Category: Success

Wednesday Diet Wisdom: Early Bird Exercise Experience

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Brand new morning 🌄

This morning I was up at 5:15am.

I planned on going to a 5:45am strength-training class at the Recreation center I’d recently joined.

When I got there I was surprised to see how many overweight, obese and over-50 ladies there were there. Not all were fat, however. Some looked great, and a few were younger than the rest.

I was thrilled there was a good turn-out so early in the morning.

But, I was frustrated with the look of the space. It seemed crowded.

I was not wearing a mask, and neither was anyone else!

Instead of jumping into the strength class, I got on a parallel elliptical machine to tighten my thighs, and then I rode a stationary bike that had a video game on it.

That was pretty cool.

I have an online membership included in my gym package and I have free weights at home.

Back home I did some stretching with the video to loosen up my shoulders and back.

It’s important to warm up before you exercise too.

Before I left for the gym this morning I made a cold caffeinated beverage. Ice cubes, oatmilk and a shot of espresso from my Nespresso machine.

It didn’t burn my tongue like the usual hot coffee I make every morning, but I didn’t think it tasted all that great.

I will start weight-training at home today.

As for my weightloss journey, I an thrilled to say I am close to no longer being categorized as obese.

Since I started in May I have dropped 12 lbs. I hope to drop another 12 pounds by mid-August .

Then I will no longer be classified as obese!

I look forward to the time when I will not be in the overweight category either.

I want to be able to be in the normal weight range again and dress up in cute retro-outfits like this.

Slim and trim goals

But, it all takes patience and time to make it to your goals.

And I always track my calories on my Samsung Health app.

Tracking my calories on my cracked smartphone as usual

P.S. All diet advice by me is my opinion and does not reflect on any professional advice. Lose weight at your own risk.

Thursday Book Review: FDT

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Coffee and goals

So what is future-directed therapy?

You want something special in your life? 😏

Something good to look forward to?

Then find the light at the end of your tunnel!

Find someone or something that brings you up.

Planning a vacation?

Really want to do or be something more?

It’s all up to you!

You choose.

You decide.

You discover.

Every Thursday I will give an inkling and quick review of what book I am reading, and/or studying. 📖

The book I am studying this week is called, “Think Forward to Thrive.”

It is an enlightening and enlivening book with a purpose.

It helps people discover meaningful goals to work towards.

Plan to be happy 😊

Some goals I’ve set for this summer.

Daily goals

Wednesday Diet Wisdom: Don’t Get Dressed in the Dark

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So today I had my bra on inside out and my pants on backwards!

I was dressing in the dark so hubby might sleep.

I felt this was an analogy for not eating blind.

You need to shed light on your nutrition and your physical condition.

I am sticking to my calorie-tracking, never exceeding 1450 calories a day, and raising my metabolism by weight-lifting and cardio.

My pants are feeling looser and this week I found my good measuring tape.

Good measuring tape

I plan to fill in my measurements chart tonight with the help of my husband. It always helps to have someone measure you. But, you can also do it by yourself.

Stats

Just like knowing your weight and size, (and how to get properly dressed,) knowing your calories and nutrition is important for weight reduction and getting healthier.

Plan your work and work your plan and do it for yourself!

Food and focus go hand in hand.

Eat right. Feel right. Look right. Dress right!!! 🙂❤

Focus on good food

P.S. All diet advice by me is my opinion and does not reflect on any professional advice. Lose weight at your own risk.

We did OK with No Mow May!

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Plants and weeds run riot

So we decided to do No Mow May, a movement to help pollinators as they come out of hibernation.

Our intentions were good. Nevertheless, there are rules in town. By the latter part of May we wound up mowing our front lawn to avoid a fine.

The backyard is a different story.

Yesterday we started cutting the grass in the backyard

I could hardly believe how quickly grass grows!

The grass and weeds seemed to take over at such a pace! It was wild!

The rabbits, squirrels and chipmunks just loved it!

When grass grows too long it is quite a chore to try and cut it down.

Using grass as mulch for the apple trees

We will continue to trim our backyard grass and weeds.

We do not spray our plants or lawn with pesticides nor do we harm the ecological environment with noxious chemicals to keep the bugs at bay.

It was good to do No Mow May for a couple of reasons.

We gave the pollinators a break so they could enjoy the long grasses, and we didn’t mow the backyard for a month!

I’ve seen some bumble bees in our garden.

That’s another good sign that we did OK with No Mow May!

P.S. We saw a hummingbird bird in our backyard for the 1st time. Even though we don’t put out hummingbird feeders we have flowers for them!

