Oh, it's the honeymoon, he said as he laughed a bit. I sat with my mouth open.
I was at the annual meeting of the ownership of a medical building and had just told the doctor sitting next to me about Silent Sam being diagnosed with diabetes. I was telling him how great SS was doing. I was stunned by his comment. Here is the worst part - he is the nicest guy. He is the kind of guy that you know was a great doctor because he was so nice.
I did not tell Silent Sam about the "honeymoon" comment. I did look on the internet to see if this was a common term. It seems that it is a term used with Type 1 diabetes. It refers to a period after the diagnosis that the Type 1 can eliminate or reduce the need for insulin. This is a temporary phase. The insulin injections will become necessary as the body stops producing insulin again.
I can see that perhaps it could be said that we have been in a honeymoon period. We made so many changes when SS was diagnosed and we find now that we are lapsing a bit. Sort of like a young bride not being as fussy with cleaning as she was at first. It is very hard to change so many bad habits and think that you won't have days of weakness.
In this house, one of the weaknesses is with snack food. We have a rule about how to eat snack food. You are supposed to take out a small bowl and use that to measure a portion of the snack food to eat. We have slipped up on that a few times lately.
We seem to have gone back to having a cocktail time before dinner. Okay, it does not mean that we drink - it is time that we have something to drink (tea, water, wine) and a snack. We had been really good about that snack being carrots or sugar snap peas but a few times the bag of pretzels or sweet potato chips made it to the table.
The thing about cocktail time is that it is not about the drinking and eating. It is a chance to talk over our day and our thoughts. A time to reacquaint after a long day of work. I like this time. It also means that dinner is pushed back a bit. All too often after dinner, we separate and go to our home offices to work until 9 p.m. So that cocktail time is our best chance to talk about what is on our minds. I think that we will just have to work on how we handle our cocktail time.
How do you handle your version of cocktail time? Do you have a favorite snack?
Thanks for reading!
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Lunch with the Ladies
Last week, I went to the town where I grew up and had lunch with a group of women. I had gone to high school with these women and a few of them had gone all through school together. Some of the women had stayed in the town and raised their children there and most of us had moved away.
In high school, we all knew each other but we were not necessarily friends. There were some that you wanted to be friends with, some that you knew better than others, and some that you didn't necessarily want to be friends with. It is the high school way. It is a rough time but somehow you make it through and move on.
How did we all manage to end up at a table together for lunch so many years later?
I know is it because one of the women orchestrated it but I think it is bigger than that. I think that after so many years, we could all get together because we have all been bruised by life. Life's bumps and bruises are great levelers. Some had marriages that didn't work out as planned, some have illnesses that have affected their life, some have children whose lives were not as smooth as one wished, and some are taking care of aging parents. Instead of being perhaps as judgmental as we would have been back in our school days, we are more empathetic. Our experiences out in the world have opened our minds and hearts to the people we grew up with and have allowed us to see them as real people - not as we saw them before.
Now there are those that feel that the people in my hometown can be snobby. Yes, that is possible but I think that with this group, there was a warm feeling of seeing those you had not seen for a long time. We wanted to know each others stories and find out where we are now. There was laughter and a bit of reminiscence but it was the stories of who we are today that were the most compelling. It was the realization that we could all use the support of the group in our lives, whether it be for the moment or on a regular basis.
When you are dealing with a chronic disease like diabetes, either as a patient or a parent or a spouse, the support of others can make the load seem light. I think it is important to get out and see people - keeping your spirits up makes your day a bit brighter and makes it easier to deal with the obstacles when they come along..
Have you ever gone back and met with people you went to high school with? How did you find it?
Thanks for reading!
In high school, we all knew each other but we were not necessarily friends. There were some that you wanted to be friends with, some that you knew better than others, and some that you didn't necessarily want to be friends with. It is the high school way. It is a rough time but somehow you make it through and move on.
How did we all manage to end up at a table together for lunch so many years later?
