Grey skies and rain for days…
The news of the US….
Social Media….
Combined, they have put me into a mood and I imagine one of those rain clouds is hanging over my head.
There’s only one I can’t do anything about and that’s the weather.
But, if I don’t read everything, I’ll miss out! I really suffer with that mentality.
The weatherman says we’ll see sunshine on Sunday.
I don’t see the news or social media getting any brighter.
What do you wish you could do more every day?
By working four days a week, I’m getting glimpses of what retirement will look like.
I have a variety of hobbies that include knitting, ancestry research, writing for this and my family stories blog, puzzles, reading. All my indoor stuff but I also have a new e-gravel bike to ride and a boat that will go in the water next month. And travel!
I wish I had more retirement time every day to find a flow to work on my hobbies and outdoor activities!
Soon. I just have to be patient.
What strategies do you use to cope with negative feelings?
I have to work hard to brush away negative and worrying thoughts.
I’m learning to rely on faith.
Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Nights when I wake up at 3am and the first thing that pops into my mind is something about work, I roll over and I pray. It pushes out the worry and negativity and I fall back to sleep.
During the day if I start to worry, I just talk to God and thank him for the day, the weather, my home, whatever!
I recently had my annual gynecologist appointment and it got me thinking….
I used Planned Parenthood in my early 20s when I had no idea where to go for my reproductive health.
My mother was still taking me and my sisters to our pediatrician in our teens and our last visit there was when we turned 18. I remember him telling my mother, “well, this will be the last time I see them.”After that, or even maybe even before, we probably should have started going to a gynecologist but no one ever initiated it. Not us, not my mother.
There was some risk involved being sexually active with no birth control and I got tired of taking that risk. But where do I go? I was not very good with talking about things I was uncomfortable with, or something that might get shot down or questioned. (I really don’t like to be questioned – if I finally speak up about something, I’ve usually made up my mind and I’m not looking for approval!).
Maybe someone where I work suggested it, maybe I found it on my own. But I found it and they were great. I got my annual checkups and my birth control there and it was affordable. I was glad they were there for me when I needed them.
As of 2022 there are more females than males in the United States. Every month once we hit puberty, we all (generalizing) go through the same thing. But yet, roadblocks are thrown up to prevent many women from getting the basic care they need. I was glad to read that Planned Parenthood has a presence in all 50 states. I think we need it more than ever.
Six weeks from whenever I start a “healthy lifestyle program” it all goes to hell.
2025 is turning out to be no exception. I talked about my plans for a healthy 2025 here.
What happened? Valentines Day happened and I went to Sweet Chocolata’s here in town to buy treats for my family and employees. Of course, I had to buy something for myself and their caramel and chocolate covered pretzel sticks are to die for! That was almost a month ago and I haven’t been able to get back on track. It feels like no matter when I start, six weeks later there is some event or holiday that derails me.
My workouts, of course, continue to be going well. It’s my diet that I can’t get back on track. I start each with with determination, and then slide away.
But, as Truman Capote said, “Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor”. Appropriate right?
In my quest to be mindful in 2025, I’m focusing on my emotional and mental wellbeing in addition to my physical wellbeing.
I know that sleep is important, and in our house it’s always been important to my husband! For most of our marriage, this man has gone to bed at 8pm and would get a good 8 hours of sleep. I would usually make it into bed by 10. Since the first, I’ve made an effort to head up by 9pm, get some reading in and have lights out by 9:30. I also started wearing my Apple Watch to bed so it can record the different stages of my sleep.
Another bedtime ritual I’ve started is a 5 or 10 sleep meditation with my Peloton app. I wear my ear buds, start the program and absorb the soothing music and soft voice of the instructor. I usually discover I’ve fallen asleep! My average sleep time for a week has ranged from 7 hours 15 minutes to 7 hours and 28 minutes. My crowning achievement was a night of sleep with NO minutes awake!
Because I don’t have a set time I need to be in the office, This year I’m learning to embrace that! It’s tough to get used to when for so many years, I’ve been at my desk by 8:30! My alarm is still set for 5:45 but I take time to drink my coffee and complete my workout. I have extra time to read the paper!
