it in December and what the problem was, they said they would send me a new one right away. No returns. No questions. Once you get used to these things it is so hard when they aren't working right. It still counts, but won't upload. But, I at least can still keep track.
  • retirehappy
    retirehappy Posts: 3,785 Member
    Grateful for the great customer service at Fitbit! The little button on my charge fell off and I went on instant chat with CS. Soon as I said I had gotten it in December and what the problem was, they said they would send me a new one right away. No returns. No questions. Once you get used to these things it is so hard when they aren't working right. It still counts, but won't upload. But, I at least can still keep track.

    Wow that is good to know. They do get high praise here and in the fitbit forums for good customer service. Once it went public I was concerned that might change, but so far it sounds like they are still good, my interactions with them have been very positive as well.
  • seeingthelight
    seeingthelight Posts: 98 Member
    Good morning all-Today I am grateful for sleeping like a log without any Benadryl- I haven't done that for years, I can't remember the last time I slept so soundly! Of course I am moving like a 100 year old but a little walking with Leslie will fix that and then on to the 3# weights and the core exercises I bookmarked(thanks retire happy) and the exercises from the 30day strengthening challenge here. Its 64 degrees here with lots of wind so I can't wait to walk to the lake and get some pictures, I went down last night but did't take my camera, and It was just awesome! Hope you all are feeling well and having good weather. Does anyone have anything fun to do today?
  • grandmothercharlie
    grandmothercharlie Posts: 1,063 Member
    Nope working! I do have Tai Chi tonight though. Just grateful to be feeling better today, was really off kilter yesterday.
  • mxchana
    mxchana Posts: 375 Member
    edited August 2015
    Seeingthelight, I too had a full night's sleep last night for the first time in can't remember when. I was simply exhausted after a long travel day. We headed out on vacation for northern New Hampshire (almost to the Canadian border). We left about an hour later than we had planned and that was, actually, a good thing - or we might have been the ones to first encounter a huge sinkhole that opened up on 93 North and cause the highway to be shut down for the rest of the day. No one was injured. We did, however, sit in crawling traffic for 2 hours as we were diverted off the highway and through gridlock in downtown Concord. We did get to see lots of interesting sights since we were moving along so slowly!

    At last we got back on 93 further north and eventually reached our destination, and that is where the real gratitude part comes in. We are in a fabulous huge cabin complete with full kitchen, wifi, and a hot tub on the porch - right across from a gorgeous lake. Yeah, really "roughing it" LOL

    Yesterday after we got back on track, I drove through the White Mountains and they are just beautiful. Can you believe I have been living in Mass. since 1980, and have never been to the White Mountains? Then last night I saw the stars the way I remember them from childhood - just filling the sky. So gorgeous here.

    Today we are taking a 2 mile forest hike, nothing strenuous while we recoup from our trip ... and just maybe we will get lucky and see some moose! We hear there are a lot of them around here.

    SUPER grateful to be able to do this trip. ~ Kathy
  • seeingthelight
    seeingthelight Posts: 98 Member
    Kathy, I am so happy to hear you slept well, and your vacation sounds wonderful! I heard about that sinkhole on the news last night and felt sorry for anyone and everyone who encountered it. Enjoy every second of your vacation!
  • seeingthelight
    seeingthelight Posts: 98 Member
    Looks like a biking day today, sunny and cool this morning, but warming up to 79 degrees. So grateful I slept well and woke to a beautiful day!
  • sharondtd
    sharondtd Posts: 200 Member
    So glad to be home and able to get back on track. Air is more clear of forest fire smoke here on Puget Sound, but our hearts ache for those inland.
  • retirehappy
    retirehappy Posts: 3,785 Member
    sharondtd wrote: »
    So glad to be home and able to get back on track. Air is more clear of forest fire smoke here on Puget Sound, but our hearts ache for those inland.

    Last two days the Front Range has been extremely hazy and the news has had bad air quality alerts. Has your area gotten any rain lately, I have read about how bad it is up there, high temps etc.