I know is it because one of the women orchestrated it but I think it is bigger than that. I think that after so many years, we could all get together because we have all been bruised by life. Life's bumps and bruises are great levelers. Some had marriages that didn't work out as planned, some have illnesses that have affected their life, some have children whose lives were not as smooth as one wished, and some are taking care of aging parents. Instead of being perhaps as judgmental as we would have been back in our school days, we are more empathetic. Our experiences out in the world have opened our minds and hearts to the people we grew up with and have allowed us to see them as real people - not as we saw them before.
Now there are those that feel that the people in my hometown can be snobby. Yes, that is possible but I think that with this group, there was a warm feeling of seeing those you had not seen for a long time. We wanted to know each others stories and find out where we are now. There was laughter and a bit of reminiscence but it was the stories of who we are today that were the most compelling. It was the realization that we could all use the support of the group in our lives, whether it be for the moment or on a regular basis.
When you are dealing with a chronic disease like diabetes, either as a patient or a parent or a spouse, the support of others can make the load seem light. I think it is important to get out and see people - keeping your spirits up makes your day a bit brighter and makes it easier to deal with the obstacles when they come along..
Have you ever gone back and met with people you went to high school with? How did you find it?
Thanks for reading!
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Big Goals and Capers
I do have a subject on my mind today. Okay, there are many more but I don't think you are interested in my review of the Chamber of Commerce meeting that I attended. I will put that on a blog that is a review of amazing human beings.
The subject is about books. I read. Since I started this blog, however, I have been reading an entirely different kind of books. I was usually reading "popcorn" books. The kind of book that you can read quickly and it isn't a huge investment in brainpower. (You can stop judging now...) I have now been reading books about writing and social media. Somehow, those books have led me to also do some reading in the "positive thinking" genre.
One of the books that I have not yet finished - because I seem to have book ADD and keep switching from one to another - is Platform by Michael Hyatt. Michael Hyatt is a very interesting person. The part of his book that I have read so far talked about goals. His theory, which really rang true to me, is that you need to set BIG goals. Really big goals. Why? Because if you set really big goals you will work to achieve big things. Gee, it makes sense, right? How can you accomplish big things if you don't try?
So, even at my advanced age (you better be laughing) I have decided that I should set some BIG goals. The trouble is that I need to be able to sit down and figure out the goals and then work out what I need to do to accomplish them. Therein lies the problem. But now that I told you that I was going to do this, I will count on you to keep me accountable. Are you wondering how you can do this? Well, you can ask me how it is going every few days until I am so tired of it that I take the time to work on it. Just leave me a note in the comment section. (If you are one of my siblings, don't waste your comment. I have learned to ignore you)
The next book that I am going to talk about that I haven't read yet (a dangerous thing to do) is Fully Alive by Ken Davis. This is a new book - it was just released this week. Just learning what the book was about interested me and caught my attention. This book is reportedly about how feeling comfortable is not exciting and you should strive to keep yourself feeling alive by trying new things and changing your attitude to a more adventurous mindset. Let's hope it is about that because that also makes sense to me.
My friend, Ann, and I used to have what could be called "capers". (Not that stuff that goes with fish - an adventure.) Like the time we moved the statue of Mary (Blessed Virgin) around in the Church before her step-daughter's wedding. It is a long story but just go with it was a caper. We were not disrespectful to the statue - we just moved it so it was front and center during the wedding.
We haven't pulled many capers lately. I think we may have been too busy with the sad/unpleasant things going on in our lives. I think I need to change back into the caper gal. It really was more fun. The thing about a caper is that you can laugh thinking about it, then doing it, and then afterwords. That is a lot of laughing. All good and good for you.
Have fun - go plan a caper. It is great for the attitude.
Have you ever had a caper? Are you still laughing about it? Please share it in the comments section. Everyone can enjoy it then.
Thanks for reading!
