Unwanted Roots

Spring has finally decided to come to the Island. Plants that were ice covered in February are now sprouting new growth. Even those I was afraid had died during our version of a "deep freeze" are showing sings of life again. For those of  you that live in the north and east, and are still getting snow, I am sorry. I don't know how you keep your plants from year to year. They must be very hardy and have sturdy roots!

Everybody knows that spring is cleaning season. Right?! Well, I had actually started before spring by cleaning out my closet, but decided with the warm sunshine, today would be a good day to finish trimming all my dead growth outside. Yards, just like hair and nails, occasionally need a good "do over," and my landscaping was no exception.

I just recently bought some new work gloves, so I pulled off the sales tags and grabbed the shovel and spade. I had decided that my first job would be to dig up the old agave plants. And, just like many things that I start, it turned out to be a lot more than I bargained for.

For those not familiar with these arid plants, agaves are sometimes known as "century plants." The lore is that they bloom once every few decades then die off. The produce a 5 -6 foot woody stalk right out of the middle of the plant and produces spikes of blossoms. In reality, they actually bloom every 5-7 years, and even though the part of the plant that produces the stalk dies off, it starts new growth. You can take the "baby" sprouts and replant them to start all over again.

In fact, that was actually how I got them to begin with. My neighbor gave me some, and since I had very little landscaping at the time, I planted them in my front yard five years ago. And, right on schedule, all four of them produced a stalk. When they finally flowered, the honeybees came. And stayed. So I let them stay up a little longer than probably necessary. Then it froze and they really died a quick death.

I tried to dig them up, but I couldn't get under the rocks and matting to get a good hold. I tried to push them over. Stubborn things. On and on it went until finally the yard guys stopped by. Once the two hunky guys got one out of the ground, I realized the problem. Its root system, very shallow to take advantage of sparse surface water, spread out from the main plant some 3 - 4 feet. Not deep, but lots of them, in long strands. By myself, I am not sure I could have gotten them out.

I have unwanted roots in my daily habits. Things that should be easy to break, but I have let them grow for so long that their root systems take advantage of every weakness I have. I try to pull them out, cut them away, but they keep sprouting up. This week my worst habit has been remembering to eat smaller portions. I do, but I don't remember to STOP going back for more. I believe it is called "grazing" for your food. And, just as my century plants, I need help to get rid of those unwanted roots.

When I have them in my hair, I go to my hair stylist. But being single, no one is here to slap my hand and tell me no. So, support group, I need you to help me pull out my unwanted roots. Send me a reminder once in a while to eat only small portions, and only one portion at a time.

I am currently stuck this week between 262 - 263 pounds. I know it will go down when I am finally able to sustain my bike riding or get into the pool for exercises next month. But I got used to losing weight more quickly, and now I must work harder to get that extra pound off. HELP!!! Please keep encouraging me.

Here are the latest pictures:

      Oh, one other thing. Agave is used to make tequila. No wonder the bees were happy. And I am 3-F!

Trial and Error

One of my favorite education professors at my alma mater, The University of Texas at San Antonio, taught me a lot about great science practices for the classroom. And the biggest lesson that stuck with me is "trial and error is okay" as a teacher, as a student, and in your personal life.

We use trial and error all the time. If you go to a dressing room, you bring several different sizes, colors, and styles to find the right outfit. Trial and Error.

If you are looking for airline tickets, trial and error is used a lot to find the cheapest flight with the fewest travel hassles. Sometimes you hit it; sometimes you think to yourself to never try that again.

Ever stick your toes in the pool or the ocean to see how cold the water is? Trial and Error.

You have probably already figured this out, but I have been in a trial and error mode since my lap-band surgery. At first it was to test how much you could eat without getting nauseated or feeling over-full. Then, as you healed, you experimented with different types of solid food.

I clearly remember when I ran my first test to see what I could tolerate. I had company about a month ago, and because the purpose of their visit wasn't for pleasure, we had a lot of those stress-eating foods out in plain sight all over the counter tops in the kitchen. Even though I was still technically on a soft diet, that darn tortilla chip was screaming my name. So when no one was looking, I took one and popped it in my mouth. Then feeling that it might have been a serious error, I chewed the heck out of it. Pulverized it. But it was so good, and it felt good mentally that I could still have an occasional indulgence.

I went to the doctor today for my second month checkup. I was a little worried since I had only lost four pounds this month. I told myself it was to be expected since I had truly been experimenting with different meats and vegetables to see which ones I could eat. I knew that once I started eating nothing but solids that the weight loss would slow down. I had also had a change in my blood pressure medicine due to changes in the insurance coverage and had been retaining a little more fluid than normal. I went into his office waiting for the "lecture" to come about my eating habits.

