I wouldn't necessarily say my mom's mom had much of a green thumb...at least not with house plants. I don't think it ever occurred to her, as a farm woman, to have plants indoors. She would have seen it as frivolous and a complete waste of time, space, and resources. She did enjoy the occasional bouquet of posies on the dining room table but that was it. Grandma had a really good eye for planting outdoors though. She managed to plant flowers that bloomed in succession so there was always color around the yard. And her vegetable garden was always remarkable.
Mother's Day originated in West Virginia. Just another service we provide here in the Mountain State. My mom was a beautiful woman and I miss her desperately. There are so many things I'd love to share with her on our weekly phone call on Sunday nights. First, I'd tell her I'm a Christian now. She would never have thought ill of me for any of my choices, but she would have been happy. Second, I wish she could have met her first great grandchild. Mama loved little pink bundles. Third, I wish she could have met Mr. Virgo. She would have loved him. And fourth, I wish she could see how wonderful my brother Gary is doing.
A dear friend of mine recently experienced an unexpected change of employment. After 30 years of service to his job and his community, he was "moved" to a new position in order for someone coming up the ranks to be trained in his job. It was a devastating blow and caused emotional turmoil. Suffering this kind of loss is akin to grieving a death. Because it IS a death. The death of the life that was planned. The death of a career. The death of an identity.
I've said this before but, fitness isn't just about the scale. Your interpersonal relationships are as important to your wellbeing as eating right and going outside to play. How you interact with other people can influence your mood and subsequently your food choices. Stress eating is a problem for a lot of people. Who hasn't consoled themselves with Haagen Daz at one point or another? Once isn't a problem. Making it a habit is.
Ok, kids...count those fingers. Four! I climbed those steps FOUR times today with a loop around to come back to the bottom. I have NO idea how many steps there are...I was too busy maintaining consciousness to count! Wowza...my legs are noodles but I feel AWESOME!!! Yay for Fitness Friday!!!!
Addendum: Turns out there's 175 steps! Or maybe around 170. Who knows? There's a gazillion as far as I'm concerned! lol
When you lose your loved one, a giant gaping hole is instantly ripped in your heart. It is ragged and bloody and sends horrible sounds up your throat and out of your mouth. These guttural wails are the initial rages of acute grief...raw and unimaginable. They come of their own free will. There's no rhyme or reason to it. Three months after Mr. Virgo died and I had returned from my journey through the wilderness of Colorado, I was beginning to cook for myself again. I was rummaging in the spice cabinet when I moved a jar aside and saw it. Mr. Virgo's secret stash of jelly beans. There were only a couple handfuls left. I crumpled. I laid my forehead on the counter and wailed. Sounds I didn't know I could make...the ragged sobs coming from someplace deep within like a wounded animal.
I don't think it's a surprise to anyone that I'm a princess. Or...at least, I WAS a princess. Mr. Virgo carried me around on a velvet pillow. And that's what I needed at the time. I needed to feel special. I needed to heal from a lot of things, so God brought Mr. Virgo. And my heart healed. Then it broke again when he died. When a broken bone heals, it is never the same as it was before. Neither is a broken heart. As I walk this grief journey, my limp is apparent. I'm changed, especially over this past winter. It's been subtle...but obvious to me. And it all stems around my fur coat. You remember my fur coat?
Ok, for those of you who are fairly new, you may not know that I initially had a 16' camper. The following summer (2014) I realized I was living in the camper and using the house for a very expensive laundromat. I soon decided, for a number of very valid reasons, to sell the house. This allowed me to upgrade to a bigger trailer and forced me to downsize my personal belongings. I got rid of 95% of my stuff. And, as you can see, there's still a boatload of stuff still...and this is just what I took in the house last fall and brought out today. I still have several boxes of stuff in a friend's basement. So, the next phase of downsizing is about to begin.
I've been working with a trainer the last two months. We exercise together four or five times a week. Anyone who exercises knows it's a whole lot easier when you're with someone. There's not only the accountability factor, but the motivation and encouraging comments that come with having an exercise partner is priceless.
It's important when you exercise to stay in breath so you are aerobic...your muscles getting the oxygen they need. One way of assuring that is to carry on a conversation. If you can't talk more than a few words with all the huffing and puffing, you should really slow down the pace a little. Imagine my delight when I can exercise AND carry on a conversation. It helped make the activity much more pleasant.
My Sister friend Michelle had a running bet with her dad. If she had snow in her North facing yard on May 1st, he owed her a cup of coffee and if she didn't, she bought him a cup. He died on May 1, 2013 just six weeks after Mr. Virgo. She really misses her dad and thinks he might have won the bet this year...and sure wishes she could buy him that cup of coffee today.