The subject is about books. I read. Since I started this blog, however, I have been reading an entirely different kind of books. I was usually reading "popcorn" books. The kind of book that you can read quickly and it isn't a huge investment in brainpower. (You can stop judging now...) I have now been reading books about writing and social media. Somehow, those books have led me to also do some reading in the "positive thinking" genre.
One of the books that I have not yet finished - because I seem to have book ADD and keep switching from one to another - is Platform by Michael Hyatt. Michael Hyatt is a very interesting person. The part of his book that I have read so far talked about goals. His theory, which really rang true to me, is that you need to set BIG goals. Really big goals. Why? Because if you set really big goals you will work to achieve big things. Gee, it makes sense, right? How can you accomplish big things if you don't try?
So, even at my advanced age (you better be laughing) I have decided that I should set some BIG goals. The trouble is that I need to be able to sit down and figure out the goals and then work out what I need to do to accomplish them. Therein lies the problem. But now that I told you that I was going to do this, I will count on you to keep me accountable. Are you wondering how you can do this? Well, you can ask me how it is going every few days until I am so tired of it that I take the time to work on it. Just leave me a note in the comment section. (If you are one of my siblings, don't waste your comment. I have learned to ignore you)
The next book that I am going to talk about that I haven't read yet (a dangerous thing to do) is Fully Alive by Ken Davis. This is a new book - it was just released this week. Just learning what the book was about interested me and caught my attention. This book is reportedly about how feeling comfortable is not exciting and you should strive to keep yourself feeling alive by trying new things and changing your attitude to a more adventurous mindset. Let's hope it is about that because that also makes sense to me.
My friend, Ann, and I used to have what could be called "capers". (Not that stuff that goes with fish - an adventure.) Like the time we moved the statue of Mary (Blessed Virgin) around in the Church before her step-daughter's wedding. It is a long story but just go with it was a caper. We were not disrespectful to the statue - we just moved it so it was front and center during the wedding.
We haven't pulled many capers lately. I think we may have been too busy with the sad/unpleasant things going on in our lives. I think I need to change back into the caper gal. It really was more fun. The thing about a caper is that you can laugh thinking about it, then doing it, and then afterwords. That is a lot of laughing. All good and good for you.
Have fun - go plan a caper. It is great for the attitude.
Have you ever had a caper? Are you still laughing about it? Please share it in the comments section. Everyone can enjoy it then.
Thanks for reading!
Monday, July 9, 2012
There May be Slow Talking but This is Slow Walking
I am back on the walking trail.
It feels good to say that. I have missed my morning excursions.
I have to warm up before I hit the trail. This is not as much fun as it sounds and I know it doesn't sound like fun. Now I roll out of bed and start stretching. After being sidelined with the ITB problem, I am not interested in doing it again. So on the floor I go stretching away.
Actually, I am pretty impressed that I can get down on the floor (and I don't fall to get there) and get back up. That could be an Olympic sport.
I started on the trail yesterday. I have listened to the PT and was only going to walk for 20 minutes. It was a beautiful day. Mostly because it wasn't 105 degrees. It was in the upper 60's and there was a nice breeze off the lake. It felt good. I was stupid. (quit with the "again") I walked for 35 minutes. Not the best way to start back. It felt great most of the time. I was glad when it was over and I was back at the car stretching. AGAIN. (catch the theme here?)
My knee seems to think it is a shark. WHAT? One of the times I took my Mom to the Emergency Room, (she was probably 90 at the time) the doctor told me that old people are like sharks - if they stop moving they die. Nice, huh? Anyway, he was probably right and I feel that way about my knee. If I keep moving, it feels better.
Maybe I need to use one of those treadmill desks.
I really get in trouble when I stop and sit and work at my desk. If I don't pay attention to the time, I have a hard time moving when I get up. I am going to have to put a timer on my desk to remind myself to get up and move every 20 minutes or so. Then again, I would have to remember to set the timer. Problems, problems....
