WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR MARCH 2016

Lisa hoping you get the job.

Heather sounds like DH knows himself well that really helps.

One of the turning points for me was when I practice being my own parent to myself. I know my parents had a hard time of it because of their own backgrounds and we as a family suffered as a result. Now I can make choices that hopefully will lead to healing for myself and for my family.

Like the Dalai Lama says compassion, compassion, compassion.

The poem The Guest House by Rumi is also helpful to me in handling my darker thoughts. I like to think that behind each dark thought the sun is shining ready to bring healing. One of the meditations I do is to sit quietly and image a pure light that starts at the top of my head letting it travel through my body. I give extra attention to those parts of me that are hurting. When I finish I send that light back out as a prayer for those who need it.

The Guest House: A Poem

This poem by Rumi would have to be one of the most frequently recited poems in mindfulness retreats and courses around the world.
The Guest House
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice.
meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.
Be grateful for whatever comes.
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
— Jellaludin Rumi,
translation by Coleman Barks

Margaret

Marcelynh - Wow! We thought we were being Supergrandparents when we had our two for 36 hours! :noway: Do you have any help?

Margaret - Thank you for the Rumi poem. Lovely. :flowerforyou:

Cooking a curry for tonight, though I don't know how much room DH will have for it as he is out, having lunch with his cricket friend. How nice that two guys can just meet up for a chat over lunch. It's much too wet underfoot for their normal walking.
I'm cooking butternut squash, cauliflower and spinach, then adding the remains of the guinea fowl from last night.

For lunch I made myself a very low calorie Asian soup, with miso broth from a packet (I used two), rehydrated seaweed, stuff from the fridge like cucumber and scallions , fresh chilli , a bit of the guinea fowl and shiritaki noodles. That was around 110 calories for a HUGE bowlful. High in sodium, but otherwise v healthy.
Do the newbies know about shiritaki noodles? They are made from vegetable and a packet is around 40 calories. I don't often use them as pasta, but they make a great filler for soup.

Love to all, Heather UK

Margaret - That is one of the poems I have saved. Love it!

I've had some sort of strange "bug" this week that seems to be making the rounds. Some headache and some stomachache but in general just feeling like I just couldn't move. I described it to my daughter as feeling like I had the "feeling bad" of strep or something similar but without the other symptoms. I think I had the same thing last year.

I don't really have a lot to say so I'm also going to share a poem. This guy is one of my absolute favorites!


Carol in NC

nccarolb wrote: »

I don't really have a lot to say so I'm also going to share a poem. This guy is one of my absolute favorites!

Beannacht/Blessing

by John O'Donohue

On the day when
the weight deadens
on your shoulders
and you stumble,
may the clay dance
to balance you.
And when your eyes
freeze behind
the grey window
and the ghost of loss
gets in to you,
may a flock of colours,
indigo, red, green,
and azure blue
come to awaken in you
a meadow of delight.

When the canvas frays
in the currach of thought
and a stain of ocean
blackens beneath you,
may there come across the waters
a path of yellow moonlight
to bring you safely home.

May the nourishment of the earth be yours,
may the clarity of light be yours,
may the fluency of the ocean be yours,
may the protection of the ancestors be yours.
And so may a slow
wind work these words
of love around you,
an invisible cloak
to mind your life.

Carol in NC

LOVE! A definite keeper so I copied it into a Word Doc to print out and put on my mirror. Thanks for sharing it. Feel better!

Cheri
Rainy Fairlawn, oHIo

Good morning! ... My aren't we philosophical today? I'll add my two cents worth!

Some days you're the bug; some days you're the windshield!

Beth

Good morning all! I'm just getting back to trying to lose weight and get healthy after being off the wagon for WAY longer than I want to admit. I'm new to this group and frankly, I'm looking for some support and encouragement - and hoping to be able to support and encourage others.

A little about me - DH (darling hubby) and we have 5 cats...yes, it's an addiction, I know. I am a government bureaucrat....very sedentary and stressful. In my free time I really like to paint with either pastels or acrylics, make jewelry and sew a little. Fortunately, I do like to cook and try new recipe's, when I have time.

