Food Fog

Summer Has Begun

Monday, 29 June 2009

Has another month already come and gone? I just can’t keep up. I remember when I used to have time to indulge in the introspectiveness of writing in my weblog daily or at least weekly. Now weeks or even months go by and I haven’t had a moment of uninterrupted self-analysis. Ah, such is the life of a mom. I won’t complain. All is well in my world.

Food-wise, I’m still eating a high raw food diet, though not being obsessive or pursuing some dietary perfection; just doing what feels good. We’re heading off to Vegetarian Summerfest in Johnstown, PA next week for five days of communing with other veg folk, great workshops and all vegan meals. I’m excited about not having to prepare food, and plan to enjoy the cuisine wholeheartedly.

Weight-wise, I’m hovering in the mid 130’s, just focusing on a gradual and almost effortless move towards whatever my ideal weight ends up being. I’m not sure what that is yet, but I know I’m not quite there. But, the number on the scale is surprisingly less important these days, as a focus on energy, stamina and overall balance is the goal.
So, off to keep working on sorting stuff for the yard sale this weekend. There’s got to be some calorie-burning in that task!

May Day... Mayday!

Friday, 01 May 2009

Today is May Day, and I thought it fitting to write today, considering the expression “mayday, mayday” is also a cry for help! May, of course, brings Spring, and the promise of renewal and growth. That’s a nice metaphor. All is well in my world, but there’s this nagging feeling that I somehow need to find a way to not be so busy and distracted with the mundane, seemingly necessary tasks of parenting and household upkeep, not to mention the plethora of social engagements flooding my calendar. While all these things seem to indicate a full life, I feel I’m somewhat sacrificing the nuances of the moment for the endless pursuit of completing the task at hand.

So, what does this introspection really have to do with my health and wellness? Well, a lot. It’s that search for balance; that appreciation of the moment without comparison to the past or projection into the future. I know so many other moms feel like they never get a moment to themselves, and that there will never be an end to the checklist, but it’s one thing I feel contributes to a lot of stress for me. It’s probably partially self-induced stress, but stress, nonetheless. Most days I feel as if I just run out of time. Weighty fatigue is the only signal to the end of the day, rather than a gentle lull into the renewing sleep I so desperately need, but often defer, just for the opportunity to gather my thoughts in the solitude of the wee hours of the morning.

Therefore, once again, more than a focus on weight or a specific exercise goal, my intention is to continue to seek balance in the daily grind, and work on stress management simply by changing my perception of the things I “have” to get done. I don’t want to complain about the things I strived my whole life to attain, like a nice home, a loving partner and healthy kids. So, rather than view the infinite stream of things to be accomplished as a hurdle to overcome, I want to find a way to enjoy the “doing,” more than the just being “done.”

This is my philosophic rambling for this beautiful first evening in May. It’s late, and my battery is running low, but I just took a quick walk with Flo and the dog around the neighborhood, and the fresh, mild and breezing Spring air pulled me into the moment. It reminds me of the importance of self-care as part of the foundation of a solid family.

Good night.

Rebounding

Friday, 20 March 2009

Oops. Another month has passed. So, I guess this is my monthly update. Darren left for Italy yesterday for ten days, so I suspect my time to sit around and reflect on my diet and fitness status will be minimal, and I’d better squeeze in a little introspection while I can!

I was sick for almost two weeks this past month, with what started out as a flu and progressed into the worst sinus and chest cold I’ve ever had. Thankfully, I took a turn for the better a couple days before my birthday (16th), so the segue into my 36th year was pleasant and uneventful.

On a positive note, I really worked with different dietary tactics this month to tackle the bloating problem I had been having. I narrowed it down to primarily just focus on smaller portions throughout the day, rather than one big meal, and trying to not feel rushed when I eat. I just started spreading my food out during the day, and really paying attention to the way I eat (slower, only eat when relaxed and not rushed, etc), and this seems to really help. Of course, I’m not always relaxed, nor do I always have time to sit and totally focus on eating consciously, but I see the benefits, and make a real effort.

