After church yesterday, we met and talked about making the season surrounding Christmas as joyful as possible by choosing to focus on the things that are most important to us and setting aside the things that are distractions or burdens.
Many of us named mini-disciplines -- things we took upon ourselves or things we cast off -- that would help keep us joyful and focused in the last days of Advent and into Christmastide.
So how is everyone doing?
I said I would stop trying to add things to my already-whirlwind trip back east, and... I successfully didn't make plans with one of my cousins, although it's hard. Part of me really does want to see everyone, even though I know that logically I can't, and that I want to be able to enjoy leisure and rest with the people I am going to see.
How about the rest of you?
Monday, December 21, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
[food] "finest bread I will provide/till their hearts be satisfied"
All right, quick and dirty list of foods that I have on hand that require NO prep (pour food into bowl and/or put food on plate) or extremely minimal prep (microwaving).
Beverages:
(prep required: pour food into cup)
+Milk -- I drink about 2 gallons of skim milk a week
+Naked Juices -- expensive, but delicious, and more densely nutritious than other juices
Finger food
(prep required: pick up food)
+Fresh bagels
Bowl food:
(prep required: pour food into bowl. Eat with chopsticks or spoon)
+Trail mix
+Pre-shelled nuts (currently walnuts - no salt added)
+Frozen berries
+Cereal (currently store-brand Oat Bran), which can be combined with milk, berries, and/or trail mix for a more complicated recipe.
+Frozen broccoli (this requires three minutes in the microwave)
Plate food
(prep required: put food(s) on plate, sometimes stacked/spread/layered)
+carrot sticks (sometimes with hummus)
+bread (can be combined with below items to make sandwiches)
+peanut butter
+sandwich meat (pre-sliced)
+cheese (pre-sliced)
I am actually allowed (for definitions of "allowed" that apply to grown-ups, i.e., sanctioned by health professionals, support networks, and my own sense of self-preservation) to do things like eat ice cream for dinner, but all the items on the list above are more or less healthy.
Beverages:
(prep required: pour food into cup)
+Milk -- I drink about 2 gallons of skim milk a week
+Naked Juices -- expensive, but delicious, and more densely nutritious than other juices
Finger food
(prep required: pick up food)
+Fresh bagels
Bowl food:
(prep required: pour food into bowl. Eat with chopsticks or spoon)
+Trail mix
+Pre-shelled nuts (currently walnuts - no salt added)
+Frozen berries
+Cereal (currently store-brand Oat Bran), which can be combined with milk, berries, and/or trail mix for a more complicated recipe.
+Frozen broccoli (this requires three minutes in the microwave)
Plate food
(prep required: put food(s) on plate, sometimes stacked/spread/layered)
+carrot sticks (sometimes with hummus)
+bread (can be combined with below items to make sandwiches)
+peanut butter
+sandwich meat (pre-sliced)
+cheese (pre-sliced)
I am actually allowed (for definitions of "allowed" that apply to grown-ups, i.e., sanctioned by health professionals, support networks, and my own sense of self-preservation) to do things like eat ice cream for dinner, but all the items on the list above are more or less healthy.
first and foremost
First and foremost I FIGURED OUT MY EMAIL/PASSWORD!! yeah me!
Second, today on the way home daughter and I decided that we would go to the store and get salad's from the salad bar for lunch. I actually got a large salad so it will probably be dinner also. This whole eating right thing is not easy!! The factors are many and complicated... I know when we talked this morning after church I mentioned that feeding good things to the children was hard.. (and to myself) it seemed as if the consensus was that I should simply feed them whatever I cook and it would all work out in the wash... and I actually believe that it is true! I also know that being the only parent in this house creates challenges that require me to make decisions on what is important... am I making sense? I get to do it all.. and I take it on (mostly) happily. How do you combat stress when it seems as if ALL of your choices create more? (I am really not whining- only trying to process) If I let go of the ... laundry.. then we have dirty clothes... if it is the dishes then we have nothing to eat on... I ask the kids and demand and cajole.. etc etc for help from them and God bless 'em the do... but what can give so that everything else flows? Oh yeah and do some care taking of myself in the process? any good answers? anyone?.... anyone?..
