Category Archives: Changes

Take it one day at a time

Leave a reply

It’s been an interesting week this week.  I must say, I’ve been looking at life differently for a few days and tonight I adjusted even more.

Earlier this week, I had a patient, a “frequent flier” (of which you do NOT want to be when you come see me at work); it was a 6 month check up for him and his lung cancer.  We’ve scanned him since he was diagnosed about 2 years ago.  28.  Firefighter.  In firefighting shape.  I’ve seen a lot of ugly, ugly cases in my time and every once in a while you get a patient that floors you.  He did.  It was an awful cancer and it took a tremendous effort to take him off the table and smile and give him the standard directions to hydrate, etc knowing full well we’d see him again.  and again.  and again.  hopefully.  Then yesterday, there he was.  Hair growing back. Skeleton replaced by flesh.  Almost back to his starting weight.  Same good spirits.  He’s running again, almost a mile.  Oh, and he’s missing a lung.  The whole lung.  He’s not even one bit short of breath.  Hoping to be back to full duty in a month and complaining that he’s not running further yet. We both laughed about that, knowing full well what a difference those 6 months made.   Medicine is amazing.  Truly amazing.  Yet, when I have a patient like this, I know medicine alone can’t take the credit for this healing.  This young man’s work isn’t done yet.  I can’t wait to see what the next 6 months bring for him!!

Then tonight, my step-dad told me of a neighbor a few doors down that passed away a few weeks ago.  A family with all boys.  The youngest 2 are our son’s ages roughly.  The older 2 are in college.  The husband and wife have never been overly friendly to me,but I’ve seen them at school, and the dad playing in the yard with his boys.  41 years old.  Massive heart attack.  The dad died.  What!?!?  They are healthy.  I see them at the gym.  He’s younger than me!  Talk about smacking your day into perspective.  You never know.  Really.

Plan for tomorrow but live for today.  Make each moment count.  The little stuff is just “stuff”.  Engage with your family.  We see it all the time.  We hear it all the time.  Life is precious.  Take it one day at a time and make every one count.

Blessings.

Home stretch…or is it?

2 Replies

Photo CREDIT

The above mentioned photo cred is to an article on network marketing, however, you’ll see it has the same tools to get to ANY goal….commitment and accountability in surrounding yourself with like-minded folks.

Proverbs 27:17

Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.

Today I find myself heading into Week 5 of the Peak313 challenge and for me, it’s been a GREAT springboard for getting my heart (mind and body, too!) back into the healthy frame o’ mind.  Instead of this being “The End”, it’s rather a beginning, to keep marching forward!

And like the article in the photo above, this challenge, along with fanTABulous encouragement through Clare, seriously make-you-sore exercises and the important scriptural foundation, commitment and accountabilty have contributed tremendously to my staying on track.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not naive and I’ve been in “this place” more times than I can count.  I FULLY expect to continue to be tempted and challenged along the way as I strive toward my “Healthy goal”, it’s a lifelong exercise……..just as it is with our spiritual Walk, budgeting goals, raising children, cultivating healthy marriages, and so on.  Anything worthwhile is worth working on!!  Each day presents its own challenges, and in facing each day as it comes, I find it’s easier for me to keep focused when I keep the one-day-at-a-time mentality.  The choices we make TODAY contribute to where we are tomorrow…we canNOT focus on the worries of tomorrow which haven’t even occurred yet!!    We canNOT focus on the failures of yesterday.  Today.  One step at a time, one foot in front of the other.

And so….to wrap up this week, here is a quick summary:

Exercise:  I modified my plan according to what the day brought.  I had my “plan” and as with anything, sometimes plans fall apart.  This is where Plan B came in.  Modified.  Life changes.  Adaptation is key.  I did.  I was sore.  I got in my time!!

Food:  I planned.  I ate in moderation.  I kept cravings in check and when I simply HAD TO HAVE IT……moderation.  Case in point:  Spontaneous dinner date with Hubby Friday night…healthy choices @ dinner, but skipped the bread and ate in moderation….including the coconut cream pie.  A few bites, savored and enjoyed and I was satisfied.  Moderation not deprivation.  We have to live, people.

Scripture:  Above all things, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.  Proverbs 4:23.  How true, how true.  Especially after my dear friend’s dad underwent open heart surgery this week.  Physically and spiritually, heart=life.  Guard it likewise.

And this week we have….

Wishing you much success, peace and strength in the coming week(s) ahead!  Blessings!!

Quick Takes Friday

6 Replies

Friday, Friday, my favorite day of the week.  (Well, not until after 5:30pm, but it’s my favorite day of the week,nonetheless!) and so Friday means wrapping up the week with Jennifer Fulwiler @ Conversion Diary and her gang o’ bloggers….check ’em out!!

1)  It’s been a crazy week at work, so crazy I haven’t been able to take care of ANY of my personal business during the day.  That is SO wrong!!!  This whole work thing really doesn’t work for me.  I mean, it gets the PB&J on the table and supports our other dietary needs and stuff, but it really, REALLY puts a damper on my personal productivity level.  I need a secretary.  A free one, of course.

2)  In home budget cuts, we’ve decided the girls have reached the level of maturity to handle after school at home.  This is a HUGOLA savings money-wise, however, it’s a good thing for them as well.  I pick them up on my lunch break and bring them home and so far, they’ve fallen into their brother’s habits of doing homework right away with a snack, then chillin’ out until one of us gets home.  Their brothers are home with them, but it has taken a huge stressor off of me to have to constantly stress over my last patient and getting to pick up on time if Hubby is working out-of-town that day.  The other great thing, is on the days that they have practice, they are fully ready to go as soon as I get them….they’ve had their down time, their homework time, their snack time and the whining/tired/complaining pre-practice has essentially disappeared this week.  That.  Is a huge bonus!!!