I got a couple new “cook” books, and have continued to try some new raw food recipes. I don’t see myself committing to a 100 percent raw food lifestyle, but I do notice the digestive benefits, and really enjoy experimenting with different dishes. I got a nice dehydrator for my birthday, and am looking forward to making some raw treats. Some raw food recipes require a lot of forethought and patience, though, because you often have to soak and/or sprout seeds and grains for a day or two, then dehydrate for up to 24 hours. I guess it’s just like anything, you incorporate new things into your routine if you want to.

As for our standard vegan fare, we made some really yummy veggie sushi for my birthday. I’ve made it a few times now and I get better at it every time. We also tried experimenting with the nori sheets to make veggie “wraps.” They are actually quite easy and tasty. You just take a sheet of nori, wrap up lettuce and whatever veggies you want, roll it up, wet the edges to stick it together, and consume! Much quicker than sushi!

On the exercise front, being sick really wiped me out. I barely moved for four or five days, then I only got up to walk around the house. I went about ten days without moving much at all. So, in the past few days, I’ve slowly transitioned back into walking, just by taking a stroll around the neighborhood with the kids or doing 30 minutes on the treadmill with no incline at a slower speed. I totally feel my muscles rebelling after being so sedentary. But, I always feel something is missing if I don’t at least have some moderate exercise in my life, so now that my lung capacity is almost back to normal, and I can breathe through my nose, I will gradually work myself back up to where I was.

I weighed myself the other day, as I was feeling almost recovered, and I was right at 140. I stupidly weighed myself the week prior, after being sick for five or six days, and I was down to 134! I hadn’t eaten in like three days. But, it’s weird, because in a “sick” sort of way, it actually felt good to give my body a break from the work of digesting when I was feeling so awful. I obviously didn’t expect to stay at that weight, as soon as my appetite returned. Nonetheless, I think the result being sick was a few pound loss, and a great appreciation for feeling better!

I’m pretty sure that the prelude to getting sick was several weeks of total sleep deprivation. So, one of the things I’m really working on is establishing a better sleep routine. Like right now, it’s past midnight, and even though I would like to write more, and go finish the dishes in the sink, I’m going to just stop. Tomorrow is a new day, and right now I’m going to quiet my mind, think restful thoughts, and just go lay in bed until sleep comes. I find that it takes just as much commitment to stick to a sleep routine as it does to an exercise routine, and I’m realizing that both are equally important!

Good night.

Here and Now

Monday, 23 February 2009

I can’t believe almost another month has gone by. I started posting an entry back on the 8th of the month, and got totally distracted by the kids, never to return to my train of thought. Thus, here I am again, attempting to culminate my thoughts from the past few weeks with some clarity.

I think I left off last time by saying I was going to focus on sleep and relaxation. Well, I’ve come the realization that to get more sleep, I have to let some things go until the next day, or possibly all together. Sometimes I have to go to bed with dirty dishes in the sink, emails yet to be written, bills yet to be paid, food yet to be prepared or thoughts left to think. It’s that feeling of trying to accomplish all I can in the allotted time (24 hours) that makes everyday sometimes feel like a bit of a marathon. I’m working on the whole “being in the moment” thing. I’m reading Eckhart Tolle’s book, The Power of Now at the moment, and this is keeping me focused on that intention of really being present, because the present moment is really all we have in which to create. We can change the past, and we can’t predict the future, so we can only mold the moment we’re in into something we enjoy and appreciate.

As goes the process of evolution, my dietary journey has found me dabbling more into the world of raw foods this past month. I kind of meld together some raw food philosophies, and some of Dr. Fuhrman’s “Eat to Live” teachings, and that seems to be a good balance for me. My challenge still is some digestive problems, resulting in major bloating every time I eat any reasonable amount of food. It doesn’t seem to matter what the food is (cooked, raw, processed, unprocessed, whatever), though the symptom generally diminishes much quicker when I’ve eaten just raw fruits and vegetables, but it’s still there. Bloating, in itself, isn’t something most people would think is a problem. But, from the time I get up in the morning, feeling fairly normal and like my tummy is its normal state, to later in the afternoon, feeling like I look five months pregnant, can be rather discouraging.