Second, today on the way home daughter and I decided that we would go to the store and get salad's from the salad bar for lunch. I actually got a large salad so it will probably be dinner also. This whole eating right thing is not easy!! The factors are many and complicated... I know when we talked this morning after church I mentioned that feeding good things to the children was hard.. (and to myself) it seemed as if the consensus was that I should simply feed them whatever I cook and it would all work out in the wash... and I actually believe that it is true! I also know that being the only parent in this house creates challenges that require me to make decisions on what is important... am I making sense? I get to do it all.. and I take it on (mostly) happily. How do you combat stress when it seems as if ALL of your choices create more? (I am really not whining- only trying to process) If I let go of the ... laundry.. then we have dirty clothes... if it is the dishes then we have nothing to eat on... I ask the kids and demand and cajole.. etc etc for help from them and God bless 'em the do... but what can give so that everything else flows? Oh yeah and do some care taking of myself in the process? any good answers? anyone?.... anyone?..
Thursday, November 12, 2009
time postings
Hi,
Before I forget, for those who haven't gotten an email from me and check the Blog, all my swimming times are in at the Masters Web site. The web address is http://www.usms.org/comp/meets//toptimes.php.
Click on gender, stroke, distance, and age group(45 -49).
I swam the 50 free, 50 breast, 50 fly and 100 IM.
Keep exercising and eat well.
Vicki
Before I forget, for those who haven't gotten an email from me and check the Blog, all my swimming times are in at the Masters Web site. The web address is http://www.usms.org/comp/meets//toptimes.php.
Click on gender, stroke, distance, and age group(45 -49).
I swam the 50 free, 50 breast, 50 fly and 100 IM.
Keep exercising and eat well.
Vicki
Things You Learn on "Marketplace"
Just heard this during a report about the sales of big televisions: "fifty-three percent of people surveyed say getting the TV they want is more important than energy conservation."
I'm actually a little surprised that it's only fifty-three percent.
I've been looking at furniture lately, and I must say it is amazing what one can pay for a television, and of course the giant TVs must suck down a ton of juice off of the grid.
I worry that television is doing us in. People are spending ridiculous amounts of money on it--the TV itself, and then the digital cable to make everything look good. People are paying their cable bills when they can't pay their rent. That's a pretty rough set of priorities.
And I have a TV. I also have cable, though I didn't when I first moved into this apartment, because I couldn't yet afford it. I work at least one extra shift at the restaurant every month to pay for my cable, and it would probably be nice to have that time for something else. But I watch TV and want the cable.
I do wonder, often, whether the "boob tube" is just stealing my time. I can justify the History Channel, or Discovery, or PBS (but not Antiques Roadshow). But I'm watching a lot of crap, too.
In Advent I'm going to ask people to have a one week television Sabbath. I'm hoping we can do it. It worries me that I'm not sure.
I'm actually a little surprised that it's only fifty-three percent.
I've been looking at furniture lately, and I must say it is amazing what one can pay for a television, and of course the giant TVs must suck down a ton of juice off of the grid.
I worry that television is doing us in. People are spending ridiculous amounts of money on it--the TV itself, and then the digital cable to make everything look good. People are paying their cable bills when they can't pay their rent. That's a pretty rough set of priorities.
And I have a TV. I also have cable, though I didn't when I first moved into this apartment, because I couldn't yet afford it. I work at least one extra shift at the restaurant every month to pay for my cable, and it would probably be nice to have that time for something else. But I watch TV and want the cable.
I do wonder, often, whether the "boob tube" is just stealing my time. I can justify the History Channel, or Discovery, or PBS (but not Antiques Roadshow). But I'm watching a lot of crap, too.
In Advent I'm going to ask people to have a one week television Sabbath. I'm hoping we can do it. It worries me that I'm not sure.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
For the love of water
Hi everybody,
I'm on a Masters Swim Team. Masters Swim Team is for adults out of college up to any age, women and men. I joined to get in shape and some things in swimming has changed such as flip turns, jumping off the starting block and the new breaststroke style.
Saturday, November 7th, from 5-8 is the 1st local swim meet at Gladstone Community Center.
It is free for spectators.
I will swim the following events:
50 butterfly
50 breaststroke
100 IM (individual medley with fly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle)
50 freestyle
a relay (probably the medley)
My seed time (average) will place me in a heat. I will compete against men, women of any age. The computer will look at my age and sex with the other swimmers, adjusting the time.