3)  Rain, rain, rain.  We’ve had it essentially every afternoon.  I’ve managed to adjust my workout schedule somehow and holy, cannoli!!  It’s Friday and I am still sore!!!  A wonder of wonders how the body responds when you mix it up!

4)  The debate.  I didn’t watch.  There.  Irresponsible?  I think not.  I am so completely frustrated with our choices.  Really.  I know who I’ll vote for, because there is one person my conscience simply will NOT allow me to vote for, however, it doesn’t mean I’m happy about my selection.  I am possibly considering choice #3….throwing my vote away?  Meh.  Maybe.  There is just so much trash slinging in the ads and blah, blah, blah generalized empty promises it is draining and frustrating.

5)  For the last few QTs, I’m doing some links….one is to Jen’s Conversion Diary…see #1…super news!!  I just love other people’s baby news, stories, pictures.  It’s awesome.

6)  Next up is to Camp Patton and her post o’ woe on the arsenic hours of 5-bedtime.  Oy.  I laughed, but so definitely remember those days and when you are in the thick of it….so NOT funny or entertaining and yet, Grace makes it sound fun.  ish.  I just remember being exhausted.  And grumpy.  And counting the minutes to bedtime.  And now…….I can’t even look my oldest in the eye without craning my neck 6 inches up.  <sigh>

7)  That’s all folks.  I’ve got to wrangle these kiddos up and at ’em and get ready for the day.  Have a great weekend.  I’ll be on the road 2 6a.m. tomorrow morning to drive and hour and half to a football game. Try not to be too jelly, K?

Blessings!!

Over the hump….week 3!

Leave a reply

If I did not simply suffer from one moment to another, it would be impossible for me to be patient; but I look only at the present moment.  I forget the past and I take good care not to forestall the future.  When we yield to discouragement or despair it is usually because we give too much thought to the past and to the future.  St. Therese of Lisieux

We are heading into Week 4 with the Peak 313 5 week challenge and I am pleased to say that Week 3 was a FAR better effort in every manner (for me).  I KILLED it in exercise, mainly cardio however, I did squeeze in serious sets of lunges during a cardio session and hit my abs as well.  The biggest deal (for me) was that I ate amazingly well.  The key was simply…..plan.  Wow.  It worked.  I was ready each day with my snacks and I wasn’t hungry and get this…..I had energy.  Crazy, right?

The scale deal for me is I’m not weighing until the end of the challenge.  The scale is a deal breaker for me.  I can be doing EVERYthing right and if the scale isn’t where I want to be….I’m done.  I will hit Dunkin’ Donut, Starbucks, whatev….because…why? Apparently I like to derail myself.  Therefore, as I get older (and hopefully wiser), I aim more for how I feel, in my clothes and and my skin.

This week, I have my snacks and lunches pretty much stocked and ready to go.  We are changing up a kiddo routine which calls for adjustment in my lunch hour, but that’s life…fluid and ever-changing, if we can’t adjust…..we’re sure to combust!

Stay focused this week!  Here’s this week’s Scripture verse….

 

Work it, girl!!

3 Replies

THIS week I have hit my stride.  Serious talk.  Week 3 of the 5 week challenge and I’ve worked.  IT.  like.  nobody’s.  business.  or everybody’s since this is a blog on the WORLD wide web and all.  Anyhow…..like I was sayin’….THIS week I’ve been an exercising-eating-well-logging-my-food-goody-two-shoes.  It’s been CaRAAAAZaY!!!  So crazy, that I am entertaining the thought of eating clean, like FO REALZ, eating clean.  However, in Friday fashion, and in joining in with Jen’s blogging gang @ Conversion Diary, I thought I’d wrap up the week with 7 things I’ve experienced during this week o’WORKIN’ IT!

  1. Oatmeal.  Yum.  Delish.  Can do lots with it.  This week it’s been pumpkin.  But…..how long, O’ Lord is my belly going to grumble afterward????? Anyone??  Anyone???
  2. Walking lunges.  Super good for your gluteus maximus.  Around the corner of the track.  2 sets.  2 days later=ouch.
  3. Packing my lunch at night makes a lot of sense.  Speeds up the morning, too.  Maybe I’ll actually do that next week.  Baby steps, people.  Baby steps.
  4. Cutting out ice cream at night hasn’t been as bad as I thought.  Apparently, my low point comes when I get in the door after work…..veggie straws are where it’s at.  Trust me.  You can have a lot of those suckers in a serving…it’s perfect!
  5. Lots of walking=dry, scaly feet.  A little love on the weekend with the ped-egg, lotion and some new polish…….happy tootsies!
  6. Regular working out makes for some GOOD sleep.  So I’ve heard.  However, don’t hate but….our kiddos are bigger and now that we have sleepers-through-the-night, I pretty much fall asleep in about 2 seconds flat, so I haven’t noticed any change there…but “They” all say it’s true…so I’m sure it is.
  7. Maybe I’m the last to know..maybe you are…but here’s a little ditty that is (according the my newest teen) all the rage right now…PSY–Gangnam style.    Maybe you could run to this on your next run.  or not.  whatev.  Now you’re cool.  You’re welcome. And you’re one of the many who made clicking on the video part of the Guinness world record book for “most watched”….kewl.

Have a great weekend.  We’ve got both games…wait for it….AT HOME!  WOOT WOOT!  Maybe I’ll get a nap.  HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAH

don’t forget to visit JEN and everyone else, too!!

Blessings!