Anyway, back to the walk. It was good yesterday and today I was careful and only walked the 20 minutes. It is still good but it is hard to stop when I know that a month ago I was going much further.
Have I told you that I am the SLOWEST person out there? It would be humorous if it weren't so sad. Yes, every old lady out there walks faster than I do. It doesn't matter - I am out moving and that is what counts. I try to convince myself that I get to enjoy the walk more because I see so much more of it than they do but I know better.
So if I can be the slowest one out there and I still want to go, WHAT IS YOUR EXCUSE? Come on, join me. Go for a walk. You really never know what you will see. Yesterday, I saw the man who takes his dog out in a baby carriage. Really. He doesn't look crazy or anything. He just walks along like it is normal. Think of the new conversations that you can have that start with "You should have seen what I saw on my walk today..."
I have to go. It is time to move again.
Thanks for reading!
It feels good to say that. I have missed my morning excursions.
I have to warm up before I hit the trail. This is not as much fun as it sounds and I know it doesn't sound like fun. Now I roll out of bed and start stretching. After being sidelined with the ITB problem, I am not interested in doing it again. So on the floor I go stretching away.
Actually, I am pretty impressed that I can get down on the floor (and I don't fall to get there) and get back up. That could be an Olympic sport.
I started on the trail yesterday. I have listened to the PT and was only going to walk for 20 minutes. It was a beautiful day. Mostly because it wasn't 105 degrees. It was in the upper 60's and there was a nice breeze off the lake. It felt good. I was stupid. (quit with the "again") I walked for 35 minutes. Not the best way to start back. It felt great most of the time. I was glad when it was over and I was back at the car stretching. AGAIN. (catch the theme here?)
My knee seems to think it is a shark. WHAT? One of the times I took my Mom to the Emergency Room, (she was probably 90 at the time) the doctor told me that old people are like sharks - if they stop moving they die. Nice, huh? Anyway, he was probably right and I feel that way about my knee. If I keep moving, it feels better.
Maybe I need to use one of those treadmill desks.
I really get in trouble when I stop and sit and work at my desk. If I don't pay attention to the time, I have a hard time moving when I get up. I am going to have to put a timer on my desk to remind myself to get up and move every 20 minutes or so. Then again, I would have to remember to set the timer. Problems, problems....
Anyway, back to the walk. It was good yesterday and today I was careful and only walked the 20 minutes. It is still good but it is hard to stop when I know that a month ago I was going much further.
Have I told you that I am the SLOWEST person out there? It would be humorous if it weren't so sad. Yes, every old lady out there walks faster than I do. It doesn't matter - I am out moving and that is what counts. I try to convince myself that I get to enjoy the walk more because I see so much more of it than they do but I know better.
So if I can be the slowest one out there and I still want to go, WHAT IS YOUR EXCUSE? Come on, join me. Go for a walk. You really never know what you will see. Yesterday, I saw the man who takes his dog out in a baby carriage. Really. He doesn't look crazy or anything. He just walks along like it is normal. Think of the new conversations that you can have that start with "You should have seen what I saw on my walk today..."
I have to go. It is time to move again.
Thanks for reading!
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Pizza, Coke, and Walking
Do you ever go to a restaurant that has a bit of everything on the menu? There is just an amazing selection of food that covers many nationalities. It is actually hard to pick out your meal because there are so many choices.
Today's post is a bit like that. There is not one cohesive theme. It is a collection of ideas.
Okay, what we really need around here is a "good for you" pizza. Maybe this is impossible but I think there must be a way. We both crave a pizza occasionally and so far we haven't really liked the ones we have made. Someone must have a good recipe to share. Please share it! We broke down Tuesday night and ordered out a deep dish pizza. It was very good but we both found it a bit rich. So please help!