Anybody is welcome to come. I haven't swam in front of people in a very long time. I won't swim in many meets because some meets are in other states.
Yes, I'm nervous. There will be alot of people and it will be noisy.
But it will be fun and I wanted to try out the new things I learned.
It really makes a difference to work out with other people in any exercise. It motivates me to eat better, train harder and get me in shape. My passion is water.
Because of my job working in the evenings, I train with the team on Saturday only and on my own swim Tuesday and Thursday in the mornings.
Address:
Gladestone Community Center
6901 North Holmes
Gladstone, MO 64118
Please pray that all will go well. I want to have fun and try out the new things I've learned.
Vicki
I'm on a Masters Swim Team. Masters Swim Team is for adults out of college up to any age, women and men. I joined to get in shape and some things in swimming has changed such as flip turns, jumping off the starting block and the new breaststroke style.
Saturday, November 7th, from 5-8 is the 1st local swim meet at Gladstone Community Center.
It is free for spectators.
I will swim the following events:
50 butterfly
50 breaststroke
100 IM (individual medley with fly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle)
50 freestyle
a relay (probably the medley)
My seed time (average) will place me in a heat. I will compete against men, women of any age. The computer will look at my age and sex with the other swimmers, adjusting the time.
Anybody is welcome to come. I haven't swam in front of people in a very long time. I won't swim in many meets because some meets are in other states.
Yes, I'm nervous. There will be alot of people and it will be noisy.
But it will be fun and I wanted to try out the new things I learned.
It really makes a difference to work out with other people in any exercise. It motivates me to eat better, train harder and get me in shape. My passion is water.
Because of my job working in the evenings, I train with the team on Saturday only and on my own swim Tuesday and Thursday in the mornings.
Address:
Gladestone Community Center
6901 North Holmes
Gladstone, MO 64118
Please pray that all will go well. I want to have fun and try out the new things I've learned.
Vicki
Perfection
Hi,
I have a problem at work. Everything has to be perfectly clean and organized. For the last few weeks I've been skipping my last break. Sometime soon I'll be evaluated with my other coworkers for a school score for the year. The person who scores us is the head of all the schools and will look under sinks and under book shelves for a little piece of paper. Pressure. With the flu and other illness we're suppose to disinfect more. Pressure. There's activites events to set up and put way with tables and chairs. Pressure. A custodian may be sick and there's overtime. Pressure.
My doctor told me to switch arms for cleaning and let the tendinits heal in the right. Easier said than done! I did that. But now my left inner elbow was a little sore last night.
How do you stop from being perfect? I need to take that 15 minutes for a break to sit, breathe, and drink alot of water. My other co-worker has dust and cob webs in his area. He knows when to stop. My other worker ran out of time the other day and didn't have time to do wash the extra desks after the Halloween parties. Our rooms were trashed and frosting was on every floor. Sometimes it's impossible to do it all.
So my goal is not to be perfect. Work hard and take my breaks when needed. If I don't, then I will have major problems with my own health. I have to learn not to feel guilty if it doesn't get done and be honest with my superviser if it's a crazy night with many events.
Anybody have any advice?
Vicki
I have a problem at work. Everything has to be perfectly clean and organized. For the last few weeks I've been skipping my last break. Sometime soon I'll be evaluated with my other coworkers for a school score for the year. The person who scores us is the head of all the schools and will look under sinks and under book shelves for a little piece of paper. Pressure. With the flu and other illness we're suppose to disinfect more. Pressure. There's activites events to set up and put way with tables and chairs. Pressure. A custodian may be sick and there's overtime. Pressure.
My doctor told me to switch arms for cleaning and let the tendinits heal in the right. Easier said than done! I did that. But now my left inner elbow was a little sore last night.
How do you stop from being perfect? I need to take that 15 minutes for a break to sit, breathe, and drink alot of water. My other co-worker has dust and cob webs in his area. He knows when to stop. My other worker ran out of time the other day and didn't have time to do wash the extra desks after the Halloween parties. Our rooms were trashed and frosting was on every floor. Sometimes it's impossible to do it all.
So my goal is not to be perfect. Work hard and take my breaks when needed. If I don't, then I will have major problems with my own health. I have to learn not to feel guilty if it doesn't get done and be honest with my superviser if it's a crazy night with many events.
Anybody have any advice?
Vicki
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)