Your Life Can Change in a Moment

Yesterday was one of those days. We started our morning out normally and school was going well for both children. I received a phone call from a friend who wanted to take the kids and I for a hike after we had finished. This was a pleasant surprise and I was happy for the invitation. After we finished school we took the thirty minuet drive to Quail Hollow State Park and walked in the after noon sun. It was a beautiful day for hiking and we all enjoyed the time in the woods.
Life felt good. We had an enjoyable time. Our evening was quiet nothing out of the ordinary. We were getting ready to go to bed when the phone rang. It was around 11:30 pm. When this happened my nine year old said this can't be good if someone is calling this late. It was was my best friend. She had just found out her brother had died. Life can change in a moment. My heart sank for her.
A few weeks ago it was the middle of the night the phone rings at 1 am. I race to grab the phone. It was my mother in law. Her brother and his wife had been in a car accident. His wife died at the scene of the accident. Your life can change in a moment.
Just a few short years ago I got a phone call at 8:10 pm on a Thursday night. My father had passed. I had just spoke to him 15 maybe 20 minuets earlier. How could he be gone. Your life can change in a moment
When events like this happen it causes you to stop and take a long look at your own life. Am I ready if my life takes a unexpected change? Not sure you can ever be totally ready.
Our lives can change in moments time. My heart is with you Lynn as you are going through this difficult time.

Where Has The Summer Gone.

It has been an incredibly busy two weeks. We are preparing to start our fall classes. I have come up with a great recording schedule that will get us through school. I am really disappointed that HomeSat will no longer be available to homeschooling families after this school year. It has been a blessing to us and I know without Homesat we could not have afforded the education that my children have received. This will be huge loss to families that are educating more than one child.
We have spent the past few days setting up class rooms for the kids. Son and Sissy are both delighted to have their school rooms down stairs and not up in their bed rooms anymore. My biggest concern is, am I going to be able to keep the house looking presentable. I have decided that the kids will have to clean their school room each day so it looks presentable.

My exercise is going well. I am walking each and every day at least three times a day. I am averaging around 4.5 miles to 6 miles a day. I am thoroughly impressed with my family. My husband has stepped up to the plate and is waking and walking with me at 7 am before he heads to work. This is a real pleasant surprise.
I can not say my kids are enjoying walking as much as they are but I can say they are not fighting me over it. Never do they ask for me not to go. They have really been good cheer leaders for me. I truly appreciate their support.

I am beginning to look forward to our vacation planned for September. Now I just have to find clothes that fit. I have shrunk out of them. This is a good problem to have.

A Very Busy Week in Review.

It has a been a very busy week for me. I had my big follow up with the doctor who did my colonoscopy. The best news was the biopsy came back clear. YEAH!! I am very happy about that.
It also has been a very good week for my exercise program. My daughter and I have logged 31 miles for our exercise for the week. I am only going three miles today to give my knee some rest. I have felts some pinching in my right knee. Not sure what that is.
I went and bought myself a good pair of running shoes to help with the blisters that formed on my feet from wearing the wrong shoes. I never before put much thought in to the health of my feet. I do now.
I am gearing up for the new school year that looms ahead of us. School will start broadcasting in less than three weeks. I have to know what classes that have to be recorded and what books need to be bought. Where has our summer gone.
Son is loving working at the family store. He has shown so much maturity working with the public. It is a pleasure to watch him turn into a young man.
Sissy has become my constant companion since son has decided to spend his summer working with Dad. Sissy is witty and a delight. Very seldom does she have a bad mood always quick to see the good side of every situation. It has been a good summer so far.

The Feel Good Effect of the Sun

The Feel Good Effect of the Sun.

I keep pondering the thoughts of why now; why this time does becoming physically fit feels so much better. Why do I know deep down this time it truly is going to work. This is the conclusion I have come up with.

Back during the winter I moved my computer and later I set up a new office in the sunroom of our home. I started using the sunroom back during the winter. I did notice that this past winter I was not plagued with SAD “Seasonal Affective Disorder” that I sometimes would get during the winter. Matter of fact I loved sitting in the sunroom and could not get enough of the sunlight coming in to the room. Hence I moved my whole office and took over the sunroom as my space.

I started looking up information on the benefits of natural sunlight and here is some of the information I have found.

Sunlight triggers an increase in the feel-good brain chemical serotonin.

Serotonin lifts your mood and wards off depression.

I know that now when I am out walking in the fresh air and sunlight I love how I feel. It is something I have not experienced since I was a young child running and playing out side. It is a great feeling and right now I am craving going out walking in the sun.

The Exercise Continues.

Yesterday was really a great exercise day. Our morning started with the children and I walking the trail once. The weather was perfect. We were able to make our round before the midday heat.
I was also able to invite a friend who I have not see in at least a year. She was somewhat surprised in my weight loss. Made me smile when she notice.
Then in the after noon my normal walking buddy called and the kids and I went again. YEAH. I had done my twice a day and I was happy.
Well low and behold when my husband got home he wanted to go. So we went for are third trip around the trails. Sissy Lou and I did 6 miles yesterday. YEAH The is my personal best. I was feeling the muscle tightening by evening.