Intuitively, I feel there’s something up with digestion because everything I eat seems to sit in my upper abdomen, rather than lower in the stomach, where one typically feels the sensation of fullness. Something just feels different than it did in the past. But, because before these past four years, I was so overweight and eating terribly, I can really only compare it to my recent experience. So, probably about a year and a half into my health reformation process, something started to feel off with my digestion. I can only theorize as to what might be the issue. I’ve tried most dietary and supplement options. The only thing that really feels good is not eating at all, and that can’t last for long! So, I will eventually find myself a decent primary care physician through our insurance, and at least request to have a few general tests done, to give me some more info to work with. I was scheduled for an endoscopy a couple years ago, but then go pregnant with Zofia and have since deferred it until a time when I’m not pregnant or breastfeeding. So, in the upcoming months, I will make it a priority to do that. I’m not a fan of any of the physicians I’ve seen, so it might be a bit of a wait.

Darren is going to Italy next month, and his opportunity to get away for a bit has got me reflecting on finding something we can do as a little family vacation this summer. I’m well aware that travelling with three kids can end up making even the most luxurious vacation seem less appealing. We’ve been wanting to go back to Vegetarian Summerfest in Johnstown, PA again. We went in 2005 and had a great time. It would be ideal, because it includes lodging, kids activities, lectures, entertainment and all meals. That would mean no cooking for five days! But, unfortunately, the price tag is about $2500 for us all to go, and we just don’t have the funds to register in the next month. We could charge it, but having no credit card debt is such a good feeling, I hate to do it. So, we’ll see. I did happen upon a link to a Raw Spirit Festival in Upper Marlboro, Maryland at the end of August, which looks like fun. We’ve never been down that way, and considering the cost would be minimal, that might be a fun overnight trip. I need something to put on the calendar and look forward to!

So, this past few weeks has not brought any major changes in my routine, but I am happily moving forward, continuing to be open to new ideas and experiences, and just enjoying the moment.

Sleepy Me

Monday, 26 January 2009

Sometimes you just need to pay attention to realize something is out of balance. I realized today that something is different. I’m feeling more anxious about everything and my sleep has been very disrupted. Actually, I’m not sure if that sentence should be reversed. My sleep has been very disrupted, and I’m feeling more anxious about everything. I think an intervention on behalf of myself is in order.

We’ve been doing a “spend nothing” month, meaning we spend nothing, except on necessities. So, that means asking at every juncture where money is to be spent, whether it’s a want or a need. More often than not, it’s a want, and we simply defer the impulse. We’re in our third week now, and it’s all been great, for the most part. We’ve spent less, obviously, we’ve stayed home more, we’re gotten more creative with things to do, and it’s opened up a lot of dialogue about money with the kids.

However, I think I’m starting to get cabin fever a bit. I spend most of my days home preparing a lot of meals from scratch; partly to save money and partly to continue on our quest for improved health. Some days are more labor intensive than others. I TRY to plan ahead, taking one day to chop veggies and fruits, make nut/seed/soy “milk,” bake low-sugar muffins or cookies for the kids, etc. But often, the distractions of life, and homeschooling activities (both in the home and elsewhere) interfere with my best intentions and ideal schedule, and I get overwhelmed with trying to meet everyone’s dietary needs and the seemingly endless thought it requires to manage.

I think reflecting on our spending habits, coupled with the New Year’s usual focus on health and fitness has definitely been the catalyst for these recent unsettled feelings. I’ve had all my vices taken away and I feel a lot of those feelings from my dieting past; feelings of anxiety about losing control, feeling like I’m not making enough of an effort; feeling isolated in my challenges. Why is that I ask myself? What has changed recently? And what can I do about it?