He wasn't worried. He stated that it was to be expected since I wasn't able to run every day and couldn't ride my bike as much because of my other itty bitty problem. And he reassured me that it was normal that I worried about how much I ate until I figured out what my new normal was going to be. We discussed the importance of healthy foods and continued awareness of portion control. And then he gave me another fill into the band. It was like, okay if you don't do it on your own, I am gonna make it harder for you by squeezing your stomach some more.

I have started back to subbing in the classroom so I do think about eating during those days. I try to pick healthy foods for my lunch bag. The doctor reminded me that one of the better things to stick in it was the high protein drinks. They fill you up with the good stuff.

My trial and error will continue. My weight today was 264, and while I didn't meet my goal of eight to ten pounds a month, I am still heading downward in the right direction.

And my 4-F "aha" moment? After I got my fill, the doctor looked at me and said, "Your pants are a little loose. Have they always been like that? Or is this something new?"

I guess my grin told him the answer to that!

Facing Your Dilemmas

Here it is, Spring Break on the Island, and I have dilemmas. I shouldn't have...spring break is to enjoy the sun and have fun with friends. Except they all either went out of town or are working. So what do you do?

I thought about razzing my friend about being so technically challenged that she can't even hang on to her phone, or how her daughter had to show her how to listen to her voicemail on her smart phone, or that she has a failing memory about techno things, but I didn't. My dilemma was that she was born that way and can't help herself. I was also reminded that she would find a way to pay me back, in spades! She may be a true southern lady, but she can "venge" with the best of them and enjoy every moment. So Deb, you are safe - for now!

I thought about going to visit my family out of town, but they were either all sick or so far away I couldn't afford the gasoline costs. Another dilemma.

Then I thought that I might use this time off from substituting to find a full time job, but I was reminded of still another dilemma. What new company would want to give me the time off if it turns out I do actually need the additional surgery I am halfway anticipating, or give me the time off each month to follow up on my lap-band progress.

Sooo, I did what I have been wanting to do for a long time. Tackle my closet. It has been full of dilemmas for several years.You see, it talked me into saving all my too-small clothes. I told my sister-in-law that I had all my clothes in one spot, and in several sizes and colors. I am not, as she suspects, a clothes horse. I simply convinced myself that sooner or later I would lose the weight and be able to get back into some of them. Of course, some of them are woefully out of date, but hey, if she thinks MY closet is over full, she better not look into Martha's....

I went through every closet and drawer. Everything that was too big (and I am happy to report there was an awful lot of that!) and all winter things that fit me now but wouldn't next winter were merrily thrown onto my bed. Then came another one of those dilemmas: what do I do with it all?

I sorted into business versus casual stuff, then sorted in to good, fair, and rag bin. That took a while. I even called a couple of women's organizations to see if they wanted any of the business clothing to help out women who are starting over and going back to work. But they didn't, instead preferring to give out Goodwill vouchers. Dilemma solved. Everything went into bags to take to Goodwill tomorrow. I had already sorted out and downsized my purse collection, and shoes will be next. I have to admit it was invigorating to see the pile. Of course, I will now have to continue working to buy new ones!

We face dilemmas every day. Some are big, most not very important. Do I wear this or that? Should I pay this bill today or wait til next week? Eat this or that? Can I afford just one more bite? Will that one piece of cake hurt that much? How can I get my book out to a bigger audience and into bookstores? Little things. Sometimes those pesky dilemmas can be more fretful. Do I leave my family and friends behind to take that new job out of state? Who is going to care for my aging family? How can I make ends meet when the bills just keep piling up?

Imagine the dilemmas the good people of Japan face. Where do I go? Where can I get food? Is my son, or my daughter, or my mother still alive? What do I do now? Who is here to help me? Am I far enough away? Will this shaking and fear ever stop?

It makes my drop-in-the-bucket dilemmas seem petty.

If I have learned one thing in my 60 years, is that sooner or later God provides you with either the means  or the path to take. Life, just like eating habits, are all about choices. Don't turn them into dilemmas; make them opportunities.

And let Him help you make the choices clear. You will be all right, and much happier without the worry.

Have a good week!

Causes and their Nasty Effects

Sorry I haven't written this earlier, but I rejoined the ranks of the working this month. Okay, it is only part time, and it IS substitute teaching, so I get to pick and choose the times and the places. The most difficult part was trying to figure out what that awful clanging was. Turns out it was my alarm clock. And, since I got a new one after I retired, I had to relearn where the snooze button was so I could hit it without exerting too much effort.

I did my first really bad lap-band thing the other day. A friend had a birthday celebration luncheon, complete with cake. I decided to make that the first piece of beef I had had in a very long time that wasn't ground hamburger. I ate sensibly, taking most of it home, and only eating about a third of the piece of cake. I felt pretty good. It was when I decided to eat the rest for supper that I realized my mistake.