Today has not been as good. I had appointments first thing in the morning and they did not end till 4 pm. Well we tried to walk and the heat was to much. We made one mile and had to stop. We will go tonight when Dan gets home and the sun is down. It was nearly 98 today. Too hot to walk.

My schedule is working really well. Being able to know that I have a designated time to exercise has been life changing. Know that I have allotted time for me has been wonderful. I am worth the time. My health is worth the time. I need to take this time to be a healthy person.

Another Great Exercise Day

Already this morning the kids and I were up and out the door early to get in a morning walk. It is suppose to be a very hot day here today so I was glad to get my exercise in before the mid day heat sets in.

Yesterday I was out working in my yard when I hear a buzzing sound. It took me a little time to locate it and it was my Mountain Laural bush, it was covered with bees. It was a sight to see.
There were hundreds of these bees all over the bush. Very interesting.

I Will MOVE My Body.

Today the kids and I loaded the bike rack on the car and we went biking. Actually I was very proud of my son. He helped me figure out how to attach the bike rack to the car, and he helped me load the bikes to the rack and we went biking.

No huge mileage but we went. We were able to make two and half rounds on the trail before we were tired. Actually Sissy Lou was the one to ask if we were finished or not. I forget that her little legs are not as long as mine so she is really peddling to keep up with us.

That actually is the longest bike ride I have taken in YEARS, and it felt good. The worst thing about the whole biking experience was loading the bikes. The rack is heavy and lifting the bikes is heavy. I could not have done it with out Son.

We had a good weekend. Dan took Son to work with him on Saturday and Sissy Lou and I had a girls day at home. On Sunday we went to Church and then spent the day at home preparing the kids room for the new school year that starts next month. We packed away last years curriculum and I now have to do inventory on what new books we need to buy and what classes we have recorded and what classes we need to record in the fall.

A good weekend and a good start to a new week. I will move my body, I want to be a healthy person, I will work on being a healthy person.

It Has Been A Good Day.

It really has been a good day. I received a lead for a cruise first thing this morning. So I spent the better part of the morning looking up prices and getting the customer their quote.
In the after noon my friend came over she too had gotten a lead and we worked on getting her quote out too.
Son went to work with his father and that gave Sissy and I a girls day to hang out and be together.
I feel pretty good after yesterdays colonoscopy. I was amazed how loopy the anesthesia made you feel even hours after it was over. I glad to crawl into bed last night.
I am planning to get back into my exercise routine tomorrow. It was interrupted with the prep and the colonoscopy yesterday. I can not believe I am even saying this but I have missed the daily walks, the past two days.
I spent so much time today looking up quotes for cruises I did not take the time to look for new opportunities posted on craigslist and monster.com
So once again I am looking at my schedule tomorrow and adjusting it accordingly to make up for what have missed today. Top of the list, exercise and job searching.

Nice Family Weekend.

We had a really nice holiday weekend. Nothing exciting but it was just nice being together as a family. Dan had to work on Saturday but was home early. I spent a good portion of the weekend mowing the apple orchard while J and Dan trimmed the apple trees. This was a much needed chore that we had been putting off. It looks so nice now that it is done.
The picture are two that I took this spring when our flowers were just blooming.

A New Month, a New Challenge

So since 2006 I have been working from home as an on-line digital proofreader. This was a great job. It allowed me to be home with the kids, work when needed and be a parent.
I truly loved the flexibility of this job. Sad to say all good thing must come to an end.
I was really sad to hear the project had been completed.

My search for another position has really been stepped up a notch. I still am taking calls for Cruises, but this really is the slow time of year and not much is happening on that front.
I have set a goal of searching and applying every day for jobs that I feel qualified for.

Exercise
I really have decided to make myself get up and move. I need to make my health a priority. This is day seven and I have walked 2 to 3 miles each day. For most that would be no big feat but for me that is a real effort. It is so much easier with the kids encouraging me and walking right along with me.

Doctors
Well today was my follow up the Dr. after my week stay in the hospital last month for a diverticulitis attack. Sad to say I am having another attack and the light has just now come on as to what has set me off.
For many years Dan has told me I need to eat more cereal so I have more fiber in my diet. Being lactose intolerant eating cereal is no joy. So I bought Oatmeal square. They tasted great and I loved snacking on them. But with in a week I was in the hospital with an attack. Silly me it never dawned on me that it was the cereal. Well last week I tried raisin bran. With in two days my pain was back and I knew I was starting to have a diverticulitis attack. I went today to see the Dr. and I am now again on medicine and I am set up for a colonoscopy next Wednesday. I am not looking forward to the procedure but I need to know what is going on.