I can relate to a lot of what I hear about some people who have had weight loss surgery. Somewhere in the process, they reach a point where the physical limitations of their smaller stomach cannot combat the mental limitations they impose upon themselves by continuing to search for some comfort or fulfillment from food. Instead of a physical surgery, I’ve retrained myself to choose (and enjoy) healthier foods. I, also, now enjoy exercise, and I stop eating when I’m full. But, I’m well aware that the elusive “fullness” sought through food is never gratifying in the long term. Thus, the physical feeling of fullness isn’t necessary; only the diminishment of hunger. It’s that fine line between the two that becomes the fundamental judgment call on the part of every former food addict. I like the analogy of a full glass of a beverage. We associate full with being a good thing… and it is, in many areas of life. But, say you have a glass of iced tea, full to the brim. That glass is going to be hard to carry, and it will be a struggle to get from one place to the next without some spilling over a bit. But if you leave just a bit of room at the top of the glass when pouring your drink, you can easily pick it up, walk across the room, sit down and enjoy it. This is how I look at my approach to food. I don’t “diet” anymore, in the sense that I don’t count calories or restrict myself to a certain “plan.” I just try to pay attention to how full the glass is, so to speak, leaving room to move about with ease, rather than be transfixed on the brim of the glass, trying to prevent a spill.

But, I’m not always successful. Some digestive challenges, and possibly just changes in my body as I age, have made things feel different, and it’s harder to distinguish those physical feelings. I eat primarily vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, seeds, and a little grain (primarily oats, quinoa & rice). I try to limit excess oils and salt, and drink lots of water. Nutritionally, I’m at the point where I just don’t think there’s much I can do better without completely stressing myself out with food preparation and becoming socially isolated. It just seems like a journey to find what works best for me, then that works for awhile, then it doesn’t… And beyond the specific foods I choose to eat, I’ve come to greatly appreciate the other aspects of wellness that so deeply impact my life; mainly managing stress and getting enough sleep. Feeling good is not an all or nothing deal, but if there’s not relative balance in the areas of nutrition, physical activity, stress management and adequate sleep, long term success is likely to be more of a challenge.

Yet, my acknowledgement and awareness of these feelings are progress in and of themselves. I’m okay. I’m breathing through it. I can relinquish control, because it’s an illusion anyway. I can just focus my attention in the direction I want to go, and let go of worrying about what the destination is like, while remembering to enjoy the ride!

So, on that note, rather than focusing on food or what I’m going to prepare for the week, and whether my weight is up or down a pound (because that’s all it’s been doing for a year now), I’m going to focus on these recent feelings of anxiety and stress, and look at other areas where the balance is off. I’m going to start with SLEEP and relaxation! I’ve struggled with insomnia on and off throughout my adult years. I never have trouble staying asleep (unless I’m woken up by a baby three times a night). It’s the getting to sleep; the winding down; the letting go of the day, that has always posed a challenge to me. So, I’ll start here, at the threshold to the dream world.

Food Photo Fatigue

Monday, 19 January 2009

This past few days, thankfully, have been a little less hectic! This week, to inspire myself to be creative and enjoy my food, I decided to do a photo food diary on Flickr. I would photograph everything I eat, every day, then post it on my Flickr photostream. I’m a week into it, and I’m thinking… no… not the motivational tool I had imagined. It’s fun to be creative with food, but I don’t want to get caught up in holding myself accountable to being too detailed with my accounts of my food because it starts to feel like just another task on my to-do list. And if it feels like that, it seems like I’m on a diet. And, though I have specific preferences now, and actually enjoy healthy foods, I won’t do dieting anymore. The minute I perceive myself to be restricted, the lens through which I view my life shifts from one of abundance and possibilities to one of lack and limitation. This triggers old feelings of defeat and failure from my yo-yo dieting past. And, naturally, I don’t want to go down that path. Looking back on my old food journal entries, it’s neat having that chronicle of my food consumption as a little window into where I was in my life then. But, there’s a balance to be found between recording life and living it. Thus, I’ll just resolve to go back to photographing things when I feel like it, which feels fun and creative, not like a chore. Also, I’ll continue to use the venue of this blog to vent my challenges and successes. It’s most therapeutic!

