New Year's Resolutions

I don't usually make resolutions beyond "I really should work at loosing weight this year." Certainly nothing formal. But I think I shall resolve to work at eating healthily and incorporating exersize into my everyday life. I have a friend who's joined a nearby Curves, and she's pushing me to go (with my encouragment, I need pushes!). So she's going on Wednesday when the kids are back to school, and I think I will join her.

Read an interesting article today, can't remember the magazine, though. It was talking about how we really have three parts to our brains - the totally unconcious automatic controls (heartrate, breathing), the basic part we share with all other animals, and our "higher conciousness". She called the basic part the "bunny" brain, and said one of the reasons we so often fail at changing our behavior is that we scare the bunny. Habits are deeply ingrained in that part of the brain, so it takes real effort and slow steps to change that. That's why you can resolve to go jogging at 5am every morning, but when the alarm goes off, the animal part of your brain says, "it's cold, it's dark, I'm going back to sleep." So if we really want to change, we have to do it in ways that the bunny brain can accept.

Don't know if it's true, but it's an interesting idea. I guess it ties in with using positive reinforcement on ourselves. I'll try to find the article again and put in any useful suggestions she has.

Here goes...

Hope this works and doesn't slow anyone's computer down. I have a website too, but I still need to update the last few quilts. The website currently only shows my personal quilting projects (quilts I make all parts of). My business is just finishing the tops that other quilters make but don't want to put together. http://cavnet.dyndns.org/lisa/quilting.html

This is a beautiful black and red quilt that was brought to me by a friend. She made it for her grandson. She's not sure she's going to give it to him because she likes the quilting I did (very customized job), so I feel a bit bad since he's been wanting it. She's worried he won't take care of it as he's only 14 years old. I just freehanded designs in the quilt. The only pattern I marked was the outside border/large red strip.

Bits and Pieces

I'm very happy that I had a free day today. I managed to finish a quilt early (promised for after Christmas) and the customer it was for was so excited about the quilting I'd done she paid me extra. Always a big kudo when that happens! Plus she had to bring it to two different quilt groups to show them my work, so I'm glad that I spent so much time on it. Now I get to have some time to myself till Christmas. John is off work too so I'm sure we'll just hang out and I do have work to do, just at my own pace for now.

Plus, the other good news for me in the last two weeks was it turns out my cholesterol wasn't as bad as I thought. Part of it was I asked the Dr. how it compared to last year, and it turns out it had gone down. Still borderline high, but the whole meeting changed when she realized it had gone down. Kind of funny. Still, I should keep an eye on it of course.

I do hope everyone is looking forward to Christmas. I'm hoping to be bad and back some cookies tonight. Trying to get more into the spirit of things, and I have a potluck/staff party next week I thought I might give them out at as gifts. Hopefully I can get most in the freezer or given away so I don't eat toooo much.

Forced Exercise II

I am just catching up after not having Internet access for several days (or even time to go find some). I am getting lots of "forced" exercise. First it was moving stuff. Then it was working on removing old vinyl. We also now live in a house with steps. Right now a lot of stuff got unloaded into the basement so I am making many trips up and down the steps. My legs are sure feeling it.

cough cough

My asthma has kicked in, and I've been coughing for weeks. That's my excuse for not getting any appreciable amount of exercise for almost a month which means I'm completely out of shape for skiing (assuming I can stop coughing long enough to try to ski). Of course, getting enough sleep would be helpful. Or remembering to use the inhaler that I finally got.

But it's December and life is always a little bit crazy. I've been feeling like the Grinch, and everyone else at home is completely into Christmas. We got a 10 1/2 foot tree that looks great. Michael and they boys did a great job decorating. There are tons of presents under the tree already. We've opened some (that came in the mail unwrapped). We've even got most of Timothy's birthday presents under the tree, as well.

I shouldn't be too grumpy because I'm done with shopping. The gifts are all mailed. I'm not thinking about the holiday letter until we get past Christmas day. Still, I haven't finalized plans for Timothy's birthday party or sent out any invites. I haven't started packing, I don't know when my in-laws are arriving, and their room isn't ready.

I've started a second new project at work which is overwhelming. It's good news because it means I'll likely have enough work to go full time later in January (because Michael has requested a 12 month unpaid leave of absence). Hmm... I wonder why I'm stressed.

No matter how much things change, they stay the same.

Bad Habit

I wish I could stop doing this - I eat something I really like, and I feel hungry, i want more, so I have more and then I've had too much. Made pierogies for lunch today, and the first few I boiled, then fried in a little butter so they were crispy, and had low-fat sour cream on top. Not great, but not so very horrible. Until I made another batch, omitted the frying because I wanted them NOW and they were not nearly as good. And then I was uncomfortably full because I'd gobbled them down.

I'm slowly losing weight, but not if I eat like this! Bleah.

I hate cold rainy days

I didn't let William play outside today because we had more rain than snow. I am now paying the price because he is whiny and bored. We are going out to dinner with friends - their daughter just got admitted to MIT. William doesn't want to go, he doesn't want to try Thai food (even white rice) he wants someone to play with ....

Ok, i didn't get much done today, and I spent a long time on the couch with him watching TV - I understand that he's bored but leave me alone for 5 minutes!!!!

Arrgh - it is compounded by the fact that I offered him several different things to do this afternoon (making cookies with me, eg.) and he declined them all.