Pops of color, pops of joy!

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Fresh flowers

Flowers give me such joy. I just love them so much!

The colors, the scents, the freshness and the beauty are as romantic today as it was when I was in New York City decades ago.

I saw an eager gentleman give his lady love two dozen beautiful red roses at Grand Central Station.

It was a sight to behold! It seemed straight out of the pages of a Harlequin romance!

Flowers not only say, “I love you,” they say, “I love me too!”

Buy yourself or your sweetie a flower or a bunch and make your world a happier place today!

Lift yourself up

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“If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.” -Booker T. Washington

There are many truisms all over the Internet. You can read them on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook and lots of places online.

I love motivational and inspirational quotes.

This one really struck me when I was feeling blue and lonely.

If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else!

Giving is living, and that’s the reality for all people!

Head-shot day

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We change through the years.

High school dropout

Yes I quit school at 16. Mental depression and ADHD. I did not fit in.

Singer-songwriter

On to University after getting my GED, I graduated and began teaching and performing.

I was in my forties by the time I graduated college. Being a non-traditional student was hard.

In the nineties, I was mistreated and rudely shunned by most of the other students. Some bullied me, and called me a “re-tread.”

The professors were a bit kinder.

Happily, I was a college radio broadcaster and wrote for the campus newspaper.

I lived off campus, and that helped.

Keeping busy kept me happy.

College graduate in May 2003

By 43, I started my own music teaching business. My college degree was in Music Education.

My music teaching business ran from 2004 until the pandemic in 2020.

Me now

Now I am just getting back to writing songs and stories and recovering from the fallout of the pandemic. My duo, Molly and Sonny Boy have some upcoming gigs, and more original songs to record

Enjoy this song we recorded before the pandemic.

https://youtu.be/AVFYEzeWRmU

I still work in radio and audio production. Each Sunday at 4:08pm Central on AM 860/97.3 FM and at http://KNUJ.net I produce and broadcast a show called, “Music from Germany.”

Germanic roots

Music from Germany – May 1

Morning Potatoes

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Pan-fried Potatoes and more!

I own the popular Aroma steamer. I like to steam a big batch of chopped Golden Yukon potatoes and then fry them in a cast-iron pan with a medley of vegetables and soy bacon.

French roast drip coffee is the best!

Homemade is hard, but it is the price you pay for tasty food that will most likely be eaten quickly! 😋

A Tantalizing World

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Fresh delicious Apple Pie

Everywhere we look, people look for happiness.

They seek it online and in person. They are full of dissatisfaction.

They can’t get very much done because they are distracted.

Life is meant to be fun.

Life is meant to be enjoyed.

Here is a story I never heard of before, but it is the origin of the word tantalize.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tantalus

If you ever feel like you are missing out on all the fun, you are not alone.

Most people feel that way and that’s why many seek temptations and escape from the drudge of work.

Nevertheless, if you want to be a better person, the key is to plan your work and work your plan. The joys are hidden behind and in between your efforts in the daily service of others.

Yet, you need to also take time for yourself and live with balance and gratitude.

Studying Commitment

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Bookish

I have a lot of books. Many times I scoop them up at library book sales, or just aquire them at book stalls.

Later on I discover them in the house, sometimes many years after I brought them home.

Sometimes the books are found not so neatly on a bookshelf, and sometimes I find them in a bag or a box stacked on a table or the floor.

I’ve started studying a book I found in a bag underneath a desk. It’s called “Commit to win,” by Heidi Reeder, PhD.

Get committed

It’s about how to harness the four elements of commitment to reach your goals.

She elaborates on the 4 areas of commitment that I never heard of.

They are: treasures, troubles, contributions and choices. Basically the 4 ingredients that go into any commitment.

It’s food for thought if you plan on making a commitment and plan on succeeding in fulfilling it.

I have 3 areas I am trying to get committed to doing.

I. I need to drop some excess fat; 35 lbs. exactly.

2. I need to get rid of a lot of old junk in my living space, so as to upgrade my style and feel happier at home. Yes, I have a lot of stuff.

3. Lastly, I need to get my music business organized.

That means finding, labeling, and organizing eveything from books to instruments, to recording units, and sound equipment not just for insurance purposes either.

There are also the intangibles of my band Molly and Sonny Boy that need attention like websites and digital photos, contacts and financial files

I would like to get all 3 commitments fulfilled in the next 5 months. However, there is a difference between deciding to do something and actually getting started. I will keep you posted!