Even having abandoned the “I’m going on diet on Monday” mentality, I’m still a planner, and I enjoy trying new routines, seeing how different foods affect how I feel, and experimenting with exercise. My challenge now is to just pay closer attention to how I feel, stop when I’m not quite yet full, and continue with the exercise. The more days in a row I do that, the better I feel, and the weight stabilizes. It just requires trusting in myself to make good decisions and keeping those self-defeating voices in my head in check by focusing on the positive in every situation.

Manic Mama

Wednesday, 14 January 2009

I'm still working on the planning ahead thing, getting enough sleep and not feeling rushed all the time... As for today, I'd give myself a 5 out of 10. Ugh... It went something like this...

To bed at 3am (was shooting for 1am)… Up at 9am… workout (treadmill), make breakfast, put together snack for EarthScouts, feed Zofia, check email, write a short note to a family member, cancel dentist appointment… 11am… good… I’ll get in the shower in ten minutes… Empty dishwasher… Joe’s hungry again… make him a quick snack… Zofia had a blow-out… change that… Now she’s crying… feed her again… Flo is sitting around doing nothing… tell her to get dressed… Tell her again three times… 11:45… crap… I can still get in the shower and be out by noon… want to stop by grocery store to get juice boxes for group… no problem… Kids are fed… I can get out of the door by 12:15… Almost in the shower… my mom calls… tell her I’m getting in the shower… talk later… put Zofia in her room… she starts screaming… go in and try to divert her attention with some toys… try to leave to get in shower… Nope… still crabby… Call Flo up to play with her while I shower… Flo’s STILL not dressed… Give Flo the “Don’t you want to go see your friends?” speech and that you’d think if she did, she’d be a little more motivated on days when we need to get somewhere on time… Blah blah blah… NOON… Crap… maybe I shouldn’t wash my hair in the shower? No, it’s been a couple days… need to wash it… darn… five extra minutes… I won’t use conditioner! Shower… AHHHH…..

Out of shower… BRRR… freezing! 12:10…. Oh man… the dog slept on the outfit I laid out for today… PU… can’t wear that… And where’d all my clean underwear go? Oh… Zofia dumped the basket and redistributed the contents… lovely… Ok… found some… ooh… and two matching sox in under 2 minutes! 12:15… Ok… start yelling at everyone to get moving! Come on! Darren offers to take kids, so I can take a few extra minutes… Thanks! Head out to Martin’s… then to EarthScouts… Phew! Not too late! Mission Accomplished! Sit in EarthScouts/Reading Club for a couple hours (Thanks Jodi!)… enjoyed the interlude….

Back in the car… home at 4pm… start dinner… Darren and Joe have to leave for hockey in 45 minutes… Flo and I have to leave for music at 5:30… Feed Darren and kids… Zofia is tired and cranky… go sit down and nurse her for a few minutes… put her in her highchair with some veggies… she falls asleep… Great! Will have to wake her up in fifteen minutes to go to music lessons… 5:15… I’ll just start the dishes… then I’ll put together a salad and a smoothie to take with me, so I can eat in peace in the car while I wait for Flo. Ok… food to go ready… ooh… find my book… got it… Wake up Zofia… she’s mad! Feed her for a few minutes…. Check diaper… not TOO wet… will change it in the car! Start yelling at Flo to hurry up… get off the computer… get her music stuff together… We’re late! Come on!