As of today, it is one month since I have had a Coke. I certainly hope that you are standing cheering for me. It has been hard - maybe not as hard as I would have thought but it is hard. The other day, I felt a migraine starting and was paralyzed. In the past, I would have run to get a Coke for the caffeine. So now I am almost caffeine free. I have been drinking organic decaffeinated green tea and water. When we were on the road one day, I had an apple juice from the oasis. It had more calories than a Coke!!! I miss my old friend.
I have been off the walking circuit for the past month. I hurt my iliotibial band. I didn't even know that I had an iliotibial band. It runs from the hip to the knee. I went to the doctor - which is proof that it really hurt - and have been in physical therapy for the last month. I was released from physical therapy today! That part is good. The bad part is that my knee is not in very good shape. It seems that Arthur Itis has come calling and has moved in. The good news is that I can go back on the walking trail. I think that is really a mixed message. I can get back because I can't damage my knee any more than it is. I have a topical drug to try to see if it helps. Let's hope!
In a prior post, I had told you that I don't enter into weight loss competitions because it seems to have the opposite effect for me. Okay, I did enter into a competition with my daughter. It was even my idea! As you might have guessed, the first week I gained a pound. Really.... The second week, I lost two pounds which means that I am really only down one. I know you can't tell but I am gritting my teeth. This is not going to be pretty.
In the meantime, Silent Sam lost 5 pounds. He has been able to exercise while I have been sidelined. He has taken up running. It has been awfully hot this past week, so he is a bit off in his training but he still lost 5 pounds. Sigh....
I think we have decided on our next walk/run. It will be on September 15 - at night! It is the Firefly Run (you can walk it). If you would like information about it, here is the link -
It looks pretty fun. It might even be cool enough outside to move by then.
Please pass along any "healthy" pizza ideas! We need your help!
Thanks for reading!
Today's post is a bit like that. There is not one cohesive theme. It is a collection of ideas.
Okay, what we really need around here is a "good for you" pizza. Maybe this is impossible but I think there must be a way. We both crave a pizza occasionally and so far we haven't really liked the ones we have made. Someone must have a good recipe to share. Please share it! We broke down Tuesday night and ordered out a deep dish pizza. It was very good but we both found it a bit rich. So please help!
As of today, it is one month since I have had a Coke. I certainly hope that you are standing cheering for me. It has been hard - maybe not as hard as I would have thought but it is hard. The other day, I felt a migraine starting and was paralyzed. In the past, I would have run to get a Coke for the caffeine. So now I am almost caffeine free. I have been drinking organic decaffeinated green tea and water. When we were on the road one day, I had an apple juice from the oasis. It had more calories than a Coke!!! I miss my old friend.
I have been off the walking circuit for the past month. I hurt my iliotibial band. I didn't even know that I had an iliotibial band. It runs from the hip to the knee. I went to the doctor - which is proof that it really hurt - and have been in physical therapy for the last month. I was released from physical therapy today! That part is good. The bad part is that my knee is not in very good shape. It seems that Arthur Itis has come calling and has moved in. The good news is that I can go back on the walking trail. I think that is really a mixed message. I can get back because I can't damage my knee any more than it is. I have a topical drug to try to see if it helps. Let's hope!
In a prior post, I had told you that I don't enter into weight loss competitions because it seems to have the opposite effect for me. Okay, I did enter into a competition with my daughter. It was even my idea! As you might have guessed, the first week I gained a pound. Really.... The second week, I lost two pounds which means that I am really only down one. I know you can't tell but I am gritting my teeth. This is not going to be pretty.
In the meantime, Silent Sam lost 5 pounds. He has been able to exercise while I have been sidelined. He has taken up running. It has been awfully hot this past week, so he is a bit off in his training but he still lost 5 pounds. Sigh....
I think we have decided on our next walk/run. It will be on September 15 - at night! It is the Firefly Run (you can walk it). If you would like information about it, here is the link -
It looks pretty fun. It might even be cool enough outside to move by then.
Please pass along any "healthy" pizza ideas! We need your help!
Thanks for reading!
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