My biggest weight loss problem -- I AM A STRESS EATER!!!!!!! There it is.


So, my goals for (the rest of) March:
1) use the mobile app to log what I eat. Every day.
2) walk at least 15 minutes twice a day. Every day.

Not big goals, but it's about the discipline and getting in the habit - right?

Thanks you all -- have a great day!

beginning56 - lololol. welcome, l'm sorry, I had to say it, you left yourself open... I'm a kidder, I joke. put water by your desk and drink it as much as you can. if you like hummus that is always a good dipper for carrots or celery. chop a bunch up and put them in the frig then the night b4, pack some into smaller batches w/some hummus in a small container and go. I leave stuff in the frig at work so I don't have to pack it. I have a 7lb bag of steel cut oats that I'm working on and I bring a weeks worth of milk to work every Monday and leave it there. it just dawned on me, i'll be 57 too in may, awwww we'll be twinzies !!

I intentionally did the all bold :0)

tryingtolive1 wrote: »

So all of you who are single and cook for themselves only no kids at home etc what do you make. I need stuff that is not to difficult to make. Dinner time has been the worst for me. If it is not easy I just don't eat.

Anne from Wisconsin

I have homemade food everyday for every meal, it's healthy and much more economical. I go out to eat when invited by friends but never get fast food anymore. I work late some nights (sometimes until 10 pm) and have to bring my dinner to work along with my breakfast and lunch which I bring every day. I tend to actually cook 1 or 2 days/week and the rest of the week is the leftovers which are packed in individual containers so they are right there when I am ready for a meal.

In the winter I tend to make:
Crockpot meals especially turkey chili
Roasted veggies i.e. butternut squash, cauliflower, broccoli. I use these as a "base" since I don't eat many potatoes or rice anymore.
Soups i.e. mushroom or brocholli (not cream of. Very delicious and very low cal)
Sauteed spinach, especially tasty under maple marinated salmon
Shrimp over spiral veggies
Meatloaf
I cut up berries and put them over plain greek yogurt sweetened with stevia for dessert
I always have some Purdue Perfect Portions (I like the Italian) on hand which I can broil and then use as a protein along with veggies or cut up on a salad.
I also have hard boiled eggs handy. Quick protein snack, great for sandwiches with a little mayo or on a salad.

I adjust the veggies in the summer based on what is available, eat less soup, more greens and the same proteins. I don't eat much steak at home because it doesn't reheat to my liking.

I am rarely at a loss to find a wonderful meal in my fridge when I get home from work. I put my recipies in MFP and I know what the calorie count is which helps tremendously. I cook on the weekend or on an evening that I'm not working too late. Usually the more elaborate meals are cooked on the weekend.

This plan has helped me get to my goal and lose over 40 lbs. Unfortunately I have absolutely no will power when I go out (heavy sigh). I hope this helps get you started.

Thanks to all of you for all the kind words. I was afraid that you didn't miss me

Chris in MA

Good morning everyone. It said there were 107 new messages this morning, so there's no way I can read them all. I hope everyone is doing well and feeling marvelous!

Last night was a bad night for my son, thus a bad night for the rest of the family. He refused to go to the hospital (again), so he's just trying to suffer through yet another respiratory distress episode. He's so pig headed. So, we had to rush to Wal-Mart to rescue him, then took the kids to dinner and to our house for a while so he could get himself together. He says he is feeling a little better this morning. At least he woke up this morning, so that's something. One of these days he won't. We all know it.

I spent a little more time yesterday searching for the cat with the arrow through it, but still no luck. I'm afraid he's dead. It's hard to just give up though. I think everyone else has.

Next week is spring break and the kids will be out of school all week so we will take them several days, just to give them something to do. We're thinking about taking them to the space museum in Hutchinson Kansas. It's really nice and they would enjoy it.

My cough is easing up at last, and I'm starting to feel human again. One of my friends has come down with it though, so I feel bad about that. She went to the doctor and was tested (positive) for Enfluenza B, so she's getting treatment and feeling better already. I wish I had gone to the doctor earlier. But her symptoms were a little different than mine, so it might not have been the same thing at all.

Well, I'm of to finish some drafting. Have a great day!

Sylvia