In the car, get to music lessons just on time… Flo goes in… AHHH… quiet… Eat my dinner in solitude while listening to radio… Zofia starts to squirm… get her out of car seat… She entertains herself in my lap for a half an hour pushing buttons and flickering the headlights and windshield washers…. So much for reading while I’m waiting! Oh well… I’m trying to be “in the moment” and appreciate this cute little kid I have a moment or two to focus on without any distractions. Ok… 5:50… we should go in and wait for Flo and check the schedule board to see if there’s a better time for lessons, so we don’t have to rush around again like this next week! Brr… it’s cold out here! Waiting… Zofia taps on a keyboard… No open slots in the schedule… will have to keep the same time for now… Oh well…

There’s Flo… off we go… Home again at 7:30pm… Joe just getting back from hockey… He’s hungry, of course! Feed him… Damn! Forgot to put the dishwasher through before I left, so dishes are still dirty and I can’t load it again until it’s done. UGH… Then the time period between 8pm and now (11:30pm) flew by with getting ready for bed, entering Joe’s hockey schedule into my calendar, helping Darren get ready for work tomorrow (he goes to DC on Thursdays), checking my e-mail, letting the dog out, letting him back in, throwing a wash in the washer, folding some towels… Now that I have time to breathe and reflect on things, I’m too tired to do much at all! I always wonder if I can manage my time better or something, but I don’t feel like I sit around wasting time… So, I’m trying not to beat myself up about things, and just do my best…

In between there, I did squeeze in eating plenty of healthy food, though probably in too much of a rush and maybe too much quantity. But, as for nutrition and health, I’d say it was a good day!

But, feeling rushed and tired is often a sure recipe for crankiness… so, I’ll have to continue to work on the sleep routine (or lack of one) and really plan ahead for days when we’re really busy. All I can do is keep working to improve things, but while also acknowledging that things are good as they are, and I can just appreciate that, too!

Bon nuit!

Photo Food Diary

Tuesday, 13 January 2009

Ok… so the photo food journaling is a little challenging! Well, in terms of photographing EVERYTHING I eat; a bit of the kid's apple, a lick of a spoon; a sip of coffee; whatever… So, to squelch my perfectionist self in the pursuit of the true photographic rendering of my food consumption, I think I will be liberal with my own "rules." I will photograph my main meals, and anything I eat that is convenient to photograph. But, if I forget something, or don't have a camera handy, I'm not going to forego eating until a camera is available! Ha! I will also use my blog to fill in the gaps, and just to keep myself accountable and being cognizant of not "mindlessly eating." After all, it's supposed to be a fun project, not another task on my to-do list, and if it feels like a chore, it will feel like a diet, and that's not my aim.

I still feel like I'm recovering from a food hangover from Sunday's potluck. I've noticed that I eat so little salt now, that when I do, it takes me a few days to feel not-so-bloated again. But, that's okay. I'm enjoying making lots of yummy smoothies lately; homemade salad dressings and fresh salads with all sorts of raw veggie and beans. After a few days of keeping things in balance, I start feeling much better. So, it's worth the effort!

I'm also working on making salads more convenient by having the veggies pre-chopped, and also making something once a week, like healthy muffins, for the kids, so they have something easy to grab in the morning or when we're on the way out the door and realize we haven't eaten yet! Some days go better than others. When I'm not getting enough sleep is when I find it most challenging to get everything done, so I know I need to make sleep a priority. I always just feel like there's so much I need and want to do, so I cram sleep into five or six hour interludes for a week or so, and then it catches up with me. So, I want to really focus on creating a sleep routine; bring books in my room; hope the baby settles down, listen to some soothing music, and welcome sleep at a reasonable hour (like before 1am). We'll see how that goes!

Potluck Success

Monday, 12 January 2009

Today we hosted a vegan potluck, and had a great turnout. So, it was nice to meet some new people, as well as, have a variety of food to enjoy. Unfortunately, I was so preoccupied with my kids, that by the time I ate my salad, and a smoothie, I was pretty full, and didn’t get a chance to sample everything. But, I always enjoy sharing recipes and seeing what it is others enjoy making. So, that was fun.

I’m really finding the “green” smoothies we’re making with the VitaMix to be a great way to get more greens and have a filling meal quickly. So, I will try to get more creative with those, using lots of the fruits and veggies we get from our weekly produce co-op.

