Thursday and the sun is shining!!!! Zippity Aye, My oh My what a Wonderful day! Not only am I thrilled as I needed a break from the clouds but our little goblins will have a beautiful evening to beg for candy. I can still remember the rain melting my orange crepe paper costume when I was seven years old. I looked like a victim of a bad spray tan.
The massage therapy induced spasms kicked in around 2am despite having gone to bed with a gel ice pad on my back. Fortunately it was upper not lower and I was still able to walk out to the kitchen for ibuprofen. A second dose at 7am and I am still upright and functioning. So far so good.
In response to a few recent comments on my journals:
*Yes, DH appreciates my cooking, esp the rare times I pull it off well like yesterday. Believe me, I've had my share of kitchen failures. I have been entertaining the idea of serving him in courses rather than plating it all at one time. Despite the extra steps for me it may offer him a chance to slow down and give the dishes their due. My SIL was here for lunch one day and commented 'you plate like a fancy restaurant' and I guess I do... I want his meals to be visually enjoyable too. So I'll think about stepping it up a notch and serving like one. Sometimes. Not every meal.
*Yes, I've had and love acupuncture but we don't have a local therapist. Along with it likely being the only hour I laid really still that week I did have a treatment once where 6-7 needles were pinned into specific points on my earlobe and I got 'high' - I remember saying things like 'the colors, Man, the colors...' She warned 'that could be addictive'...I responded, 'no kidding...do it again.'
*No, DH doesn't consider me 'funny' in a humorous way. He just thinks I'm kind of odd. In fact, in nearly 25 years of marriage I've managed to make him laugh spontaneously ONCE. Seriously, ONCE. He says my humor is like Benny Hill - people either get me or they don't. Then again, this is coming from a man content to watch Family Guy, Simpsons & American Dad multiple times a day. I think if he did start laughing at me now I'd begin to question my intelligence.
And finally, the much awaited, highly anticipated 'Glass Garden Totem' aka 'My Tribute to Mindful Eating.' While it's not as spectacular as most of those on that earlier link it's special to me. Each piece represents something personal and if you are curious to know and inclined to continue reading, the explanation follows.
Starting at the bottom, the base is a glass hanging light shade and weighs about 10lbs. I felt it would be a great base for support and this piece represents my faith.
The orange vase is a tribute to joining Fat Secret in October last year. It is inverted to represent how my entire lifelong approach to weight loss was turned upside down with EWYL and 'Everything in Moderation'. The costume jewelry necklace symbolizes the beauty I've discovered exploring myself and reminds me that I do live a life worth examining.
The black inverted bowl - when I first began truly understanding the importance of portion control beyond obsessive scale measuring I implemented the EWYL explanation that my stomach is only the size of my fist and to allow for density and chewing I would probably be better served and more comfortable afterward to not consume more than 'two fists' of food. I found this bowl ((after sticking both fists inside many)) and bought several. They make it very easy for me to dish out my portions as I consider 'how much I want to eat' not 'how much CAN I eat'.
I'd ALWAYS followed the 'never apologize for vegetables and salad is a free zone' and would eat a 10-fist size salad. It took a while but I finally understood 'over eating is over eating regardless of the food' and in order to not go meshuggah with high caloric dense foods, I needed to stop over eating, period. The black and clear necklace adorning it is the reminder that this philosophy is black and white with very few grey areas.
The orange ball is another lamp globe; it is my crystal ball into the past, present and future as I forgive myself for my mistakes, pray to continue doing well one day at a time, and envision me happy and healthy in the days ahead.
The plates - though the suggestion is that the plates be clear colored glass I used a couple of plates we've had our ENTIRE marriage. This was a subtle nod to my issues with permanence. They are plain on the bottom so the beaded belt on the top plate is my reminder for those times I want to run away and find a more pleasant or exotic life that the life I have now can be beautiful too when I work on it.
Within the inverted jar above the top plate is a red votive; red represents passion for the things I've discovered and enjoy doing. Walking, painting, cooking, photography, etc.
In the clear glass votive above the red one I've sealed antique marbles for anytime I feel I'm losing (mine) I know where I can find them.
Standing tall on my marbles and passion is my Angel. She represents the Angels in my life and here on FS. She reminds me to have faith and be true to myself and know I am loved in a way that food never will.
An inverted gold goblet supports a star shaped votive that catches the sunlight and reflects the colors around it. That star ...that's me. When I remember to put my best face on and be grateful for the gifts I've been given, I too, am a star.
If you've read this far, Bless you. Thank you for indulging me while I prattled on about my journey and thank you for being my friend.
Bells
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