Well, I ain't  4-F for nuthin! I got gas. A LOT of gas that seemed to concentrate on my upper right side. Now the only thing around there was my gall bladder, so I suppose it was doing most of the protesting.
Throwing up is a no-no with lap-band, but I honestly wished I could have gotten rid of it, as I just knew it would immediately make me feel better.

I tried everything. Exercise, pushing on it, walking, hot showers. I wanted to cry. Nothing I did would make me comfortable.

So Lesson for the Day:  If you eat big or richly at one meal, you better not do it again on the same day. Better yet, don't even think about eating that heavy piece of red meat. Now being a long time Texas girl, giving up steak and baked potatoes has been as difficult as giving up the cokes! I truly thought I could handle a few bites. Not yet!

But I did eat an enchilada the other day. Almost makes up for the lack of a rib-eye.

Another thing that I have noticed about cause and effect, is that once you start feeling better from losing weight and thinking in healthier terms, you begin to notice all the little things you tended to ignore in the past. Fix this little issue, another crops up. So, you deal with that one, and up pops another. More annoyances than major medical issues, but if you let them go on too long, you have even bigger problems. I can't help but wonder if I would have had them had I not gotten so fat. Or are they becoming noticeable because I am getting older? Egads!

So here's my advice for the day. Take care of the little things concerning your body. Don't sweat the fact that you have them, just go "git 'er done!" And as you get healthier, they become fewer, and their side effects become less "painful." And that, my friends, is ALWAYS a good thing.

Spring break is coming to the island. Time for all of us "natives" or Island Monkeys as we are known, to stock up on the essentials, grab a few of the cold ones for emergencies, and hunker down in your backyard, because you won't be able to get to the beach and still keep your sanity. It's a Cause and Effect Thing!

Stay safe, and think healthy.

Praise and Atta-boys

What a difference a few days makes. The weather is warming down here, the sun is shining, wind is dying down, and it feels good to get out into the sunshine and feel it's warmth on your skin - with SPF 15, of course!

I am happy to report that the two creams are making my "proud skin" feel a little more humble. I have to say that the nitroglycerin cream prescribed did provide some interesting side effects and quite a few not-so-funny "exploding butt" jokes. But, hey - it's working so I can live with the jibes. And I will even admit that now that I feel better, some of them are pretty funny.

I went to my second support group meeting last night. The topic was setting goals and recognizing and hopefully ridding yourself of the barriers to reaching your goals. I managed to keep from doing the teacher snicker as everybody tried to come up with their measurable, achievable goals. (We educators have been writing them for years!) But then I realized I hadn't written anything down on my own paper.

Most of the people are a year or more out of their lapband surgery. Only one other person was a "short timer" like me. So their goals were more specific in many ways. Our group leader, Emmy, and her intern led a great discussion on goals and problems attaining them. They asked us to write a one month, six month, and one year goal. I realized i needed to get busy thinking what i wanted.

I knew my one year goal, but had to think on the others. Here is what I came up with:

1 Month - ride my exercise bike at a high energy level for at least 10 minutes, 3 times a week.

6 Months - Be around 240 so that ALL my old swimsuits can be tossed because they are too big.

1 Year - Be off of my blood pressure and cholesterol medicines FOREVER because I have established habits that will keep me on a healthy lifestyle.

And that, my online support group, is where YOU come in!

We all need a little nudge once in a while. And we don't mind them; in reality, we probably secretly appreciate them. But, we all need a little recognition that we are on the right track. A little praise and an occasional ATTA-BOY goes a very long way in making you feel good about yourself.

One of the things I recognize about myself is that it is extremely hard to accept praise. I always feel like I am being recognized for doing something that had to be done. I don't always recognize it for what it is - recognition for achieving something that other people saw as a good thing and were genuinely proud of me for doing it.

Recognition doesn't have to be loud or gregarious. A high-five is a fine atta-boy. A grin at the right time says a lot. An OK sign works just as well as a chest pounding, fist raised dance. And it secretly makes you feel good. And when you feel good about yourself, you tend to make even better decisions!

I wrote a poem the other day, and it was published in our local island paper. I was secretly proud of myself. But, what made my day was what happened at the drive-thru window at our local CVS Pharmacy. The pharmacist herself came to the window and told me she had a couple of questions. I had a medicine change so I assumed it was about that. Nope! I got an ATTA-BOY!

She said to me, "Was that your poem I read this morning in the paper? It was so beautiful it almost made me cry. I had to read it three times!" I don't remember what she asked after that; I was too busy grinning from ear-to-ear.

We all gave each other praise and support at our group meeting. We all knew we wanted the same thing. It was a productive meeting. AND, I got home in time to watch "V."

Ok, I really don't think that lizard Anna deserves any praise or atta-boys. I don't look at geckos the same anymore.

ATTA-BOY FIFTH COLUMN!