Tomorrow I’m going to start keeping a food journal again; just kind of as a delineation in my efforts to improve some of my digestive issues, and to work towards losing ten pounds or so, however long that takes. So, I’m going to try to make it a photo journal, so I’m hoping that the thought of taking a picture of everything I eat will cause me to slow down a bit and ponder my choices more. It may be challenging to always have a camera on hand when eating, but I'll try to get creative!

VitaMixing Veggie Queen

Friday, 09 January 2009

Surprisingly, today had a much more relaxing and balanced vibe to it, despite the fact that I hosted a large group of homeschoolers for a journaling club. I got a little earlier start this morning, getting up around 10am to work out and then got the kids going. I didn’t even think about food until several minutes before the journaling club kids arrived, so I just had an apple. It was one of those days, where I could have just eaten nothing. I had no hunger drive at all until I actually ate later on in the afternoon. I thought ahead yesterday, and spent the quiet hours of the night chopping up butternut squash, so we would have an easy meal this evening, before Darren and Joe headed out to hockey practice.

So, I very much enjoyed a bowl of butternut squash and a big salad with chickpeas and various raw veggies. My dessert was a chocolate smoothie made of banana, a few dried apricots, two dates, a handful of pumpkin seeds, a piece of squash, cocoa powder, ice and water. You’ll probably notice the pumpkin seed theme for the next month or two, as we have twenty seven pounds of them, along with seven pounds of dates, and five of dried apricots. So, we’ll have to find lots of creative uses for them! Anyway, my smoothie rocked! It tasted like chocolate pudding, and totally satisfied that chocolate craving. Yummo!

Oh, so my VitaMix blender, which I use pretty much daily, for smoothies, dressings, sauces, and such, died again last week! In a panic, I called the company to make good on my warranty… again… as this is the second time I’ve returned this machine in less than a year. I was told there was a few week turn-around time on repairs. I expressed my distress about going that long without our beloved appliance. In response to my VitaMixing withdrawal anxiety, they suggested a good deal on a refurbished model that would be delivered in a matter of days. So, despite the redundancy of eventually having two of these blending apparatus, I opted to go ahead and treat myself, as it was almost too good a deal to pass up. So, can you believe, today the FedEx guy delivered BOTH my old VitaMix (repaired), and the new model? What happened to the three week turn-around time on repairs? UGH! Well, anyway, I’m not upset… it’s paid for… and now I have a back-up. And, I’m sure they will both get their fair share of use! I joked the other day to just call me the VitaMixing Veggie Queen, which conjured up images of the I Love Lucy Show and the "Vita-Meata-Vega-Min" episode! Love that!

Speaking of VitaMix…. I have an abundance of rather bland apples, so I was searching on YouTube for ideas, and this VitaMix video came up… This guy is way too excited about applesauce!

Flo is at a friend’s house, Darren and Joe are off at hockey practice now, and it’s just a very tired Zofia and me. I’m looking forward to a nice weekend. Tomorrow we have nothing on the schedule, except cleaning a little for our monthly vegetarian potluck that we’re hosting at our house this month. So, Sunday we’ll have people over, but that’s always enjoyable. At least we don’t have to go anywhere! It’s so much easier to have people over, than to get out of the house on time! Ha!

As we’re now well into January, and the newness of the New Year is fading, I’m getting myself in that creative space to move forward with my health goals. One thing I think would be fun, will be to do a photographic food diary for awhile. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to remember to photograph everything I eat, but I will give it a go for a few weeks. When I started my weight-loss journey, I kept a very simple food journal on this website every day, and it kept me motivated to pay attention to nourishing myself well. It was also an interesting record to look back on a few years later to see what worked for me then, and how things have changed. With that in mind, I’ll give it another go by posting my daily food pics/journal on Flickr.

Well, my quiet alone time has come to an end, as Zofia just woke up. But, it’s been a nice day, and I’m feeling good! Can’t ask for more!