  • sharondtd
    sharondtd Posts: 200 Member
    Daughter said it stormed one day. Smoke is much, much less here than on the east side of the Cascades. It looked like the smoke was going toward you. It rolled down into Wyoming on Sunday.
  • janmoulder2
    janmoulder2 Posts: 47 Member
    sharondtd wrote: »
    So glad to be home and able to get back on track. Air is more clear of forest fire smoke here on Puget Sound, but our hearts ache for those inland.
    Sharon, where are you? Looking at your avatar photo I kind of suspected you were in the Northwest. We are down at Ft Lewis. We came over from Spokane last Sunday and were grateful to see blue skies. I hear they are recommending that people stay inside the air quality is so bad. Such devastation!

  • sharondtd
    sharondtd Posts: 200 Member
    Jan, we're in Puget Sound. The photo was taken in Portland on our way back from Wyoming, where it was smoky, also. The smoke came in here yesterday, but not nearly as bad as on the other side of the Cascades.
    Enterprise has sent all its SUV's over to the affected areas free of charge. Think they deserve an attaboy for doing that.
  • sharondtd
    sharondtd Posts: 200 Member
    Got new walking shoes fitted at the special shop today. Taking it easy while my legs get used to the difference.
    Saw the Gastroenterologist today. Get to taper down to next level of cortisone very soon. Happy happy.
  • retirehappy
    retirehappy Posts: 3,785 Member
    Great news Sharon. It is so hard to lose when you are on cortisone. Glad you are making your way to healthy :)
  • grandmothercharlie
    grandmothercharlie Posts: 1,063 Member
    @sharondtd So glad you are on the mend! This hit just at the wrong time, but you are maintaining great!

    I am grateful that Fitbit sent me a new Charge! Therefore I will...CHARGE! Need to fight off those pounds!
  • sharondtd
    sharondtd Posts: 200 Member
    Good pt session. Keyboard on phone had changed and covets up what a person is entering. Also it is half the size. Dishruntled.
    Big Yay on the tripartite charge
  • sharondtd
    sharondtd Posts: 200 Member
    Uh bit. This new keyboard is not gonna work. At. All .
  • seeingthelight
    seeingthelight Posts: 98 Member
    I am grateful for a new day! I have been feeling kinda down the past couple of days and therefore have been eating too much, so today I figured out how many calories I have left this week and I can fix this !!! I thank God for all my blessings.
  • grandmothercharlie
    grandmothercharlie Posts: 1,063 Member
    @seeingthelight We all deserve a little self-pampering on bad days. It is what you do after that counts! Good plan to turn negative into positive. Yay! animated-jumping-smiley-image-0031.gif
  • seeingthelight
    seeingthelight Posts: 98 Member
    thank you grandmother. How are you feeling??? --back to normal?? --I hope so!
  • grandmothercharlie
    grandmothercharlie Posts: 1,063 Member
    Yep! Better than ever! I do see the dr. on Monday though. Still think he or cardiologist needs to cut back on meds.
  • seeingthelight
    seeingthelight Posts: 98 Member
    good luck!
  • mxchana
    mxchana Posts: 375 Member
    Just found, on YouTube, a song I have been trying to find for about 40 years... What my best college buddy and I called "the Holy of Holies" --- whenever we would hear this, no matter what we were doing, we would stop and dance to it. I never even knew the name of the artist, just finally found it by searching the lyrics I remembered. Here it is, on my Top Ten Favorite Songs of all time... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LG12nJqfHc
  • amflautist
    amflautist Posts: 902 Member
    I'm thankful for my health today. Dr took the last stitch out of my arm. Bicycle injury completely healed!
  • grandmothercharlie
    grandmothercharlie Posts: 1,063 Member
    edited August 2015
    @mxchana Thanks, Kathy, for the great memory! Cool, smooth, soul...I'm grovin'! animated-dance-smiley-image-0024.gif

    @amflautist Glad you have finally healed!
This discussion has been closed.