There are times at work that cause me and the two people there (one being my son) to start to wallow in frustration and self-pity. It’s specially tough to see it in my son, so I always try to turn it around and cheer us all on! We have so much more going for us than against us!
I’m packing up for the day and heading home at 3pm (to-do lists are vital for me!), so I can walk with my husband and our friends for some exercise and socialization.
I’m not on board with our upcoming federal administration so that has made me anxious when I read stories that seem more fiction than fact. For the time being, I’m averting my eyes because I know there is nothing I can do to change any of it. I hope in the near future I can get involved with an organization that will help make a difference for people in need.
All my life I’ve tracked the numbers on the scale and have a roller coaster relationship with food and my body. The January 1 entry in my first diary as a soon to be 10 year old says among other things, “I resolved will try to exercise every day”. I was 9 years and 8 months old.
Maybe it was because the 60s and 70s were full of the Twiggy models or maybe it was because in my brain, I was not petite, just short. I topped out at 4’11” in sixth grade, never to reach the ultimate next foot.
Over the years I’ve used tracking methods like Weight Watchers and Fitness Pal and worked out to the all the Jillian Michaels and The Firm Workouts in existence, and a couple of times over the last four years, I’ve worked with Jennifer, a nutritionist at Evolved Nutrition in Wallingford.
Working out, has never been an issue for me. I’m using my Peloton in one way or another for up to 45 minutes 6 days a week. But what do they say? Losing weight is 80% diet and 20% exercise…..
This January 1st, as the weight crept up from vacations and general not paying attention, I knew I had to get serious. Is it the impending 65th birthday around the corner? Probably! But more than that, I know, because I’ve done it, that when I lower my weight, I feel better. I have more energy, my arthritis doesn’t bother me (as much), my hip pain disappears. It’s a no-brainer. But sometimes so hard to just take that first step.
So, I’ve started up the Fitness Pal app and really started using it. I’m more aware of how I feel after each meal, what works and what doesn’t. I’m becoming more aware of how I feel emotionally. I’m drinking more tea, and doing more meditation.
I’m looking at the different strength workouts on Peloton to work on lighter weights and more toning, like Barre workouts instead of trying to life 20 pounds.
I achieved my first 1,000 minutes only 14 days into the new year! That’s because my husband and I and another couple in the neighborhood join up in the afternoon when we can to take a walk to the center of town and back. 2 miles, 46 minutes and a great break in the late afternoon. The first year I was in the challenge I completed 13,000+, and last year was 14,000+ so it’s my goal to hit the 15,000 this year.
Here’s to a Happy and Healthy 2025!
I can forget what I did the day before yesterday.
I really want to be mindful in 2025.
I took a look at my Day Planner for 2024 and my phone calendar and made a list in Notes of What Happened in 2024. I was surprised at all the events from the year. Sometimes in my mind I think “I never do anything!”, but this proved me wrong. There were lunches and dinners out with friends, two trips to New York other than our yearly Christmas shopping spree, and three week long vacations!
I’m looking forward to this new year of adventures!
I don’t know about you, but my Sunday into Monday sleep can be a little rough.
Then after waking up, my mind is on every little thing I have to do from now until Christmas.
I drink my coffee and head out the door to workout and as I walk I say, Dear God, help me to slow down and appreciate the moments and I turned the corner and he says,
Be present.
Does your sleep pattern change often? Mine drives me crazy sometimes!
I know it’s the weekend because I will sleep through the night and wake up at 6am. But as soon as Sunday night rolls around I wake up at 1am, 3am, and 5am! My alarm goes off at 5:45 and I’m always tempted to get up when I wake up from a doze around 5:30. But I stick it out and wait for the alarm.
I try to figure out if it’s related to something I eat, or don’t eat, at dinner or afterwards. Is the room warm or cool? But there’s no clear answer.
I must get enough sleep because I’m not tired during the day or nodding off in front of the television!
Thoughts From The Passenger Seat 